bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Novel Fuzzy Logic Classifier for Classification and Quality Measurement of Apple Fruit
Authors: Kamila Narendra Kumar , Mallick Pradeep Kumar
Published: November 2015

Fruit and vegetables market is getting highly selective and requiring their suppliers to distribute the fruits of high standards of quality and good appearance. So the growing need to supply quality fruits within a short period of time has given rise to development of Automated Grading of fresh market fruits. The objective of this chapter is to classify apples into three grades based on its attributes such as color, size and weight. Initially apple image database is created. Next each image is analyzed using image processing software where images are first preprocessed and useful features like color and size are extracted from the images. Fuzzy logic is used for classification. Color, size features are represented as a fuzzy variables which are used for classification. The apples of different classes are graded into three grades viz. Grade1, Grade2 and Grade3 on the basis of combination of parameters mentioned above.
Leadership Education at the Middle and High School Levels
Authors: Ryan Mark Patrick
Published: November 2015

This study used extensive interviews, observations, a self-assessment of youth leadership skills, and collection of student academic, fitness, attendance and discipline data to analyze the impact of the California Cadet Corps on the youth in grades 4-12 that the program serves. Interviews with adult alumni of the program were also conducted. The data showed a remarkable long-term impact on promoting leadership development as well as skills and attitudes of citizenship, patriotism, basic military knowledge, personal wellness, and academic resiliency.
The Role of Gossip in the Creation and Miscreation of Company Identity from the Perspective of Actor-Network Theory
Authors: Bielenia-Grajewska Magdalena
Published: November 2015

In this paper an attempt will be made to show how the grapevine shapes the relations between companies and stakeholders. To narrow the scope of the research, attention will be focused solely on one type of colloquial corporate socializing, namely gossiping. The company, its organizational environment and its relation with gossip are studied by implying the notion of company identity. The interrelation between gossiping and company identity has not been discussed by many researchers, although informal communication as such spans a number of disciplines. Consequently, in this work the author will try to show both the negative and positive sides of gossip in forming corporate communities and their character. Taking into account the growing role of networks in creating and sustaining different types of communication, gossiping is studied through the perspective of Actor-Network Theory that facilitates an understanding of how human beings and non-living entities shape the way company identity is constructed and maintained.
Exploring Green IT Adoption
Authors: Hernandez Alexander A. , Ona Sherwin E.
Published: November 2015

The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry accounts for 15% of the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) in the Philippines annually. The BPO industry continuously improves the economic growth and performance due to the increasing investments on this sector. Given the role of the BPO sector, business activities involved on its operations share environmental impacts on carbon emission, disposal of wastes and increasing energy consumption that contributes to the environmental degradation. In this, the emergence of Green Information Technology (IT) adoption is aimed at minimizing the environmental impacts of business activities while balancing economic performance. This paper is an attempt to provide the current state of Green IT adoption in a BPO firm. The authors apply qualitative approach in collecting, analyzing and interpreting the data. The findings revealed that Green IT adoption in the BPO firm is on its emergence, Office environment practices is the most evident implementation of Green IT whereas technological factors has strong influence to the BPO firm to adopt Green IT. Thus, Green IT adoption in the BPO firm is part of their long-term objective and commitment towards sustainable business and environmental.
Die kulturele en praktiese waarde van inheemse kennis oor plantgebruike in die 21ste eeu
Authors: Van Wyk Ben-Erik
Published: November 2015

Critics of ethnobotanical research may ask the question what the relevance is of documenting the indigenous knowledge of different cultural groups. This article focuses on the value and advantages of ethnobotanical research in the 21st century. The context is quantitative ethnobotanical surveys conducted in South Africa in recent years. For the discussion of the Matrix Method that was developed by Van Wyk and De Beer, reference is made to such surveys in the Hantam, Calvinia district in the Northern Cape, and the Kamiesberg in Namaqualand. The practical implications of ethnobotanical studies are discussed, specifically referring to legal aspects and issues of intellectual property rights. The affordances of ethnobotanical research are then considered, in (1) the development and commercialisation of products; (2) the empowerment of members of the community and the role of eco-tourism in socio-economic development, and (3) education. The cultural implications of ethnobotany is discussed next, such as found in (4) the arts, (5) music, (6) cuisine, (7) writing and poetry, (8) onomastics (the origin of place names – with the name ‘Hantam’ as specific example). Lastly, the focus is on a marginalised and often neglected aspect of ethnobotanical research, namely the magical uses of charm plants.
Black Theology of liberation: A theology of life in the context of Empire
Authors: Vellem Vuyani S.
Published: November 2015

The cry for life by the peoples of the global South and all the victims of the vicious antics of Empire is our hope. Living against the logic of Empire is rebellion against the life killing order of Empire. This cry for life, the article argues, is our method for reasserting the goals of Black Theology of liberation as life � life as a precondition to all ethical claims. Racism cannot be treated as a marginal aspect of modernity and, ipso facto, economics. Capitalism exists in a symbiotic relationship between racism, hiding in the husk of Empire that feeds on the paradigms of life Empire destroys and kills. Using as an illustration the dynamics of the mind, unmasking the universe of Empire is the task of a Black Theology of liberation as a theology of life.
Traumatic Extra-capsular and Intra-capsular Floating Fat: Fat-fluid Levels of the Knee Revisited
Authors: Davis Derik L , Vachhani Prasann
Published: November 2015

Floating fat is a sign of acute bone injury at the knee following trauma. The goal of this article is to review the etiology, patterns, and mimickers of extra-capsular and intra-capsular floating fat, with the major emphasis on knee trauma in the acute setting. We will discuss the spectrum of multimodal imaging findings for rare presentations of extra-capsular floating fat, and contrast these with common and atypical forms of intra-capsular lipohemarthrosis, as an aid to the assessment of acute bone trauma at the knee.
Sonographic Evaluation of Obstetric Anal Injuries
Authors: Antsaklis Aris , Grigoriadis Themos , Mylona Sylvia-Christina , Giannoulis George , Athanasiou Stavros
Published: November 2015

Intrapartum damage to the anal sphincter is an important factor in fecal incontinence. Obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS) vary from 1 to 18% of vaginal deliveries, including instrumental deliveries. The severity of anal sphincter injuries vary from superficial lacerations to deep injuries that can extend to the epithelium. Obstetric anal sphincter injuries are associated with both short-term complications (heavy bleeding, difficulties in recovery, increased incidence of infections, increased perineal pain) and long-term complications (rectovaginal fistulae or facal incontinence). A significant number of these anal sphincter injuries can be detected promptly after a good clinical examination, but still that does not exclude the possibility of these women suffering long-term complications. What is more when some of these so called ‘occult tears’ go undetected further increase the morbidity of the woman. Sonography of the perineum and the anal sphincter appears to offer a better diagnosis and detection of these injuries after vaginal delivery, which allows a timely and better treatment with less complications, with endoanal sonography offering the best detection rates so far.

How to cite this article

Grigoriadis T, Mylona SC, Giannoulis G, Athanasiou S, Antsaklis A. Sonographic Evaluation of Obstetric Anal Injuries. Donald School J Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2015;9(3):266-274.
Sonographic Signs of Perinatal Infection
Authors: Antsaklis Panos , Natsis Stavros , Grigoriadis Themos
Published: November 2015

Evaluation of the patient at risk for fetal infection is challenging. Serologic studies may be inconclusive and often do not provide meaningful information about prognosis. Recent technologic advances have expanded the role of prenatal ultrasound in both anomaly detection and guidance for invasive diagnostic procedures. For the patient with a known or suspected fetal infection, sonographic identification of characteristic abnormalities can provide useful information for counseling and perinatal management.

This article reviews the sonographic manifestations of fetal infection and the role of ultrasound in the evaluation of the fetus at risk for congenital toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and the herpes viruses (TORCH infections).

How to cite this article

Natsis S, Antsaklis P, Grigoriadis T, Antsaklis A. Sonographic Signs of Perinatal Infection. Donald School J Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2015;9(3):275-279.
Effect of Ocimum sanctum on Oral Cancer Cell Line: An in vitro Study
Authors: Shivpuje Prachi , Ammanangi Renuka , Bhat Kishore , Katti Sandeep
Published: November 2015

Background

Cancer till today remains the leading cause of death in both developed and developing countries. Plants have been beacon of therapeutic sources for curing diseases from times immemorial. Hence, the present study aimed at evaluating the antiproliferative activity of extract of Ocimum sanctum leaves on oral cancer cell line.

Objectives:

• To evaluate the antiproliferative effect and to analyze dose dependent cytotoxic activity of aqueous extract of O. sanctum leaves on KB mouth cell line.

• To compare the effectiveness among different variety of O. sanctum.

Materials and methods

KB cells (Mouth Epidermal Carcinoma Cells) were used for the present study. Aqueous and dry extract of O. sanctum with both dark (Krishna Tulsi) and light (Rama Tulsi) leaves were prepared in the institution. The antiproliferative and cytotoxic activity on KB cell line was evaluated by MTT assay. Statistical analysis with Mann-Whitney U-test and Wilcoxon matched pairs test was carried out.

Results

The aqueous extract of O. sanctum of both the leaves exhibited significant cytotoxic effect against oral cancer cell line.

Conclusion

Aqueous extract of O. sanctum leaves was effective as an antiproliferative agent which caused apoptosis in oral cancer cell line.

Clinical significance

Ocimum sanctum herb which is abundantly grown in India can be used for its anticancer properties for treating oral cancer. This will not only be cost-effective but will also have less or no side effects.

How to cite this article

Shivpuje P, Ammanangi R, Bhat K, Katti S. Effect of Ocimum sanctum on Oral Cancer Cell Line: An in vitro Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2015;16(9):709-714.
Evaluation of the Surface Roughness and Microleakage of Dental Composites Exposed to Different Beverages
Authors: Sinhoreti Mário Alexandre Coelho , da Silva Marcos Aurélio Bonfim , Vitti Rafael Pino , Consani Rafael Leonardo Xediek , da Silva José Ginaldo , Tonholo Josealdo
Published: November 2015

Aim

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of different solutions cola soft drink (CSD) and coffee on roughness and microleakage of composite resin restorations.

Materials and methods

Sixty bovine incisors were prepared and restored using Filtek Z350 XT (3M/ESPE) nanoparticulate resin. The samples were divided into three groups (n = 20): A (control)-Immersion in artificial saliva (14 days); B: Immersion in coffee (14 days), for 15 minutes (3x/day) and C: Immersion in CSD for 14 days (3x/day). Then the samples were analyzed for microleakage (dye penetration) and surface roughness (atomic force microscope). The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to assess the surface roughness and microleakage. The Tukey's test was set at 0.05.

Results

Group A (roughness-GAR) presented significantly the lowest average surface roughness. Group C (microleakage- GCM) showed significantly the highest average microleakage.

Conclusion

It was concluded that CSD and coffee change the surface roughness and increase the microleakage of restorations.

Clinical significance

Nowadays there is a high consumption of artificially sweetened soft drinks, sports drinks, high-energy beverages and coffee products by people that cause problems in composite resin restorations.

How to cite this article

da Silva MAB, Vitti RP, Sinhoreti MAC, Consani RLX, da Silva JGJ, Tonholo J. Evaluation of the Surface Roughness and Microleakage of Dental Composites Exposed to Different Beverages. J Contemp Dent Pract 2015;16(10):800-804.
Influence of Image Filters and Variation in Horizontal Angle of Incidence of X-ray Beam in Digital Interproximal Radiographs for Diagnosis of Secondary Caries in Esthetic Restorations
Authors: de Carvalho Deprá Lucas , Iwaki Lilian Cristina Vessoni , Chicarelli Mariliani , Takeshita Wilton Mitsunari
Published: November 2015

Background

Secondary or recurrent caries are located around restoration margins or under these lesions, and can lead to tooth loss. The interproximal or bite wing radiograph is the technique of choice to assist diagnosis of secondary caries.

Objective

To evaluate diagnostic accuracy of secondary caries in pulpal walls artificially created in extracted human premolars, observed in digital bitewing radiographs using variations in horizontal X-ray beam angle of incidence and application of enhancement filters.

Materials and methods

The sample consisted of 20 healthy premolars, in which secondary caries lesions were simulated by means of subjecting the pulpal wall of the cavity to wear with spherical carbide drill half, fitted to a high speed handpiece, under constant cooling, focused perpendicular to the tooth surface. The orifices were filled with wax and all teeth were restored with composite resin Filtek Z350 XT®. Later teeth were radiographed with a digital sensor complementary metal-oxidesemiconductor (CMOS) varying the horizontal angle at intervals of 2°, covering a range of −10 to +10Â°.

Results

The results showed that in the diagnosis of secondary caries, there was no statistically significant difference between the 2 pseudocolor filters, and negative and direct digital radiography. The pseudocolor filter no. 1 showed statistically significant differences, except at a horizontal angle of 0°, thus indicating lower efficiency in the diagnosis of secondary caries.

Conclusion

Secondary caries with esthetic pulp wall restoration can be diagnosed irrespective of variation in the horizontal angle of incidence of the X-ray beam. The use of different radiographic enhancement filters did not result in improved diagnosis of secondary caries.

How to cite this article

Deprá LC, Iwaki LCV, Chicarelli M, Takeshita WM. Influence of Image Filters and Variation in Horizontal Angle of Incidence of X-ray Beam in Digital Interproximal Radiographs for Diagnosis of Secondary Caries in Esthetic Restorations. J Contemp Dent Pract 2015;16(10): 805-812.
Smokeless Tobacco-associated Lesions: A Mobile Health Approach
Authors: Praveen BN , Shubhasini AR , Bhanushree R , Desai Rani , Bajaj Suchitra , Shubha G , Keerthi G , Tiwari Vidya , Patrick Sanjana , Shetty Sujit , Nagabhushan Vidya , Kankanala Sandeep , Shah Shreyas
Published: November 2015

Aim

Globally, India accounts for the highest number of oral cancer cases. The survival rates are about 30% lower than those in developing countries. The main reason for these dismal figures is the late presentation of patients. In order to downstage oral cancer in such a scenario, screening and diagnosis at an early stage is warranted. A pragmatic approach is needed for an oral cancer screening program, hence a mobile health (mHealth) approach was used. In this approach, health workers were empowered with mobile phones with decision-based algorithm. Risk stratification of tobacco habit enables us to identify lesions associated with particular habits.

Materials and methods

A specific cohort of factory employees who predominantly had pure tobacco chewing habit was chosen to examine the effect of pure tobacco on oral mucosa. One thousand three hundred and fifty-seven subjects were screened in two phases. In the first phase, habits and oral lesions were identified and photographed. The photographs were remotely diagnosed by an oral medicine specialist and those subjects requiring biopsy were recalled for phase II. Cytology and biopsy were performed in phase II.

Results

The predominant habit was smokeless tobacco (SLT), in 582 subjects. The most commonly encountered lesion was tobacco pouch keratosis seen in 397 subjects. Biopsy was performed for 71 subjects, most cases showed hyperkeratosis and mild dysplasia. One subject had moderate dysplasia.

Conclusion

There was minimal alteration of tissues in our study subjects, which can be considered as low-risk. Use of mHealth empowered frontline healthcare workers to identify subjects with lesions and enabled remote diagnosis by specialist in resource-constrained settings.

Clinical significance

Use of mHealth enabled us have an electronic record of subject details. This data shall be used for a planned follow-up of the same cohort after 3 years.

How to cite this article

Desai R, Birur P, Bajaj S, Shubhasini AR, Bhanushree R, Shubha G, Keerthi G, Tiwari V, Patrick S, Hegde U, Shetty S, Nagabhushan V, Kankanala S, Shah S. Smokeless Tobacco-associated Lesions: A Mobile Health Approach. J Contemp Dent Pract 2015;16(10):813-818.
An Analysis of the Stress induced in the Periodontal Ligament during Extrusion and Rotation Movements— Part II: A Comparison of Linear vs Nonlinear FEM Study
Authors: Raghuveer HP , Hemanth M , Rani MS , Hegde Chathura , Vedavathi B , Chaithra D
Published: November 2015

Background

Optimal orthodontic forces are those which stimulate tooth movement with minimal biological trauma to the tooth, periodontal ligament (PDL) during and alveolar bone. Among various types of tooth movements, extrusion and rotational movements are seen to be associated with the least amount of root resorption and have not been studied in detail. The mechanical behavior of the PDL is known to be nonlinear elastic and thus a nonlinear simulation of the PDL provides precision to the calculated stress values. Therefore in this study, the stress patterns in the PDL were evaluated with extrusion and rotational movements using the nonlinear finite element method (FEM).

Materials and methods

A three-dimensional (3D) FEM model of the maxillary incisors was generated using SOLIDWORKS modelling software. Stresses in the PDL were evaluated with extrusive and rotational movements by a 3D FEM using ANSYS software with nonlinear material properties.

Results

It was observed that with the application of extrusive load, the tensile stresses were seen at the apex whereas the compressive stress was distributed at the cervical margin. With the application of rotational movements, maximum compressi vstress was distributed at the apex and cervical third whereas the tensile stress was distributed on cervical third of the PDL on the lingual surface.

Conclusion

For rotational and extrusion movements, stress values over the periodontal ligament was within the range of optimal stress value as proposed by Lee, with a given force system by Proffit as optimum forces for orthodontic tooth movement using nonlinear properties. During rotation there are stresses concentrated at the apex, hence due to the concentration of the compressive forces at the apex a clinician must avoid placing heavy stresses during tooth movement.

How to cite this article

Hemanth M, Raghuveer HP, Rani MS, Hegde C, Kabbur KJ, Chaithra D, Vedavathi B. An Analysis of the Stress Induced in the Periodontal Ligament during Extrusion and Rotation Movements—Part II: A Comparison of vs Nonlinear FEM Linear Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2015; 16(10):819-823.
Nickel-Titanium Single-file System in Endodontics
Authors: Dagna Alberto
Published: November 2015

Aim

This work describes clinical cases treated with a innovative single-use and single-file nickel-titanium (NiTi) system used in continuous rotation.

Background

Nickel-titanium files are commonly used for root canal treatment but they tend to break because of bending stresses and torsional stresses. Today new instruments used only for one treatment have been introduced. They help the clinician to make the root canal shaping easier and safer because they do not require sterilization and after use have to be discarded. A new sterile instrument is used for each treatment in order to reduce the possibility of fracture inside the canal. The new One Shape NiTi single-file instrument belongs to this group.

Case description

One Shape is used for complete shaping of root canal after an adequate preflaring. Its protocol is simple and some clinical cases are presented. It is helpful for easy cases and reliable for difficult canals.

Conclusion

After 2 years of clinical practice, One Shape seems to be helpful for the treatment of most of the root canals, with low risk of separation. After each treatment, the instrument is discarded and not sterilized in autoclave or re-used.

Clinical significance

This single-use file simplifies the endodontic therapy, because only one instrument is required for canal shaping of many cases. The respect of clinical protocol guarantees predictable good results.

How to cite this article

Dagna A. Nickel-Titanium Single-file System in Endodontics. J Contemp Dent Pract 2015;16(10): 834-839.
Negotiating Intimacy, Equality and Sexuality in the Transition to Parenthood
Authors: Faircloth Charlotte
Published: November 2015

Whilst both ‘parenting’ and ‘intimacy’ have been explored extensively in recent social scientific research (for example, Lee et al 2014, Gabb and Silva 2011 ), their intersections in the context of family life remain curiously absent. This paper presents findings from on-going longitudinal research with parents in London, which investigates how the care of children, and particularly the feeding of infants, affects the parental couple's ‘intimate’ relationship. In particular, as part of this special section, it looks at couples’ accounts of sex as they make the transition to parenthood, as a lens on the themes of gender, intimacy and equality. Far from being an easy relationship between them, as predicted by some scholars, this research shows that they are in fact, ‘uncomfortable bedfellows’.
A Changing Landscape of Intimacy: The Case of a Single Mother by Choice
Authors: Layne Linda L.
Published: November 2015

American women who purposely undertake motherhood without the involvement of a male partner tend to be beneficiaries of second-wave feminist achievements in the areas of expanded educational and employment opportunities. I draw on an in-depth, longitudinal case study of one such Single Mother by Choice (SMC) to explore how the opportunities she has enjoyed and professional achievements she has attained have shaped her ‘intimate landscape.’ Intimacy means ‘innermost,’ and refers to a spatial relationship, whether physical and or metaphorical. ‘Landscape’ refers to ‘all the visible features of an area’ and ‘the distinctive features of a particular situation or intellectual activity.’ Together Carmen and I engaged in topography, producing a detailed description of the arrangement of the features of this area of her life—the intimate physical and emotional relations with her children, her dog, her mother, and close emotional relationships with her siblings and their families, some friends, and members of her church.
The Ire of Satire Meets the Error of Terror
Authors: Agozino Biko
Published: November 2015

The reign of terror named terrorism as a state ideology during the French revolution but the practice of terrorism as public policy predated cries of liberte, egalite et fraternite, given the unprecedented peculiar history of Maafa or the African holocaust that went on for centuries, first across the Sahara and then across the Atlantic, under the sponsorship of various states. The error in terrorism is that it presumes that human beings are such scary cats that fear would be an effective policy for domination or liberation. On the contrary, human beings are a strange piece of work capable of facing the scariest threats even with a thrill of heroism or a yearning for martyrdom. The error in terrorism is that the state continues to fight fire with fire, a crazy form of vaccination by which the lethal doze of the disease is prescribed as the panacea for the virus. The error in anti-terrorism terrorism is that terrorists are not afraid to die and often crave martyrdom whether they are stateless or be-medaled agents of a state while the state frequently sponsors its own favorite terrorists against chosen enemies in proxy wars that tend to boomerang.
‘Menacing Youth’ and ‘Broken Families’: A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Reporting of the 2011 English Riots in the Daily Express Using Moral Panic Theory
Authors: Nijjar Jasbinder S.
Published: November 2015

This paper utilises moral panic theory and critical discourse analysis to examine the coverage of the 2011 English riots in the British newspaper, the Daily Express. Findings show that the Daily Express drew on two previous moral panics concerning youngsters and family life to diagnose the riots as a consequence of youth criminality and poor parenting. The newspaper identified young people as folk devils of the unrest by adopting discourses which vilified them, their behaviour and choice of clothing. Furthermore, the Daily Express exaggerated the severity of the disorder by describing it as war and mass murder to reinforce to its readers the supposed threat posed by young people to social relations. Additionally, the newspaper supported politicians who denied structural determinants as causes of the unrest and, instead, blamed micro issues including a decline in ‘traditional’ family life and morals and discipline among youngsters. While some suggest that folk devils are now defended by experts, the Daily Express gave column inches to expert commentators who also pinpointed young people and poor parenting as causes of the disorder. This paper proposes that future research on media coverage of social problems might, in addition to exploring whether the reporting of an issue identifies new anxieties and concerns, examine the extent to which media institutions draw on and modify discourses concerning previous and familiar social anxieties in order to interpret and frame a social problem.
Political-Economic Coalition among Entrepreneurs, Professionals, and Cadres in Guangdong, China
Authors: Cheung Chau-Kiu , Tsang Eileen Yuk-Ha
Published: November 2015

As entrepreneurs, professionals, and cadres constitute the middle tier in China, they exhibit extravagance, gifting, and the pursuit of privileges. Particularly, privileges are likely to stem from political-economic coalition within the middle tier. The coalition is also likely to favor the preservation of the political structure. All these features of the middle tier need substantiation with qualitative data. The study gleaned the data from personal interviews with 59 entrepreneurs, professionals, and cadres in Guangdong, China. Results illustrate extravagance, political-economic coalition, privileges, and political preservation espoused by the middle tier. These results identify an investment theory to reflect the preservation of investment in political-economic coalition in order to reap privileges to afford extravagance in the middle tier. The results imply that political reform in China hinges on the erosion of the exchange of privileges in the coalition.
LSA SAF Meteosat FRP products – Part 1: Algorithms, product contents, and analysis
Authors: Wooster M. J. , Roberts G. , Freeborn P. H. , Xu W. , Govaerts Y. , Beeby R. , He J. , Lattanzio A. , Fisher D. , Mullen R.
Published: November 2015

Abstract. Characterizing changes in landscape fire activity at better than hourly temporal resolution is achievable using thermal observations of actively burning fires made from geostationary Earth Observation (EO) satellites. Over the last decade or more, a series of research and/or operational "active fire" products have been developed from geostationary EO data, often with the aim of supporting biomass burning fuel consumption and trace gas and aerosol emission calculations. Such Fire Radiative Power (FRP) products are generated operationally from Meteosat by the Land Surface Analysis Satellite Applications Facility (LSA SAF) and are available freely every 15 min in both near-real-time and archived form. These products map the location of actively burning fires and characterize their rates of thermal radiative energy release (FRP), which is believed proportional to rates of biomass consumption and smoke emission. The FRP-PIXEL product contains the full spatio-temporal resolution FRP data set derivable from the SEVIRI (Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager) imager onboard Meteosat at a 3 km spatial sampling distance (decreasing away from the west African sub-satellite point), whilst the FRP-GRID product is an hourly summary at 5° grid resolution that includes simple bias adjustments for meteorological cloud cover and regional underestimation of FRP caused primarily by underdetection of low FRP fires. Here we describe the enhanced geostationary Fire Thermal Anomaly (FTA) detection algorithm used to deliver these products and detail the methods used to generate the atmospherically corrected FRP and per-pixel uncertainty metrics. Using SEVIRI scene simulations and real SEVIRI data, including from a period of Meteosat-8 "special operations", we describe certain sensor and data pre-processing characteristics that influence SEVIRI's active fire detection and FRP measurement capability, and use these to specify parameters in the FTA algorithm and to make recommendations for the forthcoming Meteosat Third Generation operations in relation to active fire measures. We show that the current SEVIRI FTA algorithm is able to discriminate actively burning fires covering down to 10−4 of a pixel and that it appears more sensitive to fire than other algorithms used to generate many widely exploited active fire products. Finally, we briefly illustrate the information contained within the current Meteosat FRP-PIXEL and FRP-GRID products, providing example analyses for both individual fires and multi-year regional-scale fire activity; the companion paper (Roberts et al., 2015) provides a full product performance evaluation and a demonstration of product use within components of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS).
Vortex-wide chlorine activation by a mesoscale PSC event in the Arctic winter of 2009/10
Authors: Wegner T. , Pitts M. C. , Poole L. R. , Tritscher I. , Grooß J.-U. , Nakajima H.
Published: November 2015

Abstract. In the Arctic polar vortex of the 2009/10 winter temperatures were low enough to allow widespread formation of Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSC). These clouds occurred during the initial chlorine activation phase which provided the opportunity to investigate the impact of PSCs on chlorine activation. Satellite observations of gas-phase species and PSCs are used in combination with trajectory modeling to assess this initial activation. The initial activation occurred in association with the formation of PSCs over the east coast of Greenland at the beginning of January 2010. Although this area of PSCs covered only a small portion of the vortex, it was responsible for almost the entire initial activation of chlorine vortex wide. Observations show HCl mixing ratios decreased rapidly in and downstream of this region. Trajectory calculations and simplified heterogeneous chemistry modeling confirmed that the initial chlorine activation continued until ClONO2 was completely depleted and the activated air masses were advected throughout the polar vortex. For the calculation of heterogeneous reaction rates, surface area density is estimated from backscatter observations. Modeled heterogeneous reaction rates along trajectories intersecting with the PSC indicate that the initial phase of chlorine activation occurred in just a few hours. These calculations also indicate that chlorine activation on the binary background aerosol is significantly slower than on the PSCs and the observed chlorine activation can only be explained by an increase in surface area density due to PSCs. Furthermore, there is a strong correlation between the magnitude of the observed HCl depletion and PSC surface area.
Measurement of wind profiles by motion-stabilised ship-borne Doppler lidar
Authors: Achtert P. , Brooks I. M. , Brooks B. J. , Moat B. I. , Prytherch J. , Persson P. O. G. , Tjernström M.
Published: November 2015

Abstract. Three months of Doppler lidar wind measurements were obtained during the Arctic Cloud Summer Experiment on the icebreaker Oden during the summer of 2014. Such ship-borne Doppler measurements require active stabilisation to remove the effects of ship motion. We demonstrate that the combination of a commercial Doppler lidar with a custom-made motion-stabilisation platform enables the retrieval of wind profiles in the Arctic atmospheric boundary layer during both cruising and ice-breaking with statistical uncertainties comparable to land-based measurements. This held true particularly within the atmospheric boundary layer even though the overall aerosol load was very low. Motion stabilisation was successful for high wind speeds in open water and the resulting wave conditions. It allows for the retrieval of vertical winds with a random error below 0.2 m s−1. The comparison of lidar-measured wind and radio soundings gives a mean bias of 0.3 m s−1 (2°) and a mean standard deviation of 1.1 m s−1 (12°) for wind speed (wind direction). The agreement for wind direction degrades with height. The combination of a motion-stabilised platform with a low-maintenance autonomous Doppler lidar has the potential to enable continuous long-term high-resolution ship-based wind profile measurements over the oceans.
Analysis of glacial and periglacial processes using structure from motion
Authors: Piermattei L. , Carturan L. , de Blasi F. , Tarolli P. , Dalla Fontana G. , Vettore A. , Pfeifer N.
Published: November 2015

Abstract. Close-range photo-based surface reconstruction from the ground is rapidly emerging as an alternative to lidar (light detection and ranging), which today represents the main survey technique in many fields of geoscience. The recent evolution of photogrammetry, incorporating computer vision algorithms such as Structure from Motion (SfM) and dense image matching such as Multi-View Stereo (MVS), allows the reconstruction of dense 3-D point clouds for the photographed object from a sequence of overlapping images taken with a digital consumer camera. The objective of our work was to test the accuracy of the ground-based SfM-MVS approach in calculating the geodetic mass balance of a 2.1 km2 glacier in the Ortles-Cevedale Group, Eastern Italian Alps. In addition, we investigated the feasibility of using the image-based approach for the detection of the surface displacement rate of a neighbouring active rock glacier. Airborne laser scanning (ALS) data were used as benchmarks to estimate the accuracy of the photogrammetric DTMs and the reliability of the method in this specific application. The glacial and periglacial analyses were performed using both range and image-based surveying techniques, and the results were then compared. The results were encouraging because the SfM-MVS approach enables the reconstruction of high-quality DTMs which provided estimates of glacial and periglacial processes similar to those achievable by ALS. Different resolutions and accuracies were obtained for the glacier and the rock glacier, given the different survey geometries, surface characteristics and areal extents. The analysis of the SfM-MVS DTM quality allowed us to highlight the limitations of the adopted expeditious method in the studied alpine terrain and the potential of this method in the multitemporal study of glacial and periglacial areas.
The importance of entrainment and bulking on debris flow runout modeling: examples from the Swiss Alps
Authors: Frank F. , McArdell B. W. , Huggel C. , Vieli A.
Published: November 2015

Abstract. This study describes an investigation of channel-bed entrainment of sediment by debris flows. An entrainment model, developed using field data from debris flows at the Illgraben catchment, Switzerland, was incorporated into the existing RAMMS debris-flow model, which solves the 2-D shallow-water equations for granular flows. In the entrainment model, an empirical relationship between maximum shear stress and measured erosion is used to determine the maximum potential erosion depth. Additionally, the average rate of erosion, measured at the same field site, is used to constrain the erosion rate. The model predicts plausible erosion values in comparison with field data from highly erosive debris flow events at the Spreitgraben torrent channel, Switzerland in 2010, without any adjustment to the coefficients in the entrainment model. We find that by including bulking due to entrainment (e.g., by channel erosion) in runout models a more realistic flow pattern is produced than in simulations where entrainment is not included. In detail, simulations without entrainment show more lateral outflow from the channel where it has not been observed in the field. Therefore the entrainment model may be especially useful for practical applications such as hazard analysis and mapping, as well as scientific case studies of erosive debris flows.
Um diálogo entre arquivo, conhecimento e tecnologia
Authors: Santos Henrique Machado dos , Flores Daniel
Published: November 2015

Objetivo. Realizar uma breve reflexão sobre a gestão do conhecimento em arquivos, enfatizando as ligações necessárias para um diálogo entre arquivo, conhecimento e tecnologia. Método. Consiste na revisão de materiais previamente publicados das áreas da Administração, Arquivologia e Ciência da Informação. As fontes consultadas consistem em livros, teses, textos em sites da internet e artigos científicos de periódicos indexados no Google Scholar. Assim, os dados coletados são analisados de forma qualitativa. Resultados. Há uma estreita relação entre o arquivo, o conhecimento e a tecnologia. Neste sentido, o documento exerce o papel de interlocutor deste diálogo. O cenário interdisciplinar vislumbrado, realça a aproximação existente entre as práticas arquivísticas e a gestão do conhecimento, de modo que possibilite um ciclo de retroalimentação que servirá de apoio às práticas relacionadas à gestão, seja ela, do conhecimento, da informação ou de documentos. Conclusões. Há necessidade de mais estudos que abordem o potencial dos arquivos, a fim de preencher possíveis lacunas teóricas, assim, múltiplos olhares alcançarão mais pontos de convergência interdisciplinares. Por fim, destaca-se que o potencial informacional dos arquivos, então mediado pelas tecnologias da informação, poderá enriquecer as práticas de gestão do conhecimento, e para isto, é essencial reforçar as relações interdisciplinares entre Administração, Arquivologia e Ciência da Informação.
Fear of Floating in Turkey
Authors: Sıklar Ilyas , Sekmen Taner
Published: November 2015

Many emerging markets have adopted floating exchange rate regimes after currency crises. Turkey has experienced a floating regime since 2002 combined with inflation targeting. The aim of this paper is to investigate the “fear of floating” phenomenon, named by Calvo and Reinhart (2002), in the transition to a low and stable inflation environment in Turkey before and after inflation targeting. The results demonstrate that the levels of exchange rate pass-through decreased substantially, thus weakening the “fear of floating” phenomenon in Turkey after inflation targeting. Therefore, we argue whether any reactions of the central bank to foreign exchange rates imply the “fear of floating” or the “fear of inflation”
Evaluation of Fungicides Applied Via Drip Irrigation for Control of Silver Scurf on Potato in Western Washington
Authors: D. W. McMoran , S. J. Buller
Published: November 2015

Silver scurf is an economically important disease on potato tubers caused by Helminthosporium solani. Two studies were established near Mount Vernon, WA at Washington State University NWREC on 20 May 2011 and 21 May 2012 in Skagit silt loam soil.  Five treatments included: penthiopyrad applied at 45 days after planting (dap), penthiopyrad applied at 60 dap, azoxystrobin (Quadris; 9 oz/acre) applied at 45 dap, and azoxystrobin applied at 60 dap, and a non-treated non-irrigated control.  This study did not control for the effect of irrigation, as azoxystrobin- and penthiopyrad-treated plots were drip-irrigated while non-treated plots were not irrigated. The results of this study are therefore limited but do suggest a reduction in silver scurf incidence and severity with no significant impact on yield of potatoes when treated fungicide applied through drip irrigation systems.
Interleukin-17 and its Correlation with Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Expression in Ocular Surface Pathologies: A Histologic Study
Authors: Jabarin Basel , Solomon Abraham , Amer Radgonde
Published: November 2015

Purpose

Interleukin-17 (IL-17), a cytokine that was recently associated with various inflammatory processes, was evaluated in ocular surface inflammatory pathologies, namely pterygium and inflamed juvenile conjunctival nevus (IJCN). Its expression was examined in correlation with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression.

Methods

Expression of IL-17 and VEGF was immunohistochemically evaluated in 50 pterygia and 9 IJCN specimens. The pattern of IL-17 and VEGF expression was studied as well as the correlation between the 2 cytokines.

Results

Interleukin-17 was expressed in all IJCN samples and in 84% of pterygia (Fisher exact test, p<0.002). In pterygium, it was expressed mainly in the basal layer of the epithelial cells, in the perivascular tissues, and in the vascular endothelial cells. In IJCN, it was mainly expressed in the inflammatory infiltrate. In normal conjunctival epithelium, it was barely detected and was positive in only 11%. Vascular endothelial growth factor was expressed in all IJCN samples and in 92% of pterygia (Fisher exact test, p<0.002). It was expressed in the surface epithelial layers of the pterygium and in the vascular endothelium. In IJCN, it was again seen in the vascular endothelial cells and in the inflammatory infiltrate. Vascular endothelial growth factor expression was noted in 67% of normal conjunctival sections.

Conclusions

The present study describes the expression of IL-17 in pterygium and in IJCN. These findings provide new insights into pterygium and IJCN pathogenesis. Interleukin-17 blockade may have a potential role in management of pterygium and IJCN or preventing pterygium recurrence.
Roughness and Microhardness of Composites after Different Bleaching Techniques
Authors: Leal Andreia , Paula Anabela , Ramalho Amílcar , Esteves Miguel , Ferreira Manuel Marques , Carrilho Eunice
Published: November 2015

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate the roughness and microhardness of SonicFill™ (Kerr), and compare it with Filtek™ Supreme XTE (3M ESPE) after 2 bleaching regimens.

Methods

Sixty cylindrical specimens (10 × 2 mm) of each of the 2 composites were prepared and divided into 6 groups (n = 20): groups 1, 2: no treatment; groups 3, 4: 10% carbamide peroxide (CP); and groups 5, 6: 35% hydrogen peroxide (HP) plus LED. After treatments, specimens were thermocycled (500 cycles, 5°C/55°C, dwell time 30 minutes). A mechanical roughness tester was employed to measure the surface roughness parameters and the Vickers test to measure microhardness. One-way ANOVA, Tukey and Bonferroni methods with a significance level of 5% were used for the statistical analysis.

Results

For SonicFill™, there was no statistically significant difference in microhardness between the control group (no. 1) and the bleached groups (nos. 3, 5), but there was difference between CP and HP treatments; for Filtek™ Supreme XTE, there was no significant difference in microhardness among all groups. There was no significant difference in average roughness (Ra) and the root mean square of the roughness (Rq) among all groups. The mean roughness depth (Rz) parameter showed no statistically significant differences among all groups for SonicFill™, but in Filtek™ Supreme XTE, there was a significant increase between control and bleaching treatments; roughness skewness (Rsk) showed no statistically significant differences among all groups for SonicFill™ and Filtek™ Supreme XTE, except for nos. 2 and 4, where the Rsk increased with CP.

Conclusions

The microhardness of Filtek™ Supreme XTE is less affected by bleaching than that of SonicFill™. Both bleaching treatments affect Rz in Filtek™ Supreme XTE in contrast to SonicFill™, but only the CP treatment affects the Rsk of Filtek™ Supreme XTE, with no significant effect of SonicFill™.
Telomerase Activity as a Marker for Differential Diagnosis of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Gu Huajian , Xin Xiaoyan , Pan Yaozhen , Zhang Hong , Tian She , Sun Chengyi
Published: November 2015

Background

Studies evaluating the role of telomerase activity in pancreatic adenocarcinoma are inconsistent and a systemic review of the available literature may shed new light on this issue.

Objective

To systematically review the usefulness of telomerase activity in distinguishing pancreatic cancer from other pancreatic diseases.

Methods

A comprehensive search of the PubMed and Embase databases was conducted to identify eligible studies. Only studies evaluating telomerase activity in patients with suspected or previously diagnosed pancreatic adenocarcinomas versus nonpancreatic adenocarcinomas and published in English with a sufficient number of cases were included. The hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) model was used to establish the potential value of telomerase activity in the diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Results

A total of 19 studies qualified for this meta-analysis. In distinguishing pancreatic adenocarcinoma from benign diseases, the pooled sensitivity and specificity of telomerase activity were 0.81 (95% CI, 0.68-0.90) and 0.97 (95% CI, 0.93-0.98), respectively; the diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) was 126.62 (95% CI, 49.94-320.99); beta was −1.16 (95% CI, −3.62-1.29), Z was −0.93, p was 0.35>0.1, and lambda was 6.86 (95% CI, 1.01-12.70). In distinguishing pancreatic adenocarcinoma from chronic pancreatitis, the pooled sensitivity and specificity of telomerase activity were 0.77 (95% CI, 0.61-0.88) and 0.97 (95% CI, 0.91-0.99), respectively; DOR was 117.28 (95% CI, 32.25-426.53); beta was −0.38 (95% CI, −1.89-1.13), Z was −0.49, p was 0.62>0.1, and lambda was 5.30 (95% CI, 3.37-7.24).

Conclusions

The present meta-analysis demonstrates that telomerase activity could be a useful biomarker for the differential diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma and benign pancreatic diseases.