bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Interpolation of temperature in a mountainous region using nonlinear profiles and non‐Euclidean distances
Authors: Frei Christoph 
Published: July 2013

ABSTRACTIn mountain regions, the distribution of surface air temperature happens to show marked horizontal gradients and nonlinear variations with topographic height. These pose a major challenge for the construction of area‐wide temperature datasets on a regular grid. This study introduces a new deterministic method's for the spatial interpolation of daily temperature from station measurements. Building on a scale‐separation concept, the methods main features are (1) a nonlinear parametric function to model nonlinearities in the vertical thermal profile at the scale of major basins, and (2) a distance weighting scheme with a non‐Euclidean metric that accounts for terrain effects on the spatial representativity of measurements. The method is configured for the territory of Switzerland (European Alps) and is applied for the construction of a km‐scale grid dataset from 70‐100 stations over all days from 1961 to 2010. Several illustrative cases attest the method's potential, also under challenging conditions. Temperature patterns from basin‐scale inversions and surface heated/cooled boundary layers are realistically reproduced. In situations with valley‐scale cold‐air pools and foehn, the method is less prone to artificial upslope/downslope extrapolation often observed with other techniques. With a network of 100 stations in Switzerland, typical interpolation errors (mean absolute error MAE, cross‐validation) range from 0.5 °C over flat and hilly terrain in summer to 1.5 °C in the Alps in winter. Larger and partly systematic errors (MAE ≥ 3 °C) must be expected in un‐sampled valleys in winter due to the missing out of local‐scale cold pools. Interpolation accuracy was found to vary with the change in station density over time, demonstrating improvements in the overall representativity of the measurement network. But this also compromises the long‐term homogeneity of the grid dataset, despite it being based on homogeneous records. The presented method may be applicable in other mountain regions after some configuration.
Long‐term analysis of heat waves in Ukraine
Authors: Shevchenko Olga , Lee Hyunjung , Snizhko Sergiy , Mayer Helmut 
Published: July 2013

ABSTRACTIn the past few decades, severe heat waves were representative of the weather conditions in various parts of the world. They had distinctly negative impacts on humans, plants, animals and different economic sectors. Particularly in cities, where most humans are living, their well‐being, efficiency and health were affected, which even caused a relatively high mortality rate. This is why a large interest still exists to analyse heat waves in the past by use of statistical methods.As an investigation on heat waves is not available for the territory of Ukraine up to now, a retrospective analysis was conducted. Its main aims were (1) to determine the frequency of heat wave episodes for this country and (2) to analyse their spatiotemporal distribution, duration and intensity. On the basis of 13 selected stations of the meteorological network of the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Centre, daily values of maximum air temperature (Ta,max) in the summer months June to August were used to determine heat wave episodes according to the definition recommended by the IPCC. For all stations, complete and reliable Ta,max time series were available for the period 1951–2011. With respect to some stations, the Ta,max time series already started some years earlier, e.g. in 1936 for five stations and even in 1911 for four stations. However, the Ta,max time series of almost all stations had gaps in the summer months before 1951, particularly in the 1940s of the 20th century. As they could not be filled in a satisfying way, this limitation was considered in the data analysis.The results indicate that most of the heat wave episodes occurred at stations located in Eastern Ukraine. In contrast to other decades, the number of heat wave episodes was highest for almost all stations in the decade 2001–2010. The fewest heat wave episodes were determined for the two decades 1961 to 1980. The longest heat wave duration varied between 7 d in Henichesk (southern seashore) and 24 d in Lugansk (Eastern Ukraine). For many stations, the longest heat wave duration occurred in the first two decades of August 2010, i.e. in the period of the extremely severe heat wave in Western Russia.The intensity of heat waves was analysed by use of the cumulative Ta,max excess. The results show that heat waves of the longest duration mostly represented the strongest heat waves. The 24‐d heat wave 2010 in Lugansk was the strongest in the investigation period quantified by a cumulative Ta,max excess of 128 °C.
Projections and Policies for Volunteer Programs: The Implications of the Serve America Act for Volunteer Diversity and Management
Authors: Nesbit Rebecca , Brudney Jeffrey L. 
Published: July 2013

AbstractThis article explores the limits of public policy as it affects volunteerism in the United States. Our analysis focuses on the potential of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (2009), the most sweeping volunteer legislation in U.S. history, to raise the level of volunteering and national service in the United States, particularly among young people, older people, and minorities—the primary target populations of the act. The Serve America Act aims to increase service‐learning opportunities and national service placements substantially. However, the long‐term impact of these changes on the rate of volunteering and the composition and character of the volunteering population remains unclear. Using data from the Current Population Survey's annual Supplement on Volunteering, we examine a variety of reasonable policy scenarios to see how the Serve America Act might affect future volunteering through the year 2050. The findings suggest that even if the Serve America Act is fully funded and implemented, it is unlikely to have a long‐term impact on the overall volunteering rate and, consequently, that altering the national volunteering rate might be an unrealistic public policy goal. Nevertheless, the analysis shows that because of naturally occurring changes in the population, the composition of the volunteer pool is likely to change as we move toward 2050—a demographic shift that will present increased challenges for volunteer managers. We discuss these challenges and how managers might deal with them effectively.
Agency Problems between Managers and Employees in Nonprofit Organizations: A Discrete Choice Experiment
Authors: Van Puyvelde Stijn , Caers Ralf , Du Bois Cind , Jegers Marc 
Published: July 2013

AbstractMost principal–agent literature of nonprofit organizations has focused on the relationship between board members and managers. However, in addition to the role as an agent of the board, the manager also performs a role as principal with respect to the nonprofit employees. By using a discrete choice experiment, we identify the objectives of managers and employees in nonprofit organizations and assess the presence of agency problems in this relationship. Our sample consists of 76 headmasters, 161 teachers, and 39 administrative employees in 74 secondary nonprofit schools in Belgium. We find that the six objectives set out in the experiment play an important role for both headmasters and subordinate staff. However, the results also indicate that some of these objectives are significantly more important for the headmasters. In sum, our results suggest that agency theory and stewardship theory are not necessarily in conflict with each other but can be combined into a more general governance framework for nonprofit organizations. Consequently, we argue that incentive structures that incorporate different types of objectives can facilitate the recruitment and retention of employees in nonprofit organizations.
Bioarchaeological Analysis of a Royal Burial from the Oldest Maya Tomb in Palenque, Mexico
Authors: Couoh L. R. 
Published: July 2013

AbstractIn 1957, a new discovery inside Temple XVIII‐A was made in Palenque, the Mayan archaeological site in Chiapas Mexico, a royal tomb of an original design which proved to be the oldest at the site. Two skeletons were found, the principal (PAL‐44) was at the centre showing red pigmentation on the surface of some bones, personal adornments and offerings, which indicate that he was an early ruler of Palenque. The second (PAL‐45), deposited at the entrance, not in a special mortuary position, without offerings, suggests it was of a lower social status. This research presents a new bioarchaeological analysis with the following results: (i) The result of a direct radiocarbon dating of PAL‐44 by accelerator mass spectrometry is 250–420 cal AD (LTL12759A:1696 ± 30 BP). This means that the personage was buried long before the first designated ruler of Palenque, who, according to the epigraphic record was enthroned in ad 431. (ii) With X‐Ray Fluorescence, the red pigment was identified as cinnabar (HgS). (iii) PAL‐44 is a young adult male with a severe idiopathic scoliosis with a double curvature that affected the ribcage and lower limbs. Such a three‐dimensional deformity resulted in changes to his body mechanics and induced motion asymmetry. Consequently, his health and mobility must have been significantly affected by such a severe condition. (iv) PAL‐45 is an adult female with signs of nutritional problems in childhood and entheseal changes probably related to her activity. Three ante‐mortem traumas are registered: rib fracture, frontal depressed circular fracture and a nasal septal deviation. This traumatic event took place two weeks, approximately, prior to PAL‐45's death. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stage‐specific insecticidal characteristics of a nucleopolyhedrovirus isolate from Chrysodeixis chalcites enhanced by optical brighteners
Authors: Bernal Alexandra , Simón Oihane , Williams Trevor , Caballero Primitivo 
Published: July 2013

AbstractBackgroundChrysodeixis chalcites is a major noctuid pest of banana crops in the Canary Islands. The stage‐specific susceptibility of this pest to C. chalcites single nucleopolyhedrovirus (ChchSNPV‐TF1) was determined, as well as the effect of selected optical brighteners as enhancers of primary infection.ResultsSusceptibility to ChchSNPV‐TF1 occlusion bodies (OBs) decreased as larval stage increased; second instars (L2) were 10 000‐fold more susceptible than sixth instars (L6). Virus speed of kill was 42 h faster in L2 than in L6. OB production increased in late instars; L6 larvae produced 23‐fold more OBs than L4. Addition of 10 mg mL−1 Tinopal enhanced OB pathogenicity by 4.43‐ to 397‐fold depending on instar, whereas 10 µL mL−1 Leucophor resulted in potentiation of OB pathogenicity from 1.46‐ to 143‐fold. Mean time to death decreased by 14 to 26 h when larvae consumed OBs in mixtures with 10 mg mL−1 Tinopal, or 10 µL mL−1 Leucophor, although in these treatments OB yields were reduced by up to 8.5‐fold (Tinopal) or up to 3.8‐fold (Leucophor).ConclusionThese results have clear applications for the use of ChchSNPV‐TF1 as a biological insecticide in control programs against C. chalcites in the Canary Islands. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
Performance analysis of experimental‐scale scramjet engine driven DCW‐MHD generator
Authors: Takahashi Toru , Fujino Takayasu , Ishikawa Motoo 
Published: July 2013

AbstractNumerical analyses of the experimental‐scale scramjet engine driven magnetohydrodynamics generator implemented in the Hypersonic Vehicle Electric Power System project have been carried out to clarify plasma behaviors and power generation characteristics. Three‐dimensional numerical analyses have been performed under the two inlet conditions: one is the uniform inlet temperature condition, and the other is the nonuniform inlet temperature condition. Under the nonuniform inlet temperature condition, the generator performance approximately agrees with the experimental result. The tendency of the voltage loss is also reconstructed near the power takeoff electrodes though the voltage loss is smaller than that observed in the experimental result. The electric power output under the nonuniform inlet temperature condition is 40% smaller than that under the uniform inlet temperature condition. This is because the ratio of the Joule dissipation to the work by the Lorentz force increases owing to the decrease of active generator region as the current concentrates in the high‐temperature region when the inlet temperature nonuniformity is considered. © 2013 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Fabricated Micro‐Nano Devices for In vivo and In vitro Biomedical Applications
Authors: Barkam Swetha , Saraf Shashank , Seal Sudipta 
Published: July 2013

In recent years, the innovative use of microelectromechanical systems (MEMSs) and nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMSs) in biomedical applications has opened wide opportunities for precise and accurate human diagnostics and therapeutics. The introduction of nanotechnology in biomedical applications has facilitated the exact control and regulation of biological environments. This ability is derived from the small size of the devices and their multifunctional capabilities to operate at specific sites for selected durations of time. Researchers have developed wide varieties of unique and multifunctional MEMS/NEMS devices with micro and nano features for biomedical applications (BioMEMS/NEMS) using the state of the art microfabrication techniques and biocompatible materials. However, the integration of devices with the biological milieu is still a fundamental issue to be addressed. Devices often fail to operate due to loss of functionality, or generate adverse toxic effects inside the body. The in vitro and in vivo performance of implantable BioMEMS such as biosensors, smart stents, drug delivery systems, and actuation systems are researched extensively to understand the interaction of the BioMEMS devices with physiological environments. BioMEMS developed for drug delivery applications include microneedles, microreservoirs, and micropumps to achieve targeted drug delivery. The biocompatibility of BioMEMS is further enhanced through the application of tissue and smart surface engineering. This involves the application of nanotechnology, which includes the modification of surfaces with polymers or the self‐assembly of monolayers of molecules. Thereby, the adverse effects of biofouling can be reduced and the performance of devices can be improved in in vivo and in vitro conditions. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2013, 5:544–568. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1227This article is categorized under:

Diagnostic Tools > Biosensing
Diagnostic Tools > Diagnostic Nanodevices
Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology
Selective enrichment and production of highly urease active bacteria by non-sterile (open) chemostat culture
Authors: Cheng Liang , Cord-Ruwisch Ralf 
Published: July 2013

Abstract
In general, bioprocesses can be subdivided into naturally occurring processes, not requiring sterility (e.g., beer brewing, wine making, lactic acid fermentation, or biogas digestion) and other processes (e.g., the production of enzymes and antibiotics) that typically require a high level of sterility to avoid contaminant microbes overgrowing the production strain. The current paper describes the sustainable, non-sterile production of an industrial enzyme using activated sludge as inoculum. By using selective conditions (high pH, high ammonia concentration, and presence of urea) for the target bacterium, highly active ureolytic bacteria, physiologically resembling Sporosarcina pasteurii were reproducibly enriched and then continuously produced via chemostat operation of the bioreactor. When using a pH of 10 and about 0.2 M urea in a yeast extract-based medium, ureolytic bacteria developed under aerobic chemostat operation at hydraulic retention times of about 10 h with urease levels of about 60 μmol min−1 ml−1 culture. For cost minimization at an industrial scale the costly protein-rich yeast extract medium could be replaced by commercial milk powder or by lysed activated sludge. Glutamate, molasses, or glucose-based media did not result in the enrichment of ureolytic bacteria by the chemostat. The concentration of intracellular urease was sufficiently high such that the produced raw effluent from the reactor could be used directly for biocementation in the field.
Local responses to macro development policies and their effects on rural system in China’s mountainous regions: the case of Shuanghe Village in Sichuan Province
Authors: Li Yu-rui , Liu Yan-sui , Long Hua-lou , Wang Jie-yong 
Published: July 2013

Abstract
China has promulgated a series of policies including the Western Development Program, the Grain for Green Project, agricultural support policies and building a new countryside strategy to eliminate east-west differences and urban-rural disparities since the late 1990s. This paper gives a holistic examination on local responses to the four typical macro socio-economic development policies and their effects on rural system based on a case study of a mountainous village in southern Sichuan Province. The results showed that the policies have not moved the case study village from its historically marginal status. To some extent, its socio-economic situation might have been worsened by accelerated out-migration of the youth, loss of agricultural land due to afforestation and industrial plants, increased fire hazard due to afforestation and reforestation, increased environmental pollution due to industrial enterprises attracted to the village and a steep decline in agricultural production due to loss of and inefficient use of cultivated land. Factors causing local villages’ dilemmas include the nonuniformity of actors’ objectives, finiteness of villagers’ abilities, and the imperfect incentive and restraint mechanism for local government’s activities under existing policy framework composed of uncoordinated one-size-fits-all policies. We suggest that China’s rural policy in the new period should gradually shift from a sectoral to a place-based one, from top-down incentives to the development of bottom-up projects, and fully recognize the diversity of rural space, so as to lift local capacities and make good use of the knowledge shared by different actors. Moreover, it is also necessary to integrate the various sectoral policies, and improve the interministerial and interdepartmental coordination of rural policies at regional and local levels.
Degradation of wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: A comparison of the effectiveness of three indicators
Authors: Gao Jay , Li Xi-lai , Cheung Alan , Yang Yuan-wu 
Published: July 2013

Abstract
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau encompasses a large quantity of wetlands, some of which have been degraded to varying severity levels. In the literature, a number of degradation indicators have been proposed to evaluate ecological health of wetlands, but their effectiveness in the plateau environment remains unknown. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of three degradation indicators, soil moisture content at 10 cm deep, vegetative cover, and density of pika burrows. The degradation severity of wetlands in Maduo County on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is enumerated at four levels, intact, slight, moderate and severe. Analysis of 106 samples collected in the field demonstrates that the density of pika burrows is the least reliable indicator. By comparison, vegetative cover and underlying soil moisture content are more reliable, even though neither is a perfect indicator as the difference among adjacent levels of severity as revealed by t-test is not always statistically significant. The imperfection of vegetative cover as an indicator is due to its variation among different types of wetlands. The limitation of moisture content is attributed to its non-linear relationship with wetland degradation. Above the threshold of about 50% in moisture content wetlands are unlikely to be degraded. It is recommended that moisture be measured at the point near the surface and vegetative cover be further differentiated by species in order to improve their effectiveness.
The Removal of Thermally Aged Films of Triacylglycerides by Surfactant Solutions
Authors: Dunstan Timothy S. , Fletcher Paul D. I. 
Published: July 2013

AbstractThermal ageing of triacylglycerides (TAG) at high temperatures produces films which resist removal using aqueous surfactant solutions. We used a mass loss method to investigate the removal of thermally aged TAG films from hard surfaces using aqueous solutions of surfactants of different charge types. It was found that cationic surfactants are most effective at high pH, whereas anionics are most effective at low pH and a non‐ionic surfactant is most effective at intermediate pH. We showed that the TAG film removal process occurs in several stages. In the first “lag phase” no TAG removal occurs; the surfactant first partitions into the thermally aged film. In the second stage, the TAG film containing surfactant was removed by solubilisation into micelles in the aqueous solution. The effects of pH and surfactant charge on the TAG removal process correlate with the effects of these variables on the extent of surfactant partitioning to the TAG film and on the maximum extent of TAG solubilisation within the micelles. Additionally, we showed how the TAG removal is enhanced by the addition of amphiphilic additives such as alcohols which act as co‐surfactants. The study demonstrates that aqueous surfactant solutions provide a viable and more benign alternative to current methods for the removal of thermally aged TAG films.
Theoretical and Experimental Studies for Corrosion Inhibition Performance of Q235 Steel by Imidazoline Inhibitors against CO2 Corrosion
Authors: Zhang Jing , Niu Longwei , Zhu Fengmin , Li Chengjie , Du Min 
Published: July 2013

AbstractThe inhibition performance of two imidazoline inhibitors, 1‐(2‐thioureaethyl)‐2‐alkyl‐imidazoline (TAI) and chloride‐1‐(2,3‐dihydroxylpropyl)‐1‐(2‐thioureaethyl)‐2‐alkyl‐imidazoline sodium phosphate (TAIP), for Q235 steel in saltwater saturated with CO2 was studied by using molecular dynamics simulations and quantum chemistry calculations. The conclusions were experimentally verified by weight loss, polarization curves, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and surface analysis techniques. The theoretical results suggest that imidazoline ring and heteroatoms are the active site and the adsorption stability weakens gradually in the order of TAIP, TAI. Experimental results show that the two inhibitors act as mixed type inhibitors and can inhibit the corrosion of Q235 in CO2 saturated saltwater solution.
A Trichome‐Specific Linoleate Lipoxygenase Expressed During Pyrethrin Biosynthesis in Pyrethrum
Authors: Ramirez Aldana M. , Yang Ting , Bouwmeester Harro J. , Jongsma Maarten A. 
Published: July 2013

AbstractThe lipid precursor alcohols of pyrethrins—jasmolone, pyrethrolone and cinerolone—have been proposed as sharing parts of the oxylipin pathway with jasmonic acid. This implies that one of the first committed steps of pyrethrin biosynthesis is catalyzed by a lipoxygenase, catalyzing the hydroperoxidation of linolenic acid at position 13. Previously, we showed that the expression and activity of chrysanthemyl diphosphate synthase (TcCDS), the enzyme catalyzing the first committed step in the biosynthesis of the acid moiety of pyrethrins, is trichome‐specific and developmentally regulated in flowers. In the present study we characterized the expression pattern of 25 lipoxygenase EST contigs, and subsequently carried out the molecular cloning of two pyrethrum lipoxygenases, TcLOX1 and TcLOX2, that have a similar pattern to TcCDS. Only recombinant TcLOX1 catalyzed the peroxidation of the linolenic acid substrate. Just as TcCDS, TcLOX1, are exclusively expressed in trichomes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the enzyme shared the highest homology with chloroplast‐localized 13‐type‐lipoxygenases that are involved in maintaining basal levels of jasmonate.