bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Environmental drivers of drought deciduous phenology in the Community Land Model
Authors: Dahlin K. M. , Fisher R. A. , Lawrence P. J.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. Seasonal changes in plant leaf area have a substantial impact on global climate. If and when leaves are present affects surface roughness and albedo, and the gas exchange occurring between leaves and the atmosphere affects carbon dioxide concentrations and global water system. Thus, correct predictions of plant phenological processes are important for understanding the present and future states of the Earth system. Here we compare plant phenology as estimated in the Community Land Model (CLM) to that derived from satellites in drought deciduous regions of the world. We reveal a subtle but important issue in the CLM: anomalous green-up during the dry season in many semi-arid parts of the world owing to rapid upwards water movement from wet to dry soil layers. We develop and implement a solution for this problem by introducing an additional criterion of minimum cumulative rainfall to the leaf-out trigger in the drought deciduous algorithm. We discuss some of the broader ecological impacts of this change and highlight some of the further steps that need to be taken to fully incorporate this change into the CLM framework.
Uncertainty reduction and parameter estimation of a distributed hydrological model with ground and remote-sensing data
Authors: Silvestro F. , Gabellani S. , Rudari R. , Delogu F. , Laiolo P. , Boni G.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. During the last decade the opportunity and usefulness of using remote-sensing data in hydrology, hydrometeorology and geomorphology has become even more evident and clear. Satellite-based products often allow for the advantage of observing hydrologic variables in a distributed way, offering a different view with respect to traditional observations that can help with understanding and modeling the hydrological cycle. Moreover, remote-sensing data are fundamental in scarce data environments. The use of satellite-derived digital elevation models (DEMs), which are now globally available at 30 m resolution (e.g., from Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission, SRTM), have become standard practice in hydrologic model implementation, but other types of satellite-derived data are still underutilized. As a consequence there is the need for developing and testing techniques that allow the opportunities given by remote-sensing data to be exploited, parameterizing hydrological models and improving their calibration. In this work, Meteosat Second Generation land-surface temperature (LST) estimates and surface soil moisture (SSM), available from European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) H-SAF, are used together with streamflow observations (S. N.) to calibrate the Continuum hydrological model that computes such state variables in a prognostic mode. The first part of the work aims at proving that satellite observations can be exploited to reduce uncertainties in parameter calibration by reducing the parameter equifinality that can become an issue in forecast mode. In the second part, four parameter estimation strategies are implemented and tested in a comparative mode: (i) a multi-objective approach that includes both satellite and ground observations which is an attempt to use different sources of data to add constraints to the parameters; (ii and iii) two approaches solely based on remotely sensed data that reproduce the case of a scarce data environment where streamflow observation are not available; (iv) a standard calibration based on streamflow observations used as a benchmark for the others. Two Italian catchments are used as a test bed to verify the model capability in reproducing long-term (multi-year) simulations. The results of the analysis evidence that, as a result of the model structure and the nature itself of the catchment hydrologic processes, some model parameters are only weakly dependent on discharge observations, and prove the usefulness of using data from both ground stations and satellites to additionally constrain the parameters in the calibration process and reduce the number of equifinal solutions.
A fuzzy intelligent system for land consolidation – a case study in Shunde, China
Authors: Wang J. , Ge A. , Hu Y. , Li C. , Wang L.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. Traditionally, potential evaluation methods for farmland consolidation have depended mainly on the experts' experiences, statistical computations or subjective adjustments. Some biases usually exist in the results. Thus, computer-aided technology has become essential. In this study, an intelligent evaluation system based on a fuzzy decision tree was established, and this system can deal with numerical data, discrete data and symbolic data. When the original land data are input, the level of potential of the agricultural land for development will be output by this new model. The provision of objective proof for decision making by authorities in rural management is helpful. Agricultural land data characteristically comprise large volumes, complex varieties and more indexes. In land consolidation, it is very important to construct an effective index system. We needed to select a group of indexes useful for land consolidation according to the concrete demand. In this paper, a fuzzy measure, which can describe the importance of a single feature or a group of features, is adopted to accomplish the selection of specific features. A fuzzy integral that is based on a fuzzy measure is a type of fusion tool. We obtained the optimal solution for a fuzzy measure by solving a fuzzy integral. The fuzzy integrals can be transformed to a set of linear equations. We applied the L1-norm regularization method to solve the linear equations, and we found a solution with the fewest nonzero elements for the fuzzy measure; this solution shows the contribution of corresponding features or the combinations of decisions. This algorithm provides a quick and optimal way to identify the land index system when preparing to conduct the research, such as we describe herein, on land consolidation. Shunde's "Three Old" consolidation project provides the data for this work. Our estimation system was compared with a conventional evaluation system that is still accepted by the public. Our results prove to be consistent, and the new model is more automatic and intelligent. The results of this estimation system are significant for informing decision making in land consolidation.
Global distribution of soil organic carbon – Part 2: Certainty of changes related to land use and climate
Authors: Köchy M. , Don A. , van der Molen M. K. , Freibauer A.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. Global biosphere models vary greatly in their projections of future changes of global soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and aggregated global SOC masses in response to climate change. We estimated the certainty (likelihood) and quantity of increases and decreases on a half-degree grid. We assessed the effect of changes in controlling factors, including net primary productivity (NPP), litter quality, soil acidity, water saturation, depth of permafrost, land use, temperature, and aridity associated with probabilities (Bayesian network) on an embedded, temporally discrete, three-pool decomposition model. In principle, controlling factors were discretized into classes, where each class was associated with a probability and linked to an output variable. This creates a network of links that are ultimately linked to a set of equations for carbon (C) input and output to and from soil C pools. The probability-weighted results show that, globally, climate effects on NPP had the strongest impact on SOC stocks and the certainty of change after 75 years. Actual land use had the greatest effect locally because the assumed certainty of land use change per unit area was small. The probability-weighted contribution of climate to decomposition was greatest in the humid tropics because of greater absolute effects on decomposition fractions at higher temperatures. In contrast, climate effects on decomposition fractions were small in cold regions. Differences in decomposition rates between contemporary and future climate were greatest in arid subtropical regions because of projected strong increases in precipitation. Warming in boreal and arctic regions increased NPP, balancing or outweighing potential losses from thawing of permafrost. Across contrasting NPP scenarios, tropical mountain forests were identified as hotspots of future highly certain C losses. Global soil C mass will increase by 1% with a certainty of 75% if NPP increases due to carbon dioxide fertilization. At a certainty level of 75%, soil C mass will not change if CO2-induced increase of NPP is limited by nutrients.
Toward a Contextually Valid Measure of Social Support Among Middle-Aged and Older African Americans in a Southern Urban Community
Authors: Lehman Dawn Bodo
Published: April 2015

A gap in the literature on social support among middle-aged and older African Americans and limitations in scales measuring social support among this group indicate a need for a new measure of social support that is sensitive to the cultural context in which this population lives. The literature indicates that social support is a multidimensional, fluid phenomenon, i.e., it has many dimensions and each dimension may have significance for individuals and communities at different periods in time and in different geographical locations. The specific goals of this research were to (1) identify the domains and dimensions of support among middle-aged and older African Americans, ages 38 to 65, that potentially moderate the effects of psychosocial factors on health outcomes; (2) use the research findings to construct a new, contextually valid scale that measures social support among this population in a southern urban community; and (3) document the methodological process by which the first two goals were achieved. The iterative research process consisted of thirty-one methodological steps in nine phases over a four-year period. Six sets of data obtained from a content analysis of popular magazines, five types of interviews, a semi-structured questionnaire, a visual assessment of the community, and participant observation were analyzed for recurrent themes associated with social support. The findings were used to construct scale items that reflect culturally-relevant domains and dimensions of social support that are not typically assessed in traditional scales.
AAGE 2010 Guide to the Meetings
Authors: Sokolovsky Jay
Published: April 2015

Navigating and Networking at the 2010 American Anthropological Association (AAA) and Gerontological Society of America (GSA) Meetings
The 2010 AAA Aging and Life Course Interest Group Guide to Key Resources
Authors: Sokolovsky Jay
Published: April 2015

From Jay Sokolovsky
AAGE guide to the meetings
Authors: Sokolovsky Jay
Published: April 2015

Compilation of abstracts from 2011 meetings of Gerontological Society of America and American Anthropological Association.Details on AAGE member involvement and events
Rethinking Successful Aging from the Perspective of an Aging Japanese Statue of Jizō with Replaceable Heads
Authors: Fujiwara Kuniko
Published: April 2015

Modern medical technology has allowed us to hope for long lives while also making us anxious about being bedridden or suffering from long-term dementia. Maintaining independence into the twilight years, especially after retirement, has become a focal point of public and scholarly discussion. The concept of “successful aging” has been associated with the image of “independent” individuals fulfilling their social responsibilities and engaging in useful social activities. Scholars and researchers have attempted to grasp what makes older adults feel successful in their later lives. They seem to have paid little attention, however, to ontological issues such as identity and self-interrogation about the meaning of our lives, which we might ponder at the prospect of our death regardless of our condition or degree of “success.” This paper deals with these ontological questions in relation to “successful aging,” arguing that we are not very “independent” or “free” at any stage of our lives, and demonstrating that modifying our model of human nature will permit us to embrace the human aging process more fully.
Book Reviews
Authors: Briller Sherri
Published: April 2015

Nature's Embrace: Japan's Aging Urbanites and  New Death Rites  (Satsuki Kawano)    Ruth ToulsonAging, Society, and  the Life Course, 4th Edition (Leslie A. Morgan and Suzanne R. Kunkel)    Samantha SolimeoRemembering Home: Rediscovering the Self in Dementia (Habib Chaudhury) Mary Durocher
Fascinating Wisdom: "The Solon Senior Project"
Authors: Takács Judy
Published: April 2015

If the delicious signs of aging were considered fascinating and revered in our culture, how would they be honored in art? What if every pucker and fold were celebrated and every fine line that appeared along the path to old age  were welcomed with the glee of having leaped the next hurdle?
Introduction to the group submission: “Silver Linings: Older People Defying Expectations”
Authors: DuBois Lindsay , Gambold Liesl
Published: April 2015

This group of articles looks at these issues in a variety of contemporary contexts. Robbins-Ruszkowski examines Universities of the Third Age as sites which offer alternatives to dominant discourses about aging in contemporary Poland. The Argentine elders DuBois describes engage in political activism in attempts to alter policies with respect to retirees, but also as an end in itself.  Gambold´s study of older women who retire abroad to Mexico and France shows how these women use international retirement as a way to live old age differently.  The articles thus describe older people actively engaged in redefining what it means to be old.
Book Reviews
Authors: Kovacich Joann
Published: April 2015

Gonzalez Sanders, Delia J and Fortinsky, Richard H. Dementia Care With Black and Latino Families: A Social Work Problem-Solving ApproachJanelle ChristensenOsage, Patricia and McCall, Mary. Connecting with Socially Isolated Seniors: A Service Provider’s Guide Diane L. BrownLynch, Caitrin. My Name is Julius: a film about growing old, staying young, and confronting a lifetime of hearing loss Lynch, Caitrin. Retirement on the Line : Age, Work, and Value in an American Factory Anne Velardi
Mobile Midwesterners: The Impact of Migration on Aging, Health, and Community
Authors: Dalstrom Matthew
Published: April 2015

As the population in the US ages, there is increasing need to study aging and its relationship to quality of life, health, and community. Quality of life is closely correlated with belonging to a community. Unfortunately, as seniors age there is a propensity for them to become increasingly isolated as their mobility decreases and their friends and family members die or move away. As a result, some seniors in the Midwest have begun to migrate to RV parks in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (“LRGV”) in south Texas that function as temporary retirement communities for the winter. While there, they reconnect with friends and family members and engage in a variety of social, civic, and exercise related activities. Further, they participate in a variety of health seeking behaviors such as health screenings, trading medications, and using the Mexican health care system. This article explores these practices and discusses how Winter Texans choose the LRGV, how new members become integrated into RV parks, and how life in the parks impacts health and access to health care services. It also highlights the impact that seasonal migration has on community formation, health seeking behaviors, and the diversity of retirement communities.
Dressing the Older Woman in Post-Mao China: Perspectives from Official Feminist Mass Media and Ordinary Chinese Women
Authors: Shea Jeanne L.
Published: April 2015

This article examines Chinese discourses on dressing the aging female body as a window into the tensions involved in the historical transformation of habitus in early post-Mao China.  Drawing on Chinese media articles and ethnographic interviews conducted with Chinese women in their 40s-60s, the analysis compares depictions of new official ideals for older women’s dress that appeared in Chinese government-sponsored feminist media with ordinary older Chinese women’s personal sensibilities about dress.  Assessing the applicability of dominant western feminist theories of gender, dress, and age, this article provides a historicized culture-specific application of practice theory, examining older women’s struggles with competing moral logics associated with past and present, and with official media versus personal experience.  Overall, it documents experiences of ambivalence and compromise accompanying lifecycle adjustment in embodiment in the context of rapid social change.
Surgery-for-Life: Aging, Sexual Fitness and Self-Management in Brazil
Authors: Edmonds Alexander
Published: April 2015

This article draws on ethnographic fieldwork on plastic surgery to explore tensions in aging norms and ideals for women in Brazil.  I situate my analysis in relation to debates about a “de-chronologized life course.”  Some scholars argue that the life course in late capitalism has become less standardized.  In this account, chronological age diminishes in importance as consumers are defined by life style choices available to all ages and the period of youth extends into middle age and beyond.  In Brazil consumers embrace plastic surgery as a means to “manage” aging, mental well-being, and reproductive and sexual health.  This promise of a flexible and optimized aging trajectory seems to echo the notion of a de-chronologized life course.  I argue, however, that medical discourse and patients’ accounts show ambivalence about aging and conflicts in the ideal of medically-managed sexual fitness for women.  Drawing on analysis of changes in family structure and women’s health regimes, I argue that passage through the life course, rather than becoming more flexible, is in some ways becoming more rigidly defined by biological processes.
Jurkowski, Elaine T. Implementing Culture Change in Long-Term Care: Benchmarks and Strategies for Management and Practice
Authors: Shield Renée Rose
Published: April 2015

None
Parkes, Colin Murray, and Holly G. Prigerson. Bereavement: Studies of Grief in Adult Life
Authors: Keilman Linda J.
Published: April 2015

None
Plan de Protección y Salvaguardia del Patrimonio Cultural Arqueológico de Corn Island
Authors: Romero Yamil Serrano
Published: April 2015

La presente investigación contiene las indicaciones necesarias para hacer efectiva la elaboración de un plan de protección del patrimonio cultural arqueológico de Corn Island, conforme al ordenamiento jurídico existente. Con dicho plan se pretende lograr el desarrollo de un proceso de cambio social y la implementación de acciones sostenibles para lograr la conservación de los recursos arqueológicos inventariados en el municipio de Corn Island. Por ello, este plan de protección se presenta como una estrategia que incluye las opiniones de especialistas en materia de arqueología y los aportes brindados por los actores locales. Esto, con el objetivo de conservar, manejar y tener un buen aprovechamiento del recurso arqueológico, tomando en cuenta la realidad actual.Corn Island ra klauna pyua wina Tasba ritska nani ba bara diara kainara takan dukia nani satka ailal ba main kaiki kaina dakbaia wark ka nani daukaia Yamil Serrano Naha laki kaiki stadi munanka daukan nara sturi satka bara sins laka nani aitani wahbi brin Corn Island ra klauna pyua wina tasba ristka nani ba bara diara kainara takan dukia nani satka ailal ba main kaiki kaina dakbaia wark ka nani daukaia. Tawan laka wauhkataya nani ra nahki aisi ba kat. Naha wark ka daukuya bawal trai munaisa tawan uplika nani iwanka natka ba kau pakaia bakusin Corn Island ra diara kainara takan dukia nani satka ailal bara ba pain kulki brih main kaiki briaia, baku ba mita, naha kaina dakbi main kaikaia wark ka laka nani tilara bara sa upla nani naha wark ka satka dadaukra nani sinska laka bara tawan uplika nani sins laka sin. Naha na sika ritska nani ba main kaikaia dukiara, wark ka nani daukaia bakusin diara kainara takan dukia nani satka ailal ba yus munaia dukiara, tawan uplika nani nitka bakat.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/wani.v67i0.1885
Historia Oral de Marshall Point
Authors: Martin Escobar Litja Joanne
Published: April 2015

El presente Informe es resultado de una recopilación oral sobre la historia de la comunidad creole y garífuna de Marshall Point, en la RAAS. Los datos recopilados mediante conversatorios con los y las portadores culturales y a través de la organización de un grupo focal, aportan en el conocimiento sobre el origen de esta comunidad fundada en 1816, los nombres de sus primeros fundadores, los pasos iniciales en su organización religiosa y educativa, sus actividades económicas y quiénes son los actuales portadores culturales de la comunidad.Marshall Point sturka nani aisi sakan ba Naha ulbi sakanka na Marshall Point kriyul ka bara garifunika tawanka uplika nani aikuki sturi aisi kaikan ninkara ulbansa, RAAS tasbaia baiki sakan ba tanira. Klauna pyua wina naha tawanka ra iwi banghwi ba uplika nani aikuki bara dakni wala naha iwanka dahra tanka bri nani aikuki prawi aisi kaikan ninkara yawan naha sturka nani ulbi sakisa. Witin nani bui wan win tawanka ba mani 1816 ra aisubi takan, wan win pas taura tawanka bara iwi banghwan uplika nani nina, witin nani nahki spirit lainkara bara kul sinska briaia lainkara asla taki banghwan ba, dia sat wark ka nani dauki kanba bara naiwa yua nanira ya uplika nani klauna pyua wina iwanka natka tanka bri uplika nani tawanra banghwiba. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/wani.v67i0.1886
Parlamento Indígena de América se reúne en Nicaragua
Authors: Wani Equipo
Published: April 2015

El Parlamento Indígena de América (PIA) celebró, en Managua, su décima tercera sesión plenaria y el seminario internacional “Soberanía Alimentaria”. En dicha sesión se discutió sobre seguridad alimentaria; extractivismo comercial; consulta previa y legislativa; autonomía de comunidades, pueblos y nacionalidades, y madre tierra. Uno de los resultados de este evento, que afecta positivamente las posibilidades reivindicatorias de la comunidad indígena nicaragüense, fue la resolución por la cual se instaura en Nicaragua la Sede Permanente de la Secretaría Técnica de este Parlamento. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/wani.v67i0.1893
Effect of Cenosphere Fly Ash on the Thermal, Mechanical, and Morphological Properties of Rigid PVC Foam Composites
Authors: Khoshnoud Parisa , Abu-Zahra Nidal
Published: April 2015

Cenosphere fly ash is a byproduct of coal combustion processes of power plants. It is composed of hollow, hard shelled, minute spheres, which are made up of silica, iron, and alumina. In this study, cenosphere fly ash is incorporated into rigid PVC foam to improve thermal and mechanical properties of their composites. Microstructural, physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of rigid PVC foam extruded with different loadings of cenosphere fly ash (6, 12, 18phr) are characterized. The measured density of the extruded PVC foam composites increased with cenosphere content, indicating a hindrance to the foaming process. Tensile and flexural mechanical properties improved at higher cenosphere content, while the impact strength decreased at initial loading of 6 phr of cenosphere particles and remained steady at higher loadings. Thermal characterization of the extruded samples showed that glass transition temperature remained almost unaffected, while TGA analysis revealed no change in the initial degradation temperature and significant improvement in the final degradation temperature. Thermo-mechanical properties measured by DMA revealed a remarkable improvement in the viscoelastic properties of the composites reinforced with cenosphere particles. SEM analysis of the composites microstructure confirmed that the cenosphere particles were mechanically interlocked with good interfacial interaction in the PVC matrix.
Quaternized and Unmodified Chitosans: Hydrodynamic Properties
Authors: Yevlampieva N.P. , Gubarev A.S. , Gorshkova M. Yu. , Okrugin B.M. , Ryumtsev E.I.
Published: April 2015

Molecular properties of N-[(2-hydroxy-3-trimethylammonium)propyl]chitosan (modified chitosan) series with the averaged quaternization degree 90% have been studied in comparison with the unmodified chitosan series by the method of translation isothermal diffusion, viscometry and static light scattering in dilute solutions in 0.33М СН3СООН+0.2М CH3СООNa at pH 3.54. Molecular mass, translation diffusion coefficient, and hydrodynamic size of the homologues samples in the modified/unnmodified series have been determined as well as their chain rigidity and Mark-Kuhn-Houwink equations at acidic pH. It was established that the size of modified chitosan molecules might be smaller than the initial polysaccharide of an equal polymerization degree in the same solvent, which was explained by the change of thermodynamic conditions and the change of the ratio of thermodynamic/electrostatic contributions to the total chain rigidity. Quaternized chitosan molecules displayed the different hydrodynamic behavior in 0.33М СН3СООН+0.2М CH3СООNa and in 0.2M NaCl (neutral pH). Solution properties of quaternized chitosan at neutral pH had been identified as the concentration dependent. The threshold influence of the secondary amino group protonation on the hydrodynamic properties of modified chitosan molecules was detected in 0.2M NaCl at the solute concentration range 0.001-0.004 g/cm3.
Jóvenes investigando… (Work in Progress).
Authors: Egea Vivancos Alejandro , Arias Ferrer Laura
Published: April 2015

No es novedad mencionar lo tremendamente solitario de la tarea del investigador en la Universidad española, pese a los esfuerzos de cooperación y multidisplinariedad. Este aspecto nos estremecía hasta el punto de desear firmemente un cambio.

No es novedad mencionar lo tremendamente solitario de la tarea del investigador en la Universidad española, pese a los esfuerzos de cooperación y multidisplinariedad. Este aspecto nos estremecía hasta el punto de desear firmemente un cambio.
Hacia una arqueología de la España bizantina: breves notas a propósito del seminario "Work in progress".
Authors: Vizcaíno Sánchez Jaime
Published: April 2015

Presentamos un breve resumen acerca de las líneas que han guiado nuestro estudio de la presencia bizantina en España. Insistimos en el debate que rodea estas cuestiones, y analizamos la posibilidad de determinar un patrón arqueológico para esta presencia, haciendo hincapié en sus diferencias respecto a la visigoda, y dentro de los contextos materiales de la Antigüedad Tardía.

We present a brief abstract about the lines which have guided our study of the Byzantine presence in Spain. We insist on the debate which involves these questions, and analyse the possibility of fixing an archaelogical pattern for this presence, emphasizing its differences respect the visigoth pattern, and inside the materials contexts of the Late Antiquity.
Reflexiones en torno al estudio de la economía en Prehistoria.
Authors: Martínez García Valentín
Published: April 2015

Es nuestro objetivo, dentro de la investigación histórica, la comprensión de las sociedades, como éstas se organizaban y se administraban a sí mismas. Consideramos, como pretendemos dejar patente en las líneas que componen este artículo, que la economía es la expresión más social de una sociedad, y que por tanto, el análisis de la economía dada a estudio es la vía más apropiada para aproximarnos a su conocimiento. En este artículo desglosaremos que se ha de entender por economía, dejando atrás viejas concepciones y guiándonos por la ciencia económica más actual, además de esbozar en el mismo algunos de los interrogantes y reflexiones que debemos plantearnos para conocer el sistema económico de las sociedades a estudio.

It is our goal, in historical research, to understand societies, how those were organized and administered themselves. We believe, as we want to make clear in the lines of this paper, that the economy is the most social expression of a society and, therefore, the analysis of a given economy is the most appropriate way to approach to its knowledge. In this paper we disentangle what economy is, abandoning old ideas and guiding us by the current economic science; in addition to outline at the same time some of the questions and thoughts that we need to ponder to understand the economic system of the societies being studied.
Aplicaciones SIG en el análisis de las sociedades del pasado: un caso de estudio: las primeras comunidades campesinas del Levante Peninsular.
Authors: García Atienzar Gabriel
Published: April 2015

La aparición y desarrollo de la Arqueología Espacial permitió plantear nuevos interrogantes sobre el modo de vida de las comunidades del pasado. En el seno de esta rama de la Arqueología, el empleo de herramientas como los Sistemas de Información Geográfica (SIG) permiten manejar una gran cantidad de información de manera ágil y ordenada lo que, en definitiva, permite abrir nuevas vías de aproximación. En este trabajo presentamos el análisis de las sociedades neolíticas del Levante de la península Ibérica sirve como marco general para la aplicación de estas nuevas herramientas, aunque atendiendo a las diversas problemáticas que han surgido en torno a su uso en los últimos años.

The emergence and development of the Spatial Archaeology allowed raise new questions about the way of life of the communities of the past. Within this branch of the Archaeology, the use of tools such as the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to handle a large amount of information quickly and orderly what, in short, allows us to open new avenues of approach. In this work presented an analysis of Neolithic societies in Levant of the Iberian Peninsula served as general framework for the implementation of these new tools, although in response to the various problems that have emerged around its use in recent years.
Evolución de los patrones de asentamiento en época ibérica: una propuesta de estudio del mundo ibérico murciano a través del análisis del poblamiento.
Authors: López-Mondéjar Leticia
Published: April 2015

Como han demostrado los últimos trabajos llevados a cabo en la línea de la arqueología del paisaje, el análisis del poblamiento y, de forma particular, de los distintos criterios que definen el patrón de asentamiento de los núcleos ibéricos ofrece nuevas perspectivas de aproximación a esta cultura. En éstas, los Sistemas de Información Geográfica constituirán una herramienta fundamental para abordar el análisis de muchos de esos aspectos. Además, este nuevo enfoque, desarrollado ya en otros ámbitos peninsulares, y que permite llevar a cabo un estudio global y diacrónico de dichos asentamientos, se revela aun de mayor interés en el ámbito regional murciano, donde apenas si contamos con estudios en esta línea.

The recent works in line with the landscapeʼs archaeology have showed the utility and the importance of the Iberian settlement pattern and offer news perspectives to approach the Iberian culture. In connection with this, the Geographical Information Systems constitute an essential tool to analyzer many of these aspects. This new approach, developed already in other peninsular areas, allows, in the Iberian Southest, a diachronic and global study of the Iberian age. Furthermore, it presents the greatest interest in Murcia, where scarce studies are found in this line.
Abstinence
Authors: Kempner Martha
Published: April 2015

Though individuals can abstain from any number of behaviors the word carries with it the connotation of self‐denial and willpower—choosing not to do something that will provide pleasure because of the real or perceived consequences. Most often people are said to be abstaining from sexual activity. In fact, though the word abstinence can apply to a wide range of behaviors, in the United States it tends to be associated with sex. Beyond that, however, there is little agreement as to what the term really means, which can be problematic for individuals, couples, educators, and healthcare professionals. Moreover, the federal investment in abstinence‐only‐until‐marriage programs has made abstinence a politically charged issue that often pits those who believe in telling young people to remain abstinent until marriage against those who believe young people need to have access to comprehensive information about sexuality.
Abuse, sexual, by religious leaders
Authors: Sawyer Steven P. , Verlautz Michelene
Published: April 2015

Sexual abuse by clergy and religions has been documented in many religious traditions. Religious teaching does not condone abuse of any kind, yet in some, such as the Catholic Church, a culture of privacy and insular practices has been a factor in repeated incidents of abuse over many years. Policies have been put in place to respond to abuse and to more proactively educate and prevent abuse from occurring in the future.
Adultery and fidelity
Authors: Foster Charles , Kirshenbaum Mira
Published: April 2015

This entry looks at the definitions of betrayal, infidelity, fidelity, and adultery. It discusses the total social cost of infidelity as the product of the incidence of infidelity and its cost to individuals. It estimates the total lifetime incidence of infidelity. It goes on to look at the personal and social costs resulting from infidelity, from anxiety and depression to divorce. It then discusses causes of infidelity on the social, relationship, and individual levels. Finally, it examines the nature, causes, and correlates of fidelity.
Age of consent
Authors: Cocca Carolyn
Published: April 2015

Statutory rape is sexual intercourse with an unmarried person who is under the “age of consent.” Force is not required; the crime lies solely with the age of the victim. This age differs around the world, but tends to range from 14 to 18. The laws presume that young people are too immature and vulnerable to give valid consent to sexual intercourse, and so they attempt to protect young people by deterring those who might take advantage of that immaturity. The laws can indeed punish those who have committed sexual abuse against young people. But they can, and have, served to punish consensual sexual activity among adolescents as well.
Androcentrism
Authors: Brush Lisa D.
Published: April 2015

Androcentrism—the ideology and practice of centering men's bodies, interests, and experiences and trivializing or ignoring women's—is a fundamental principle of the social organization of gender and sexuality. Sexuality‐related research, theory, folk wisdom, practices, and social institutions such as law all typically—without feminist critique—assume that men's desire, pleasure, power, and practices are autonomous and normative and that women's sexuality is passive, derivative, dependent, or deviant. Feminist critics see androcentrism as one mechanism establishing and maintaining sexism as bias and behavior, and as therefore important in producing and reproducing men's sexual privileges and violence against women. An analysis of androcentrism in gender and sexuality has important ramifications for science, politics, and public health and safety.
Anthropology
Authors: Mascia‐Lees Frances E.
Published: April 2015

Anthropology brings two major perspectives to the study of human sexual behavior: evolutionary anthropology and cultural anthropology. Evolutionary anthropology focuses on the role of sexual behavior in human survival. Its nineteenth‐century form emphasized the survival of societies, claiming that Euro‐American societies were more highly evolved than non‐Euro‐American ones, a notion discredited by twentieth‐century cultural anthropologists. The evolutionary anthropology that emerged in the 1970s focused on differences between humans and non‐human animals to explain the evolution of the human species, finding explanations in the differing reproductive physiologies of women and men. Cultural anthropology focuses on the cultural factors shaping sexuality and has been central to the refutation of claims for a biological basis of human sexuality. Uncovering the power structures underlying ideologies of sexuality in both Euro‐American and non‐Euro‐American cultures, the research of cultural anthropologists—especially feminist and LGBT anthropologists—has helped to disentangle sex from gender and to denaturalize sexuality.
Anthropology and sexology
Authors: Johnson Mark
Published: April 2015

Sexology and anthropology have been and continue to be intimately if irregularly connected. Early sexology routinely drew on reports about non‐European peoples to theorize and debate various hypotheses about human sexuality. Early anthropology was concerned with sex primarily as it pertained to the evolution of social groups and cultures. Edward Westermarck's (1862 − 1939)
The History of Human Marriage
(1891) marked a significant turning point in anthropology in so far as it debunked the primitive promiscuity thesis and naturalized monogamous heterosexual relations. It was not until the latter part of the twentieth century that anthropological studies of sexuality would again be significantly challenged and critically advanced. Rediscovering through both feminism and Michel Foucault (1926–1984) a new critical relation with sexology, anthropologists increasingly emphasized the relation between sexuality and power, deconstructed Euro‐American heterosexist assumptions, and challenged the universal applicability of homosexuality. One of the major contributions of anthropology to the development of a critically “queer” sexology has been in cross‐cultural studies of gender and sexual plurality. Sexology and anthropology are in some ways now closer than ever. Radical sexological ideas are now routinely echoed in anthropological statements about the infinitely variable body.
Aphrodisiacs
Authors: Dunlap Robert Ellis
Published: April 2015

The history of aphrodisiacs goes back several thousands of years and is found in many cultures. The first writings were in Sumerian cuneiform texts dated at
c
. 6000 B.C.E. Aphrodisiacs are defined, with their history in Asia, Ancient Greece and Rome, and the Americas, including North, South, and Mesoamerica.
Arousal, sexual, disorder
Authors: Everaerd Walter
Published: April 2015

Sexual arousal is a particular instance of arousal mechanisms, which serve the state of being awake or reactive to stimuli. The brain becomes sensitive and responsive to sexual stimuli when the neurotransmitter dopamine is in action. Sexual arousal disorders are a consequence of a less sensitive or responsive arousal mechanism. The phenomenology for male and female arousal disorders overlaps to a certain extent but there are important differences that impact the sexual functioning of men and women. The physiological as well as the psychological phenomena illuminating the specifics of the disorder have been described in the American Psychiatric Association's
Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(DSM‐5) (2013) and in the related scientific literature.
Attractivity
Authors: Burleson Mary H.
Published: April 2015

Attractivity comprises features or behaviors that evoke partner sexual responses. Proceptivity describes behaviors that initialize or maintain sexual interaction, whereas receptivity describes behaviors enabling sexual consummation. These functions overlap or interact in practice, and may be influenced by reproductive hormone levels, although less so among anthropoid primates, particularly humans.
BDSM
(bondage, discipline, domination, submission, sadomasochism)
Authors: Weiss Margot
Published: April 2015

BDSM is the consensual exchange of power for pleasure.
BDSM
is an acronym made up of three term‐sets: bondage and discipline (B&D), domination and submission (D/s), and sadomasochism (SM, S/M, or S&M). Although practices similar to those in contemporary BDSM communities have existed in most places and times, BDSM communities are a phenomenon of industrialized capitalist societies.
Beauty or physical attractiveness
Authors: Morrison Edward R.
Published: April 2015

Physical attractiveness is the perception of beautiful or sexually appealing characteristics in another individual. People around the world agree on aspects physical attractiveness, suggesting a basis in evolution. Different visual, auditory, and olfactory cues can plausibly be linked to evolutionary fitness, and the traits considered attractive might indicate good genes, health, or youth. Nevertheless, there are individual differences in attractiveness preferences, which can be linked to reproductive strategies or local ecological conditions.
Benjamin, Harry (1885–1986)
Authors: Pfäfflin Friedemann
Published: April 2015

Harry Benjamin (1885‒1986) is known as the “father of transsexualism” and “the patron saint of transsexuals,” although it was Magnus Hirschfeld who, in 1923, had first used the word transsexualism. It was Benjamin's engagement in research on the effects of sex hormones and rejuvenation that induced Alfred Kinsey to transfer patients to him for medical treatment, patients that experienced themselves as strangers in their own body who wanted a sex change operation. To honor him, the first international professional association included him in its name Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association, Inc. (HBIGDA), renamed in 2008 as World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).
Bisexuality and language
Authors: Dale Sonja P. F.
Published: April 2015

The meaning of the term “bisexuality” has changed since its introduction in the late nineteenth century. Originally used to refer to the possession of both female and male biological traits in a species, it now refers mostly to being attracted to both males and females. The prefix “bi” in bisexual also implicates a binary, which has become a contentious issue in an era when the gender binary itself has come to be questioned, and has proven problematic in lesbian and gay politics. Owing to the influence of early sexuality research conducted in Western Europe, the term bisexuality has spread and come to be employed in various cultural contexts. The language used by bisexual individuals has not been studied in depth, although it can be assumed that such individuals may have been included in research on language use by gay and lesbian communities.
Bonobos
Authors: Hohmann Gottfried
Published: April 2015

Mating in bonobos is promiscuous and opportunistic. Sexual behavior occurs in various contexts; it is performed by fertile and nonfertile females, throughout a female’s menstrual and reproductive cycle, and can involve individuals of various ages and partner combinations. Sexual interactions among mature, reproductively active females and males may have immediate reproductive consequences, but the high rate of nonconceptual sex highlights the importance of other functions. Mate choice by females appears to be constrained by female − female competition and harassment by females of male mating partners rather than male − male competition. Females with adult sons in the community are the most active participants in male conflicts, and mothers may enhance the mating success of their sons by giving agonistic aid to them in conflicts with other males. Female promiscuity and related traits, such extended periods of visual estrous displays and perseverance of swelling cycles during pregnancy and lactation, are seen as efficient strategies to confuse paternity. In addition, nonconceptive sex facilitates the exchange of food resources and seems to be a highly efficient way to enhance social tolerance. One function assigned to sexual interactions among bonobos that has not been found in other nonhuman primates is communication of social relationships.
Breast enlargement
Authors: Hurst Rachel Alpha Johnston
Published: April 2015

Breast enlargement refers to a surgical operation to insert an implant into the breast in order to increase the size of the breast. Breast enlargement surgery is also commonly referred to as breast augmentation, breast implants, or a “boob job.” With very few exceptions, women are the consumers of breast enlargement surgeries. There are many reasons for undergoing breast enlargement surgery; these are connected to sexuality and gender. These reasons include a sense of increased confidence, as a part of sex reassignment surgery, greater economic and occupational mobility in sex work, and to reconstruct the breast post‐mastectomy.
Breastfeeding
Authors: Dettwyler Katherine A.
Published: April 2015

Breastfeeding is the process whereby a child suckles at the breasts and both receives milk and participates in a rich physical and emotional relationship. Breast milk ensures health through its myriad immune factors, growth factors, cytokines, living cells, and other chemical constituents, and is the primary source of nutrition for the growth and development of the child, particularly the brain. Anthropological research suggests a range of weaning ages from 2.5 years to 7.0 years for contemporary humans, which matches cross‐cultural research on typical ages at weaning. Breastfeeding is an essential aspect of human reproductive investment.
Celibacy, archaeology of
Authors: Olson Carl
Published: April 2015

The practice of celibacy is contrary to normal biological urges and often involves a formal vow to adopt it as a way of life. Celibacy often occurs within a monastic and/or ascetic context. The origins of celibacy are contrasted in Latin Christianity and classical Hinduism, and include a consideration of the Buddhist and Jain rationale for the adoption of celibacy. Celibacy sets apart the monk and ascetic from ordinary members of a society, and contributes to the charisma of religious leaders because it especially marks the body of the practitioner. It is associated with a variety of symbolic references, economic consequences, and the gaining of supernatural powers in some religions.
Chimpanzees
Authors: Thompson Melissa Emery , Machanda Zarin
Published: April 2015

Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are an anthropoid ape species living across equatorial Africa. They are genetically the closest living relatives to humans, yet display marked differences in their sexual behavior. Chimpanzees engage in brief copulatory encounters and are highly promiscuous, mating with most or all available partners. Female chimpanzee sexual receptivity is defined by an enlarged swelling of the anogenital skin which incites sexual solicitations and male − male competition. Depending on male rank and opportunity, mating may occur promiscuously and uncontested within a large group. Alternatively, males may attempt to protect exclusive access to females by fending off competing males or by escorting the female away from competitors for an exclusive consortship. Salient features of the sexual system of chimpanzees include the importance of energetic condition for the fecundity of females, intense sperm competition among males, and coercive aggression between the sexes.
Circumcision, male
Authors: Lee Romeo B.
Published: April 2015

AbstractPenile cutting refers to the excision of the prepuce (circumcision) or the splitting of the prepuce (superincision) in order to expose the glans. The published literature often refers to penile cutting as circumcision. Approximately 30 percent of males are circumcised worldwide. Circumcision is performed by non‐medical and medical professionals for religious, social, cultural, and medical reasons. Although much of the world's circumcision is anchored on traditional reasons, the medicalization of the procedure, especially in the industrializing world, is increasing. Medical circumcision is strongly opposed for its uncertain medical benefits, risks and complications, and violation of bioethics and human rights standards. In industrializing countries arguments for reducing or eliminating circumcision revolve around non‐medical issues, such as those related to masculinity and sexual identity. People can be helped to decide whether to accept or reject circumcision if they are taught about and exercise their human rights.