Can social media usage of scientific literature predict journal indices of AJG,SNIP and JCR? An altmetric study of economics

Scientometrics - Altmetrics are often praised as an alternative or complement to classic bibliometric metrics, especially in the social sciences discipline. However, empirical investigations of...     

Automatic determination of recrystallization parameters based on EBSD mapping

A new automatic algorithm for determining the recrystallization parameters V_V, S_V and <λ> based on EBSD mapping is presented in this paper. The algorithm is validated on aluminium deformed to high strains. The algorithm is also compared with other methods using the exact same sets of samples, and it is found that the present method gives better results for S_V.     

Eelgrass as a Bioindicator Under the European Water Framework Directive

Eelgrass is the most widespread plant in temperate coastal waters. It is regarded as a useful indicator of water quality because water clarity regulates its extension towards deeper waters, i.e. the depth limit. This study analyses the use of eelgrass depth limits as a bioindicator under the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The WFD demands that ecological status is classified by relating the actual level of bioindicators to a so-called reference level, reflecting a situation of limited anthropogenic influence. The directive further demands that reference levels are defined for water body types with similar hydromorphological characteristics, and that the classification thereby becomes type-specific.A large historic data set on depth limits of eelgrass around 1900 was used to characterise reference levels, and a large data set from the Danish National Monitoring and Assessment Programme to characterise actual depth limits. Data represented a wide range of Danish coastal water bodies that were grouped into 10 water body types based on differences in salinity and water depth.The analyses clearly illustrate that the definition of ecological status classes markedly influence the assessment of ecological status according to the WFD. Moreover, the study demonstrates that the use of type-specific classification implies a risk of misinterpreting ecological status. Classification problems were pronounced in spite of a unique data material on reference conditions, and the problems are likely to be even greater in cases where reference conditions are less well defined. A more robust classification was obtained by using reference levels for individual sites in a site-specific classification.In conclusion, when classifying water quality on the basis of eelgrass depth limits, site-specific reference levels are recommended if such data are available. If more general information on reference levels is used, local conditions known to affect depth limits must be taken into account.     

Halogenated natural products in five species of Antarctic sponges: compounds with POP-like properties?

Purified extracts of five species of Antarctic sponges (Demospongiae: Kirkpatrickia variolosa, Artemisina apollinis, Phorbas glaberrima, and Halichondria sp. and Calcarea: Leucetta antarctica) from King George Island were analyzed by GC/MS for the presence of persistent and lipophilic halogenated compounds to identify bioaccumulative halogenated natural products. Sample extracts were prepared using methods identical for the determination of POPs, namely, microwave-assisted extraction with organic solvents, gel permeation chromatography, and column chromatography on deactivated silica. In addition, samples were treated with sulfuric acid to remove acid-destructible compounds. PCBs were not detectable and only traces of lindane, p,p'-DDE, and alpha-HCH were detected in these samples in decreasing order of abundance, underscoring their uncontaminated state. In contrast, 146 brominated compounds were identified by correct isotopic ratios m/z 79 and 81, 50% of which eluted prior to lindane including the most abundant peaks. Each sponge sample contained > or = 35 brominated compounds of natural origin, 14 of which were detected in all species. Estimated concentrations ranged from the high ng/kg to mg/kg (air-dried weights) and relative distributions of the same compounds in different sponges were highly variable. The high abundance of these compounds relative to known anthropogenic pollutants strongly suggests a natural origin. Multiple mode (EI-, ECNI-, and PCI-) GC/MS enabled identification of an aliphatic ketone tentatively identified as 1,1,2-tribromo-oct-1-en-3-one, present in all species but highest in Phorbas glaberrima. Several halogenated phenols including 2,4,6-tribromophenol were also abundant in Phorbas glaberrima as were halogenated anisoles in lower relative abundances. The halogenated phenols were analyzed without derivatization. The sample of Halichondria sp. contained the dibromotrichloro monoterpene MHC-1, a recently described environmental contaminant in fish and seals. Retrospective analysis of other marine samples confirmed that 2,4,6-tribromophenol was present in seal blubber from both the Arctic and the Antarctic. The presence of naturally occurring organohalogens such as 2,4,6-tribromophenol and MHC-1 in Antarctic marine invertebrates thus provides a link to their occurrence in marine mammals.     

Connecting the dots: responses of coastal ecosystems to changing nutrient concentrations

Empirical relationships between phytoplankton biomass and nutrient concentrations established across a wide range of different ecosystems constitute fundamental quantitative tools for predicting effects of nutrient management plans. Nutrient management plans based on such relationships, mostly established over trends of increasing rather than decreasing nutrient concentrations, assume full reversibility of coastal eutrophication. Monitoring data from 28 ecosystems located in four well-studied regions were analyzed to study the generality of chlorophyll a versus nutrient relationships and their applicability for ecosystem management. We demonstrate significant differences across regions as well as between specific coastal ecosystems within regions in the response of chlorophyll a to changing nitrogen concentrations. We also show that the chlorophyll a versus nitrogen relationships over time constitute convoluted trajectories rather than simple unique relationships. The ratio of chlorophyll a to total nitrogen almost doubled over the last 30-40 years across all regions. The uniformity of these trends, or shifting baselines, suggest they may result from large-scale changes, possibly associated with global climate change and increasing human stress on coastal ecosystems. Ecosystem management must, therefore, develop adaptation strategies to face shifting baselines and maintain ecosystem services at a sustainable level rather than striving to restore an ecosystem state of the past.     

Effect of pre-slaughter physiological conditions on the oxidative stability of colour and lipid during chill storage of pork

The physiological condition of the live animal was found to significantly affect colour, lipid oxidation and water holding capacity of chill stored pork chops (M. Longissimus dorsi) in a study, where various pre-slaughter conditions were achieved by the following four treatments: (A) control; (B) subjected to treadmill exercise immediately prior to stunning; (C) given epinephrine injection 15 h prior to slaughter; and (D) given epinephrine injection 15 h before slaughter and further subjected to treadmill exercise immediately before stunning. The treatments resulted in variations in energy metabolites (glycogen, lactate, creatine phosphate, ATP) and ultimate pH (pH_u), with the lowest pH_u in chops from treatments A and B, and in significantly different tristimulus colour L^*-, a^*- and b^*-parameters, although the effect of treatment on colour was not consistent during the chill storage period of 6 days. Overall, chops from treatments A and B had significantly higher L^*- and b^*-values (were paler and less blue) than chops from C and D during storage under conditions typical for retail trade. The initial a^*-values were higher (redder) in chops from treatments A and B, but the colour, as judged by the a^*-values, was less stable in meat from these treatments compared with treatments C and D. Lipid oxidation, evaluated by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in the fresh meat, and drip loss, measured after 6 days of storage, were both significantly higher in chops from treatments A and B compared to chops obtained from treatments C and D. Statistical analysis relating the pH and the level of various energy metabolites post-mortem in the individual animals to the measured quality parameters, revealed that pH_u was the most important factor affecting product quality. In conclusion, over all product quality depends on obtaining a pH_u in the narrow range where both meat quality parameters such as colour, lipid oxidation and drip loss as well as microbiological aspects have to be considered.     

Quantitative Comparison of the Recrystallization Kinetics of Two Industrially Processed 5xxx Aluminum Alloys

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A - The annealing kinetics of cold-rolled AA5182 and AA5657 aluminum alloy sheets have been investigated and compared. The microstructures of a series of...     

Deformation and recrystallization textures in commercially pure aluminum

The deformation and recrystallization textures of commercially pure aluminum (99.6 pct) containing large intermetallic particles (FeAl₃) are measured by neutron diffraction, and the orientation distribution functions (ODF’s) are calculated. Sample parameters are the initial grain size (50 and 350 μm) and the degree of deformation (15 to 95 pct reduction in thickness by cold-rolling). The textural results are compared with microstructural observations and good correlations are found. The intermetallic particles may act as nucleation sites giving nuclei with a wide spread of orientations. Thereby the particles can have a randomizing effect on the textural development during recrystallization. In specimens deformed at medium degrees of deformation the randomizing effect of particles is maximum. At lower and higher degrees of deformation the effect of particles is less as other nucleation sites become more effective. In general, the randomizing effect of particles is limited due to a low growth rate of nuclei of random orientation compared with nuclei of other orientations.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactobacillus fermentum</Emphasis> (PCC<Superscript>®</Superscript>) supplementation and gastrointestinal and respiratory-tract illness symptoms: a randomised control trial in athletes

Background  

Probiotics purportedly reduce symptoms of gastrointestinal and upper respiratory-tract illness by modulating commensal microflora. Preventing and reducing symptoms of respiratory and gastrointestinal illness are the primary reason that dietary supplementation with probiotics are becoming increasingly popular with healthy active individuals. There is a paucity of data regarding the effectiveness of probiotics in this cohort. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a probiotic on faecal microbiology, self-reported illness symptoms and immunity in healthy well trained individuals.     

灵魂之树 Herstedlund社区中心

<正>在丹麦,Juul Frost以"森林和林间沼泽"的设计理念提出了Herstedlund社区中心的总体规划方案。Dorte Mandrup建筑事务所延续这一理念完成了Herstedlund社区中心,他们设计的社区中心