bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Little Prince and A Dream Play: two simbolic dreams
Authors: Lage Maria Helena Lott
Published: July 2015

The story of the little prince is a great lesson about LOVE in its deep and true meaning. It is as beautiful as a good dream and it has the form of a dream. There are some passages that make us laugh and recall good moments of our childhood, as well as others that bring tears to our eyes. There are deep philosophical implications that make us stop and meditate about the meaning of our existence.
Miscarriage......
Authors: Dawson Chester Sheppard
Published: July 2015

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O ensino de língua estrangeira em Cuba
Authors: Almeida Filho José Carlos Paes de
Published: July 2015

O ensaio apresenta um pano de fundo para a compreensão do cenário educacional em Cuba, particularmente quanto às políticas e práticas no ensino de língua estrangeira. São abordados aspectos como número de aulas semanais, séries nas quais se ensina língua estrangeira e tipo de livro didático, e ainda a função geral e a importância da disciplina para as autoridades educacionais. Questões referentes à metodologia e ao conteúdo de livros didáticos são discutidas a partir de amostragens de dados coletados em Havana e comparados às tendências atuais no Brasil. The article provides a background to help understand the educational scene in Cuba and particularly the foreign language policies and practices in that country. Most of the major structuring aspects such as number of classes per week, grades in which the foreign language is taught and type of textbook are treated as well as the general role and importance of that discipline for educational authorities. The questions of textbook content selection and methodology are discussed from sample data collected in Havana and compared to current trends in Brazil.
Briefe aus Brasilien
Authors: Kux Hedwig
Published: July 2015

Vor genau hundert Jahren begann eine junge Deutsche ihre Erlebnisse in Brasilien niederzuschreiben. Es handelt sich um das Buch: "Leid und Freud einer Erzieherin in Brasilien" von Ina von Binzer, Berlin bei Richard Eckstein Nachfolger (Hammer und Runge) o. J. wahrscheinlich aber 1887.
A structuralist analysis of Exiles
Authors: Eisenberg Irene Ferreira de Souza
Published: July 2015

Exiles is a recalcitrant text, "one of the more difficult of Joyce's works", as Tindall puts it. One of its basic themes is the problem of freedom and creativity. Farrell and Macleod, though differing on many issues, deal with at least one subject common to both Joyce and Ibsen: "the dilemma of freedom and responsibility, and the problem of the status of the artist." Of course, Joyce was also fictionalizing a series of incidents in his own life, as Ellman has shown. And one of the aspects which Joyce, Richard, and Stephen Dedalus share is the belief that "isolation is the first principle of artistic economy." Referring to When We Dead Awaken, Joyce suggested "the idea of creativity and freedom as being central" to Ibsen's work, as Farrell notes. Joyce's phrase would still hold true if applied to his own drama.
Homesick for everywhere but here: character and place in the plays of Lillian Hellman
Authors: Alves Júnia De Castro Magalhães
Published: July 2015

Lillian Hellman's plays present a close interaction between character and setting. Few characters, if any, find happiness at home. Although rooted some place, they dream of some place else - unreal worlds and far away lands their own fanciful hopes. Four out of her eight plays interpret the Southern way of life. The other four focus on the North. The action comprises a series of events showing the characters' psychological needs and their often unsuccessful attempts to escape their land and background. There are three main forms of escape. Two are unreal: 1) to run away from either place or time or both. 2) To attack through physical violence or emotional aggression. The third form is real. lt is to return to the objective world left behind. Besides the escape theme, but still in relation to it, Miss Hellman's plays treat the universal conflict between good and evil, the dangers of naïveté and inaction, the exploitation of man and land, the relationship between the negro servant and the white master, and the results of social injustice and religious fanaticism. One conclusion emerges. The best resolution to these conflicts is to face reality and to act upon it.
The reflected vision: a study of the role of painting in the development of plot in Iris Murdoch's novels
Authors: Costa Astrid Masetti Lobo
Published: July 2015

During the reading of Iris Murdoch's nineteen novels, references to paintings have been noticed in fourteen of them. Among those, three stand out as establishing a link between painting and character development through the plot: the pictures in question take part in the plot as an internal element influencing the course of action. These books are "The Sandcastle," "The Time of the Angels" and "An Unofficial Rose," and they have been analysed in what concerns that relationship. The order of presentation of each novel has been determined by the author's degree of control of the paintings she has used. That degree ranges from the novelist's complete control in "The Sandcastle" to her almost total detachment in "An Unofficial Rose." A conclusion is drawn as to the validity of such device and the author's mastership in handling it.
Placa of the mind: a study of place imagery in Muriel Spark's novels
Authors: Lobo Suely Maria De Paula e Silva
Published: July 2015

This dissertation is addressed to undergraduate students of the modern English novel. It presents a study of the relationship space/character in Muriel Spark's novels Robinson (1958) and The Mandelbaum Gate (1965). The analysis of this relationship shows to what extent geographical places are representative of the characters' inner spaces. It dwells on the several ways this relationship is effected and on their adequacy as an important element of characterportrayal. The analysis likewise stresses the multiple devices used by the writer to build up a sort of narrative which, at the same time, provides factual inferration and encourages analysis at the symbolic level. It also demonstrates how the two levels run parallel to each other and the way the literal underprops the symbolic.
A dialectical reading of Wallace Stevens' "A High-Toned Old Christian Woman"
Authors: Eisenberg Irene Ferreira de Souza
Published: July 2015

This description of dialectics is a fitting epigraph for a dialectical reading of any poem by Wallace Stevens. In "Notes  Toward a Supreme Fiction," a later poem, the poet reveals his quest for the "ultimate poem," one that"..."Must be Abstract," "Must Change.," and "Must Give Pleasure," titles of its three parts respectively.
The Shrimp and the Anemone
Authors: Gallo Elisa Cristina De Proença Rodrigues
Published: July 2015

L. P. Hartley's deep insights into human nature and his effective use of symbols to convey his themes have struck us as being the essential elements of his Eustace and Hilda Trilogy.
O projeto de inglês instrumental do Departamento de Letras Germânicas: descrição do projeto
Authors: Lage Maria Helena Lott
Published: July 2015

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O projeto de inglês instrumental do Departamento de Letras Germânicas:análise de necessidades
Authors: Gallo Elisa Cristina De Proença Rodrigues
Published: July 2015

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Tennessee Williams: o mito do passado
Authors: Gazolla Ana Lúcia Almeida
Published: July 2015

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Features in literary communication: poetry
Authors: Antunes Futin Buffara
Published: July 2015

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Language and cultural interaction in Savages
Authors: Diniz Thais Flores Nogueira
Published: July 2015

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Cultural imperialism
Authors: Oliveira e Paiva Vera Lúcia Menezes de
Published: July 2015

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A República Federal da Alemanha hoje: aspectos sócio-econômicos, políticos e culturais
Authors: Melo Vilma Botrel Coutinho de
Published: July 2015

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Introduction to poetry in Plato's Republic
Authors: Dawson Chester Sheppard
Published: July 2015

There surely does not appear to be any need for extended summation. The gist of the article is implied in its title; I've merely worked carefully through the Republic, noting specifically how poets and poetry were treated. I at rare times veered just a bit from the Republic to other dialogues for the sake of pertinent citation or substantiation. The central concept is that neither poet nor poetry — given certain restrictions — was banned in Plato's forthcoming utopia. This, the writing maintains, is not too commonly understood or believed — indeed, it is quite the opposite: The casual reader (or non-reader) has heard or been led somehow to believe that the great Greek was antagonistic to the offerings of the poet. Doubtless a much more synoptic coverage is surely possible; this, as stated, is merely introductory material. De certa forma não parece haver necessidade de um resumo detalhado. O ponto essencial do artigo está explícito no seu título; apenas examinei com cuidado a República, registrando especificamente como os poetas e a poesia foram considerados. Desviei-me, em alguns casos, da República para outros Diálogos em benefício de uma citação, ou documentação mais apropriada. A idéia central é de que, nem o poeta, nem a poesia — consideradas certas restrições — foi abandonada na utopia sonha da de Platão. Esse fato, o artigo defende, não é facilmente compreendido ou aceito — na verdade o que acontece é justamente o contrário: o leitor negligente (ou o não-leitor) ouviu, ou foi levado a crer que o grande autor grego era hostil is oferendas do poeta. Sem dúvida, uma abordagem mais resumida seria possível; esta, como já foi dito, é apenas matéria introdutória.
The escape theme in Miss Hellman's plays
Authors: Alves Júnia De Castro Magalhães
Published: July 2015

This article establishes a parallel among Miss Hellman's eight original plays, focusing on one of her most recurrent themes: her characters' psychological needs and their often vain attempts to flee from their land, their history and themselves. Este artigo estabelece um paralelo entre as oito peças da teatróloga americana Lillian Hellman, focalizando um de seus temas recorrentes: os anseios e frustrações de seus personagens, na tentativa vã de fugir de sua terra, de seu passado e de si mesmos.
The price of duty in Hemingway's The fifth column
Authors: Tanner Stephen L.
Published: July 2015

This essay examines Hemingway's The fifth column, a play he wrote in Madrid during the fall of 1937 while that city was under bombardment. The essay aims at clarifying the motives behind Hemingway's involvement with the Spanish Civil War and at illuminating the significance of  that involvement to his artistic development. Este ensaio analisa a peça denominada A quinta coluna, escrita em Madrid por Ernest Hemingway, durante a Guerra Civil Espanhola. O ensaio procura esclarecer os motivos do envolvimento político/ideológico do escritor norte-americano, assim como o significado desse envolvimento para a sua carreira artística.
Correlation between coronary and valve calcification: Review of current evidence
Authors: Nicoll Rachel
Published: July 2015

We carried out a review of the correlation between calcification of different arteries and valves and their risk factors to determine the extent of the association. We found a strong correlation between calcification presence, extent and progression between different arterial beds and the aortic valve, suggesting that calcification is a systemic diffuse disease, affecting the arterial tree as a whole. Despite this strong association, a comparison between coronary artery calcification (CAC) and calcification of other arteries may not be strictly valid, since only intimal calcification is seen in the coronary artery while other arteries may also contain medial calcification, with current scanning modalities being incapable of detecting the difference. Furthermore the pathogenesis of each type may be different.

Calcification seems to appear first in the coronary artery in younger adults but may be more prevalent in the aorta in the elderly, although the incidence is notably higher in the abdominal aorta among women. Mitral annulus calcification (MAC) occurs less frequently than aortic valve calcification (AVC) in asymptomatic subjects only. MAC is correlated with calcification of the aorta and advanced MAC is found with higher CAC but there is little relationship with AVC and calcification of other arterial beds. As with the coronary artery, in the aorta and aortic valve, calcium begets calcium. Although age, male gender and possibly systolic hypertension are most frequently associated with arterial calcification, there is little consistency for other conventional risk factors and MAC and

abdominal aortic calcification may be more prevalent among postmenopausal women. When the presence of CAC is factored in as a risk factor for calcification of the other arteries, multivariate analysis shows no additional significant risk factors except age.

Although AVC has been viewed as a cardiac manifestation of atherosclerosis, we found little evidence to suggest that this is also true of MAC.
Arterial switch operation for transposition of great arteries: late results in adult patients
Authors: Scognamiglio Giancarlo , Li Wei
Published: July 2015

Complete transposition of the great arteries (TGA) accounts

for 5% to 7% of congenital cardiac anomalies, and represents

the second most common cyanotic heart defect. Successful

surgery, allowing the majority of patients to survive to

adulthood, can either involve a physiologic or anatomic

“correction”. The former (i.e. atrial switch), introduced in

1958 by Senning and later modified by Mustard, corrects the

physiologic abnormality of the TGA by creating an atrial baffle

to direct the venous return to the contralateral atrioventricular

valve and ventricle. Although mid-term clinical results

are excellent, this procedure leaves the RV supporting the

systemic circulation. Hence, complications such as progressive

RV dysfunction, ensuing tricuspid regurgitation, frequent

arrhythmias, heart failure and early mortality may arise in the

long-term5.
The significance of rate pressure product in heart failure patients
Authors: Karaye Kamilu , Akintunde AA
Published: July 2015

Introduction: The rate pressure product (RPP) is a strong determinant of myocardial oxygen consumption, and relates strongly to important indices for morbidity and cardiovascular mortality. Its significance in Black-African subjects with heart failure (HF) has however not been well described. This study therefore aimed to assess the significance of RPP among admitted HF patients in 2 Nigerian centres.

Methods: Admitted HF patients in the 2 centres were serially recruited after satisfying all inclusion criteria. RPP was calculated by multiplying heart rate by systolic blood pressure at admission. Subjects were classified into 2 groups based on RPP <10,000 (log10 <4.0) (group 1) or above (group 2), which is a cut-off value above which there is increased risk of myocardial ischemia.

Results: 100 subjects were recruited from the 2 centres with a mean age of 47.3+/-19.5 years, and 53% were females. 35% of the subjects were in group 1 while 65% were in group 2. N-Terminal B-type Natriuretic Peptide (NTBNP), serially measured in only 37 subjects (12 in group 1; 25 in group 2), was significantly higher in group 1 as compared with group 2 (p=0.016). Group 1 also had lower interventricular septal thickness(IVST) (p=0.007) as compared with group 2 subjects. RPP correlated strongly with IVST (r=+0.510, p<0.001), left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWT) (r=+0.399, p<0.001) and LV end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) (r=-0.202, p=0.045). Log10 >4.0 was strongly associated with IVST (95%confidence interval (CI): 1.061-1.528, p=0.009) and NT-BNP (CI:0.999-1.000, p=0.026). There was however no significant relationship (p>0.05) between RPP and in-hospital mortality, severity of dyspnoea, gender, age, body weight, LV ejection fraction or presence of atrial fibrillation/flutter.

Conclusion: This study confirms the close relationship that exists between a determinant of myocardial oxygen consumption (RPP), and indices for LV wall tension (IVST, LVEDD and NT-BNP), in Black-Africans with HF.
Echocardiographic evaluation of cardiac function response to removal of aortic stenosis: Surgical and trans-catheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI)
Authors: Zhao Ying , He Yi-hua
Published: July 2015

Aortic stenosis (AS) is the commonest valve disease in the

West, with a prevalence varying between 0.02% in adults

under 44 years and 3-9% in those over 80 years of age 1, 2. The

disease may remain “silent” and hence unnoticed for years,

particularly in the elderly with naturally limited exercise. With the

development of symptoms, patients may carry a mortality of

36-52%, 52-80% and 80-90% at 3, 5 and 10 years, respectively

if left untreated, with a potential high risk of sudden death 3.

Surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) used to be the only

effective treatment for severe AS, being the second indication

for open heart surgery after coronary artery bypass grafting

(CABG) 4. Trans-catheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a

recently developed procedure which aims at non-surgical AVR

in patients with severe, symptomatic and calcified AS who

are at high surgical risk because of either poor left ventricular

(LV) function, ejection fraction (EF) <50%, or other significant

co-morbidities e.g. age >80 years, previous CABG surgery and/

or aorta or other heart valve surgery, impaired kidney function,

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or pulmonary

hypertension 5. Currently, this technique is not recommended

in bicuspid AS patients due to the risk of incomplete and

suboptimal deployment of the aortic prosthesis [6]. TAVI

avoids open heart surgery and hence is likely to protect

myocardial function. The purpose of this paper is to review the

echocardiographic evaluation of LV, right ventricular (RV), and

left atrial (LA) function response to SAVR and TAVI for AS.
Cardiovascular calcification and bone: a comparison of the effects of dietary and serum antioxidants
Authors: Nicoll Rachel
Published: July 2015

Severe cardiovascular (CV) calcification can manifest as fully formed bone and is regularly found with osteoporosis; both have been shown to be associated with oxidative stress. Studies of the effect of antioxidants on CV calcification are few, but show that deficiency can induce both CV calcification and bone loss, while in conditions of oxidative stress such as renal failure, diabetes and smoking or in osteoporosis and fracture, antioxidants can reduce CV calcification and improve bone. The benefit of antioxidants in healthy adults is less clear and some may be detrimental. Higher intake of α-tocopherol (105.5mg/d vs 76.4mg/d) and β-cryptoxanthin may increase risk of CV calcification while high intake of retinol (≥3000mcg/d) may increase hip fracture risk, although possibly only with vitamin D intake ≤440IU/d; the carotenoids lycopene and β-carotene, however, appear beneficial in bone. Vitamin C shows little effect on CV calcification, although longer term supplementation may improve bone mineral density where calcium intake is >500mg/d. Potential reasons for this include a U-shaped dose/response curve for the fat-soluble antioxidants vitamins A and E (with peak bone mass achieved with retinol intake of 600–840 mcg/d), a failure to measure baseline concentrations so that the response cannot be stratified by requirement, the need to be replete in calcium and vitamin D and supplementation of the wrong isomer of vitamin E. Finally, although little studied, tocotrienols, tocopherols (with the exception of α-tocopherol), resveratrol, epigallocatechin gallate, quercetin, α-lipoic acid and N-acetylcysteine may be effective in both the CV system and bone. 
The Piolit, Pelat and Baiardo Upper Cretaceous flysch formations (western Alps): geodynamic implications at the time of the Pyrenean tectonic phases
Authors: Thum Laurent , De Paoli Reto , Stampfli Gérard M. , Moix Patrice
Published: July 2015

The Piolit, Pelat (French Alps) and Baiardo (Italian Maritime Alps) units contain Upper Cretaceous carbonate turbidites formations, with minor siliciclastic components. They are flysch formations, linked with the Pyrenean compressive events through their ages and their “subbriançonnais” structural position. Sedimentological, mineralogical (heavy minerals), and geochemical analysis, point to a potential “Pyrenean signature” which would testify the Late Cretaceous collision between the Ibero-Briançonnais terrane and the European plate. A “Dauphinois” origin and basin inversion erosion is proposed for the zircon-tourmaline-rutile (ZTR) bearing Piolit flysch, deposited from the Coniacian to the Campanian. A Penninic origin with tectonic inversion and erosion of former tilted blocks of the European margin from the Turonian to the Paleocene is proposed for the ZTR bearing Pelat flysch. Comparison with the Niesen (Swiss Prealps) and La Ciotat (Provence) flysch depositional context, allows to better constrain the Pyrenean compressive event in the Alpine domain. The Senonian part of the Baiardo flysch, that contains a garnet-dominated heavy mineral association and distinct geochemical trends, is allotted to the Liguro-Piemontais domain and to the Alpine collision stricto sensu.
Deep controls on foreland basin system evolution along the Sicilian fold and thrust belt
Authors: Gasparo Morticelli Maurizio , Valenti Vera , Catalano Raimondo , Sulli Attilio , Agate Mauro , Avellone Giuseppe , Albanese Cinzia , Basilone Luca , Gugliotta Calogero
Published: July 2015

Neogene-Quaternary wedge-top-basins arose during the Sicilian fold and thrust belt (FTB) build-up. The infilling sedimentary successions are: i) middle-upper Miocene silicoclastics succession, accommodated on top of the accreted Sicilide and Numidian flysch nappes; ii) upper Miocene-lower Pliocene deepening-upwards sediments unconformably overlying the inner Meso-Cenozoic deep-water, Imerese and Sicanian thrust units; iii) Upper Pliocene-Quaternary coastal-open shelf deposits unconformably covering (in the outer sector of the FTB) a tectonic stack (Gela thrust system). These successions are characterized by a basal unconformity on the deformed substrate believed to be the depositional interface common both to the coeval wedge-top and foredeep basins. The tectono-sedimentary evolution of the syn-tectonic basins was controlled by the progressive deepening of the structural levels, which were active during the growing of the FTB. The palinspastic restoration of a crustal geological transect in central Sicily points to: i) the occurrence of two subsequent, basal main thrusts (MT1 and MT2) active during the Neogene-middle Pleistocene tectonic evolution, as well as ii) a decrease in slip- and shortening-rate, estimated for the later MT2 as compared to earlier MT1 basal main thrust. The foreland-basin system evolution recorded during these two steps suggests: – the regional lithofacies distribution, during late Tortonian-early Pliocene, accounted for a wide depozone including the Iblean plateau and its offshore;– a crucial change was recorded by the late Pliocene-Pleistocene wedge-top depozone, when the deeper basal main thrust (MT2) involved and thickened (in the inner sector of the FTB) the crystalline basement (thin- to thick-skinned thrust tectonics); this change influenced the depozones, progressively narrowing up to the present-day setting.

As regards this general evolutionary framework, thin-skinned and thick-skinned thrust tectonics can be recognized in the Sicilian FTB evolution. The late Tortonian-early Pliocene, thin-skinned thrust tectonics include two main tectonic events, a “shallow-seated” Event 1 and a “deep-seated” Event 2, with the Pliocene-Pleistocene thick-skinned thrust tectonics representing a third tectonic event (Event 3).
Deep crustal structure across a young passive margin from wide-angle and reflection seismic data (The SARDINIA Experiment) – I. Gulf of Lion’s margin
Authors: Moulin Maryline , Klingelhoefer Frauke , Afilhado Alexandra , Aslanian Daniel , Schnurle Philippe , Nouzé Hervé , Rabineau Marina , Beslier Marie-Odile , Feld Aurélie
Published: July 2015

The conjugate margins system of the Gulf of Lion and West Sardinia (GLWS) represents a unique natural laboratory for addressing fundamental questions about rifting due to its landlocked situation, its youth, its thick sedimentary layers, including prominent palaeo-marker such as the MSC event, and the amount of available data and multidisciplinary studies. The main goals of the SARDINIA experiment, were to (i) investigate the deep structure of the entire system within the two conjugate margins: the Gulf of Lion and West Sardinia, (ii) characterize the nature of the crust, and (iii) define the geometry of the basin and provide important constrains on its genesis. This paper presents the results of P-wave velocity modelling on three coincident near-vertical reflection multi-channel seismic (MCS) and wide-angle seismic profiles acquired in the Gulf of Lion, to a depth of 35 km. A companion paper [part II – Afilhado et al., 2015] addresses the results of two other SARDINIA profiles located on the oriental conjugate West Sardinian margin.

Forward wide-angle modelling of both data sets confirms that the margin is characterised by three distinct domains following the onshore unthinned, 33 km-thick continental crust domain: Domain I is bounded by two necking zones, where the crust thins respectively from ~30 to 20 and from 20 to 7 km over a width of about 170 km; the outermost necking is imprinted by the well-known T-reflector at its crustal base; Domain II is characterised by a 7 km-thick crust with « anomalous » velocities ranging from 6 to 7.5 km/s; it represents the transition between the thinned continental crust (Domain I) and a very thin (only 4–5 km) “atypical” oceanic crust (Domain III). In Domain II, the hypothesis of the presence of exhumed mantle is falsified by our results: this domain may likely consist of a thin exhumed lower continental crust overlying a heterogeneous, intruded lower layer. Moreover, despite the difference in their magnetic signatures, Domains II and III present the very similar seismic velocities profiles, and we discuss the possibility of a connection between these two different domains.
Rooting Front and Water Uptake: What You See and Get May Differ
Authors: Hall Antonio J. , Sinclair Thomas R.
Published: July 2015

Soil water extraction is a key function of plant roots, and in drought‐stressed plants the differentiation in the location of roots in the soil and the location of water extraction has usually not been considered. In this experiment with maize (Zea mays L.) grown in columns of drying sand, there was a clear lag in the depth of the water extraction front with respect to the depth of rooting. Under water‐deficit stress at least 10 cm to as much as 30 cm of the terminal segment of maize roots could not extract substrate water at measurable rates. These results showing a large difference in rooting and water extraction‐front depths indicate caution is needed in extrapolating between root position and water extraction.
Valuing Supporting Soil Ecosystem Services in Agriculture: A Natural Capital Approach
Authors: Brady Mark V. , Hedlund Katarina , Cong Rong‐Gang , Hemerik Lia , Hotes Stefan , Machado Stephen , Mattsson Lennart , Schulz Elke , Thomsen Ingrid K.
Published: July 2015

Soil biodiversity through its delivery of ecosystem functions and attendant supporting ecosystem services—benefits soil organisms generate for farmers—underpins agricultural production. Yet lack of practical methods to value the long‐term effects of current farming practices results, inevitably, in short‐sighted management decisions. We present a method for valuing changes in supporting soil ecosystem services and associated soil natural capital—the value of the stock of soil organisms—in agriculture, based on resultant changes in future farm income streams. We assume that a relative change in soil organic C (SOC) concentration is correlated with changes in soil biodiversity and the generation of supporting ecosystem services. To quantify the effects of changes in supporting services on agricultural productivity, we fitted production functions to data from long‐term field experiments in Europe and the United States. The different agricultural treatments at each site resulted in significant changes in SOC concentrations with time. Declines in associated services are shown to reduce both maximum yield and fertilizer‐use efficiency in the future. The average depreciation of soil natural capital, for a 1% relative reduction in SOC concentration, was 144 € ha−1 (SD 47 € ha−1) when discounting future values to their current value at 3%; the variation was explained by site‐specific factors and the current SOC concentration. Moreover, the results show that soil ecosystem services cannot be fully replaced by purchased inputs; they are imperfect substitutes. We anticipate that our results will both encourage and make it possible to include the value of soil natural capital in decisions.
Field‐Scale Evaluation of Poultry Manure as a Combined Nutrient Resource for Corn Production
Authors: Woli Krishna P. , Ruiz‐Diaz Dorivar A. , Kaiser Daniel E. , Mallarino Antonio P. , Sawyer John E.
Published: July 2015

An on‐farm study was conducted in Iowa from 2004 to 2006 at 18 sites to evaluate corn (Zea mays L.) grain yield (GY) and soil‐ and plant‐test responses to poultry manure (PM) nutrient application at the field scale. A control and two target PM rates based on total N (PM‐N) were applied in randomized field‐length strips with three replications. Corn GY responded positively to PM applications. While N, P, and K plant and soil tests were related to PM nutrient rates, there was considerable variation, and relationships were probably influenced by the multiple applied nutrients. Soil‐test P and soil‐test K across sites increased linearly with increasing PM total P and K rates and with large increases from the high rates. This confirms high P and K crop availability. Grain yield responses to PM decreased linearly with increasing leaf chlorophyll meter (CM) and late spring soil NO3–N test (LSNT) values but were not related to end‐of‐season lower corn stalk NO3–N test values. No N test had a plateau relationship with GY, suggesting no excess N supply despite large PM‐N rates. This confirms low first‐year PM‐N availability. The relationship between CM and LSNT indicated a critical LSNT value at 24 mg kg−1, similar to that from previous small‐plot research. This field‐scale study showed that PM is a valuable nutrient resource. However, due to PM multinutrient content and differences in availability, the nutrient causing GY and plant‐ or soil‐test results often cannot be clearly identified and results need careful interpretation for reliable use.
Contribution of Boll Mass and Boll Number to Irrigated Cotton Yield
Authors: Sharma Bablu , Mills Cory I. , Snowden Chase , Ritchie Glen L.
Published: July 2015

The production of fruit on upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) varies with environment, cultivar, and management practices, including irrigation. Yield increase in response to irrigation is a combination of additional boll production on the plant and differences in the size of individual bolls. Previous research on this subject is incomplete. The purpose of this research was to compare the effects of irrigation on boll distribution and boll size in four cotton cultivars in West Texas. Boll distribution and boll mass in response to 10 daily irrigation levels (0–6.5 mm d−1) were compared among four cultivars with varying maturities [‘Deltapine 1212 B2RF’ (DP1212), ‘Deltapine 1219 B2RF’ (DP1219), ‘FiberMax 2484 B2F’ (FM2484), and ‘FiberMax 2011 GT’ (FM2011)] from 2011 to 2013 in Lubbock, TX. Boll production and retention followed cultivar‐specific patterns in all 3 yr. Two cultivars (DP1212 and FM2011) produced fruit primarily at the bottom and middle of the plant, one had increased production high on the plant (DP1219), and one produced fruit almost exclusively in the middle of the plant (FM2484). Both boll number and boll mass contributed to lint yield, with boll number being the major determinant (on average, 90%) of lint yield, whereas boll mass accounted for 10% of lint yield on average. The contribution of boll number and boll size to yield varied among cultivars and did not appear to be wholly maturity‐related. Research studies focused on boll number should be aware that boll distribution does not account for all of the variation in yield.
Imputation of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Genotypes in Biparental, Backcross, and Topcross Populations with a Hidden Markov Model
Authors: Hickey John M. , Gorjanc Gregor , Varshney Rajeev K. , Nettelblad Carl
Published: July 2015

Genomic selection offers great potential to increase the rate of genetic improvement in plant breeding programs. The ability to accurately impute missing genotypes for a large number of individuals, screened with low marker density, at low cost is crucial for achieving this. In this research an existing general algorithm for tracing allele inheritance in known pedigrees was modified to enable genotype imputation in specific crosses (biparental, backcross, and topcross) that are common in plant breeding. The extension was tested with a series of representative simulated examples of these crosses. The results show success of imputation is affected by many factors including the number of low‐density markers per cM, level of inbreeding or intercrossing of the individuals to have genotypes imputed, level of inbreeding of the parents of a cross, and genome length; but not by the number of high‐density markers or by the interaction between the genome length and the number of low‐density markers. With as few as one or two markers per 20 cM genotype imputation was successful when parents were inbred. Therefore, genotyping strategies in which inbred parents of a cross are genotyped at high‐density and their descendants are genotyped with 200 to 400 markers genome wide may be cost effective and useful in practical plant breeding programs that utilize genomic selection.
A Phaseolus vulgaris Diversity Panel for Andean Bean Improvement
Authors: Cichy Karen A. , Porch Timothy G. , Beaver James S. , Cregan Perry , Fourie Deidre , Glahn Raymond P. , Grusak Michael A. , Kamfwa Kelvin , Katuuramu Dennis N. , McClean Phil , Mndolwa Eninka , Nchimbi‐Msolla Susan , Pastor‐Corrales Marcial A. , Miklas Phillip N.
Published: July 2015

Dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) of the Andean gene pool, including red mottled, kidney, cranberry, and yellow seed types are important in Africa and the Americas. Andean dry bean breeding gains have lagged behind those of Mesoamerican beans. This difference may result from a narrower genetic base in the Andean gene pool and reduced breeding efforts. The objective of this research was to establish, genotype, and phenotype a panel of bean germplasm to be used for Andean dry bean breeding. An Andean diversity panel (ADP) was assembled, consisting of 396 accessions and including important cultivars, breeding lines, and landraces that originate mostly from Africa, the Caribbean, and North and South America. The panel was genotyped using the Illumina BARCBean6K_3 SNP BeadChip. The population contained two subgroups: Andean and Mesoamerican bean germplasm. The ADP was comprised of 349 Andean, 21 Mesoamerican, and 26 Andean–Mesoamerican admixed accessions. Most admixed lines came from Africa (12 accessions) and the Caribbean (five accessions). Association mapping was conducted for determinacy. Significant single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) trait associations were found on chromosome Pv01, with the most significant SNP marker being 3.1 kb from the Terminal Flower 1 PvTFL1y gene. The ADP was evaluated for numerous traits in field trials in the United States and Africa. Variability was found for resistance to rust, angular leaf spot and common bacterial blight diseases; tolerance to low soil fertility; cooking time; and other traits that can be used to improve Andean bean germplasm for Africa and the Americas.
Development of Genomic Simple Sequence Repeat Markers for Yam
Authors: Tamiru Muluneh , Yamanaka Shinsuke , Mitsuoka Chikako , Babil Pachakkil , Takagi Hiroko , Lopez‐Montes Antonio , Sartie Alieu , Asiedu Robert , Terauchi Ryohei
Published: July 2015

Yam (Dioscorea spp.) is a major staple crop widely cultivated for its starchy tubers. To date, very few marker resources are publicly available as tools for genetic and genomic studies of this economically important crop. In this study, 90 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were developed from an enriched genomic library of yellow Guinea yam (D. cayenensis Lam.). Cross‐amplification revealed that 85 (94.4%) and 51 (56.7%) of these SSRs could be successfully transferred to the two major cultivated species of D. rotundata Poir. and D. alata L., respectively. Polymorphisms in 30 markers selected on the basis of reliability and reproducibility of DNA bands were evaluated using a panel of 12 D. cayenensis, 48 D. rotundata, and 48 D. alata accessions. Accordingly, number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 8 in D. cayenensis (mean = 3.9), 3 to 30 in D. rotundata (mean = 13.9), and 2 to 22 in D. alata (mean = 12.1). The average observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.156 and 0.634 (D. cayenensis), 0.326 and 0.853 (D. rotundata), and 0.247 and 0.836 (D. alata), respectively. Clustering based on six SSRs that were polymorphic in at least four of the five cultivated Dioscorea species studied, including D. cayenensis, D. rotundata, D. alata, D. dumetorum (Kunth) Pax., and D. bulbifera L., detected groups consistent with the phylogenetic relationships of the species except for D. dumetorum. These new SSR markers are invaluable resources for applications such as genetic diversity analysis and marker‐assisted breeding.
PopVar: A Genome‐Wide Procedure for Predicting Genetic Variance and Correlated Response in Biparental Breeding Populations
Authors: Mohammadi Mohsen , Tiede Tyler , Smith Kevin P.
Published: July 2015

Predicting genetic variances of biparental populations has been a long‐standing goal for plant breeders. The ability to discriminate among crosses with similarly predicted high means but different levels of genetic variance (VG) should improve the effectiveness of breeding. We developed a procedure that uses established progeny simulation and genomic prediction strategies to predict the population mean (μ) and VG, the mean of the desired 10% of the progeny (superior progeny mean [μsp]), and correlated responses of multiple traits for biparental populations. The proposed procedure, PopVar, is herein demonstrated using a training population (TP) composed of 383 breeding lines that have been genotyped and phenotyped for yield and deoxynivalenol (DON). Marker effects estimated from the TP were used to calculate genotypic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) of 200 simulated recombinant inbred lines (RILs) per cross. Values of μ, VG, and μsp were then calculated directly from the RIL GEBVs. We found that μ explained 82 and 88% of variation in μsp for yield and DON, respectively, and adding VG to the regression model increased those respective R2 values to 99.5 and 99.6%. The results of correlated response revealed that although yield and DON are unfavorably correlated, the correlation was near zero or slightly negative in some simulated crosses, indicating the potential to increase yield while decreasing DON. This work extends the current benefits of genomic selection to include the ability to design crosses that maximize genetic variance with more favorable correlations among traits. PopVar is available as an R package that researchers and breeders are encouraged to use for empirical evaluation of the methodology.
Describing the Dynamic: Measuring and Assessing the Value of Plants in the Pasture
Authors: Kallenbach Robert L.
Published: July 2015

The dynamic nature of pastures makes them difficult to quantify. Understanding the near‐constant change in plant morphology and development in relation to both biotic (grazing, pathogens, and insects) and abiotic (drought, cold, and heat) events provide the scientific basis for optimizing pasture management plans. Challenges include (i) the cost, primarily for skilled labor, to measure these parameters and (ii) having a scientific team large enough and diverse enough to analyze and interpret the data. New technologies offer opportunities to inexpensively measure pasture growth dynamics. Lasers, ultrasound, drones, satellite images, global positioning systems, and radio frequency identification systems offer innovative researchers new methods to rapidly quantify important characteristics of soils, plants, animals, and even thepeopleof pasture ecosystems. The successful research teams of tomorrow need to be as dynamic and as diverse as the pastures they hope to measure. Blending traditional soil, plant, and animal scientists with scientists from other disciplines (e.g., engineers, computer scientists, geographers, economists, human nutritionists, sociologists, and psychologists) can bring new perspectives about what makes a pasture good. Linking research teams to end users—not only farmers, but also investors, consumers, environmentalists, critics, and policymakers—provides the opportunity to use dynamic pasture measurements to build a more productive yet healthier planet.
Core inflation indicators for Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alkhareif Ryadh , Barnett William
Published: July 2015

This paper constructs and analyzes core inflation indicators for Saudi Arabia
for the period of March 2012 to May 2014 using two alternative approaches:
the exclusion method (ex food and housing/rent) and the statistical method.
The findings of the analysis suggest that the ex food and housing/ rent
inflation is more volatile than the overall CPI inflation over the sample
period. In contrast, the statistical core inflation is relatively more stable
and less volatile. Moreover, the ex food and housing/rent inflation is only
weakly correlated with headline inflation, whereas the statistical core
inflation exhibits a stronger correlation. This combination of lower
volatility and higher correlation with headline inflation makes the
statistical method a much better choice for policymakers. From a monetary
policy standpoint, using a bundle of core inflation measures, including both
properly constructed exclusion and statistical methods, is more desirable,
especially when variation across measures is widespread, as is the case in
Saudi Arabia.
A study on the asymmetry of the news aspect of the stock market: Evidence from three institutional investors in the Taiwan stock market
Authors: Yang Tzu-Yi , Yang Yu-Tai
Published: July 2015

This paper uses daily data to investigate the behavior of institutional
investors in Taiwan?s stock market. We adopted TGARCH and EGARCH models to
test various news. We found that, for the entire sample, a significant
clustering phenomenon exists in the investment behavior of three
institutional investors, and the impact due to a change of news content shows
significant asymmetry and leverage effects. That is, the impact of bad news
from the market is stronger than that of good news. In addition, an
asymmetric phenomenon can also be seen for the international news aspect as
responded to by foreign institutional investors. This phenomenon is more
significant than those of the dealers and institutional trust investors.
Moreover, the asymmetric phenomenon as responded to by the dealers for
domestic news is more significant than those of foreign investors and
institutional trust investors.
Curvature properties of some class of hypersurfaces in Euclidean spaces
Authors: Sawicz Katarzyna
Published: July 2015

We determine curvature properties of pseudosymmetry type of hypersurfaces in
Euclidean spaces En+1, n ? 5, having three distinct nonzero principal
curvatures ?1, ?2 and ?3 of multiplicity 1, p and n-p-1, respectively. For
some hypersurfaces having this property the sum of ?1, ?2 and ?3 is equal to
the trace of the shape operator of M. We present an example of such
hypersurface.
A double inequality for the combination of Toader mean and the arithmetic mean in terms of the contraharmonic mean
Authors: Jiang Wei-Dong , Qi Feng
Published: July 2015

We find the greatest value ? and the least value ? such that the double
inequality C(?a +(1-?)b, ?b + (1-?)a) < ?A(a,b) + (1-?)T(a, b)<
C(?a + (1-?)b, ?b + (1-?)a) holds for all ? ? (0,1) and a, b > 0 with
a ? b, where C(a,b), A(a,b), and T(a,b) denote respectively the
contraharmonic, arithmetic, and Toader means of two positive numbers a and
b.
Développement en série de fonctions holomorphes des fonctions d'une classe de Gevrey sur l'intervalle [-1;1]
Authors: Bendib Elmostafa , Zoubeir Hicham
Published: July 2015

We characterize Gevrey functions on the unit interval [-1; 1] as sums of
holomorphic functions in specific neighborhoods of [-1; 1]. As an application
of our main theorem, we perform a simple proof for Dyn'kin's theorem of
pseudoanalytic extension for Gevrey classes on [-1; 1].
A characterization of PGL (2,pn) by some irreducible complex character degrees
Authors: Heydari Somayeh , Ahanjideh Neda
Published: July 2015

For a finite group G, let cd(G) be the set of irreducible complex character
degrees of G forgetting multiplicities and X1(G) be the set of all
irreducible complex character degrees of G counting multiplicities. Suppose
that p is a prime number. We prove that if G is a finite group such that
|G| = |PGL(2,p) |, p ? cd(G) and max(cd(G)) = p+1, then G ? PGL(2,p), SL(2,
p) or PSL(2,p) x A, where A is a cyclic group of order (2, p-1). Also,
we show that if G is a finite group with X1(G) = X1(PGL(2,pn)), then G ?
PGL(2, pn). In particular, this implies that PGL(2, pn) is uniquely
determined by the structure of its complex group algebra.
On the generalized superstability of nth-order linear differential equations with initial conditions
Authors: Huang Jinghao , Alqifiary Qusuay , Li Yongjin
Published: July 2015

We establish the generalized superstability of differential equations of
nth-order with initial conditions and investigate the generalized
superstability of differential equations of second order in the form of
y??(x) + p(x)y?(x)+q(x)y(x) = 0 and the superstability of linear differential
equations with constant coefficients with initial conditions.
Semi-basic 1-forms and courant structure for metrizability problems
Authors: Crasmareanu Mircea
Published: July 2015

The metrizability of sprays, particularly symmetric linear connections, is
studied in terms of semi-basic 1-forms using the tools developed by Bucataru
and Dahl in [2]. We introduce a type of metrizability in relationship with
the Finsler and projective metrizability. The Lagrangian corresponding to the
Finsler metrizability as well as the Bucataru{Dahl characterization of
Finsler and projective metrizability are expressed by means of the Courant
structure on the big tangent bundle of TM. A byproduct of our computations is
that a at Riemannian metric, or generally an R-at Finslerian spray, yields
two complementary, but not orthogonally, Dirac structures on TbigTM. These
Dirac structures are also Lagrangian subbundles with respect to the natural
almost symplectic structure of TbigTM.