bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using a Geospatial Model to Relate Fluvial Geomorphology to Macroinvertebrate Habitat in a Prairie River—Part 1: Genus-Level Relationships with Geomorphic Typologies
Authors: Meissner Anna , Carr Meghan , Phillips Iain , Lindenschmidt Karl-Erich
Published: January 2016

Modern river ecosystems undergo constant stress from disturbances such as bank stabilization, channelization, dams, and municipal, agricultural, and industrial water use. As these anthropogenic water requirements persist, more efficient methods of characterizing river reaches are essential. Benthic macroinvertebrates are helpful when evaluating fluvial health, because they are often the first group to react to contaminants that can then be transferred through them to other trophic levels. Hence, the purpose of this research is to use a geospatial model to differentiate instream macroinvertebrate habitats, and determine if the model is a viable method for stream evaluation. Through the use of ArcGIS and digital elevation models, the fluvial geomorphology of the Qu’Appelle River in Saskatchewan (SK) was assessed. Four geomorphological characteristics of the river were isolated (sinuosity, slope, fractal dimension, and stream width) and clustered through Principle Component Analysis (PCA), yielding sets of river reaches with similar geomorphological characteristics, called typologies. These typologies were mapped to form a geospatial model of the river. Macroinvertebrate data were aligned to the locations of the typologies, revealing several relationships with the fluvial geomorphology. A Kruskal-Wallis analysis and post hoc pairwise multiple comparisons were completed with the macroinvertebrate data to pinpoint significant genera, as related to the geospatial model.
SPI Drought Class Predictions Driven by the North Atlantic Oscillation Index Using Log-Linear Modeling
Authors: Moreira Elsa , Pires Carlos , Pereira Luís
Published: February 2016

This study aims at predicting the Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) drought class transitions in Portugal, considering the influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) as one of the main large-scale atmospheric drivers of precipitation and drought fields across the Western European and Mediterranean areas. Log-linear modeling of the drought class transition probabilities on three temporal steps (dimensions) was used in an SPI time series of six- and 12-month time scales (SPI6 and SPI12) obtained from Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) precipitation datasets with 1.0 degree of spatial resolution for 10 grid points over Portugal and a length of 112 years (1902–2014). The aim was to model two monthly transitions of SPI drought classes under the influence of the NAO index in its negative and positive phase in order to obtain improvements in the predictions relative to the modeling not including the NAO index. The ratios (odds ratio) between transitional probabilities and their confidence intervals were computed in order to estimate the probability of one drought class transition over another. The prediction results produced by the model with the forcing of NAO were compared with the results produced by the same model without that forcing, using skill scores computed for the entire time series length. Overall results have shown good prediction performance, ranging from 73% to 76% in the percentage of corrects (PC) and 56%–62% in the Heidke skill score (HSS) regarding the SPI6 application and ranging from 82% to 85% in the PC and 72%–76% in the HSS for the SPI12 application. The model with the NAO forcing led to improvements in predictions of about 1%–6% (PC) and 1%–8% (HSS), when applied to SPI6, but regarding SPI12 only seven of the locations presented slight improvements of about 0.4%–1.8% (PC) and 0.7%–3% (HSS).
Food, Fracking, and Freshwater: The Potential for Markets and Cross-Sectoral Investments to Enable Water Conservation
Authors: Cook Margaret , Webber Michael
Published: February 2016

Hydraulic fracturing—the injection of pressurized fluid, often water, to increase recovery of oil or gas—has become increasingly popular in combination with horizontal drilling. Hydraulic fracturing improves production from a well, but requires a significant amount of water to do so and could put pressure on existing water resources, especially in water-stressed areas. To supply water needs, some water rights holders sell or lease their water resources to oil and gas producers in an informal water market. These transactions enable the opportunity for cross-sectoral investments, by which the energy sector either directly or indirectly provides the capital for water efficiency improvements in the agricultural sector as a mechanism to increase water availability for other purposes, including oil and gas production. In this analysis, we employ an original water and cost model to evaluate the water market in Texas and the potential for cross-sectoral collaboration on water efficiency improvements through a case study of the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas. We find that, if irrigation efficiency management practices were fully implemented, between 420 and 800 million m3 of water could be spared per year over a ten year period, potentially enabling freshwater use in oil and gas production for up to 26,000 wells, while maintaining agricultural productivity and possibly improving water flows to the ecosystem.
Water uptake of Alaskan tundra evergreens during the winter–spring transition
Authors: Moser Jonathan G. , Oberbauer Steven F. , Sternberg Leonel da S. L. , Ellsworth Patrick Z. , Starr Gregory , Mortazavi Behzad , Olivas Paulo C.
Published: January 2016

PREMISE OF THE STUDY:

The cold season in the Arctic extends over 8 to 9 mo, yet little is known about vascular plant physiology during this period. Evergreen species photosynthesize under the snow, implying that they are exchanging water with the atmosphere. However, liquid water available for plant uptake may be limited at this time. The study objective was to determine whether evergreen plants are actively taking up water while under snow and/or immediately following snowmelt during spring thaw.

METHODS:

In two in situ experiments, one at the plot level and another at the individual species level,2H‐labeled water was used as a tracer injected beneath the snow, after which plant stems and leaves were tested for the presence of the label. In separate experiments, excised shoots of evergreen species were exposed to2H‐labeled water for ∼5 s or 60 min and tested for foliar uptake of the label.

KEY RESULTS:

In both the plot‐level and the species‐level experiments, some2H‐labeled water was found in leaves and stems. Additionally, excised individual plant shoots exposed to labeled water for 60 min took up significantly more2H‐label than shoots exposed ∼5 s.

CONCLUSIONS:

Evergreen tundra plants take up water under snow cover, some via roots, but also likely by foliar uptake. The ability to take up water in the subnivean environment allows evergreen tundra plants to take advantage of mild spring conditions under the snow and replenish carbon lost by winter respiration.
Establishment and Optimization of Genomic Selection to Accelerate the Domestication and Improvement of Intermediate Wheatgrass
Authors: Zhang Xiaofei , Sallam Ahmad , Gao Liangliang , Kantarski Traci , Poland Jesse , DeHaan Lee R. , Wyse Donald L. , Anderson James A.
Published: January 2016

Intermediate wheatgrass (IWG) is a perennial species and has edible and nutritious grain and desirable agronomic traits, including large seed size, high grain yield, and biomass. It also has the potential to provide ecosystem services and an economic return to farmers. However, because of its allohexaploidy and self‐incompatibility, developing molecular markers for genetic analysis and molecular breeding has been challenging. In the present study, using genotyping‐by‐sequencing (GBS) technology, 3436 genome‐wide markers discovered in a biparental population with 178 genets, were mapped to 21 linkage groups (LG) corresponding to 21 chromosomes of IWG. Genomic prediction models were developed using 3883 markers discovered in a breeding population containing 1126 representative genets from 58 half‐sib families. High predictive ability was observed for seven agronomic traits using cross‐validation, ranging from 0.46 for biomass to 0.67 for seed weight. Optimization results indicated that 8 to 10 genets from each half‐sib family can form a good training population to predict the breeding value of their siblings, and 1600 genome‐wide markers are adequate to capture the genetic variation in the current breeding population for genomic selection. Thus, with the advances in sequencing‐based marker technologies, it was practical to perform molecular genetic analysis and molecular breeding on a new and challenging species like IWG, and genomic selection could increase the efficiency of recurrent selection and accelerate the domestication and improvement of IWG.
LANDSCAPE COMPOSITION DEVELOPMENT STAGES IN MULTI-STOREY RESIDENTIAL AREAS OF THE BALTIC SEA REGION / KRAŠTOVAIZDŽIO KOMPONAVIMO ETAPAI BALTIJOS JŪROS ŠALIŲ REGIONO DAUGIABUČIŲ RAJONŲ KIEMUOSE
Authors: Īle Una
Published: February 2016

Several stages of development tendencies exist in the multi-storey residential area courtyards of the Baltic Sea region. These stages can be divided into three groups of courtyards. The first group comprises those multi-storey residential area courtyards that have not experienced any improvement and rearrangement of the spatial environment over the last 10 years. These are mostly realized in the period of the Soviet Union. The second group is characterized by the fact that courtyards in the modern multi-storey residential areas are successfully planned and correspond to inhabitants’ recreation possibilities, but are not attached to the general urban planning system. This group comprises courtyards that were built over the last five years. The third group considers those modern courtyards that correspond to functional solutions of landscape composition planning and provide a pleasant environment. Consequently, the present state of courtyards in the Baltic Sea region urban multi-storey residential areas is diverse and flexible.
REALITY AND PERSPECTIVES OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN URBAN PLANNING AND DESIGN PROCESSES / VISUOMENĖS DALYVAVIMO URBANISTINIO PLANAVIMO IR PROJEKTAVIMO PROCESUOSE REALIJOS IR PERSPEKTYVOS
Authors: Cirtautas Matas
Published: February 2016

Lithuania is not the only country where public contribution to urban planning and urban design processes is highly procedural and formalistic. Unidirectional and inflexible cooperation between participants of urban planning activities is common in various countries. Cross-purposes and conflict situations once boosted emergence of innovative and effective methods for decision making in urban planning processes in developed countries. Now it’s time to learn from these examples and creatively adopt them for purposes of long-term optimization of our national urban planning system.
Paper describes some marginal activities in urban planning and design processes and disputes a growing impact of public participation in development of cities and urban regions.
TRADITION OF WOODEN ARCHITECTURE –PARALLELS BETWEEN LITHUANIAN AND FINNISH EXEPTION / MEDINĖS ARCHITEKTŪROS TRADICIJA – LIETUVOS IR SUOMIJOS PATIRTIES PARALELĖS
Authors: Gabrėnas Arnoldas
Published: February 2016

Lithuanian architects are interested in Finnish architecture from the beginning of the 20th. century. Wooden architecture as the narrower field of creation is analyzed in this article. There are discussed some peculiarities of historical wooden architecture as base of the tradition in Lithuania and Finland. Specific examples illustrate aesthetical, constructional, functional congruencies and development similarities in historical wooden architecture of the both countries. Author is looking for the succession of the tradition in the various examples of contemporary architecture. In the last decade of the twentieth century it is possible to find more objects of wooden architecture and it is the sign of the tradition regeneration in Lithuania and Finland. These objects have various aesthetical and structural forms, in which architecture, wood is the main or integral constructional material and serves for the main artistic expression. There are often used wooden structures in the new buildings and architects are searching for the new interpretations in tradition of wooden architecture in Finland. Wood in the architecture of dominant buildings is like a forcible information about universality, aesthetics and semantics of the material. Also there are many smaller size wooden buildings like houses or public buildings which are considered to be positive in Lithuania and Finland. There are often used wooden structures in the new buildings, architects are searching for the new interpretations of traditional wooden architecture in Finland. A big attention is paid to a teaching process about this material in universities of Finland. Author notices some separate manifestations of wooden architecture in Finland which can be as a guide for creation of wooden architecture in Lithuania.
NATIONAL REPRESENTATION IN THE CONSTITUENT SEIMAS (PARLIAMENT) INTERIOR BY VLADIMIR DUBENECKY (1924) / TAUTINĖ REPREZENTACIJA VLADIMIRO DUBENECKIO STEIGIAMOJO SEIMO INTERJERE (1924 M.)
Authors: Preišegalavičienė Lina
Published: February 2016

Russian-born painter and architect Vladimir Dubenecky (1888–1932) is well known in Lithuania because of valuable architectural legacy created during his living and working in Kaunas in 1919–1932. The aim of the discussion is to open less known side of V. Dubenecky creative work – public interior design. Until now it is little examined theme, so this article will extend the approach to well-known artist’s architectural works, thereby creating additional material for the history of Lithuanian interiors. Only one part of representativeness aspect is discussed in this article, that is the national representation. The representative interior project of the Constituent Seimas, Parliament, (1924) is chosen for the study because of that. The Parliament’s interior project was focused on the conference room equipment and furniture design. Meanwhile the discussion of the design project is studied how the past architectural styles and folk art had been creatively remade in order to create the new style, which was named as National Style during the interwar period. The creative origin of the National style is discussed as well and it is supposed that the National Style started as a continuation of Art Nouveau and a little later it became the part of Art Deco. The National Style worked in order to fulfill one of the main tasks of the interior desig – national representativeness. Inspite of the National Style was widely promoted during the interwar period, other different kinds of representation existed as well: political representation, representation of modernity, representation of power. Several other inter-war Lithuanian representative interiors are mentioned in the article as examples for comparison the different types of representation. They are the Cabinet of Minister’s and the Museum of Vytautas the Great.
VARIABILITY OF KEPLER SOLAR-LIKE STARS HARBORING SMALL EXOPLANETS
Authors: Howell Steve B. , Ciardi David R. , Giampapa Mark S. , Everett Mark E. , Silva David R. , Szkody Paula
Published: February 2016

We examine Kepler light-curve variability on habitable zone transit timescales for a large uniform sample of spectroscopically studied Kepler exoplanet host stars. The stars, taken from Everett et al., are solar-like in their properties and each harbors at least one exoplanet (or candidate) of radius ≤2.5

. The variability timescale examined is typical for habitable zone planets orbiting solar-like stars and we note that the discovery of the smallest exoplanets (≤1.2

) with corresponding transit depths of less than ∼0.18 mmag occur for the brightest and photometrically quietest stars. Thus, these detections are quite rare in Kepler observations. Some brighter and more evolved stars (subgiants), the latter of which often show large radial velocity jitter, are found to be among the photometrically quietest solar-like stars in our sample and the most likely small planet transit hunting grounds. The Sun is discussed as a solar-like star proxy to provide insight into the nature and cause of photometric variability. It is shown that Kepler’s broad, visible light observations are insensitive to variability caused by chromospheric activity that may be present in the observed stars.
CONNECTING CO INTENSITY MAPPING TO MOLECULAR GAS AND STAR FORMATION IN THE EPOCH OF GALAXY ASSEMBLY
Authors: Li Tony Y. , Wechsler Risa H. , Devaraj Kiruthika , Church Sarah E.
Published: January 2016

Intensity mapping, which images a single spectral line from unresolved galaxies across cosmological volumes, is a promising technique for probing the early universe. Here we present predictions for the intensity map and power spectrum of the CO(1–0) line from galaxies at

–2.8, based on a parameterized model for the galaxy–halo connection, and demonstrate the extent to which properties of high-redshift galaxies can be directly inferred from such observations. We find that our fiducial prediction should be detectable by a realistic experiment. Motivated by significant modeling uncertainties, we demonstrate the effect on the power spectrum of varying each parameter in our model. Using simulated observations, we infer constraints on our model parameter space with an MCMC procedure, and show corresponding constraints on the

–

relation and the CO luminosity function. These constraints would be complementary to current high-redshift galaxy observations, which can detect the brightest galaxies but not complete samples from the faint end of the luminosity function. By probing these populations in aggregate, CO intensity mapping could be a valuable tool for probing molecular gas and its relation to star formation in high-redshift galaxies.
MC2: MAPPING THE DARK MATTER DISTRIBUTION OF THE “TOOTHBRUSH” CLUSTER RX J0603.3+4214 WITH HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE AND SUBARU WEAK LENSING*
Authors: Jee M. James , Dawson William A. , Stroe Andra , Wittman David , van Weeren Reinout J. , Brüggen Marcus , Bradač Maruša , Röttgering Huub
Published: February 2016

The galaxy cluster RX J0603.3+4214 at z = 0.225 is one of the rarest clusters boasting an extremely large (∼2 Mpc) radio relic. Because of the remarkable morphology of the relic, the cluster is nicknamed the “Toothbrush Cluster.” Although the cluster's underlying mass distribution is one of the critical pieces of information needed to reconstruct the merger scenario responsible for the puzzling radio relic morphology, its proximity to the Galactic plane b ∼ 10° has imposed significant observational challenges. We present a high-resolution weak-lensing study of the cluster with Subaru/Suprime Cam and Hubble Space Telescope imaging data. Our mass reconstruction reveals that the cluster is composed of complicated dark matter substructures closely tracing the galaxy distribution, in contrast, however, with the relatively simple binary X-ray morphology. Nevertheless, we find that the cluster mass is still dominated by the two most massive clumps aligned north–south with a ∼3:1 mass ratio (

and

for the northern and southern clumps, respectively). The southern mass peak is ∼2′ offset toward the south with respect to the corresponding X-ray peak, which has a “bullet”-like morphology pointing south. Comparison of the current weak-lensing result with the X-ray, galaxy, and radio relic suggests that perhaps the dominant mechanism responsible for the observed relic may be a high-speed collision of the two most massive subclusters, although the peculiarity of the morphology necessitates involvement of additional subclusters. Careful numerical simulations should follow in order to obtain more complete understanding of the merger scenario utilizing all existing observations.
SURFACE ALBEDO AND SPECTRAL VARIABILITY OF CERES
Authors: Li (李荐扬) Jian-Yang , Reddy Vishnu , Nathues Andreas , Corre Lucille Le , Izawa Matthew R. M. , Cloutis Edward A. , Sykes Mark V. , Carsenty Uri , Castillo-Rogez Julie C. , Hoffmann Martin , Jaumann Ralf , Krohn Katrin , Mottola Stefano , Prettyman Thomas H. , Schaefer Michael , Schenk Paul , Schröder Stefan E. , Williams David A. , Smith David E. , Zuber Maria T. , Konopliv Alexander S. , Park Ryan S. , Raymond Carol A. , Russell Christopher T.
Published: January 2016

Previous observations suggested that Ceres has active, but possibly sporadic, water outgassing as well as possibly varying spectral characteristics over a timescale of months. We used all available data of Ceres collected in the past three decades from the ground and the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as the newly acquired images by the Dawn  Framing Camera, to search for spectral and albedo variability on Ceres, on both a global scale and in local regions, particularly the bright spots inside the Occator crater, over timescales of a few months to decades. Our analysis has placed an upper limit on the possible temporal albedo variation on Ceres. Sporadic water vapor venting, or any possibly ongoing activity on Ceres, is not significant enough to change the albedo or the area of the bright features in the Occator crater by >15%, or the global albedo by >3% over the various timescales that we searched. Recently reported spectral slope variations can be explained by changing Sun–Ceres–Earth geometry. The active area on Ceres is less than 1 km2, too small to cause global albedo and spectral variations detectable in our data. Impact ejecta due to impacting projectiles of tens of meters in size like those known to cause observable changes to the surface albedo on Asteroid Scheila cannot cause detectable albedo change on Ceres due to its relatively large size and strong gravity. The water vapor activity on Ceres is independent of Ceres’ heliocentric distance, ruling out the possibility of the comet-like sublimation process as a possible mechanism driving the activity.
Assessment of the New 2012 EULAR/ACR Clinical Classification Criteria for Polymyalgia Rheumatica: A Prospective Multicenter Study
Authors: Ozen Gulsen , Inanc Nevsun , Unal Ali Ugur , Bas Seda , Kimyon Gezmis , Kisacik Bunyamin , Onat Ahmet Mesut , Murat Sadiye , Keskin Havva , Can Meryem , Mengi Alperen , Cakir Necati , Balkarli Ayse , Cobankara Veli , Yilmaz Neslihan , Yazici Ayten , Dogru Atalay , Sahin Mehmet , Sahin Ali , Gok Kevser , Senel Soner , Pamuk Omer Nuri , Yilmaz Sema , Bayindir Ozun , Aksu Kenan , Cagatay Yonca , Akyol Lutfi , Sayarlioglu Mehmet , Yildirim-Cetin Gozde , Yasar-Bilge Sule , Yagci Ilker , Aydin Sibel Zehra , Alibaz-Oner Fatma , Atagunduz Pamir , Direskeneli Haner
Published: February 2016

Objective.

To assess the performance of the new 2012 provisional European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR)/American College of Rheumatology (ACR) polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) clinical classification criteria in discriminating PMR from other mimicking conditions compared with the previous 5 diagnostic criteria in a multicenter prospective study.

Methods.

Patients older than 50 years, presenting with new-onset bilateral shoulder pain with elevated acute-phase reactants (APR), were assessed for the fulfillment of the new and old classification/diagnostic criteria sets for PMR. At the end of the 1-year followup, 133 patients were diagnosed with PMR (expert opinion) and 142 with non-PMR conditions [69 rheumatoid arthritis (RA)]. Discriminating capacity, sensitivity, and specificity of the criteria sets were estimated.

Results.

Discriminating capacity of the new clinical criteria for PMR from non-PMR conditions and RA as estimated by area under the curve (AUC) were good with AUC of 0.736 and 0.781, respectively. The new criteria had a sensitivity of 89.5% and a specificity of 57.7% when tested against all non-PMR cases. When tested against all RA, seropositive RA, seronegative RA, and non-RA control patients, specificity changed to 66.7%, 100%, 20.7%, and 49.3%, respectively. Except for the Bird criteria, the 4 previous criteria had lower sensitivity and higher specificity (ranging from 83%–93%) compared with the new clinical criteria in discriminating PMR from all other controls.

Conclusion.

The new 2012 EULAR/ACR clinical classification criteria for PMR is highly sensitive; however, its ability to discriminate PMR from other inflammatory/noninflammatory shoulder conditions, especially from seronegative RA, is not adequate. Imaging and other modifications such as cutoff values for APR might increase the specificity of the criteria.
An Update on Teen Pregnancy
Authors: Ahern Nancy R. , Bramlett Traci
Published: February 2016

After years of high teen birth rates, there is currently a decline in U.S. pregnancy and birth rates among teens. Nevertheless, these rates continue to be higher than those of most global counterparts, and psychosocial and physical adversities still occur for pregnant teens and their children. The declining birth rates may be due to teens making better choices about contraceptive use and sexual behaviors. Psychiatric–mental health nurses are in key positions to enhance pregnancy prevention for teens. [
Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services
,
54
(2), 25–28.]
Prostate Brachytherapy seed migration to the Bladder presenting with Gross Hematuria
Authors: Haroun Reham R. , Nance Jr John W. , Fishman Elliot k.
Published: February 2016

We present the radiologic findings in a case of prostate brachytherapy seed migration to the bladder presenting as gross hematuria. While prostate brachytherapy seed implantation is considered a relatively safe procedure, migration is not uncommon; however, it is usually clinically silent and the seeds most commonly migrate to the lungs through the venous circulation via the periprostatic venous plexus. Our case illustrates that local erosion is possible, can be symptomatic, and therefore must be considered when evaluating select patients.
La custodia de los califas durante el Califato omeya y el principio del Califato ‘abbāsí
Authors: Perlman Yaara
Published: January 2016

Durante los principios del Islam el ḥaras fue una unidad del gobierno, responsable de la seguridad personal de los califas. Desde el reinado del primer califa omeya Mu‘āwiya b. Abī Sufyān, el ḥaras que estaba bajo las ordenes de su jefe, custodió a todos los califas. El propósito de este artículo es describir el papel del ḥaras durante el periodo del Califato Omeya y el principio del Califato Abbasí y describir las características de los jefes del ḥaras bajo los diferentes califas. Al igual que con otras instituciones durante el comienzo del Islam, la información relacionada con el ḥaras se basa en la vida y obra de los hombres que los encabezaban y no tanto en los datos específicos de la institución. Esto hace necesario el uso del método prosopográfico para conseguir una descripción adecuada de la institución. La mayoría de los dirigentes del ḥaras fueron mawālī y muchas veces eran responsables de las funciones administrativas, además de comandar el ḥaras. Sus dirigentes no solo eran responsables de la protección de los califas, sino tambien de ejecutar sus órdenes. Este artículo explica también la creación del ḥaras, las cualidades de sus líderes y las armas que utilizaban. Este grupo tan importante ha recibido poca atención por parte de la investigación actual.
Contacto, Confrontación, Acomodo: Jesuitas e Islam, 1540-1770
Authors: Shore Paul
Published: January 2016

El encuentro entre jesuitas y musulmanes en los siglos XVII y XVIII tuvo como punto de conexión el compromiso compartido con la palabra hablada y escrita. Pero, los esfuerzos de los jesuitas por convertir y entender a este grupo de la “gente del Libro” se vieron obstaculizados por su falta de conocimiento teológico profundo de los textos sagrados musulmanes. Igualmente, fue un obstáculo el hecho de que la fe musulmana no estaba a suficiente distancia del centro del catolicismo europeo como para recibir una “visión lejana” que se aplicaba a las tradiciones religiosas de la India y el Extremo Oriente. Los compromisos de los jesuitas, así como el énfasis que la Compañía ponía en Europa a las estrategias polémicas, que ya se había probado como poco efectivo en zonas de cultura islámica, limitaron mucho los éxitos de los jesuitas para convertir musulmanes. Sin embargo, los modestos avances conseguidos en los imperios Otomano y Mugal –y en otros lugares-, produjeron algunas narrativas de logros, heroísmo y sacrificio que añadieron elementos a la autorepresentación jesuita y a las narrativas de los progresos de la Compañía. Los contactos jesuitas con el Islam continuaron durante y después de la supresión y siguen siendo una parte del programa de la Compañía en la actualidad.
Pobreza y perseverancia: La misión jesuita de Isfahán y Shamakhi en el Irán Safaví tardío
Authors: Matthee Rudi
Published: January 2016

Este trabajo estudia la presencia y las actividades jesuitas en Irán a comienzos de la época moderna, tema que hasta ahora ha recibido poca atención por parte de la investigación anglosajona. Se examinan algunos de los motivos que tuvieron los jesuitas por establecer una misión permanente en territorio Safaví a mediados del siglo XVII: el deseo de integrar a los Armenios Gregorianos de Irán bajo el dominio papal y buscar una ruta terrestre hacia India y China libre de influencia portuguesa. Estos motivos son discutidos en este trabajo teniendo en cuenta, sobre todo, los intereses y preocupaciones iraníes. Este estudio está dedicado, sobre todo, a estudiar el papel que jugaron los jesuitas franceses y polacos en el establecimiento de una misión en Isfahán, así como la posterior creación de un puesto en Shamakhi, situado en la parte Safaví del Cáucaso, en la ruta comercial entre Irán y Rusia. Este trabajo concluye con una evaluación de los exiguos logros obtenidos en esas misiones, a pesar de la perseverancia de sus actores, teniendo en cuenta la pobreza y soledad que encontraron.
Métodos de documentación, análisis y conservación de trazados arquitectónicos a tamaño natural
Authors: Calvo López José , Taín Guzmán Miguel , Alonso Rodríguez Miguel Ángel , Camiruaga Osés Idoia
Published: January 2016

Los trazados a tamaño natural o monteas han desempeñado un papel importante a lo largo de la historia de la arquitectura, pues no plantean los problemas de cambios de escala asociados a los dibujos en papel y por tanto permiten controlar la ejecución de forma muy precisa. Como consecuencia, aportan datos de gran interés para el conocimiento de la historia constructiva de los edificios donde se han conservado, a condición de contar con una documentación rigurosa y confrontarla con levantamientos igualmente precisos de los edificios o elementos constructivos que representan. El artículo recoge los métodos empleados por los autores para documentar estos trazados y compararlos con obras construidas, en una serie de experiencias ejemplos españoles de la Edad Moderna, y finaliza con algunas consideraciones acerca de los retos que plantea la conservación de estas fuentes materiales esenciales para la historia de la arquitectura y de la construcción.
Aplicaciones de sintaxis espacial en Arqueología: una revisión de algunas tendencias actuales
Authors: Bermejo Tirado Jesús
Published: January 2016

Este trabajo realiza un recorrido por algunas de las principales tendencias teóricas y metodológicas sobre la aplicación de técnicas de análisis sintáctico-espacial para el estudio de edificios y asentamientos arqueológicos. Hemos divido nuestra exposición en una serie de claves temáticas que sirven para agrupar los trabajos y autores comentados. Nuestro análisis nos permite obtener, por primera vez, una síntesis comprensiva sobre la orientación actual de este tipo de aplicaciones en el ámbito de la Arqueología actual. Para concluir nuestro trabajo planteamos una serie de propuestas de futuro que creemos que contribuirán a asentar este tipo de aplicaciones arqueológicas como un elemento destacado en los debates en torno a la ciudad como uno de los problemas fundamentales del ser humano en el siglo XXI.
Sintaxis espacial en el oppidum ibérico. Reflexiones sobre los modelos espaciales y sociales
Authors: Grau Mira Ignasi
Published: January 2016

En el presente trabajo realizamos un aproximación mediante el análisis basado en la sintaxis espacial aplicado al espacio doméstico de las sociedades de la edad del Hierro de la franja central de la Iberia Mediterránea, entre los siglos VI y III a. C. En una primera sección se introduce la importancia de la configuración de las casas para comprender la sociedad ibérica. A continuación seleccionamos algunos ejemplos de la mitad meridional del País Valenciano para realizar nuestro análisis. Se identifican de dos modelos espaciales claramente definidos. Por último se relacionan estos esquemas constructivos con los procesos de agregación de unidades familiares para constituir las comunidades ibéricas.
Due antichi quartieri romani sotto la lente di ingrandimento: un’analisi space syntax dei quartieri delle città antiche e della loro vita sociale
Authors: Stöger Hanna , Brandimarte Eraldo
Published: January 2016

El estudio de los vecindarios y el uso social del espacio habitado son temas de interés creciente. Mediante la combinación de métodos arqueológicos y space syntax, este artículo ofrece nuevas formas de analizar el entorno físico de la vida cotidiana en las ciudades romanas. El examen detallado de dos bloques urbanos en Ostia (la ciudad portuaria de Roma en época imperial) nos ha permitido identificar espacios que fomentan la cohesión social y la vida en comunidad. El uso común de patios y pasillos en el Bloque IV ii sugiere un uso comunal continuado desde el siglo II hasta el siglo V d. C. En claro contraste con este sector, el Bloque IV iv no tiene espacios comunes y muestra edificios aislados con accesos individuales al espacio público. El Bloque IV ii disfruta de espacios compartidos dentro de su propio perímetro, mientras que el Bloque IV iv parece estar orientado por el interés de comunidades externas con actividades desarrolladas hacia la calle creando cierto aislamiento del bloque. Estos resultados muestran la flexibilidad de las estructuras urbanas romanas y nos permiten atisbar la actividad de comunidades que permitieron el desarrollo sostenible de la ciudad en procesos de larga duración.
Aplicación del método de la madurez para la estimación del plazo de descimbrado de forjados construidos con sistemas industrializados
Authors: Castro-Garrido M. C. , López-Garzón M. C. , Alvarado Y. A. , Castaño J. O. , Gasch I.
Published: February 2016

El presente artículo propone una metodología para la estimación del plazo de descimbrado de forjados construidos con sistemas industrializados. Para esto, se realiza un estudio de madurez de hormigones usados en este tipo de construcción. Con el fin de construir la curva de madurez en laboratorio se implementa la metodología descrita en la ASTM C1074, calculando la energía de activación por los tres métodos propuestos y midiendo el historial térmico de las mezclas a una temperatura controlada. Por último, se realiza la instrumentación en obra de una placa donde se estima la edad de descimbrado.

Se ha observado que el tiempo de fraguado final no es un parámetro recomendable para descimbrar las placas, como lo recomiendan las productoras de hormigón en Colombia. La edad de descimbrado obtenida es mayor a la del tiempo de fraguado final, habiendo una diferencia de hasta 11 horas en el caso más crítico.
MULTIMODALITY COMPARATIVE STUDY: QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF MRI CONTRAST AGENT DOSE REDUCTION
Authors: Badway S. M. , Fkirin M. A. , Barakat E. H.
Published: February 2016

Contrast agents are used in 30–40% of diagnostic MRI scans. These agents are expensive and cause adverse effects in some patients. One way to reduce the amount of contrast agent needed would be to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). We hypothesized that pre-magnetizing samples of the paramagnetic contrast agent gadodiamide before scanning would increase the SNR. Samples of gadodiamide in saline were magnetized with a permanent magnet before being placed in a phantom and scanned in either a closed 1.5 T MRI or an open 0.35 T MRI. Samples were scanned 0–5 hours after magnetization. Samples of gadodiamide that had not been magnetized were also scanned. In the 1.5 T instrument, we found an increase in SNR in pre-magnetized samples that was highest three hours after magnetization, up to a 1.8-fold increase at low concentrations of gadodiamide. The improvement in SNR was more modest in the low-field MRI scanner, peaking two hours after magnetization. This relatively simple method has the potential to reduce the amount of contrast agents needed for diagnostic MRI scans.
Heritage, Identity, and Learning at Stake
Authors: Goulette Elizabeth
Published: February 2016

A surge of diverse heritage language learners in American schools has contradicted the longstanding ideology that this population is monolithic. Previous theories about separating foreign language learners (FLLs) and heritage language learners (HLLs) are problematic because they fail to address the diversity of the HLLs that end up in schools today. This research report lends support for the claim that less proficient HLLs are more suitable for a heterogeneous beginning language class than those that are highly proficient. Placing a highly proficient HLL in a beginning level language course can actually be detrimental to both emergent learners' development and the educational outcomes of the entire classroom community. Moreover, the monumental task of teaching a heterogeneous class like the one analyzed here complicates and is complicated by an already-problematic school context. This study exhibits how the classroom talk privileged certain classmates while marginalizing others, halting educational progress.
The Critical Soft Factors Affecting the Successful Implementation of Enterprise Resources Planning in the Egyptian Industrial Sector
Authors: Salaheldin Salaheldin Ismail , Abbas Hisham Fawzy
Published: February 2016

The purpose of this paper is to identify the critical soft factors affecting the successful implementation of enterprise resources planning (ERP) in Egyptian manufacturing companies. The data analysed in this paper were collected from a questionnaire mailed to 100 manufacturing companies that implement ERP system in Egypt. The manufacturing companies are coming from three different industries: Automotive, Leather and Chemical industries. The questionnaire was directed to production, human resources, and maintenance managers. The findings of this study indicate that Training and User support has a weak impact on the successful implementation of ERP in Egyptian manufacturing companies because training programmes are not efficient for ERP systems. Additionally team support has a negative impact on the successful implementation of ERP teams decrease performance of people and they have weak relationships. Finally, avenues for future research are recommended, such as the applicability of the proposed scale which will require further on different countries and types of industry.
A Literature Review on Customer Relationship Management in Banks
Authors: Baser Narayan C. , Thakar Dhavalkumar Gunvantlal
Published: February 2016

In this day and age, customers are regarded as an article of trade. With the growth of Service Marketing, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) advanced and became popular in India. CRM became crucial to cope up with exceeding competitive market. (CRM) in a bank bring about important phases such as incorporating the communication tools to meet the needs of customers, referring each customer as individuals, and making the customer relationship an impressive and long-lasting experience. The purpose of this study is to determine the usefulness of CRM implementation on customer contentment and perceived business performance. It takes stock of findings and conclusion of different researchers so that it can provide fruitful insight into the CRM implementation. Also the paper put forward the view of various researchers together so that a conclusive picture can be drawn regarding CRM and its benefits.
Consumer Behaviour towards Organic Ready-to-Eat Meals
Authors: Vlachos Stavros , Georgantzis Nikolaos
Published: February 2016

This paper reviews literature on alternative convenience food choices and analyses the findings from consumer behaviour and manufacturing/retailing perspective. As consumers' demand for easy prepared and healthier food products has gradually increased, so has the related research activity. This address provides a synopsis of 60 relevant peer-review publications based on an online research carried out using related to organic ready-to-eat meals search terms. An overview of topic's most important outcomes is presented, compared and evaluated. Results reveal positive attitudes, increased interest and willingness to purchase such products. Research gaps are identified in the field of personal and social norms as well as in the regulation and seeking information process. Policy making implications and recommendations are also discussed in conjunction with future research opportunities.
Disassociations in Security Policy Lifecycles
Authors: Lapke Michael , Dhillon Gurpreet
Published: February 2016

Continued high profile security breaches indicate that Information Systems Security remains a significant problem within organizations. The authors argue that one of the major contributors to this ongoing problem is a disconnect between security policy formulation and implementation. This disconnect can lead to a failure of policy. This paper is aimed at understanding the disconnect by analyzing the meanings that are attributed to policy formulation and implementation by the stakeholders involved in the process. A case study was carried out and a “snapshot in time” of the lifecycle of IS Security Policy formulation at the organization under study demonstrated that a disconnect is evident between these two sides of security policy.
An Enhanced Dynamic Information Flow Tracking Method with Reverse Stack Execution
Authors: Trikalinou Anna , Bourbakis Nikolaos
Published: February 2016

Memory errors have long been a critical security issue primarily for C/C++ programming languages and are still considered one of the top three most dangerous software errors according to the MITRE ranking. In this paper the authors focus on their exploitation via control-flow hijacking and data-only attacks (stack, and partially heap (G. Novarck & E. Berger, 2010)) by proposing a synergistic security methodology, which can accurately detect and thwart them. Their methodology is based on the Dynamic Information Flow Tracking (DIFT) technique and improves its data-only attack detection by utilizing features from the Reverse Stack Execution (RSE) security technique. Thus, the authors can significantly lower the resource consumption of the latter methodology, while increasing the former's accuracy. Their proof-of-concept compiler implementation verifies their assumptions and is able to protect vulnerable C programs against various real-world attack scenarios.
Teaching Systemic Risk
Authors: Wood William C.
Published: February 2016

This article shows how an in-class simulation can be used to teach the joint failure probability of statistically independent failures, and then to teach the more complex problem of system or “common-mode” failure. The technique has many potential applications, but here focuses on bank failures as a readily accessible application. This teaching simulation has been successfully presented to diverse audiences since 2011. The original audience consisted of high school, community college and university instructors and the case has since been taught to additional continuing education groups and 400-level Economics students.
A Smart City System Architecture based on City-level Data Exchange Platform
Authors: Chen Jinfu , Guo Yuchi , Su Chenfei , Chen Jiamei , Chang Shen
Published: February 2016

With the development of information technology and urban planning, there is a higher demand for the life quality of city people. In order to meet the demand for urban facilitation and intelligence, the research on smart city system has been widely discussed in recent years. However, existing researches mostly stay at the theoretical exploration stage, so a feasible and effective framework of smart city system which is suitable for Chinese national conditions is urgently demanded. In this paper, an implementation framework of smart city system is proposed based on city-level data exchange platform. To start with, three subsystems of smart city system are proposed and described, namely citizen-card system, intelligent transportation system, and urban regional health system. The citizen-card system is the foundation to realize smart city system, the intelligent transportation system is the core part of smart city system, and the urban regional health system is the crucial part of smart city system. Then a city-level data exchange platform and its algorithms are proposed, and the data exchange algorithms are also analyzed based on subscription and publishing mechanism. Finally, the proposed system architecture has been implemented and applied to Zhenjiang city, which is a city in Jiangsu province, China. The application performance of the proposed system architecture is also analyzed and discussed. The experimental results show that the proposed framework of smart city system is feasible and effective.
Adaptive Diamond Turning for Micro-Structured Surfaces
Authors: Zhu Zhi Wei , To Suet
Published: February 2016

In this paper, adaptive diamond turning (ADT) is proposed for micro-structured surfaces to obtain homogeneous surface quality without loss of efficiency. With consideration of the local shape variation of desired surfaces, the adaptation in feeding direction is to actively control motions along the x-axis to obtain constant scallop heights, whereas the adaptation in forwarding direction is to vary angular sampling intervals to obtain constant linearization errors. The basic principle of ADT is demonstrated, and unique features of the corresponding motions of the machine tool are detailed by numerical simulation. Two degree-of-freedoms fast tool servo or slow slide servo-based turning is strongly recommended to meet the requirements of the ADT method.
A Study of Fiducial Aided Precision Positioning of Ultra-Precision Freeform Surfaces
Authors: Ren Ming Jun , Cheung Chi Fai , Kong Ling Bao
Published: February 2016

The fabrication of ultra-precision freeform surfaces possessing non-rotationally symmetric geometry and sub-micrometre form accuracy requires an efficient positioning method for precisely locating the position of the workpiece on the machine with high repeatability during the manufacturing cycle. This paper presents an initial attempt to develop a fiducial aided positioning (FAP) method for precisely locating the freeform workpiece on multi-axis machine tools in order to improve the accuracy and efficiency in the manufacturing of ultra-precision freeform surfaces. The FAP method makes use of fiducials to establish intrinsic surface features of the freeform workpiece which are used to determine the coordinate transformation between the coordinate frame of the workpiece and the machine in the machining process and the measurement process. A preliminary simulation experiment was conducted to verify the technical feasibility of the proposed FAP method. The results show that the FAP method is technically feasible to establish a link between the machining and measurement process so as to improve machining accuracy.