bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Agricultural Multifunctionality and Care Farming: Insight from the UK
Authors: Custance Paul , Walley Keith , Tate Gaynor , Armagan Goksel
Published: June 2015

The purpose of the article is to provide insight into care farming and the role that it may play in agriltural multifunctionality. The paper outlines three case studies of care farming in the UK to compare and contrast the roles that such organizations may play in multifunctional agriculture. Although the work has the obvious limitation of being based on case-study care farms that are based in the UK, the findings are sufficiently generic to serve as valuable learning material for those interested in the subject and located anywhere in the world. The main finding from this study is that care farming can take many different forms but still contribute to agricultural multifunctionality. The study also confirms the important roles that economic support and favourable legislation play in successful care farming. The paper concludes that care farming is a legitimate form of agricultural multifunctionality but reminds those interested in setting up or promoting care farms of the need for a supportive economic and legislative environment. The paper provides contemporary insight into the concept of care farming as a form of agricultural multifunctionality. A number of generic points are made that should be of value to an international audience of academics researching in this area as well as students studying care farming and agricultural multifunctionality, farmers considering diversifying into care farming and politicians working to create a political and economic environment that may support care farms.
Building a High-performance Organization: Anna Bhau Ajara Shetkari Cooperative Spinning Mill
Authors: Ghatge Bhavna , Chakrabarti Diganta , Shinde Shilpa
Published: June 2015

This case highlights the noteworthy success of a cooperative organization located in a small and undeveloped village Ajara in the Kolhapur district of the state of Maharashtra (India). It traces the progress of this small cooperative sector spinning mill from its conception in the late 1970s to its successful transformation as a profitable export oriented unit in 2014. The case underlines the diverse challenges the organization faced and the initiatives taken by the government to overcome those. It is an important account of how a combination of visionary leadership coupled with strategic decision-making enabled a struggling organization to establish itself into a distinguishably successful one. The application of progressive management policies and practices are documented. This case also illustrates the role of a cooperative organization in the context of socio-economic development of rural India.
Exploring the Impact of CSR on Talent Management with Generation Y
Authors: Ohlrich Keri
Published: June 2015

Developing a corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy can help companies remain competitive, grow market share, and enhance customer loyalty. As CSR has recently become part of corporate strategy, many corporations are confronted with an employee talent shortfall. This shortfall is attributed to factors from the simple fact that there are not enough people, like Generation X not being able to replace the retiring Baby Boomers to the more complex concept of a talent mismatch.

This research investigates this intersection of CSR and talent and examines the impact of CSR on employee attraction and retention, with a special focus on Generation Y. Interviews included 36 qualitative, semi-structured interviews. Results suggest that potential employees are not as much attracted by the CSR programme, but by the values of the company. Results suggest that employees do not necessarily stay at companies because of the CSR programme. From the findings, a practitioners’ guide was created. This guide outlines the drivers of attraction and retention that focus on iValue, iDevelop and iRetain.
Migration of heavy metals from recycled polyethylene terephthalate during storage and microwave heating
Authors: Whitt Michael , Brown Wyatt , Danes Jeffrey E , Vorst Keith L
Published: June 2015

Agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry are pushing for increased use of recycled polyethylene terephthalate. Packaging materials made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate are used for direct food contact in recycled rigid containers and films. Most recycled polyethylene terephthalate packaging materials contain heavy metal catalysts, the most common being antimony. The recycling process has the potential to increase degradation products, chemical additives and polymerization side-products. Recent studies using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry confirmed the presence of cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel and antimony in food packaging. These heavy metals have the potential to migrate onto and into food products, and limited governmental regulation of these contaminants in recycled polyethylene terephthalate packaging materials increases public health risks. In this study, 22 samples of known heavy metal content were tested for heavy metal migration of lead, cadmium, chromium, nickel and antimony into a 5% aqueous citric acid solution or deionized water. Samples were exposed for 5 min to microwaves from a 1700 W microwave oven set to 70% power, or were stored at 7.2 or 22.2℃ for 1, 7 or 14 days before testing. The samples were analyzed for heavy metal content per ASTM E1613-04, the standard test method for the determination of lead by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. Neither the storage nor the microwave treatments had a significant effect on heavy metal migration, while exposure to 5% aqueous citric acid resulted in a higher rate of heavy metal leaching from the recycled polyethylene terephthalate compared to samples exposed to deionized water. A very low percentage of the samples tested had heavy metals migrate above detectable levels indicating that most recycled polyethylene terephthalate packaging materials are relatively safe for direct food contact.
Effect of colorant, thickness, and pro-oxidant loading on degradation of low-density polyethylene films during thermal aging
Authors: Maalihan Reymark D , Pajarito Bryan B
Published: June 2015

This work investigated the effect of colorant, thickness and pro-oxidant loading on degradation behavior of low-density polyethylene films during thermal aging. Films were formulated according to Taguchi design of experiments. The following degradation responses were monitored with thermal aging time: tensile strength, oxygen uptake, and carbonyl index. This study showed that colorant and pro-oxidant loading exhibited significant effect on the tensile strength of thermally aged films. White colorant and increased loading of pro-oxidant from 2% to 4% w/w reduced the tensile strength of aged films by 15.9% and 16.9%, respectively. However, incorporating yellow colorant improved the tensile strength of aged films by 3.2% as compared to noncolored films. Meanwhile, all three factors significantly influenced the maximum oxygen uptake of exposed films. White and yellow colorants increased the maximum oxygen uptake of aged films by 90.6% and 56.2%, respectively, when compared to films without colorant. On the other hand, increased film thickness from 1 to 3 mil lowered the maximum oxygen uptake by 31.6%, while increased pro-oxidant loading from 2% to 4% w/w showed an uptake increase of aged films by 204.3%. For the carbonyl index response, the index significantly increased by 84.6% with increased loading of pro-oxidant from 2% to 4% w/w, showing accelerated degradation of exposed films during thermal aging. Enhanced degradation of white films is due to the oxidative reactivity of titanium dioxide present in white colorant. Aromatic amine stabilizer in yellow colorant acts as antioxidant that delays film degradation.
Fatigue behaviour of dissimilar Al alloy/galvanised steel friction stir spot welds fabricated by scroll grooved tool without probe
Authors: Ibrahim I. , Uematsu Y. , Kakiuchi T. , Tozaki Y. , Mizutani Y.
Published: June 2015

Al alloy sheet was friction stir spot welded (FSSW) to galvanised steel sheet by a scroll grooved tool without probe. Tensile and fatigue tests had been conducted using tensile shear specimens, and the results were discussed in comparison with Al/steel dissimilar FSSW joint, in which steel sheet was not galvanised. Energy dispersive X-ray analyses revealed that Zn coating was melted or softened and circumferentially resolidified around the nugget. Intermetallic compound between Al and Fe was formed along the interface resulting in the joining of Al to steel. Tensile shear strength of Al/galvanised steel weld was lower than that of Al/steel one without galvanising. However, Al/galvanised steel welds exhibited higher fatigue strengths. Finite element method analyses around the nugget revealed that circumferentially resolidified Zn brought about the stress relaxation at the edge of the nugget, resulting in the better fatigue performance of Al/galvanised steel welds.
Laser surface remelting of WC–12Co coating: Finite element simulations and experimental analyses
Authors: Guo H. F. , Tian Z. J. , Huang Y. H.
Published: June 2015

A three-dimensional finite element model taking into account interfacial topography, porosity of plasma sprayed coatings, temperature dependent thermophysical parameters and phase change has been developed to simulate multipass laser remelting process. Temperature evolution, temperature gradient, melting pool shape and dimensions are simulated. The laser remelting experiments are carried out on the plasma sprayed WC–12Co coatings. The simulated results are in good agreement with the experimental measurements. After laser remelting, a denser and more homogenous coating is obtained. The microhardness of the coating is significantly enhanced owing to the dispersion strengthening, the fine grain strengthening and the solution strengthening, which is increased by three times compared with that of the plasma sprayed coatings.
Persistent neonatal thrombocytopenia can be caused by IgA antiplatelet antibodies in breast milk of immune thrombocytopenic mothers
Authors: Hauschner Hagit , Rosenberg Nurit , Seligsohn Uri , Mendelsohn Rafael , Simmonds Aryeh , Shiff Yakov , Schachter Yaakov , Aviner Shraga , Sharon Nechama
Published: June 2015

Key Points

Persistent thrombocytopenia was observed in breastfed neonates of ITP women. Breast milk of ITP women may contain immunoglobulin A antiplatelet antibodies, which target αIIbβ3 integrin.
Strong convergence theorems for Bregman quasi-strict pseudo-contractions in reflexive Banach spaces with applications
Authors: Wang Zi-Ming
Published: June 2015

In this paper, a simple iterative algorithm is introduced for finding a fixed point of a Bregman quasi-strict pseudo-contraction. Furthermore, strong convergence results are established in a reflexive Banach space. Finally, the solution of equilibrium problem, variational inequality, and zero point problem of maximal monotone operator are considered as applications.
Wet explosion pretreatment of loblolly pine leads to an increase in methoxylation of the lignin
Authors: Rana Diwakar , Laskar Dhrubojyoti D. , Srinivas Keerthi , Ahring Birgitte K.
Published: June 2015

Background

In biorefineries, various pretreatments traditionally employ hazardous chemicals (ammonia, sulfuric acid, sulfite, etc.) for opening the softwood structure and to facilitate easy accessibility of the cellulose for further downstream processing. The resultant lignin (known as technical lignin) after extraction of the carbohydrate fraction as sugars has been either burned as fuel or used in biochemical or biofuel production. It has been observed that the technical lignin after such biomass pretreatments is often more condensed and, hence, cannot be easily used to produce fine chemicals of high value. In this study, we examine lignin after wet explosion pretreatment where the biomass in subjected to oxygen to understand how these interactions will affect lignin utilization for biochemical production.

Results

In this study, the structural transformations within the softwood lignin as a response to wet explosion (WEx) pretreatment of loblolly pine at different experimental conditions (165–175 °C, 18–30 min) were examined using GC/MS and NMR spectroscopy. The results showed that the H-type structures within the lignin molecule decreased while S-type structures increased after pretreatment. Since S-type lignin sub-units have a higher degree of methoxylation compared to H units, the potential of S-type lignin to undergo re-condensation at lower temperatures (after pretreatment), by forming bonds with other lignin sub-units, is lower due to stearic hindrance, resulting in the generation of lignin with a lower tendency to form new complex lignin bindings (high-quality biorefinery lignin).

Conclusions

The less condensed biorefinery lignin generated after WEx pretreatment was found to provide a platform for production of lignin polymer with more labile β-O-4 linkages. This type of lignin could potentially be superior for the production of high-value bio-products compared to re-condensed lignin after acidic and other types of chemical pretreatments.
Elevated Cancer-Specific Mortality Among HIV-Infected Patients in the United States
Authors: Coghill Anna E. , Shiels Meredith S. , Suneja Gita , Engels Eric A.
Published: June 2015

Purpose

Despite advances in the treatment of HIV, HIV-infected people remain at increased risk for many cancers, and the number of non–AIDS-defining cancers is increasing with the aging of the HIV-infected population. No prior study has comprehensively evaluated the effect of HIV on cancer-specific mortality.

Patients and Methods

We identified cases of 14 common cancers occurring from 1996 to 2010 in six US states participating in a linkage of cancer and HIV/AIDS registries. We used Cox regression to examine the association between patient HIV status and death resulting from the presenting cancer (ascertained from death certificates), adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, year of cancer diagnosis, and cancer stage. We included 1,816,461 patients with cancer, 6,459 (0.36%) of whom were HIV infected.

Results

Cancer-specific mortality was significantly elevated in HIV-infected compared with HIV-uninfected patients for many cancers: colorectum (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.49; 95% CI, 1.21 to 1.84), pancreas (HR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.35 to 2.18), larynx (HR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.06 to 2.47), lung (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.17 to 1.39), melanoma (HR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.09 to 2.70), breast (HR, 2.61; 95% CI, 2.06 to 3.31), and prostate (HR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.02 to 2.41). HIV was not associated with increased cancer-specific mortality for anal cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, or diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. After further adjustment for cancer treatment, HIV remained associated with elevated cancer-specific mortality for common non–AIDS-defining cancers: colorectum (HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.80), lung (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.44), melanoma (HR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.14 to 3.27), and breast (HR, 2.64; 95% CI, 1.86 to 3.73).

Conclusion

HIV-infected patients with cancer experienced higher cancer-specific mortality than HIV-uninfected patients, independent of cancer stage or receipt of cancer treatment. The elevation in cancer-specific mortality among HIV-infected patients may be attributable to unmeasured stage or treatment differences as well as a direct relationship between immunosuppression and tumor progression.
Phase II Intergroup Trial of Alisertib in Relapsed and Refractory Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma and Transformed Mycosis Fungoides: SWOG 1108
Authors: Barr Paul M. , Li Hongli , Spier Catherine , Mahadevan Daruka , LeBlanc Michael , Ul Haq Mansoor , Huber Bryan D. , Flowers Christopher R. , Wagner-Johnston Nina D. , Horwitz Steven M. , Fisher Richard I. , Cheson Bruce D. , Smith Sonali M. , Kahl Brad S. , Bartlett Nancy L. , Friedberg Jonathan W.
Published: June 2015

Purpose

Aurora A kinase (AAK) is upregulated in highly proliferative lymphomas, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target. Alisertib is a novel oral AAK inhibitor without adverse safety signals in early-phase studies that demonstrated preliminary activity in T-cell lymphoma. This phase II study was conducted to further investigate the efficacy of alisertib in relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (PTCL).

Patients and Methods

Eligible patients with histologically confirmed relapsed/refractory PTCL or transformed Mycosis fungoides (tMF) received alisertib 50 mg twice a day for 7 days on 21-day cycles.

Results

Of 37 eligible patients, the histologic subtypes enrolled included PTCL not otherwise specified (n = 13), angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (n = 9), tMF (n = 7), adult T-cell lymphoma/leukemia (n = 4), anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (n = 2), and extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (n = 2). Grade 3 and 4 adverse events in ≥ 5% of patients included neutropenia (32%), anemia (30%), thrombocytopenia (24%), febrile neutropenia (14%), mucositis (11%), and rash (5%). Treatment was discontinued most commonly for disease progression. Among the PTCL subtypes, the overall response rate was 30%, whereas no responses were observed in tMF. Aurora B kinase was more commonly overexpressed than AAK in tumor specimens. Analysis of AAK, Aurora B kinase, MYC, BCL-2, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase γ, and Notch1 expression revealed no association with response.

Conclusion

Alisertib has antitumor activity in PTCL, including heavily pretreated patients. These promising results are being further investigated in an ongoing international, randomized phase III trial comparing alisertib with investigator's choice in PTCL.
Long-Term Follow-Up of the E1199 Phase III Trial Evaluating the Role of Taxane and Schedule in Operable Breast Cancer
Authors: Sparano Joseph A. , Zhao Fengmin , Martino Silvana , Ligibel Jennifer A. , Perez Edith A. , Saphner Tom , Wolff Antonio C. , Sledge George W. , Wood William C. , Davidson Nancy E.
Published: June 2015

Purpose

To determine long-term outcomes in a clinical trial evaluating the role of taxane type and schedule in operable breast cancer and evaluate the impact of obesity and black race on outcome.

Patients and Methods

A total of 4,954 eligible women with stage II to III breast cancer treated with four cycles of doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide were randomly assigned to receive paclitaxel or docetaxel every 3 weeks for four doses or weekly for 12 doses using a 2 × 2 factorial design. The primary end point was disease-free survival (DFS). Results are expressed as hazard ratios (HRs) from Cox proportional hazards models. All P values are two sided.

Results

When compared with the standard every-3-week paclitaxel arm, after a median follow-up of 12.1 years, DFS significantly improved and overall survival (OS) marginally improved only for the weekly paclitaxel (HR, 0.84; P = .011 and HR, 0.87; P = .09, respectively) and every-3-week docetaxel arms (HR, 0.79; P = .001 and HR, 0.86; P = .054, respectively). Weekly paclitaxel improved DFS and OS (HR, 0.69; P = .010 and HR, 0.69; P = .019, respectively) in triple-negative breast cancer. For hormone receptor–positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–nonoverexpressing disease, no experimental arm improved OS, and black race and obesity were associated with increased risk of breast cancer recurrence and death.

Conclusion

Improved outcomes initially observed for weekly paclitaxel were qualitatively similar but quantitatively less pronounced with longer follow-up, although exploratory analysis suggested substantial benefit in triple-negative disease. Further research is required to understand why obesity and race influence clinical outcome in hormone receptor–positive disease.
BEST: A Randomized Phase II Study of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, RAF Kinase, and Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Combination Targeted Therapy With Bevacizumab, Sorafenib, and Temsirolimus in Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma—A Trial of the ECOG–ACRIN Cancer Research Group (E2804)
Authors: Flaherty Keith T. , Manola Judith B. , Pins Michael , McDermott David F. , Atkins Michael B. , Dutcher Janice J. , George Daniel J. , Margolin Kim A. , DiPaola Robert S.
Published: June 2015

Purpose

On the basis of evidence that resistance to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor inhibition is caused by hypoxia-driven residual VEGF and other proangiogenic factors, combinations of agents from these classes were hypothesized to improve treatment outcomes relative to single-agent VEGF pathway blockade.

Patients and Methods

A total of 361 patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma were randomly assigned equally to arm A (bevacizumab monotherapy 10 mg/kg intravenously [IV] every 2 weeks), B (bevacizumab 10 mg/kg IV every 2 weeks and temsirolimus 25 mg IV every week), C (bevacizumab 5 mg/kg IV every 2 weeks and sorafenib 200 mg orally twice daily on days 1 to 5, 8 to 12, 15 to 19, and 22 to 26), or D (sorafenib 200 mg twice daily and temsirolimus 25 mg IV weekly). Progression-free survival was the primary end point.

Results

Among 331 eligible treated patients, median PFS was 7.5 months for bevacizumab alone (90% CI, 5.8 to 10.8 months), 7.6 months for bevacizumab plus temsirolimus (90% CI, 6.7 to 9.2 months), 9.2 months for bevacizumab plus sorafenib (90% CI, 7.5 to 11.4 months), and 7.4 months for sorafenib plus temsirolimus (90% CI, 5.6 to 7.9 months). Hazard ratios from stratified Cox proportional hazards models were 1.01, 0.89, and 1.07 (with respective P values of .95, .49, and .68) for the three combinations, respectively, compared with bevacizumab alone. Adverse events did not differ significantly among treatment arms.

Conclusion

The activity of sorafenib, temsirolimus, and bevacizumab administered in doublet combinations did not significantly improve median progression-free survival in comparison with bevacizumab monotherapy.
Antiquity in Social Media: The Case of the ‘Filmweb’ Portal and Its Users
Authors: Dominas Konrad
Published: June 2015

Antiquity in Social Media: The Case of the ‘Filmweb’ Portal and Its Users

The paper analyses the character of classical receptions and the proposed methodology of its analysys within the context of the new media. An example of a popular Polish website Filmweb, devoted to cinema, is used to present the case postulating new interdisciplinary methodology, necessary for the research on the receptions of antiquity in the new media.
Dionysos, Orpheus and Argead Macedonia
Authors: Fulińska Agnieszka
Published: June 2015

Dionysos, Orpheus and Argead Macedonia. Overwiev and Perspectives

The cult of Dionysos in ancient Macedonia and its possible relation to the Orphic beliefs is one of the most interesting aspects of the Macedonian culture, one, however, accessible to us only via very fragmentary and indirect evidence, partly textual, partly archaeological. The paper summarizes the most important aspects according to the status quaestionis and proposes some interpretations of the problem.
Artificum scaenicorum studium amoremque inhonestum probrosumque esse
Authors: Loska Elżbieta
Published: June 2015

Artificum scaenicorum studium amoremque inhonestum probrosumque esse. The Actor and their Audience in the Roman Theatre

The paper analyses the role and position of actors in ancient Rome, from the times of the Republic to the principate. Main emphasis is put on the legal understanding of problems such as the special order of seating in Roman theatres and the privileges of senators and ordo equester, social position of actors and the question of the citizens’ participation (willing or not) in the performances.
The Hidden Author of the Corpus Dionysacium - Authenticity, Rejection, and Apohasis in Historical Context
Authors: Wdowiak Magdalena
Published: June 2015

Hidden Author of the Corpus Dionysacium - Authenticity, Rejection, and Apohasis in Historical Context

The following paper aims to show that explanation of Pseudo‑Dionysius’ identity has importance to the interpretation of the Corpus Dionysiacum philosophy. I investigate the turn in the Dionysian issue that took place in the history of research on the author’s true identity: from plain recognition of Dionysius first‑century authorship, through its negation, back to acknowledgement of his relation to the times of Apostles as significant. The first part of the paper includes introduction into chosen aspects of the history of the research into the Corpus Dionysiacum author’s identity. The closing part refers to the conception of the contemporary scholars Ch. M. Stang and W. Riordan, who have tried to understand the meaning of the unknown author’s pseudonym as important to interpretation of all his writings.The scholars’ assumption is to reveal that the author and his work arecomplementary elements, and that separation causes some loss.
Genital psoriasis, in images
Authors: Watkins Jean
Published: June 2015

Jean Watkins describes some presentations and corresponding treatment of several cases of psoriasis of the genitals
Assessing infected ulcers: a step-by-step guide
Authors: Chadwick Paul , McCardle Joanne , Malone Matthew
Published: June 2015

While every attempt can be made to avoid the development of diabetic foot ulcers, it is inevitable that some patients will present with them. Once they develop, these ulcers are hard to heal, placing the patient at increased at risk of infection and, ultimately, amputation. It is vital, therefore, that health-care professionals are able to recognise the signs of increased bioburden and infection, so that prompt treatment can be given
Managing infection: a holistic approach
Authors: Tayeb Khaled Abdullah , Bateman Sharon Dawn , Hampton Sylvie , Malone Matthew , Malone Matthew , Fletcher Jacqui
Published: June 2015

All wound infection presents risks for the patient, but the risks are multiplied in the presence of a comorbidity such as diabetes, when they can potentially be fatal. Where diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) infection is concerned, early recognition is crucial. Prompt treatment, comprising wound cleansing, debridement of devitalised tissue and use of antimicrobial dressings, can stop locally infected ulcers from deteriorating further
Let's get into character
Authors: Williams Brenda
Published: June 2015

Brenda Williams outlines how to use her poem ‘And then…’ to revisit traditional and modern classical stories, to encourage children's prediction of events, re-call, role-play and imaginative interpretation.
The Big Butterfly Count
Authors: Hewson Claire
Published: June 2015

The Big Butterfly Count is a great opportunity for children to make a real difference and to develop an interest in the natural world. The activities below build upon this and draw on an assortment of cross-curricular links.
Dress up and pretend
Authors: Chalmers Debbie
Published: June 2015

Dramatic pretend play offers active, creative learning experiences, helping children to communicate and express themselves and to develop social skills, self-confidence and an understanding of teamwork.
Lovely little ladybird
Authors: Garner Lynne
Published: June 2015

This is the first in a new series of articles about insects that share our gardens, parks and playgrounds. Here Lynne Garner focuses on ladybirds and offers some related activities to develop children's motor skills.
Curiouser and curiouser
Authors: Cruikshank Sarah
Published: June 2015

2015 marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of the classic children's story Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which Sarah Cruickshank will help you explore through expressive arts and design activities.
Allometric biomass equations for shrub and small tree species in subtropical China
Authors: Ali Arshad , Xu Ming-Shan , Zhao Yan-Tao , Zhang Qing-Qing , Zhou Liu-Li , Yang Xiao-Dong , Yan En-Rong
Published: June 2015

Species-specific allometric equations for shrubs and small trees are relatively scarce, thus limiting the precise quantification of aboveground biomass (AGB) in both shrubby vegetation and forests. Fourteen shrub and small tree species in Eastern China were selected to develop species-specific and multispecies allometric biomass equations. Biometric variables, including the diameter of the longest stem (D), height (H), wet basic density (BD), and crown area and shape were measured for each individual plant. We measured the AGB through a non-destructive method, and validated these measurements using the dry mass of the sampled plant components. The AGB was related to biometric variables using regression analysis. The species-specific allometric models, with D and H as predictors (D-H models) accounted for 70% to 99% of the variation in the AGB of shrubs and small trees. A multispecies allometric D-H model accounted for 71% of the variation in the AGB. Although BD, as an additional predictor, improved the fit of most models, the D-H models were adequate for predicting the AGB for shrubs and small trees in subtropical China without BD data.
Pyloric Leiomyoma: Behavioural Aspects in a Shelter Dog
Authors: Benedetti Riccardo , Barabucci Mirko , Pigliapoco Alessandra , Cannas Simona , Palestrini Clara
Published: June 2015

The present report describes a case of pyloric wall leiomyoma in a shelter dog with a history of vomiting, pica, licking and chewing the walls of the kennel. The clinical, radiological, ultrasound, hematological and blood chemistry examinations showed no abnormalities. A compulsive oral disorder was diagnosed and treatment with behaviour therapy instigated. The compulsive oral behaviours stopped following behaviour therapy, however, the vomiting persisted, suggesting the need to proceed with further diagnostic exams. The ultrasound examination, repeated after 6 months, had revealed the presence of a hypoechoic mass (3.52 cm) in the pyloric-antrum obstructing the gastric outflow. Following gastric dilatation the mass was surgically excised. Histological examination revealed a pyloric leiomyoma. In clinical practice this case highlights the importance of gastrointestinal diseases in the development of behaviour changes related to pica.
Teachers’ attitudes, perceptions and experiences in CLIL: A look at content and language
Authors: McDougald Jermaine S.
Published: June 2015

This paper is a preliminary report on the “CLIL State-of-the-Art” project in Colombia, drawing on data collected from 140 teachers’ regarding their attitudes toward, perceptions of and experiences with CLIL (content and language integrated learning). The term CLIL is used here to refer to teaching contexts in which a foreign language (in these cases, English) is the medium for the teaching and learning of non-language subjects. The data that has been gathered thus far reveals that while teachers presently know very little about CLIL, they are nevertheless actively seeking informal and formal instruction on CLIL. Many of the surveyed teachers are currently teaching content areas through English; approximately half of them reported having had positive experiences teaching content and language together, though the remainder claimed to lack sufficient knowledge in content areas. Almost all of the participants agreed that the CLIL approach can benefit students, helping them develop both language skills and subject knowledge (meaningful communication). However, there is still considerable uncertainty as to the actual state-of-the-art of CLIL in Colombia; greater clarity here will enable educators and decision-makers to make sound decisions for the future of general and language education.
Why does critical literacy hit a snag in the Iranian EFL setting?
Authors: Rahimi Ali , Askari Bigdeli Rouhollah
Published: June 2015

This study sought to elucidate the challenges of critical literacy practice in an Iranian context. The objectives were twofold: (a) to find out what challenges teachers and students face in the practice of critical literacy and (b) to explore the state of critical literacy in language education. To this end, a sample of 12 English teachers and 120 students majoring in TEFL took part in the study. Data collection procedure was based on students’ reflective notes, semi-structured interviews, and classroom observations. The analysis of the interviews revealed that factors including a) lack of the teachers' familiarity with the concept and tenets of critical literacy, b) students' poor English proficiency, c) lack of attention to critical literacy in curriculum and d) political issues were the major challenges. Classroom observations and students' reflective notes showed that teachers did not encourage students to become involved in  ideologies imbedded in the texts.
World Englishes and English Language Teaching: A pragmatic and humanistic approach
Authors: Bhowmik Subrata Kumar
Published: June 2015

Seidlhofer (2005) describes the current status of English as an “unstable equilibrium.” In many ways this analogy regarding the current state of affairs with English language teaching (ELT) is appropriate. Taking World Englishes (WE) perspectives, this paper presents various mismatches between teaching goals and objectives vis-à-vis the teaching and learning outcomes in ELT. The paper then makes the argument that in order for more successful English language teaching and learning to take place a pragmatic and humanistic approach needs to be adopted. An outline of such an approach is discussed.
Identificación de relaciones entre los nodos de una red social
Authors: Barón Mónica Andrea Niño , Ordóñez Salinas Sonia
Published: June 2015

El presente artículo realiza una revisión del tema, representación y clasificación de de relaciones de pertenencia entre los nodos de una red social. Para ello, se abordan aspectos sobre Procesamiento de Lenguaje Natural, Minería de Texto, Recuperación de Información
y Entidades Nombradas. Se hace una descripción de cada una de ellas y se referencian y discuten trabajos académicos destacados que se han desarrollado en dicho tema.
Gestión de la cadena de abastecimiento del biodiésel: una revisión de la literatura
Authors: Barón Manuel , Huertas Isaac , Orjuela Castro Javier Arturo
Published: June 2015

Los beneficios asociados a los biocombustibles se ven reflejados en un creciente número de países, introduciendo o planeando introducir, políticas para incrementar la proporción de su producción dentro de su matriz energética. Actualmente, sólo peque-ñas cantidades de biocombustibles se transan en los mercados internacionales ya que la mayoría se consume domésticamente. Sin embargo, se espera que el comercio de bio-combustibles se expanda rápidamente dado que numerosos países no tendrán la capa-cidad doméstica para abastecer sus mercados internos.
Con base en el tendiente crecimiento del negocio de los biocombustibles, tanto a ni-vel mundial como local, resulta pertinente contar con herramientas técnicas que apoyen la toma de decisiones en la gestión agroindustrial para aprovechar de mejor manera un mercado por ahora naciente, pero que a mediano y largo plazo se escenifica como un gran sector productivo que podrá generar desarrollo a las regiones productivas. Este trabajo tiene el fin de presentar un estado del arte sobre la cadena de abastecimiento-del biodiésel y los modelos matemáticos desarrollados para apoyar la toma de decisio-nes en la gestión de la cadena de suministro.
Una revisión al estado del arte de la integración de toma de decisiones en la red logística
Authors: Pérez Cesar Augusto Pineda , López Bello César Amilcar
Published: June 2015

El presente artículo es resultado de la investigación del proyecto titulado “Integración de Toma de decisiones en la red logística” y comprende la revisión del estado del arte en el cual se identifica el concepto de integración en la cadena de suministro, los tipos de integración, mecanismos de integración, herramientas de integración, estrategias de integración y final-mente los beneficios y las medidas de rendimiento.
La universidad que vivimos...una ruta para lograr la universidad que soñamos...
Authors: Diosa Henry
Published: June 2015

En los pasados días, la Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas se hizo frecuentemente visible en los medios de comunicación por la situación de anormalidad académica que afectó a las cinco facultades. Esta crisis visibilizó hacia la comunidad externa un conjunto de falencias estructurales comunes que viene padeciendo el sistema universitario público de Colombia y algunas dolencias institucionales locales a nuestra alma máter.
Generador de Grafos Multi-relacionales a partir de redes sociales
Authors: Almagro Blanco Pedro , Ordoñez Salinas Sonia
Published: June 2015

La herramienta presentada en este artículo, CorpuRed, permite obtener datos de plataformas sociales en línea para ser utilizados en proyectos de investigación que requieran de información sobre el comportamiento social en Internet. La forma de obtener dichos datos depende ligeramente de cada plataforma (se muestra el caso particular de Facebook), y posteriormente son almacenados en una base de datos en grafo que será accesible a través de una API bajo una licencia académica. 
Modelo de programación matemática para la cadena productiva del biodiesel en Colombia
Authors: Aranda Pinilla Johan Alexander , Barón Molina Manuel José , Huertas Forero Isaac , Orjuela Castro Javier Arturo
Published: June 2015

El presente trabajo describe un modelo de programación lineal entera mixta para la estructuración e integración de toma de decisiones estratégicas y tácticas, relacionadas con la producción del biocombustible biodiesel a partir de palma africana en Colombia, definiendo cuatro zonas (Norte, Central, Oriental y Sur – Occidental), con el fin de coordinar de manera estructurada el flujo de los recursos entre los eslabones de la cadena productiva definida: desde el eslabón inicial “cultivo”, pasando por los eslabones centrales “extractoras y “refinado” hasta el eslabón final “mezclado”, los cuales conforman la red de suministro.

El objetivo del modelo es determinar un plan de distribución de palma, aceite y biodiesel a lo largo de la cadena, un plan de producción e inventario y un plan de aumento de capacidad de las biorrefinerías que minimice el costo total de la cadena a lo largo de un horizonte de planeación definido. La aplicación del modelo permite mostrar una proyección al año 2043 del comportamiento de la cadena y en especial de los requerimientos del suelo.
Hacia una Propuesta de Mecanismos para la Autenticidad de Objetos de Aprendizaje en Plataformas LCMS
Authors: Gaona Paulo Alonso , Montenegro Marín Carlos Enrique , Wiesner Gonzalez Helvert
Published: June 2015

Los actuales mecanismos de seguridad dentro de una plataforma Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS), carecen de principios para llevar a cabo procesos de confidencialidad, integridad y privacidad de contenidos. Específicamente, la autenticidad de contenidos, es uno de los temas que dentro del área de seguridad informática requiere el establecimiento de una serie de normas y procesos para la veracidad de la información en cualquier entorno de trabajo. Por lo tanto, el presente artículo presenta una propuesta para el desarrollo de un mecanismo de seguridad informático, que permita suplir algunas de estas necesidades en el área académico; además, de incrementar la seguridad de los LCMS usando el concepto de Firmas Digitales bajo una Infraestructura PKI (Public Key Infraestructure). El planteamiento contempla convertir entidades educativas, en un gestor de Certificados Digitales o autoridad de certificación. El objetivo es ofrecer una herramienta informática que permita administrar certificados digitales de usuarios dentro de una plataforma, y facilitar el funcionamiento del mecanismo de seguridad para validar la autenticidad de los contenidos o recursos digitales dentro de una plataforma LCMS
Realce de candidatos a nódulo pulmonar en radiografías de tórax por medio de filtros de convergencia
Authors: Duarte Pacheco Sergio Alejandro , Aguillón Pérez Julián Mauricio , Herrera García Rodrigo Javier
Published: June 2015

Este artículo presenta el desarrollo de una herramienta de software para el realce de áreas sospechosas de nódulos pulmonares en radiografías de tórax.  Los nódulos pulmonares son lesiones que se encuentran dentro de la regíon pulmonar y son los primeros indicadores de la presencia de un tumor cancerígeno en este órgano.  En primera instancia, se implementa un método de segmentación automático.  Luego, para el realce de los candidatos, se usan filtros de convergencia que evalúan el grado en el que converge el área circundante al píxel de interés, asumiendo que los posibles candidatos a nódulos presentan forma circular.  En este trabajo se implementan cuatro filtros de convergencia: Moneda, Iris, Anillo Adaptativo y Banda Deslizante.  Los filtros de moneda y de anillo adaptativo obtuvieron mejores resultados en cuanto a detección y número de candidatos por imagen.  Al aplicar la técnica de resta contralateral junto con los filtros basados en características geométricas tales como área, redondez y excentricidad, se logró disminuir el número de candidatos.
Sobre el rol innovador de la educación energética para la investigación en ingeniería
Authors: Gallego Torres Adriana Patricia , Castro Montaña Jonn Edgar
Published: June 2015

En este artículo se presenta una propuesta conceptual acerca de “la educación energética”, producto de la revisión y análisis de estudios teóricos y metodológicos que han abarcado el tema recientemente, y que surgió de la necesidad de construir un marco referencial que oriente la configuración y desarrollo de procesos de educación energética, particularmente como proyectos de investigación en el Programa de Doctorado en Ingeniería en la Universidad Distrital.
Optimización multiobjetivo en la gestión de cadenas de suministro de biocombustibles. Una revisión de la literatura
Authors: Aranda Pinilla Johan Alexander , Orjuela Castro Javier Arturo
Published: June 2015

La producción de biocombustibles ha tenido un crecimiento constante durante los últimos años y se espera siga creciendo en el mediano y largo plazo. Este crecimiento ha sido impulsado principalmente por las ventajas ambientales que podrían traer en comparación con el combustible fósil, como reducción en las emisiones de gases efecto invernadero, balance energético positivo y desarrollo económico para los países productores. Sin embargo, a pesar de sus beneficios, existen preocupaciones por los impactos ambientales y sociales que pueden generar su producción y distribución. La teoría de la decisión multi-criterio se ha utilizado en los últimos años como marco para integrar los diferentes objetivos en la toma de decisiones en las cadenas de suministro de biocombustibles.

El propósito de este artículo es presentar una revisión de los conceptos y métodos principales de la optimización multi-objetivo, así como la aplicación de éstos en el diseño y planificación de cadenas de suministro de biocombustibles. El estudio muestra que el costo es el objetivo económico más frecuente, las emisiones de efecto invernadero son el objetivo ambiental más utilizado y el número de empleos creados es el criterio social más considerado, dejando de lado aspectos relevantes como la seguridad alimentaria.

 

 

 
A hybrid column generation and clustering approach to the school bus routing problem with time windows
Authors: Lopez Santana Eduyn Ramiro , Romero Carvajal Jose de Jesus
Published: June 2015

This paper attempts to solve the School Bus Routing Problem with Time Windows that consists of finding the best set of routes to pick up students distributed geographically with constraints as capacity, time windows and maximum travel time. We formulated the problem as a classic Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows and solved it using an approach based on a clustering algorithm and column generation method. A real world case from a school in Bogotá, Colombiais presented including 600 students to pick up in near 400 nodes located in urban and rural areas. The obtained results demonstrate a reduction as the problem’s complexity and  an improvement on the performance measures of the proposed method.
Evaluación de políticas de protección en el sector papicultor mediante sistemas dinámicos: caso Villapinzón (Cundinamarca)
Authors: Farfán Pinzón Milena , Peña Ardila Geimar
Published: June 2015

   El sistema de producción de papa es una actividad económica de gran relevancia en zonas frías de la Región Andina (Suramérica). En Colombia, se constituye en la principal actividad agrícola de clima frío, caracterizando una producción predominantemente campesina, con escasa infraestructura tecnológica y escaso nivel de gestión agroempresarial, cuya producción exige elevados costos y cuya rentabilidad depende de precios de mercado altamente fluctuantes. En el presente artículo se utiliza el enfoque de sistemas dinámicos para modelar el contexto de dicho sistema productivo. En el documento se evalúa el impacto de las políticas de protección al sector papicultor en el municipio de Villapinzón Cundinamarca (municipio de mayor área sembrada en Colombia), desarrollando un modelo de análisis estructurado que permite medir dicho impacto sobre los indicadores de desempeño del sistema. De esta manera se comparan los escenarios actuales, propuestos por el gobierno y los propuestos con el enfoque de sistemas dinámicos, encontrando en estos últimos una opción de mejora para los agricultores del sector papicultor.
ARLA : índice y portal de las revistas latinoamericanas de arquitectura balance y perspectivas del primer encuentro.
Authors: Méndez Patricia
Published: June 2015

La Asociación de Revistas Latinoamericanas de Arquitectura (en adelante ARLA) es una iniciativa que nació al alero de las Mesas de Revistas realizadas en los Seminarios de Arquitectura Latinoamericana, SAL. El primer paso se dio en el XIIº SAL realizado en Chile en la ciudad de Concepción (2007), donde los editores presentes acordaron apoyar la idea de generar una plataforma virtual que permitiera crear un mecanismo eficaz y constante de cooperación entre las revistas latinoamericanas de arquitectura y, a partir de ella, promover además su visibilidad internacional.
Eficiencia de estrategias de enfriamiento pasivo en clima cálido seco.
Authors: Herrera Sosa Luis Carlos
Published: June 2015

Este documento presenta los resultados de una evaluación de la eficiencia de enfriamiento que se alcanza con la aplicación en techos estanque de seis técnicas de enfriamiento pasivo en clima cálido seco. El procedimiento consistióen monitorear en campo, durante el verano de 2012, módulos experimentales con las técnicas pasivas de enfriamiento: evaporativo indirecto (EEI), protección solar (PS) y enfriamiento radiativo nocturno (ERN), apoyadas con aislamiento térmico (AT) y masa térmica (MT). El módulo experimental se comparócon un módulo de control de iguales características constructivas, dimensiones y orientación. Con los resultados obtenidos en campo se calculóel potencial de enfriamiento medio de cada una de las técnicas pasivas aplicadas para determinar su eficiencia de enfriamiento (EF). Los resultados indicaron que todas las técnicas de enfriamiento pasivo aplicadas tienen capacidad de enfriamiento. La técnica pasiva con mayor potencial de enfriamiento medio fue la EEI+AT+ERN con 822.89 Wh/ m2día, le sigue la EEI+PS con 764.19 Wh/m2día y la EEI+AT+ERN+MT con 532.78 Wh/m2día.