bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Semejanzas entre el ajo (Allium sativum) costarricense y el ajo asiático según secuencias de ADN ribosomal
Authors: Barboza Rojas Karina , Hernández Soto Alejandro , Zúñiga Vega Claudia
Published: November 2015

En Costa Rica, la producción de ajo (Allium sativum) es escasa y se limita principalmente a las regiones de Llano Grande de Cartago. Sin embargo, por el precio que tiene actualmente en el mercado, el ajo costarricense se vislumbra como una hortaliza que podría constituirse en un recurso valioso para los productores nacionales. Por lo anterior, en este artículo se presenta la caracterización mediante secuencias ribosomales de materiales de ajo provenientes Costa Rica y su comparación con ajo importado de China. El ADN se extrajo a partir de hojas de vitroplantas de ajo mantenidas en un congelador a -70°C, pulverizadas en un mortero. El ADN ribosomal se amplificó, purificó y secuenció. Se realizó el análisis bioinformático de las secuencias ribosomales. El BLASTn permitió determinar que los productos de PCR amplificados corresponden a la secuencia parcial de los genes 28S y 18S (sitios de unión de los cebadores) y a la secuencia completa de la región ITS-1, 5.8S e ITS-2. Se encontró que todas las secuencias alinearon en casi un 100% con la accesión EU626375.1 publicada en la base de datos del GeneBank, correspondiente al clon Allium sativum voucher BF-ALL-037. En general, las secuencias mostraron ser muy conservadas. Los puntajes obtenidos del alineamiento realizado con ClustalW reflejaron una identidad del 97 al 99% entre las secuencias.El presente estudio es el primer reporte de este tipo que se realiza sobre ajo costarricense y generó información básica e indispensable para continuar con los estudios moleculares de este cultivo.
Validación de un método analítico para la determinación del contenido de sodio en los alimentos
Authors: Valverde Montero Ericka , Silva Trejos Paulina
Published: November 2015

Se validó la metodología analítica para la determinación de sodio en alimentos mediante espectroscopía de absorción atómica de llama. Las muestras de 0,5 g se digirieron en un horno de microondas con 5,0 mL de HNO3 al 65 % en masa. El ámbito de linealidad óptimo que se obtuvo fue de 0,043 mg/L a 0,70 mg/L con un coeficiente de correlación de 0,998. Los límites de detección y cuantificación reportados fueron de 0,025 mg/L y 0,043 mg/L, respectivamente; con una sensibilidad de calibración de 0,805 Lmg-1, una sensibilidad analítica de 44 Lmg-1.La precisión se evaluó en condiciones de repetibilidad y se obtuvo un valor para RDSr igual a 2,9%. La veracidad se determinó utilizando tres patrones certificados del NIST®, SRM 1846 Infant Formula con un valor reportado para sodio de (2310 ± 130) mg/kg, SRM 8414 Bovine Muscle Powder con (0,210 ± 0,008) % en masa, y SRM 8415 Whole Egg Powder con (0,377 ± 0,034) % en masa. Se obtuvieron sesgos de entre (-0,010 a 0,009) mg/L. De la lista de alimentos seleccionados para el estudio, se encontró que la leche entera en polvo, el pan blanco de trigo, el queso fresco y el queso mozzarella presentan el contenido más elevado en sodio, con concentraciones que oscilan entre (106 a 452) mg Na/100g
Desarrollo de membranas de quitosano y diseño de un equipo para la eliminación de metales pesados del agua
Authors: Mora Molina Jesús , Chaves Barquero Luis , Araya Marchena Mario , Starbird Pérez Ricardo
Published: November 2015

El presente estudio comparó la eficiencia de la filtración con membranas de quitosano 1,75% m/v, entrecruzadas con glutaraldehído (0,08% m/v) y sin entrecruzar, para estimar la capacidad de remoción de iones de cadmio, cromo y cobre de disoluciones modelo. Además, se diseñó un equipo de bajo costo para la experimentación con las membranas elaboradas.

La finalidad de la investigación era emplear materiales biodegradables para remover metales pesados de aguas, mediante una técnica de bajo consumo energético y, por otra parte, generar soluciones baratas, efectivas y aplicables a problemas específicos.

Se elaboraron dos fichas técnicas con información sobre las membranas y se encontró que el cromo fue el metal removido en mayor medida por las membranas entrecruzadas, ajustándose al modelo de isoterma de Freundlich.

Sin embargo, no se encontró relación entre el tamaño de poro de las membranas y el grado de entrecruzamiento.
Obtención de un mejorador de suelos como subproducto de la digestión anaerobia de desechos orgánicos en el TEC
Authors: Faith Vargas Margie , Rivas Solano Olga
Published: November 2015

El tratamiento anaerobio de los desechos orgánicos permite obtener efluentes con propiedades biofertilizantes, además de biogás para la generación de energía renovable. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar una mezcla de los efluentes de dos biodigestores a escala en elTEC para determinar su potencial uso como bioabono.

Se analizó la composición química y se encontró que el proceso de biodigestión aumentó el contenido de nutrientes. Se determinó la calidad microbiológica y se observó una disminución en el recuento de coliformes fecales pero no se alcanzó la concentración bacteriana mínima para garantizar una aplicación inocua a los cultivos de consumo directo.

Por otra parte, se realizaron ensayos en invernadero, aplicando tres tratamientos al cultivo de lechuga (Lactuca sativa). El primero consistió en fertilizar el cultivo con la mezcla de efluentes concentrada, el segundo con la mezcla diluida al 50% y el tercero con un fertilizante químico. Se analizó la altura de las plantas, el número de hojas, el peso fresco y el peso seco.

Se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas para las tres primeras variables, pero no para la última. Se concluyó que el fertilizante químico produjo mejores resultados en el corto plazo, y que la aplicación del efluente diluido al 50% fue más efectiva que al 100%. Se recomienda utilizar los efluentes de los biodigestores a escala del TEC como mejoradores de suelos, tomando las medidas necesarias para garantizar su inocuidad.
Exposición ocupacional a agentes químicos en la construcción de edificios
Authors: Hernández Gómez Gabriela , Arias Monge Esteban , Mata Montero Carlos , Medina Escobar María De Lourdes , Rodríguez Zamora Gabriela
Published: November 2015

Objetivos: (i) estimar los niveles de exposición ocupacional a humos y polvos de cromo, hierro y manganeso y polvo inhalable de madera en tareas asociadas a la construcción de edificios; (ii) generar una propuesta de matriz de exposición ocupacional a los agentes estudiados.

Materiales y métodos: el estudio fue exploratorio e incluyó nueve proyectos de construcción de edificios de cinco empresas. Se utilizaron los métodos de muestreo y análisis descritos en OSHA ID121 y MDHS 14/03. Se determinaron los niveles de exposición ocupacional para el análisis de cumplimiento con el estándar nacional INTE 31- 08-04-01. Se estimó la influencia de los posibles determinantes de exposición mediante pruebas de asociación estadística.

Resultados: La media de los niveles de exposición ocupacional para polvo inhalable de madera en carpintería fue de 3.55 mg/m3; se encontró relación entre el tiempo de muestreo y las concentraciones obtenidas. No se detectó la presencia de cromo en las muestras recolectadas. La media de hierro fue de 0.78 mg/m3; no se encontró relación entre las concentraciones y los posibles determinantes de la exposición. En manganeso, la media fue de 0.04 mg/ m3; la temperatura fue el factor con mayor influencia.

Conclusiones: los niveles de exposición ocupacional a hierro, manganeso y polvo inhalable de madera variaron entre constructoras y proyectos. Las concentraciones de polvo se asociaron al tiempo de muestreo y no se encontró evidencia estadística significativa para los determinantes de la exposición a metales.
Interfaz entre el plan de producción y el programa de producción en ambientes de ensamble
Authors: Moya Navarro Marcos , Sánchez Brenes Magaly
Published: November 2015

En un entorno de producción existe una relación directa entre el mercado y los procesos de manufactura de los bienes. Sin embargo, cuando la producción está inmersa en un ambiente de ensamble, el procedimiento de la planificación y la programación se vuelve complejo, con el riesgo de que la empresa pierda ventaja competitiva en términos de incumplimiento de las fechas de entrega y elevados costos de planificación y control. La programación lineal constituye una herramienta apropiada para construir modelos de programación y control de la producción en entornos de manufactura complejos.

El objetivo de este trabajo es mostrar la interfaz entre el plan de producción y el programa de producción en ambientes de ensamble mediante el modelado por programación lineal. Para ello, se seleccionó un entorno que produce tres productos finales cuya estructura de producto está dispuesta en tres niveles con un máximo de ocho componentes. Los datos proporcionados por el plan de producción se desglosaron en diez órdenes, cada una indicando el tipo de producto, la cantidad por producir y su respectiva fecha de entrega. Los resultados obtenidos en el programa de producción establecieron la recepción de pedidos planificados y el programa de componentes totales requeridos en cada periodo de producción, para minimizar los costos totales de emisión de órdenes de producción e inventario.
Evaluación de la tuna (Opuntia cochenillifera) para la remoción del color en agua potable
Authors: Jiménez Antillón Joaquín , Vargas Camareno Maricruz , Quirós Bustos Noemi
Published: November 2015

El estudio evaluó la eficiencia del cactus de la tuna para remover el color en agua de río y agua artificial para el consumo humano. Se comparó su desem- peño con el coagulante sulfato de aluminio y un floculante catiónico. El agua fluvial se caracterizó por presentar alto color, baja turbidez, alcalinidad y dureza y alto porcentaje de oxígeno disuelto.

Las hojas de tuna no mostraron actividad como coagulante único al ser evaluadas en agua de río. Se observó una eficiencia de remoción de color del 94% en agua artificial, cuando se aplicó como tratamiento único (45 mg/l), poco superior al tra- tamiento convencional (20 mg/l Al2(SO4)3 y 2 mg/l del floculante catiónico) con una remoción del 89%.

Sin embargo, el agua tratada con tuna dejó un valor de DQO residual del doble (21 mg/l) con relación al tratamiento convencional. En el tratamiento de agua artificial, la tuna como floculante mostró una remoción de color del 92% y una DQO residual de 31,5 mg/l aplicada a una dosis de 22,5 mg/l y 7 mg/l de Al2(SO4)3.

La tuna fue poco efectiva para remover el color generado por sustancias húmicas en aguas de baja turbidez y alcalinidad, pero su aplicabilidad como coagulante/floculante en aguas de alta turbidez y alcalinidad es promisoria.

Se recomienda extraer los principios activos de productos naturales para reducir la carga orgánica del agua tratada y evitar la formación de productos secundarios de desinfección.
¿Una represa hidroeléctrica sobre el río San Juan? (Artículo informativo)
Authors: Bergoeing Guida Jean Pierre
Published: November 2015

El autor utiliza el mapa geomorfológico del sector fronterizo al San Juan para indicar las consecuencias que un proyecto hidroeléctrico en el río San Juan tendría para el sector fronterizo con Costa Rica por la subida de las aguas represadas.
Teleoperación de un vehículo remoto en un medio de acceso inalámbrico mediante el uso de una interfaz háptica
Authors: Carrasquilla Batista Arys
Published: November 2015

La teleoperación permite que el ser humano pueda llevar a cabo ciertas tareas en lugares muy lejanos, de difícil acceso o de condiciones hostiles para la presencia de un operador. Con este proyecto se logró teleoperar un vehículo remoto por medio del protocolo de comunicación Bluetooth, para lo cual se adaptó una interfaz háptica (Novint Falcon). Desde la interfaz, el operador puede enviar la consigna de movimiento y, además, obtener sensaciones conforme a la información de los sensores incluidos al sistema. Como vehículo remoto se utilizó un Lego Mindstorms con capacidad de comunicación Bluetooth, al cual se incorporó un sensor de contacto y otro de ultrasonido con el fin de percibir en la interfaz háptica la retroalimentación de fuerzas. A una computadora estándar se le dio capacidad de comunicación Bluetooth por medio de un adaptador USB, desde la cual se ejecuta un programa creado en C++ para controlar las acciones de la interfaz háptica, enviar los comandos de movimiento al vehículo y recibir la información de los sensores, la cual reproduce sensaciones al operador.
Brotación in vitro de yemas de teca (Tectona grandis L. f.)
Authors: Rojas Parajeles Fabiana , Abdelnour Esquivel Ana
Published: November 2015

La teca (Tectona grandis L.f.) es una especie maderable exótica introducida a Costa Rica para la siembra de plantaciones comercial por la alta demanda de su madera, su rápido crecimiento y su alta calidad. Inicialmente se utilizó la semilla como único material de siembra y la pobre calidad de muchas de las plantaciones impulsó el inicio de programas de mejora genética. La propagación clonal tomó mucha importancia en estos programas y el cultivo in vitro se convirtió en una herramienta valiosa para la propagación masiva de los árboles élites.

Por lo anterior, este trabajo se enfocó en evaluar el efecto de varias concentraciones de dos reguladores de crecimiento, bencilaminopurina (BA) y ácido indolacético (AIB), solos y en combinación, en la brotación de yemas dormantes y formación de callos de teca. Tanto el análisis estadístico como la observación visual mostraron que el tratamiento que consistió de 0,005 mg/l de AIA fue el mejor para incrementar la brotación de las yemas y para disminuir la formación de callo.
Flujo de control en iOS
Authors: Hernández Castro Franklin , Monge Fallas Jorge
Published: November 2015

El objetivo de este artículo es explicar los flujos de control que se usan en la programación de las aplicaciones en iOS, con el fin de resumir los aspectos más relevantes que se deben tomar en cuenta para programar una tarea a ser realizada por un dispositivo móvil del tipo iPhone o iPad. Debido a que el ambiente iOS es estrictamente orientado a objetos (OOP), los flujos de control no son obvios; además, los estándares de la firma Apple® definen patrones de diseño en el sistema que son altamente recomendados en este tipo de diseño. En este artículo se introducen algunos de ellos.
Fortalecimiento de la Red de Mujeres Rurales mediante la producción, procesamiento y comercialización de granos básicos
Authors: Bonilla Leiva Alejandra , Bonilla Leiva Ana Ruth , Amador Guzmán Marvin , Hidalgo Dittel Nancy
Published: November 2015

El presente proyecto ha logrado incrementar la producción de granos básicos, su industrialización y comercializaciónparateneralternativasalimentarias y nutritivas, de modo que se fortalezca la soberanía alimentaria de las zonas rurales de Costa Rica.

El impacto en lo local se expresa en el for talecimiento de los ingresos familiares de las personas involucradas en el proyecto, el incremento de la producción de granos, la industrialización producto de la transferencia de tecnología, el mejoramiento en la dieta y la generación de empleo para las mujeres, tanto en la producción de granos en el campo como en el manejo poscosecha y el procesamiento para la elaboración de productos empacados para el mercado.

La generación de capacidades en las asociadas a la Red de Mujeres Rurales y el fortalecimiento de esta son logros del compromiso de las mujeres y el apoyo constante del proyecto.

Por otra parte,se generó un producto a base de frijol y arroz con un alto valor nutritivo, que se ha vendido en ferias y algunos pequeños locales comerciales, y que se podrá distribuir en escuelas, centros infantiles y abastecedores locales. El impacto regional se da en la introducción del producto, cuyo principal consumidor meta es la población infantil y juvenil, ya que se busca mejorar sus hábitos alimenticios; posteriormente, se pretende extender al mercado nacional.
Estrategias de cooperación académica para el desarrollo de la formación e investigación en Centroamérica y la Unión Europea
Authors: Trejos Benavides Eugenio , Briones Peñalver Antonio Juan
Published: November 2015

El artículo resume las acciones de fortalecimiento institucional y proyectos de investigación para la formación e investigación de las capacidades de agronegocios en Costa Rica y la Región de Murcia.

La formación del profesorado, egresados y estudiantes; el conocimiento de las agro empresas y la emprendimientos en turismo rural, la economía social y el desarrollo de los agronegocios, la creación de spin-off, la logística y las operaciones de empresas hortofrutícolas, son algunos de los objetivos principales de estos proyectos de cooperación académica para el desarrollo de los países de Centroamérica y la Unión Europea.

Estos aspectos de la investigación llevarán a un mejor conocimiento de las zonas rurales y de las actividades agropecuarias para impulsar la consolidación en las regiones.
Multi‐tissue δ2H analysis reveals altitudinal migration and tissue‐specific discrimination patterns in Cinclodes
Authors: Newsome Seth D. , Sabat Pablo , Wolf Nathan , Rader Jonathan A. , del Rio Carlos Martinez
Published: November 2015

One of the fastest growing uses of stable isotope analysis in ecology is using hydrogen isotope (δ2H) values to characterize animal movement and migration strategies. Most studies measure δ2H values in metabolically inert tissues such as feathers, which are typically grown during or just after the summer breeding season and provide a limited snapshot of an individual's annual life history. In contrast, isotopic analysis of metabolically active tissues can provide ecological information integrated over weeks to months prior to sampling. Here we characterize δ2H patterns among multiple metabolically inert and active tissues in Cinclodes, a genus of South American songbirds noted for variation in altitudinal movement and foraging strategies. We also coupled δ2H with carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope data to combine information on movement with marine versus terrestrial resource use at the individual level. We find that a combination of physiological and ecological factors control δ2H patterns among tissues, which mirrors results of feeding experiments on captive birds. For example, in the coastal resident C. nigrofumosus, metabolically active muscle collected during the winter has higher δ2H values than feathers grown the previous summer, a tissue‐specific discrimination pattern previously observed in captive birds. This pattern is reversed to various degrees for altitudinal migrants such as C. fuscus and C. oustaleti that spend winters foraging in marine intertidal habitats but migrate to high elevation and forage in stream habitats during the summer. We also find that among altitudinal migrants, individuals that forage sympatrically in intertidal habitats during the winter appeared to summer at a wide range of elevations, as evidenced by large differences of >50‰ in δ2Hmuscle‐feather offsets. Lastly, a positive correlation between feather δ2H and δ15N values in Cinclodes that consume a mixed marine‐freshwater diet confirms that δ2H is a useful proxy for quantifying marine resource use. We anticipate that comparison of δ2H values in metabolically active and inert tissues may allow for the reconstruction of animal movement and foraging strategies within the annual life cycle; however, more work is required to better understand the physiological mechanisms responsible for the observed δ2H patterns among tissues.
Cryptic indirect effects of exurban edges on a woodland community
Authors: Warren R. J. , Pearson S. M. , Henry S. , Rossouw K. , Love J. P. , Olejniczak M. J. , Elliott K. J. , Bradford M. A.
Published: November 2015

Exurban development (e.g., second homes) in woodlands spreads urban land use impacts beyond suburbs, but because exurban developments often retain many components of original ecosystem structure—such as a forest canopy rather than open lawn—their ecological impacts may be underestimated. Changes in seed‐dispersing ant behavior prompted by exurban land use, such as edge avoidance, may pose deleterious impacts on the woodland plants (myrmecochores) they disperse, and hence the floristic diversity of exurban forests. We examined the effects of exurbanization on seed‐dispersing ant nesting and foraging, seed retrieval, dispersal direction and subsequent impact on myrmecochores. We used a matrix of forested and exurbanized habitats to test whether (1) exurban edges decrease ant nest colonization and seed foraging, (2) ants disperse seeds away from exurban edges, and (3) consequently, there is lower ant‐dispersed plant abundance nearer exurban edges. We found that exurban development poses little impact on keystone seed‐dispersing ants because they foraged, colonized and thrived in fragmented woodland habitats as well as they did in intact forests. Exurban edges changed ant behavior, however, so that they generally moved seeds toward forest interiors, and, hence, away from edges. Corresponding to this behavioral change, we found that ant‐dispersed plants declined with proximity to edges, whereas other woodland herbs with dispersal modes other than ants were unaffected. Exurbanization poses little threat to seed‐dispersing ant viability, but, by changing foraging patterns (specifically, limiting the directionality of dispersal), it indirectly threatens the plants they disperse. Edge effects on biota commonly are associated with cascades through abiotic resources, but we show a deleterious biotic cascade between exurban edge, keystone ants and herbaceous plants. Species‐mediated services, such as seed dispersal and pollination, are key resources, and assessing the full consequences of land use change therefore necessitates evaluation of impacts on biotic interactions.
Extreme variations in spring temperature affect ecosystem regulating services provided by birds during migration
Authors: Wood Eric M. , Pidgeon Anna M.
Published: November 2015

Extreme weather is becoming more pronounced, making phenological patterns less predictable. Among the potential consequences, extreme weather may alter relationships of migratory birds with their seasonal food resources and thus impact valuable ecosystem regulating services (e.g., bird predation of herbivorous insects). Our goal was to quantify the effect of an extremely warm spring on these relationships in a U.S Midwest oak savanna. Average regional temperatures in the spring of 2009 coupled with record highs in 2010 (8°C warmer) were the basis of a natural experiment for addressing our goal. In both springs we documented tree flowering and leaf‐out phenology, related these to arrival and foraging behavior of the three most abundant migratory wood‐warbler species (Parulidae), and quantified the effects of migratory bird foraging on insect density, size, and herbivory using a branch exclosure experiment. In 2009, the dominant tree species at our study site, eastern black oak (Quercus velutina), flowered in mid‐May and the wood warblers foraged heavily in the savanna during this time. Branches from which birds were excluded exhibited a trend toward higher insect density, larger Lepidopterans, and greater flower damage than control branches. In 2010, tree phenology was four weeks earlier than in 2009 and the wood warblers were nearly absent from the savanna (83% fewer), likely because peak food availability preceded their arrival in mid‐May. Insect density was 83% greater in 2009 than 2010. However, in 2010, 81% of sampled leaves exhibited substantial damage (>25% of leaf‐area removed) compared with 27% of leaves in 2009, presumably due to a lack of herbivorous insect regulation by birds. Our results suggest that the extremely warm spring of 2010 altered linkages between migratory birds and their invertebrate prey that are typical during years of average weather, which likely affected habitat use and the delivery of ecosystem regulating services.
Political imprints on business scalability and planning
Authors: Jermy Amanda
Published: November 2015

The business community like other communities also depends on the general state of affairs of any state. The state is governed by the administration of political bodies. Thus, political environment directly affects the business policies and the execution thereof as far as the scalability and development of the business set up is concerned. Political environment like other segments of the business environment has its own considerations for the business leaders and planners. What would be the acceptability level of the intended products and services, this all depends on the general interference of the political inputs for the business community. Through this paper, it has been intended to put light on the political interferences in the business planning process across political structures and regimes. How a political set is critical for the performance or scope of the business process in a given geography. The geo-coverage of the paper should be taken as general as no specific reference is made to any political structure of any particular state.
How the operational level managers influence the corporate level strategies and their collective successful implementation
Authors: Braun Alexander
Published: November 2015

The planning is an integral part of the managers’ task for the modern strategic business culture. The corporate strategies are formulated by the top level managers while the operational level managers are expected to follow those policy statements for their instructed implementation. But this is not the real and practical job of the operational level managers. Instead, they are the key role players in the effective development of the production and operations of the commercial entity. This paper reads the impact role of the operational managers on the corporate level policies. The paper establishes the fact that it the operational level managers who bring and affect the change by effectively implementing the top level plans and goals of the corporate level managers.
Physico-Chemical Analysis of Soil from some Farms of Digras Region of District Yavatmal in Maharashtra, India
Authors: Wankhade R.R.
Published: November 2015

The yield of the crop is dependent of the type of the soil and proper cultivation. Hence it is necessary to study some parameters of the soil. So in the present study is undertaken to determine the physico-chemical characteristics of some samples of soil from some farms of nearby villages of Digras region, Dist. Yavatmal.The soil characterization was carried out with respect to particle size distribution, bulk density,maximum water holding capacity, available water capacity, hydraulic conductivity, soil pH, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, free calcium carbonate and organic carbon. The important observation during the study is that the parameters were fluctuating for farm to farm of nearby villages.
Celebrity Endorser & Attitude towards Celebrity results in Purchase Intention – A study with reference to Chennai City
Authors: Kumar S. Dinesh , Kumar V. Hemanth
Published: November 2015

The current hustle & bustle scenario in product promotion every product promoter and manufacturer are forced to promote themselves in a colossus way to attract the target audience. Though advertisements have been an imperative medium of promoting using of opulent stars in ads will fetch them the extra mileage which they anticipate. To prove this there has been a revolution of celebrity endorsements which happens in wide spectrum of products promotion. By travelling on this ideology this study aims to consider the roles of individual perception on celebrity endoser & attitude towards celebrity and also its relationship with corporate credibility and product attractivenss which yields in Purchase Intention. The study has been conducted among diverse people living in Chennai city via structured questionnaire framed with the sample of 500 and the discriptive study suggests that Purchase Intentions is influenced by celebrity endoser and attractiveness of the celebrity.
Goodwill and accounting discretion
Authors: Bisogno Marco
Published: November 2015

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to investigate earnings management practices related to goodwill accounting, focusing on its first recognition as well as its write-offs, due to the impairment test.

Design/methodology/approach: The study refers to a sample of Italian listed firms and the analysis covers three years, with a total of 591 firm-year observations. The modified Jones’ regression model has been used in estimating discretionary accruals, as a proxy of earnings management practices.

Findings: A positive relationship between discretionary accruals and yearly changes in goodwill has been proved. Findings also show an incidence of leverage and performance.

Research limitations/implications: The study focuses on a single context (Italy) and it is essentially based on financial-economic variables.

Practical implications: Findings of the study could be relevant for standard-setters in future revisions of goodwill accounting.

Social implication: The study could support investors in evaluating the incidence of first recognition as well as goodwill impairment on the quality of earnings.
New Approach of Using Wells Static Pressure Measurements in Identifying Dynamic Regions and Sectors in a Giant Carbonate Reservoir
Authors: Sadok Abdel Aziz , Baslaib Mohamed A. , Huang Qingfeng
Published: November 2015

Compartmentalization (vertical and lateral) is often a major uncertainty at the field appraisal stage, impacting important investment decisions. Unfortunately the most definitive compartmentalization data (dynamic production data or high resolution 4D seismic) are not usually available so early in field life. Usually geometrically equal sectors are defined to start with to be used as a guide to monitor and manage the reservoir. In mature reservoirs, these data are available. The understanding of the different zones and compartments boundaries is crucial for better re-sectorization and better effective management strategies especially in case of the giant field with gas and water injection schemes.

This paper illustrates how indications of compartmentalization and limits of sectors can be achieved by analyzing the sporadic pressure static data dispersed in time and space. The first step of this work is to integrate seismic re-interpretation of the faults with Bottom-Hole Static Pressure (BHSP) analysis to identify acting faulting and barriers. This is achieved by overlapping all isobar maps and then by taking the derivatives of the pressure versus x and y directions. The pressure contrast in space can be highlighted based on a given threshold. If this pressure contrast is overlapped by a seismically identified fault, it can be considered as a barriers or semi-barrier or just absent based on the degree of pressure contrast. The second step is to use the identified boundaries as guidance to limit and confine the different zones and fault blocks that are suspected to act more or less as isolated units. After identifying the boundaries more or less sealing a classification of the static pressure measurements using k-mean value will help to identify the dynamic regions that behave in the same way.

A re-sectorization of the field will be based on those units. A forward calculation of voidage replacement ratio and injection production versus pressure can be used as a criterion for identifying the best sectoring scenario.
Integrity Management of Pipelines Transporting Hydrocarbons: an Integrated Approach
Authors: Gabetta Giovanna , Morrea Silvia , Travaglia Filippo , Cioffi Paola , Monaco Sonia
Published: November 2015

Pipeline integrity is a challenge for Oil Companies since number, length and age of pipelines is increasing worldwide, and people are increasingly aware about environmental protection.

A project aimed at a safer and continuous service of such components is underway in eni, with attention to implement innovative technologies. The objective of this paper is to describe how PIM (Pipeline Integrity Management) project can be effective towards a safer pipeline management.

The engineering and the operation team are activated

To establish a pipeline integrity strategy To define an inspection strategy issuing an Inspection & Maintenance Plan To execute a Baseline Inspection as a benchmark to future inspection strategy To implement a Data Management System for pipelines in service.

Programmed inspection are performed and the pipeline integrity is evaluated. A proper requalification/life extension process is started if:

Operating conditions do require special care Design life is exceeded

Data are collected and analysed, hazard are identified and criticalities examined. Inspection plans are specified and implemented to maintain pipeline integrity and to prevent failures.

A growing data base is implemented, containing all kind of data about production lines transporting different classes of fluids, as for instance construction data, geometry, materials characterization and so on; the data base is implemented with information about active damage mechanisms, inspection results, failure analysis, production and fluid characteristics, flow dynamic modelled with numerical codes and more. The number of in inline inspection (ILI) reports implemented is growing. Unfortunately, not all portions of a pipeline – especially when quite old - can be inspected, due to geometrical constraints; this is why part of the effort is directed towards innovation and studies, as for instance:

To obtain a better understanding of damage evolution To model the thickness loss of the components To apply innovative techniques for inspection.

Collected data allow to perform a sensible engineering risk analysis, and to better plan further inspection activities.

Examples of cases will be discussed in the paper and the decision tree for selected situations will be presented.

The paper will show how data records are important and how an integrated approach to inspection and maintenance can be beneficial to the Oil & Gas Business. An integrated approach between Engineering and Operation allow to develop "integrity friendly" solutions, implementing existing inspection and maintenance plans.
Protecting a graph with mobile guards
Authors: Klostermeyer William , Mynhardt C.M.
Published: November 2015

Mobile guards on the vertices of a graph are used to defend it against
attacks on either its vertices or its edges. Various models for this problem
have been proposed. In this survey we describe a number of these models when
the attack sequence is infinitely long and the guards must induce some
particular configuration before each attack, such as a dominating set or a
vertex cover. Results from the literature concerning the number of guards
needed to successfully defend a graph in each of these problems are surveyed.
Meat quality of Swallow-Belly Mangulica pigs reared under intensive production system and slaughtered at 100 kg live weight
Authors: Tomovic Vladimir , Stanisic Nikola , Jokanovic Marija , Kevresan Zarko , Sojic Branislav , Skaljac Snezana , Tomasevic Igor , Martinovic Aleksandra , Despotovic Aleksandra , Suput Danijela
Published: November 2015

Quality parameters including sensory and physical characteristics and proximate and mineral composition in M. psoas major, M. semimembranosus, M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum and M. triceps brachii of Swallow-Belly Mangulica pigs were determined. Type of muscles had no significant effect (P>0.05) on water-holding capacity, protein, total fat, K, P and Ca content. The M. psoas major was the highest in pH24h, water-holding capacity, CIEa* and CIEb* values, moisture, K, P aQuality parameters including sensory and physical characteristics and proximate and mineral composition in M. psoas major, M. semimembranosus, M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum and M. triceps brachii of Swallow-Belly Mangulica pigs were determined. Type of muscles had no significant effect (P>0.05) on water-holding capacity, protein, total fat, K, P and Ca content. The M. psoas major was the highest in pH24h, water-holding capacity, CIEa* and CIEb* values, moisture, K, P and Cu content, and the lowest in visual marbling score and total fat content. The M. semimembranosus was the highest in Mg and Ca content, and the lowest in CIEL* value (darkest muscle) and K content. The lightest colour (CIEL* value), the highest content of protein, total fat and total ash, and the lowest visual colour score, pH24h, CIEa* and CIEb* values, content of moisture, Na, Ca, Zn, Fe and Cu were found in M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum. The highest visual colour and marbling score, the highest content of Na, Zn and Fe, and the lowest water-holding capacity, content of protein, total ash, P and Mg were found in M. triceps brachii.
Strategy for Multiobjective Transit Signal Priority with Prediction of Bus Dwell Time at Stops
Authors: Ding Jian , Yang Min , Wang Wei , Xu Chengcheng , Bao Yu
Published: November 2015

Transit signal priority (TSP) is a vital aspect of the improvement of transit service. However, the effect of bus dwell time on TSP is often neglected, and few researchers have proposed a TSP strategy that predicts the bus dwell time and then implements bus priority. This study focused on the prediction of bus dwell time, which defined the bus arrival time at the intersection, and subsequently established a multiobjective TSP strategy that uses that prediction. The data extracted from the Changzhou, China, bus rapid transit (BRT) Line 2 were used to propose a hybrid model based on the autoregressive integrated moving average and the support vector machine to predict the dwell time. Next, the multiobjective TSP, with the real-time average passenger delay, the maximum queue length, and the exhaust emissions as its optimization objectives, was solved through the use of the fuzzy compromise approach. Finally, the strategy was evaluated with the microscopic simulation software VISSIM. The findings demonstrated that the prediction model produced satisfactory results, and the simulation results suggested that the proposed strategy could significantly reduce the intersection delay, the stop rate, and the exhaust emissions of BRT. Moreover, higher traffic flows corresponded to better benefits being achieved through this strategy. In addition, the delay, the queue length, and the exhaust emissions of general vehicle traffic would be effectively controlled. The findings of this study could be helpful to traffic managers in the development of appropriate signal timing strategies and the enhancement of operating efficiency and environmental quality at intersections.
Fine-Tuning Time-of-Day Transitions for Arterial Traffic Signals
Authors: Zheng Jianfeng , Liu Henry , Misgen Steve
Published: November 2015

Time-of-day operation (i.e., the implementation of different signal settings at different times of the day) is commonly used in traffic signal operation to accommodate time-dependent traffic patterns. In the current practice of signal retiming, traffic engineers rely largely on engineering judgments to determine the proper time-of-day transitions; this approach may lead to inefficient operations. For such a deficiency to be reduced, in this research an easy-to-use approach was proposed to fine-tune time-of-day transitions for signalized arterials. The optimal transition points were determined through the evaluation of total delays on the basis of a Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) formula. To account for the impact of the coordination and actuation of arterial signals, the researchers extended HCM formula with a simple but effective model to estimate the green duration of actuated traffic signals. The proposed approach was demonstrated and validated with a case study that used traffic data collected from the SMART SIGNAL system.
Use of Maximum Vehicle Delay to Characterize Signalized Intersection Performance
Authors: Lavrenz Steven M. , Day Christopher M. , Hainen Alexander M. , Smith W. Benjamin , Stevens Amanda L. , Li Howell , Bullock Darcy M.
Published: November 2015

The average delay is a commonly used measure for characterizing the performance of signalized intersections. Current methods for estimating the average delay rely on models that are based on traffic volumes and green times. In practice, the development of such real-time measurements of delay is challenging because of the difficulty of accurately measuring vehicle arrivals and departures. However, measuring the waiting time after the first vehicle's arrival during the red interval can be an important performance measure for low- and moderate-volume conditions. The maximum waiting time provides an upper bound, or maximum, on individual vehicle delay during a given cycle and facilitates comparisons between different types of operation. This paper demonstrates the effectiveness of this performance measure—maximum vehicle delay—with four case studies.
Resonant Cycles under various Intersection Spacing, Speeds, and Traffic Signal Operational Treatments
Authors: de Guevara Felipe Ladrón , Hickman Mark , Head Larry
Published: November 2015

In recent years, resonant cycles have emerged as a new principle in signal coordination. Resonant cycles were originally associated with cycle lengths that resulted in good progression over a range of traffic volumes. Several studies documented the potential benefits of this new principle. In this research, “resonant cycles” are defined as cycle lengths that are robust over a range of traffic volumes on two-way arterials. However, resonant cycles may not always exist on traffic corridors, depending on their operational and geometric factors, and the impact of these factors is not well understood. To examine these conditions more closely, this paper provides a comprehensive analysis of resonant cycles. Geometric and operational traffic data obtained from two corridors were used. Resonant cycles were observed on both corridors; the benefits resulted in reductions of approximately 8% in the total delay and 19% in the number of stops when compared with the critical intersection method. The geometric and operational variables that permitted resonant cycles were identified through a macroscopic model. The results indicated that resonant cycles could easily be found on these two corridors under low-volume scenarios. When moderate-volume conditions occurred, certain combinations of geometric and operational traffic variables supported resonant cycles. In contrast, cross-street volumes that were similar in magnitude to the volumes of the main street tended to remove the cycle resonance for moderate traffic volumes. When a microscopic model was used to estimate optimal cycle lengths, the range of traffic volumes under a resonant cycle was reduced.
Implementation of Real-Time Offset-Tuning Algorithm for Integrated Corridor Management
Authors: Zhang Li , Huang Zhitong , Wen Yi , Hawkins Amanda , Fulcher William Case , Henke Sarah R. , Roberts Acey , Zhang Qi
Published: November 2015

Integrated corridor management (ICM) has been proved to relieve recurrent and nonrecurrent congestion effectively in a transportation network. Traffic signal coordination is an effective approach for improving travel speed and decreasing delays. The incorporation of traffic signal coordination into ICM further improves the benefits of ICM strategies. However, traffic signal coordination is applied on the basis of commuter traffic, and detour traffic is not considered. A real-time and proactive offset-tuning algorithm is proposed to reduce the delays of detour traffic without disrupting existing traffic. The algorithm explicitly incorporates diverted traffic and diverted traffic patterns into the existing traffic. The offsets of each coordinated intersection are fine-tuned and updated every 10 cycles to provide smooth progression for upcoming traffic. A case study was conducted to prove the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. The benchmark case was TRANSYT-7F coordinated traffic signal timing plans. The simulation statistics indicated that the proposed approach created a saving of 8.8% in travel time and 8.3% in control delay in the direction of the diversion. The proposed algorithm did not sacrifice the traffic conditions in the opposite direction of the detour. The statistical analysis proved that the average control delay for both the direction of the diversion and the opposite direction, for all intersections, decreased by 5.6%, with a lower control delay at the 95% confidence interval. The diversion contributed to a gain of 9.22 mph or 18.96% in average speed on the freeway.
iSRAP – a one‐touch research tool for rapid profiling of small RNA‐seq data
Authors: Quek Camelia , Jung Chol‐hee , Bellingham Shayne A. , Lonie Andrew , Hill Andrew F.
Published: November 2015

Small non‐coding RNAs have been significantly recognized as the key modulators in many biological processes, and are emerging as promising biomarkers for several diseases. These RNA species are transcribed in cells and can be packaged in extracellular vesicles, which are small vesicles released from many biotypes, and are involved in intercellular communication. Currently, the advent of next‐generation sequencing (NGS) technology for high‐throughput profiling has further advanced the biological insights of non‐coding RNA on a genome‐wide scale and has become the preferred approach for the discovery and quantification of non‐coding RNA species. Despite the routine practice of NGS, the processing of large data sets poses difficulty for analysis before conducting downstream experiments. Often, the current analysis tools are designed for specific RNA species, such as microRNA, and are limited in flexibility for modifying parameters for optimization. An analysis tool that allows for maximum control of different software is essential for drawing concrete conclusions for differentially expressed transcripts. Here, we developed a one‐touch integrated small RNA analysis pipeline (iSRAP) research tool that is composed of widely used tools for rapid profiling of small RNAs. The performance test of iSRAP using publicly and in‐house available data sets shows its ability of comprehensive profiling of small RNAs of various classes, and analysis of differentially expressed small RNAs. iSRAP offers comprehensive analysis of small RNA sequencing data that leverage informed decisions on the downstream analyses of small RNA studies, including extracellular vesicles such as exosomes.
Analysis of pelvic rotation on the standard hip ventrodorsal extended radiographic view
Authors: Colaço Bruno , Ferreira António , Ginja Mário , Martins João
Published: November 2015

Objectives: To study the symmetry of the iliac horizontal diameter (IHD) maximum obturator foramen width (OFW), ischiatic femoral overlap (IFO), pelvic horizontal radius (PHR), femoral head diameter (FHD), and obturator foramen area (OFA) parameters in the normal hip extended radiographic view and to evaluate the correlation of pelvic rotation with the magnitude of asymmetry of these parameters.

Methods: Nine canine cadavers from adult, large and giant breeds were radiographed in standard hip extended views and with 2°, 4° and 6° degrees of rotation. The variables IHD, OFW, IFO, PHR, FHD, and OFA were analysed in radiographs.

Results: The IHD measurements exhibited repeatability, bilateral symmetry and 95% of confidence interval of asymmetry in different pelvic rotations without superposition (p <0.05); OFW and IFO exhibited repeatability, bilateral symmetry and a small superposition in 95% of confidence interval of asymmetry according different pelvic rotations; PHR, FHD and OFA exhibited repeatability, bilateral symmetry and unacceptable superposition in 95% of confidence interval of asymmetry depending on pelvic rotation.

Clinical significance: The IHD is the recommended variable and OFW is an acceptable variable in order to evaluate slight pelvic rotation. The data may be used in qualitative analyses of hip extended radiographic views. In the future, complementary studies should be performed to evaluate the impact of degree of pelvic rotation on the hip dysplasia score.