bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Investigation of Sinop Coastal Area Pattern in Terms of Coastal Management
Authors: Baki Oylum Gokkurt , Ergun Osman Nuri
Published: May 2017

Sinop is a province located at the Black Sea region and it is rich in scenic beauty and cultural values and has potential touristic resources. Moreover, it is one of the most prominent port towns in the Black Sea region. The area, which can be qualified as the most important and prominent image region of the city, comprise the coastal land use line of the province. However, the city fails to utilize this advantage. The master plan of the city has substantially changed through the years. The present study aimed to determine the changes in the master plans of the city through the years, the distribution of the coastal land use areas and changes in the utilization of the coastal areas through the years. Evaluating the current administrative competence/constraints in the coastal area with respect to the data obtained in the study is also among the goals of the study. Furthermore, by taking the impact of environmental factors on the ratio of the land use areas into consideration, examining these data in terms of coastal management planning to create habitats that better suit the vital requirements is another prospect of the study. In addition, the evaluation of some coastal area-associated issues including the extent of the effect of current erosion issues on the development of the coastal area was also included in the study. The percentage of the current functional coastal areas in the province, the distribution of the number of building floors and the changes in these data by years were also investigated. For these evaluations, zoning revisions and 1/2000, 1/5000 and 1/10000 maps were examined to determine the coastal area zoning changes and filling areas. Fieldworks were carried out in the coastal area of the city to determine and observe the state of the area. The data was collected by contacting relevant institutions and organizations and carrying out fieldworks. Considering the data obtained in the study, measures to remedy the zoning deficiencies in the coastal area and the city center were proposed. The obtained data and evaluations obtained revealed that the province is in need of new and sustainable planning and there is a necessity to include implementations that are based on integrated coastal area management principals.
Grammar Learning Strategies in Omani EFL Classes: Type and Relation to Student Proficiency
Authors: Al Abri Ahmed , Al Seyabi Fawzia , Al Humaidi Salma , Hasan Abdul
Published: May 2017

The current study investigated the types of learning strategies used by Omani grade ten students when learning grammar. It also explored the differences between students of different proficiency levels in using grammar learning strategies. In order to gather data on students' grammar learning strategies, a frequency-based scale was designed and distributed to 170 students from Al Dhakeleya Governorate in Oman. The questionnaire consisted of thirty-eight items covering three types of grammar learning strategies, which were cognitive, metacognitive and socio-affective strategies. The present study revealed that grade ten Omani students used the three types of learning strategies to different extents. The study showed that Omani tenth graders used meta-cognitive strategies more frequently than cognitive and socio-affective strategies. The study also revealed that proficient students used more metacognitive strategies than less proficient students. The study makes a number of recommendations for future practice.
Laudato Si', Civic Studies, and the Future of Democracy
Authors: Boyte Harry C.
Published: May 2017

Pope Francis authored Laudato Si' as a statement on climate change, and it has provoked intense discussion and debate on climate around the world. The statement's contributions to the topic are most welcome.1 Yet few have noted the encyclical's resources for addressing a more general crisis in the contemporary world, a crisis of democracy understood as collective agency.2 This crisis erodes human capacities to address a multitude of challenges, from climate change to sectarian warfare, from economic and racial inequalities to public health and educational reform. In this essay, I argue that the encyclical has significant contributions to make not only for analyzing the crisis but also for catalyzing a democratic awakening. The encyclical, from this vantage, complements the field of civic studies.
Paradoxes of Public Participation in Climate Change Governance
Authors: Sprain Leah
Published: May 2017

Participation in climate governance is a wicked problem. Determining who participates and how is wicked, tricky, and even aggressive. The wicked dimensions of climate change—the difficulties of problem definition and no stopping rule, in particular—require rethinking how to best govern efforts toward adaptation and mitigation. Participatory spaces are not neutral: they are created for multiple purposes, providing opportunities for agency and inclusion but also exclusion and hierarchy. Following the logic of wicked problems that requires attention to paradoxes, I identify several paradoxes of participation in climate change governance that need to be considered in the design of public participation. These paradoxes demand attention rather than erasure if we seek better answers to the fundamental questions of who gets to participate in climate change adaptation and how.
Con los ojos del alma
Authors: García Mirielle
Published: May 2017

"Me importa y valoro lo que tienen por contar los individuos, al final creo que somos como un colectivo para transmitir un mensaje, sea cual sea el espectador podrá ser parte para recrear y renovar paradigmas. Este es el papel que nos ha tocado como sociedad, poder testimoniar y crear una conciencia individual, utilizando la fotografía como herramienta de gran impacto visual." La presente fotografía es parte del portafolio presentado a la Escuela Internacional de Cine San Antonio (Cuba), para aplicar a la Especialidad de Fotografía (2017-2020).Mirielle GarcíaFotógrafa
Sín título
Authors: Martínez Jr. Marvin
Published: May 2017

"Mi trabajo consiste en promover nuestras raíces afro-descendientes, nuestra cultura, nuestros valores, nuestra historia y nuestros derechos, todo a través de un arte elaborado únicamente con bolígrafos azules, rojos, naranjas, negros, etcétera. De esta manera se motiva a jóvenes y adolescentes nicaragüenses de escasos recursos, dándoles una nueva percepción del arte, con una temática basada en la autoaceptación y una técnica de fácil elaboración y acceso de la misma." Arq. Marvin Martínez Jr.Artista plástico nicaragüense
Construyendo caminos para la paz
Authors: Nobel de la Paz Premios
Published: May 2017

Declaración adoptada por la XVI Cumbre Mundial de Premios Nobel de la Paz.Bogotá, 4 de febrero 2017.
Los desafíos en una pedagogía de cultura de paz. Crisis de la escuela, crisis del adulto
Authors: Lovo Anastasio
Published: May 2017

Anastasio Lovo nos entrega una reflexión sobre seis problemas contemporáneos capitales en el proceso enseñanza-aprendizaje de la educación en todas sus áreas. El autor adapta a la realidad de un país dependiente y empobrecido como lo son Nicaragua y gran parte de los países de América Latina, el aporte de dos pedagogos italianos Luigi Tufanelli y Dario Ianes, quienes en su obra “La gestión de la clase”, descubren estos desafíos globales para la educación. Este artículo es una contribución a la reflexión sobre aquellos problemas que están lesionando el proceso, donde educandos y educadores, construyen la formación técnica y profesional en el mundo. Un texto de imprescindible lectura para el profesorado que gestiona clases en cualquier nivel académico.
The Impact of Options Trading on the Relationship between Research Quotient and Firm Performance
Authors: Huang Han-Ching , Irawan Calista Amelia
Published: May 2017

The performance of innovation could be counted by the number of patent. Patent information enables a firm to estimate R&D efficiency and stock market value. Nonetheless, patents is not universal because more than 50% companies in COMPUSTAT do not patent their new products. Since patents have some drawbacks, Cooper, Knott, and Yang (2015) use Research Quotient (RQ) as an indicator of firm innovation because RQ measures the productivity of the R&D department, which produces a new innovative product and transforms it into revenues. In this paper, we examine the impact of option trading on the relation between RQ and stock market return (or firm value). We find that RQ has the positive impact on firm value, proxy by market-to-book (MTB) value. The option dummy, which is the firm with option trading, has significantly positive impact on the relation between RQ and firm value and insignificantly positive impact on the relation between RQ and future stock return. Nonetheless, interaction term of RQ and option volume has positive and significant impacts on MTB and future stock return.
The Impact of Outward FDI on the Upgrading of China’s Manufacturing Industry Structure: A Literature Review
Authors: Jiang Shuyuan , Cheng Dan
Published: May 2017

Since China put forward the strategy of “going out”, outward foreign direct investment (FDI) began to grow rapidly, and the manufacturing industry, as the pillar industry of our country, is facing the dilemma of transformation. This paper will focus on this topic of the relationship between the outward FDI and upgrading of China’s manufacturing industry structure, and sort out and summarize the domestic and foreign literature. It is concluded that the existing literatures are consistent: the outward FDI can promote the upgrading of industrial structure of home country. In terms of China’s manufacturing industry, the outward FDI can promote the upgrading of China’s manufacturing industry, however, the impact have a kind of hysteresis quality, and may produce the phenomenon of “industry hollowing out”.
Modeling and Resolution of the Allocation Problem of the Time Slots in Dakar Airport
Authors: Ahamada Youssouf , Diagne Salimata G. , Coulibaly Amadou , Dione D'ethi'e , Nlio N'dogotar , Gningue Youssou
Published: May 2017

In this article, we proposed a programming linear model in integer numbers(PLIN) for the optimal allocation of the time slots in the  international  Leopold Sedar Senghor airport of Dakar (L.S.S). The slots  are specific allocated periods which allow an aircraft to land or take off in a saturated airport. Their attribution depends on theconfiguration of the airport, more particularly on its capacity. We maximize the confirmed demand in each slot and take the number of aircrafts and the number of manageable passengers with an optimal quality service into account. We used the CPLEX software so that to test the effectiveness of the linear model. Firstly, in the proposed model linear in integer numbers, any unmet demand was isolated. Secondly, the rejected demands  by introducing a model and an algorithm of resolution based on the dynamic programming.
Evaluation of Relationship between Social Support and Social Health of Tehran Citizens
Authors: Khosro Shahi Habib Sabouri , Mashayekhi Somayeh
Published: May 2017

Social health is a concept that is created from relationship between two concepts of health and society. Since the society is a nominal concept and its external truth depends on everyone who has formed it, in evaluation of society, people of that should be evaluated and studied more than everything. In this regard the present research under the topic of “Evaluation of relationship between social support and social health of Tehran citizens” has been conducted among Tehran citizens in 2016. Social health was evaluated based on Keyes’s theories in five dimensions of social prosperity, social adaptation, social cohesion, social acceptance and social participation and also social support was evaluated based on researches of Wax et al. in three dimensions of friends support, family support and others support. Research methodology in this research is survey and technique of data collection is questionnaire. The questionnaires were distributed among 400 people of women who were selected as multi-stage cluster sampling, and because 15 of questionnaires were altered, approximately 385 were finally analyzed. The result was that social support is one of effective factors on social health; the obtained adjusted multiple coefficient of determination showed that the triple dimensions of social support (friends support, family support and others support) have been able to express approximately 58% of the social health variable.
Radiological Outcomes of Overhead Traction Therapy for Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip in Non-ambulatory Children
Authors: Waśko Marcin K. , Pietrzak Szymon , Szarejko Anna , Przybysz Waldemar , Parol Tomasz , Czubak Jarosław
Published: May 2017

Background. Infants with a dislocated and unstable hip that does not lend itself to stabilisation may be treated using overhead traction to achieve gradual reduction of the hip joint. The aim of this paper was to analyse the radiological outcomes of overhead traction therapy and the effect of duration of traction on the occurrence of complications and final treatment outcomes.
Material and methodd. A retrospective analysis of medical records of 26 children (34 affected hips) involved three independent observers assessing radiological parameters before the surgery and at follow-up visits at least two years after the therapy.
Results. Overhead traction was used for an average of 35 days (range: 15-43 days). Twenty six hips were treated solely with reduction and immobilisation in a ‘human position’ plaster cast. Three hips were qualified for surgery immediately after a preliminary traction period. Five hips showed a suboptimal result following the immobilisation period. A MANOVA model revealed that the following factors had a significant effect on the treatment outcome: superior centring ratio of Smith (with the lowest values recorded in patients with residual hip dysplasia, p = 0.001) and acetabular angle of Sharp (with the lowest values found in patients requiring surgery, p = 0.01). Statistical tests did not show a correlation between the duration of traction and disturbance of proximal femoral metaphysis growth assessed according to Bucholz and Ogden classification. Fifteen hips were classified as type I, eight hips were graded as type II and also eight hips as type III.
Conclusions. The lowest values of acetabular angle of Sharp were recorded in patients requiring surgery and the lowest superior centring ratio of Smith was found in those with residual hip dysplasia. The duration of overhead traction did not directly correlate with the final outcome; it only seemed to be an indicator of the severity of hip dysplasia. Routine use of overhead traction before undertaking closed reduction does not probably decrease the incidence of proximal femoral growth disturbance.
Biopsychosocial Rehabilitation Programme for Patients with Chronic Back Pain. Pilot Study
Authors: Cabak Anna , Rudnicka Agnieszka , Kulej Leszek , Tomaszewski Wiesław
Published: May 2017

Background. In the search for effective and comprehensive therapies of back pain, an increasing emphasis in being placed on the biopsychosocial model and multidimensional support programmes for patients as well the use of modern technologies in this area of medicine. This study aimed to assess a programme of customised ad hoc physiotherapeutic consultations for patients with back pain who had been on the waiting list for rehabilitation treatment for a long time.
Material and method. The study group comprised 68 patients of the Rehabilitation Centre Non-Public Health Care Institution who had been waiting for rehabilitation treatment for at least three months. The patients, diagnosed with chronic back pain and aged 40-80 years, were randomly assigned into two groups. The experimental group took part in a programme of three consultations, provided on average once a month. The patients from both groups were assessed after the three-month programme, immediately before the commencement of the prescribed rehabilitation treatment. We evaluated the pain threshold at trigger points of selected muscles using the algometric method (kg/cm 2 ), subjective assessment of pain (VAS), functional limitations (Rolland Morris Disability Questionnaire) and quality of life (36-Item Short Form Health Survey, SF-36). The statistical analysis of the results used non-parametric methods: significance of differences between the groups was evaluated with the Mann–Whitney U test and correlations between the variables were assessed separately for each group using Spearman’s rank order correlation. The significance threshold was accepted at α=0.05.
Results. The algometric evaluation of all the muscles revealed significantly lower sensitivity to pain, demonstrated by a higher pain threshold (p<0.0001), in the experimental group. Moreover, this group also included a much smaller percentage of patients with a high level of functional limitations according to the Rolland Morris Disability Questionnaire. The quality of life evaluation revealed that the control group scored poorer in the mental domain (p=0.02).
Conclusions. The ad hoc intervention programme for patients referred for rehabilitation due to chronic back pain showed demonstrable beneficial effects with regard to their psychophysical health. Similar programmes should be more readily offered to patients at health care centres and implemented into clinical practice.
Growing up with perinatal HIV: changes in clinical outcomes before and after transfer to adult care in the UK
Authors: Judd Ali , Collins Intira Jeannie , Parrott Francesca , Hill Teresa , Jose Sophie , Ford Deborah , Asad Hibo , Gibb Diana M. , Sabin Caroline ,   Collaborative HIV Paediatric Study (CHIPS) Steering Committee and the UK Collaborative HIV Cohort Study (UK CHIC)
Published: May 2017

Introduction: With improved survival, adolescents with perinatal HIV (PHIV) are transitioning from paediatric to adult care, but there are few published data on clinical outcomes post‐transfer. Using linked data from patients in the national UK/Ireland paediatric cohort (CHIPS) and an adult UK cohort of outpatient clinics (UK CHIC), we describe mortality and changes in immunological status post‐transfer.

Methods: Participants in CHIPS aged ≥13 years by the end of 2013 were linked to the UK CHIC database. Mixed effects models explored changes in CD4 count before and after transfer, including interactions between time and variables where interaction p < 0.05.

Results: Of 1,215 paediatric participants aged ≥13 years, 271 (22%) had linked data in UK CHIC. One hundred and forty‐six (53%) were female, median age at last visit in paediatric care was 17 [interquartile range, IQR 16,18] years, median duration in paediatric care was 11.8 [6.6,15.5] years, and in adult care was 2.9 [1.5,5.9] years. At last visit in paediatric care, 74% (n = 200) were on ART, increasing to 84% (n = 228, p = 0.001) at last visit in adult care. In the 12 months before leaving paediatric care, 92 (47%) had two consecutive viral loads >400 copies/mL or one viral load >10,000 copies/mL, and likewise 102 (52%) in the 12 months post‐transfer (p = 0.79). Seven (3%) people died in adult care. In multivariable analysis, CD4 declined as patients approached transition with a greater decline in those with higher nadir CD4 count (mean rates of decline of 3, 13, 15, 30 cells/mm3 per year for those with nadir CD4 < 100, 100–199, 200–299 and ≥300 cells/mm3, respectively). Post‐transition, CD4 continued to decline in some groups (e.g. black males, −20 (−34, −5) cells/mm3 per year post transition, p = 0.007)) while it improved in others. Overall CD4 was higher with later year of birth (14 (7, 21) cells/mm3 per later year). There was no effect of age at transfer or changing hospital at transfer on CD4.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that CD4 in adolescents with perinatal HIV in the UK was declining in the period before transition to adult care, and there was some reversal in this trend post‐transfer in some groups. Across the transition period, CD4 was higher in those with later birth years, suggesting improvements in clinical care and/or transition planning over time.
HIV treatment and care services for adolescents: a situational analysis of 218 facilities in 23 sub‐Saharan African countries
Authors: Mark Daniella , Armstrong Alice , Andrade Catarina , Penazzato Martina , Hatane Luann , Taing Lina , Runciman Toby , Ferguson Jane
Published: May 2017

Introduction: In 2013, an estimated 2.1 million adolescents (age 10–19 years) were living with HIV globally. The extent to which health facilities provide appropriate treatment and care was unknown. To support understanding of service availability in 2014, Paediatric‐Adolescent Treatment Africa (PATA), a non‐governmental organisation (NGO) supporting a network of health facilities across sub‐Saharan Africa, undertook a facility‐level situational analysis of adolescent HIV treatment and care services in 23 countries.

Methods: Two hundred and eighteen facilities, responsible for an estimated 80,072 HIV‐infected adolescents in care, were surveyed. Sixty per cent of the sample were from PATA's network, with the remaining gathered via local NGO partners and snowball sampling. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and coding to describe central tendencies and identify themes.

Results: Respondents represented three subregions: West and Central Africa (n = 59; 27%), East Africa (n = 77, 35%) and southern Africa (n = 82, 38%). Half (50%) of the facilities were in urban areas, 17% peri‐urban and 33% rural settings. Insufficient data disaggregation and outcomes monitoring were critical issues. A quarter of facilities did not have a working definition of adolescence. Facilities reported non‐adherence as their key challenge in adolescent service provision, but had insufficient protocols for determining and managing poor adherence and loss to follow‐up. Adherence counselling focused on implications of non‐adherence rather than its drivers. Facilities recommended peer support as an effective adherence and retention intervention, yet not all offered these services. Almost two‐thirds reported attending to adolescents with adults and/or children, and half had no transitioning protocols. Of those with transitioning protocols, 21% moved pregnant adolescents into adult services earlier than their peers. There was limited sexual and reproductive health integration, with 63% of facilities offering these services within their HIV programmes and 46% catering to the special needs of HIV‐infected pregnant adolescents.

Conclusions: Results indicate that providers are challenged by adolescent adherence and reflect an insufficiently targeted approach for adolescents. Guidance on standard definitions for adherence, retention and counselling approaches is needed. Peer support may create an enabling environment and sensitize personnel. Service delivery gaps should be addressed, with standardized transition and quality counselling. Integrated, comprehensive sexual reproductive health services are needed, with support for pregnant adolescents.
Where do HIV‐infected adolescents go after transfer? – Tracking transition/transfer of HIV‐infected adolescents using linkage of cohort data to a health information system platform
Authors: Davies Mary‐Ann , Tsondai Priscilla , Tiffin Nicki , Eley Brian , Rabie Helena , Euvrard Jonathan , Orrell Catherine , Prozesky Hans , Wood Robin , Cogill Dolphina , Haas Andreas D. , Sohn Annette H. , Boulle Andrew
Published: May 2017

Introduction: To evaluate long‐term outcomes in HIV‐infected adolescents, it is important to identify ways of tracking outcomes after transfer to a different health facility. The Department of Health (DoH) in the Western Cape Province (WCP) of South Africa uses a single unique identifier for all patients across the health service platform. We examined adolescent outcomes after transfer by linking data from four International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS Southern Africa (IeDEA‐SA) cohorts in the WCP with DoH data.

Methods: We included adolescents on antiretroviral therapy who transferred out of their original cohort from 10 to 19 years of age between 2004 and 2014. The DoH conducted the linkage separately for each cohort and linked anonymized data were then combined. The primary outcome was successful transfer defined as having a patient record at a facility other than the original facility after the transfer date. Secondary outcomes included the proportion of patients retained, with HIV‐RNA <400 copies/ml and CD4 > 500 cells/µl at 1, 2 and 3 years post‐transfer.

Results: Of 460 adolescents transferred out (53% female), 72% transferred at 10–14 years old, and 79% transferred out of tertiary facilities. Overall, 81% of patients transferred successfully at a median (interquartile range) of 56 (27–134) days following transfer date; 95% reached the transfer site <18 months after transfer out. Among those transferring successfully, the proportion retained decreased from 1 to 3 years post‐transfer (90–84%). There was no significant difference between transfer and 1–3 years post‐transfer in the proportion of retained adolescents with HIV‐RNA <400 copies/ml and CD4 > 500 cells/µl except for HIV‐RNA <400 copies/ml at 3 years (86% vs. 75%; p = 0.007). The proportion virologically suppressed and with CD4 > 500 cells/µl was significantly lower at 1 and 2 years post‐transfer in those transferring at 15–19 vs. 10–14 years of age. Using laboratory data alone over‐estimated time to successful transfer.

Conclusions: Linking cohort data to health information system data allowed efficient assessment of post‐transfer outcomes. Although >80% of adolescents transferred successfully with nearly 85% of them retained for 3 years post‐transfer, the decline in the proportion virologically suppressed and poorer outcomes in older adolescents are concerns.​
A unifying mechanism for the biogenesis of membrane proteins co-operatively integrated by the Sec and Tat pathways
Authors: Tooke Fiona J , Babot Marion , Chandra Govind , Buchanan Grant , Palmer Tracy
Published: May 2017

The majority of multi-spanning membrane proteins are co-translationally inserted into the bilayer by the Sec pathway. An important subset of membrane proteins have globular, cofactor-containing extracytoplasmic domains requiring the dual action of the co-translational Sec and post-translational Tat pathways for integration. Here, we identify further unexplored families of membrane proteins that are dual Sec-Tat-targeted. We establish that a predicted heme-molybdenum cofactor-containing protein, and a complex polyferredoxin, each require the concerted action of two translocases for their assembly. We determine that the mechanism of handover from Sec to Tat pathway requires the relatively low hydrophobicity of the Tat-dependent transmembrane domain. This, coupled with the presence of C-terminal positive charges, results in abortive insertion of this transmembrane domain by the Sec pathway and its subsequent release at the cytoplasmic side of the membrane. Together, our data points to a simple unifying mechanism governing the assembly of dual targeted membrane proteins.
Global clues to the nature of genomic mutations in humans
Authors: Scally Aylwyn
Published: May 2017

An analysis of worldwide human genetic variation reveals the footprints of ancient changes in genomic mutation processes.
Among-site variability in the stochastic dynamics of East African coral reefs
Authors: Allen Katherine A. , Bruno John F. , Chong Fiona , Clancy Damian , McClanahan Tim R. , Spencer Matthew , Żychaluk Kamila
Published: May 2017

Coral reefs are dynamic systems whose composition is highly influenced by unpredictable biotic and abiotic factors. Understanding the spatial scale at which long-term predictions of reef composition can be made will be crucial for guiding conservation efforts. Using a 22-year time series of benthic composition data from 20 reefs on the Kenyan and Tanzanian coast, we developed Bayesian vector autoregressive state-space models for reef dynamics, incorporating among-site variability, and quantified their long-term behaviour. We estimated that if there were no among-site variability, the total long-term variability would be approximately one-third of its current value. Thus, our results showed that among-site variability contributes more to long-term variability in reef composition than does temporal variability. Individual sites were more predictable than previously thought, and predictions based on current snapshots are informative about long-term properties. Our approach allowed us to identify a subset of possible climate refugia sites with high conservation value, where the long-term probability of coral cover ≤0.1 (as a proportion of benthic cover of hard substrate) was very low. Analytical results show that this probability is most strongly influenced by among-site variability and by interactions among benthic components within sites. These findings suggest that conservation initiatives might be successful at the site scale as well as the regional scale.
Metabarcoding monitoring analysis: the pros and cons of using co-extracted environmental DNA and RNA data to assess offshore oil production impacts on benthic communities
Authors: Laroche Olivier , Wood Susanna A. , Tremblay Louis A. , Lear Gavin , Ellis Joanne I. , Pochon Xavier
Published: May 2017

Sequencing environmental DNA (eDNA) is increasingly being used as an alternative to traditional morphological-based identification to characterize biological assemblages and monitor anthropogenic impacts in marine environments. Most studies only assess eDNA which, compared to eRNA, can persist longer in the environment after cell death. Therefore, eRNA may provide a more immediate census of the environment due to its relatively weaker stability, leading some researchers to advocate for the use of eRNA as an additional, or perhaps superior proxy for portraying ecological changes. A variety of pre-treatment techniques for screening eDNA and eRNA derived operational taxonomic units (OTUs) have been employed prior to statistical analyses, including removing singleton taxa (i.e., OTUs found only once) and discarding those not present in both eDNA and eRNA datasets. In this study, we used bacterial (16S ribosomal RNA gene) and eukaryotic (18S ribosomal RNA gene) eDNA- and eRNA-derived data from benthic communities collected at increasing distances along a transect from an oil production platform (Taranaki, New Zealand). Macro-infauna (visual classification of benthic invertebrates) and physico-chemical data were analyzed in parallel. We tested the effect of removing singleton taxa, and removing taxa not present in the eDNA and eRNA libraries from the same environmental sample (trimmed by shared OTUs), by comparing the impact of the oil production platform on alpha- and beta-diversity of the eDNA/eRNA-based biological assemblages, and by correlating these to the morphologically identified macro-faunal communities and the physico-chemical data. When trimmed by singletons, presence/absence information from eRNA data represented the best proxy to detect changes on species diversity for both bacteria and eukaryotes. However, assessment of quantitative beta-diversity from read abundance information of bacteria eRNA did not, contrary to eDNA, reveal any impact from the oil production activity. Overall, the data appeared more robust when trimmed by shared OTUs, showing a greater effect of the platform on alpha- and beta-diversity. Trimming by shared OTUs likely removes taxa derived from legacy DNA and technical artefacts introduced through reverse transcriptase, polymerase-chain-reaction and sequencing. Findings from our scoping study suggest that metabarcoding-based biomonitoring surveys should, if funds, time and expertise allow, be assessed using both eDNA and eRNA products.
Change in seismicity along the Japan trench, 1990–2011, and its relationship with seismic coupling
Authors: Marsan D. , Bouchon M. , Gardonio B. , Perfettini H. , Socquet A. , Enescu B.
Published: May 2017

We investigate the temporal evolution of the background seismicity rate related to the subduction of the Pacific plate in northeast Japan, at latitudes 34° to 42°, for the 1 January 1990 to 9 March 2011 period. Two declustering methods are used to identify robust features. We find that the dominant behavior is a lowering down of activity, especially in the northern half of our studied area, where changes appear related to the cycle of M7.5+ earthquakes, in particular the 1968 Tokachi and the 1994 Sanriku earthquakes. Acceleration of background seismicity is observed offshore the Kanto region and could mark a long‐term decoupling of the Pacific and the Philippine Sea plates over a 100 km long segment along the Sagimi Trough, which cannot be simply explained by the earthquake cycle model. Our analysis further suggests that changes in background seismicity are plausibly related to changes in seismic coupling and thus further strengthens the recent observation that seismic coupling does vary at the timescales of tens of years, for the Japanese subduction zone.
Electric field change measurements of a terrestrial gamma ray flash
Authors: Marshall Thomas , Karunarathne Sumedhe , Stolzenburg Maribeth , Briggs Michael , Cramer Eric S. , Mailyan Bagrat G. , McBreen Shelia , Roberts Oliver J. , Stanbro Matthew
Published: May 2017

The electric field change (E‐change) data presented herein provide a complementary view of a known terrestrial gamma ray flash (TGF), namely, TGF1 from Cummer et al. (). The main E‐change pulse coincident with TGF1 was likely an initial breakdown (IB) pulse of an intracloud (IC) flash since it had the typical characteristics of such an IC IB pulse: a bipolar shape with a positive leading peak and a duration of 47 μs. The IB pulse was especially energetic, with an estimated zero‐to‐peak amplitude between 36 and 47 V/m range normalized to 100 km (compared to an average IC IB pulse amplitude of ~1.5 V/m). The positive peak of the IB pulse occurred 19 μs after the beginning of the pulse. The first and most energetic gamma ray (7.6 MeV) detected in TGF1 occurred at 9 ± 10 μs after the beginning of the IB pulse. Thus, at the earliest the first detected gamma ray may have been produced just before or at the beginning of the IB pulse; at the latest, it may have been produced at the peak of the IB pulse.
The spectral and chemical measurement of pollutants on snow near South Pole, Antarctica
Authors: Casey K. A. , Kaspari S. D. , Skiles S. M. , Kreutz K. , Handley M. J.
Published: May 2017

Remote sensing of light‐absorbing particles (LAPs), or dark colored impurities, such as black carbon (BC) and dust on snow, is a key remaining challenge in cryospheric surface characterization and application to snow, ice, and climate models. We present a quantitative data set of in situ snow reflectance, measured and modeled albedo, and BC and trace element concentrations from clean to heavily fossil fuel emission contaminated snow near South Pole, Antarctica. Over 380 snow reflectance spectra (350–2500 nm) and 28 surface snow samples were collected at seven distinct sites in the austral summer season of 2014–2015. Snow samples were analyzed for BC concentration via a single particle soot photometer and for trace element concentration via an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Snow impurity concentrations ranged from 0.14 to 7000 part per billion (ppb) BC, 9.5 to 1200 ppb sulfur, 0.19 to 660 ppb iron, 0.013 to 1.9 ppb chromium, 0.13 to 120 ppb copper, 0.63 to 6.3 ppb zinc, 0.45 to 82 parts per trillion (ppt) arsenic, 0.0028 to 6.1 ppb cadmium, 0.062 to 22 ppb barium, and 0.0044 to 6.2 ppb lead. Broadband visible to shortwave infrared albedo ranged from 0.85 in pristine snow to 0.62 in contaminated snow. LAP radiative forcing, the enhanced surface absorption due to BC and trace elements, spanned from <1 W m−2 for clean snow to ~70 W m−2 for snow with high BC and trace element content. Measured snow reflectance differed from modeled snow albedo due to specific impurity‐dependent absorption features, which we recommend be further studied and improved in snow albedo models.
A new unconditionally stable and consistent quasi‐analytical in‐stream water quality solution scheme for CSTR‐based water quality simulators
Authors: Woldegiorgis Befekadu Taddesse , van Griensven Ann , Pereira Fernando , Bauwens Willy
Published: May 2017

Most common numerical solutions used in CSTR‐based in‐stream water quality simulators are susceptible to instabilities and/or solution inconsistencies. Usually, they cope with instability problems by adopting computationally expensive small time steps. However, some simulators use fixed computation time steps and hence do not have the flexibility to do so. This paper presents a novel quasi‐analytical solution for CSTR‐based water quality simulators of an unsteady system. The robustness of the new method is compared with the commonly used fourth‐order Runge‐Kutta methods, the Euler method and three versions of the SWAT model (SWAT2012, SWAT‐TCEQ, and ESWAT). The performance of each method is tested for different hypothetical experiments. Besides the hypothetical data, a real case study is used for comparison. The growth factors we derived as stability measures for the different methods and the R‐factor—considered as a consistency measure—turned out to be very useful for determining the most robust method. The new method outperformed all the numerical methods used in the hypothetical comparisons. The application for the Zenne River (Belgium) shows that the new method provides stable and consistent BOD simulations whereas the SWAT2012 model is shown to be unstable for the standard daily computation time step. The new method unconditionally simulates robust solutions. Therefore, it is a reliable scheme for CSTR‐based water quality simulators that use first‐order reaction formulations.
Biofilm‐induced bioclogging produces sharp interfaces in hyporheic flow, redox conditions, and microbial community structure
Authors: Caruso Alice , Boano Fulvio , Ridolfi Luca , Chopp David L. , Packman Aaron
Published: May 2017

Riverbed sediments host important biogeochemical processes that play a key role in nutrient dynamics. Sedimentary nutrient transformations are mediated by bacteria in the form of attached biofilms. The influence of microbial metabolic activity on the hydrochemical conditions within the hyporheic zone is poorly understood. We present a hydrobiogeochemical model to assess how the growth of heterotrophic and autotrophic biomass affects the transport and transformation of dissolved nitrogen compounds in bed form‐induced hyporheic zones. Coupling between hyporheic exchange, nitrogen metabolism, and biomass growth leads to an equilibrium between permeability reduction and microbial metabolism that yields shallow hyporheic flows in a region with low permeability and high rates of microbial metabolism near the stream‐sediment interface. The results show that the bioclogging caused by microbial growth can constrain rates and patterns of hyporheic fluxes and microbial transformation rate in many streams.
Modeling the climate impacts of deploying solar reflective cool pavements in California cities
Authors: Mohegh Arash , Rosado Pablo , Jin Ling , Millstein Dev , Levinson Ronnen , Ban‐Weiss George
Published: May 2017

Solar reflective “cool pavements” have been proposed as a potential heat mitigation strategy for cities. However, previous research has not systematically investigated the extent to which cool pavements could reduce urban temperatures. In this study we investigated the climate impacts of widespread deployment of cool pavements in California cities. Using the Weather Research and Forecasting model, we simulated the current climate of California at 4 km spatial resolution. Comparing this simulation to 105 weather stations in California suggested an overall mean bias (model minus observation) of −0.30°C. Widespread pavement albedo increases of 0.1 and 0.4 in California cities were then simulated. Comparing temperature reductions for each scenario showed that the climate response to pavement albedo modification was nearly linear. Temperature reductions at 14:00 local standard time were found to be 0.32°C per 0.1 increase in grid cell average albedo. Temperature reductions were found to peak in the late morning and evening when (a) boundary layer heights were low and (b) solar irradiance (late morning) and heat accumulation in the pavement (evening) was high. Temperature reductions in summer were found to exceed those in winter, as expected. After scaling the results using realistic data‐derived urban canyon morphologies and an off‐line urban canyon albedo model, annual average surface air temperature reductions from increasing pavement albedo by 0.4 ranged from 0.18°C (Palm Springs) to 0.86°C (San Jose). The variation among cities was due to differences in baseline climate, size of the city, urban fraction, and urban morphology.
Nonparametric triple collocation
Authors: Nearing Grey S. , Yatheendradas Soni , Crow Wade T. , Bosch David D. , Cosh Michael H. , Goodrich David C. , Seyfried Mark S. , Starks Patrick J.
Published: May 2017

Triple collocation has found widespread application in the hydrological sciences because it provides information about the errors in our measurements without requiring that we have any direct access to the true value of the variable being measured. Triple collocation derives variance‐covariance relationships between three or more independent measurement sources and an indirectly observed truth variable in the case where the measurement operators are additive. We generalize that theory to arbitrary observation operators by deriving nonparametric analogues to the total error and total correlation statistics as integrations of divergences from conditional to marginal probability ratios. The nonparametric solution to the full measurement problem is underdetermined, and we therefore retrieve conservative bounds on the theoretical total nonparametric error and correlation statistics. We examine the application of both linear and nonlinear triple collocation to synthetic examples and to a real‐data test case related to evaluating space‐borne soil moisture retrievals using sparse monitoring networks and dynamical process models.
The Formation ofACCand Competition between Polyamines and Ethylene forSAM
Authors: Harpaz‐Saad Smadar , Yoon Gyeong M. , Mattoo Autar K. , Kieber Joseph J.
Published: May 2017

S‐adenosylmethionine (SAM) acts both as a precursor for the production of ethylene and as a substrate in the biosynthesis of polyamines. The conversion of SAM to 1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylic acid (ACC) is a key regulatory step in the biosynthesis of ethylene and is catalyzed by the enzyme ACC synthase (ACS), which is encoded by a multi‐gene family in plants. The various ACS isoforms have diverse properties, both in terms of biochemical characteristics and regulated turnoverin vivo. Here, the characteristics of theACSgene families and the encoded proteins in various plant species, as well as the synthesis and role of polyamines and the flow of SAM into these two pathways, are discussed.
The Fate ofACCin Higher Plants
Authors: Dorling Sarah J. , McManus Michael T.
Published: May 2017

The fate of 1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylate (ACC), generated by the activity of ACC synthase (ACS), is reviewed. In higher plants, ACC undergoes two known fates – the first being malonylation to form malonyl‐ACC (M‐ACC), and the role of this conjugation step as a reversible one to generate free ACC is considered. The second fate is oxidation to form ethylene and HCN. The metabolism of HCN by β‐cyanoalanine synthase (β‐CAS) is considered, including an emerging view of a role for HCN as a signalling compound in plants. For ethylene biosynthesis, the identification of the first candidate gene –pTOM13– with the demonstration of an authentic ethylene‐forming enzyme activity,in vivo, led to a very active research period concerned with the subsequent cloning of ACC oxidase (ACO) genes from a wide variety of plant species and the characterization of the biochemical properties of the enzyme. Together, these studies have contributed to the central conclusion that the ACO gene family is, in most plant species examined, comprised of (usually) 3–5 members that display differential expression in response to developmental and environmental cues. Further, there is growing evidence that ACO (and not ACS) can be the limiting step in terms of ethylene biosynthesis in certain physiological processes. Finally, the evolution of ACO is considered as the key development in the inheritance of the ACC‐dependent ethylene biosynthetic pathway in higher plants.
Ethylene in Seed Development, Dormancy and Germination
Authors: Bogatek Renata , Gniazdowska Agnieszka
Published: May 2017

Seeds are the organs by which higher plants disperse and propagate. Seeds are relatively insensitive to stress‐inducing environmental conditions and can survive in the soil for many years in a dormant state. The alleviation of dormancy results in germination and finally seedling growth and these processes are complex and subject to hormonal control. Many plant species produce ethylene during the final phase of seed development and germination, and the application of some seed dormancy‐breaking agents, for example HCN or NO, also induces ethylene production. Therefore, it has been proposed that ethylene contributes to the alleviation of seed dormancy as well as germination. The action of ethylene during dormancy release and germination also depends on interactions with other phytohormones, and so this chapter summarizes our current knowledge on the role of ethylene as well as crosstalk between ethylene and the other phytohormones (gibberellins, abscisic acid, brassinosteroids, jasmonate and polyamines). Further, other signalling molecules such as reactive oxygen species (e.g. H2O2) or reactive nitrogen species (e.g. NO) and HCN are also discussed in terms of their roles in the regulation of seed physiology.
The Role of Ethylene in Plant Growth and Development
Authors: Vandenbussche Filip , Van Der Straeten Dominique
Published: May 2017

Ethylene has a profound effect on the shape of plants. It determines many aspects of vegetative development by interacting with other hormones. Foremost, ethylene relies on a tight collaboration with auxin to influence plant growth and can stimulate or inhibit elongation of roots and shoots. This stimulatory or inhibitory action depends on the species and on growth conditions and is controlled by modification of cell wall properties. Later in life, ethylene regulates floral transition, and in some species the gender of the flowers. In determining these architectural features, ethylene allows the plants to reach a high level of plasticity to adapt to multiple environmental challenges.
Ethylene and Senescence Processes
Authors: Graham Laura E. , Schippers Jos H.M. , Dijkwel Paul P. , Wagstaff Carol
Published: May 2017

Senescence is a vitally important sequence of events in the latter phase of the life cycle of a plant that determines yield and reproductive success. In many species, and in different plant organs, ethylene is a key regulator of senescence and an increased understanding of the way the hormone functions will enable the timing and location of senescence to be manipulated in order to improve yield, quality and longevity. This chapter examines the physiological and molecular regulation of senescence in different plant organs and introduces the concept of the ‘senescence window’ in which plant organs are receptive to ethylene‐mediated senescence cues. Several studies have attempted to elucidate global patterns of the regulation of senescence, which have enabled the function of ethylene to be placed in the context of the involvement of other, often antagonistic, hormones in the execution of senescence and downstream processes. Finally, we examine the consequences of senescence for post‐harvest biology, an area where the control of ethylene action has been actively sought in order to control precisely the timing of senescence and ripening processes so that crop quality can be enhanced and maintained.