bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of Diuretics and Ultrafiltration in Congestive Heart Failure
Authors: Shchekochikhin Dmitry , Al Ammary Fawaz , Lindenfeld Jo Ann , Schrier Robert
Published: July 2013

Volume overload in heart failure (HF) results from neurohumoral activation causing renal sodium and water retention secondary to arterial underfilling. Volume overload not only causes signs and symptoms of congestion, but can impact myocardial remodeling and HF progression. Thus, treating congestion is a cornerstone of HF management. Loop diuretics are the most commonly used drugs in this setting. However, up to 30% of the patients with decompensated HF present with loop-diuretic resistance. A universally accepted definition of loop diuretic resistance, however, is lacking. Several approaches to treat diuretic-resistant HF are available, including addition of distal acting thiazide diuretics, natriuretic doses of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), or vasoactive drugs. Slow continuous veno-venous ultrafiltration is another option. Ultrafiltration, if it is started early in the course of HF decompensation, may result in prominent decongestion and a reduction in re-hospitalization. On the other hand, ultrafiltration in HF patients with worsening renal function and volume overload after aggressive treatment with loop diuretics, failed to show benefit compared to a stepwise pharmacological approach, including diuretics and vasoactive drugs. Early detection of congested HF patients for ultrafiltration treatment might improve decongestion and reduce readmission. However, the best patient characteristics and best timing of ultrafiltration requires further evaluation in randomized controlled studies.
Protein-Based Blood Substitutes: Recent Attempts at Controlling Pro-Oxidant Reactivity with and Beyond Hemoglobin
Authors: Scurtu Violeta-Florina , Moţ Augustin , Silaghi-Dumitrescu Radu
Published: July 2013

Reviewed here are recent attempts to produce protein-based artificial oxygen carriers (“blood substitutes”). Most of these involve chemical or physical modifications on hemoglobin, although a recent line of research using hemerythrin instead of hemoglobin is also described. The focus is set on the extent to which these modifications alter the redox reactivity of the proteins, and on ways in which this can be done systematically and purposefully, within the framework of a working hypothesis where redox side-reactions hold an important role in the physiological outcome of experimental transfusions with artificial oxygen carriers.
Molecular Mapping of D1, D2 and ms5 Revealed Linkage between the Cotyledon Color Locus D2 and the Male-Sterile Locus ms5 in Soybean
Authors: Ott Alina , Yang Yang , Bhattacharyya Madan , Horner Harry , Palmer Reid , Sandhu Devinder
Published: July 2013

In soybean, genic male sterility can be utilized as a tool to develop hybrid seed. Several male-sterile, female-fertile mutants have been identified in soybean. The male-sterile, female-fertile ms5 mutant was selected after fast neutron irradiation. Male-sterility due to ms5 was associated with the “stay-green” cotyledon color mutation. The cotyledon color trait in soybean is controlled by two loci, D1 and D2. Association between cotyledon color and male-sterility can be instrumental in early phenotypic selection of sterility for hybrid seed production. The use of such selection methods saves time, money, and space, as fewer seeds need to be planted and screened for sterility. The objectives of this study were to compare anther development between male-fertile and male-sterile plants, to investigate the possible linkages among the Ms5, D1 and D2 loci, and to determine if any of the d1 or d2 mutations can be applied in hybrid seed production. The cytological analysis during anther development displayed optically clear, disintegrating microspores and enlarged, engorged pollen in the male-sterile, female-fertile ms5ms5 plants, a common characteristic of male-sterile mutants. The D1 locus was mapped to molecular linkage group (MLG) D1a and was flanked by Satt408 and BARCSOYSSR_01_1622. The ms5 and D2 loci were mapped to MLG B1 with a genetic distance ~12.8 cM between them. These results suggest that use of the d2 mutant in the selection of male-sterile line may attenuate the cost hybrid seed production in soybean.
Self-Affinity, Self-Similarity and Disturbance of Soil Seed Banks by Tillage
Authors: Dias Luís
Published: July 2013

Soil seed banks were sampled in undisturbed soil and after soil had been disturbed by tillage (tine, harrow or plough). Seeds were sorted by size and shape, and counted. Size-number distributions were fitted by power law equations that allowed the identification of self-similarity and self-affinity. Self-affinity and thus non-random size-number distribution prevailed in undisturbed soil. Self-similarity and thus randomness of size-number distribution prevailed after tillage regardless of the intensity of disturbance imposed by cultivation. The values of fractal dimensions before and after tillage were low, suggesting that short-term, short-range factors govern size-number distribution of soil seed banks.
Supramolecular Functionalities Influence the Thermal Properties, Interactions and Conductivity Behavior of Poly(ethylene glycol)/LiAsF6 Blends
Authors: Wang Jui-Hsu , Cheng Chih-Chia , Altukhov Oleksii , Chang Feng-Chih , Kuo Shiao-Wei
Published: July 2013

In this study, we tethered terminal uracil groups onto short-chain poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to form the polymers, uracil (U)-PEG and U-PEG-U. Through AC impedance measurements, we found that the conductivities of these polymers increased upon increasing the content of the lithium salt, LiAsF6, until the Li-to-PEG ratio reached 1:4, with the conductivities of the LiAsF6/U-PEG blends being greater than those of the LiAsF6/U-PEG-U blends. The ionic conductivity of the LiAsF6/U-PEG system reached as high as 7.81 × 10−4 S/cm at 30 °C. Differential scanning calorimetry, wide-angle X-ray scattering, 7Li nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that the presence of the uracil groups in the solid state electrolytes had a critical role in tuning the glass transition temperatures and facilitating the transfer of Li+ ions.
Influence of Multi-Source and Multi-Temporal Remotely Sensed and Ancillary Data on the Accuracy of Random Forest Classification of Wetlands in Northern Minnesota
Authors: Corcoran Jennifer , Knight Joseph , Gallant Alisa
Published: July 2013

Wetland mapping at the landscape scale using remotely sensed data requires both affordable data and an efficient accurate classification method. Random forest classification offers several advantages over traditional land cover classification techniques, including a bootstrapping technique to generate robust estimations of outliers in the training data, as well as the capability of measuring classification confidence. Though the random forest classifier can generate complex decision trees with a multitude of input data and still not run a high risk of over fitting, there is a great need to reduce computational and operational costs by including only key input data sets without sacrificing a significant level of accuracy. Our main questions for this study site in Northern Minnesota were: (1) how does classification accuracy and confidence of mapping wetlands compare using different remote sensing platforms and sets of input data; (2) what are the key input variables for accurate differentiation of upland, water, and wetlands, including wetland type; and (3) which datasets and seasonal imagery yield the best accuracy for wetland classification. Our results show the key input variables include terrain (elevation and curvature) and soils descriptors (hydric), along with an assortment of remotely sensed data collected in the spring (satellite visible, near infrared, and thermal bands; satellite normalized vegetation index and Tasseled Cap greenness and wetness; and horizontal-horizontal (HH) and horizontal-vertical (HV) polarization using L-band satellite radar). We undertook this exploratory analysis to inform decisions by natural resource managers charged with monitoring wetland ecosystems and to aid in designing a system for consistent operational mapping of wetlands across landscapes similar to those found in Northern Minnesota.
Segmentation for High-Resolution Optical Remote Sensing Imagery Using Improved Quadtree and Region Adjacency Graph Technique
Authors: Fu Gang , Zhao Hongrui , Li Cong , Shi Limei
Published: July 2013

An approach based on the improved quadtree structure and region adjacency graph for the segmentation of a high-resolution remote sensing image is proposed in this paper. In order to obtain the initial segmentation results of the image, the image is first iteratively split into quarter sections and the quadtree structure is constructed. In this process, an improved fast calculation method for standard deviation of image is proposed, which significantly increases the speed of quadtree segmentation with standard deviation criterion. A spatial indexing structure was built using improved Morton encoding based on this structure, which provides the merging process with data structure for neighborhood queries. Then, in order to obtain the final segmentation result, we constructed a feature vector using both spectral and texture factors, and proposed an algorithm for region merging based on the region adjacency graph technique. Finally, to validate the method, experiments were performed on GeoEye-1 and IKONOS color images, and the segmentation results were compared with two typical algorithms: multi-resolution segmentation and Mean-Shift segmentation. The experimental results showed that: (1) Compared with multi-resolution and Mean-Shift segmentation, our method increased efficiency by 3–5 times and 10 times, respectively; (2) Compared with the typical algorithms, the new method significantly improved the accuracy of segmentation.
Seismic Target Classification Using a Wavelet Packet Manifold in Unattended Ground Sensors Systems
Authors: Huang Jingchang , Zhou Qianwei , Zhang Xin , Song Enliang , Li Baoqing , Yuan Xiaobing
Published: July 2013

One of the most challenging problems in target classification is the extraction of a robust feature, which can effectively represent a specific type of targets. The use of seismic signals in unattended ground sensor (UGS) systems makes this problem more complicated, because the seismic target signal is non-stationary, geology-dependent and with high-dimensional feature space. This paper proposes a new feature extraction algorithm, called wavelet packet manifold (WPM), by addressing the neighborhood preserving embedding (NPE) algorithm of manifold learning on the wavelet packet node energy (WPNE) of seismic signals. By combining non-stationary information and low-dimensional manifold information, WPM provides a more robust representation for seismic target classification. By using a K nearest neighbors classifier on the WPM signature, the algorithm of wavelet packet manifold classification (WPMC) is proposed. Experimental results show that the proposed WPMC can not only reduce feature dimensionality, but also improve the classification accuracy up to 95.03%. Moreover, compared with state-of-the-art methods, WPMC is more suitable for UGS in terms of recognition ratio and computational complexity.
A Bandwidth-Efficient Service for Local Information Dissemination in Sparse to Dense Roadways
Authors: Garcia-Lozano Estrella , Campo Celeste , Garcia-Rubio Carlos , Cortes-Martin Alberto , Rodriguez-Carrion Alicia , Noriega-Vivas Patricia
Published: July 2013

Thanks to the research on Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs), we will be able to deploy applications on roadways that will contribute to energy efficiency through a better planning of long trips. With this goal in mind, we have designed a gas/charging station advertising system, which takes advantage of the broadcast nature of the network. We have found that reducing the number of total sent packets is important, as it allows for a better use of the available bandwidth. We have designed improvements for a distance-based flooding scheme, so that it can support the advertising application with good results in sparse to dense roadway scenarios.
LMD Method and Multi-Class RWSVM of Fault Diagnosis for Rotating Machinery Using Condition Monitoring Information
Authors: Liu Zhiwen , Chen Xuefeng , He Zhengjia , Shen Zhongjie
Published: July 2013

Timely and accurate condition monitoring and fault diagnosis of rotating machinery are very important to maintain a high degree of availability, reliability and operational safety. This paper presents a novel intelligent method based on local mean decomposition (LMD) and multi-class reproducing wavelet support vector machines (RWSVM), which is applied to diagnose rotating machinery faults. First, the sensor-based vibration signals measured from the rotating machinery are preprocessed by the LMD method and product functions (PFs) are produced. Second, statistic features are extracted to acquire more fault characteristic information from the sensitive PF. Finally, these features are fed into a multi-class RWSVM to identify the rotating machinery health conditions. The experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed RWSVM method in identifying rotating machinery fault patterns accurately and effectively and its superiority over that based on the general SVM.
Is Labor a Suitable Input in LCA + DEA Studies? Insights on the Combined Use of Economic, Environmental and Social Parameters
Authors: Iribarren Diego , Vázquez-Rowe Ian
Published: July 2013

Economic, social and environmental dimensions are usually accepted as the three pillars of sustainable development. However, current methodologies for the assessment of the sustainability of product systems fail to cover economic, environmental and social parameters in a single combined approach. Even though the perfect methodology is still far off, this article attempts to provide insights on the potentials of the five-step LCA + DEA method, based on both Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodologies, to cope with operational (economic), environmental and social parameters when evaluating multiple similar entities. The LCA + DEA methodology has already been proven to be a suitable approach for the evaluation of a homogenous set of units from an operational and environmental perspective, while allowing the consideration of economic aspects. However, this is the first study focused on the implementation of social parameters in LCA + DEA studies. The suitability of labor as an additional DEA item is evaluated to validate this integrative LCA + DEA concept. Illustrative case studies are used to show the advantages and drawbacks associated with the use of labor in terms of number of workers and number of working hours. In light of the results, the integrative LCA + DEA concept is seen as an all-in-one methodology, which is easy to implement, even though relevant limitations should be discussed in order to guarantee an appropriate interpretation of the social results derived from the proposed method.
Urban Architecture as Connective-Collective Intelligence. Which Spaces of Interaction?
Authors: Maahsen-Milan Andreina , Pellegrino Margot , Oliva Luigi , Simonetti Marco
Published: July 2013

During the twentieth century, with the advent of industrial society and globalization, the language of planning changed according to the shifts in construction and use of physical space. By borrowing terms and spatial forms from biology and cybernetics, industrial society and globalization increased the original semantic connotations. Moving from cognitive sciences, this paper outlines the definition of architecture as connective-collective intelligence and presents its implication in urban design. Spontaneous and commercial initiatives are redefining the communication form of urban life, affecting the procedures of the transmission of traditional knowledge. This approach to building environment is moving towards a complex multichannel interaction, involving both the individual and the collective experiences of space and technology. In describing some signs of that process, the authors outline new features that are changing the concept of sustainability in urban design.
Le marché commun scandinave et ses perspectives
Authors: Rogé France
Published: July 2013

La communauté nordique n'est pas un fait nouveau, mais c'est pourtant un sujet d'actualité ; elle se présente sous de multiples aspects. L'exposé suivant se borne à résumer les traits essentiels du commerce extérieur des Pays Scandinaves, vus dans la perspective d'établissement d'un marché commun ; les propositions élaborées dans ce but portent encore sur une part réduite des échanges ; par contre, la coopération Scandinave, dans plusieurs secteurs économiques s'est récemment renforcée ; ces réalisations, brièvement mentionnées ici, laissent entrevoir peut-être une union plus complète dans l'avenir.
L'économie algérienne — Sa structure, son évolution de 1950 à 1955
Authors: Verrière L. , Olivier Roland
Published: July 2013

L'Algérie est actuellement l'objet de toutes les préoccupations. Son avenir est largement influencé par sa structure économique et les possibilités de développement de la production. Il a semblé utile de rassembler les principales données statistiques disponibles pour les six dernières années.

L'Algérie est un pays où une économie traditionnelle subsiste aux côtés d'un secteur moderne travaillant même parfois pour l'exportation ; elle est susceptible de progrès économiques considérables. Le relèvement général [du niveau de vie reste cependant en grande partie subordonné au problème démographique.
L'échelle mobile belge dans le cadre de la politique des salaires et des prix — Comparaison avec le système français
Authors: Devaux Andrée
Published: July 2013

Si la Belgique n'a pas, comme la France, institué une liaison des salaires et des prix à l'échelon national, des conventions d'échelle mobile existent cependant dans les principaux secteurs de l'économie. En étudiant les modalités et le fonctionnement de quelques systèmes belges, dans le cadre de la politique générale des prix et des salaires, on observe les difficultés que suscite une stricte application des clauses ; il apparaît, d'autre part, que le jeu de l'échelle mobile n'a pas été le seul facteur de hausse des rémunérations.
Rapid staining method to detect and identify downy mildew (Peronospora belbahrii) in basil
Authors: Koroch Adolfina R. , Villani Thomas S. , Pyne Robert M. , Simon James E.
Published: July 2013

• Premise of the study: Demand for fresh‐market sweet basil continues to increase, but in 2009 a new pathogen emerged, threatening commercial field/greenhouse production and leading to high crop losses. This study describes a simple and effective staining method for rapid microscopic detection of basil downy mildew (Peronospora belbahrii) from leaves of basil (Ocimum basilicum).

• Methods and Results: Fresh leaf sections infected with P. belbahrii were placed on a microscope slide, cleared with Visikol™, and stained with iodine solution followed by one drop of 70% sulfuric acid. Cell walls of the pathogen were stained with a distinct coloration, providing a high‐contrast image between the pathogen and plant.

• Conclusions: This new staining method can be used successfully to identify downy mildew in basil, which then can significantly reduce its spread if identified early, coupled with mitigation strategies. This technique can facilitate the control of the disease, without expensive and specialized equipment.
A construction of 4,4-spirocyclic γ-lactams by tandem radical cyclization with carbon monoxide
Authors: Ueda Mitsuhiro , Uenoyama Yoshitaka , Terasoma Nozomi , Doi Shoko , Kobayashi Shoji , Ryu Ilhyong , Murphy John A
Published: July 2013

A straightforward synthesis of 4,4-spirocyclic indol γ-lactams by tandem radical cyclization of iodoaryl allyl azides with CO was achieved. The reaction of iodoaryl allyl azides, TTMSS and AIBN under CO pressure (80 atm) in THF at 80 °C gave the desired 4,4-spirocyclic indoline, benzofuran, and oxindole γ-lactams in moderate to good yields.
Manières de parler, manières de penser
Authors: Fedi Laurent
Published: July 2013

Cette étude s’inscrit dans le champ de la recherche critique sur les pièges du langage. En prenant pour point de départ le penchant à essentialiser, on tente de montrer que l’adhésion à des schémas communs acceptés sans critique tient à des manières de parler et à des manières de penser ancrées dans l’expérience individuelle et sociale. D’une part, on restitue le langage dans son rapport à des conduites. D’autre part, on montre que les manières de parler communes nous enferment dans des cadres idéologiques dont il est d’autant plus difficile de s’émanciper que les mots employés pour en sortir sont puisés dans un registre codifié par le système. Le croisement des deux axes permet de comprendre pourquoi nous sommes possédés par le langage autant que nous le possédons.
Königsberg, microcosme d'histoire prussienne
Authors: Chaline Olivier
Published: July 2013

Jusqu’aux destructions de 1944, la triple ville de Königsberg, devenue capitale de la Prusse des Teutoniques puis des ducs Hohenzollern, résumait dans sa topographie et ses bâtiments les grands traits de l’histoire de ce territoire des bords sud de la Baltique, à la fois germanique et extérieur au Saint-Empire, inséparable de la Pologne et de la Lituanie.
La force de l'ordre sur écoute
Authors: Truong Fabien
Published: July 2013

Comment une enquête ethnographique française et une série américaine nous parlent de la police dans les quartiers urbains paupérisés ? Cet article analyse les proximités dans le traitement du métier de policier entre le livre de Didier Fassin et la série télévisée américaine The Wire . Leur construction narrative sous forme de saynètes se prête particulièrement à un usage en classe sous forme d’extraits et permet, au-delà des fantasmes et des préjugés, de comparer la situation française et étatsunienne au prisme des sciences sociales et d’une série télévisée. À noter la publication à l’automne 2013 d’un ouvrage collectif intitulé The Wire , visages du ghetto (La Découverte, coll. « Sciences humaines »).
Le commencement de la déflation
Authors: Timbeau Xavier
Published: July 2013

La Grande Récession se poursuit pour la cinquième année consécutive. De 2010 à 2013, les efforts budgétaires réalisés et annoncés par les pays développés ont été sans précédent, avec pour objectif une réduction rapide des déficits. Mais dans un contexte de multiplicateurs élevés, l’effort budgétaire a un coût en termes d’activité. Trop longtemps ignoré, ce mécanisme a conduit à ce que les espoirs de réduction des déficits publics furent toujours déçus. En 2013 puis en 2014, l’ensemble des pays développés continuera donc l’effort de consolidation budgétaire, malgré le haut niveau du chômage involontaire. Les multiplicateurs budgétaires restant élevés, les pays développés s’enfonceront dans le cercle vicieux d’une hausse du chômage, d’une récession qui se prolonge et de doutes croissants quant à la soutenabilité des finances publiques. La poursuite de cette stratégie d’austérité budgétaire porte en elle le germe de la déflation salariale dans les pays les plus touchés. Les réformes structurelles imposées par la troïka consistant notamment à couper dans les rémunérations des fonctionnaires indiquent que cette déflation n’est pas subie, mais encouragée, avec pour objectif la restauration de la compétitivité des pays en crise. Mais, puisque la zone euro est un espace de change fixe, cette déflation salariale ne pourra que se transmettre aux autres pays. Un nouveau levier sera activé par lequel la crise se prolongera. Lorsque les salaires décroissent, l’accès au système financier pour lisser les choix des agents économiques devient impossible. Les dettes que l’on cherche à réduire depuis le début de la crise vont s’apprécier en termes réels. La déflation par la dette deviendra le nouveau vecteur du piège de la crise.
Comment peut-on être chômeur assisté et sportif ? Sport, assistance et travail : des catégories en jeu
Authors: Le Yondre François
Published: July 2013

Des stages de sport pour chômeurs bénéficiaires de l’assistance sont financés par des conseils généraux. À partir d’une observation participante, l’article interroge la philosophie politique de cette convocation du sport dans le rapport d’assistance. Le sport y est conçu comme une activité contractuelle visant à activer la responsabilité des chômeurs. Des entretiens semi-directifs, analysés selon une méthode structurale, montrent que certains stagiaires redéfinissent de façon particulière l’adéquation entre les catégories du chômage et du sport. L’interaction entre les conceptions institutionnelles et indigènes du sport face au chômage est finalement analysée en termes foucaldiens de pouvoir et contrepouvoir.
Las asociaciones de inmigrantes africanos. Organización, proyección y actuaciones
Authors: Garreta Bochaca Jordi , Llevot Calvet Núria
Published: July 2013

El asociacionismo de personas de origen extranjero ha crecido de forma notable desde los años 90 y, especialmente, desde los 2000, influenciado por los intereses de estas personas pero también por el contexto social, político e institucional que lo ha favorecido y condicionado. Este trabajo presenta los resultados de una encuesta realizada a 206 representantes de asociaciones de inmigrantes de origen africano de las comunidades autónomas de Cataluña, Valencia y Navarra. Nuestro objetivo ha consistido en clasificar las asociaciones, estudiar su organización y funcionamiento y conocer sus ámbitos de actuación. Entre otras cuestiones, hemos observado que este asociacionismo es joven y no responde a una única forma organizativa, sino que, en función de dinámicas internas y externas, intereses de los asociados y años de vida de cada asociación, adquiere diferentes estructuras y estrategias.
El rol del asociacionismo de inmigrantes africanos en la construcción de cohesión social y la convivencia en Cataluña, Navarra y la Comunidad Valenciana. Miradas Cruzadas
Authors: Moncusí Ferré Albert , Albert Rodrigo María
Published: July 2013

El objetivo de este artículo es analizar algunas posibles contribuciones de las organizaciones fundadas por personas emigradas desde el continente africano a la integración sociocultural en tres Comunidades Autónomas españolas. Para ello, se empieza definiendo la integración como proceso, con particular atención al papel que la literatura nacional e internacional ha otorgado al asociacionismo de inmigrantes en él. Posteriormente, se enfoca el caso particular del asociacionismo de las personas de origen africano y su incidencia en la integración en todo lo referido a la interadaptación social y cultural, según la doble mirada que encontramos en las entrevistas realizadas tanto a representantes de asociaciones de africanos como a técnicos de la Administración y representantes de entidades sociales que colaboran con aquellas asociaciones. Se trata de analizar los discursos de aquellos actores, sobre las razones de la existencia, los objetivos y las actividades de las asociaciones de africanos tanto para los propios asociados como para sus inmigrantes connacionales y para la sociedad de acogida. Los elementos de sintonía y discrepancia en las perspectivas exploradas configuran un campo de acción compartido por ambos actores, en el proceso de construcción de cohesión social y convivencia, pero al mismo tiempo sugieren la existencia de algunas limitaciones en el mismo.
Las estructuras asociativas de los senegaleses en España
Authors: Giró Miranda Joaquín , Mata Romeu Anna
Published: July 2013

La necesidad de crear un referente asociativo entre los inmigrantes senegaleses como instrumento de sociabilidad e identificación, les ha llevado inicialmente a organizarse en torno a objetivos de carácter asistencial, básicamente en caso de enfermedad o muerte y/o en regularización administrativa y búsqueda de trabajo y vivienda. Con el paso del tiempo, a estos objetivos iniciales se sumarían los de sensibilización sobre determinados aspectos de la cultura y los de cooperación y codesarrollo con asociaciones comunitarias de Senegal. Los objetivos de las asociaciones senegalesas han demostrado en el tiempo su carácter dinámico y, tan solo las dificultades económicas o de financiación han obligado a ralentizar o abandonar fines y objetivos más ambiciosos.El asociacionismo senegalés tiene, además, un componente solidario muy vinculado a la teranga u hospitalidad, que es el principio de existencia de las redes de solidaridad que recrean las asociaciones senegalesas de acuerdo a vínculos y relaciones de parentesco, amistad y, sobre todo, de identidad comunitaria, constituyéndose en un elemento simbólico de su cultura. No es extraño, por tanto, que junto a los proyectos de cooperación y codesarrollo, las asociaciones mantengan estrategias de solidaridad y apoyo mutuo, más, si cabe, en épocas de atonía económica como la actual.
Asociaciones de migrantes africanos. Educación y formación
Authors: Palaudàrias i Martí Josep M. , Serra i Salamé Carles
Published: July 2013

A partir de los datos obtenidos a través de un cuestionario suministrado a 206 representantes de asociaciones de inmigrantes de origen africano y de 20 historias de vida y 66 entrevistas realizadas a representantes de estas asociaciones, este artículo analiza la realidad educativa de las asociaciones desde diferentes puntos de vista. Primero, estableciendo el valor que los dirigentes asociativos dan a la educación (papel que ha jugado en sus procesos migratorios y papel que juega en las asociaciones que dirigen). En segundo lugar, aproximándonos a su nivel de estudios e itinerario formativo. Y finalmente, analizando las actividades formativas que estas asociaciones impulsan o en las que participan (colaborando con otras asociaciones, instituciones o servicios). De estas actividades, se han analizado tanto su tipología (temas que se abordan: lengua, religión, inserción laboral, entre otros), como su orientación (tendencia al multiculturalismo y colaboración o distanciamiento respecto al ámbito educativo formal).
A Preliminary Evaluation of the iPad as a Tool for Learning and Teaching
Authors: Gregory Sue , Brown Tony , Parkes Mitchell
Published: July 2013

In May 2010, the release of the iPad in Australia brought a whole new dimension to learning. This chapter presents the preliminary findings of a pilot study conducted at a large distance education university designed to explore the use of the iPad as a tool for learning from three perspectives. The first is the use of the iPad from a lecturer’s point of view, outlining how it can be used to enhance the task of teaching in distance education. The second is from a student’s point of view, exploring how the iPad can assist in distance education study. The third examines the iPad from an insider perspective, reviewing the variety of apps available including those for social networking. The overall impression is that the iPad has great potential as a tool for learning but it will not necessarily reduce the need for desktop or laptop computers.
Connectedness Needs of External Doctoral Students
Authors: Erwee Ronel , Albion Peter R. , van der Laan Luke
Published: July 2013

Institutional concern about attrition rates of doctoral students raises the question of whether these students withdraw from a program due to perceptions of a lack of connectedness to supervisors, peers or for other reasons. The Doctoral Student Connectedness Scale was incorporated into a study of communication challenges faced by 41external doctoral students in two faculties of an Australian university. A three-factor structure of connectedness needs emerged, namely a student-to-student connectedness, a student-to-faculty connectedness, and a student-to-supervisor connectedness. Although the scale has a high reliability, the factor structure in this Australian study is more complex than in the American study from which the scale derives. The results indicate that there may be less than desirable levels of connectedness between students, their supervisors and peers. Interventions may be developed to offer external doctoral students a more complete learning experience through enhancing the teaching and supervision strategies of supervisors.
Resilience and the Distance Higher Degree by Research Candidate
Authors: Willems Julie , Reupert Andrea
Published: July 2013

In the context of higher education, resilience is often defined as being a reaction to adversity or hardship rather than a pre-emptive strategy to prevent or minimise attrition. Moreover, resilience is at times framed in relation to a student deficit, as opposed to an ecological construct for which many are responsible. While resilience is a necessary attribute of the successful Higher Degree Research (HDR) candidate, resilience is an issue and shared responsibility for students, educators, institutions and communities alike. This chapter proposes a model to assess and promote resilience strategies in higher education for the purposes of the retention and development of distance higher degree candidates.
Epilogue and Directions for Future Research
Authors: Willems Julie , Tynan Belinda
Published: July 2013

This chapter synthesizes the content of this volume and identifies research gaps for future investigation. It is evident that there is new work to be undertaken in both building on and expanding the work of the authors within this book. There is a need for future researchers to undertake both validation work and investigate new applications of conceptual and theoretical frameworks to inform future directions.
Input Space Partitioning for Neural Network Learning
Authors: Guo Shujuan , Guan Sheng-Uei , Li Weifan , Man Ka Lok , Liu Fei , Qin A. K.
Published: July 2013

To improve the learning performance of neural network (NN), this paper introduces an input attribute grouping based NN ensemble method. All of the input attributes are partitioned into exclusive groups according to the degree of inter-attribute promotion or correlation that quantifies the supportive interactions between attributes. After partitioning, multiple NNs are trained by taking each group of attributes as their respective inputs. The final classification result is obtained by integrating the results from each NN. Experimental results on several UCI datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Women consumer preferences for socially responsible food production attributes: evidence from urban supermarket setting in the Anuradhapura district
Authors: Herath HMTK , Udugama JMM , Jayasinghe-Mudalige UK
Published: July 2013

This study assesses the consumer preferences towards “socially responsible production of food” in the context of urban women consumers in Anuradhapura District. The empirical analysis focuses on whether women consumers accept certain “alterations” made to three major food products, including: (1) “Hormone Injected” Chicken; (2) “Pasteurized” Milk, and (3) “Genetically-Modified” Soya Meat, and further, how much they are willing-to-pay for such products as a premium. A series of Dichotomous-Choice Contingency Valuation questions were formulated, which elicits consumer willingness-to-pay for such products, by taking into account of certain motivational factors, including: (a) health; (b) labeling; (c) packaging, and (4) animal welfare. These were included in a structured questionnaire together with other questions to explore consumer motivational and demographic characteristics influencing their choices. The questionnaire was administrated with 500 randomly selected consumers visiting major supermarkets in the Anuradhapura city during May – June 2010. The Stated Preference models characterized by the Principle Component Analysis Technique were employed to assess the relative strengths of consumer preferences and motivation to purchase these products. The outcome of analysis implies that consumer expectations on food firms’ “ethical conduct in production”, the “level of food quality” and their “anxieties over the food risks” were increased progressively in the recent past and that had an impact on their food purchasing behavior and consumption patterns. The results imply that remaining food firms and potential entrants into the market should consider catering their client-base with socially responsible food products to be competitive in the market. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/jas.v8i2.5732 The Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2013, vol.8, no2 p.57-69
Relationship between total solid content and red, green and blue colour intensity of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) fruits
Authors: Abeytilakarathna PD , Fonseka RM , Eswara JP , Wijethunga KGNAB
Published: July 2013

The relationship between total solid contents and red, green, blue (RGB) colour intensity of full spectrum images of strawberry fruits were examined to develop an efficient, non destructive, cost effective and economical method to determine correct maturity stage of strawberry fruits for harvesting. The RGB colour intensity of the full spectrum images of strawberry fruits of cv. Chandler, RGB colour ratio and their respective total solid content (Brix value) at three different colour development stages; fully red coloured (FRC), three-quarter coloured (TQC) and half coloured (HC) were analyzed. Total solid contents of the strawberry fruits were significantly difference among the three colour developmental stages of fruits. The highest average total solid contents (7.70 Brix ) was found in the fully red coloured strawberry fruits while the lowest total solid content (5.30 Brix ) was found in the half coloured fruits. Total solid content of three-quarter coloured fruits was 6.10 Brix. The sum of red, green and blue colour (R+G+B) intensities and the ratio of ((G+B-R)/(R+B+G))2 were strongly correlated (R2=0.95 and 0.89 respectively) with the total solid content of strawberry fruits. This two indices could be used to decide the correct maturity stage of the strawberry fruits. With reducing the values of these indices, increase the TSS of fruits. consequently, the lowest values of indices indicates the highest total solid contents in fruits . DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/jas.v8i2.5743 The Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2013, vol.8, no2 p.82-90
Genetic diversity among maize varieties revealed by phenotypic descriptors and RAPD profiles
Authors: Handi Suresh , N Sasidharan , Sudeshna Chakraborty , Macwana Sneha , Trivedi Ruchi , Punwar Bhupendra Singh , Vala Ashish G
Published: July 2013

Fifty-six genotypes of maize were analyzed for their phenotypic and genotypic differences at Anand Agricultural University, Gujarat, India. The genetic dissimilarities calculated from average taxonomic distance (Eij) matrix among the 56 maize genotypes ranged from 0.59 between the pairs GWC 0310 and GWC 0606 and upto 2.90 between pairs GWC 0400 and Amber. The genotypic study with 40 RAPD primers, 11 gave polymorphic result with 4129 scorable bands and 151 loci, among which 147 loci were found polymorphic, with an average of 97.03 percent polymorphism. The study revealed that morphological characters combined with molecular markers were useful in diversity analysis studies. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/jas.v8i2.5744 The Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2013, vol.8, no2 p.91-106
A Case Report of Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Neurofibromatosis 1
Authors: Sartor Chiara , Papayannidis Cristina , Abbenante Maria Chiara , Curti Antonio , Polverelli Nicola , Ottaviani Emanuela , Iacobucci Ilaria , Guadagnuolo Viviana , Martinelli Giovanni
Published: July 2013

We report a case of a 65-year old patient affected by neurofibromatosis 1, documented by the presence of germ-line mutation on the NF1 gene, who developed various hyperproliferative malignant and benign diseases. He was brought to our attention for the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia revealed by major fatigue and dyspnea. The disease characteristics at diagnosis were hyperleukocytosis and complex karyotype with the inversion of the chromosome 16, classifying as a high-risk leukemia. The association between leukemia and neurofibromatosis 1 is controversial and needs to be further investigated. Nevertheless, such patients present a wide number of comorbidities that make therapeutic strategies most difficult.
Om saam te weet en dan te luister: Edward Schillebeeckx se begrip Deus Humanissimus as die kerk se gewete
Authors: Van Wyk Tanya
Published: July 2013

To know communally first and then to listen: Edward Schillebeeckx’s notion Deus Humanissimus as the conscience of the church. In this article the notion of the conscience of the church is investigated. By deconstructing the apostle Paul’s notion of conscience and then exploring the connection he makes between knowledge and conscience, the role of critical voices of theologians within the church is examined, with special reference to the life and theology of Edward Schillebeeckx. His notion of Deus Humanissimus – the human face of God that becomes visible in Jesus Christ – is explored as the conscience of the church, with special reference to the inclusivity of the church. The Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa (NRCA) is then described as an example of a church where knowledge and conscience presently do not correlate, resulting in the persistence of the NRCA’s self-description as an ethnic ‘people’s’ church, as it struggles on its journey to inclusivity. It is suggested that Schillebeeckx’s notion of Deus Humanissimus as the conscience of the NRCA can help this church to write a new narrative.
Outerplanarity without accumulation in the cylinder and the Möbius Band
Authors: Boza Luis , Fedriani Eugenio M. , Núñez Juan
Published: July 2013

In this paper we explicitly characterize the outer-embeddings without vertex accumulation points in the open cylinder and in the Möbius strip. In the first case, the list of forbidden minors consists of 11 graphs. In the second, we provide the list of 92 forbidden minors as well as the list of 182 forbidden subgraphs.
Large-Scale Model Developed for Predicting the Carrier Pipe Potential Inside a Metallic Casing
Authors: Song F.M. , Nordquist A. , Shukla P.
Published: July 2013

The corroding conditions of a cased carrier pipe segment are difficult to measure in the field. It is hard to know whether or how well the cased pipe segment is cathodically protected. The pipeline industry needs a tool that can predict the in situ corrosion potential of the carrier pipe in the casing annulus to determine the level of cathodic protection (CP). This work reports on a large-scale, three-dimensional computer model developed to make such a prediction. The casing wall may be treated as bare or coated on both or either of the external and internal surfaces. The carrier pipe is coated, and the coating quality inside the annulus may or may not be the same as the outside of the casing segment. The casing annulus is full of electrolytes or completely dry. The model is used to investigate the effect of several factors on the level of CP imposed on the carrier pipe in the annulus, including the coating quality on the carrier pipe, the casing wall native potentials (both external and internal), the presence of a coating on a casing wall surface, and a metallic contact (between the casing and the carrier pipe) with a variable contact resistance. The effect of the voltage variation inside the pipe metal wall is also investigated.
Could aerosol emissions be used for regional heat wave mitigation?
Authors: Bernstein D. N. , Neelin J. D. , Li Q. B. , Chen D.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. Geoengineering applications by injection of sulfate aerosols into the stratosphere are under consideration as a measure of last resort to counter global warming. Here a potential regional-scale application to offset the impacts of heat waves is critically examined. Using the Weather Research and Forecasting model with fully coupled chemistry (WRF-Chem), the effect of regional-scale sulfate aerosol emission over California in each of two days of the July 2006 heat wave is used to quantify potential reductions in surface temperature as a function of emission rates in a layer at 12 km altitude. Local meteorological factors yield geographical differences in surface air temperature sensitivity. For emission rates of approximately 30 μg m−2 s−1 of sulfate aerosols (with standard WRF-Chem size distribution) over the region, temperature decreases of around 7 °C result during the middle part of the day over the Central Valley, one of the areas hardest hit by the heat wave. Regions more ventilated with oceanic air such as Los Angeles have slightly smaller reductions. The length of the hottest part of the day is also reduced. Advection effects on the aerosol cloud must be more carefully forecast for smaller injection regions. Verification of the impacts could be done via measurements of differences in reflected and surface downward shortwave. Such regional geoengineering applications with specific near-term target effects but smaller cost and side effects could potentially provide a means of testing larger scale applications. However, design considerations for regional applications, such as a preference for injection at a level of relatively low wind speed, differ from those for global applications. The size of the required injections and the necessity of injection close to the target region raise substantial concerns. The evaluation of this regional-scale application is thus consistent with global model evaluations, emphasizing that mitigation via reduction of fossil fuels remains preferable to considering geoengineering with sulfate aerosols.