bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transcriptome Sequencing of Lima Bean (Phaseolus lunatus) to Identify Putative Positive Selection in Phaseolus and Legumes
Authors: Li Fengqi , Cao Depan , Liu Yang , Yang Ting , Wang Guirong
Published: July 2015

The identification of genes under positive selection is a central goal of evolutionary biology. Many legume species, including Phaseolus vulgaris (common bean) and Phaseolus lunatus (lima bean), have important ecological and economic value. In this study, we sequenced and assembled the transcriptome of one Phaseolus species, lima bean. A comparison with the genomes of six other legume species, including the common bean, Medicago, lotus, soybean, chickpea, and pigeonpea, revealed 15 and 4 orthologous groups with signatures of positive selection among the two Phaseolus species and among the seven legume species, respectively. Characterization of these positively selected genes using Non redundant (nr) annotation, gene ontology (GO) classification, GO term enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses revealed that these genes are mostly involved in thylakoids, photosynthesis and metabolism. This study identified genes that may be related to the divergence of the Phaseolus and legume species. These detected genes are particularly good candidates for subsequent functional studies.
More Adventures in Photodynamic Therapy
Authors: Kessel David
Published: July 2015

Photodynamic therapy is a procedure that can provide a selective eradication of neoplastic disease if sufficient drug, light, and oxygen are available. As this description suggests, it involves the photosensitization of malignant tissues to irradiation with photons in the visible range. While not suitable for tumors at unknown loci, it can be of use for eradication of cancer at surgical margins and therapy at sites where substantial surgery might otherwise be involved. Drug development has been delayed by several factors including the reluctance of major pharmaceutical firms in the United States to invest in this technology along with some unwise approaches in the past.
Hexakis{4-[(4′-hydroxybiphenyl-4-yl)ethynyl]phenyl}benzene
Authors: Valera Silvia , Bode Bela
Published: July 2015

A novel polyphenolic backbone, hexakis{4-[(4′-hydroxybiphenyl-4-yl)ethynyl]phenyl}benzene, was synthesised using a common synthetic protocol used for the synthesis of similar polyphenolic compounds.
The Effect of Particle Size on Thermal Conduction in Granular Mixtures
Authors: Lee Junghwoon , Yun Tae , Choi Sung-Uk
Published: July 2015

Shredded rubber tire is a geomaterial that is potentially useful in environmental and engineering projects. Here, we study the effect of particle size ratio on the thermal conductivity of granular mixtures containing rubber tire particles. Glass beads were mixed at various volume fractions with rubber particles of varying size. The 3D network model analysis using synthetic packed assemblies was used to determine the dominant factors influencing the thermal conduction of the mixtures. Results present that mixtures with varying size ratios exhibit different nonlinear evolutions of thermal conductivity values with mixture fractions. In particular, mixtures with large insulating materials (e.g., rubber particles) have higher thermal conduction that those with small ones. This is because the larger insulating particles allow better interconnectivity among the conductive particles, thereby avoiding the interruption of the thermal conduction of the conductive particles. Similar tests conducted with natural sand corroborate the significant effect of the relative size of the insulating particles. The 3D network model identifies the heterogeneity of local and effective thermal conductivity and the influence of connectivity among conductive particles. A supplementary examination of electrical conductivity highlights the significance of local and long-range connectivity on conduction paths in granular mixtures.
Rapid Synthesis and Formation Mechanism of Core-Shell-Structured La-Doped SrTiO3 with a Nb-Doped Shell
Authors: Park Nam-Hee , Akamatsu Takafumi , Itoh Toshio , Izu Noriya , Shin Woosuck
Published: July 2015

To provide a convenient and practical synthesis process for metal ion doping on the surface of nanoparticles in an assembled nanostructure, core-shell-structured La-doped SrTiO3 nanocubes with a Nb-doped surface layer were synthesized via a rapid synthesis combining a rapid sol-precipitation and hydrothermal process. The La-doped SrTiO3 nanocubes were formed at room temperature by a rapid dissolution of NaOH pellets during the rapid sol-precipitation process, and the Nb-doped surface (shell) along with Nb-rich edges formed on the core nanocubes via the hydrothermal process. The formation mechanism of the core-shell-structured nanocubes and their shape evolution as a function of the Nb doping level were investigated. The synthesized core-shell-structured nanocubes could be arranged face-to-face on a SiO2/Si substrate by a slow evaporation process, and this nanostructured 10 μm thick thin film showed a smooth surface.
Optical and UV-Aging Properties of LDH-Modified Bitumen
Authors: Liu Xing , Wu Shaopeng , Liu Gang , Li Liping
Published: July 2015

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are an ultraviolet-light (UV) resistant material. In this study, LDHs were used to modify bitumen. The optical and UV aging properties of LDHs modified bitumen were investigated. Firstly, the thin films of bitumen, with and without LDHs, were prepared. By using the UV-Vis spectrophotometer, absorbance, reflectance, and transmittance of bituminous thin film were evaluated. The morphology of LDHs-modified bitumen was observed by using fluorescence microscopy (FM). Finally, the aging resistance of LDH-modified bitumen was investigated by using the UV-aging oven. Results indicated that the LDHs, especially with 5 wt % in the bitumen, can effectively absorb and reflect the UV light and improve the UV-aging resistance of bitumen. This implied that the addition of LDHs into bitumen had the potential to prolong the service life of asphalt pavement.
Endocytosis and Trafficking of Natriuretic Peptide Receptor-A: Potential Role of Short Sequence Motifs
Authors: Pandey Kailash
Published: July 2015

The targeted endocytosis and redistribution of transmembrane receptors among membrane-bound subcellular organelles are vital for their correct signaling and physiological functions. Membrane receptors committed for internalization and trafficking pathways are sorted into coated vesicles. Cardiac hormones, atrial and brain natriuretic peptides (ANP and BNP) bind to guanylyl cyclase/natriuretic peptide receptor-A (GC-A/NPRA) and elicit the generation of intracellular second messenger cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP), which lowers blood pressure and incidence of heart failure. After ligand binding, the receptor is rapidly internalized, sequestrated, and redistributed into intracellular locations. Thus, NPRA is considered a dynamic cellular macromolecule that traverses different subcellular locations through its lifetime. The utilization of pharmacologic and molecular perturbants has helped in delineating the pathways of endocytosis, trafficking, down-regulation, and degradation of membrane receptors in intact cells. This review describes the investigation of the mechanisms of internalization, trafficking, and redistribution of NPRA compared with other cell surface receptors from the plasma membrane into the cell interior. The roles of different short-signal peptide sequence motifs in the internalization and trafficking of other membrane receptors have been briefly reviewed and their potential significance in the internalization and trafficking of NPRA is discussed.
Temporal Study of the Microbial Diversity of the North Arm of Great Salt Lake, Utah, U.S.
Authors: Almeida-Dalmet Swati , Sikaroodi Masoumeh , Gillevet Patrick , Litchfield Carol , Baxter Bonnie
Published: July 2015

We employed a temporal sampling approach to understand how the microbial diversity may shift in the north arm of Great Salt Lake, Utah, U.S. To determine how variations in seasonal environmental factors affect microbial communities, length heterogeneity PCR fingerprinting was performed using consensus primers for the domain Bacteria, and the haloarchaea. The archaeal fingerprints showed similarities during 2003 and 2004, but this diversity changed during the remaining two years of the study, 2005 and 2006. We also performed molecular phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA genes of the whole microbial community to characterize the taxa in the samples. Our results indicated that in the domain, Bacteria, the Salinibacter group dominated the populations in all samplings. However, in the case of Archaea, as noted by LIBSHUFF for phylogenetic relatedness analysis, many of the temporal communities were distinct from each other, and changes in community composition did not track with environmental parameters. Around 20–23 different phylotypes, as revealed by rarefaction, predominated at different periods of the year. Some phylotypes, such as Haloquadradum, were present year-round although they changed in their abundance in different samplings, which may indicate that these species are affected by biotic factors, such as nutrients or viruses, that are independent of seasonal temperature dynamics.
Tetrachloromethane-Degrading Bacterial Enrichment Cultures and Isolates from a Contaminated Aquifer
Authors: Penny Christian , Gruffaz Christelle , Nadalig Thierry , Cauchie Henry-Michel , Vuilleumier Stéphane , Bringel Françoise
Published: July 2015

The prokaryotic community of a groundwater aquifer exposed to high concentrations of tetrachloromethane (CCl4) for more than three decades was followed by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) during pump-and-treat remediation at the contamination source. Bacterial enrichments and isolates were obtained under selective anoxic conditions, and degraded 10 mg·L−1 CCl4, with less than 10% transient formation of chloroform. Dichloromethane and chloromethane were not detected. Several tetrachloromethane-degrading strains were isolated from these enrichments, including bacteria from the Klebsiella and Clostridium genera closely related to previously described CCl4 degrading bacteria, and strain TM1, assigned to the genus Pelosinus, for which this property was not yet described. Pelosinus sp. TM1, an oxygen-tolerant, Gram-positive bacterium with strictly anaerobic metabolism, excreted a thermostable metabolite into the culture medium that allowed extracellular CCl4 transformation. As estimated by T-RFLP, phylotypes of CCl4-degrading enrichment cultures represented less than 7%, and archaeal and Pelosinus strains less than 0.5% of the total prokaryotic groundwater community.
Mineralogical and Geochemical Characteristics of Late Permian Coals from the Mahe Mine, Zhaotong Coalfield, Northeastern Yunnan, China
Authors: Wang Xibo , Wang Ruixue , Wei Qiang , Wang Peipei , Wei Jianpeng
Published: July 2015

This paper reports the mineralogical and geochemical compositions of the Late Permian C2, C5a, C5b, C6a, and C6b semianthracite coals from the Mahe mine, northeastern Yunnan, China. Minerals in the coals are mainly made up of quartz, chamosite, kaolinite, mixed-layer illite/smectite (I/S), pyrite, and calcite; followed by anatase, dolomite, siderite, illite and marcasite. Similar to the Late Permian coals from eastern Yunnan, the authigenic quartz and chamosite were precipitated from the weathering solution of Emeishan basalt, while kaolinite and mixed-layer I/S occurring as lenses or thin beds were related to the weathering residual detrital of Emeishan basalt. However, the euhedral quartz and apatite particles in the Mahe coals were attributed to silicic-rock detrital input. It further indicates that there has been silicic igneous eruption in the northeastern Yunnan. Due to the silicic rock detrital input, the Eu/Eu* value of the Mahe coals is lower than that of the Late Permian coals from eastern Yunnan, where the detrital particles were mainly derived from the basalt. The high contents of Sc, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Ga, and Sn in the Mahe coals were mainly derived from the Kangdian Upland.
Quantitative 1H-NMR Method for the Determination of Tadalafil in Bulk Drugs and its Tablets
Authors: Yang Qingyun , Qiu Hui , Guo Wei , Wang Dongmei , Zhou Xingning , Xue Dan , Zhang Jinlan , Wu Song , Wang Yinghong
Published: July 2015

A simple, rapid, accurate, and selective quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance method for the determination of tadalafil in bulk drugs and its tablets was established and evaluated. Spectra were obtained in dimethylsulfoxide-d6 using 2,4-dinitrotoluene as the internal standard. In this study, the method’s linearity, range, limit of quantification, stability, precision, and accuracy were validated. The results were consistent with those obtained from high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. Thus, the proposed method is a useful and practical tool for the determination of tadalafil in bulk drugs and its tablets.
Expression of Subtelomeric lncRNAs Links Telomeres Dynamics to RNA Decay in S. cerevisiae
Authors: Kwapisz Marta , Ruault Myriam , Van Dijk Erwin , Gourvennec Stephanie , Descrimes Marc , Taddei Angela , Morillon Antonin
Published: July 2015

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to regulate gene expression, chromatin domains and chromosome stability in eukaryotic cells. Recent observations have reported the existence of telomeric repeats containing long ncRNAs – TERRA in mammalian and yeast cells. However, their functions remain poorly characterized. Here, we report the existence in S. cerevisiae of several lncRNAs within Y′ subtelomeric regions. We have called them subTERRA. These belong to Cryptic Unstable Transcripts (CUTs) and Xrn1p-sensitive Unstable Transcripts (XUTs) family. subTERRA transcription, carried out mainly by RNAPII, is initiated within the subtelomeric Y’ element and occurs in both directions, towards telomeres as well as centromeres. We show that subTERRA are distinct from TERRA and are mainly degraded by the general cytoplasmic and nuclear 5′- and 3′- RNA decay pathways in a transcription-dependent manner. subTERRA accumulates preferentially during the G1/S transition and in C-terminal rap1 mutant but independently of Rap1p function in silencing. The accumulation of subTERRA in RNA decay mutants coincides with telomere misregulation: shortening of telomeres, loss of telomeric clustering in mitotic cells and changes in silencing of subtelomeric regions. Our data suggest that subtelomeric RNAs expression links telomere maintenance to RNA degradation pathways.
Advancements in Root Growth Measurement Technologies and Observation Capabilities for Container-Grown Plants
Authors: Judd Lesley , Jackson Brian , Fonteno William
Published: July 2015

The study, characterization, observation, and quantification of plant root growth and root systems (Rhizometrics) has been and remains an important area of research in all disciplines of plant science. In the horticultural industry, a large portion of the crops grown annually are grown in pot culture. Root growth is a critical component in overall plant performance during production in containers, and therefore it is important to understand the factors that influence and/or possible enhance it. Quantifying root growth has varied over the last several decades with each method of quantification changing in its reliability of measurement and variation among the results. Methods such as root drawings, pin boards, rhizotrons, and minirhizotrons initiated the aptitude to measure roots with field crops, and have been expanded to container-grown plants. However, many of the published research methods are monotonous and time-consuming. More recently, computer programs have increased in use as technology advances and measuring characteristics of root growth becomes easier. These programs are instrumental in analyzing various root growth characteristics, from root diameter and length of individual roots to branching angle and topological depth of the root architecture. This review delves into the expanding technologies involved with expertly measuring root growth of plants in containers, and the advantages and disadvantages that remain.
Improved Method for Preparation of Amidoxime Modified Poly(acrylonitrile-co-acrylic acid): Characterizations and Adsorption Case Study
Authors: Mohd Zahri Nur , Md Jamil Siti , Abdullah Luqman , Shean Yaw Thomas , Nourouzi Mobarekeh Mohsen , Sim Jia , Mohd Rapeia Nur
Published: July 2015

Redox polymerization of poly(acrylonitrile-co-acrylic acid) (poly(AN-co-AA)) is performed at 40 °C under N2 gas by varying the ratio of acrylonitrile (AN) and acrylic acid (AA) in the feed. The yield production of poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) is 73% and poly(AN-co-AA) with a feed ratio of 93:7 is the highest yield (72%). The PAN and poly(AN-co-AA) are further chemically modify with hydroxylamine hydrochloride. The FTIR spectroscopy is used to confirm the copolymerization of poly(AN-co-AA) and chemical modification of poly(AN-co-AA). Elemental microanalysis shows that the overall trend percentage of carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen for all feed ratios are slightly decreasing as the feed ratio of AA is increasing except for poly(AN-co-AA) 93:7. The SEM images shows that spherical diameter of poly(AN-co-AA) is smaller compared to the PAN and amidoxime (AO) modified poly(AN-co-AA). The TGA (thermogravimetric analysis) analysis reveals that the poly(AN-co-AA) degrades at lower temperatures compared to the PAN but higher than AO modified poly(AN-co-AA). The case study adsorption test showed that the AO modified poly(AN-co-AA) 93:7 had the highest percentage removal of Cd2+ and Pb2+.
Using Hand Grip Force as a Correlate of Longitudinal Acceleration Comfort for Rapid Transit Trains
Authors: Guo Beiyuan , Gan Weide , Fang Weining
Published: July 2015

Longitudinal acceleration comfort is one of the essential metrics used to evaluate the ride comfort of train. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of using hand grip force as a correlate of longitudinal acceleration comfort of rapid transit trains. In the paper, a motion simulation system was set up and a two-stage experiment was designed to investigate the role of the grip force on the longitudinal comfort of rapid transit trains. The results of the experiment show that the incremental grip force was linearly correlated with the longitudinal acceleration value, while the incremental grip force had no correlation with the direction of the longitudinal acceleration vector. The results also show that the effects of incremental grip force and acceleration duration on the longitudinal comfort of rapid transit trains were significant. Based on multiple regression analysis, a step function model was established to predict the longitudinal comfort of rapid transit trains using the incremental grip force and the acceleration duration. The feasibility and practicably of the model was verified by a field test. Furthermore, a comparative analysis shows that the motion simulation system and the grip force based model were valid to support the laboratory studies on the longitudinal comfort of rapid transit trains.
GUDM: Automatic Generation of Unified Datasets for Learning and Reasoning in Healthcare
Authors: Ali Rahman , Siddiqi Muhammad , Idris Muhammad , Ali Taqdir , Hussain Shujaat , Huh Eui-Nam , Kang Byeong , Lee Sungyoung
Published: July 2015

A wide array of biomedical data are generated and made available to healthcare experts. However, due to the diverse nature of data, it is difficult to predict outcomes from it. It is therefore necessary to combine these diverse data sources into a single unified dataset. This paper proposes a global unified data model (GUDM) to provide a global unified data structure for all data sources and generate a unified dataset by a “data modeler” tool. The proposed tool implements user-centric priority based approach which can easily resolve the problems of unified data modeling and overlapping attributes across multiple datasets. The tool is illustrated using sample diabetes mellitus data. The diverse data sources to generate the unified dataset for diabetes mellitus include clinical trial information, a social media interaction dataset and physical activity data collected using different sensors. To realize the significance of the unified dataset, we adopted a well-known rough set theory based rules creation process to create rules from the unified dataset. The evaluation of the tool on six different sets of locally created diverse datasets shows that the tool, on average, reduces 94.1% time efforts of the experts and knowledge engineer while creating unified datasets.
H2RM: A Hybrid Rough Set Reasoning Model for Prediction and Management of Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Ali Rahman , Hussain Jamil , Siddiqi Muhammad , Hussain Maqbool , Lee Sungyoung
Published: July 2015

Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by high blood glucose level that results either from a deficiency of insulin produced by the body, or the body’s resistance to the effects of insulin. Accurate and precise reasoning and prediction models greatly help physicians to improve diagnosis, prognosis and treatment procedures of different diseases. Though numerous models have been proposed to solve issues of diagnosis and management of diabetes, they have the following drawbacks: (1) restricted one type of diabetes; (2) lack understandability and explanatory power of the techniques and decision; (3) limited either to prediction purpose or management over the structured contents; and (4) lack competence for dimensionality and vagueness of patient’s data. To overcome these issues, this paper proposes a novel hybrid rough set reasoning model (H2RM) that resolves problems of inaccurate prediction and management of type-1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). For verification of the proposed model, experimental data from fifty patients, acquired from a local hospital in semi-structured format, is used. First, the data is transformed into structured format and then used for mining prediction rules. Rough set theory (RST) based techniques and algorithms are used to mine the prediction rules. During the online execution phase of the model, these rules are used to predict T1DM and T2DM for new patients. Furthermore, the proposed model assists physicians to manage diabetes using knowledge extracted from online diabetes guidelines. Correlation-based trend analysis techniques are used to manage diabetic observations. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms the existing methods with 95.9% average and balanced accuracies.
Secure Data Aggregation with Fully Homomorphic Encryption in Large-Scale Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Li Xing , Chen Dexin , Li Chunyan , Wang Liangmin
Published: July 2015

With the rapid development of wireless communication technology, sensor technology, information acquisition and processing technology, sensor networks will finally have a deep influence on all aspects of people’s lives. The battery resources of sensor nodes should be managed efficiently in order to prolong network lifetime in large-scale wireless sensor networks (LWSNs). Data aggregation represents an important method to remove redundancy as well as unnecessary data transmission and hence cut down the energy used in communication. As sensor nodes are deployed in hostile environments, the security of the sensitive information such as confidentiality and integrity should be considered. This paper proposes Fully homomorphic Encryption based Secure data Aggregation (FESA) in LWSNs which can protect end-to-end data confidentiality and support arbitrary aggregation operations over encrypted data. In addition, by utilizing message authentication codes (MACs), this scheme can also verify data integrity during data aggregation and forwarding processes so that false data can be detected as early as possible. Although the FHE increase the computation overhead due to its large public key size, simulation results show that it is implementable in LWSNs and performs well. Compared with other protocols, the transmitted data and network overhead are reduced in our scheme.
Using Open Geographic Data to Generate Natural Language Descriptions for Hydrological Sensor Networks
Authors: Molina Martin , Sanchez-Soriano Javier , Corcho Oscar
Published: July 2015

Providing descriptions of isolated sensors and sensor networks in natural language, understandable by the general public, is useful to help users find relevant sensors and analyze sensor data. In this paper, we discuss the feasibility of using geographic knowledge from public databases available on the Web (such as OpenStreetMap, Geonames, or DBpedia) to automatically construct such descriptions. We present a general method that uses such information to generate sensor descriptions in natural language. The results of the evaluation of our method in a hydrologic national sensor network showed that this approach is feasible and capable of generating adequate sensor descriptions with a lower development effort compared to other approaches. In the paper we also analyze certain problems that we found in public databases (e.g., heterogeneity, non-standard use of labels, or rigid search methods) and their impact in the generation of sensor descriptions.
Optimal Sensor Selection for Classifying a Set of Ginsengs Using Metal-Oxide Sensors
Authors: Miao Jiacheng , Zhang Tinglin , Wang You , Li Guang
Published: July 2015

The sensor selection problem was investigated for the application of classification of a set of ginsengs using a metal-oxide sensor-based homemade electronic nose with linear discriminant analysis. Samples (315) were measured for nine kinds of ginsengs using 12 sensors. We investigated the classification performances of combinations of 12 sensors for the overall discrimination of combinations of nine ginsengs. The minimum numbers of sensors for discriminating each sample set to obtain an optimal classification performance were defined. The relation of the minimum numbers of sensors with number of samples in the sample set was revealed. The results showed that as the number of samples increased, the average minimum number of sensors increased, while the increment decreased gradually and the average optimal classification rate decreased gradually. Moreover, a new approach of sensor selection was proposed to estimate and compare the effective information capacity of each sensor.
Traffic Behavior Recognition Using the Pachinko Allocation Model
Authors: Huynh-The Thien , Banos Oresti , Le Ba-Vui , Bui Dinh-Mao , Yoon Yongik , Lee Sungyoung
Published: July 2015

CCTV-based behavior recognition systems have gained considerable attention in recent years in the transportation surveillance domain for identifying unusual patterns, such as traffic jams, accidents, dangerous driving and other abnormal behaviors. In this paper, a novel approach for traffic behavior modeling is presented for video-based road surveillance. The proposed system combines the pachinko allocation model (PAM) and support vector machine (SVM) for a hierarchical representation and identification of traffic behavior. A background subtraction technique using Gaussian mixture models (GMMs) and an object tracking mechanism based on Kalman filters are utilized to firstly construct the object trajectories. Then, the sparse features comprising the locations and directions of the moving objects are modeled by PAMinto traffic topics, namely activities and behaviors. As a key innovation, PAM captures not only the correlation among the activities, but also among the behaviors based on the arbitrary directed acyclic graph (DAG). The SVM classifier is then utilized on top to train and recognize the traffic activity and behavior. The proposed model shows more flexibility and greater expressive power than the commonly-used latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) approach, leading to a higher recognition accuracy in the behavior classification.
Social Impacts of GM Crops in Agriculture: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Fischer Klara , Ekener-Petersen Elisabeth , Rydhmer Lotta , Björnberg Karin
Published: July 2015

It has recently been argued that the fragmented knowledge on the social impacts of genetically modified (GM) crops is contributing to the polarised debate on the matter. This paper addresses this issue by systematically reviewing 99 peer-reviewed journal articles published since 2004 on the social impacts of GM crops in agriculture; summarising current knowledge, and identifying research gaps. Economic impact studies currently dominate the literature and mainly report that GM crops provide economic benefits for farmers. Other social impacts are less well studied, but present a more complex picture. Studies on access to and benefits of GM crops show that these vary significantly depending on the political and regulatory setting. Substantial evidence indicates that intellectual property rights (IPR) and the private industry’s dominance limit the access and utility of available GM crops to many farmers. Wellbeing is frequently discussed in the literature, but rarely investigated empirically. Existing evidence is contradictory and inconclusive. Impact studies from the Global North are virtually non-existent. Moreover, two-thirds of publications are based on previously published empirical evidence, indicating a need for new empirical investigations into the social impacts of GM crops in agriculture.
Development of a Framework for the Evaluation of the Environmental Benefits of Controlled Traffic Farming
Authors: Mouazen Abdul , Palmqvist Martin
Published: July 2015

Although controlled traffic farming (CTF) is an environmentally friendly soil management system, no quantitative evaluation of environmental benefits is available. This paper aims at establishing a framework for quantitative evaluation of the environmental benefits of CTF, considering a list of environmental benefits, namely, reducing soil compaction, runoff/erosion, energy requirement and greenhouse gas emission (GHG), conserving organic matter, enhancing soil biodiversity and fertiliser use efficiency. Based on a comprehensive literature review and the European Commission Soil Framework Directive, the choice of and the weighting of the impact of each of the environmental benefits were made. The framework was validated using data from three selected farms. For Colworth farm (Unilever, UK), the framework predicted the largest overall environmental benefit of 59.3% of the theoretically maximum achievable benefits (100%), as compared to the other two farms in Scotland (52%) and Australia (47.3%). This overall benefit could be broken down into: reducing soil compaction (24%), tillage energy requirement (10%) and GHG emissions (3%), enhancing soil biodiversity (7%) and erosion control (6%), conserving organic matter (6%), and improving fertiliser use efficiency (3%). Similar evaluation can be performed for any farm worldwide, providing that data on soil properties, topography, machinery, and weather are available.
Characterization of the Corrosive Action of Mineral Waters from Thermal Sources: A Case Study at Azores Archipelago, Portugal
Authors: Vasconcelos Helena , Fernández-Pérez Bibiana , González Sergio , Souto Ricardo , Santana Juan
Published: July 2015

Waters from natural sources of the São Miguel Island in the Azores archipelago have been investigated regarding their corrosive action on metallic materials. The corrosive and encrusting characteristics of the waters have been established in terms of relevant chemical parameters (namely pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), and concentrations of bicarbonate, calcium, magnesium, chloride, and sulfate ions) and their temperature by using Langelier, Ryznar, Puckorius and Larson–Skold indexes. The validity of this methodology has been tested by measuring the corrosion rates of various metals exposed to various waters using electrochemical methods. The materials of industrial interest under investigation were carbon and galvanized steel, zinc, 304 and 316L grade stainless steels, brass, and Cr–Ni alloys. The greater aggressiveness of these waters was found for the less noble materials, and they experienced high corrosion rates.
Improved atomic force microscopy cantilever performance by partial reflective coating
Authors: Schumacher Zeno , Miyahara Yoichi , Aeschimann Laure , Grütter Peter
Published: July 2015

Optical beam deflection systems are widely used in cantilever based atomic force microscopy (AFM). Most commercial cantilevers have a reflective metal coating on the detector side to increase the reflectivity in order to achieve a high signal on the photodiode. Although the reflective coating is usually much thinner than the cantilever, it can still significantly contribute to the damping of the cantilever, leading to a lower mechanical quality factor (Q-factor). In dynamic mode operation in high vacuum, a cantilever with a high Q-factor is desired in order to achieve a lower minimal detectable force. The reflective coating can also increase the low-frequency force noise. In contact mode and force spectroscopy, a cantilever with minimal low-frequency force noise is desirable. We present a study on cantilevers with a partial reflective coating on the detector side. For this study, soft (≈0.01 N/m) and stiff (≈28 N/m) rectangular cantilevers were used with a custom partial coating at the tip end of the cantilever. The Q-factor, the detection and the force noise of fully coated, partially coated and uncoated cantilevers are compared and force distance curves are shown. Our results show an improvement in low-frequency force noise and increased Q-factor for the partially coated cantilevers compared to fully coated ones while maintaining the same reflectivity, therefore making it possible to combine the best of both worlds.
A Noun is a Noun is a Noun – Or is It? Some Reflections on the Universality of Semantics
Authors: Croft William
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Semantic Typology and Semantic Universals (1993)
Languages without Determiner Quantification
Authors: Jelinek Eloise
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Semantic Typology and Semantic Universals (1993)
Mapping Phonological Structure to Phonetic Timing: Moras and Duration in Two Bantu Languages
Authors: Hubbard Kathleen A.
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Semantic Typology and Semantic Universals (1993)
Negation, Indefinites, and the Jespersen Cycle
Authors: Ladusaw William A.
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Semantic Typology and Semantic Universals (1993)
Pauses in Face-to-Face and Telephone Conversations
Authors: Liang Anita
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Semantic Typology and Semantic Universals (1993)
There-Sentences and Inversion as Distinct Constructions: A Functional Account
Authors: Birner Betty , Ward Gregory
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Semantic Typology and Semantic Universals (1993)
Trigger Conditions and Nasal Harmony in Terena
Authors: Gerfen Chip
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Semantic Typology and Semantic Universals (1993)
A Focus Marker in Cayuga
Authors: Keusen Anna
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session Dedicated to the Contributions of Charles J. Fillmore (1994)
A Third-Sex Subversion of a Two-Gender System
Authors: Hall Kira
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session Dedicated to the Contributions of Charles J. Fillmore (1994)
Agency, Inversion, and Thematic Alignment in Ojibwe
Authors: Rhodes Richard A.
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session Dedicated to the Contributions of Charles J. Fillmore (1994)
An Optimality Theoretic Account of the Athapaskan D-Effect(s)
Authors: Lamontagne Greg , Rice Keren
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session Dedicated to the Contributions of Charles J. Fillmore (1994)
Case Marking in Turkish Indefinite Object Constructions
Authors: Erguvanh Eser , Zimmer Karl
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session Dedicated to the Contributions of Charles J. Fillmore (1994)
Discourse Deixis and Information Tracking
Authors: Grenoble Lenore
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session Dedicated to the Contributions of Charles J. Fillmore (1994)
Focus in Irish and English: Contrast and Contact
Authors: Cotter Colleen
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session Dedicated to the Contributions of Charles J. Fillmore (1994)
Prosodic Constraints in American Sign Language
Authors: Brentari Diane
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session Dedicated to the Contributions of Charles J. Fillmore (1994)
Prosody Drives the Syntax: O’odham Rhythm
Authors: Fitzgerald Colleen M.
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session Dedicated to the Contributions of Charles J. Fillmore (1994)
Rejection by Implicature
Authors: Walker Marilyn A.
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session Dedicated to the Contributions of Charles J. Fillmore (1994)
The Semantic Development of Ter-
Authors: Wee Lionel
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session Dedicated to the Contributions of Charles J. Fillmore (1994)
Uniqueness, Familiarity, and the Definite Article in English
Authors: Birner Betty , Ward Gregory
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session Dedicated to the Contributions of Charles J. Fillmore (1994)
Using USENET: Gender, Power, and Silence in Electronic Discourse
Authors: Sutton Laurel A.
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session Dedicated to the Contributions of Charles J. Fillmore (1994)
Valence and the Semantics of Causativization
Authors: Ackerman Farrell , Moore John
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session Dedicated to the Contributions of Charles J. Fillmore (1994)
A Neglected Ethiopian Contribution to Semitic and Afroasiatic Reconstruction
Authors: Hudson Grover
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: Special Session on Historical Issues in African Linguistics (1994)
Diphthongization in the Refal Dialect of Lama
Authors: Ulrich Charles H.
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: Special Session on Historical Issues in African Linguistics (1994)
From Focus Marker to Copula in Swahili
Authors: McWhorter John
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: Special Session on Historical Issues in African Linguistics (1994)
The Dynamics of Morphotactic Change in Sango
Authors: Samarin William J.
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: Special Session on Historical Issues in African Linguistics (1994)
The Nature and Size of Linguistic Contact Possible in Three Centuries
Authors: Nurse Derek
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: Special Session on Historical Issues in African Linguistics (1994)
The Origin of Leftward Tone Shift in Masasi Chiyao
Authors: Odden David
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twentieth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: Special Session on Historical Issues in African Linguistics (1994)
Germany vs. “The South” or: Should (and Can?) Second Language Learners be Taught How to be “Rude” or “Sweet”?
Authors: Kuhn Elisabeth D.
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-First Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Historical Issues in Sociolinguistics/Social Issues in Historical Linguistics (1995)
Generic Demonstratives
Authors: Bowdle Brian F. , Ward Gregory
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-First Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Historical Issues in Sociolinguistics/Social Issues in Historical Linguistics (1995)
How Recent Contact Erased Ancient Traces in the Gender Systems of the Oromo Dialects
Authors: Clamons Robbin
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-First Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Historical Issues in Sociolinguistics/Social Issues in Historical Linguistics (1995)
Internal vs. External Factors in Socio-Historical Explanations of Change: A Fruitless Dichotomy?
Authors: Romaine Suzanne
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-First Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Historical Issues in Sociolinguistics/Social Issues in Historical Linguistics (1995)
Pragmatic Markers in a Diachronic Perspective
Authors: Brinton Laurel J.
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-First Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Historical Issues in Sociolinguistics/Social Issues in Historical Linguistics (1995)
Spanish Casi as a Scalar Operator
Authors: Aranovich Raul
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-First Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Historical Issues in Sociolinguistics/Social Issues in Historical Linguistics (1995)
The Function of F0-Peak Delay in Japanese
Authors: Hasegawa Yoko , Hata Kazue
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-First Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Historical Issues in Sociolinguistics/Social Issues in Historical Linguistics (1995)
Understand in Conceptual Semantics
Authors: Wheeler Rebecca
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-First Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Historical Issues in Sociolinguistics/Social Issues in Historical Linguistics (1995)
Variation in Modern Dutch D-Weakening: A Historical Perspective
Authors: Van Deusen-Scholl Nelleke
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-First Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Historical Issues in Sociolinguistics/Social Issues in Historical Linguistics (1995)
Verbal Prefixation in Malay: Reconfiguring Paradigmatic Relations
Authors: Wee Lionel
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-First Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Historical Issues in Sociolinguistics/Social Issues in Historical Linguistics (1995)
A Constructional Approach to English Verbal Gerunds
Authors: Malouf Robert
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-Second Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on The Role of Learnability in Grammatical Theory (1996)
A Syntactic Study of African-American Vernacular English in “Middletown”: Evidence of Convergence
Authors: Huang Xiaozhao
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-Second Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on The Role of Learnability in Grammatical Theory (1996)
Advice and Soviet: A Cross-Cultural Perspective on Speech Acts
Authors: Belyaeva Yelena
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-Second Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on The Role of Learnability in Grammatical Theory (1996)
An OT Account of Pidgin Phonolgy: Coda Consonants in Vernacular Liberian English
Authors: Singler John Victor
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-Second Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on The Role of Learnability in Grammatical Theory (1996)
Clausal Case, Verbal Nouns and the Copula NO in Japanese
Authors: Iwasaki Yasufumi
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Pragmatics and Grammatical Structure (1997)
Elaboration: A Function and a Form
Authors: Cote Sharon
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Pragmatics and Grammatical Structure (1997)
French Liaison as a Phonological Realization of Morphosyntactic Relationships
Authors: Elordieta Gorka
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Pragmatics and Grammatical Structure (1997)
Multiple Correspondence in Reduplication
Authors: Rose Sharon
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Pragmatics and Grammatical Structure (1997)
The Evolution of Applicative Constructions and Proto-Austronesian Morphosyntax
Authors: Peterson David A.
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Pragmatics and Grammatical Structure (1997)
Grammar and Pragmatics in the Swahili Auxiliary Focus System
Authors: Wald Benji
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: Special Session on Syntax and Semantics in Africa (1997)
Unifying Predicate Cleft Constructions
Authors: Koopman Hilda
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: Special Session on Syntax and Semantics in Africa (1997)
Why Make Life Hard? Resolutions to Problems of Rare and Difficult Sound Types
Authors: Maddieson Ian
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-Fourth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Phonetics and Phonological Universals (1998)
A Comparison of Three Metrics of Perceptual Similarity in Cross- Language Speech Perception
Authors: Harnsberger James D.
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the 25th Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society (2000)
H. P. Grice on Location on Rossel Island
Authors: Levinson Stephen C.
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the 25th Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society (2000)
A Cognitive Account of the English Meronymic By Phrase
Authors: Corston-Oliver Monica
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-Sixth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Aspect (2000)
A Local Treatment of Nonlocal Relativization in Korean
Authors: Kim Jong-Bok
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-Sixth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Aspect (2000)
Between Perfective and Past: Preterits in Turkic and Nakh-Daghestanian
Authors: Tatevosov Sergei
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-Sixth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Aspect (2000)
Distributed (and Dissolved) Pragmatics
Authors: Fukushima Kazuhiko
Published: July 2015

Proceedings of the Twenty-Sixth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society: General Session and Parasession on Aspect (2000)