bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of a Bidirectional DC-DC Converter with High Voltage Gain
Authors: Razzaghzadeh Behrouz , Salimi Mahdi
Published: August 2015

A novel bidirectional DC-DC converter with high conversion ratio is proposed in this paper. The proposed converter uses the three windings coupled-inductor to achieved high voltage conversion ratio. The primary side consist of a winding and secondary side consist of two windings, which these two windings are series to achieved high voltage gain.In the boost mode, a capacitor is parallel charged and series discharged by the coupled inductor. Thus, high step-up voltage gain can be achieved with an appropriate duty ratio. In the buck mode, a capacitor is series charged and parallel discharged by the coupled inductor. The bidirectional converter can have high step-down voltage gain.The stress voltage of main switches can be reduced, and efficiency can be improved. The operating principle and the steady-state analyses of the voltage gain are discussed. Finally, in 24V for low voltage, and 400V for high voltage, and 200W for output power, this converter is simulated in MATLAB.
A Theatre of History: 12 Principles
Authors: Kirshenblatt-Gimblett Barbara
Published: August 2015

Opened in Warsaw in April 2013, POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews tells the story of the thousand years of continuous Jewish presence in this part of the world, a history largely overshadowed, understandably, by the Holocaust. While the exhibition avoids a master narrative, it enacts a theatre of history founded on 12 metahistorical principles outlining POLIN’s curatorial, pedagogic, and performative storytelling strategies.
Robotics as New Media Dramaturgy: The Case of the Sleepy Robot
Authors: Scheer Edward
Published: August 2015

It doesn’t matter if the actor is a robot; the virtual context of art and theatre is a site where a “vibrant materialism” might offer useful insights on the status of the actor, the object, and especially the robotic object, in an expanded dramaturgy.
Celebrating Odin Teatret and Holstebro: A 50th Anniversary Celebration
Authors: Watson Ian
Published: August 2015

Odin Teatret, one of Europe’s oldest and most successful independent theatre groups, marked its 50th anniversary in the summer of 2014 with a celebration that included 500 invited guests and the company’s host community of Holstebro, Denmark.
From There to Here: Canadian Stage’s Production of London Road
Authors: Julien Martin
Published: August 2015

The award-winning verbatim musical London Road received critical praise and audience interest when it was first produced in London by the National Theatre in 2011. What might a transplanted British verbatim concoction tell a post-colonial Canadian audience about their own localized concerns and prejudices?
Immigrants and Kings
Authors: Adjemian Boris
Published: August 2015

The history of the Armenian diaspora in Ethiopia raises a number of questions about the historiography of foreigners in this country and about the collective categories that are used in the social sciences to address concepts such as foreignness, nation, and identity. Armenians in Ethiopia were commonly described as merchants and craftsmen, on the basis of European published sources of the 19th and early 20th centuries. However, their situation in 20th-century Ethiopia was characterized by the depth of their settlement in the host society. Moreover, the Armenian grand narrative claimed as a leitmotiv that they were the favourite servants of the Ethiopian kings. This paper emphasizes the need for a renewed historical approach to foreignness in Ethiopia by paying close attention to memories, alternative sources, and the making of identities as a social and historical process in the local context.
University Governance for the Longer-Term
Authors: Baird Jeanette
Published: August 2015

Corporate governance models are becoming more prevalent in many universities, despite concerns over the effects of corporate practices on the identity of universities as a unique institutional field. In Westminster university systems, governance practices have become highly professionalized along corporate lines, not least to ensure a good fit with the necessary regulatory regimes for a marketized university system. Examples of Australian practices are provided to illustrate the governance dynamics, as both Western and Chinese corporate governance practices will affect the culture of Chinese universities, despite the continuance of deeply-inscribed State influence. Professionalization of governance in Australia has brought benefits but also generated some ‘blind spots’ to sustaining the longer-term features of successful universities. Stronger academic governance could provide a counterweight, yet the relationship between corporate governance and academic governance is not yet as well-defined as it needs to become.
New bryophyte taxon records for tropical countries IV
Authors: Eggers Jens , Stevenson C. Robin , Porley R. D. , Stech Michael
Published: August 2015

New bryophyte taxon records for tropical countries IV
El género Metzgeria (Metzgeriales-Hepatophyta) en los bosques montanos del Noroeste de Argentina

Authors: Nieva Mariela Margarita , Schiavone María Magdalena
Published: August 2015

Four species of Metzgeria found in northwestern Argentina are described and illustrated. All the species are new to northwestern Argentina, with exception of M. myriopoda Lindb. (known for Tucumán and Misiones), and are new records for Argentina.
The Mosses of Easter Island
Authors: Ireland Robert R. , Bellolio Gilda
Published: August 2015

The bryophyte flora of Easter Island has been poorly known primarily because few botanists have collected there. In order to increase the knowledge of the flora the two authors collected bryophytes from 12 localities on the island from April 28-May 3, 2000. The small island, which is south of the Tropic of Capricorn, is of volcanic origin and the volcanic soil as well as the destruction of most of the native flora have undoubtedly contributed to the paucity of bryophytes. The present study revealed that the bryophyte flora consists of only a few species, including one unidentifiable member of the Anthocerotaceae, 11 hepatics and 30 mosses. Eighteen mosses are new to the island. Three mosses, Chenia leptophylla (Müll. Hal.) R. H. Zander, Dicranella hawaiica (Müll. Hal.) Broth. and Tortella humilis (Hedw.) Jennings, are new for Chile, while three, Fissidens pascuanus Broth. in Skottsb., Ptychomitrium subcylindricum Thér. and Trematodon pascuanus Thér., are presently known to be endemic to Easter Island. Two of the three endemics, Fissidens pascuanus and Ptychomitrium subcylindricum, were rediscovered on the island. Fissidens pascuanus was found with sporophytes for the first time and a revised description of the species is provided.
Las Briofitas del Departamento de Nariño, Colombia: I. Musgos
Authors: P. Bernardo R. Ramirez , Churchill Steven P.
Published: August 2015

A moss inventory for Departamento de Nariño, Colombia records 392 species distributed among 169 genera and 51 families. Taxa newly recorded for Colombia include: Daltonia jamesonii Taylor, Dicranella varia (Hedw.) Schimp., Isopterygium subbrevisetum (Hampe) Broth., Lepyrodontopsis trichophylla (Hedw.) Broth., Macromitrium trichophyllum Mitt., Philonotis incana (Taylor) H. Rob., Racomitrium lamprocarpum (Müll. Hal.) A. Jaeger, Rauiella lagoensis (Hampe) W. R. Buck, Sphagnum cuculliformes H. A. Crum, Stenodesmus tenuicuspis (Mitt.) A. Jaeger, Syrrhopodon isthmi W. D. Reese, Taxithelium pluripunctatum (Renauld & Cardot) W. R. Buck; Lepyrodontopsis and Stenodesmus represent genera new to the country.
A review of the Oriental species of Cothornobata Czerny (Diptera, Micropezidae, Eurybatinae)
Authors: LI XUANKUN , MARSHALL STEPHEN A. , YANG DING
Published: August 2015

The Oriental species of the genus Cothornobata Czerny are reviewed, with a revision of the species occurring in the northern Oriental region, and descriptions of the following 16 new species from China and Vietnam: C. atra sp. nov.; C. breviseta sp. nov.; C. bubengensis sp. nov.; C. curva sp. nov.; C. elegantula sp. nov.; C. fusca sp. nov.; C. ingensfurca sp. nov.; C. longifurca sp. nov.; C. longigonitea sp. nov.; C. mentogensis sp. nov.; C. paieroi sp. nov.; C. pugnoa sp. nov.; C. shuimanensis sp. nov.; C. uniseta sp. nov.; C. vietnamensis sp. nov.; C. zhangae sp. nov. Cothornobata nigrigenu Enderlein is newly reported from China and Nestima meijerei (Frey) is given as a new combination for Cothornobata meijerei Frey. A key to the 19 Oriental species of the genus is provided.
First record of genus Orbiniella Day, 1954 (Polychaeta: Orbiniidae) in North Atlantic Ocean with the description of a new species
Authors: PARAPAR JULIO , MOREIRA JUAN , HELGASON GUDMUNDUR VIDIR
Published: August 2015

A new species of the genus Orbiniella Day, 1954 (Polychaeta: Orbiniidae), collected during the BIOICE programme on sedimentary bottoms off Iceland, is described. Orbiniella petersenae sp. nov. is a shelf and slope species (107 to 1,915 m) chiefly characterized by having notopodial postchaetal papilla from first chaetiger, long crenulated capillary chaetae and several acicular chaetae on each parapodial rami, and pygidium with four lobes. External micromorphology and gross internal anatomy were studied using, respectively, SEM and micro-CT; this is the first time these techniques are used for any species in this genus. A key to all species of this genus worldwide is provided.
Larval descriptions of Annitella esparraguera (Schmid 1952) and Annitella iglesiasi González & Malicky 1988 (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae), two endemic species from Southern Europe
Authors: Sáinz-Bariáin Marta , Zamora-Muñoz Carmen
Published: August 2015

Descriptions of the previously unknown larvae of Annitella esparraguera and A. iglesiasi, two European endemic species from the southern Iberian Peninsula are presented. The most important diagnostic features are illustrated and some taxonomic, zoogeographical and ecological notes are given. In addition, a previous key is modified to include these two new Iberian Limnephilidae larvae.
The Capability of ENSEMBLES Models in Predicting the Principal Modes of Pan-Asian Monsoon Precipitation
Authors: Gao Ya , Wang Huijun , Chen Dong
Published: August 2015

The predictability of the dominant modes of summer (June–September) precipitation in the pan-Asian monsoon region is evaluated based on 1-month-lead retrospective forecasts in five state-of-the-art coupled models from the ENSEMBLES project for the period 1979–2005. The results show that the models and their multimodel ensemble mean (MME) perform well in reproducing the interannual variability of the climatology and the spatiotemporal distribution of the first mode of summer precipitation in the pan-Asian monsoon region. The associated oceanic and atmospheric circulation indicators are also well captured, such as the spatiotemporal structures of the simultaneous El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Antarctic Oscillation in the Pacific Ocean (AAOSP). Moreover, the interannual variation of the preceding AAOSP can also be captured by some of the coupled models. For individual models, the ECMWF, Météo-France, and Met Office models exhibit better skill with respect to the first mode of summer precipitation in the pan-Asian monsoon region, which displays a tripole pattern from north to south over 80°–140°E. In addition, these models can successfully predict the intensity and location of the associated ENSO, as well as the simultaneous summer AAOSP distributions. By contrast, the prediction capabilities of the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR) and Euro-Mediterranean Center for Climate Change (CMCC-INGV) models are relatively weaker. Furthermore, the predictions of the second mode of the summer precipitation in the pan-Asian monsoon region are investigated. Some of the ENSEMBLES models show good capability in predicting the spatiotemporal distribution of the second mode, owing to the successful prediction of the atmospheric convection activities over the tropical Indian Ocean.
The West African Monsoon Onset: A Concise Comparison of Definitions
Authors: Fitzpatrick Rory G. J. , Bain Caroline L. , Knippertz Peter , Marsham John H. , Parker Douglas J.
Published: August 2015

The onset of the West African monsoon (WAM) marks a vital time for local and regional stakeholders. While the seasonal progression of monsoon winds and the related migration of precipitation from the Guinea Coast toward the Sudan/Sahel is apparent, there exist contrasting man-made definitions of what the WAM onset means. Broadly speaking, onset can be analyzed regionally, locally, or over a designated intermediate scale. There are at least 18 distinct definitions of the WAM onset in publication, with little work done on comparing observed onset from different definitions or comparing onset realizations across different datasets and resolutions. Here, nine definitions have been calculated using multiple datasets of different metrics at different resolutions. It is found that mean regional onset dates are consistent across multiple datasets and different definitions. There is low interannual variability in regional onset, suggesting that regional seasonal forecasting of the onset provides few benefits over climatology. In contrast, local onsets show high spatial, interannual, and interdefinition variability. Furthermore, it is found that there is little correlation between local onset dates and regional onset dates across West Africa, implying a disharmony between regional measures of onset and the experience on a local scale. The results of this study show that evaluation of seasonal monsoon onset forecasts is far from straightforward. Given a seasonal forecasting model, it is possible to simultaneously have a good and a bad prediction of monsoon onset simply through selection of the onset definition and observational dataset used for comparison.
Vagal Recovery From Cognitive Challenge Moderates Age-Related Deficits in Executive Functioning
Authors: Crowley Olga V. , Kimhy David , McKinley Paula S. , Burg Matthew M. , Schwartz Joseph E. , Lachman Margie E. , Tun Patricia A. , Ryff Carol D. , Seeman Teresa E. , Sloan Richard P.
Published: August 2015

Decline in executive functioning (EF) is a hallmark of cognitive aging. We have previously reported that faster vagal recovery from cognitive challenge is associated with better EF. This study examined the association between vagal recovery from cognitive challenge and age-related differences in EF among 817 participants in the Midlife in the U.S. study (aged 35–86). Cardiac vagal control was measured as high-frequency heart rate variability. Vagal recovery moderated the association between age and EF (β = .811, p = .004). Secondary analyses revealed that older participants (aged 65–86) with faster vagal recovery had superior EF compared to their peers who had slower vagal recovery. In contrast, among younger (aged 35–54) and middle-aged (aged 55–64) participants, vagal recovery was not associated with EF. We conclude that faster vagal recovery from cognitive challenge is associated with reduced deficits in EF among older, but not younger individuals.
Burden of Disease and Benefit Incidence of Public Health Expenditure in Northeast India
Authors: Ngangbam Sapana , Ladusingh Laishram
Published: August 2015

Burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases are high in northeast (NE) India. The region is underdeveloped economically and public health care infrastructure is inadequate. This article sheds light on reasons for poor utilization of public health facilities and gap in the rich–poor benefit incidence of public health expenditure. The findings of the study indicate non-availability of facilities, long waiting time and poor quality of care as main reasons for non-utilization of public health facilities. As regards benefit incidence of public health expenditure for outpatient, the poor gets the larger share but in totality, the rich benefits more than the poor. The article concludes that multi-prong strategies and reorientation of health system to suit the health care needs of northeast India are imperative to reduce burden of disease and to restore equity in the benefit incidence of public health care expenditure.
Impact of Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna on Below Poverty Line Population
Authors: Shahi Amandeep Kaur , Singh Harinder
Published: August 2015

The study is an endeavour to study the impact of Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY) on the below poverty line (BPL) population in 30 states of India. In order to identify the impact, the study focused on four key performance indicators (KPIs)—claims ratio (utility to the beneficiaries), conversion ratio (to measure depth of outreach subject to the quality of the BPL list), hospitalization ratio (to gauge utilization) and total expense ratio (to evaluate profitability to the insurer). These KPIs are analyzed from aggregated state-level data for the first year of operations from 24 states, for the second year from 17 states and for the third year from five states. This analysis fills us with a sense of achievement. The results revealed that the first year under the RSBY was a period for experience gain and the scheme and processes there under are gradually stabilizing but there is still much to be done. An appraisal of the scheme attempted on the basis of experience gained in second and third round focused to acknowledge that the scheme has indeed been successful.
On Measuring Technical Efficiency of the Health System in India
Authors: Tigga Nutan Shashi , Mishra Udaya S.
Published: August 2015

Huge investments have been made in improving the health system of India since early independence, which has resulted in health outcomes such as infant and maternal maternity rates and life expectancy levels to exhibit impressive reductions and increments, respectively. Although at the national level these have been impressive, it is appalling at the state level. States such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu have always topped in displaying low infant and maternal mortality rates associated with high levels of health workers and infrastructure in contrast to states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. In the present study, we use data envelopment analysis (DEA) to assess and compare the health system across states of India. Using DEA, we attempt to derive desired levels of health manpower and infrastructure to be emulated, to make the health systems efficient. The study limits to two outputs and two inputs for 27 states of India and used the output oriented DEA. It was found that of the 27 states only six of them were technically efficient, having an efficiency score of 1.00. The remaining states were technically inefficient and were using more than required amount of inputs to achieve the current levels of output. These inefficient states could make their health system efficient by following the efficient states as peers.
Putting Value to Human Health in Coal Mining Region of India
Authors: Mishra Sujit Kumar
Published: August 2015

This article assesses the economic valuation of coal mining in the rural communities in the vicinity of Mahanandi Coal Field Limited (MCL), Anugul, Odisha, India in terms of losses to human health. The data have been collected from 250 households from five mining villages and 50 households from two non-mining (control) villages. The cost-of-illness (COI) approach has been used to analyze the health impact. Evidence based on review of documents and reports, interviews with coal mining officials, doctors, government department officials and field observations has pointed different types of health hazards in the mining villages in comparison to non-mining villages. Livelihoods and welfare of households can be adversely affected by this type of illness. This article focuses on the policy framework and institutional capacity of India for addressing the issue of externality. The study also examines the implementation of policy in this sector.
Analyzing Cultural Consensus with Proportional Reduction in Error (PRE)
Authors: Lacy Michael G. , Snodgrass Jeffrey G.
Published: August 2015

This article provides an alternate method to assess the fit of the cultural consensus model (CCM) of Romney and colleagues to the responses of a group of informants about a domain of knowledge, and thus also to evaluate the extent of shared knowledge within a group. Criteria for judging the existence of singular culture have been articulated previously by examining the relative size of the first versus second eigenvalue from the factor analysis used to estimate the informant competencies. By contrast, our new procedure examines whether a particular cultural consensus answer key and set of competency scores can predict group members’ responses, allowing one to assess the degree of cultural sharing in terms of the model’s predictive power as compared to guessing. In comparison to previously established CCM approaches for assessing cultural sharing, our approach is intuitively interpretable while remaining based on well-established statistical procedures.
Prophylactic transfusion for pregnant women with sickle cell disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Malinowski Ann Kinga , Shehata Nadine , D’Souza Rohan , Kuo Kevin H. M. , Ward Richard , Shah Prakesh S. , Murphy Kellie
Published: August 2015

Key Points

Prophylactic transfusion in pregnant women with SCD may reduce maternal mortality, vaso-occlusive pain events, and pulmonary complications. Prophylactic transfusion in pregnant women with SCD may similarly reduce perinatal mortality, neonatal death, and preterm birth.
Identifying environmental versus phylogenetic correlates of behavioural ecology in gibbons: implications for conservation management of the world’s rarest ape
Authors: Bryant Jessica V. , Olson Valérie A. , Chatterjee Helen J. , Turvey Samuel T.
Published: August 2015

Background

For conservation of highly threatened species to be effective, it is crucial to differentiate natural population parameters from atypical behavioural, ecological and demographic characteristics associated with human disturbance and habitat degradation, which can constrain population growth and recovery. Unfortunately, these parameters can be very hard to determine for species of extreme rarity. The Hainan gibbon (Nomascus hainanus), the world’s rarest ape, consists of a single population of c.25 individuals, but intensive management is constrained by a limited understanding of the species’ expected population characteristics and environmental requirements. In order to generate a more robust evidence-base for Hainan gibbon conservation, we employed a comparative approach to identify intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of variation in key ecological and behavioural traits (home range size, social group size, mating system) across the Hylobatidae while controlling for phylogenetic non-independence.

Results

All three studied traits show strong phylogenetic signals across the Hylobatidae. Although the Hainan gibbon and some closely related species have large reported group sizes, no observed gibbon group size is significantly different from the values expected on the basis of phylogenetic relationship alone. However, the Hainan gibbon and two otherNomascusspecies (N. concolor,N. nasutus) show home range values that are higher than expected relative to all other gibbon species. Predictive models incorporating intraspecific trait variation but controlling for covariance between population samples due to phylogenetic relatedness reveal additional environmental and biological determinants of variation in gibbon ranging requirements and social structure, but not those immediately associated with recent habitat degradation.

Conclusions

Our study represents the first systematic assessment of behavioural and ecological trait patterns across the Hylobatidae using recent approaches in comparative analysis. By formally contextualising the Hainan gibbon’s observed behavioural and ecological characteristics within family-wide variation in gibbons, we are able to determine natural population parameters expected for this Critically Endangered species, as well as wider correlates of variation for key population characteristics across the Hylobatidae. This approach reveals key insights with a direct impact on future Hainan gibbon conservation planning, and demonstrates the usefulness of the comparative approach for informing management of species of conservation concern.
What’s more general than a whole population?
Authors: Alexander Neal
Published: August 2015

Statistical inference is commonly said to be inapplicable to complete population studies, such as censuses, due to the absence of sampling variability. Nevertheless, in recent years, studies of whole populations, e.g., all cases of a certain cancer in a given country, have become more common, and often report p values and confidence intervals regardless of such concerns. With reference to the social science literature, the current paper explores the circumstances under which statistical inference can be meaningful for such studies. It concludes that its use implicitly requires a target population which is wider than the whole population studied — for example future cases, or a supranational geographic region — and that the validity of such statistical analysis depends on the generalizability of the whole to the target population.
Cyclic contractions and fixed point theorems on various generating spaces
Authors: Kumari Panda Sumati , Panthi Dinesh
Published: August 2015

In this paper, we prove some fixed point theorems using various cyclic contractions in weaker forms of generating spaces.
The development of precision medicine in clinical practice
Authors: He Mingyan , Xia Jinglin , Shehab Mohamed , Wang Xiangdong
Published: August 2015

Precision medicine allows a dramatic expansion of biological data, while there is still an urgent need to understand and insight the exact meaning of those data to human health and disease. This has led to an increasing wealth of data unanalyzed. The concept of precision medicine is about the customization of healthcare, with decisions and practices tailored to an individual patient based on their intrinsic biology in addition to clinical “signs and symptoms”. Construction of a standardized model for the integration of data from various platforms is the central mission of the ‘New Disease Management Model’. The model is helpful for the development of new taxonomy of diseases and subtypes, to personalize therapy based on patient genetic profiles. A rapid progression of precision therapy has been made recently. Clinical trials have shown the therapeutic efficacy of discovered and developed therapeutic agents has improved. However, next‐generation drugs would be designed for disease subtypes with more specificity, efficacy and lower toxicity.
Dyeing and thermal behavior of jute fibre grafted with nitrile monomer
Authors: Mondal Md Ibrahim H , Islam Md Khademul
Published: August 2015

Modification of bleached jute fibre was carried out by graft co-polymerization with the vinyl monomers, acrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile. A K2S2O8/FeSO4redox system was used in the presence of air. The graft yield and grafting efficiency increased with the increase of monomer, initiator and reaction time up to certain values, thereafter it decreased. This is due to the increasing rate of homopolymerization, rather than grafting, at the higher monomer concentration. The maximum graft yield with acrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile, under optimized conditions, was 19.78 and 43.15%, respectively. The graft yield of methacrylonitrile is greater than that of acrylonitrile. This is due to the –CH3group present in methacrylonitrile. The inclusion of nitrile monomer onto the treated fibre was identified by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. The surface morphology and thermal behavior of the modified fibre was investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy and Thermogravimetric Analysis. Modification of jute fibre improved the thermal stability, breaking strength as well as dyeability of the fiber.
Antimicrobial performance of cotton finished with triclosan, silver and chitosan
Authors: Dhiman Guneet , Chakraborty J. N.
Published: August 2015

Antimicrobial agents are applied on textiles to suppress growth of microorganism, odour generation as well as its deterioration. Cotton fabric was finished with three different types of antimicrobial agents (1) Ultrafresh NMV2: a triclosan based product, (2) N9 Pure silver: a dispersion of pure silver metal, and (3) chitosan to develop antimicrobial characteristics. Finished fabrics were evaluated for their effectiveness against Gram positive bacterium (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram negative bacterium (Escherichia coli) in terms of percentage reduction in CFU of bacteria. The influence of finishing methods, via. pad-dry and pad-dry-cure followed by repeated launderings, concentrations of antibacterial agents, and pH were optimised. The antimicrobial performance was evaluated prior to laundering and after each five laundering cycles; results were statistically analysed and effects on physical properties of the finished fabric were also evaluated. Triclosan was found to be significantly effective at low concentrations, whereas silver showed remarkably good antimicrobial activity at or above 10 g/L and chitosan was comparably less active compared to others. Cyclic laundering showed statistically significant effect on activity of finishes up to five cycles but it was almost reduced to half for chitosan.
Yokol Cab: Mayan Translation of European Astrological Texts and Images in the Book of Chilam Balam of Kaua
Authors: George-Hirons Amy
Published: August 2015

When we consider questions of alphabetic, cultural, and visual literacy in colonial Mesoamerica, an analysis of the way in which the producers of the Book of Chilam Balam of Kaua appropriated European astronomical texts and images from medieval reportorios demonstrates much about how Mayan scribes and illustrators understood European astrology and the importance that the Maya placed on both visual representations and Spanish textuality. These excerpts served a didactic purpose of teaching European conceptions of astrology and astronomy to a Mayan audience via a deliberate textual and visual translation process.
Change in Literacy and Literature in Highland Guatemala, Precontact to Present
Authors: Maxwell Judith M.
Published: August 2015

The Maya people have long traditions of literacy, but the evidence of this literacy varies within regions. In the highlands, literacy switched to alphabetic representations shortly after contact, and as the indigenous nobility was extinguished, writing shifted more and more toward Spanish. Indigenous literacies retreated to the domains of weaving and spirituality. Symbols from both the glyphic writing system and the iconography of precontact textiles gained new interpretations in these media.
Competition over guarding in the Arabian babbler (Turdoides squamiceps), a cooperative breeder
Authors: Dattner Arnon , Zahavi Amotz , Zahavi Avishag
Published: August 2015

Observations on 12 groups comprised of two adult males and one adult female (some included one or two fledglings), tame, individually marked, Arabian babblers (Turdoides squamiceps)in the rift valley in Israel revealed that the babblers compete to guard. The pattern of guarding and the way by which one sentinel replaces another reflect the dominance relationships within the group. The dominant (alpha) male guarded more than any other individual. It interfered with and replaced the guarding by the adult beta male more than it did with the yearlings. About one-third of the replacements occurred less than one minute after the sentinel had assumed guarding. Whereas the dominant often replaced its subordinates directly; subordinates hardly ever replaced their dominants directly. The alpha male often allofed the beta male during the replacement. Replacements and allofeeding of the beta males by the alpha males increased significantly during courtship, when competition over breeding was maximal, and dropped back to their previous level at the start of incubation, highlighting the competitive basis underlying the act of guarding. Competition over altruistic acts, as shown here for guarding, is not compatible with explanations based on the assumption that altruistic acts reduce the fitness (reproductive success) of the altruist. We suggest, in contrast, that by investing in guarding and by intervening in the guarding of its competitors, a babbler demonstrates and signals its quality and its control over its competitors, thereby increasing its prestige and consequently its direct fitness.
Hypothesis: Is frequent, commercial jet travel by the general public a risk factor for developing cutaneous melanoma?
Authors: Arbesman Harvey
Published: August 2015

Melanoma incidence has been increasing worldwide over the past 50 years and various risk factors have been identified. Interestingly, multiple studies have shown a multifold increased risk of developing melanoma in jet pilots and airline crew. There has also been a dramatic increase in the availability and frequency of jet travel by the general population during this time period.. Therefore, it is hypothesized that frequent commercial jet travel may represent an additional risk factor for the development of cutaneous melanoma in susceptible individuals of the general public.
Interações agressivas em abelhas sem ferrão: Melipona quadrifasciata (Lepeletier) invadindo ninho de Scaptotrigona bipunctata (Lepeletier)
Authors: Barbosa Bruno Corrêa , Vieira Karine Munck , Prezoto Fábio
Published: August 2015

Este registro descreve a ocorrência de conflitos entre as abelhas sem ferrão de uma colônia ativa de Scaptotrigona bipunctata (Lepeletier) e os indivíduos de Melipona quadrifasciata (Lepeletier), e discute possíveis hipóteses que motivaram o ataque. Os comportamentos foram observados em uma colônia ativa de S. bipunctata. Os indivíduos de M. quadrifasciata que invadiram a colônia foram detidos pelos guardas do ninho ativo. As hipóteses de equívoco na identificação da entrada da colônia e erro na espécie possível à agregação foram descartadas, entretanto, a hipótese da real invasão registrada neste estudo demonstra uma estratégia comportamental de M. quadrifasciata e sugere que exista uma economia de energia caso tenha sucesso na pilhagem.Agressive Interactions in Stingless bees: Melipona quadrifasciata (Lepeletier) Invading Nest of Scaptotrigona bipunctata (Lepeletier)Abstract. This record describes the occurrence of conflicts between stingless bees of an active colony of Scaptotrigona bipunctata (Lepeletier) and individuals of Melipona quadrifasciata (Lepeletier), and discusses possible hypotheses that motivated the attack. Behaviors were observed in an active colony of S. bipunctata. The active nest guards detained individuals of M. quadrifasciata who invaded the colony. The chances of misidentification of the colony entrance and error in the species possible aggregation were discarded, however, the hypothesis of the real invasion recorded in this study demonstrates a behavioral strategy by M. quadrifasciata suggests that there is an energy savings if successful in looting.
Attack Behavior of Elasmus polistis Burks (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) in Nest of Polistes versicolor (Oliver) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) and its Defensive Behavior
Authors: Alvarenga Thiago Marinho , Messas Yuri Fanchini , Souza Hebert da Silva , Santos Luana Leite Guimarães , Sobczak Jober Fernando
Published: August 2015

The attack behavior of Elaumus polistis Burks in the nest cells of Polistes versicolor (Oliver) was recorded for the first time in South America. We observed that E. polistis flies in front of the P. versicolor nest, enters inside it and oviposits on wasps prepupae and pupae, possibly through the cells that compose the nest. Despite the obvious defensive behavior of the wasps described here, we found that E. polistis is efficient in parasitizing the pupae.Comportamento de Ataque de Elasmus polistis Burks (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) a Ninho de Polistes versicolor (Oliver) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) e seu Comportamento de DefesaResumo. O comportamento de ataque de Elasmus polistis Burks em células do ninho de Polistes versicolor (Oliver) foi registrado pela primeira vez na América do Sul. Observou-se que E. polistis voa em frente ao ninho de P. versicolor, ingressa em seu interior e oviposita sobre as pré-pupas e pupas das vespas, possivelmente através das células que compõem o ninho. Apesar do evidente comportamento de defesa das vespas aqui descrito verificou-se que E. polistis é eficiente em parasitar suas pupas.
Interação planta-inseto: Aspectos biológicos e ecológicos do mutualismo Cecropia-Azteca
Authors: Oliveira Gabriela Vasconcelos de , Correa Michele Martins , Delabie Jacques Hubert
Published: August 2015

Uma associação bem conhecida dentre as interações ecológicas é o mutualismo entre plantas do gênero Cecropia e formigas, na maioria das vezes pertencentes ao gênero Azteca. Nesta interação, as formigas nidificam nas domáceas presentes no tronco oco das mirmecófitas e se alimentam de recursos alimentares fornecidos pela planta, conhecidos como corpúsculos mullerianos. Em compensação, as formigas protegem a planta hospedeira contra o ataque de herbívoros e a invasão por trepadeiras, e nutrem-na através de resíduos abandonados no tronco. Entretanto, a efetividade desta associação pode variar em função de vários fatores, como por exemplo, a espécie de formiga associada e o tipo de habitat da planta mirmecófita. Cerca de 10% das espécies de Cecropia perderam suas características atrativas, como por exemplo, espécies que habitam ilhas e altas altitudes. Aspectos como a riqueza de formigas associadas e estudos moleculares evidenciam que a colonização destas plantas ocorreu diversas vezes e independentemente por alguns gêneros de formigas. A pressão de seleção exercida por algumas espécies de formigas pode ter sido um dos fatores decisivos para o desenvolvimento dos traços atrativos para as formigas em Cecropia. Com a evolução destas características as formigas puderam se tornar um parceiro efetivo da planta, facilitando a co-evolução de interações mais específicas.Plant-Insect Interactions: Biological and Ecological Aspects of Cecropia-Azteca MutualismAbstract. A well-known association is the mutualism between plants is between plant species of the genus Cecropia and ants, mostly belonging to the genus Azteca. In this association, the ants nest in domatia present in the hollow trunk of this myrmecophytes and feed on food bodies provided by the plant, known as mullerian bodies. In return, the ants protect the host plant against herbivore attacks and invasion by vines, and nourish it through waste laid in the trunk. However, the effectiveness of this association may vary with several factors, such as the associated ant species and the habitat type of the myrmecophyte. About 10% of Cecropia species lost their attractive characteristics, such as species living in high altitude and inhabit islands. Aspects like associated ant richness and molecular studies show that the colonization of these plants by ants occurred several times and independently by different genera. The selection pressure exerted by some species of ants may have been one of the decisive factors for the development of attractive traits for ants in Cecropia. With the evolution of these features ants might become an effective partner of the plant, facilitating the co-evolution of specific interactions.
First Record of Venturia sp. Parasitizing the Coconut Moth
Authors: Queiroz Abel Felipe Oliveira , Ambrogi Bianca Giuliano , Santos Jucileide Lima , Nascimento Eduardo Silva
Published: August 2015

The coconut moth Atheloca subrufella Hulst (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is considered an important pest of coconut crops in Brazil, which is the fourth largest global coconut producer. Concerning the economic importance of this crop and aiming to increase the knowledge related to biological control, the present research aimed records the first occurrence of Venturia sp. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) parasitizing A. subrufella caterpillars in the State of Sergipe, Brazil. Coconuts infested by A. subrufella caterpillars were collected in coconut plantation and kept in the Entomology Laboratory (Universidade Federal de Sergipe – UFS) until the emergence of A. subrufella adults or the parasitoids. The parasitoids obtained were identified as Venturia sp..Primeira ocorrência de Venturia sp. Parasitando a Traça-do-CoqueiroResumo. A traça-do-coqueiro Atheloca subrufella Hulst (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) é considerada uma importante praga da cultura do coqueiro no Brasil, o qual é o quarto maior produtor mundial de coco. Devido à importância econômica desta cultura e visando aumentar o conhecimento relacionado ao controle biológico, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo relatar a primeira ocorrência de Venturia sp. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) parasitando lagartas de A. Subrufella no estado de Sergipe, Brasil. Cocos infestados por lagartas de A. subrufella foram coletados em plantações de coco e mantidos no laboratório de Entomologia (Universidade Federal de Sergipe – UFS) até a emergência de adultos de A. subrufella ou dos parasitoides. Os parasitoides obtidos foram identificados como Venturia sp..
Regiões Ultraperiféricas (Açores e Madeira): Mais-valia de Portugal na Europa
Authors: Silva Guilherme
Published: August 2015

Nesta comunicação o autor dá a conhecer as Regiões Ultraperiféricas (Madeira e Açores) como uma mais-valia de Portugal na Europa.http://dx.doi.org/10.14195/1647-6336_12_6
A qualitative research on the school life of bilingual teachers in elementary school
Authors: Jeon Eunhee
Published: August 2015

This qualitative study examined the difficulties and advantages of bilingual teachers’ school life in Korean elementary schools. According to the results, the difficulty of bilingual teachers’ school life can be divided into three areas: Task difficulties, social difficulties, and institutional difficulties. First, looking at task difficulties, bilingual teachers were not only troubled by a lack of proper teaching materials for various multicultural students and lessons, caused by an absence of a multicultural budget, but also by the limited allowance for teachers training programs, the fuzzy boundary between education and business, and a heavy workload, among other issues. In regards to social difficulties, bilingual teachers experienced hardships due to having the ambiguous job description of non-regular workers in the workplace, experiencing social isolation from colleagues, enduring noncooperation with other teachers or administrative officers, and dealing with unfamiliar traditional practices inside the school. Finally, from an institutional standpoint, they went through a time of employment instability, received a small salary, and experienced a one-sided arbitrary administrative order. On the other hand, bilingual teachers were satisfied with the working environment of the school, such as regular commuting and the long holidays and vacations. Furthermore, they thought highly of the fact that they met and interacted with highly-educated counterparts in the school. Some of them, also, appreciated the opportunity that they could work in the school as teachers and put meaning in that they achieved their dream in Korean society.
Identifying with Dexter
Authors: Houwen Janna
Published: August 2015

Many contemporary high quality TV series tend to enable identification with protagonists who engage in morally dubious or outright abject acts. This essay takes Showtime’s series Dexter as a pre-eminent and extreme example of this tendency, and explores how the viewer’s identification with the serial-killing protagonist of the show is constructed and altered throughout several seasons of the series. In order to analyze the specific relation between Dexter and its audience, this essay first examines the more general possibility television series to produce firm identification of viewers with protagonists by comparing the format of the television series to two media that can be understood as its predecessors: literature and film.
“That Show You Like Might Be Coming Back in Style”: How Twin Peaks Changed the Face of Contemporary Television
Authors: Moldovan Raluca
Published: August 2015

The present study revisits one of American television’s most famous and influential shows, Twin Peaks, which ran on ABC between 1990 and 1991. Its unique visual style, its haunting music, the idiosyncratic characters and the mix of mythical and supernatural elements made it the most talked-about TV series of the 1990s and generated numerous parodies and imitations. Twin Peaks was the brainchild of America’s probably least mainstream director, David Lynch, and Mark Frost, who was known to television audiences as one of the scriptwriters of the highly popular detective series Hill Street Blues. When Twin Peaks ended in 1991, the show’s severely diminished audience were left with one of most puzzling cliffhangers ever seen on television, but the announcement made by Lynch and Frost in October 2014, that the show would return with nine fresh episodes premiering on Showtime in 2016, quickly went viral and revived interest in Twin Peaks’ distinctive world. In what follows, I intend to discuss the reasons why Twin Peaks was considered a highly original work, well ahead of its time, and how much the show was indebted to the legacy of classic American film noir; finally, I advance a few speculations about the possible plotlines the series might explore upon its return to the small screen.
SYSTEM WYŚWIETLANIA PARAMETRÓW LOTU DLA ŚMIGŁOWCA TYPU Mi-17 – WYNIKI BADAŃ
Authors: Bęczkowski Grzegorz , Krzonkalla Jarosław , Mordzonek Maj , Rymaszewski Stanisław , Zgrzywa Franciszek
Published: August 2015

Przedmiotem artykułu są badania w locie nowo opracowanego systemu wyświetlania parametrów lotu (SWPL). Omawiany system przeznaczony jest do zobrazowania na wyświetlaczu przeziernym umieszczonym przed okiem pilota pełnej informacji pilotażowo-nawigacyjnej, ostrzeganiu o sytuacji niebezpiecznej na pokładzie śmigłowca i sygnalizacji błędów pracy systemów pokładowych. System przystosowany jest do pracy w warunkach dziennych i nocnych, przy czym w warunkach nocnych współpracuje z goglami noktowizyjnymi stosowanymi w lotnictwie Sił Zbrojnych RP.

W artykule przedstawiono główne elementy składowe badanego systemu wraz z ich przeznaczeniem i funkcją. Szczegółowo opisano zaimplementowane w systemie rodzaje zobrazowania oraz sposób i ilość prezentowanej na wyświetlaczu przeziernym informacji. Następnie omówiono wymagany zakres i rzeczywisty przebieg prób w locie podlegającego badaniu systemu. Badania realizowano na śmigłowcu Mi-17-1V. Na zakończenie podano wyniki przeprowadzonych badań systemu wyświetlania parametrów lotu, w szczególności dotyczących spełnienia Założeń Taktyczno-Technicznych na badany system.
BADANIA SYSTEMU WIELOLUFOWYCH KARABINÓW MASZYNOWYCH ZABUDOWANYCH NA POKŁADZIE ŚMIGŁOWCA TYPU Mi-17
Authors: Bęczkowski Grzegorz , Krzonkalla Jarosław , Mordzonek Maj , Rymaszewski Stanisław , Zgrzywa Franciszek
Published: August 2015

Przedmiotem artykułu są badania systemu wielolufowych karabinów maszynowych zabudowanych na śmigłowcu. Opisywany system uzbrojenia składa się z trzech 7,62 mm wielolufowych pokładowych karabinów maszynowych M-134G zabudowanych na zaprojektowanych ramach stanowisk strzeleckich umiejscowionych w luku awaryjnym okna, drzwiach bocznych i drzwiach tylnych kabiny transportowej śmigłowca Mi-17-1V.

W artykule przedstawiono podstawowe parametry taktyczno-techniczne wielolufowego karabinu M-134G oraz szczegółowe umiejscowienie i wyposażenie stanowisk strzeleckich. Następnie omówiono przyjęty zakres oraz rzeczywisty przebieg badań rozważanego systemu. Badano i oceniono m.in. niezawodność systemu, wpływ jego pracy na działanie pozostałych systemów pokładowych i odwrotnie oraz efektywność ochrony śmigłowca. Na zakończenie przedstawiono wyniki przeprowadzonych badań systemu oraz jego zgodności z Założeniami Taktyczno-Technicznymi.