bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
KOMPOSISI JENIS DAN FUNGSI PEKARANGAN (Studi kasus desa Giripurwo, Kecamatan Girimulyo, DI Yogyakarta)
Authors: Junaidah Junaidah , P.Suryanto P.Suryanto , Budiadi Budiadi
Published: March 2017

Homegarden is one form of agroforestry complex which has a diverse structure and species composition. This research is aimed to (1) Determine the composition on 3 (three) levels development of homegarden, (2) Determine the function of crops on 3 (three) levels development of homegarden.  The sample location was done purposively based on the availability of data and information obtained in the field.  The number of homegarden which will be observed is 12 piece who representing 3 (three) levels development of homegarden, namely early homegarden, intermediate homegarden and advanced homegarden. Observations and measurements of vegetation used census (100%) on the entire plot. The results showed each level  development of homegarden have different  structure and composition of species. More advanced the level development of  homegarden, the number of woody plants increased while the number of crops decreased. This condition causes changes in the environmental conditions at under the stand. The function of homegardenat Giripurwo village is as a source of food, timber, trade commodities, spices, medicine, social, craft materials and ornamental plants.Pekarangan salah satu bentuk agroforestri komplek dimana memiliki struktur dan komposisi jenis yang sangat beragam. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk (1) Mengetahui komposisi jenis pekarangan pada berbagai tingkat perkembangan, (2) Mengetahui  fungsi pekarangan pada berbagai tingkat perkembangan. Penentuan sampel lokasi penelitian dilakukan secara purposive berdasarkan ketersediaan data dan informasi yang diperoleh di lapangan. Pekarangan yang diamati berjumlah 12 buah yang mewakili 3 tingkat perkembangan pekarangan, yaitu: pekarangan awal, pekarangan menengah dan pekarangan lanjut. Pengamatan dan pengukuran vegetasi secara sensus (100 %) pada seluruh plot ukur. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan struktur dan komposisi pada tiap tingkat perkembangan pekarangan berbeda. Semakin lanjut tingkat perkembangan pekarangan, jumlah jenis tanaman berkayu meningkat sedangkan   jumlah  jenis tanaman semusim menurun. Kondisi ini menyebabkan perubahan kondisi lingkungan di bawah tegakan. Fungsi pekarangan bagi masyarakat Dusun Bulu, Desa Giripurwo adalah sebagai sumber pangan, penghasil kayu, komoditi perdagangan, rempah-rempah, obat-batan, sosial, bahan baku kerajinan dan tanaman hias.
KAJIAN BENTUK MITIGASI BENCANA LONGSOR DAN TINGKAT PENERIMAANNYA OLEH MASYARAKAT LOKAL
Authors: Setiawan Heru
Published: March 2017

Landslide in Tawangmangu Sub-district in 2007 resulted in dozens of houses were damaged and dozens loss of lives. Government with other stakeholders undertakes mitigation measures to landslides to prevent similar incidents in the future. To obtain maximum results, landslide mitigation efforts should be done by involving the local community. This study aims to determine the forms of landslide mitigation and the level of acceptance by the local community. The study was conducted using a survey method approach,with random sampling techniques. Total respondents 93 spread proportionally in five hamlets comprise Plalar,Guyon, Sodong, Salere and Ngledoksari. Data were collected by interview and questionnaire method.The results showed that government with other stakeholders conductedseveral landslide mitigation programs thatcan be grouped into two, namely structural mitigation and non-structural mitigation. In general, the level of local people acceptance to landslide mitigation programs categorized in the medium categorywith percentage 38%,followed by low category with 33% respondents and high category with 29% respondents.Factors affecting the level of public acceptance of landslide mitigation program are age, gender and experience to landslide.Longsor di Kecamatan Tawangmangu pada tahun 2007 mengakibatkan puluhan rumah rusak dan puluhan nyawa melayang. Pemerintah dengan stakeholder yang lain segera melakukan langkah-langkah mitigasi bencana longsor agar kejadian serupa tidak terjadi lagi di kemudian hari. Untuk mendapatkan hasil yang maksimal, usaha mitigasi bencana longsor harus dilakukan dengan melibatkan masyarakat setempat. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui bentuk-bentuk mitigasi longsor dan tingkat penerimaannya oleh masyarakat lokal. Penelitian dilakukan dengan menggunakan pendekatan metode survey, dengan teknik random sampling. Jumlah responden sebanyak 93 yang tersebar secara proporsional di lima dusun yang meliputi Plalar, Guyon, Sodong, Salere dan Ngledoksari. Pengambilan data dilakukan dengan teknik wawancara dan kuesioner. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan, pemerintah dengan stakeholder yang lain melalukan berbagai program mitigasi bencana longsor yang dapat dikelompokkan menjadi dua, yaitu mitigasi struktural dan mitigasi non-struktural. Secara umum, tingkat penerimaan masyarakat terhadap program mitigasi bencana longsor dikategorikan dalam kelas sedang dengan persentase 38%, diikuti oleh kategori rendah dengan 33% responden dan kategori tinggi dengan 29% responden. Faktor yang mempengaruhi tingkat penerimaan masyarakat terhadap program mitigasi longsor adalah umur, jenis kelamin dan pengalaman terhadap longsor.
SALVAMENTO ARQUEOLÓGICO NO SÍTIO BAIXIO DOS LOPES, BREJO SANTO-CE UM SÍTIO COM CERÂMICA TUPI-GUARANI DA SUBTRADIÇÃO POLICRÔMICA
Authors: Martin Gabriela , Medeiros Elisabeth , Pessis Anne-Marie
Published: March 2017

No artigo em pauta, referimo-nos ao achado de um sítio com cerâmicas tupis-guaranis da subtradição policrômica no município de Brejo Santo, no Ceará, durante o acompanhamento arqueológico nas obras do projeto de integração do Rio São Francisco com as bacias hidrográficas do Nordeste setentrional. Aproveitamos o achado de peças cerâmicas de cuidada elaboração para fazer uma reflexão sobre a presença da tradição ceramista policrômica tupiguarani na região do semiárido do Brasil.ABSTRACTIn the article in question, we refer to the discovery of a site with Tupi-guarani pottery of polychrome sub tradition in the municipality of Brejo Santo, Ceará, during the archaeological monitoring in the works of the Integration Project of the Sao Francisco river with the basins of the northern Northeast. We take the finding of ceramic pieces of careful preparation in the Sertão of Ceará, to reflect on the presence of polychrome Tupi-guarani ceramist tradition in the semi-arid region of Brazil.Key Words: Tupi-guarani pottery; Polochrome Sub tradition; Archeology in Ceará.
ESCAVAÇOES ARQUEOLÓGICAS NO ABRIGO FUNERÁRIO PEDRA DO CACHORRO, BUÍQUE – PE
Authors: Solari Ana , Alves-Pereira Anderson , Espinola Carolina Sá , Martin Gabriela , Costa Ilca Pacheco da , Silva Sérgio Francisco Serafim Monteiro da
Published: March 2017

No presente relatório apresentamos a descrição das atividades de pesquisa arqueológica e os resultados preliminares da primeira campanha realizada no sítio Pedra do Cachorro, Buíque, em Pernambuco. Foram escavadas duas deposições funerárias, a de um indivíduo adulto masculino, de tipo secundário, com sinais de manipulações intencionais, datado em 640 ± 30 AP e outro, de uma criança de 3 anos, de tipo primário, datado em 2.100 ± 30 AP. Essas ocorrências denotam o potencial do sítio como cemitério pré-histórico da região. ABSTRACTIn this report we present the description of the archaeological research activities and preliminary results of the first excavation campaign in site Pedra do Cachorro, Buíque, Pernambuco. They were excavated two funerary depositions, that of a male adult individual, of secondary type, with signs of intentional manipulation, dated at 640 ± 30 BP, and another, a child’s skeleton of three years-old, primary, dated at 2,100 ± 30 BP. These occurrences denote the potential of the site as prehistoric cemetery in the area.Key-Words: Archaeological excavations; Human burials; Pedra do Cachorro.
UN ASENTAMIENTO ANDALUSÍ DE PRODUCCIÓN DE ÁMBITO RURAL EN LA CORA BALANSIYA El Alfar Califal de la Partida de la Rosana en Sagunto (Valencia, España)
Authors: Vidal Irma Asón , Ruiz Juan Carlos Carrera
Published: March 2017

En el presente trabajo se presentan los resultados preliminares de las intervenciones arqueológicas de salvamento realizadas sobre el yacimiento andalusí denominado Alfar de la Partida de la Rosana descubierto en el año 2005. Se trata de un taller de producción cerámica musulmán localizado en el margen izquierdo del río Palancia, al norte de la localidad de Sagunto (Valencia, España) datado preliminarmente en torno a los siglos X y XI, en base a las producciones que amortizan las estructuras decombustión.Este yacimiento ofrece un gran potencial desde el punto de vista científico ya que hasta el momento pocos eran los datos arqueológicos que se tenían sobre la ocupación islámica de Sagunto. A esto se debe añadir que, también hasta el momento se desconocía cualquier tipo de ocupación en el pasado del territorio más allá del margen derecho del río Palancia. Este punto hace comprender la importancia de las intervenciones arqueológicas de salvamento dentro del modelo de gestión del Patrimonio arqueológico en España. RESUMONeste trabalho apresentam-se os resultados preliminares das intervenções arqueológicas de salvamento realizadas no sítio de época Al-Andalus denominado Alfar de la Partida de la Rosana, descoberto em 2005. Trata-se de uma oficina de produção cerâmica muçulmana localizada na beira esquerda do rio Palancia, ao norte da localidade de Sagunto (Valencia, Espanha) datada preliminarmente em torno aos séculos X e XI, em base ás produções que amortizam as estruturas de combustão. Este sítio oferece um grande potencial desde o ponto de vista científico, pois até omomento poucos eram os dados arqueológicos que existiam sobre a ocupação islâmica de Sagunto. Deve-se acrescentar, que até o momento desconhecia-se qualquer tipo de ocupação islâmica no passado deste território, além da beira direita do rio Palancia. Este ponto faz compreender a importância das intervenções arqueológicas de salvamento no modelo de gestão do patrimônio arqueológico na Espanha.PALAVRAS CHAVE: Al-Andalus; Islâmico; Sítio arqueológico; Sagunto.
The bibliosphere doctrine is a new contribution in library-information science
Authors: Shvetsova-Vodka G. N.
Published: March 2017

The article considers the concept of the bibliosphere functions entered by A. V. Sokolov, terminology denotations and description of separate functions of librarianship, book publishing, bookselling business and bibliographic information, as well as a document and a book. The unity of essence functions of documents, books, and all social institutes of bibliosphere is established. New names of specific social functions of librarianship, book publishing and bookselling institutions are offered from positions of documentology.
Forming the regional documents collection: terminology analysis
Authors: Lutova N. K.
Published: March 2017

The article deals with the problem of applying terms of the library local studies in practice. The essence is that lots of concepts, according to the author’s view, do not meet modern trends of social-economic development of the territory, it complicates the process of forming the regional documents collection in libraries.

It is supposed to complete the conceptual row of the topic with more precise definitions and to introduce them into the lexicon of librarians-practitioners, it’s the article objective.

Using the complex of research methods (an informative approach, comparative analysis of quotations, analyticsynthetic processing technique) the existing terminology was studied and views evolution of local library researchers was analyzed in relation to local history and regional documents. Arguments legality of applying the term "regional document" in the library practical activities is shown.

As a result of the preliminary study, the author came to the conclusion about the need to clarify investigated terms, which should facilitate implementation of local history and regional studies work by librarians. It was proposed own interpretation of definitions and the refined scheme of the regional documents collection in the regional central library.
Bibliometry in the nanotechnology field: a comparative analysis of achievements in Russia and other countries
Authors: Terekhov A. I.
Published: March 2017

The article presents a comparative analysis of scientific performance of Russia in the field of nanotechnology. An initial corpus of publications was extracted from the Science Citation Index Expanded database through relevant keywords. It analyzes publications number, their citation, international co-authorship and its influence on citation for Russia and some countries among the most active in the field. Some intermediate results of implementing the Russian nanotechnology program are discussed.
Gamification of the library space in foreign countries
Authors: Varganova G. V.
Published: March 2017

Gaming plays an important role in the development of society and human beings. Involvement in gaming helps people to understand the fundamentals of social and cultural interactions in the historical context. Gaming in public libraries is one of the most dynamic directions of their activity. The article provides insights into main approaches to gaming in public libraries and describes briefly the most effective technologies in the professional discourse context. Research is outlined as a prerequisite for practical librarians to make decisions in exploring innovations and raising the quality of gaming programs in libraries. The library-information science specialists’ contribution in developing the gamification problem theoretical concepts is assessed as important one to specialists of different sciences concerning this topic.
Modeling the Effect of Engineered Water Injection on Oil Recovery from Carbonate Cores
Authors: Adegbite Jamiu O. , Al-Shalabi Emad W. , Ghosh Bisweswar
Published: March 2017

In the field of enhanced oil recovery the engineered/low salinity water injection (EWI/LSWI) is the latest and promising development. Several mechanisms describing the EWI/LSWI process have been suggested in the literature; however, there is no consensus on a single main mechanism for its effect on oil recovery. Wettability alteration is believed to be the main reason behind the incremental oil recovery; however several other possible mechanisms are also suggested. This paper investigates the effect of engineered water injection (EWI) on oil recovery from carbonate cores. The recovery predictions are based on numerical simulations using laboratory coreflood data.

The results show that heterogeneity effect on oil recovery history matching is more pronounced compared to capillary pressure effect. Moreover, an EWI model is proposed based on multi-ion exchange reactions for capturing incremental oil recovery by EWI in carbonates. The model includes other geochemical reactions, homogeneous (aqueous) and heterogeneous (precipitation/dissolution reactions), as well as the resulting wettability alteration in carbonates. Coreflood experiments are simulated and history matched using the proposed EWI model. This model can be used for oil recovery predictions and optimization in carbonate fields. This work provides more insight into the benefits of EWI and hence, supports new field applications.
A New Approach to Combined Sulphide and Carbonate Scale Predictions Applied to Different Field Scenarios
Authors: Verri G. , Sorbie K. S. , Singleton M. A. , Silva D. , Hinrichsen C. , Wang Q. , Chang F. F.
Published: March 2017

Unlike other types of inorganic scales, carbonate and sulphide scales are directly correlated to the in-situ concentration of acid gases such as CO2 and H2S, which influence the local pH and availability of reactive species. The common approach to sulphide and carbonate scale prediction often does not account for three phase CO2 and H2S partitioning at different temperatures and pressures along the system. This leads to the use of inaccurate compositions and pH values for the mineral scaling calculations.

In this paper, we apply a rigorous workflow (step-by-step procedure) based on a compositional PVT model to calculate molecular CO2 and H2S distribution, three phase relative volume changes, compositional changes and scale precipitation trends from the reservoir to the wellhead separation stage using commonly available surface field data, a full PVT software and a scale prediction software of user's choice.

A simplified version of the workflow was previously applied to high CO2 and H2S gas/condensate wells with production of condensed water only (Verri et al., 2016).

This paper focuses on the field application of our general workflow to North Sea oil wells with high water cut and medium H2S levels (≈2200 ppmv in the separator gas phase). By following this rigorous procedure and applying the concept of Maximum Dissolved Iron (MDI) we were able to provide accurate sulphide and carbonate scale prediction profiles from reservoir to separator.

The combination of reservoir, production and chemical engineering models using specific iterative processes (within the workflow) has provided a new and reliable step-by-step procedure for the prediction of combined sulphide and carbonate scales in oil and gas wells which can be implemented by anyone using any PVT and scale prediction software. However, in our ongoing work, we are building a model which incorporates all of this workflow by coupling together PVT/VLE models with our aqueous scale prediction software.
Geopolymer - Synthetic Based Mud Hybrid Cements for Primary Cementing and Lost Circulation Control
Authors: Liu Xiangyu , Aughenbaugh Katherine , Lee Hanna , Nair Sriramya , Oort Eric van
Published: March 2017

Geopolymer, an aluminosilicate-based alkali-activated cementitious material, can be used as an alternative to Portland cement in oil and gas wells. While the current literature on geopolymers primarily focuses on the construction industry, this work was aimed at studying the potential use of novel geopolymers for well construction applications such as primary cementing and lost circulation control. It was recently discovered that hydroxide-activated geopolymers have the ability to solidify non-aqueous drilling fluids (NAFs, i.e. with synthetic or oil based muds) up to 60/40 geopolymer/mud ratio (by volume). The primary benefits of such a blend include better compatibility of the slurry with NAFs, reduced risk of poor cementation, inexpensive source material as well as an environmentally friendly on-site/in-situ disposal of NAFs. The rheological properties, short-term and long-term compressive strengths of the geopolymer/NAF blend can be tailored to any specific application. In this work, the effects of pressure, oil/water ratio variation and internal brine phase composition in the NAFs were systematically studied. Both liquid-form and solid-form sodium silicate activators were used to form silicate-activated geopolymers. The slurry design was targeted for specific applications. For lost circulation control, the geopolymer slurries were deliberately blended with non-aqueous drilling fluids to achieve rapid gelation and setting characteristics.
Combining a Liquid Jet Compressor with Nitrogen Lifting Through Coiled Tubing for Logging a Low Pressure Horizontal Well
Authors: John Kevin Mathew , Morkved Marie L. , Kim Vadim , Stewart D. , Short G. , Ellis R.
Published: March 2017

A coiled tubing (CT) campaign was executed on the Skjold field in the Danish sector of the North Sea in 2014. One of the objectives of this campaign was to perform production logging in horizontal oil producer wells, located in a highly fractured chalk reservoir. Most of these wells are unable to flow without artificial lift due to the high water cut and low reservoir pressure. Stable flow for logging was achieved by combining CT operations with a surface Liquid Jet Compressor (LJC). The campaign was successful in acquiring both production (PLT) and spectral noise logging (SNL) data.

The SNL tool complemented conventional PLT as it provided information on quality of zonal isolation, vital in planning of water shut off and/or re-stimulation activities.

Well A was completed with a gas lift valve straddle which had to be retrieved to gain access to the wellbore for production logging. Retrieving the straddle disabled access to lift gas, which meant the well was unable to produce. Liquid jet compressor technology in combination with nitrogen lifting through CT was implemented to allow steady fluid flow for logging.

The surface liquid jet compressor (LJC) lowered the production system backpressure seen by the well from 500 psig to 0. Together with the continuous nitrogen pumping through CT, stable well flow was achieved and the logging program was successfully executed. The results were used to identify fluid flow behind casing, water producing zones and to identify sub-optimally producing oil zones for re-stimulation. Using the LJC significantly reduced the total nitrogen volume required by 60%. This was crucial as limited crane capacity and deck space presented additional logistical and operational challenges. In order to overcome these, equipment had to be rigged up on a bridge connecting two platforms with the CT reel lifted in three spools and welded on location. This in turn required the fiber optic cable to be injected on-site offshore.

The novel combination of a surface LJC with nitrogen lifting via CT reduced the number of crane lifts, load outs, nitrogen transfers and overall cost. Furthermore, it improved operational efficiency and job safety.

Ultimately, this combined concept enabled successful acquisition of the required data.
Petrophysical Well Log Analysis through Intelligent Methods
Authors: Moghadasi Leili , Ranaee Ehsan , Inzoli Fabio , Guadagnini Alberto
Published: March 2017

This work is focused on exploring the applicability of intelligent methods in assessing porosity and permeability in the context of reservoir characterization. The main motivation underlying our study is that appropriate estimation of reservoir petrophysical parameters such as porosity and/or permeability is a key step for in-situ hydrocarbon reservoir evaluation. We ground our analysis on information on log-depth, caliper, conductivity, sonic logging, natural gamma, density and neutron porosity, water saturation, percentage of shale volume, and type of lithology collected from well loggings in an oil field in the middle-east (a total number of 11 exploratory wells are considered). Data also include porosities and permeabilities evaluated on core samples from the same wells. All these data are embedded in a neural network-based approach which enables us to establish input-output relationships in terms of an optimized number of input variables. Three diverse intelligent techniques are tested. These include: (i) classical artificial neural networks; (ii) artificial neural networks based on principal component analysis (PCA) transformation; and (iii) statistical neural networks based on a bagging approach. Our results suggest that the statistical neural network is most effective for the field setting considered. The application of this neural network with 9 input parameters provides reliable performances in 94% and 81% of the cases, respectively in the training and validation phases, for the estimation of porosity. A trained network with 10 input parameters leads to successfull reproduction of permeability values in 85% and 79.5% of the cases, respectively during training and validation of the network. Results from this study are expected to be transferable to applications involving evaluation of petrophysical properties of a target reservoir in the presence of incomplete well log datasets.
The banking and other economic factors of selected U.S. historical events: from the establishment of the Federal Reserve Banking System to the Great Recession
Authors: Gentle Paul
Published: March 2017

Knowledge in the economic and banking history of the United States, of the last one hundred years or thereabouts, is necessary in any discussions of even current economic and political policies. This article looks at major economic events in the last century, with some attention also given to surrounding political forces of these events. In 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt, with strong bipartisan support in Congress, was able to pass the Glass-Stegall Act, after taking office in the Great Depression. Politicians in the United States during the approximately twenty-five years prior to the bursting of the housing bubble in 2007 have both used legislation to remove regulations and also made sure that inadequate government personnel were available to audit financial institutions. An important part of confidence is a faith in government regulatory agencies that monitor financial institutions. Lax monetary and regulatory policies can create a real estate bubble. This happened in the most recent economic disaster, the Great Recession. Sometimes the Federal Reserve has pursued reasonable monetary policy and other times inappropriate decreases or increases in the money supply have created havoc in the national economy.
Keywords: banking, Federal Reserve Bank System, financial crisis, Great Depression, Great Recession, Taylor rule for central banks. JEL Classification: G21, E5, G01, N11, N12
Dodd-Frank and risk-taking: reputation impact in banks
Authors: Swanepoel Ezelda , Esterhuysen Ja’nel , van Vuuren Gary , Lotriet Ronnie
Published: March 2017

The banking industry plays a significant role in both the financial system and economy as a whole. By 2012, the US banking system owned US $14.45 trillion in assets. However, the importance of the banking system stretches beyond its mere size. Numerous studies have indicated that the health of this sector has significant effects on overall economic activity, as well as the size and persistence of economic cycles. For the purposes of this paper, the researchers measured the correlation between current legislation, risk-taking, market value, and reputation. This was performed by calcula-ting Z-scores to determine bank risk-taking. The Z-scores were correlated to market value to determine its impact. Reputable firm behavior was used to determine the correlation between market value and reputation. The statistical package for Social Sciences was used to perform ANOVA analysis of share value and Z-scores. A literature review was conducted to determine the reputational impact. It was determined that current legislation might have a desired result on risk-taking, that risk-taking might not have an impact on market value, and that reputation might have an impact on market value.
Keywords: reputation, banking industry, financial system, economic activity, Z-scores, legislation, risk-taking. JEL Classification: C21, G18, G21, G32, G38, K23
Young clients’ attitudes to service quality at retail banks in a developing country
Authors: Praise God Zungu Nkululeko , B. Mason Roger
Published: March 2017

The aim of this paper is to investigate service quality as perceived by younger customers of retail banks in a developing country. The objectives include identifying customers’ levels of satisfaction and loyalty to their banks and to identify the levels of service quality associated with such satisfaction and loyalty. The instrument used to collect data via a survey of retail bank customers was an adaptation of the SERVQUAL questionnaire. A total of 448 students were surveyed, using a mix of systematic and quota sampling, with data being collected on university campuses. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques. The main conclusions were that most young customers are reasonably satisfied with, and loyal to, their banks. There was little difference, on all the service quality constructs, between the different banks, and between expectations and perceptions of service quality. However, there was no evidence of any bank providing a service that delighted their customers or exceeded their expectations and so all banks are at risk from a competitor who adopts strategies to meet these goals. The study has contributed to knowledge by focusing on attitudes to service quality of young bank customers in a developing country, an aspect that has been under-researched.
Keywords: service quality, retail banking, expectations, perceptions, customer satisfaction, loyalty, SERVQUAL, South Africa. JEL Classification: G21, L84, M31
Virtual banking and online business
Authors: Sha Nadia , Mohammad Shariq
Published: March 2017

Banks play a crucial role in promoting online businesses. Even though e-shoppers have the option of cash-on-delivery, which seems to be secure and trustworthy, still there is an urge for the e-payment schemes, which can only be provided through banks. Banks act as strong and trustworthy intermediaries in the online transactions and they provide a bold opening in the online business. At present, banks have e-payment systems like Internet banking, electronic fund transfers (NEFT/RTGS), plastic money (credit card & debit card) and mobile banking. These systems provide payment to online transactions like online purchases of products, mobile recharges, hotel booking, ticket booking, etc. by considering all types of security measures. For the real working of these e-services, the need of apt infrastructures is an inevitable feature. This paper examines the efficient utilization of mobile banking by the bank customers who have all the infrastructures for availing the same. The results showed that the majority of the sample customers selected for the study owned a mobile but only few of them use a mobile as their mode of access to banks. They also revealed that the people were comparatively well aware of mobile banking, but its usage level was very low. The mostly used e-settlement with mobile banking was for mobile top-up by urban area customers and rural area customers and there was no significant difference between the urban area and rural area customers regarding the utilization of mobile banking.
Keywords: virtual banking, mobile banking, online business, inter-bank mobile payment system (IMPS). JEL Classification: L86, L81
Energy consumption reduction in a waste water treatment plant
Authors: Azimi S. , Rocher V.
Published: March 2017

Against the background of energy transition, the operators of large municipal WWTPs have come to understand the importance of issues related to energy use. Since about 2000, one such operator in the Paris conurbation, Syndicat Interdépartemental pour l'Assainissement de l'Agglomération Parisienne, has set up actions enabling energy consumption optimization, to reduce both its costs and the associated environmental impacts. Using energy (electricity, gas, fuel, and biogas) meters for sectorial recording, consumption has been mapped at various scales (macroscopic, plant, process). Electric power has emerged as the leading energy source in WWTPs and biological treatment processes (aeration) as the main consumers. On this basis, energy use optimization paths have been described, needing action at three levels. First, operating cost optimization should involve the full treatment chain, including all costs (reagents, etc.), to make the best operating choices. Two further levels, comprising process and equipment, should then be considered to determine suitable action sets.
Performance of constructed wetland integrated with sand filters for treating high turbid water for drinking
Authors: Mtavangu Stanslaus , Rugaika Anita M. , Hilonga Askwar , Njau Karoli N.
Published: March 2017

The feasibility of constructed wetland integrated with sand filters (CW-SFs) for treating high turbid water for drinking was investigated. Turbid water of >1,000 NTU from Nadosaito dam in Monduli District, Tanzania was used. Along with turbidity; faecal coliform (FC), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS) and nitrate removal were investigated. Furthermore, determination of optimal retention time for pollutants removal to acceptable levels was assessed at retention times of 0.5 to 5 days. Horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland (HSSFCW) was used as pretreatment stage prior to biosand or slow sand filters. Results showed that HSSFCW produced effluent turbidity of <10–50 NTU at retention time of 3 days. Moreover, integrated CW-BSF needed a total retention time of 5 days to produce effluent of turbidity (0 NTU), FC (0 CFU/100 ml), COD (6.25 mg/L), TSS (0.5 mg/L) and nitrate (4.2 mg/L) whereas, CW-SSF needed 7 days to produce effluent of turbidity (0.6 NTU), FC (0 CFU/100 ml), COD (6.5 mg/L), TSS (1 mg/L) and nitrate (1.79 mg/L), which met drinking water standards of Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) and World Health Organization (WHO). CW-BSF showed better performance than CW-SSF therefore, its application can enhance the availability of potable water in Tanzania rural communities.
Evaluating the efficacy of commercial kits for viral DNA/RNA extraction
Authors: Saeidi Nazanin , Gu Xiaoqiong , Goh Shin Giek , Xin Claire Lim Yi , Gin Karina Yew-Hoong
Published: March 2017

Extraction of viral DNA/RNA from environmental samples as part of the analytical procedure in quantifying waterborne viruses, is of great importance. In this study, two commercially available kits were compared to assess their performance, the MO BIO PowerViral Environmental DNA/RNA Isolation kit and the Qiagen QIAamp Viral RNA Mini kit. A performance assessment of extraction kits for detecting and quantifying six human enteric viruses as the commonest waterborne pathogens and one plant virus as an alternative fecal indicator has been carried out using quantitative PCR (qPCR). Water samples were collected from seven sites in Singapore during March and April 2015. In general, a strong association was observed between two different viral DNA/RNA extraction kits and detection frequency of targets (P = 0.017). The Qiagen kit showed higher extraction efficiency than the MoBio kit. However, in terms of quantification, a significant difference was only observed in the occurrences of NoV GI and PMMoV between two different kits (P < 0.05), although the kits showed similar efficiency removing qPCR inhibitors. The Qiagen kit was preferred for routine water quality monitoring.
Side stream treatment nitrogen removal: alternatives for New York City
Authors: Ramalingam K. , Fillos J. , Mehrdad M. , Halim D. , Deur A. , Orpianesi M.
Published: March 2017

New York City Environmental Protection (NYCEP) is in the process of upgrading its treatment plants for nitrogen removal and is treating centrate, the side stream emanating from the anaerobic digestion process separately (SCT). The City is currently using a multi prong approach to treat centrate. Currently it uses the conventional nitrification/denitrification process with caustic and carbon addition at some of the plants and has the world's largest SHARON® demonstration facility at one site. In addition, the City is exploring the use of the anammox process as a viable alternative to the above two processes. To this effect, a pilot MBBR partial nitritation/anammox (PNA) reactor was operated in conjunction with the City College of New York (CCNY) at the 26th Ward Waste Water Treatment Plant in Brooklyn, NY. PNA is a nitrogen removal process that has a low carbon footprint and fits a low energy framework exceedingly well with low aeration and no external carbon requirements. Conducting a cost comparison of the PNA process to the conventional SCT and the SHARON® process on a cost per pound of nitrogen removed basis, it is found that the operating costs for the PNA process is only 35% of the SCT and 65% of the SHARON®, thus delivering substantial savings to the City when adopted at full-scale for future decades.
Photo-degradation ibuprofen by UV/H2O2 process: response surface analysis and degradation mechanism
Authors: Peng Mingguo , Li Huajie , Kang Xu , Du Erdeng , Li Dongdong
Published: March 2017

The removal of ibuprofen (IBP) in aqueous solution using UV/H2O2 process was evaluated. The response surface methodology (RSM) and Box–Behnken design were employed to investigate the effects of process parameters on IBP removal, including the initial IBP concentration, H2O2 dosage, UV light intensity, and initial pH value of solution. The RSM model developed herein fits well with the experiments, and provides a good insight into the OH radical irritated degradation mechanisms and kinetics. High resolution accurate mass spectrometry coupled with liquid chromatography was used to identify the degradation intermediates. A total of 23 degradation products were identified, including mono-hydroxylated products and dihydroxylated products. A series of OH radical-initiated reactions, including hydroxylation, dihydroxylation, decarboxylation, demethylation, ring break, lead to the final mineralization of IBP to CO2 and H2O. UV/H2O2 technology could be a promising technology for IBP removal in aqueous solution.
Manejo de florestas secundárias da Mata Atlântica para produção de madeira: possível e desejável
Authors: Fantini Alfredo Celso , Siminski Alexandre
Published: March 2017

Os remanescentes da Mata Atlântica são constituídos majoritariamente por florestas secundárias com grande potencial para produção de serviços ecossistêmicos de provisão, de regulação, de suporte e culturais. Entretanto, ao contrário da tendência em outros países, a produção de serviços de provisão nesses ecossistemas não é estimulada, particularmente a produção de madeiras. Neste artigo, discutimos essa questão, argumentando que as florestas secundárias da Mata Atlântica apresentam alta produtividade de madeiras de boa qualidade, as quais podem gerar importante fonte de renda para remunerar a terra, estimular o apreço pela floresta e reverter processos de conversão para outros usos da terra. Fundamentamos nossa argumentação em resultados de projeto de pesquisa em manejo de floresta secundária para produção sustentável de madeira conduzido em Santa Catarina, que tem gerado dados inéditos da ecologia e produtividade dessas florestas.
Aptidão e uso agrícola na área Ingarikó – Terra Indígena Raposa Serra do Sol – Roraima
Authors: Falcão Márcia Teixeira , Oliveira Sandra Kariny Saldanha de , Ruivo Maria de Lourdes Pinheiro , Galdino Lúcio Keury Almeida
Published: March 2017

Este artigo objetiva demonstrar a aptidão agrícola da Terra Indígena Raposa Serra do Sol (TIRSS), na região da etnia Ingarikó, em Roraima, e o quadro atual do uso da terra. A área de estudo se localiza no munícipio do Uiramutã, na etnorregião denominada “serras”. A metodologia adotada envolveu análise de solo para determinar a granulometria, entrevistas com indígenas da etnia Ingarikó das comunidades Mapaé e Serra do Sol e elaboração de etnomapas referentes ao uso da terra pelos indígenas. Os resultados demonstram que os solos da região possuem baixa aptidão agrícola nas comunidades estudadas, com alto teor de acidez e com o predomínio de areia fina e silte. O uso atual da terra na região está relacionado ao plantio de roças tradicionais, caça, criação de gado e ovinos para subsistência das comunidades.
El mercado de las pulgas, tradición sostenible para replicar
Authors: Burbano Pedraza María Del Cielo
Published: March 2017

Después de aproximadamente dos años de labor de reciclaje en Girardot, en el contexto del Proyecto REMA de la Universidad Piloto de Colombia, Seccional del Alto Magdalena, José Filiberto Quiroga, reciclador de oficio, comenzó a materializar su idea de negocio, complementaria a la recolección y venta de materiales aprovechables: fundar el primer Mercado de las Pulgas del municipio comenzando por abrir su puesto de atención al público. Con el fin de lograr mayor apoyo para esta iniciativa, el proyecto REMA expone sus valores ambientales, socio-culturales y económicos: la riqueza que puede llevar a -y ayudar a conservar en- la región. Es visible su replicabilidad en otras ciudades y municipios de Colombia.
Reincorporación del concreto a los ciclos productivos
Authors: García Díaz Luis Edgardo , Díaz Ochoa Martha Liliana
Published: March 2017

Pese a la innumerable normatividad con la que se cuenta en Colombia, respecto al manejo, tratamiento y disposición final de los residuos sólidos, específicamente los residuos de construcción y demolición (RCD), muy pocos municipios realizan una adecuada implementación legal. En el municipio de Girardot, el manejo de estos residuos ocurre sin tener en cuentalas estipulaciones legales, lo que conlleva la formulación de propuestas de mejoramiento y optimización a este proceso.Este proyecto investigativo presenta una alternativa sostenible para el aprovechamiento de los RCD de obras civiles, provenientes de demolición, para impulsar la producción de nuevo concreto y así reducir el impacto ambiental negativo sobre los ecosistemas del municipio de Girardot, derivado de su inadecuada disposición.
Walton on Argument Structure
Authors: Goddu G.C.
Published: March 2017

In previous work I argued against (i) the likelihood of finding a theoretically sound foundation for the linked/convergent distinction and (ii) the utility of the distinction even if a sound theoretical basis could be found. Here I subject Douglas Walton’s comprehensive discussion of the linked/convergent distinction found in Argument Structure: A Pragmatic Theory to careful scrutiny and argue that at best Walton’s theory remains incomplete and that attempts to fill out the details will run afoul of at least one of the problems adduced above—i.e., result in either a theoretically unsound distinction or a theoretically sound, but unnecessary distinction.
The Contextuality of Fallacies
Authors: Van Eemeren Frans H. , Houtlosser Peter
Published: March 2017

Van Eemeren and Houtlosser observe that Walton’s (and Walton and Krabbe’s) notion of ‘dialogue type’ involves a mixture of an empirical notion on a par with a speech event or activity type and a normative notion such as the model of a critical discussion. Then they discuss Walton’s contextual analysis of fallacies as illegitimate dialectical shifts of dialogue types and offer an alternative in which both the empirical and the normative dimension are given their due.
Liberal autonomy in a troubled context
Authors: Dimitrijevic Nenad
Published: March 2017

Autonomy, understood as self-rule, is almost routinely accepted as one of the
core liberal concepts. Still, a closer view reveals that both the status and
meaning of autonomy are controversial. The text departs from a short summary
of the main theoretical disputes surrounding the concept. A critique of the
standard internalist account is followed by an attempt to offer reasons for
accepting a relational reading of autonomy. The central question of the text
is context-specific. It asks about the possibility and meaning of liberal
autonomy in a society whose past is marked by mass regime-sponsored (and
sometimes widely supported) crimes. The background assumption is that mass
crime leaves actors in heteronomous condition. At stake is reestablishing
individual autonomies of two types of actors, whose group-specific identities
have been created by crime: the ethical community of those who share
collective identity with victims, and the ethical community of those who
share collective identity with perpetrators.
Thinking identity with difference: Society and theory
Authors: Krstic Predrag
Published: March 2017

The first part of the article notes the sudden and conspicuous interest for
the problem of identity at the turn of the 21st century. It presents Modern
and postmodern conceptualizations of collective identity of social theorists.
In the second part, the text draws on the legacy of philosophical speculation
of the same period. The article aims to show that many of the dilemmas faced
by latter-day humanities in their efforts to articulate their thinking of
identity as well as difference still have a relevant ?pre-game? in the
structural and dialectical interrelatedness thematized by philosophers of
classical German idealism and the ?philosophers of difference.? The text
concludes that such ?metaphysical? reflection comprises an unavoidable
element, which can only be ignored by social theory at its own peril, even if
it is not bound by the reflection?s findings.
Sintering of fly ash based composites with zeolite and bentonite addition for application in construction materials
Authors: Terzic Anja , Djordjevic Natasa , Mitric Miodrag , Markovic Smilja , Djordjevic Katarina , Pavlovic Vladimir
Published: March 2017

Due to pozzolanic characteristics, fly ash is commonly used as a cement
replacement in construction composites. Addition of natural clays with
sorption ability (i.e. zeolite and bentonite) in to the fly ash based
construction materials is of both scientific and industrial interest. Namely,
due to the application of sorptive clay minerals, it is possible to
immobilize toxic heavy metals from the composite structure. The thermal
compatibility of fly ash and zeolite, as well as fly ash and bentonite,
within the composite was observed during sintering procedure. The starting
components were used in 1:1 ratio and they were applied without additional
mechanical treatment. The used compaction pressure for the tablets was 2
t?cm-2. The sintering process was conducted at 1000?C and 1200?C for two
hours in the air atmosphere. The mineralogical phase composition of the
non-treated and sintered samples was analyzed using X-ray diffraction method.
Scanning electron microscopy was applied in the analysis of the
microstructure of starting and sintered samples. The thermal behavior was
observed via DTA method. The influence of temperature on the properties of
fly ash-zeolite and fly ash-bentonite composites was investigated.
Numerical analysis of the NiTi solidification process influence of thermal conductivity
Authors: Ternik Primoz , Zadravec Matej , Rudolf Rebeka
Published: March 2017

The present study deals with the numerical analysis of the solidification
process of a NiTi binary alloy. The physical medium is taken as an
incompressible fluid where the heat is transferred by conduction and
convection, including the thermal phase change phenomenon. The energy
equation, which includes both convection-diffusion heat transfer and a mushy
region for the phase-change (solidification), is modelled by using an
enthalpy-based formulation. The numerical approach is based on the finite
volume method in body fitted coordinates with a PISO scheme to couple the
pressure and velocity fields. The results are presented for the temperature
field, as well as for the NiTi mass fraction during the solidification
process.
Two step sintering of ZnTiO3 nanopowder
Authors: Labus Nebojsa , Vasiljevic Zorka , Vasiljevic-Radovic Dana , Rakic Srdjan , Nikolic Maria
Published: March 2017

Metastable nanopowder ZnTiO3 was pressed into cylindrical compacts at 200
MPa. Compacts were treated by conventional heating with isothermal holding at
931?C for 10 minutes, 25 minutes and 40 minutes. ZnTiO3 compacts were also
heated with a two-step sintering schedule with maximal 913?C and isothermal
holding at 896?C, for approximately the same holding times as the isothermal
schedule. Shrinkage during heating was monitored with a dilatometric device,
while microstructure was determined with atomic force microscopy. XRD
patterns were collected for the most interesting samples. Microstructures of
sintered specimens showed differences introduced during the last sintering
stage by the two different heating schedules. Goal of the presented work was
to discuss the possible sintering mechanisms for the two step sintering
schedulle according to the presented results.