bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complaints as Opportunity for Change in Encounters between Youths and Police Officers
Authors: Pettersson Tove
Published: February 2015

The presence of distrust in the police and how they perform their work among ethnic minority youths in socially underprivileged areas is well established. Experiences of, or beliefs about, unfair treatment from the police can be viewed both as an indicator and a consequence of exclusion. It is well-known that negative experiences of the police are more significant for trust in the police and their legitimacy than positive ones, with some even suggesting that positive experiences do not matter at all. However, from a procedural justice perspective it has been suggested that some positive experience do matter, particularly if the police are considered to perform their work in line with procedural fairness. On the basis of a participant observation study, this article discusses situations in which youths express complaints about the police in different ways. In response to such situations, the police can act in both exclusionary and inclusive ways. It is argued that youths’ complaints can be used as an opportunity for change if the police treat the youths concerned with fairness and in inclusive rather than exclusionary ways.
Predicting spatial variations of tree species richness in tropical forests from high‐resolution remote sensing
Authors: Fricker Geoffrey A. , Wolf Jeffrey A. , Saatchi Sassan S. , Gillespie Thomas W.
Published: February 2015

There is an increasing interest in identifying theories, empirical data sets, and remote‐sensing metrics that can quantify tropical forest alpha diversity at a landscape scale. Quantifying patterns of tree species richness in the field is time consuming, especially in regions with over 100 tree species/ha. We examine species richness in a 50‐ha plot in Barro Colorado Island in Panama and test if biophysical measurements of canopy reflectance from high‐resolution satellite imagery and detailed vertical forest structure and topography from light detection and ranging (lidar) are associated with species richness across four tree size classes (>1, 1–10,>10, and>20 cm dbh) and three spatial scales (1, 0.25, and 0.04 ha). We use the 2010 tree inventory, including 204 757 individuals belonging to 301 species of freestanding woody plants or 166 ± 1.5 species/ha (mean ± SE), to compare with remote‐sensing data. All remote‐sensing metrics became less correlated with species richness as spatial resolution decreased from 1.0 ha to 0.04 ha and tree size increased from 1 cm to 20 cm dbh. When all stems with dbh>1 cm in 1‐ha plots were compared to remote‐sensing metrics, standard deviation in canopy reflectance explained 13% of the variance in species richness. The standard deviations of canopy height and the topographic wetness index (TWI) derived from lidar were the best metrics to explain the spatial variance in species richness (15% and 24%, respectively). Using multiple regression models, we made predictions of species richness across Barro Colorado Island (BCI) at the 1‐ha spatial scale for different tree size classes. We predicted variation in tree species richness among all plants (adjustedr2= 0.35) and trees with dbh>10 cm (adjustedr2= 0.25). However, the best model results were for understory trees and shrubs (dbh 1–10 cm) (adjustedr2= 0.52) that comprise the majority of species richness in tropical forests. Our results indicate that high‐resolution remote sensing can predict a large percentage of variance in species richness and potentially provide a framework to map and predict alpha diversity among trees in diverse tropical forests.
Life history differences influence the impacts of drought on two pond‐breeding salamanders
Authors: Anderson Thomas L. , Ousterhout Brittany H. , Peterman William E. , Drake Dana L. , Semlitsch Raymond D.
Published: February 2015

Drought is a strong density‐independent environmental filter that contributes to population regulation and other ecological processes. Not all species respond similarly to drought, and the overall impacts can vary depending on life histories. Such differences can necessitate management strategies that incorporate information on individual species to maximize conservation success. We report the effects of a short‐term drought on occupancy and reproductive success of two pond‐breeding salamanders that differ in breeding phenology (fall vs. spring breeder) across an active military base landscape in Missouri, USA. We surveyed ~200 ponds for the presence of eggs, larvae, and metamorphs from 2011 to 2013. This period coincided with before, during, and after a severe drought that occurred in 2012. The two species showed contrasting responses to drought, where high reproductive failure (34% of ponds) was observed for the spring breeder during a single drought year. Alternatively, the fall breeder only showed a cumulative 8% failure over two years. The number of breeding ponds available for use in the fall decreased during the drought due to pond drying and/or a lack of re‐filling. Estimates of occupancy probability declined for the fall‐breeding salamander between 2012 and 2013, whereas occupancy probability estimates of the spring breeder increased post‐drought. The presence of fish, hydroperiod, the amount of forest cover surrounding ponds, and canopy cover were all found to affect estimates of occupancy probabilities of each species. Pond clustering (distance to nearest pond and the number of ponds within close proximity), hydroperiod, forest cover, and canopy cover influenced both estimates of colonization and extinction probabilities. Our results show life history variation can be important in determining the relative susceptibility of a species to drought conditions, and that sympatric species experiencing the same environmental conditions can respond differently. Consideration of the spatial network and configuration of habitat patches that act as refuges under extreme environmental conditions will improve conservation efforts, such as the placement of permanent ponds for aquatic organisms. A better awareness of species‐specific tolerances to environmental filters such as drought can lead to improved management recommendations to conserve and promote habitat for a greater diversity of species across landscapes of spatially connected populations.
Comments: Supply/Demand Trends
Authors: Donnelly John
Published: February 2015

Editor's column

Global oil production, consumption, and prices have remained largely stable in recent years, but several trends in the world supply/demand balance are evident in BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy 2014.

The review, released in June, offers a snapshot of the global energy picture in 2013 along with historical data to put the information into perspective. The annual review contains country- by-country data on oil and gas production and consumption. The report shows the continuation of several trends that have begun in the past few years: tremendous oil production growth in the United States, the continued decline of oil in overall energy market share, increases in oil supply and demand below historical averages, and the rise of coal in the energy mix.

The US “shale revolution” has not only transformed the country’s short- to medium- term outlook, reversing years of oil production decline, but also is having a significant impact beyond North America as well. US oil production in 2013 rose by 1.1 million BOPD, one of the highest year-on-year increases in history, according to the review. US oil production now exceeds 10 million BOPD, the country’s highest level since 1986.

The fastest demand growth last year was also in the US, as consumption grew by 400,000 BOPD. Growth was led by the industrial sector, indicating continued recovery from the 2008 global financial crisis. US demand growth outpaced China’s for the first time in 1999. China’s energy demand growth still hit 4.7%, but lagged its 10-year average of 8.6%.

The price of oil is at its most stable since 1970, as the large production increases in the US have offset supply declines in the Middle East/North Africa region. A cumulative 3 million bbl has been lost “since the start of the 2011 Arab uprising,” according to the report, but US output has grown by similar amounts. The price of Brent averaged USD 108.66/bbl in 2013, a slight decline from the year before, and the third straight year that the oil price has exceeded USD 100/bbl.
Prevalence of Punctate Keratopathy of West Indians in a Colombian Referral Center and a New Name Proposed: Rice´s Keratopathy
Authors: Galvis Virgilio , Tello Alejandro , Jaramillo Luis C , Paredes David , Camacho Paul A
Published: February 2015

Purpose :

To perform a prevalence study of Punctate Keratopathy of West Indians in Colombian individuals and to propose a new name for the condition.

Methods :

Prospective, population-based epidemiological study. All patients evaluated between November 1 and December 31, 2012, in the Centro Oftalmológico Virgilio Galvis and Fundación Oftalmológica de Santander (FOSCAL), Floridablanca, Colombia, with clinical findings of white corneal opacities corresponding to Punctate Keratopathy of West Indians were identified. Careful slit-lamp examination was performed for clinical diagnosis and findings were reported in the electronic medical record indicating number and location of the lesions. Prevalence was calculated for the total population, and for gender and age groups. Furthermore a literature review was performed and a new name for the condition proposed.

Results :

In the whole group of patients, prevalence was 1.0%. No one case was diagnosed in a patient younger than 21 year-old. No one lesion was located within 2.5 mm of the corneal apex. 96% of affected patients had unilateral involvement. 58.5% of eyes had a single corneal lesion; 7% of eyes had 6 or 7 corneal lesions.

Conclusion :

The condition heretofore known as Punctate Keratopathy of West Indians was present in 1% of our patients in Colombia (South America). Thus, this non-infectious, non-inflammatory, asymptomatic ailment of unknown etiology is not restricted to people of Antillean descent, or who have lived in these islands. We propose the new name “Rice's keratopathy". Age and male gender were independent risk factors for the presence of the keratopathy.
User-Defined Metadata: Using Cues and Changing Perspectives
Authors: Willoughby Cerys , Bird Colin , Frey Jeremy
Published: February 2015

User-defined metadata is useful for curating and helping to provide context for experiment records, but our previous investigations have demonstrated that simply providing the facility to add metadata is not enough to ensure that metadata is added, let alone to ensure that the metadata is of high quality. For metadata to be useful it first has to be present, but enforcing metadata generation is of no benefit if it is low quality, inconsistent, or irrelevant. Researchers need support. One strategy to encourage more effective metadata creation is to design user interfaces that invite users to add metadata by asking them questions. If we ask users specific questions about their experiments and other activities then we could capture more relevant or useful metadata, although there is a risk that asking the wrong questions may lead to loss of valuable metadata terms or the creation of irrelevant material. In this paper we report on a study to investigate how different questions could be used to generate metadata by eliciting information in three different conditions: free recall, changing perspective by thinking about search terms to help someone else, and providing cues by using a set of topic-based questions. We also investigate how responses varied with different information types. The results of the study show that different terms are created under the different conditions, as expected. The use of cues generates the highest numbers of terms and the most diverse range, including elements that are not captured in other conditions. However, important themes generated in other conditions are not produced because the cues to create them are missing. The study also generated a number of unexpected findings, including responses describing information that is not in the original material: personal opinions and experiences, and comments about the information text itself. These unexpected responses have both positive and negative consequences for the generation of metadata and the curation of scientific records. The results of studies using these techniques to capture metadata for chemistry experiments are also discussed.
Physicochemical Properties and Yield of Tomato Varieties under Plastic House Condition
Authors: Tiwari Dev N. , Adhikari Ram C. , Shrestha Man B.
Published: February 2015

Seven tomato varieties, Ahmita, BL-410, Ceres, Dalila, Makish, Srijana and Winsari were evaluated for physicochemical properties and fruit yield under plastic house condition during rainy seasons of two consecutive years 2012 and 2013 at the Regional Agriculture Research Station, Lumle, Kaski . The experiment was laid out in a complete randomized block design with four replications. The physicochemical analyses revealed that BL-410 had the highest total soluble solid (5.22 oBx) while Srijana had the highest tritrable acidity (0.903%) and vitamic C content (32.32 mg/100 g). It showed that Srijana was the most useful variety from nutritional perspective. BL-410 took least time to flowering (22.00 days), fruiting (28.00 days) and first harvesting (72.00 days) after transplanting. Ahmita produced maximum number of fruits per cluster (8.43). Ceres produced largest size (122.0 g) fruit while Winsari measured the tallest plant (120.5). Winsari produced highest marketable yield (105.8 t ha-1). Thus, it has been recommended for commercial production. Srijana, which has highest nutritional value needs to be promoted with increasing its productivity.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/njst.v15i2.12106 Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 15, No.2 (2014) 17-22
Intensive Management of New Hampshire and Giriraja Chickens for Generating Premium Cash Income
Authors: Neupane D. , Karki M. , Shrestha S. B.
Published: February 2015

Comparative performance of New Hampshire and Giriraja breeds of chicken was studied at Swine and Avian Research Program, Khumaltar. The data on feed intake, weight gain and mortality of the chicks were recorded up to 12 weeks of age. All the experimental birds were reared with commercial broilers feed (Pancha Ratna feed) under similar management. Significant (<0.01) effect of breed on body weight was observed with Giriraja showing superior to New Hampshire. Effect of sex on body weight was also found significant (P<0.01). At twelve-week of age, higher body weight was observed for Giriraja male (2082 g) followed by Giriraja female (1655 g), New Hampshire male (1338 g) and New Hampshire female (1051 g) with cumulative FCR of 3.40,3.78,3.87 and 3.90 respectively. Irrespective of sex, Giriraja exhibited better FCR than New Hampshire at all weeks of rearing. The cumulative mortality was found as 6.21% and 12.25% for New Hampshire and Giriraja respectively. Up to 12 weeks of rearing, higher saving per bird was observed in Giriraja (Rs132.39) than that of New Hampshire (Rs 67.09). The findings of this study revealed that these dual-purpose breeds have potentiality to be competitive meat producers in intensive management. Giriraja is better than New Hampshire in terms of higher growth, better feed efficiency and saving per birds but need for proper health management particularly in the early growth stage. Looking at the havier body weight with having better feed efficiency and higher saving per bird of 12 week rearing, Giriraja could be the choice of economical viable intensive farming for generating premium cash income whereas New Hampshire appears to be suitable for scavenging and semi- scavenging management.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/njst.v15i2.12109Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 15, No.2 (2014) 23-28
Distribution Pattern of Cinnamomum tamala in Annapurna Conservation Area, Kaski, Nepal
Authors: Subedi Mukti Ram , Timilsina Yajna Prasad
Published: February 2015

To assess the ecological process and to find the factors responsible for pattern formation, analysis of spatial pattern of the species is of paramount importance. With a view to analyze the distribution pattern of the Cinnamomum tamala spp., this study utilized the data obtained from the phyto-sociological survey of natural vegetation carried out in Mijure Danda Village Development Committee during June and July of 2009. Nested quadrats of 10m×10m, 5m×5m, and 1m×1m were used to collect the data from tree, sapling, and seedling, respectively. Dispersion indices: variance to mean ratio (I), index of Morisita (Iä), coefficient of Green (Cx), and the k exponent of negative binomial distribution were used to identify the distribution pattern of the species. Test of significance of I, and Iäprovided the information on rejection of null hypothesis: C. tamala does not follow the random distribution. The K exponent of negative binomial distribution suggests moderate contiguous pattern, which is in line with the previous studies of vegetation elsewhere. Since this study used the cross-sectional data, monitoring of species at different temporal and spatial scale focused around various level of sampling, and accumulation of significant data on other physical elements is prescribed for future study to fill the gap of information about this species.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/njst.v15i2.12110Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 15, No.2 (2014) 29-36
Some Helminth Parasites of Gharial from Chitwan National Park, Nepal
Authors: Kumal Prakash Mani , Maharjan Mahendra
Published: February 2015

A study on helminth parasites on captive gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) was conducted during July-December 2012 at Gharial Breeding Centre, Kasara, Chitwan National Park to isolate, identify and find out their prevalence. Dead gharial hatchlings were collected directly from the centre in fresh and frozen conditions. Out of 85 samples   examined, 40 samples 47.06% as prevalence rate of helminth parasites. During the study three helminth parasites were first reported from the gharials of Nepal; Pentastomid (Sebekia sp.), Capillarioids and Ascaridoids. The dead hatchlings were found to be infected with Pentastomid (41.17%), Ascaridoids (7.05%), Capillarioids (1.17%), Proctocaecum gairhei (3.52%) and Exotidendrium sp. (36.47%). In the month of December helminth parasites showed highest prevalence; Sebekia sp. (100%) and Proctocaecum gairhei (75%) and Exotidendrium sp. (100%) and the lowest prevalence in the month of July; Sebekia sp. (4%), Capillarioids (4%) and Exotidendrium sp. (8%).DOI: http://dx.doi.org/njst.v15i2.12111Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 15, No.2 (2014) 37-40
Effects of Sugars on in vitro Culture of Bauhinia purpurea L.
Authors: Singh Belai Meeta
Published: February 2015

Bauhinia purpurea L. is a moderate sized tree with multipurpose value. It is distributed in sub-Himalayan tracts. Propagation of this plant was tested on different sugars, maltose, sucrose, glucose, galactose, lactose and fructoseeach with MS medium. Multiplication rate of plants were recorded after 8 weeks of culture. Sucrose produced 2.20 nodes and 10.05 mm shoot length the other sugars did not induce shoot length elongation and node developments.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/njst.v15i2.12113Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 15, No.2 (2014) 47-50
Study on Potentiality of Biogas Plants and Their Role for the Conservation of Environment
Authors: Ghimire Dinesh , Shrestha Jagannath , K.C Anup
Published: February 2015

This study presents the potentiality of biogas plants and their role for the conservation of environment. It is basedon primary data collected from 84 household surveys, 6 key informant interviews and two focus group discussions. It was observed that more than 95% of the people residing in the VDCs were using firewood as a main source ofenergy. The total amount of firewood consumed was 510.570 ton/year which emits 775.052tCO2e/year. Due to the presence of agriculture based livestock holding population, there is a great potential of biogas technology. Thestudy showed that biogas technology could saved 34.40% of firewood which conserves 5.415 ha of forests area. There is a potentiality of 58 biogas plants of size 6 cu.m which will reduce 440.800 tCO2e/year.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/njst.v15i2.12114Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 15, No.2 (2014) 51-56
Spatial and Temporal Variation of Drought in Far and Mid Western Regions of Nepal: Time Series Analysis (1982-2012)
Authors: Kafle Hemu Kharel
Published: February 2015

Recent and potential future increases in global temperature are likely to be associated with impacts on the hydrological cycle, including changes to precipitation and increases in extreme events such as droughts. This study has investigated the spatial and temporal changes in drought occurrence in far and mid-western regions of Nepal. Quantification of the severity and frequency of drought within different physiographical regions have been worked out with the help of Standardized Reconnaissance Drought Index (RDIst). Time series analyses of mean annual rainfall and annual temperature datasets of 16 meteorological stations covering far and mid western development regions from 1982-2012 have been used. It has been revealed that all the three kinds (moderate, severe and extreme) of droughts occurred in the study area. Extreme drought was recorded in four stations (Dadeldhura, Patan, Tikapur and Silgadhi) of far west region and five stations (Musikot, Dailekh, Surkhet, Tulsipur and Khajura) of mid western region. These events occurred when precipitation recorded its lowest range. Most frequent droughts were observed in Dhangadhi, Dadeldhura and Jumla. There were higher number of droughts in far western region but more extreme events occurred in mid western region. No clear correlation was found between temperature and precipitation trends in five selected stations except in Dhangadi that lies in Terai region.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/njst.v15i2.12118Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 15, No.2 (2014) 65-76
Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Bacterial Isolates Causing Wound Infection Among the Patients Visiting B & B Hospital
Authors: Yakha Jaya Krishna , Sharma Amit Raj , Dahal Nawaraj , Lekhak Binod , Banjara Megha Raj
Published: February 2015

A wound is any physical injury involving a break in the skin, and exposed subcutaneous tissues provide a favorable substratum for a wide variety of microorganisms to contaminate and colonize. In this study a total of 870 plus samples were collected from patients visiting B & B hospital suspecting wound infection and then analyzed. The causative agents were isolated, identified by culture and biochemical tests and their susceptibility pattern to antibiotics were determined by using CLSI guidelines. Out of total samples, 476(44.8%) showed bacterial growth. Among growth cases 22.9% were mixed growths. Among all bacterial isolates, 12 species were identified of them, 70.6% were Gram-negative and 29.4% were Gram-positive. Among Gram-positive isolates, Staphylococcus. Aureus (74.2%) was most common followed by CoNS (8.6%), Non hemolytic Streptococci (8.6%), Enterococcus spp. (4.3%) and â -haemolytic Streptococci (4.3%). Among Gram-negative bacteria, the most common isolate was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (31.5%) followed by E.coli (24.8%), Acinetobacter spp. (14.6%), Enterobacter spp. (14.0%) and Klebsiella spp. (13.4%). Proteus spp. and Citrobacter spp. were less common. With regard to AST pattern, S. aureus was most susceptible to chloramphenicol and highly resistance to penicillin. Among them, 7.7% were MRSA. For other Gram-positive isolates as well, effective drug was found to be chloramphenicol. For P. aeruginosa, the most effective drug was imipenem (94.3%) followed by amikacin (63.2%). Likewise, for other Gram-negative bacteria most effective drug was imipenem followed by amikacin. Among the total P. aeruginosa isolates, 58.5% were found to be MDR. For all these P. aeruginosa isolates MIC on gentamycin and ciprofloxacin illustrate the simultaneous presence of ciprofloxacin resistance and reduced gentamycin susceptibility. These results indicated that antibiotic resistance in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were increasing in alarming trend that leads to the failure of treatment.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/njst.v15i2.12121Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 15, No.2 (2014) 91-96
Nalidixic Acid Susceptibility Test for Screening Salmonella Isolates of Reduced Susceptibility/Higher Minimum Inhibitory Concentration to Ciprofloxacin
Authors: Agrawal P. , Tuladhar R. , Dahal N.
Published: February 2015

Enteric fever is the major diagnosis among febrile patients in Nepal with yearly increase in nalidixic acid resistance and reduced ciprofloxacin susceptibility among Salmonella isolates. This study was carried out to evaluate the validity of nalidixic acid resistance as an indicator of reduced susceptibility of Salmonella isolates to ciprofloxacin. In this study, 999 blood specimens collected from suspected enteric fever patients visiting B&B Hospital were processed by standard microbiological techniques. Isolates were identified by biochemical tests and serotyping. Antibiotic susceptibility test was performed by Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method and CLSI recommended interpretive criteria. MIC of ciprofloxacin was determined by agar dilution method. Isolation rate of Salmonella species was 6.21%. Among 62 Salmonella isolates, 51 were S. typhi, 10 were S. paratyphi A and one isolate was S. paratyphi B. Only one isolate of S. typhi was multi-drug resistant. Resistance to ceftriaxone, cefixime and azithromycin was nil. On disc diffusion test, 55 isolates were resistant to nalidixic acid. Fifty-seven isolates were found to have increased (>0.125mg/ml) MIC of ciprofloxacin with the clinical and laboratory standards institute breakpoints. Nalidixic acid resistance showed a predictive value of 100% for ciprofloxacin resistance. Screening with nalidixic acid disc had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 71.43% for the determination of decreased ciprofloxacin susceptibility. Before using ciprofloxacin for the treatment of enteric fever, appropriate identification of Salmonella isolates with reduced ciprofloxacin susceptibility is essential to limit the possible treatment failure and further development of highly resistant strains.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/njst.v15i2.12122Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 15, No.2 (2014) 97-104
Photocatalytic Degradation of Real Textile Industrial Effluent under UV Light Catalyzed by Metal Oxide Nanoparticles
Authors: Kulkarni Manjusha , Thakur Pragati
Published: February 2015

The domestic use and industrial activity, especially in developing countries, produce large amount of wastewater. This wastewater when disposed into natural channels may lead to high pollution risk. There are different methods for wastewater treatment one of them is Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs), still it has some limitations. The present work has been concentrated on the degradation of real textile industrial effluent named as Efluent1. The said Effluent1 was collected from textile industry from Echalkaranji; Maharashtra state was subjected to photocatalytic treatment using photocatalyst such as Degussa P-25 TiO2. Efluent1 was analyzed before and after the treatment for their physiochemical parameters like color, COD, TOC and presence of inorganic ions. Throughout the study it was observed that Degussa P-25 TiO2 effectively brought out the degradation of Effluent. Addition of optimum amount of H2O2 to the heterogeneous photocatalytic treatment was found to enhance the degradation of real textile effluents to a large extent. Hence, the photocatalytic degradation was found to be fruitful treatment for degradation of real textile industrial effluent as well as by adding oxidant the photocatalytic degradation has been enhanced.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/njst.v15i2.12124Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 15, No.2 (2014) 105-110
Effect of Annealing on Optical Properties of Zinc Oxide Thin Films Prepared by Homemade Spin Coater
Authors: Mulmi Deependra Das , Dhakal Agni , Shah Buddha Ram
Published: February 2015

Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were deposited on the ordinary glass substrates by spin coating method. The precursor solution was prepared by mixing zinc acetate dehydrate in appropriate proportions with ethanol and diethanolamine (DEA). The obtained thin films were dried at 200°C for 15 minutes in hot air oven. Crystalline ZnO thin films were achieved following annealing process at temperatures 300°, 400° and 500°C for 2 hours. Thin films as- prepared were studied by X-ray diffraction and UV-visible spectroscopy. The films were transparent from near ultraviolet to infrared region. Optical band gap energy of ZnO was obtained 3.22 eV at 300°C. On annealing at 400° and 500°C, band gap energy was shifted at 3.14 eV and 3.05 eV respectively.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/njst.v15i2.12126Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 15, No.2 (2014) 111-116
Optimization of Enzyme Dilution Buffer and Reaction Buffer for Vaccinia H-1 Related Wild Enzyme Assay and Its Stability at 4°C
Authors: Khadka Deegendra
Published: February 2015

A human dual specific phosphates (DUSP), Vaccinia H-1 related wild enzyme (VHR), dephosphorylates both phosphotyrosine and phosphoserine/phosphothreonine residue of a protein. VHR is considered as a promising therapeutic target for cancer because the cells lacking VHR are arrested at the G1-S and G2-M transitions of the cell cycle with a decreased telomerase activity. VHR being a therapeutic target for cancer is crucial to know about its stability and its assay procedure conditions. This study was conducted to verify the viability of VHR enzyme at 4°C. Protein concentration and specific activity were calculated from Bradford method and p-nitrophenylphosphate (pNPP) assay by measuring the absorbance at 595 nm and 405 nm respectively in each respective day. The absorbance showed invariable difference in protein concentration and specific activity from starting to final days. Buffers like enzyme dilution and reaction buffers played significant role in VHR enzyme stability and activity. To find out the correct buffer components for carrying out the VHR enzyme assay, several experiments were carried out by using variable constituents in enzyme dilution buffer and reaction buffer. The present study revealed that 3- component buffer system without thiol i.e. Dithiothreitol (DTT) or β-Mercaptoethanol (β-ME) as a reaction buffer and 2-N-morpholino ethanesulfonic acid (MES) buffer with DTT as an enzyme dilution buffer demonstrated invariably different in the stability throughout the experiment.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/njst.v15i2.12127Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 15, No.2 (2014) 117-122
Salt and Pepper Noise Removal Filter for 8-Bit Images Based on Local and Global Occurrences of Grey Levels as Selection Indicator
Authors: Irum Isma , Sharif Muhammad , Raza Mudassar , Yasmin Mussarat
Published: February 2015

A spatial resolution decision based trimmed moving window filtering method has been proposed for salt andpepper noise removal. It provides a criterion for the selection of neighboring pixels based on the probabilities of local and global occurrences of grey levels of noisy image. It works well for the high noise densities up to 90% and contributes very effectively in estimating the true or near to true values of the original image. In order to measure the quality of image, well known quantification measures SSIM and PSNR are used. The method is compared with other existing techniques and shows that it outperforms other methods in terms of PSNR.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/njst.v15i2.12128Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 15, No.2 (2014) 123-132
Comparative Analysis of Color Image Watermarking Technique in RGB, YUV, and YCbCr Color Channels
Authors: Koju Roshan , Joshi Shashidhar Ram
Published: February 2015

Since there are a number of color spaces, it has always been a big question to choose one for watermarking. The aim of this work is to find out better color space, among the frequently used one, under the same condition. Comparative performance analysis of color image watermarking technique in color channels of RGB, YUV, YCbCrcolor spaces was studied. For this purpose, color channels were watermarked using single level discrete wavelet transform-singular value decomposition (DWT-SVD). PSNR, and SSIM were used to test the imperceptibility of watermarked images. PSNR and NCC were used to measure the similarity of extracted and original watermarks.The maximum recorded PSNR value is 62.372 for R channel of RGB color space with SSIM value equal to 0.9709. Color channels of YCbCr color space were observed to be more robust and transparent as watermark image is best recovered from YCbCr color space with NCC values in the range 0.86 to 0.877 and SSIM values in the range 0.546to 0.554 under various geometric attacks.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/njst.v15i2.12130Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 15, No.2 (2014) 133-140
Virtualization Tools and Techniques: Survey
Authors: Masood Anum , Sharif Muhammad , Yasmin Mussarat , Raza Mudassar
Published: February 2015

Virtualization is a technique in which the user required services run remotely in a ubiquitous environment which gives scalable resources. Virtualization is being used in cloud computing for load balancing and aggregation of cloud resources. Virtualization provides higher hardware utilization. It is also being used for partitioning of computational resources and hence supports sharing of resources. Virtualization has different types such as Native virtualization, Full virtualization, Operating system level virtualization and Para virtualization. Other than these there is Resources virtualization, Desktop virtualization, Server virtualization, Data centres virtualization and application virtualization. The resources virtualization is implemented in different forms such as the Full virtualization, Native virtualization, Para virtualization, Operating system (OS) layer virtualization or Hosted virtualization. Virtual machines and Virtual machine monitors (VMMs) have been developed to offer better energy efficient solutions to the virtualization problems. Virtualization tools like OpenVz, Xen, VmWare etc. are widely used in the computing industry.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/njst.v15i2.12131Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 15, No.2 (2014) 141-150
Assessment on the contact factors of a sandwich soft finger model – An experimental investigation
Authors: Raja K. Venkatesh , Malayalamurthi R.
Published: February 2015

The bio-mechanics of skin and bone play a crucial role in dexterous object manipulations and artificial robotic gripper design. Establishing a quantitative relationship between imposed loads and contact factors is necessary to understand the governing mechanics behind it. Towards this goal, experimental investigations on the contact parameters of a sandwich soft fingertip comprising a soft layer and solid core are presented. The influence of soft layer stratum and material grades on the power law equation is investigated by introducing a new dimensionless parameter – Power Factor. The results clearly indicate that the power index “γ” is dependent on the material as well as shell thickness and in addition the proportionality constant “C” is dependent on the geometry. Also, the magnitude of both the constants increases with power factor and saturates at a value of ≈1.25. Numerical simulation is performed to support the experimental results. Finally, an optimum ratio of power factor is determined and the number ≈1.25 is critical in designing the artificial robotic sandwich fingertip.
Effect of quench–ageing treatment on the microstructure and properties of Zn-15Al-3Cu alloy
Authors: Savaşkan Temel , Hekimoğlu Ali Paşa
Published: February 2015

In order to determine the effect of quench–ageing treatment on the microstructure and properties of Zn-15Al-3Cu alloy, it was prepared by permanent mould casting and then solution treated at a temperature of 330 °C, quenched and aged at 180 °C. The changes in the microstructure, length, hardness, strength and ductility of the quenched alloy were monitored during ageing. The microstructure of the alloy in the as-cast condition consisted of β dendrites and α, η and ∊ phases. However, solution treatment followed by quenching removed the lamellar microstructure of the alloy and produced a supersaturated β solid solution. Subsequent ageing resulted in transformation of β solid solution to α and η phases and conversion of metastable ∊ phase to stable T′ compound. Appropriate ageing times for T6 and T7 heat treatments of this alloy have been determined according to the experimental results.
Modelling channelized surface drainage of supraglacial lakes
Authors: Kingslake J. , Ng F. , Sole A.
Published: February 2015

Supraglacial lakes can drain to the bed of ice sheets, affecting ice dynamics, or over their surface, relocating surface water. Focusing on surface drainage, we first discuss observations of lake drainage. In particular, for the first time, lakes are observed to drain >70 km across the Nivlisen ice shelf, East Antarctica. Inspired by these observations, we develop a model of lake drainage through a channel that incises into an ice-sheet surface by frictional heat dissipated in the flow. Modelled lake drainage can be stable or unstable. During stable drainage, the rate of lake-level drawdown exceeds the rate of channel incision, so discharge from the lake decreases with time; this can prevent the lake from emptying completely. During unstable drainage, discharge grows unstably with time and always empties the lake. Model lakes are more prone to drain unstably when the initial lake area, the lake input and the channel slope are larger. These parameters will vary during atmospheric-warming-induced ablation-area expansion, hence the mechanisms revealed by our analysis can influence the dynamic response of ice sheets to warming through their impact on surface-water routing and storage.
Isolated Islands?
Authors: Kissfazekas Kornélia , Illyés Zsuzsanna , Gurdon Balázs
Published: February 2015

In 2014, Urban Design assignments at the Department of Urban Planning and Design of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics were organised around the topic of the River Danube. Working on its own subject matter, each student study group analysed the situation, relationships and visions for the islands situated in Budapest, later focusing on Népsziget, determining their urban context and possibilities for development. The workshop resulted in several findings related to the subject area. The most significant of these is the realization that, in spite of the special role and position the islands have in Budapest, not only is this uniqueness hard to grasp, but also how difficult it is to put forward as a bold vision for the future. This realization inspired the paper, which, in addition to the summary of the islands unique situation, introduces several international examples, and finally presents the main differences in the approaches of the student’s plans.
Effect of Diterpenes Isolated of the Marine Alga Canistrocarpus cervicornis against Some Toxic Effects of the Venom of the Bothrops jararaca Snake
Authors: Domingos Thaisa , Vallim Magui , Cavalcanti Diana , Sanchez Eládio , Teixeira Valéria , Fuly André
Published: February 2015

Snake venoms are composed of a complex mixture of active proteins and peptides which induce a wide range of toxic effects. Envenomation by Bothrops jararaca venom results in hemorrhage, edema, pain, tissue necrosis and hemolysis. In this work, the effect of a mixture of two secodolastane diterpenes (linearol/isolinearol), previously isolated from the Brazilian marine brown alga, Canistrocarpus cervicornis, was evaluated against some of the toxic effects induced by B. jararaca venom. The mixture of diterpenes was dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide and incubated with venom for 30 min at room temperature, and then several in vivo (hemorrhage, edema and lethality) and in vitro (hemolysis, plasma clotting and proteolysis) assays were performed. The diterpenes inhibited hemolysis, proteolysis and hemorrhage, but failed to inhibit clotting and edema induced by B. jararaca venom. Moreover, diterpenes partially protected mice from lethality caused by B. jararaca venom. The search for natural inhibitors of B. jararaca venom in C. cervicornis algae is a relevant subject, since seaweeds are a rich and powerful source of active molecules which are as yet but poorly explored. Our results suggest that these diterpenes have the potential to be used against Bothropic envenomation accidents or to improve traditional treatments for snake bites.
Arginine and Citrulline and the Immune Response in Sepsis
Authors: Wijnands Karolina , Castermans Tessy , Hommen Merel , Meesters Dennis , Poeze Martijn
Published: February 2015

Arginine, a semi-essential amino acid is an important initiator of the immune response. Arginine serves as a precursor in several metabolic pathways in different organs. In the immune response, arginine metabolism and availability is determined by the nitric oxide synthases and the arginase enzymes, which convert arginine into nitric oxide (NO) and ornithine, respectively. Limitations in arginine availability during inflammatory conditions regulate macrophages and T-lymfocyte activation. Furthermore, over the past years more evidence has been gathered which showed that arginine and citrulline deficiencies may underlie the detrimental outcome of inflammatory conditions, such as sepsis and endotoxemia. Not only does the immune response contribute to the arginine deficiency, also the impaired arginine de novo synthesis in the kidney has a key role in the eventual observed arginine deficiency. The complex interplay between the immune response and the arginine-NO metabolism is further underscored by recent data of our group. In this review we give an overview of physiological arginine and citrulline metabolism and we address the experimental and clinical studies in which the arginine-citrulline NO pathway plays an essential role in the immune response, as initiator and therapeutic target.
Characterization and Properties of Hydrogels Made from Neutral Soluble Chitosans
Authors: Franzén Henry , Draget Kurt , Langebäck Joakim , Nilsen-Nygaard Julie
Published: February 2015

The current paper focuses on the preparation and some characteristics of viscoelastic hydrogels, ViscoGels™, made from chitosans having a random acylation pattern. Three different chitosan batches with a high fraction of acetylation were selected based on their Mw, and the impact of degree of cross-linking on these chitosan samples has been studied with respect to the properties of the final hydrogels. Rheological long term (12 month) stability and gelling kinetics data are presented together with results from swelling studies at different pH. Finally, an example illustrating these gels potential as drug delivery vehicles is presented and discussed.
Les reboisements en pins près du Mans (Reafforestations with pine-trees near from Le Mans)
Authors: Dufour Jeanne
Published: February 2015

Résumé. - Des reboisements en pins ont été réalisés autour du Mans à partir de la deuxième moitié du dix-huitième siècle dans des landes, puis dans des terres cultivées pauvres. Mais aujourd'hui les débouchés du bois se réduisent et la propriété est de plus en plus divisée : beaucoup de petits propriétaires urbains négligent le bois car ils ne s'intéressent plus à leur parcelle que pour le loisir.
Les hommes dans la haute montagne alpine (People in the high alpine mountain)
Authors: Veyret Paul
Published: February 2015

Résumé. -Après avoir rappelé les conditions naturelles et le passé de la haute montagne alpine (forêt + alpages), l'A. discerne une différence dans sa mise en valeur actuelle selon les secteurs. Dans les Alpes «germaniques», encore peuplées, le développement des équipements touristiques est dû aux montagnards eux- mêmes. En revanche les Alpes «latines» ont été colonisées par de grosses stations de sports d'hiver à l'initiative de la plaine.
Problèmes fonciers et restructuration foncière dans les bocages de l'Ouest : l'exemple de la Loire-Atlantique (Land problems and restructuration in the bocages of western France : the example of the department of Loire-Atlantique)
Authors: Croix Nicole , Renard Jean
Published: February 2015

Résumé. -Un aménagement fonder dans les bocages de l'Ouest doit prendre en compte l'hétérogénéité des structures agraires, le rôle du faire-valoir indirect, et les densités agricoles élevées. L'utilisation de formules plus souples que le remembrement, et une meilleure coordination entre les acteurs sociaux, sont indispensables.
Dix ans de prélèvement foncier sur l'agriculture (Ten years of decreasing agricultural lands)
Authors: Calmès Roger , Windels Nathalie
Published: February 2015

Résumé. - Le marché foncier est en constante évolution. Les surfaces mises sur le marché ont légèrement diminué en dix ans alors que la part affectée aux usages non agricoles a doublé pendant la même période. Le nombre d'acheteurs (agriculteurs ou non) augmentant plus rapidement que les surfaces mises sur le marché, la superficie moyenne des transactions diminue et leur prix à l'unité de surface augmente. Pris dans son ensemble, le marché foncier agricole est réparti de façon assez homogène sur le territoire national alors que le marché non agricole donne lieu à des contrastes régionaux.
La concurrence entre deux métropoles: Toronto et Montréal (The competition between two metropolises : Toronto versus Montréal)
Authors: Benko Georges
Published: February 2015

Abstract. - The competition among cities is a well known fact in several countries and it is very keen in Canada between the two metropolises Toronto and Montreal. After a concise summing up of the respective history of these two cities, we are passing over to the analysis of the relative decline of Montreal as compared to her rival in several economic fields and, more particularly, in the one of tertiary activities.
Vieille Ville et City, d'après des exemples allemands (Old town and city, in Germany)
Authors: Mittelstädt Fritz-Gerd
Published: February 2015

Abstract. - Historic core (Old town) and city centre are intraurban quarters in Central-European cities which partly overlap, but partly differ as to their geneses, physiognomies and functions. Models demonstrate the various types of the interplay of historical section and city centre. Selected examples are added to the models in order to illustrate this theory authentically.
Les séismes en Crète à l'époque minoenne. Indices et interprétations (Earthquakes in Crete during the minoan period)
Authors: Poursat Jean-Claude
Published: February 2015

Résumé. - L'existence attestée en Crète de séismes à l'époque minoenne a conduit à des théories interprétatives générales concernant les grandes destructions de la civilisation minoenne ou certains aspects exceptionnels de la religion. Une étude précise des faits matériels, malgré sa difficulté, permettrait de mieux apprécier les conséquences des séismes.