bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Creation and Management of Protected Areas in Monteverde Costa Rica
Authors: Davis Jason
Published: June 2016

At present, nature conservation depends heavily on protected areas to limit the destruction caused by human activities such as land clearing, logging, and urban development. Yet despite their importance and widespread use, the general public and policy makers frequently maintain a simplistic and static conception of protected areas. Often, the mental model of protected areas consists of a “one-size-fits-all” park – a fenced off area of land designed to protect “nature” from humans. In reality, however, protected areas are multifaceted, fluid entities that result from a confluence of people’s ideas about what these areas are expected to accomplish and for whom they serve. Although protected areas sometimes do take the “fenced-off” approach, they take many other forms reflecting societal trends in conservation practice. History belies the idea of one standard type of protected area for all places and all times.

The area around Monteverde, Costa Rica, offers a distinctive case study of the development of protected-area conservation. Beginning in the 1950s with the arrival of American Quaker settlers, residents have created a protected area network that has grown and expanded to reflect the changing constituencies of the region: agriculturalists, biologists, international conservation groups, and tourists. The protected areas now safeguard local watersheds, protect endangered species and biodiversity, and provide the framework for a dynamic tourism-based economy.

Many scholars look at Monteverde’s protected-area experience, particularly the development of nature-based tourism, as evidence of the area’s success in conserving its natural resources and improving standards of living. However, it is problematic to use Monteverde as a direct model for successful conservation and development. The protected-area network grew out of a half-century of conservation initiatives driven by various local and international constituencies. Monteverde residents themselves have painted a balanced picture of the area’s challenges, including successful conservation and a rise in living standards as well as rapid and unplanned tourism development, socioeconomic imbalances, and threats to the ecological integrity of the region. The Monteverde experience underscores the possibilities and challenges inherent in achieving multiple conservation and development goals through protected areas.
Reconstructing the History of Forestry in Northwestern China, 1949-1998
Authors: Liu Jinlong
Published: June 2016

This paper reconstructs the history of forestry and changing patterns of forest tenure rights through the case study of Hui county, in the northwestern province of Gansu in 1949-1998. It focuses on the environmental impact and social effects of constantly changing forest policies, and examines conflicts between different stakeholders, including private owners, collectives, and the state at different administrative levels. The research draws on accounts of historical events available in unpublished official documents, as well as the recollections of a number of elderly informants from the northwestern region, to look for patterns of social and economic change. The author maps out shifts in forest policy during the periods of the collectivization of agricultural production and household responsibility system. These policies led to China’s “opening up” in the 1980s and 1990s, when changing relations between the state and an expanding market economy began to impact the country. A series of cases are used to illustrate the types of conflict and forms of negotiation that occurred at particular junctures.
Blaming It on the Weather: The Role of “Inclement” Rainfall in Society-Nature Relations in Liberal Costa Rica (1860-1940
Authors: McDermott Anthony Goebel , Viales Hurtado Ronny J.
Published: June 2016

This article seeks to shed light on some of the many possible interactions between changes in rainfall regime, one of the climatic factors with the greatest bearing on the history of human society, and the economic and socio-environmental dynamics of Costa Rica. While Costa Rica was developing into a Nation-State and defining its role as an agricultural exporter in the global market, new liaisons with the biophysical environment were being developed, guided by the irresistible ideology of “progress”. Significantly, this time period largely coincides with of current process of institutionalization of science in Costa Rica, and the State’s urgent need to understand the specific features of the country’s rainfall regime in connection with its efforts of expansion and diversification of commercial farming, given the indisputable impact of precipitations on the agricultural sector and infrastructure development, both pivotal elements of the liberal economic project. Parting from this contextual base, the article seeks to analyze the operative capacity of this “modern”, “scientific”, and “macroeconomic” vision of rainfall and its effects, the unequal and socially differentiated character of institutional response in the face of floods and other “disasters”, as well as the concomitant “culpability” discourse placing the blame for these disasters on Nature as a means to justify the priority given to “national” infrastructure over the needs and wishes of many citizens. We will also briefly look at promising themes for future research, such as the relationship between climate and property value, as well as the impact of rainfall on the performance of the agro-export model, the economic basis of liberal Costa Rica.
Private Investment in Biodiversity Conservation. A Growing Trend in the Western World?
Authors: Bourke Max
Published: June 2016

The paper examines the increasing trend of philanthropic bodies and private individuals to invest in the conservation of Australia’s biodiversity. This is seen as part of a more general Western trend in which Australian organizations are linked to bodies such as the large US-based Nature Conservancy. It is part of a response to the need to integrate conservation measures on public land with those on private land. The paper reviews two cases of private conservation reserves being created in the 1930s and 1940s. Private conservation through covenants on relatively small parcels of land was facilitated by the Victorian State Government in the 1970s. In the 1990s, the Australian Wildlife Conservancy and the Bush Heritage Trust were formed as charitable trusts which now own and manage 2.6 million ha of land in 55 reserves. The case study of the Thomas Foundation and its relationship with the Nature Conservancy is presented. The Nature Conservancy’s model of corporate fund-raising use was found to be successful in Australia for purchasing land and conserving it to preserve biodiversity. By 2010, private philanthropy and corporate sponsorship had almost 4 million ha of land under protection and managed for conservation. Th e paper ends by considering four issues that may influence the future of private investment in Australian conservation. One concerns the effect of the Global Financial Crisis on the flow of investment funds for conservation. A particular concern is whether governments might transfer their funding for conservation as private support increases. Private support depends on favorable tax treatment for charitable giving. It is hoped that the greater transparency now being required will maintain community support for tax arrangements. A fourth concern which is now starting to be addressed is the relations between the bodies managing private conservation reserves and the traditional Aboriginal owners of the land.
Environmental Experiences of Chinese People in the Mid-Nineteenth Century Australian Gold Rushes
Authors: Sheng Fei
Published: June 2016

The migration of Chinese people to Australia was part of a global migration that occurred around 1850, stimulated by gold discoveries around the Pacific Rim. The research analyzes the deep ecological factors in China that spurred the migration at a time when the discovery of gold as a natural resource in Australia made the country an ideal migration destination. The author shows how the Chinese migrants applied their native environmental experience in a white settler colony. Through unique mining methods and market gardening, the Chinese transformed the indigenous landscape and shaped their “New Gold Mountain” in Australia. Although the Chinese environmental experience benefited both themselves and other migrants, there were also negative effects. Environmental cooperation was eclipsed by environmental conflicts between Chinese and white miners. Both cultural and natural factors limited the spread of Chinese environmental experiences in the Australian gold rushes. The Chinese environmental experience in the Australian context was also a result of existing racist policies. Within a broader perspective, the paper demonstrates how different migrants interacted with the indigenous environment and with each other
Melioidosis: Truly Uncommon or Uncommonly Diagnosed in Bangladesh? A CaseReport
Authors: Rahim Muhammad Abdur , Afroze Samira Rahat , Uddin Khwaja Nazim , Barai Lovely
Published: June 2016

Melioidosis is a rarely reported infectious disease in Bangladesh. Patients may present with fever, soft tissue infection, deep seated abscess, arthritis and septicaemia, specially if immunocompromised. It often mimics tuberculosis. Here we describe a case of melioidosis in a middle aged Bangladeshi diabetic farmer who presented with fever, soft tissue infection and septic arthritis involving right hip joint. Culture of pus from soft tissue infection and synovial fluid revealed growth of Burkholderia pseudomallei. He was treated with prolonged courses of antibiotics including ceftazidime in initial phase followed by co-trimoxazole and was cured completely.Birdem Med J 2015; 5(1) Supplement: 49-51
Population dynamics of zooplankton in Merbok estuary, Kedah, Malaysia in relation to some water quality parameters
Authors: Fatema Kaniz , Omar Wan Maznah Wan
Published: June 2016

In the present investigation, Station 5 located in the downstream of the Merbok estuary showed higher density of zooplankton (132 × 103 ind/m3) but it was lowest (83 × 103 ind/m3) was at Station 2 (upstream). The highest and lowest zooplankton density was observed in May and November, respectively. Twenty groups of zooplankton were recorded and copepod was the dominant group at all sampling stations during the sampling period. Months and stations were statistically significant (Kruskal-Wallis H test; p < 0.05) factors that affect the density of zooplankton, temperature, salinity and nutrients. Mann-Whitney U test showed that temperature, NO2 and zooplankton density were significantly different between seasons (p < 0.01). Significant correlation among zooplankton density, chl a concentration and nutrients (p < 0?01) were observed.Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 25(1): 47-55, 2016
Jordan Derivations on Completely Semiprime GammaRings
Authors: Rahman Md Mizanor , Paul Akhil Chandra
Published: June 2016

In this paper we prove that under a suitable condition every Jordan derivation on a 2-torsion free completely semiprime ?-ring is a derivation.GANIT J. Bangladesh Math. Soc.Vol. 34 (2014) 21-26
Jordan Derivations on Lie Ideals of Semiprime ?-Rings
Authors: Rahman Md Mizanor , Paul Akhil Chandra
Published: June 2016

Let M be a 2-torsion free semiprime G-ring satisfying the condition a?b?c = a?b?c,?a, b, c ?M and ?, ? ??. Let U be an admissible Lie ideal of M that is, u?u ? U,?u ? U, ? ?G and U ?Z(M), the centre of M. If d : M -> M is an additive mapping such that d is a Jordan derivation on U of M, then d is a derivation on U.GANIT J. Bangladesh Math. Soc.Vol. 34 (2014) 35-46
Study of Inventory Model for Deteriorating Items With Exponential Demand Function
Authors: Mondal Manik , Uddin Mohammed Forhad , Hussain Kazi Anowar
Published: June 2016

This paper develops an inventory model for deteriorating items consisting the ordering cost, unit cost, opportunity cost, deterioration cost and shortage cost. In this inventory model instead of linear demand function nonlinear exponential function of time for deteriorating items with deterioration rate has been considered. The formulated model has numerically solved by bisection method. The effects of inflation and cash flow are also taken into account under a trade-credit policy of discount with time. In order to validate the model, numerical examples have been solved by bisection method using Matlab. Further, the sensitivity of different parameters is considered in order to estimate the cash flow.GANIT J. Bangladesh Math. Soc.Vol. 34 (2014) 89-100
Critical Analysis of Magnetohydrodynamic Jeffery-Hamel Flow Using Cu-Water Nanofluid
Authors: Alam Md S , Khan MAH , Alim MA
Published: June 2016

The effects of nanoparticles and magnetic field on the nonlinear Jeffery-Hamel flow using Cuwater nanofluid are analysed in the present study. The basic dimensionless governing equations are solved using power series, which is then analysed by applying a semi-numerical analytical technique called Hermite- Padé approximation. The velocity profiles are presented in convergentdivergent channels for various values of nanoparticles solid volume fraction, Hartmann number, Reynolds number and channel angle. The dominating singularity behavior of the problem is analysed numerically and graphically for nanofluid. The critical relationships among the parameters are also performed qualitatively with the effect of Cu-nanoparticles.GANIT J. Bangladesh Math. Soc.Vol. 34 (2014) 111-126
An Algorithmic Technique for Solving Non-Linear Programming and Quadratic Programming Problems
Authors: Das HK , Hasan M Babul
Published: June 2016

In this paper, we improve a combined algorithm and develop a uniform computer technique for solving constrained, unconstrained Non Linear Programming (NLP) and Quadratic Programming (QP) problems into a single framework. For this, we first review the basic algorithms of convex and concave QP as well as general NLP problems. We also focus on the development of the graphical representations. We use MATHEMATICA 9.0 to develop this algorithmic technique. We present a number of numerical examples to demonstrate our method.GANIT J. Bangladesh Math. Soc.Vol. 35 (2015) 41-55
Computation of Some Second Order Sturm-Liouville Bvps using Chebyshev-Legendre Collocation Method
Authors: Farzana Humaira , Islam Md Shafiqul
Published: June 2016

We propose Chebyshev-Legendre spectral collocation method for solving second order linear and nonlinear eigenvalue problems exploiting Legendre derivative matrix. The Sturm-Liouville (SLP) problems are formulated utilizing Chebyshev-Gauss-Lobatto (CGL) nodes instead of Legendre Gauss-Lobatto (LGL) nodes and Legendre polynomials are taken as basis function. We discuss, in details, the formulations of the present method for the Sturm-Liouville problems (SLP) with Dirichlet and mixed type boundary conditions. The accuracy of this method is demonstrated by computing eigenvalues of three regular and two singular SLP's. Nonlinear Bratu type problem is also tested in this article. The numerical results are in good agreement with the other available relevant studies.GANIT J. Bangladesh Math. Soc.Vol. 35 (2015) 95-112
Slip Velocity Distribution in a Parallel Plate Channel on Asymmetric Thermal Boundary Condition
Authors: Islam Md Tajul
Published: June 2016

Steady, laminar and fully developed flows in parallel plate microchannel with asymmetric thermal wall conditions are solved by control volume technique. In order to examine the influence of Reynolds number and Knudsen number on the velocity distributions, a series of simulations are performed for different Reynolds and Knudsen numbers. Nitrogen gas is used as working fluid and we assume the fluid as continuum but employ the slip boundary conditions on the walls. The Navier-Stokes and energy equations are solved simultaneously. The results are found in good agreement with those predicted by analytical solutions in 2D continuous flow model employing first order slip boundary conditions. It is concluded that the rarefaction flattens the velocity distribution. If the product of Reynolds numbers and Knudsen numbers is fixed, the cross sectional average velocity is fixed for incompressible flow.GANIT J. Bangladesh Math. Soc.Vol. 35 (2015) 113-126
Modal Processor Effects Inspired by Hammond Tonewheel Organs
Authors: Werner Kurt , Abel Jonathan
Published: June 2016

In this design study, we introduce a novel class of digital audio effects that extend the recently introduced modal processor approach to artificial reverberation and effects processing. These pitch and distortion processing effects mimic the design and sonics of a classic additive-synthesis-based electromechanical musical instrument, the Hammond tonewheel organ. As a reverb effect, the modal processor simulates a room response as the sum of resonant filter responses. This architecture provides precise, interactive control over the frequency, damping, and complex amplitude of each mode. Into this framework, we introduce two types of processing effects: pitch effects inspired by the Hammond organ’s equal tempered “tonewheels”, “drawbar” tone controls, vibrato/chorus circuit, and distortion effects inspired by the pseudo-sinusoidal shape of its tonewheels and electromagnetic pickup distortion. The result is an effects processor that imprints the Hammond organ’s sonics onto any audio input.
Artificial Neural Network Model to Estimate the Viscosity of Polymer Solutions for Enhanced Oil Recovery
Authors: Kang Pan-Sang , Lim Jong-Se , Huh Chun
Published: June 2016

Polymer flooding is now considered a technically- and commercially-proven method for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The viscosity of the injected polymer solution is the key property for successful polymer flooding. Given that the viscosity of a polymer solution has a non-linear relationship with various influential parameters (molecular weight, degree of hydrolysis, polymer concentration, cation concentration of polymer solution, shear rate, temperature) and that measurement of viscosity based on these parameters is a time-consuming process, the range of solution samples and the measurement conditions need to be limited and precise. Viscosity estimation of the polymer solution is effective for these purposes. An artificial neural network (ANN) was applied to the viscosity estimation of FlopaamTM 3330S, FlopaamTM 3630S and AN-125 solutions, three commonly-used EOR polymers. The viscosities measured and estimated by ANN and the Carreau model using Lee’s correlation, the only method for estimating the viscosity of an EOR polymer solution in unmeasured conditions, were compared. Estimation accuracy was evaluated by the average absolute relative deviation, which has been widely used for accuracy evaluation of the results of ANN models. In all conditions, the accuracy of the ANN model is higher than that of the Carreau model using Lee’s correlation.
Class B Fire-Extinguishing Performance Evaluation of a Compressed Air Foam System at Different Air-to-Aqueous Foam Solution Mixing Ratios
Authors: Rie Dong-Ho , Lee Jang-Won , Kim Seonwoong
Published: June 2016

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the fire-extinguishing performance of a compressed air foam system at different mixing ratios of pressurized air. In this system, compressed air is injected into an aqueous solution of foam and then discharged. The experimental device uses an exclusive fire-extinguishing technology with compressed air foam that is produced based on the Canada National Laboratory and UL (Underwriters Laboratories) 162 standards, with a 20-unit oil fire model (Class B) applied as the fire extinguisher. Compressed air is injected through the air mixture, and results with different air-to-aqueous solution foam ratios of 1:4, 1:7, and 1:10 are studied. In addition, comparison experiments between synthetic surfactant foam and a foam type which forms an aqueous film are carried out at an air-to-aqueous solution foam ratio of 1:4. From the experimental results, at identical discharging flows, it was found that the fire-extinguishing effect of the aqueous film-forming foam is greatest at an air-to-aqueous solution foam ratio of 1:7 and weakest at 1:10. Moreover, the fire-extinguishing effect of the aqueous film-forming foam in the comparison experiments between the aqueous film-forming foam and the synthetic surfactant foam is greatest.
Amperometric Biosensor Based on Zirconium Oxide/Polyethylene Glycol/Tyrosinase Composite Film for the Detection of Phenolic Compounds
Authors: Ahmad Nor , Abdullah Jaafar , Yusof Nor , Ab Rashid Ahmad , Abd Rahman Samsulida , Hasan Md.
Published: June 2016

A phenolic biosensor based on a zirconium oxide/polyethylene glycol/tyrosinase composite film for the detection of phenolic compounds has been explored. The formation of the composite film was expected via electrostatic interaction between hexacetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and zirconium oxide nanoparticles casted on screen printed carbon electrode (SPCE). Herein, the electrode was treated by casting hexacetyltrimethylammonium bromide on SPCE to promote a positively charged surface. Later, zirconium oxide was mixed with polyethylene glycol and the mixture was dropped cast onto the positively charged SPCE/CTAB. Tyrosinase was further immobilized onto the modified SPCE. Characterization of the prepared nanocomposite film and the modified SPCE surface was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), and Cyclic voltamogram (CV). The developed biosensor exhibits rapid response for less than 10 s. Two linear calibration curves towards phenol in the concentrations ranges of 0.075–10 µM and 10–55 µM with the detection limit of 0.034 µM were obtained. The biosensor shows high sensitivity and good storage stability for at least 30 days.
Advancing Clostridia to Clinical Trial: Past Lessons and Recent Progress
Authors: Mowday Alexandra , Guise Christopher , Ackerley David , Minton Nigel , Lambin Philippe , Dubois Ludwig , Theys Jan , Smaill Jeff , Patterson Adam
Published: June 2016

Most solid cancers contain regions of necrotic tissue. The extent of necrosis is associated with poor survival, most likely because it reflects aggressive tumour outgrowth and inflammation. Intravenously injected spores of anaerobic bacteria from the genus Clostridium infiltrate and selectively germinate in these necrotic regions, providing cancer-specific colonisation. The specificity of this system was first demonstrated over 60 years ago and evidence of colonisation has been confirmed in multiple tumour models. The use of “armed” clostridia, such as in Clostridium Directed Enzyme Prodrug Therapy (CDEPT), may help to overcome some of the described deficiencies of using wild-type clostridia for treatment of cancer, such as tumour regrowth from a well-vascularised outer rim of viable cells. Successful preclinical evaluation of a transferable gene that metabolises both clinical stage positron emission tomography (PET) imaging agents (for whole body vector visualisation) as well as chemotherapy prodrugs (for conditional enhancement of efficacy) would be a valuable early step towards the prospect of “armed” clostridia entering clinical evaluation. The ability to target the immunosuppressive hypoxic tumour microenvironment using CDEPT may offer potential for synergy with recently developed immunotherapy strategies. Ultimately, clostridia may be most efficacious when combined with conventional therapies, such as radiotherapy, that sterilise viable aerobic tumour cells.
Contact Allergy to Hair Dyes
Authors: Schuttelaar Marie-Louise , Vogel Tatiana
Published: June 2016

Many strong and extreme sensitizing chemicals, such as para-phenylenediamine (PPD), toluene-2,5-diamine (TDA) and other aromatic amines or cross-reacting substances, are ingredients in hair dye products. The chemistry of hair dyeing and the immunological reactions to the potent sensitizing hair dye components are complex and have not been fully clarified up until now. Recently 2-methoxymethyl-p-phenylenediamine (ME-PPD), a PPD derivate with moderate skin-sensitizing properties, was developed. Although developed for the prevention of sensitization, ME-PPD appears to be tolerated in some PPD/TDA-allergic individuals.
Multi-Robot Deployment Using a Virtual Force Approach: Challenges and Guidelines
Authors: Sallam Gamal , Baroudi Uthman , Al-Shaboti Mohammed
Published: June 2016

Robotics networks are an emerging technology that has a wide range of applications. Robots are used for many military and civilian applications. Applications such as search-and-rescue operations or area monitoring during an environmental disaster, cannot be effectively carried out by a single robot, but rather are carried out by several robots forming what is called a “robotic network”. In rescue operations, for example, robots can be used to help to discover bodies under the rubble or even to assist the injured. One of the main challenges in these applications is how to deploy the robots without central coordination. Virtual force (VF) technique appears to be one of the prominent approaches to perform multi-robot deployment autonomously. However, the effectiveness of this approach depends on how its parameters are calibrated in order to achieve the required deployment. There are two important factors: attractive force ( w a ) and repulsive force ( w r ). In this work, we investigate the best settings of these two factors in order to accommodate different kinds of scenarios. Additionally, and for the first time, an energy-aware virtual force approach is proposed to balance energy consumption among deployed robots and consequently maximize the network lifetime. Extensive simulation experiments are conducted to study and explore the effectiveness of the proposed settings. Finally, a proof of concept experiment using LegoTM Mindstorm robots is carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of these settings.
Quantifying Fire Cycle from Dendroecological Records Using Survival Analyses
Authors: Cyr Dominic , Gauthier Sylvie , Boulanger Yan , Bergeron Yves
Published: June 2016

Quantifying fire regimes in the boreal forest ecosystem is crucial for understanding the past and present dynamics, as well as for predicting its future dynamics. Survival analyses have often been used to estimate the fire cycle in eastern Canada because they make it possible to take into account the censored information that is made prevalent by the typically long fire return intervals and the limited scope of the dendroecological methods that are used to quantify them. Here, we assess how the true length of the fire cycle, the short-term temporal variations in fire activity, and the sampling effort affect the accuracy and precision of estimates obtained from two types of parametric survival models, the Weibull and the exponential models, and one non-parametric model obtained with the Cox regression. Then, we apply those results in a case area located in eastern Canada. Our simulation experiment confirms some documented concerns regarding the detrimental effects of temporal variations in fire activity on parametric estimation of the fire cycle. Cox regressions appear to provide the most accurate and robust estimator, being by far the least affected by temporal variations in fire activity. The Cox-based estimate of the fire cycle for the last 300 years in the case study area is 229 years (CI95: 162–407), compared with the likely overestimated 319 years obtained with the commonly used exponential model.
Regional Differences in Upland Forest to Developed (Urban) Land Cover Conversions in the Conterminous U.S., 1973–2011
Authors: Auch Roger , Drummond Mark , Xian George , Sayler Kristi , Acevedo William , Taylor Janis
Published: June 2016

In this U.S. Geological Survey study of forest land cover across the conterminous U.S. (CONUS), specific proportions and rates of forest conversion to developed (urban) land were assessed on an ecoregional basis. The study period was divided into six time intervals between 1973 and 2011. Forest land cover was the source of 40% or more of the new urban land in 35 of the 84 ecoregions located within the CONUS. In 11 of these ecoregions this threshold exceeded in every time interval. When the percent of change, forest to urban, was compared to the percent of forest in each ecoregion, 58 ecoregions had a greater percent of change and, in six of those, change occurred in every time interval. Annual rates of forest to urban land cover change of 0.2% or higher occurred in 12 ecoregions at least once and in one ecoregion in all intervals. There were three ecoregions where the above conditions were met for nearly every time interval. Even though only a small number of the ecoregions were heavily impacted by forest loss to urban development within the CONUS, the ecosystem services provided by undeveloped forest land cover need to be quantified more completely to better inform future regional land management.
Understanding the Needs of Young Women Regarding Breast Cancer Risk Assessment and Genetic Testing: Convergence and Divergence among Patient-Counselor Perceptions and the Promise of Peer Support
Authors: Evans Chalanda , Hamilton Rebekah , Tercyak Kenneth , Peshkin Beth , Rabemananjara Kantoniony , Isaacs Claudine , O’Neill Suzanne
Published: June 2016

Young women from hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) families face a series of medical decisions regarding their cancer risk management and integrating this information into their life planning. This presents unique medical and psychosocial challenges that exist without comprehensive intervention. To help lay the groundwork for intervention, we conducted a qualitative study among young women from HBOC families (N = 12; Mean age = 22) and cancer genetic counselors (N = 12) to explicate domains most critical to caring for this population. Women and counselors were interviewed by telephone. The predominant interview themes included preventative care planning and risk management, decision making around the pros and cons of cancer risk assessment, medical management, and psychosocial stresses experienced. Young women endorsed psychosocial stress significantly more frequently than did counselors. Both groups noted the short- and long-term decision making challenges and the support and conflict engendered among familial relationships. Our results suggest young women value the support they receive from their families and their genetic counselors, but additional, external supports are needed to facilitate adaptation to HBOC risk. In feedback interviews focused on intervention planning with a subset of these young women (N = 9), they endorsed the predominant interview themes discovered as important intervention content, a structure that would balance discussion of medical information and psychosocial skill-building that could be tailored to the young women’s needs, and delivery by trained peers familiar with HBOC risk.
Barriers and Strategies in Guideline Implementation—A Scoping Review
Authors: Fischer Florian , Lange Kerstin , Klose Kristina , Greiner Wolfgang , Kraemer Alexander
Published: June 2016

Research indicates that clinical guidelines are often not applied. The success of their implementation depends on the consideration of a variety of barriers and the use of adequate strategies to overcome them. Therefore, this scoping review aims to describe and categorize the most important barriers to guideline implementation. Furthermore, it provides an overview of different kinds of suitable strategies that are tailored to overcome these barriers. The search algorithm led to the identification of 1659 articles in PubMed. Overall, 69 articles were included in the data synthesis. The content of these articles was analysed by using a qualitative synthesis approach, to extract the most important information on barriers and strategies. The barriers to guideline implementation can be differentiated into personal factors, guideline-related factors, and external factors. The scoping review revealed the following aspects as central elements of successful strategies for guideline implementation: dissemination, education and training, social interaction, decision support systems and standing orders. Available evidence indicates that a structured implementation can improve adherence to guidelines. Therefore, the barriers to guideline implementation and adherence need to be analysed in advance so that strategies that are tailored to the specific setting and target groups can be developed.
The Impact of Production Technology on Plant Phenolics
Authors: Veberic Robert
Published: June 2016

Due to rising public pressure in recent decades, alternatives for large-scale and industrial farming are being sought. Environmental and sustainability issues and the rising awareness of the link between the overuse of pesticides/fertilizers and negative health effects have been key factors for creating the integrated production approach, which encompasses environmentally friendly technologies. Moreover, the demand for organically grown products is constantly growing. The organic production model is a step towards further restriction of synthetic chemical use in plant production. Limited use of pesticides may boost the plant’s investment into its own defense systems, which may result in a higher content of secondary compounds. Synthesis of secondary metabolites is a common plant response to any form of stress (biotic or abiotic), and their function is to help the plant overcome unfavorable conditions. Many compounds, especially phenolics, are also considered beneficial for human health; therefore, numerous studies comparing different production systems have been conducted in the past 20 years. Generally, organically produced food may contain greater amounts of health beneficial compounds and diminished levels of pesticide residues and nitrates. However, the results are not always clear, as other factors may influence the composition of natural products (e.g., environmental and varietal factors, sampling, and the design of experiments). Therefore, controlled field trials, in which most of the factors can be either controlled or at least recorded, should be encouraged. The present paper synthesizes the function of phenolics as a response to different forms of stress, which can occur during plant growth, with a special emphasis on different production systems. Examples of diverse horticultural crops are presented.
Public Parks in Hong Kong: Characteristics of Physical Activity Areas and Their Users
Authors: Chow Bik , McKenzie Thomas , Sit Cindy
Published: June 2016

Public parks, salient locations for engaging populations in health promoting physical activity, are especially important in high-density cities. We used the System for Observing Physical Activity in Communities (SOPARC) to conduct the first-ever surveillance study of nine public parks in Hong Kong (288 observation sessions during 36 weekdays and 36 weekend days) and observed 28,585 visitors in 262 diverse areas/facilities. Parks were widely used throughout the day on weekdays and weekend days and across summer and autumn; visitor rates were among the highest seen in 24 SOPARC studies. In contrast to other studies where teens and children dominated park use, most visitors (71%) were adults and seniors. More males (61%) than females used the parks, and they dominated areas designed for sports. Over 60% of visitors were observed engaging in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, a rate higher than other SOPARC studies. Facilities with user fees were less accessible than non-fee areas, but they provided relatively more supervised and organized activities. Assessing parks by age, gender, and physical activity can provide useful information relative to population health. This study not only provides information useful to local administrators for planning and programming park facilities relative to physical activity, but it also provides a baseline for comparison by other high-density cities.
Monitoring of Waterborne Parasites in Two Drinking Water Treatment Plants: A Study in Sarawak, Malaysia
Authors: Richard Reena , Ithoi Init , Abd Majid Mohamad , Wan Sulaiman Wan , Tan Tian , Nissapatorn Veeranoot , Lim Yvonne
Published: June 2016

The occurrence of waterborne parasites coupled with water parameters at various processing sites of two drinking water treatment plants (A and B) and seven distribution system (DS) sites in Sarawak, Malaysia were studied. Ten liters of water underwent immunomagnetic separation (IMS) technique to detect the presence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium (oo)cysts. The remaining supernatant was used to detect other parasites whilst 50 mL of water sample was each used in the detection of free-living amoebae and fecal coliforms. Sampled water was positive for Giardia (32.9%; 28/85), Cryptosporidium (18.8%; 16/85) followed by Spirometra ova-like (25.9%; 22/85), Blastocystis-like (25.9%; 22/85), nematode larvae-like (8.2%; 7/85) and Taenia ova-like (1.2%; 1/85). Meanwhile, 90.2% (55/61) samples were positive for Acanthamoeba and Naegleria via cultivation and of these, 11 isolates were confirmed as Acanthamoeba genotype T3 (5/7) and T4 (2/7) followed by Naegleria sp. (4/11), Naegleria italica (2/11), Naegleria australiensis (1/11), Naegleria angularis (1/11) and Vahlkampfia sp. (3/11). Cryptosporidium, Acanthamoeba and Naegleria were also detected in one of the seven tested DS sites. Only Giardia and Cryptosporidium showed significant correlations with fluoride and fecal coliforms. These results describe the occurrence of waterborne parasites that will assist key stakeholders in mitigating contamination at the specific sites.
What Attracts People to Visit Community Open Spaces? A Case Study of the Overseas Chinese Town Community in Shenzhen, China
Authors: Chen Yiyong , Liu Tao , Xie Xiaohuan , Marušić Barbara
Published: June 2016

A well-designed open space that encourages outdoor activity and social communication is a community asset that could potentially contribute to the health of local residents and social harmony of the community. Numerous factors may influence the use of each single space and may result in a variety of visitors. Compared with previous studies that focused on accessibility, this study highlights the relationship between the utilization and characteristics of community open spaces in China. The Overseas Chinese Town community in Shenzhen is regarded as an example. The association between the number of visitors and space characteristics is examined with multivariate regression models. Results show that large areas with accessible lawns, well-maintained footpaths, seats, commercial facilities, and water landscapes are important characteristics that could increase the use of community open spaces. However, adding green vegetation, sculptures, and landscape accessories in open spaces has limited effects on increasing the outdoor activities of residents. Thus, to increase the use of community open spaces, landscape designers should focus more on creating user-oriented spaces with facilities that encourage active use than on improving ornamental vegetation and accessories.
Application of GPS Trajectory Data for Investigating the Interaction between Human Activity and Landscape Pattern: A Case Study of the Lijiang River Basin, China
Authors: Li Jun , Zhang Yuan , Wang Xiang , Qin Qiming , Wei Zhuangzhuang , Li Jingze
Published: June 2016

The interaction between human activity and landscape pattern has been a hot research topic during the last few decades. However, scholars used to measure human activity by social, economic and humanistic indexes. These indexes cannot directly reflect human activity and are not suitable for fine-grained analysis due to the coarse spatial resolution. In view of the above problems, this paper proposes a method that obtains the intensity of human activity from GPS trajectory data, collects landscape information from remote sensing images and further analyzes the interaction between human activity and landscape pattern at a fine-grained scale. The Lijiang River Basin is selected as the study area. Experimental results show that human activity and landscape pattern interact synergistically in this area. Built-up land and water boost human activity, while woodland restrains human activity. The effect of human activity on landscape pattern differs by the land cover category. Overall, human activities make natural land, such as woodland and water, scattered and fragmented, but cause man-built land, such as built-up land and farmland, clustered and regular. Nevertheless, human activities inside and outside urban areas are the opposite. The research findings in this paper are helpful for designing and implementing sustainable management plans.
Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Analysis for the Rapid and Accurate Characterization of Hexacosanoylceramide
Authors: Ross Charles , Simonsick William , Bogusky Michael , Celikay Recep , Guare James , Newton Randall
Published: June 2016

Ceramides are a central unit of all sphingolipids which have been identified as sites of biological recognition on cellular membranes mediating cell growth and differentiation. Several glycosphingolipids have been isolated, displaying immunomodulatory and anti-tumor activities. These molecules have generated considerable interest as potential vaccine adjuvants in humans. Accurate analyses of these and related sphingosine analogues are important for the characterization of structure, biological function, and metabolism. We report the complementary use of direct laser desorption ionization (DLDI), sheath flow electrospray ionization (ESI) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR MS) and high-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis for the rapid, accurate identification of hexacosanoylceramide and starting materials. DLDI does not require stringent sample preparation and yields representative ions. Sheath-flow ESI yields ions of the product and byproducts and was significantly better than monospray ESI due to improved compound solubility. Negative ion sheath flow ESI provided data of starting materials and products all in one acquisition as hexacosanoic acid does not ionize efficiently when ceramides are present. NMR provided characterization of these lipid molecules complementing the results obtained from MS analyses. NMR data was able to differentiate straight chain versus branched chain alkyl groups not easily obtained from mass spectrometry.
Beneficial Insect Attraction to Milkweeds (Asclepias speciosa, Asclepias fascicularis) in Washington State, USA
Authors: James David , Seymour Lorraine , Lauby Gerry , Buckley Katie
Published: June 2016

Native plant and beneficial insect associations are relatively unstudied yet are important in native habitat restoration programs for improving and sustaining conservation biological control of arthropod pests in agricultural crops. Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) are currently the focus of restoration programs in the USA aimed at reversing a decline in populations of the milkweed-dependent monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus); however, little is known of the benefits of these plants to other beneficial insects. Beneficial insects (predators, parasitoids, pollinators) attracted to two milkweed species (Asclepias speciosa, Asclepias fascicularis) in central Washington State, WA, USA were identified and counted on transparent sticky traps attached to blooms over five seasons. Combining all categories of beneficial insects, means of 128 and 126 insects per trap were recorded for A. speciosa and A. fascicularis, respectively. Predatory and parasitic flies dominated trap catches for A. speciosa while parasitic wasps were the most commonly trapped beneficial insects on A. fascicularis. Bees were trapped commonly on both species, especially A. speciosa with native bees trapped in significantly greater numbers than honey bees. Beneficial insect attraction to A. speciosa and A. fascicularis was substantial. Therefore, these plants are ideal candidates for habitat restoration, intended to enhance conservation biological control, and for pollinator conservation. In central Washington, milkweed restoration programs for enhancement of D. plexippus populations should also provide benefits for pest suppression and pollinator conservation.
Novel Simulation Approaches for Smart Grids
Authors: Tsampasis Eleftherios , Sarakis Lambros , Leligou Helen , Zahariadis Theodore , Garofalakis John
Published: June 2016

The complexity of the power grid, in conjunction with the ever increasing demand for electricity, creates the need for efficient analysis and control of the power system. The evolution of the legacy system towards the new smart grid intensifies this need due to the large number of sensors and actuators that must be monitored and controlled, the new types of distributed energy sources that need to be integrated and the new types of loads that must be supported. At the same time, integration of human-activity awareness into the smart grid is emerging and this will allow the system to monitor, share and manage information and actions on the business, as well as the real world. In this context, modeling and simulation is an invaluable tool for system behavior analysis, energy consumption estimation and future state prediction. In this paper, we review current smart grid simulators and approaches for building and user behavior modeling, and present a federated smart grid simulation framework, in which building, control and user behavior modeling and simulation are decoupled from power or network simulators and implemented as discrete components. This framework enables evaluation of the interactions between the communication infrastructure and the power system taking into account the human activities, which are at the focus of emerging energy-related applications that aim to shape user behavior. Validation of the key functionality of the proposed framework is also presented.
Synthesis, Characterization and Tribological Evaluation of New Generation Materials for Aluminum Cold Rolling Oils
Authors: Nagendramma Ponnekanti , Shukla Bal , Adhikari Dilip
Published: June 2016

The present concept of being globally “green” puts additional demands on lubricants. They are to be biodegradable and ecofriendly. Therefore, in a search for alternate lubricants meeting the above demands, we have synthesized biodegradable new generation esters using alcohols such as 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propane diol and 2,2-diethyl-1,3-propane diol and fatty acids like caproic and 2-ethyl caproic in presence of indigenous ion exchange resin catalyst. The synthesized esters were analyzed and characterized for their physico chemical properties. In addition, with a view to finding out the possibility of using these esters as aluminum cold rolling oils, their lubricity characteristics, biodegradability and toxicity were also investigated. The products were found to have good potential for use in biodegradable aluminum cold rolling oils meeting IS: 14385-2002 specification.