bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Channel Flow and Flood Estimate
Authors: Adegoke James A. , Fakunle Mutiu A.
Published: October 2017

The movement of water on the land surface, within channels and through the soil is dependent on some hydrological factors. For surface flow, the velocity of flow increases with the bottom gradient of the channel and the flow depth, but when roughness increases, it decreases. For a given flow depth, the velocity decreases as the channel height increases. The construction of sub-surface drainage helps to remove excess soil water that can cause flood. To model overland flow, a kinematic-wave approach is applied so that flood prediction could be made.
Pulsed Laser Ablation of the Solid Targets in a Liquid Environment
Authors: Osiac M. , Dinu M.A. , Udristioiu M.T.
Published: October 2017

In this paper, the viability of laser ablation of gold target immersed in medical distillated water used to produce nanoparticles having morphological, structural and compositional properties for medical applications is explored. The morphological properties were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis was used to reveal the composition of resulting particles. The absorbance in the wavelengths range of 300-800 nm can be assigned to the small gold nanoparticles.
Application of Gaussian cubature to model two-dimensional population balances
Authors: Bałdyga Jerzy , Tyl Grzegorz , Bouaifi Mounir
Published: October 2017

In many systems of engineering interest the moment transformation of population balance is applied. One of the methods to solve the transformed population balance equations is the quadrature method of moments. It is based on the approximation of the density function in the source term by the Gaussian quadrature so that it preserves the moments of the original distribution. In this work we propose another method to be applied to the multivariate population problem in chemical engineering, namely a Gaussian cubature (GC) technique that applies linear programming for the approximation of the multivariate distribution. Examples of the application of the Gaussian cubature (GC) are presented for four processes typical for chemical engineering applications. The first and second ones are devoted to crystallization modeling with direction-dependent two-dimensional and three-dimensional growth rates, the third one represents drop dispersion accompanied by mass transfer in liquid-liquid dispersions and finally the fourth case regards the aggregation and sintering of particle populations.
Laccase concentration by foam fractionation of Cerrena unicolor and Pleurotus sapidus culture supernatants
Authors: Blatkiewicz Michał , Antecka Anna , Górak Andrzej , Ledakowicz Stanisław
Published: October 2017

Foam fractionation process for concentration of laccases from two Basidiomycete strains under different process conditions was investigated. Culture supernatants of Cerrena unicolor and Pleurotus sapidus containing active laccase were used with and without surfactant additives. Two surfactants: cationic cetrimonium bromide (CTAB) and non-ionic Polysorbate 80 were applied in the range from 0.2 mM to 1.5 mM. The pH levels ranging from 3 to 10 were examined with particular attention to pH=4, which is close to the pI of the enzymes. Results show that the source of the enzyme is significant in terms of partitioning efficiency in a foam fractionation process. Laccase from Cerrena unicolor showed the best activity partitioning coefficients between foamate and retentate of almost 200 with yields reaching 50% for pH 7.5 and concentration of CTAB cCTAB = 0.5 mM, whereas laccase from Pleurotus sapidus showed partitioning coefficients of up to 8 with 25% yield for pH 4 and cCTAB = 0.5 mM.
Englaͤndisch, Hamburgisch, Lutherisch: Degrees of onymicity reflected in the history of German -isch-derivation
Authors: Kempf Luise
Published: October 2017

The present article is positioned at the interface between onomastics and word formation. It examines the German adjective-forming suffix -
Proper names in Modern Hebrew construct phrases
Authors: Rothstein Susan
Published: October 2017

This paper explores the distribution of proper names in construct phrases in Modern Hebrew, and uses the construct phrase as a diagnostic for distinguishing both different types of proper names and different uses of proper names. It is shown that in Modern Hebrew (i) personal proper names and definite descriptions have different grammatical properties; (ii) within the category of personal proper names, different usages can be distinguished; (iii) proper names of places (toponyms) and personal proper names have very different grammatical properties.
When zero is just enough … In support of a Special Toponymic Grammar in Maltese
Authors: Stolz Thomas , Levkovych Nataliya , Urdze Aina
Published: October 2017

This study provides evidence in favor of a
Online streaming public participation in forest management planning
Authors: Korjus Henn , Põllumäe Priit , Kiviste Andres , Kangur Ahto , Laarmann Diana , Sirgmets Risto , Lang Mait
Published: October 2017

A new paradigm in forest management using a streaming input of public participation needs effective online solutions. The process should be real-time, secure, effective and efficient. People are expected to share their data and thoughts on forest management with forest owners for improving forest management and planning. The participatory approach supports communication within society and can be designed as an interactive web-based solution. Many pre-requisites have already been met and society is ready for a successful start of an interactive participatory forest planning system in Estonia. People use digital identification for various purposes and the state already maintains an online public forest register. Motivating people to participate in the planning process is always challenging yet important for the successful implementation of the system. The system should allow simulating the development and management of forest stands following the participatory input and using ecosystem models and economic calculations. The outputs from the system include management alternatives, risk assessments and financial reports. The system requires a reliable financial compensation scheme to ensure overall long-term stability of the system and agreements between interested persons or groups and forest owners.
Here Comes the Hyper-Connected Augmented Consumer
Authors: Stephen Andrew T.
Published: October 2017

Consumers have become always on and constantly connected. Search costs have plummeted, individuals’ abilities to digitally express themselves and their opinions increased, and the opportunities for superior business and market intelligence for companies have skyrocketed. This has given rise to more, richer, and new sources of consumer data that marketers can leverage, and has fueled the data-driven insights revolution in marketing. But there is more to come very soon. In marketing, we are quickly moving from the age of the connected consumer to the age of the augmented consumer. New technologies like wearable devices, smart sensors, consumer IoT devices, smart homes, and, critically, artificial intelligence ecosystems will not only connect, but will substantially and meaningfully augment the consumer in terms of their thoughts and behaviors. The biggest challenge for marketers will lie in how they approach marketing to this new type of consumer, particularly personal artificial intelligence ecosystems. This means marketing to algorithms, instead of people, and that is very different to how most marketing work is currently done.
The Medium Shapes the Message: The Surprising Negative Spin of Close Friends’ Word-of-Mouth
Authors: Dubois David
Published: October 2017

Many social media handbooks recommend targeting customers’ close connections and encouraging consumers to spread the word about their products and services among friends. But according to the findings of this research this strategy might not be the most effective way to build positive momentum. In fact, it might just do the opposite. The feelings of closeness that WOM senders experience toward their recipients determine what they share. Being close instills the desire to protect a recipient from having a bad experience. Therefore, communicating negative information, which highlights potential negative outcomes or attributes of a product, becomes more likely to be shared among close friends. In relations with loose acquaintances the motive to impress is more prevalent. Therefore, communicating positive information, which is more likely to shed a positive light on the WOM sender, is more likely to be shared in such instances. To encourage positive WOM for seeding campaigns, marketers should select the right platform and monitor closeness. Further, by framing the context of the campaign in the right way, they can also insure more positive WOM for a brand.
Increasing the Effectiveness of Mobile Advertising by Using Contextual Information
Authors: Andrews Michelle
Published: October 2017

To avoid overtargeting consumers or targeting them at the wrong moment, mobile ads need to be relevant. Geographically, consumers have been shown to be more responsive to promotional offers from shops that were located close to them. For the lead time of promotions, insights are similar: The closer in time, the better the response. When considering the interplay of time and space, though, the picture becomes more complex. Recipients need enough time to respond given their distance from the promoted venue, but too much time may reduce response rates. It appears that people do not plan too far in advance for events such as movie watching or with small-screen devices such as smartphones. Another context that can affect people’s response to mobile ads is that of the environment - what is going on around people. In a study of mobile promotions during subway rides, mobile campaigns turned out to be more effective on more crowded trains. Even if this finding cannot be generalized to all forms of crowded environments, it clearly shows that context matters. Understanding its impact can help marketers become better gatekeepers by delivering the right mobile ad to the right person at the right time at the right place in the right context.
Seeding on Moving Ground: How Understanding Network Instability Can Improve Message Dissemination
Authors: Muchnik Lev , Goldenberg Jacob
Published: October 2017

Most analyses of the social structure of a network implicitly assume that the relationships in the network are relatively stable. We present evidence that this is not the case. The focal network of this study grew in bursts rather than monotonously over time, and the bursts were highly localized. Links were added and deleted in nearby localities and are not randomly dispersed throughout the network. Also changes in structure lead to simultaneous changes in self-stated interests of its members. For SNA marketing applications the findings suggest interesting improvements. Local bursts around a seed can change the structure of the network dramatically and therefore a marketer’s influence and his chances of success. Therefore, network measurements should be carried out more frequently and closer to the actual implementation of a seeding campaign. To detect these abrupt, dramatic local changes marketers also use a finer resolution. Further, recommendation algorithms that simultaneously account for changes in network structure and content should be applied.
Size, Value, and Momentum in Polish Equity Returns: Local or International Factors?
Authors: Zaremba Adam , Konieczka Przemysław
Published: October 2017

This paper tests the performance of the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and the Fama-French three-factor and Carhart four-factor models on the Polish market. We use stock level data from April 2001 to January 2014 and find strong evidence for value and momentum effects, but only weak evidence for size premium. We formed portfolios double-sorted on size and book-to-market ratios, as well as on size and momentum, and we explain their returns with the above-mentioned asset pricing models. The CAPM is rejected and the three-factor and four-factor models perform well for the size and B/M sorted portfolios, but fail to explain returns on the size and momentum sorted portfolios. With the exception of the momentum factor, local Polish factors are not correlated with their European and global counterparts, suggesting market segmentation. Finally, the international value, size and momentum factors perform poorly in explaining cross-sectional variation in stock returns on the Polish market.
Identification of the Flow of Innovations in Tourism Related to Aesthetic Medicine
Authors: Panfiluk Eugenia , Panasiuk Aleksander M. , Szymańska Elżbieta
Published: October 2017

Aesthetic medicine is, next to the wellness and spa, one of the most rapidly growing segments of health tourism. Its dynamic growth is closely linked to innovative offers (perhaps better described as “product innovation”). To date, however, there have been no scientific studies focusing on this market. Services in the field of aesthetic medicine are usually discussed descriptively as a subcategory of medical tourism, and innovation in this sector remains unexplored.

In this article we focus on innovation in aesthetic medicine as it pertains to health tourism, using the Delphi method to analyze innovation flow. Twelve experts from the fields of economics and management sciences with backgrounds in innovation and the economics of tourism (including health tourism) were invited to participate in the study. This group included also practitioners. The research was conducted in June and July 2015.

Our research addresses the current dearth of academic works on aesthetic medicine tourism, and lack of any relevant models of its flow and spread.
The adverse effects of inferior innovations
Authors: Chang Joseph W. , White D. Steven
Published: October 2017

This research advances brand innovation research by examining the adverse effects of inferior innovative extensions on the brand innovability of own parent brands. Brand innovability conceptually consists of brand quality and innovativeness. The results reveal that radical and incremental inferior innovations exert asymmetric adverse effects on brand quality and innovability. For brand quality, inferior radical innovations exert more negative impacts on the quality of pioneer brands than on the quality of follower brands. However, inferior incremental innovations exert identical negative impacts on the quality of both pioneer and follower brands. For brand innovability, both inferior radical and incremental innovations exert more negative impacts on the innovability of pioneer brands than on the innovability of follower brands. In comparison, brand innovability is less susceptible than brand quality to inferior innovation information. The findings suggest that it is more justified to evaluate innovative brands with brand innovability, instead of brand quality, for two reasons. Firstly, brand innovability is more realistic than brand quality because brand innovability is more relevant than brand quality to profits. Secondly, brand innovability is inclusive of brand innovativeness, which ameliorates adverse effects when innovative extensions are inferior. The threat of inferior innovative extensions is less horrible than expectation if the adverse effects on the innovative brands are assessed with brand innovability, instead of brand quality. However, being innovative is like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it helps generating more profits. On the other hand, it endangers innovative brands to be more susceptible to inferior innovative extensions. Therefore, for marketing implications, pioneer brands are more obliged than follower brands to ensure the success of radical innovations in order to avoid the possible adverse effects of inferior radical innovations. This research contributes brand innovation research by proposing the more relevant indicator of brand innovability to evaluate innovative brands.
Testing music selection automation possibilities for video ads
Authors: Wiesener Oliver
Published: October 2017

The importance of video ads on social media platforms can be measured by the number of views. For instance, Samsung’s commercial ad for one of its new smartphones reached more than 46 million viewers at Youtube. Video ads address users both visually and aurally. Often, the visual sense is engaged by users focusing on other screens, rather than on the screen with the video ad, which is referred to as the second screen syndrome. Therefore, the importance of the audio channel seems to gain more importance. To get back the visual attention of users that are deflected from other visual impulses it appears reasonable to adapt the music to the target group. Additionally, it appears useful to adapt the music to the content of the video. Thus, the overall success of a video ad could be improved by increasing the attention of the users. Humans typically decide which music is to be used in a video ad. If there is a correlation between music, products and target groups, a digitization of the music selection process appears to be possible. Since the digitization progress in the music sector is currently mainly focused on music composing this article strives for taking a first step towards the digitization of the music selection.
Performance Degradation Assessment of Rolling Element Bearings using Improved Fuzzy Entropy
Authors: Zhu Keheng , Jiang Xiaohui , Chen Liang , Li Haolin
Published: October 2017

Rolling element bearings are an important unit in the rotating machines, and their performance degradation assessment is the basis of condition-based maintenance. Targeting the non-linear dynamic characteristics of faulty signals of rolling element bearings, a bearing performance degradation assessment approach based on improved fuzzy entropy (FuzzyEn) is proposed in this paper. FuzzyEn has less dependence on data length and achieves more freedom of parameter selection and more robustness to noise. However, it neglects the global trend of the signal when calculating similarity degree of two vectors, and thus cannot reflect the running state of the rolling element bearings accurately. Based on this consideration, the algorithm of FuzzyEn is improved in this paper and the improved FuzzyEn is utilized as an indicator for bearing performance degradation evaluation. The vibration data from run-to-failure test of rolling element bearings are used to validate the proposed method. The experimental results demonstrate that, compared with the traditional kurtosis and root mean square, the proposed method can detect the incipient fault in advance and can reflect the whole performance degradation process more clearly.
Flicker Vision of Selected Light Sources
Authors: Otomański Przemysław , Wiczyński Grzegorz , Zając Bartosz
Published: October 2017

The results of the laboratory research concerning a dependence of flicker vision on voltage fluctuations are presented in the paper. The research was realized on a designed measuring stand, which included an examined light source, a voltage generator with amplitude modulation supplying the light source and a positioning system of the observer with respect to the observed surface. In this research, the following light sources were used: one incandescent lamp and four LED luminaires by different producers. The research results formulate a conclusion concerning the description of the influence of voltage fluctuations on flicker viewing for selected light sources. The research results indicate that LED luminaires are less susceptible to voltage fluctuations than incandescent bulbs and that flicker vision strongly depends on the type of LED source.
An Improved Linearization Circuit Used for Optical Rotary Encoders
Authors: Jovanović Jelena , Denić Dragan , Jovanović Uglješa
Published: October 2017

Optical rotary encoders generate nonlinear sine and cosine signals in response to a change of angular position that is being measured. Due to the nonlinear shape of encoder output signals, encoder sensitivity to very small changes of angular position is low, causing a poor measurement accuracy level. To improve the optical encoder sensitivity and to increase its accuracy, an improved linearization circuit based on pseudo-linear signal generation and its further linearization with the two-stage piecewise linear analog-to-digital converter is presented in this paper. The proposed linearization circuit is composed of a mixed-signal circuit, which generates analog pseudo-linear signal and determines the first four bits of the final digital result, and the two-stage piecewise linear analog-to-digital converter, which performs simultaneous linearization and digitalization of the pseudo-linear signal. As a result, the maximal value of the absolute measurement error equals to 3.77168·10−5 [rad] (0.00216°) over the full measurement range of 2π [rad].
HOUSING MARKET CYCLES IN THE CONTEXT OF BUSINESS CYCLES
Authors: Żelazowski Konrad
Published: October 2017

Housing markets as well as the overall economy develop unevenly. Business cycles are the result of the diverse dynamics of their development. The housing market, as one of the components of economic systems, is influenced by business cycles, at the same time affecting them as well. It should be noted, however, that the special nature of this market may determine a different course of housing market cycles in comparison with changes in business cycles. The aim of the paper is to identify similarities and differences in the shaping of the housing market cycle and the business cycle. The analysis will be conducted on the basis of experience from the Polish market and selected Western markets.
Urban Farm-Nonfarm Diversification, Household Income and Food Expenditure in Ghana
Authors: Ampaw Samuel , Nketiah-Amponsah Edward , Senadza Bernardin
Published: October 2017

This paper investigates the impact of farm-nonfarm diversification (FND) on household income and food expenditure in urban Ghana using propensity score matching (PSM) technique to account for potential selection bias. We find diversified households to be statistically different from undiversified households in terms of household characteristics. Age, gender, educational attainment of the household head, household size, ownership of livestock and agricultural land, and receipt of miscellaneous and rent incomes are positive and significant determinants of FND in urban Ghana. In addition, we find that participation in both farm and nonfarm activities positively and significantly impacts household income and food expenditure. In the light of growing urbanization, with its implications for unemployment, poverty and food insecurity, we recommend diversification among urban households as a means of smoothing income and consumption.
Financing Small Businesses: From Venture Capital to Crowdfunding
Authors: Herciu Mihaela
Published: October 2017

Startups and small businesses are facing many challenges in terms of financing their activities. These types of companies do not have the possibility to access capital market or to make IPO or to borrow money from banks like big, mature or well-known companies (who were at their beginnings startups or small businesses). They have to find different sources for financing their ideas/products/services that are in many cases very risky, hazardous or to ambitious. But, fortunately, the financing alternative for these companies have evolved during the last post crisis years. They have possibility to find some investors that are willing to invest in a non-name company by accessing crowdfunding platforms, impress angel investors, or attracting venture capital. All that in order to develop their business and to become a unicorn or to have a great exit.
Impact of Macro Environmental Factors on Garments Industry That Drives Export in Bangladesh
Authors: Islam Mohammad , Pattak Dulal Chandra
Published: October 2017

It goes without saying that Garments industry of Bangladesh has drawn a special attention to the mass people in the world because of being both cost leader and quality leader at the same time. The purpose of this research paper is to analyze the garments industry in Bangladesh which is going to be an emerging tiger in the world economy. It also aims to assess the impact of macro-environmental factors affecting the industry by PESTEL analysis. Again, five forces model has been analyzed to assess the impacts of competitive external factors on the Garments industry in Bangladesh. Furthermore, Garments sector competitive responses to the primary issues affecting the industry have been evaluated here. It also outlines the primary external influences to which this industry is subject. In this case, SWOT analysis has been conducted to assess the competitive position of this industry in comparison with the global perspective. The study suggests that total export is highly correlated with the exports of garments. It also finds that there is severe lacking in the safety and security compliance, wages and compensations and code of conduct of the current organizations. Moreover, GSP facility withdrawn can impact severely on the ready made garments of Bangladesh to compete with price in the international market with China, India and Vietnam etc. The ready made garments sector of Bangladesh is enjoying cost leadership as a source of completive advantage because of cheap labor. Finally, the study would like to recommend for further improvement of garment sector in Bangladesh.
Women as Emotional Entities in the Hospitality Sector of Mauritius. A Case Study
Authors: Rughoobur Soujata
Published: October 2017

Emotions and feelings have always been part of human beings. Its use in the organisational context in order to achieve competitive advantage, that is, the management of emotions by female workers remains a matter of great debate. Hochschild through her book “The Managed Heart: Commercialisation of Human Feeling” in 1983 brought forward the concept of Emotional labour. This paper has attempted to explore areas where female workers are being employed to carry out emotional work and for this purpose a hotel in the eastern cost of Mauritius was chosen being part of the hospitality industry. The survey was conducted there so as to be able to gather quantitative information about this subject issue and a personal interview was also being carried out in order to obtain the opinions of the human resource manager on this concept as being a woman and a manager herself. A series of recommendations have been provided in order to encourage better treatment of women and make them happy employees.
Effects of Monetary Shocks on Exchange Rate: Empirical Evidence from India
Authors: Sharma Chandan , Setia Rajat
Published: October 2017

This paper examines the effect of monetary policy shocks on exchange rate in a Multiple Indicator Approach (MIA) framework. This study has employed a monetary policy index of key monetary policy instruments in India (Bank rate, Cash Reserve Ratio, Repo and Reverse Repo rates). The study finds the empirical evidence for puzzling behavior of price level and exchange rate. Both price and exchange rate increase initially in response to a contractionary policy shock. Policy shocks affect output, inflation and exchange rate to an appreciable extent over a forecasting horizon of one year.
Modeling the I- λ-T Characteristic for Photovoltaic Systems Storage Batteries During Charging Process
Authors: Diaconu Emil Mihai
Published: October 2017

In this paper is presented a numerical method for measurement and analysis of the charging characteristics I-λ-t (battery current-irradiance-time) of storage batteries for photovoltaic (PV) power systems. The experimental data is obtained from the PV modules by a data acquisition system built in the charger component. An algorithm developed as a Matlab source code is used to model the charging characteristics of the batteries connected to a PV system. Using the interpolation method, the mathematical function of total battery current and depending on time and illumination are obtained. The numerical values of the errors between the theoretical and experimental results prove the accuracy of the proposed method.
On the Correction of the Power Factor in Modern Low-Voltage Power Electrical Installations
Authors: Cazacu Emil , Stănculescu Marilena , Andrei Horia
Published: October 2017

The paper presents the main electrical loads that require reactive power, evaluating also its value in different operating states of the industrial installation (permanent sinusoidal or distorted). Also, the effects of reactive power flow in the networks are quantitatively estimated and accordingly, a series of specific power quality indicators (e.g. power factor, crest factor, total harmonic distortion) are highlighted. Different types of solutions dedicated to reduce the level of reactive power are also suggested. The proper design of the power factor correction systems is directly correlated with the consumer power quality parameters. A case-study will round up the work, underling the major importance of the reactive power flow in modern electric installations.
Design, Analysis of 4×4 and 8×8 MIMO System with ZF, MMSE and BF Techniques
Authors: Kumar Arun , Vardhan Piyush , Gupta Manisha
Published: October 2017

This work focuses on studying signal detection using three different equalization techniques, namely: Zero Forcing (ZF), Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE) and Beam Forming (BF), for a 4×4 MIMO-system. Results show that ZF equalization is the simplest technique for signal detection, However, Beam Forming (BF) gives better Bit Error Rate (BER) performances at high Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) values with some complexity in design. For more antennas at the base station, it is too complex to design the weight matrix for ZF, however, it is suitable for BF with the help of good quality digital signal processors. Performance of MIMO-system, with 8 antennas at the base station using BF equalization, is analysed to get BER values at different SNR. Results show a considerable improvement in BER for 8 antennas at the base station.
New Approaches in the Consumer - Supplier Relationship Regarding Malfunctions in the Electroenergetic Systems and from the Perspective of the IoT Development
Authors: Botea B. , Marinescu I.
Published: October 2017

The article emphasizes certain specific issues that a small and medium enterprise can encounter in terms of deviation from the rules regulating the quality of electrical power, as well as a couple suggestions for their regulation.
Positioning system in microscopic spaces (μ-GPS)
Authors: Gheorghe A.C.
Published: October 2017

The study aims for the development of a unique positioning system in the world of microscopy consisting of a transducer and software application. The technology used is based on image processing which creates a special hardware (transducer). The virtual labeling is the essential idea of this system. It synchronizes two essential things: the actual object and a set of exact coordinates to be retained in a database, with the ultimate goal of relocating them by bringing them into the visual field.
A New Breeding Strategy for Pinus radiata in New Zealand and New South Wales
Authors: Dungey H. S. , Brawner J. T. , Burger F. , Carson M. , Henson M. , Jefferson P. , Matheson A. C.
Published: October 2017

A new breeding strategy is presented for the Radiata Pine Breeding Company, a New Zealand based research consortium, that drives the breeding program for Pinus radiata for both the New Zealand and New South Wales based Australian forest plantation industry. The new strategy builds on the existing base for P. radiata, and on the last strategy review in 2000. The new strategy comprises a large open-pollinated (OP) Main Population (MP) with 500 female parents and two sublines (250 female parents per subline). The MP will be tested using alpha designs, single-tree plots and incomplete blocks to maximise efficiency. Each subline will be tested on four sites, geographically distant from the other subline. The MP will be managed in discrete generations. Selection of the next generation will be using a combination of backward and forward selection, but the strict control of inbreeding with identified lineage will rely on the development of parental reconstruction for OP progeny. There are alternatives to this, however, such as estimating the group coancestry and accepting some additional increase in inbreeding. This is a new and significant departure from previous breeding strategies for P. radiata in New Zealand. There will also be a single, small Elite Population (EP), tested 50% as progeny and 50% as clones. Twenty four parents will be tested each year as clones and 24 as seedling progeny with some overlap between the two. It is expected that the clonal population will capture the greatest gains in traits with low heritabilities, and the half-sib progeny will capture the greatest gains in traits with high heritabilities. The two sublines will be maintained in the EP, and breeding will be managed as a rolling front with trials established every year, while trials of the MP will be established every 10 years.
Genetic Variation and Structure of native and introduced Casuarina equisetifolia (L. Johnson) Provenances
Authors: Huang G. H. , Zhong C. L. , Su X. H. , Zhang Y. , Pinyopusarerk K. , Franche C. , Bogusz D.
Published: October 2017

Casuarina equisetifolia is an important tree species in tropical/subtropical zones of Asia, the Pacific and Africa. In this study, 220 individuals from seven native provenances and eleven introduced provenances of C. equisetifolia were analyzed to assess the genetic variation and structure using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. A total of 465 bands were obtained by eight primer pairs, among which 153 were polymorphic. The mean NEI’s gene diversity H = 0.2113 calculated for 18 provenances and the total gene diversity HT = 0.4065 calculated for native provenances suggested abundant variation within provenances and species. High genetic divergence coefficient (GST = 0.4737) and low gene flow (Nm = 0.5555) detected among native provenances suggesting high differentiation of C. equisetifolia. An AMOVA analysis for native provenances revealed a high proportion (46.07%) of the total genetic variation distributed among provenances. The UPGMA clustering (r = 0.8028) and the Mantel test (r = 0.0716) for native provenances showed there was no correlation among genetic relationships and geographical distribution. The genetic information provided important implications for the future conservation and breeding programs of C. equisetifolia.
Annual Fertility Variation in Clonal Seed Orchards of Teak (Tectona grandis L.f.) and its Impact on Seed Crop
Authors: Nicodemus A. , Varghese M. , Nagarajan B. , Lindgren D.
Published: October 2017

Fertility variation was studied in two clonal seed orchards (CSO) of teak in four consecutive years (2003-2006). Both orchards were raised in 1976 with grafts of phenotypes selected for growth and form. The seed orchards of CSO I (Topslip, Tamil Nadu State) and CSO II (Walayar, Kerala State) have 15 and 20 clones, respectively, with 13 common clones. The proportion of flowering ramets was generally low ranging from 16 to 53% across years. The best fruit yield during the study period was around 18 kg ha-1 in CSO I and 17 kg ha-1 in CSO II. Highly significant clonal variation and clone by year and clone by site interactions were observed for fertility traits. The clonal contribution was more skewed in poor flowering years than in abundant flowering years and in CSO II than in CSO I. Broad sense heritability for flower and fruit production per tree was low to moderate (0.16 to 0.55). Flower and fruit production by individual ramets in successive years were positively correlated. Correlations between reproductive and growth traits were generally low, but correlation was strong between flowering and fruiting. Fertility variation and group coancestry were higher in poor flowering years than in abundant years and in CSO II than CSO I. Restricting seed collection to abundant flowering years, adjusting ramet number to balance contribution of clones and mixing of seeds from successive years are suggested to reduce relatedness among orchard progeny. The usefulness of low input breeding options for teak like seed production areas are also discussed.
Performance and Genetic Parameters of Somatic and Zygotic Progenies of Coastal Douglas-fir at 71/2-Years across Washington and Oregon, USA
Authors: Dean C. A. , Welty D. E. , Herold G. E.
Published: October 2017

Five genetic tests involving 37 somatic clones of coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii) were planted March 2000 in Weyerhaeuser plantations across western Washington and Oregon States, USA. Four of the tests are in Longview, Twin Harbors and Vail regions of Washington, and one test is in Springfield, Oregon. Each test is based on single-tree plots with 12 randomized complete-blocks. The 37 coastal Douglas-fir clones were propagated by somatic embryogenesis from four full-sib families. Zygotic seedlings from two of these full-sib families were planted across all five tests to allow comparison between somatic and zygotic trees of the same pedigree. Results are reported for survival, stem height, diameter at breast-height (DBH), volume and stem sinuosity at 71/2- years. On average the total population of 37 somatic clones had less stem sinuosity, but grew more slowly than zygotic trees across the five tests studied. However, the best 20% of somatic clones for growth produced 25% greater stem volume at 71/2-years than the zygotic fullsib families. Height had a clonal heritability of 0.61 ± 0.09, DBH 0.64 ± 0.06, volume 0.58 ± 0.08 and stem sinuosity 0.26 ± 0.06. The clonal genetic correlation between height and DBH at 71/2-years was 0.98 ± 0.01, while stem sinuosity was adversely genetically correlated with growth. Clonal performance for growth and stem sinuosity was stable across tests with overall between-test correlations of 0.96 to 0.98. This clonal stability resulted in little variance due to clone x test interactions.
Genetic Diversity of an Australian Santalum album Collection – Implications For Tree Improvement Potential
Authors: Jones C. G. , Plummer J. A. , Barbour E. L. , Byrne M.
Published: October 2017

The Forest Products Commission of Western Australia manages a sandalwood (Santalum spp.) core germplasm collection at Kununurra in the states far north. This collection serves as a significant seed source for sandalwood plantations in the area and remains an important resource for ongoing research. The collection contains S. album trees sourced from Indian arboreta, along with a few trees from West Timor, Indonesia. Also present are representatives of S. macgregorii from Papua New Guinea and S. austrocaledonicum from Vanuatu and/or New Caledonia. Despite the apparently diverse seed origins, the genetic background of many of the accessions remains vague. In this study, diversity and relatedness was assessed by nuclear and chloroplast RFLPs and a phylogeny was inferred. Nuclear RFLPs revealed very low levels of genetic diversity for a tree species, with an observed and expected heterozygosity (Ho and He) of 0.047. Nineteen genotypes were identified within the 233 S. album individuals sampled, with only one tree known to have originated from Timor being differentiated from Indian material. Other trees thought to have come from Timor grouped with those believed to be from India, indicating they were either incorrectly labelled or sourced from heavily modified populations. Despite the poor sample size, chloroplast RFLP analysis revealed no genetic distinction between the Timorese and Indian S. album, which supports the theory of human mediated seed dispersal from Timor to India. The structure of the phylogeny and associated relatedness has assisted in the establishment of seed orchards, designed to ensure maximum diversity is maintained through limiting the proximity of highly related trees. Finally, in light of these and other findings, a hypothesis concerning the evolution of S. album is proposed.
Efficiencies of Clonally Replicated and Seedling Testing for Spruce Breeding and Deployment Strategies
Authors: Weng Y. H. , Park Y. S. , Simpson D. , Mullin T. J.
Published: October 2017

Genetic gains based on a genetic test using clonal replicates were compared to those based on a test using seedlings at the same gene diversity and testing effort levels using POPSIM™ Simulator. Three testing and deployment strategies targeting for white spruce (P. glauca [Moench] Voss) and black spruce (P. mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) in New Brunswick were compared: seedling test with clonal seed orchard deployed as seedlings (CSO_ST), clonally replicated test with clonal seed orchard deployed as seedlings (CSO_CRT), and clonally replicated test deployed as a clone mix (MVF). The breeding populations (BP) were formed by balanced within-family selection and the production populations (PP) were selected by strong restriction on relatedness, i.e., no parent in common. Compared to the seedling test, the clonally replicated test resulted in faster accumulation of additive effects but quicker loss of additive variance in the BP, and this is particular true in the case of lower narrow-sense heritability or less non-additive genetic variance. The quicker loss in BP additive variance was overcompensated for by its faster accumulation in BP additive effect, resulting in higher gain in the clonally replicated test based PPs. Compared to the CSO_ST, the gain superiority of the CSO_CRT increased with generations, decreasing narrow-sense heritability or reducing the amount of non-additive variance. Implementing MVF was the most effective in terms of gain in most simulated cases and its superiority over the CSO_ST increased with generations, decreasing narrowsense heritability, or increasing non-additive genetic variance. Overall results demonstrated significant advantages of using clonally replicated test both for BP advancement and PP selection in most of the scenarios, suggesting that clonally replicated test should be incorporated into current spruce breeding strategies.
The Right Temporoparietal Junction Supports Speech Tracking During Selective Listening: Evidence from Concurrent EEG-fMRI
Authors: Puschmann Sebastian , Steinkamp Simon , Gillich Imke , Mirkovic Bojana , Debener Stefan , Thiel Christiane M.
Published: October 2017

Listening selectively to one out of several competing speakers in a “cocktail party” situation is a highly demanding task. It relies on a widespread cortical network, including auditory sensory, but also frontal and parietal brain regions involved in controlling auditory attention. Previous work has shown that, during selective listening, ongoing neural activity in auditory sensory areas is dominated by the attended speech stream, whereas competing input is suppressed. The relationship between these attentional modulations in the sensory tracking of the attended speech stream and frontoparietal activity during selective listening is, however, not understood. We studied this question in young, healthy human participants (both sexes) using concurrent EEG-fMRI and a sustained selective listening task, in which one out of two competing speech streams had to be attended selectively. An EEG-based speech envelope reconstruction method was applied to assess the strength of the cortical tracking of the to-be-attended and the to-be-ignored stream during selective listening. Our results show that individual speech envelope reconstruction accuracies obtained for the to-be-attended speech stream were positively correlated with the amplitude of sustained BOLD responses in the right temporoparietal junction, a core region of the ventral attention network. This brain region further showed task-related functional connectivity to secondary auditory cortex and regions of the frontoparietal attention network, including the intraparietal sulcus and the inferior frontal gyrus. This suggests that the right temporoparietal junction is involved in controlling attention during selective listening, allowing for a better cortical tracking of the attended speech stream.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTListening selectively to one out of several simultaneously talking speakers in a “cocktail party” situation is a highly demanding task. It activates a widespread network of auditory sensory and hierarchically higher frontoparietal brain regions. However, how these different processing levels interact during selective listening is not understood. Here, we investigated this question using fMRI and concurrently acquired scalp EEG. We found that activation levels in the right temporoparietal junction correlate with the sensory representation of a selectively attended speech stream. In addition, this region showed significant functional connectivity to both auditory sensory and other frontoparietal brain areas during selective listening. This suggests that the right temporoparietal junction contributes to controlling selective auditory attention in “cocktail party” situations.
Seizures and Sleep in the Thalamus: Focal Limbic Seizures Show Divergent Activity Patterns in Different Thalamic Nuclei
Authors: Feng Li , Motelow Joshua E. , Ma Chanthia , Biche William , McCafferty Cian , Smith Nicholas , Liu Mengran , Zhan Qiong , Jia Ruonan , Xiao Bo , Duque Alvaro , Blumenfeld Hal
Published: October 2017

The thalamus plays diverse roles in cortical-subcortical brain activity patterns. Recent work suggests that focal temporal lobe seizures depress subcortical arousal systems and convert cortical activity into a pattern resembling slow-wave sleep. The potential simultaneous and paradoxical role of the thalamus in both limbic seizure propagation, and in sleep-like cortical rhythms has not been investigated. We recorded neuronal activity from the central lateral (CL), anterior (ANT), and ventral posteromedial (VPM) nuclei of the thalamus in an established female rat model of focal limbic seizures. We found that population firing of neurons in CL decreased during seizures while the cortex exhibited slow waves. In contrast, ANT showed a trend toward increased neuronal firing compatible with polyspike seizure discharges seen in the hippocampus. Meanwhile, VPM exhibited a remarkable increase in sleep spindles during focal seizures. Single-unit juxtacellular recordings from CL demonstrated reduced overall firing rates, but a switch in firing pattern from single spikes to burst firing during seizures. These findings suggest that different thalamic nuclei play very different roles in focal limbic seizures. While limbic nuclei, such as ANT, appear to participate directly in seizure propagation, arousal nuclei, such as CL, may contribute to depressed cortical function, whereas sleep spindles in relay nuclei, such as VPM, may interrupt thalamocortical information flow. These combined effects could be critical for controlling both seizure severity and impairment of consciousness. Further understanding of differential effects of seizures on different thalamocortical networks may lead to improved treatments directly targeting these modes of impaired function.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTTemporal lobe epilepsy has a major negative impact on quality of life. Previous work suggests that the thalamus plays a critical role in thalamocortical network modulation and subcortical arousal maintenance, but its precise seizure-associated functions are not known. We recorded neuronal activity in three different thalamic regions and found divergent activity patterns, which may respectively participate in seizure propagation, impaired level of conscious arousal, and altered relay of information to the cortex during focal limbic seizures. These very different activity patterns within the thalamus may help explain why focal temporal lobe seizures often disrupt widespread network function, and can help guide future treatments aimed at restoring normal thalamocortical network activity and cognition.