bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Delay‐Dependent State Estimation of Static Neural Networks with Time‐Varying and Distributed Delays
Authors: Shao Lei , Huang He , Zhao Heming , Huang Tingwen
Published: September 2014

This paper focuses on studying the state estimation problem of static neural networks with time‐varying and distributed delays. By constructing a suitable Lyapunov functional and employing two
integral inequalities, a sufficient condition is obtained under which the estimation error system is globally asymptotically stable. It can be seen that this condition is dependent on the two kinds of time delays. To reduce the conservatism of the derived result, Wirtinger inequality is employed to handle a cross term in the time‐derivative of Lyapunov functional. It is further shown that the design of the gain matrix of state estimator is transformed to finding a feasible solution of a linear matrix inequality, which is efficiently facilitated by available algorithms. A numerical example is explored to demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed result.
Successful Crizotinib Rechallenge after Crizotinib-Induced Organizing Pneumonia in Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase-Rearranged Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Asai Nobuhiro , Yokoi Toyoharu , Yamaguchi Etsuro , Kubo Akihito
Published: September 2014

Crizotinib, a first-line anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has shown promising results for the treatment of locally advanced and metastatic lung cancer presenting the ALK rearrangement. On the other hand, secondary organizing pneumonia (OP) caused by anti-cancer drugs has been reported. While it is sometimes needed to rechallenge the suspected drug, the standard therapeutic strategy for secondary OP has not yet been established. We report a 60-year-old male with ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer who developed crizotinib-induced OP and was successfully rechallenged with crizotinib. Six months after the rechallenge, the patient has achieved a partial response. To our knowledge, this is the first case in which crizotinib-induced OP has been successfully treated.
Evaluation of CellSolutions BestPrep® Automated Thin-Layer Liquid-Based Cytology Papanicolaou Slide Preparation and BestCyte® Cell Sorter Imaging System
Authors: Delga Agnes , Goffin Frederic , Kridelka Frederic , Marée Raphaël , Lambert Chantal , Delvenne Philippe
Published: September 2014

Objective: A double-blind study was conducted to compare the performance of the new BestPrep® (CellSolutions) liquid-based thin-layer Papanicolaou (Pap) test with ThinPrep® (Hologic). Study Design: Samples from the study patients (n = 105) were collected twice in the same encounter with the ThinPrep sample always taken first and the BestPrep sample collected second. Slides were prepared according to both manufacturers' protocols and evaluated using manual microscopic review and the BestCyte® cell sorter imaging system (CellSolutions). Diagnostic truth for each case was determined by independent manual review of both slides by multiple pathologists and histology when available. The presence of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance was the threshold for positive for sensitivity and specificity calculations. Results: BestPrep and ThinPrep, by manual review, had sensitivities for high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) cases of 100 and 95.6%, respectively. Using the BestCyte cell sorter, both had 100% sensitivity. For the same HSIL cases, the digene HC2 high-risk human papillomavirus DNA test had sensitivities of 100% (BestPrep) and 95.6% (ThinPrep). Specificities were 71.4% (BestPrep) and 54.8% (ThinPrep). Conclusions: BestPrep was equivalent to ThinPrep for manual review even though BestPrep was always the second sample collected. The BestCyte cell sorter provides a practical alternative to manual review for both BestPrep and ThinPrep slides.
Non-Traditional Teaching Methods That Promote Social Justice
Authors: Koch Julie M. , Juntunen Cindy L.
Published: September 2014

This brief article serves as an introduction to the special issue of The Counseling Psychologist devoted to non-traditional teaching methods that promote social justice. We introduce the historical importance of social justice in the field of counseling psychology and discuss current events that maintain the need for further work in this area. We introduce the need for a focus on pedagogy that promotes social justice. We briefly summarize the manuscripts in the two special issue volumes and discuss the broad categories into which they fall. Finally, we call for further scholarship and action related to innovative teaching that promotes social justice.
The events of 1953 in Jammu and Kashmir: a memoir of three generations
Authors: Khan Nyla Ali
Published: September 2014

The origins of the struggle of the people of Kashmir to determine their own future, following Partition and the subsequent refusal of the newly independent State of India to grant a promised plebiscite, are here examined from the unique perspective of the granddaughter of Kashmir’s first Prime Minister examining the coup of 1953. Using family archival material, the author unearths both a family’s story and the background to the decades’ long suppression of this cause. She recounts the measures taken against the Plebiscite Front, and the more than ten-year imprisonment of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, during which the struggle was spearheaded by his indomitable wife, Akbar Jehan.
The politics of the sentence of death: a comparative perspective
Authors: Drummond Jim
Published: September 2014

This article compares and contrasts the United States and Indian criminal justice systems’ roles in containing dissidence and use of the death penalty. The US, a country with 3,108 inmates on Death Row, holds 25 per cent of the world’s overall prisoner population despite only constituting 5 per cent of the world’s population, and over half of the federal inmate population have been convicted of drug-related offences. The author argues that the failed US War on Drugs acts as a smoke screen for a war on the underclass. In India, by contrast, the criminal justice system and the War on Terror are used, inter alia, to intimidate Kashmiri dissidence as acutely demonstrated in the controversial execution of Mohammad Afzal Guru. Rather than addressing class and ethnic concerns in order to reduce crime, the US and Indian criminal justice systems have, instead, resulted in the aggravation of violence and maintenance of large prisoner populations.
The new profiling: Algorithms, black boxes, and the failure of anti-discriminatory safeguards in the European Union
Authors: Leese Matthias
Published: September 2014

This article argues that with increasingly large databases and computational power, profiling as a key part of security governance is experiencing major changes. Targeting mobile populations in order to enact security via controlling and sifting the good from the bad, profiling techniques accumulate and process personal data. However, as advanced algorithmic analytics enable authorities to make sense of unprecedented amounts of information and derive patterns in a data-driven fashion, the procedures that bring risk into being increasingly differ from those of traditional profiling. While several scholars have dealt with the consequences of black-boxed and invisible algorithmic analytics in terms of privacy and data protection, this article engages the effects of knowledge-generating algorithms on anti-discriminatory safeguards. Using the European-level efforts for the establishment of a Passenger Name Record (PNR) system as an example, and on the theoretical level connecting distinct modes of profiling with Foucauldian thought on governing, the article finds that with pattern-based categorizations in data-driven profiling, safeguards such as the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union or the EU data-protection framework essentially lose their applicability, leading to a diminishing role of the tools of the anti-discrimination framework.
DLC films deposited on rubber substrates: a review
Authors: Lubwama M. , Corcoran B. , Sayers K.
Published: September 2014

An extensive review on the characteristics of diamond-like carbon (DLC), doped DLC and DLC multilayer films deposited on rubber substrates is presented. Typical deposition technologies used for depositing DLC films on rubber substrates are mentioned. Methods used in characterising DLC films deposited on rubber substrates are presented. The review shows that no film property or characteristic has been discussed in more than 14 publications to-date. Therefore, further research is required on characterisation of chemical composition, chemical bonding, surface roughness, hydrophobicity, surface energy, adhesion, flexibility, electrical resistance, hardness and wear. Raman spectroscopy analysis is a powerful non-destructive method for determining the chemical bonding, intensity ratios, peak positions, multi-wave length analysis, residual stress analysis and bonded hydrogen analysis in the films. Different studies have reported different values for these Raman parameters. The surface morphology for DLC films deposited on rubber substrates is dendritic. Inconsistencies between columnar and non-columnar microstructures for DLC films deposited on rubber substrates at different bias voltages exist in the literature. There is general consensus on DLC films deposited on rubber substrates being hydrophobic. Diamond-like carbon films deposited on rubber substrates exhibit good adhesion due to the powdery rough morphology of the rubbery substrate and the development of polymer like chains. The deformation of the rubber substrate has hindered progress on the determination of actual hardness values for DLC films deposited on rubber substrates. Diamond-like carbon films deposited on rubber substrates are generally characterised by low frictional coefficients and low wear rates. However, because of the differences in DLC film composition, morphology, processing and microstructure, a continuous characterisation effort is necessary so that inconsistencies identified in the literature can be resolved.
Trade liberalization, industry concentration and female workers: the case of Egypt
Authors: AlAzzawi Shireen
Published: September 2014

The gender wage gap increased significantly in Egypt over the last two decades, while female labor force participation rates have steadily declined. This study investigates the relationship between women’s labor market outcomes in the manufacturing sector, the degree of industry concentration, and the trade reforms that took place simultaneously. Results indicate that industry concentration is detrimental to women in the labor market and that the impact of trade liberalization differs depending on the degree of concentration and the nature of the international competition. In initially competitive industries, increased import competition is associated with higher gender wage gaps and lower female employment. Increased export intensity on the other hand is associated with a lower gender wage gap, but lower female employment. Conversely, opening up to increased international import competition in initially concentrated industries is associated with falling gender wage gaps and rising female employment, while increased exports in these industries is associated with higher female employment as well. These findings have important implications for policy makers attempting to create more equitable labor market conditions in post-revolutionary Egypt.

JEL classifications

F1, F6, J7, J3
A Modified Energy Method to Assess the Residual Velocity of Non-Deforming Projectiles That Perforate Concrete Barriers
Authors: Grisaro Hezi , Dancygier Avraham N.
Published: September 2014

In assessing vulnerability of a concrete barrier it is important to know the projectile's residual velocity, in case of perforation. The residual velocity is a measure of the resistance level provided by the barrier in case it is breached. It is also an important parameter in studying the response of barriers, whether experimentally or analytically. This paper proposes a formula to evaluate the residual velocity of a perforating non-deforming projectile. It is based on a semi-empirical approach that consists of theoretical assumptions regarding the damaged barrier under striking velocities that are higher than the perforation velocity and on empirically-calibrated parameters. The main hypothesis is that once a concrete barrier is perforated part of the projectile's striking energy is dissipated through fracture of the ejecting crater into concrete fragments, as well as additional cracking of the barrier. A parameter denoted γd is introduced as a function of the perforation-limit and striking velocities, and thus a common regression formula is deduced. A suitable energy balance and additional pertinent physical assumptions lead to formulation of an expression for the residual velocity, based on the knowledge of the perforation velocity. This approach yields a non-dimensional expression for the residual velocity, which agrees well with published experimental results (different than the ones used for calibration of the model's parameters).
A Simplified Numerical Method for Blast Induced Structural Response Analysis
Authors: Li Jun , Hao Hong
Published: September 2014

Efficiently and accurately predicting structural dynamic response and damage to external blast loading is a big challenge to both structural engineers and researchers. The conventional numerical treatment to this problem is proved being able to give reliable predictions, however at the cost of enormous computational time and resource. Simplified SDOF approach is popularly used in design as it is straightforward to use and also gives good structural response predictions if the response is governed by a global response mode (shear or bending) and the accurate dynamic deflection curve is available, but it cannot predict the detailed local structural damage. In this study, a new numerical approach that combines the recently proposed two-step method and the static condensation method is proposed to analyze structure response and collapse to blast loads. The two-step method divides the structural response into two phases, i.e. forced vibration phase (blast loading duration) and free vibration phase. Single- Degree-of-Freedom system approach is adopted to solve the structural element responses at the end of the forced vibration phase, and the structural free vibration simulation is carried out using the hydro-code LS-DYNA to calculate the detailed structural response and damage. The static condensation technique is utilized to condense structural components that are relatively away from the explosion center to further reduce the computational effort. To demonstrate the proposed method, the structural responses of a three story RC frame to blast loads are calculated by four approaches, i.e. the traditional detailed FE simulation, the two-step method, the model condensation method, and the new combined two-step and dynamic condensation method. Through the results comparison, the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed combined approach are demonstrated.
Aspectos do Comportamento da Cigarrinha-das-Pastagens Mahanarva spectabilis (Distant, 1909) (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) na Produção de Espuma
Authors: Batista Elder , Auad Alexander Machado , Braga André Luis Furtado , Ferreira Roberta Botelho , Hallack Noelle Martins dos Reis
Published: September 2014

A cigarrinha-das-pastagens Mahanarva spectabilis (Distant) produz uma espuma protetora contra inimigos naturais e à dessecação, ao longo da fase imatura. Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito do agrupamento e do tipo de forrageira na produção de espuma pela cigarrinha-das-pastagens, bem como os comportamentos exibidos durante este período, em duas diferentes forrageiras. Foram realizados testes com ninfas individualizadas no qual o tempo médio de cobertura total pela espuma foi de 38’55’’ e 40’00’’ em capim-elefante (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.) e braquiária (Brachiaria ruziziensis Germain e Evrard), respectivamente; e testes com grupos de ninfas onde o tempo médio para cobertura total foi de 48’00’’ em capim-elefante e em braquiária 41’06’’. Por meio da análise de correlação observou-se que as ninfas que mais tardaram o início de produção de espuma foram aquelas que mais demoraram a concluí-la, nas duas forrageiras. Apresentou-se a sequência comportamental exibida pelas ninfas M. spectabilis desde a sua liberação no vaso até a total cobertura por espuma. O tempo total de cobertura não sofreu alteração significativa quando as ninfas se alimentaram de capim-elefante ou braquiária, ou ainda quando se alimentaram de forma solitária ou agregada.

Behavioral aspects of the spittlebug Mahanarva spectabilis (Distant, 1909) (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) in froth production.

Abstract. The spittlebug Mahanarva spectabilis (Distant) synthesizes a protective froth against natural enemies and dry along the immature stage. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of grouping and forage type in the production of the froth made by the spittlebug, and the behavior exhibited during this period. Tests with individual nymphs were performed in which the average time to complete cover by the froth was 38’55’’ and 40’00’’ in elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum, Schumach.) and signal grass (Brachiaria ruziziensis Germain e Evrard), respectively; as well as tests with groups of nymphs where the average time to complete cover was 48’00’’ in elephant grass and in signal grass 41’06’’. The correlation analysis showed that the nymphs who later initiated the production of froth were those that took the most time to complete the cover within the two forage. The behavioral sequence exhibited by the nymphs was presented, since its release in the pot until the complete cover of the froth. The total time of coverage does not suffer significant change whether the nymphs feed on elephant grass or signal grass, or feeding in solitary or aggregated way.
Custos de uma Biofábrica de Trichogramma pretiosum Riley para o Controle da Lagarta-do-Cartucho no Milho
Authors: Tavares Wagner de Souza
Published: September 2014

O objetivo desse trabalho foi orçamentar, no segundo semestre de 2009, os custos de produção diária, ininterrupta, de uma quantidade suficiente de Trichogramma pretiosum Riley para uma liberação em 50ha de milho (100.000 vespinhas/ha) para o controle da lagarta-do-cartucho e parte do pressuposto que, para a instalação da biofábrica, o usuário irá adquirir todo o material necessário, inclusive a construção de um galpão de 40m². O preço à vista de cada item semelhante foi pesquisado em, no mínimo, três lojas em Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais, Brasil e aquele mais econômico, utilizado no somatório da despesa. Os itens pesquisados foram: A - Material permanente (R$488,20/ha); B - Material de consumo (mensal) (R$3.497,23/ha); C - Mão-de-obra (mensal) (R$1.645,25/ha) e D - Energia elétrica (mensal) (R$250,00/ha). O custo final de produção de T. pretiosum por hectare (uma liberação) foi de R$3,92. A vespinha T. pretiosum pode ser multiplicada em laboratório de maneira fácil e econômica para uma liberação em 50ha de milho.

Costs of a Biofactory of Trichogramma pretiosum Riley for the Control of Fall Armyworm in Maize

Abstract. The aim of this work was budgeted in the second half of 2009, the costs of daily production, uninterrupted, for a sufficient amount of Trichogramma pretiosum Riley for a release in 50ha of corn (100,000 wasps/ha) to control the fall armyworm and assumes that, for the installation of biofactory, the User will acquire all the necessary equipment, including the construction of a shed of 40m². The spot price of each item was investigated in similar, at least three stores in Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, and that cheaper, used in the sum of expenditure. The items surveyed were: A - Material constant (R$488.20/ha), B - Consumables (monthly) (R$3497.23/ha), C - Labor costs (monthly) (R$1645.25/ha) and D - Electricity (monthly) (R$250.00/ha). The final cost of production of T. pretiosum per hectare (a release) was R$3.92. The wasp T. pretiosum can be multiplied in the laboratory to easily and cost for a release in 50ha of maize.
Attitudes of student midwives caring for women with perinatal mental health problems
Authors: Jarrett Patricia
Published: September 2014

Aims: This study aimed to explore the attitudes of student midwives near completion of their midwifery training, in the care of women with mental health problems in the East end of London.

Method: In this exploratory study using qualitative methods, seven student midwives who were near completion of a BSc in midwifery were interviewed in small groups. The data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results: Four themes were identified from the interviews: identification and assessment of women, asking women questions about perinatal health, using stereotypes in the care of women, caring for and responding to women with perinatal mental health problems.

Conclusion: These findings are helpful in informing more conclusive research on midwives' training and practice in the care of women with perinatal mental health problems.
Cytology (part 3): round cell tumours
Authors: Cian Francesco
Published: September 2014

Round cell tumours are one of the most common categories of skin neoplasia in dogs. They include: cutaneous histiocytoma; lymphoma; mast cell tumour; transmissible venereal tumour; and plasma cell tumour. Cytology is considered one of the best diagnostic tests for their identification and classification. Identifying the specific cell type is crucial since the behaviour of these neoplasms, and the respective clinical approach, differs significantly between them.
Art Education in Poland – between Jurassic Park and the ‘catering regime’
Authors: Wasilewski Marek
Published: September 2014

Art schools in Poland and Eastern Europe after the collapse of Berlin Wall went through various changes, including liberalization of their educational programmes, modernization of buildings and equipment, commercialization of their educational content, and last but not least, the preservation of the old balance of power within the institution. Art schools are also facing a new demand: how to supply ‘workers’ for the new creative industries and art markets. According to the author, many questions from the beginning of the transformation still remain open to answer: What is an Academy of Arts? Does the Academy have to be a fossil devoid of life, a Jurassic Park where frightening and comical figures can be met? Save for odd exceptions, art schools are facing the dilemma of whether adherence to tradition is more important than subjection to current tendencies in art. Writing about the dilemmas facing art education in Poland he refers to the book Teaching Art in a Neoliberal Realm (2011) edited by Paul De Bruyne and Pascal Gielen, with a special focus on Daniel Muzyczuk’s article about neo-liberal changes in the Polish art education.
‘Art in the Library’: Interstitial readings between art education and artistic practice
Authors: Juanpere Salvador , Valera Albert , Viladomiu Àngels
Published: September 2014

The growing interest of many artists in alternative spaces for artistic creation and the interdisciplinary nature of most educational curricula have encouraged the teaching staff at the University of Barcelona’s Faculty of Fine Arts to adopt a new methodology – an educational turn – that offers students the direct experience of creating ‘artworks in the user’s space’. This article reports on that experience, ‘Art in the Library’, which in recent years has formed part of the University’s Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art, in the subject Interdisciplinary Attitudes. The student artworks reported on in this paper are site-specific projects, which constitute a professional challenge for their creators and were exhibited to a general public. The authors of the paper propose that ‘Art in the Library’ meets a challenge in contemporary educational practice and understands art education as an act of creation.
Cognitive reserve in the healthy elderly: cognitive and psychological factors
Authors: Zihl Josef , Schmid Antonia , Almeida Osborne F.X. , Sousa Nuno , Walther Katrin , Fink Thomas
Published: September 2014

Cognitive reserve (CR) helps explain the mismatch between expected cognitive decline and observed maintenance of cognitive functioning in older age. Factors such as education, literacy, lifestyle, and social networking are usually considered to be proxies of CR and its variability between individuals. A more direct approach to examine CR is through the assessment of capacity to gain from practice in a standardized challenging cognitive task that demands activation of cognitive resources. In this study, we applied a testing-the-limits paradigm to a group of 136 healthy elderly subjects (60–75 years) and additionally examined the possible contribution of complex mental activities and quality of sleep to cognitive performance gain. We found a significant but variable gain and identified verbal memory, cognitive flexibility, and problem-solving as significant factors. This outcome is in line with our earlier study on CR in healthy mental aging. Interestingly and contrary to expectations, our analysis revealed that complex mental activities and sleep quality do not significantly influence CR. Contrasting “high” and “low” cognitive performers revealed significant differences in verbal memory and cognitive flexibility; again, complex mental activities and sleep quality did not contribute to this measure of CR. In conclusion, the results of this study support and extend previous findings on CR in older age; further, they underline the need for improvements in existing protocols for assessing CR in a dynamic manner.
A note on coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equations
Authors: Saanouni Tarek
Published: September 2014

We investigate the initial value problem for some coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equations in two space dimensions with exponential growth. We prove global well-posedness and scattering in the defocusing case. In the focusing sign, existence of non-global solution is discussed via the potential-well theory.
Mapping Sargassum beds off the coast of Chon Buri Province, Thailand, using ALOS AVNIR-2 satellite imagery
Authors: Noiraksar Thidarat , Sawayama Shuhei , Phauk Sophany , Komatsu Teruhisa
Published: September 2014

Sargassum species grow on rocks and dead coral, forming dense seaweed beds in their growth seasons. Sargassum beds play a range of ecological roles in coastal waters, but their sustainability is threatened by pollution and reclamation within ASEAN countries with rapid economic growth. Before conservation initiatives can be implemented, it is necessary to establish their present distribution. These beds can be mapped using the noncommercial satellite, ALOS, which can provide multiband images using high spatial resolution optical sensors (sensitive to 10 m-2 plots), AVNIR-2. These images are of sufficient quality for examining coastal ecosystems and, in this study, for mapping the Sargassum beds in the waters off the coast of Sattahip, Chon Buri Province, Thailand. This coastal zone is a natural marine park reserve and protected from human activities such as fishery and reclamation. Biomass data were obtained in January, February, March, and December 2009 from quadrat sampling. The biomass of Sargassum aquifolium (Turner) C.Agardh at a bottom depth of 1 m and 1.5–2 m was determined to be 7.73 and 92.75 g dw m-2, while that of Sargassum oligocystum Montagne was found to be 44.05 and 87.97 g dw m-2, respectively. Ground truth data were obtained in February and October 2012 from serial images taken by manta tow. Supervised classification is a procedure for identifying spectrally similar areas on an image by identifying “training” sites of known targets and then extrapolating those spectral signatures to other areas of unknown targets. By applying this methodology, the Sargassum beds off Sattahip can be detected with an accuracy of about 70%. It is estimated that the error is caused by mixel effects of the bottom substrates in individual pixels, each of which covers an area of 10×10 m. Our results indicate that the images captured by ALOS AVNIR-2 are informative and useful for mapping the Sargassum beds in Southeast Asia.
Influence of educational, audit and feedback, system based, and incentive and penalty interventions to reduce laboratory test utilization: a systematic review
Authors: Kobewka Daniel M. , Ronksley Paul E. , McKay Jennifer A. , Forster Alan J. , van Walraven Carl
Published: September 2014

Laboratory and radiographic tests are often ordered unnecessarily. This excess testing has financial costs and is a burden on patients. We performed a systematic review to determine the effectiveness interventions to reduce test utilization by physicians. The MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched for the years 1946 through to September 2013 for English articles that had themes of test utilization and cost containment or optimization. Bibliographies of included papers were scanned to identify other potentially relevant studies. Our search resulted in 3236 articles of which 109 met the inclusion criteria of having an intervention aimed at reducing test utilization with results that could be expressed as a percent reduction in test use relative to the comparator. Each intervention was categorized into one or more non-exclusive category of education, audit and feedback, system based, or incentive or penalty. A rating of study quality was also performed. The percent reductions in test use ranged from a 99.7% reduction to a 27.7% increase in test use. Each category of intervention was effective in reducing test utilization. Heterogeneity between interventions, poor study quality, and limited time horizons makes generalizations difficult and calls into question the validity of results. Very few studies measure any patient safety or quality of care outcomes affected by reduced test use. There are numerous studies that use low investment strategies to reduce test utilization with one time changes in the ordering system. These low investment strategies are the most promising for achievable and durable reductions in inappropriate test use.
Conic singularities, generalized scattering matrix, and inverse scattering on asymptotically hyperbolic surfaces
Authors: Isozaki Hiroshi , Kurylev Yaroslav , Lassas Matti
Published: September 2014

We consider an inverse problem associated with some 2-dimensional non-compact surfaces with conical singularities, cusps and regular ends. Our motivating example is a Riemann surfaceℳ=Γ\ℍ2${\mathcal{M}=\Gamma\backslash\mathbb{H}^{2}}$associated with a Fuchsian group of the first kind Γ containing parabolic elements. The surfaceℳ${\mathcal{M}}$is then non-compact, and has a finite number of cusps and elliptic singular points, which is regarded as a hyperbolic orbifold. We introduce a class of Riemannian surfaces with conical singularities on its finite part, having cusps and regular ends at infinity, whose metric is asymptotically hyperbolic. By observing solutions of the Helmholtz equation at the cusp, we define a generalized S-matrix. We then show that this generalized S-matrix determines the Riemannian metric and the structure of conical singularities.
Measuring the Social Returns of Nonprofits and Social Enterprises: The Promise and Perils of the SROI
Authors: Cooney Kate , Lynch-Cerullo Kristen
Published: September 2014

Social Return on Investment (SROI) metrics are a new tool available to nonprofit and social enterprise organizations to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of their programs. After a short overview of three dominant methods for calculating the SROI, a case examining the implementation of an SROI study at a nationally recognized Boston-based nonprofit operating workforce development programs is presented to illuminate the methodological dilemmas across the arc of an SROI study. The case analysis centers on four key decision points in the implementation of the SROI study: identification of stakeholders, development of a method for estimating social value creation, determination of the time horizons, and selection of the discount rates. Next, to highlight the challenges in making comparisons across organizations, the second source of data is presented—a set of Yale SOM MBA student assignments conducting an SROI on a written case study found in the literature on workforce development. The student project results showcase how even when conducting SROI assessments on the same focal organization, the SROI calculation can vary widely depending on the outcome of the four decision points delineated above. The paper consequently offers two levels of analysis. First, it provides a detailed methodological overview of the reigning approaches to conducting an SROI. Second, it provides an assessment of the challenges to using SROI as a performance metric at this stage of the field’s development. Implications for use of the SROI are discussed from both the perspective of funders and the perspective of nonprofit organizations.
Análise espacial de indicadores integrados determinantes da mortalidade por diarreia aguda em crianças menores de 1 ano em regiões geográficas
Authors: Bühler Helena Ferraz , Ignotti Eliane , Neves Sandra Mara Alves da Silva , Hacon Sandra Souza
Published: September 2014

O objetivo deste estudo é realizar a análise espacial de indicadores integrados de ambiente e saúde relativos aos fatores condicionantes da mortalidade por diarreia em menores de 1 ano nas regiões brasileiras no ano de 2010. Foram formulados 7 indicadores socioambientais, construídos a partir do banco de dados do Sistema IBGE de Recuperação Automática do Censo Demográfico de 2010. Os dados de óbitos por diarreia em crianças menores de 1 ano e de nascidos vivos foram obtidos das bases de dados dos Sistemas de Informação de Mortalidade e do Sistema de Informação de Nascidos Vivos do Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde. As microrregiões situadas nas regiões Norte e Nordeste, apresentaram, em 2009, respectivamente, 5 e 4 vezes mais taxa de mortalidade por diarreia em menores de 1 ano, que a região Sul. As crianças menores de 1 ano residentes nas microrregiões localizadas nas regiões Norte e Nordeste estão mais expostas ao risco de óbito pela diarreia, uma vez que nestes locais concentram-se os piores valores para os indicadores socioambientais relacionados à pobreza e ao saneamento básico. Neste sentido, políticas públicas sociais, econômicas, ambientais, culturais e de saúde devem embasar-se no princípio de equidade para atender as diferentes necessidades locais de cada região.
Tupi ou não Tupi? Predação material, ação coletiva e colonialismo no Espírito Santo, Brasil
Authors: Ribeiro Loredana , Jácome Camila
Published: September 2014

Este artigo trata das interações entre populações indígenas e não indígenas no sul do Espírito Santo (costa sudeste do Brasil) nos séculos XVIII e XIX, a partir de uma abordagem da arqueologia interpretativa combinada a teorias sobre a agência dos humanos e dos objetos. Sua primeira parte é uma discussão crítica sobre a assimetria epistemológica, estabelecida e mantida ao longo de séculos de colonialismo, entre histórias locais e a história da colonização americana pelos ocidentais. A partir de um estudo de caso, discute-se como a mesma metanarrativa do devastador impacto ocidental sobre populações nativas, consideradas culturalmente estáticas e socialmente passivas, opera em modelos teóricos arqueológicos correntes e no discurso nacionalista do século XIX sobre a conquista dos índios do Espírito Santo. Em seguida, apresenta-se uma perspectiva alternativa de estudo do aparato material tupi setecentista, atenta à noção indígena de reciprocidade e ao potencial do mundo material para a mobilização de ações coletivas. Com o contexto interpretativo construído para os sítios arqueológicos do Espírito Santo, procura-se discutir, a partir de cerâmicas, líticos, manuscritos e mapas, a ação tupi na colonização europeia.
Rivalidade ou violência? A percepção de estudantes universitários vítimas de violência por parte de irmãos
Authors: Relva Inês Carvalho , Alarcão Madalena , Fernandes Otília Monteiro
Published: September 2014

Este estudo pretende avaliar a percepção das vítimas relativamente a comportamentos de cariz físico, sexual e psicológico, perpetrados por irmãos. Faz parte de uma investigação mais vasta na qual foram avaliados os diferentes tipos de violência e a sua frequência no início da adolescência. Neste estudo, os participantes classificaram os abusos sofridos com recurso ao Self-Labelling of Personally Experienced Violence. Os resultados indicam que os jovens que sofreram todos os tipos de vitimizações (físicas, psicológicas e sexuais) atribuíram os incidentes à "rivalidade entre irmãos", de modo significativo, quando comparados com os jovens que só sofreram um ou dois tipos de vitimização (psicológicas, físicas, psicológicas + físicas ou psicológicas + sexuais). Os resultados são discutidos segundo perspectivas de 'normalização de agressões', as quais explicam a manutenção de comportamentos abusivos contra irmãos.
Influence of leaf area reduction on clonal production of eucalyptus seedlings
Authors: Santana Reynaldo Campos , Dutra Tiago Reis , Carvalho Neto José Pereira , Nogueira Gilciano Saraiva , Grazziotti Paulo Henrique , Barros Filho Nairam Félix de
Published: September 2014

Clonal production of eucalyptus seedlings has made considerable progress in recent years. Significant developments have taken place in irrigation and fertilization systems as well as in management of clonal miniorchards. However, the proportion of leaf area in stem minicuttings remains almost the same as that used in macrocutting systems. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of leaf area reduction on seedling production of eight eucalyptus clones. The experiment was conducted over a period of 105 days using a randomized block design and three replicates in an 8 x 4 factorial arrangement, with eight clones and four leaf reduction levels (0%, 25%, 50% and 75%). Variables evaluated included height, root collar diameter, shoot and root dry matter and relationships between these variables. Experimental results demonstrated that clones behaved differently as to leaf reduction and that the 0% reduction level can be adopted in most clones being evaluated.
Adequação da metodologia do teste de tetrazólio para avaliação da viabilidade de sementes de Melanoxylon brauna Schot.
Authors: Corte Viviana Borges , Borges Eduardo Euclydes de Lima e , Pereira Bárbara Luiza Corradi
Published: September 2014

Conduziu-se este trabalho, com o objetivo de adequar a metodologia do teste de tetrazólio para sementes de Melanoxylon brauna. As sementes foram pré-condicionadas por imersão em água destilada a 25ºC, por 14 horas. O tegumento foi retirado e os embriões colocados submersos em solução de tetrazólio (pH 6,5) nas concentrações de 0,05, 0,1 e 0,3%, sendo mantidos no escuro à temperatura de 25ºC por 10 e 24 horas. Os embriões foram avaliados quanto à intensidade da coloração, presença de áreas leitosas, aspectos dos tecidos e localização da coloração. Os embriões foram classificados individualmente em 9 classes de viabilidade. As sementes também foram submetidas aos testes de germinação e emergência de plântulas. Os tratamentos que mais se aproximaram do teste padrão de germinação de sementes de M. brauna foi a concentração de 0,3 por 10 horas. A viabilidade é representada pelas classes 1, 2 e 3, caracterizadas pela coloração rósea do embrião.
Redescription and taxonomical considerations about Aonchotheca (Aonchotheca) pulchra n. comb. (Enoplida: Trichuridae), a nematode of Nyctinomops spp.
Authors: Cardia Daniel Fontana Ferreira , Hoppe Estevam Guilherme Lux , Tebaldi José Hairton , Fornazari Felipe , Menozzi Benedito Donizete , Langoni Helio , Nascimento Adjair Antônio do , Bresciani Katia Denise Saraiva
Published: September 2014

Pterothominx pulchra (Freitas, 1934) are little known gastric nematodes of Nyctinomops laticaudatus (Chiroptera: Molossidae). Information about the occurrence and host range of these parasites in Neotropical region is still scanty, and the only two morphological descriptions available in the literature are divergent about the presence or absence of a spiny spicular sheath in males, which may lead to incorrect taxonomical positioning, since this feature represents the main difference between the genera Pterothominx and Aonchotheca. Based on the absence of this morphological feature in specimens of this nematode obtained from N. laticaudatus and Nyctinomops macrotis bats captured in two municipalities in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, the present study reclassifies the aforementioned species in the genus Aonchotheca and allocates it to the subgenus Aonchotheca. Additional morphometric data and new host and locality records are also provided.
Centennial impacts of fragmentation on the canopy structure of tropical montane forest
Authors: Vaughn Nicholas R. , Asner Gregory P. , Giardina Christian P.
Published: September 2014

Fragmentation poses one of the greatest threats to tropical forests with short‐term changes to the structure of forest canopies affecting microclimate, tree mortality, and growth. Yet the long‐term effects of fragmentation are poorly understood because (1) most effects require many decades to materialize, but long‐term studies are very rare, (2) the effects of edges on forest canopy structure as a function of fragment size are unknown, and (3) edge effects are often confounded by fragment shape. We quantified the long‐term (centennial) effects of fragmentation on forest canopy structure using airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) of 1060 Hawaiian rain forest fragments ranging in size from 0.02 to 1000 ha, created more than 130 years ago by flowing lava. Along with distance from edge, we developed a metric, minimum span, to gain additional insight into edge effects on three measures of canopy structure: canopy height, height variation, and gap fraction.

Fragment size was a strong determinant of the three structural variables. Larger fragments had greater average height, larger variation in height, and smaller gap fraction. Minimum span had a large effect on the depth and magnitude of edge effects for the three structural variables. Locations associated with high span values (those surrounded by more forest habitat) showed little effect of distance to fragment edge. In contrast, locations with low span values (those more exposed to edges) were severely limited in canopy height, showed lower height variation, and were associated with greater gap fraction values. The minimum span attribute allows for a more accurate characterization of edge as well as fragment‐level effects, and when combined with high resolution imagery, can improve planning of protected areas for long‐term ecological sustainability and biodiversity protection.
Conserving migratory mule deer through the umbrella of sage‐grouse
Authors: Copeland H. E. , Sawyer H. , Monteith K. L. , Naugle D. E. , Pocewicz A. , Graf N. , Kauffman M. J.
Published: September 2014

Conserving migratory ungulates in increasingly human‐dominated landscapes presents a difficult challenge to land managers and conservation practitioners. Nevertheless, ungulates may receive ancillary benefits from conservation actions designed to protect species of greater conservation priority where their ranges are sympatric. Greater Sage‐Grouse (Centrocerus urophasianus), for example, have been proposed as an umbrella species for other sagebrush (Artemesia spp.)‐dependent fauna. We examined a landscape where conservation efforts for sage‐grouse overlap spatially with mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) to determine whether sage‐grouse conservation measures also might protect important mule deer migration routes and seasonal ranges. We conducted a spatial analysis to determine what proportion of migration routes, stopover areas, and winter ranges used by mule deer were located in areas managed for sage‐grouse conservation. Conservation measures overlapped with 66–70% of migration corridors, 74–75% of stopovers, and 52–91% of wintering areas for two mule deer populations in the upper Green River Basin of Wyoming. Of those proportions, conservation actions targeted towards sage‐grouse accounted for approximately half of the overlap in corridors and stopover areas, and nearly all overlap on winter ranges, indicating that sage‐grouse conservation efforts represent an important step in conserving migratory mule deer. Conservation of migratory species presents unique challenges because although overlap with conserved lands may be high, connectivity of the entire route must be maintained as barriers to movement anywhere within the migration corridor could render it unviable. Where mule deer habitats overlap with sage‐grouse core areas, our results indicate that increased protection is afforded to winter ranges and migration routes within the umbrella of sage‐grouse conservation, but this protection is contingent on concentrated developments within core areas not intersecting with high‐priority stopovers or corridors, and that the policy in turn does not encourage development on deer ranges outside of core areas. With the goal of protecting entire migration routes, our analysis highlights areas of potential conservation focus for mule deer, which are characterized by high exposure to residential development and use by a large proportion of migrating deer.
Synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic activity of 1D TiO2 nanostructures
Authors: Cabrera Julieta , Alarcón Hugo , López Alcides , Candal Roberto , Acosta Dwight , Rodriguez Juan
Published: September 2014

Nanowire/nanorod TiO2 structures of approximately 8 nm in diameter and around 1,000 nm long were synthesized by alkaline hydrothermal treatment of two different TiO2 nanopowders. The first precursor was TiO2 obtained by the sol-gel process (SG-TiO2); the second was the well-known commercial TiO2 P-25 (P25-TiO2). Anatase-like 1D TiO2 nanostructures were obtained in both cases. The one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures synthesized from SG-TiO2 powders turned into rod-like nanostructures after annealing at 400 °C for 2 h. Conversely, the nanostructures synthesized from P25-TiO2 preserved the tubular structure after annealing, displaying a higher Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area than the first system (279 and 97 m2/g, respectively). Despite the higher surface area shown by the 1D nanostructures, in both cases the photocatalytic activity was lower than for the P25-TiO2 powder. However, the rod-like nanostructures obtained from SG-TiO2 displayed slightly higher efficiency than the sol-gel prepared powders. The lower photocatalytic activity of the nanostructures with respect to P-25 can be associated with the lower crystallinity of 1D TiO2 in both materials.
Equilibrium analysis for heavy metal cation removal using cement kiln dust
Authors: El Zayat Mohamed , Elagroudy Sherien , El Haggar Salah
Published: September 2014

Ion exchange, reverse osmosis, and chemical precipitation have been investigated extensively for heavy metal uptake. However, they are deemed too expensive to meet stringent effluent characteristics. In this study, cement kiln dust (CKD) was examined for the removal of target heavy metals. Adsorption studies in completely mixed batch reactors were used to generate equilibrium pH adsorption edges. Studies showed the ability of CKD to remove the target heavy metals in a pH range below that of precipitation after an equilibrium reaction time of 24 h. A surface titration experiment indicated negative surface charge of the CKD at pH below 10, meaning that electrostatic attraction of the divalent metals can occur below the pH required for precipitation. However, surface complexation was also important due to the substantive metal removal. Accordingly, a surface complexation model approach that utilizes an electrostatic term in the double-layer description was used to estimate equilibrium constants for the protolysis interactions of the CKD surface as well as equilibria between background ions and the sorbent surface. It was concluded that the removal strength of adsorption is in the order: Pb > Cu > Cd. The experiments were also supported by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).