bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thermal Power Plant Modelling with Fault Coverage Stochastically
Authors: Goyal Nupur , Ram Mangey , Bhardwaj Akshay , Kumar Amit
Published: June 2016

The present research work proposes a mathematical model of thermal power plant to analyse its performance through reliability measures. Evaluation of reliability measure for thermal power plant is a complex process. The thermal power plant is modelled using Markov process and explored the reliability measures with supplementary variable technique. Also the expected profit to the operation and maintenance of the thermal power plant has been discussed. Failures exist in the thermal power plant affect the performance of the plant, so, to enhance the performance of the plant, authors employs fault coverage technique and demonstrated the effect of fault coverage and component failure on reliability measures graphically by taken some numerical examples for the practical utility.
Modular Technical Concepts for Ambulatory Monitoring of Risk Patients Based on Multiple Parameters and an Automatic Alarm Function
Authors: Piper Jörg , Müller Birgit
Published: June 2016

Technical concepts of a multi-parameter-based system are described which can be used for continuous ambulatory monitoring of several vital signs. When critical or fatal events are detected, an automatic alarm is generated including information about the patient´s position (global positioning system, GPS) and additional messages. A lot of vital parameters are continuously monitored by “bio detectors” which are connected with a mobile data acquisition system carried by the patient. This data acquisition system interacts with a mobile phone so that an alarm can immediately be sounded in cases of critical or fatal events. Other episodes relevant for the patient´s long-term prognosis without leading to life-threatening outcomes can be stored for elective analyses without generating an alarm. Moreover, patients can manually give an alarm on demand. Potential false alarms can be manually canceled. In further stages of development these technical components could interact with electronic control systems of cars so that cars could be immediately stopped if the driver becomes unconscious.
Risks and Impacts of Children's Engagement in Solid Waste Management Activities in Hawassa City, Ethiopia
Authors: Mohammed Akalewold Fedilu
Published: June 2016

There are a number of international conventions and national legislations in response to child labor. However, children are being vulnerable to different work related risks. The risks and impacts of child labor can be determined by the age of child, the type and hours of work performed and the condition under which it is performed. To explore these issues, this study was conducted on children aged 5-14 years who were engaged in solid waste management activities in Hawassa City Administration. The objective was to explore the risks and impacts of children's engagement in solid waste management activities. A survey method, which is supplemented by ethnographic qualitative research, was applied to explore children work risks and impacts through the use of tools such as focus group discussion, key informant interview and observation.
BSC-SI
Authors: Alnoukari Mouhib , Razouk Rakan , Hanano Abdullatif
Published: June 2016

Integration of Strategic Intelligence with corporate strategic management is becoming of vital importance for modern and flexible organizations in the last few years. The main achievement of this integration is to help decision makers to implement systemically their corporate strategies, adapt easily to changes in the environment, and gain competitive advantages. In this article, the authors will extend the studies in this domain, and clarify the relationships between Business Intelligence, Competitive Intelligence with Strategic Intelligence. They will also explain the impact of Business Intelligence on Corporate Performance Management, Operational Business Process, Competitive Intelligence, and Strategic Intelligence. Finally, the authors will explain the new proposed framework BSC-SI that can facilitate the integration of Strategic Intelligence with Balanced Scorecard methodology.
Explore the Use of Handwriting Information and Machine Learning Techniques in Evaluating Mental Workload
Authors: Wu Zhiming , Lin Tao , Tang Ningjiu
Published: June 2016

Mental workload is considered one of the most important factors in interaction design and how to detect a user's mental workload during tasks is still an open research question. Psychological evidence has already attributed a certain amount of variability and “drift” in an individual's handwriting pattern to mental stress, but this phenomenon has not been explored adequately. The intention of this paper is to explore the possibility of evaluating mental workload with handwriting information by machine learning techniques. Machine learning techniques such as decision trees, support vector machine (SVM), and artificial neural network were used to predict mental workload levels in the authors' research. Results showed that it was possible to make prediction of mental workload levels automatically based on handwriting patterns with relatively high accuracy, especially on patterns of children. In addition, the proposed approach is attractive because it requires no additional hardware, is unobtrusive, is adaptable to individual users, and is of very low cost.
Contribution of Mindfulness to Individuals' Tendency to Believe and Share Social Media Content
Authors: Charoensukmongkol Peerayuth
Published: June 2016

The objective of this research was to explore the effect of mindfulness on individuals' tendencies to believe social media content and share it without realizing the potential consequences. The sample used in this study comprised 300 participants in Bangkok, Thailand, of whom 157 were full-time employees and 143 were college students. Results from partial least squares regression analysis supports the hypothesis that individuals who exhibit higher levels of mindfulness tend to be skeptical of the validity of information to which they are exposed. In addition, skepticism is linked to a decreased tendency to believe social media content and to share content on social media. The findings further support a direct link between mindfulness and a decreased tendency to share social media content. Overall, these findings confirm the positive contribution of mindfulness as a quality that may allow individuals to question the validity of social media content before they decide to believe it and share it with others.
Water quality of Nilwala River, Sri Lanka in relation to land use practices
Authors: Jayawardana J. M. C. K , Jayathunga T. R. , Edirisinghe E. A.
Published: June 2016

The Nilwala River is the third largest in the southern province of Sri Lanka which runs through 72 km along its cause. Conversion of forest lands to agricultural lands, expansion of urban areas and clearing of land for construction purposes in the catchment are major issues affecting water quality in Nilwala River. The water quality of the Nilwala River lower basin at 16 locations was estimated for 4 months from September2010 to December 2010 in two-week intervals. Water quality parameters pH, Electrical conductivity(EC), Dissolved oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen demand (BOD5), turbidity, colour, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), total hardness, alkalinity, Nitrite-N (NO2--N), Nitrate -N (NO3--N), Phosphate (PO43- -P), Sulphate (SO43-), Total Fe, Ca2+, F- and Cl- were evaluated in the sampling locations. The spatial and temporal variation of water quality associated with different land use categories were analyzed using Two-way ANOVA. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Cluster Analysis (CA) were also conducted to determine the association between water quality variation and land use impacts of the catchment. A significant (p <0.05) spatial variation of water quality parameters, except the hardness, Fluoride and Ca+2among sites were observed to be associated with different land use categories. No significant (p >0.05) temporal variability in water quality parameters except Nitrite and hardness was detected. PCA and CA also indicated a strong association between the water quality variables and the land use types of the river basin. Urban impacts, land clearance in the catchment and sand mining activities of the river bed were found to be the most significant impacts to the water quality of the river and areas with forest cover having positive impact to the water quality. These findings emphasize the need of better catchment management approaches and remediation of urban impacts on river water quality.
Effects of dried, powdered carrot (Daucus carota) incorporated diet on the skin and flesh colouration of Catla catla
Authors: Weerakkody W. Sanjaya , Cumaranatunga P. Ruchira T.
Published: June 2016

Dull yellow coloured flesh of C. catla is less attractive to the consumer. Present study investigated the effects of dried, powdered carrot incorporated feed as a source of carotenoids on pigmentation and sensory properties of C. catla skin and flesh. Two groups of C. catla fingerlings (4.39±0.13 cm and 2.41±0.13 g) were fed with a commercially available feed (CF) incorporated with 100 mg/kgdried and ground D. carota, sieved using 250 μm (CF+C1) and 450 μm (CF+C2) mesh and it was compared with a control group of fish of the same size fed with CF. Each group included three replicates of 10 fish. Fish were fed ad libitum thrice daily for 10 weeks. Total carotenoid content in flesh and skin, average daily gain (% ADG), specific growth rate (% SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), hepato-somatic index (HSI), daily feed consumption (g/day/tank) and survival rate of fish were analysed at the end of the experiment. A sensory evaluation of fish flesh was done by a panel of judges. It was revealed that D. carota incorporated feed CF+C1, CF+C2 provided a significantly higher carotenoid accumulation by wet weight in flesh (1.36±0.11 and 1.19±0.09 μg/g, respectively) and in skin (2.79±0.08 and 2.82±0.06 μg/g, respectively), compared to flesh (0.45±0.04 μg/g) and skin (0.72±0.14 μg/g) of the CF fed fish. There were no significant differences (p>0.05) among the two experimented groups in the average weight, % SGR, daily feed consumption and % ADG at the end of experiment. Significantly lower FCR was observed in CF+C1 and CF+C2 fed fish (3.90±0.27, 3.98±0.68, respectively) when compared to fish fed with CF (4.91±0.39). Sensory analysis revealed that the flesh of fish fed with D. carota predicate a bright pink colour and was preferred, compared to the flesh of control group.
Shedding of gill epithelia by grey mullets (Family Mugilidae) in Negombo Estuary, Sri Lanka
Authors: Gammanpila Menaka , Wijeyaratne M. Jayantha S. , Amarasinghe Upali S.
Published: June 2016

The grey mullets (Family: Mugilidae) have been described as plankton feeders, herbivores, omnivores, slime feeders, foul feeders, bottom feeders, etc. In general, grey mullets are known to be benthic feeders. During a comprehensive trophic ecological study of fish assemblages in brush-parks in the Negombo estuary, Sri Lanka, carried out from 2014 to 2016, a food item that was not found in the aquatic environment, such as zooplankton, phytoplankton, macrophyte or detritus, was observed in the gut contents of mugilids. In this communication, the authors report that the frequency of occurrence of these peculiar items in the gut contents were shedded gill epithelia. Even though shedded gill epithelia were not considered as a food item, they were the most common item in the stomach contents contributing to 49.9% of the mean volume of stomach contents.
Community based fish nurseries at Kirawana and Rajawewa in the Ampara district, Sri Lanka: A success story
Authors: Fernando W. A. J. Rohitha , Pushpalatha K. B. Chandrani , Chandrasoma Jayantha
Published: June 2016

Under the Aquatic Resource Development and Quality Improvement project (ARDQIP) of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development of Sri Lanka, 25 community-based mini-nurseries involving community groups were established in 10 districts of Sri Lanka. Of these, two were established at Kirawana and Rajawewa in the Ampara district in 2006. Each fish nursery established on lands with an extent of 0.8 ha, consisted of 10 mud ponds with water area of around 4,500 m2. Fish fry of Nile tilapia, catla, rohu, mrigal and common carp were reared upto fingerling stage in these mini-nurseries. In general, 3 culture cycles (range from 45-70 days) have been carried-out per annum. Average number of fish fingerlings produced per culture cycle during 2013-2014 were 242,301 (Kirawana) and 262,935 (Rajawewa). Average survival rates from fry to fingerling stage achieved in Kirawana and Rajawewa mini-nurseries were 71.8% and 79.2% respectively. Production cost per fingerling was Rs. 0.69 and Rs. 0.76 respectively for Kirawana and Rajawewa. Net profit obtained per annum was Rs. 953,085.00 in Kirawana and Rs. 974,643.00 in Rajawewa [In May 2016, 1 USD ≈ Rs. 146.9]. Net profits earned by operating mini-nurseries were seven times higher, when compared with the profits generated through paddy cultivation on a land of similar extent. During 2009-2014 period, these mini-nurseries collectively made a contribution of 20.3% to the total fish fingerlings stocked in the Ampara district. Rearing of fish fry to fingerling stage is a very profitable enterprise for rural communities and well-managed fish nurseries can play an important role in meeting the fingerling requirement to develop culture-based fisheries in inland reservoirs of the country.
CMV IN HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION
Authors: De la Camara Rafael
Published: June 2016

Due to its negative impact in the outcome of stem cell transplant (SCT) and solid organ transplant patients (SOT) CMV has been called “the troll of transplantation”. One of the greatest advances in the management of SCT has been the introduction of the preemptive strategy. Since its introduction, the incidence of the viremia, as expected, remains unchanged but there has been a marked decline in the incidence of early CMV disease. But in spite of the advances in prevention of CMV disease, CMV is still today an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Late CMV disease is still occurring in a significant proportion of patients and the so-called indirect effects of CMV are causing significant morbidity and mortality. Fortunately, there have been several advances in the development of new antivirals, adoptive immunotherapy and DNA-CMV vaccines that might transform the management of CMV in the near future.
Cubic Functional Equations on Restricted Domains of Lebesgue Measure Zero
Authors: Choi Chang-Kwon , Chung Jaeyoung , Ju Yumin , Rassias John
Published: June 2016

Let X be a real normed space, Y a Banach space, and f : X → Y. We prove theUlam–Hyers stability theorem for the cubic functional equation

in restricted domains. As an application we consider a measure zero stability problem of the inequality

for all (x, y) in Γ ⸦ ℝ2 of Lebesgue measure 0.
Особые многообразия Фано рода 12
Authors: Prokhorov Yuri Gennadievich
Published: June 2016

Изучаются особые многообразия Фано типа $V_{22}$.
Библиография: 31 название.
Does the GPM mission improve the systematic error component in satellite rainfall estimates over TRMM, an evaluation at a pan-India scale?
Authors: Beria Harsh , Nanda Trushnamayee , Bisht Deepak Singh , Chatterjee Chandranath
Published: June 2016

Abstract. Last couple of decades have seen the outburst of a number of satellite based precipitation products with Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) as the most widely used for hydrologic applications. Transition of TRMM into Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) promises enhanced spatio-temporal resolution along with upgrades in sensors and rainfall estimation techniques. Dependence of systematic error components in rainfall estimates of Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG), and their variation with climatology and topography, was evaluated over 86 basins in India for year 2014 and compared with the corresponding (2014) and retrospective (1998–2013) TRMM estimates. IMERG outperformed TRMM for all rainfall intensities across a majority of Indian basins, with significant improvement in low rainfall estimates showing smaller negative biases in 75 out of 86 basins. IMERG increased the inter-basin variability in bias for medium and high rainfall estimates. Low rainfall estimates in TRMM showed a systematic dependence on basin climatology, with significant overprediction in semi-arid basins which gradually improved in the higher rainfall basins. Medium and high rainfall estimates of TRMM exhibited a strong dependence on basin topography, with declining skill in the higher elevation basins. Systematic dependence of error components on basin climatology and topography was reduced in IMERG, especially in terms of topography. Rainfall-runoff modeling using Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model over a flood prone basin (Mahanadi) revealed that improvement in rainfall estimates in IMERG didn’t translate into improvement in runoff simulations. More studies are required over basins in different hydro-climatic zones to evaluate the hydrologic significance of IMERG.
Data-driven Flood Analysis and Decision Support
Authors: Tsai Meng-Han , Sung Er-Xuan , Kang Shih-Chung
Published: June 2016

Abstract. Flood management is a critical issue when facing natural disasters. In current practice, the evaluation of potential threat areas is a multi-disciplinary task. It requires much communication and coordination between institutions such as the meteorological unit and hydrological unit, which makes the process time-consuming and less efficient. This study developed a system called FloodViz, which integrates all the associated tasks. FloodViz collects the rainfall forecasts from the meteorological agency, analyzes the datasets of rainfall forecasts using the rainfall threshold to evaluate the potential flood areas, and then organizes the results through data visualization to make them user-friendly for decision makers. To validate FloodViz, we tested this system during Typhoon Feng-wong. The results showed that FloodViz can reduce the time spent during the flood management process by 17 minutes. Based on the results, FloodViz can improve the operating efficiency of decision-making and help decision makers in their flood response.
Major improvement of altimetry sea level estimations using pressure-derived corrections based on ERA-Interim atmospheric reanalysis
Authors: Carrere Loren , Faugère Yannice , Ablain Michaël
Published: June 2016

Abstract. The new dynamic atmospheric correction (DAC) and dry tropospheric (DT) correction derived from the ERA-Interim meteorological reanalysis have been computed for the 1992–2013 altimeter period. Using these new corrections significantly improves sea level estimations for short temporal signals (< 2 months); the impact is stronger if considering old altimeter missions (ERS-1, ERS-2, and Topex/Poseidon), for which DAC_ERA (DAC derived from ERA-Interim meteorological reanalysis) allows reduction of the along-track altimeter sea surface height (SSH) error by more than 3 cm in the Southern Ocean and in some shallow water regions. The impact of DT_ERA (DT derived from ERA-Interim meteorological reanalysis) is also significant in the southern high latitudes for these missions. Concerning more recent missions (Jason-1, Jason-2, and Envisat), results are very similar between ERA-Interim and ECMWF-based corrections: on average for the global ocean, the operational DAC becomes slightly better than DAC_ERA only from the year 2006, likely due to the switch of the operational forcing to a higher spatial resolution. At regional scale, both DACs are similar in the deep ocean but DAC_ERA raises the residual crossovers' variance in some shallow water regions, indicating a slight degradation in the most recent years of the study. In the second decade of altimetry, unexpectedly DT_ERA still gives better results compared to the operational DT. Concerning climate signals, both DAC_ERA and DT_ERA have a low impact on global mean sea level rise (MSL) trends, but they can have a strong impact on long-term regional trends' estimation, up to several millimeters per year locally.
Análisis de la información y documentación científica española sobre el fenómeno de las smart cities, el hábitat de los nativos digitales
Authors: Cabezuelo-Lorenzo Francisco , Bonete-Vizcaíno Fernando , Sánchez-Martínez María
Published: June 2016

Estudiosos de todo el mundo se están centrando en el estudio del fenómeno de las ciudades inteligentes. La producción bibliográfica española sobre este tema ha crecido exponencialmente en los últimos años. Las nuevas ciudades inteligentes se fundamentan en nuevas visiones de desarrollo urbano que integran múltiples soluciones tecnológicas ligadas al mundo de la información y de la comunicación, todas ellas actuales y al servicio de las necesidades de la ciudad. La literatura en español sobre este tema proviene de campos tan diferentes como la Arquitectura, la Ingeniería, las Ciencias Políticas y el Derecho o las Ciencias Empresariales. La finalidad de las ciudades inteligentes es la mejora de la vida de sus ciudadanos a través de la implementación de tecnologías de la información y de la comunicación que resuelvan las necesidades de sus habitantes, por lo que los investigadores del campo de las Ciencias de la Comunicación y de la Información tienen mucho que decir. Este trabajo analiza un total de 120 textos y concluye que el fenómeno de las ciudades inteligentes será uno de los ejes centrales de la investigación multidisciplinar en los próximos años en nuestro país.
“Hard Skies” and Bottomless Questions: Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God and Epistemological “Opacity” in Black Religious Experience
Authors: Harvey Marcus
Published: June 2016

Approaching Zora Neale Hurston as both a littérateur and cultural theorist who challenges conventional methodological and discursive boundaries, this article investigates her famous novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. Drawing on Charles Long's category of “opacity” as a crucial factor in the dynamics of Black religious experience, I contend that the value of Their Eyes Were Watching God extends beyond the domain of literary theory into the domain of religious theory. More specifically, a close reading of certain passages in the novel signals disruptive wonderment and sacred silence as two motifs underscoring the integral status of epistemological opacity in Black religious experience. Further, the way the novel encodes these two motifs suggests the phenomenological receptivity of Black religious experience to spiritually based African and African-derived epistemological repertoires originating outside the Judeo-Christian tradition that construct reality independently.
Illuminating the Legacy of Zora Neale Hurston: Visionary, Architect, and Anthropologist of Africana Religious Subjectivities
Authors: Burnett Diana
Published: June 2016

Zora Neale Hurston's legacy as an anthropologist lies in the corpus and methodology of her research on Africana religions. Hurston's attention to Africana religious subjectivities highlights the methodological challenges of employing anthropology as a discipline to study Africana religious subjectivities. In this article, I will focus specifically on (1) the difficulties of working with and in a colonial discipline to produce knowledge, (2) the navigation of insider/outsider status in Africana religious communities, and (3) the expectation of reporting findings to academic and state institutions. I will argue that Hurston's work on Africana religions pioneered the future direction of the field. Through a deep interrogation of Hurston's work in Tell My Horse, The Sanctified Church, and Mules and Men, we witness her dexterity as a transnational ethnographer, using transdiscplinary registers to foreground critical analytical, contextual, and methodological epistemologies by which to approach the study of Africana religious subjectivities.
Preacherly Texts: Zora Neale Hurston and the Homiletics of Literature
Authors: Harriss M. Cooper
Published: June 2016

Zora Neale Hurston called African American preachers “the first artists” and understood their sermons as foundational to Black expressive culture. This essay reads closely in Hurston's anthropological writing on preachers and preaching (especially in “The Sanctified Church” and Mules and Men) to codify certain semiotic principles of preaching that then provide a critical lens for discerning “preacherly” elements of three novels by Hurston: Jonah's Gourd Vine, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Moses, Man of the Mountain. Rather than a simple textualization of oral craft, Hurston's novels reflect (diversely, and with varying degrees of success) complex “transcultural recirculations” among European, African, and American cultural elements that careful attention to Hurston's homiletics of literature draw out. These readings amplify Hurston's status as an original religious thinker—an element of her career that scholars frequently avoid or gloss over.
A Hieroglyphics of Zora Neale Hurston
Authors: Beliso-De Jesus Aisha Mahina
Published: June 2016

In this meditation, I explore Zora Neale Hurston's sophisticated testimonies with spirit materialities to demonstrate a move away from ethnographic pornotroping. I show how Hurston intervenes in the relationship between exoticism and liberalism as she eschews the revelatory stance of self-indulgent academic voyeurism or fascinating cannibalism. This shift in metaphysics is inspired by Hurston's “hieroglyphics of the flesh.” White patronage is explored as erotics of ethnography. Hurston's strategic fissures cannot be dislocated from these erotics, which emerge in her writing and research practice. I suggest a move away from “ethnographic pornotroping,” or the academic erotics of research as porno-inspired revelations, toward Hurston's own hieroglyphics of attenuation.
The Making of a New Writer: Tragedy and Tableau in Steinbeck's Brooklyn
Authors: Lovegreen Alan , Westengard Laura
Published: June 2016

Steinbeck's first months in Brooklyn in 1925 expose him to a forlorn world that leaves a lasting impression. In his letters Steinbeck reveals his struggle to deal with the city and his own writer's block even as he looks for source material in “the subway face and the blundering revelers in the street.” The use of contemporary periodicals and new approaches to Steinbeck's fiction reveal how the tragedies that befell Steinbeck in Brooklyn intimately shape “The Murder” (1934).
A Closer Look at Extensive Reading in Omani Public Schools: Current Practices and Teachers’ Perceptions
Authors: Fawzia Al Seyabi , Salwa Al Rashdi
Published: June 2016

The present study aims at identifying the current practices regarding the implementation of extensive reading in Omani public schools. The study employed a content analysis sheet to analyze the extensive reading work of 300 students. Semi-structured interviews were also held with 15 teachers and 5 regional supervisors from Al-Dakhilyia Governorate. Results of the study revealed that the frequency of reading amongst students is very low as 53% of the students read only once a semester and they often read the same type of genre. The results also showed that most of the English language teachers chose the same reading materials for their students regardless of the students’ interests or proficiency level. To show evidence of reading, students often wrote responses to questions in their notebooks. As for assessment, teachers did not assess students based on the frequency of reading or the difficulty level of the questions chosen. Teachers responded to students’ work by giving them a general mark rather than providing descriptive comments or giving recommendations on what to read next. Drawing upon the findings, recommendations to bring about better practices regarding extensive reading are provided.
What Motivates and Engages Students in the Education Process—An Examination of Qatari Students’ Mindset and Attitudes toward Going to School, Learning, and Future Aspirations
Authors: Lee Seungah
Published: June 2016

This paper examines student attitudes towards school and learning among students in Qatar’s public schools. Drawing upon student surveys administered to 1091 grade 7 and 8 students in 11 independent preparatory schools, the paper observes patterns of attitudes and behavior towards learning, school, and future aspirations. Findings show that student articulation of importance of education, finding learning in the classroom as useful, demonstration of learning behavior in and outside the classroom, and future aspirations to enroll in university are positively associated with attitudes toward going to school. Moreover, findings reveal that gender and nationality gaps exist when it comes to school engagement. Boys and Qatari students appear to have less positive attitudes toward going to school compared to girls and non-Qatari students. Once the Qatari and non-Qatari comparison groups are further disaggregated by gender, findings suggest that Qatari boys least value education. Student survey results further indicate that although overall teaching and classroom environment does not appear to have a significant influence on student attitudes toward going to school, fostering a positive culture and learning environment corresponds positively with higher attitudes toward going to schools for boys. Provided that Qatar’s national vision places importance in national human capital development through education and has identified student motivation as a challenge, the paper discusses implications for policy, programs, and practice to improve student engagement and learning.
Low-Intensity Investigations at Three Small Sites Along Lake Xaltocan in the Northern Basin of Mexico
Authors: Morehart Christopher T. , Crider Destiny L.
Published: June 2016

This report describes recent low-intensity archaeological investigations conducted at three small sites in the northern Basin of Mexico. The sites are represented by surface artifact scatters and are located on the former shoreline of the now-drained Lake Xaltocan, originally one of the principal lakes in this region. Fieldwork included mapping surface concentrations and site dimensions, conducting test excavations, and recovering surface collections. The analysis of surface artifacts focused on determining site function and chronology. Based on fieldwork and analysis, we propose that Michpilco likely was a habitation site with a substantial occupation during the Classic period. The smaller Non-Grid 5 site was occupied during the Epiclassic period, and site Non-Grid 6 was occupied during the Late Postclassic to colonial periods. These sites reflect occupations in a lacustrine landscape throughout different periods. They also exemplify the rapid disappearance and threat of destruction that looting, infrastructural development, and agriculture pose to archaeological sites in the region.
La evolución de la intensidad energética de la industria vasca entre 1982 y 2001: Un análisis de descomposición
Authors: Ansuategi Alberto , Arto Iñaki
Published: June 2016

In this article an index decomposition methodology is used to estimate the effect of intersectoral and intrasectoral changes in explaining the 38% reduction in industrial energy intensity in the Basque Autonomous Community from 1982 to 2001. Period-wise additive decomposition results show that 1) the decline is mainly explained by intrasectoral changes and that 2) intersectoral changes have hardly contributed to reduce the energy intensity of the Basque industrial sector. However, time-series decomposition analysis shows that 1) four different phases can be distinguished in the evolution of energy intensity of the Basque industry from 1982 to 2001 and 2) that the evolution of the «Iron and Steel» sector is determinant when explaining those phases. Moreover, the analysis stresses the necessity to disaggregate the «Iron and Steel» sector in order to be able to distinguish purely technological effects from the rest of intrasectoral changes.
La tipología de las explotaciones en función de su viabilidad económica y demográfica; aplicación a las explotaciones de bovino en Galicia
Authors: Sineiro García Francisco , López Iglesias Edelmiro , Lorenzana Fernández Roberto , Valdês Paços Bernardo
Published: June 2016

In this article, data bases from the 1989 and 1999 Agricultural Censuses are employed in order to elaborate a typology of the bovine farms in Galicia, which is based on the farms economic and demographic viability. The analysis allows us to conclude that the sector is integrated by three large groups of farms, with very different characteristics and perspectives. The first group is made of farms with economic and demographic viability, representing only 1/5 of the total although concentrating most of the output, whereas the second contains 1/3 of the total number of farms which are operated by farmers aged 55 or above without successor, and in its majority of very small size. Finally, the third is the most numerous group (50% of the total) and formed by farms with a more uncertain future, because they have possibility of succession but are not economically viable. Thus, the obtained results are used in three ways: to offer an analysis of the present structure of the sector, to interpret its recent transformations, and to project the tendencies for the next decade (1999-2009).
Análisis de escenarios de políticas para la gestión pública de la agricultura de regadío
Authors: Riesgo Laura , Gómez-Limón José A.
Published: June 2016

In this paper we present a methodological approach to analyze the combination of different agricultural policy and irrigation water pricing alternatives. For this purpose we take into account that farmers consider a broad set of criteria at the same time when making decisions. Thus, policy scenario simulations are done trough multi-criteria mathematical programming models capable to simulate farmers’ future behaviour. For this purpose we have opted for models developed within the Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT). It is also worth noting that results obtained from the simulation models are not only related with farmers’ decision variables (crop mixes). A set of relevant economic, social and environmental attributes related to public objectives are also obtained as a way of measuring the efficiency of the policy scenarios proposed. The results obtained show the usefulness of this methodological approach to evaluate the combined pressures and impacts of both policies.
Efectos distributivos de las compensaciones por inactividad concedidas al sector pesquero afectado por la marea negra del Prestige
Authors: Fuentes Castro D.
Published: June 2016

The present article focuses on the indemnities from public administrations to the Galician fishing sector damaged by the Prestige oil slick. Despite the fact that the fishing sector is compounded of quite different activities direct allowances were standardized. We analyze the distributional effects of the uniform indemnities among the four main fishing activities on the area: coastal fishing, aquaculture, seafood harvesting on-foot and seafood harvesting on-boat. We also estimate the total cost of indemnities. The paper shows how a simple re-allocation of public funds could rectifty the redistributive effects of theuniform allowances. We specify the non standard indemnities to the main fishing activities damaged by the oil slick.
Análisis de la calidad de la leche en un modelo microeconómico multi-output: El papel de la genética
Authors: Álvarez Antonio , Arias Carlos , Roibás David
Published: June 2016

In this paper we analyze the influence of genetics on milk quality. For that purpose, we use a multi-output production model in which milk quality is included as an additional output in milk production. A distance function is used to estimate empirically the contribution of genetics to milk quality. For that purpose, we use a panel data of 96 dairy farms in Asturias. This dataset contains indexes measuring the genetic traits of the herd.
Evaluación de impactos ambientales derivados de estrategias de restauración a través de las decisiones de jurados de ciudadanos
Authors: Álvarez-Farizo Begoña , Gil José M. , Howard B.J.
Published: June 2016

Last years have brought a range of pollutant spills affecting natural, industrial, urban and rural areas. To mitigate the effects of pollutants it is necessary to adopt an integrated management of both productive and natural areas. However, to be effective, it is necessary to consider not only the health or biophysical effects of the countermeasures, but the response of the individuals to these changes. The aim of this study is on the assessment of the potential impacts, both social and environmental, derived from the implementation of restoration strategies due to spills. Our approach is based on a choice experiment applied in a context of a citizen’s jury in Cumbria (UK) and Zaragoza (Spain). The results highlight the advantages of this participatory techniques vs traditional survey.
Estudio de las diferencias de costes de producción del cultivo de naranjo convencional, ecológico e integrado en la Comunidad Valenciana mediante el análisis factorial discriminante
Authors: Peris Moll Elena Mª , Juliá Igual Juan Fco. , Balasch Parisi Sebastià
Published: June 2016

The aim of this paper was to compare orange production costs in the region of Valencia (Spain), which depend on the way they are grown (conventional, IP or organically), identifying at the same time the cost differences between them. With this purpose, and after analysing the three orange populations cultivated in the region, a sample was designed taking into account not only the location of the plots, but also the irrigation system available at the farm level (drip or flow irrigation). Once the field work was completed, a multivariate analysis, concretely a factor discriminant analysis was implemented to reach the objectives of the research. The results obtained were consistent with the degree of adoption of the different alternative citrus production systems in the region studied.
Cómo los cambios en el comportamiento del consumidor y la distribuciónafectan a la competencia de los productores y procesadores de alimentos
Authors: Grunert Klaus G.
Published: June 2016

This paper analyses the changing competence requirements which members of the food chain face in their pursuit of competitive advantage. Two groups of trends serve as point of departure: more dynamic and heterogeneous consumer demands, which can be analysed in terms of consumer demands for sensory, health, process and convenience qualities, and changing roles for retailers in the food chain. Based on these trends, it is argued that competencies which can increase producers’level of market orientation get increased weight in the attainment of competitive advantage, and three types of competencies are singled out as especially important: consumer understanding, relationship management, and new product development. The development of market-related competencies aimed at exploiting trends in consumer behaviour and retailing will also entail changing forms of cooperation among members of the value chain, which favour both new ways of adding value but also new ways of matching consumer heterogeneity with heterogeneity in agricultural raw materials.
Análisis de la demanda de bienes y servicios no comerciales procedentes de la actividad agraria: El caso del olivar de montaña andaluz
Authors: Kallas Z. , Gómez-Limón J.A. , Arriaza M. , Nekhay O.
Published: June 2016

Agricultural multifunctionality is the recognition of the joint exercise of economic, environmental and social functions by this sector. In order to make this concept operative for the design of public policies, it is necessary to estimate the social demand for such functions. The main objective of this article is to present an empirical application in this line. For this purpose we have taken the agricultural system of mountain olive groves in Andalusia (Southern Spain) at risk of abandonment after the decoupling of the EU subsidies as a case study. The economic valuation technique used is the Choice Experiment. According to the results, there is a different contribution of each attribute to the improvement of the Society level of utility. Thus, and taking into account its WTP for each attribute, keeping rural population in their villages and fighting soil erosion seem to be the most valued functions by Andalusian citizens. It follows the improvement of the visual quality of the rural landscapes and the reduction of food residuals. Finally, although the results suggest a significant demand for the different functions, this demand is heterogeneous, depending on the socio-economic characteristics of the individuals.
Los factores determinantes del paso de las explotaciones de la leche a la carne en la Cornisa Cantábrica: Análisis empírico para una comarca del interior de Galicia
Authors: Ribas Álvarez Alfonso , López Iglesias Edelmiro , Loureiro María
Published: June 2016

This paper analyzes the factors that contribute to changes in farming specialization, and it assesses the importance of such factors in the occurred transformations from dairy to cattle farms in Northern Spain. In line with this objective, we examine the role played on this process by the farms’ characteristics as well as farmers’ socio-economic factors. Furthermore, we asses the role played by public land consolidation policies, which were the main structural policies applied in this area during the last decades. Our data came from a representative sample of 458 livestock farms (active in 1999) in the province of ACoruña, during the period 1985-1999. From the total, 46 farms switched their productive orientation quitting dairy and entering into cattle production during the period of study. The rest kept their dairy specialization. Results indicate that dairy exit is positively related to farmer’s age. At the same time, it is negatively related to the following variables: dairy production per cow, total land, the existence of heirs, and the amount of family members working outside the farm. Furthermore, the fact that the farm had been involved in a land consolidation process did not have any direct effect on this change of productive orientation.
Liberalización y reformas al agro: lecciones de México
Authors: Yúnez Naude Antonio
Published: June 2016

In this article I examine the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to investigate its impact on agriculture and the rural economy in Mexico and assess the policies the country has adopted to support the process. The first conclusion is that NAFTAhas confirmed some predictions (an increase in the trading of agricultural and fresh fish products between member countries and price cuts to Mexican producers of non-competitive crops). The second conclusion is the non-fulfilment of other predictions, an important one of which was an increase in the production of Mexican maize —the country’s main crop and form of human sustenance, and considered non-competitive. The Mexican experience, however, shows that the polarized view of some political agents, which is reflected in their choice of public policies, has led to contradictions between goals and policies, that is, the protection of food safety and sovereignty in the context of an agricultural trade liberalization framework. The article concludes by indicating some of the lessons the Mexican experience has to offer to other Latin American countries with existing or pending free trade agreements.
Éléments de rhétorique et le capital symbolique inscrit dans trois nouvelles de Georges Bugnet
Authors: Gaboury-Diallo Lise
Published: June 2016

Dans «Le pin du maskeg» (1924), «Le conte du bouleau, du mélèze et du pic rouge» (1932) et «Une vision» (1937), Georges Bugnet explore les relations humaines et les liens étroits qui unissent l’Homme à la Nature. Nous rappellerons d’abord quelques éléments-clés de la formation de cet auteur français, éléments qui ont façonné sa vision du monde. Ensuite, nous étudierons le style réaliste de l’auteur et son usage de la rhétorique pour faire valoir ses valeurs souvent très moralisatrices. Enfin, en nous inspirant des idées de Pierre Bourdieu, nous dégagerons certains éléments du non-dit, en lien avec le capital symbolique, inscrits dans chaque récit. Il appert que la portée de l’oeuvre et son interprétation sont modulées selon l’importance accordée au dit ou au non-dit. Qu’il soit implicite ou explicite, le message final adressé au destinataire révèle une certaine ambiguïté, complexe et bien humaine, de la pensée critique de Georges Bugnet.
La nouvelle franco-colombienne : synergies et tensions
Authors: Kellett Kathleen
Published: June 2016

Cet article offre un aperçu de la nouvelle francophone en Colombie-Britannique, en considérant quelques-uns de ses auteurs les mieux connus tels que Jean-Claude Castex, Monique Genuist, Inge Israël, Marguerite-A. Primeau et Christian Récizac. Issue du milieu minoritaire et migrant de la Colombie-Britannique francophone, la nouvelle franco-colombienne est marquée au niveau thématique par les synergies et les tensions créatrices engendrées par le va-et-vient du récit diasporal entre la terre natale et la terre d’accueil, entre la nostalgie et la mémoire nationale, entre l’espace urbain et la grande nature tant valorisée dans les mythes sociaux dominants de la Côte du Pacifique.
Les nouvelles du recueil C’est arrivé un jour! et l’évolution stylistique et thématique de Jean-Claude Castex
Authors: Parker John
Published: June 2016

C’est arrivé un jour!(2007), le troisième recueil de nouvelles du franco-colombien Jean-Claude Castex, démontre l’utilisation progressive d’aspects géographiques et sociaux de la Colombie-Britannique. Les lieux apparaissent avec une fréquence et une acuité plus grande dans les neuf nouvelles de ce recueil. La présente étude veut révéler le lien étroit que Jean-Claude Castex établit dans cette collection entre le lieu et le dénouement. Le lieu devient un acteur sur lequel dépend la conclusion de l’intrigue. D’autres nouvelles du même auteur, notamment celles des recueilsLe gros lot(1988) etLe fantôme et autres histoires vraies(2005), entreront dans cette étude pour donner au lecteur une meilleure idée de l’évolution stylistique et thématique de cet écrivain prolifique. Jean-Claude Castex est historien et professeur de français; son oeuvre couvre une vaste gamme de thèmes et de personnages qu’il situe dans un contexte historique. Son rôle dans la popularité grandissante de la littérature franco-colombienne, encore jeune, devient de plus en plus important avec la publication de ses recueils de nouvelles, de ses ouvrages d’histoire et de ses romans.
Les services éducatifs complémentaires mobilisés au Parcours de formation axée sur l’emploi (PFAE) : perceptions des principaux acteurs
Authors: Fréchette Sylvie , Rousseau Nadia
Published: June 2016

S’appuyant sur les résultats d’une recherche qualitative, cet article examine les perceptions des élèves, des enseignants, des directions d’école et des autres intervenants scolaires qui offrent des services éducatifs complémentaires en contexte de Parcours de formation axée sur l’emploi (PFAE). Des entrevues semi-dirigées sont effectuées auprès de 27 enseignants et intervenants des services complémentaires ainsi qu’auprès de cinq directions d’école. De plus, quelque 167 élèves inscrits au PFAE sont rencontrés au sein de groupes de discussion. Les résultats de l’analyse qualitative mettent en évidence une variété de 12 services complémentaires mis à la disposition des élèves et démontrent que ces services sont appréciés. Toutefois, les services du conseiller d’orientation, du psychologue, de l’éducateur spécialisé et de l’orthopédagogue sont jugés insuffisants compte tenu des besoins importants manifestés par les élèves. Une description précise de ces services est fournie. La discussion qui découle des résultats mène à certains questionnements relativement à la place des services complémentaires dans le plan d’intervention.