bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Real Time Reservoir Mapping While Drilling Reduces Risks, Geological and Fluid Position Uncertainty in the Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Leveque Soazig , Wolfarth Chris , Walz Dave , Welch Henry , Gerdes Bob , Castaneda Luis , Alexander Malcolm , Kadir Hanatu , Fulton Charles
Published: March 2016

Reservoirs in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) are predominantly drilled with low angle wells. Drilling a well horizontally presents its own set of challenges.

The Mississippi Canyon block 22/21 operated by ANKOR Energy embodies the significant drilling challenges sometimes found in the NGOM reservoirs. The "H Sand" reservoir is a low resistivity (3 to 5 ohm.m) reservoir bounded by a northeast southwest fault. The overburden is uniform for more than 200ft TVD above the reservoir, making the landing challenging with conventional well placement techniques. The operator was planning a 2200ft lateral section to be drilled close to the Gas Oil Contact (GOC). Early water production was observed in the offset well located at the toe of the planned well, questioning the current position of the Oil Water Contact (OWC). Landing this well is challenging from both a geological and drilling point of view as a 3D trajectory is required to avoid the fault and offset wells.

In light of these challenges, the operator decided to use the very-deep electromagnetic (EM) directional resistivity tool with its detection range of more than 100ft, enabling the detection of the top of the H sand reservoir long before landing. In the lateral section, the tool was used in conjunction with an integrated petrophysical platform to map the top of the reservoir, detect the OWC and identify the lithology and fluids present while drilling.

While landing the well, the top of the H sand reservoir was detected 48ft TVD away – 10ft deeper than expected. The very-deep directional resistivity tool enabled the well to be confidently landed despite the lack of correlation markers and depth uncertainty of the "H Sand" reservoir. The OWC was detected more than 70ft below the well during the landing section even though the bit had not penetrated the H sand reservoir yet. The top of the reservoir and the OWC were mapped throughout the length of the lateral section along with the lithology and fluid content. Towards the toe of the lateral section, near a producing offset well, the OWC, still 50ft below the current trajectory, was observed to be rising up and getting closer to the well. Total Depth (TD) was called early to avoid premature water production. Water coning was confirmed as the reason behind early water production in the offset well.

The use of this technology during the landing and the lateral section of the well reduced dramatically the risk associated with geological uncertainty as well as fluid contact position providing critical information for field management planning.
The Continual Search for Sisterhood: Narcissism, Projection, and Intersubjective Disruptions in Toni Morrison's Sula and Feminist Communities
Authors: Fetters Cassandra
Published: March 2016

Taking feminist relational psychoanalyst Jessica Benjamin's ideas of “mutual recognition” as foundation, and studying the female relationships—mothers and daughters and friends—in Toni Morrison's Sula, I trace the complexities of the psychological development of Nel and Sula and the subsequent damage done to their relationship as a result of the various factors inhibiting their ability to form a relationship based on intersubjectivity. Bonded together and in many ways fused in girlhood, Sula and Nel cannot maintain a friendship beyond adolescence because of the ways in which the racist, patriarchal society in which they are raised and are living denies them and their mothers the ability to see themselves and each other as full subjects. Furthermore, locating Morrison's novel of female friendship alongside debates regarding whether feminist initiatives should favor women's commonalities or sustain attention to women's differences, I contend that the kinds of problematic attachments illustrated in the novel undermine feminism as well when exuberant and sentimental fantasies about difference-defeating “sisterhood” obfuscate the recognition of other, separate subjects.
Sexual Citizenship and Vulnerable Bodies in Makeda Silvera's The Heart Does Not Bend and Joan Riley's The Unbelonging
Authors: Beushausen Wiebke
Published: March 2016

This article offers a literary and cultural studies approach to sexual citizenship and belonging through a reading of the coming-of-age genre. Coming-of-age narratives, a primary mode of a womanist Caribbean diaspora poetics, offer fruitful ground for an analysis of the relation of the individual and the state in their depictions of a protagonist's growing into sociocultural structures and internalizing normative frames of citizenship. The two novels investigated here, Makeda Silvera's The Heart Does Not Bend (2002) and Joan Riley's The Unbelonging (1985), reveal the interconnectedness of citizenship, sexuality, race, and bodily integrity in the Jamaican context, while also critically reflecting on those circumstances under which access to sexual rights is either granted or denied. I argue that a focus on women's sexual citizenship in literature expands formal notions of citizenship, taking into equal account racism, sexism, classism, and uneven capital distribution as intersecting categories affecting the practice of acting as and the status of being a citizen. Applying to contemporary Caribbean women's writing the analytical category of sexual citizenship thus engenders a feminist, politically engaged reading of these texts that not only recovers silenced stories of sexual violence and racialized oppression, but also foregrounds women's embodied subjectivity.
Post-Colonial Consciousness and the Erotic in Iracema: Uma Transa Amazônica and Caballero
Authors: Martinez Lily
Published: March 2016

Borders have been commonly popularized as a space where illegal acts and perversions occur. As an area of political instability and representative of constant corporal movement, they are imagined as the impossibility of cultural development. Typical representations of the people on the border imitate an incomplete reality and, as a result, the alienation of these groups by the pre-established norms of both surrounding societies. This article reconsiders the border experience of the Amazon and Texas with the purpose of comparing and recuperating pieces of the inhabitant's bodies and experiences. In particular, the film Iracema: Uma Transa Amazônica and the historical novel Caballero will be examined. Besides their evident differences, an analogy can be constructed to show the similarities between the Amazon in the 1970s and the Mexican experience in Texas in the 1800s. These two distinct histories will demonstrate the importance of a discourse on resistance on the border and contribute to mapping the dynamic intersections of sex and gender.
Practices of Financial and Management Accounting: Evidence fromSmall and Medium-Sized Enterprises of Nepal
Authors: Sharma Gyaneswar
Published: March 2016

76     One of the important factors which determine the performance of a business  organization is effective use of financial and management accounting system.  In Nepal, very few published evidence on the accounting practices among small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) is found. In this regards, this study aims to examine the financial and management accounting practices among SMEs in Nepal and to investigate perceived usefulness of these reports for decision making process. A survey was carried out using the SMEs in the various nature of business listed by industrial statistics as sampling frame. The findings from  the study has provided relevant and useful insights about the current financial  and management accounting practices and the level of perceived usefulness of the accounting reports among SMEs. The result of the study indicates that a majority of the SMEs surveyed prepare their accounting reports at least one times in a year.  Man agement accounting reports were perceived to be more useful and decision making tool than financial accounting reports. Among the financial accounting reports, profit and loss statement was considered as most useful, followed by balance sheet and cash flow. It also found that there is no significance mean difference of practices of each accounting system across three types of SMEs.Journal of Nepalese Business Studies Vol. 9, No. 1, 2015 pp. 77-86
Physical 3D Map of the Planica Nordic Center, Slovenia: Cartographic Principles and Techniques Used with 3D Printing
Authors: Kete Primož
Published: March 2016

Physical 3D maps have a fine history in cartography, but they require the highest level of craftsmanship and artistic talent from a cartographer. However, 3D printing technology can simplify production of 3D maps. This technology saves time and enables multiple reproduction of the same map, without painstaking manual labour. Nonetheless, to produce a high-quality 3D map, cartographers must use well-established cartographic principles and techniques. This paper describes the creation of a physical 3D map of the Planica Nordic Center. The main purpose of the map is to promote and clarify future development of the sports centre and to show its final infrastructure and landscaping. This paper describes the data, technology, and design decisions used in making the map. It also discusses the cartographic principles and techniques used in the making of the map, and the lessons learned.
How Do Display Design and User Characteristics Matter in Animations? An Empirical Study with Air Traffic Control Displays
Authors: Maggi Sara , Fabrikant Sara Irina , Imbert Jean-Paul , Hurter Christophe
Published: March 2016

We detail an empirical animation study to assess how display design, user spatial ability, and training might influence visuospatial decision-making with animated displays showing aircraft movements. We present empirical results of a visuospatial detection task with moving objects, based on response accuracy and response time, including a descriptive eye-movement analysis. We found significant differences in a visuospatial detection task of moving objects across animation design types and domain expertise levels based on viewers' visuospatial skill differences. With this empirical approach, we hope to better understand how users explore and extract information from animated displays. Based on these results, we aim to further develop empirically validated animation display design guidelines to increase their efficiency and effectiveness for decision-making with and about moving objects.
Analyzing Potential Spatial Access to Primary Care Services with an Enhanced Floating Catchment Area Method
Authors: Luo Jun
Published: March 2016

Floating catchment area methods have been noticeable in the analyses of spatial access to primary care. This paper enhances the existing floating catchment area methods by incorporating a modified Huff Model to articulate population demand on primary care services. The proposed method modifies the Huff Model with a Gaussian distance impedance function, and applies the modified Huff Model in calculating selection probability of floating catchment area method. The Huff Model–based selection probability considers both travel cost and capacity of service sites and therefore can better adjust population demand on primary care services. Furthermore, the proposed method uses the continuous Gaussian function instead of the predefined subzones in previous studies. A case study of the Springfield, MO, metro politan area is conducted by applying the proposed method and previous methods. Results show that the proposed method has moderating effects on measuring spatial access and can overcome the problems of over- and underestimating population demand.
Factors Influencing Stop-Level Transit Ridership in Arnhem–Nijmegen City Region, Netherlands
Authors: Kerkman Kasper , Martens Karel , Meurs Henk
Published: March 2016

The factors that influence transit ridership are explored at the level of individual transit stops for the local and regional bus transit system in the region of Arnhem–Nijmegen in the Netherlands. Direct transit ridership modeling was used to explore simultaneously the influence of spatial, population, and network characteristics on bus stop–level ridership (number of passengers boarding and alighting from transit vehicles at each particular transit stop). Cross-sectional multiple regression models were built for two periods: March 2012 and March 2013. Between these periods, the regional transit supply changed considerably because of the start of a new tender period. The outcomes of the cross-sectional multiple regression models were compared with fixed-effects panel data models, which related the changes in ridership between both periods to the changes in transit supply characteristics. The adjusted R2 of the two cross-sectional models are .772 and .762, respectively; this finding shows that the models perform well in explaining the variance in ridership. Most selected independent variables are highly significant, and their influence on ridership is largely in line with expectations. The cross-sectional and the panel data models show large similarities, but the values of most coefficients in the panel data model are only about half of the corresponding variables in the cross-sectional models. This finding is likely due to the potential adjustment time that travelers need to get used to the changes in transit services and to an overestimation of the importance of transit supply because of the endogeneity between supply and potential demand in the cross-sectional models.
Ethical Motivations and the Phenomenon of Disappointment in Two Types of Environmental Movements: Neo-Environmentalism and the Dark Mountain Project
Authors: Librová Hana , Pelikán Vojtěch
Published: March 2016

This study takes up the phenomenon of disappointment in today's environmental movements. It analyses two distinct streams of environmental movements – neo-environmentalism and the Dark Mountain Project. On the basis of their published written statements, it describes these movements, analyses the opinions of their members regarding possible future developments and examines their ethical motivations. It examines the members’ motivations in terms of three categories – teleological, deontological and virtue ethics – and asserts that each of these contains various expectations, implying varying potential for disappointment. The text's conclusion compares and assesses the attitudes of the members of neo-environmentalism and the Dark Mountain Project, their optimism and pessimism, from the perspective of the philosophers Hans Jonas, Roger Scruton and Romano Guardini.
Moving in and out of Poverty: A Case of the Somali and Turkana of Northern Kenya
Authors: Watete Patrick Wekondi , Makau Wambui Kogi , Njoka Jesse Theuri , MacOpiyo Laban Adero , Wasonga Oliver Vivian
Published: March 2016

There has been a tendency for pastoral households of northern Kenya to fall into and remain permanently trapped in poverty, while a few households have managed to escape poverty under certain circumstances. This study looks at how poverty levels among households in pastoral Counties of Turkana and Mandera have changed over the last twenty years. A combination of multi-stage and purposeful sampling techniques was used to sample 310 and 354 households in Mandera and Turkana Counties respectively. The household questionnaire collected data on household assets, income and expenditure. The 'stages of progress' method was used to categorise the sample households into various wealth strata, and also establish how households' wealth status changed between 1993 and 2013. The study established that 71 per cent and 58 per cent of the households in Turkana and Mandera respectively could be classified as poor in 2013. Loss of livestock through drought, diseases and raids was the main reason for increased pastoral poverty. Pastoral households escaped poverty through diversification, receipt of remittances and employment. Agro-pastoral households were relatively better off compared to both pastoral and off-farm households. Drought management could be the main intervention to prevent pastoral households from falling into poverty, whereas diversification and education are the most important strategies that may help pull these pastoral households out of poverty.
Performance of separated tillers of transplant Aman rice at different levels of urea super granules
Authors: Rahman KS , Paul SK , Sarkar MAR
Published: March 2016

An experiment was conducted at the research field of Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during June to December 2012 to investigate the effect of age of tiller seedlings, number of tiller seedlings hill-1 and application of urea super granules (USG) on the yield and yield contributing characters of transplant Aman rice (cv. BRRI dhan52). The experiment consisted of two ages of tiller seedlings viz. 25 and 35-days old, three levels of tiller seedlings hill-1 viz. 1, 3 and 5 seedlings hill-1 and three levels of USG viz. 0, 1.8 (55 kg N ha-1) and 2.7g USG (80 kg N ha-1) four hill-1 in every alternate row. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (Factorial) with three replications. The highest plant height, number of effective tillers hill-1, number of total tillers hill-1, number of total spikelets panicle-1, number of grains panicle-1, grain yield and harvest index were found in 1.8 g USG applied @ one granule 4-hill-1. The highest number of sterile spikelets panicle-1 was found in control treatment and the lowest in 1.8 g USG. The highest number of effective tillers hill-1, number of total spikelets panicle-1 and grain yield ha-1 was found when 5 tiller seedlings were transplanted hill-1 combined with 1.8 g USG. Application of urea super granules 1.8 g (55 kg N ha-1) at 10 days after transplanting @ one granule 4-hill-1 in every alternate row with 25 day old tiller seedlings using 5 tiller seedlings hill-1 was found beneficial for grain yield of transplant Aman rice. Tiller separation could be an alternative source of seedling during seedling scarcity.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 40(4): 581-590, December 2015
Effect of bap and sucrose on the development of cormel in mukhi kachu
Authors: Bhuiyan MKR , Sharifuzzaman SM , Hossain MJ
Published: March 2016

In vitro cormel development in Mukhi Kachu (Colocasia esculenta) Var. Bilashi was assessed in an experiment using three levels of BAP (0, 5 and 10 mg/l) and four levels of sucrose (0, 5, 10 and 15 %). Individual shoot excised from multiple shoot was used as explant in this experiment. In vitro cormel formation of Colocasia is an important means of organogenesis, which initiated earlier with 10% sucrose in 15% culture, whereas 15% sucrose produced cormels in 50% culture. While BAP at 10 mg/l formed cormels in 32.5% cultures but these two factors together formed cormels in 85% cultures, having 2.5 cormel per culture. The cormel weighed upto 1.7 g and contained 81.5% dry matter.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 40(4): 601-606, December 2015
Variability, correlation and path co-efficient analysis of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.)
Authors: Khan MH , Bhuiyan SR , Saha KC , Bhuyin MR , Ali ASMY
Published: March 2016

Seventeen genotypes of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) were studied in a field experiment conducted at the experimental field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, during April 2009 to September 2010. The objectives of the study were to measure the variability among the genotypes for yield and yield contributing characters, estimate genetic parameters, association among the characters and their contribution to yield. There was a great deal of significant variation for all the characters among the genotypes. Considering genetic parameters high genotypic co-efficient of variation (GCV) was observed for branches per vine, yield per plant and number of fruit per plant whereas low genotypic co-efficient of variation (GCV) was observed for days to first male and female flowering. In all the cases, it was found that phenotypic co-efficient of variation was greater than genotypic co-efficient of variation. Highest genotypic and phenotypic co-efficient of variation was observed in branch per vine, fruit length, fruit weight and number of fruit plant which indicated a wide variability among the genotypes and offered better scope of selection. The results obtained showed that fruit length showed low direct and positive effect on yield per plant and indirect positive effect on yield per plant via fruit diameter and average fruit weight. Similar result was found for fruit diameter. Average fruit weight and number of fruits per plant showed high direct and positive effect on yield per plant. Path analysis revealed that average fruit weight, number of fruits per plant, days to male flowering and fruit length had positive direct effect on fruit yield. Considering group distance and the agronomic performance, the inter genotypic crosses between G2& G5; G2&G14; G14&G15; G2&G15; G10&G11; G10&G13; G11&G13; G5&G15; G5&G14 might be suitable choice for future hybridization programme.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 40(4): 607-618, December 2015
Performance of different crops productivity enhancement through adaptation of crop varieties at charland in Bangladesh
Authors: Islam MN , Rahman MS , Alom MS , Akhteruzzaman M
Published: March 2016

Charland that are emerged as islands within the river channel or as attached land to the riverbanks as a result of erosion and accretion. In crop production systems, screening of adaptable crop varieties for charland is necessary to address the climate change issues. Hence, five separate experiments were conducted at charland of the Padma River in Kushtia district during November 2012 to May 2013 to select suitable varieties of lentil, hybrid maize, soybean, potato and mustard for increasing crop productivity. The experiment comprised of four lentil varieties viz. BARI Masur-4, BARI Masur-5, BARI Masur-6 and a local cultivar; four hybrid maize varieties namely BARI Hybrid maize-5, BARI Hybrid maize-7, BARI Hybrid maize-9 and Pacific-11; three soybean varieties like BARI Soybean-5, BARI Soybean-6 and Shohag; four potato varieties viz., BARI Alu-7, BARI Alu-8, BARI Alu-31 and Belgium; and five mustard varieties viz., BARI Sarisha-11, BARI Sarisha-13, BARI Sarisha-14, BARI Sarisha-15 and BARI Sarisha-16 were evaluated separately in five trials for their adaptation in charland. Among the studied crops, lentil var. BARI Masur-6, maize var. BARI Hybrid maize-9, soybean var. BARI Soybean-6, potato var. BARI Alu-7 and mustard var. BARI Sarisha-11performed better in the charland under climate change situation in Bangladesh.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 40(4): 629-640, December 2015
Determination of optimum sample size for measuring the contributing characters of bottle gourd
Authors: Mohammad N , Islam MS , Rahman KS , Rahman MM , Nasrin S
Published: March 2016

To improve efficiency in collecting data from field experiment on fruit attributes of bottle gourd (Lau), the sample size was studied for sample size at Olericulture Division, Horticulture Research Centre (HRC) of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) Gazipur during 2012-13. The treatments/varieties were LS 0026-5-3, LS 0012-5-3, LS 117-F-1, LS 117-A-2 and BARI Lau-3. Fruit length, breadth and weight of bottle gourd (Lau) data were collected from the experimental plot. The data were used to design optimum sampling plan from equal number of observations per cell. The observation on fruit length (cm), breadth (cm) and weight (kg) were taken from 5 plots/treatments at random. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 3 replications and five treatments/varieties was used in this experiment. Five (5) plants per plot and 2 fruits per plants (10 fruits per plot) were the original sampling plan for this experiment. A sampling plan of selecting 4 plants at random and measuring 2 fruits per selected plant (8 fruits per plot and plots were 25m2 i.e. 10m long and 2.5m wide) was found to be optimum and economical for taking measurements of fruit attributes in field experiments on bottle gourd.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 40(4): 703-709, December 2015
PP2A Phosphatase as a Regulator of ROS Signaling in Plants
Authors: Rahikainen Moona , Pascual Jesús , Alegre Sara , Durian Guido , Kangasjärvi Saijaliisa
Published: March 2016

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) carry out vital functions in determining appropriate stress reactions in plants, but the molecular mechanisms underlying the sensing, signaling and response to ROS as signaling molecules are not yet fully understood. Recent studies have underscored the role of Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in ROS-dependent responses involved in light acclimation and pathogenesis responses in Arabidopsis thaliana. Genetic, proteomic and metabolomic studies have demonstrated that trimeric PP2A phosphatases control metabolic changes and cell death elicited by intracellular and extracellular ROS signals. Associated with this, PP2A subunits contribute to transcriptional and post-translational regulation of pro-oxidant and antioxidant enzymes. This review highlights the emerging role of PP2A phosphatases in the regulatory ROS signaling networks in plants.
The Relationships between Climate Variability and Crop Yield in a Mountainous Environment: A Case Study in Lamjung District, Nepal
Authors: Poudel Shobha , Shaw Rajib
Published: March 2016

Several studies have concluded that mountainous countries such as Nepal are more vulnerable to climate change; thus, a changing climate should have a significant impact on crop yields. This work aims to explore the impact of climate change on major crop yields in the mountainous parts of Nepal and to determine their relationships based on a regression model between historical climatic data and yield data for food crops. The study starts with an analysis of the last 30 years of climatic data from Lamjung district. Mann-Kendall and Sen’s Slope methods have been used for the trend analysis and quantification. The results showed an increase in temperature of approximately 0.02 °C to 0.07 °C per year in different seasons and a mixed trend in precipitation. Although there was no significant impact of the climate variables on the yields of all crops, the regression analysis revealed negative relationships between maize yield and summer precipitation and between wheat yield and winter minimum temperature, and a positive relationship between millet yield and summer maximum temperature.
A Cadmium Anionic 1-D Coordination Polymer {[Cd(H2O)6][Cd2(atr)2(μ2-btc)2(H2O)4] 2H2O}n within a 3-D Supramolecular Charge-Assisted Hydrogen-Bonded and π-Stacking Network
Authors: Tahli Anas , Köc Ümit , Elshaarawy Reda , Kautz Anna , Janiak Christoph
Published: March 2016

The hydrothermal reaction of 4,4′-bis(1,2,4-triazol-4-yl) (btr) and benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid (H3btc) with Cd(OAc)2·2H2O at 125 °C in situ forms 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole (atr) from btr, which crystallizes to a mixed-ligand, poly-anionic chain of [Cd2(atr)2(µ2-btc)2(H2O)4]2–. Together with a hexaaquacadmium(II) cation and water molecules the anionic coordination-polymeric forms a 3-D supramolecular network of hexaaquacadmium(II)-catena-[bis(4-amino-1,2,4-triazole)tetraaquabis(benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylato)dicadmate(II)] dihydrate, 1-D-{[Cd(H2O)6][Cd2(atr)2(µ2-btc)2(H2O)4] 2H2O}n which is based on hydrogen bonds (in part charge-assisted) and π–π interactions.
Behavior of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes in Raw Yellowfin Tuna during Cold Storage
Authors: Liu Chengchu , Mou Jing , Su Yi-Cheng
Published: March 2016

Behavior of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes in raw yellowfin tuna during refrigeration and frozen storage were studied. Growth of Salmonella was inhibited in tuna during refrigerated storage, while L. monocytogenes was able to multiply significantly during refrigerated storage. Populations of Salmonella in tuna were reduced by 1 to 2 log after 12 days of storage at 5–7 °C, regardless levels of contamination. However, populations of L. monocytogenes Scott A, M0507, and SFL0404 in inoculated tuna (104–105 CFU/g) increased by 3.31, 3.56, and 3.98 log CFU/g, respectively, after 12 days of storage at 5–7 °C. Similar increases of L. monocytogenes cells were observed in tuna meat with a lower inoculation level (102–103 CFU/g). Populations of Salmonella and L. monocytogenes declined gradually in tuna samples over 84 days (12 weeks) of frozen storage at −18 °C with Salmonella Newport 6962 being decreased to undetectable level (<10 CFU/g) from an initial level of 103 log CFU/g after 42 days of frozen storage. These results demonstrate that tuna meat intended for raw consumption must be handled properly from farm to table to reduce the risks of foodborne illness caused by Salmonella and L. monocytogenes.
An Application of the Multivariate Linear Mixed Model to the Analysis of Shoulder Complexity in Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Oskrochi Gholamreza , Lesaffre Emmanuel , Oskrochi Youssof , Shamley Delva
Published: March 2016

In this study, four major muscles acting on the scapula were investigated in patients who had been treated in the last six years for unilateral carcinoma of the breast. Muscle activity was assessed by electromyography during abduction and adduction of the affected and unaffected arms. The main principal aim of the study was to compare shoulder muscle activity in the affected and unaffected shoulder during elevation of the arm. A multivariate linear mixed model was introduced and applied to address the principal aims. The result of fitting this model to the data shows a huge improvement as compared to the alternatives.
To What Extent is Drinking Water Tested in Sub-Saharan Africa? A Comparative Analysis of Regulated Water Quality Monitoring
Authors: Peletz Rachel , Kumpel Emily , Bonham Mateyo , Rahman Zarah , Khush Ranjiv
Published: March 2016

Water quality information is important for guiding water safety management and preventing water-related diseases. To assess the current status of regulated water quality monitoring in sub-Saharan Africa, we evaluated testing programs for fecal contamination in 72 institutions (water suppliers and public health agencies) across 10 countries. Data were collected through written surveys, in-person interviews, and analysis of microbial water quality testing levels. Though most institutions did not achieve the testing levels specified by applicable standards or World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines, 85% of institutions had conducted some microbial water testing in the previous year. Institutions were more likely to meet testing targets if they were suppliers (as compared to surveillance agencies), served larger populations, operated in urban settings, and had higher water quality budgets (all p < 0.05). Our results indicate that smaller water providers and rural public health offices will require greater attention and additional resources to achieve regulatory compliance for water quality monitoring in sub-Saharan Africa. The cost-effectiveness of water quality monitoring should be improved by the application of risk-based water management approaches. Efforts to strengthen monitoring capacity should pay greater attention to program sustainability and institutional commitment to water safety.
panMetaDocs, eSciDoc, and DOIDB—An Infrastructure for the Curation and Publication of File-Based Datasets for GFZ Data Services
Authors: Ulbricht Damian , Elger Kirsten , Bertelmann Roland , Klump Jens
Published: March 2016

The GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences is the national laboratory for Geosciences in Germany. As part of the Helmholtz Association, providing and maintaining large-scale scientific infrastructures are an essential part of GFZ activities. This includes the generation of significant volumes and numbers of research data, which subsequently become source materials for data publications. The development and maintenance of data systems is a key component of GFZ Data Services to support state-of-the-art research. A challenge lies not only in the diversity of scientific subjects and communities, but also in different types and manifestations of how data are managed by research groups and individual scientists. The data repository of GFZ Data Services provides a flexible IT infrastructure for data storage and publication, including minting of digital object identifiers (DOI). It was built as a modular system of several independent software components linked together through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) provided by the eSciDoc framework. Principal application software are panMetaDocs for data management and DOIDB for logging and moderating data publications activities. Wherever possible, existing software solutions were integrated or adapted. A summary of our experiences made in operating this service is given. Data are described through comprehensive landing pages and supplementary documents, like journal articles or data reports, thus augmenting the scientific usability of the service.
Visualizing the Structure of the Earth’s Lithosphere on the Google Earth Virtual-Globe Platform
Authors: Zhu Liangfeng , Kan Wensheng , Zhang Yu , Sun Jianzhong
Published: March 2016

While many of the current methods for representing the existing global lithospheric models are suitable for academic investigators to conduct professional geological and geophysical research, they are not suited to visualize and disseminate the lithospheric information to non-geological users (such as atmospheric scientists, educators, policy-makers, and even the general public) as they rely on dedicated computer programs or systems to read and work with the models. This shortcoming has become more obvious as more and more people from both academic and non-academic institutions struggle to understand the structure and composition of the Earth’s lithosphere. Google Earth and the concomitant Keyhole Markup Language (KML) provide a universal and user-friendly platform to represent, disseminate, and visualize the existing lithospheric models. We present a systematic framework to visualize and disseminate the structure of the Earth’s lithosphere on Google Earth. A KML generator is developed to convert lithospheric information derived from the global lithospheric model LITHO1.0 into KML-formatted models, and a web application is deployed to disseminate and visualize those models on the Internet. The presented framework and associated implementations can be easily exported for application to support interactively integrating and visualizing the internal structure of the Earth with a global perspective.
The Immunology of Neuromyelitis Optica—Current Knowledge, Clinical Implications, Controversies and Future Perspectives
Authors: Jasiak-Zatonska Michalina , Kalinowska-Lyszczarz Alicja , Michalak Slawomir , Kozubski Wojciech
Published: March 2016

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an autoimmune, demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) with typical clinical manifestations of optic neuritis and acute transverse myelitis attacks. Previously believed to be a variant of multiple sclerosis (MS), it is now considered an independent disorder which needs to be differentiated from MS. The discovery of autoantibodies against aquaporin-4 (AQP4-IgGs) changed our understanding of NMO immunopathogenesis and revolutionized the diagnostic process. AQP4-IgG is currently regarded as a specific biomarker of NMO and NMO spectrum disorders (NMOsd) and a key factor in its pathogenesis. Nevertheless, AQP4-IgG seronegativity in 10%–25% of NMO patients suggests that there are several other factors involved in NMO immunopathogenesis, i.e., autoantibodies against aquaporin-1 (AQP1-Abs) and antibodies against myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG-IgGs). This manuscript reviews current knowledge about NMO immunopathogenesis, pointing out the controversial issues and showing potential directions for future research. Further efforts should be made to broaden our knowledge of NMO immunology which could have important implications for clinical practice, including the use of potential novel biomarkers to facilitate an early and accurate diagnosis, and modern treatment strategies improving long-term outcome of NMO patients.
Molecular Mechanisms of Floral Boundary Formation in Arabidopsis
Authors: Yu Hongyang , Huang Tengbo
Published: March 2016

Boundary formation is a crucial developmental process in plant organogenesis. Boundaries separate cells with distinct identities and act as organizing centers to control the development of adjacent organs. In flower development, initiation of floral primordia requires the formation of the meristem-to-organ (M–O) boundaries and floral organ development depends on the establishment of organ-to-organ (O–O) boundaries. Studies in this field have revealed a suite of genes and regulatory pathways controlling floral boundary formation. Many of these genes are transcription factors that interact with phytohormone pathways. This review will focus on the functions and interactions of the genes that play important roles in the floral boundaries and discuss the molecular mechanisms that integrate these regulatory pathways to control the floral boundary formation.
Feminist Jurisprudence, the Australian Legal System and Intimate Partner Sexual Violence: Fiction over Fact
Authors: White Jessica , Easteal Patricia
Published: March 2016

In this paper we briefly focus on intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) and the Australian legal response, using recent Court judgements and Heather Wishik’s feminist jurisprudence framework for inquiry to guide investigation. The key questions being asked are: (1) What have been and what are now all women’s experiences of IPSV addressed by the substance and process of rape law? (2) What assumptions, descriptions, assertions and/or definitions of consent, corroboration and reporting does the law make in IPSV matters? (3) What is the area of mismatch, distortion or denial created by the differences between women’s life experiences of IPSV coercion and the law’s assumptions or imposed structures? (4) What patriarchal interests are served by the mismatch? The paper concludes with consideration of the limitations and benefits of law reform by reflecting on the findings of the paper.
Fabrication and Measurement of a Suspended Nanochannel Microbridge Resonator Monolithically Integrated with CMOS Readout Circuitry
Authors: Vidal-Álvarez Gabriel , Marigó Eloi , Torres Francesc , Barniol Núria
Published: March 2016

We present the fabrication and characterization of a suspended microbridge resonator with an embedded nanochannel. The suspended microbridge resonator is electrostatically actuated, capacitively sensed, and monolithically integrated with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) readout circuitry. The device is fabricated using the back end of line (BEOL) layers of the AMS 0.35 μm commercial CMOS technology, interconnecting two metal layers with a contact layer. The fabricated device has a 6 fL capacity and has one of the smallest embedded channels so far. It is able to attain a mass sensitivity of 25 ag/Hz using a fully integrable electrical transduction.
Constituents of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) as Potential Candidates for the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders and Schizophrenia
Authors: Pitsikas Nikolaos
Published: March 2016

Anxiety disorders and schizophrenia are common public health issues. The dried stigma of the plant Crocus sativus L., (C. sativus) commonly known as saffron are used in folk medicine for various purposes. Several lines of evidence suggest that C. sativus, crocins and safranal are implicated in anxiety and schizophrenia. Here, I intend to critically review advances in research of these emerging molecules for the treatment of anxiety and schizophrenia, discuss their advantages over currently used anxiolytics and neuroleptics, as well remaining challenges. Current analysis shows that C. sativus and its components might be a promising class of compounds for the treatment of the above mentioned psychiatric diseases.
Impact of Genotype on EPA and DHA Status and Responsiveness to Increased Intakes
Authors: Minihane Anne
Published: March 2016

At a population level, cardioprotective and cognitive actions of the fish oil (FO) derived long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFAs) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have been extensively demonstrated. In addition to dietary intake, which is limited for many individuals, EPA and DHA status is dependent on the efficiency of their biosynthesis from α-linolenic acid. Gender and common gene variants have been identified as influencing the rate-limiting desaturase and elongase enzymes. Response to a particular intake or status is also highly heterogeneous and likely influenced by genetic variants which impact on EPA and DHA metabolism and tissue partitioning, transcription factor activity, or physiological end-point regulation. Here, available literature relating genotype to tissue LC n-3 PUFA status and response to FO intervention is considered. It is concluded that the available evidence is relatively limited, with much of the variability unexplained, though APOE and FADS genotypes are emerging as being important. Although genotype × LC n-3 PUFA interactions have been described for a number of phenotypes, few have been confirmed in independent studies. A more comprehensive understanding of the genetic, physiological and behavioural modulators of EPA and DHA status and response to intervention is needed to allow refinement of current dietary LC n-3 PUFA recommendations and stratification of advice to “vulnerable” and responsive subgroups.
Biopolymeric Mucin and Synthetic Polymer Analogs: Their Structure, Function and Role in Biomedical Applications
Authors: Authimoolam Sundar , Dziubla Thomas
Published: March 2016

Mucin networks are viscoelastic fibrillar aggregates formed through the complex self-association of biopolymeric glycoprotein chains. The networks form a lubricious, hydrated protective shield along epithelial regions within the human body. The critical role played by mucin networks in impacting the transport properties of biofunctional molecules (e.g., biogenic molecules, probes, nanoparticles), and its effect on bioavailability are well described in the literature. An alternate perspective is provided in this paper, presenting mucin’s complex network structure, and its interdependent functional characteristics in human physiology. We highlight the recent advances that were achieved through the use of mucin in diverse areas of bioengineering applications (e.g., drug delivery, biomedical devices and tissue engineering). Mucin network formation is a highly complex process, driven by wide variety of molecular interactions, and the network possess structural and chemical variations, posing a great challenge to understand mucin’s bulk behavior. Through this review, the prospective potential of polymer based analogs to serve as mucin mimic is suggested. These analog systems, apart from functioning as an artificial model, reducing the current dependency on animal models, can aid in furthering our fundamental understanding of such complex structures.
Assessment of Food Security in China: A New Perspective Based on Production-Consumption Coordination
Authors: Wu Jianzhai , Zhang Jianhua , Wang Shengwei , Kong Fantao
Published: March 2016

The grain output of China increased continuously for 11 years from 2004 to 2014, effectively ensuring security of the country’s food supply. At the same time, rapid advancement of urbanization and industrialization generated marked changes in the food consumption patterns of residents, and supply-demand structural problems, such as the variety, quality and region of grains, became increasingly prominent. Currently, national food security goes beyond the guarantee of total grain demand. Therefore, both the production and consumption systems must be evaluated to produce a scientific measurement of food security. From the perspective of food production-consumption coordination and matching, this article sets up a multidimensional coupling assessment index system and model, and carries out assessment of the food security level and the warning status of China between 1995 and 2012. Results show that the level of quantity coordination remained high and the level of variety coordination fluctuated before 2006 and continued decreasing afterwards. The regional coordination level largely continued to decline during the whole research period. The level of coordination of Chinese food production-consumption was high overall. The warning situation existed only for four years, but it started to decrease continuously since 2007 because of aggravated structural and regional disharmony. The state of coordination at the early stage primarily reflected variation of food production, but that of the later stage greatly reflected the problems caused by food consumption. In the future, food security of China can be ensured overall, but regional and variety coordination problems may worsen further, which may exert a potentially negative influence on agricultural trade, industrial security and market stability, thereby leading to decrease in food security at the regional and household levels. In the future, this problem can be addressed by ensuring the self-sufficiency of core varieties of grains, building interest coordination mechanisms in the production and sale regions, forming a modern food and nutrition development pattern, and making additional efforts to save grains.
Detection and Projection of Forest Changes by Using the Markov Chain Model and Cellular Automata
Authors: Vázquez-Quintero Griselda , Solís-Moreno Raúl , Pompa-García Marín , Villarreal-Guerrero Federico , Pinedo-Alvarez Carmelo , Pinedo-Alvarez Alfredo
Published: March 2016

The spatio-temporal analysis of land use changes could provide basic information for managing the protection, conservation and production of forestlands, which promotes a sustainable resource use of temperate ecosystems. In this study we modeled and analyzed the spatial and temporal dynamics of land use of a temperate forests in the region of Pueblo Nuevo, Durango, Mexico. Data from the Landsat images Multispectral Scanner (MSS) 1973, Thematic Mapper (TM) 1990, and Operational Land Imager (OLI) 2014 were used. Supervised classification methods were then applied to generate the land use for these years. To validate the land use classifications on the images, the Kappa coefficient was used. The resulting Kappa coefficients were 91%, 92% and 90% for 1973, 1990 and 2014, respectively. The analysis of the change dynamics was assessed with Markov Chains and Cellular Automata (CA), which are based on probabilistic modeling techniques. The Markov Chains and CA show constant changes in land use. The class most affected by these changes is the pine forest. Changes in the extent of temperate forest of the study area were further projected until 2028, indicating that the area of pine forest could be continuously reduced. The results of this study could provide quantitative information, which represents a base for assessing the sustainability in the management of these temperate forest ecosystems and for taking actions to mitigate their degradation.
Sigles sur terre-cuite trouvés lors des fouilles de l'aile sud des cryptoportiques de Bavay.
Authors: Loridant Frédéric
Published: March 2016

Les fouilles qui se sont déroulées entre 1989 et 1992 dans l'aile sud des cryptoportiques du forum de Bavay ont permis de mettre au jour quelques marques sur terre-cuite. Bien que ce matériel soit résiduel - les couches où il a été découvert sont datées du début du Ve siècle - il nous a semblé intéressant de publier ces sigles qui complètent les listes déjà établies pour Bavay.