bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research of Micro Hole Vibration Drilling Process and Experiment
Authors: Zhang Peng , Guo Xing Yu , Wu Cheng Ge
Published: September 2011

It is always the difficulties for micro hole machining in the machine manufacturing industry, even more in the defense industry. The vibration drilling new craft, with the incomparable advantages in micro hole drilling, is different from the common one. The precision NC micro hole vibration drilling machine is developed, and the micro hole drilling experiments are conducted. The vibration drilling can not only improve the drill life more than ten times compared with the normal one, but also improve the centering ability and position precision.
Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Al2O3-SiC Interface
Authors: Zhou Ting Ting , Huang Chuan Zhen , Liu Han Lian , Zou Bin , Zhu Hong Tao
Published: September 2011

The interfacial energy and diffusion phenomenon of the Al2O3(012)-SiC (011) interface model are studied based on molecular dynamics. The interfacial energy increases firstly until reaches its maximum 0.459J/m2at the temperature of 1500K and then decreases. The relationship of diffusion coefficients for each kind of atoms is C>Si>O>Al. Diffusion coefficients of atoms increase at first and then decrease as the temperature goes up. This indicates the diffusion mechanism has been changed during the temperature rising process.
Effect of Weld Line Direction and Its Position on Drawing Performance of Tailor-Welded Blanks
Authors: Cao W.J. , Jia Y.C. , Xu An Ping , Xu A.W. , Qu Y.X.
Published: September 2011

Nowadays, the tailor-welded blanks (TWBs) technology has been developing very rapidly in China. The quality of tailor-welded blanks becomes more and more important for the stable manufacturing of automotive panels. therefore, it’s very necessary to find out the key factors that influence the forming performance of tailor-welded blanks. This paper experimentally studies the effect of weld line direction on drawing performance. The tailor-welded blanks with the same material pair were used in the experiment, in which the weld line is straight and forms a certain angle with drawing force. The drawing tests were done with the different angles and values of relative position. The results show that the forming performance is related to the relative position of weld line and the angle between weld line and drawing force.
Prediction of Surface Parameters for Strain Hardening Material of Asperity Flattening in Metal Forming
Authors: Yang Tung Sheng , Lee S.Q. , Li J.Y. , Liu C. Y.
Published: September 2011

This study applies the finite element method (FEM) in conjunction with an abductive network to predict the surface parameters for strain hardening material of asperity flattening in metal forming process. To verify the prediction of FEM simulation for surface parameters, the experimental data are compared with the results of current simulation. Contact area ratio, surface roughness, skewness and kurtosis are investigated for different process and material parameters, such as normal pressure, bulk strain rate, yielding stress, strength coefficient and strain hardening exponent of surface asperity flattening in metal forming, by finite element analysis. The abductive network is then utilized to synthesize the data sets obtained from numerical simulations, and the prediction model is established for predicting surface parameters. The predicted results of the surface parameters from the prediction model are in good agreement with the results obtained from the FEM simulation.
Effect of Various Cooling Strategies on Surface Roughness of High Speed Milling Ti-6Al-4V
Authors: Yang Xiao Yong , Ren Cheng Zu , Chen Guang , Han Bing , Wang Y.
Published: September 2011

This study focused on the side milling surface roughness of titanium alloy under various cooling strategies and cutting parameters. The experimental results show that the cooling strategies significantly affect the surface roughness in milling Ti-6Al-4V. Surface roughness (Ra) alterations are investigated. Cutting fluid strategy made nearly all the smallest and most stable roughness values. The surface roughness values produced by all cooling strategies are obviously affected by feed, radial depth-of-cut and cutting speed. However, axial depth-of-cut has little influence.
Digital Simulation on Fuzzy Control in the Speed-Varying Wire Feeding System of Welding
Authors: Liu W. , Yang L.J. , Sun G.Z. , Wang X.
Published: September 2011

Applying the computer digital simulation program on the basis of numeric integration and the dynamic structural diagram, an improved method was put forward to the problem of PID control in the speed-varying feeding system, and the computer simulation experiment has been done for research.
A New Method for Identifying the Cutter Runout Parameters in Flat End Milling Process
Authors: Wan Min , Lu M.S. , Zhang Wei Hong , Yang Y. , Li Y.
Published: September 2011

Cutter runout will redistribute the instantaneous uncut chip thickness and the cutting forces in multi-fluted milling process. In this paper, a new procedure is proposed to identify the cutter runout parameters for flat end milling process. By combining least-square method, mathematical derivations and implementation procedures are carried out based on the relative deviation between each cutting edge and the spindle rotation center, measured by a dial gauge. Numerical verifications are conducted to validate the proposed procedures, and the results show that they are efficient and reliable. It is also suggested that to weaken the influence of noise signal, measurements should be conducted at multiple axial positions.
An Experimental Study of Antirust Additives Ratio for Green Water-Based Lubricant
Authors: Yan F.G. , Yan S. , Liu F. , Lin Bin
Published: September 2011

In recent years taking into account the environmentally friendly property and low viscosity of water, water lubrication technology has been developing rapidly. However, the water itself contains easily-rust metal. Thus in order to meet the need of the spindle system of our research, we need to add antirust additives in water. Through the analysis of antirust additive, suitable composition of water-based antirust additive is obtained, and a new water-based lubricant is formed. Through orthogonal experiments of testing antirust properties, the optimal formula of lubricant is gained, and the ratio of various additives is confirmed.
Study on Acoustic Emission Signatures during the Process of Edge Chipping for Engineering Ceramics
Authors: Tang Xiu Jian , Tian Xin Li , Wang Jian Quan , Mao Ya Tao , Li F.Q.
Published: September 2011

The developments of edge chipping for engineering ceramics are analyzed. An edge chipping experiment under static load is adopted to study the fracture process of edge chipping. The results show that the fracture processes of edge chipping under different edge distances are similar, which can be divided into four stages based on load-displacement curve. There is obviously Kaiser Effect during the fracture processes of edge chipping. Counts, average frequency, RMS, duration, amplitude and inverse calculation can be used to describe the process of edge chipping for engineering ceramics. Amplitude, duration and average frequency become highly active on the eve of fracture, which can be regard as the omens of edge chipping and used to predict the fracture of edge chipping.
Probing Materials by Positron Annihilation Technique and Mossbauer Spectroscopy - Review
Authors: Chakrabarti Mahuya , Chattopadhyay S. , Sanyal D. , Sarkar A. , Jana D.
Published: September 2011

Positron annihilation technique is a well known technique to characterize the defects in a material. These defects can be identified by positron annihilation lifetime and coincidence Doppler broadening of positron annihilation radiation measurement. In this chapter we report the room temperature positron annihilation lifetime for single crystalline ZnO. From our study it is confirmed that the present crystal contains VZn–hydrogen complexes with low open volumes. Another important nuclear solid technique is the Mossbauer Spectroscopic technique which has been used to probe the local magnetic properties of a solid. Here we have summarized Mossbauer spectroscopic studies on ferrites.
Laser Shot Peening of 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel without Protective Coating
Authors: Sathyajith S. , Kalainathan S. , Swaroop S.
Published: September 2011

Laser Shot Peening without protective Coating (LPPC) was performed on SS304 austenitic stainless steel using a 300 mJ, 10 ns pulse, 1064 nm wavelength Nd:YAG laser with three different pulse densities. A thin layer of water was used as a confinement layer. The peened specimen was characterised with XRD, AFM and a Profilometer. The stress evaluated at the surface of the laser peened sample shows a maximum compressive stress of 1.6 GPa. The surface roughness and depth profile of microhardness before and after LPPC were investigated.The LPPC region indicate substantial improvement in microhardness and compressive residual stress, with marginal increase of surface roughness.
Modelling the Adsorption of Methane Molecules into Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Adisa Olumide O. , Cox Barry J. , Hill James M.
Published: September 2011

We investigate the prospect of methane gas storage in carbon nanotubes, and in particular we determine the interaction energy between a methane molecule and (9, 5), (8, 8) and (10,10) carbon nanotubes. Employing the Lennard-Jones potential together with the continuous approximation, we determine analytically the interaction energy for a methane molecule inside a carbon nanotube. Our results indicate that larger tubes are highly favoured sites for methane storage although smaller tubes might be superior for methane adsorption at higher temperatures, especially in the range 400 − 500 K.
IL-33 Expands Suppressive CD11b+ Gr-1int and Regulatory T Cells, including ST2L+ Foxp3+ Cells, and Mediates Regulatory T Cell-Dependent Promotion of Cardiac Allograft Survival
Authors: Turnquist Hēth R. , Zhao Zhenlin , Rosborough Brian R. , Liu Quan , Castellaneta Antonino , Isse Kumiko , Wang Zhiliang , Lang Megan , Beer Stolz Donna , Zheng Xin Xiao , Demetris A. Jake , Liew Foo Y. , Wood Kathryn J. , Thomson Angus W.
Published: September 2011

IL-33 administration is associated with facilitation of Th2 responses and cardioprotective properties in rodent models. However, in heart transplantation, the mechanism by which IL-33, signaling through ST2L (the membrane-bound form of ST2), promotes transplant survival is unclear. We report that IL-33 administration, while facilitating Th2 responses, also increases immunoregulatory myeloid cells and CD4+ Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) in mice. IL-33 expands functional myeloid-derived suppressor cells, CD11b+ cells that exhibit intermediate (int) levels of Gr-1 and potent T cell suppressive function. Furthermore, IL-33 administration causes an St2-dependent expansion of suppressive CD4+ Foxp3+ Tregs, including an ST2L+ population. IL-33 monotherapy after fully allogeneic mouse heart transplantation resulted in significant graft prolongation associated with increased Th2-type responses and decreased systemic CD8+ IFN-γ+ cells. Also, despite reducing overall CD3+ cell infiltration of the graft, IL-33 administration markedly increased intragraft Foxp3+ cells. Whereas control graft recipients displayed increases in systemic CD11b+ Gr-1hi cells, IL-33–treated recipients exhibited increased CD11b+ Gr-1int cells. Enhanced ST2 expression was observed in the myocardium and endothelium of rejecting allografts, however the therapeutic effect of IL-33 required recipient St2 expression and was dependent on Tregs. These findings reveal a new immunoregulatory property of IL-33. Specifically, in addition to supporting Th2 responses, IL-33 facilitates regulatory cells, particularly functional CD4+ Foxp3+ Tregs that underlie IL-33–mediated cardiac allograft survival.
Enhancement of Antibody Class-Switch Recombination by the Cumulative Activity of Four Separate Elements
Authors: Dunnick Wesley A. , Shi Jian , Zerbato Jennifer M. , Fontaine Clinton A. , Collins John T.
Published: September 2011

Class-switch recombination of Ab isotype is mediated by a recombinational DNA deletion event and must be robustly upregulated during Ag-driven differentiation of B cells. The enhancer region 3′ of the Cα gene is important for the upregulation of switch recombination. Using a transgene of the entire H chain C region locus, we demonstrate in this study that it is the four 3′ enhancer elements themselves (a total of 4.7 kb) that are responsible for the upregulation rather than the 24 kb of DNA in between them. Neither allelic exclusion nor transgenic μ expression is reduced by deletion of the four 3′ enhancers. We also test deletions of two or three of the 3′ enhancers and show that deletion of more 3′ enhancers results in a progressive reduction in both switch recombination and germline transcription of all H chain genes. Nevertheless, we find evidence for special roles for some 3′ enhancers; different H chain genes are affected by different 3′ enhancer deletions. Thus, we find that the dramatic induction of class-switch recombination during Ag-driven differentiation is the result of an interaction among four separated regulatory elements.
Validated RP-HPLC Method for the Determination of Buspirone in Pharmaceutical Formulations
Authors: Basaveswara Rao M. V. , Nagendrakumar A. V. D. , Maiti Sushanta , Raja Guttikonda
Published: September 2011

A simple, selective, linear, precise, and accurate RP-HPLC method was developed and validated for the rapid assay of the Buspirone in tablet dosage form. Isocratic elution at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min was employed on a symmetry C18 (250×4.6 mm, 5 μm in particle size) at ambient temperature. The mobile phase consisted of water : acetonitrile : methanol 45 : 35 : 20(V/V). The UV detection wavelength was 210 nm, and 20 μL sample was injected. The retention time for the Buspirone was 7.057 min. The percentage RSD for precision and accuracy of the method was found to be less than 2%. The method was validated as per the ICH guidelines. The method can be successfully applied for the routine analysis of Buspirone in tablet dosage form.
Enhancement ofBacillus subtilisLipopeptide Biosurfactants Production through Optimization of Medium Composition and Adequate Control of Aeration
Authors: Ghribi Dhouha , Ellouze-Chaabouni Semia
Published: September 2011

Interest in biosurfactants has increased considerably in recent years, as they are potentially used in many commercial applications in petroleum, pharmaceuticals, biomedical, and food processing industries. Since improvement of their production was of great importance to reduce the final coast, cultural conditions were analyzed to optimize biosurfactants production fromBacillus subtilisSPB1 strain. A high yield of biosurfactants was obtained from a culture ofB. subtilisusing carbohydrate substrate as a carbon source; among carbohydrates, glucose enhanced the best surfactin production. The optimum glucose concentration was 40 g/L. Higher amount of biosurfactants was obtained using 5 g/L of urea as organic nitrogen source and applying C/N ratio of 7 with ammonium chloride as inorganic nitrogen source. The highest amount of biosurfactants was recorded with the addition of 2% kerosene. Moreover, it was shown, using an automated full-controlled 2.6 L fermenter, that aeration of the medium, which affected strongly the growth regulated biosurfactants synthesis by the producing cell. So that, low or high aerations lead to a decrease of biosurfactants synthesis yields. It was found that when using dissolved oxygen saturation of the medium at 30%, biosurfactants production reached 4.92 g/L.
A Perfusion MRI Study of Emotional Valence and Arousal in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Limsoontarakul Sunsern , Campbell Meghan C. , Black Kevin J.
Published: September 2011

Background. Brain regions subserving emotion have mostly been studied using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during emotion provocation procedures in healthy participants.Objective. To identify neuroanatomical regions associated with spontaneous changes in emotional state over time.Methods. Self-rated emotional valence and arousal scores, and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) measured by perfusion MRI, were measured 4 or 8 times spanning at least 2 weeks in each of 21 subjects with Parkinson’s disease (PD). A random-effects SPM analysis, corrected for multiple comparisons, identified significant clusters of contiguous voxels in which rCBF varied with valence or arousal.Results. Emotional valence correlated positively with rCBF in several brain regions, including medial globus pallidus, orbital prefrontal cortex (PFC), and white matter near putamen, thalamus, insula, and medial PFC. Valence correlated negatively with rCBF in striatum, subgenual cingulate cortex, ventrolateral PFC, and precuneus—posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). Arousal correlated positively with rCBF in clusters including claustrum-thalamus-ventral striatum and inferior parietal lobule and correlated negatively in clusters including posterior insula—mediodorsal thalamus and midbrain.Conclusion. This study demonstrates that the temporal stability of perfusion MRI allows within-subject investigations of spontaneous fluctuations in mental state, such as mood, over relatively long-time intervals.
Abelian and derived deformations in the presence of $ℤ$-generating geometric helices
Authors: De Deken Olivier , Lowen Wendy
Published: September 2011

For a Grothendieck category

\mathcal{C}

which, via a

\mathbb{Z}

-generating sequence

(\mathcal{O}(n))_{n \in \mathbb{Z}}

, is equivalent to the category of “quasi-coherent modules” over an associated

\mathbb{Z}

-algebra

\mathfrak{a}

, we show that under suitable cohomological conditions “taking quasi-coherent modules” defines an equivalence between linear deformations of

\mathfrak{a}

and abelian deformations of

\mathcal{C}

. If

(\mathcal{O}(n))_{n \in \mathbb{Z}}

is at the same time a geometric helix in the derived category, we show that restricting a (deformed)

\mathbb{Z}

-algebra to a “thread” of objects defines a further equivalence with linear deformations of the associated matrix algebra.
The scale problem in quantifying aerosol indirect effects
Authors: McComiskey A. , Feingold G.
Published: September 2011

Abstract. A wide range of estimates exists for the radiative forcing of the aerosol effect on cloud albedo. We argue that a component of this uncertainty derives from the use of a wide range of observational scales and platforms. Aerosol affects cloud properties at the microphysical scale, or the "process scale" but observations are most often made of bulk properties over a wide range of resolutions, or "analysis scales". We show that differences between process and analysis scales incur biases in quantification of the albedo effect through the impact that data aggregation has on statistical properties of the aerosol or cloud variable, and their covariance. Measures made within this range of scales are erroneously treated as equivalent, leading to a large uncertainty in associated radiative forcing estimates. Issues associated with the coarsening of observational resolution particular to quantifying the albedo effect are discussed. Specifically, the omission of the constraint on cloud liquid water path and the separation in space of cloud and aerosol properties from passive, space-based remote sensors dampen the measured strength of the albedo effect. Based on our understanding of these biases we propose a new approach for an observationally-based, robust method for estimating aerosol indirect effects that can be used for radiative forcing estimates as well as a better characterization of the uncertainties associated with those estimates.
Laboratory and modeling studies on the effects of water and soot emissions and ambient conditions on the formation of contrail ice particles in the jet regime
Authors: Wong H.-W. , Beyersdorf A. J. , Heath C. M. , Ziemba L. D. , Winstead E. L. , Thornhill K. L. , Tacina K. M. , Ross R. C. , Albo S. E. , Bulzan D. L. , Anderson B. E. , Miake-Lye R. C.
Published: September 2011

Abstract. Contrails and contrail-induced cirrus clouds are identified as the most uncertain components in determining aviation impacts on global climate change. Parameters affecting contrail ice particle formation immediately after engine exit plane (<5 s in plume age) may be critical to ice particle properties used in large scale models predicting contrail radiative forcing. Despite this, detailed understanding of these parametric effects is still limited. In this paper, we present results from recent laboratory and modeling studies conducted to investigate the effects of water and soot emissions and ambient conditions on the near-field formation of contrail ice particles. The Particle Aerosol Laboratory (PAL) at the NASA Glenn Research Center and the Aerodyne microphysical parcel model for contrail ice particle formation were employed. Our studies show that exhaust water concentrations have a significant impact on contrail ice particle formation. When soot was introduced, ice particle formation was observed only when exhaust water concentration was above a critical level. When no soot or sulfuric acid was introduced, homogeneous ice particle formation was unfavorable. Soot particles were found to compete for water vapor condensation, and higher soot concentrations emitted into the chamber resulted in smaller ice particles being formed. Chamber conditions corresponding to higher altitude standard day conditions were found to favor ice particle formation as expected. The microphysical model captures experimental trends well, but discrepancies between the model and the experiments exist as the model predicts narrower ice particle size distributions and ice particle sizes nearly a factor of two larger than measured. These discrepancies are likely due to the lack of treatment of turbulent mixing in the model and particle loss and scatter during the experimental sampling process. Future measurement activities are planned to investigate other important parameters, such as soot surface properties and sulfuric acid concentrations, using the PAL and microphysical model.
Monoterpene and sesquiterpene emissions from Quercus coccifera exhibit interacting responses to light and temperature
Authors: Staudt M. , Lhoutellier L.
Published: September 2011

Abstract. Light and temperature are known to be the most important environmental factors controlling biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions from plants, but little is known about their interdependencies especially for BVOCs other than isoprene. We studied light responses at different temperatures and temperature responses at different light levels of foliar BVOC emissions, photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence on Quercus coccifera, an evergreen oak widespread in Mediterranean shrublands. More than 50 BVOCs were detected in the emissions from Q. coccifera leaves most of them being isoprenoids plus a few green leaf volatiles (GLVs). Under standard conditions non-oxygenated monoterpenes (MT-hc) accounted for about 90% of the total BVOC release (mean ± SD: 738 ± 378 ng m−2 projected leaf area s−1 or 13.1 ± 6.9 μg g−1 leaf dry weight h−1) and oxygenated monoterpenes (MT-ox) and sesquiterpenes (SQTs) accounted for the rest in about equal proportions. Except GLVs, emissions of all BVOCs responded positively to light and temperature. The light responses of MT and SQT emissions resembled that of CO2-assimilation and were little influenced by the assay temperature: at high assay temperature, MT-hc emissions saturated at lower light levels than at standard assay temperature and tended even to decrease in the highest light range. The emission responses to temperature showed mostly Arrhenius-type response curves, whose shapes in the high temperature range were clearly affected by the assay light level and were markedly different between isoprenoid classes: at non-saturating light, all isoprenoids showed a similar temperature optimum (~43 °C), but, at higher temperatures, MT-hc emissions decreased faster than MT-ox and SQT emissions. At saturating light, MT-hc emissions peaked around 37 °C and rapidly dropped at higher temperatures, whereas MT-ox and SQT emissions strongly increased between 40 and 50 °C accompanied by a burst of GLVs. In all experiments, decreases of MT-hc emissions under high temperatures were correlated with decreases in CO2-assimilation and/or photosynthetic electron transport. We conclude that light and temperature can have interactive short-term effects on the quantity and quality of BVOC emissions from Q. coccifera through substrate limitations of MT biosynthesis occurring at temperatures supraoptimal for photosynthetic processes that are exacerbated by oxidative stress and membrane damages. Such interactive effects are likely to occur frequently during hot and dry summers and simulations made in this work showed that they may have important consequences for emission predictions.
Temperature variability at Dürres Maar, Germany during the Migration Period and at High Medieval Times, inferred from stable carbon isotopes of Sphagnum cellulose
Authors: Moschen R. , Kühl N. , Peters S. , Vos H. , Lücke A.
Published: September 2011

Abstract. This paper presents a high resolution reconstruction of local growing season temperature (GST) anomalies at Dürres Maar, Germany, spanning the last two millennia. The GST anomalies were derived from a stable carbon isotope time series of cellulose chemically extracted from Sphagnum leaves (δ13Ccellulose) separated from a kettle-hole peat deposit of several metres thickness. The temperature reconstruction is based on the Sphagnum δ13Ccellulose/temperature dependency observed in calibration studies. Reconstructed GST anomalies show considerable centennial and decadal scale variability. A cold and presumably wet phase with below-average temperature is reconstructed between the 4th and 7th century AD which is in accordance with the so called European Migration Period, marking the transition from the Late Roman Period to the Early Middle Ages. At High Medieval Times, the amplitude in the reconstructed temperature variability is most likely overestimated; nevertheless, above-average temperatures are obvious during this time span, which are followed by a temperature decrease. On the contrary, a pronounced Late Roman Climate Optimum, often described as similarly warm or even warmer as medieval times, could not be detected. The temperature signal of the Little Ice Age (LIA) is not preserved in Dürres Maar due to considerable peat cutting that takes place in the first half of the 19th century. The local GST anomalies show a remarkable agreement to northern hemispheric temperature reconstructions based on tree-ring datasets and are also in accordance with climate reconstructions on the basis of lake sediments, glacier advances and retreats, and historical datasets. Most notably, e.g., during the Early Middle Ages and at High Medieval Times, temperatures were neither low nor high in general. Rather high frequency temperature variability with multiple narrow intervals of below- and above-average temperatures at maximum lasting a few decades are reconstructed. Especially the agreements between our estimated GST anomalies and temperature reconstructions derived from tree-ring chronologies indicate the great potential of Sphagnum δ13Ccellulose time series from peat deposits for palaeoclimate research. This is particularly the case, given that a quantitative δ13Ccellulose/temperature relationship has been found for several Sphagnum species. Although the time resolution of Sphagnum δ13Ccellulose datasets certainly wouldn't reach the annual resolution of tree-ring data, reconstructions of past temperature variability on the basis of this proxy hold one particular advantage: often due to relatively high peat accumulation rates, especially in kettle-hole bogs accumulated on temperate latitudes over periods of up to several millennia, they allow extending temperature reconstructions based on tree-ring series into the past to enhance our knowledge of natural climate variability during the Holocene.
A physically-based parsimonious hydrological model for flash floods in Mediterranean catchments
Authors: Roux H. , Labat D. , Garambois P.-A. , Maubourguet M.-M. , Chorda J. , Dartus D.
Published: September 2011

Abstract. A spatially distributed hydrological model, dedicated to flood simulation, is developed on the basis of physical process representation (infiltration, overland flow, channel routing). Estimation of model parameters requires data concerning topography, soil properties, vegetation and land use. Four parameters are calibrated for the entire catchment using one flood event. Model sensitivity to individual parameters is assessed using Monte-Carlo simulations. Results of this sensitivity analysis with a criterion based on the Nash efficiency coefficient and the error of peak time and runoff are used to calibrate the model. This procedure is tested on the Gardon d'Anduze catchment, located in the Mediterranean zone of southern France. A first validation is conducted using three flood events with different hydrometeorological characteristics. This sensitivity analysis along with validation tests illustrates the predictive capability of the model and points out the possible improvements on the model's structure and parameterization for flash flood forecasting, especially in ungauged basins. Concerning the model structure, results show that water transfer through the subsurface zone also contributes to the hydrograph response to an extreme event, especially during the recession period. Maps of soil saturation emphasize the impact of rainfall and soil properties variability on these dynamics. Adding a subsurface flow component in the simulation also greatly impacts the spatial distribution of soil saturation and shows the importance of the drainage network. Measures of such distributed variables would help discriminating between different possible model structures.
Patterns of grain-size temporal variation of sediment transported by overland flow associated with moving storms: interpreting soil flume experiments
Authors: de Lima J. L. M. P. , Dinis P. A. , Souza C. S. , de Lima M. I. P. , Cunha P. P. , Azevedo J. M. , Singh V. P. , Abreu J. M.
Published: September 2011

Abstract. This study describes and interprets the evolution of grain-size distribution of sediment yields generated in an experimental soil flume subjected to downstream and upstream moving rain storms. Results of laboratory experiments show that downstream moving storms cause more soil loss than do upstream moving storms. The pattern of sediment grain-size evolution in time during a runoff event exhibits a clear dependence on the direction of storm movement. A strong relationship between overland flow discharge and mean sediment size is found. Nevertheless, the mean grain-size of sediments transported during the rising limb of the hydrograph is coarser than during the recession limb of the hydrograph. This is more marked for downstream moving storms.
Net primary productivity, upwelling and coastal currents in the Gulf of Ulloa, Baja California, Mexico
Authors: González-Rodríguez E. , Trasviña-Castro A. , Gaxiola-Castro G. , Zamudio L. , Cervantes-Duarte R.
Published: September 2011

Abstract. The Gulf of Ulloa, a highly productive area off the western coast of Baja California Peninsula, is examined for five successive years (2003–2007) by using satellite data and seasonal net primary productivity estimates obtained by a vertical generalized production model. The results clearly identify a seasonal signal of coastal upwelling in productivity estimates. Highest values occur from May to June and sometimes July. We also find influence of an equatorward coastal current able of transporting water from neighboring north upwelling areas to the Gulf of Ulloa in winter–spring. This flow contributes to increase the seasonal net primary productivity. The opposite occurs in summer, when a warm poleward current of tropical characteristics arrives to the region. Our findings reveal that such warm coastal current suppressed the productivity in the whole.
Impact of Overactive Bladder on Sexual Function in Women
Authors: Del Rosso Alessandro , Pace Gianna , Di Pierro Ezio Domenico , Masciovecchio Stefano , Galatioto Giuseppe Paradiso , Vicentini Carlo
Published: September 2011

Introduction

Overactive Bladder (OAB) and Urge Urinary Incontinence (UUI) are both debilitating and bothersome conditions. OAB negatively impact on women's quality of life affecting their own ability and personal relationships. Our aim has been to evaluate how OAB and UUI affect women's sexual function and the possible role of antimuscarinic drugs in improving their sexual condition.

Materials and Methods

From January 2009 to May 2010, 58 women diagnosed with OAB filled in the self-administered questionnaires: Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), the short form of Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6) and the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ-7). 33 of them (57%) reported a FSFI score<26,55 and were treated with Solifenacin 5mg. they were re-evaluated with the same questionnaires after three months of therapy.

Results

The mean FSFI score of 33 patients affected by Female Sexual Disfunction (FSD) was 21,8 (range: 18,6–25,7). The six domains designed to address different aspects of female sexual dysfunctions, sexual desire, satisfaction, orgasm, arousal, lubrication and related pain symptoms, were altered in 48, 33, 21, 15, 12 and 8% of the patients respectively. In 70% of the patients, FSFI score improved of a mean of 5,4 after three months of therapy; UDI-6 and IIQ-7 decreased from 56,3 and 59,9 to 47,6 and 50,2, respectively. Considering women with UUI + OAB or OAB alone, we reported a significant improvement of urinary symptoms and women sexual condition after three months of therapy.

Conclusion

OAB syndrome was found to cause greater deterioration in women sexual function. Antimuscarinic drugs are the mainstay of pharmacologic treatment of OAB able to improve urinary symptoms, enhance quality of life and female sexual condition.
Anglo-Norman Hagiography as Institutional Historiography:
Authors: Gorman Sara
Published: September 2011

Scholarly work on postconquest English convents has tended to assume that, unlike their male monastic counterparts, English nuns lacked institutional self-awareness and conscious historical documentation. On the contrary, this article proposes that certain convent manuscripts functioned as convent chronicles. This article uses the postconquest foundation Campsey Priory and one manuscript, British Library Additional 70513, a collection of Anglo-Norman saints’ lives belonging to the priory from the thirteenth century, as a case study, demonstrating how these hagiographic texts operate as a Campsey chronicle. It argues that four saints’ lives in particular—the lives of Modwenna, Osith, Audrée, and Katherine—constitute an undercurrent of particularly strong institutional identification in the manuscript. Finally, this case study aims to encourage further research investigating not only networks of female readers in postconquest England but the particular literary cultures of individual convents.
Holy Souls and a Holy Community:
Authors: Ritari Katja
Published: September 2011

This article explores the conception of monastic life and its goals in an early medieval Irish saint’s life, Adomnán’s Vita Columbae (VC), written at the end of the seventh century on the monastic island of Iona by Columba’s eighth successor as the abbot of the monastery. Previous studies on the image of monastic life in VC have concentrated on the physical descriptions of the buildings and the layout of the monastery; the aim of this article is to turn attention to the spiritual aspects of monastic life by exploring Adomnán’s understanding of its nature and goals. The VC should be read as a carefully crafted theological work dealing with such topics as virtue, sin, and salvation, communitarian concepts crucial to the institutional life of the monastery.
A Customer-Value Framework for Analyzing Airline Services
Authors: Boetsch Tina , Bieger Thomas , Wittmer Andreas
Published: September 2011

A renewed interest in airline service quality has emerged as a result of ongoing growth of long-haul services and competition for high-yield passengers. This article focuses on the importance of specific service elements for business-class travelers. Customer-value drivers are identified based on expert interviews and the existing literature. The customervalue drivers are analyzed by applying choice-based conjoint analysis and evaluated according to customer segments. The results show that emotional values such as the airline brand play a more important role than other factors such as price, product features, service quality, and journey time.
The Headscarf Effect: Direct Evidence from the Eyewitness Identification Paradigm
Authors: Megreya Ahmed M. , Memon Amina , Havard Catriona
Published: September 2011

Internal and external features dominate familiar and unfamiliar face recognition, respectively. However, this finding is not universal; Egyptians showed a robust internal‐feature advantage for processing unfamiliar faces (Megreya & Bindemann, 2009). This bias was speculatively attributed to their long‐term experiences for individuating female faces with headscarves, which completely cover the external features. Here, we provided an empirical test for this suggestion. Participants from Egypt and UK were presented with a staged crime, which was committed by an own‐race woman with or without a headscarf. All participants were then asked to identify the culprit from a line‐up involving 10 faces with or without headscarves. British participants showed an advantage when the culprit left her hair uncovered. In contrast, Egyptian observers showed an advantage when the culprit wore a headscarf. This Egyptian headscarf effect was also replicated using British faces, suggesting that it reflects a specific characteristic of participant nationality rather than face nationality. These results therefore provide evidence for how culture influences cognition. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dual Phase‐Controlled Synthesis of Uniform Lanthanide‐Doped NaGdF4 Upconversion Nanocrystals Via an OA/Ionic Liquid Two‐Phase System for In Vivo Dual‐Modality Imaging
Authors: He Meng , Huang Peng , Zhang Chunlei , Hu Hengyao , Bao Chenchen , Gao Guo , He Rong , Cui Daxiang
Published: September 2011

A novel OA/ionic liquid two‐phase system combining the merits of thermal decomposition method, the IL‐based strategy, and the two‐phase approach is introduced to synthesize high‐quality lanthanide‐doped NaGdF4 upconversion nanocrystals with different crystal‐phases in OA‐phase and IL‐phase through a one‐step controllable reaction. Oil‐dispersible cubic‐phase NaGdF4:Yb, Er (Ho, Tm) nanocrystals with ultra‐small size (∼5 nm) and monodispersity are obtained in the OA phase of the two‐phase system via an IL‐based reaction. More importantly, water‐soluble hexagonal‐phase NaGdF4:Yb, Er nanocrystals are obtained in the same system simply by adopting an extremely facile method to complete the dual phase‐transition (crystal‐phase transition and OA‐phase to IL‐phase transition) simultaneously. The synthesized lanthanide‐doped NaGdF4 upconversion nanocrystals are effective for dual‐mode UCL imaging and CT imaging in vivo.
Oxidative Carbonylation Reactions: Organometallic Compounds (RM) or Hydrocarbons (RH) as Nucleophiles
Authors: Liu Qiang , Zhang Hua , Lei Aiwen
Published: September 2011

Oxidative carbonylation reactions have attracted broad interest from both academia and industry in recent years. Enormous efforts have gone into the syntheses of carbonate and urea derivatives through the oxidative carbonylation of alcohols and amines. Very recently, organometallic reagents (RM) and hydrocarbons(RH) were directly employed as nucleophiles to construct a CC bond in oxidative carbonylation reactions. This Minireview summarizes this novel type of oxidative carbonylation reaction.
Immobilization of some biomolecules onto radiation‐grafted polyethylene beads for possible use in immunoassay applications
Authors: Lotfy S. , Moustafa K. A.
Published: September 2011

Functionalization of polyethylene (PE) beads was accomplished via radiation induced graft copolymerization of acrylic acid/acrylamide (AAc/AAm) binary comonomer of different compositions onto such beads. Factors affecting the grafting yield were optimized and the occurrence of the grafted chains was confirmed by following the FTIR spectra of the grafted beads. SEM analyses were used to follow the variation of the morphology of the grafting and immobilization onto PE beads. Some bio‐active molecules such as Follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH), Luteinizing hormone (LH), Thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH), and Prolactin were immobilized to the radiation functionalized PE beads. The parameters may affect the immobilization process such as degree of grafting, temperature, and pH of the coupling buffer and the coupling period were investigated. The obtained results show that the grafting of AAc offers a better immobilization environment than those of AAm and their copolymer. It is found that the highest immobilization degree would be achieved at pH 7 and 37°C for 24 h. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Poly(methyl acrylate)/Na‐montmorillonite intercalated composites: Preparation and characterization
Authors: Çelik Meltem , Önal Müşerref , Sarıkaya Yüksel
Published: September 2011

Poly(methyl acrylate)/Na‐montmorillonite intercalated composites were prepared by free‐radical polymerization using benzoyl peroxide as a radical initiator in an aqueous medium. XRD patterns confirmed that the increase in interlayer spacing of Na‐montmorillonite (Na‐MMT) from 1.21 to 1.64 nm supports the intercalation. Although the width of the intercalated, delaminated montmorillonite aggregates are less than 100 nm (as seen in transmission electron microscopy), the prepared samples are members of the intercalated composite group. The samples exhibited better thermal stability than the pure polymer. Nitrogen adsorption capacity decreased due to the hindering of molecule diffusion and shielding of the intercalated aggregates by the polymer matrix. The decrease in moisture and water uptake of the samples indicated that the hydrophilic nature of montmorillonite changed greatly due to the hydrophobicity with increasing polymer content. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Structure and dynamic properties of nitrile‐butadiene rubber/hindered phenol composites
Authors: Zhao Xiu‐Ying , Cao Ya‐Jun , Zou Hua , Li Jing , Zhang Li‐Qun
Published: September 2011

Crosslinked nitrile‐butadiene rubber (NBR)/hindered phenol composites were successfully prepared by mixing tetrakis [methylene‐3‐(3‐5‐ditert‐butyl‐4‐hydroxy phenyl) propionyloxy] methane (AO‐60) into NBR with 35% acrylonitrile mass fraction. The structural and mechanical properties of the NBR/AO‐60 composites were systematically investigated by using differential scanning calorimeter, XRD, Fourier transform infrared, scanning electronic microscope, dynamic mechanical analyzer, and tensile testing. The results indicated that the AO‐60 changed from crystalline form into amorphous form, and most of the AO‐60 molecules could be uniformly dispersed in the NBR matrix. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of NBR/AO‐60 composites increased gradually with increasing content of AO‐60. The increase in Tg could be attributed to the formation of a strong hydrogen bonding network between the AO‐60 molecules and the NBR matrix. Unlike the pure NBR, the NBR/AO‐60 rubber composites had only one transition with a high loss factor. With increasing content of AO‐60, the loss peak shifted to the high temperature region, the loss factor increased from 1.45 to 1.91, and the area under the tan δ versus temperature curve (TA) also showed a significant increase. All these results were ascribed to the good compatibility and strong intermolecular interactions between NBR and AO‐60. Furthermore, all NBR/AO‐60 composites exhibited higher glass transition temperatures and tensile strength than NBR, and they had other desirable mechanical properties. They have excellent prospects in damping material applications. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Effect of experimental parameters on needleless electrospinning from a conical wire coil
Authors: Wang Xin , Xu Weilin
Published: September 2011

In this study, a conical wire coil was used as spinneret to launch a novel needleless electrospinning. Multiple polymer jets were observed on the surface of the coil in the electrospinning process. Productivity of the nanofibers can be enhanced to >2.5 g/h by using this novel nozzle. The fiber productivity and diameter together with diameter distribution were dependent on the concentration of the polymer solution, applied voltage, and collecting distance. This novel concept of using wire coil as the electrospinning nozzle depicts a model of large‐scale needleless electrospinning system for nanofiber production. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Development of benthic monitoring methods using photoquadrats and scuba on heterogeneous hard‐substrata: a boulder‐slope community case study
Authors: Van Rein H. , Schoeman D.S. , Brown C.J. , Quinn R. , Breen J.
Published: September 2011

Photoquadrats enable efficient and cost‐effective quantitative estimation of epibenthic communities. Despite their utility, however, there has been limited use of photoquadrats for such purposes in temperate north‐west Europe, where there is also a growing need for standardized approaches to marine monitoring.

A rapid photoquadrat‐based methodology was trialled by scuba divers on a heterogeneous boulder‐slope habitat in a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in Northern Irish waters. To investigate the monitoring potential of the method, the benthic community was randomly sampled in the summers of 2009 and 2010. The community was represented at species level (community composition) and by functional group (community structure), and the data‐extraction resolution was varied using different numbers of point intercepts per image (25, 50, and 100) to assess the balance of precision and efficiency with regard to detection of community change.

The method was efficient in situ and yielded sufficient sample images for estimation of local benthic community diversity (number of species). The community varied significantly, with six distinct sub‐communities identified within the survey area. High spatial variability obscured detection of temporal changes in the overall community composition and structure. However, spatial variability was substantially reduced by testing only the dominant sub‐community, in which significant changes were detected between 2009 and 2010.

The ability of the photoquadrat to detect individual taxa was related to data resolution: the more point‐intercepts sampled, the more taxa were discovered, but the data‐extraction effort was greater. After considering the ability of the photoquadrat method to quantify number of species and to detect change in community structure, as well as its precision and efficiency, the inspection of 50 point intercepts per sample image was found to be optimal. These findings demonstrate the benefits of photoquadrat‐based methods and highlight their potential as a standard approach to marine monitoring.

Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.