bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Datation dendrochronologique de chalets d’alpage dans la zone cœur du Parc National de la Vanoise
Authors: Le Roy Melaine , Astrade Laurent , Édouard Jean-Louis , Bazan Marie-Pierre , Iancovescu Cristina
Published: December 2017

Le bâti traditionnel d’altitude a été relativement
peu étudié dans les Alpes françaises du Nord. Dans cette étude, cinq
bâtiments d’alpage situés dans la zone cœur du Parc National de la
Vanoise ont fait l’objet d’analyses dendrochronologiques détaillées.
L’objectif est d’apporter un premier éclairage sur la temporalité de
l’occupation de ces sites et sur les modalités d’utilisation du bois
dans l’architecture vernaculaire de ces hautes vallées. Les résultats
mettent en évidence plusieurs phases de construction et/ou réparation
sur la majorité des sites avec le remploi de nombreuses pièces. La
première date d’abattage a été déterminée au milieu du xive siècle, mais la
première période d’abattage commune à plusieurs bâtiments intervient
dans la première moitié du xve siècle. L’approche dendrochronologique demanderait à
être étendue et combinée avec d’autres disciplines (archéologie du
bâti, données historiques) afin de mettre en perspective ces données
chronologiques. Il existe en outre un besoin majeur d’interventions
préventives pour documenter ce patrimoine unique avant rénovation ou
ruine totale des bâtiments, conjointement à un travail d’information
et de sensibilisation à destination des propriétaires.
Educating Caribbean Librarians to Provide Library Education in a Dynamic Information Environment
Authors: Baker-Gardner Ruth , Stewart Paulette
Published: December 2017

The dynamism of the information sector driven by ICT and the resulting impact on library and information science professionals have resulted in significant changes in how teaching librarians in the Caribbean are educated. This research was conducted to: describe the education of teaching librarians; examine the changes in education; and investigate how teaching librarians develop and hone their teaching competencies. A mixed-method approach was used to garner quantitative data from 45 librarians and qualitative data from relevant documents in two library schools. The findings show there were significant changes as new courses and programs were developed, online programs were implemented and faculty qualifications upgraded. These changes were somewhat effective, however, teacher-librarians, who developed teaching skills mainly from teacher training, expressed a need for additional technology skills to make them more effective. It was recommended that LIS schools need to diversify their programs to make the content and the activities more aligned to the day to day practices of these teacher librarians.
Received Signal Strength Models for Narrowband Radios
Authors: Yiğitler Hüseyin , Kaltiokallio Ossi , Jäntti Riku
Published: December 2017

The advancements in wireless communication technologies have enabled new sensing possibilities where the channel measurements of the radio are used for inferring physical changes in the surrounding environment. Relating the channel measurements to the location and actions of people has been of particular interest due to the wide range of application opportunities enabled by such a sensing capability. As an example, the low-amplitude received signal measurements of low-cost wireless communication systems have been used to detect the presence of a person, to locate and track them, identify gestures and activities of the person, and even monitor their vital signs. This chapter aims to give a deep insight on how people influence radio signals, how these effects are observed at the receiver antenna, and how the measurement system impacts the recorded measurements. These topics are presented to shed light on the relation between the location of people and signal strength measurements of narrowband radios.
Addressing Knowledge Management and Virtual Learning Communities in MOOC Using Open Resources and Gamification
Authors: Martin-Fernandez Luis , Martinez-Nuñez Margarita , Borras-Gene Oriol , Fidalgo-Blanco Angel
Published: December 2017

The confluence of thousands of students in a MOOC is an opportunity to manage all the knowledge generated through the creation of open educational resources (OER), especially when a connectivist approach is applied and the MOOC makes use of virtual learning communities. The challenge is transferring the flow of knowledge, activity, and interactions of the course to the community and making that transference sustainable and ongoing over time. For this purpose, the use of elements of gamification to train and retain the knowledge creators of the community along with the use of social networking platforms is proposed. This chapter analyses several editions of a MOOC and the opportunity offered by the use of different types of learning (formal, non-formal, and informal) that occur in them, thus characterizing patterns to train the open content and knowledge generation through gamification. From the results, indicators for managing successful and sustainable knowledge communities are proposed along with indicators for persistence and interaction between participants.
In-Service Teachers' Use of ICT for the Promotion of Collaborative Professional Learning
Authors: García-Valcárcel Ana , Mena Juanjo
Published: December 2017

Information and communication technologies (ICT) are often rendered as key tools in the promotion of teachers' collaborative learning. Their use enables teachers to complete assignments, solve problems, or create products together. The content of this chapter is based on the information published in a previous research study by the authors. In that study, they aimed at describing teachers' use of ICT towards collaboration from a triple perspective: what they believe (teachers' opinion), what they know (teachers' knowledge), and what they do (teachers' use). A questionnaire and interviews were the instruments to collect data. Some results pointed out that teachers used ICT to promote collaboration on a regular basis, but it is limited to the knowledge they have on particular tools, which is acknowledged to be intermediate. The most important implication for teacher education programs is considering the actual limitations of teachers' knowledge and use of ICT in practice to set a more accurate starting point to promote collaboration through technologies.
Openness of Public Financial Management
Authors: Rajib Salah Uddin , Hoque Mahfuzul
Published: December 2017

This chapter reviews the open government model and assesses the position of public financial management (PFM) of an emerging economy, Bangladesh. Open government (OG) is an emerging issue that is identified as the prerequisite of ensuring the accountability and transparency. From different research platforms, OG is suggested to pertain to the development goals of the country as well. Therefore, it has an importance to the emerging economy. This chapter investigates the openness of public financial management (PFM) through the theory of accountability, transparency, and open government model in Bangladesh. It seems that though the ease of accessibility of government data is demanded in the developing economy for accountability, transparency, and development, the situation of public financial management is far reaching from the demand in Bangladesh. The open government data platform and different PFM agencies are disclosing very little information regarding the public finance. The chapter argues to strengthen the basic structure of opening up the PFM.
User Involvement in Service Innovation Processes
Authors: Nicolajsen Hanne Westh , Sorensen Flemming , Scupola Ada
Published: December 2017

This article presents the results of a study investigating user involvement in the idea generation phase of service innovation, and discusses advantages and limitations of such involvement. Specifically, the study compares the use of social media such as blogs and future workshops to generate idea for service innovations in the context of a research library. Our study shows that the blog is good in opening up for user contributions, while the future workshop involving users and employees is particularly good at qualifying and further developing ideas. The findings suggest therefore that methods for user involvement should be carefully selected and combined to achieve optimum benefits and avoid potential disadvantages.
Technological Advancements and Distortion of Notion of Place
Authors: Papadopoulos Homer
Published: December 2017

Technological advancements now extend to mobility, place, and memory adding new complexity to the notion of place and space. Place now considered as an important concept in the context of technology adoption and the usage of data services. There is need to understand the ontology in both the digital and physical space. The aim of this paper is to propose a new extended model to analyse the ontological determinants of physical and digital space and to gain insight into the new experiences and the usage behaviour of data services. An extended model of place was generated, adopting the humanistic geographical perspective as represented by Tuan's theory, which can be served as a sensitizing device in order to interpret and analyse the collected data. The proposed extended model can assist designers, developers and researchers to understand users' experiences when interacting with their surrounding environment (physical and virtual) when adopting new technologies and using data services.
Innovativeness, Privacy, and Trust as Determinants of Electronic Tax Filing
Authors: Nisha Nabila , Iqbal Mehree , Rifat Afrin
Published: December 2017

Electronic tax (e-Tax) filing is one of the most interesting and dynamic examples of the integration of information technology and service provision between the government and citizens. However, citizens are often concerned about the use of technology due to their personal innovativeness, and lack of privacy and trust for online transactions. This chapter thus aims to investigate adoption drivers of e-Tax filing systems in Bangladesh by employing the UTAUT model. Results reveal facilitating conditions, trust, effort expectancy, performance expectancy and individual innovativeness as significant drivers in e-Tax adoption. Besides, this chapter suggests a new research agenda wherein perceived risks that can cause services like e-Tax filings to fail are addressed. Several factors that are known to exacerbate perceived risk were identified from the literature and thereafter shown as part of a proposed framework. Besides, implications for practice and research are also discussed for better planning and implementation of e-Tax services.
Android-Based Visual Tag Detection for Visually Impaired Users
Authors: Dong Hao , Kang Jieqi , Schafer James , Ganz Aura
Published: December 2017

In this paper the authors introduce PERCEPT-V indoor navigation for the blind system. PERCEPT-V enhances PERCEPT system by enabling visually impaired users to navigate in open indoor spaces that differ in size and lighting conditions. The authors deploy visual tags in the environment at specific landmarks and introduce a visual tag detection algorithm using a sampling probe and cascading approach. The authors provide guidelines for the visual tag size, which is a function of various environmental, and usage scenarios, which differ in lighting, dimensions of the indoor environment and angle of usage. The authors also developed a Smartphone based user interface for the visually impaired users that uses Android accessibility features.
Designing Engaging Educational Games and Assessing Engagement in Game-Based Learning
Authors: Ge Xun , Ifenthaler Dirk
Published: December 2017

The focus of this chapter is on designing engaging educational games for cognitive, motivational, and emotional benefits. The concept of engagement is defined and its relationship with motivation and cognition are discussed. Design issues with many educational games are examined in terms of factors influencing sustained motivation and engagement. A theoretical framework to design engaging digital games is presented, including three dimensions of engagement (i.e., behavioral, cognitive, and emotional). Later, the chapter considers how to harness the appealing power of engaging games for designing engaging educational games. Various motivational features of game design and learner experiences are considered. In conclusion, the chapter also discusses various methods to assess engagement in order to inform the design of educational games that motivate learners.
Conceptual Possibilities and Restraints in Educational Games
Authors: Moore David Richard , Hsiao E-ling
Published: December 2017

In this chapter, the authors explore arcade-style gaming and its limitations for promoting mastery in the conceptual learning domain. Arcade-style game play is primarily a function of presenting concepts to players and continually requiring them to respond with finer responses. The degree to which a concept is malleable determines how large its range is in game play. In other words, the characteristics of a concept determine its role in game play. The primary purpose of this chapter is to distinguish between two types of concepts: one that is appropriate for arcade-style gaming and another that requires a different, more involved style. Designers of games, particularly of educational games, will find guidance for selecting concepts related to their instructional content.
Bridging Research and Game Development
Authors: Chamberlin Barbara , Trespalacios Jesús , Gallagher Rachel
Published: December 2017

Over the past 20 years, instructional designers in the Learning Games Lab at New Mexico State University have developed a design model for game development that brings researchers, educators, and game developers together throughout the design process. Using this approach, game developers and content experts (a) work collaboratively to ensure educational goals and outcomes are appropriate for the learner and the learning environment, (b) immerse themselves in both content and game design, and (c) test extensively throughout development with members of the target audience. In this chapter, the authors describe the model as it was used in development of several math games during a four-year development cycle for the Math Snacks project. They discuss the implications of this approach for the creation of other educational games or suites of games and share recommendations for expansion of the model to other developers.
Teaching Case of Gamification and Visual Technologies for Education
Authors: Villagrasa Sergi , Fonseca-Escudero David , Redondo Ernest , Duran Jaume
Published: December 2017

This paper describes the use of gamification and visual technologies in a classroom for higher education, specifically for university students. The goal is to achieve a major increase in student motivation and engagement through the use of various technologies and learning methodologies based on game mechanics called gamification. Gamification is used to engage students in the learning process. This study adds learning methodologies like Learning by Doing to students' collaborative work, and mixes teacher support with new, accessible technology, such as virtual reality and visualization 3D on the web thanks to webGL. This creates a new management tool, called GLABS, to assist in the gamification of the classroom. Understanding the role of gamification and the technology in education means understanding under what circumstances game elements can drive a student's learning behavior so that he or she may achieve better results in the learning process.
A Game-Based Approach to Teaching Social Problem-Solving Skills
Authors: Ang Rebecca P. , Tan Jean Lee , Goh Dion H.L. , Huan Vivien S. , Ooi Yoon Phaik , Boon Jillian S. T. , Fung Daniel S. S.
Published: December 2017

This chapter describes a game-based approach to teaching social problem solving skills. This chapter presents the background, literature review, development and evaluation of a social problem-solving game, Socialdrome, for use with primary school going children in Singapore. The game sought to intentionally teach children to identify and manage feelings, exercise self-control, solve social problems and negotiate conflict situations. This chapter has two objectives. First, we describe the design of Socialdrome, which is in alignment with instructional design and game design principles. In Study 1, we reported a formative evaluation of the game. This led to further refinements of the game. Second, we presented Study 2, an investigation of the learning outcomes and user acceptance arising from using Socialdrome. Here, a summative evaluation of the game in a formal classroom setting was reported. We concluded with directions for future work.
Games and Their Embodied Learning Principles in the Classroom
Authors: von Gillern Sam
Published: December 2017

This chapter explores how educators can use games and their embodied learning principles as a source for student learning, motivation, and engagement. It begins by highlighting important educational issues, such as lack of motivation and how technology has affected students and communication (Prensky, 2005). It then illustrates how digital games can address these issues and support learning and foster meaningful engagement by exploring Gee's (2007) learning principles and Prensky's (2005) activities and learning techniques. Each learning principle and activity is addressed with a summary of the concept, an example of how video games exemplify the concept, and practical methods for integrating the idea into classroom instruction through games and activities. The chapter concludes with an overview of main concepts and highlights future directions for research connecting learning theories to digital games.
Development of a real-time PCR assay and comparison to CHROMagarTM STEC to screen for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in stool, Cape Town, South Africa
Authors: Kalule John B. , Keddy Karen H. , Smith Anthony , Nicol Mark P. , Robberts Lourens
Published: December 2017

Introduction: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is an emerging infectious pathogen which could lead to haemolytic uremic syndrome. Even though previous studies have compared the performance of CHROMagarTMSTEC to real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in Europe, no study has been done to assess its performance on African isolates.Objectives: This project aimed to validate and test an in-house-developed duplex real-time PCR and use it as a reference standard to determine the performance of CHROMagarTMSTEC on African isolates from diarrhoeic stool samples.Methods: This study evaluated STEC diagnostic technology on African isolates. An in-house-developed duplex real-time PCR assay for detection of stx1 and stx2 was validated and tested on diarrhoeic stool samples and then used as a reference standard to assess the performance of CHROMagarTMSTEC. Real-time PCR was used to screen for stx in tryptic soy broth and the suspected STEC isolates, while conventional PCR was used to detect the other virulence genes possessed by the isolates.Results: The real-time PCR limit of detection was 5.3 target copies/μL of broth. The mean melting temperature on melt-curve analysis for detection of stx1 was 58.2 °C and for stx2 was 65.3 °C. Of 226 specimens screened, real-time PCR detected stx in 14 specimens (6.2%, 95% confidence interval = 3.43% – 10.18%). The sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value and positive predictive value of the CHROMagarTMSTEC were 33.3%, 77.4%, 95.3% and 11.3%.Conclusions: The in-house developed real-time PCR assay is a sensitive and specific option for laboratory detection of STEC as compared to CHROMagarTMSTEC in this setting.
The New Austrian School challenge to Keynesian demand management
Authors: Fiebiger Brett
Published: December 2017

After the global financial crisis, the Bank for International Settlements emerged as an influential voice in policy debates. Under the rubric of preventing ‘financial imbalances’, and concerned with the ‘illusory’ nature of demand management, the Bank has proposed a macro policy framework based on ‘finance-neutral’ output gaps. This paper critiques the analysis of the New Austrian School, that is, the Bank for International Settlements. The Bank is seeking an operational anchor for a Hayekian version of the Wicksellian ‘natural rate of interest’ that would obtain a ‘sustainable’ output level consistent with a long-run ‘financial equilibrium’ for the private non-financial sector. The fuzzy concept of ‘financial imbalances’ plays a similar role to that of ‘forced saving’ in the Old Austrian School framework. Incredibly, the institutional flaws in the eurozone that made sovereigns vulnerable to debt crises, large current-account surpluses, high rates of unemployment and rising inequality are not deemed as ‘imbalances’ worthy of a public policy response.
The IMF and the New Fiscalism: was there a U-turn?*
Authors: Fiebiger Brett , Lavoie Marc
Published: December 2017

In late 2008 a consensus was reached amongst global policymakers that fiscal stimulus was required to counteract the effects of the Great Recession, a view dubbed as the New Fiscalism. Pragmatism triumphed over the stipulations of the New Consensus Macroeconomics, which viewed discretionary fiscal actions as an irrelevant tool of counter-cyclical macroeconomic policy (if not altogether detrimental). The partial re-embrace of Keynes was however relatively short-lived, lasting only until early 2010 when fiscal consolidation came to the forefront again, although the merits of fiscal austerity were questioned when economic recovery did not really materialize in 2012. This paper traces the ups and downs of the debate over the New Fiscalism, especially at the International Monetary Fund, by analysing IMF documents and G20 communiqués. Using fiscal policy as a means to exit the crisis remains contentious even amidst recognition of secular stagnation.
Efficacy of Occupational Therapy Using Ayres Sensory Integration®: A Systematic Review
Authors: Schaaf Roseann C. , Dumont Rachel L. , Arbesman Marian , May-Benson Teresa A.
Published: December 2017

This systematic review addresses the question “What is the efficacy of occupational therapy using Ayres Sensory Integration® (ASI) to support functioning and participation as defined by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health for persons with challenges in processing and integrating sensory information that interfere with everyday life participation?” Three randomized controlled trials, 1 retroactive analysis, and 1 single-subject ABA design published from 2007 to 2015, all of which happened to study children with autism, met inclusion criteria. The evidence is strong that ASI intervention demonstrates positive outcomes for improving individually generated goals of functioning and participation as measured by Goal Attainment Scaling for children with autism. Moderate evidence supported improvements in impairment-level outcomes of improvement in autistic behaviors and skills-based outcomes of reduction in caregiver assistance with self-care activities. Child outcomes in play, sensory–motor, and language skills and reduced caregiver assistance with social skills had emerging but insufficient evidence.
Justifying Rehabilitation Intensity Through Functional Performance Measures in Postacute Care
Authors: Kroll Christine , Fisher Thomas
Published: December 2017

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has scrutinized the provision of rehabilitation services in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) for some time. Little research guidance exists on appropriate dosage or rehabilitation intensity (RI) among SNF patients or patients in other postacute care (PAC) settings. CMS developed a PAC assessment, the Continuity Assessment Record and Evaluation (CARE) Tool, in response to questions about what issues drive placement in various PAC settings under Medicare. The ability to adequately assess functional outcomes and correlate them to the RI provided by using the CARE Tool is promising. However, further research, policy advocacy, and practice analysis must be undertaken to promote and protect adequate access to occupational therapy and physical therapy in SNFs and other PAC settings. Individual practitioners must participate in data gathering to ensure that the data for analysis are fully informed by the occupational therapy perspective.
Black Carbon, Organic Carbon, and Co-Pollutants Emissions and Energy Efficiency from Artisanal Brick Production in Mexico
Authors: Zavala Miguel , Molina Luisa T. , Maiz Pablo , Monsivais Israel , Chow Judith C. , Watson John G. , Munguia Jose Luis , Cardenas Beatriz , Fortner Edward C. , Herndon Scott C. , Roscioli Joseph R. , Kolb Charles E. , Knighton Walter B.
Published: December 2017

Abstract. In many parts of the developing world and economies in transition, small-scale traditional brick kilns are a notorious source of urban air pollution. Many are both energy inefficient and burn highly polluting fuels that emit significant levels of black carbon (BC), organic carbon (OC) and other atmospheric pollutants into local communities, resulting in severe health and environmental impacts. However, only a very limited number of studies are available on the emission characteristics of brick kilns; thus there is a need to characterize their gaseous and particulate matter (PM) emission factors to better assess their overall contribution to emissions inventories and to quantify their ecological, human health, and climate impacts. In this study, the fuel-, energy-, and brick-based emissions factors and time-based emission ratios of BC, OC, inorganic PM components, CO, SO2, CH4, NOx, and selected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from two traditional artisanal kilns and one MK2 kiln in Mexico were quantified using the tracer ratio sampling technique. Simultaneous measurements of PM components, CO and CO2 were also obtained using a filter-based sampling probe technique. Additional measurements included the internal temperature of the brick kilns, mechanical resistance of bricks produced, and characteristics of fuels employed. The results show that both techniques capture similar temporal profiles of the brick kiln emissions and produce comparable emission factors, indicating that the tracer ratio technique can be an alternative option to the filter-based sampling probe technique in understanding the temporal profile of the chemical composition of brick kilns emissions. A more integrated inter-comparison of the brick kilns' performances was obtained by simultaneously assessing emissions factors, energy efficiency, fuel consumption, and the quality of the bricks produced. Overall, a well-designed and operated MK2 kiln produced lower PM2.5, BC, OC emission factors and higher energy efficiency than the traditional artisanal brick kilns. Average fuel-based BC emission factors ranged from 0.15–0.58 g/kg-fuel whereas BC / OC mass ratios ranged from 0.9–5.2, depending on the kiln type. The results from this study contribute to the limited number of databases available on the emission characteristics of the informal brick production sector.
Variability of the Brunt–Väisälä frequency at the OH* layer height
Authors: Wüst Sabine , Bittner Michael , Yee Jeng-Hwa , Mlynczak Martin G. , Russell III James M.
Published: December 2017

Abstract. In and near the Alpine region, the most dense subnetwork of identical NDMC (Network for the Detection of Mesospheric Change, https://www.wdc.dlr.de/ndmc/) instruments can be found: five stations are equipped with OH* spectrometers which deliver a time series of mesopause temperature for each cloudless or only partially cloudy night. These measurements are suitable for the derivation of the density of gravity wave potential energy, provided that the Brunt–Väisälä frequency is known. However, OH* spectrometers do not deliver vertically resolved temperature information, which is necessary for the calculation of the Brunt–Väisälä frequency. Co-located measurements or climatological values are needed. We use 14 years of satellite-based temperature data (TIMED-SABER, 2002–2015) to investigate the inter- and intra-annual variability of the Brunt–Väisälä frequency at the OH* layer height between 43.93–48.09° N and 5.71–12.95° E and provide a climatology.
Deriving evaluation indicators for knowledge transfer and dialogue processes in the context of climate research
Authors: Treffeisen Renate , Grosfeld Klaus , Kuhlmann Franziska
Published: December 2017

Abstract. Knowledge transfer and dialogue processes in the field of climate science have captured intensive attention in recent years as being an important part of research activities. Therefore, the demand and pressure to develop a set of indicators for the evaluation of different activities in this field have increased, too. Research institutes are being asked more and more to build up structures in order to map these activities and, thus, are obliged to demonstrate the success of these efforts. This paper aims to serve as an input to stimulate further reflection on the field of evaluation of knowledge transfer and dialogue processes in the context of climate sciences. The work performed in this paper is embedded in the efforts of the German Helmholtz Association in the research field of earth and environment and is driven by the need to apply suitable indicators for knowledge transfer and dialogue processes in climate research center evaluations. We carry out a comparative analysis of three long-term activities and derive a set of indicators for measuring their output and outcome by balancing the wide diversity and range of activity contents as well as the different tools to realize them. The case examples are based on activities which are part of the regional Helmholtz Climate Initiative Regional Climate Change (REKLIM) and the Climate Office for Polar Regions and Sea Level Rise at the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research. Both institutional units have been working on a wide range of different knowledge transfer and dialogue processes since 2008/2009. We demonstrate that indicators for the evaluation must be based on the unique objectives of the individual activities and the framework they are embedded in (e.g., research foci which provide the background for the performed knowledge transfer and dialogue processes) but can partly be classified in a principle two-dimensional scheme. This scheme might serve as a usable basis for climate research center evaluation in the future. It, furthermore, underlines the need for further development of proper mechanisms to evaluate scientific centers, in particular with regard to knowledge transfer and dialogue processes.
The effects of burning and grazing on soil carbon dynamics in managed Peruvian tropical montane grasslands
Authors: Oliver Viktoria , Oliveras Imma , Kala Jose , Lever Rebecca , Teh Yit Arn
Published: December 2017

Abstract. Montane tropical soils are a large carbon (C) reservoir, acting as both a source and a sink of CO2. Enhanced CO2 emissions originate, in large part, from the decomposition and losses of soil organic matter (SOM) following anthropogenic disturbances. Therefore, quantitative knowledge of the stabilization and decomposition of SOM is necessary in order to understand, assess and predict the impact of land management in the tropics. In particular, labile SOM is an early and sensitive indicator of how SOM responds to changes in land use and management practices, which could have major implications for long-term carbon storage and rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations. The aim of this study was to investigate the impacts of grazing and fire history on soil C dynamics in the Peruvian montane grasslands, an understudied ecosystem, which covers approximately a quarter of the land area in Peru. A density fractionation method was used to quantify the labile and stable organic matter pools, along with soil CO2 flux and decomposition measurements. Grazing and burning together significantly increased soil CO2 fluxes and decomposition rates and reduced temperature as a driver. Although there was no significant effect of land use on total soil C stocks, the combination of burning and grazing decreased the proportion of C in the free light fraction (LF), especially at the lower depths (10–20 and 20–30 cm). In the control soils, 20 % of the material recovered was in the free LF, which contained 30 % of the soil C content. In comparison, the burnt–grazed soil had the smallest recovery of the free LF (10 %) and a significantly lower C content (14 %). The burnt soils had a much higher proportion of C in the occluded LF (12 %) compared to the not-burnt soils (7 %) and there was no significant difference among the treatments in the heavy fraction (F) ( ∼  70 %). The synergistic effect of burning and grazing caused changes to the soil C dynamics. CO2 fluxes were increased and the dominant temperature driver was obscured by some other process, such as changes in plant C and N allocation. In addition, the free LF was reduced when these two anthropogenic activities took place on the same site – most likely a result of reduced detritus being incorporated into the soil. A positive finding from this study is that the total soil C stocks were not significantly affected and the long-term (+10 years) C storage in the occluded LF and heavy F were not negatively impacted. Possibly this is because of low-intensity fire, fire-resilient grasses and because the grazing pressure is below the threshold necessary to cause severe degradation.
Modeling the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Process Chain in the
Nepal Himalaya: Reassessing Imja Tsho's Hazard
Authors: Lala Jonathan M. , Rounce David R. , McKinney Daene C.
Published: December 2017

Abstract. The Himalayas of South Asia are home to many glaciers that are retreating due to climate change and causing the formation of large glacial lakes in their absence. These lakes are held in place by naturally deposited moraine dams that are potentially unstable. Specifically, an impulse wave generated by an avalanche or landslide entering the lake can destabilize the moraine dam, thereby causing a catastrophic failure of the moraine and a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF). Imja-Lhotse Shar glacier is amongst the glaciers experiencing the highest rate of mass loss in the Mount Everest region, which has contributed to the expansion of Imja Tsho. A GLOF from this lake may have the potential to cause catastrophic damage to downstream villages, threatening both property and human life. Therefore, it is essential to understand the processes that could trigger a flood and quantify the potential downstream impacts. The avalanche-induced GLOF process chain was modeled using the output of one component of the chain as input to the next. First, the volume and momentum of various avalanches entering the lake were calculated using RAMMS. Next, the avalanche-induced waves were simulated using BASEMENT and validated with empirical equations to ensure the proper transfer of momentum from the avalanche to the lake. With BASEMENT, the ensuing moraine erosion and downstream flooding was modeled, which was used to generate hazard maps downstream. Moraine erosion was calculated for two geomorphologic models: one site-specific using field data and another worst-case based on past literature that is applicable to lakes in the greater region. Neither case resulted in flooding outside the river channel at downstream villages. The worst-case model resulted in some moraine erosion and increased channelization of the lake outlet, which yielded greater discharge downstream but no catastrophic collapse. The site-specific model generated similar results, but with very little erosion and a smaller downstream discharge. These results indicated that Imja Tsho is unlikely to produce a catastrophic GLOF due to an avalanche in the near future, although some hazard exists within the downstream river channel, necessitating continued monitoring of the lake. Furthermore, these models were designed for ease and flexibility so that they can be adopted by a wide range of stakeholders and appropriated for other lakes in the region.
Comparing soil moisture anomalies from multiple independent sources over different regions across the globe
Authors: Cammalleri Carmelo , Vogt Jürgen V. , Bisselink Bernard , de Roo Ad
Published: December 2017

Abstract. Agricultural drought events can affect large regions across the world, implying the need for a suitable global tool for an accurate monitoring of this phenomenon. Soil moisture anomalies are considered a good metric to capture the occurrence of agricultural drought events, and they have become an important component of several operational drought monitoring systems. In the framework of the JRC Global Drought Observatory (GDO, http://edo.jrc.ec.europa.eu/gdo/), the suitability of three datasets as possible representations of root zone soil moisture anomalies has been evaluated: (1) the soil moisture from the Lisflood distributed hydrological model (namely LIS), (2) the remotely sensed Land Surface Temperature data from the MODIS satellite (namely LST), and (3) the ESA Climate Change Initiative combined passive/active microwave skin soil moisture dataset (namely CCI). Due to the independency of these three datasets, the triple collocation (TC) technique has been applied, aiming at quantifying the likely error associated with each dataset in comparison to the unknown true status of the system. TC analysis was performed on five macro-regions (namely North America, Europe, India, southern Africa and Australia) detected as suitable for the experiment, providing insight into the mutual relationship between these datasets as well as an assessment of the accuracy of each method. Even if no definitive statement on the spatial distribution of errors can be provided, a clear outcome of the TC analysis is the good performance of the remote sensing datasets, especially CCI, over dry regions such as Australia and southern Africa, whereas the outputs of LIS seem to be more reliable over areas that are well monitored through meteorological ground station networks, such as North America and Europe. In a global drought monitoring system, the results of the error analysis are used to design a weighted-average ensemble system that exploits the advantages of each dataset.
Electron capture detector based on a non-radioactive electron source: operating parameters vs. analytical performance
Authors: Bunert Erik , Kirk Ansgar T. , Oermann Jens , Zimmermann Stefan
Published: December 2017

Abstract. Gas chromatographs with electron capture detectors are widely used for the analysis of electron affine substances such as pesticides or chlorofluorocarbons. With detection limits in the low pptv range, electron capture detectors are the most sensitive detectors available for such compounds. Based on their operating principle, they require free electrons at atmospheric pressure, which are usually generated by a β− decay. However, the use of radioactive materials leads to regulatory restrictions regarding purchase, operation, and disposal. Here, we present a novel electron capture detector based on a non-radioactive electron source that shows similar detection limits compared to radioactive detectors but that is not subject to these limitations and offers further advantages such as adjustable electron densities and energies. In this work we show first experimental results using 1,1,2-trichloroethane and sevoflurane, and investigate the effect of several operating parameters on the analytical performance of this new non-radioactive electron capture detector (ECD).
Evocación del historiador Vicent Llombart
Authors: Almenar Palau Salvador
Published: December 2017

Esta evocación muestra cómo la formación inicial que recibió Vicent Llombart en el Seminario de historia del pensamiento económico en la Universidad de Valencia fue decisiva, pero no suficiente, para entender una trayectoria rotunda por sus contribuciones. Su propósito decidido, su firme exigencia personal y su apertura intelectual permanente nos ayudan a comprender mejor a un gran historiador.
The Influence of Online Media and Social Media on Mass Communication with Communication Technology as Intervening Variables
Authors: - Hafizah -
Published: December 2017

This study aims to determine the Influence of Online Media and Social Media in North Sumatra to Mass Communication with Communication Technology as Intervening Variable. This type of research is descriptive quantitative. The independent variables are Online Media and Social Media. The intervening variable is Communication Technology and the dependent variable is Mass Communication. The population of this study is 203 users of Media Online and Social Media in North Sumatra. The sample of research is 203 users through purposive random sampling. Online Media and Social Media variables have a significant effect on Mass Communication in North Sumatra and Communication Technology serves as a mediation of the relationship between Media Online and Social Media to Mass Communication at 5% variable alpha level.
Teachers’ job satisfaction: the effect of principal’s leadership and decision- making style
Authors: Koutouzis Manolis , Malliara Konstantina
Published: December 2017

Research on school effectiveness indicates that teachers’ job satisfaction is a factor which significantly affects many aspects of quality in education. It has been demonstrated that two factors which contribute significantly to the increase of teachers’ job satisfaction are: principal’s leadership style and principal’s decision-making style. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between teachers’ job satisfaction, leadership style and decision-making style. A research survey was conducted and data collected through a self-reported questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of one demographic and 3 standard instruments – “General Index of Job Satisfaction”, “Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire”, “General Decision-Making Style Instrument”- and was completed by 156 teachers in Magnesia Prefecture, Greece. Analysis of data indicates that there is a relationship between principal’s decision-making style and hir/her leadership style as transformational leadership style as well as the transactional one relate positively to teachers’ job satisfaction. Finally, two decision-making styles were proved to be related to teachers’ job satisfaction in primary schools: the rational decision-making style and the dependent one. The present study provides useful information about the way principals could contribute to the increase of teachers’ job satisfaction. In order to increase teachers’ job satisfaction, principals should use a mix of different leadership styles and decision-making styles that respond better to each situation.
Phytochemical Profile of Telfairia occidentalis Leaf Grown in Soilless and Soil Media using HPLC
Authors: Mensah, SI Okonwu, K, Akonye, LA
Published: December 2017

The phytochemical components of Telfairia occidentalis Hook F. leaf grown in soil (HS) and soilless (NM) media were assessed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The media used for the soil medium and soilless medium were humus soil and hydroponic solution, respectively. White-sand from the river was used to raise the seedlings before transferring into hydroponic solution. The plants were allowed to grow for a month for both HS and NM. The phytochemicals assessed were hydrogen cyanide, phytate, saponin, tannin, trypsin inhibitor, flavonoids and alkaloids. Standard procedures were followed in the analyses. The assessed phytochemicals for T. occidentalis revealed the following: phytate (9.774 ppm; 8.857 ppm), tannin (2.546 ppm; 2.127 ppm), oxalate (5.897 ppm; 5.927 ppm), saponin (6.829 ppm; 7.253 ppm), trypsin-inhibitor (1.290 ppm; 2.584 ppm), total flavonoids (10.019 g/100g; 8.064 g/100g), and total alkaloids (11.614 g/100g; 9.082 g/100g) for NM and HS media, respectively. Hydrogen cyanide content of T. occidentalis (0.001 ppm) was the same in both NM and HS. The phytochemical profile of T. occidentalis leaf varied in both media. Hydroponically grown T. occidentalis leaf had higher concentration of phytochemicals when compared to orthodox use of soil for cultivation of vegetable.
Multifocal Toxoplasma Retinochoroiditis in a Nonimmunosuppressed Elderly Patient: Case Report and Brief Review of the Literature
Authors: Kilgore David A. , Uwaydat Sami , Davis Stephen , Brown Harry , Sallam Ahmed B.
Published: December 2017

Purpose

To raise awareness of ophthalmologists that toxoplasmosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of multifocal or diffuse necrotizing retinitis in nonimmunosuppressed elderly patients.

Methods

Interventional case report with serial color fundus photographs, indocyanine green angiography, fluorescein angiography, optical coherence tomography, and chorioretinal biopsy histology.

Results

A 77-year-old, nonimmunosuppressed man developed extensive multifocal retinochoroiditis with scattered focal hemorrhages and significant vitreous haze. This case posed a significant diagnostic challenge mimicking viral retinitis. Vitreous polymerase chain reaction and chorioretinal biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of toxoplasma retinochoroiditis.

Conclusions

As demonstrated in this case, toxoplasmosis should be considered as a cause of multifocal and/or diffuse necrotizing retinitis in elderly patients even in the absence of obvious systemic immunosuppression.
Τhe primitives of the lexicon: Insights from aspect in idioms
Authors: Leivada Evelina
Published: December 2017

This work discusses the primitives of the mental lexicon through exploring aspectual compositionality in VP idioms. A comparison between idiomatic VPs and their non-idiomatic counterparts is employed to show whether the determination of aspect in idioms is compositional in both the idiomatic and the non-idiomatic VPs. Aspectual mismatches across the two domains of interpretation are presented and a point in favor of aspectual compositionality in idioms is made. Bringing together insights from theoretical linguistics and neurolinguistic research, it is proposed that the existence of aspectual accomplishments in a particular type of idioms should lead to a re-evaluation of the frequently entertained idea of storing idioms (XPs) in the mental lexicon as elementary lexical units.
Integrating syntactic theory and variationist analysis: The structure of negative indefinites in regional dialects of British English
Authors: Childs Claire
Published: December 2017

This paper integrates syntactic theory and variationist analysis in an investigation of the variation between English not-negation (I don’t have any money), no-negation (I have no money) and negative concord (I don’t have no money). Using corpora of three varieties of UK English spoken in Glasgow, Tyneside and Salford respectively, I test two theoretical accounts of the variation. Account 1 applies Zeijlstra’s (2004) agreement-based theory of negative concord to all three variants, such that n-words (e.g. nobody) which feature in no-negation and negative concord are not inherently negative but agree with a negative operator in a higher NegP. Under Account 2, no-negation is instead derived via negative-marking within the DP followed by movement to the higher NegP for sentential scope (Kayne 1998; Svenonius 2002; Zeijlstra 2011). These accounts, together with observations about the raising properties of functional versus lexical verbs, lead to the formulation of different hypotheses about the distribution of variants in speech according to verb type, verb phrase complexity, and the discourse status of the propositions expressed. Results of distributional analysis and mixed-effects modelling support Account 2 of the variation over Account 1, suggesting structural identity between not-negation and negative concord (in contrast to no-negation). This supports Tubau’s (2016) proposal that English negative indefinites have two distinct structures: one in which negation is marked syntactically in the DP and one in which they agree with a syntactically-higher NegP.