bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Scale, skill and sustainable livelihoods – participatory approaches to improving poultry production in periurban communities: evidence from South Africa
Authors: Alderson M. , Jordaan J. W.
Published: May 2016

Poverty and food insecurity are widespread in developing countries around the world. Sub-Saharan Africa which accounts for approximately one quarter of the world’s poor has acute food insecurity in Central, East and Southern Africa. Poverty has multiple dimensions characterised by the inability of individuals, households or entire communities to access sufficient assets to sustain a socially acceptable standard of living. By improving their asset status households can become more resilient to external shocks through increased options for livelihoods. This paper examines the scaling-up of traditional family poultry systems as a possible livelihood strategy to reduce poverty and food insecurity in peri-urban communities in South Africa. Participative action research methodologies revealed small-scale broiler enterprises as the preferred poultry system. Through business incubation, trainee entrepreneurs from the community demonstrated abilities to manage scaled-up broiler systems profitably over four successive cycles of production and marketing. Participation in the broiler enterprise enabled entrepreneurs to accumulate a range of assets which contributed to improving their income and food security status. Improvements in household food security were achieved directly through the increased availability of poultry meat and indirectly through increased cash incomes to acquire other foodstuffs. At the community level, localised benefits included the increased availability of fresh poultry meat and the income effects derived from more competitive retail pricing. The paper concludes that further research is required to determine the viability of different scales of production that could be managed within the framework of local culture and access to resources.
Dadayampola today
Authors: Wijewardene Ray
Published: May 2016

Abstract not available
Influence of plant density on yield of hybrid maize (Zea mays L.) under supplementary irrigation
Authors: Malaviarachchi M. A. P. W. K. , Karunarathne K. M. , Jayawardane S. N.
Published: May 2016

Maize is an important cereal crop grown in Sri Lanka. Hybrid varieties are popular among farmers and the extent cultivated with hybrids has increased over the last few years. Department of Agriculture released the first local hybrid maize variety (Sampath) in 2004. Agronomic practices recommended for open pollinated varieties are not appropriate for highly input responsive hybrids. Therefore, a study was undertaken at Field Crops Research and Development Institute, Mahailluppallama for two consecutive seasons to determine a suitable plant density for hybrid maize. Four densities namely, 55555 (present recommendation), 74074, 88888 and 111111 plants/ha were tested with two varieties (Pacific 984 and Sampath) at 200kg ha-1 N, 100 kg ha-1 P2O5 and 50 kg ha-1 K2O. Grain yield increases observed in maha 2004/05 for 74074, 88888 and 111111 plants/ha were 88 kgha-1 (2%), 1114 kgha-1 (21%) and 1708 kgha-1 (30%) respectively and 247 kgha-1 (4%), 1434 kgha-1 (24%) and 1958 kgha-1 (33%) in yala 2005. Two varieties gave the same yields and variations in leaf area, plant height, ear length and 100 seed weight were found not significantly different. Seed number per ear was reduced by 10-16% at higher densities. Economic analysis revealed that profitability increased by Rs.7000.00- 11,000.00/ha both at 88888 and 111111 plants/ha densities.
An evaluation of the potentiality of exogenous osmoprotectants mitigating water stress on chickpea
Authors: Bardhan Kirti , Kumar V. , Dhimmar S. K.
Published: May 2016

Chickpea is grown mainly as a non-irrigated post rainy season crop, therefore, to increase the economic competitiveness of chickpea, the management of drought is essential. A practice which can be used to enhance drought tolerance in plants is osmotic adjustment besides stomatal control. A field experiment was carried out at the College Farm of Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari during rabi 2003-04 to evaluate the potentiality of chemical(s) which could be used to ameliorate water stress and compensate yield reduction in chickpea under unirrigated condition. During investigation four chemicals viz., Glycine betaine (10 ppm 20 ppm), putrescine [16.11 ppm (10 μmol), 32.22 ppm (20 μmol)], PMA (10 and 20 ppm) and KNO3 (100 and 200 ppm) were evaluated along with water spray besides unirrigated and irrigated controls on two varieties of chickpea (GG-2 and Dahod Yellow). Aqueous solutions of chemicals were applied at 40 and 60 Days after sowing (DAS) on to the foliage. The results indicate that grain yield significantly declined due to water deficit. All foliar application of chemicals showed promising effect on crop health under unirrigated conditions. However, the significant effect was noticed with KNO3 (200 ppm). The plants following foliar application of KNO3 (200 ppm) attained significant increase in plant height, dry weight of plant, biomass, 100-seed weight and grain yield. For biomass it was found statistically equivalent to the irrigated control. Application of other chemicals was not as effective as KNO3 in alleviating stress. Glycine betaine showed significant improvement in dry weight and test weight yet it did not project potential yield of chickpea under unirrigated condition at Navsari.
A study on organizational climate perception by veterinary officers(VOs) and veterinary livestock inspectors(VLIs) of the department of animal husbandry and veterinary service, Karnataka
Authors: Sandika A. L. , Angadi J. G. , Hirevenkanagoudar L. V. , Basavaraj H.
Published: May 2016

This study was conducted to assess the organizational climate perception by Veterinary Officers (VOs) and Veterinary Livestock Inspectors (VLIs) of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Service (AH & VS) in Belgaum district of North Karnataka during 2005 / 06. Majority of VOs (55 .00%) and 45.00 percent of VLIs perceived the organizational climate as favourable. Whereas, the most favourable perception was observed with only 34.00 percent VOs and 15.00 percent VLIs. On the contrary, less favourable perception was noticed with relatively high percentage of VLIs (40.00%) compared to VOs (11.00%). Further, it was observed that there was significant difference between mean values of the organizational climate perception of VOs (106.6) and VLIs (96.25). Age, job experience, job involvement and job satisfaction had positive and significant association with organizational climate perception by both VOs and VLIs whereas, job stress had negative and significant relationship with organizational climate perception. The variables such as information seeking behavoiur, perceived work load and availability of facilities and resources had shown non significant relationship in case of VOs whereas, experience, training and perceived work load had a non-significant relationship with the level of organizational climate perception of VLIs. Provide adequate facilities, Implement an appropriate promotion scheme, increase the salary and salary increments were major suggestions expressed by VOs avd VLIs to improve the organizational climate of the department.
Defective Association of the Platelet Glycoprotein Ib–IX Complex with the Glycosphingolipid-Enriched Membrane Domain Inhibits Murine Thrombus and Atheroma Formation
Authors: Zhou Hao , Ran Yali , Da Qi , Shaw Tanner S. , Shang Dan , Reddy Anilkumar K. , López José A. , Ballantyne Christie M. , Ware Jerry , Wu Huaizhu , Peng Yuandong
Published: May 2016

Localization of the platelet glycoprotein Ib–IX complex to the membrane lipid domain is essential for platelet adhesion to von Willebrand factor and subsequent platelet activation in vitro. Yet, the in vivo importance of this localization has never been addressed. We recently found that the disulfide linkage between Ibα and Ibβ is critical for the association of Ibα with the glycosphingolipid-enriched membrane domain; in this study, we established a transgenic mouse model expressing this mutant human Ibα that is also devoid of endogenous Ibα (HαSSMα−/−). Characterization of this model demonstrated a similar dissociation of Ibα from murine platelet glycosphingolipid-enriched membrane to that expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells, which correlates well with the impaired adhesion of the transgenic platelets to von Willebrand factor ex vivo and in vivo. Furthermore, we bred our transgenic mice into an atherosclerosis-prone background (HαSSMα−/−ApoE−/− and HαWTMα−/−ApoE−/−). We observed that atheroma formation was significantly inhibited in mutant mice where fewer platelet-bound CD11c+ leukocytes were circulating (CD45+/CD11c+/CD41+) and residing in atherosclerotic lesions (CD45+/CD11c+), suggesting that platelet-mediated adhesion and infiltration of CD11c+ leukocytes may be one of the mechanisms. To our knowledge, these observations provide the first in vivo evidence showing that the membrane GEM is physiologically and pathophysiologically critical in the function of the glycoprotein Ib–IX complex.
Giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica as first manifestation of typical pulmonary carcinoid tumor
Authors: Aguiar T. , Vincent M. B.
Published: May 2016

Giant cell arteritis (GCA), a systemic vasculitis of unknown origin, may appear rarely as a paraneoplastic syndrome. Cases secondary to pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors have not been reported. A 75-year-old female developed prednisone-responsive GCA/polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) shortly followed by syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion. An 8 mm carcinoid lung tumor with positron emission tomography normal uptake was found. After a thoracoscopic tumor resection the patient experienced complete clinical and laboratory remission. This is the first report of GCA with PMR in the context of carcinoid lung tumor. It emphasizes the role of paraneoplastic vasculitis as a possible cause of GCA.
Precision-Cut Kidney Slices as a Tool to Understand the Dynamics of Extracellular Matrix Remodeling in Renal Fibrosis
Authors: Genovese Federica , Kàrpàti Zsolt S. , Nielsen Signe H. , Karsdal Morten A.
Published: May 2016

The aim of this study was to set up an ex vivo model for renal interstitial fibrosis in order to investigate the extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover profile in the fibrotic kidney. We induced kidney fibrosis in fourteen 12-week-old male Sprague Dawley rats by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) surgery of the right ureter. The left kidney (contralateral) was used as internal control. Six rats were sham operated and used as the control group. Rats were terminated two weeks after the surgery; the kidneys were excised and precision-cut kidney slices (PCKSs) were cultured for five days in serum-free medium. Markers of collagen type I formation (P1NP), collagen type I and III degradation (C1M and C3M), and α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) were measured in the PCKS supernatants by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. P1NP, C1M, C3M, and α-SMA were increased up to 2- to 13-fold in supernatants of tissue slices from the UUO-ligated kidneys compared with the contralateral kidneys ( P < 0.001) and with the kidneys of sham-operated animals ( P < 0.0001). The markers could also reflect the level of fibrosis in different animals. The UUO PCKS ex vivo model provides a valuable translational tool for investigating the extracellular matrix remodeling associated with renal interstitial fibrosis.
Aetiological Influences on Stability and Change in Emotional and Behavioural Problems across Development: A Systematic Review
Authors: Hannigan L.J. , Walaker N. , Waszczuk M.A. , McAdams T.A. , Eley T.C.
Published: May 2016

Emotional and behavioural problems in childhood and adolescence can be chronic and are predictive of future psychiatric problems. Understanding what factors drive the development and maintenance of these problems is therefore crucial. Longitudinal behavioural genetic studies using twin, sibling or adoption data can be used to explore the developmental aetiology of stability and change in childhood and adolescent psychopathology. We present a systematic review of longitudinal, behavioural genetic analyses of emotional and behavioural problems between ages 0 to 18 years. We identified 58 studies, of which 19 examined emotional problems, 30 examined behavioural problems, and 9 examined both. In the majority of studies, stability in emotional and behavioural problems was primarily genetically influenced. Stable environmental factors were also widely found, although these typically played a smaller role. Both genetic and environmental factors were involved in change across development. We discuss the findings in the context of the wider developmental literature and make recommendations for future research.
Methane and sulfate dynamics in sediments from mangrove-dominated tropical coastal lagoons, Yucatán, Mexico
Authors: Chuang Pei-Chuan , Young Megan B. , Dale Andrew W. , Miller Laurence G. , Herrera-Silveira Jorge A. , Paytan Adina
Published: May 2016

Abstract. Porewater profiles in sediment cores from mangrove-dominated coastal lagoons (Celestún and Chelem) on the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, reveal the widespread coexistence of dissolved methane and sulfate. This observation is interesting since dissolved methane in porewaters is typically oxidized anaerobically by sulfate. To explain the observations we used a numerical transport-reaction model that was constrained by the field observations. The model suggests that methane in the upper sediments is produced in the sulfate reduction zone at rates ranging between 0.012 and 31 mmol m−2 d−1, concurrent with sulfate reduction rates between 1.1 and 24 mmol SO42− m−2 d−1. These processes are supported by high organic matter content in the sediment and the use of non-competitive substrates by methanogenic microorganisms. Indeed sediment slurry incubation experiments show that non-competitive substrates such as trimethylamine (TMA) and methanol can be utilized for microbial methanogenesis at the study sites. The model also indicates that a significant fraction of methane is transported to the sulfate reduction zone from deeper zones within the sedimentary column by rising bubbles and gas dissolution. The shallow depths of methane production and the fast rising methane gas bubbles reduce the likelihood for oxidation, thereby allowing a large fraction of the methane formed in the sediments to escape to the overlying water column.
An ice sheet model validation framework for the Greenland ice sheet
Authors: Price Stephen F. , Hoffman Matthew J. , Bonin Jennifer A. , Howat Ian M. , Neumann Thomas , Saba Jack , Tezaur Irina , Guerber Jeffrey , Chambers Don P. , Evans Katherine J. , Kennedy Joseph H. , Lenaerts Jan , Lipscomb William H. , Perego Mauro , Salinger Andrew G. , Tuminaro Raymond S. , van den Broeke Michiel R. , Nowicki Sophie M. J.
Published: May 2016

Abstract. We propose a new ice sheet model validation framework – the Cryospheric Model Comparison Tool (CMCT) – that takes advantage of ice sheet altimetry and gravimetry observations collected over the past several decades and is applied here to modeling of the Greenland ice sheet. We use realistic simulations performed with the Community Ice Sheet Model (CISM) along with two idealized, non-dynamic models to demonstrate the framework and its use. Dynamic simulations with CISM are forced from 1991 to 2013 using combinations of reanalysis-based surface mass balance and observations of outlet glacier flux change. We propose and demonstrate qualitative and quantitative metrics for use in evaluating the different model simulations against the observations. We find that the altimetry observations used here are largely ambiguous in terms of their ability to distinguish one simulation from another. Based on basin- and whole-ice-sheet scale metrics, the model initial condition as well as output from idealized and dynamic models all provide an equally reasonable representation of the ice sheet surface (mean elevation differences of < 1 m). This is likely due to their short period of record, biases inherent to digital elevation models used for model initial conditions, and biases resulting from firn dynamics, which are not explicitly accounted for in the models or observations. On the other hand, we find that the gravimetry observations used here are able to unambiguously distinguish between simulations of varying complexity, and along with the CMCT, can provide a quantitative score for assessing a particular model and/or simulation. The new framework demonstrates that our proposed metrics can distinguish relatively better from relatively worse simulations and that dynamic ice sheet models, when appropriately initialized and forced with the right boundary conditions, demonstrate predictive skill with respect to observed dynamic changes occurring on Greenland over the past few decades. An extensible design will allow for continued use of the CMCT as future altimetry, gravimetry, and other remotely sensed data become available for use in ice sheet model validation.
Earthquake risk communication as dialogue – insights from a workshop in Istanbul's urban renewal neighbourhoods
Authors: Ickert Johanna , Stewart Iain S.
Published: May 2016

Abstract. An important paradox of hazard communication is that the more effectively a potential physical threat is made public by the scientist, the more readily the scientific message becomes normalized into the daily discourses of ordinary life. As a result, a heightened risk awareness does not necessarily motivate personal or collective preparedness. If geoscientists are to help at-risk communities adopt meaningful measures to protect themselves, new strategies are needed for public communication and community engagement. This paper outlines an attempt to develop a novel approach to train geoscientists, using doctoral and post-doctoral researchers in an EU integrated training network studying tectonic processes and geohazards in Turkey. An urban field visit to seismically vulnerable neighbourhoods in Istanbul allowed the researchers to meet with local residents facing the seismic threat. Those meetings exposed the complex social, political and cultural concerns among Istanbul's at-risk urban communities. These concerns were used to provoke subsequent focus group discussions among the group of geoscientists about roles, responsibilities and methods of communicating hazard information to the public. Through the direct testimony of local residents and geoscientists, we explore the form that new strategies for public communication and community engagement might take.
Parameterization of the light absorption properties of chromophoric dissolved organic matter in the Baltic Sea and Pomeranian Lakes
Authors: Meler Justyna , Kowalczuk Piotr , Ostrowska Mirosława , Ficek Dariusz , Zabłocka Monika , Zdun Agnieszka
Published: May 2016

Abstract. This study presents three alternative models for estimation of absorption properties of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter, aCDOM(l). For this analysis we used a database containing 556 absorption spectra measured in 2006–2009 in different regions of the Baltic Sea (open and coastal waters, the Gulf of Gdańsk and the Pomeranian Bay), at river mouths, in the Szczecin Lagoon and also in three Pomeranian lakes in Poland – Lakes Obłęskie, Łebsko and Chotkowskie. Observed variability range of the CDOM absorption coefficient at 400 nm, aCDOM(400), contained within 0.15–8.85 m−1. The variability in aCDOM(l) was parameterized with respect to three orders of magnitude variability in the chlorophyll a concentration Chla (0.7–119 mg m−3). Chlorophyll a concentration and CDOM absorption coefficient, aCDOM(400) were correlated, and statistically significant, non-linear empirical relationship between those parameters was derived (R2 = 0.83). Based on observed co-variance between these parameters, we derived two empirical mathematical models that enabled to project the CDOM absorption coefficient dynamics in natural waters and reconstruct the completed CDOM absorption spectrum in the UV and visible spectral domains. The first model used the chlorophyll a concentration as the input variable. The second model used the aCDOM(400), as the input variable. Both models were fitted to power function and the second order polynomial function was used as the exponent. Regression coefficients for derived formulas were determined for wavelengths from 240 to 700 nm at 5 nm intervals . Both approximation reflected the real shape of the absorption spectra with low uncertainty. Comparison of these approximation with other models of light absorption by CDOM proved that proposed parameterizations were better (bias from −1.45 % to 62 %, RSME from 22 % to 220 %) for estimation CDOM absorption in optically complex waters of the Baltic Sea and lakes.
Mapping snow depth in alpine terrain with unmanned aerial systems (UASs): potential and limitations
Authors: Bühler Yves , Adams Marc S. , Bösch Ruedi , Stoffel Andreas
Published: May 2016

Abstract. Detailed information on the spatiotemporal snow depth distribution is a crucial input for numerous applications in hydrology, climatology, ecology and avalanche research. Today, snow depth distribution is usually estimated by combining point measurements from weather stations or observers in the field with spatial interpolation algorithms. However, even a dense measurement network like the one in Switzerland, with more than one measurement station per 10 km2 on average, is not able to capture the large spatial variability of snow depth present in alpine terrain.Remote sensing methods, such as laser scanning or digital photogrammetry, have recently been successfully applied to map snow depth variability at local and regional scales. However, in most countries such data acquisition is costly if manned airplanes are involved. The effectiveness of ground-based measurements on the other hand is often hindered by occlusions, due to the complex terrain or acute viewing angles. In this paper, we investigate the application of unmanned aerial systems (UASs), in combination with structure-from-motion photogrammetry, to map snow depth distribution. Compared to manual measurements, such systems are relatively cost-effective and can be applied very flexibly to cover terrain not accessible from the ground. In this study, we map snow depth at two different locations: (a) a sheltered location at the bottom of the Flüela valley (1900 m a.s.l.) and (b) an exposed location on a peak (2500 m a.s.l.) in the ski resort Jakobshorn, both in the vicinity of Davos, Switzerland. At the first test site, we monitor the ablation on three different dates. We validate the photogrammetric snow depth maps using simultaneously acquired manual snow depth measurements. The resulting snow depth values have a root mean square error (RMSE) of less than 0.07 to 0.15 m on meadows and rocks and a RMSE of less than 0.30 m on sections covered by bushes or tall grass, compared to manual probe measurements. This new measurement technology opens the door for efficient, flexible, repeatable and cost-effective snow depth monitoring over areas of several hectares for various applications, if the national and regional regulations permit the application of UASs.
Impact of refreezing melt ponds on Arctic sea ice basal growth
Authors: Flocco Daniela , Feltham Daniel L. , Schroeder David , Tsamados Michel
Published: May 2016

Abstract. Melt ponds forming over the sea ice cover in the Arctic profoundly impact the surface albedo inducing a positive feedback leading to further melting. Here we examine the processes involved in melt pond refreezing and their impact on basal sea ice growth. When ponds freeze, the ice that forms on them insulates the pond trapping it between the sea ice and the ice lid. Trapped melt ponds delay basal sea ice growth in Autumn: ice thickens only after (1) the pond water has been fully frozen and (2) a temperature gradient is established that will conduct heat away from the ocean. Sea ice thickening in the areas where ponds are present is mainly due to the pond's water refreezing. Pan-Arctic simulations with a stand-alone sea ice model and studies with a high-resolution one-dimensional, three-layer refreezing model are used to study the impact on sea ice growth of trapped melt ponds. Basal sea ice growth may be inhibited by up to two months. We estimate an inhibited basal growth of up to 228 km3, which represents 25 % of the basal sea ice growth estimated by PIOMAS during the months of September and October. The brine not released due to the inhibited basal growth during this period could have implications for the ocean properties and circulation. The impact of trapped melt ponds has not been accounted for so far in any climate model.
Presence of rapidly degrading permafrost plateaus in southcentral Alaska
Authors: Jones Benjamin M. , Baughman Carson A. , Romanovsky Vladimir E. , Parsekian Andrew D. , Babcock Esther L. , Jones Miriam C. , Grosse Guido , Berg Edward E.
Published: May 2016

Abstract. Permafrost presence is determined by a complex interaction of climatic, topographic, and ecological conditions operating over long time scales. In particular, vegetation and organic layer characteristics may act to protect permafrost in regions with a mean annual air temperature (MAAT) above 0 °C. In this study, we document the presence of residual permafrost plateaus on the western Kenai Peninsula lowlands of southcentral Alaska, a region with a MAAT of 1.5 ± 1 °C (1981 to 2010). Continuous ground temperature measurements between 16 September 2012 and 15 September 2015, using calibrated thermistor strings, documented the presence of warm permafrost (−0.04 to −0.08 °C). Field measurements (probing) on several plateau features during the fall of 2015 showed that the depth to the permafrost table averaged 1.48 m but was as shallow as 0.53 m. Late winter surveys (drilling, coring, and GPR) in 2016 showed that the average seasonally frozen ground thickness was 0.45 m, overlying a talik above the permafrost table. Measured permafrost thickness ranged from 0.33 to > 6.90 m. Manual interpretation of historic aerial photography acquired in 1950 indicates that residual permafrost plateaus covered 920 ha as mapped across portions of four wetland complexes encompassing 4810 ha. However, between 1950 and ca. 2010, permafrost plateau extent decreased by 60 %, with lateral feature degradation accounting for 85 % of the reduction in area. Permafrost loss on the Kenai Peninsula is likely associated with a warming climate, wildfires that remove the protective forest and organic layer cover, groundwater flow at depth, and lateral heat transfer from wetland surface waters in the summer. Better understanding the resilience and vulnerability of ecosystem-protected permafrost is critical for mapping and predicting future permafrost extent and degradation across all permafrost regions that are currently warming. Further work should focus on reconstructing permafrost history in southcentral Alaska as well as additional contemporary observations of these ecosystem-protected permafrost sites lying south of the regions with relatively stable permafrost.
Investigation of the effect of Reynolds number and inflow parameters on mean and turbulent flow over complex topography
Authors: Kilpatrick Ryan , Hangan Horia , Siddiqui Kamran , Parvu Dan , Lange Julia , Mann Jakob , Berg Jacob
Published: May 2016

Abstract. A characterization of mean and turbulent flow behaviour over complex topography was conducted using a large-scale (1:25) model of Bolund Hill in the WindEEE Dome at Western University. The specific topographic feature considered was an escarpment. A total of eight unique inflow conditions were tested in order to isolate the impact of key parameters such as Reynolds number, inflow shear profile and upstream effective roughness, on flow behaviour over the escarpment. The results show that the mean flow behaviour was generally not affected by the Reynolds number, however a slight increase in speed-up over the escarpment was observed for cases with lower upstream roughness. The shape of the inflow wind shear profile also had a minor impact on the mean flow near the escarpment. More significant effects were observed in the turbulent flow behaviour, where the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) over the escarpment was found be a strong function of upstream roughness and a weak function of the Reynolds number. The local change in the upstream wind shear was found to have the most significant influence on the TKE magnitude, which more closely approximated the full-scale TKE data, and had not been previously observed in wind tunnel modelling of this topography.
Systemic Importance of Insurance Companies—An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Bansal Anushri
Published: May 2016

Insurance companies are increasingly being regulated under the assumption that, like banks, they pose systemic risk to the overall economy and especially the financial system. This analysis investigates this premise by comparing the systemic importance of insurance companies and the insurance industry with that of banks, brokers, real estate firms, and their respective industries. Empirical results suggest that intra-industry linkages exist among insurance firms, although they are comparatively weaker than those in banking and real estate. Moreover, systemic risks arising from the effects of distress in other economic sectors are lower for insurance companies—although not negligible. Given its size, systemic problems arising over time from the insurance industry would have a very disruptive macroeconomic impact.
The Euro Zone Financial Meltdown and Sub-Saharan Africa’s Financial Sector: Analysis and The Way Forward for Financial Development and Economic Growth
Authors: Chea Ashford C.
Published: May 2016

The purpose of the paper was to assess the effects of the euro zone financial crisis on sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA) financial sector. The evidence showed that the euro zone crisis had limited negative effects on SSA financial sector as a whole. However, individual countries were impacted negatively based on their relative integration into the global financial system and the idiosyncratic responses by policy makers to the crisis. The article begins with a historical perspective and underpinning of the euro zone financial crisis. Next, it presents a brief overview of the euro zone financial sector. This is followed by an analysis of SSA’s financial sector and its exposure to the euro zone crisis. The paper then continues with a discussion of the transmission mechanisms of the crisis to SSA’s financial sector. The article ends with an outline of policy lessons learned from the euro debt crisis, policy implications for SSA’s financial sector, and recommendations for the way forward for financial development and stability in SSA.
Bone Structural Similarity Score: A Multiparametric Tool to Match Properties of Biomimetic Bone Substitutes with their Target Tissues
Authors: Falvo D'Urso Labate Giuseppe , Baino Francesco , Terzini Mara , Audenino Alberto , Vitale-Brovarone Chiara , Segers Patrick , Quarto Rodolfo , Catapano Gerardo
Published: May 2016

Background

One of the hardest tasks in developing or selecting grafts for bone substitution surgery or tissue engineering is to match the structural and mechanical properties of tissue at the recipient site, because of the large variability of tissue properties with anatomical site, sex, age and health conditions of the patient undergoing implantation. We investigated the feasibility of defining a quantitative bone structural similarity score based on differences in the structural properties of synthetic grafts and bone tissue.

Methods

Two biocompatible hydroxyapatite porous scaffolds with different nominal pore sizes were compared with trabecular bone tissues from equine humerus and femur. Images of samples’ structures were acquired by high-resolution micro-computed tomography and analyzed to estimate porosity, pore size distribution and interconnectivity, specific surface area, connectivity density and degree of anisotropy. Young's modulus and stress at break were measured by compression tests. Structural similarity distances between sample pairs were defined based on scaled and weighted differences of the measured properties. Their feasibility was investigated for scoring structural similarity between considered scaffolds or bone tissues.

Results

Manhattan distances and Quadrance generally showed sound and consistent similarities between sample pairs, more clearly than simple statistical comparison and with discriminating capacity similar to image-based scores to assess progression of pathologies affecting bone structure.

Conclusions

The results suggest that a quantitative and objective bone structural similarity score may be defined to help biomaterials scientists fabricate, and surgeons select, the graft or scaffold best mimicking the structure of a given bone tissue.
The Relationship between Mind-Body Dualism and Personal Values
Authors: Grankvist Gunne , Kajonius Petri , Persson Bjorn
Published: May 2016

Dualists view the mind and the body as two fundamental different “things”, equally real and independent of each other. Cartesian thought, or substance dualism, maintains that the mind and body are two different substances, the non-physical and the physical, and a causal relationship is assumed to exist between them. Physicalism, on the other hand, is the idea that everything that exists is either physical or totally dependent of and determined by physical items. Hence, all mental states are fundamentally physical states. In the current study we investigated to what degree Swedish university students’ beliefs in mind-body dualism is explained by the importance they attach to personal values. A self-report inventory was used to measure their beliefs and values. Students who held stronger dualistic beliefs attach less importance to the power value (i.e., the effort to achieve social status, prestige, and control or dominance over people and resources). This finding shows that the strength in laypeople’s beliefs in dualism is partially explained by the importance they attach to personal values.
Waarom evalueren beleidsmakers?
Authors: De Peuter Bart , Pattyn Valérie
Published: May 2016

Why do policy makers evaluate? A longitudinal analysis of evaluation purposes in Flemish ministerial policy notes

The evaluation purpose is decisive for how a policy evaluation is eventually used and deserves more attention in policy evaluation studies. In the present article, we investigated the motives underpinning concrete evaluations, as outlined in four series of Flemish ministerial policy notes that altogether span a 20-year policy period. The most important key finding is that the evaluation purposes are not sensitive to certain modes, neither are they strongly influenced by reforms and corresponding discourse. Despite the introduction of New Public Management oriented reforms in the Flemish public sector and the financial crisis, the relative share of attention that each of the evaluation purposes get has remained relatively unchanged across time. There seems to be a stable demand for ex ante and ex post evaluations and associated evaluation purposes. The common perception of a trend towards ever more evidence-based policy can hence not be confirmed. Remarkable as well is the low share of attention given to ‘accountability’, at least in discourse.
Análise de pesquisas quantitativas sobre os temas comportamento do consumidor e saciação na base de dados Web of Science
Authors: Cervi Cleber , Kieling Ana Paula , Steil Andrea Valéria , Dandolini Gertrudes Aparecida , Souza João Artur
Published: May 2016

This article aims to map quantitative research related to consumer behavior and satiation through the founded resources in the ISI Web of Science’s database. The systematic review founded 731 studies related to satiation in 28 different journals. From this sample, it was aimed to study the quantitative research articles related to consumer behavior and satiation in its content. Through analysis, it was noted experimental research and modeling as the main methods applied in this field. Another interesting fact is that the psychological aspects, especially the cognitive aspects, have received many attention in research related to satiation and consumer behavior. Finally, it has emphasized that investigate the influence of emotions and specific cognitive factors on satiation has promising potential for future research concerning the analyzed subject.
De que forma os consumidores percebem as marcas próprias? Mapa perceptual de marcas próprias de gêneros alimentícios dos três maiores varejistas de alimentos do Brasil
Authors: Furquim Thiago Campos , Paula Verônica Angélica Freitas de , Ruy Marcelo
Published: May 2016

Private labels present an alternative to the manufacturer's brands. Brazilian food retailers have increased the investment in private labels and it is justified as private labels may help develop loyalty, profit margins and competitive differentiation. However, researches concerning the perception of private labels´ image are not common, being possible to highlight some national studies. In this sense, this study aims at investigating how consumers perceive the positioning of private labels offered by the three largest food retailers in Brazil (in terms of gross sales). To achieve these objectives, a perceptual map is developed. It also aims at understanding the respondents´ profile to verify possible differences in the perception of private labels´ image evaluated from demographic variables such as gender and family income. Field research was developed through surveys, aiming to capture the respondents´ perception of private labels in two ways: when the respondent was free to assess the similarity between the studied private labels; and when the evaluation dimensions were given. The analysis of the retailers´ institutional websites was conducted to identify the positioning of each of the studied private labels, namely: Great Value, Bom Preço and Sentir Bem (Walmart); Viver and Carrefour (Carrefour); Extra, Casino, Taeq and Qualitá (Pão de Açúcar). The questionnaire was administered electronically, using "Google Forms". Using a non-probability convenience sampling, 264 completed questionnaires were received. As it was decided to build the perceptual map based only on respondents who evaluated all of the studied private labels, 42 cases (or 15.9% of respondents) were considered. From the results obtained it was possible to group the set of responses into categories and to construct a perceptual map from the general synthesis of two maps: one obtained by overall similarity, and another one obtained by considering the dimensions Variety, Price and Packaging. Both maps were developed using the Multidimensional Scaling. Results show that there is a partial convergence between them and indicate the possibility of another unifying attribute.
A responsabilidade social empresarial e sustentabilidade na América Latina: Brasil e México.
Authors: Lázaro Lira Luz Benites , Gremaud Amaury Patrick
Published: May 2016

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as part of business management in Latin America is a new topic that developed very rapidly in recent decades, driven by globalization, the media and social networks, which demand ethical behavior, respect for human rights and environmental protection from companies. In this context, the paper aims to describe, using the typology proposed by Simon Zadek, the stage in which the CSR issues are situated in two Latin American countries: Brazil and Mexico. The results of the exploratory study showed that the CSR in the two countries are in the stages of emerging and consolidation within the typology about the maturity of the socio-environmental issues in the society.
A qualidade em serviços e a satisfação de clientes: comparação entre a percepção de alunos de graduação e de pós-graduação de uma IES
Authors: Milan Gabriel Sperandio , Eberle Luciene , Corso Anderson , De Toni Deonir
Published: May 2016

The study aimed the main attributes and services quality dimensions identification and evaluation of an HEI (Higher Education Institution), comparing the students’ perception of a Undergraduate and Lato Sensu Graduate courses, which influence in the satisfaction levels with services rendering, its possibility to repurchase and its indication to third parties. Thus, the research was implemented in two phases, a qualitative-exploratory and another quantitative-descriptive phase, with the survey application. By means the Exploratory Factor Analysis, for the Undergraduate students, 10 services quality dimensions were identified, covered by 39 attributes. For the Lato Sensu Graduate courses students, 6 dimensions were identified, consisting of 40 attributes. By identifying and assessing these attributes and services quality dimensions from the students perspective, there is the possibility to contribute to better planning and academic and institutional performance.
The Stubborn System of Moral Responsibility
Authors: Waller Bruce N.
Published: May 2016

An examination of the powerful social and psychological factors that hold the belief in moral responsibility firmly in place.

The philosophical commitment to moral responsibility seems unshakable. But, argues Bruce Waller, the philosophical belief in moral responsibility is much stronger than the philosophical arguments in favor of it. Philosophers have tried to make sense of moral responsibility for centuries, with mixed results. Most contemporary philosophers insist that even conclusive proof of determinism would not and should not result in doubts about moral responsibility. Many embrace compatibilist views, and propose an amazing variety of competing compatibilist arguments for saving moral responsibility. In this provocative book, Waller examines the stubborn philosophical belief in moral responsibility, surveying the philosophical arguments for it but focusing on the system that supports these arguments: powerful social and psychological factors that hold the belief in moral responsibility firmly in place.

Waller argues that belief in moral responsibility is not isolated but rather is a central element of a larger belief system; doubting or rejecting moral responsibility will involve major adjustments elsewhere in a wide range of beliefs and values. Belief in moral responsibility is one strand of a complex and closely woven fabric of belief, comprising threads from biology, psychology, social institutions, criminal justice, religion, and philosophy. These dense interconnections, Waller contends, make it very difficult to challenge the belief in moral responsibility at the center. They not only influence the philosophical arguments in favor of moral responsibility but also add powerful extraphilosophical support for it.
Dynamic Allocation and Pricing
Authors: Gershkov Alex , Moldovanu Benny
Published: May 2016

A new approach to dynamic allocation and pricing that blends dynamic paradigms from the operations research and management science literature with classical mechanism design methods.

Dynamic allocation and pricing problems occur in numerous frameworks, including the pricing of seasonal goods in retail, the allocation of a fixed inventory in a given period of time, and the assignment of personnel to incoming tasks. Although most of these problems deal with issues treated in the mechanism design literature, the modern revenue management (RM) literature focuses instead on analyzing properties of restricted classes of allocation and pricing schemes. In this book, Alex Gershkov and Benny Moldovanu propose an approach to optimal allocations and prices based on the theory of mechanism design, adapted to dynamic settings.

Drawing on their own recent work on the topic, the authors describe a modern theory of RM that blends the elegant dynamic models from the operations research (OR), management science, and computer science literatures with techniques from the classical mechanism design literature. Illustrating this blending of approaches, they start with well-known complete information, nonstrategic dynamic models that yield elegant explicit solutions. They then add strategic agents that are privately informed and then examine the consequences of these changes on the optimization problem of the designer. Their sequential modeling of both nonstrategic and strategic logic allows a clear picture of the delicate interplay between dynamic trade-offs and strategic incentives. Topics include the sequential assignment of heterogeneous objects, dynamic revenue optimization with heterogeneous objects, revenue maximization in the stochastic and dynamic knapsack model, the interaction between learning about demand and dynamic efficiency, and dynamic models with long-lived, strategic agents.
Plastic Water
Authors: Hawkins Gay , Potter Emily , Race Kane
Published: May 2016

How and why branded bottles of water have insinuated themselves into our daily lives, and what the implications are for safe urban water supplies.

How did branded bottles of water insinuate themselves into our daily lives? Why did water become an economic good—no longer a common resource but a commercial product, in industry parlance a “fast moving consumer good,” or FMCG? Plastic Water examines the processes behind this transformation. It goes beyond the usual political and environmental critiques of bottled water to investigate its multiplicity, examining a bottle of water's simultaneous existence as, among other things, a product, personal health resource, object of boycotts, and part of accumulating waste matter. Throughout, the book focuses on the ontological dimensions of drinking bottled water—the ways in which this habit enacts new relations and meanings that may interfere with other drinking water practices.

The book considers the assemblage and emergence of a mass market for water, from the invention of the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle in 1973 to the development of “hydration science” that accompanied the rise of jogging in the United States. It looks at what bottles do in the world, tracing drinking and disposal practices in three Asian cities with unreliable access to safe water: Bangkok, Chennai, and Hanoi. And it considers the possibility of ethical drinking, examining campaigns to “say no” to the bottle and promote the consumption of tap water in Canada, the United States, and Australia.
Modeling Cities and Regions as Complex Systems
Authors: White Roger , Engelen Guy , Uljee Inge
Published: May 2016

The theory and practice of modeling cities and regions as complex, self-organizing systems, presenting widely used cellular automata-based models, theoretical discussions, and applications.

Cities and regions grow (or occasionally decline), and continuously transform themselves as they do so. This book describes the theory and practice of modeling the spatial dynamics of urban growth and transformation. As cities are complex, adaptive, self-organizing systems, the most appropriate modeling framework is one based on the theory of self-organizing systems—an approach already used in such fields as physics and ecology. The book presents a series of models, most of them developed using cellular automata (CA), which are inherently spatial and computationally efficient. It also provides discussions of the theoretical, methodological, and philosophical issues that arise from the models. A case study illustrates the use of these models in urban and regional planning. Finally, the book presents a new, dynamic theory of urban spatial structure that emerges from the models and their applications.

The models are primarily land use models, but the more advanced ones also show the dynamics of population and economic activities, and are integrated with models in other domains such as economics, demography, and transportation. The result is a rich and realistic representation of the spatial dynamics of a variety of urban phenomena. The book is unique in its coverage of both the general issues associated with complex self-organizing systems and the specifics of designing and implementing models of such systems.