bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New Approach to Speedup Dynamic Program Parallelization Analysis
Authors: Sah Sudhakar , Vaidya Vinay G.
Published: December 2014

Development of parallel programming tools has become a mainstream research topic and it has produced many useful tools that reduce the burden of parallel programming. The most important aspect of any such tool is the data dependency analysis, which is very complex and computationally intensive. Fully automatic tools have many demerits such as low efficiency and lack of interaction with the user. In this paper, the authors present our tool called EasyPar having unique features to assist the user at the time of program development as opposed most of the other tools that work on completed programs. Performing parallelization analysis at the time of program development has a potential to exploit more parallelization opportunity by interaction with the programmer. Two most important requirements of such a tool are the accuracy and the performance of the analysis. The authors propose the method that uses database to enable quick and efficient dependency analysis. The proposed method utilizes a database to save program information in structured from and using a query based method for data dependency analysis. The database approach has three benefits. First, it makes the incremental parsing easier and faster; second, query-based approach makes the dependency analysis efficient and third it allows the demand driven program analysis possible. The authors have tested their tool on popular benchmark codes, presented the performance results, and compared it with relevant work.
Analysis Method Based on Impression Words for Impression Evaluation Method by Space
Authors: Akai Shunsuke , Hochin Teruhisa , Nomiya Hiroki
Published: December 2014

This paper proposes an analysis method of the evaluation results obtained through the Impression Evaluation Method by Space (IEMS). The IEMS uses a plane containing impression words as the Kansei space. The impression of an object is specified by circling the areas matching the impression. The degree of matching the impression is expressed by painting color. The proposed analysis method focuses on the impression words in order to analyze the evaluation results obtained through the IEMS even if the impression words are moved. The numbers of the impression words circled in the evaluation are counted, and are spatially displayed. As impression words having similar impression are placed nearer than those having different impression in the Kansei space, the tendency of the impression of an object can easily be captured. The results of the analysis are reviewed to show the effectiveness of the proposed analysis method.
Increasing the Accuracy of Software Fault Prediction using Majority Ranking Fuzzy Clustering
Authors: Abaei Golnoush , Selamat Ali
Published: December 2014

Despite proposing many software fault prediction models, this area has yet to be explored as still there is a room for stable and consistent model with better performance. In this paper, a new method is proposed to increase the accuracy of fault prediction based on the notion of fuzzy clustering and majority ranking. The authors investigated the effect of irrelevant and inconsistent modules on software fault prediction and tried to decrease it by designing a new framework, in which the entire project modules are clustered. The obtained results showed that fuzzy clustering could decrease the negative effect of irrelevant modules on prediction performance. Eight data sets from NASA and Turkish white-goods software is employed to evaluate our model. Performance evaluation in terms of false positive rate, false negative rate, and overall error showed the superiority of our model compared to other predicting models. The authors proposed majority ranking fuzzy clustering approach showed between 3% to 18% and 1% to 4% improvement in false negative rate and overall error, respectively, compared with other available proposed models (ACF and ACN) in more than half of the testing cases. According to the results, our systems can be used to guide testing effort by identifying fault prone modules to improve the quality of software development and software testing in a limited time and budget.
Consumer Behavior in the Mobile Environment
Authors: Pelet Jean-Eric , Papadopoulou Panagiota
Published: December 2014

Consumer behavior in the omnipresent mobile environment constitutes a challenge for m-commerce vendors, as they seek to understand factors that affect it, positively and negatively, and to integrate social media in their mobile strategy. This paper presents an exploratory qualitative study about the use of smartphones and social media, in the context of m-commerce. The authors' objective is to facilitate the understanding of consumers' perceptions and behavior in m-commerce and social media and explore the potential of social media for m-commerce purposes. The results of their qualitative analysis show that reputation, design aspects, such as ease of use, as well as privacy and security are important factors for m-commerce and social media adoption and use. Their qualitative results also reveal factors having a negative effect to m-commerce. Business opportunities enabled by social media for m-commerce and how these can be leveraged in this promising mobile context are also discussed.
Social Media and Online Reputation Management as Practice
Authors: Stenger Thomas
Published: December 2014

Intensive consumer participation on social media has raised new challenges in terms of reputation management and CRM. This paper tackles the issue of online reputation management in the era of social media (SM). It explores the practices of SM managers using a qualitative research methodology based mainly on online observation and in-depth interviews with practitioners. It is not simply a case of stating what SM and online reputation management could or should be but of identifying what it is from within, from the field analysis of the discourse and practices of professionals. The analysis of the results reveals that online reputation management is organised around five main activities and SM managers have to play five roles relating to various issues and competences. It is also evident that online reputation management is at the interface of Internet monitoring, online communication and social CRM. Finally, companies are not considering social CRM as much as customers would like.
Formation of Managers of Biotechnology Companies
Authors: Gonzalez María José Peset , García César Ullastres
Published: December 2014

This teaching system was built on materials prepared by experts in biotechnology and management with the contribution of the students themselves, engendered by their discussions about real life based business situations. This system is fully supported by the resources available within the Moodle platform, especially the adaptability of content depending on the profile of the students. But this system goes beyond this. It promotes constant teacher-student and student-student interaction; it achieves this by using all the possibilities offered by the network, by using an approach that stimulates participation in different forums and recommends a series of scheduled tasks based upon the company they work for. The goal of this system is to organize and take advantage of all the available knowledge, and especially that which the students themselves build in each edition, so that the following edition participants can profit from it.
The Electronic Portfolio as a Teaching Complement for Technical Skills in Health Sciences
Authors: Villalonga Rosa , Pujol Ramón , Moreno Víctor , Carratalà Jordi , Borrell Francesc , Gudiol Francesc
Published: December 2014

The portfolio has gathered pace in recent years, being a useful tool for teaching and assessment. The main goal is to improve learning through student reflection and continuous feedback of evaluations. The implantation of information technology has facilitated the introduction of the electronic portfolio (e-portfolio). Based on previous experience with portfolios, it was decided to implement it in some subjects within Medicine and Dentistry in the Department. The objectives of the study (2009-2013) have been assessing the response to its introduction, assess student satisfaction and determine the extra load imposed on the teaching process. The topic has focused on clinical skills of students, using the e-portfolio Mahara®, installed on the Virtual Campus of Barcelona University. There have been 1241 e-portfolios and 1611 email exchanges between teachers and students. All assessment is carried out on-line (average response time 48 hours, 40 minutes /portfolio). Satisfaction surveys show a high level of acceptance by the students. This allows one to conclude that the e-portfolio has proven to be a good teaching tool, presenting a high degree of compliance and satisfaction among students, encouraging student-teacher relationships.
Teaching Case of Gamification and Visual Technologies for Education
Authors: Villagrasa Sergi , Fonseca David , Redondo Ernest , Duran Jaume
Published: December 2014

This paper describes the use of gamification and visual technologies in a classroom for higher education, specifically for university students. The goal is to achieve a major increase in student motivation and engagement through the use of various technologies and learning methodologies based on game mechanics called gamification. Gamification is used to engage students in the learning process. This study adds learning methodologies like Learning by Doing to students' collaborative work, and mixes teacher support with new, accessible technology, such as virtual reality and visualization 3D on the web thanks to webGL. This creates a new management tool, called GLABS, to assist in the gamification of the classroom. Understanding the role of gamification and the technology in education means understanding under what circumstances game elements can drive a student's learning behavior so that he or she may achieve better results in the learning process.
Assessment of Metarhizium anisopliae (Clavicipitaceae) and its vector, Scleroderma guani (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae), for the control of Monochamus alternatus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)
Authors: Xu M. , Xu F.Y. , Liu Y.P. , Pan Y.S. , Wu X.Q.
Published: December 2014

The pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner and Buhrer) Nickle (Aphelenchida: Parasitaphelenchidae), is a major disease of pines forests in China. Its vector, Monochamus alternatus Hope (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), has been the focus of an intensive study to improve the efficiency of the parasitoid Scleroderma guani Xiao and Wu (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) by using the parasitoid both as a larval parasitoid in its own right and additionally as a vector for the entomophagous pathogen Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin (Clavicipitaceae). Twenty-one M. anisopliae strains were screened and the best four tested for sporulation capabilities at a range of temperatures. The best strain was then evaluated at several sporulation concentrations to define the lethal concentration 50 (LC50) against the larvae of M. alternatus. Scleroderma guani was inoculated with the best strain and tested against larvae of M. alternatus, which were constrained singly in glass vials. Three S. guani females per vial infected with M. anisopliae (strain 789) were shown to cause the death of 100% of the M. alternatus larvae they were exposed to as compared exposures to just one or two infected S. guani females per vial. This demonstrates a successful interaction of two biocontrol agents for the control of the pinewood nematode vector M. alternatus.
Comparative histology of the femur between mouflon (Ovis aries musimon) and sheep (Ovis aries aries)
Authors: Giua Stefano , Farina Vittorio , Cacchioli Antonio , Ravanetti Francesca , Carcupino Marcella , Novas Miguel Mohadero , Zedda Marco
Published: December 2014

Mouflon (Ovis aries musimon) and sheep (Ovis aries aries) are considered as the wild and domestic subspecies of the same species. A comparative study on the microstructure of mouflon and sheep femoral bone diaphysis is here reported. Bone microstructure is described for the first time in the mouflon. More than 200 secondary osteons from both subspecies were analyzed and qualitative evaluation was followed by quantitative determination of perimeter, area, minimum and maximum diameters of secondary osteons and Haversian canals. The basic structural patterns observed in both subspecies can be classified as plexiform and irregular Haversian tissue, in accordance with what reported in the literature for most ruminants. The presence of many secondary osteons in the mouflon means that the bone also consists of dense Haversian bone tissue. Statistical analysis demonstrated that mouflon secondary osteons are larger than in the sheep and made of a greater number of lamellae. Since mouflon and sheep are taxonomically closely related and their body size is very similar, the qualitative and quantitative differences here reported could be primarily explained on account of their different lifestyle. Indeed, the habits of wildlife typical of mouflons may lead to the presence of wide areas of dense Haversian tissue in that subspecies, as mechanical stresses are known to be related to number and size of secondary osteons. Finally, this analysis could provide a useful tool to recognize bones from different species, in forensic exam and archaeozoological studies as well.
High-Intensity Running and Plantar-Flexor Fatigability and Plantar-Pressure Distribution in Adolescent Runners
Authors: Fourchet François , Kelly Luke , Horobeanu Cosmin , Loepelt Heiko , Taiar Redha , Millet Grégoire
Published: December 2014

Context:

Fatigue-induced alterations in foot mechanics may lead to structural overload and injury.

Objectives:

To investigate how a high-intensity running exercise to exhaustion modifies ankle plantar-flexor and dorsiflexor strength and fatigability, as well as plantar-pressure distribution in adolescent runners.

Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Setting:

Academy research laboratory.

Patients or Other Participants:

Eleven male adolescent distance runners (age = 16.9 ± 2.0 years, height = 170.6 ± 10.9 cm, mass = 54.6 ± 8.6 kg) were tested.

Intervention(s):

All participants performed an exhausting run on a treadmill. An isokinetic plantar-flexor and dorsiflexor maximal-strength test and a fatigue test were performed before and after the exhausting run. Plantar-pressure distribution was assessed at the beginning and end of the exhausting run.

Main Outcome Measure(s):

We recorded plantar-flexor and dorsiflexor peak torques and calculated the fatigue index. Plantar-pressure measurements were recorded 1 minute after the start of the run and before exhaustion. Plantar variables (ie, mean area, contact time, mean pressure, relative load) were determined for 9 selected regions.

Results:

Isokinetic peak torques were similar before and after the run in both muscle groups, whereas the fatigue index increased in plantar flexion (28.1%; P = .01) but not in dorsiflexion. For the whole foot, mean pressure decreased from 1 minute to the end (−3.4%; P = .003); however, mean area (9.5%; P = .005) and relative load (7.2%; P = .009) increased under the medial midfoot, and contact time increased under the central forefoot (8.3%; P = .01) and the lesser toes (8.9%; P = .008).

Conclusions:

Fatigue resistance in the plantar flexors declined after a high-intensity running bout performed by adolescent male distance runners. This phenomenon was associated with increased loading under the medial arch in the fatigued state but without any excessive pronation.
An uncommon evaluation in recurrent acute pancreatitis
Authors: Patil Mallikarjun , Sheth Keyur A.
Published: December 2014

Recurrent acute pancreatitis can be caused due to mechanical, metabolic, anatomical abnormalities and other miscellaneous causes. Among the anatomical causes, choledochoceles are rare entities that result in recurrent acute pancreatitis. Choledochoceles are different in morphological and clinical features as compared to other choledochal cysts. We present a case of 21-year-old female with recurrent episodes of acute pancreatitis due to choledochocele as etiology. She was managed with endoscopic sphincterotomy and was asymptomatic for last 24 months.
Pyogenic granuloma of the gastrointestinal tract
Authors: Mittal Chetan , Mittal Aakanksha , Nabi Shahzaib , Chacra Wadiha , Shah Veena , Alaradi Osama , Amer Syed
Published: December 2014

Introduction: Pyogenic granuloma (PG) or granuloma pyogenicum is essentially a capillary hemangioma on the skin or a mucosal surface which shows an exophytic growth pattern and has a lobulated appearance. The most common sites are skin (40%) and mucosal surfaces (predominantly oral cavity, 60%). We intend to report all available cases of PG of gastrointestinal (GI) tract, diagnosed at the Henry Ford hospital, a tertiary referral center. Patients and Methods: A retrospective review of pathological database was performed on all GI biopsies in the last 10 years using diagnostic codes and pathology codes searching for PG of the GI tract. Results: A total of 23 cases of pathologically diagnosed PG was diagnosed over a 10 year period. The median age of patients was 64 with almost equal gender distribution (47.8% were males, and 52.2% were females). The most common location of PG was sigmoid colon (65.2%), esophagus (17.4%) and transverse colon (13%). PG presented as a polyp in 16 patients (69.6%). The most common indication for endoscopy in these cases was screening colonoscopy (30.4% cases). Discussion: PG of GI tract is rare. To date, only about 15–20 cases have been reported in the literature and most cases have been reported from Japan and Korea. This is the largest case series of this rare pathological lesion of the GI tract. Most cases of PG were diagnosed on an endoscopy done for an unrelated reason in our series. Hence, most cases were asymptomatic, unlike previously reported cases which were mostly associated with GI bleeding.
Adiabatic limits of Seifert fibrations, Dedekind sums, and the diffeomorphism type of certain 7-manifolds
Authors: Goette Sebastian
Published: December 2014

We extend the adiabatic limit formula for

\eta

-invariants by Bismut–Cheeger and Dai to Seifert fibrations. Our formula contains a new contribution from the singular fibres that takes the form of a generalised Dedekind sum.

As an application, we compute the Eells–Kuiper and t-invariants of certain cohomogeneity one manifolds that were studied by Dearricott, Grove, Verdiani, Wilking, and Ziller. In particular, we determine the diffeomorphism type of a new manifold of positive sectional curvature.
Hyperbolic spaces in Teichmüller spaces
Authors: Leininger Christopher J. , Schleimer Saul
Published: December 2014

We prove, for any

n

, that there is a closed connected orientable surface

S

so that the hyperbolic space

\mathbb H^n

almost-isometrically embeds into the Teichmüller space of

S

, with quasi-convex image lying in the thick part. As a consequence,

\mathbb H^n

quasi-isometrically embeds in the curve complex of

S

.
The impact of polar stratospheric ozone loss on Southern Hemisphere stratospheric circulation and climate
Authors: Keeble J. , Braesicke P. , Abraham N. L. , Roscoe H. K. , Pyle J. A.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. The impact of polar stratospheric ozone loss resulting from chlorine activation on polar stratospheric clouds is examined using a pair of model integrations run with the fully coupled chemistry climate model UM-UKCA. Suppressing chlorine activation through heterogeneous reactions is found to produce modelled ozone differences consistent with observed ozone differences between the present and pre-ozone hole period. Statistically significant high-latitude Southern Hemisphere (SH) ozone loss begins in August and peaks in October–November, with > 75% of ozone destroyed at 50 hPa. Associated with this ozone destruction is a > 12 K decrease of the lower polar stratospheric temperatures and an increase of > 6 K in the upper stratosphere. The heating components of this temperature change are diagnosed and it is found that the temperature dipole is the result of decreased short-wave heating in the lower stratosphere and increased dynamical heating in the upper stratosphere. The cooling of the polar lower stratosphere leads, through thermal wind balance, to an acceleration of the polar vortex and delays its breakdown by ~ 2 weeks. A link between lower stratospheric zonal wind speed, the vertical component of the Eliassen–Palm (EP) flux, Fz and the residual mean vertical circulation, w*, is identified. In November and December, increased westerly winds and a delay in the breakup of the polar vortex lead to increases in Fz, indicating increased wave activity entering the stratosphere and propagating to higher altitudes. The resulting increase in wave breaking, diagnosed by decreases to the EP flux divergence, drives enhanced downwelling over the polar cap. Many of the stratospheric signals modelled in this study propagate down to the troposphere, and lead to significant surface changes in December.
A two-habit model for the microphysical and optical properties of ice clouds
Authors: Liu C. , Yang P. , Minnis P. , Loeb N. , Kato S. , Heymsfield A. , Schmitt C.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. To provide a better representation of natural ice clouds, a novel ice cloud model is developed by assuming an ice cloud to consist of an ensemble of hexagonal columns and 20-element aggregates with specific habit fractions at each particle size bin. The microphysical and optical properties of this two-habit model (THM) are compared with both laboratory and in situ measurements, and its performance in downstream satellite remote sensing applications is assessed. The ice water contents and median mass diameters calculated based on the THM closely agree with in situ measurements made during 11 field campaigns. In this study, the scattering, absorption, and polarization properties of ice crystals are calculated with a combination of the invariant imbedding T matrix, pseudo-spectral time domain, and improved geometric-optics methods over an entire practical range of particle sizes. The phase functions, calculated based on the THM, show close agreement with counterparts from laboratory and in situ measurements and from satellite-based retrievals. When the THM is applied to the retrievals of cloud microphysical and optical properties from MODIS (the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) observations, excellent spectral consistency is achieved; specifically, the retrieved cloud optical thicknesses based on the visible/near infrared bands and the thermal infrared bands agree quite well. Furthermore, a comparison between the polarized reflectivities observed by the PARASOL satellite and from theoretical simulations illustrates that the THM can be used to represent ice cloud polarization properties.
Satellite-inferred European carbon sink larger than expected
Authors: Reuter M. , Buchwitz M. , Hilker M. , Heymann J. , Schneising O. , Pillai D. , Bovensmann H. , Burrows J. P. , Bösch H. , Parker R. , Butz A. , Hasekamp O. , O'Dell C. W. , Yoshida Y. , Gerbig C. , Nehrkorn T. , Deutscher N. M. , Warneke T. , Notholt J. , Hase F. , Kivi R. , Sussmann R. , Machida T. , Matsueda H. , Sawa Y.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. Current knowledge about the European terrestrial biospheric carbon sink, from the Atlantic to the Urals, relies upon bottom-up inventory and surface flux inverse model estimates (e.g. 0.27±0.16 GtC a−1 for 2000–2005 (Schulze et al., 2009), 0.17±0.44 GtC a−1 for 2001–2007 (Peters et al., 2010), 0.45±0.40 GtC a−1 for 2010 (Chevallier et al., 2014), 0.40±0.42 GtC a−1 for 2001–2004 (Peylin et al., 2013)). Inverse models assimilate in situ CO2 atmospheric concentrations measured by surface-based air sampling networks. The intrinsic sparseness of these networks is one reason for the relatively large flux uncertainties (Peters et al., 2010; Bruhwiler et al., 2011). Satellite-based CO2 measurements have the potential to reduce these uncertainties (Miller et al., 2007; Chevallier et al., 2007). Global inversion experiments using independent models and independent GOSAT satellite data products consistently derived a considerably larger European sink (1.0–1.3 GtC a−1 for 09/2009–08/2010 (Basu et al., 2013), 1.2–1.8 GtC a−1 in 2010 (Chevallier et al., 2014)). However, these results have been considered unrealistic due to potential retrieval biases and/or transport errors (Chevallier et al., 2014) or have not been discussed at all (Basu et al., 2013; Takagi et al., 2014). Our analysis comprises a regional inversion approach using STILT (Gerbig et al., 2003; Lin et al., 2003) short-range (days) particle dispersion modelling, rendering it insensitive to large-scale retrieval biases and less sensitive to long-range transport errors. We show that the satellite-derived European terrestrial carbon sink is indeed much larger (1.02±0.30 GtC a−1 in 2010) than previously expected. This is qualitatively consistent among an ensemble of five different inversion set-ups and five independent satellite retrievals (BESD (Reuter et al., 2011) 2003–2010, ACOS (O’Dell et al., 2012) 2010, UoL-FP (Cogan et al., 2012) 2010, RemoTeC (Butz et al., 2011) 2010, and NIES (Yoshida et al., 2013) 2010) using data from two different instruments (SCIAMACHY (Bovensmann et al., 1999) and GOSAT (Kuze et al., 2009)). The difference to in situ based inversions (Peylin et al., 2013), whilst large with respect to the mean reported European carbon sink (0.4 GtC a−1 for 2001–2004), is similar in magnitude to the reported uncertainty (0.42 GtC a−1). The highest gain in information is obtained during the growing season when satellite observation conditions are advantageous, a priori uncertainties are largest, and the surface sink maximises; during the dormant season, the results are dominated by the a priori. Our results provide evidence that the current understanding of the European carbon sink has to be revisited.
Lagrangian analysis of microphysical and chemical processes in the Antarctic stratosphere: a case study
Authors: Di Liberto L. , Lehmann R. , Tritscher I. , Fierli F. , Mercer J. L. , Snels M. , Di Donfrancesco G. , Deshler T. , Luo B. P. , Grooß J-U. , Arnone E. , Dinelli B. M. , Cairo F.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. We investigated chemical and microphysical processes in the late winter in the Antarctic lower stratosphere, after the first chlorine activation and initial ozone depletion. We focused on a time interval when both further chlorine activation and ozone loss, but also chlorine deactivation, occur. We performed a comprehensive Lagrangian analysis to simulate the evolution of an airmass along a ten-day trajectory, coupling a detailed microphysical box model with a chemistry model. Model results have been compared with in-situ and remote sensing measurements of particles and ozone at the start and end points of the trajectory, and satellite measurements of key chemical species and clouds along it. Different model runs have been performed to understand the relative role of solid and liquid Polar Stratospheric Cloud (PSC) particles for the heterogeneous chemistry, and for the denitrification caused by particle sedimentation. According to model results, under the conditions investigated, ozone depletion is not affected significantly by the presence of Nitric Acid Trihydrate (NAT) particles, as the observed depletion rate can equally well be reproduced by heterogeneous chemistry on cold liquid aerosol, with a surface area density close to background values. Under the conditions investigated, the impact of denitrification is important for the abundances of chlorine reservoirs after PSC evaporation, thus stressing the need of using appropriate microphysical models in the simulation of chlorine deactivation. Conversely, we found that the effect of particle sedimentation and denitrification on the amount of ozone depletion is rather small in the case investigated. In the first part of the analysed period, when a PSC was present in the airmass, sedimentation led to smaller available particle surface area and less chlorine activation, and thus less ozone depletion. After the PSC evaporation, in the last three days of the simulation, denitrification increases ozone loss by hampering chlorine deactivation.
Components of near-surface energy balance derived from satellite soundings – Part 2: Noontime latent heat flux
Authors: Mallick K. , Jarvis A. , Wohlfahrt G. , Kiely G. , Hirano T. , Miyata A. , Yamamoto S. , Hoffmann L.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. This paper introduces a relatively simple method for recovering global fields of latent heat flux. The method focuses on specifying Bowen ratio estimates through exploiting air temperature and vapour pressure measurements obtained from infrared soundings of the AIRS (Atmospheric Infrared Sounder) sensor onboard NASA's Aqua platform. Through combining these Bowen ratio retrievals with satellite surface net available energy data, we have specified estimates of global noontime surface latent heat flux at the 1°×1° scale. These estimates were provisionally evaluated against data from 30 terrestrial tower flux sites covering a broad spectrum of biomes. Taking monthly average 13:30 data for 2003, this revealed promising agreement between the satellite and tower measurements of latent heat flux, with a pooled root-mean-square deviation of 79 W m−2, and no significant bias. However, this success partly arose as a product of the underspecification of the AIRS Bowen ratio compensating for the underspecification of the AIRS net available energy, suggesting further refinement of the approach is required. The error analysis suggested that the landscape level variability in enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and land surface temperature contributed significantly to the statistical metric of the predicted latent heat fluxes.
"Green" prisons: rethinking the "sustainability" of the carceral estate
Authors: Moran D. , Jewkes Y.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. This exploratory paper introduces the notion of the "green" prison, uncovering the ways in which environmental sustainability inflects carceral policies and practices. Focusing on the United States, it highlights the construction of an "organizational sustainable development" discourse within the correctional system, and argues that it is the system, rather than the environment, which is being "sustained", through the promulgation of a "green" prison discourse which serves to deflect attention from the mounting human and financial costs of mass incarceration. It examines the ways in which "sustainability" plays out in correctional facilities, narrowly structured around compliance with "green" environmental and energy-related regulations, and the provision of "green-collar" training for inmates. Drawing on architectural geographies and notions of therapeutic landscapes, the paper theorizes an alternative interpretation of the "green" prison as a nurturing environment, but argues that this model functions only in decarcerative settings imbued with a rehabilitative, rather than a retributive, atmosphere.
Governing refugee space: the quasi-carceral regime of Amsterdam's Lloyd Hotel, a German-Jewish refugee camp in the prelude to World War II
Authors: Felder M. , Minca C. , Ong C. E.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. Through analysing the correspondence between key refugee camp commanders based at Amsterdam's Lloyd Hotel and different authorities involved in Dutch refugee matters, this paper examines how "the Dutch state" responded to German-Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany in the prelude to World War II. Using a largely Foucauldian approach to discipline, power, security and governmentality to examine the bio-, macro- and micro-politics behind the management of these refugees and their lived spaces, we seek to illustrate how the Lloyd Hotel formed part of a quasi-carceral spatial regime implemented to segregate and contain those with an unclear legal status at a time of political confusion. The article also seeks to show how the involvement of different authorities at different scales brought serious implications for the status, spatial regimentation, mobilities and future of the refugees.
Early Cenozoic tropical climate: report from the Tanzania Onshore Paleogene Integrated Coring (TOPIC) workshop
Authors: Pearson P. N. , Hudson W.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. We are currently developing a proposal for a new International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) project to recover a stratigraphic and paleoclimatic record from the full succession of Eocene hemipelagic sediments that are now exposed on land in southern Tanzania. Funding for a workshop was provided by ICDP, and the project was advertised in the normal way. A group of about 30 delegates assembled in Dar-es-Salaam for 3 intensive days of discussion, project development, and proposal writing. The event was hosted by the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) and was attended by several geologists, geochemists, geophysicists, and micropaleontologists from TPDC and the University of Dar-es-Salaam. International delegates were from Canada, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and United States (and we also have project partners from Australia, Belgium, and Sweden who were not able to attend). Some of the scientists are veterans of previous scientific drilling in the area, but over half are new on the scene, mostly having been attracted by Tanzania's reputation for world-class paleoclimate archives. Here we outline the broad aims of the proposed drilling and give a flavor of the discussions and the way our proposal developed during the workshop. A video of the workshop with an introduction to the scientific goals and interviews of many of the participants is available at http://vimeo.com/107911777.
A Tale of Two Regulators: Telecom Policy Participation in Canada
Authors: Shepherd Tamara , Taylor Gregory , Middleton Catherine
Published: December 2014

What are the challenges to effective academic participation in telecommunications policymaking? In this article, the authors analyze their experiences with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission and Industry Canada as examples. Their goal is to increase academic policy engagement despite negligible government support for public interest advocacy, as traditional public interest values are discarded by regulators because new technologies are framed as individual rather than collective. Industry Canada is deemed opaque with an “advocacy deficit,” though the CRTC is more transparent and inviting. To succeed in both venues, academics need to work with advocacy organizations as “circumstantial activists.” Such academic participation can offer new conceptual frameworks, add nuance to discourse, substantiate the use of scholarly research in policy debates, and add to policy theory building.
Making Information Technologies Work at the End of the Road
Authors: McMahon Rob , Gurstein Michael , Beaton Brian , O'Donnell Susan , Whiteduck Tim
Published: December 2014

Remote and rural areas face many challenges, including the provision of telecommunications services. Regardless of universal service policies or other political promises, rural communities can be deemed unprofitable by service providers while government assistance is managed by faraway regulators who lack understanding of the affected communities and citizens. The authors assess these challenges in the context of the First Nations of Canada, via a decentralized “First Mile” framework. They find that these remote communities are capable of local innovation and can collaborate with intermediary organizations to build digital infrastructures, by bridging the gap between the public and private sectors.
“Feeling for Rocks While Crossing the River”: An Analysis of the Statutory Language of China's First Freedom of Information Law
Authors: Tang Yong
Published: December 2014

What is the outlook for expanded Open Government Information (OGI) rules in the Chinese legal system? Slow broadening through cautious testing, predicts Professor Tang. That country's national freedom of information law in some ways compares favorably to those in other countries, but it also has structural provisions that favor non-disclosure. This article compares China's initial “Academic Draft” of the OGI law with the final version as approved by the State Council. The latter is far more limited, apparently in order to avoid perceived threats to social stability. The author sees a “two steps forward, one step back” process towards a gradual increase in openness.
The Construction of a Mediterranean Perspective in Media Policy: Common Values for Content Regulation in MENA and EU Countries
Authors: Bugs Ricardo Carniel , Crusafon Carmina
Published: December 2014

Are the communications regulatory regimes in the Middle East/North Africa region moving towards the adoption of European-style audiovisual policies? Broadly yes, but with important exceptions, say the authors. This article analyzes the actions of the 24-member Mediterranean Network of Regulatory Authorities, and then examines the individual cases of authorities in Lebanon and Morocco. The authors find evidence of movement towards European-style regulatory harmonization and integration in the region; however, uncertainties about the future remain, especially with respect to transparency and accountability.
Shale Gas Boom Affecting the Relationship Between LPG and Oil Prices
Authors: Oglend Atle , Lindback Morten E. , Osmundsen Petter
Published: December 2014

Liquefied petroleum gases (LPGs) together with other natural gas liquids (NGLs) have played an important role in the current U.S. shale gas boom. Depressed gas prices in recent years have made pure natural gas operations less profitable. The result is that liquids components in gas production have become increasingly important in ensuring the profitability of shale gas operations. In this paper we investigate whether the shale gas expansion, which has led to an increase in associated LPG production, has also affected the historically strong relationship between LPG and oil prices. Revealing the strength and stability of the LPG/oil relationship is relevant when it comes to the future profitability and development of the U.S. natural gas sector. Our results suggest that the LPG/oil relationship has weakened in recent years with a move towards cheaper liquids relative to oil.

This is consistent with developments in the natural gas sector with increased liquids production. A consequence is that U.S. natural gas operations cannot automatically rely on high liquids prices to ensure profitability.
Het geheim van de smid
Authors: Simons J.P.M.
Published: December 2014

Het geheim van de smid. De Wbp en het recht op inzage in en afschrift van stukken tijdens het medisch beoordelingstraject bij personenschades: waar staan we inmiddels?

Al geruime tijd staat binnen de letselschadebranche ter discussie in hoeverre benadeelden met een beroep op artikel 35 Wbp inzage in en afschrift van documenten kunnen krijgen van (de verzekeraar van) de aansprakelijke partij, wanneer daarin persoonsgegevens zijn verwerkt. In het bijzonder speelt daarbij de vraag of benadeelden tevens recht hebben op inzage in en afschrift van (1) interne notities die in het kader van de afwikkeling van personenschades door medewerkers van verzekeraars en andere aan de zijde van verzekeraars bij de afwikkeling betrokken personen zijn opgesteld en (2) adviezen van de medisch adviseur(s) van verzekeraars. Hoewel hierover inmiddels de nodige jurisprudentie is verschenen, bestaat er op dit gebied nog steeds onduidelijkheid en vormen deze vragen nog regelmatig voer voor discussie.
Editorial: Camel Milk as a Therapeutic Food: A Postmodern SciTech
Authors: Nikkhah Akbar
Published: December 2014

Editorial
Factors Related to Body Mass Index in Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis – TOMORROW study
Authors: Matsumoto Yoshinari , Sugioka Yuko , Tada Masahiro , Okano Tadashi , Mamoto Kenji , Inui Kentaro , Habu Daiki , Koike Tatsuya
Published: December 2014

Objectives: This study aimed to clarify the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and patient characteristics, lifestyle factors, and cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related clinical data in women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Methods: A total of 171 female outpatients with RA and 170 age-matched females without RA (controls) from the TOMORROW study (UMIN: 000003876) were included in this cross-sectional study. We divided subjects into 3 groups based on BMI: underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (BMI ≥ 18.5 kg/m2 and < 25 kg/m2), and overweight (BMI ≥25 kg/m2), and compared RA disease activity, activities of daily living (ADL) assessed by modified health assessment questionnaire (mHAQ) score, energy and nutrient intake, and CVD risk-related clinical data.
Results: In patients with RA, mHAQ scores were lower in the normal weight group compared with the underweight and overweight groups (p < 0.05). Disease activity showed a similar trend. Energy, protein, and carbohydrate intake showed a positive correlation with BMI (p < 0.05). Blood pressure, C-reactive protein, uric acid, triglyceride, fasting plasma glucose, immune reactive insulin, HbA1c, and leptin showed a positive correlation with BMI, and adiponectin showed a negative correlation with BMI (p < 0.05). Control subjects showed similar trends.
Conclusions: BMI is related to ADL, disease activity, energy, protein and carbohydrate intake, and CVD risk-related clinical data, and might be an indicator of total health status in female patients with RA.
The Effects of GABA, L-Theanine, Passiflora Incarnata and Prunus Cerasus in Reducing the Symptoms of Nervousness in Individuals with Anxiety and/or Depression
Authors: Lane Gerry
Published: December 2014

Introduction: Affecting more than 21 million American children and adults, anxiety with or without depression is the leading cause of disability in the USA for individuals ages 15 – 44. Treatment, traditionally has been with prescription medication that is addictive, prone to pharmaceutical abuse and if prescribed appropriately, requires intensive physician involvement and monitoring. The utilization of herbal supplementation has been successfully utilized for many years to treat mood disorders, however scientific analysis of benefits has been lacking. The objective of this study is to scientifically analyze the effectiveness of the combination of GABA, L-theanine, passiflora incarnata and prunus cerasus in the treatment of the symptoms associated with Anxiety.
Methods: Two cohorts of volunteers received study compound (n=30) or placebo (n=30). Subjects were instructed to take 4 capsules daily for 7 consecutive days. Every participant completed both the HAM-A (Hamilton anxiety scale) and the SAS (Zung Self Rating Anxiety Scale). Both scales were completed pre & post study. The Student – T test was performed on all data.
Results: HAM-A: Subjects receiving active study compound showed marked improvements in the HAM-A global score. SAS: The Zung SAS symptom scores of all subjects receiving active study compound were markedly improved. There were no side effects reported by any of the study participants.
Conclusions: Subjects receiving this unique study compound (GABA, L-theanine, passiflora incarnata and prunus cerasus) received marked improvement in their symptoms of anxiety as demonstrated via two separate and clinically significant assessment tools (HAM-A & Zung SAS) when compared to placebo group. This combination of supplements represents a viable and safe adjunct to the short term treatment of mild to moderate anxiety without the use of prescription medication.
Food Allergy: From Clinical Presentation to Management and Prevention
Authors: Rezakovic Saida , Navratil Marta , Žužul Kristina
Published: December 2014

Food allergy is an adverse immune-mediated pathological reaction directed toward proteins or glycoproteins in food. It affects the skin, gastrointestinal, respiratory and cardiovascular systems, resulting in a broad spectrum of diverse clinical presentations. Consequently, establishing a diagnosis can present a great challenge. The prevalence rate of food allergy is increasing, particularly in modern industrialized countries, and is becoming a significant public health problem. There is still no current treatment, and avoidance of suspected food allergens remains the most important treatment modality. However, in order to avoid unnecessary dietary restrictions, food hypersensitivity should be confirmed using allergy tests prior to introduction of elimination diet. In cases of validation of food allergy, avoiding suspected foods are recommended. Education of patients is the cornerstone of prevention and therapy; providing all relevant information on how to exclude specific foods from the patient's diet, as well as how to detect and manage allergic reactions, especially in severe cases like anaphylaxis. This review aims at presenting the clinical picture and diagnosis, as well as discussing current treatment and preventive strategies for different types of food allergies.
La négociation collective à l’ère de la financiarisation : le paradigme de l’option dans le cas des clauses de renouvellement automatique des conventions collectives
Authors: Hanin Frédéric , Bilodeau Pier-Luc
Published: December 2014

Cet article analyse les enjeux de la financiarisation pour la négociation collective, point de rencontre de la stratégie syndicale et de la stratégie d’affaire de l’entreprise. À partir d’une analogie entre la théorie financière de l’option et la négociation collective, nous montrons ses implications sur la sécurité d’emploi et les conditions de travail dans les établissements à partir du cas du complexe Jonquière d’Alcan au Québec. La financiarisation n’est donc pas une « externalité » du système économique, mais bien une nouvelle forme de régulation. La recherche illustre ainsi le caractère performatif de la finance sur les relations du travail.
La mise en forme de l’inclusion financière périphérique. Réactivité et créativité de la microfinance dans son rapport aux crises
Authors: Langevin Marie
Published: December 2014

Cet article prend le prétexte du cas général de la microfinance et du cas particulier du Pérou pour réfléchir à la financiarisation périphérique comme dynamique d’incorporation dans son rapport aux crises. La microfinance est positionnée comme une nouvelle composante de l’économie capitaliste à dominance financière qui permet de répondre et de réagir aux crises de légitimité et d’accumulation. Les réflexions théoriques sur les remèdes que le capitalisme développe pour gérer les problèmes d’exclusion et d’épuisement des réservoirs de valeurs sont mises en relation avec des manifestations empiriques dans le champ de la finance périphérique. Les ingrédients clés de la mise en oeuvre du projet d’inclusion financière – la gestion proactive de la pauvreté, l’insertion de l’économie informelle dans les circuits dominants et à la création de nouveaux canaux d’accumulation – sont abordés. L’article conclut sur le rapport entre l’extension financière périphérique et les crises avérées et potentielles qu’elle provoque.