bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Observation of 2nd Schumann eigenmode on Titan's surface
Authors: Béghin C. , Wattieaux G. , Grard R. , Hamelin M. , Lebreton J. P.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. This works presents the results obtained from an updated data analysis of the observations of Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) electromagnetic waves performed with the HASI-PWA (Huygens Atmospheric Structure and Permittivity, Wave and Altimetry) instrumentation after Huygens Probe landing on Titan surface in January 2005. The most significant signals observed at around 36 Hz throughout the descent in the atmosphere have been extensively analyzed for several years, and subsequently interpreted as the signature of a Schumann resonance, although the latter exhibits atypical peculiarities compared with those known on Earth. The usual depicting methods of space wave data used so far could not allow retrieving the presence of weak signals when Huygens was at rest for 32 min on Titan's surface. Whereas the expected signal seems hidden within the instrumental noise, we show that a careful statistical analysis of the amplitude distribution of the 418 spectral density samples of the 36 Hz line reveals abnormal characteristics compared to other frequencies. This behavior is shown to occur under propitious circumstances due to the characteristics of the onboard data conversion processes into digital telemetry counts, namely 8-bit dynamic after logarithm compression of the DFT (Discrete Fourier Transform) of ELF waveforms. Since this phenomenon is observed only at the frequency bin around 36 Hz, we demonstrate that the Schumann resonance, seen in the atmosphere within the same band, is still present on the surface, albeit with a much smaller amplitude compared to that measured before and a few seconds after the impact, because the electric dipole is thought to have been stabilized ten seconds later almost horizontally until the end of the measurements.
Modeling agriculture in the Community Land Model
Authors: Drewniak B. , Song J. , Prell J. , Kotamarthi V. R. , Jacob R.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. The potential impact of climate change on agriculture is uncertain. In addition, agriculture could influence above- and below-ground carbon storage. Development of models that represent agriculture is necessary to address these impacts. We have developed an approach to integrate agriculture representations for three crop types – maize, soybean, and spring wheat – into the coupled carbon–nitrogen version of the Community Land Model (CLM), to help address these questions. Here we present the new model, CLM-Crop, validated against observations from two AmeriFlux sites in the United States, planted with maize and soybean. Seasonal carbon fluxes compared well with field measurements for soybean, but not as well for maize. CLM-Crop yields were comparable with observations in countries such as the United States, Argentina, and China, although the generality of the crop model and its lack of technology and irrigation made direct comparison difficult. CLM-Crop was compared against the standard CLM3.5, which simulates crops as grass. The comparison showed improvement in gross primary productivity in regions where crops are the dominant vegetation cover. Crop yields and productivity were negatively correlated with temperature and positively correlated with precipitation, in agreement with other modeling studies. In case studies with the new crop model looking at impacts of residue management and planting date on crop yield, we found that increased residue returned to the litter pool increased crop yield, while reduced residue returns resulted in yield decreases. Using climate controls to signal planting date caused different responses in different crops. Maize and soybean had opposite reactions: when low temperature threshold resulted in early planting, maize responded with a loss of yield, but soybean yields increased. Our improvements in CLM demonstrate a new capability in the model – simulating agriculture in a realistic way, complete with fertilizer and residue management practices. Results are encouraging, with improved representation of human influences on the land surface and the potentially resulting climate impacts.
Correction of approximation errors with Random Forests applied to modelling of aerosol first indirect effect
Authors: Lipponen A. , Kolehmainen V. , Romakkaniemi S. , Kokkola H.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. In atmospheric models, due to their computational time or resource limitations, physical processes have to be simulated using reduced models. The use of a reduced model, however, induces errors to the simulation results. These errors are referred to as approximation errors. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to correct these approximation errors. We model the approximation error as an additive noise process in the simulation model and employ the Random Forest (RF) regression algorithm for constructing a computationally low cost predictor for the approximation error. In this way, the overall simulation problem is decomposed into two separate and computationally efficient simulation problems: solution of the reduced model and prediction of the approximation error realization. The approach is tested for handling approximation errors due to a reduced coarse sectional representation of aerosol size distribution in a cloud droplet activation calculation. The results show a significant improvement in the accuracy of the simulation compared to the conventional simulation with a reduced model. The proposed approach is rather general and extension of it to different parameterizations or reduced process models that are coupled to geoscientific models is a straightforward task. Another major benefit of this method is that it can be applied to physical processes that are dependent on a large number of variables making them difficult to be parameterized by traditional methods.
Modeling the effect of glacier recession on streamflow response using a coupled glacio-hydrological model
Authors: Naz B. S. , Frans C. D. , Clarke G. K. C. , Burns P. , Lettenmaier D. P.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. We describe an integrated spatially distributed hydrologic and glacier dynamic model, and use it to investigate the effect of glacier recession on streamflow variations for the Upper Bow River basin, a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River. Several recent studies have suggested that observed decreases in summer flows in the South Saskatchewan River are partly due to the retreat of glaciers in the river's headwaters. Modeling the effect of glacier changes on streamflow response in river basins such as the South Saskatchewan is complicated due to the inability of most existing physically-based distributed hydrologic models to represent glacier dynamics. We compare predicted variations in glacier extent, snow water equivalent and streamflow discharge made with the integrated model with satellite estimates of glacier area and terminus position, observed streamflow and snow water equivalent measurements over the period of 1980–2007. Simulations with the coupled hydrology-glacier model reduce the uncertainty in streamflow predictions. Our results suggested that on average, the glacier melt contribution to the Bow River flow upstream of Lake Louise is about 30% in summer. For warm and dry years, however, the glacier melt contribution can be as large as 50% in August, whereas for cold years, it can be as small as 20% and the timing of glacier melt signature can be delayed by a month.
Continental moisture recycling as a Poisson process
Authors: Goessling H. F. , Reick C. H.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. On their journey across large land masses, water molecules experience a number of precipitation-evaporation cycles (recycling events). We derive analytically the frequency distributions of recycling events for the water molecules contained in a given air parcel. Given the validity of certain simplifying assumptions, continental moisture recycling is shown to develop either into a Poisson distribution or a geometric distribution. We distinguish two cases: in case (A) recycling events are counted since the water molecules were last advected across the ocean-land boundary. In case (B) recycling events are counted since the water molecules were last evaporated from the ocean. For case B we show by means of a simple scale analysis that, given the conditions on Earth, realistic frequency distributions may be regarded as a mixture of a Poisson distribution and a geometric distribution. By contrast, in case A the Poisson distribution generally appears as a reasonable approximation. This conclusion is consistent with the simulation results of an earlier study where an atmospheric general circulation model equipped with water vapor tracers was used. Our results demonstrate that continental moisture recycling can be interpreted as a Poisson process.
Characteristics of rainfall triggering of debris flows in the Chenyulan watershed, Taiwan
Authors: Chen J. C. , Jan C. D. , Huang W. S.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. This paper reports the variation in rainfall characteristics associated with debris flows in the Chenyulan watershed, central Taiwan, between 1963 and 2009. The maximum hourly rainfall Im, the maximum 24 h rainfall Rd, and the rainfall index RI (defined as the product RdIm) were analysed for each rainfall event that triggered a debris flow within the watershed. The corresponding number of debris flows initiated by each rainfall event (N) was also investigated via image analysis and/or field investigation. The relationship between N and RI was analysed. Higher RI of a rainfall event would trigger a larger number of debris flows. This paper also discusses the effects of the Chi-Chi earthquake (CCE) on this relationship and on debris flow initiation. The results showed that the critical RI for debris flow initiation had significant variations and was significantly lower in the years immediately following the CCE of 1999, but appeared to revert to the pre-earthquake condition about five years later. Under the same extreme rainfall event of RI = 365 cm2 h−1, the value of N in the CCE-affected period could be six times larger than that in the non-CCE-affected periods.
Effects of temperature on flood forecasting: analysis of an operative case study in Alpine basins
Authors: Ceppi A. , Ravazzani G. , Salandin A. , Rabuffetti D. , Montani A. , Borgonovo E. , Mancini M.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. In recent years the interest in the forecast and prevention of natural hazards related to hydro-meteorological events has increased the challenge for numerical weather modelling, in particular for limited area models, to improve the quantitative precipitation forecasts (QPF) for hydrological purposes. After the encouraging results obtained in the MAP D-PHASE Project, we decided to devote further analyses to show recent improvements in the operational use of hydro-meteorological chains, and above all to better investigate the key role played by temperature during snowy precipitation. In this study we present a reanalysis simulation of one meteorological event, which occurred in November 2008 in the Piedmont Region. The attention is focused on the key role of air temperature, which is a crucial feature in determining the partitioning of precipitation in solid and liquid phase, influencing the quantitative discharge forecast (QDF) into the Alpine region. This is linked to the basin ipsographic curve and therefore by the total contributing area related to the snow line of the event. In order to assess hydrological predictions affected by meteorological forcing, a sensitivity analysis of the model output was carried out to evaluate different simulation scenarios, considering the forecast effects which can radically modify the discharge forecast. Results show how in real-time systems hydrological forecasters have to consider also the temperature uncertainty in forecasts in order to better understand the snow dynamics and its effect on runoff during a meteorological warning with a crucial snow line over the basin. The hydrological ensemble forecasts are based on the 16 members of the meteorological ensemble system COSMO-LEPS (developed by ARPA-SIMC) based on the non-hydrostatic model COSMO, while the hydrological model used to generate the runoff simulations is the rainfall–runoff distributed FEST-WB model, developed at Politecnico di Milano.
The possible negative consequences of underground dam and reservoir construction and operation in coastal karst areas: an example of the HEPP Ombla near Dubrovnik (Croatia)
Authors: Roje-Bonacci T. , Bonacci O.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. The Ombla Spring represents a typical abundant coastal karst spring located in the vicinity of town of the Dubrovnik (Croatia). Its outlet is at an altitude of 2.5 m above sea level (m a.s.l.) and the water from it immediately flows into the Adriatic Sea. The minimum and maximum measured discharges are 3.96 m3 s−1 and 117 m3 s−1, respectively. The Trebišnjica River traverses through its catchment. The mean annual discharge, after the canalization of over 60 km of its watercourse with spray concrete (in the time span 1981–2011), is 24.05 m3 s−1. Before massive civil engineering work which took place during 1968–1980, the mean annual discharge was 28.35 m3 s−1. There is a project for construction of the hydro electric power plant (HEPP) Ombla, which will exclusively use groundwater from the Ombla Spring karst aquifer. The underground dam will be constructed about 200 m behind the existing karst spring outflow in the karst massif, by injecting a grout curtain. Top of the grout curtain is planned to be at an altitude of 130, m a.s.l. This karst system is complex, sensitive, vulnerable and ecologically extremely valuable. The grout curtain planned to be realized, as well as the HEPP Ombla development, could lead to extremely dangerous technical and environmental consequences. In this paper some potential, but very probable, negative consequences of the HEPP Ombla construction and development are explained.
The circulation of Icelandic waters – a modelling study
Authors: Logemann K. , Ólafsson J. , Snorrason Á. , Valdimarsson H. , Marteinsdóttir G.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. The three-dimensional flow, temperature and salinity fields of the North Atlantic including the Arctic Ocean covering the time period 1992 to 2006 are simulated with the numerical ocean model CODE. The model reveals several new insights and previously unknown structures which help us to clarify open questions on the regional oceanography of Icelandic waters. These relate to the structure and geographical distribution of the coastal current, the primary forcing of the North Icelandic Irminger Current (NIIC), the path of the Atlantic Water south-east of Iceland and the structure of the North Icelandic Jet (NIJ). The model's adaptively refined computational mesh has a maximum resolution of 1 km horizontal and 2.5 m vertical in Icelandic waters. CTD profiles from this region and the river discharge of 46 Icelandic watersheds, computed by the hydrological model WaSiM, are assimilated into the simulation. The model realistically reproduces the established elements of the circulation around Iceland. However, analysis of the simulated mean flow field also provides further insights. It suggests a distinct freshwater-induced coastal current that only exists along the south-west and west coasts which is accompanied by a counter-directed undercurrent. The simulated transport of Atlantic Water over the Icelandic shelf takes place in a symmetrical system of two currents, with the established NIIC over the north-western and northern shelf, and a current over the southern and south-eastern shelf herein called the South Icelandic Current (SIC). Both currents are driven by topographically induced distortions of the Arctic Front's barotropic pressure field. The SIC is simulated to be an upstream precursor of the Faroe Current (FC). The recently discovered North Icelandic Jet (NIJ) also features in the model predictions and is found to be forced by the baroclinic pressure field of the Arctic Front, to originate east of the Kolbeinsey Ridge and to have a volume transport of around 1.5 Sv within northern Denmark Strait. The simulated multi-annual mean Atlantic Water transport of the NIIC increased by 85% during 1992 to 2006, whereas the corresponding NIJ transport decreased by 27%. Based on our model results we propose a new and further differentiated circulation scheme of Icelandic waters whose details may inspire future observational oceanography studies.
The «Proceso de Cambio» and the Seventh Year Crisis: Towards a Reconfiguration of the Relationship between State and Social Movements in Bolivia
Authors: Fontana Lorenza Belinda
Published: April 2013

On 18th December 2012, Evo Morales celebrated his seventh anniversary as president of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. In 2005, this Aymara coca growers’ union leader was elected for the first time, with the support of social movements and, in particular, of the peasant and indigenous sectors, inaugurating a moment of political transition that raised many expectations for an in-depth transformation of the state-civil societal relationship. A complex reshaping that, as the popular belief suggests, was going to pass through a highly delicate moment: the seventh year. Relying upon an in-depth empirical research on social and land conflicts in Bolivia, this work aims to analyze the revitalization of new corporative struggles among collective rural actors (indigenous vs. peasant) in light of the recent institutional and normative reforms. The latter have favored a reconfiguration of the relationship between the state and social sectors, inaugurating a new phase of fragmentation and conflict.
Fissures in the discursive monopolies of two narrators: The non-existent Indian from «Huasipungo» and the absent Indian from «Raza de Bronce»
Authors: Postigo María Ximena
Published: April 2013

Two were the main concerns in Latin America during the first half of the twentieth century: the consolidation of the nation-State and the incipient development of capitalism. In the Andes the “Indian problem” added complexity to these concerns. This article proposes a comparative analysis of how Alcides Arguedas, with Raza de bronce (1919), and Jorge Icaza, with Huasipungo (1934) –despite similarities in their social projects, the racism of their speeches and the stories that they address– differ in how they incorporate indigenous issues into the novel. If Huasipungo’s social realism responds to a need for change in the relations of production, Raza de bronce’s critical realism responds to a fear of an indigenous uprising. The above is not, however, the central difference. The latter consists of a monopolistic coherence in the narrative discourse of Icaza versus the fissures that literary modernism produces in Arguedas’ positivism. As a result, the social narrative of these writers creates a bourgeois responsibility in Huasipungo (where the indigenous cultural universe is reduced to a non-existence) and a dangerous indigenous potential in Raza de bronce (where the reader does not feel the presence of the Andean cultural world, but neither its non-existence).
Descolonización y cine: la propuesta indígena de Jorge Sanjinés hoy
Authors: Vilanova Núria
Published: April 2013

This article explores the legacy of Jorge Sanjinés’ cinema in current Latin American cinematography, specifically in Bolivia. The central idea argues that despite the favourable political situation Bolivia is at the present experiencing, with the arrival of Evo Morales to the Presidency in the year 2006, the declaration of Bolivia as a multinational State, and the growing prominence of aymaras and quechuas in the national political arena, indigenous film as envisioned by Sanjinés has not been fully developed. The article puts forward the difficulties which the national and international film industry face in incorporating a type of film that does not respond to the expectations of a mainstream public, makes no concessions to the Western viewer, and provides no cultural filters to pave the viewer’s understanding and persuade him or her cinematically.
El arte de Martha Cajías
Authors: Pentimalli Michela
Published: April 2013

The aim of this article is to provide an interpretation of key issues in Martha Cajías’ work, such as the multifaceted dialectics of fertility and maternity, life and death, memory and dreams, ethics of the ancestors, collective myths and family myth, and among all this, the overwhelming presence of Andean epistemology.
Long term outcome and sequelae in patients after acute thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura episodes
Authors: Falter T. , Alber K. J. , Scharrer I.
Published: April 2013

We report on 21 patients with idiopathic thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) whose courses of disease have been followed from the respective diagnosis until now. They had a documented ADAMTS13 activity below 5%, a high autoantibody titer and detectable ultralarge von Willebrand factor (VWF) multimers during their episodes. The initial diagnosis was based on clinical symptoms and on laboratory parameters: thrombocytopenia, haemolytic anaemia, schistocytes and an increased LDH level. 103 acute clinical episodes of 21 TTPpatients during a time period of 30 years are described. Case histories, comorbidities and sequelae were retrospectively documented. Results, conclusion: Although patients are consistently in a prothrombotic status, clinical acute manifestations only occur after triggering. Most common trigger factors are gastrointestinal infections and pregnancy. The relapse risk per month is 0.026; men have a higher risk for relapses (0.044) than women (0.021). Patients recover physically well, except for renal insufficiency in four cases. Nevertheless, major portion of patients suffers persistently from depression, anxiety disorders and persistent neurocognitive impairments.
TiO2 Nanoparticles as an Efficient Catalyst for the One-pot Preparation of Tetrahydrobenzo[c]acridines in Aqueous Media
Authors: Abdolmohammadi Shahrzad , Mohammadnejad Mahdieh , Shafaei Faezeh
Published: April 2013

A series of tetrahydrobenzo[c]acridinone derivatives have been prepared by a one-pot fourcomponent reaction of 1-naphthol, aromatic aldehydes, dimedone, and ammonium acetate in aqueous media using a catalytic amount of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs). The advantages of this novel protocol include the excellent yields, operational simplicity, short reaction time, easy work-up, reusability of the catalyst and an environmentally friendly procedure.
Synthesis of N-Acylated 1,5-Benzodiazepines: Differentiation between Two Possible Acylation Sites via Hydrogen Bonding
Authors: Escobar Carlos A. , Alvarado Odette A. , Howard Judith A. K. , Fuentealba Mauricio
Published: April 2013

Temperature-dependent regioselectivity between amino and hydroxyl groups mediated by hydrogen bonding was observed in the reaction of acetic anhydride with 2-(2,3-dimethoxyphenyl)- 4-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-1,5-benzodiazepine (1), obtaining 1-acetyl-2-(2,3-dimethoxyphenyl)- 4-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-1,5-benzodiazepine (1a), when these were reacted at room temperature, and 4-(2-acetoxyphenyl)-1-acetyl-2-(2,3-dimethoxyphenyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-1,5- benzodiazepine (1b), when they were refluxed (148 - 150 °C). Acylation of the less hindered analog 4-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2-phenyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-1,5-benzodiazepine (2) via crotonyl chloride (a bulky acylating agent compared with acetic anhydride) afforded by refluxing only 1-crotonyl-4- (2-hydroxyphenyl)-2-phenyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-1,5-benzodiazepine (2a). All compounds were characterized spectroscopically, and the molecular structures of compounds 1a and 2a were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis.
Barium-Triel-Mercuride BaMxHg4-x und Ba3MxHg11-x (M=Ga, In, Cd) / Barium Triel Mercurides BaMxHg4-x and Ba3MxHg11-x (M =Ga, In, Cd)
Authors: Wendorff Marco , Röhr Caroline
Published: April 2013

The systematic experimental and bond-theoretical study of the phase width of the BaAl4 structure type in the ternary system BaIn4- BaHg4 shows that this structure type is stable up to BaIn1:7Hg2:3 (tetragonal, tI10, space group I4=mmm, a=474.2(3), c=1228.7(9) pm, R1=0.0529). The planar 44 layers (M(2) site) are preferentially formed by In, whereas Hg occupies the tips (M(1) site) of the [M(1)M(2)4] square pyramids. The layers of the pyramids are connected via short M(1)-M(1) dumbbells (bonds a). The analysis of the calculated band structures of BaIn2Hg2 in comparison to BaIn4 and RbIn4 shows that contributions of Ba-d states (which are missing for RbIn4) and Hg-d states (which are missing in the pure indides) are significant. The respective compound with the smaller triel gallium (Hg-richest phase: BaGa1:9Hg2:1, tetragonal, oI40, space group I41=amd, a=671.3(2), c=2220.4(8) pm, Z =8, R1=0.0641) forms a new superstructure of the BaAl4 structure with a partial ordering of three statistically occupied mixed Ga=Hg positions. The 44 nets are formed by an intermediate proportion of Ga=Hg. The tips of the pyramids are alternately formed by a Ga- and an Hg-rich position leading to smaller and larger bond lengths a’ and a”, respectively, between the tip atoms and, consequentely, a puckering of the 44 net. The two Hg-rich 3 : 11 compounds Ba3InHg10 and Ba3CdHg10 (orthorhombic, oI28, space group Immm, a=513.96(8)=511.50(2), b=993.8(2)=991.54(3), c=1500.7(3)=1499.26(5) pm, Z =2, R1=0.0619=0.0482) crystallize in the La3Al11 structure type, which is also observed for K3Hg11 and is closely related to the BaAl4 type: The square pyramidal nets are corrugated leading to a triplication of the BaAl4 unit cell along one of the tetragonal axes. In each third subcell the tips of adjacent pyramids are directly fused, this position being occupied exclusively by In and Cd. With the smaller triel gallium, the 3 : 11 compound Ba3Ga0:2Hg10:8 crystallizes in the Ba3ZnHg10 structure type (orthorhombic, oP28, space group Pmmn, a=709.36(4), b=1707.96(9), c=630.78(4) pm, Z =2, R1=0.0342). The structure contains folded layers of flat rectangular Ga=Hg pyramids, leaving large channels at the folds, in which Ba(1) and Hg(2) atoms alternate. The formation and stability ranges of 1 : 4, 3 : 11 and related 5 : 19 trieles/mercurides are discussed taking geometric, electronic and M13=Hg ,coloring‘ aspects into account.
Path Planning with a Lazy Significant Edge Algorithm (LSEA)
Authors: Polden Joseph , Pan Zengxi , Larkin Nathan , Van Duin Stephen
Published: April 2013

Probabilistic methods have been proven to be effective for robotic path planning in a geometrically complex environment. In this paper, we propose a novel approach, which utilizes a specialized roadmap expansion phase, to improve lazy probabilistic path planning. This expansion phase analyses roadmap connectivity information to bias sampling towards objects in the workspace that have not yet been navigated by the robot. A new method to reduce the number of samples required to navigate narrow passages is also proposed and tested. Experimental results show that the new algorithm is more efficient than the traditional path planning methodologies. It was able to generate solutions for a variety of path planning problems faster, using fewer samples to arrive at a valid solution.
Rapid and Efficient Directed Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Into Retinal Pigmented Epithelium
Authors: Buchholz David E. , Pennington Britney O. , Croze Roxanne H. , Hinman Cassidy R. , Coffey Peter J. , Clegg Dennis O.
Published: April 2013

Controlling the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells is the goal of many laboratories, both to study normal human development and to generate cells for transplantation. One important cell type under investigation is the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE). Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in the Western world, is caused by dysfunction and death of the RPE. Currently, RPE derived from human embryonic stem cells are in clinical trials for the treatment of AMD. Although protocols to generate RPE from human pluripotent stem cells have become more efficient since the first report in 2004, they are still time-consuming and relatively inefficient. We have found that the addition of defined factors at specific times leads to conversion of approximately 80% of the cells to an RPE phenotype in only 14 days. This protocol should be useful for rapidly generating RPE for transplantation as well as for studying RPE development in vitro.
Research Commercialization and Economic Sustainability: Basis for Establishment of Research Utilization Office in Universities
Authors: Cayogyog Alvin O.
Published: April 2013

Peralta (2008) viewed intellectual property rights as valuable assets that could help propel a company or even a nation towards economic well being. However, Amorado (2012) cited the alarming fact that most researches ended into their shelflife tragedy. Grounded on these contentions, this study sought to determine the contribution of research commercialization to economic sustainability of universities by utilizing a mixed method of research via triangulation technique. Findings confirmed the validity of both contentions. Key Informants from government agencies of region XI and selected university administrators were united in their perspective that universities must become self-reliant by strengthening their income generating capacities through commercialization of their marketable researches. However, the quantitative findings revealed that although there were enough university inventions and innovations, the extent of research commercialization was still very low which resulted to only 14.6 % contribution to their own economic sustainability. This study inferred that the current mindset of universities in region XI is not yet for research commercialization because such an endeavor has not been woven yet into their research culture. Hence, the establishment of research utilization and commercialization office in universities is an urgent need.   Keywords - Research Commercialization, Economic Sustainability, Research Utilization and Commercialization Office
Metalcraft Livelihood Enterprise Development of the University of Northern Philippines
Authors: Bajet Jr. Manuel A. , De Vera Marciana P.
Published: April 2013

Metalcraft and Livelihood Enterprise Development of the University of Northern Philippines was implemented through its Extension Services Office focused on trainings to farmers, out-ofschool youth, and adults in rural communities in the province of Ilocos Sur, to enhance their creativity and skills in metal craft production. Areas included in the project were Vigan City, Sta. Maria, San Emilio, Sto. Domingo, Lidlidda and Santiago. The prime intension of having this program was to provide cooperators a lucrative business opportunity and become local entrepreneurs rather than migrating to urban areas or even working abroad. The program has been funded by the government of Spain through Ahencia Española Cooperacion Incorporada. A total of P2,002,093.07 has been provided and was used to train cooperators or beneficiaries of the project and used for the acquisition of tools and equipments used in the implementation of the project. A total of 53 cooperators were trained for three months. Trainings focused on production and reproduction, maintenance and repair of steel windows, grills, fences, gates, low cost nonmechanized agricultural rice tracer, plow, and the other farm implements. To ensure sustainability of the project implemented, the University organized the cooperators to form an association and had it registered under the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). For the association to operate as an enterprise, the STEAM-Municipal Science Technology Application Project (MSTAP) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) provided them a seed capital with zero interest. Further, project cooperators borrowed complete tools and equipment for them to use in starting of their own livelihood projects with the assistance of the Agencia Española Cooperacion Incorporada. For the sustainability of the project, a memorandum of agreement was crafted and signed between the University and the cooperators. The project through the different associations had been able to achieved an average gross sale of P530,000 per quarter and having an average net income of P40,000.00 per quarter. Among the seven (7) livelihood organizations, the Gray Metalcraft Livelihood Association was noted for generating higher sales and income.   Keywords - Metalcraft, Livelihood, Enterprise, Development, Nonmechanized, Rural Communities, Philippines
Propensity to Engage in Educational Travel among Selected Young Filipino Students
Authors: Tibon Maria Victoria P.
Published: April 2013

Educational travel is a significant part of youth travel. It is a business of vast potential. This study is an initial effort to define the prospects of this business by measuring the propensity to engage in educational travel among 140 students from two regions in the Philippines using a questionnaire. Results show that Filipinos have a high propensity to engage in educational travel. Through a t-test, youth from the southern part of the Philippines were found to be different and have a higher propensity than those in the National Capital Region. Reasons for the difference such as demographic factors and built-in environment are explored.   Keywords - Youth travel, educational travel, Filipino youth, youth market, travel motivation, travel business, push motives
Impact of Price Hike of Commercial Rice to the Quality of Food Served by Small Scale Restaurant Operators
Authors: Mapote Mario C. , Mostoles Sherwin T.
Published: April 2013

Element influencing economics is energy resource. Fossil energy is depleting. Thus, modern men find ways for alternative energy. However, price of fossil energy is fluctuating in the global market i.e. dependent on supply production. Eventually, prices of a commodity are influenced by price of energy. In the Philippines, the first basic commodity affected is the price of rice. Unfortunately, Filipinos live essentially on rice as staple food. Commercially, this too affected the quality of food served by small scale restaurant operators. The study was a descriptive survey assessing the reaction of small scale restaurant operators and customers on the impact of price hike of commercial rice to the quality of food served from restaurant establishments. The findings show the impact of price hike of commercial rice to the quality of food served by small scale restaurants as to taste, aroma, texture, color and quantity was moderate; the satisfaction level of customers of small scale restaurants was moderate; the impact of price-hike of rice moderately affected owner-operators of small scale restaurants in terms of operating cost, number of customers, monthly gross sales and net profit; and the correlation between price hike of rice and quality of food served was very significant. Keywords - Economics, price hike, commercial Rice, quality of food served, small scale restaurant operators, Philippines
Research Capability of the Selected Public and Private Higher Education Institutions in Cebu City, Philippines
Authors: Acar Bryant C.
Published: April 2013

There is a great demand to improve the research landscape among Higher Education Institutions in Cebu City. The objective of the research survey is to provide an inventory of research capability among the HEIs. Thereon, the data can be used to assist each HEI in the formulation of strategy to strengthen its research function. The study used the descriptive survey type of research that ascertains the research capability of the selected public and private higher education institutions in Cebu City. A self-made research operation profile survey questionnaire and interview guide sheet was utilized. The findings revealed that a very important institutional support in cultivating and nurturing the research climate are research incentives. Same importance in boosting the researchers would be the provision of facilities and equipment in support of research function. Primary facilities provide better research sources and output, while incentives provide good attraction to undergo research. HEIs research activities obtained their funding from their institutional budgets; however, they generate other funding sources and linkages to external agencies to support research initiatives. Aggregate of faculty and student researchers were considered to be important resources in research undertaking. An often neglected, but equally important aspect of research is the dissemination and utilization of research results. Research team development, evaluation of research and dissemination of research were the most common management needs of Cebu research directors. The public and private HEIs were generally capable in their research functions and undertakings. However, there are critical points that need attention and improvements.   Keywords - Educational Research; Descriptive-survey study; Research Capability of public and private HEI’s; Cebu City, Philippines, Asia
Forging Peaceful Environment Through Film Showing: An Innovative Approach in Teaching
Authors: Alaya-Ay, Jr. Gaudencio M.
Published: April 2013

This study is about the usefulness of film as a means of instruction and communication, how it works, how it affects people in or out of the classroom, how it should be internalized, analyzed and how can it modify behavior of the pupils. This was conducted in Mindanao particularly in the town of Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte, occupying the southern portion of the Philippine archipelago. The main thrust was to determine the effect of film showing as an innovative aid for teaching peace and to let the learners internalize and put into action the moral values which were derived from the film. Such classroom activity, teaching technique, and strategy aspire to modify the attitudes of the pupils through adequate education in living a peaceful environment. Since it is believed that to grow, embrace, and reach real peace shall have to begin with the children until all corners of the world are covered with peace and love for which consciously or unconsciously the whole world is hungering, it is hoped that the effort of teaching with film showing is potent for the modification of attitudes. This study also sought to answer the questions dealing with moral values/educational implications, the level of pupils’ responses, the most and least moral values which were internalized and practiced by the respondents in forging a culture for peace and nonviolence which were based from the observations of parents, the significant difference between the pre-test and post test results, and the effectiveness of film showing in forging a culture of peace and nonviolence. Keywords - Peace Education in Mindanao, Teaching Culture of Peace, Film Analysis in Forging Peaceful Environment, Film Showing in Teaching Peace
Error Analysis of English Sentences Written by Administrators at STIE Perbanas Surabaya, Indonesia
Authors: Djuwari Djuwari
Published: April 2013

Error Analysis (EA) in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) is one of the interesting studies in linguistics, especially when the errors being analyzed are made by the Indonesian people. English is a foreign language for Indonesian but this language, in STIE Perbanas Surabaya, is considered one of the components in the administration staff’s performance appraisal (PA). This paper attempts to explore the possible causes of errors of English written by the staff of STIE Perbanas Surabaya. The subjects being analyzed are the written English taken from the test results of English done recently. The data were taken from 20 sheets of test results concerning the two types of written test. The first was the guided writing test and the second the free writing test. The data were analyzed using the theory of Error Analysis (EA) by firstly, classifying into the levels of sentence construction: phrases/ word formation and sentences. It can be generalized that most of the staff were influenced by their first language (L1) in both the morphological construction and the sentence levels. It is advisable for the institution to let them exposed to English in the staff in daily lives so that they can acquire English.   Keywords - Education, Error Analysis (EA), Second Language Acquisition (SLA), L1, and L2
Knowledge Retention Techniques for Architectural Education
Authors: Patil Bhavana
Published: April 2013

Learning and retention of knowledge are important processes in a students’ as well as teachers’ life and are two sides of the same coin. Both have equal importance and one cannot think of only one side without the other. In architectural education, built form has a unique importance and plays a vital role in architecture student’s life. As the information related to built form has an important attribute in architectural education, the examples of eminent built form are always used by teachers as well as students. There are many factors that are attached to built form (structure) such as geographical, social, environmental etc. This important information is needed to be retained by students as well as teachers. It is necessary to have strategic, comprehensive and holistic techniques for retaining the information so that it can be used over a long period. Academic institutions as well as teachers constantly try to evolve new methods to achieve this. This paper describes and analyses the use of ‘Creative Exercises’ and ‘Concept Map’ techniques for students of architectural studies to retain a particular aspect of information about built form as well as retain the overall information about built form.   Keywords - Education, Architecture, Knowledge retention, Creative Exercises, Concept Map, India
Context Based Mathematics Problem Solving: Cognitive and Affective Effects on BIT and BS VOC-Tech Students
Authors: Hortillosa Arlene Demaisip
Published: April 2013

This context based Mathematics problem solving has been shown to have direct efforts on students’ bearing. This study compares the cognitive and affective effects of the Context-Based and Traditional approach on voc-tech students from the two programs. Quantitative data were collected using a Pretest and Posttest examination in mathematics problem solving to assess the levels of students’ problem solving performance and an attitude, beliefs and confidence (A-B-C) questionnaire to assess the voc-tech students’ attitude, belief and confidence. For qualitative analysis, the students’ journals, interview responses, and the teacher−observers’ and raters’ notes and comments were analyzed. The results showed that the students have a very low analytic level and limited content knowledge in mathematics prior the intervention. However, the context-based approach enhanced the students’ problem solving skills as exhibited by the numerically higher scores and improvement in the quality of the experimental class’ solutions and responses to the problem solving posttest. After the treatment, statistical tests revealed that the contextbased approach had a significant effect on the voc-tech students on certain topics of mathematics in terms of approach, program and ability level. Results also revealed that the experimental group showed a significant improvement in their attitude and beliefs in mathematics problem solving compared to their counterparts in the control group. Comparing the posttest results by program, the BS students are significantly higher than the BIT students in their overall problem solving scores as well as the BIT and BS students in the experimental class.   Keywords - Mathematics, context based, Mathematics problem solving, attitude, belief, confidence, Voc-tech students, Iloilo, Philippines
Academic Performance of Chemistry Majors in Selected Chemistry Courses: Input For The Licensure Examination Preparation
Authors: Tizo Maribel S. , Palmes Nenita D.
Published: April 2013

Students’ achievement in the field of science depends on many related factors of teaching and learning particularly in chemistry subjects. Thus, it may be helpful to determine objectively whether or not teachers, students’ and school factors are influencing the academic performance of the students and the importance of which as input to chemistry licensure examination. Descriptive statistics were used. The multivariate analysis on the form of principal components analysis (PCA) and general linear model (GLM) were also used. Female respondents comprised the majority. Parent’s highest educational levels were college graduate, and most of the students came from State Universities and Colleges. Most of the students were members of school organizations, non-recipient of scholarship; and many of them were indulged in extra-curricular activities. Generally, learning style did not influence academic performance. Among the teaching strategies which were favored by the students was lecture and discussion. Students performed best in Organic Chemistry but they had low Chemistry achievement index. Recipient of a scholarship grant and attitude towards Chemistry were individually significant. Instructional materials and the library sources were not significant predictors of chemistry achievement. Further research is needed to explore the problem on a large sample from more scattered geographical regions. Keywords – Chemistry, students achievement, learning styles, instructional materials, teaching strategies, descriptive design, Philippines
Teachers and Students’ Meaning and View on Grades
Authors: Daguplo Marvin S.
Published: April 2013

The misunderstandings, conflicts, and frustrations that surround student-teacher communication about grades arise from the disparity between their basic assumptions about what grades mean and how they are derived. Anchored on the perspective of Goulden and Griffin (1997), this causal-comparative study tried to assess students’ and teachers’ perspective on the meaning of grades, and test the hypothesis that conflict on the meaning of grades ceased to subsist in the minds of students and teachers. A total of 39 teachers and 170 students responded the standardized questionnaire and revealed their satisfying experiences of constant conversation about grades. Both even revealed that this conversation sometimes leads to the changing of grades. Further analysis, however, revealed that despite students and teachers’ agreements on some aspects on the meaning of grades, a statistically significant difference between their views were observed whenever grades are understood as information; its impact to students; the process of getting it; and its validity as a measure of mastery of course content. Being able to reject the hypothesis, it is recommended that aside from an intense explanation on the process and the validity of grades, the use of various, authentic, and appropriate tools in evaluating students’ complex performance must be employed. Keywords - Information, Impact, Process, validity, Grade Communication, Evaluation, Assessment
Personal Factors that Relate to the Assessment Practices of Science Teachers
Authors: Salvador-Janer Susan S.
Published: April 2013

This descriptive study aims to determine the personal factors that relate to the assessment practices of 23 science teachers. The respondents are purposively chosen among the teacher education institutions in the province of Sorsogon. Data are gathered through survey, interview, and documentary analysis and analyzed using frequency counts and percentages. Results show that most of the respondents are females, undesignated, with units in Master’s degree, have been in the service for more than four years and have attended trainings related to their field of specialization. Some respondents are fond of using the traditional paper-pencil tests while others are in to authentic assessment methods. The personal factors of the respondents considered in this study all positively relate to the assessment practices of the teachers. Hence, this study recommends, among others that teachers should continuously upgrade themselves by pursuing their graduate studies and attend trainings if possible to develop or enrich their existing knowledge on assessment; and enhance their know-how and creativity in innovating and crafting valid and effective assessment tools.   Keywords - Education, assessment, assessment practices, documentary analysis, Philippines