bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MULTIPLE CRITERIA DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF ENERGY GENERATION TECHNOLOGIES CONSIDERING THE DIMENSION OF VALUES
Authors: Šliogerienė Jūratė , Kaklauskas Artūras , Štreimikienė Dalia , Bianchi Massimo
Published: December 2012

Comprehension of the effect of energy generation technologies on the natural environment, human health and safety leads to a new and responsible approach to the choice and development of technologies. When it comes to preparing energy growth scenarios and handling issues related to the choice and assessment of technologies, environmental studies must be in a particular spotlight. One way to make quantitative and qualitative assessment of the effect of technologies on the environment is through a thorough integrated analysis, which, in addition to economic and technical solutions, also considers other aspects of concern to the public. A changed environment demands for systems of criteria which help consider its changes, the attitudes of the general public, public sentiments toward the effect of technologies, public values and community involvement in the process of important decision-making. The article examines how the dimension of values affects the analysis of the impact of environmental factors on the value of energy generation technologies. It presents a set of criteria for the assessment of energy generation technologies; the set, in addition to technological, economic and environmental criteria, includes criteria which reflect the values. The article also introduces the expert decision support system EGTAV-SPS, which helped assess the effect of environment on energy production technologies.
QUANTITATIVE DECISION MAKING IN LAND BANKING: A MONTE CARLO SIMULATION FOR CHINA'S REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS
Authors: Bao Haijun , Chong Alain Yee-Loong , Wang Hongdi , Wang Liyuan , Huang Yikun
Published: December 2012

The real estate industry is one of the fast growing industries in many developing countries such as China and India. The Chinese real estate industry has gone through many reforms from offering housing as part of its social welfare system, to the current capitalist model based on demand and supply. Due to these reforms and the shortage of lands for development in China's urban cities, many Chinese property firms have resorted to land banking in order to secure land property for future developments. However, in China, land speculation is considered illegal, while failure to purchase the suitable land for future developments will hinder the real estate developers’ future business and growth. The purpose of this paper is to develop a decision making model for property developments in their land banking decisions and strategies. The paper employed mathematical modeling and Monte Carlo simulation to examine our decision model, and further validated our results by conducting the simulation by using China Vanke Co. Ltd as a case study. This study is one of the first few studies that develop a decision model for land banking in China. It also helps real estate enterprises to make rational and dynamic decision in the current dynamic property market.
CENTRAL EUROPE: TERRITORIALITY AND SPIRITUAL IMAGES / VIDURIO EUROPA: TERITORIALUMAS IR DVASINIAI ĮVAIZDŽIAI
Authors: Nikiforova Basia
Published: December 2012

This article examines literary representations of Central Europe and its image in the works of Milan Kundera, Ingeborg Bachmann and others. At the same time the paper is devoted to the problems of territoriality, “feeling of border”, specificity of Central European multicultural society, and processes of culture interaction. Central Europe is the space of different and special kind of tolerance. The case of Central European tolerance is a key to understanding spiritual and artistic life in the 20th century. When we try to find more special character of Central European spiritual life and narration, the feelings of nostalgia and innumerable flashbacks in time are more typical. The author offers to look at the Central European literary nostalgia as a possibility to situate Central European culture and spirituality geographically and territorially. Santrauka Šiame straipsnyje tyrinėjamos literatūrinės Vidurio Europos ir jos įvaizdžio reprezentacijos Milano Kundera'os, Ingeborgos Bachmann ir kitų darbuose. Šis straipsnis taip pat skirtas teritorialumo, „ribos jausmo“, Vidurio Europos daugiakultūrės visuomenės specifiškumo ir kultūrinės sąveikos procesų problemoms. Vidurio Europa – tai kitoniškos ir ypatingos tolerancijos rūšies erdvė. Vidurio Europos tolerancijos atvejis yra raktas suprasti dvasinį ir meninį XX a. gyvenimą. Nors bandome rasti ypatingesnį Vidurio Europos dvasinio gyvenimo ir naracijos pobūdį, kur kas būdingesni yra nostalgijos jausmai ir nesuskaičiuojami epizodai. Siūloma pažvelgti į Vidurio Europos literatūrinę nostalgiją kaip į Vidurio Europos kultūros ir dvasingumo galimybę geografine ir teritorine prasmėmis.
Croissance et environnement : la pensée et les faits
Authors: Hamaide Bertrand , Faucheux Sylvie , Neve Martin , O’Connor Martin
Published: December 2012

Résumé Cet article aborde brièvement la relation entre croissance et environnement dans l’histoire de la théorie économique (des physiocrates aux néo-classiques) et situe cette relation comme un thème dans le développement de la littérature en économie environnementale. Il expose ensuite de manière comparative deux paradigmes de l’économie environnementale (économie de l’environnement au sens large versus économie écologique) et donc les approches faible et forte de la soutenabilité. Il confronte ensuite ces deux paradigmes à propos de la croissance et de la courbe environnementale de Kuznets et réalise une analyse empirique de cette courbe et des découplages éventuels qu’elle pourrait induire pour le dioxyde de carbone en Belgique et dans d’autres pays, pour en tirer des conclusions contemporaines quant à la relation entre croissance et environnement. JEL : Q00, Q01, Q54, Q56, Q57
Integration of the environment in national accounting
Authors: Vandille Guy
Published: December 2012

Résumé Les décisions en matière de politique économique doivent s’appuyer sur des données factuelles. Les comptes nationaux ont été conçus pour apporter une telle information, toutefois insuffisante pour couvrir l’ensemble des enjeux sociétaux. Les comptes satellites des comptes nationaux ont été créés pour mieux appréhender les réalités socio-environnementales. Cet article présente le cadre théorique qu’est le Système de Comptes Économiques de l’Environnement des Nations Unies (SEEA) pour la comptabilité économique de l’environnement. Il montre quelques résultats obtenus sur la base des comptes économiques de l’environnement de la Belgique. JEL  : Q01
Innovation et respect environnemental sont-ils compatibles ? Le cas du secteur des TIC
Authors: Liénart Sophie , Castiaux Annick
Published: December 2012

Résumé Au confluent de deux besoins stratégiques rencontrés par tous les secteurs, à savoir la nécessité d’innover et le respect de l’environnement, le secteur des technologies de l’information et de la communication (TIC) a développé depuis quelques années de nouvelles compétences et de nouvelles opportunités d’affaires. En effet, les entreprises ont pris conscience que la pérennité de leur position concurrentielle dépend entre autres de leur capacité à innover tout en répondant dès maintenant aux défis environnementaux du développement durable. Dans cet article, nous développons le rôle clé joué par le secteur TIC dans ce contexte. Nous étudions la stratégie Green IT poursuivie par de nombreux acteurs de ce secteur. Nous en donnons une typologie détaillée et illustrée et mettons en évidence que ces innovations à vocation environnementale contribuent à la croissance économique des entreprises bénéficiaires, mais également au positionnement stratégique du secteur TIC. JEL  : M10, M15, L86, 032
Des méthodes archaïques pour des industries modernes
Authors: Canel-Depitre Béatrice
Published: December 2012

L’expérimentation animale, qui autorise le lancement sur le marché des produits chimiques et pharmaceutiques, est remise en cause par des scientifiques, des médecins, des philosophes, des ex-vivisecteurs et même des industriels qui réclament la généralisation des méthodes in vitro. Partant de ce constat, notre objet de recherche est de découvrir si la discrétion du marketing « grand public » de l’industrie de l’expérimentation animale n’est pas due à sa difficile justification. Pour ce faire, nous adopterons une démarche exploratoire qui va nous conduire à nous pencher sur la place du marketing face à la responsabilité de l’entreprise en matière de santé humaine pour ensuite nous attacher aux raisons profondes d’une pratique qui est scientifiquement contestée. Le principal résultat de notre travail est de faire ressortir les nombreux et divers intérêts en jeu : les profits des sociétés géantes de l’agrobusiness, des pourvoyeurs d’animaux de laboratoire et des fournisseurs d’équipements spécialisés (cages, appareils de contention...) et les publications de chercheurs qui dépendent des subventions de l’expérimentation animale. En conclusion, on peut se demander ce qu’il en est réellement de l’intérêt de l’homme et se poser la question de la viabilité, à terme, de l’expérimentation animale ignorant toute démarche marketing institutionnelle.
Effet de la gouvernance d’entreprise sur l’investissement en R&D
Authors: Sellami Mezghanni Basma
Published: December 2012

L’objectif de cet article est d’analyser l’impact de la structure de propriété et du conseil d’administration sur l’investissement en recherche et développement (R&D). L’étude menée sur un échantillon d’entreprises françaises montre qu’il existe une relation curvilinéaire entre la concentration de propriété et les dépenses de R&D. Ces dépenses augmentent puis diminuent à mesure que la part de propriété du premier actionnaire augmente. De même la relation entre la propriété managériale et les dépenses de R&D est non-monotone : négative dans un premier temps, puis positive avec l’accroissement de la part de propriété des dirigeants. Les résultats prouvent l’effet positif et significatif de l’indépendance des administrateurs et de la présence d’un comité stratégique au sein du conseil sur la stratégie d’investissement en R&D. Néanmoins, la propriété institutionnelle, la taille du conseil et la dualité des rôles de directeur général et de président de conseil n’ont pas d’effet significatif sur cette stratégie. Mots-clés : R&D, Gouvernance d’entreprise, Structure de propriété, Conseil d’administration.
Responsabilité sociale et profit
Authors: Laperche Blandine , Uzunidis Dimitri
Published: December 2012

La responsabilité sociale des entreprises (RSE) peut-elle devenir un objectif de l’entreprise ? Comment expliquer son succès actuel ? Les objectifs, autres que celui de la maximisation du profit, acceptés par les théoriciens de l’entreprise comme organisation complexe, sont toujours internes à l’entreprise. À cet égard, la responsabilité sociale apparaît comme un objectif « nouveau ». La RSE devient une des règles du jeu économique à l’intérieur duquel évoluent les entreprises, grandes et petites. Expliquer le succès actuel de la RSE nécessite une vision renouvelée de l’entreprise, plus sociologique et politique. L’entreprise est responsable d’un nombre de plus en plus grand de fonctions sociales tout en étant mue par un impératif de rentabilité à court terme qui s’explique par la mondialisation du contexte concurrentiel. Mots-clés : Responsabilité sociale de l’entreprise, profit, concurrence, organisation.
Développement durable en petites entreprises
Authors: Paradas Agnès
Published: December 2012

Le développement durable connaît un succès croissant. Toutefois, alors que les petites entreprises représentent une importante force de changement, elles paraissent relativement peu concernées par cette évolution. Le dirigeant étant au centre de ces petites structures, il semble alors essentiel de le considérer comme un acteur incontournable du changement dans son entreprise. Dans cet esprit, l’article propose un référentiel dynamique d’observation, destiné à la compréhension de l’engagement des dirigeants dans le développement durable dans leur environnement interne et externe. Mots-clés : Développement durable, dirigeant, petite entreprise
L'intégration du développement durable dans le financement bancaire aux entreprises
Authors: Maymo Vincent , Pallas-saltiel Valérie
Published: December 2012

Cet article étudie les stratégies d’intégration du développement durable (et notamment de la dimension environnementale) dans les pratiques bancaires de financement des entreprises. Au-delà d’une étude des motivations, il propose, en croisant la littérature en management environnemental avec les théories institutionnelles, une grille de lecture des processus d’institutionnalisation des principes de développement durable. Mots-clés : banque, responsabilité sociale des entreprises, développement durable, théorie institutionnelle.
Historicité, multitude et démocratie
Authors: Stilianou Aris
Published: December 2012

The purpose of this article is to
show how Spinoza’s conception of history could lead to a new
formulation of the theory of democracy, in the context of Spinoza’s
political philosophy. In this perspective, the analysis deals with the
relations between historicity, on the one hand, and the notions of
multitude and democracy, on the other, in the topic of Spinoza’s
political thought. Into the horizon of historicity, the multitude’s
(or the masses’) political activity could lead to the realisation of a
sustainable democratic regime.
E-Learning in India
Authors: Chawla Deepak , Joshi Himanshu
Published: December 2012

E-learning has become an important tool to impart education. This study examines the awareness and perception of e-learning among Indian students enrolled for a business management course at a premier business school. It is generally perceived that since Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) is universally acknowledged for its quality of education, the awareness and perception about e-learning would be uniform. This could be attributed to factors like a sound educational background and the exposure to information technology. This study attempts to segment the sample based on the student perception towards e-learning. The results show that the level of awareness and the degree of familiarity with e-learning technologies are high. Three student clusters were found, which split the students into those with ‘high motivational & learning propensity’, ‘neutral motivational & learning propensity’ and ‘low motivational & learning propensity.’ These three clusters were labeled as ‘Enthusiastic,’ ‘Pragmatist,’ and ‘Unenthusiastic.’ Further, it was found that the age of students varied significantly within these three clusters.
Social Justice and Adult Education
Authors: Russo Marianne Robin
Published: December 2012

It should be understood that the importance of adult education is to illuminate the current context in which the adult functions. This adult frames directly linked with the construct of social justice. Adult education is examined under two frames: (a) Merriam and Brockett (1997) who define adult education as “…activities intentionally designed for the purpose of bringing about learning among those whose age, social roles, or self-perception define them as adults” and, (b) Horton’s philosophy developed under the Highlander Folk School. Understanding this correlation of adult education within a social-political phenomena, the nature of adult education may belong to a wide-ranging spectrum of teaching and learning in terms of: (a) media messaging and the rhetoric that may be inculcating adults, ultimately swaying public opinion; (b) adult messaging and totalitarian implications; (c) adult education and the state; (d) knowledge of history; (e) the history of adult education and how it has been instrumental in social justice; and (f) what adult education, inclusive of adult educators, must do to mitigate class hegemony.
Meeting Learners’ Needs through Project-Based Learning
Authors: Turner Elizabeth T.
Published: December 2012

There is a significant divide between what students want and what students receive in the classroom. Students increasingly lack interest and motivation to participate and learn. Instructional practices within and across schools vary widely, creating inconsistencies. Teachers’ instructional plans may put content and curricular needs above individual student needs. For some, the lack of desire to learn causes them to leave school. However, project-based learning, a student-centered, inquiry-based activity set in a real-world context, which uses technological tools to produce real-world artifacts, may be the solution to this dilemma. Project-based learning motivates students to actively apply critical thinking skills for project planning, collaborative problem solving, and higher-order thinking. Project-based learning can motivate students because it requires students to take ownership of their projects and learning, employ real-world technological tools and skills, collaborate with peers, reflect continuously on the process and the project, and develop a solution to a complex problem.
ERP Misfit-Reduction Strategies
Authors: Shiang-Yen Tan , Idrus Rosnah , Wong Wai Peng
Published: December 2012

Misfit between Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system and business is widely recognized as the main cause of ERP system failure. Modification of the ERP system and adaptation of business processes have been hyped as the means to reduce misfits between ERP system and business organizations. Nevertheless, to date, very little empirical evidence exists to demonstrate that the potential has indeed been realized. Thus, the purpose of this study is to empirically examine to which extent the two misfit-reduction strategies, namely system modification and organizational adaptation mitigate the negative impacts of ERP misfits on ERP system performance, which is measured by information quality in this study. A total amount of 305 sets of questionnaire that collected from the ERP system users in manufacturing sector in Malaysia were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach. The findings of this study have revealed that the effects of the two misfit-reduction strategies vary based on the different characteristic of ERP misfits. Specifically, system modification is found to significantly reduce the negative impacts of deep-structure misfit such as process misfit, whereas organization adaptation is significant in mitigating surface-structure misfit such as data presentation and layout.
Hype or Ready for Prime Time?
Authors: Zhang Dongsong , Chou Hsien-Ming , Zhou Lina
Published: December 2012

The pervasiveness of mobile handheld devices and advancement in real-time continuous speech recognition technology has opened up a wide range of research opportunities in human-computer interaction for those devices. On the one hand, there has been an increasing amount of research on developing user-friendly speech recognition solutions and applications for mobile handheld devices. On the other hand, there are many distinct challenges in mobile speech recognition. Aiming to gain a good understanding of this emerging yet challenging area and provide a research map, this paper presents a state-of-the-art overview of this field. We will discuss three main architectures of mobile speech recognition systems, analyze their strengths and weaknesses, introduce some major research issues in the field, and highlight a number of major applications of speech recognition on handheld devices. The authors will also shed some light into important future research issues as a road map for researchers and practitioners.
A Study of Performance Factors in the Brunel Remote Guidance System for Visually Impaired Pedestrians
Authors: Al-Masarweh Mohammed , Garaj Vanja , Balachandran Wamadeva
Published: December 2012

Over the last decade, the development in mobile technology, satellite navigation systems and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) have contributed to the design and development of Brunel Remote Guidance System (BRGS). This system has the potential to be utilized by visually impaired pedestrians to make their life safer and easier. Recent research on BRGS indicates that in future this technology might be an integral part of their life practices. However, before the full deployment of the system in real life, more research is needed to reach both the best setup and performance of the system. The performance of the system is subject to each factor within the sub-system of the overall system architecture. Hence, knowing each sub-system along with its method of performance assessment and its effectiveness will definitely enable the better evaluation of the whole system performance which can lead to a better system setup. Therefore, that has been the main aim of this paper which has been achieved through conducted systematic literature review on previous literature related to this project. The main finding of the study showed that there is no clear setup and performance assessment method for one essential part on the system, which is the guide terminal.
Engaging Remote Employees
Authors: Johnston Allen C. , Wech Barbara , Jack Eric
Published: December 2012

Using social cognitive theory as a framework, this study proposes and tests a behavioral model to predict how “remote” status impacts the manner in which social learning cues influence employee awareness of information security policies and ultimately differentiates him or her from in-house employees in terms of information security policy awareness. Based on data acquired from an online sample of 435 fulltime employees across numerous industries and structural equation modeling analysis, the findings suggest that, compared to their in-house counterparts, remote employees experience lower levels of vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, and situational support, thereby resulting in diminished levels of information security policy awareness. These findings have strong implications for managers of remote employees and for organizations seeking to reduce the risk associated with an ever-increasing remote workforce. The findings also advance social cognitive theory by incorporating information security policy awareness as an important outcome formed from perceptions of social learning cues external to the individual, but present within the organization.
The first report on entomopathogenic effect of Fusarium avenaceum (Fries) Saccardo (Hypocreales, Ascomycota) against rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae L.: Curculionidae, Coleoptera)
Authors: Batta Yacoub A.
Published: December 2012

This study aimed to evaluate the entomopathogenic activity of Fusarium avenaceum (strain 10A) against adults of Sitophilus oryzae infesting wheat grain. Bioassays were carried out to determine the adult mortality of S. oryzae when the conidial suspension of the fungus strain was applied using three types of fungus treatment. Results obtained have indicated significant differences (P=0.05) in the mean percentage of adult mortality due to the treatment with the fungus compared to the control. The highest mean percentage of adult mortality was obtained by the direct spraying of S. oryzae adults with the fungus conidial suspension before introduction of the treated adults into pots containing wheat grain; the lowest mean percentage of adult mortality was obtained by spraying the inner surfaces of pots with the fungus conidial suspension before introducing the grain and insects. This study demonstrated the typical growth of F. avenaceum on the outer surfaces of the dead treated adults of S. oryzae. Presence of the external fungus growth on the dead insects indicated that the death of S. oryzae adults was attributed to the fungus infection. Results obtained in the present paper represent the first record of efficacy of F. avenaceum against a coleopteran stored-grain insect, mainly including S. oryzae.
Overview of engineering and operations activities conducted as part of the JOGMEC/NRCan/Aurora Mallik 2007-2008 Gas Hydrate Production Research Well Program, Part B: 2008 field program
Authors: Ashford D I , Numasawa M , Martin C K , Yamamoto K , Dallimore S
R , Wright J F , Nixon F
M , Applejohn A , Taylor A
E
Published: December 2012

The Mallik 2007-2008 Gas Hydrate Production Research Well Program was conducted at the Mallik site in Canada's Mackenzie Delta, Northwest Territories over two successive winters. Year 1 (winter 2007) operations are described in another paper in this volume. In
year 2 (winter 2008), the Mallik 2L-38 and Mallik 3L-38 wells were reopened following their suspension at the end of the previous year's field campaign. Mallik 2L-38 was subsequently recompleted for extended production testing, while Mallik 3L-38 was equipped as a produced-water disposal well.
Operational activities during the winter 2008 campaign were conducted during a 77-day period from January 16 through April 3, 2008, and included ice-road and site construction, mobilization of camp facilities and service rig, well re-entry, well testing, well abandonment, and demobilization.
The Mallik 2L-38 well was perforated (in 2007) over a 12 m interval from 1093 to 1105 m, just above the estimated base of gas hydrate stability at the Mallik site. Production testing was conducted in three stages, under three different bottom-hole pressure (BHP) targets. Continuous gas production
from the Mallik gas hydrate reservoir was achieved during a 6-day period from March 10 to 16, 2008. At the conclusion of the campaign, all of the Mallik wells that had been drilled during the course of four gas hydrate research programs (in 1998, 2002, 2007, and 2008) were legally
abandoned.
Down-hole-monitoring data analysis and interpretation for the JOGMEC/NRCan/Aurora Mallik 2007-2008 Gas Hydrate Production Research Well Program
Authors: Fujii K , Sakiyama N , Morikami Y , Ikegami T , Pimenov V , Shako V , Parshin A , Inada N , Nakatsuka Y , Wright J F , Dallimore S
R
Published: December 2012

Permanently installed monitoring-sensor cables behind the production-well casings were used to acquire distributed-temperature data, and electrical potentials were passively monitored at the down-hole electrodes in the winters of 2007 and 2008 for the
JOGMEC/NRCan/Aurora Mallik Gas Hydrate Production Research Well Program. The data could be almost continuously acquired during the production-test periods without interfering with production operations once the down-hole-sensor cables were connected to the surface system. Some useful information
related to production activities was obtained from the distributed-temperature data. The temperature-depth profiles obtained during the depressurizations in the 2008 test indicated a promising potential for tracking of the fluid levels in the annulus, which qualitatively corresponds to the
fluid-volume change estimated from the differential pres-sures. Temperature profiles also contributed a complementary estimation of production parameters, such as the water-production rate under assumed conditions. The temperature disturbance observed during cement curing suggests a thermal impact
on the gas hydrate by the heat of cement hydration. Passive electrical-potential measurement is considered a promising candidate for further development. The measurement was attempted to acquire streaming-potential signals from formation-fluid movement in porous media under the pressure gradient
during various operations. Qualitative observation shows a rela-tionship between signal-polarity change and the direction of possible fluid flows in the formation, which suggests local-scale fluid flow near the electrodes.
Analysis of 2007 and 2008 gas hydrate production tests on the Aurora/JOGMEC/NRCan Mallik 2L-38 well through numerical simulation
Authors: Kurihara M , Sato A , Funatsu K , Ouchi H , Yamamoto K , Fujii T , Numasawa M , Masuda Y , Narita H , Dallimore S R , Wright J
F , Ashford D I
Published: December 2012

The JOGMEC/NRCan/Aurora Mallik gas hydrate production tests were conducted using the depressurization method in April of 2007 and March of 2008. These tests represent the first and so far only successful sustained production in the world of methane gas to surface
from a gas hydrate reservoir by depressurization. A variety of data, such as wellhead/bottom-hole pressure and temperature, gas/water flow rates, and temperature along the casing measured by distributed temperature sensing, were acquired during the tests. The flow rates of gas and water from the
reservoir sand face during the tests were estimated by comprehensive analysis of these data. Diverse history-matching simulation was then conducted to reproduce these estimated flow rates, using the numerical simulator MH21-HYDRES coded especially for gas hydrate reservoirs. This series of
history-matching simulation studies quantitatively clarified the mechanisms of methane hydrate dissociation and production, as well as what had happened in the reservoir during the production tests. This paper describes the procedures and results of a series of these studies, including the analyses
of production-test data, numerical modelling and history-matching simulation, which will provide beneficial insights into the mechanisms of methane hydrate dissociation and production for future exploration and development planning for gas hydrate resources.
Welfare and carcass and meat quality of pigs being transported for two hours using two vehicle types during two seasons of the year
Authors: Correa J. A. , Gonyou H. W. , Torrey S. , Widowski T. , Bergeron R. , Crowe T. G. , Laforest J. P. , Faucitano L.
Published: December 2012

Correa, J. A., Gonyou, H. W., Torrey, S., Widowski, T., Bergeron, R., Crowe, T. G., Laforest, J. P. and Faucitano, L. 2013. Welfare and carcass and meat quality of pigs being transported for two hours using two vehicle types during two seasons of the year. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 93: 43–55. A total of 3756 pigs were transported for 2 h in summer and winter using a “pot-belly” trailer (PB) and a hydraulic double-decked truck (DD) in order to assess the effect of vehicle design on animal welfare and carcass and meat quality. Animal welfare was assessed in randomly selected barrows by measuring heart rate of pigs and lactate and creatine phospho-kinase (CPK) concentrations in exsanguination blood. Skin damage was scored and meat quality was evaluated in the longissimus dorsi (LD), semimembranosus (SM) and adductor (AD) muscles. Heart rates in winter were higher (P< 0.01) during transport, at unloading and in lairage. Blood CPK and lactate concentrations at slaughter were higher (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively) in pigs transported on the PB trailer. Bruises increased in winter (P<0.001) and in pigs from the DD truck (P<0.05). The pHu was higher (P< 0.01) in all muscles and L* value was lower (P<0.05) in the LD muscle from pigs transported in the PB trailer. Overall, the results of this study indicate that the type of vehicle, animal location in the truck and the season affect the welfare of pigs during transport with clear consequences on skin bruises and pork quality variation.
Prevalence of PCR Detectable Malaria Infection among Febrile Patients with a Negative Plasmodium falciparum Specific Rapid Diagnostic Test in Zanzibar
Authors: Baltzell Kimberly A. , Shakely Deler , Hsiang Michelle , Kemere Jordan , Ali Abdullah Suleiman , Björkman Anders , Mårtensson Andreas , Omar Rahila , Elfving Kristina , Msellem Mwinyi , Aydin-Schmidt Berit , Rosenthal Philip J. , Greenhouse Bryan
Published: December 2012

We screened for malaria in 594 blood samples from febrile patients who tested negative by a Plasmodium falciparum-specific histidine-rich protein-2-based rapid diagnostic test at 12 health facilities in Zanzibar districts North A and Micheweni, from May to August 2010. Screening was with microscopy, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the cytochrome b gene (cytbPCR) of the four major human malaria species, and quantitative PCR (qPCR). The prevalence of cytbPCR-detectable malaria infection was 2% (12 of 594), including 8 P. falciparum, 3 Plasmodium malariae, and 1 Plasmodium vivax infections. Microscopy identified 4 of 8 P. falciparum infections. Parasite density as estimated by microscopy or qPCR was > 4,000 parasites/μL in 5 of 8 cytbPCR-detectable P. falciparum infections. The infections that were missed by the rapid diagnostic test represent a particular challenge in malaria elimination settings and highlight the need for more sensitive point-of-care diagnostic tools to improve case detection of all human malaria species in febrile patients.
Trypanosoma cruzi Genotypes in Mepraia gajardoi from Wild Ecotopes in Northern Chile
Authors: Toledo Andrea , Vergara Fernanda , Campos Ricardo , Botto-Mahan Carezza , Ortiz Sylvia , Coronado Ximena , Solari Aldo
Published: December 2012

We evaluated Trypanosoma cruzi infection in 397 wild Mepraia gajardoi specimens from five coastal localities in northern Chile by detection of minicircle DNA by polymerase chain reaction. The wild capture sites were classified into two ecotopes: a fully wild ecotope (ecotope 1) and a wild ecotope near human dwellings (ecotope 2). Infection rates varied between 11% and 27%. Minicircle hybridization assays showed that T. cruzi lineages Tc II and Tc VI were commonly detected in ecotope 1 and ecotope 2, respectively. These results are discussed in the context of insect proximity to human dwellings, the alimentary profile of Mepraia sp., T. cruzi lineages detected in the past in the same disease-endemic area circulating in humans, and Triatoma infestans.
Cryptic and Asymptomatic Opisthorchis felineus Infections
Authors: Armignacco Orlando , Ferri Fabrizio , Gomez-Morales Maria Angeles , Caterini Luciano , Pozio Edoardo
Published: December 2012

We describe the diagnostic difficulties experienced during an opisthorchiasis outbreak. Of 31 infected individuals, 61.3% were asymptomatic, and in the 12 symptomatic individuals, the duration of non-pathognomonic symptoms was shorter than 4 weeks. Serology by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and polymerase chain reaction fecal analysis were shown to be the most sensitive diagnostic tools.
A Series of Case Reports of Autochthonous Visceral Leishmaniasis, Mostly in Non-Endemic Hilly Areas of Nepal
Authors: Pun Sher Bahadur , Pandey Kishor , Shah Rajesh
Published: December 2012

The government of Nepal has committed to eliminate visceral leishmaniasis (VL) by 2015. The expansion of VL into new areas would constitute a major obstacle to achieving this goal. We report a series of autochthonous VL cases from areas currently considered non-endemic, mostly in hilly regions of Nepal.
Determinants of Change in Stroke-Specific Quality of Life After Distributed Constraint-Induced Therapy
Authors: Huang Yan-Hua , Wu Ching-Yi , Lin Keh-Chung , Hsieh Yu-Wei , Snow Wilaiwan M. , Wang Tien-Ni
Published: December 2012

OBJECTIVE. We identified the predictive factors of change in quality of life (QOL) after a distributed form of constraint-induced therapy (dCIT) among stroke survivors.

METHOD. Seventy-four participants were treated with dCIT. We identified eight potential determinants of change: age, gender, side of lesion, time since stroke, cognitive status, motor impairment of the upper extremity, activities of daily living (ADLs), and instrumental ADLs (IADLs). The Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale (SS–QOL) was used to assess QOL.

RESULTS. Right-sided lesion and onset >17 mo earlier determined greater improvement in the SS–QOL Energy domain. Onset >10 mo earlier, poorer IADL performance, and age >68 yr predicted improvement in the Family Role, Mobility, and Mood domains, respectively.

CONCLUSION. Side of lesion, time since stroke, IADL performance, and age were the most important determinants of QOL in patients receiving stroke motor rehabilitation.
Safe-Patient-Handling Equipment in Therapy Practice: Implications for Rehabilitation
Authors: Darragh Amy R. , Campo Marc A. , Frost Lenore , Miller Melissa , Pentico Marissa , Margulis Heather
Published: December 2012

OBJECTIVE. To determine how safe-patient-handling (SPH) equipment is used in rehabilitation and how it affects therapists, patients, and therapy practice.

METHOD. We used a qualitative, instrumental case study design. Thirty-five occupational and physical therapist practitioners from three facilities participated in the study.

RESULTS. Therapists reported a broad range of applications for equipment (e.g., functional mobility and neuromusculoskeletal function). They reported that SPH equipment increased treatment options for therapists and increased participation options for patients, although equipment limitations exist. Three themes emerged from the analysis: choice, potential, and safety.

CONCLUSION. SPH equipment has therapeutic applications in rehabilitation, especially for medically complex or bariatric patients. Therapists in this study engaged in a highly individualized, complex process of decision making when selecting and using SPH devices in rehabilitation. More research to refine and test therapeutic uses is necessary.
From Periphery to Player: Strategically Positioning Occupational Therapy Within the Knowledge Translation Landscape
Authors: Cramm Heidi , White Catherine , Krupa Terry
Published: December 2012

Knowledge translation has emerged as a critical force across health research, funding, policy, and practice. Occupational therapy finds itself on the periphery of this emerging field, but opportunities specific to occupational therapy systems can facilitate a shift in which the profession develops its role as a key player. As occupational therapy increasingly recognizes the essential role of knowledge translation in health care, strategic action to create knowledge translator roles, technology, resources, opportunities, and communities of practice will be needed to align occupational therapy academic and health care systems with knowledge translation imperatives that increasingly shape the health care landscape.
Prescribers’ Experiences With Powered Mobility Prescription Among Older Adults
Authors: Mortenson W. Ben , Clarke Laura Hurd , Best Krista
Published: December 2012

Despite the potential benefits of powered mobility, many older adults do not have access to this technology. To date, few studies have explored how prescribers make decisions regarding provision of powered mobility. Therefore, we undertook a qualitative study to develop a better understanding of prescribers’ attitudes toward and practices with older adult candidates for powered mobility devices. Our analysis of 10 in-depth interviews identified three main themes: (1) “Deciding who should be entitled” explored how therapists decided who should have access to powered mobility, (2) “power wheelchair negotiation” described the discord between clients and therapists that became apparent during this process, and (3) “practical considerations” revealed how contextual factors shaped the provision of powered mobility. The findings suggest that the ways in which powered mobility is funded, provided, and accommodated should be improved so that more older adults have access to these devices and can use them to their full potential.
Quantifying Function: The Rest of the Measurement Story
Authors: Doucet Barbara M. , Gutman Sharon A.
Published: December 2012

Development of quantifiable tools that measure function at a variety of levels is critical to the strength of the occupational therapy profession.
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and select aldehydes in cloud and fog water: the role of the aqueous phase in impacting trace gas budgets
Authors: Ervens B. , Wang Y. , Eagar J. , Leaitch W. R. , Macdonald A. M. , Valsaraj K. T. , Herckes P.
Published: December 2012

Abstract. Cloud and fog droplets efficiently scavenge and process water-soluble compounds and thus modify the chemical composition of the gas and particle phases. The concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the aqueous phase reach concentrations on the order of ~10 mg C L−1 which is typically on the same order of magnitude as the sum of inorganic anions. Aldehydes and carboxylic acids typically comprise a large fraction of DOC because of their high solubility. The dissolution of species in the aqueous phase can lead to (i) the removal of species from the gas phase preventing their processing by gas phase reactions (e.g. photolysis of aldehydes) and (ii) the formation of unique products that do not have any efficient gas phase sources (e.g. dicarboxylic acids). We present measurements of DOC and select aldehydes in fog water at high elevation and intercepted clouds in a biogenically-impacted location (Whistler, Canada) and in fog water in a more polluted area (Davis, CA). Concentrations of formaldehyde, glyoxal and methylglyoxal were in the micromolar range and comprised ≤2% each individually of the DOC. Comparison of the DOC and aldehyde concentrations to those at other locations shows good agreement and reveals highest levels for both in anthropogenically impacted regions. Based on this overview, we conclude that the fraction of organic carbon (dissolved and insoluble inclusions) in the aqueous phase comprises 1–~40% of total organic carbon. Higher values are observed to be associated with aged air masses where organics are expected to be more highly oxidized and thus more soluble. Accordingly, the aqueous/gas partitioning ratio expressed here as an effective Henry's law constant for DOC (KH*DOC) increases by an order of magnitude from 7×103 M atm−1 to 7×104 M atm−1 during the ageing of air masses. The measurements are accompanied by photochemical box model simulations. They suggest that the scavenging of aldehydes by the aqueous phase can reduce HO2 gas phase levels by two orders of magnitude due to a weaker net source of HO2 production from aldehyde photolysis in the gas phase. Despite the high solubility of dialdehydes (glyoxal, methylglyoxal), their impact on the HO2 budget by scavenging is <10% of that of formaldehyde. The overview of DOC and aldehyde measurements presented here reveals that clouds and fogs can be efficient sinks for organics, with increasing importance in aged air masses. Even though aldehydes, specifically formaldehyde, only comprise ~1% of DOC, their scavenging and processing in the aqueous phase might translate into significant effects on the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere.
High-resolution measurements of atmospheric molecular hydrogen and its isotopic composition at the West African coast of Mauritania
Authors: Walter S. , Kock A. , Röckmann T.
Published: December 2012

Abstract. Oceans are a net source of molecular hydrogen (N2) to the atmosphere, where nitrogen (N2) fixation is assumed to be the main biological production pathway besides photochemical production from organic material. The sources can be distinguished using isotope measurements because of clearly differing isotopic signatures of the produced hydrogen. Here we present the first ship-borne measurements of atmospheric molecular H2 mixing ratio and isotopic composition at the West African coast of Mauritania (16–25° W, 17–24° N). This area is one of the biologically most active regions of the world's oceans with seasonal upwelling events and characterized by strongly differing hydrographical/biological properties and phytoplankton community structures. The aim of this study was to identify areas of H2 production and distinguish H2 sources by isotopic signatures of atmospheric H2. Besides this a diurnal cycle of atmospheric H2 was investigated. For this more than 100 air samples were taken during two cruises in February 2007 and 2008, respectively. During both cruises a transect from the Cape Verde Island towards the Mauritanian Coast was sampled. In 2007 additionally four days were sampled with a high resolution of one sample per hour. Our results clearly indicate the influence of local sources and suggest the Banc d'Arguin as a pool for precursors for photochemical H2 production, whereas N2 fixation could not be identified as a H2 source during these two cruises. With our experimental setup we could demonstrate that variability in diurnal cycles is probably influenced and biased by released precursors for photochemical H2 production and the origin of air masses. This means for further investigations that just measuring the mixing ratio of H2 is insufficient to explain the variability of a diurnal cycle and support is needed, e.g. by isotopic measurements. However, measurements of H2 mixing ratios, which are easy to conduct online during ship cruises could be a helpful tool to easily identify production areas of biological precursors such as VOC's for further investigations.
Si cycling in a forest biogeosystem – the importance of anthropogenic perturbation and induced transient state of biogenic Si pools
Authors: Sommer M. , Jochheim H. , Höhn A. , Breuer J. , Zagorski Z. , Busse J. , Barkusky D. , Puppe D. , Wanner M. , Kaczorek D.
Published: December 2012

Abstract. The relevance of biological Si cycling for dissolved silica (DSi) export from terrestrial biogeosystems is still in debate. Even in systems showing a high content of weatherable minerals, like Cambisols on volcanic tuff, biogenic Si (BSi) might contribute > 50% to total DSi (Gerard et~al., 2008). However, the actual number of biogeosystem studies is rather limited for generalised conclusions. To cover one end of controlling factors on DSi – weatherable minerals content – we studied a~forested site with absolute quartz dominance (> 95%). Hence, we hypothesise minimal effects of chemical weathering of silicates on DSi. During a~four year observation period (May 2007–April 2011) we quantified (i) internal and external Si fluxes of a temperate-humid biogeosystem (beech, 120 yr) by BIOME-BGC (vers. ZALF), (ii) related Si budgets, and, (iii) Si pools in soil and beech, chemically as well as by SEM-EDX. For the first time both compartments of biogenic Si in soils were analysed, i.e. phytogenic and zoogenic Si pool (testate amoebae). We quantified an average Si plant uptake of 35 kg Si ha−1 yr−1 – most of which is recycled to the soil by litterfall – and calculated an annual biosilicification from idiosomic testate amoebae of 17 kg Si ha−1. High DSi concentrations (6 mg l−1) and DSi exports (12 kg Si ha−1 yr−1) could not be explained by chemical weathering of feldspars or quartz dissolution. Instead, dissolution of a relictic phytolith Si pool seems to be the main process for the DSi observed. We identified forest management, i.e. selective extraction of pine trees 20 yr ago followed by a disappearance of grasses, as the most probable control for the phenomena observed and hypothesised the biogeosystem to be in a transient state in terms of Si cycling.