bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Community Development Strategies and Its Impacts on the Socio-Economic Development: The Energia's Model
Authors: Amadi M..
Published: June 2015

Integrating the host and impacted communities into the field development plans and programs of a producing oil and gas company is no longer news in the oil and gas industry. This has always been done under various models of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) using Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) and or Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoUs). Such intervention programs in the guise of CSR provide funds to execute both sustainable infrastructural development projects and human capacity development programs. These MoUs and or GMoUs operate more of a Benefactor and Beneficiary Models, where the Companies see themselves as bridging the gaps supposedly left open by successive National and State Governments.

In their attempts to carry out this “Benefactor Roles” to the Beneficiaries, the companies deploy various strategies which in most cases breed conflicts at various levels of intra community, to inter community discords, which we now see in youth restiveness to high level criminality and militancy.

It is in the midst of these confusions that Energia Limited developed its novel Sustainable Development Programs.

Energia Limited is the Operator of the Ebendo/Obodeti Joint Venture Fields in Ndokwa west LGA of Delta State of Nigeria in partnership with Oando Production and Development Company (OPDC). Energia's model which is second to none moved away from the Benefactor – Beneficiary Model to a Stakeholder and Partnership Model. It integrated the host and impacted communities through a Trust that cedes some percentages of the asset gross revenue to these communities. This Model, which can be conveniently called “Community Royalty”, is operated through Registered Trust Boards whose membership is drawn from the Communities, State Government and other Stakeholders in the society to formulate and implement sustainable infrastructural projects with the integration of human capacity development programs.

The Energia's model which is purely community-driven developmental planning, coupled with transparent governance can be adopted and used by other oil companies not only in Nigeria, but also in other oil producing countries in Africa as it lead to a considerable social investments, developmental projects and interactions. It may also be very relevant especially in a situation where traditional development approaches have failed and company operations are negatively impacted by local conflict and Government interest.

This paper will attempt to describe and explore the model, as well as program for training, capacity-building, governance, baseline studies and investment portfolio for the communities. Also, it will identify the benefits and shortcomings and recommendation on how to improve as to move from one level to another.
Integrated Operational Planning (POI) as a Holistic System to Reduce Environmental, Social and Operative Negative Impacts in the Oil and Gas Industry
Authors: Méndez-García M. Á. , Chávez-Suárez J. L. , Rojas-Palma J.. , Fuentes-Durán M. A. , Martínez-Cedillo A. R. , Del Busto-Pinzon A. M.
Published: June 2015

Reducing environmental impact in oil and gas operations is one of the most important aspects for PEMEX Exploration and Production. The onshore oil field developments in Mexico are mainly located in environmentally protected areas, which has made that the aforementioned developments have delays, affecting the production programs. As a solution to this problematic, an informatic web portal has been created for the purpose of cover all the variables that affect the oil field developments, including government licenses, social claims, geographic reliefs and environmental protected areas. This system contains multiples geographical and subsurface layers where the protected areas can be delimited, allowing the correct positioning for drilling locations as well as areas to construct the separation facilities and paths for pipelines.

Additionally, the POI system include a traffic light monitoring system to evaluate the status of the process to obtain government licenses, location and facilities construction or pipe settings. These statuses are linked to the rig schedule in order to know the time window between the start drilling date and the end of the location construction, alerting to the board of directors that may exist some operative problems that has not been solved by that time and it is necessary their intervention.

The reservoir targets are a very important variable to consider in the POI process since constructing many locations for each well is almost impossible. Almost in every oil field development, several wells are drilled from one or two location directionally; however, the displacement distance is a constraint to bear in mind. Using the POI portal web is achievable to interact from the surface to the subsurface optimizing the location place and reducing the wells displacement.

Interacting with multiple layers gives a wide description of the variables that are involved in the onshore oil field developments; traffic light assessment alerting about the status of the project and integrating surface and subsurface variables in one system has allowed PEMEX E&P reduce time and costs moreover to accomplish with the evaluation programs. POI process is an essential requirement to every new onshore oil field development in PEMEX E&P.
Building Competencies for HSE Function Employees - One Step in Career Development
Authors: Acosta S. P. , White R. L.
Published: June 2015

High-impact incidents across the oil and gas industry have demonstrated the fundamental need to ensure competency of personnel working with safety critical equipment or performing safety critical operations. The initial requirement for competencies focused on operational employees. Due to the fundamental role that the HSE function plays in supporting sustainable HSE strategies, the industry now expects HSE function employees to be included in competency programs to ensure consistent availability of expertise on HSE technical matters.

Career development programs are often focused on disciplines directly involved with “front line operations” such as engineers, geologists, and operators. In many cases, standardized competencies and skills have not been defined for HSE function employees. Consequently, it can be challenging to evaluate HSE technical and behavioral competencies as part of development plan discussions for HSE professionals. Furthermore, career development discussions are frequently based purely on geographic needs, thereby creating inconsistencies in skill levels for the different HSE positions across the organization.

This paper discusses a process to determine the required technical and non-technical skills and knowledge that are based on company and industry needs, and determine how those skills are analyzed against the level of proficiency expected by the function. This process establishes critical factors for success to enable the organization's HSE function to improve as a whole through enhanced knowledge, skills, and abilities for the HSE staff. A standardized program for the HSE function fosters better overall performance through the availability of consistently competent and knowledgeable HSE resources to support operational efforts.
Effectiveness Assessment of Mitigation Measures in Sensitive Biological Areas During 3D Seismic Survey in Tropical Forests
Authors: Caro K.. , Centty O.. , Alvarez A.. , Watson A.. , Vasquez M.. , Garcia A.. , Ahumada C.. , Videla C..
Published: June 2015

Tropical forests are megadiverse ecosystems with a high degree of complexity. Inside them, may be recognized areas where the important resources are concentrated for populations of wild fauna inhabiting them. Those areas called BSA (biological sensitive areas) attract a great quantity and diversity of species, and include among others, the salt and clay licks, baths/watering holes, feeders and nesting zones.

During the activities of seismic 3D, are established mitigation measures such as offset displacements applied near the BSAs; and although these management practices are divulged, currently there is scarce information regarding the efficiency of these; as well as the effects of the seismic on the wild fauna population. The necessity of extending the knowledge there is on these aspects is the basis of the importance of this work.

The study consisted in the follow up through the use of trap cameras of a population of Leopardus pardalis (ocelot) using as biological indicators: abundance and spacial distribution of the specie, and also the monitoring of the frequency of use of five SBAs (two salt or clay licks, two roads and a watering hole), which were selected according to their size, frequency of use and distance from the seismic lines. The studied area had a scope of approximately 35,8 Km2, inside the zone of 3D seismic acquisition (210 Km2); in this zone was distributed a grid with 23 stations with trap cameras (separated with a distance between 900 -1300 m), as well as 5 stations in the BSAs selected. The trap cameras were located at a height between 25-45cm, operating 24 hours and being reviewed in average every 10 days. The study period include the phases: before (control), during (phases of topography, drilling and registry), and after the seismic activity (abandonment).

The data obtained applies to the minimization of impacts on the biodiversity in 3D seismic explorations, serving as support to improve environmental practices of the sector as well as the main aspects to be taken into consideration for success. The resulting information also contributes to the knowledge of the biological diversity of one of the most remote zones and with high exploration and production of hydrocarbons activities.
Addressing the Challenge: Improving Methods for the Mitigation of Environmental and Biodiversity Impacts on 3D Seismic Survey in Tropical Forests
Authors: Watson A. A. , Changano H.. , Galindo D.. , Gutierrez F.. , Vasquez M.. , Ahumada C.. , Videla C..
Published: June 2015

For more than twenty years, Seismic surveys have been changing both in the incorporation of environmental and biodiversity criteria as well as in its implementation and performance indicators. The 3D seismic survey in the block 57 located in the tropical Andes, lower basin of the Urubamba river, has incorporated new techniques to minimize direct, secondary and cumulative impacts, focusing on each phase of the exploratory project. The technology used for data acquisition was made through the Geospace Seismic Recorder (GSX), which is a cableless seismic acquisition system that does not need a white house in seismic lines. This made possible the reduction of flying hours to transport materials, as well as a lower fuel consumption and clearing areas of flying camps and drop zones.

The effluent treatment was one of the greatest challenges, due to the environmental standards set for dumping. In the base camp, additionally to the implementation of a wastewater treatment plant(conventionally used in other projects), it was necessary to complement it with previous processes by the use of equalization tanks and with subsequent processes using sedimentation cameras, flocculation and high rate filtration. During the topography and advanced studies, each group was assistedwith specialized personnel for the identification of Biologically Sensitive Areas (BSA) as well as forest survey prior to deforestation. In spite of the difficulty of the terrain and the predominance of the bamboo (Guadua spp.), seismic lines had a maximum width of 1.5 meters andrespected trees of more than 10 cm DBH. Biologically Sensitive Areas (BSA) were identified and avoided in the flying camps, heliports, seismics lines and drop zones.

Abandonment activities considered primarily the natural regeneration of the forest. Residual wood from deforestation and flying camps were chopped on average of 0.3 × 0.45 × 0.20 meters in order to promote its decomposition. In addition, compacted soil was loosed on the areas intervened. The use of similar species that were reported in the forestry survey was also considered. For this purpose a greenhouse with 230 seedlings on average was installed in each camp from the beginning until the abandonment, and certified seed of native forest species: Amasisa (Erythrina ulei), Huairuro (Ormosia coccinea), Pachaco (Parkia multijuga), Bolaina (Guazuma crinita) Copaiba (Copaifera paupera) was also used. In the case of drop zones located in lines nearby, samples were used to the area.
Distinguishing Natural vs. Anthropogenic Methane in Groundwater in a Shale Gas Basin
Authors: Connor J. A. , Molofsky L. J. , Richardson S. D. , Bianchi-Mosquera G..
Published: June 2015

The presence of methane in groundwater in areas where shale gas resources are being developed has at times been incorrectly attributed to hydraulic fracturing activities, often due to the difficulty in distinguishing anthropogenic methane from methane naturally present in groundwater. This presentation will summarize the results of a study for development of forensic tools to distinguish natural from anthropogenic methane in the Marcellus Shale area.

Analytical data for more than a thousand pre-drill water samples from the Marcellus Shale area has been reviewed and evaluated statistically to investigate potential correlations with observed methane concentrations in groundwater. Results of the study indicated that natural methane concentrations could be correlated to several natural environmental factors, including the ionic composition of the groundwater and the topographic location of the water well. In combination with other lines of evidence, these parameters can be used to distinguish natural from anthropogenic methane.

Distinguishing natural from anthropogenic sources of methane in groundwater is particularly important because residential groundwater wells are used for water supply in many areas where hydraulic fracturing is used to stimulate shale gas production. In fact, the preoccupation with impacts to groundwater from hydraulic fracturing activities is not limited to the U.S., as the issue is being frequently raised in other regions with great shale gas potential, such as Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and the European Union. The findings of the study provide a framework that can be applied at other site to assess the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing to groundwater resources.
Environmental Issues and Answers Related to Shale Gas Development
Authors: Connor J. A. , Molofsky L. J. , Richardson S. D. , Bianchi-Mosquera G. C.
Published: June 2015

In the past decade, new advances in hydraulic fracturing techniques, in combination with horizontal drilling, have dramatically increased the production of natural gas from tight shale deposits that were previously considered uneconomical to produce. Today, over 1 million oil and gas wells have been hydraulically fractured in the United States, many in areas without a long history of oil and gas development. The lack of existing oil and gas related infrastructure in these areas has presented new challenges for water supply and wastewater disposal. This paper reviews key environmental issues associated with shale gas development and provides an overview of how these issues are currently being addressed by industry and regulatory stakeholders in the United States.

Environmental concerns related to shale gas development that are addressed in our evaluation include: Impacts to groundwater qualityWater usageProper disposal of flowback waterAir quality impactsSeismic EventsImpacts of trucking and other transportation

Although significant public and regulatory concern has been expressed regarding the potential effects of the hydraulic fracturing process on water resources, micro-seismic mapping and empirical data show that the transport of fracturing fluids or gases through hydraulically induced fractures into shallow drinking water aquifers has not occurred. Rather, in the rare cases when such water quality impacts do occur, they are very localized and are more commonly related to cement integrity problems or casing leaks in the vertical wellbore of shale gas wells.

The increased focus on shale gas development has resulted in more environmentally-friendly operations. Specifically, sustainability and water management tools are being implemented successfully by many operators to ensure that potential environmental impacts are being mitigated upfront as part of the planning process. Knowledge of previous technical challenges and the techniques for the implementation of sustainable processes will be important tools for stakeholders in areas where shale gas development is in its early stages, such as Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia.
Investigation of Acid-Induced Emulsion and Asphaltene Precipitation in Low Permeability Carbonate Reservoirs
Authors: AlMubarak Tariq , AlKhaldi Mohammed , AlMubarak Majed , Rafie Majid , Al-Ibrahim Hussain , AlBokhari Nooreddeen
Published: June 2015

The increasing demand for energy has extended the development horizon towards relatively tighter formations all over the world. In Saudi Arabia, hydrochloric and organic acids have been extensively used to enhance well productivity or injectivity in low permeability formations. However, the use of these acids was associated with severe formation damage, which is attributed to acid/oil emulsions and/or asphaltene precipitation in some of the low permeability carbonate reservoirs. Consequently, a detailed study on different factors that influence the acid/oil emulsion and asphaltene precipitation mechanism was carried out for these reservoirs. Several compatibility studies were conducted using representative crude samples and different acid systems such as HCl and formic acid. The experiments were conducted at various temperatures up to 240°F using HP/HT aging cell for both live and spent acid samples, where some of the experiments included anti-sludge, iron control and demulsifier chemical additives. In addition, another set of experiments was performed in the presence of ferric ions (Fe3+). The total iron concentration in these experiments varied between 0-1,000 ppm.

The results obtained from this study have revealed that the acid systems were not compatible with several representative oil field samples. The amount of asphaltene precipitation and the stability of formed emulsions increased significantly in the presence of ferric ions. Several wells have already been acidized and damaged prior to initiating this study. This paper discusses different tests conducted to identify, quantify and treat acid-oil emulsions/asphaltene precipitation in tight carbonate reservoirs. It also provides details of a special solvent treatment fluid recommended to revive dead wells which were damaged by acid-induced emulsion and asphaltene precipitation.
Connecting water footprint and water risk assessment: case packaging board
Authors: Elina Saarivuori , Riitta Molarius , Helena Wessman-Jääskeläinen , Liisa Poussa
Published: June 2015

A company can evaluate water impacts related to its activities with the help of water footprint (WF), allowing manufacturer to identify freshwater consumption and degradation hotspots along the value chain. However, WF does not directly consider the environmental or process related risks caused by water use. This study aims at providing a framework for more extensive and complementary water assessments by connecting two environmental tools, WF and water risk assessment. Product system of a packaging board is used as a case example. WF assessment is carried out in accordance with the ISO 14046 Standard. Risk analysis focuses on the WF hotspots by analysing the local environmental circumstances and the main risks, their likelihood and consequences. The results show that water stress indicator is sensitive to input and output water qualities. The significance of local environmental circumstances (potential for droughts and shallow water levels, upstream water storages) on the water-based risks are highlighted in the results. The use of complementary methods reveals opposing interests: the lowest WF results of the studied scenarios include a risk for poor product quality. The results offer valuable information to a manufacturer on self-inflicted water impact and the role of indirect water use, helping to integrate water risk approach in the strategic planning.
Study of flow characteristics in the S-shaped region of a pump-turbine at Baoquan pumped storage power station
Authors: Li Jun , Cao Yongmei , Wang Lei , Chen Xiaochong
Published: June 2015

Pumped storage power plays increasingly important roles in modern society but requires some complex equipment. The characteristics of the S-shaped region of a reversible pump-turbine caused significant difficulties in the stable operation of the unit. In this paper, the 1# pump-turbine at Baoquan storage power station is studied. The basic variations of the internal flow were understood using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation, and the relationship between head variation and the ‘S’ characteristic was analyzed. It was found that the basis of the ‘S’ characteristics was channel congestion caused by vortices. Methods that might be used to eliminate the effects of the ‘S’ characteristic are also given. The authors believe that the research findings in this paper could provide the technical support needed for stable operation of such units, as well as further studies of the ‘S’ characteristic.
Reversing clogging in Imhoff tanks by catalyzed hydrogen peroxide treatment
Authors: Sing Lee Boon , Salleh MohdTaufik , Guan Chua Bing , Abdul Hamid Mohamed Haniffa , Mohd Din Abdul Kadir
Published: June 2015

One of the most frequently encountered operational problems with Imhoff tanks is filter media clogging. Traditionally, the restoration procedure is to remove the clogged rock media and replace them with clean material. This is costly and may require the facility to close for a time. Recently, an innovative approach has been tested at lab- and full-scale. It consisted of aggressive oxidation and segregation of the clogged solids, using catalyzed hydrogen peroxide. The results indicate that, after treatment, clogging was substantially reduced. The outcomes of the lab- and full-scale studies are discussed in this paper.
Comparison of oral hygiene status among 6-14 year old students of public and private schools of Rajbiraj, Saptari, Nepal
Authors: Bhagat TK , Shrestha A , Yadav TN
Published: June 2015

Aim To determine the oral hygiene status of 6-14 years old school children in Rajbiraj, Nepal. Materials and Methods Three hundred school children from public and private schools were examined for oral hygiene status using OHI(S). Descriptive statistics and independent sample t-tests were done. Results There was no significant difference in the oral hygiene status among gender, but the oral hygiene status of the children in private schools was better than that of the public school. Conclusion Large number of public school children had poor oral hygiene compared to private school children. Hence, oral health education programs should be conducted on a frequent basis to improve their oral hygiene status. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmsn.v10i1.12763 Journal of College of Medical Sciences-Nepal, 2014, Vol.10(1); 17-21
Holistic approach of Brain-Mind interaction
Authors: Datta AK , Guha R
Published: June 2015

We live in three worlds – worlds 1, 2 and 3 with reciprocal interactions which make us perfect human beings. World 1 is the word of physical objects; it comprises the whole of cosmos of matter and energy enriched with nature’s contribution of flora and fauna, and all artefacts made by mankind in the form of books, machines, tools, arts and music. World 2 deals with the states of consciousness and subjective perceptions at three levels of human brain in succession: (a) outer sense provided by all our sense organs that gives rise to the development of (b) inner sense in the form of our emotions, memories, imagination and planning for the future; (c) finally at the core of world 2 there develops a sense of consciousness for self or ego. World 3 is created by man with the development of language of communication that uniquely relates to man. It is the world which is completely unknown to animals. All our means of communication and intellectual efforts are coded in books, the artistic and technological treasures are stored in the museum, and every artifact coded by man is preserved in the world 3. It is the world of civilization and culture. Education is the means whereby each human being is immersed in the world 3 throughout life, participating in the heritage of mankind and so becoming fully human. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmsn.v10i1.12768 Journal of College of Medical Sciences-Nepal, 2014, Vol.10(1); 43-48
An energy-based method to calculate streamwise density variations in snow avalanches
Authors: Buser Othmar , Bartelt Perry
Published: June 2015

Snow avalanches are gravity-driven flows consisting of hard snow/ice particles. Depending on the snow quality, particularly temperature, avalanches exhibit different flow regimes, varying from dense flowing avalanches to highly disperse, mixed flowing-powder avalanches. In this paper we investigate how particle interactions lead to streamwise density variations, and therefore an understanding of why avalanches exhibit different flow types. A basic feature of our model is to distinguish between the velocity of the avalanche in the mean, downslope direction and the velocity fluctuations around the mean, associated with random particle movements. The mechanical energy associated with the velocity fluctuations is not entirely kinetic, as particle movements in the slope-perpendicular direction are inhibited by the hard boundary at the bottom giving rise to a change in flow height and therefore change in flow density. However, this volume expansion cannot occur without raising the center of mass of the particle ensemble, i.e. an acceleration, which, in turn, exerts a pressure on the bottom, the so-called dispersive pressure. As soon as the volume no longer expands, the dispersive pressure vanishes and the pressure returns to the hydrostatic pressure. Different streamwise density distributions, and therefore different avalanche flow regimes, are possible.
Vaccination learning experiences of nursing students: a grounded theory study
Authors: Ildarabadi Eshagh , Moonaghi Hossein Karimi , Heydari Abbas , Taghipour Ali , Abdollahimohammad Abdolghani
Published: June 2015

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the experiences of nursing students being trained to perform vaccinations. Methods: The grounded theory method was applied to gather information through semi-structured interviews. The participants included 14 undergraduate nursing students in their fifth and eighth semesters of study in a nursing school in Iran. The information was analyzed according to Strauss and Corbin’s method of grounded theory. Results: A core category of experiential learning was identified, and the following eight subcategories were extracted: students’ enthusiasm, vaccination sensitivity, stress, proper educational environment, absence of prerequisites, students’ responsibility for learning, providing services, and learning outcomes. Conclusion: The vaccination training of nursing students was found to be in an acceptable state. However, some barriers to effective learning were identified. As such, the results of this study may provide empirical support for attempts to reform vaccination education by removing these barriers.
An Experimental Study on the Macroscopic Spray Characteristics of Biodiesel and Diesel in a Constant Volume Chamber
Authors: Xie Hongzhan , Song Lanbo , Xie Yizhi , Pi Dong , Shao Chunyu , Lin Qizhao
Published: June 2015

The objective of this study was to investigate the macroscopic spray characteristics of different 0%–100% blends of biodiesel derived from drainage oil and diesel (BD0, BD20, BD50, BD80, BD100), such as spray tip penetration, average tip velocity at penetration, spray angle, average spray angle, spray evolution process, spray area and spray volume under different injection pressures (60, 70, 80, 90, 100 MPa) and ambient pressures (0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9 MPa) using a common rail system equipped with a constant volume chamber. The characteristic data was extracted from spray images grabbed by a high speed visualization system. The results showed that the ambient pressure and injection pressure had significant effects on the spray characteristics. As the ambient pressure increased, the spray angle increased, while the spray tip penetration and the peak of average tip velocity decreased. As the injection pressure increased, the spray tip penetration, spray angle, spray area and spray volume increased. The increasing blend ratio of biodiesel brought about a shorter spray tip penetration and a smaller spray angle compared with those of diesel. This is due to the comparatively higher viscosity and surface tension of biodiesel, which enhanced the friction effect between fuel and the injector nozzle surface and inhibited the breakup of the liquid jet.
Metabolomics Analysis Reveals Specific Novel Tetrapeptide and Potential Anti-Inflammatory Metabolites in Pathogenic Aspergillus species
Authors: Lee Kim-Chung , Tam Emily , Lo Ka-Ching , Tsang Alan , Lau Candy , To Kelvin , Chan Jasper , Lam Ching-Wan , Yuen Kwok-Yung , Lau Susanna , Woo Patrick
Published: June 2015

Infections related to Aspergillus species have emerged to become an important focus in infectious diseases, as a result of the increasing use of immunosuppressive agents and high fatality associated with invasive aspergillosis. However, laboratory diagnosis of Aspergillus infections remains difficult. In this study, by comparing the metabolomic profiles of the culture supernatants of 30 strains of six pathogenic Aspergillus species (A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. niger, A. terreus, A. nomius and A. tamarii) and 31 strains of 10 non-Aspergillus fungi, eight compounds present in all strains of the six Aspergillus species but not in any strain of the non-Aspergillus fungi were observed. One of the eight compounds, Leu–Glu–Leu–Glu, is a novel tetrapeptide and represents the first linear tetrapeptide observed in Aspergillus species, which we propose to be named aspergitide. Two other closely related Aspergillus-specific compounds, hydroxy-(sulfooxy)benzoic acid and (sulfooxy)benzoic acid, may possess anti-inflammatory properties, as 2-(sulfooxy)benzoic acid possesses a structure similar to those of aspirin [2-(acetoxy)benzoic acid] and salicylic acid (2-hydroxybenzoic acid). Further studies to examine the potentials of these Aspergillus-specific compounds for laboratory diagnosis of aspergillosis are warranted and further experiments will reveal whether Leu–Glu–Leu–Glu, hydroxy-(sulfooxy)benzoic acid and (sulfooxy)benzoic acid are virulent factors of the pathogenic Aspergillus species.
Lipidomics by Supercritical Fluid Chromatography
Authors: Laboureur Laurent , Ollero Mario , Touboul David
Published: June 2015

This review enlightens the role of supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) in the field of lipid analysis. SFC has been popular in the late 1980s and 1990s before almost disappearing due to the commercial success of liquid chromatography (LC). It is only 20 years later that a regain of interest appeared when new commercial instruments were introduced. As SFC is fully compatible with the injection of extracts in pure organic solvent, this technique is perfectly suitable for lipid analysis and can be coupled with either highly universal (UV or evaporative light scattering) or highly specific (mass spectrometry) detection methods. A short history of the use of supercritical fluids as mobile phase for the separation oflipids will be introduced first. Then, the advantages and drawbacks of SFC are discussed for each class of lipids (fatty acyls, glycerolipids, glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, sterols, prenols, polyketides) defined by the LIPID MAPS consortium.
Cornus mas (Linnaeus) Novel Devised Medicinal Preparations: Bactericidal Effect against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Kyriakopoulos Anthony , Dinda Biswanath
Published: June 2015

The medicinal properties of Cornus mas L. (=Cornus mascula L.), Cornaceae, are well described in Hippocratian documents, and recent research provides experimental evidence for some of these properties. However, the chemical components of Cornus mas L. that may be of pharmaceutical importance are relatively unstable. In this respect a novel methodology for plant nutrient element extraction that provides favorable conditions for simultaneous stabilization of such fragile and unstable structures has been devised. Using this methodology, medicinal preparations derived from Cornus mas L. fresh fruits, proved to possess significant antimicrobial activity selective against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. This effect became apparent with the addition of sodium bromide in the extraction procedure and varied with the ion availability during extraction. The identification of novel agents with potent antimicrobial activity against these species is of medical importance to overcome the problem of universal antibiotic resistance.
A Comparison of Single and Multi-Stream Recycling Systems in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Lakhan Calvin
Published: June 2015

This study examines differences in cost and recycling performance between single and multi-stream recycling systems in Ontario, Canada. Using panel data from 223 provincial municipalities spanning a ten year period, focus is placed on analyzing: (a) Are material management costs for municipalities who implement single stream collection less than those that implement multi stream collection? (b) Are recycling rates for single stream municipalities higher than municipalities with multi stream collection? (c) Do municipalities with multi stream collection realize higher revenues from the sale of recyclable material? The results of the analysis show that while single stream recycling programs recycle more than multi stream programs, they face significantly higher material management costs. This was contrary to the prevailing opinion that single stream recycling is a cheaper alternative to multi-stream recycling. As far as can be ascertained, this is one of the few studies of its kind to examine the differences in material management costs and recycling performance between single and multi-stream recycling systems. This topic is of increasing importance, as single stream recycling is being touted as preferred waste management option in both Ontario and abroad.
Mapping Priorities to Focus Cropland Mapping Activities: Fitness Assessment of Existing Global, Regional and National Cropland Maps
Authors: Waldner François , Fritz Steffen , Di Gregorio Antonio , Defourny Pierre
Published: June 2015

Timely and accurate information on the global cropland extent is critical for applications in the fields of food security, agricultural monitoring, water management, land-use change modeling and Earth system modeling. On the one hand, it gives detailed location information on where to analyze satellite image time series to assess crop condition. On the other hand, it isolates the agriculture component to focus food security monitoring on agriculture and to assess the potential impacts of climate change on agricultural lands. The cropland class is often poorly captured in global land cover products due to its dynamic nature and the large variety of agro-systems. The overall objective was to evaluate the current availability of cropland datasets in order to propose a strategic planning and effort distribution for future cropland mapping activities and, therefore, to maximize their impact. Following a very comprehensive identification and collection of national to global land cover maps, a multi-criteria analysis was designed at the country level to identify the priority areas for cropland mapping. As a result, the analysis highlighted priority regions, such as Western Africa, Ethiopia, Madagascar and Southeast Asia, for the remote sensing community to focus its efforts. A Unified Cropland Layer at 250 m for the year 2014 was produced combining the fittest products. It was assessed using global validation datasets and yields an overall accuracy ranging from 82%–94%. Masking cropland areas with a global forest map reduced the commission errors from 46% down to 26%. Compared to the GLC-Share and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis-International Food Policy Research Institute (IIASA-IFPRI) cropland maps, significant spatial disagreements were found, which might be attributed to discrepancies in the cropland definition. This advocates for a shared definition of cropland, as well as global validation datasets relevant for the agriculture class in order to systematically assess existing and future cropland maps.
Acoustic Biometric System Based on Preprocessing Techniques and Linear Support Vector Machines
Authors: Del Val Lara , Izquierdo-Fuente Alberto , Villacorta Juan , Raboso Mariano
Published: June 2015

Drawing on the results of an acoustic biometric system based on a MSE classifier, a new biometric system has been implemented. This new system preprocesses acoustic images, extracts several parameters and finally classifies them, based on Support Vector Machine (SVM). The preprocessing techniques used are spatial filtering, segmentation—based on a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) to separate the person from the background, masking—to reduce the dimensions of images—and binarization—to reduce the size of each image. An analysis of classification error and a study of the sensitivity of the error versus the computational burden of each implemented algorithm are presented. This allows the selection of the most relevant algorithms, according to the benefits required by the system. A significant improvement of the biometric system has been achieved by reducing the classification error, the computational burden and the storage requirements.
Novel Gyroscopic Mounting for Crystal Oscillators to Increase Short and Medium Term Stability under Highly Dynamic Conditions
Authors: Abedi Maryam , Jin Tian , Sun Kewen
Published: June 2015

In this paper, a gyroscopic mounting method for crystal oscillators to reduce the impact of dynamic loads on their output stability has been proposed. In order to prove the efficiency of this mounting approach, each dynamic load-induced instability has been analyzed in detail. A statistical study has been performed on the elevation angle of the g-sensitivity vector of Stress Compensated-cut (SC-cut) crystals. The analysis results show that the proposed gyroscopic mounting method gives good performance for host vehicle attitude changes. A phase noise improvement of 27 dB maximum and 5.7 dB on average can be achieved in the case of steady state loads, while under sinusoidal vibration conditions, the maximum and average phase noise improvement are as high as 24 dB and 7.5 dB respectively. With this gyroscopic mounting method, random vibration-induced phase noise instability is reduced 30 dB maximum and 8.7 dB on average. Good effects are apparent for crystal g-sensitivity vectors with low elevation angle φ and azimuthal angle β. under highly dynamic conditions, indicating the probability that crystal oscillator instability will be significantly reduced by using the proposed mounting approach.
Harnessing the Sun and Wind for Economic Development? An Economy-Wide Assessment for Egypt
Authors: Al-Riffai Perrihan , Blohmke Julian , Breisinger Clemens , Wiebelt Manfred
Published: June 2015

While the recent political transition in Egypt has delayed much-needed policy reforms, our paper suggests that under certain conditions, fostering the national renewable energy strategy may be a promising way of giving an ailing economy an urgently needed impetus. Based on the literature and results of a renewable-energy focused computable general equilibrium model, we recommend that Egypt supports the generation of wind power. While some energy may be exported to generate foreign exchange, a substantial part of the newly produced energy should be sold domestically to ease existing supply constraints and to avoid Dutch disease effects. In addition, and in order to maximize the benefits of renewable energy sources, the renewable energy strategy should be accompanied by a (further) reduction of energy subsidies. Finally, lessons from other countries suggest that sound institutions; appropriate, clear and lasting regulations; careful technology transfer; and cross-ministerial coordination are important for success.
Natural and artificial binders of polyriboadenylic acid and their effect on RNA structure
Authors: Roviello Giovanni N , Musumeci Domenica , Roviello Valentina , Pirtskhalava Marina , Egoyan Alexander , Mirtskhulava Merab
Published: June 2015

The employment of molecular tools with nucleic acid binding ability to specifically control crucial cellular functions represents an important scientific area at the border between biochemistry and pharmaceutical chemistry. In this review we describe several molecular systems of natural or artificial origin, which are able to bind polyriboadenylic acid (poly(rA)) both in its single-stranded or structured forms. Due to the fundamental role played by the poly(rA) tail in the maturation and stability of mRNA, as well as in the initiation of the translation process, compounds able to bind this RNA tract, influencing the mRNA fate, are of special interest for developing innovative biomedical strategies mainly in the field of anticancer therapy.
Les recherches collaboratives : enjeux et perspectives
Authors: Vinatier Isabelle , Morrissette Joëlle
Published: June 2015

La note de synthèse donne un aperçu des fondements des recherches collaboratives, de leurs développements actuels, de leurs disséminations et enfin de leurs enjeux. Les auteurs se reconnaissent tous dans l’horizon de sens ouvert par le pragmatisme de Dewey et reprennent à leur compte une conception du fonctionnement des groupes humains que Lewin, à qui l’on doit le concept de « recherche-action », fonde sur la tolérance et la démocratie. Encore marginales en France elles jouissent d’une popularité certaine au Québec. Leur accréditation par les organismes internationaux leur attribue un potentiel de développement des professionnalités individuelles et collectives et les considère comme un levier de développement des organisations apprenantes. Dans un premier temps, l’identification des problématiques et des enjeux qui caractérisent les recherches collaboratives permet la mise en relief des tensions qui les traversent. Dans un deuxième temps, en référence aux travaux de Lenoir (2012), sont évoqués les marqueurs et tendances qui permettent de situer la notion de recherche collaborative entre celle de recherche-action et celle de recherche partenariale. Enfin, dans une perspective épistémologique, sont discutés les rapports entre chercheurs et professionnels de même que se trouve questionné le type de savoirs qui peut être produit par ces recherches.
Incorporating Shrub and Snag Specific LiDAR Data into GAP Wildlife Models
Authors: Lorenz Teresa J , Vierling Kerri T , Vogeler Jody , Lonneker Jeffrey , Aycrigg Jocelyn
Published: June 2015

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Gap Analysis Program (hereafter, GAP) is a nationally based program that uses land cover, vertebrate distributions, and land ownership to identify locations where gaps in conservation coverage exist, and GAP products are commonly used by government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and private citizens. The GAP land-cover designations are based on satellite-derived data, and although these data are widely available, these data do not capture the 3-dimensional vegetation architecture that may be important in describing vertebrate distributions. To date, no studies have examined how the inclusion of snag- or shrub-specific Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data might influence GAP model performance. The objectives of this paper were 1) to assess the performance of the National GAP models and Northwest GAP models with independently collected field data, and 2) to assess whether the inclusion of 3-dimensional vegetation data from LiDAR improved the performance of National GAP and Northwest GAP models. We included only two parameters from the LiDAR data: presence or absence of shrubs and presence or absence of snags ≥25 cm diameter at breast height. We surveyed for birds at>150 points in a 20,000-ha coniferous forest in northern Idaho and used data for eight shrub- and cavity-nesting species for validation purposes. On a guild level, National GAP models performed only marginally better than Northwest GAP models in correct classification rate, and LiDAR data did not improve vertebrate distribution models. At the scale used in this study, GAP models had poor predictive power and this is important for managers interested in using GAP models for species distributions at scales similar to ours, such as a small park or preserve <200 km2 in size. Additionally, because the inclusion of LiDAR data did not consistently affect the performance of GAP models, future studies might consider whether LiDAR data affect GAP model performance by examining 1) different spatial scales, 2) different LiDAR metrics, and/or 3) species-specific habitat relationships not currently available in GAP models.
The Roles of Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Global Marketing
Authors: Kasemsap Kijpokin
Published: June 2015

This chapter introduces the roles of cross-cultural perspectives in global marketing, thus explaining theoretical and practical concepts of cross-cultural consumer country-of-origin perceptions, cross-cultural consumer trust, cross-cultural consumer animosity, cross-cultural consumer ethnocentrism toward global brand, cross-cultural global brand reputation, and cross-cultural social networking services. Businesses must recognize, respect, and reconcile cultural differences if they hope to successfully contract in the global business environments. Cross-cultural understanding and cultural knowledge for global marketing approaches are the key issues to be considered for a favorable integration into the cross-cultural organizations. Applying cross-cultural perspectives in global marketing will vastly improve organizational performance and achieve strategic objectives in the social media age.
A Cross-National Effect of Ethnocentrism on Purchase Intention
Authors: Jiménez Nadia , San-Martín Sonia
Published: June 2015

The purpose of this study is to understand how socio-psychological and cultural factors (patriotism, cultural openness and collectivism) affect a social phenomenon implying a tendency to reject foreign products (ethnocentrism). The main contribution of this work is to propose a cross-national study to establish differences or similarities in the behaviour of consumers from emerging and developed markets when evaluating foreign products. Data was collected from 476 Spanish and Mexican consumers. Our results show that also in emerging as in developed markets the patriotism and cultural openness are antecedents of ethnocentrism, but collectivism only influences the ethnocentrism of consumer from emerging markets. In addition, in developed market economies the ethnocentrism negatively affects purchase intention of foreign products, although in emerging markets it does not.
Cultural Perspectives on Advertising Perceptions and Brand Trustworthiness
Authors: Danbury Annie , Palazzo Maria , Mortimer Kathleen , Siano Alfonso
Published: June 2015

The creation of a trustworthy brand identity through advertising has received relatively little attention in European marketing research. Thus, in this chapter, we explore this relationship by undertaking focus group research in the UK and Italy to identify the characteristics of print advertisements perceived as portraying a trustworthy image. The results show that advertisements that are simple, straightforward and clear are perceived as being more trustworthy. However, findings in this chapter also show some differences between our national samples in relation to factors such as colour perception and consumer ethnocentrism. Young consumers are also quite critical of current advertising efforts in building a trustworthy brand image. A discussion of potential solutions and future research directions is provided.