bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using seismic inversion and net pay to calibrate Eagle Ford Shale producible resources
Authors: Chen Bo , Kumar Dhananjay , Uerling Anthony , Land Sheryl , Aguirre Omar , Jiang Tao , Sugianto Setiawardono
Published: July 2015

We found a strong correlation between the estimated production volume and hydrocarbon resources in thicker and more porous intervals in the Eagle Ford Shale through integrated petrophysical and engineering analysis. The wells analyzed were selected with similar operational designs so that the rock properties were the main variables impacting the production volume. Seismic data were used to characterize such desired rock properties, including thickness and porosity, to evaluate the producing potentials across the field. Seismic interpretation provided the top and base of the Eagle Ford reservoir, and hence, its thickness. Seismic inversion calibrated the acoustic impedance. Also, the seismic net pay estimation method predicted the thickness of the more porous intervals. The calculated seismic net pay agreed with the well log data. As petrophysical analysis suggested, the seismic net pay also formed a strong correlation with the production volume and has been used to predict the producible resources for new wells, identify refract candidates, and evaluate completion trial methods in the Eagle Ford Shale.
Antidepressant use in 27 European countries: Associations with sociodemographic, cultural and economic factors
Authors: Lewer Dan , O'Reilly Claire , Mojtabai Ramin , Evans-Lacko Sara
Published: July 2015

Background

Prescribing of antidepressants varies widely between European countries despite no evidence of difference in the prevalence of affective disorders.

Aims

To investigate associations between the use of antidepressants, country-level spending on healthcare and country-level attitudes towards mental health problems.

Method

We used Eurobarometer 2010, a large general population survey from 27 European countries, to measure antidepressant use and regularity of use. We then analysed the associations with country-level spending on healthcare and country-level attitudes towards mental health problems.

Results

Higher country spending on healthcare was strongly associated with regular use of antidepressants. Beliefs that mentally ill people are ‘dangerous' were associated with higher use, and beliefs that they ‘never recover’ or ‘have themselves to blame’ were associated with lower and less regular use of antidepressants.

Conclusions

Contextual factors, such as healthcare spending and public attitudes towards mental illness, may partly explain variations in antidepressant use and regular use of these medications.
Progress of Diabetic Severity and Risk of Dementia
Authors: Chiu Wei-Che , Ho Wen-Chao , Liao Ding-Lieh , Lin Meng-Hung , Chiu Chih-Chiang , Su Yu-Ping , Chen Pau-Chung ,   Health Data Analysis in Taiwan (hDATa) Research Group
Published: July 2015

Context:

Diabetes is a risk factor for dementia, but the effects of diabetic severity on dementia are unclear.

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between the severity and progress of diabetes and the risk of dementia.

Design and Setting:

We conducted a 12-year population-based cohort study of new-onset diabetic patients from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. The diabetic severity was evaluated by the adapted Diabetes Complications Severity Index (aDCSI) from the prediabetic period to the end of follow-up. Cox proportional hazard regressions were used to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) of the scores and change in the aDCSI.

Participants:

Participants were 431,178 new-onset diabetic patients who were older than 50 years and had to receive antidiabetic medications.

Main Outcome:

Dementia cases were identified by International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision, code (International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision, codes 290.0, 290.1, 290.2, 290.3, 290.4, 294.1, 331.0), and the date of the initial dementia diagnosis was used as the index date.

Results:

The scores and change in the aDCSI were associated with the risk of dementia when adjusting for patient factors, comorbidity, antidiabetic drugs, and drug adherence. At the end of the follow-up, the risks for dementia were 1.04, 1.40, 1.54, and 1.70 (P < .001 for trend) in patients with an aDCSI score of 1, 2, 3, and greater than 3, respectively. Compared with the mildly progressive patients, the adjusted HRs increased as the aDCSI increased (2 y HRs: 1.30, 1.53, and 1.97; final HRs: 2.38, 6.95, and 24.0 with the change in the aDCSI score per year: 0.51–1.00, 1.01–2.00, and > 2.00 vs < 0.50 with P < .001 for trend).

Conclusions:

The diabetic severity and progression reflected the risk of dementia, and the early change in the aDCSI could predict the risk of dementia in new-onset diabetic patients.
Fracability Evaluation of Lacustrine Shale in the Yanchang Formation of Southeastern Ordos Basin
Authors: Gao Ruimin , Wang Xiangzeng , Jing Feng
Published: July 2015

As a typical lacustrine shale in China, the Chang 7 shale in the Yanchang Formation of the Ordos basin shows great potential for development. Buried less than 2000 m deep, the shale is always characterized as a tight reservoir with well-developed bedding and cracks. Many studies have been performed on Chang 7 shale to determine its depositional systems, mineral compositions, and fracability. The fracability studies are particularly significant for developing lacustrine shale gas in the Ordos basin. This paper evaluates the fracability of Chang 7 shale and presents our discoveries regarding the brittle mineral content and rock mechanics parameters. First, a new mineralogical evaluation method was used to determine that the average brittleness index for Chang 7 shale was 39.5 percent. This benefits complex fracture network formation. Second, important rock mechanics parameters were obtained for Chang 7 shale via triaxial compression tests, Brazil splitting experiments, and Kaiser experiments. The Rickman brittleness index was 39.31%, the differential horizontal stress was 3.509 MPa, and the differential horizontal stress ratio was 0.133. The experimental results indicate that fractures extend along natural cracks and can easily form complex fracture networks during SRV fracturing in Chang 7. The field microseismic monitoring results indicate that the shale did form fracture networks after hydraulic fracturing were also verified, which is consistent with the experimental results given in this paper.
Adsorption of Quercetin, Kaempferol and Luteolin on Surface-Modified Polytetrafluoroethylene Films
Authors: Wang Gaohong , Liu Yanjuan , Huang Xinyi , Di Duolong
Published: July 2015

We studied the adsorption of three flavonoids on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film. The PTFE film was first treated with sodium naphthalene solution to improve the hydrophilicity of its surface and then modified by coating with dopamine using a simple self-assembly approach. The PTFE film thus prepared was used for adsorption of three flavonoids, namely, quercetin, kaempferol and luteolin. The adsorption capacity of the treated PTFE film that was not further modified by dopamine was also evaluated. The characteristics of the two materials (coated and non-coated) were studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy. The difference in adsorption capacity between the two materials was mainly due to the different functional groups introduced in these materials, which show difference in their ability to form hydrogen bond with the analytes. The number of hydroxyl groups in the analytes and the ability of the analytes to form intramolecular hydrogen bond are the two factors that affect the adsorption capacity of the adsorbates.
Investigation of Water Vapour Adsorption on Silica Gel Grains Coated on a Metal Pipe
Authors: Gwadera M. , Kupiec K.
Published: July 2015

The dynamics of water vapour adsorption on silica gel coated on the metal pipe surface is studied. Those systems in which silica grains were used to coat the heat-exchanger pipes were utilized for heat-transfer enhancement in adsorption chillers. A mathematical model of this process, which takes into account the adsorption kinetics, is proposed. Experimental results for different gas velocities are presented in the form of breakthrough curves. They are used to verify the model and to determine the values of parameters characterizing the adsorption kinetics. The model is applied to predict the spatial and temporal variations of water concentration in the adsorbent layer (grains) covering the pipe and to determine the contribution of the internal mass transfer resistance (in grains) to the total mass transfer resistance (in both phases). It is revealed that the external resistance (in gas) is dominant over the internal resistance and that the contribution of the internal resistance increases with both time and gas velocity.
Anterior and posterior subareas of the dorsolateral frontal cortex in socially relevant decisions based on masked affect expressions
Authors: Prochnow Denise , Brunheim Sascha , Kossack Hannes , Eickhoff Simon B. , Markowitsch Hans J. , Seitz Rüdiger J.
Published: July 2015

Socially-relevant decisions are based on clearly recognizable but also not consciously accessible affective stimuli. We studied the role of the dorsolateral frontal cortex (DLFC) in decision-making on masked affect expressions using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Our paradigm permitted us to capture brain activity during a pre-decision phase when the subjects viewed emotional expressions below the threshold of subjective awareness, and during the decision phase, which was based on verbal descriptions as the choice criterion. Using meta-analytic connectivity modeling, we found that the preparatory phase of the decision was associated with activity in a right-posterior portion of the DLFC featuring co-activations in the left-inferior frontal cortex. During the subsequent decision a right-anterior and more dorsal portion of the DLFC became activated, exhibiting a different co-activation pattern. These results provide evidence for partially independent sub-regions within the DLFC, supporting the notion of dual associative processes in intuitive judgments.
Keyword Management Costs and “Broad Match” in Sponsored Search Advertising
Authors: Amaldoss Wilfred , Jerath Kinshuk , Sayedi Amin
Published: July 2015

In sponsored search advertising, advertisers bid to be displayed in response to a keyword search. The operational activities associated with participating in an auction, i.e., submitting the bid and the ad copy, customizing bids and ad copies based on various factors (such as the geographical region from which the query originated, the time of day and the season, the characteristics of the searcher), and continuously measuring outcomes, involve considerable effort. We call the costs that arise from such activities keyword management costs. To reduce these costs and increase advertisers’ participation in keyword auctions, search engines offer an opt-in tool called broad match with automatic and flexible bidding, wherein the search engine automatically places bids on behalf of the advertisers and takes over the above activities as well. The bids are based on the search engine’s estimates of the advertisers’ valuations and, therefore, may be less accurate than the bids the advertisers would have turned in themselves. Using a game-theoretic model, we examine the strategic role of keyword management costs, and of broad match, in sponsored search advertising. We show that because these costs inhibit participation by advertisers in keyword auctions, the search engine has to reduce the reserve price, which reduces the search engine’s profits. This motivates the search engine to offer broad match as a tool to reduce keyword management costs. If the accuracy of broad match bids is sufficiently high, advertisers adopt broad match and benefit from the cost reduction, whereas if the accuracy is very low, advertisers do not use it. Interestingly, at moderate levels of bid accuracy, advertisers individually find it attractive to reduce costs by using broad match, but competing advertisers also adopt broad match and the increased competition hurts all advertisers’ profits, thus creating a “prisoner’s dilemma.” When advertisers adopt broad match, search engine profits increase. It therefore seems natural to expect that the search engine will be motivated to improve broad match accuracy. Our analysis shows that the search engine will increase broad match accuracy up to the point where advertisers choose broad match, but that increasing the accuracy any further reduces the search engine’s profits.
Hidden-City Ticketing: The Cause and Impact
Authors: Wang Zizhuo , Ye Yinyu
Published: July 2015

Hidden-city ticketing is an interesting airline ticket-pricing phenomenon. It occurs when an itinerary connecting at an intermediate city is less expensive than a ticket from the origin to the intermediate city. In such a case, passengers traveling to the intermediate city have an incentive to pretend to be traveling to the final destination, deplane at the connection point, and forgo the unused portion of the ticket. Hidden-city opportunities are not uncommon nowadays.

In this paper, we establish a mathematical model to shed some light on the cause of hidden-city opportunities and the impact of (the passengers’) hidden-city ticketing practice on both the airlines’ revenues and consumer welfare. To perform our study, we adapt a network revenue management model. We illustrate that the hidden-city opportunity may arise when there is a large difference in the price elasticity of demand on related itineraries, providing a plausible explanation for this phenomenon. To show the impact of the hidden-city ticketing practice on the airlines’ revenues, we first argue that when passengers take advantage of such opportunities, the airlines should react, and the optimal reaction would be to eliminate any hidden-city opportunities. However, even if the airline optimally reacts, the revenue gained is still less than the optimal revenue it could have earned if passengers did not take advantage of hidden-city opportunities. Moreover, under our model, the revenue decrease could be as much as half of the optimal revenue when passengers do not use hidden-city tickets, but it cannot be more if the airline’s network has a hub-and-spoke structure. We also show that when passengers take advantage of hidden-city opportunities, the prices of certain itineraries will rise, which is a disadvantage to the passengers in the long run.
Disorders of purines and pyrimidines metabolism in human gastrointestinal tract cancer
Authors: Borzenko Berta , Bakurova Elena , Mironova Ksenia
Published: July 2015

Patients with cancer of stomach, colon cancer and rectum showed an increase in the thymidine kinase, 5'–nucleotidase of adenylate, adenosine deaminase activities and a decrease in the thymidine phosphorylase activity, which can cause DNA biosynthesis and increase of proliferation. The lymphocyte 5'–nucleotidase of adenylate, adenosine deaminase activities are associated with cellular dysfunction and can be used as a biochemical tests of it.
Oxidizing modification of proteins in case of a burn injury in rats against the topical treatment with new wound healing preparations
Authors: Butko Yaroslava , Tkacheva Oksana , Gorbach Tatyana
Published: July 2015

A significant increase in the degree of the oxidizing modification of proteins in rats after the reproduction of the third-degree burns was established. In the course of the treatment, positive changes in aldehydephenylhydrazones and ketophenylhydrazones indices and their restoration to the level of the intact control were received, indicating the inactivation of free radical and peroxide compounds under the influence of wound healing preparations, as opposed to the animals that did not receive treatment. The further study of the influence of new wound healing drugs on the state of the antioxidant system and lipid peroxidation in order to establish their mechanisms of reparative action is promising.
Monitoring of liver function in patients with fatty liver disease in combination with coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes
Authors: Aksentiychuk Krystyna , Kurlyak Natalye , Sklyarov Eugene
Published: July 2015

The aim of the study was to examine the liver detoxification function by comparing a 13C- methacethine breath test, with a Forns formula and with liver transaminases in patients with coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus in combination with nonalcoholic fatty disease Comparisons of the rates of metabolism (p <0.01) between cumulative dose at 40 minutes (p <0.01) with those at 120 minutes (p <0.01), in two groups of patients displayed more signs of steatohepatitis than signs of steatosis. Use of the 13C-methacetine test to diagnose pathological changes in the liver in the early stages of NAFLD (steatosis, steatohepatitis) is positively correlated with the Forns formula. It is likely to find fibrosis of the liver when Forns formula is over 4.25, 13C-breath test at least 10%, lower levels of ALT and bilirubin, and elevated triglycerides contrary.
Metabolic profile and morpho-functional state of the liver in rats with glutamate-induced obesity
Authors: Kondro Maryana , Mykhalchyshyn Galyna , Bodnar Petro , Kobyliak Nazarii , Falalyeyeva Tetyana
Published: July 2015

The aim of our study was to investigate effects of monosodium glutamate (MSG) neonatal treatment on metabolic profile and liver morpho-functional state in rats at 16-weeks of age. Our study confirms previously reported data that neonatal treatment with MSG, administered by subcutaneous injection, is able to induce obesity without hyperphagia, which is diagnosed by high Lee index and characterized by small corporal weight and naso-anal length. It was established that MSG neonatal treatment induced metabolic changes at 16 weeks of age, which manifested as disproportional laying of fat deposits with the development of visceral obesity. The level of adiponectin was decreased after MSG neonatal treatment. Also, we showed development of dyslipidemia and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and impairment sensitivity of peripheral tissue to insulin.
The inhibition of rat leukocytes apoptosis under the condition of experimental diabetes mellitus type 1 by Galega officinalis L.extract
Authors: KHOKHLA MARIIA , KLEVETA GALYNA , LUPAK MARJANA , SKYBITSKA MARIIA , CHAJKA YAROSLAV , SYBIRNA NATALIA
Published: July 2015

The article contains the data of Galega officinalis extract (GOE) nonalkaloid-containing fraction influence on the structural and functional state of leukocytes under the condition of experimental diabetes mellitus type 1 (EDM). Immunohistochemical method has shown the quantitative redistribution of leukocytes containing proapoptotic protein p53 and PARylated [poly(ADP-ribosyl) ated] proteins under EDM conditions and admission of the tested extract. GOE administration to animals with EDM leads to the reduction in the number of cells with positive and strongly positive reaction to the p53 protein and PARylated proteins content, indicating its depressing effect on apoptosis of immune cells.
Surgical treatment of dentoalveolar injury in the anterior region of maxilla
Authors: Rahnama Mansur , Kozicka-Czupkałło Maryla , Czupkałło Łukasz , Jamrogiewicz Rafał ,   DentArtis’ Dental Office, Lublin, Poland
Published: July 2015

Traumatic injuries of teeth and alveolar bone are common in oral surgery departments. Maxillary incisors are the most frequently injured teeth. The right diagnosis is crucial for proper treatment method. Time elapsed between the accident occurrence and emergency treatment plays an important role. The aim of our research work was to present a case of a 25-year old female patient referred to Chair and Department of Oral Surgery, Medical University of Lublin who sustained dentoalveolar trauma of the maxillary anterior region including alveolar process fracture, extrusive luxation of all maxillary incisors, apical root fracture and lacerated upper lip. The surgical treatment consisted of repositioning the displaced teeth and alveolar bone fracture. The fracture was stabilized with the use of orthodontic brackets and orthodontic wire. PRP was used to promote bone healing after apicoectomy during second stage of surgical management.
Principles for magnetic resonance examination in case of the cervical cancer
Authors: Mocarska Agnieszka , Starosławska Elżbieta , Żelazowska-Cieślińska Iwonna , Kubiatowski Tomasz , Kolak Agnieszka , Cisek Paweł , Burdan Franciszek
Published: July 2015

Magnetic resonance (MR) is the optimal, non-invasive method that allows for precise determination of the degree of cervical cancer progression. It also facilitates the evaluation of tumor volume and structure as well as infiltration of adjacent tissue/organs and enlargement of lymph nodes. Proper qualification and appropriate preparation of patients for the examination is a necessary condition for securing patient’s safety and obtaining good quality images. Presently, MR of the lesser pelvis should be performed for most women before any treatment will be initiated. However, an absolute contraindication for the examination is the presence of a pacemaker, cochlear implant, metallic foreign object in the eye ball, metallic surgical clips and lack of verbal contact with the patient, especially deafness. Relative contraindications are pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, claustrophobia, metal foreign objects in soft tissues, metal orthopedic implants, prosthetic heart valve, dental implants, monitoring devices, dosing devices (e.g. insulin pump), permanent make-up or tattoo.
Effect of recasting of CoCrMoW dental alloy on its microstructure and corrosion resistance
Authors: Walczak Mariusz , Drozd Kazimierz
Published: July 2015

The procedure consisting in the recasting of previously cast alloy is frequently used in dental laboratories in order to reduce the cost of permanent partial dentures being produced. Such a procedure may result in changed chemical composition of newly produced alloy and may influence its microstructure and corrosion resistance. In this research, the dental alloy CoCrMoW with the trade name Remanium 2001 (Denaturum, Germany) was used. Three groups of dental alloys were prepared by mixing 50% brand new alloy with alloy remnants from previous castings. The first group used 100% brand new alloy and served as control one (R1). The second group (R2) consisted of equal amounts of brand new alloy and alloy remnants cast only once. The third group (R3) contained 50% brand new alloy and alloy cast twice. Microstructural analysis was performed as well as chemical composition and corrosion was investigated in artificial saliva environment. The following corrosion resistance has been demonstrated on the basis of electrochemical research for three cobalt alloys: R1>R3>R2. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that new material should be used in casting, and if previously cast material is used, it should be mixed with new material in the ratio 50:50. The recasting procedure can be safely used in dentistry.
Biochemical parameters of metabolic syndrome in type 2 diabetes patients: retrospective study
Authors: CHLEBUS DARIUSZ , KAZNOWSKA-BYSTRYK IWONA , HAŁABIŚ MAGDALENA , LEWANDOWSKA-STANEK HALINA
Published: July 2015

Metabolic syndrome is one of the most important problems of public health in developed societies. A constant interest in this issue is caused by a wide spread of this problem and the lack of uniform diagnostic criteria. The variety of functioning definitions make fast algorithm difficult for a diagnostician, thus the aim of this study was to check the relationship between presence of selected biochemical indicators of metabolic syndrome in a large group of patients with diabetes type 2, and the differences in the course of the disease and degree of compensation. For this comparison, we have used World Health Organization and the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria of metabolic syndrome. The studies were performed among 1079 patients with diagnosed diabetes type 2. It is worthwhile that triglycerides elevation in diabetic patients could be treated as a sensitive and specific indicator of metabolic syndrome presence even without evaluation of other features. This observation finds intermediate confirmation also in our study; however, future studies are needed to examine the significance of metabolic syndrome following all criteria for the assessment of risk for diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease.
Usefulness of AC-impedance spectroscopy technique in occlusal caries detection – own investigations
Authors: CHAŁAS RENATA , WÓJCIK-CHĘCIŃSKA ILONA , PIĄTEK DOMINIKA , ZUBRZYCKA-WRÓBE JOANNA , BACHANEK TERESA
Published: July 2015

Exact caries detection and monitoring over time are important in modern clinical caries management. Especially the detection before cavitation occurs and the control of initial lesions are of significance because an accurate diagnosis can reduce the need for drilling and filling. Among many techniques, impedance spectroscopy technique is one of the proposed. The aim of the study was to determine dental caries clinically and characterize its bio-impedance to gain detailed information about the progression of the process. Human extracted permanent premolars and molars were used in this in-vitro experiment. The teeth were unrestored and undamaged, except of caries. Their occlusal surfaces were examined by dentists according to Universal Visual Scoring System and assessed with CarieScan PRO™. The statistical analysis of obtained results revealed that clinical examination and AC-impedance spectroscopy measurements showed differences in impedance depending on changes and stages in caries progress. Preliminary results from this research indicate that the device using AC-impedance spectroscopy may be a useful additional aid for caries diagnosis together with clinical examination.
Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2 ) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels, and extends coronary artery disease (CAD) patient after one year observation
Authors: ZIĘBA BARTOSZ , KIMAK ELZBIETA
Published: July 2015

A serum lipid profiles high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels are established risk factors for atherosclerosis, and a powerful predictor of future myocardial infarction or cardiac death among apparently healthy individuals. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is know but not as cardiovascular risk factor. The aim of this study was to investigate serum Lp-PLA2 activity and arterial stiffness and others atherosclerosis biochemistry markers in patients with stable coronary artery disease. We studied 17 consecutive patients (women, n=6 and men, n=11), mean age was 61 years, with stable coronary artery disease (CAD), hospitalized in the Department of Cardiology Cardinal Wyszyński Hospital in Lublin in 2012 and 2013. The patients with acute and chronic kidney disease, liver diseases, active autoimmune disease, malignancy, thyroids diseases or alcohol disease were excluded from the analysis. The patients had worse laboratory parameters than the reference group. We showed significant positive correlation between serum level LpPLA2 and extends coronary disease in patients who had upper LpPLA2 levels in year observation. We concluded that dyslipidemia together with hsCRP and Lp-PLA2 and monitoring of its levels may be good markers to predict ACS or other CAD events and vessels lesions in asymptomatic patients with CAD. However, these results require further studies.
Seven fundraising steps for the new school year
Authors: Best Brin
Published: July 2015

Brin Best outlines seven practical steps that will help kick-start your fundraising work in the school year ahead, including auditing your school's fundraising and widening yoru network.
Funding your language and exchange projects
Authors: Voogd Caroline
Published: July 2015

There are strong arguments to support the learning of languages, and special partnerships and language projects can help enhance language teaching and make it more engaging.
Small-scale civil society and social policy: the importance of experiential learning, insider knowledge and diverse motivations in shaping community action
Authors: Phillimore Jenny , McCabe Angus
Published: July 2015

Interest in the formal voluntary sector and wider civil society organisations (CSOs) has grown in recent years and now CSOs are viewed as key to delivering government policy agendas of social action, open public services and localism. This article uses data from 29 interviews with community activists, policy makers and voluntary sector experts to explore the role, function and workings of small-scale civil society organisations (SCSOs). It finds that small-scale activity often emerges as an emotional response to local need, shared interest or the desire for social interaction rather than in response to policy initiatives. SCSOs call on a wide range of resources garnered within their community of geography or of interest. They thrive in unregulated environments providing flexible and holistic services for people in need. The article argues that the co-option of such activities into the delivery of political agendas is unlikely to achieve policy goals.
Global village: Globalization through a media ecology lens
Authors: Plugh Michael
Published: July 2015

This article explores the expanding body of scholarship on globalization in conjunction with media ecology’s potential to enrich and clarify the concept of globalization. Marshall McLuhan represents a point of contact for media ecology to globalization discourse, especially considering how often globalization scholars cite McLuhan’s notion of the ‘global village’. That village is an environment produced both by technological change and human imagination of this globalized environment. The author proposed several areas of dialogue and overlap, including themes of transformation, intensification of social relations, and culture that link the corpus of globalization discourse to media ecology.
Mannerism and modernity: A pictorial parallel to the print revolution
Authors: Lippert Paul
Published: July 2015

Within the intellectual tradition of media ecology, the origins and dynamics of modernity are attributed to the influence of the printing press. But this tradition, however, restricted as it has been largely to the study of written, printed, or at least language-based phenomena of the period, tends to tell a story of the origins of modernity in a relatively Protestant, northern-European context. But what of the Catholic South, where the printed word did not so readily reach the masses, and the image, disseminated via the plastic arts, continued to hold sway? It is in the social history of art that a media ecological perspective finds a parallel narrative of the birth of modernity, set largely in Catholic, southern Europe, but which soon spreads north via the artistic style and cultural sensibility of Mannerism. This article traces parallels between these two narratives in order to better understand this crucial cultural concept.
Teaching media ecology Russian style
Authors: Polski Maria , Gorman Lawrence
Published: July 2015

Media ecology is an interdisciplinary humanistic endeavour relying on inspiration and intuition, encouraging discovery learning and training of perception rather than memorization of facts and slovenly adherence to methodologies. However, teaching it often calls for a set of frameworks and methodologies that would provide a structure for students. This article briefly reviews four familiar frameworks developed by the founders of western media ecology (Nystrom’s synthesis of communication models, McLuhan’s tetrad, Postman’s set of seven questions, Ellul’s milieus as expanded by Garrison) and introduces a series of frameworks developed by the founder of the Russian school of the ecology of culture, Yuri Rozhdestvensky. These frameworks address levels of morality, semiosis of societies, communication strata and strata of culture. The article shows how these models can be applied in the classroom to encourage probing, discovery and pattern recognition. Finally the article proposes that inspiration and intuition be joined to a set of discipline specific methodologies.
From centralized to distributed public service media: An analysis of market and public value-driven arguments
Authors: Raats Tim , Donders Karen
Published: July 2015

In recent years, various regulators and advisory bodies have advocated for distributed public service models or at least explored its validity. This article aims to analyse the arguments for stepping away from centralized to distributed PSM systems. It questions whether proposals for distributed offers envisage distributed PSM as a complement or as a replacement of existing PSM organizations, whether motives are based on market failure or public interest objectives, how these underlying motives are transposed into specific policy plans and finally, to what extent they fit within a longer term strengthening of national media ecosystems or mainly serve to realize budget cuts and meet specific demands of private competitors. Findings are based on a literature study and an analysis of Flanders, United Kingdom, New Zealand and the Netherlands, in which debates on distributed PSM are recent or ongoing. The article argues that the efficiency and contestable funding arguments that underpin the advocacy for distributed public service are based on ideological market failure beliefs, similar to the ideological choice for centralized public service media. Debates on distributed models often go hand in hand with a desire to limit public service provision, or, a pragmatic stance of politicians seeking to please more than one player in the media market. An ecosystem logic that truly matches market with public interest objectives might therefore deserve a more fundamental exploration.
Public service broadcasting beyond public service broadcasters
Authors: Flynn Roddy
Published: July 2015

Since the 1980s a combination of political and technological change has challenged the assumption that only public service broadcasters can provide public service broadcast content. This article examines a particular set of responses to this challenge: schemes created to fund public service content production available to both private and public service broadcasters through competitive tenders. This article considers how the working definitions of public service content developed for these schemes work to concretize a hitherto elusive concept. It suggests that the definitions may not always reflect ‘common-sense’ understandings of public service content, highlighting the problematic nature of the idea of public service content when considered in isolation from public service institutions. It also suggests that scheme definitions may be shaped by contingent external pressures to legitimate public funding of broadcast content and to respond to pressures to ‘marketize’ the provision of that public content.
Birmingham, Alabama 8; Birmingham, UK 1: Local television in the United Kingdom and an ethnographic case study of one service in the north of England
Authors: Traynor Kerry
Published: July 2015

Local television has existed in one form or another for several decades in the United Kingdom with the first licences awarded in 1972 and subsequent waves of licensing over cable and later broadband networks throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 2011, as the digital switchover drew to a close, the incoming coalition government launched a new framework to establish the United Kingdom’s first digital terrestrial network of local public service broadcasters. Building on decades of campaigning by pro-local media providers, but triggered by a withdrawal from local news and programming by the recently consolidated ITV plc, the then Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt M. P. argued erroneously that local TV markets in the United States were flourishing. At time of writing, 34 licences have been awarded (and the Birmingham licence re-awarded when the first licensee collapsed before launch); seventeen services have begun broadcasting; and several have failed to launch within the regulator’s two-year deadline. This article provides a brief history of local television in the United Kingdom, and describes the current policy, licensing process and early developments within the fledgling industry. It then presents an ethnographic case study of an emergent local TV service in the north of England, including interviews with practitioners, observations and analysis of broadcast content and schedules. The study argues that local TV has the potential to serve as a powerful engine of capital transformation, developing local stocks of economic, social, cultural and political capital, but that this potential is severely limited by inadequate funding regimes and heightened vulnerability to bias.
Māori Television’s service to its publics in an era of digital plenty
Authors: Smith Jo
Published: July 2015

This article discusses New Zealand’s Indigenous media organization, Māori Television, and its relationship to a wider history of public service television provision. Māori Television’s emergence is the result of many years of political struggle by Māori to have the New Zealand government recognize its obligations to the revitalization of Māori language and culture as guaranteed by the 1840 Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi. Māori Television emerged in 2004, with a second channel Te Reo launched on a digital platform in 2008. While charged with the task of helping to revitalize Indigenous language and culture, Māori Television’s original legislation also required that it appeal to a broad audience. Ten years on, many politicians now regard Māori Television as the de facto public broadcaster in a country where commercial imperatives dominate the media ecology. This article examines the implications of understanding Māori Television within a public service television framework in an era of ‘digital plenty’.
The struggle for PSB 2.0: An assessment
Authors: Brevini Benedetta
Published: July 2015

A vigorous debate about the redefinition and expansion of Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) in the new media environment has taken centre stage in global policy fora in the last two decades. It is now crucial to develop new conceptualizations of PSB and analyse how the public service philosophy is being adjusted to the new online and multi-platform environment. Born and Prosser identified the principles of citizenship, universality and quality as the normative criteria behind PSB in a broadcasting environment. This construction offers a valid starting point for the development of a new normative framework for PSB online that I have called PSB 2.0. By drawing on documentary and policy analysis of different European case studies (United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Denmark and France) this article aims to establish a new framework of PSB that can be applied to the online world. Thus, the study identifies the principles of citizenship, universality, quality and trust as the pillars of PSB 2.0.
Book Reviews
Authors: Tambini Damian , Hart Jeffrey A. , D’heer Evelien
Published: July 2015

The Palgrave Handbook of European Media Policy, Karen Donders, Caroline Pauwels and Jan Loisen (eds) (2014) Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 576 pp., ISBN: 9781137032171, h/bk, £135

The New World of Transitioned Media: Digital Realignment and Industry Transformation, Gali Einav (ed.) (2015) Cham: Springer, 151 pp., ISBN: 9783319090085, h/bk, $129

Political Communication in the Era of New Technologies, Boguslawa Dobek-Ostrowka and Jan Garlicki (eds) (2013) Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 285 pp., ISBN: 98736316441191, h/bk, £41
Geografia – espaço, natureza e sociedade
Authors: Rebelo Fernando
Published: July 2015

http://dx.doi.org/10.14195/0871-1623_33_1
Contributo dos espaços verdes para o bem-estar das populações – estudo de caso em Vila Real
Authors: Silva Joana , Nogueira Helena
Published: July 2015

O conceito de saúde é atualmente entendido de uma forma positiva, acentuando a importância dos recursos sociais e pessoais, bem como das atividades físicas (CARTA DE OTTAWA, OMS, 1986). Considera-se também que a saúde pode ser promovida através de estratégias e ações não exclusiva, nem fundamentalmente, biomédicas, direcionadas a um conjunto alargado de determinantes sociais da saúde (CARTA DE OTTAWA, OMS, 1986). Os espaços verdes são hoje vistos como espaços promotores de recreio e lazer, propícios ao desenvolvimento de atividades diversas, como jogos, desporto, convívio e interação social, contribuindo para o prazer e bem-estar da população. O presente trabalho procura avaliar o contributo dos espaços verdes urbanos da cidade de Vila Real na melhoria da qualidade de vida da sua população. Avaliam-se os dois EVU mais importantes da cidade, o Parque do Corgo e o Parque Florestal.
A espacialização dos insumos no turismo: proposta de uma leitura metodológica aplicada aos fluxos nos casos de Coimbra e Figueira da Foz, em Portugal
Authors: Furtado Edna , Cravidão Fernanda , Cravidão Fernanda
Published: July 2015

Os estudos realizados pela Geografia tendo o turismo como objeto, sempre têm ficado restritos aos efeitos resultantes da atividade, quando da sua realização, sem considerar que, por de trás desse “acontecer”, existe um conjunto de atividades que oferecem suporte à permanência do viajante no local visitado. A pesquisa em tela procurou explorar e conhecer quais são, onde e quando se realizam trocas de natureza diversificada, que oferecerão suporte à atividade turística. Assim, o artigo tem por objetivo apresentar uma proposta de metodologia de espacialização dos fluxos de insumos, que sustentam a atividade turística em Coimbra/Portugal, utilizando-se de uma matriz interdisciplinar. Os resultados da pesquisa identificaram e analisaram como os espaços da hinterlândia dessa localidade respondem à demanda por insumos ao receptivo local, especificamente daqueles estabelecimentos hoteleiros de maior envergadura. O mapeamento possibilitou verificar como se distribuem os fluxos de insumos e qual a intensidade dessas relações espaciais.
Tecnologias da Informação Geográfica: um desafio no ensino da Geografia
Authors: Maciel Olga
Published: July 2015

O desenvolvimento tecnológico recente massificou o acesso e a manipulação de informação geográfica, tendo colocado os princípios do pensamento espacial e do raciocínio geográfico como uma competência chave do cidadão do século XXI. Neste contexto, e de forma a aproximar a Geografia escolar da conceção de Digital Earth, considera-se que a disciplina de Geografia encontra nas novas tecnologias de manuseamento da informação geográfica um conjunto de ferramentas educativas ao serviço do cumprimento dos objetivos desta área curricular.
Mudanças climáticas e riscos climático‑meteorológicos na perspectiva da dinâmica atmosférica de escala sinóptica – o caso do inverno boreal de 2013/2014
Authors: Ganho Nuno
Published: July 2015

O Inverno de 2013/2014 tem sido um dos mais ricos das últimas décadas em paroxismos climático‑meteorológicos, no hemisfério Norte, em particular numa vasta área que se estende desde a América do Norte à Europa, passando pela bacia atlântica extratropical. Ondas de frio particularmente intenso e persistentes nos Estados Unidos, fortes e recorrentes tempestades de vento e mar no Atlântico, influenciando a fachada ocidental da Península Ibérica e as Ilhas Britânicas, ao mesmo tempo que na Península Escandinava se fez sentir uma prolongada onda de frio seco, intensas precipitações em Itália e excepcionais quantitativos de neve acumulada no Sudeste Europeu. Nos meios de comunicação social, de imediato, a responsabilidade de tão perturbado Inverno foi imputada ao “aquecimento global”. As suas causas, porém, têm que ser devidamente enquadradas na dinâmica atmosférica de escala sinóptica, num hipotético contexto, com sentido mais lato, de “mudança climática”. É o que se pretende com o presente artigo: analisar os referidos paroxismos, na perspectiva dos riscos climático‑meteorológicos, em função das suas causas dinâmicas e sinópticas directas, num eventual cenário causal com origem mais remota, de mudança climática no sentido de um aquecimento, especialmente das altas latitudes boreais.
Inventariação e avaliação do património geomorfológico na área de Chaves-Telões
Authors: Martins Bruno , Rebelo Fernando , Mortágua Sandrina , Cardoso Catarina
Published: July 2015

O património geomorfológico pode ser um fator importante de desenvolvimento regional, em especial em regiões deprimidas economicamente como é o caso da área de estudo. A inventariação de locais de interesse geomorfológico e a sua respetiva avaliação a partir da pontuação dos critérios relativos ao valor geomorfológico e ao valor de gestão pode ser ainda fundamental para a proteção e divulgação desses mesmos locais. Assim, pretende-se neste artigo identificar, avaliar e cartografar locais de interesse geomorfológicos na área de Chaves-Telões.
Incidência regional dos incêndios florestais em Portugal: tendências de evolução no período de 1980-2012
Authors: Nunes Adélia , Lourenço Luciano , Bento-Gonçalves António , Vieira António
Published: July 2015

No presente trabalho pretende-se analisar a distribuição espacial e detetar tendências de evolução, no período de 1980 a 2012, na densidade de ignições e na percentagem de áreas ardidas, a nível distrital. Os resultados referentes à densidade de ignições são perentórios quanto ao seu acréscimo, pois em todas as unidades territoriais os coeficientes de Pearson e Spearman revelam-se estatisticamente significativos. No que se refere às percentagens de superfície média incinerada, os resultados são mais díspares. Com tendências positivas (p-value <0,05), sobressaem todos os distritos da região Norte, enquanto os de Beja e Évora manifestam a mesma tendência, apenas se aplicado o coeficiente de Spearman. Com tendência inversa, isto é, de decréscimo, apenas se destaca Coimbra. Nos restantes distritos as tendências observadas não revelam significado estatístico (p-value >0,05).
Planeamento e artificialização dos solos na Área Metropolitana de Lisboa (1990-2007): conformidade e transgressão da decisão municipal
Authors: Padeiro Miguel
Published: July 2015

A conversão de áreas agrícolas e naturais para usos urbanos nas margens das cidades tornou-se nos últimos anos um tema incontornável das políticas territoriais. Este artigo analisa o papel dos Planos Directores Municipais na evolução da ocupação do solo no período 1990-2007 na Área Metropolitana de Lisboa, a partir de um balanço da conformidade da evolução dos solos relativamente aos usos previstos pelo planeamento. Mostra-se que as conversões dos usos efectivas foram superiores ao previsto, que o grau de conformidade da execução dos planos apresenta uma distribuição geográfica relacionada com a pressão urbana existente, e que as trangressões ocorrem, quer dentro ou fora dos perímetros de protecção de usos natural e agrícola.
Pharmacokinetics and tissue residue of toltrazuril in broiler chickens
Authors: Soliman Ahmed
Published: July 2015

The pharmacokinetics and tissue residue of toltrazuril (Baycox®, Bayer Animal Health) were investigated in broiler chickens after repeated oral administrations of 7 mg/kg b.wt once daily for two consecutive days. Chickens were subjected to clinical diagnosis to ensure that each one is free from any Eimeria was received a standard broiler feed free from any medications. The results revealed that following repeated oral administration; toltrazuril peaked in blood with [Cmax] of 6.56 and 6.70 μg/ml at [Tmax] of 2.56 and 2.52 hours and the elimination half-life [t1/2β] of 14.92 and 16.19 hours and the mean residence times (MRT) were 21.33 and 23.14 hours after first and second doses, respectively. The tissue level concentrations were highest in the kidney and decreased in the following order: liver > lung > heart > muscle > skin and fat. No toltrazuril residues were detected in tissues and plasma after 8 days.