bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chemotherapy for elderly patients with advanced cancer: A pilot study in Institute of Oncology Bucharest
Authors: Grigorescu Alexandru C.
Published: April 2015

Objectives: First objective was better understanding of the indications of chemotherapy in elderly with advanced cancer, tolerability and toxicity of chemotherapy in this age group. The second objective was to define current practice in chemotherapy for elderly people with advanced cancer for a selected group of patients treated in Institute of Oncology Bucharest (IOB). Materials and Methods: The study makes a clinical analysis of medical records of 27 patients from the archive of Institute of Oncology Bucharest treated by the same doctor. Patients were selected according to: age ≥ 65 years, ECOG performance status 0-1, normal blood counts and blood biochemistry, histological confirmation of the diagnosis of cancer, patients should received at least 3 cycles of chemotherapy. We extract characteristics of the patients to see if they were a homogeneous group of patients and to compare them with data from the literature. Overall survival was calculated by the Kaplan Meyer curve. Results: 295 patients more then 65 years were treated in our site in 2 years 2011, 2012. 93 patients received chemotherapy and only 27 patients were enrolled in this study following inclusion criteria. Common sites of cancer were lung and breast. The most used cytostatics for lung cancer was gemcitabine and carboplatine and cyclophosphamide, metotrexat and 5 fluorouracil for breast cancer. Toxicity was mild with the prevalence of hematologic toxicity. Overall survival without taking into account the type of cancer was 27.7 month. Conclusions: For selected patients, chemotherapy was well tolerated and appears to prolong survival regardless of the location of cancer. The relatively small number of elderly patients who received chemotherapy is probably due to lack of compliance to treatment, the increased number of co-morbidities and evaluation of performance status only by the ECOG index known not to be good enough to establish the indication of chemotherapy.
Systemic lupus erythematosus presenting with eye squinting: A rare association
Authors: Ali Lanewala Fatema , Lanewala Ali , Hashmi Seema , Jamal Akhter , Mubarak Muhammed
Published: April 2015

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an auto-immune systemic disorder with protean manifestations. It can involve any of the organs and systems of the body. Involvement of the nervous system and eye is not uncommon and is multifactorial. We herein present a case of an adolescent girl with SLE whose first presentation was with acute renal failure. Her renal functions improved and she made full recovery. Three months later, she presented with eye symptoms and was found to have right abducens nerve palsy and bilateral papilledema. Her intracranial pressure was raised. Drainage of cerebrospinal fluid during lumber tap improved her eye signs and symptoms. Nervous system involvement and its pathogenesis are discussed with reference to this case and the published literature
A case of coexisting carcinoma and tuberculosis in one breast
Authors: Siddiqui Bushra , Akhter Kafeel , Habib Faridi Shahbaz , Maheshwari Veena
Published: April 2015

Coexistent carcinoma and tuberculosis in a breast is a rare entity. It poses problems right from the diagnosis and staging of carcinoma to treatment and patient compliance. Proper clinical examination and investigations should be performed in such cases as both carcinoma and tuberculosis are major diseases with no definite symptoms or signs to distinguish the two. Herein, we report the case of a 45-year-old female who presented with complaints of a lump and pain in left breast, weight loss and weakness for the past 4 months. Fine needle aspiration cytology from the breast lump showed clusters of malignant cells along with many loose clusters of epithelioid cells on a background showing caseous necrosis. A diagnosis of coexisting breast carcinoma and tuberculosis of the breast was made and antitubercular treatment was started. The patient was operated and histopathology confirmed the diagnosis.
Schistosoma mansoni Infection Along the Coast of Lake Victoria in Mwanza Region, Tanzania
Authors: Olsen Annette , Kinung'hi Safari , Magnussen Pascal
Published: April 2015

Prevalence and intensity of Schistosoma mansoni infection according to age, sex, and occupation were investigated in 100 first-year students (aged 7–8 years), 100 schoolchildren (aged 9–12 years), and 50 adults (aged 20–55 years) from 149 villages. The schoolchildren provided three stool specimens while the rest provided only one specimen. A total of 31,865 individuals provided at least one specimen with an overall prevalence of 38.5% and geometric mean intensity of positives of 107.0 eggs per gram of feces. With the exception of first-year students, males had higher prevalence than females (P < 0.0005). Schoolchildren had higher prevalence than first-year students that again had higher prevalence than adults. There was no sex difference in intensities among the children, but adult males had higher intensities than adult females. Intensity among the children was higher than that of the adults (P < 0.0005). Prevalence was significantly higher in those having fishing as their main occupation. Three stools samples were obtained from 13,119 schoolchildren, resulting in a prevalence of 38.1% if only one sample was included, 47.5% including two samples, and 52.6% if all three samples were included.
Calling for a comprehensive approach: Violence prevention and early childhood development
Authors: Phyfer Joanne , Wakefield Lorenzo
Published: April 2015

Violence and violent crime are significant social problems in South Africa. Yet currently these problems are only addressed as or after they occur, with the state and civil society missing valuable opportunities to prevent violence before it happens. This article focuses on the intersection between early childhood development services and primary violence prevention interventions. It encourages a developmental approach to violence prevention by promoting healthy physical and social development and preventing direct and indirect exposure to violence during early childhood. The article outlines the extent to which this approach is currently reflected in South Africa’s policy framework and proposes areas of intervention based on local and international literature.
The Response Surface Method as an Experimental Design Technique to Explore and Model the Performance of Corrosion Inhibitors
Authors: Kosari A. , Davoodi A. , Moayed M.H. , Gheshlaghi R.
Published: April 2015

Numerous environmental factors strongly affect performance of inhibitors. Therefore, many experimental tests and much time are needed to fully explore the inhibitor performance in various conditions. This paper introduces the response surface method using central composite face-centered design as a method in order to explore and mathematically model the inhibitors' behavior in different working conditions. Also, this method provides the ability of significantly decreasing the number of experiments. In this study, as an example, the effect of temperature, hydrochloric acid, and inhibitor concentrations on inhibitive behavior of 4-aminophenyl disulfide for mild steel was examined. Further, two mathematical models were established to estimate mild steel corrosion rate in the inhibited and uninhibited solutions. Analysis of variance was applied to check the adequacy of the models. Finally, the Langmuir adsorption energy was calculated using the acquired models. The results showed that, despite the inhibitor efficiency changes in various conditions, the adsorption type into metal is an invariable parameter.
Malaysia
Authors:   International Monetary Fund. Asia and Pacific Dept
Published: April 2015

This Selected Issues paper examines the implications of lower crude oil prices on Malaysia’s economy. Although Malaysia’s net oil exports are now very small as a share of GDP, its gas exports are sizeable. The paper provides some background on the structure of energy production and trade in Malaysia, and presents results from empirical analysis of the oil prices on Malaysia’s growth. It is concluded that the decline in prices is likely to have a net negative impact on growth, even though the recent decline in oil prices partially reflects supply considerations.
Rapid transport of East Asian pollution to the deep tropics
Authors: Ashfold M. J. , Pyle J. A. , Robinson A. D. , Meneguz E. , Nadzir M. S. M. , Phang S. M. , Samah A. A. , Ong S. , Ung H. E. , Peng L. K. , Yong S. E. , Harris N. R. P.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. Anthropogenic emissions from East Asia have increased over recent decades. These increases have led to changes in atmospheric composition as far afield as North America under the prevailing westerly winds. Here we show that, during Northern Hemisphere (NH) winter, pollution originating in East Asia also directly affects atmospheric composition in the deep tropics. We present observations of marked intra-seasonal variability in the anthropogenic tracer perchloroethene (C2Cl4) collected at two locations in Borneo (117.84° E, 4.98° N and 118.00° E, 4.22° N) during the NH winter of 2008/2009. We use trajectories calculated with the Numerical Atmospheric-dispersion Modelling Environment to show that the observed enhancements in C2Cl4 mixing ratio are caused by rapid meridional transport, in the form of "cold surges", from the relatively polluted East Asian land mass. In these events air masses can move from ~35° N to Borneo in 4 days. We then present data from the Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate reanalysis which suggest that air masses high in C2Cl4 may also contain levels of the pollutants carbon monoxide and ozone that are approximately double the typical "background" levels in Borneo. In addition to strengthening the meridional transport from the north, cold surges can enhance convection in Southeast Asia, and further trajectory calculations indicate that the polluted air masses can subsequently be lifted to the tropical upper troposphere. This suggests a potentially important connection between midlatitude pollution sources and the very low stratosphere.
The effects of springtime mid-latitude storms on trace gas composition determined from the MACC reanalysis
Authors: Knowland K. E. , Doherty R. M. , Hodges K. I.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. The relationship between springtime air pollution transport of ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (CO) and mid-latitude cyclones is explored for the first time using the Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate (MACC) reanalysis for the period 2003–2012. In this study, the most intense spring storms (95th percentile) are selected for two regions, the North Pacific (NP) and the North Atlantic (NA). These storms (∼60 storms over each region) often track over the major emission sources of East Asia and eastern North America. By compositing the storms, the distributions of O3 and CO within a "typical" intense storm are examined. We compare the storm-centered composite to background composites of "average conditions" created by sampling the reanalysis data of the previous year to the storm locations. Mid-latitude storms are found to redistribute concentrations of O3 and CO horizontally and vertically throughout the storm. This is clearly shown to occur through two main mechanisms: (1) vertical lifting of CO-rich and O3-poor air isentropically, from near the surface to the mid- to upper-troposphere in the region of the warm conveyor belt; and (2) descent of O3-rich and CO-poor air isentropically in the vicinity of the dry intrusion, from the stratosphere toward the mid-troposphere. This can be seen in the composite storm's life cycle as the storm intensifies, with area-averaged O3 (CO) increasing (decreasing) between 200 and 500 hPa. The influence of the storm dynamics compared to the background environment on the composition within an area around the storm center at the time of maximum intensity is as follows. Area-averaged O3 at 300 hPa is enhanced by 50 and 36% and by 11 and 7.6% at 500 hPa for the NP and NA regions, respectively. In contrast, area-averaged CO at 300 hPa decreases by 12% for NP and 5.5% for NA, and area-averaged CO at 500 hPa decreases by 2.4% for NP while there is little change over the NA region. From the mid-troposphere, O3-rich air is clearly seen to be transported toward the surface, but the downward transport of CO-poor air is not discernible due to the high levels of CO in the lower troposphere. Area-averaged O3 is slightly higher at 1000 hPa (3.5 and 1.8% for the NP and NA regions, respectively). There is an increase of CO at 1000 hPa for the NP region (3.3%) relative to the background composite and a~slight decrease in area-averaged CO for the NA region at 1000 hPa (-2.7%).
Aerosol vertical distribution, optical properties and transport over Corsica (western Mediterranean)
Authors: Léon J.-F. , Augustin P. , Mallet M. , Bourrianne T. , Pont V. , Dulac F. , Fourmentin M. , Lambert D. , Sauvage B.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. This paper presents the aerosol vertical distribution observed in the western Mediterranean between February and April 2011 and between February 2012 and August 2013. An elastic backscattering lidar was continuously operated at a coastal site in the northern part of Corsica Island (Cap Corse) for a total of more than 14 000 h of observations. The aerosol extinction coefficient retrieved from cloud-free lidar profiles are analyzed along with the SEVIRI satellite aerosol optical depth (AOD). The SEVIRI AOD was used to constrain the retrieval of the aerosol extinction profiles from the lidar range-corrected signal and to detect the presence of dust or pollution aerosols. The daily average AOD at 550 nm is 0.16 (±0.09) and ranges between 0.05 and 0.80. A seasonal cycle is observed with minima in winter and maxima in spring–summer. High AOD days (above 0.3 at 550 nm) represent less than 10% of the totality of daily observations and correspond to the large scale advection of desert dust from Northern Africa or pollution aerosols from Europe. The respective origin of the air masses is confirmed using FLEXPART simulations in the backward mode. Dust events are characterized by a large turbid layer between 2 and 5 km height while pollution events show a lower vertical development with a thick layer below 3 km in altitude. However low level dust transport is also reported during spring while aerosol pollution layer between 2 and 4 km height has been also observed. We report an effective lidar ratio at 355 nm for pollution aerosols 68 (±13) Sr while it is 63 (±18) Sr for dust. The daily mean AOD at 355 nm for dust events is 0.61 (±0.14) and 0.71 (±0.16) for pollution aerosols events.
New fire diurnal cycle characterizations to improve fire radiative energy assessments made from low-Earth orbit satellites sampling
Authors: Andela N. , Kaiser J. W. , van der Werf G. R. , Wooster M. J.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. Accurate near real time fire emissions estimates are required for air quality forecasts. To date, most approaches are based on satellite-derived estimates of fire radiative power (FRP), which can be converted to fire radiative energy (FRE) which is directly related to fire emissions. Uncertainties in these FRE estimations are often substantial. This is for a large part because the most often used low-Earth orbit satellite-based instruments like the MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) have a relatively poor sampling of the usually pronounced fire diurnal cycle. In this paper we explore the spatial variation of this fire diurnal cycle and its drivers. Specifically, we assess how representing the fire diurnal cycle affects FRP and FRE estimations when using data collected at MODIS overpasses. Using data assimilation we explored three different methods to estimate hourly FRE, based on an incremental sophistication of parameterizing the fire diurnal cycle. We sampled data from the geostationary Meteosat Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) at MODIS detection opportunities to drive the three approaches. The full SEVIRI time-series, providing full coverage of the diurnal cycle, were used to evaluate the results. Our study period comprised three years (2010–2012), and we focussed on Africa and the Mediterranean basin to avoid the use of potentially lower quality SEVIRI data obtained at very far off-nadir view angles. We found that the fire diurnal cycle varies substantially over the study region, and depends on both fuel and weather conditions. For example, more "intense" fires characterized by a fire diurnal cycle with high peak fire activity, long duration over the day, and with nighttime fire activity are most common in areas of large fire size (i.e., large burned area per fire event). These areas are most prevalent in relatively arid regions. Ignoring the fire diurnal cycle as done currently in some approaches caused structural errors, while generally overestimating FRE. Including information on the climatology of the fire diurnal cycle provided the most promising avenue to improve FRE estimations. This approach also improved the performance on relatively high spatiotemporal resolutions, although only when aggregating model results to coarser spatial and/or temporal scale good correlation was found with the full SEVIRI hourly reference dataset. In general model performance was best in areas of frequent fire and low errors of omission. We recommend the use of regionally varying fire diurnal cycle information within the Global Fire Assimilation System (GFAS) used in the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Services, which will improve FRE estimates and may allow for further reconciliation of biomass burning emission estimates from different inventories.
Predicting landscape-scale CO2 flux at a pasture and rice paddy with long-term hyperspectral canopy reflectance measurements
Authors: Matthes J. H. , Knox S. H. , Sturtevant C. , Sonnentag O. , Verfaillie J. , Baldocchi D.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. Measurements of hyperspectral canopy reflectance provide a detailed snapshot of information regarding canopy biochemistry, structure and physiology. In this study, we collected five years of repeated canopy hyperspectral reflectance measurements for a total of over 100 site visits within the flux footprints of two eddy covariance towers at a pasture and rice paddy in Northern California. The vegetation at both sites exhibited dynamic phenology, with significant inter-annual variability in the timing of seasonal patterns that propagated into inter-annual variability in measured hyperspectral reflectance. We used partial least-squares regression (PLSR) modeling to leverage the information contained within the entire continuous canopy reflectance spectra (400–900 nm) in order to investigate questions regarding the connection between measured hyperspectral reflectance and landscape-scale fluxes of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and gross primary productivity (GPP) across multiple timescales, from instantaneous flux to monthly-integrated flux. With the PLSR models developed from this large dataset we achieved a high level of predictability for both NEE and GPP flux in these two ecosystems, where the R2 of prediction with an independent validation dataset ranged from 0.24 to 0.69. The PLSR models achieved the highest skill at predicting the integrated GPP flux for the week prior to the hyperspectral canopy reflectance collection, whereas the NEE flux often achieved the same high predictive power at the daily- through monthly-integrated flux timescales. The high level of predictability achieved by PLSR regression in this study demonstrated the potential for using repeated hyperspectral canopy reflectance measurements to help partition NEE measurements into its component fluxes, GPP and ecosystem respiration, and for using continuous hyperspectral reflectance measurements to model regional carbon flux in future analyses.
Air–sea CO2 fluxes in the East China Sea based on multiple-year underway observations
Authors: Guo X.-H. , Zhai W.-D. , Dai M.-H. , Zhang C. , Bai Y. , Xu Y. , Li Q. , Wang G.-Z.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. This study reports thus far a most comprehensive dataset of surface seawater pCO2 (partial pressure of CO2) and the associated air–sea CO2 fluxes in a major ocean margin, the East China Sea (ECS) based on 24 surveys conducted in 2006 to 2011. We showed highly dynamic spatial variability of sea surface pCO2 in the ECS except in winter when it ranged in a narrow band of 330 to 360 μatm. In this context, we categorized the ECS into five different domains featured with different physics and biogeochemistry to better characterize the seasonality of the pCO2 dynamics and to better constrain the CO2 flux. The five domains are (I) the outer Changjiang estuary and Changjiang plume, (II) the Zhejiang–Fujian coast, (III) the northern ECS shelf, (IV) the middle ECS shelf, and (V) the southern ECS shelf. In spring and summer, pCO2 off the Changjiang estuary was as low as < 100 μatm, while it was up to > 400 μatm in fall. pCO2 along the Zhejiang–Fujian coast was low in spring, summer and winter (300 to 350 μatm) but was relatively high in fall (> 350 μatm). In the northern ECS shelf, pCO2 in summer and fall was > 340 μatm in most areas, higher than in winter and spring. In the middle and southern ECS shelf, pCO2 in summer ranged from 380 to 400 μatm, which was higher than in other seasons (< 350 μatm). The area-weighted CO2 flux in the entire ECS shelf was −10.0 ± 2.0 mmol m−2 d−1 in winter, −11.7 ± 3.6 mmol m−2 d−1 in spring, −3.5 ± 4.6 mmol m−2 d−1 in summer and −2.3 ± 3.1 mmol m−2 d−1 in fall. It is important to note that the standard deviations in these flux ranges mostly reflect the spatial variation of pCO2, which differ from the spatial variance nor the bulk uncertainty. Nevertheless, on an annual basis, the average CO2 influx into the entire ECS shelf was −6.9 ± 4.0 mmol m−2 d−1, about twice the global average in ocean margins.
Links between surface productivity and deep ocean particle flux at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain (PAP) sustained observatory
Authors: Frigstad H. , Henson S. A. , Hartman S. E. , Omar A. M. , Jeansson E. , Cole H. , Pebody C. , Lampitt R. S.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. In this study we present hydrography, biogeochemistry and sediment trap observations between 2003 and 2012 at Porcupine Abyssal Plain (PAP) sustained observatory in the northeast Atlantic. The time series is valuable as it allows for investigation of the link between surface productivity and deep ocean carbon flux. The region is a perennial sink for CO2, with an average uptake of around 1.5 mmol m−2 d−1. The average monthly drawdowns of inorganic carbon and nitrogen were used to quantify the net community production (NCP) and new production, respectively. Seasonal NCP and new production were found to be 4.57 ± 0.27 mol C m−2 and 0.37 ± 0.14 mol N m−2. The Redfield ratio was high (12), and the production calculated from carbon was higher than production calculated from nitrogen, which is indicative of carbon overconsumption. The export ratio and transfer efficiency were 16 and 4%, respectively, and the site thereby showed high flux attenuation. Particle tracking was used to examine the source region of material in the sediment trap, and there was large variation in source regions, both between and within years. There were higher correlations between surface productivity and export flux when using the particle-tracking approach, than by comparing with the mean productivity in a 100 km box around the PAP site. However, the differences in correlation coefficients were not significant, and a longer time series is needed to draw conclusions on applying particle tracking in sediment trap analyses.
A high-resolution simulation of groundwater and surface water over most of the continental US with the integrated hydrologic model ParFlow v3
Authors: Maxwell R. M. , Condon L. E. , Kollet S. J.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. Interactions between surface and groundwater systems are well-established theoretically and observationally. While numerical models that solve both surface and subsurface flow equations in a single framework (matrix) are increasingly being applied, computational limitations have restricted their use to local and regional studies. Regional or watershed-scale simulations have been effective tools for understanding hydrologic processes; however, there are still many questions, such as the adaptation of water resources to anthropogenic stressors and climate variability, that can only be answered across large spatial extents at high resolution. In response to this grand challenge in hydrology, we present the results of a parallel, integrated hydrologic model simulating surface and subsurface flow at high spatial resolution (1 km) over much of continental North America (~ 6.3 M km2). These simulations provide integrated predictions of hydrologic states and fluxes, namely, water table depth and streamflow, at very large scale and high resolution. The physics-based modeling approach used here requires limited parameterizations and relies only on more fundamental inputs such as topography, hydrogeologic properties and climate forcing. Results are compared to observations and provide mechanistic insight into hydrologic process interaction. This study demonstrates both the feasibility of continental-scale integrated models and their utility for improving our understanding of large-scale hydrologic systems; the combination of high resolution and large spatial extent facilitates analysis of scaling relationships using model outputs.
Correlation between subsurface high-salinity water in the northern South China Sea and the North Equatorial Current–Kuroshio circulation system from HYCOM simulations
Authors: Wang A. , Du Y. , Zhuang W. , Qi Y.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. The North Pacific Tropical Water (NPTW), characterized by subsurface high salinity, is observed in the South China Sea (SCS) and is often used as an indicator of the water intrusion from the northwestern Pacific into the SCS. Based on the assimilation product from a global high-resolution Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) from 2008 through 2013, this study investigates the seasonal variability of subsurface high-salinity water (SHSW) in the northern SCS and its relationship with the North Equatorial Current–Kuroshio circulation system. Results show that the obvious seasonal variability of the SHSW appears at about 100–200 m in depth. It extends as far west as southeast of Hainan, reaching its volume maximum (minimum) in January (May). The seasonal variance contribution (seasonal variance accounting for the entire variance) is 0.38 in the period we considered, albeit with significant annual variance in other years. Further analysis shows that the changes in high-salinity water volume are highly correlated with the shift in the North Equatorial Current bifurcation latitude (NECBL), which reaches its northernmost point in December and its southernmost point in May. Due to the large-scale wind changes in the Pacific, the Luzon Strait transport (LST) weakens (strengthens) when the NECBL shifts to the south (north) during summer (winter), which results in the reduced (enhanced) SHSW intrusion from the northwestern Pacific into the northern SCS. It is also found that, on a seasonal timescale, the Kuroshio transport (KT) does not vary in phase with NECBL, LST and SHSW, indicating that the KT changes are probably not the governing factor for the seasonal variability of SHSW in the northern SCS.
Precision of farmer based fertility ratings and soil organic carbon for crop production on a Ferralsol
Authors: Musinguzi P. , Ebanyat P. , Tenywa J. S. , Basamba T. A. , Tenywa M. M. , Mubiru D.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. Simple and affordable soil fertility ratings are essential, particularly for the resource-constrained farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in planning and implementing prudent interventions. A study was conducted on Ferralsols in Uganda, to evaluate farmer-field-based soil fertility assessment procedures, hereafter referred to as farmer' field experiences (FFE), for ease of use (simplicity) and precision, against more formal scientific quantitative ratings using soil organic carbon (SQR-SOC). A total of 30 fields were investigated and rated using both approaches, as low, medium and high in terms of soil fertility, with maize as the test crop. Based on maize yield, both rating techniques were fairly precise in delineating soil fertility classes, though the FFE approach showed mixed responses. Soil organic carbon in the top soil (0–15 cm) was exceptionally influential, explaining > 70% in yield variance. Each unit rise in SOC concentration resulted in 966–1223 kg ha−1 yield gain. The FFE approach was effective in identifying low fertility fields, which was coherent with the fields categorized as low (SOC < 1.2%). Beyond this level, its precision can be remarkably increased when supplemented with the SOC procedure.
Self-regulation of ice flow varies across the ablation area in south-west Greenland
Authors: van de Wal R. S. W. , Smeets C. J. P. P. , Boot W. , Stoffelen M. , van Kampen R. , Doyle S. H. , Wilhelms F. , van den Broeke M. R. , Reijmer C. H. , Oerlemans J. , Hubbard A.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. The concept of a positive feedback between ice flow and enhanced melt rates in a warmer climate fuelled the debate regarding the temporal and spatial controls on seasonal ice acceleration. Here we combine melt, basal water pressure and ice velocity data. Using 20 years of data covering the whole ablation area, we show that there is not a strong positive correlation between annual ice velocities and melt rates. Annual velocities even slightly decreased with increasing melt. Results also indicate that melt variations are most important for velocity variations in the upper ablation zone up to the equilibrium line altitude. During the extreme melt in 2012, a large velocity response near the equilibrium line was observed, highlighting the possibility of meltwater to have an impact even high on the ice sheet. This may lead to an increase of the annual ice velocity in the region above S9 and requires further monitoring.
Antecedents of institutional process
Authors:   Departamento de Administración de Empresas y Marketing de la Universidad de Sevilla. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, c/ Ramón y Cajal, 1, 41018 Sevilla (España). diez@us.es, Díez de Castro Emilio , Díez Martín Francisco ,   Departamento. Economía de la Empresa. Campus de Vicálvaro de la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Paseo de los Artilleros, s/n. 28032 Madrid (España). francisco.diez@urjc.es, Vázquez Sánchez Adolfo ,   Departamento de Administración de Empresas y Marketing de la Universidad de Sevilla. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, c/ Ramón y Cajal, 1, 41018 Sevilla (España). adolfov@us.es
Published: April 2015

This research is an attempt to advance the understanding of why organizations are responsive to the institutionalization process. To this end, we describe key elements that help explain the origin of this process. Furthermore, this research has followed a qualitative research methodology, using the ‘concept mapping’ technique, and grouping the different constructs items that act as motivating factors in the transformation of organizations to institutions. Methodologically we have tried to overlook the differentiation between old and new institutionalism, this approach follows the ideas of those researchers that question the suitability of drawing a line between the “old” and the “new” theory. We consider that the role of the CEO is essential in driving the institutionalization process, though usually their decisions are supported or have passed through the filter of the organization governance staff or the board of directors. Any progress that the organization makes depends fundamentally on the capabilities, perceptions, training and mindset of the CEO. The research results reinforce several key topics suggested in the literature on institutional theory. Particularly, we have proposed a classification with the motives that give rise to institutional initiatives: institutional authority; advantage in management; and, social involvement. This classification is consistent, to a larger extend, to the pillars of institutionalization that have been defined in the institutional theory literature, helping to understand, in more detail, the origin of the business processes and the background or motivations that generates and guide them.
E -Recruitment Transforming the Dimensions of Online Job Seeking: A case of Pakistan
Authors: Ahmed Shuaib , Tahir Hammad , Warsi Syed Waleed
Published: April 2015

This research study aims to investigate the influence of adoption of e-recruitment method by job seekers in karachi, Pakistan. It also analyzes the relationship between e-recruitment and their adoption behavior. A convenient sample of 250 job seekers from different universities students of Karachi was taken. After validating the instrument, one sample t-test was performed to test the relationship of selected variables i.e. cost saving, time saving, extensive search and unlimited excess with the behavior of job seekers in adopting a e-recruitment method. Using SPSS 17.0 Statistical evidence at 0.05 level of significance proved that cost saving, time saving, extensive search and unlimited excess are significantly correlated with a e-recruitment adoption. The findings are helpful for academicians, organizations and other institutions to design and market new web pages to attract more and more job seekers.
Enhancing Sustainable Economic Growth and Development through Human Capital Development
Authors: Nkogbu Godfrey Oshilim
Published: April 2015

This study examined enhancing sustainable economic growth and development through human capital development in Nigeria. Primary data were collected through structured interviews from 296 respondents via questionnaire.The survey research design was used to collect data for the study. Data collected were analyzed using simple percentage (%), mean score (x) and chi-square (X2). Results of the findings showed that human capital development plays a critical role in economic growth and development; investment in human capital development will result in improved economic growth and development and that economic growth and development cannot be sustained without human capital development.The study concluded that to enhance and sustain economic growth and development, and for human capital to have an impact on economic growth and development, Nigeria needs to invest more on its human capital development as well as the provision of opportunities for developed human capital to express their skills, knowledge and abilities. The study suggested that more priority should be given to human capital development as well as the educational sector and human capital development should be the responsibility of all and sundry and not government/organizations alone.
Resultative Constructions and some Remarks on Translating Albania Resultatives into English and Vice Versa
Authors: Kurani Aida
Published: April 2015

The structures of both languages, especially Albanian as a synthetic-analytical and English as an analytic-synthetic, one have their own peculiarities; but as Indo-European languages, they have also similarities, as it appears in the translation of resultative sentences from English to Albanian and vice versa.These two languages have similarities as well as differences concerning the meaning of the resulting expression. Above all, Albanian differs from English in consequential sentences. As it is known, Albanian, like the other Neo-latin languages, does not have a strong resultative sentence, as well as the weak sentences, especially adjectival ones, which are more limited compared to English and other Germanic languages.These and other features of the consequential sentence should be considered in their translation from Albanian into English and vice versa.
Groundwork for International Law
Authors: D’Amato Anthony
Published: April 2015

International law is a system; its environment is the field of international relations. Although the wordsystemis often used generically, it has a formal meaning in “general systems theory,” an interdisciplinary methodology that grew out of cybernetics research in the 1970S. Since then, general systems theory has proved to be a significant heuristic in hundreds of disparate research areas. In describing international law from the viewpoint of an autopoietic system (to be defined shortly), this article intends not just to reexamine the foundations of international law but also to help litigators and negotiators make their international-law arguments sounder and more persuasive.
Send back the Lifeboats: Confronting the Project of Saving International Law
Authors: d’Aspremont Jean
Published: April 2015

The idea that international law is in crisis—needing the inspired thinking and skilled practice of many kinds of international lawyers to save it—has a rich history in those countries where the enterprise of international law has been most deeply established and embraced. Unsurprisingly, saving international law remains a project shared by many twenty-first-century international lawyers. Such a commitment is certainly not confined to legal academics. Even some legal advisers, counsel, judges, and activists think of themselves as having a role to play in rescuing international law. Being a disengaged bystander while grave hazards supposedly threaten international law has not seemed to be a proper option for many of these professionals who share a calling for heroic self-sacrifice to salvage the ostensibly endangered entity of international law.
Who Is the System? On Commitment, Biology, and Human Beings in the Politics of “Groundwork for International Law”
Authors: Rovira Mónica García-Salmones
Published: April 2015

Professor Anthony D’Amato’s “Groundwork for International Law” (Groundwork) is an extremely pedagogical project. Despite its apparent simplicity, each rereading reveals a new layer of complexity, reflecting the depth of his lifelong engagement in the scholarship of international law. Moreover, from a certain perspective, his reexamination of the foundations of international law expresses a radicalism that reaches beyond the analysis of legal forms to provoke reflection on the nature and purpose of the international legal system.
Can the United States Violently Punish the Assad Regime? Competing Visions (Including That of Anthony D’Amato) of the Applicable International Law
Authors: Farer Tom
Published: April 2015

A regime’s pitiless slaughter of civilians, particularly in an urbanized middle-class country close to Europe, drives segments of the public on both sides of the left-right divide to demand that something be done to quell the killing. When, as in the case of Syria, the regime cannot be shamed, has financial and materiel reserves and backup funding and troops from powerful allies, and has no higher ideal than self-preservation—when, in other words, it is immune to diplomatic and economic pressure—demands for responsive action quickly translate into demands for the use of force, whether direct or by proxy. and because in these enlightened times the projection of force across national borders is widely felt to be legally problematic, determining an appropriate reaction to the slaughter becomes a task for lawyers, no less than strategists.
Money and the Plow, or the Shipman's Tale of Tithing
Authors: Coley David K.
Published: April 2015

While it is specified in the Shipman's Tale as a loan, the hundred francs that the St. Denis merchant gives to Daun John bear structural and functional affinities to a tithe, the mandatory oblation offered by medieval Christians in recognition of God's bounty. This article shows how the tale develops these affinities to comment on several late-fourteenth-century controversies surrounding tithe, including the issue of monastic tithing and Wycliffite resistance to tithe. More centrally, it demonstrates how Chaucer uses the sum paid by the St. Denis merchant to align the “curious bisynesse” (VII 225) of international finance with traditional modes of agrarian increase, such as agriculture and animal husbandry.
DANTE ALIGHIERI: A MONARQUIA UNIVERSAL E A "FELICITA MENTALE"
Authors: Paizani Gabriel Ferreira de Almeida
Published: April 2015

Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) nasceu numa Florença fragmentada e caracterizada pelo constante conflito entre facções politicas. Envolveu-se ativamente na vida política e, devido ao seu engajamento, foi exilado. Os conflitos entre o poder temporal e espiritual, especialmente entre Filipe IV e Bonifácio VIII, em conjunto com a passagem de Henrique VII pela Itália, criaram condições para a construção do tratado político De Monarchia (1312-1313). Dante Alighieri foi influenciado pela inserção do pensamento aristotélico no Ocidente e apropriou-se deste "novo" conjunto teórico para argumentar em favor da Monarquia Universal, no entanto, mesmo que nítida a importância dedicada à defesa do papel político do sujeito, sustentou também a virtude da nobreza intelectual, caracterizada pela contemplação filosófica.
SILVA, S. C. Magia e Poder no Império Romano: A Apologia de Apuleio. 1. Ed. São Paulo: Annablume/FAPESP, 2012. 213p.
Authors: Silva Filipe Cesar da
Published: April 2015

Resenha de SILVA, S. C. Magia e Poder no Império Romano: A Apologia de Apuleio. 1. Ed. São Paulo: Annablume/FAPESP, 2012. 213p.
Nog verder van huis
Authors: van Erp Judith , Huisman Wim , Stokman Armand , van der Veer Tessa
Published: April 2015

Nog verder van huis. Een nadere analyse van fraude en corruptie bij woningcorporaties

De auteurs hebben in navolging van de Parlementaire Enquêtecommissie Woningcorporaties een nadere analyse gemaakt van fraude en corruptie bij woningcorporaties. Zij hebben zes fraudezaken onder de loep genomen die door de commissie nog niet waren onderzocht. Hun bevindingen bevestigen die van de Enquêtecommissie: bestuurders van frauderende corporaties zagen geen integriteitsproblemen, en werden niet gehinderd door enige vorm van intern toezicht.
Kwaliteit van accountants: enige onderzoeksvragen
Authors: Verbeeten Frank
Published: April 2015

Kwaliteit van accountants: enige onderzoeksvragen

De kwaliteit van de accountancywerkzaamheden is onder druk komen te staan vanwege een viertal redenen: tijds- en budgetdruk voor de accountant, de aansturing van vennoten van accountantskantoren, de focus op cijfers en het negeren van gedrag, en de rol van de raad van commissarissen. In het afgelopen jaar is een drietal rapporten over accountants verschenen waarin (onder meer) bovenstaande punten eveneens worden geadresseerd en een aantal oplossingsrichtingen worden geboden.
Yield of corms of Acidanthera bicolor var. murielae perry depending on the date and depth of planting corms
Authors: Kocira Anna , Laskowska Halina , Kocira Sławomir
Published: April 2015

The experiments were conducted in 2000–2002. Corms of Acidanthera bicolor var. murielae Perry were planted on four dates, every ten days: 19–20th of April, 29–30th of April, 8–9th of May, 18–19th of May, and at three different depths: 4, 8, and 12 cm. At the end of the vegetation period, the plants were dug out and cormels obtained were dried, cleaned and calibrated by 8 sizes that included cormels of the following circumferences: below 4.0 cm, 4.1–6.0 cm, 6.1–8.0 cm, 8.1–10.0 cm, 10.1–12.0 cm, 12.1–14.0 cm, 14.1–16.0, and over 16.0 cm. Then, the cormels were grouped into three sizes: I – cormels with a circumference of over 10.0 cm; II – cormels of 10.0–8.1 cm in circumference; and III – cormels of 8.0–6.0 cm in circumference. The structure and weight of the total and marketable yield as well as further values of cormel circumference were determined. The marketable yield comprised cormels with a circumference of over 8 cm, belonging to group I and II of the cormel size. It was found that planting corms in April increased the number of cormels in the total yield as well as the number and weight of marketable cormels. Planting corms at a depth of 12 cm increased the number and weight of cormels in the total yield as well as the weight of marketable cormels in comparison to the shallowest planting depth (4 cm). Planting corms on the 19–20th of April at a depth of 12 cm increased the percentage and weight of the largest cormels with a circumference of over 16 cm in comparison to planting them on the 18–19th of May at a depth of 4 cm.
Vertical distribution of the root system of linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) and legumes in pure and mixed sowing
Authors: Klimek-Kopyra Agnieszka , Głąb Tomasz , Zając Tadeusz , Stokłosa Agnieszka , Kulig Bogdan
Published: April 2015

Root competition for below-ground resources between edible plants may provide for long-term sustainability of agriculture systems. Intercropping can be more productive than a pure crop due to taking advantage of the morphological differences between species. In pure cropping, all biophysical interactions between plants occur through soil conditions. In intercropping, competition for water and nutrients is of major importance, but if the roots of one species occupy the zone just underneath the roots of the other crop, they can better use the resources of the root zone of the crop. The root system demonstrates a high degree of plasticity in its development in response to local heterogeneity of the soil profile and plant density. This study aimed at determining: (i) the morphological characteristics of the root systems of linseed, pea and vetch depending on the method of sowing; (ii) the root distribution in various soil types and at different soil profile depths (0–15 cm, 15–30 cm). Two three-year field experiments were conducted on two soil types in south Poland: soil A – Luvic Phaeozem (s1) and soil B – Eutric Cambisol (s2). These results show that linseed was more aggressive toward both legumes in mixture, but it produced lower yield compared to pure cropping. The environmental stress of plants in mixtures increased the relative weight of roots, which resulted in decreasing the root-shoot ratio (RSR).
Comparative characteristics of anatomical and morphological adaptations of plants of two subgenera Haworthia Duval to arid environmental conditions
Authors: Nuzhyna Nataliya Volodymyrivna , Gaydarzhy Maryna Mykolaivna
Published: April 2015

This paper presents the comparative anatomical and morphological characteristics of plants of two subgenera: Haworthia and Hexangularis. The study revealed two different strategies of adaptation to arid conditions of the growth of different subgenera of the genus Haworthia. Plants of the subgenus Haworthia adapted to arid conditions by increasing the accumulation of water, the presence of “windows”, a smaller stoma size, and a thinner outer wall of the epidermis cells. On the other hand, plants of the subgenus Hexangularis adapted to arid conditions by reducing overheating and transpiration as well as by the presence of papillae and a thickened outer wall of the epidermis cells.