Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Viz.
Selected AbstractsCorporate social responsibility in Dutch industryCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2004Jacqueline Cramer This article addresses the experiences gained by 19 Dutch companies with corporate social responsibility (CSR). These companies joined the programme ,From financial to sustainable profit' of the National Initiative for Sustainable Development (NIDO), which ran from May 2000 until December 2002. They focused on two issues: assessing the added value of corporate social responsibility and implementing a structured approach. The Dutch experiment showed that the companies involved were able to specify the added value of CSR by elaborating the economic performance and/or parenting advantage. Unfortunately, a third type of value creation, viz. through protecting the company's reputation, was not elaborated. Moreover, the experiment revealed that among the 19 participating companies experiences were limited in implementing a structured approach towards CSR. By exchanging experiences the companies learned from each other. Such interactive learning turned out to be a helpful support, complementary to the general CSR literature on guidelines, indicators and best practice guides. Although this literature is rapidly growing, knowledge is still lacking in structuring CSR. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Gel growth and characterization of , -DL-methionineCRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 4 2006E. Ramachandran Abstract DL-Methionine [C5H11NO2S] is one of the essential amino acids in humans. It has two crystalline forms, viz., ,- and ,- methionine. In the present study, , - form is crystallized in silica gel; under suitable pH conditions by single diffusion method. The grown crystals were characterized by density measurement and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic studies, thermal analysis and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) studies were also made as part of the structural studies. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Secretory activity in medullary thyroid carcinoma: A cytomorphological and immunocytochemical studyDIAGNOSTIC CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 6 2007D.Sc., Dilip K. Das M.B.B.S., F.R.C.Path., Ph.D. Abstract Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a relatively rare thyroid malignancy of C-cell origin that secretes calcitonin. Although its varied cytomorphologic features are well described in literature, very little is mentioned about the morphologic manifestation of its secretory activity. This study, based on nine fine needle aspiration (FNA) samples from eight MTC patients, is an attempt to present the varied cytomorphologic features suggesting secretory activity in MTC as observed in Papanicolaou and MGG stained FNA smears and correlate them with the immunocytochemical (ICC) staining for calcitonin performed on FNA smears and the serum calcitonin values. The average number of cells in these nine samples was as follows: oval/triangular/plasmacytoid (56.7%), small round (23.6%), spindle-shaped (12.7%), and miscellaneous (7.1%). The cytomorphological features suggesting secretory activity, viz., fine cytoplasmic vacuoles, azurophillic granules, marginal vacuoles, and intracytoplasmic lumina (ICL) with secretions were present in eight, eight, five, and six samples, respectively. Material likely to be amyloid, based on morphological features, was present extracellularly in three samples and both intracellularly and extracellularly in six samples. Immunocytochemically, all the nine samples stained for calcitonin and all the three stained for chromogranin showed positive cytoplasmic reaction in the neoplstic cells. The background amyloid (in six samples), the coarse cytoplasmic granules (in two samples), and the contents of ICL (in one sample) were found to be positively stained for calcitonin. The intracytoplasmic secretory material appeared to be diffusing out of some cells both in the routine MGG stained smears and in the smears stained for calcitonin. Histopathology reports of seven samples in six patients confirmed the cytodiagnosis of MTC in all. Baseline serum calcitonin values in three cases and postoperative serum calcitonin levels during follow-up in three others were high. Thus, our study highlighted the morphological manifestations of secretory activity in MTC and the nature of secretory material as calcitonin, supported by immunocytochemical staining and serum calcitonin level. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2007;35:329,337. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Trace Metals in Anaerobic Granular Sludge Reactors: Bioavailability and Dosing StrategiesENGINEERING IN LIFE SCIENCES (ELECTRONIC), Issue 3 2006H. Zandvoort Abstract The trace metal dynamics in anaerobic granular sludge bed reactors and their influence on reactor performance is reviewed in this paper. An insight into the metal dynamics is required from a practical point of view in order to be able to early recognize limitations for essential trace elements, viz., to know when dosing of these elements is required in full-scale anaerobic bioreactor applications. Further such knowledge is indispensable for a rational dosage of these metals, e.g., to ensure maximum substrate conversion rates and to prevent disturbances in reactor performance using a minimum amount of metals. Therefore, the retention, accumulation and release of trace metals in anaerobic granular sludge and the factors affecting these processes need to be known. [source] Cadmium induced oxidative stress influence on glutathione metabolic genes of Camellia sinensis (L.) O. KuntzeENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY, Issue 4 2007Prashant Mohanpuria Abstract Glutathione, a tripeptide with sulfhydryl (-SH) group is a very crucial compound primarily involved in redox balance maintenance of the cellular environment. In this study, we monitored the influence of Cd exposure on the transcript levels of glutathione metabolic genes in bud tissues, the youngest leaf, of Camellia sinensis L. In addition, some physiochemical parameters were also studied. Cd exposure decreased chlorophyll and protein contents, while increase was observed in lipid peroxidation upon Cd treatments. These changes were found to be concentration and duration dependent, indicating the occurrence of oxidative stress upon Cd exposure. The transcript levels of glutathione biosynthetic genes viz. ,-glutamylcysteine synthetase (,-ECS) and glutathione synthetase (GSHS) increased upon Cd exposure. Furthermore, transcript levels of glutathione reductase (GR), an enzyme involved in reduction of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) to reduced glutathione (GSH), also showed upregulation on Cd exposure. However, the transcript levels of glutathione-S-transferase (GST), an enzyme involved in forming metal,GSH complex and help in sequestration of high levels of metal ions to vacuole, did not show any change on Cd treatment. This study document that Cd exposure induces oxidative stress in Camellia sinensis and the upregulation in transcript levels of glutathione metabolic genes except GST have suggested the role of these enzymes in the protection of plants from high level Cd exposure. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 22: 368,374, 2007. [source] Reactivity and X-ray Structural Studies in Ligand Substitution of [Cp/(Ind)Ru(dppf)Cl] , Epimerisation in [Cp/(Ind)Ru(Josiphos)Cl] {Cp = ,5 -C5H5, Ind = ,5 -C7H9, dppf = 1,1,-Bis(diphenylphosphanyl)ferrocene, Josiphos = (R)-(,)-1-[(S)-2-(Diphenylphosphanyl)ferrocenyl]ethyldicyclohexylphosphane}EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 3 2007Sin Yee Ng Abstract Ligand substitution of [(Ind)Ru(PPh3)2Cl] (1) led to the isolation of [(Ind)Ru(PPh3){Ph2P(CH2)2C9H7}Cl] (2), [(Ind)Ru(dppf)Cl] (3) and [(Ind)Ru{(Ph2PCH2)3CMe}]PF6 ([4]PF6), and diastereoisomers [(R)- and (S)-(Ind)Ru(Josiphos)Cl] [(R)- 5 and (S)- 5], where (R)-(S)-Josiphos is the ferrocene-based chiral diphosphane ligand (R)-(,)-1-[(S)-2-(diphenylphosphanyl)ferrocenyl] ethyldicyclohexylphosphane. The Cp analogues of 5, viz. (R)- 6 and (S)- 6, were also obtained from [CpRu(PPh3)2Cl] (1a). Josiphos-dependent epimerisation was observed, with conversion of the (S) isomer to the (R) isomer in both cases. Chloride abstraction of 3 with NaPF6 in CH3CN and NaN3 in EtOH gave [(Ind)Ru(dppf)(CH3CN)]PF6 ([7]PF6) and [(Ind)Ru(dppf)(N3)] (8), respectively. The azido ligand in 8 underwent [3+2] dipolar cycloaddition with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate to give a N -bound bis(methoxycarbonyl)-1,2,3-triazolato complex, 9. X-ray crystal structures of the new complexes, except (R)- 5, (S)- 5 and (S)- 6, have been determined. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007) [source] An Unusual Reaction of (,-Dimethylaminoethoxy)triethyltin with Phenyltin Trichloride.EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 21 2006Aryl; X, Symmetrical Dimers [R2SnXY], The First X-ray Structural Evidence of the Existence of Complexes R2SnXY·R2SnXY (R = Alkyl, Y = Hal, Y) Both as Unsymmetrical Adducts [R2SnX2·R2SnY2] Abstract The substituent exchange reaction of PhSnCl3 with [Et3Sn(OCH2CH2NMe2)] gives rise unexpectedly to the unsymmetrical adduct [Ph2SnCl2·Ph2Sn(OCH2CH2NMe2)2] (2). It has been unambiguously proved for the first time that compounds of the RSnX3 type are able to undergo the hydrocarbon substituent redistribution reaction. The analogous tin complexes [Et2SnCl2·Et2Sn(OMe)2] (5) and [Bu2Sn(OAc)2·Bu2Sn(OMe)2] (6), which have ligands other than ,-dimethylaminoethoxy and could be considered as "organotin analogs of Grignard reagents" have symmetrical dimeric structures, i.e., can be formulated as [Bu2Sn(OMe)(OAc)]2 and [Et2Sn(OMe)Cl]2, respectively. Both types of structures, viz., unsymmetrical adduct (2) and symmetrical dimer (5, 6), have been characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006) [source] The Synthesis and Characterisation of Bis(phosphane)-Linked (6 - p -Cymene)ruthenium(II),Borane CompoundsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 23 2005Adrian B. Chaplin Abstract The reaction of [(,6 - p -cymene)RuCl2]2 with some bis(phosphane) ligands (dppm, dppe, dppv, dppa, dpp14b, dppf) has been investigated. In general mixtures of products were obtained, although the pendant phosphane complexes [(,6 - p -cymene)RuCl2(,1 -dppv)] and [(,6 - p -cymene)RuCl2(,1 -dppa)] were isolated and characterized in the solid state by X-ray diffraction. The later complex was obtained in lower yield and undergoes an equilibration reaction resulting in the formation of a dimeric species, where the dppa bridges two ruthenium centres, and uncoordinated phosphane; the bridging species was also structurally characterised in the solid state. In contrast, the reaction of [(,6 - p -cymene)RuCl2(PPh3)] with dppa in the presence of [NH4]PF6 results in the formation of [(,6 - p -cymene)RuCl(PPh3)(,1 -dppa)]PF6, which is stable in solution. A series of linked ruthenium,borane complexes, viz. [(,6 - p -cymene)RuCl2(,1 -phosphane-BH3)] (phosphane = dppm, dppe, dppv, dppa, dpp14b, dppf) and [(,6 - p -cymene)RuCl(PPh3)(,1 -dppa-BH3)]PF6 have been prepared from isolated pendant phosphane complexes, those generated in situ, or from a preformed phosphane,borane adduct. The solid-state structures of [(,6 - p -cymene)RuCl2(,1 -dppm-BH3)], [(,6 - p -cymene)RuCl2(,1 -dppe-BH3)] and [(,6 - p -cymene)RuCl2(,1 -dppv-BH3)] have been determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005) [source] Incorporation of Aluminium and Iron into the Zeolite MCM-58EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2005Gabriela Ko Abstract The hydrothermal synthesis of zeolite MCM-58 is investigated with N -benzylquinuclidinium bromide as a structure-directing agent in order to isomorphously substitute aluminium or iron for silicon. Al-MCM-58 was synthesised in a wide range of nSi/nAl ratios (from 19 to 56), and Fe-MCM-58 was successfully prepared in a narrower range of nSi/nFe ratios (from 18 to 36). The obtained products were characterised by XRD, SEM, 27Al MAS NMR, 29Si MAS NMR, FTIR, and ESR spectroscopy. Two different calcination procedures, viz. in a stream of nitrogen and air or in a stream of ammonia, were used in order to modify the acid sites in the zeolite. FTIR spectroscopy before and after the adsorption of [D3]acetonitrile and pyridine was employed to determine the concentration and type of the acid sites. The acid forms of Al(Fe)-MCM-58 are characterised by the vibrations of bridging Si,OH,Al(Fe) groups at 3628 cm,1 and 3564 cm,1 (Al-MCM-58) or 3646 cm,1 and 3520 cm,1 (Fe-MCM-58). The acid sites of both zeolites Al-MCM-58 and Fe-MCM-58 are accessible for [D3]acetonitrile and pyridine, and all materials contain substantial numbers of Lewis sites (Al-MCM-58: 50,% of the total acid sites; Fe-MCM-58: 90,%) over the whole range of nSi/nAl (nSi/nFe) ratios studied. Only a small increase in the concentration of Brønsted acid sites was achieved after calcination of the as-synthesised samples in a flow of ammonia. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005) [source] Synthesis of Hybrids of D -Glucose and D -Galactose with Pyrrolidine-Based Iminosugars as Glycosidase InhibitorsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 34 2008Venkata Ramana Doddi Abstract Sugar,iminosugar hybrid molecules made up of D -glucose and D -galactose with pyrrolidine-based iminosugars, viz. 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino- L -xylitol and 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino- L -lyxitol, are synthesized from glycal epoxides and found to be moderate glycosidase inhibitors. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008) [source] Utilization of the Versatility of Sulfur in C,C Bond Formation and Cleavage: Synthesis of ABC Taxoid SkeletonsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 20 2007Subhash P. Chavan Abstract A practical and convenient five-step protocol is described to access the ABC ring system of Taxol by utilizing the versatility of the sulfur atom in its various oxidation states viz., condensation/Pummerer cyclization/coupling/annulation/fragmentation. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007) [source] Decomposing the construct of ambivalence over emotional expression in a Chinese cultural contextEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 3 2005Sylvia Xiaohua Chen The present study examined the construct of ambivalence over emotional expression proposed by King and Emmons (1990) in the Chinese context, and identified a factor structure different from those proposed in previous Western studies. The results of this study provided discriminant validity for this newly extracted two-factor structure of ambivalence, viz., Emotional Rumination and Emotional Suppression. Emotional Rumination was significantly predicted by the personality scales of introversion and inferiority, and the belief dimension of fate control, whereas Emotional Suppression was predicted by the personality scales of diversity, face, and harmony, and the belief dimension of social complexity. The different effects of Emotional Rumination and Emotional Suppression in predicting life satisfaction showed that emotional experience has its own specific characteristics in Chinese culture, and that responding to its emic characteristics will yield a more culturally responsive understanding of emotional experience and expression. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Charles Darwin, ichthyology and the species conceptFISH AND FISHERIES, Issue 3 2002Daniel Pauly Abstract This contribution presents the ichthyological writings of Charles Darwin (1809,1882), by periods, viz. ,the years prior to the voyage of the Beagle' (about 1825,1830); ,the Beagle years' (1831,1836); ,from the return of the Beagle to the Foundation of Origin' (1837,1844); and ,the mature Darwin' (1845,1882). Overall, this material covers 45 000 words penned by Darwin, but represents only 0.7% of his lifetime output of about 6 million words, indicating a limited interest in fish. However, this sample, briefly described here, but analysed in great detail in a forthcoming volume on Darwin's Fishes, allows drawing inferences on Darwin's working style that were missed in conventional biographies. On the other hand, it is suggested, based on a close reading of the 6th (1876) edition of Origin, that Darwin was not particularly interested in the theoretical issues now associated with the species concept, nor indeed with other levels of the Linnean system. [source] Characterization of the aroma-active compounds in five sweet cherry cultivars grown in Yantai (China)FLAVOUR AND FRAGRANCE JOURNAL, Issue 4 2010Shu Yang Sun Abstract This study was conducted to determine the aroma-active compounds of five sweet cherry cultivars grown in Yantai region, China, viz. ,Lapins', ,Rainier', ,Stella', ,Hongdeng' and ,Zhifuhong'. The samples were extracted by headspace solid phase microextraction (HS,SPME) and analysed by gas chromatography,mass spectrometry (GC,MS) on DB-wax and DB-5 columns. A total of 52 volatiles were identified. Among these, hexanal, (E)-2-hexenal, 1-hexanol, (E)-2-hexen-1-ol, benzaldehyde and benzyl alcohol were the main volatile compounds in the five cherries. Furthermore, the aroma compounds of five cherry samples were evaluated using a combination of HS,SPME and GC,olfactometry (GC,O) dilution analysis, and a total of 40 aroma-active compounds were identified. The results suggested that hexanal, (E)-2-hexenal, (Z)-3-hexenal, nonanal, benzaldehyde and geranylacetone (FD , 16), responsible for the green, orange, almond and floral characters of the cherries, were the potentially important common odorants in these cherry cultivars. Benzyl alcohol and linalool were significant aroma compounds in most cherries, with the exception of ,Stella' and ,Rainier'. In addition, (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal (cucumber-like odour) could be important to ,Hongdeng' and ,Zhifuhong', and (E,E)-2,4-nonadienal (fatty odour) probably made great contributions to the aromas in ,Lapins' and ,Stella'. From the present result, it was concluded that the aroma profiles were similar in the five cherry cultivars, but significant variation was found in the contributions of these compounds to each cherry. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Factors affecting secondary metabolite production in plants: volatile components and essential oilsFLAVOUR AND FRAGRANCE JOURNAL, Issue 4 2008A. Cristina Figueiredo Abstract The presence, yield and composition of secondary metabolites in plants, viz. the volatile components and those occurring in essential oils, can be affected in a number of ways, from their formation in the plant to their final isolation. Several of the factors of influence have been studied, in particular for commercially important crops, to optimize the cultivation conditions and time of harvest and to obtain higher yields of high-quality essential oils that fit market requirements. In addition to the commercial importance of the variability in yield and composition, the possible changes are also important when the essential oils and volatiles are used as chemotaxonomic tools. Knowledge of the factors that determine the chemical variability and yield for each species are thus very important. These include: (a) physiological variations; (b) environmental conditions; (c) geographic variations; (d) genetic factors and evolution; (e) political/social conditions; and also (f) amount of plant material/space and manual labour needs. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Variability and divergence in Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre germplasm , a candidate tree for biodieselGCB BIOENERGY, Issue 6 2009N. SUNIL Abstract Three explorations were undertaken in South East Coastal zone of India covering parts of Andhra Pradesh (AP) and Orissa states to collect Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre germplasm during March,June 2007. A total of 123 accessions were collected and seed data recorded were analyzed for morphometric traits viz., seed length, seed width, seed thickness, 100-seed weight and oil content. Variation in the collected germplasm was analyzed using anova, simple measures of variation and D2 statistics. Significant genetic variability between seed traits and oil content and association among the seed traits was recorded. Phenotypic variance was higher than genotypic variance for all the characters indicating dominant role of environment. High heritability (broad sense) for 100-seed weight (97.6%) and oil content (86.7%) indicated the reliability of these characters as selection criteria for plus trees. Genetic gain was maximum for 100-seed weight (62.6%) followed by oil content (30.5%). D2 analysis grouped the accessions into 12 clusters. Cluster XII and cluster IX were the most diverse based on the intercluster distance. Based on the observed diversity, Chittoor, Srikakulam and Adilabad districts of AP are most suitable for collecting diverse germplasm lines and also for in situ conservation. [source] Exploiting a Dual-Fluorescence Process in Fluorene,Dibenzothiophene- S,S -dioxideCo-Polymers to Give Efficient Single Polymer LEDs with Broadened EmissionADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 4 2009Simon M. King Abstract A description of the synthesis of random (9,9-dioctylfluorene-2,7-diyl),(dibenzothiophene- S,S -dioxide-3,7-diyl) co-polymers (p(F-S)x) by palladium-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling polymerization where the feed ratio of the latter is varied from 2 to 30,mol % (i.e., x,=,2,30) is given. Polymer light emitting devices are fabricated with the configuration indium tin oxide/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonic acid)/p(F,S)x/Ba/Al. The device external quantum efficiency increased as the ratio of the S co-monomer was increased, up to a maximum of 1.3% at 100,mA cm,2 for p(F-S)30 and a brightness of 3 770,cd m,2 (at 10,V). The S units impart improved electron injection, more balanced mobilities, and markedly improved device performance compared to poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) under similar conditions. These co-polymers display broad emission, observed as greenish-white light, which arises from dual fluorescence, viz. both local excited states and charge transfer states. Utilizing dual emission can reduce problems associated with Förster energy transfer from high-energy to-low energy excited states. [source] Myth and Reality in the Attitude toward Valence-Bond (VB) Theory: Are Its ,Failures' Real?HELVETICA CHIMICA ACTA, Issue 4 2003Sason Shaik According to common wisdom propagated in textbooks and papers, valence-bond (VB) theory fails and makes predictions in contradiction with experiment. Four iconic ,failures' are: a) the wrong prediction of the ground state of the O2 molecule, b) the failure to predict the properties of cyclobutadiene (CBD) viz. those of benzene, c) the failure to predict the aromaticity/anti-aromaticity of molecular ions like C5H and C5H, C3H and C3H, C7H and C7H, etc; and d) the failure to predict that, e.g., CH4 has two different ionization potentials. This paper analyzes the origins of these ,failures' and shows that two of them (stated in a and d) are myths of unclear origins, while the other two originate in misuse of an oversimplified version of VB theory, i.e., simple resonance theory that merely enumerate resonance structures. It is demonstrated that, in each case, a properly used VB theory at a simple and portable level leads to correct predictions, as successful as those made by use of molecular-orbital (MO) theory. This notion of VB ,failure', which is traced back to the VB-MO rivalry, in the early days of quantum chemistry, should now be considered obsolete, unwarranted, and counterproductive. A modern chemist should know that there are two ways of describing electronic structure, which are not two contrasting theories, but rather two representations or two guises of the same reality. Their capabilities and insights into chemical problems are complementary, and the exclusion of any one of them undermines the intellectual heritage of chemistry. [source] Impact of time-scale of the calibration objective function on the performance of watershed modelsHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 25 2007K. P. Sudheer Abstract Many of the continuous watershed models perform all their computations on a daily time step, yet they are often calibrated at an annual or monthly time-scale that may not guarantee good simulation performance on a daily time step. The major objective of this paper is to evaluate the impact of the calibration time-scale on model predictive ability. This study considered the Soil and Water Assessment Tool for the analyses, and it has been calibrated at two time-scales, viz. monthly and daily for the War Eagle Creek watershed in the USA. The results demonstrate that the model's performance at the smaller time-scale (such as daily) cannot be ensured by calibrating them at a larger time-scale (such as monthly). It is observed that, even though the calibrated model possesses satisfactory ,goodness of fit' statistics, the simulation residuals failed to confirm the assumption of their homoscedasticity and independence. The results imply that evaluation of models should be conducted considering their behavior in various aspects of simulation, such as predictive uncertainty, hydrograph characteristics, ability to preserve statistical properties of the historic flow series, etc. The study enlightens the scope for improving/developing effective autocalibration procedures at the daily time step for watershed models. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Soil moisture,temperature relationships: results from two field experimentsHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 15 2003Venkat Lakshmi Abstract This paper analyses data from two field experiments in Chickasha, Oklahoma, and Tifton, Georgia, carried out in July 1999 and June 2000 respectively. The observations on soil moisture at two depths, viz. 0,2·5 and 0,5·0 cm, surface temperature, and temperatures at 1, 5 and 10 cm depths are analysed. The relationship between the soil moisture and the temperature variability in time is examined as a function of vegetation type and location. Results from these experiments show that, during drydown, surface temperature shows an increase that corresponds to a decrease in the soil moisture. Linear models for prediction of soil moisture (at both depths) using surface temperature observations are examined. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Optimal stress recovery points for higher-order bar elements by Prathap's best-fit methodINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 8 2009S. Rajendran Abstract Barlow was the first to propose a method to predict optimal stress recovery points in finite elements (FEs). Prathap proposed an alternative method that is based on the variational principle. The optimal points predicted by Prathap, called Prathap points in this paper, have been reported in the literature for linear, quadratic and cubic elements. Prathap points turn out to be the same as Barlow points for linear and quadratic bar elements but different for cubic bar element. Nevertheless, for all the three elements, Prathap points coincide with the reduced Gaussian integration points. In this paper, an alternative implementation of Prathap's best-fit method is used to compute Prathap points for higher-order (viz., 4,10th order) bar elements. The effectiveness of Prathap points as points of accurate stress recovery is verified by actual FE analysis for typical bar problems. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] On the construction of manufactured solutions for one and two-equation eddy-viscosity modelsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 2 2007L. Eça Abstract This paper presents manufactured solutions (MSs) for some well-known eddy-viscosity turbulence models, viz. the Spalart & Allmaras one-equation model and the TNT and BSL versions of the two-equation k,, model. The manufactured flow solutions apply to two-dimensional, steady, wall-bounded, incompressible, turbulent flows. The two velocity components and the pressure are identical for all MSs, but various alternatives are considered for specifying the eddy-viscosity and other turbulence quantities in the turbulence models. The results obtained for the proposed MSs with a second-order accurate numerical method show that the MSs for turbulence quantities must be constructed carefully to avoid instabilities in the numerical solutions. This behaviour is model dependent: the performance of the Spalart & Allmaras and k,, models is significantly affected by the type of MS. In one of the MSs tested, even the two versions of the k,, model exhibit significant differences in the convergence properties. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Exergy analysis of a coal-based 210 MW thermal power plantINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 1 2007S. Sengupta Abstract In the present work, exergy analysis of a coal-based thermal power plant is done using the design data from a 210 MW thermal power plant under operation in India. The entire plant cycle is split up into three zones for the analysis: (1) only the turbo-generator with its inlets and outlets, (2) turbo-generator, condenser, feed pumps and the regenerative heaters, (3) the entire cycle with boiler, turbo-generator, condenser, feed pumps, regenerative heaters and the plant auxiliaries. It helps to find out the contributions of different parts of the plant towards exergy destruction. The exergy efficiency is calculated using the operating data from the plant at different conditions, viz. at different loads, different condenser pressures, with and without regenerative heaters and with different settings of the turbine governing. The load variation is studied with the data at 100, 75, 60 and 40% of full load. Effects of two different condenser pressures, i.e. 76 and 89 mmHg (abs.), are studied. Effect of regeneration on exergy efficiency is studied by successively removing the high pressure regenerative heaters out of operation. The turbine governing system has been kept at constant pressure and sliding pressure modes to study their effects. It is observed that the major source of irreversibility in the power cycle is the boiler, which contributes to an exergy destruction of the order of 60%. Part load operation increases the irreversibilities in the cycle and the effect is more pronounced with the reduction of the load. Increase in the condenser back pressure decreases the exergy efficiency. Successive withdrawal of the high pressure heaters show a gradual increment in the exergy efficiency for the control volume excluding the boiler, while a decrease in exergy efficiency when the whole plant including the boiler is considered. Keeping the main steam pressure before the turbine control valves in sliding mode improves the exergy efficiencies in case of part load operation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Photovoltaic-powered cold store and its performanceINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 5 2001J. Nagaraju Abstract A photovoltaic-powered cold store plant, the first of its kind, has been developed to store 10 tons of frozen fish at ,15°C. It consists of a photovoltaic array (4 kW peak), a battery bank (96 V DC, 180 A H), a vapour compression refrigeration system (1 ton), electronic controls for automatic operation of plant and an insulated cold chamber. Experiments were conducted on the system to evaluate its performance with no heat load (frozen fish at ,15°C) and with different heat loads. It is observed that the system can be operated with a maximum heat load of 2350 W to maintain the walk-in-cooler temperature below the freezing point of fish (,2°C). The performance studies conducted on these subsystems viz., photovoltaic array and battery bank showed that their output has deteriorated in 5 years. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Studies on some singular potentials in quantum mechanicsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF QUANTUM CHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2005Amlan K. RoyArticle first published online: 10 MAY 200 Abstract A simple methodology is suggested for the efficient calculation of certain central potentials having singularities. The generalized pseudospectral method used in this work facilitates nonuniform and optimal spatial discretization. Applications have been made to calculate the energies, densities, and expectation values for two singular potentials of physical interest, viz., (i) the harmonic potential plus inverse quartic and sextic perturbation and (ii) the Coulomb potential with a linear and quadratic term for a broad range of parameters. The first 10 states belonging to a maximum of ,, = 8 and 5 for (i) and (ii) have been computed with good accuracy and compared with the most accurate available literature data. The calculated results are in excellent agreement, especially in light of the difficulties encountered in these potentials. Some new states are reported here for the first time. This offers a general and efficient scheme for calculating these and other similar potentials of physical and mathematical interest in quantum mechanics accurately. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2005 [source] Healing and Salvation in Late Modernity: the Use and Implication of Such Terms in the Ecumenical MovementINTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF MISSION, Issue 380-381 2007Vebjørn Horsfjord This article explores developments over the last decades in the way ecumenical texts, primarily originating from world conferences organized by the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism, speak about soteriology. Under the headlines, "Salvation Today" (1973) and "Your Kingdom Come" (1980), terminology inspired by liberation theology took centre stage, and a predominantly immanent understanding of salvation was promoted. In recent years a different terminology has taken over, and it is one that focuses on "healing" and "the fullness of life". At its best, the holistic healing approach manages to take up the important concerns from earlier times, such as economic justice, racism and environmental issues, while at the same time giving more room for existential issues and the experiences of the individual The new healing discourse appears to reflect two different modalities of the church's healing ministry, viz. that which is concerned with the causes of suffering, and that which addresses the experience of suffering. The latter was often ignored in the recent past. The healing discourse gives room for new explorations of practices that have been central in the church throughout its history, such as anointing the sick, and praying for and with them, and hearing individual confessions. Openness towards subjective experience also has implications for the contextualization of the Christian faith. There is a new awareness that not only do the causes of suffering vary from situation to situation but so does the understanding of (what constitutes) suffering itself. Changing or varying understandings of suffering give rise to different approaches to its alleviation, and can inspire a rethinking of how we understand salvation in different contexts. The new healing discourse can also be studied in its relationship to cultural trends known as post-modernity or late modernity. The texts under study display very ambivalent approaches to these developments. There might be a tendency for texts that have concrete experience as their starting point to take a more positive view of these cultural developments than do texts that begin with more general theological observations. [source] The new Quest for Healing: when Therapy and Spirituality Intermingle,INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF MISSION, Issue 380-381 2007Bernard Ugeux For some decades one has noted an increased interest in spirituality outside the traditional religions of the West, viz. the three monotheisms. New spiritual quests often develop on the fringes of the churches, and sometimes even as a reaction to the churches' vision of what it means to be human. In this regard, those interested in spirituality often see their spiritual search as something linked to a general care for wellbeing or health, and reproach Christianity for being too disembodied. The association of the spiritual with the therapeutical leads to a certain permeability between the spiritual and therapeutical in terms of the claims each makes. It also leads to the creation of new alternative proposals. This porousness runs the risk of bringing confusion to everything, and using the spiritual and religious to serve therapeutic needs. However, the way in which the claims of the spiritual and therapeutical realms evolve presents a challenge to Christianity. This can be put in terms of, ,What place does Christianity attribute to the body, affectivity, pleasure, and legitimate personal development?' Some individuals and groups in the Christian churches, rather than trying to justify existing approaches, propose more "incarnated" ones that will respond to the new audience in a Christian way. From a theological, pastoral and missiological viewpoint, Christian communities are thus intended to become communities of healing and reconciliation, although not at any price. If Christian spirituality also has to favour the empowering and development of a person , for Christ has assumed everything of humanity, except sin , one should not reduce salvation to healing or ignore the paschal mystery as a way of avoiding the element of pain that this mystery contains. In short, Christianity is invited to do a work of inculturation that not only keeps in mind contemporary developments but also is accompanied by an authentic interdisciplinary discernment. [source] Conservatism and Cross-Sectional Variation in the Post,Earnings Announcement DriftJOURNAL OF ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, Issue 4 2006GANAPATHI NARAYANAMOORTHY ABSTRACT Accounting conservatism allows me to identify a previously undocumented source of predictable cross-sectional variation in Standardized Unexpected Earnings' autocorrelations viz. the sign of the most recent earnings realization and present evidence that the market ignores this variation ("loss effect"). It is possible to earn returns higher than from the Bernard and Thomas (1990) strategy by incorporating this feature. Additionally, the paper shows that the "loss effect" is different from the "cross quarter" effect shown by Rangan and Sloan (1998) and it is possible to combine the two effects to earn returns higher than either strategy alone. Thus, the paper corroborates the Bernard and Thomas finding that stock prices fail to reflect the extent to which quarterly earnings series differ from a seasonal random walk and extends it by showing that the market systematically underestimates time-series properties resulting from accounting conservatism. [source] DROUGHT STRESS: Comparative Time Course Action of the Foliar Applied Glycinebetaine, Salicylic Acid, Nitrous Oxide, Brassinosteroids and Spermine in Improving Drought Resistance of RiceJOURNAL OF AGRONOMY AND CROP SCIENCE, Issue 5 2010M. Farooq Abstract Worldwide rice productivity is being threatened by increased endeavours of drought stress. Among the visible symptoms of drought stress, hampered water relations and disrupted cellular membrane functions are the most important. Exogenous use of polyamines (PAs), salicylic acid (SA), brassinosteroids (BRs), glycinebetaine (GB) and nitrous oxide (NO) can induce abiotic stresses tolerance in many crops. In this time course study, we appraised the comparative role of all these substances to improve the drought tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivar Super-Basmati. Plants were subjected to drought stress at four leaf stage (4 weeks after emergence) by maintaining soil moisture at 50 % of field capacity. Pre-optimized concentrations of GB (150 mg l,1), SA (100 mg l,1), NO (100 ,mol l,1 sodium nitroprusside as NO donor), BR (0.01 ,m 24-epibrassinolide) and spermine (Spm; 10 ,m) were foliar sprayed at five-leaf stage (5 weeks after emergence). There were two controls both receiving no foliar spray, viz. well watered (CK1) and drought stressed (CK2). There was substantial reduction in allometric response of rice, gas exchange and water relation attributes by drought stress. While drought stress enhanced the H2O2, malondialdehyde (MDA) and relative membrane permeability, foliar spray of all the chemicals improved growth possibly because of the improved carbon assimilation, enhanced synthesis of metabolites and maintenance of tissue water status. Simultaneous reduction in H2O2 and MDA production was also noted in the plants treated with these substances. Drought tolerance was sturdily associated with the greater tissue water potential, increased synthesis of metabolites and enhanced capacity of antioxidant system. Of all the chemicals, foliar spray with Spm was the most effective followed by BR. [source] Physiological and Biochemical Responses of Hexaploid and Tetraploid Wheat to Drought StressJOURNAL OF AGRONOMY AND CROP SCIENCE, Issue 4 2000V. Chandrasekar An experiment was conducted to investigate the physiological and biochemical responses of two hexaploids viz., C 306 (water stress tolerant) and Hira (water stress susceptible), and two tetraploids, HW 24 (Triticum dicoccum) and A 9-30-1 (Triticum durum) wheat genotypes to water stress under pot culture condition. Water stress was imposed for a uniform period of 10 days at 50, 60 and 70 days after sowing (DAS) and observations were recorded at 60, 70 and 80 DAS. Total dry matter and plant height were recorded at harvest. Water stress caused a decline in relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll and carotenoid content, membrane stability and nitrate reductase activity and increased accumulation of proline at all stages and abscisic acid (ABA) at 80 DAS in all the genotypes. Both the tetraploids showed a lower reduction in RWC and highest ABA accumulation under water stress. Among the hexaploids Hira showed the most decline in RWC and the lowest ABA accumulation. The tetraploids also showed comparatively higher carotenoid content and membrane stability, closely followed by C 306, while Hira showed the minimum response under water stress. Nitrate reductase activity and chlorophyll content under irrigated conditions were highest in Hira but under water stress the lowest per cent decline was observed in C 306, followed by HW 24, A 9-30-1, and Hira. Proline accumulation under water stress conditions was highest in hexaploids C 306 and Hira and lowest in tetraploids HW 24 and A 9-30-1. Tetraploids HW 24, followed by A 9-30-1 maintained higher plant height and total dry matter (TDM) under water stress and also showed a lower per cent decline under stress than hexaploids C 306 and Hira. From the results it is clear that proline accumulation did not contribute to better drought tolerance of tetraploids than hexaploids. It is also apparent that water stress tolerance is the result of the cumulative action of various physiological processes, and all the parameters/processes may not be positively associated with the drought tolerance of a particular tolerant genotype. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||