bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ECONOMIC AND PHYSICAL MODELING OF LAND USE IN GCAM 3.0 AND AN APPLICATION TO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY, LAND, AND TERRESTRIAL CARBON
Authors: WISE MARSHALL , CALVIN KATE , KYLE PAGE , LUCKOW PATRICK , EDMONDS JAE
Published: August 2014

The release of the Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM) version 3.0 represents a major revision in the treatment of agriculture and land-use activities in a model of long-term, global human and physical Earth systems. GCAM 3.0 incorporates greater spatial and temporal resolution compared to GCAM 2.0. In this paper, we document the methods embodied in the new release, describe the motivation for the changes, compare GCAM 3.0 methods to those of other long-term, global agriculture-economy models and apply GCAM 3.0 to explore the impact of changes in agricultural crop yields on global land use and terrestrial carbon. In the absence of continued crop yield improvements throughout the century, not only are cumulative carbon emissions a major source of CO2emissions to the atmosphere, but bioenergy production remains trivial — land is needed for food. In contrast, the high crop yield improvement scenario cuts terrestrial carbon emissions dramatically and facilitates both food and energy production.
CALCULATING THE SOCIAL COSTS OF CARBON WITHOUT KNOWING PREFERENCES COMMENT ON "A RAPID ASSESSMENT MODEL FOR UNDERSTANDING THE SOCIAL COST OF CARBON"
Authors: GERLAGH REYER
Published: August 2014

The Social Costs of Carbon (SCC) equals the marginal welfare loss associated with one unit of emitted CO 2, divided by the marginal welfare gain associated with one unit of consumption. In stochastic assessments, both the nominator and denominator can depend on uncertain parameters; specifically they depend on the (implicit) scaling of the welfare function with the parameters. I discuss some pitfalls when calculating the expected value or the certainty equivalent of the SCC, and show that a mistaken procedure easily leads to very high or very low estimates for the SCC. I use the paper by Newbold et al. (2013) as an illustration.
FURTHER COMMENT ON "A RAPID ASSESSMENT MODEL FOR UNDERSTANDING THE SOCIAL COST OF CARBON"
Authors: NEWBOLD STEPHEN C. , GRIFFITHS CHARLES , MOORE CHRIS , WOLVERTON ANN , KOPITS ELIZABETH
Published: August 2014

In this reply to the comment by Gerlagh, we confirm an error in our estimate of the certainty-equivalent social cost of carbon (SCC) reported in Newbold et al. (2013), and we discuss the underlying conceptual difficulties that arise in conducting a social welfare analysis when preferences are heterogeneous or uncertain. The certainty-equivalent SCC depends crucially on the reference level of per capita consumption used to normalize marginal utility across possible preference parameters, and our estimate of the certainty-equivalent SCC was driven largely by an arbitrary choice of measurement units. All other results from our rapid assessment model are based on the deterministic SCC or its simulated probability distribution, which does not depend on the reference level of per capita consumption.
Dynamical Behavior for a Food-Chain Model with Impulsive Harvest and Digest Delay
Authors: Tian Baodan , Zhong Shouming , Chen Ning , Qiu Yanhong
Published: August 2014

We investigate the dynamics of a food-chain system with digest delay and periodic harvesting for the prey. By using the comparison theorem, small amplitude skills in the impulsive differential equation, and a special qualitative analysis method in the delay differential equation, we prove that there exists a predators-eradication periodic solution which is globally attractive and show that the pest population can be controlled under the economic threshold level and the system can be uniformly permanent when the harvest periodTis long enough or the harvesting rateδis not too large. Furthermore, we perform a series of numerical simulations to display the effects of the digest delay and periodic harvesting on the dynamic behavior of the food-chain system.
Synthesis and Antimicrobial Studies of Pyrimidine Pyrazole Heterocycles
Authors: Kumar Rakesh , Arora Jyoti , Ruhil Sonam , Phougat Neetu , Chhillar Anil K. , Prasad Ashok K.
Published: August 2014

Prompted from the diversity of the wider use and being an integral part of genetic material, an effort was made to synthesize pyrimidine pyrazole derivatives of pharmaceutical interest by oxidative cyclization of chalcones with satisfactory yield and purity. A novel series of 1,3-dimethyl-6-hydroxy-2,4-dioxo-5-(1′-phenyl-3′-aryl-1H-pyrazol-5′-yl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidines (5a–d) and 1,3-diaryl-6-hydroxy-4-oxo-2-thioxo-5-(1′-phenyl-3′-aryl-1H-pyrazol-5′-yl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidines (5e–l) has been synthesized. The structures of these compounds were established on the basis of FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and mass spectral analysis. All the synthesized compounds were screened for their antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi. Among all the compounds, 5g was found to be the most active as its MIC was 31.25 µg/mL against S. aureus and B. cereus. The compounds 5h, 5c, and 5e also possess antibacterial activity with MIC values as 62.50, 125.00, and 500.00 µg/mL, respectively. The compounds 5c and 5j were found to have antifungal activity against Aspergillus spp. As antifungal drugs lag behind the antibacterial drugs, therefore we tried in vitro combination of these two compounds with standard antifungal drugs (polyene and azole) against Aspergillus spp. The combination of ketoconazole with 5c and 5j showed synergy at 1 : 8 (6.25 : 50.00 µg/mL) and 1 : 4 (25 : 100 µg/mL) against A. fumigatus (ITCC 4517) and A. fumigatus (VPCI 190/96), respectively.
Microevolutionary Effects of Habitat Fragmentation on Plant-Animal Interactions
Authors: Fontúrbel Francisco E. , Murúa Maureen M.
Published: August 2014

Plant-animal interactions are a key component for biodiversity maintenance, but they are currently threatened by human activities. Habitat fragmentation might alter ecological interactions due to demographic changes, spatial discontinuities, and edge effects. Also, there are less evident effects of habitat fragmentation that potentially alter selective forces and compromise the fitness of the interacting species. Changes in the mutualistic and antagonistic interactions in fragmented habitats could significantly influence the plant reproductive output and the fauna assemblage associated with. Fragmented habitats may trigger contemporary evolution processes and open new evolutionary opportunities. Interacting parties with a diffuse and asymmetric relationship are less susceptible to local extinction but more prone to evolve towards new interactions or autonomy. However, highly specialized mutualisms are likely to disappear. On the other hand, ecological interactions may mutually modulate their response in fragmented habitats, especially when antagonistic interactions disrupt mutualistic ones. Ecoevolutionary issues of habitat fragmentation have been little explored, but the empiric evidence available suggests that the complex modification of ecological interactions in fragmented habitats might lead to nonanalogous communities on the long term.
Religion, Acculturation, and Incarceration: Determinants of Substance Use among Hispanic Adults in the United States
Authors: Becerra Benjamin J. , Becerra Monideepa B. , Gerdine Miryam C. , Banta Jim E.
Published: August 2014

Objective. The influence of religion, acculturation, and incarceration on substance abuse has been studied, though predominantly among adolescents. Little research exists on how such factors influence substance use among Hispanic adults. The objective of this study was to assess key determinants of substance use among Hispanic adults.Methods. Public access 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health was utilized. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted while accounting for complex survey design to obtain population-weighted estimates. Receiver operator curve analysis was used to evaluate the relative contribution of each variable.Results. Importance of religious influence in life and Spanish language interview were associated with lower odds of substance use, while history of incarceration increased the likelihood of substance use among Hispanic adults. Other factors associated with lower odds were increasing age, being female, and currently married. Other factors associated with increased odds were high school graduate and some college in addition to living above the 200% federal poverty level.Discussion. Results from this study add to the limited body of the literature on determinants of substance use among Hispanic adults. Health education measures should target acculturated Hispanic adults and those with incarceration history to reduce substance use.
Symmetry Reductions of (2 + 1)-Dimensional CDGKS Equation and Its Reduced Lax Pairs
Authors: Lv Na , Yuan Xuegang , Wang Jinzhi
Published: August 2014

With the aid of symbolic computation, we obtain the symmetry transformations of the (2 + 1)-dimensional Caudrey-Dodd-Gibbon-Kotera-Sawada (CDGKS) equation by Lou’s direct method which is based on Lax pairs. Moreover, we use the classical Lie group method to seek the symmetry groups of both the CDGKS equation and its Lax pair and then reduce them by the obtained symmetries. In particular, we consider the reductions of the Lax pair completely. As a result, three reduced (1 + 1)-dimensional equations with their new Lax pairs are presented and some group-invariant solutions of the equation are given.
Effect of Ranirestat, a New Aldose Reductase Inhibitor, on Diabetic Retinopathy in SDT Rats
Authors: Toyoda Fumihiko , Tanaka Yoshiaki , Ota Ayumi , Shimmura Machiko , Kinoshita Nozomi , Takano Hiroko , Matsumoto Takafumi , Tsuji Junichi , Kakehashi Akihiro
Published: August 2014

Purpose. To evaluate the effect of ranirestat, a new aldose reductase inhibitor (ARI), on diabetic retinopathy (DR) in Spontaneously Diabetic Torii (SDT) rats.Methods. The animals were divided into six groups, normal Sprague-Dawley rats(n=8), untreated SDT rats(n=9), ranirestat-treated SDT rats (0.1, 1.0, and 10 mg/kg/day,n=7, 8, and 6, resp.), and epalrestat-treated SDT rats (100 mg/kg/day,n=7). Treated rats received oral ranirestat or epalrestat once daily for 40 weeks after the onset of diabetes. After the eyes were enucleated, the retinal thickness and the area of stained glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were measured.Results. The retinas in the untreated group were significantly thicker than those in the normal and ranirestat-treated (0.1, 1.0, and 10 mg/kg/day) groups. The immunostained area of GFAP in the untreated group was significantly larger than that in the normal and ranirestat-treated (1.0 and 10 mg/kg/day) groups. There were no significant differences between the untreated group and epalrestat-treated group in the retinal thickness and the area of stained GFAP.Conclusion. Ranirestat reduced the retinal thickness and the area of stained GFAP in SDT rats and might suppress DR and have a neuroprotective effect on diabetic retinas.
Validation of a Serum Analysis Method to Analyze Antihistamines by Capillary Electrophoresis
Authors: Peris-Vicente J. , Carda-Broch S. , Esteve-Romero J.
Published: August 2014

The validation of an electrophoresis-based analytical method to quantify 17 antihistamines in pharmaceutical formulations and serum is described. Then, whether the methodology provides true values with low uncertainty and is able to detect the concentration range level of analyte usually found in the matrix was evaluated. The analytical method was validated following the recommendations of an official guide to provide more reliability to the results. The ICH Harmonized Tripartite Guideline was selected because it was especially developed for analysis of drugs. The guide and the following required validation parameters, selectivity, calibration range, linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, inter- and intraday accuracy and precision, and robustness, were described. The method was inexpensive, fast, simple, environmentally friendly, and useful for routine analysis. The methodology was successfully validated and applied to commercial pharmaceutical formulations and spiked blank serum samples.
Methyl Esters Selectivity of Transesterification Reaction with Homogenous Alkaline Catalyst to Produce Biodiesel in Batch, Plug Flow, and Continuous Stirred Tank Reactors
Authors: Nasir N. F. , Daud W. R. W. , Kamarudin S. K. , Yaakob Z.
Published: August 2014

Selectivity concept is essential in establishing the best operating conditions for attaining maximum production of the desired product. For complex reaction such as biodiesel fuel synthesis, kinetic studies of transesterification reaction have revealed the mechanism of the reaction and rate constants. The objectives of this research are to develop the kinetic parameters for determination of methyl esters and glycerol selectivity, evaluate the significance of the reverse reaction in transesterification reaction, and examine the influence of reaction characteristics (reaction temperature, methanol to oil molar ratio, and the amount of catalyst) on selectivity. For this study, published reaction rate constants of transesterification reaction were used to develop mathematical expressions for selectivities. In order to examine the base case and reversible transesterification, two calculation schemes (Case  1 and Case  2) were established. An enhanced selectivity was found in the base case of transesterification reaction. The selectivity was greatly improved at optimum reaction temperature (60°C), molar ratio (9 : 1), catalyst concentration (1.5 wt.%), and low free fatty acid feedstock. Further research might explore the application of selectivity for specifying reactor configurations.
Is There a Role for Low-Dose Eltrombopag as Maintenance Therapy in the Treatment of Immune Thrombocytopenia?
Authors: Vlachaki Efthymia , Sousos Nikolaos , Perifanis Vasilios , Kaiafa Georgia , Onoufriadis Ilias , Hatzitolios Apostolos , Boura Panagiota
Published: August 2014

Background/Aim: Thrombopoietin receptor agonists (romiplostim and eltrombopag) have recently been licensed for the treatment of thrombocytopenia in patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) with an insufficient response to corticosteroids, immunoglobulins or splenectomy. In the present case series, we present 4 nonresponding patients with chronic ITP who achieved maintenance of complete response (CR) for a period of at least 6 months on eltrombopag treatment administered in a modified regimen of 25 mg for 2, 3 or 5 days a week. Methods: The present study is a retrospective, nonconsecutive case series of 4 eltrombopag-treated patients with chronic ITP. Secondary ITP had been excluded in each patient, first-line therapy had failed and splenectomy had been refused. Furthermore, each patient was treated with eltrombopag, which resulted in a CR for a mean of 2 months. Consequently, decreased eltrombopag dosages have been able to maintain long-term CR. Results/Conclusion: Despite the low quality of evidence, our study results support the use of reduced-dose eltrombopag as a maintenance therapy after achieving CR. It seems a very promising strategy for the effective maintenance of response, improving health-related quality of life, lowering costs and possibly improving the safety in the treatment of ITP.
The Impact of Gestational Age on Targeted Amniotic Cell Profiling in Experimental Neural Tube Defects
Authors: Pennington Elliot C. , Rialon Kristy L. , Dionigi Beatrice , Ahmed Azra , Zurakowski David , Fauza Dario O.
Published: August 2014

Purpose: The proportions of select stem cells in term amniotic fluid have been shown to correlate with the type and size of experimental neural tube defects (NTDs). We sought to determine the impact of gestational age upon this form of targeted amniotic cell profiling. Methods: Sprague-Dawley fetuses with retinoic acid-induced NTDs (n = 110) underwent amniotic fluid procurement at four time points in gestation. Samples were analyzed by flow cytometry for the presence of cells concomitantly expressing Nestin and Sox-2 (neural stem cells, aNSCs) and cells concomitantly expressing CD29 and CD44 (mesenchymal stem cells, aMSCs). Statistical analysis was by nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA (p < 0.05). Results: There was a statistically significant impact of gestational age on the proportions of both aMSCs (p = 0.01) and aNSCs (p < 0.01) in fetuses with isolated spina bifida. No such impact was noted in normal fetuses (p > 0.10 for both cells), in isolated exencephaly (p > 0.10 for both cells), or in combination defects (p > 0.10 for both cells). Gestational age had no effect on aNSC/aMSC ratios. Conclusions: Targeted quantitative amniotic cell profiling varies with gestational age in experimental isolated spina bifida. This finding should be considered prior to the eventual translation of this diagnostic adjunct into the prenatal evaluation of these anomalies.
Regional Brain Morphometric Characteristics of Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip and Palate
Authors: Adamson Chris L. , Anderson Vicki A. , Nopoulos Peg , Seal Marc L. , Da Costa Annette C.
Published: August 2014

Nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate (NSCLP) encompasses a group of orofacial abnormalities. Emerging evidence has revealed the presence of structural brain abnormalities in affected individuals. Previous studies have performed structure-based volumetric analysis of the brain assessing gross lobular subdivisions of the cerebral cortex and white matter which may have only vague relationships to the functional subregions implicated in behavioral and cognitive deficits observed in NSCLP patients. High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging structural data were acquired to provide a detailed characterization of the brain with respect to both regional cortical volume and thickness in 26 children with NSCLP and 26 age- and demographically matched typically developing children. Children with NSCLP exhibited abnormally large cerebral cortex grey matter volumes with decreased volumes of subcortical grey matter and cerebral white matter structures. Hemisphere-specific patterns of cortical volume and thickness abnormalities were identified. This study is the first to examine cortical thickness abnormalities in NSCLP. Overall, these findings suggest that the brains of children with NSCLP are less mature than those of their age-matched peers. Gender-specific comparisons reveal that NSCLP females were more immature compared to their typically developing peers compared to NSCLP males.
Revision of Nearctic Phthinia Winnertz (Diptera: Mycetophilidae)
Authors: FITZGERALD SCOTT J. , KERR PETER H.
Published: August 2014

The Nearctic species of Phthinia Winnertz are revised. Eight species are recognized, of which four are newly described; P. tanypus Loew (= P. carolina Fisher n. syn., and P. catawbiensis Shaw n. syn.), P. lobata Zaitzev, P. miranda Zaitzev, P. ramificans Zaitzev, P. nepunei n. sp., P. cascadica n. sp., P. meicigama n. sp. and P. mikmaqi n. sp. A key to these species is also provided.
First records of Croatian and Serbian Tetrigidae (Orthoptera: Caelifera) with description of a new subspecies of Tetrix transsylvanica (Bazyluk & Kis, 1960)
Authors: SKEJO JOSIP , REBRINA FRAN , BUZZETTI FILIPPO MARIA , IVKOVIĆ SLOBODAN , RAŠIĆ ALAN , TVRTKOVIĆ NIKOLA
Published: August 2014

A review of the Croatian and Serbian Tetrigidae is given and first records of Tetrix undulata (Sowerby, 1806) for Croatia and Serbia as well as Tetrix tuerki (Krauss, 1876) and Tetrix transsylvanica (Bazyluk & Kis, 1960) comb. nov. for Croatia are presented. The status of the genus Uvarovitettix Bazyluk & Kis, 1960 and the taxonomic position of T. transsylvanica comb. nov. are discussed. The genus Uvarovitettix Bazyluk & Kis, 1960 syn. nov. is synonymised with the genus Tetrix Latreille, 1802. A new subspecies from Croatia and Slovenia, Tetrix transsylvanica hypsocorypha Skejo, 2014 subspecies nova, is described. Tetrix pseudodepressa (Ingrisch, 2006) comb. nov. and Tetrix depressa (Brisout de Barneville, 1848) comb. nov. are moved to the genus Tetrix and the genus Depressotetrix Karaman, 1960 syn. nov. is synonymised with the genus Tetrix. Tetrix gibberosa (Wang & Zheng, 1993) inc. sed. and T. nodulosa (Fieber, 1853) inc. sed. are now considered to be species of uncertain placement within the genus Tetrix. New combination is also given to Paratettix tuberculata (Zheng & Jiang, 1997), primarily placed within the genus Mishtshenkotetrix: Tetrix tuberculata (Zheng & Jiang, 1997) comb. nov., but its placement within the genus Tetrix is also uncertain.
Teacher Evaluation and Music Education
Authors: Overland Corin T.
Published: August 2014

Between 2009 and 2014, thirty-seven states in the United States have adopted or significantly amended their teacher evaluation laws, mostly shifting toward using measurements of student growth on achievement tests. Yet, the processes to evaluate core subjects have not always transitioned smoothly to nontested or artistic content, causing some music teachers to be evaluated on factors other than pedagogical skills or student achievement. This article provides a starting point for music educators interested in joining the national conversation on teacher evaluation, beginning with a contextual discussion of the history and previous policies of teacher evaluation in the arts. It explores strengths and weaknesses of several popular models of teacher evaluation, including value-added growth systems, and presents emerging research in teacher evaluation and how new innovations in professional evaluation could potentially be applied to arts education.
Using Longitudinal Scales Assessment for Instrumental Music Students
Authors: Simon Samuel H.
Published: August 2014

In music education, current assessment trends emphasize student reflection, tracking progress over time, and formative as well as summative measures. This view of assessment requires instrumental music educators to modernize their approaches without interfering with methods that have proven to be successful. To this end, the Longitudinal Scales Assessment is described and examined as a component of student evaluation that contributes to broader educational goals.
Music Performance Assessment
Authors: DeLuca Christopher , Bolden Benjamin
Published: August 2014

Assessing student performance is a central challenge for music educators. In alignment with previous research, this article asserts that rubrics provide a viable and useful structure for assessing music performance. To expand the potential of rubrics in music education, challenges to effective rubric construction are identified and addressed through the construction of three different types of performance rubrics: (1) a discrete-component rubric, (2) an integrated-component rubric, and (3) a self-reflection rubric. Through analysis of these rubrics, we identify ways to construct assessment criteria that are sufficiently descriptive to accurately measure achievement and provide helpful feedback to learners. We demonstrate how criteria can be constructed that both encourage achievement of curriculum expectations and technical proficiency and leave room for students’ expressive intentions. We offer ideas for integrating these rubrics into the music classroom.
Characterisation and oxidation of LVOF sprayed Al2O3–40TiO2 coating on superalloys
Authors: Mishra N. K. , Mishra S. B. , Kumar R.
Published: August 2014

High temperature oxidation occurs in many equipments ranging from gas turbines, boilers, heat treating retorts to heat exchangers. Superalloys are used for such applications due to their excellent mechanical properties and creep resistance, but lack resistance to oxidation. In the present investigation, Al2O3–40TiO2 coating has been deposited on nickel and cobalt based superalloys by low velocity oxyfuel (LVOF) process. The coating has been characterised for scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and surface roughness. The high temperature oxidation behaviour of coated and uncoated superalloys has been evaluated at 800°C for 50 cycles of one hour duration. The LVOF coating has shown good adherence to the substrate. AE 435 superalloy has shown the highest weight gain amongst the tested materials, whereas Al2O3–40TiO2 coated Superco 605 superalloy has shown the lowest weight gain. The better oxidation resistance of Al2O3–40TiO2 coating might be attributed to the presence of protective Al2O3 phase along with TiO2 phase in it.
Colorimetric variation of zinc–titanium alloy coatings
Authors: Burattini C. , Zortea L. , Volpe V. , Bisegna F. , Natali S. , Gugliermetti F.
Published: August 2014

The purpose of this work is to characterise the colours obtained on the surface of zinc–titanium alloy coatings. Hot dip galvanising samples were prepared at temperatures in the range of 560–640°C. Seven colours were observed and objectively measured by means of reflectance curves and CIELab coordinates. Experimental results show that, after the extraction from the bath, the colours of the galvanised coating change continuously during the cooling and then stabilise after a few seconds. The colour uniformity on the surface of each sample was evaluated according to ASTM standard. Results show little colour differences in two specimens and acceptable colour uniformity in the other five.
SubcloneSeeker: a computational framework for reconstructing tumor clone structure for cancer variant interpretation and prioritization
Authors: Qiao Yi , Quinlan Aaron R , Jazaeri Amir A , Verhaak Roeland GW , Wheeler David A , Marth Gabor T
Published: August 2014

Many tumors are composed of genetically divergent cell subpopulations. We report SubcloneSeeker, a package capable of exhaustive identification of subclone structures and evolutionary histories with bulk somatic variant allele frequency measurements from tumor biopsies. We present a statistical framework to elucidate whether specific sets of mutations are present within the same subclones, and the order in which they occur. We demonstrate how subclone reconstruction provides crucial information about tumorigenesis and relapse mechanisms; guides functional study by variant prioritization, and has the potential as a rational basis for informed therapeutic strategies for the patient. SubcloneSeeker is available at: https://github.com/yiq/SubcloneSeeker.
Cyclic Delivery Schedules for an Inventory Routing Problem
Authors: Ekici Ali , Özener Okan Örsan , Kuyzu Gültekin
Published: August 2014

We consider an inventory routing problem where a common vendor is responsible for replenishing the inventories of several customers over a perpetual time horizon. The objective of the vendor is to minimize the total cost of transportation of a single product from a single depot to a set of customers with deterministic and stationary consumption rates over a planning horizon while avoiding stock-outs at the customer locations. We focus on constructing a repeatable (cyclic) delivery schedule for the product delivery. We propose a novel algorithm, called the Iterative Clustering-Based Constructive Heuristic Algorithm, to solve the problem in two stages: (i) clustering, and (ii) delivery schedule generation. To test the performance of the proposed algorithm in terms of solution quality and computational efficiency, we perform a computational study on both randomly generated instances and real-life instances provided by an industrial gases manufacturer. We also compare the performance of the proposed algorithm against an algorithm developed for general routing problems.
Managing COPD exacerbations
Authors: Bostock-Cox Beverley
Published: August 2014

COPD

Recognition of symptoms by patients and nurses is vital for a positive outcome. Beverley Bostock-Cox explains
Understanding the prostate and spotting signs of cancer
Authors: Peate Ian
Published: August 2014

CANCER

Nurses can use an improved knowledge of the prostate to plan interventions to reduce the risk of prostate cancer, explains Ian Peate in his overview of this common disease
Resources for SEN
Authors: Brodie Kathy , Fillingham Sarah , Johnson Jill
Published: August 2014

These can be made from simple, and free resources that most settings already have, says Kathy Brodie. Small changes make all the difference when it comes to being inclusive…
Reckoning on October
Authors: Clarke Jenni
Published: August 2014

Jenni Clarke kicks off a new series linking number activities with the current month of the year, and highlights how they can be used for planning and observation. How does the tenth month stack up?
Working it out together
Authors: White Hilary
Published: August 2014

Being part of a team can be fun and uplifting one minute – and stressful and challenging the next. Successful teams are built on a shared vision and open communication, says Hilary White.
The effect of the using drama method in primary school science and technology courses on student attitude and motivation
Authors: Ormanci Ummuhan , Özcan Sevil
Published: August 2014

The present study aims at determining the effect of using the drama method in science and technology courses in the elementary schools on students' attitudes and motivation. The pretest-posttest non-equivalent model, which is one of "the semi experimental designs", was used in this study. The study in the experimental group (N=18) was conducted with a science and technology program, the systems in our body chapter, of the science and technology course and supported with the drama method. The control group (N=18) was conducted with the science and technology program only. The study continued 22 lesson hours during unit of the systems in our body. The data gathering tool in the study was the motivation scale towards learning science (Alpha=.80) and science attitude scale (Alpha=.83). In the study non-parametric analyzes method is used for data analyzing. When findings were examined, it was seen that there was a significant difference in favor of the experimental group between the attitude and motivation posttest scores of the control group and the scores of the experimental group. In this respect, it can be said that the drama method is more effective than the available science and technology instructional program in increasing students' attitude and motivation. Some suggestions were given based on these findings.
Das Problem der Schönheit in Dantes Commedia
Authors: Huss Bernhard
Published: August 2014

Riassunto

Il presente contributo discute il concetto di ›bellezza‹ dantesco nei termini di una problematica del rapporto che intercorre tra ›cielo‹ e ›terra‹ nella Commedia. Dante concepisce la bellezza sullo sfondo di due discorsi contrastanti, uno platonico-emanatistico e l’altro biblico-escatologico. Il primo modello è strutturato secondo una gerarchia verticale, mentre il secondo rappresenta un modello storico che si basa sulla narrazione lineare del peccato originale, della redenzione e della promessa di salvazione. Entrambi determinano differenti classificazioni e concezioni della ›bellezza‹. Tramite una lettura di vari passi della Commedia, e in particolare del VII. canto del Paradiso, verrà analizzato il rapporto intricato dei due modelli, rapporto che è passato più volte inosservato solamente grazie all’intenso lavoro poetico-testuale di Dante
Die Abwägung irdischer und himmlischer Güter – ökonomische Ethik und Seelenökonomie in Dantes Commedia
Authors: Klettke Cornelia
Published: August 2014

Riassunto

Nel campo di tensione fra le virtù e i vizi degli uomini, l’oro e la moneta svolgono un ruolo affatto ambivalente quali dispositivi il cui valore oscilla tra avaritia e caritas. Nella lingua di Dante, il termine moneta indica altresì la valuta corrente per l’anima purgata. In una simile »economia dell’anima« la moneta, quale simbolo della finanza, descrive metaforicamente l’atto di grazia di una ricchezza dell’anima, per così dire lo scambio della materialità con l’immaterialità. La poetica del denaro in Dante si basa su un raffinato repertorio retorico e concettuale la cui metaforicità suggerisce un’economia dello scambio attraverso l’immagine di preziosi e altre ricchezze terrene, che vengono raffigurate in un senso dapprima del tutto concreto e che, grazie alla permutazione, si trasformano in beatitudini psichico-spirituali. Il sistema dantesco delle pene infernali riflette lo spirito del tempo e la decadenza morale dei contemporanei che si esplica nel loro rapporto peccaminoso col denaro. Sulle orme di Tommaso d’Aquino, Dante considera l’usura un peccato contro la giustizia divina. In generale, la sua critica nei confronti dell’economia monetaria si cristallizza in tre gruppi di peccatori: gli usurai, i simoniaci e i falsari. Essi rappresentano l’oggetto di questo contributo che, inoltre, sarà completato da un confronto tra il ciclo di illustrazioni botticelliane della Commedia e la serie di affreschi realizzata da Giotto nella Cappella degli Scrovegni.
Talking about Hamlet
Authors: Everett Anthony
Published: August 2014

One argument for fictional realism, the view that there are such things as fictional characters, proceeds by arguing that we need to accept there are fictional characters in order to provide an adequate account of intuitively true and meaningful reports containing fictional names, reports such as »In
Structure and Significance in Metaphysics
Authors: Graham Andrew J.
Published: August 2014

This paper discusses recent attempts to defend metaphysics as a worthwhile form of inquiry. According to such views, metaphysics concerns the world’s fundamental structure. I question whether this view can establish that metaphysical disputes are relevant to the rest of our theoretical activities. I take this relevance to be a criterion for whether disputes are worthwhile (or, as I call them, “significant”). I argue that the structure approach is unsatisfactory because appropriately structural disputes need not be worthwhile disputes, and vice versa. So, the structure approach threatens to render metaphysics irrelevant to our broader theorizing, undermining many of its legitimate successes, like the role theorizing about metaphysical modality played in the development of modal logic. Thus these structure-based views provide a poor defense of metaphysics. I then offer an alternative conception of metaphysics as an attempt to understand our most ubiquitous theoretical notions.
The Only Probability Is Verbal Probability
Authors: Masterton George
Published: August 2014

In 1977 van Fraassen showed convincingly, and in detail, how one can give a dissentive answer to the question “[a]re there necessities in nature?”. In this paper, I follow his lead and show in a similar fashion and detail, how it is possible to give a dissentive answer to: Are there probabilities in nature? This is achieved by giving a partial analysis – with the aid of Kaplanian pragmatics – of objective chance in terms of that credence that is reasonable where prevailing laws and conditions exhaust one’s evidence. This template belongs firmly within the established Bayesian program of analysing objective chance as ultimate belief. Its contribution to that program is the same as van Fraassen’s contribution to the empiricist program of analysing physical necessity; namely, it demonstrates the logical possibility of such an analysis.
Against Logically Possible World-Relativized Existence
Authors: Jacquette Dale
Published: August 2014

The thesis that entities exist in, at, or in relation to logically possible worlds is criticized. The suggestion that actually nonexistent fictional characters might nevertheless exist in nonactual merely logically possible worlds runs afoul of the most general transworld identity requirements. An influential philosophical argument for the concept of world-relativized existence is examined in Alvin Plantinga’s formal development and explanation of modal semantic relations. Despite proposing an attractive unified semantics of alethic modality, Plantinga’s argument is rejected on formal grounds as supporting materially false actual existence assertions in the case of actually nonexistent objects in the framework of Plantinga’s own underlying classical predicate-quantificational logic.
Does Time Flow, at Any Rate?
Authors: Mazzola Claudio
Published: August 2014

The so-called no-rate argument argues that time cannot flow or pass in the literal sense of that term, because its motion can be assigned no meaningful rate. This paper examines a yet unexplored objection to the no-rate argument, which consists in showing that the argument itself is based on an extended conception of motion, according to which it is meaningful and consistent to say that time flows at no well-defined rate.
Charitable (Anti)Trust: The Role of Antitrust Regulation in the Nonprofit Sector
Authors: Searing Elizabeth A. M.
Published: August 2014

The purpose of this study is to address the ambiguities in the application of anti-trust regulations to the nonprofit sector. We first survey policy tools and their diverse historical usage in nonprofit and mixed markets, specifically in professional associations, hospitals, and education. This analysis informs the development of a typology of anti-competitive nonprofit markets which is used to classify the three historical examples into eight traits. Finally, this typology is applied to three new markets – animal shelters, thrift stores, and soup kitchens – which have less in common with purely for-profit markets and have little or no discussion in antitrust literature. We find that the nonprofit form per se does not indicate an absence of anticompetitive practices or antitrust concerns; however, certain combinations of attributes – such as purely donative revenues and an absence of pricing ability – make the threat of anticompetitive practice less oppressive.
Structural aspects of molecular recognition in the immune system. Part I: Acquired immunity (IUPAC Technical Report)
Authors: Templeton Douglas M. , Moehle Kerstin
Published: August 2014

Humoral immunity allows the body to mount a defense against pathogens and foreign substances, and to respond with memory to subsequent exposures. The molecular participants may also recognize self-structures, leading to attack on the body and autoimmune disease. The main players in humoral immunity are antibody-producing B lymphocytes, and several classes of T lymphocytes. This review deals with the molecular details of recognition of antigens by soluble antibodies, and of substances presented to receptors on the surfaces of T cells (TCRs). The prototype antibody consists of a dimer of dimers, two heavy (H) chains and two light (L) chains, with antigen recognition capacity lying in variable “head” regions of an H-L pair. Most crystallographic studies are done with this substructure, called a Fab fragment, bound in a soluble antigen complex. Homologous to this arrangement, the prototype TCR consists of two chains (α and β) that complex not soluble antigen, but usually a short peptide or other small molecule presented by proteins of the major histocompatibility complex. In each case a general background on the historical development of understanding the molecular recognition interface is given, followed by a number of examples of crystal structures from the recent literature that have allowed us to refine our understanding of the complex recognition process. Variations on the prototypical structures are also considered. The spectrum of recognition strategies involves interplay of lock-and-key with flexibility, varying degrees of entropic and enthalpic contributions, surface shaping by entrapped water molecules, and combinations of stabilizing hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, salt bridging, and van der Waals forces. Preeminent in the recent literature are details of antibody binding to influenza A and human immunodeficiency viral antigens. Both viral antigens and attempts to understand autoimmunity are prominent in the recent TCR literature.
The Evaluation of Vocal Pitch Accuracy
Authors: Larrouy-Maestri Pauline , Magis David , Morsomme Dominique
Published: August 2014

The objective analysis of Western operatic singing voices indicates that professional singers can be particularly “out of tune.” This study aims to better understand the evaluation of operatic voices, which have particularly complex acoustical signals. Twenty-two music experts were asked to evaluate the vocal pitch accuracy of 14 sung performances with a pairwise comparison paradigm, in a test and a retest. In addition to the objective measurement of pitch accuracy (pitch interval deviation), several performance parameters (average tempo, fundamental frequency of the starting note) and quality parameters (energy distribution, vibrato rate and extent) were observed and compared to the judges’ perceptual rating. The results show high intra and interjudge reliability when rating the pitch accuracy of operatic singing voices. Surprisingly, all the parameters were significantly related to the ratings and explain 78.8% of the variability of the judges’ rating. The pitch accuracy evaluation of operatic voices is thus not based exclusively on the precision of performed music intervals but on a complex combination of performance and quality parameters.
Memory Improvement While Hearing Music
Authors: Dowling W. Jay , Tillmann Barbara
Published: August 2014

Previous research (Music Perception, 2002, Issue 2) demonstrated improvement in recognition memory across delays increasing from 5 to 15 s while listening to novel music, attributable to a decline in false alarms to similar lures. We hypothesize that this improvement results from delayed binding of features. At short delays, targets and similar lures are easily confused because they share individual features such as melodic contour and musical key. Binding those features into a coherent memory representation—such as encoding the pitch level at which the contour is attached to the scale—reduces that confusion and hence false alarms to similar lures. Here we report eight experiments in which we explore the conditions under which this continued encoding occurs, and test specific hypotheses concerning the particular features involved. These phenomena involve the binding of complex features of nonverbal material, and are explained in terms of theoretical descriptions of the features and the representations resulting from binding. We envisage future studies investigating this binding phenomenon with neurophysiological methods in the study of cognition in aging.
Spatial capture–recapture model performance with known small‐mammal densities
Authors: Gerber Brian D. , Parmenter Robert R.
Published: August 2014

Abundance and density of wild animals are important ecological metrics. However, estimating either is fraught with challenges; spatial capture–recapture (SCR) models are a relatively new class of models that attempt to ameliorate common challenges, providing a statistically coherent framework to estimate abundance and density. SCR models are increasingly being used in ecological and conservation studies of mammals worldwide, but have received little testing with empirical field data. We use data collected via a web and grid sampling design to evaluate the basic SCR model where small‐mammal abundance (N) and density (D) are known (via exhaustive sampling). We fit the basic SCR model with and without a behavioral effect to 11 small‐mammal populations for each sampling design using a Bayesian and likelihood SCR modeling approach. We compare SCR and ad hoc density estimators using frequentist performance measures. We found Bayesian and likelihood SCR estimates of density (D̂) and abundance (N̂) to be similar. We also found SCR models to have moderately poor frequentist coverage ofDandN(45–73%), high deviation from truth (i.e., accuracy;D̂, 17–29%;N̂, 16–29%), and consistent negative bias across inferential paradigms, sampling designs, and models. With the trapping grid data, the basic SCR model generally performed more poorly than the best ad hoc estimator (behavior CR super‐population estimate divided by the full mean maximum distance moved estimate of the effective trapping area), whereas with the trapping web data, the best‐performing SCR model (null) was comparable to the best distance model. Relatively poor frequentist SCR coverage resulted from higher precision (SCR coefficients of variation [CVs] < ad hoc CVs); howeverD̂andDwere fairly well correlated (r2range of 0.77–0.96). SCR's negative relative bias (i.e., average underestimation of the true density) suggests additional heterogeneity in detection and/or that small mammals maintained asymmetric home ranges. We suggest caution in the use of the basic SCR model when trapping animals in a sampling grid and more generally when small sample sizes necessitate the spatial scale parameter (σ) apply to all individuals. When possible, researchers should consider variation in detection and incorporate individual biological and/or ecological variation at the trap level when modeling σ.
Achieving Top Quartile Extended Reach Performance in the North Malay Basin
Authors: Richardson Tom , Jong Siaw Chuan , Rosli Tyiara , Scott Will , Lamothe Ryan , Chen David C-K
Published: August 2014

Hess Malaysia embarked on an extended reach drilling (ERD) campaign in 2013 at the BK field in the North Malay Basin. In order to focus on planning and operational requirements associated with the challenge, a new Hess drilling optimization process called SmartDrill was used to follow a Plan-Do-Check-Adjust methodology. The team captured and implemented lessons learned from the first ERD well of the campaign to optimize future performance and ultimately achieve top quartile performance. Best practices and lessons learned from the project have now become the standard for extended reach drilling in Hess Malaysia. The campaign was a success on multiple fronts: There were zero environmental, health, or safety (EHS) incidents; the total program well cost was under the AFE by 26% and the campaign was 30 days ahead of schedule.
Integrated Drilling Breakthroughs Enable More Efficient Development in the Most Challenging Ultra-deep Formations in Tarim Basin, West China
Authors: Teng Xueqing , Li Ning , Zhou Bo , Li Jiaxue , Cheng Rongchao , Yuan Xubo , Chen Mian
Published: August 2014

The Kuqa Fold-Thrust Belt in Tarim Basin is verified as the most challenging geological structure for ultra-deep hydrocarbon development in China onshore. Its average drilling cycle is larger than 450 days with an average well depth of about 21000ft, which is far unable to meet the E&P requirements of oil company, due to its unique drilling challenges caused by the high-steep structure (maximum dip angle 80°) and the thick gravel layer (maximum thickness 17933ft, maximum buried depth 26074ft) with high abrasiveness in upper formations, the complicated thick gypsum salt layer and interbedded unpredictable abnormal high pressure zone in middle formations, as well as the poor drillability and high crustal stress along the lower small-geometry borehole.

These drilling bottlenecks have promoted years of efforts for technical innovations, including: 1) Automatic vertical drilling technology for upper high-steep layer; 2) Gas drilling technology for suprasalt abrasive gravel layer; 3) A unconventional TaBiao series of casing program to isolate multilayer salt and to guarantee subsequent stimulation operations; 4) Precise determination of salt bottom to prevent losing isolation of salt layer; 5) High temperature resistant and high density oil-base drilling fluid for safe drilling through salt and hydrocarbon-bearing formations; 6) Enhanced PDC bit and downhole motors for ROP improvement; 7) Other cutting-edge technologies.

These drilling technologies have been integrated and extensively applied in the Dabei-Keshen block with a tremendous success. The ultra-deep well drilling cycle is sharply shortened by half with highly improved drilling speed and dramatically reduced downhole accidents and complexities. The drilling breakthrough delivers strong assurance for more safe and cost-effective production in ultra-deep formations in Tarim.

This paper will highlight the ultra-deep well drilling challenges, matching drilling technologies respectively for suprasalt layer, salt stratum, and subsalt target layer, as well as the application results of technical integration.