bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Global Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Epidemic: What a Radiologist Needs to Know
Authors: Pereira Keith , Salsamendi Jason , Casillas Javier
Published: May 2015

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a spectrum of disorders from a benign steatosis to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Metabolic syndrome, mainly obesity, plays an important role, both as an independent risk factor and in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. With the progressive epidemics of obesity and diabetes mellitus, the prevalence of NAFLD and its associated complications is expected to increase dramatically. Therapeutic strategies for treating NAFLD and metabolic syndrome, particularly obesity, are continuously being refined. Their goal is the prevention of NAFLD by the management of risk factors, prevention of progression of the disease, as well as management of complications, ultimately preventing morbidity and mortality. Optimal management of NAFLD and metabolic syndrome requires a multidisciplinary collaboration between the government as well as the health system including the nutritionist, primary care physician, radiologist, hepatologist, oncologist, and transplant surgeon. An awareness of the clinical presentation, risk factors, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management is of paramount importance to a radiologist, both from the clinical perspective as well as from the imaging standpoint. With expertise in imaging modalities as well as minimally invasive percutaneous endovascular therapies, radiologists play an essential role in the comprehensive management, which is highlighted in this article, with cases from our practice. We also briefly discuss transarterial embolization of the left gastric artery (LGA), a novel method that promises to have an enormous potential in the minimally invasive management of obesity, with details of a case from our practice.
Hand Strength, Handwriting, and Functional Skills in Children With Autism
Authors: Alaniz Michele L. , Galit Eleanor , Necesito Corina Isabel , Rosario Emily R.
Published: May 2015

OBJECTIVE. To establish hand strength development trends in children with autism and to investigate correlations between grip and pinch strength, components of handwriting, and functional activities in children with and without autism.

METHOD. Fifty-one children were divided into two groups: typically developing children and children on the autism spectrum. Each child completed testing for pinch and grip strength, handwriting legibility, pencil control, and independence in functional activities.

RESULTS. The children with autism followed the same strength development trends as the typically developing children. Grip strength correlated with pencil control in both groups and with handwriting legibility in the typically developing children but not in the children with autism. Grip and pinch strength correlated with independence with functional activities in both groups.

CONCLUSION. This study provides evidence that grip and pinch strength are important components in developing pencil control, handwriting legibility, and independence with functional fine motor tasks.
Transgenerational Trauma and Cyclical Haunting in Pat Barker’s Regeneration Trilogy
Authors: Atkinson Meera
Published: May 2015

‘The poetics of trans-trauma’ is my abbreviation for writing that embodies the familial transgenerational transmission of trauma and its relationship to cultural and collective operations of trauma and affect. Drawing primarily on Pat Barker's Regeneration Trilogy, this essay explores the poetics of what I call ‘cyclical haunting’—a term that describes the way historic and social traumatic affect feeds into subjective and familial experience, and in turn plays out past these interpersonal realms to networks beyond: events, movements, collectives, institutions, milieus, trends, communities, politics, creeds, religions, genders, sub-cultures, nations and relations between humanity and the planet it inhabits. I argue that Barker's trilogy, though apparently conventional, if masterful, in form and language, is radical in its testimony to the complexity and of such cycles, and that as such it stands as a vital cultural analysis and political account.
Thoughts on Water
Authors: Muru-Lanning Marama
Published: May 2015

A review of Cecilia Ming Si Chen,  Janine MacLeod and Astrida Neimanis (eds), Thinking with Water (McGill-Queens University Press, 2013).
What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love (Punks)
Authors: Myers Debra , Palmer Dave
Published: May 2015

This article explores the development and creative outcomes of the Yijala Yala Project. This project was created in the Pilbara region as a long-term, inter-generational, multi-platform arts project that set out to highlight cultural heritage as living, continually evolving and in the ‘here and now’ rather than something static. The project name Yijala Yala means ‘now’ in the two main regional languages of Yindjibarndi and Ngarluma. Yijala Yala works with members of the local Aboriginal community to create content that reflects cultural heritage in new ways, and is also created using new methods of teaching and skill-building.Yijala Yala has created content in the following media: films, music, recordings, photographs, books, animation and apps. A major artistic outcome of the project is the beautiful operatic, cross-cultural, multi-media performance work Hipbone Sticking Out, which has played in the Centenary of Canberra Festival and the Melbourne Festival, as well as in Roebourne and Perth.
Yarljyirrpa (Clever People)
Authors: Taylor Curtis
Published: May 2015

Curtis Taylor, an award-winning Martu digital media artist and young leader, was unable to attend Same but Different  in 2012 in person and instead provided the forum with a pre-recorded video presentation. Co-convener Lisa Stefanoff offered Curtis five questions for reflection in advance. The video accessible here offers his answers in full.
Technical Note: Optical properties of desert aerosol with non-spherical mineral particles: data incorporated to OPAC
Authors: Koepke P. , Gasteiger J. , Hess M.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Mineral particles, in general, are not spheres and so the assumption of spherical particles, instead of more realistic shapes, has significant effects on modeled optical properties and therefore on remote-sensing procedures for desert aerosol and the derived radiative forcing. Thus, in a new version of the database OPAC (Optical Properties of Aerosols and Clouds; Hess et al., 1998), the optical properties of the mineral particles are modeled describing the particles as spheroids with size dependent aspect ratio distributions, but with the size distributions and the spectral refractive indices not changed against the previous version of OPAC. The spheroid assumption is known to substantially improve the scattering functions but pays regard to the limited knowledge on particle shapes in an actual case. The relative deviations of the optical properties of non-spherical mineral particles from those of spherical particles are for the phase function in the solar spectral range up to +60% at scattering angles of about 130° and up to −60% in the backscatter region, but less than 2% for the asymmetry parameter. The deviations are generally small in the thermal infrared and for optical properties that are independent of the scattering angle. The improved version of OPAC (4.0) is freely available at www.rascin.net.
Temporal and spatial scaling impacts on extreme precipitation
Authors: Eggert B. , Berg P. , Haerter J. O. , Jacob D. , Moseley C.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Convective and stratiform precipitation events have fundamentally different physical causes. Using a radar composite over Germany, this study separates these precipitation types and compares extremes at different spatial and temporal scales, ranging from 1 to 50 km and 5 min to 6 h, respectively. Four main objectives are addressed. First, we investigate extreme precipitation intensities for convective and stratiform precipitation events at different spatial and temporal resolutions to identify type-dependent space and time reduction factors and to analyze regional and seasonal differences over Germany. We find strong differences between the types, with up to 30% higher reduction factors for convective compared to stratiform extremes, exceeding all other observed seasonal and regional differences within one type. Second, we investigate how the differences in reduction factors affect the contribution of each type to extreme events as a whole, again dependent on the scale and the threshold chosen. A clear shift occurs towards more convective extremes at higher resolution or higher percentiles. For horizontal resolutions of current climate model simulations, i.e., ~10 km, the temporal resolution of the data as well as the chosen threshold have profound influence on which type of extreme will be statistically dominant. Third, we compare the ratio of area to duration reduction factor for convective and stratiform events and find that convective events have lower effective advection velocities than stratiform events and are therefore more strongly affected by spatial than by temporal aggregation. Finally, we discuss the entire precipitation distribution regarding data aggregation and identify matching pairs of temporal and spatial resolutions where similar distributions are observed. The information is useful for planning observational networks or storing model data at different temporal and spatial scales.
Evaluation of updated nitric acid chemistry on ozone precursors and radiative effects
Authors: Seltzer K. M. , Vizuete W. , Henderson B. H.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. This study shows that revising the reaction rate of NO2 + HO· → HNO3 improves simulated nitrogen partitioning and changes the simulated radiative effects of several short-lived climate forcers (SLCF). Both laboratory and field study analyses have found that the reaction rate should be reduced by 13–30% from current recommendations. We evaluate the GEOS-Chem model over North America with and without the recommended update using observations from the Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment – North America (INTEX-NA) Phase A campaign. Revising the NO2 + HO· → HNO3 rate coefficient improves model performance of oxidized nitrogen partitioning by increasing NOx concentrations in the upper troposphere and decreasing HNO3 throughout the troposphere. The increase in NOx concentrations has a corresponding global increase in O3 concentrations and local increases in sulfate aerosols, causing a perturbation in simulated radiative effects. These findings demonstrate the positive influence the mechanism update has on the partitioning of oxidized nitrogen species, the benefits it provides when compared to aircraft observations, and the simulated radiative effects that the reduction induces.
Modeling study on the transport of summer dust and anthropogenic aerosols over the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Liu Y. , Sato Y. , Jia R. , Xie Y. , Huang J. , Nakajima T.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is located at the juncture of several important natural and anthropogenic aerosol sources. Satellites have observed substantial dust and anthropogenic aerosols in the atmosphere during summer over the TP. These aerosols have distinct effects on the earth's energy balance, microphysical cloud properties, and precipitation rates. To investigate the transport of summer dust and anthropogenic aerosols over the TP, we combined the Spectral Radiation-Transport Model for Aerosol Species (SPRINTARS) with a non-hydrostatic regional model (NHM). The model simulation shows heavily loaded dust aerosols over the northern slope and anthropogenic aerosols over the southern slope and to the east of the TP. The dust aerosols are primarily mobilized around the Taklimakan Desert, where a portion of the aerosols are transported eastward due to the northwesterly current; simultaneously, a portion of the particles are transported northward when a second northwesterly current becomes northeasterly because of the topographic blocking of the northern slope of the TP. Because of the strong upward current, dust plumes can extend upward to approximately 7–8 km a.s.l. over the northern slope of the TP. When a dust event occurs, anthropogenic aerosols that entrain into the southwesterly current via the Indian summer monsoon are transported from India to the southern slope of the TP. Simultaneously, a large amount of anthropogenic aerosols is also transported from eastern China to east of the TP by easterly winds. An investigation on the transport of dust and anthropogenic aerosols over the plateau may provide the basis for determining aerosol impacts on summer monsoons and climate systems.
Ceilometer aerosol profiling versus Raman lidar in the frame of the INTERACT campaign of ACTRIS
Authors: Madonna F. , Amato F. , Vande Hey J. , Pappalardo G.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Despite their differences from more advanced and more powerful lidars, the low construction and operation cost of ceilometers (originally designed for cloud base height monitoring) has fostered their use for the quantitative study of aerosol properties. The large number of ceilometers available worldwide represents a strong motivation to investigate both the extent to which they can be used to fill in the geographical gaps between advanced lidar stations and also how their continuous data flow can be linked to existing networks of the more advanced lidars, like EARLINET (European Aerosol Research Lidar Network). In this paper, multi-wavelength Raman lidar measurements are used to investigate the capability of ceilometers to provide reliable information about atmospheric aerosol properties through the INTERACT (INTERcomparison of Aerosol and Cloud Tracking) campaign carried out at the CNR-IMAA Atmospheric Observatory (760 m a.s.l., 40.60° N, 15.72° E), in the framework of the ACTRIS (Aerosol Clouds Trace gases Research InfraStructure) FP7 project. This work is the first time that three different commercial ceilometers with an advanced Raman lidar are compared over a period of 6 months. The comparison of the attenuated backscatter coefficient profiles from a multi-wavelength Raman lidar and three ceilometers (CHM15k, CS135s, CT25K) reveals differences due to the expected discrepancy in the signal to noise ratio (SNR) but also due to changes in the ambient temperature on the short and mid-term stability of ceilometer calibration. Therefore, technological improvements are needed to move ceilometers towards operational use in the monitoring of atmospheric aerosols in the low and free troposphere.
Ground based lidar and microwave radiometry synergy for high vertically resolved thermodynamic profiling
Authors: Barrera-Verdejo M. , Crewell S. , Löhnert U. , Orlandi E. , Di Girolamo P.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Continuous monitoring of atmospheric humidity and temperature profiles is important for many applications, e.g. assessment of atmospheric stability and cloud formation. While lidar measurements can provide high vertical resolution albeit with limited coverage, microwave radiometers receive information throughout the troposphere though their vertical resolution is poor. In order to overcome these specific limitations the synergy of a Microwave Radiometer (MWR) and a Raman Lidar (RL) system is presented in this work. The retrieval algorithm that combines these two instruments is an Optimal Estimation Method (OEM) that allows for a uncertainty analysis of the retrieved profiles. The OEM combines measurements and a priori information taking the uncertainty of both into account. The measurement vector consists of a set of MWR brightness temperatures and RL water vapor profiles. The method is applied for a two month field campaign around Jülich, Germany for clear sky periods. Different experiments are performed to analyse the improvements achieved via the synergy compared to the individual retrievals. When applying the combined retrieval, on average the theoretically determined absolute humidity error can be reduced by 59.8% (37.9%) with respect to the retrieval using only-MWR (only-RL) data. The analysis in terms of degrees of freedom for signal reveals that most information is gained above the usable lidar range. The retrieved profiles are further evaluated using radiosounding and GPS water vapor measurements. Within a single case study we also explore the potential of the OEM for deriving the relative humidity profile, which is especially interesting to study cloud formation in the vicinity of cloud edges. To do so temperature information is added both from RL and MWR. For temperature, it is shown that the error is reduced by 47.1% (24.6%) with respect to the only-MWR (only-RL) profile. Due to the use of MWR brightness temperatures at multiple elevation angles, the MWR provides significant information below the lidar overlap region as shown by the degrees of freedom for signal. Therefore it might be sufficient to combine RL water vapor with multi-angle, multi-wavelength MWR for the retrieval of relative humidity, however, long-term studies are necessary in the future. In general, the benefit of the sensor combination is especially strong in regions where Raman Lidar data is not available (i.e. overlap region, poor signal to noise ratio), whereas if both instruments are available, RL dominates the retrieval.
Atmospheric water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON) over marine environments: a global perspective
Authors: Violaki K. , Sciare J. , Williams J. , Baker A. R. , Martino M. , Mihalopoulos N.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. To obtain a comprehensive picture of the spatial distribution of water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON) in marine aerosols, samples were collected during research cruises in the tropical and southern Atlantic Ocean and also in the southern Indian Ocean (Amsterdam Island) for a 1-year period (2005). Samples were analyzed for both organic and inorganic forms of nitrogen, and the factors controlling their levels were examined. Fine-mode WSON was found to play a significant role in the remote marine atmosphere with enhanced biogenic activity, with concentrations of WSON (11.3 ± 3.3 nmol N m−3) accounting for about 84 % of the total dissolved nitrogen (TDN). Such concentrations are similar to those observed in the polluted marine atmosphere of the eastern Mediterranean (11.6 ± 14.0 nmol N m−3). Anthropogenic activities were found to be an important source of atmospheric WSON as evidenced by the levels in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) being 10 times higher than in the remote Southern Hemisphere (SH). Furthermore, the higher contribution of fine-mode WSON to TDN (51%) in the SH, compared to the NH (13%), underlines the important role of organic nitrogen in remote marine areas. Finally, there was a strong association of WSON with dust in coarse-mode aerosols in the NH.
The influence of C3 and C4 vegetation on soil organic matter dynamics in contrasting semi-natural tropical ecosystems
Authors: Saiz G. , Bird M. , Wurster C. , Quesada C. A. , Ascough P. , Domingues T. , Schrodt F. , Schwarz M. , Feldpausch T. R. , Veenendaal E. , Djagbletey G. , Jacobsen G. , Hien F. , Compaore H. , Diallo A. , Lloyd J.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Variations in the carbon isotopic composition of soil organic matter (SOM) in bulk and fractionated samples were used to assess the influence of C3 and C4 vegetation on SOM dynamics in semi-natural tropical ecosystems sampled along a precipitation gradient in West Africa. Differential patterns in SOM dynamics in C3/C4 mixed ecosystems occurred at various spatial scales. Relative changes in C / N ratios between two contrasting SOM fractions were used to evaluate potential site-scale differences in SOM dynamics between C3- and C4-dominated locations. These differences were strongly controlled by soil texture across the precipitation gradient, with a function driven by bulk δ13C and sand content explaining 0.63 of the observed variability. The variation of δ13C with soil depth indicated a greater accumulation of C3-derived carbon with increasing precipitation, with this trend being also strongly dependant on soil characteristics. The influence of vegetation thickening on SOM dynamics was also assessed in two adjacent, but structurally contrasting, transitional ecosystems occurring on comparable soils to minimise confounding effects posed by climatic and edaphic factors. Radiocarbon analyses of sand-size aggregates yielded relatively short mean residence times (τ) even deep in the soil, while the most stable SOM fraction associated to silt and clay exhibited shorter τ in the savanna woodland than in the neighbouring forest stand. These results together with the vertical variation observed in δ13C values, strongly suggest that both ecosystems are undergoing a rapid transition towards denser closed canopy formations. However, vegetation thickening varied in intensity at each site and exerted contrasting effects on SOM dynamics. This study shows that the interdependence between biotic and abiotic factors ultimately determine whether SOM dynamics of C3- and C4-derived vegetation are at variance in ecosystems where both vegetation types coexist. The results highlight the far-reaching implications that vegetation thickening may have for the stability of deep SOM.
Stratification of surface waters during the last glacial millennial climatic events: a key factor in subsurface and deep water mass dynamics
Authors: Wary M. , Eynaud F. , Marjolaine S. , Zaragosi S. , Rossignol L. , Malaizé B. , Palis E. , Zumaque J. , Caulle C. , Penaud A. , Michel E. , Charlier K.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. The last glacial period was punctuated by abrupt climatic events with extrema known as Heinrich Events and Dansgaard–Oeschger cycles. These millennial events have been the subject of many paleoreconstructions and model experiments in the past decades, but yet the hydrological processes involved remain elusive. In the present work, high resolution analyses were conducted on the 12–42 ka BP section of core MD99-2281 retrieved Southwest off Faeroes. Our multiproxy approach, coupling micropaleontological, geochemical and sedimentological analyses, allows us to track surface, subsurface, and deep hydrological processes occurring during these rapid climatic changes. Records indicate that the coldest episodes of the studied period (Greenland stadials and Heinrich stadials) were characterized by a strong stratification of surface waters. This surface stratification seems to have played a key role in the dynamics of subsurface and deep water masses. Indeed, periods of high surface stratification are marked by a coupling of subsurface and deep circulations which sharply weaken at the beginning of stadials while surface conditions progressively deteriorate throughout these cold episodes; at the opposite, periods of decreasing surface stratification (Greenland interstadials) are characterized by a coupling of surface and deep hydrological processes with progressively milder surface conditions and gradual intensification of the deep circulation while the vigor of the subsurface Atlantic inflow remains constantly high. Our results also reveal different and atypical hydrological signatures during Heinrich stadials (HS): while HS1 and HS4 exhibit a "usual" scheme with reduced overturning circulation, a relatively active North Atlantic circulation seems to have prevailed during HS2, and HS3 seems to have experienced a re-intensification of this circulation at mid-event. Our findings thus bring valuable information to better understand hydrological processes occurring in a key area during the abrupt climatic shifts of the last glacial period.
Transferring global uncertainty estimates from gauged to ungauged catchments
Authors: Bourgin F. , Andréassian V. , Perrin C. , Oudin L.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Predicting streamflow hydrographs in ungauged catchments is challenging, and accompanying the estimates with realistic uncertainty bounds is an even more complex task. In this paper, we present a method to transfer global uncertainty estimates from gauged to ungauged catchments and we test it over a set of 907 catchments located in France, using two rainfall–runoff models. We evaluate the quality of the uncertainty estimates based on three expected qualities: reliability, sharpness, and overall skill. The robustness of the method to the availability of information on gauged catchments was also evaluated using a hydrometrical desert approach. Our results show that the method presents advantageous perspectives, providing reliable and sharp uncertainty bounds at ungauged locations in a majority of cases.
Trends in West African floods: a comparative analysis with rainfall and vegetation indices
Authors: Nka B. N. , Oudin L. , Karambiri H. , Paturel J. E. , Ribstein P.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. After the drought of the 1970s in West Africa, the variability of rainfall and land use changes affected mostly flow, and recently flooding has been said to be an increasingly common occurrence throughout the whole of West Africa. These changes raised many questions about the impact of climate change on the flood regimes in West African countries. This paper investigates whether floods are becoming more frequent or more severe, and to what extent climate patterns have been responsible for these changes. We analyzed the trends in the floods occurring in 14 catchments within West Africa's main climate zone. The methodology includes two methods for sampling flood events, namely the AM (annual maximum) method and the POT (peak over threshold), and two perspectives of analysis are presented: long-term analysis based on two long flood time series, and a regional perspective involving 14 catchments with shorter series. The Mann–Kendall trend test and the Pettitt break test were used to assess time series stationarity. The trends detected in flood time series were compared to the rainfall index trends and vegetation indices using contingency tables, in order to identify the main driver of change in flood magnitude and flood frequency. The relation between the flood index and the physiographic index was evaluated through a success criterion and the Cramer criterion calculated from the contingency tables. The results point out the existence of trends in flood magnitude and flood frequency time series with two main patterns. Sahelian floods show increasing flood trends and some Sudanian catchments present decreasing flood trends. For the overall catchments studied, the maximum 5 day consecutive rainfall index (Rx5d) seems to follow the flood trend, while the NDVI indices do not show a significant link with the flood trends, meaning that this index has no impact in the behavior of floods in the region.
Optimality and inference in hydrology from entropy production considerations: synthetic hillslope numerical experiments
Authors: Kollet S. J.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. In this study, entropy production optimization and inference principles are applied to a synthetic semi-arid hillslope in high-resolution, physics-based simulations. The results suggest that entropy or power is indeed maximized, because of the strong nonlinearity of variably saturated flow and competing processes related to soil moisture fluxes, the depletion of gradients, and the movement of a free water table. Thus, it appears that the maximum entropy production (MEP) principle may indeed be applicable to hydrologic systems. In the application to hydrologic system, the free water table constitutes an important degree of freedom in the optimization of entropy production and may also relate the theory to actual observations. In an ensuing analysis, an attempt is made to transfer the complex, "microscopic" hillslope model into a macroscopic model of reduced complexity using the MEP principle as an interference tool to obtain effective conductance coefficients and forces/gradients. The results demonstrate a new approach for the application of MEP to hydrologic systems and may form the basis for fruitful discussions and research in future.
Photopolarimetric retrievals of snow properties
Authors: Ottaviani M. , van Diedenhoven B. , Cairns B.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Polarimetric observations of snow surfaces, obtained in the 410–2264 nm range with the Research Scanning Polarimeter onboard the NASA ER-2 high-altitude aircraft, are analyzed and presented. These novel measurements are of interest to the remote sensing community because the overwhelming brightness of snow plagues aerosol and cloud retrievals based on air- and space-borne total reflection measurements. The spectral signatures of the polarized reflectance of snow are therefore worthwhile investigating in order to provide guidance for the adaptation of algorithms currently employed for the retrieval of aerosol properties over soil and vegetated surfaces. At the same time, the increased information content of polarimetric measurements allows for a meaningful characterization of the snow medium. In our case, the grains are modeled as hexagonal prisms of variable aspect ratios and microscale roughness, yielding retrievals of the grains' scattering asymmetry parameter, shape and size. The results agree with our previous findings based on a more limited dataset, with the majority of retrievals leading to moderately rough crystals of extreme aspect ratios, for each scene corresponding to a single value of the asymmetry parameter.
Reflecting on the place of dialogue and the nature of adult motivations within early childhood research
Authors: Tallant Laura
Published: May 2015

AbstractBook review: Albon, D. & Rosen, R. (2014) Negotiating Adult - Child Relationships in Early Childhood Research, London: Routledge.This book review focuses on a number of themes highlighted within the book. Firstly, it discusses the authors’ suggestion that Bakhtin can assist researchers in addressing entrenched, authoritative assumptions in an attempt to gain fresh perspectives. It moves on to consider the authors’ view on how researchers might valuably reframe common research activities, in order that research with young children reflects the dialogic nature of research relationships.
Metal-Tech Ltd. v. Republic of Uzbekistan (ICSID)
Authors: Lazic Djurdja , Moarbes Charbel
Published: May 2015

In Metal-Tech Ltd. v. Republic of Uzbekistan, an International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) panel unanimously dismissed an investment claim by an Israeli investor filed pursuant to the Israel-Uzbekistan Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) against Uzbekistan. The tribunal concluded that it lacked jurisdiction to hear the dispute because the investment was not “implemented,” i.e., “established” in accordance with the laws and regulations of Uzbekistan as it was the result of corrupt practices by the investor. To reach this conclusion, the tribunal relied, inter alia, on the requirement of consent as set forth in Article 46 of the ICSID Convention. Ultimately, the tribunal decided that as a consequence of having no jurisdiction over the claims, it had no jurisdiction over Uzbekistan’s counterclaims.
Self-reseeding annual legumes for cover cropping in rainfed managed olive orchards
Authors: Rodrigues M. Ângelo , Ferreira Isabel Q. , Freitas Sara L. , Pires Jaime M. , Arrobas Margarida P.
Published: May 2015

Given the environmental impact of nitrogen (N)-fertilizer manufacture and use, the sustainable management of agro-systems should be sought by growing N-fixing legumes. In this work, eleven self-reseeding annual legumes were grown in pure stands as mulching cover crops in a rainfed olive orchard managed without grazing animals. Dry matter yield, N content in above-ground biomass, groundcover percentage and persistence of the sown species were assessed during four growing seasons. All covers provided enough soil protection over the year, with living plants during the autumn/winter period and a mulch of dead residues during the summer. The legumes overcame a false break observed in the third year recovering the dominance of the covers in the fourth growing season. This means that the seed bank established in previous seasons ensured the persistence of the sown legume even when a gap in seed production occurred. The early-maturing cultivars produced less biomass and fixed less N (approx. 50 kg N/ha/yr present in the above-ground biomass) than the late-maturing ones, but would compete less for water since the growing cycle finished earlier in the spring. They seem best suited to being grown in dry farmed olive orchards with low N demand in drought prone regions.
Genetic relationships between interspecific lines derived from Oryza glaberrima and Oryza sativa crosses using microsatellites and agro-morphological markers
Authors: Moukoumbi Yonnelle D. , Kolade Olufisayo , Drame Khady N. , Sie Moussa , Ndjiondjop Marie Noelle
Published: May 2015

New Rice(s) for Africa (NERICA) are high yielding rice varieties mostly cultivated in Sub-Saharan Africa and developed by the Africa Rice Center. This study is aimed at investigating the proportion of introgression of parental genomic contribution of 60 lowland NERICA varieties and establishment of molecular profiling. Agro-morphological data from 17 characteristics was recorded and significant (p<0.05) to high significant (p<0.0001) differences were obtained with leaf length and width, plant height at maturity, days to heading, maturity, primary and secondary branching of panicles, and grain width and grain thickness. A total of 114 microsatellite polymorphic markers covering 2183.13 cM of the rice genome showed the proportions of alleles introgressed from the donor parent (Oryza glaberrima) into 52 lowland NERICA lines (TOG5681 and IR64) as follows: 11% for BC2, 6.07% for BC3, and 7.55% for BC4. The introgression proportions for the eight remaining lowland NERICA lines derived from other crosses ranged from 5.5 to 11.3%. The proportion recorded with the recurrent parent was 83.99%. The highest introgression proportions of the O. glaberrima allele for all 60 lowland NERICA lines were found on chromosomes 2, 6 and 12 (TOG5681/IR64) and on chromosome 3 with NERIC-L-29 (TOG5681/IR1529-680-3-2). Multivariate analyses performed using an association of agro-morphological and molecular data revealed two major groups according to the distribution of the lowland NERICAs including the lowland NERICAs released were found in cluster 1 of the dendrogram. Genetic and genomic studies, QTL identification and analysis using agro-morphologically significant traits revealed should be used to develop mega-varieties adapted in rice growth conditions in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Analysis of fruit and oil quantity and quality distribution in high-density olive trees in order to improve the mechanical harvesting process
Authors: Castillo-Ruiz Francisco J. , Jiménez-Jiménez Francisco , Blanco-Roldán Gregorio L. , Sola-Guirado Rafael R. , Agüera-Vega Juan , Castro-Garcia Sergio
Published: May 2015

Olive fruit production and oil quality distribution with respect to canopy distribution are important criteria for selection and improvement of mechanical harvesting methods. Tests were performed in a high-density olive orchard (Olea europea L., cv. Arbequina) in southern Spain. Fruit distribution, fruit properties and oil parameters were measured by taken separate samples for each canopy location and tree. Results showed a high percentage of fruits and oil located in the middle-outer and upper canopy, representing more than 60% of total production. The position of these fruits along with their higher weight per fruit, maturity index and polyphenol content make them the target for all mechanical harvesting systems. The fruits from the lower canopy represented close to 30% of fruit and oil production, however, the mechanical harvesting of these fruits is inefficient for mechanical harvesting systems. Whether these fruits cannot be properly harvested, enhance tree training to raise their position is recommended. Fruits located inside the canopy are not a target location for mechanical harvesting systems as they were a small percentage of the total fruit (<10%). Significant differences were found for polyphenol content with respect to canopy height, although this was not the case with acidity. In addition, the ripening index did not influence polyphenol content and acidity values within the canopy. Fruit production, properties and oil quality varied depending on fruit canopy position. Thus harvesting systems may be targeted at maximize harvesting efficiency including an adequate tree training system adapted to the harvesting system.
Short communication: Prediction of apparent metabolisable energy content of cereal grains and by-products for poultry from its chemical composition
Authors: Losada Beatriz , De Blas Carlos , García-Rebollar Paloma , Cachaldora Pilar , Méndez Jesús , Ibañez Miguel
Published: May 2015

In order to predict the metabolisable energy content of ninety batches of cereal grains and cereal by-products for poultry, regression models derived from different sample aggregations and using chemical components as independent variables were compared. Several statistics have been calculated to estimate the error of prediction. The results indicate that the highest levels of significance and coefficients of determination were obtained for equations derived from the larger data sets. However, the lowest prediction errors were associated to equations calculated for data or groups of data closer to the ingredient studied.
Characterization of a newly established aggregation of the invasive ladybeetle Harmonia axyridis and current status of the invader in Spain
Authors: Pons Xavier , Roca Meritxell , Lumbierres Belén , Lucas Éric
Published: May 2015

The multicoloured Asian ladybeetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), an invasive biocontrol agent introduced in North and South America, as well as in Europe for aphid control, drastically affected assemblages of native coccinellid species, local communities and people. Although the insect is common in several European countries and it was released in Spain for aphid control in 1995, no evidence of population establishment has been reported until 2011. In the present paper, 1) we summarize the records of the invasive ladybeetle in Spain and provide numerous new mentions, and 2) we follow for the first time an overwintering aggregation from autumn to spring and characterize some individual features which allow us to determine its phenology of the establishment and spreading. The results establish clearly that: 1) H. axyridis is (until now) restricted to Catalonia (NE Spain) but the invading process is in progress and the insect is able to occupy different habitats; 2) the ladybeetle overwinters successfully in Spain without significant natural mortality or parasitism; 3) the form succinea represents 73-81% of the overwintering individuals, and 4) the invasion takes probably its origin from Southern France. The potential impact of the invasion by H. axyridis in Spain is discussed.
Mature seeds for in vitro sanitation of the Grapevine leafroll associated virus (GLRaV-1 and GLRaV-3) from grape (Vitis vinifera L.)
Authors: Peiró Rosa , Gammoudi Najet , Yuste Alberto , Olmos Antonio , Gisbert Carmina
Published: May 2015

The conservation of old grapevine varieties is important since they are adapted to specific climate conditions and may carry genes interesting to breeders. As virus infection is common in grapevine varieties, the use of virus free materials is of great importance. In this work, we used somatic embryogenesis for the sanitation of GLRaV-1 and GLRaV-3 viruses that were found after analyzing the putative presence of the five most common, economically important grape viruses by real-time multiplex RT-PCR in the old cultivar “Grumet Negre”. Unopened and opened inflorescences, fecundated ovaries, and, also, mature seeds were used as starting explants. Explants were cultured on plates with two embryogenesis induction media (Nitsch & McCown Woody plant medium) that contained the growth regulator thidiazuron and differed in their salt and vitamin compositions. One half of each kind of explant was cut prior to being cultured. After five months of culture, embryos had only developed from seeds that were cut previous to sowing. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that mature seeds have been used for inducing embryogenesis in grape. A total of 42% of the embryos transferred to tubes for germination regenerated into normal plantlets. The absence of both the GLRaV-1 and GLRaV-3 viruses in all regenerated plants was confirmed by real-time uniplex RT-PCR. So, this protocol can be used for sanitation and also for micropropagation.
Nation, Gender, Class: Celebrity Culture and the Performance of Identity in the Balkans
Authors: Luthar Breda , Trdina Andreja
Published: May 2015

In this article, we explore performance and the “dramatic realization” of local female social elites in popular mass-market magazines in Slovenia and Croatia between 2008 and 2011. We argue that popular culture—and, more specifically, celebrity discourse—is one of the central locations for analyzing cultural shifts in gender, nationality, and class in postsocialist society. At the center of the discussion is the argument that ethnicity should not be seen as an independent social process; the rise of national distinctions in the Balkans and the reframing of the nation need to be examined by stressing the rearticulations of class, ethnicity, and gender as they are experienced as organizing categories of social differences. We focus on two genres: social chronicles, or “society pages,” and photo interviews with elite professionals. We investigate the key intersections of gender, class, and nationality and, more generally, reflect on the transformations in discourses of Balkan identity.
Serbia in the Mirror: Parodying Political and Media Discourses
Authors: Petrović Tanja
Published: May 2015

This article analyzes the Serbian fake news site Njuz.net, exploring the dynamics of its production, consumption, and appropriation in Serbian postsocialist, pre-EU-accession society. The increasing presence and importance of parodic media genres and the embrace of satire as a viable way to interpret and deal with social and political reality are explained in terms of both Serbia's historical trajectory and its media landscape as well as the global neo-liberal condition. Njuz.net's parody sheds critical light on various political, public, and social subjects simultaneously. Its satire communicates with multiple audiences and enables identification and detachment on several levels, a fact that makes the effects of this parody difficult to judge. The dilemmas that its writers face regarding their social activism are, I argue, a symptom of wider social anxieties and structural adversities caused by the difficulty of clearly identifying and detaching from “the enemy.” Because of how labor, consumption, and everyday practices are organized, we all inevitably contribute to the maintenance of that enemy's well-being. Seen in this light, parody is not only a form of social criticism but also a self-reflective practice.
Residue Depletion Study of Danofloxacin in Cultured Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus)
Authors: Fan Yang-Chi , Sheu Shi-Yuan , Lai Hong-Thih , Chang Ming-Huang , Chen Pei-Heng , Lei Yi-Chih , Kuo Tzong-Fu , Wang Chia-Yih
Published: May 2015

Danofloxacin is an antibacterial drug of the fluoroquinolone group developed for therapeutic purposes in veterinary medicine. The studies described here include investigations of the residues following a single dose or multiple doses of danofloxacin. Residue depletion studies were performed to determine residues in plasma and tissues of saltwater tilapia fish (Oreochromis mossambicus) after a single oral administration of danofloxacin at the dose of 10 mg/kg body weight and also after daily dose of 10 mg/kg body weight for five consecutive days. Danofloxacin residues were analyzed by HPLC with fluorescence detection. Following a single oral dose, danofloxacin residues in 6 h postdosing tilapia were at a maximum of 1.44, 12.48, and 13.18 μg/g in serum, liver, and kidney samples, respectively, while a peak muscle concentration of 2.15 μg/g was reached at 12 h. From single-dose data, the concentration of danofloxacin in serum, muscle, liver, and kidney samples declined with half-lives of 29, 34, 49, and 44 h, respectively. Based on the maximum residue level (MRL) of 0.1 μg/g in edible tissue for fin fish, the withdrawal times of danofloxacin in muscle were estimated to fall below the MRL after a withdrawal period of 21 days following the multiple-dose administration. These results may be helpful to regulatory agencies as they determine what tissues should be monitored to ensure that the established residue safety tolerance levels are not exceeded.
Phenylboronic Acid Solid Phase Extraction Cleanup and Isotope Dilution Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry for the Determination of Florfenicol Amine in Fish Muscles
Authors: Sin Della Wai-Mei , Ho Clare , Wong Yiu-Tung
Published: May 2015

Florfenicol (FFC) residues in foods are regulated as the sum of florfenicol and its metabolites measured as florfenicol amine (FFA). An isotope dilution LC-MS/MS method utilizing phenylboronic acid (PBA) SPE cleanup is established for the accurate determination of FFA in fish muscles (i.e., salmon and tilapia) after acid catalyzed hydrolysis. Comparisons of the PBA SPE cleanup procedure with other cleanup procedures such as mixed-mode cationic (MCX) SPE and solid supported liquid–liquid extraction were performed. Quantification of FFA in fish muscles was accomplished by using matrix-matched calibration with FFA-D3 as the internal standard. The method was validated with FFA fortified fish muscles at three different levels (50, 100, and 200 μg/kg). Conversion of FFC to FFA by acid catalyzed hydrolysis was evaluated and found to be ≥88%. The recoveries of FFA in fish muscles at the three fortification levels ranged from 89 to 106%, and RSDs were ≤9% in all cases. The LOD values in salmon and tilapia muscles were 0.13 and 1.64 μg/kg, respectively. The LOQ values in salmon and tilapia muscles were 0.29 and 4.13 μg/kg, respectively. This method is suitable for the application in routine control of FFC in fishes according to its residue definition.
Quantitation of Chloramphenicol and Nitrofuran Metabolites in Aquaculture Products Using Microwave-Assisted Derivatization, Automated SPE, and LC-MS/MS
Authors: Veach Brian T , Baker Chris A , Kibbey John H , Fong Andrew , Broadaway Bryanna J , Drake Connie P
Published: May 2015

This paper describes a rapid and robust method utilizing microwave-assisted derivatization, automated SPE, and LC-MS/MS for the quantitation and confirmation of chloramphenicol (CAP) and nitrofuran metabolites in various aquaculture matrixes. The use of equipment presented in this work allowed extractions to be completed on average within 6 h, with quantitation accuracy ranging from 89 to 107% and RSD ≤8.3%. The demonstrated detection limits for all the nitrofuran metabolites of interest in three different matrixes were ≤0.06 ng/g, with a quantitation limit of ≤0.2 ng/g. Additionally, the method exhibited a CAP detection limit for all matrixes ≤0.01 ng/g and an LOQ of ≤0.03 ng/g.