bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Waldpolitischer Jahresrückblick 2015
Authors: Steinmann Kathrin , Zimmermann Willi
Published: May 2016

Annual review of Swiss forest policy 2015

Swiss forest policy in 2015 was characterized by the amendment of the Federal Act on Forest. The related discussions addressed such key topics as embedding the support of Swiss wood in the law, the education of forest workers to increase work safety, the federal financing of infrastructure in non-protective forests as well as defining renewable energy generating plants and facilities for energy transport and distribution as national interests. Regulations of the latter were laid down in the Federal Act on Forest and at the same time in the Federal Act on Energy. The federal and cantonal administrations also completed the program agreements for 2016–2019. The Federal Court addressed cases concerning the distance of buildings for forests and access to forests.
Diffusion limit for the radiative transfer equation perturbed by a Markovian process
Authors: Debussche A. , De Moor S. , Vovelle J.
Published: May 2016

We study the stochastic diffusive limit of a kinetic radiative transfer equation, which is non linear, involving a small parameter and perturbed by a smooth random term. Under an appropriate scaling for the small parameter, using a generalization of the perturbed test-functions method, we show the convergence in law to a stochastic non linear fluid limit.
Asymptotic profile of solutions for wave equations with frictional and viscoelastic damping terms
Authors: Ikehata Ryo , Sawada Atsushi
Published: May 2016

We consider the Cauchy problem in [Formula: see text] for some types of damped wave equations. We derive asymptotic profiles of solutions with weighted [Formula: see text] initial data by employing a simple method introduced in [ Math. Meth. Appl. Sci. 27 (2004), 865–889].
A note on decay rates of solutions to a system of cubic nonlinear Schrödinger equations in one space dimension
Authors: Kim Donghyun
Published: May 2016

We consider the initial value problem for a system of cubic nonlinear Schrödinger equations with different masses in one space dimension. Under a suitable structural condition on the nonlinearity, we will show that the small amplitude solution exists globally and decays at the rate [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text] as t tends to infinity, if the system satisfies certain mass relations.
On unbounded optimal controls in coefficients for ill-posed elliptic Dirichlet boundary value problems
Authors: Horsin Thierry , Kogut Peter I.
Published: May 2016

We consider an optimal control problem associated to Dirichlet boundary value problem for linear elliptic equations on a bounded domain Ω. We take the matrix-valued coefficients [Formula: see text] of such system as a control in [Formula: see text]. One of the important features of the class of admissible controls is the fact that the matrices [Formula: see text] are unbounded on Ω and eigenvalues of the symmetric parts [Formula: see text] may vanish in Ω. In spite of the fact that the equations of this type can exhibit non-uniqueness of weak solutions, the corresponding OCP is well-possed and admits at least one solution. At the same time, optimal solutions to such problem can inherit a singular character of the matrices [Formula: see text]. We indicate two types of optimal solutions to the above problem and show that one of them can not be attained by optimal solutions of regularized problems for coercive elliptic equations with bounded coefficients, using the Steklov smoothing of matrix-valued controls A.
Effects of zinc and boron application on onion and their residual effects on Mungbean
Authors: Begum R , Jahiruddin M , Kader MA , Haque MA , Hoque ABMA
Published: May 2016

The effect of zinc (Zn) and boron (B) on the growth and yield of onion as well as their residual effect on mungbean were investigated in this study. The field experiment was conducted at Bangladesh Agricultural University Farm, Mymensingh. The soil was silt loam having 6.92 pH, 2.82% organic matter, 0.63 µg g-1 available Zn and 0.27 µg g-1 available B contents. There were nine treatments comprising three rates of Zn (0, 2 and 4 kg ha-1) and three rates of B (0, 1.5 and 3 kg ha-1) in all combinations. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Zinc as ZnSO4.7H2O and boron as H3BO3 were applied to the first crop (onion cv. Faridpuri). Mungbean (cv. BINA Mung8) was grown on the same plots after harvesting of onion, with no further addition of Zn and B. For both crops, N, P, K and S fertilizers were added to the all plots as per recommendation (FRG-2012). Application of Zn and B significantly influenced the growth and yield parameters of crops viz. plant height, bulb diameter, bulb length and bulb yield for onion, and plant height, pods plant-1, pod length, 1000-seed weight and seed yield for mungbean. Addition of Zn at 4 kg ha-1 and B at 3 kg ha-1 compared to control (Zn0­B0) gave 52% yield benefits for onion and 99% yield benefits for mungbean. Zinc and B concentrations as well as their uptake by onion bulb were also positively influenced by the added Zn and B. The results suggest that application of Zn at 4 kg ha-1 coupled with B at 3 kg ha-1 along with NPKS is required to achieve higher yield of onion and mungbean in Old Brahmaputra Floodplain (AEZ 9).Progressive Agriculture 26 (2): 90-96, 2015
Increasing crop productivity in coastal areas by proper management of potassium fertilizers
Authors: Kibria MG , Haque MF , Islam MS , Hoque MA
Published: May 2016

The field experiment was conducted to investigate the alleviation of the adverse effects of soil salinity in rice by efficient management of potassium fertilizers in coastal saline areas.The salt-sensitive (BRRI dhan28) and salt-tolerant (Binadhan-10) rice cultivars were used as test crops. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. There were thirteen treatment combinations viz. T0 (no K from MoP or SoP), T1 (K100 from MoP at final land preparation), T2 (K150 from MoP at final land preparation), T3 (K200 from MoP at final land preparation), T4 (K100 from MoP in two splits), T5 (K150 from MoP in two splits), T6 (K200 from MoP in two splits), T7 (K100 from SoP at final land preparation), T8 (K150 from SoP at final land preparation), T9 (K200 from SoP at final land preparation), T10 (K100 from SoP in two splits), T11 (K150 from SoP in two splits) and T12 (K200 from SoP in two splits). Muriate of potash (MoP) and sulphate of potash (SoP) were applied in two splits and during land preparation as per treatments. Binadhan-10 (salt-tolerant) rice producedhigher grain and straw yields than salt-sensitive (BRRI dhan28) one under saline conditions. Furthermore, application of potassium fertilizers resulted in significant increases growth, and grain and straw yields of both salt-sensitive and salt-tolerant rice cultivars under saline conditions. The nutrient (NPS) uptake and K+/Na+ ratio increased in both rice cultivars by application of potassium fertilizers under saline conditions. The higher amount of yield as well as nutrient uptake of both rice cultivars was observed when SoP was applied either in land preparation or two split doses. The K+/Na+ ratio was found to be higher in T9 and T12 treatments in salt-sensitive cultivar whereas T2 and T3 treatments showed higher K+/Na+ ratio in grain and straw of salt-tolerant rice cultivar, respectively. Therefore, the present study suggests that rice productioncould be improved in saline areas through application of higher doses of potassium fertilizers particularly split application of sulphate of potash.Progressive Agriculture 26 (2): 115-121, 2015
Impact of organic wastes on soil environment and yield of T-aman rice
Authors: Habib MA , Khatun R , Hossen MS
Published: May 2016

Organic wastes are rich in nutrients that can improve soil fertility and enhance crop yield. A study was conducted at the experimental field of Department of Environmental Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during July-December 2014 to examine the effect of different organic wastes on soil quality and rice yield. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) taking five treatments with three replications. The treatments were: T1 (recommended chemical fertilizers), T2 (50% farm waste + 50% poultry manure), T3 (50% poultry manure + 50% municipal solid waste), T4(50% cowdung + 50% farm waste) and T5 (50% farm waste+25% poultry manure +25% cow dung). All wastes were applied at one time after final land preparation and before 15 days of rice (BRRI dhan 49) transplanting. Minimum and maximum soil moisture content was 26.16% and 30.83% recorded at T1 and T2 treatments and that of pH values were 5.26 and 5.93 at T3and T4 treatments, respectively. Incase of soil nutrient content, organic matter, N and S content was highest in T2 treatment and P and K contents were highest in T4 treatment whereas lowest values were observed in T1 treatment.  Pb and Cd contents were highest at T5 treatment and lowest at T1 treatment. However, the values of Pb and Cd were below the permissible limit for agricultural soil. The highest grain yield (4.72 t ha-1) was recorded in T4 treatment and the lowest grain yield (3.87 t ha-1) was observed in T1 treatment. Considering crop yield and soil properties, treatment T4 was better compared to other treatments. The present study clearly indicated that the quality of soil and yield increased due to the application of organic waste compared to chemical fertilizer.Progressive Agriculture 26 (2): 122-128, 2015
Influence of mulching and plant spacing on growth and yield of french bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)
Authors: Sahariar MS , Karim MR , Nahar MA , Rahman M , Islam MU
Published: May 2016

A field experiment was conducted at the Horticulture Farm of the Department of Horticulture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh to investigatethe effect of mulching and plant spacing on the growth and yield of French bean during the period from November 2014 to January 2015. The experiment consisted of three types of mulchingnamely (i) control (without mulch), (ii) water hyacinth and (iii) black ploythene much and three levels of spacing viz., (i) 30 cm x 25 cm (ii) 30 cm x 20 cm and (iii) 30 cm x 15 cm. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Results showed that both mulching and plant spacing significantly influenced the growth and yield components of French bean. Black polythene mulch produced the highest yield (5.82 t/ha) and the lowest yield (4.92 t/ha) was recorded fromno mulch treatment. The maximum yield (6.22 t/ha) was obtained from 30 cm x 15 cm plant spacing and the lowest (4.58 t/ha) was obtained with 30 cm x 25 cm plant spacing. The combined effects of mulching and plant spacing were statistically significant. The combination of black polythene mulch with 30 cm x 15 cm spacing gave the highest yield (6.97 t/ha) and the lowest yield (3.94 t/ha) was received from without mulching at spacing of 30 cm x 25 cm treatment combination. Considering the above findings the black polythene mulch with 30 x 15 cm plant spacing  may be recommendfor French bean cultivation.Progressive Agriculture 26 (2): 129-135, 2015
Coping strategies of women in flood prone areas of Bangladesh
Authors: Sheheli S , Khan MAM
Published: May 2016

The present research have been undertaken to have an understanding of poor womens flood coping strategies in selected flood prone areas of Narsingdi district of Bangladesh. The objectives of the study were: (i) identifying and assessing a respondents extent of practice of the strategies; (ii) determining the flood coping ability of poor women; and (iii) determining some important characteristics of poor women. The study was conducted in two villages namely, Karimpur of Karimpur union and Alokbali of Alokbali union in Sadar upazila under Narsingdi district. Data were collected from a total of 100 poor women from a population of 402. A structured interview schedule (questionnaire) was used to collect data from the selected sample, while a number of qualitative data collection methods were used which included focus group discussion (FGD), case study and key informant interviews (KII). The data were collected from June to August, 2014. The selected thirty coping strategies against floods were arranged in a 4-point scale in order to reveal a respondents extent of practice of the strategies. Finally, the flood coping strategies indexes (FCSI) were made these are: (i) increasing the level of homestead and using sand bags in backyard to protect edge erosion; (ii) build a makeshift high platform at home; and (iii) keeping major dry food for future use, etc. Flood coping ability of poor women was measured by considering six dimensions of womens livelihoods. Majority of the poor women (66%) had low flood coping ability, while 22% had medium and the remaining 12% had very low coping availability in the study areas. It is notable that none of the respondents was found to have high flood coping ability. Educational status was very low and 66% had no formal education. Most of the respondents were less interested in continuing their childs education because of their poverty and less opportunity of educational institutes. The migration behavior is very common and 56% respondents are absolutely landless. Majority (68%) of the respondents had low extension media contact and 74% of the respondents were expecting training for protecting flood. The respondents identified five major sectors needing expansion to improve their existing livelihood status these are credit, working opportunity, health service, shelter, and education.Progressive Agriculture 26 (2): 155-167, 2015
Landmark based shape variation of normal male, female and sex-reversed tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in Bangladesh
Authors: Moushomi R , Saha S
Published: May 2016

The truss network systems constructed with the help of landmark were evaluated to infer the shape of normal male, female and monosex male tilapia. A total of sixty (60) individuals from different sources (Subarna Agro Based Initiative and BismillahAgro Production) were collected during September-December, 2013. All the data of the studied characteristics were obtained using the digital photograph of the samples which were analyzed through professional image measurement software. Nine morphometric and eight meristic characters were considered along with twenty six truss network measurements. Highly significant difference (P<0.05) was observed in six (SL, HL, PrDL, MBH, EL and PL) of eight morphometric measurements. In case of truss measurements 7 of 26 measurements showed highly significant differences among the groups. For both morphometric and landmark measurements the first DF accounted for 98.9% and 85.7% and the second DF accounted for 1.1% and 14.3% respectively. With truss network system 100% monosex male samples, 85.5% of normal male samples, 100% of female samples were correctly classified.  In both cases, plotting discriminant functions revealed high isolation of the groups especially between the monosex groups with the other two groups. The results showed that the shape of the tested tilapia groups significantly differed from each other depending on the truss measurements. that could be explained by the genetic sex related reasons.Progressive Agriculture 26 (2): 168-172, 2015
RT-PCR based detection and adaptation of foot and mouth disease virus serotype A in BHK-21 cell line
Authors: Quddus MR , Hossen ML , Chowdhury MMR , Chakrobarty T , Mahmud S , Nazir KHMNH , Nasiruddin KM , Rahman MB
Published: May 2016

The economic consequences of an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Bangladesh is devastating. A sensitive, reliable and rapid diagnosis is crucial for the effective control of FMD. The present research was conducted for quick molecular detection and adaptation of FMD virus (FMDV) in BHK-21 (Baby Hamster Kidney) cell line. A two-step RT-PCR method was applied for the detection of the FMDV. Without prior adaption into BHK-21 cell culture, it is difficult to detect FMDV directly from the field samples by RT-PCR method. Samples were collected from the tongue epithelium (N=19) and inter digital tissues (N=4) of the suspected animals in Sujanagar, Bera, Santhia of Pabna district and Kotowali, Trishal of Mymensingh districts of Bangladesh during the year 2014. BHK-21 cell subculture was done from a previously cultured bottle containing BHK-21 cells. Prepared inocula were inoculated into BHK-21 cell culture and incubated at 37ºC for 24 h. After 36 h, cytopathic effects (CPE) were observed in BHK-21 cell line characterized by rounding and flattening of the cells, multinucleated giant cells formation, breaking down of the intracellular bridges and finally cell death indicated the presence of FMDV. Clear infectious BHK-21 cell culture fluid was collected and preserved at -20ºC temperature for virus detection by RT-PCR with serotype specific primers. Viral RNA was extracted from the clear infectious cell culture fluid for cDNA synthesis and used for PCR. Out of 23 samples tested, 3(13.04%) were positive for FMDV serotype A. The findings of this study can be helpful for the selection of vaccine having specific FMDV type, and it may help in controlling FMD in Bangladesh.Progressive Agriculture 27 (1): 64-69, 2016
The Faddeev-Merkuriev Differential Equations (MFE) and Multichannel 3-Body Scattering Systems
Authors: Hu Chi
Published: May 2016

Numerical implementation of the modified Faddeev Equation (MFE) is presented in some detail. The Faddeev channel wave function displays unique properties of each and every open channel, respectively. In particular, near resonant energies, the structures of the resonances are beautifully displayed, from which, the life-time of the resonances can be determined by simply using the uncertainty principle. The phase shift matrix, or the K-matrix, provides unique information for each and every resonance. This information enables the identification of the physical formation mechanism of the Gailitis resonances. A few of these resonances, previously known as the mysterious shape resonances, have occurred in a number of different collision systems. The Gailitis resonances are actually produced by a quantized Stark-effect within the various collision systems. Since the Stark-effect is a universal phenomenon, the Gailitis resonances are expected to occur in much broader classes of collision systems. We will present the results of a precision calculation using the MFE method in sufficient detail for interested students who wish to explore the mysteries of nature with a powerful theoretical tool.
The Impact of an Ergonomics Intervention on Psychosocial Factors and Musculoskeletal Symptoms among Thai Hospital Orderlies
Authors: Chanchai Withaya , Songkham Wanpen , Ketsomporn Pranom , Sappakitchanchai Punnarat , Siriwong Wattasit , Robson Mark
Published: May 2016

(1) Background: Musculoskeletal disorders have a multifactorial etiology that is not only associated with physical risk factors, but also psychosocial risk factors; (2) Objective: This study evaluated the effects of an ergonomic intervention on musculoskeletal disorders and psychosocial risk factors; (3) Material and Methods: This study took a participatory ergonomic (PE) approach with a randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted at tertiary care hospitals during July to December 2014. A group of hospital orderlies in Thailand were randomly selected for examination. Fifty orderlies were placed in a case group and another 50 orderlies were placed in the control group. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire (NMQ) and the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) were used for data collection before and after the intervention program; (4) Results: The most commonly reported problem among hospital orderlies was found to be lower back symptoms (82%). The study found significant differences in prevalence rates of reported musculoskeletal conditions in the arm, upper back, and lower back regions before and after intervention. Findings showed that psychosocial risk factors were affected by the intervention. COPSOQ psychosocial risk factors were significantly different pre/post intervention. These variables included: work pace, influence at work, meaning of work, predictability, rewards, role conflicts, and social support from supervisors. No other psychosocial risk factors were found to be significant; (5) Conclusions: Positive results were observed following the intervention in the work environment, particularly in terms of reducing physical work environment risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders and increasing promotion factors of the psychosocial work environment.
Autophagy, Innate Immunity and Tissue Repair in Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Duann Pu , Lianos Elias , Ma Jianjie , Lin Pei-Hui
Published: May 2016

Kidney is a vital organ with high energy demands to actively maintain plasma hemodynamics, electrolytes and water homeostasis. Among the nephron segments, the renal tubular epithelium is endowed with high mitochondria density for their function in active transport. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is an important clinical syndrome and a global public health issue with high mortality rate and socioeconomic burden due to lack of effective therapy. AKI results in acute cell death and necrosis of renal tubule epithelial cells accompanied with leakage of tubular fluid and inflammation. The inflammatory immune response triggered by the tubular cell death, mitochondrial damage, associative oxidative stress, and the release of many tissue damage factors have been identified as key elements driving the pathophysiology of AKI. Autophagy, the cellular mechanism that removes damaged organelles via lysosome-mediated degradation, had been proposed to be renoprotective. An in-depth understanding of the intricate interplay between autophagy and innate immune response, and their roles in AKI pathology could lead to novel therapies in AKI. This review addresses the current pathophysiology of AKI in aspects of mitochondrial dysfunction, innate immunity, and molecular mechanisms of autophagy. Recent advances in renal tissue regeneration and potential therapeutic interventions are also discussed.
γ-Tocotrienol as a Promising Countermeasure for Acute Radiation Syndrome: Current Status
Authors: Singh Vijay , Hauer-Jensen Martin
Published: May 2016

The hazard of ionizing radiation exposure due to nuclear accidents or terrorist attacks is ever increasing. Despite decades of research, still, there is a shortage of non-toxic, safe and effective medical countermeasures for radiological and nuclear emergency. To date, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) has approved only two growth factors, Neupogen (granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), filgrastim) and Neulasta (PEGylated G-CSF, pegfilgrastim) for the treatment of hematopoietic acute radiation syndrome (H-ARS) following the Animal Efficacy Rule. Promising radioprotective efficacy results of γ-tocotrienol (GT3; a member of the vitamin E family) in the mouse model encouraged its further evaluation in the nonhuman primate (NHP) model. These studies demonstrated that GT3 significantly aided the recovery of radiation-induced neutropenia and thrombocytopenia compared to the vehicle controls; these results particularly significant after exposure to 5.8 or 6.5 Gray (Gy) whole body γ-irradiation. The stimulatory effect of GT3 on neutrophils and thrombocytes (platelets) was directly and positively correlated with dose; a 75 mg/kg dose was more effective compared to 37.5 mg/kg. GT3 was also effective against 6.5 Gy whole body γ-irradiation for improving neutrophils and thrombocytes. Moreover, a single administration of GT3 without any supportive care was equivalent, in terms of improving hematopoietic recovery, to multiple doses of Neupogen and two doses of Neulasta with full supportive care (including blood products) in the NHP model. GT3 may serve as an ultimate radioprotector for use in humans, particularly for military personnel and first responders. In brief, GT3 is a promising radiation countermeasure that ought to be further developed for U.S. FDA approval for the ARS indication.
Characterization of Micro-RNA Changes during the Progression of Type 2 Diabetes in Zucker Diabetic Fatty Rats
Authors: Delic Denis , Eisele Claudia , Schmid Ramona , Luippold Gerd , Mayoux Eric , Grempler Rolf
Published: May 2016

The aim of the present pilot study was the identification of micro-RNA changes over time during the development and progression of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Zucker diabetic fatty rats (ZDF rats). T2D is a complex metabolic disorder that is characterized, inter alia, by progressive failure of pancreatic β cells to produce insulin, but also by functional or morphological modifications of others organ, such as liver, adipose tissue and the cardiovascular system. Micro-RNAs are a novel class of biomarkers that have the potential to represent biomarkers of disease progression. In this study, the onset and progression of diabetes was followed in ZDF rats from six weeks until 17 weeks of age. After an initial phase of hyperinsulinemia, the animals developed T2D and lost the capacity to produce sufficient insulin. Circulating miRNAs were measured from plasma samples at four time points: pre-diabetes (six weeks of age), hyperinsulinemia (eight weeks), β cell failure (11 weeks) and late-stage diabetes (17 weeks) using TaqMan miRNA arrays. Bioinformatic analysis revealed distinct changes of circulating miRNAs over time. Several miRNAs were found to be increased over the course of the disease progression, such as miR-122, miR-133, miR-210 and miR-375. The most significantly decreased miRNAs were miR-140, miR-151-3p, miR-185, miR-203, miR-434-3p and miR-450a. Some of the miRNAs have also been identified in type 2 diabetic patients recently and, therefore, may have the potential to be useful biomarkers for the disease progression of T2D and/or the treatment response for anti-diabetic medications.
The Development of a Highly Sensitive Fiber-Optic Oxygen Sensor
Authors: Chu Cheng-Shane , Syu Jhih-Jheng
Published: May 2016

This paper presents a highly sensitive fiber-optic oxygen sensor. The sensor was fabricated using palladium (II) meso-tetrakis (pentafluorophenyl) porphyrin (PdTFPP) and porous silica nanoparticles embedded in a tetraethylorthosilane (TEOS)/n-octyl-triethoxysilane (Octyl-triEOS) composite xerogel present as a coating on the end of the fiber. Sensitivity is quantified in terms of the ratio IN2/IO2, where IN2 and IO2 represent the intensity of fluorescence detected in a pure nitrogen or pure oxygen environment. The experimental results reveal that this PdTFPP-doped oxygen sensor with porous silica nanoparticles has a sensitivity of IN2/I100O2 = 386. The results also show that this sensor has higher sensitivity than an oxygen sensor based on Pd(II) complex immobilized in a sol-gel matrix. Furthermore, the optical oxygen sensor yields a linear Stern–Volmer plot. The proposed optical sensor has the advantages of easy fabrication, low cost, and high sensitivity to oxygen.
An Adaptive WENO Collocation Method for Differential Equations with Random Coefficients
Authors: Guo Wei , Lin Guang , Christlieb Andrew , Qiu Jingmei
Published: May 2016

The stochastic collocation method for solving differential equations with random inputs has gained lots of popularity in many applications, since such a scheme exhibits exponential convergence with smooth solutions in the random space. However, in some circumstance the solutions do not fulfill the smoothness requirement; thus a direct application of the method will cause poor performance and slow convergence rate due to the well known Gibbs phenomenon. To address the issue, we propose an adaptive high-order multi-element stochastic collocation scheme by incorporating a WENO (Weighted Essentially non-oscillatory) interpolation procedure and an adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) strategy. The proposed multi-element stochastic collocation scheme requires only repetitive runs of an existing deterministic solver at each interpolation point, similar to the Monte Carlo method. Furthermore, the scheme takes advantage of robustness and the high-order nature of the WENO interpolation procedure, and efficacy and efficiency of the AMR strategy. When the proposed scheme is applied to stochastic problems with non-smooth solutions, the Gibbs phenomenon is mitigated by the WENO methodology in the random space, and the errors around discontinuities in the stochastic space are significantly reduced by the AMR strategy. The numerical experiments for some benchmark stochastic problems, such as the Kraichnan-Orszag problem and Burgers’ equation with random initial conditions, demonstrate the reliability, efficiency and efficacy of the proposed scheme.
Automatic Forest Mapping at Individual Tree Levels from Terrestrial Laser Scanning Point Clouds with a Hierarchical Minimum Cut Method
Authors: Yang Bisheng , Dai Wenxia , Dong Zhen , Liu Yang
Published: May 2016

Laser scanning technology plays an important role in forest inventory, as it enables accurate 3D information capturing in a fast and environmentally-friendly manner. The goal of this study is to develop methods for detecting and discriminating individual trees from TLS point clouds of five plots in a boreal coniferous forest. The proposed hierarchical minimum cut method adopts the detected trunk points that are recognized according to pole like shape segmentation as foreground seed points and other points as background seed points, respectively. It constructs the undirected weighted graph of the foreground and background seed points to deduce a cost function for tree crown point segmentation with the decreasing ranking of tree trunk heights. The intermediate results lead to global optimization segmentation of individual trees in a hierarchical order. Finally, the structure metrics of the detected individual trees are calculated and checked with field observations. Plots with different attributes were selected to verify the proposed method, and the experimental studies show that the proposed method is efficient and robust for extracting individual trees from TLS point clouds in terms of the recall of 90.42%.
Development of a Novel Co-Creative Framework for Redesigning Product Service Systems
Authors: Tran Tuananh , Park Joon
Published: May 2016

Product service systems (PSS) have been researched in academia and implemented in industry for more than a decade, and they bring plenty of benefits to various stakeholders, such as: customers, PSS providers, the environment, as well as society. However, the adoption of PSS in industry so far is limited compared to its potentials. One of the reasons leading to this limitation is that PSS design is tricky. So far, there are several methods to design PSS, but each of them has certain limitations. This paper proposes a co-creative framework, which is constructed using the concept of user co-creation. This novel framework allows designers to design PSS effectively in terms of users’ perception of PSS value, design quality and evaluation. The authors also introduce a case study to demonstrate and validate the proposed framework.
L’écriture autobiographique : un plaidoyer pour l’intime
Authors: Scotto di Vettimo Delphine
Published: May 2016

Cette étude privilégie, à partir de l’histoire de Marta – une histoire familiale de persécution, d’exil et de honte –, l’expérience clinique en tant qu’expérience d’intimité, dans le cadre d’entretiens à visée psychothérapique. Intimité au sens d’une enveloppe de soi qui se construit, d’une part, dans la relation intersubjective, dans un rapport nécessairement fait d’opacité et d’altérité ; d’autre part, qui met le sujet face à lui-même, aux autres, en assurant une fonction sociale et une fonction psychique. En contrepoint est proposée une réflexion sur les conditions de dévoilement et de voilement de l’intime dans l’espace transférentiel, dont la honte, comme mise à nu du sujet, signe l’une des dialectiques. Le dispositif clinique s’offre de façon exemplaire pour dégager les éléments structuraux d’un procès, de nature traumatique, où le sujet peut faire l’expérience de cette épreuve de l’étrangeté et du secret au plus intime de soi, susceptible de déboucher sur une invention métaphorique.
Le mythe de la liberté dans l’imaginaire démocratique contemporain
Authors: Faure Cédric
Published: May 2016

Le sens de l’usage donné à l’information et à la connaissance dans les discours politiques sur la démocratie contemporaine est désormais au cœur des imaginaires des sociétés de la modernité. Pourtant, ces enjeux ont rarement fait l’objet d’un vrai débat démocratique. Quelles sont les traces laissées par ces discours ? Comment ces traces affectent-elles nos modes de représentations du monde ? Comment s’articulent-elles avec nos modes de vie actuels ? Nous proposons, dans cet article, d’analyser ces imaginaires qui fondent les discours et les pratiques politiques de notre supposée hyper-modernité identifiée à l’émancipation individuelle et sociale. Nous souhaitons, dans cette perspective, contribuer à la déconstruction de ce mythe moderne de la liberté indifférenciée du développement de l’information, des communications et des connaissances. Nous questionnerons, en ce sens, ces ensembles stratifiés de traces en provenance des politiques qui ont, pour une large part, déterminé, constitué, façonné nos mœurs actuelles.
L’égalité hommes-femmes comme facteur de croissance économique : que peuvent les politiques ?
Authors: Adema Willem , Thévenon Olivier
Published: May 2016

Nous connaissons aujourd’hui l’ampleur des gains qui peuvent être associés à une plus grande égalité entre hommes et femmes. Cependant, la situation actuelle en matière d’éducation et d’emploi est encore peu représentative de ce fait. La parentalité continue d’avoir une influence critique sur la participation à l’emploi des femmes, leur trajectoire de carrière, et la division des tâches au sein du couple. Les politiques favorables à la conciliation entre travail et vie familiale ont alors pour objet de permettre aux parents de trouver un meilleur équilibre, et d’encourager un nombre plus important de femmes à conserver un emploi après la naissance d’enfants. Ces politiques ne suffisent pas, néanmoins, pour permettre aux plus qualifiées d’accéder aux postes de management et de direction. L’égalité entre hommes et femmes ne dépend pas que du comportement des femmes, mais nécessite un profond changement culturel et organisationnel de la part de l’ensemble des acteurs, y compris des hommes, des employeurs et des politiques.
La tourmente arabe
Authors: Kepel Gilles
Published: May 2016

Au plus près des développements récents, mais nourri d’une intime connaissance des mouvements qui animent le monde arabe depuis l’espoir de la renaissance, la nadha , jusqu’à l’échec du panarabisme et la défaite de la plupart des révolutions démocratiques commencées en 2011, Gilles Kepel brosse ici une vaste fresque qui éclaire la complexité de l’échiquier sur lequel se déploie la fitna, la guerre au sein de l’islam, qui n’oppose pas seulement sunnites et chiites, mais aussi, au sein du monde sunnite, les radicaux et les partisans d’une nécessaire relecture des textes, les Frères musulmans et les salafistes, les salafistes saoudiens et Daech, la nouvelle menace. Un échiquier sur lequel interviennent États et acteurs non étatiques arabes, classes et clans, mais aussi des puissances régionales non arabes, Turquie et Iran, et des puissances extérieures, États-Unis, Russie, États européens. Dans ce contexte, moteur de mouvements massifs de réfugiés vers l’Europe, ciblée par des attentats visant, en interne, ce que Daech appelle le « ventre mou de l’Occident », aucun projet mobilisateur ne dessine pour l’heure une sortie par le haut, ni au Moyen-Orient, ni en Europe, où les courants islamophobes se renforcent.
Le cyberespace, troisième front de la lutte contre Daech
Authors: Douzet Frédérick
Published: May 2016

Par une stratégie brillante d’exploitation des ressources du cyberespace, Daech a réussi à délivrer sa propagande à un large public, contrôler l’agenda médiatique, recruter de nouveaux adeptes, organiser leurs mouvements et coordonner ses actions. L’organisation utilise les coins sombres du cyberespace, ses ressources technologiques et ses flous juridiques, pour échapper aux armées et forces de l’ordre avec un remarquable savoir-faire. Cet article explore l’extrême complexité de la lutte contre Daech via le cyberespace et propose une méthodologie expérimentale pour apporter une première contribution à la compréhension de la géographie de la propagande dans le cyberespace, en lien avec le territoire.
Workplace Participatory Occupational Health/Health Promotion Program: Facilitators and Barriers Observed in Three Nursing Homes
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Flum Marian , Kotejoshyer Rajashree , Fleishman Jane , Henning Robert , Punnett Laura
Published: May 2016

Nursing home employees experience high physical and psychosocial workloads, resulting in poor health outcomes. An occupational health/health promotion program, designed to facilitate employee participation, was initiated in three nursing homes. The aim of the current study was to evaluate facilitators and barriers of the program after 3-year implementation. Focus groups with employees and in-depth interviews with top and middle managers were conducted. The Social Ecological Model was used to organize the evaluation. Facilitators and barriers were reported from both managers' and employees' perspectives, and were categorized as
intrapersonal
,
interpersonal
,
institutional
, and
corporate level
. Management support, financial resources, and release time for participation were identified as the three most important factors. Supports from multiple levels including both human and environment, and managers and employees, are important for a successful participatory occupational health/health promotion program. [
Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 42
(6), 34–42.]
Los miembros colectivos en los partidos políticos de Europa Occidental
Authors: Gutiérrez José Manuel , Llamazares Ivan
Published: May 2016

Este artículo estudia los miembros colectivos de los partidos políticos. Los miembros colectivos pueden ser definidos como organizaciones que poseen a la vez derechos de autogobierno plenos y derecho a participar en los procesos de toma decisiones en el partido político en el que están integrados. El artículo propone una tipología descriptiva de los miembros colectivos que tiene en cuenta su naturaleza sociopolítica (partidista o funcional) y su patrón de articulación dentro del partido en el que están integrados (si ayudan o no a articular el conjunto de la estructura partidaria). Asimismo, el artículo ilustra estos subtipos a partir del examen de varias organizaciones políticas europeas que cumplen (o se acercan a cumplir) las características definitorias de los miembros colectivos. Este análisis se basa en el examen de todas las organizaciones políticas que alcanzaron más de un 4% de los votos en las últimas elecciones parlamentarias de 10 países europeos. El artículo concluye con un análisis de los determinantes y perspectivas de este tipo de organización.
On the geoelectric structure of the Sphinx Area in Egypt
Authors: Barsukov Pavel O. , Fainberg Eduard B.
Published: May 2016

A three‐dimensional model of the electrical resistivity of rocks to a depth of 150 m in the Sphinx and the Pyramid of Khephren (Giza, Egypt) area was built using the results of transient electromagnetic soundings. The technology of the soundings, the data processing, and the design of the media’s model as a result of three‐dimensional block inversion are described. The boundary of the Paleogene limestones that form the plateau of the pyramids and the underlying structure of the folded Cretaceous are defined based on geological interpretation.

The created plateau model indicated the thickness of the slightly inclined Mokattam limestones varied from 25 m to 150 m within a 1000 × 300 m2 area. Such intense changes in the limestone subface’s altitudes were controlled by the folded structure of the underlying Cretaceous carbonates. Cretaceous carbonates show low electrical resistivity, which is typical for fractured rocks saturated with saline water. Dense Mokattam limestone blocks are broken by water‐saturated zones with sub‐vertical faults in the southwest–northeast direction. The electrical resistivity in the carbonate surface layer, which lies at the base of the pyramids and Sphinx, is heterogeneous with a composition that depends on the clay content and presence of halite.
Multi‐geophysical approach for the better understanding and characterization of subsurface structures
Authors: Lu De‐Bao , Zhou Qi‐You , Dong Jin‐Yi , Zhang Zhong‐San
Published: May 2016

Understanding and characterizing subsurface structures is challenging, especially when the objective is to investigate sites for nuclear waste disposal. This paper presents a multi‐geophysical approach for subsurface experimental investigations in which seismic data are used to improve electrical resistivity tomography quality. Different synthetic models ranging from simple to complex were created to quantitatively demonstrate the improvements enabled by the use of this strategy. Moreover, the scheme was tested at Beishan, a candidate site for the disposal of high‐level radioactive waste in northwestern China. The results show that the combination of geophysical data sources improves the interpretation of the subsurface over a single source. The root‐mean‐square level and runtime were found to rapidly decrease when using the proposed scheme.
Transparency, Technology and Taxation
Authors: Bird Richard M.
Published: May 2016

Taxes and tax administration are important. Taxation is one of the main interfaces between state and society: how a tax system is administered may affect not only its yield, its incidence, and its efficiency but also the state itself. Taxation that is widely perceived to be unfair and administered capriciously and corruptly may not only bring the tax system into disrepute but weaken trust in government and even the legitimacy of the state. This paper discusses two important aspects of taxation – its ‘transparency' and the increasingly important role of information technology (IT) in tax administration, as well as how these two topics relate to the broader issues just mentioned.
The Difficulties of Achieving Successful Tax Reform
Authors: James Simon
Published: May 2016

This chapter sets out the issues that should be considered in developing successful tax reform. Economic theory makes an essential contribution to the development of tax reform, incorporating issues of both economic efficiency and equity. However, other theoretical considerations demonstrate that successful tax design may be considerably more difficult than seems to be widely thought. In addition, there are matters of tax administration and compliance that have to be taken into account. The changing socio-economic environment within which tax systems have to operate as well, as the political process of tax reform, are also important. Finally, the chapter shows how to develop a systematic approach which can incorporate the many important issues that should be included in developing successful tax reform.
International Tax Competition and Its Reflections in Turkey
Authors: Öz Semih N.
Published: May 2016

International tax competition has been significantly increased since 1980s as a result of liberalized financial and fiscal policies, while this leads sovereign nations faced budgetary deficit problems and public finance related considerations. This paper aims to analyze how Turkish tax system is affected by international tax competition, services submitted by tax havens and facilities used by multinationals. In 2006, a new Corporate Income Tax Law was introduced in Turkey. One of its purposes is to combat against harmful tax competition and therefore it covered defensive measures such as controlled foreign company (CFC), thin capitalization rule and transfer pricing regulation, to prevent companies from leaving their income abroad. This study aims to analyze effects of international tax competition in Turkey whether there are change in tax rates, tax structure, and tax revenue; and how the government respond it, as a beneficiary; or, a loser.
Political Economy of Tax Evasion and Tax Loss in the Real Estate Sector
Authors: Erdoğdu M. Mustafa , Yılmaz Binhan E. , Aydın Murat , User İnci
Published: May 2016

This chapter engages with political economy of tax evasion and tax compliance issues, particularly focusing on deficiencies and problems within property taxation system in Turkey. The chapter questions if there are any political preferences, legal arrangements or cultural issues facilitating tax evasion and tax loss in Turkey. It first identifies the degenerating effects of frequent application of tax amnesties, having a lax tax reconciliation institution, and less than logical way tax information confidentiality principle is applied in Turkey. Then, the chapter investigates peculiarities and specific difficulties of real estate sector in general in relation to taxation. Finally, a comprehensive property tax reform based on a semi-public valuation system is proposed to reduce tax loss in this sector.
The Future of Public Finances in Egypt
Authors: Mansour Sarah , Sadiraj Vjollca , Wallace Sally
Published: May 2016

Egypt, a country of 82 million people with a GDP of $272 billion, is arguably one of the most important countries in the Middle East. At this stage of its transition, the structure and level of public finances are more critical than ever. Like many countries, Egypt suffers from substantial non-compliance, which undermines the entire system of public finance, yet there has been relatively little focus on addressing this issue in Egypt. This chapter is focused on a review of the recent history of Egypt's public finances and a unique experiment that aims to better understand the potential for political institutions to affect tax compliance at a time when those institutions are under development.
Analyzing and Reforming Tunisia's Tax System
Authors: Alm James
Published: May 2016

Tunisia's tax system has undergone significant structural reforms over the last several decades. Even so, its structure exhibits some major flaws, shortcomings that spill over to and affect the performance of the overall Tunisian economy. Further, the tax system continues to underperform in some fundamental ways, ways that also affect the rest of the economy. Finally, the structure of the Tunisian tax system has some notable shortcomings. This paper discusses these issues. It presents details of the main taxes, it analyzes several main features of this tax system, and it suggests various specific tax reforms that can be introduced both in the short term and in the longer term.
Strategic Fashion Management
Authors: Aboutalebi Reza , Tan Hui , Dyerson Romano
Published: May 2016

Strategic fashion management is one of the major absentees in the catwalk of the fashion literature. The meta-analysis research strategy was used to find and analyze hundreds of papers and books that may have some discussions regarding the intra-organizational factors that contribute to the effective execution of strategies in the fashion industry. Inclusion criteria were all published studies in top ten related journals and all existing books on Amazon website that have at least one of the nine keywords about strategy implementation. This research has identified ten sets of influential factors, each of which has an impact on the successful implementation of strategies. A strategy implementation model has been developed by combining these ten groups of factors based on systems theory. This paper reflects the development of a tentative model of strategy execution based on a literature review.