bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plant communities on the surficial materials of north-central District of Keewatin, Northwest Territories
Authors: Edlund S A
Published: April 2015

A reconnaissance study of the vegetation of north-central District of Keewatin was undertaken in order to gain a better understanding of the relationships between the nature and distribution of plant communities and the surficial materials on which they grow. The
four types of surficial materials studied - bedrock, glacial deposits, marine deposits, and actively aggrading and eroding deposits - each support a suite of plant communities that naturally segregate on the basis of moisture regime. Bedrock supports solely cryptogamic communities. Glacial deposits,
commonly moderately to well drained, have lichen-heath and lichen-Hierochloe tundra; imperfectly and poorly drained glacial deposits have cryptogam-monocot tundra and wet sedge meadows. Marine silts and clays, generally moderately to poorly drained, support cottongrass tusscock tundra and wet sedge
meadows. The driest aspects are unvegetated or have sparse grass barrens. Marine sand and gravel are generally moderately to well drained and have shrub-monocot tundra or shrub-monocot barrens. Locally where poorly drained, wet sedge meadows occur. Communities growing on actively aggrading and
eroding postglacial fluvial and eolian deposits are generally in early stages of succession. Differences in species occurrence, abundance, and diversity, related to altitudinal and to some extent latitudinal changes, allow a bioclimatic subdivision of the Low Arctic ecosystem in the map area. This
zonation is most obvious in the changes from Zone I where there is a variety of heath species, a dominance of dwarf shrubs, and the regular occurrence of erect shrubs, to Zone III where lichens and masses are dominant and the importance of shrub species is reduced, particularly the absence of erect
shrubs and the reduction of heath species to two major ones. The removal or disruption of plant communities due to man's activities can lead to destruction of unique or botanically significant communities or species, alteration of drainage, accelerated geomorphic processes, and erosion. Such
activities can also lead to the destruction of important feeding and breeding habitats for de pendent fauna. Communities on imperfectly and poorly drained materials are the most vulnerable to disruption.
On-Site GPS and Interactive Geometric Modeling: A Winning Combination
Authors: Cheng P , Toutin Th
Published: April 2015

The improvement in the speed and affordability of computers, the increased resolution of scanned airphoto and satellite images (5m and less), and the integration of cartographic features with GIS data (raster and vector) have revolutionized the process of
topographic mapping. However, a growing number of applications still require an orthorectification process so that images can be accurately corrected to a ground reference system. Because they are planimetrically correct, the resulting orthoimages can be used as maps. Being able to correlate
features on an orthoimage with what is observed on the ground is both time saving and cost effective.
 Highly accurate ground control points (GCPs) are necessary to generate orthoimages. One method of collection is to use a GPS receiver. A high-quality GPS receiver with
post-processing differential correction can yield GCPs with a horizontal and vertical accuracy of within 1m and 2m, respectively. The problem with post-processing differential correction is that the user cannot accurately plot the GCPs on-site. For example, if the GPS antenna does not have a clear
path to the satellites, the user is not immediately aware of the error. A new service called real-time differential correction whereby the user can find out the coordinate of any point in real time is now available in many countries. This eliminates the post-processing differential correction step
while yielding GCPs of comparable horizontal and vertical accuracy.
Plant Hardiness Zones of British Columbia
Authors: McKenney D W , Pedlar J H , Lawrence K , Papadopol P , Campbell K , Hutchinson M F , Kramers R E , Rose I , Morisset N
Published: April 2015

This plant hardiness zones map shows the different zones in Canada where various types of trees, shrubs and flowers will most likely survive. The map is based on a formula using seven important variables that influence plant survival: 1. Monthly mean of the daily
minimum temperatures of the coldest month 2. Mean frost-free period (above 0°C) in days 3. Amount of rainfall from June to November 4. Monthly mean of the daily maximum temperatures of the warmest month 5. A winter harshness index related to rainfall in January 6. Mean maximum snow depth 7.
Maximum wind gust in 30 year period The original map was developed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in the early 1960s based on average values from 1930 to 1960. This new map uses 1981 to 2010 averages. To view an interactive version of this map and for more information on plant hardiness zones
in Canada, please go to the following Web site: www.planthardiness.gc.ca
Plant Hardiness Zones of central and southern British Columbia
Authors: McKenney D W , Pedlar J H , Lawrence K , Papadopol P , Campbell K , Hutchinson M F , Kramers R E , Rose I , Morisset N
Published: April 2015

This plant hardiness zones map shows the different zones in Canada where various types of trees, shrubs and flowers will most likely survive. The map is based on a formula using seven important variables that influence plant survival: 1. Monthly mean of the daily
minimum temperatures of the coldest month 2. Mean frost-free period (above 0°C) in days 3. Amount of rainfall from June to November 4. Monthly mean of the daily maximum temperatures of the warmest month 5. A winter harshness index related to rainfall in January 6. Mean maximum snow depth 7.
Maximum wind gust in 30 year period The original map was developed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in the early 1960s based on average values from 1930 to 1960. This new map uses 1981 to 2010 averages. To view an interactive version of this map and for more information on plant hardiness zones
in Canada, please go to the following Web site: www.planthardiness.gc.ca
Plant Hardiness Zones of parts of central and western Canada
Authors: McKenney D W , Pedlar J H , Lawrence K , Papadopol P , Campbell K , Hutchinson M F , Kramers R E , Rose I , Morisset N
Published: April 2015

This plant hardiness zones map shows the different zones in Canada where various types of trees, shrubs and flowers will most likely survive. The map is based on a formula using seven important variables that influence plant survival: 1. Monthly mean of the daily
minimum temperatures of the coldest month 2. Mean frost-free period (above 0°C) in days 3. Amount of rainfall from June to November 4. Monthly mean of the daily maximum temperatures of the warmest month 5. A winter harshness index related to rainfall in January 6. Mean maximum snow depth 7.
Maximum wind gust in 30 year period The original map was developed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in the early 1960s based on average values from 1930 to 1960. This new map uses 1981 to 2010 averages. To view an interactive version of this map and for more information on plant hardiness zones
in Canada, please go to the following Web site: www.planthardiness.gc.ca
Extreme Minimum Temperature Zones of Parts of Central and Western Canada
Authors: McKenney D W , Pedlar J H , Lawrence K , Papadopol P , Campbell K , Hutchinson M F , Kramers R E , Rose I , Morisset N
Published: April 2015

This plant hardiness zones map follows an approach used by the United States Department of Agriculture (www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/). The map shows the average of the annual extreme minimum temperature for the period 1981 to 2010. It is important to note that
weather conditions in any individual year may be different from the average conditions shown on this map. The zones correspond to the temperature ranges shown in the map legend.
Extreme Minimum Temperature Zones of parts of southern Ontario and Québec
Authors: McKenney D W , Pedlar J H , Lawrence K , Papadopol P , Campbell K , Hutchinson M F , Kramers R E , Rose I , Morisset N
Published: April 2015

This plant hardiness zones map follows an approach used by the United States Department of Agriculture (www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/). The map shows the average of the annual extreme minimum temperature for the period 1981 to 2010. It is important to note that
weather conditions in any individual year may be different from the average conditions shown on this map. The zones correspond to the temperature ranges shown in the map legend.
1-slim triangles and uniform hyperbolicity for arc graphs and curve graphs
Authors: Hensel Sebastian , Przytycki Piotr , Webb Richard C.H.
Published: April 2015

We describe unicorn paths in the arc graph and show that they form 1-slim triangles and are invariant under taking subpaths. We deduce that all arc graphs are 7-hyperbolic. Considering the same paths in the arc and curve graph, this also shows that all curve graphs are 17-hyperbolic, including closed surfaces.
Trudinger–Moser inequality on the whole plane with the exact growth condition
Authors: Ibrahim Slim , Masmoudi Nader , Nakanishi Kenji
Published: April 2015

Trudinger-Moser inequality is a substitute to the (forbidden) critical Sobolev embedding, namely the case where the scaling corresponds to

L^{\infty}

. It is well known that the original form of the inequality with the sharp exponent (proved by Moser) fails on the whole plane, but a few modified versions are available. We prove a precised version of the latter, giving
necessary and sufficient conditions
for the boundedness, as well as for the compactness, in terms of the growth and decay of the nonlinear function. It is tightly related to the ground state of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation (or the nonlinear Klein-Gordon equation), for which the range of the time phase (or the mass constant) as well as the energy is given by the best constant of the inequality.
Matrix coefficients, counting and primes for orbits of geometrically finite groups
Authors: Mohammadi Amir , Oh Hee
Published: April 2015

Let

G:=\mathrm {SO}(n,1)^\circ

and

\Gamma<G

be a geometrically finite Zariski dense subgroup with critical exponent

\delta

bigger than

(n-1)/2

. Under a spectral gap hypothesis on

L^2(\Gamma \backslash G)

, which is always satisfied when

\delta>(n-1)/2

for

n=2,3

and when

\delta>n-2

for

n\geq 4

, we obtain an
effective
archimedean counting result for a discrete orbit of

\Gamma

in a homogeneous space

H \backslash G

where

H

is the trivial group, a symmetric subgroup or a horospherical subgroup. More precisely, we show that for any effectively well-rounded family

\{\mathcal B_T\subset H \backslash G \}

of compact subsets, there exists

\eta>0

such that

\#[e]\Gamma\cap \mathcal B_T=\mathcal M(\mathcal B_T) +O(\mathcal M(\mathcal B_T)^{1-\eta})

for an explicit measure

\mathcal M

on

H\backslash G

which depends on

\Gamma

. We also apply the affine sieve and describe the distribution of almost primes on orbits of

\Gamma

in arithmetic settings.

One of key ingredients in our approach is an effective asymptotic formula for the matrix coefficients of

L^2(\Gamma \backslash G)

that we prove by combining methods from spectral analysis, harmonic analysis and ergodic theory. We also prove exponential mixing of the frame flows with respect to the Bowen-Margulis-Sullivan measure.
Coordination of fiscal with monetary and financial stability policies can better cure unemployment
Authors: Arestis Philip
Published: April 2015

This paper examines recent theoretical and empirical developments on fiscal policy to conclude that it is an effective macroeconomic tool in terms of curing unemployment. It is further shown that financial stability, ignored prior to the ‘Great Recession’, is important in economic policy. Fiscal policy can contribute to curing unemployment, especially so when coordinated closely not only with monetary policy but also with financial stability policies. It is also suggested that such coordination should be geared towards reducing income inequality. It is then high time that economists and economic policy-makers turned their attention more closely and seriously to restoring faith in fiscal policy with its strong macroeconomic role as a means of curing unemployment. Fiscal policy, properly coordinated with monetary and financial stability policies, should thereby be restored to its proper upgraded role in terms of economic policy.
Global versus Glocal Dimensions of the Post-1981 Indian English Novel
Authors: Rogobete Daniela
Published: April 2015

In the context of endless theoretical debates on the benefices and drawbacks of cultural globalisation and the emergence of a global culture, the present article analyses different aspects of the rise of the Indian Novel written in English (INE). It focuses on various strategies of cultural legitimation and global recognition INE has found in its various stages of evolution and on the recent fictional formulae it has adopted, in order to see the extent to which the “global” paradigm can be applied to this type of writing. The aim of the article is to demonstrate that INE, though usually associated to the idea of “global novel” – on account of its hybrid status as a “born translated” postcolonial text, its global circulation, international recognition, impressive sales figures and extraordinary success – traverses a moment of relative crisis. Currently considered a complex literary phenomenon in possession of a recognized protean character and a successful formula of integration on globalised cultural markets, INE seems to escape close categorisations, to defy paradigms and to promote its own formula of glocalism. In order to meet this challenge, the article reviews some of the most important theoretical approaches to globalisation and glocalisation in relation to cultural productions, to the significant impact these have on the new economic and cultural reconfigurations of the contemporary world and to the clash between local and diasporic cultural identities. It also provides a short history of the evolution of the INE and of the current critical debates that divide the Indian literary stage on the issue of global versus local literatures in relation to such concepts as authenticity, cultural essentialism, cosmopolitanism and regionalism.
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE 3D IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES APPLIED TO WATERLOGGED WOODEN ARTIFACTS FROM SHIPWRECKS
Authors: Bandiera A. , Alfonso C. , Auriemma R.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. The fragility of organic artefacts in presence of water and their volumetric variation caused by the marine life on or surrounding them dictate that their physical dimensions be measured soon after their extraction from the seabed. In an ideal context, it would be appropriate to preserve and restore all the archaeological elements, rapidly and with the latest methods. Unfortunately however, the large number of artefacts makes the cost of such an operation prohibitive for a public institution. For this reason, digital technologies for documentation, restoration, display and conservation are being considered by many institutions working with limited budgets. In this paper, we illustrate the experience of the University of Salento in 3D imaging technology for waterlogged wooden artefacts from shipwrecks. The interest originates from the need to develop a protocol for documentation and digital restoration of archaeological finds discovered along the coast of Torre S. Sabina (BR) Italy. This work has allowed us to explore recent technologies for 3D acquisitions, both underwater and in the laboratory, as well as methods for data processing. These technologies have permitted us to start defining a protocol to follow for all waterlogged wooden artefacts requiring documentation and restoration.
3D RECORDING OF UNDERWATER ANTIQUITIES IN THE SOUTH EUBOEAN GULF
Authors: Diamanti E. , Vlachaki F.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. An underwater archaeological survey was initiated in 2006 by the Hellenic Institute of Marine Archaeology in collaboration with the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities of Greece, in the South Euboean Gulf. The survey is being conducted under the direction of the archaeologist Dr G. Koutsouflakis and in the course of the project important shipwrecks of Classical, Roman, and Byzantine periods have been brought to light, adding tangible evidence on ancient seafaring and maritime trade. The South Euboean Gulf archaeological survey has presented many challenges to the documentation team of H.I.M.A, and has served as a case-study for 3D recording applied on ancient wrecks, found at medium depths (22-47m) and under the conditions that are imposed during an archaeological survey of a certain geographical region. This paper focuses on the implementation of photogrammetric and geodetic techniques used for acquisition and processing of collected data, in order to generate 3D models for six different wrecks, resulting in a fast, reliable and cost efficient method to record underwater archaeological sites.
Spatial variability of soil properties and soil erodibility in the Alqueva reservoir watershed
Authors: Ferreira V. , Panagopoulos T. , Andrade R. , Guerrero C. , Loures L.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. The aim of this work is to investigate how the spatial variability of soil properties and soil erodibility ($K$ factor) were affected by the changes in land use allowed by irrigation with water from a reservoir in a semiarid area. To this end, three areas representative of different land uses (agroforestry grassland, lucerne crop and olive orchard) were studied within a 900 ha farm. The interrelationships between variables were analyzed by multivariate techniques and extrapolated using geostatistics. The results confirmed differences between land uses for all properties analyzed, which was explained mainly by the existence of diverse management practices (tillage, fertilization and irrigation), vegetation cover and local soil characteristics. Soil organic matter, clay and nitrogen content decreased significantly, while the K factor increased with intensive cultivation. The HJ-Biplot methodology was used to represent the variation of soil erodibility properties grouped in land uses. Native grassland was the least correlated with the other land uses. The K factor demonstrated high correlation mainly with very fine sand and silt. The maps produced with geostatistics were crucial to understand the current spatial variability in the Alqueva region. Facing the intensification of land-use conversion, a sustainable management is needed to introduce protective measures to control soil erosion.
Assimilating high horizontal resolution sea ice concentration data into the US Navy's ice forecast systems: Arctic Cap Nowcast/Forecast System (ACNFS) and the Global Ocean Forecast System (GOFS 3.1)
Authors: Posey P. G. , Metzger E. J. , Wallcraft A. J. , Hebert D. A. , Allard R. A. , Smedstad O. M. , Phelps M. W. , Fetterer F. , Stewart J. S. , Meier W. N. , Helfrich S. R.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. This study presents the improvement in the US Navy's operational sea ice forecast systems gained by assimilating high horizontal resolution satellite-derived ice concentration products. Since the late 1980's, the ice forecast systems have assimilated near real-time sea ice concentration derived from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSMI and then SSMIS). The resolution of the satellite-derived product was approximately the same as the previous operational ice forecast system (25 km). As the sea ice forecast model resolution increased over time, the need for higher horizontal resolution observational data grew. In 2013, a new Navy sea ice forecast system (Arctic Cap Nowcast/Forecast System – ACNFS) went into operations with a horizontal resolution of ~3.5 km at the North Pole. A method of blending ice concentration observations from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR2) along with a sea ice mask produced by the National Ice Center (NIC) has been developed resulting in an ice concentration product with very high spatial resolution. In this study, ACNFS was initialized with this newly developed high resolution blended ice concentration product. The daily ice edge locations from model hindcast simulations were compared against independent observed ice edge locations. ACNFS initialized using the high resolution blended ice concentration data product decreased predicted ice edge location error compared to the operational system that only assimilated SSMIS data. A second evaluation assimilating the new blended sea ice concentration product into the pre-operational Navy Global Ocean Forecast System 3.1 also showed a substantial improvement in ice edge location over a system using the SSMIS sea ice concentration product alone. This paper describes the technique used to create the blended sea ice concentration product and the significant improvements to both of the Navy's sea ice forecasting systems.
Care Partners and Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: McKenzie Tamara , Quig Mary Elizabeth , Tyry Tuula , Marrie Ruth Ann , Cutter Gary , Shearin Edward , Johnson Kamau , Simsarian James
Published: April 2015

Background: Caring for someone with multiple sclerosis (MS) can be a stressful experience that requires clinical attention. We investigated the impact of caregiver stress on the emotional well-being and physical health of the MS care partner using the North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis (NARCOMS) Registry.

Methods: Care partners of NARCOMS participants were invited to complete an online questionnaire that captured demographic characteristics, health status, caregiver burden as measured by the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview, and impact of caregiving on employment.

Results: Of 1446 care partners who agreed to participate, 1333 had complete data. Most were men (n = 825, 61.9%), with a mean (SD) age of 51.1 (11.2) years. The mean (SD) Zarit total score was 24.6 (15.1), placing the overall group in the mild caregiver burden range. Compared with male care partners, female care partners reported higher levels of burden and stress and more medication use for stress/anxiety and mood disorders. Male care partners were more likely to report physical concerns. Care partners of people with primary progressive MS reported greater perceived burden than did partners of people with secondary progressive MS and relapsing-remitting MS. More than 40% of care partners (559 of 1288) had missed work during the past year owing to caregiving responsibilities.

Conclusions: Care partners of people with MS have substantial physical and psychological health concerns and experience an adverse impact on employment. Future research should evaluate how to mitigate the adverse effects of caregiving and evaluate positive aspects of the role.
Occurrence of greigite in the Pliocene sediments of Lake Qinghai, China, and its paleoenvironmental and paleomagnetic implications
Authors: Fu Chaofeng , Bloemendal Jan , Qiang Xiaoke , Hill Mimi J. , An Zhisheng
Published: April 2015

Lake Qinghai in North China is the largest interior plateau lake in Central Asia and is climatically sensitive. An almost continuous 626 m long sediment core was drilled in an infilled part of the southern lake basin of Lake Qinghai. The magnetic susceptibility record reveals the presence of two distinct peaks within an interval of fine‐grained lacustrine sediments of Lower Pliocene age. We selected a depth interval of approximately 40 m spanning the magnetic susceptibility peaks for detailed rock magnetic and geochemical analyses in order to identify the magnetic mineralogy responsible and to assess its possible paleoenvironmental and paleomagnetic implications. Rock magnetic, X‐ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive analysis of X‐ray (EDAX) analyses reveal that the main magnetic carrier is greigite (Fe3S4). The greigite is of early diagenetic origin and formed in an inerval of high lake level and inferred relatively warm, humid climate. The greigite‐enriched zones are separated by an interval of relatively high total sulfur and organic carbon content, and we infer that in the adjacent greigite‐bearing zones, the lower concentrations of sulfur and organic carbon, and high levels of reactive iron, arrested the process of pyritization resulting in the preservation of the greigite on a time scale of several million years. The greigite zones contain narrow intervals of normally magnetized sediments which may be previously unrecognized cryptochrons within the Gilbert Chron, or alternatively they may reflect the continued formation of greigite long after the age of deposition of the surrounding sediment matrix.
Time delay of interplanetary magnetic field penetration into Earth's magnetotail
Authors: Rong Z. J. , Lui A. T. Y. , Wan W. X. , Yang Y. Y. , Shen C. , Petrukovich A. A. , Zhang Y. C. , Zhang T. L. , Wei Y.
Published: April 2015

Many previous studies have demonstrated that the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) can control the magnetospheric dynamics. Immediate magnetospheric responses to the external IMF have been assumed for a long time. The specific processes by which IMF penetrates into magnetosphere, however, are actually unclear. Solving this issue will help to accurately interpret the time sequence of magnetospheric activities (e.g., substorm and tail plasmoids) exerted by IMF. With two carefully selected cases, we found that the penetration of IMF into magnetotail is actually delayed by 1–1.5 h, which significantly lags behind the magnetotail response to the solar wind dynamic pressure. The delayed time appears to vary with different auroral convection intensity, which may suggest that IMF penetration in the magnetotail is controlled considerably by the dayside reconnection. Several unfavorable cases demonstrate that the penetration lag time is more clearly identified when storm/substorm activities are not involved.
The impact of a slow interplanetary coronal mass ejection on Venus
Authors: Collinson Glyn A. , Grebowsky Joseph , Sibeck David G. , Jian Lan K. , Boardsen Scott , Espley Jared , Hartle Dick , Zhang Tielong L. , Barabash Stas , Futaana Yoshifumi , Kollmann Peter
Published: April 2015

We present Venus Express observations of the impact of a slow interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME), which struck Venus on 23 December 2006, creating unusual quasi steady state upstream conditions for the 2 h close to periapsis: an enhanced (∼ nT) interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), radially aligned with the Sun‐Venus line; and a dense (∼ cm−3) solar wind. Contrary to our current understanding and expectations, the ionosphere became partially demagnetized. We also find evidence for shocked sheathlike solar wind protons and electrons in the wake of Venus, and powerful (≈ nT2/Hz) foreshock whistler mode waves radiating from the bow shock at an unexpectedly low frequency (0.6 Hz). Given the abnormally high density of escaping heavy ions at the magnetopause boundary (295 cm−3, one of the highest of the whole mission) and the enhanced density of escaping heavy ions in the wake, we find that even weak ICMEs with no driving shocks can increase atmospheric loss rates at Venus and suggests that the Bx component of the IMF may be a factor in atmospheric escape rates.
Substrate, sediment, and slope controls on bedrock channel geometry in postglacial streams
Authors: Whitbread Katie , Jansen John , Bishop Paul , Attal Mikaël
Published: April 2015

The geometry of channels controls the erosion rate of rivers and the evolution of topography following environmental change. We examine how sediment, slope, and substrate interact to constrain the development of channels following deglaciation and test whether theoretical relationships derived from streams reacting to tectonic uplift apply in these settings. Using an extensive data set of channel geometry measurements from postglacial streams in the Scottish Highlands, we find that a power law width‐drainage area scaling model accounts for 81% of the spatial variation in channel width. Substrate influences channel form at the reach scale, with bedrock channels found to be narrower and deeper than alluvial channels. Bedrock channel width does not covary with slope, which may be due to downstream variations in sediment flux. Bedrock channel width‐to‐depth ratios increase with discharge (or area) and sediment flux, consistent with increasing bed cover promoting lateral widening. We find steep, wide, and shallow bedrock channels immediately below lakes, which we interpret as the result of limited erosion due to a lack of sediment “tools.” Where sediment supply is sufficient to exceed transport capacity, alluvial channels develop wider, shallower geometries constrained primarily by flow hydraulics. Our results indicate that simple scaling models of channel width with drainage area are applicable at regional scale, but locally, channel width varies with substrate, and in the case of bedrock channels, with sediment flux.
Quantifying the stratigraphic completeness of delta shoreline trajectories
Authors: Mahon Robert C. , Shaw John B. , Barnhart Katherine R. , Hobley Daniel E. J. , McElroy Brandon
Published: April 2015

Understanding the incomplete nature of the stratigraphic record is fundamental for interpreting stratigraphic sequences. Methods for quantifying stratigraphic completeness for one‐dimensional stratigraphic columns, defined as the proportion of time intervals of some length that contain stratigraphy, are commonplace; however, quantitative assessments of completeness in higher dimensions are lacking. Here we present a metric for defining stratigraphic completeness of two‐dimensional shoreline trajectories using topset‐foreset rollover positions in dip‐parallel sections and describe the preservation potential of a shoreline trajectory derived from the geometry of the delta surface profile and the kinematics of the geomorphic shoreline trajectory. Two end‐member forward models are required to fully constrain the preservation potential of the shoreline dependent on whether or not a topset is eroded during base level fall. A laboratory fan‐delta was constructed under nonsteady boundary conditions, and one‐dimensional stratigraphic column and two‐dimensional shoreline completeness curves were calculated. Results are consistent with the hypothesis derived from conservation of sediment mass that completeness over all timescales should increase given increasing dimensions of analysis. Stratigraphic trajectories and completeness curves determined from forward models using experimental geomorphic trajectories compare well to values from transects when subsampled to the equivalent stratigraphic resolution as observed in the actual preserved sequence. The concept of stratigraphic completeness applied to two‐dimensional trajectory analysis and the end‐member forward models presented here provide novel tools for a conceptual understanding of the nature of stratigraphic preservation at basin scales.
Can we probe the conductivity of the lithosphere and upper mantle using satellite tidal magnetic signals?
Authors: Schnepf N. R. , Kuvshinov A. , Sabaka T.
Published: April 2015

A few studies convincingly demonstrated that the magnetic fields induced by the lunar semidiurnal (M2) ocean flow can be identified in satellite observations. This result encourages using M2 satellite magnetic data to constrain subsurface electrical conductivity in oceanic regions. Traditional satellite‐based induction studies using signals of magnetospheric origin are mostly sensitive to conducting structures because of the inductive coupling between primary and induced sources. In contrast, galvanic coupling from the oceanic tidal signal allows for studying less conductive, shallower structures. We perform global 3‐D electromagnetic numerical simulations to investigate the sensitivity of M2 signals to conductivity distributions at different depths. The results of our sensitivity analysis suggest it will be promising to use M2 oceanic signals detected at satellite altitude for probing lithospheric and upper mantle conductivity. Our simulations also suggest that M2 seafloor electric and magnetic field data may provide complementary details to better constrain lithospheric conductivity.
Observed climate change hotspots
Authors: Turco M. , Palazzi E. , von Hardenberg J. , Provenzale A.
Published: April 2015

We quantify climate change hotspots from observations, taking into account the differences in precipitation and temperature statistics (mean, variability, and extremes) between 1981–2010 and 1951–1980. Areas in the Amazon, the Sahel, tropical West Africa, Indonesia, and central eastern Asia emerge as primary observed hotspots. The main contributing factors are the global increase in mean temperatures, the intensification of extreme hot‐season occurrence in low‐latitude regions and the decrease of precipitation over central Africa. Temperature and precipitation variability have been substantially stable over the past decades, with only a few areas showing significant changes against the background climate variability. The regions identified from the observations are remarkably similar to those defined from projections of global climate models under a “business‐as‐usual” scenario, indicating that climate change hotspots are robust and persistent over time. These results provide a useful background to develop global policy decisions on adaptation and mitigation priorities over near‐time horizons.
Engineered Microtissues Formed by Schiff Base Crosslinking Restore the Chondrogenic Potential of Aged Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Millan Christopher , Cavalli Emma , Groth Thomas , Maniura‐Weber Katharina , Zenobi‐Wong Marcy
Published: April 2015

A universal method for reproducibly directing stem cell differentiation remains a major challenge for clinical applications involving cell‐based therapies. The standard approach for chondrogenic induction by micromass pellet culture is highly susceptible to interdonor variability. A novel method for the fabrication of condensation‐like engineered microtissues (EMTs) that utilizes hydrophilic polysaccharides to induce cell aggregation is reported here. Chondrogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in EMTs is significantly enhanced compared to micromass pellets made by centrifugation measured by type II collagen gene expression, dimethylmethylene blue assay, and histology. MSCs from aged donors that fail to differentiate in pellet culture are successfully induced to synthesize cartilage‐specific matrix in EMTs under identical media conditions. Furthermore, the EMT polysaccharides support the loading and release of the chondroinduction factor transforming growth factor β3 (TGF‐β3). TGF‐β‐loaded EMTs (EMT+TGF) facilitate cartilaginous tissue formation during culture in media not supplemented with the growth factor. The clinical potential of this approach is demonstrated in an explant defect model where EMT+TGF from aged MSCs synthesize de novo tissue containing sulfated glycosaminoglycans and type II collagen in situ.
Estimating and Investigating Organic Premiums for Retail‐Level Food Products
Authors: Jaenicke Edward C. , Carlson Andrea C.
Published: April 2015

Using 7 years of household‐level scanner data, we use a hedonic pricing model to estimate the organic price premium for four retail‐level food products. In each case, we find strong organic premiums of about 30% for bagged carrots, over 40% for canned soup, over 50% for coffee, and over 70% for milk. Using the estimated results from the hedonic price model, we pool the results across products, markets, and years, and then estimate a novel second‐stage model where we uncover retail‐level market factors associated with higher or lower premiums. For example, we find that category‐level organic sales are associated with higher organic price premiums, whereas category‐level nonorganic sales are associated with lower premiums. Taken collectively, our results suggest that organic price premiums are not threatened in the near term, but that several competing factors help moderate the size of the premiums.
Consumer Perception of Organic Food in Emerging Markets: Evidence from Saint Petersburg, Russia
Authors: Bruschi Viola , Shershneva Ksenia , Dolgopolova Irina , Canavari Maurizio , Teuber Ramona
Published: April 2015

This study provides insights on urban Russian consumers’ attitudes and perceptions toward organic food, as well as factors that facilitate or prevent them from purchasing these products. We adopted an exploratory mixed‐method approach, using a combination of qualitative and quantitative investigations undertaken in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Our results suggest that organic food consumption is mainly motivated by personal well‐being and less by social or environmental concerns. Most participants perceive organic food as higher quality products, based upon which they show an acceptance of a price premium for organic food. The group of organic food consumers in our study relies on organic agriculture as one possible strategy to cope with food safety problems. The presence of strict standards for organic food, the trustworthiness of foreign certifications and the perceived higher quality of foreign products (especially from Europe) are perceived together as a safety guarantee. Our results further indicate that the widespread confusion regarding product recognition represents an important obstacle for organic food consumption growth. Implementing a coherent legislative framework to allow product labeling is apparently crucial yet not sufficient for developing the organic sector in Russia; moreover, trust in food labeling and control systems as well as awareness about organic standards is also required.
Cost of Coexistence of GM and Non‐GM Products in the Food Supply Chains of Rapeseed Oil and Maize Starch in Germany
Authors: Gabriel Andreas , Menrad Klaus
Published: April 2015

This paper aims to quantify with respect to national and EU regulations the costs of coexistence systems for genetically modified organisms (GMO) in food in Germany from the seed to the food level for rapeseed oil and maize starch intended for human consumption. The applied model follows the principle of aggregating all the costs of producing, transporting, and processing food crops on the different levels of the supply chains and increasing the non‐GM price premium of the final product for each level. Results indicate that ensuring coexistence results in a price some 7.4% to 13.8% higher for non‐GM food products depending on assumed segregation strategies in the two agri‐food supply chains analyzed. Altogether this study substantiates the suggestion that costs of GMO‐related coexistence in the food sector can only be traced by a case‐by‐case analysis and are influenced by multiple, dynamically changing factors [EconLit Subject Descriptors: L660, Q180].
Volatility Spillovers in the Spanish Food Marketing Chain: The Case of Tomato
Authors: Ait Sidhoum Amer , Serra Teresa
Published: April 2015

This research aims to assess volatility spillovers along the Spanish tomato marketing chain. A multivariate generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (MGARCH) model is fit to weekly tomato prices at different levels of the marketing chain (producers, wholesalers and consumers). Empirical results suggest significant price transmission and volatility spillovers between different market levels. While causality links flow in all directions, volatility transmission is stronger from the consumer to the producer and wholesale prices rather than the other way around. Consumer price first and second moments are quite rigid, while producer and wholesale prices tend to suffer from higher instability.
Modeling heterogeneous photocatalytic inactivation of E. coli using suspended and immobilized TiO2 reactors
Authors: Kacem Majdi , Goetz Vincent , Plantard Gael , Wery Nathalie
Published: April 2015

A study was carried out to develop a kinetic model of the photocatalytic inactivation of Escherichia coli using different TiO2 catalysts. The model developed is based on a reaction scheme that involves effectively coupling mass‐transfer fluxes between bacteria and catalyst surface on one hand and bacterial degradation reaction on the other. The photocatalytic results were derived from experiments led in a batch reactor under both dark and Ultra Violet (UV) irradiation conditions. Using a reference catalyst, the robustness of the developed model was tested under solar conditions. The experimental data validated the model as successfully able to reproduce evolutions in the viable bacteria concentration in the range of parameters studied without any further adjustment of the kinetic parameters. The model was used to simulate the bacterial degradation kinetics under different working conditions to describe the partitioning of both bacterial adhesion and photocatalytic reaction in the solution to be treated © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 61: 2532–2542, 2015
A hierarchical method to integrated solvent and process design of physical CO2 absorption using the SAFT‐γ Mie approach
Authors: Burger Jakob , Papaioannou Vasileios , Gopinath Smitha , Jackson George , Galindo Amparo , Adjiman Claire S.
Published: April 2015

Molecular‐level decisions are increasingly recognized as an integral part of process design. Finding the optimal process performance requires the integrated optimization of process and solvent chemical structure, leading to a challenging mixed‐integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problem. The formulation of such problems when using a group contribution version of the statistical associating fluid theory, SAFT‐γ Mie, to predict the physical properties of the relevant mixtures reliably over process conditions is presented. To solve the challenging MINLP, a novel hierarchical methodology for integrated process and solvent design (hierarchical optimization) is presented. Reduced models of the process units are developed and used to generate a set of initial guesses for the MINLP solution. The methodology is applied to the design of a physical absorption process to separate carbon dioxide from methane, using a broad selection of ethers as the molecular design space. The solvents with best process performance are found to be poly(oxymethylene)dimethylethers. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 61: 3249–3269, 2015
Polymorphisms in folate pathway genes are not associated with somatic nondisjunction in turner syndrome
Authors: Bispo Adriana Valéria Sales , dos Santos Luana Oliveira , de Barros Juliana Vieira , Duarte Andrea Rezende , Araújo Jacqueline , Muniz Maria Tereza Cartaxo , Santos Neide
Published: April 2015

Folate metabolism dysfunction can lead to DNA hypomethylation and abnormal chromosomal segregation. Previous investigations of this association have produced controversial results. Here we performed a case‐control study in patients with Turner syndrome (TS) to determine the effects of genetic polymorphisms of folate pathway genes as potential risk factors for somatic chromosomal nondisjunction. TS is a useful model for this investigation because patients with TS show a high frequency of chromosome mosaicism. Here we investigated the possible association of polymorphisms of the MTHFR gene with TS risk, which has been previously investigated with controversial results. We also examined the effects of MTR, RFC1, and TYMS gene polymorphisms in TS for the first time. The risk was evaluated according to allelic and genotype (independent and combined) frequencies among 70 patients with TS and 144 age‐matched healthy control subjects. Polymorphism genotyping was performed by PCR, PCR‐RFLP, and PCR‐ASA. The polymorphisms MTHFR 677C>T and 1298A>C, MTR 2756A>G, RFC1 80G>A, and TYMS 2R/3R—alone or in combinations—were not associated with the risk of chromosomal aneuploidy in TS. In conclusion, our present findings did not support a link between impaired folate metabolism and abnormal chromosome segregation leading to somatic nondisjunction in TS patients. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Synthesis of an [(NHC)2Pd(SiMe3)2] Complex and Catalytic cis‐Bis(silyl)ations of Alkynes with Unactivated Disilanes
Authors: Ansell Melvyn B. , Roberts Debbie E. , Cloke F. Geoffrey N. , Navarro Oscar , Spencer John
Published: April 2015

The novel complex cis‐[(ITMe)2Pd(SiMe3)2 (ITMe=1,3,4,5‐tetramethylimidazol‐2‐ylidene) has been synthesized by mild oxidative cleavage of Me3SiSiMe3 using [(ITMe)2Pd0]. The use of this complex as precatalyst for the cis‐bis(silyl)ation of alkynes using unactivated disilanes is reported.
Explaining the unexpected and continued use of an information system with the help of evolved evolutionary mechanisms
Authors: Abraham Chon , Junglas Iris , Watson Richard T. , Boudreau Marie‐Claude
Published: April 2015

Explaining how, why, and to what extent humans use information systems has been at the heart of the information systems (IS) discipline, and although successful models have emerged, mostly relying on social and cognitive psychology in their theoretical underpinnings, there are still cases that remain unexplainable. In this article, we scrutinize one of these cases where the continued use of technology cannot be explained by one of the most prominent traditionalISmodels to date. We analyze our qualitative case study by juxtaposing two theoretical lenses: a traditionalISperspective (i.e., the “unified theory of acceptance and use” model) versus an evolutionary psychology perspective (i.e., the four‐drive model). We find that a more comprehensive understanding of continuedISusage is possible when including an evolutionary psychology perspective to the existing models. Specifically, we propose three new concepts, including evolved performance expectancy, evolved effort expectancy, and evolved social influence. We also demonstrate that, in some situations, cognitive and social constructs dominate, whereas in other situations, the evolutionary dependent constructs associated with human nature take over.
Acute kidney injury after percutaneous coronary intervention: Rationale of the AKI‐MATRIX (acute kidney injury‐minimizing adverse hemorrhagic events by TRansradial access site and systemic implementation of angioX) sub‐study
Authors: Andò Giuseppe , Cortese Bernardo , Frigoli Enrico , Gagnor Andrea , Garducci Stefano , Briguori Carlo , Rubartelli Paolo , Calabrò Paolo , Valgimigli Marco ,   on behalf of the MATRIX investigators
Published: April 2015

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is an important complication of both diagnostic cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A large body of evidence supports that AKI is related to volume of contrast used. Despite several measures are available to reduce the impact of contrast media on AKI, its incidence remains significant as other mechanisms of renal damage are involved. A new paradigm is established according to which bleeding prevention is at least as important as preventing recurrent ischemic events in the management of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) undergoing an invasive approach. Periprocedural bleeding, which is consistently reduced by radial approach, is emerging as a risk factor for the development of AKI. Therefore, the role of vascular access as a measure to prevent AKI needs to be systematically assessed in randomized studies. To date, no prospective comparison on renal outcomes has been carried out in randomized trials between radial and femoral approach. The Minimizing Adverse hemorrhagic events by TRansradial access site and systemic Implementation of AngioX (MATRIX) trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01433627) has been designed to test whether to minimize bleeding events by using radial access and bivalirudin, across the whole spectrum of patients with ACS undergoing PCI, will result in improved outcomes with respect to both ischemic and bleeding complications. The AKI‐MATRIX sub‐study will provide a unique opportunity to assess whether the advantages of radial approach may even contribute to the reduction of the risk of AKI in patients with ACS. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.