bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intuitiveness and Creativity in Groups: Cross-Level Interactions Between Group Conflict and Individual Cognitive Styles
Authors: Kim Moon Joung , Choi Jin Nam , Park Oh Soo
Published: November 2012

In this study, we introduced a multilevel perspective in order to identify a group contextual factor that moderates the relationship between cognitive style and creativity. Multilevel analyses of data collected from 306 employees from 50 organizational teams revealed that task conflict
had beneficial effects on the creativity of intuitive individuals, but detrimental effects on the creativity of systematic individuals. In contrast, relationship conflict offered a positive context for the systematic cognitive style with regard to individual creativity, but it dissipated the
positive effect of intuitive style on creativity. To date cognitive style and conflict literature has been focused on either individual or group-level analysis. In our study we have bridged this gap and our findings have highlighted the context-dependent nature of the cognitive style-creativity
relationship.
Leadership Emergence in Autonomous Work Teams: Who is More Willing to Lead?
Authors: Oh Se-Hyung (David)
Published: November 2012

In a leaderless autonomous work team context, if people have a high motivation to lead (MTL) others and actively engage in leadership behaviors, these motivations and behaviors would distinguish them from other group members, leading them to be recognized as leaders of their groups.
Therefore, MTL is an important determinant of leadership emergence in autonomous work teams. With a sample of 136 participants in a leadership development program, I examined the relationship between individual differences in internal (i.e., need for cognitive closure [NFC]) and external factors
(i.e., seniority, culture) and MTL in the autonomous work team environment. The data showed that high NFC individuals had high noncalculative and social-normative MTL and, thus, were more likely to become leaders in their work teams. There was also a significant interaction between culture
and gender in regard to social-normative MTL. Seniority was not an influential predictor for social-normative MTL.
Personality Type, Perceptual Style Preferences, and Strategies for Learning English as a Foreign Language
Authors: Chen Mei-Ling , Hung Li-Mei
Published: November 2012

We investigated the influence that personality type has on perceptual learning style preference and language learning strategies. Participants were 364 senior high school students in Taiwan who were studying English as a foreign language. The instruments used to collect data were the
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (Myers & McCaulley, 1985), the Perceptual Learning Preferences Survey (adapted from Kinsella's 1995 survey), and the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (Oxford, 1990). Results showed significant relationships between language learning strategy and the
introverted/extroverted personality type. Significant relationships were also found between the sensing/intuitive personality type and memory, compensation, social, and metacognitive strategies.
Tattoos, Piercings, and Sexual Activity
Authors: Guéguen Nicolas
Published: November 2012

In this study, I examined the correlation between having a tattoo and/or body piercing and the time at which sexual activity began. Data were gathered from a convenience sample of 2,080 students, who were recruited by approaching them on the campuses of public universities in France.
Tattooed and/or pierced students reported earlier experiences of sexual intercourse than did nonpierced and nontattooed students. This effect was found with both males and females, and was reinforced when respondents had both piercings and tattoos.
Transforming Employee Engagement Into Long-Term Customer Relationships: Evidence from Information Technology Salespeople in Taiwan
Authors: Yuan Benjamin J. C. , Lin Michael B. H. , Shieh Jia-Horng , Li Kuang-Pin
Published: November 2012

In this study, we found that when information salespeople in Taiwan perceived more transformational leadership, they were more likely to show increases in work engagement development over time. Furthermore, increases in work engagement development influenced increases in service performance
development, which therefore positively predicts increases in customer relationship development over time.
History Matters: Canada's Contribution to the First Worldwide Study of Human Trafficking
Authors: Knepper Paul
Published: November 2012

Despite the attention given to the issue of human trafficking, the empirical base for policy making remains problematic. During the 1920s, the League of Nations pioneered research into human trafficking with the first intercontinental study. Field work took place in 28 countries across Europe, the Americas, and the Mediterranean; researchers conducted 6,500 interviews in 14 languages. The fieldwork conducted in Canada, the first and last country to be studied, reveals a great deal about human trafficking research today. The researchers encountered problems familiar to current researchers and their official report contains many of the same conclusions. The discussion here explores the unreliability of statistical estimates, difficulties in researching hidden populations, the lack of cases meeting a legal standard, and claims about the involvement of organized crime. It concludes with comments about the importance of incorporating historical perspective into criminology.
Melodrama, Modernity and the Brazilian Television Mini-Series
Authors: Brennan Niall
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACT:

Melodrama is fundamental to Latin American culture. It has been used to chart Latin American history, and it has followed technological change in popular dramatic forms, from the folhetim to the telenovela. In this article, I discuss how the Brazilian television mini-series reflects the intersections of melodrama and modernity. The mini-series traces Brazil’s story, from colony to democracy, and it brings film and literature to Brazil’s predominant medium. Yet the mini-series’ literary-filmic devices stir critical debate about whether Brazil is emulating foreign models, or whether it is creating its own dramatic innovations. At the intersection of melodrama and modernity in the mini-series, I therefore identify continuity and change in the way Brazil has conceived of its national identity. Through the perspectives of creators and critics of the mini-series, however, I also reveal contradictions in the way melodrama has facilitated and frustrated representing what modernity means for Brazil.
Melodramatic Slaves
Authors: Van Kooy Dana , Cox Jeffrey N.
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACT:

The article focuses on the concomitant rise of melodrama and the abolitionist movement in the late eighteenth century and how these cultural discourses evolved in conjunction with one another into the mid-nineteenth century. While melodrama as a popular mode of theatre is often seen as populist, we argue that the form of melodrama works to contain any objections to slavery that might threaten domestic and national orders. Tracking the sites and sights of slavery from Colman’s early Inkle and Yarico through his Africans and Morton’s The Slave to Boucicault’s Octoroon, we first show how much of the institution of slavery was, in fact, staged and then explore how these plays subordinate potentially disturbing images of the trade to a domestic plot that restores traditional family values and underwrites the order of empire.
Case Study–Based Evaluation of Stochastic Multicommodity Emergency Inventory Management Model
Authors: Ozguven Eren Erman , Ozbay Kaan
Published: November 2012

Emergency disaster management has emerged as a vital tool for reducing the harm and alleviating the suffering that disasters worldwide cause their victims. A significant task of planners involved in emergency disaster management is the ability to plan for and satisfy the vital needs of the people located in emergency shelters, such as the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, which was used as a shelter during Hurricane Katrina. This task requires determination of a way to reduce the uncertainties associated with emergency operations and to estimate the expected costs of delivery and consumption of vital supplies throughout these operations. This paper attempts to address these issues by application of a case study–based approach to demonstrate the usefulness of a stochastic humanitarian inventory control model and estimation of the minimum safety stock levels of emergency inventories. The emergency inventory management problem is discussed, and previous emergency inventory studies are reviewed to identify the need for a stochastic emergency inventory management model. After introduction of the mathematical formulation for the model, the formulation is applied to a number of realistic case studies built on the basis of the experiences in recent major disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina. The paper concludes with a summary of lessons learned for the model when it is applied to a wide range of scenarios drawn from real-life experiences and used to create emergency inventory management strategies for different types of disasters.
Model to Locate Sensors for Estimation of Static Origin–Destination Volumes Given Prior Flow Information
Authors: Wang Ning , Gentili Monica , Mirchandani Pitu
Published: November 2012

Static origin–destination (O-D) matrices that specify the number of trips from each origin to each destination are usually needed for several transportation planning and operations decisions. One approach to the estimation of an O-D matrix is to use data from traditional counting sensors on links in conjunction with models or assumptions on how vehicular traffic uses the network. A closely related problem is to locate a given number of counting sensors to obtain good estimates of O-D flows. In this paper, a new linear integer programming model for the placement of the sensors at a location to maximize the reduction in the uncertainties in route flows estimates is presented. The model assumes a general underlying traffic loading model, as long as the route choice set from each origin to each destination is known and prior route flows and their reliabilities for each O-D route are given. Extensive computational experiments and comparisons with some existing sensor location models indicate that the proposed model consistently gives good estimates of O-D flows.
High-Coverage Point-to-Point Transit
Authors: Jung Jaeyoung , Jayakrishnan R.
Published: November 2012

Electric vehicles (EVs) have substantial potential for fleet applications as energy-efficient vehicles with fewer carbon-based emissions. However, EV utilization brings other concerns related to limited vehicle ranges and battery-charging issues, and thus the recharging infrastructure needs to be carefully designed and financially supported. This study focuses on the use of an EV fleet for an innovative transportation alternative called high-coverage point-to-point transit (HCPPT), which involves a sufficient number of deployed small vehicles that respond to real-time desires for point-to-point travel of individual travelers. As large-scale fleet operation of EVs and the HCPPT system are both envisaged only as future transportation alternatives, the benefits of combining these options have to be modeled and studied. Possible infrastructure investment benefits could result for both systems when transfer-hub locations of HCPPT are used as electric-charging locations. This paper studied the performance results from the simulation of a real-world transfer-hub system and developed certain vehicle-routing schemes to handle the specifics of EV operations. Alternative ways to schedule the charging of EVs were modeled with different insertion heuristics within vehicle-routing optimization. The results showed that the battery-charging limitations of EVs do not significantly affect the efficiency of the HCPPT system and revealed the importance of details such as the number of required charging stations at the hub locations.
Spatially Explicit Projection of Biofuel Supply for Meeting Renewable Fuel Standard
Authors: Parker Nathan
Published: November 2012

The revised Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) in the United States mandates significant growth in the biofuels industry with 36 billion gallons by 2022. Volumes are mandated for each year from 2009 to 2022. In this study, the author simulated the industry required to meet the 2018 mandate, with special attention to the geographic layout. The methodology built a series of scenarios by varying market and technology parameters that influence the design of the biofuel industry. The industry was then modeled with an integrated supply chain model that was spatially explicit. This model described the optimal behavior of a biofuel industry given the constraints of fuel demand, biofuel selling price, and feedstock supply. All the analyzed scenarios achieved the 2018 RFS2 mandate at wholesale fuel prices between $2.65 and $3.78/gal of gasoline-equivalent biofuels. Between $57.7 billion and $140.7 billion in capital investment was required to bring the fuels to market. The results were most sensitive to the level of technological optimism and the access to waste and residue biomass resources.
Carbon Footprints for Public Transportation Agencies in Florida
Authors: Hillsman Edward L. , Cevallos Fabian , Sando Thobias
Published: November 2012

Under sponsorship of the Florida Department of Transportation, a study was conducted to measure the carbon footprint for Florida's public transit agencies. The state's 31 public transportation agencies were contacted to obtain data. With the Climate Registry's general reporting protocol (GRP), the research team calculated emissions on the basis of the provided data. The research team found that carbon dioxide emissions from revenue vehicles accounted for 82.5% of a typical agency's emissions (86.5% if weighted by footprint size). The balance of the footprint included trace emissions from vehicle operations; emissions from purchased electricity; emissions from operating nonrevenue vehicles; emissions from fuel used to heat, operate, and maintain facilities; and refrigerants lost from vehicle and building air-conditioning systems. Refrigerant losses accounted for about 5% of a typical agency's footprint. Data on losses were the most difficult to collect. The collected data were estimated to account for 75% to 80% of the total carbon footprint of Florida's transit agencies, and the data total footprint accounted for less than 1% of the state's surface transportation carbon footprint. This research also examined how Florida's transit agencies could help reduce the state's transportation carbon footprint by providing service that encourages people to ride public transportation instead of driving. The study also provides lessons for conducting similar inventories elsewhere, including data collection, constraints on agencies' abilities to provide data on a voluntary basis, some limitations of the GRP, and possibilities for simplifying the process in some circumstances.
Impacts of Implementing Transportation Control Measures on Travel Activity and Emissions
Authors: Mahendra Anjali , Bowen Beverly , Simons Mark E. , Adler Kenneth
Published: November 2012

Transportation is one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the United States and is responsible for a large share of criteria pollutants as well. This paper describes the methodology and results from a project to analyze the potential national-scale effectiveness of transportation control measures in reducing GHG and other pollutant emissions through changes in travel activity. As part of the analysis, a peer-reviewed methodology was developed, and data were obtained from the regional travel demand models of 15 metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs). The regions covered a variety of city sizes, transportation profiles, and geographical regions of the country. The travel activity and emissions impacts of multiple strategies at the regional and national levels were estimated to 2050 with the data obtained from the MPOs. The strategies selected for analysis were travel demand management, land use policies, transit-related strategies, parking-cost changes, and road pricing in the form of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fees. The long-range transportation plans of participating regions contributed to the creation of scenarios that combined the most widely considered strategies as well as more aggressive strategies such as road pricing for the analysis of impacts on regional trips and VMT. Although other research efforts have focused on this topic in recent years, this study is unique in its use of a bottom-up approach that employs data from a travel demand model for several metropolitan areas as inputs to a standard analysis tool. It helps to illustrate how the emissions impacts of transportation strategies can be estimated on a national scale by using regional information.
Activity-Based Modeling to Predict Spatial and Temporal Power Demand of Electric Vehicles in Flanders, Belgium
Authors: Knapen Luk , Kochan Bruno , Bellemans Tom , Janssens Davy , Wets Geert
Published: November 2012

Electric power demand for household-generated traffic was estimated as a function of time and space for the region of Flanders, Belgium. An activity-based model was used to predict traffic demand. Electric vehicle (EV) type and charger characteristics were determined on the basis of car ownership and on the assumption that the market shares of EV categories would be similar to the current ones for internal combustion engine vehicles published in government statistics. Charging opportunities at home and work locations were derived from the predicted schedules and the estimation of the possibility to charge at work. Simulations were run for several levels of EV market penetration and for specific ratios of battery-only electric vehicles (BEVs) to pluggable hybrid electric vehicles. A single car was used to drive all trips in a daily schedule. Most of the Flemish schedules could be driven entirely by a BEV even after the published range values were reduced to account for range anxiety and for the overestimated ranges resulting from tests in accordance with standards. The current overnight period for low-tariff electricity was found to be sufficiently long to allow for individual cost optimizing while minimizing the peaks for overall power demand.
Plug-In Electric Vehicles in California
Authors: Witt Maggie , Bomberg Matthew , Lipman Timothy , Williams Brett
Published: November 2012

California's emissions reduction goals for criteria air pollutants (CAPs) and greenhouse gases (GHGs) have encouraged policies that support plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). This paper explores current and planned policies that promote PEVs, potential emissions benefits from PEV adoption in California by 2020, and future policy directions. The reviewed policies include the zero-emission vehicle regulations, the low-carbon fuel standard, and the clean car standards, which all require GHG reductions. Policies prompted by the California Public Utilities Commission Alternative-Fueled Vehicle Rulemaking decision and existing and planned PEV incentive programs are among the forthcoming and expected policies that are discussed. An analysis was conducted to estimate and to value GHG and CAP emissions reductions from PEVs in California by 2020. Results of this analysis show that the reduction in tailpipe emissions dominate any added power plant emissions and value the benefits at $750 to $1,500 per vehicle in an expected PEV penetration scenario (where PEVs are predominantly plug-in hybrid vehicles) and $1,000 to $2,500 per vehicle in an aggressive penetration scenario (in which battery electric vehicles comprise one-third of all PEVs). The assignment of monetary value to benefits provided a basis for justifying future PEV subsidy programs. The policy review and emissions analysis set the stage for a discussion of California's PEV-related policy outlook, including possible policy directions that would coordinate PEV-related programs, distinguish electric fuel from electricity used for other purposes, and provide stable, long-term incentives for PEV deployment.
Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Materials Used in Road Construction
Authors: Hanson Christopher S. , Noland Robert B. , Cavale Karthik Rao
Published: November 2012

This paper provides a comprehensive summary of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions factors for producing asphalt concrete (referred to as “asphalt”) and portland cement concrete (referred to as “concrete”) pavements. Life-cycle emissions factors are provided for the key components of upstream emissions. GHG components included carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and nitrous oxide, as well as the oxidation of nonmethane, nonethane volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide to CO2. The approach described in this paper enabled the evaluation of emissions from hot-mix, warm-mix, and cold-mix asphalts with assumptions on heating requirements for each. The sources used for the emissions factors were derived from existing sources and models, and a key contribution was the synthesis of these factors for ready use by transportation agencies. Results of the comparison of hot-mix asphalt, warm-mix asphalt, and concrete revealed that warm-mix asphalt might have had as little as 34% of the life-cycle GHG emissions of concrete and 76% of those of hot-mix asphalt. Substitution of fly ash for 25% of the cement in concrete reduced global warming potential by 22%.
Comparison of Urban Cooperative Delivery and Direct Delivery Strategies
Authors: Chen Qin , Lin Jie (Jane) , Kawamura Kazuya
Published: November 2012

Urban cooperative delivery is a truck demand management strategy that can significantly reduce urban congestion and emissions by consolidating deliveries of goods at a facility outside urban areas. Although the economy of scale from load and route consolidations could bring companies improvement of service range and routes, such benefits depend on the additional terminal operation costs. This study evaluated the effectiveness of urban cooperative delivery strategy in terms of the monetary cost by comparing the total logistics cost under several settings defined by a number of key factors of interest (e.g., customer density, demand quantity, facility location, and vehicle type). The use of the continuous approximation method was extended to modeling the urban cooperative delivery problem. The results demonstrated that there was no one-size-fits-all solution to the problem. The study evaluated the circumstances under which the urban cooperative strategies were favorable and unfavorable. The study findings provide theoretical insights to the effectiveness of urban cooperative delivery strategies, in contrast to the case study approach most commonly seen in the literature.
Public–Private Partnerships
Authors: Resor Randolph R. , Tuszynski Nick
Published: November 2012

Proposed restrictions on federal funding for surface transportation projects are forcing state and local governments to consider alternative funding and financing mechanisms. The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery and Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act and other programs have successfully leveraged private dollars, but other programs are still needed to fund the surface transportation infrastructure gap. The U.S. Department of Transportation has been exploring new programs for innovative financing; one is public–private partnerships (P3s). P3s allow private firms to participate in the financing of an infrastructure project and take either part or all of the business risks and earn a market return on their investment as compensation. Conclusions from this analysis are the following. First, although accurate revenue forecasts are essential if a project is to be a success, making accurate estimates of revenues has proved difficult. Second, the success of any P3 depends on accurate measurement and sharing of risk. Deals that place all risk on the private sector are likely to fail. Projects in which the public sector takes more of the business risk are more likely to succeed. Third, public outreach, explanation, and strategic communication are essential, especially if the privatization will result in significant pricing changes for users. Fourth, due diligence and a thorough cost–benefit analysis are essential for public and private parties. Private firms typically have more experience in P3s and project financing. The public sector must have similar information and may need to contract out the cost analysis procedures. Fifth, if a project generates a revenue stream, then a private firm is more likely to embrace a P3 agreement.
Connecting Australia with Modular B-Triples
Authors: Bereni Matthieu , Di Cristoforo Rob
Published: November 2012

The National Transport Commission in Australia has proposed a national framework for B-triple operations that includes basic vehicle specifications and operating conditions. B-triples are vehicle combinations composed of a prime mover towing three semitrailers. The commission anticipates that the national framework will replace the inconsistent state-by-state approaches, which largely discourage the use of B-triples for interstate operation. This paper presents productivity, safety, and infrastructure impact analyses (covering pavements and bridges). It also presents a cost–benefit analysis that includes the safety and environmental benefits of national B-triple operation.
Effects of Road Pricing on Freight Carrier Behaviors Analyzed with Experimental Economics
Authors: Soro Wonmongo L. , Wang Xiaokun (Cara)
Published: November 2012

This paper uses experimental economics to examine the route choice behavior of freight carriers in peak hours and off-hours. The study finds that carriers tend to choose toll roads in peak hours to ensure on-time delivery, regardless of the type of cargo. In contrast, carriers are reluctant to choose toll roads in off-hours. For a delivery of 50 mi, the receiver's final cost is lowered by approximately 25% if the receiver switches from peak hour delivery to off-hour delivery. The paper sheds light on the route choice behaviors of freight carriers under the constraint of delivering the cargo within a given time window. Findings of this study reinforce the empirical observation of freight carrier behaviors. The study also offers a data set that can be used for further econometric analysis of the freight sector.
Evaluation of Methodologies in Benefit–Cost and Economic Impact Analyses for Freight Rail Projects
Authors: Protopapas Annie , Warner Jeffery E. , Morgan Curtis A.
Published: November 2012

Public investment in privately owned freight rail infrastructure is mutually beneficial if that investment benefits the public. Public–private partnerships are emerging as a viable procurement method to leverage public and private funding or financing in transportation projects to meet the mobility needs of an expanding economy. This paper summarizes the research conducted as part of a larger project to evaluate the state of the practice in methodologies that estimate the benefits generated by freight rail projects. The research examined existing research, case studies, and benefit–cost analyses and economic impact analyses of implemented, approved, and proposed rail projects. Much variation was found in the approaches, definitions, techniques, and level of detail employed. The research defined and characterized projects, developed a generalized benefit classification scheme, and analyzed and evaluated data sources, methodologies, and assumptions on which quantification and monetization of projected benefits were based. The paper draws conclusions about—and recommends improvements in—approaches and methodologies to allow more objective comparisons among projects, with a focus on the parameters underlying the calculation of benefits and performance measurement after the project is completed.
Effects of Chronic Central Arginine Vasopressin (AVP) on Maternal Behavior in Chronically Stressed Rat Dams
Authors: Coverdill Alexander , McCarthy Megan , Bridges Robert , Nephew Benjamin
Published: November 2012

Exposure of mothers to chronic stressors during pregnancy or the postpartum period often leads to the development of depression, anxiety, or other related mood disorders. The adverse effects of mood disorders are often mediated through maternal behavior and recent work has identified arginine vasopressin (AVP) as a key neuropeptide hormone in the expression of maternal behavior in both rats and humans. Using an established rodent model that elicits behavioral and physiological responses similar to human mood disorders, this study tested the effectiveness of chronic AVP infusion as a novel treatment for the adverse effects of exposure to chronic social stress during lactation in rats. During early (day 3) and mid (day 10) lactation, AVP treatment significantly decreased the latency to initiate nursing and time spent retrieving pups, and increased pup grooming and total maternal care (sum of pup grooming and nursing). AVP treatment was also effective in decreasing maternal aggression and the average duration of aggressive bouts on day 3 of lactation. Central AVP may be an effective target for the development of treatments for enhancing maternal behavior in individuals exposed to chronic social stress.
Empirical Data Confirm Autism Symptoms Related to Aluminum and Acetaminophen Exposure
Authors: Seneff Stephanie , Davidson Robert , Liu Jingjing
Published: November 2012

Autism is a condition characterized by impaired cognitive and social skills, associated with compromised immune function. The incidence is alarmingly on the rise, and environmental factors are increasingly suspected to play a role. This paper investigates word frequency patterns in the U.S. CDC Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) database. Our results provide strong evidence supporting a link between autism and the aluminum in vaccines. A literature review showing toxicity of aluminum in human physiology offers further support. Mentions of autism in VAERS increased steadily at the end of the last century, during a period when mercury was being phased out, while aluminum adjuvant burden was being increased. Using standard log-likelihood ratio techniques, we identify several signs and symptoms that are significantly more prevalent in vaccine reports after 2000, including cellulitis, seizure, depression, fatigue, pain and death, which are also significantly associated with aluminum-containing vaccines. We propose that children with the autism diagnosis are especially vulnerable to toxic metals such as aluminum and mercury due to insufficient serum sulfate and glutathione. A strong correlation between autism and the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine is also observed, which may be partially explained via an increased sensitivity to acetaminophen administered to control fever.
Monitoring Biosensor Activity in Living Cells with Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy
Authors: Hum Julia , Siegel Amanda , Pavalko Fredrick , Day Richard
Published: November 2012

Live-cell microscopy is now routinely used to monitor the activities of the genetically encoded biosensor proteins that are designed to directly measure specific cell signaling events inside cells, tissues, or organisms. Most fluorescent biosensor proteins rely on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) to report conformational changes in the protein that occur in response to signaling events, and this is commonly measured with intensity-based ratiometric imaging methods. An alternative method for monitoring the activities of the FRET-based biosensor proteins is fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). FLIM measurements are made in the time domain, and are not affected by factors that commonly limit intensity measurements. In this review, we describe the use of the digital frequency domain (FD) FLIM method for the analysis of FRET signals. We illustrate the methods necessary for the calibration of the FD FLIM system, and demonstrate the analysis of data obtained from cells expressing “FRET standard” fusion proteins. We then use the FLIM-FRET approach to monitor the changes in activities of two different biosensor proteins in specific regions of single living cells. Importantly, the factors required for the accurate determination and reproducibility of lifetime measurements are described in detail.
The Chemical Origin of Behavior is Rooted in Abiogenesis
Authors: Larson Brian , Jensen R. , Lehman Niles
Published: November 2012

We describe the initial realization of behavior in the biosphere, which we term behavioral chemistry. If molecules are complex enough to attain a stochastic element to their structural conformation in such as a way as to radically affect their function in a biological (evolvable) setting, then they have the capacity to behave. This circumstance is described here as behavioral chemistry, unique in its definition from the colloquial chemical behavior. This transition between chemical behavior and behavioral chemistry need be explicit when discussing the root cause of behavior, which itself lies squarely at the origins of life and is the foundation of choice. RNA polymers of sufficient length meet the criteria for behavioral chemistry and therefore are capable of making a choice.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for Monitoring Soil Erosion in Morocco
Authors: D'Oleire-Oltmanns Sebastian , Marzolff Irene , Peter Klaus Daniel , Ries Johannes B.
Published: November 2012

This article presents an environmental remote sensing application using a UAV that is specifically aimed at reducing the data gap between field scale and satellite scale in soil erosion monitoring in Morocco. A fixed-wing aircraft type Sirius I (MAVinci, Germany) equipped with a digital system camera (Panasonic) is employed. UAV surveys are conducted over different study sites with varying extents and flying heights in order to provide both very high resolution site-specific data and lower-resolution overviews, thus fully exploiting the large potential of the chosen UAV for multi-scale mapping purposes. Depending on the scale and area coverage, two different approaches for georeferencing are used, based on high-precision GCPs or the UAV’s log file with exterior orientation values respectively. The photogrammetric image processing enables the creation of Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) and ortho-image mosaics with very high resolution on a sub-decimetre level. The created data products were used for quantifying gully and badland erosion in 2D and 3D as well as for the analysis of the surrounding areas and landscape development for larger extents.
Ubiquitous Monitoring of Electrical Household Appliances
Authors: Lloret Jaime , Macías Elsa , Suárez Alvaro , Lacuesta Raquel
Published: November 2012

The number of appliances at home is increasing continuously, mainly because they make our lives easier. Currently, technology is integrated in all objects of our daily life. TCP/IP let us monitor our home in real time and check ubiquitously if something is happening at home. Bearing in mind this idea, we have developed a low-cost system, which can be used in any type of electrical household appliance that takes information from the appliance and posts the information to the Twitter Social network. Several sensors placed in the household appliances gather the sensed data and send them wired or wirelessly, depending on the case, using small and cheap devices to a gateway located in the home. This gateway takes decisions, based on the received data, and sends notifications to Twitter. We have developed a software application that takes the values and decides when to issue an alarm to the registered users (Twitter friends of our smart home). The performance of our system has been measured taking into account the home network (using IEEE 802.3u and IEEE 802.11g) and the data publishing in Twitter. As a result, we have generated an original product and service for any electrical household appliance, regardless of the model and manufacturer, that helps home users improve their quality of life. The paper also shows that there is no system with the same innovative features like the ones presented in this paper.
Monocropping Cultures into Ruin: The Loss of Food Varieties and Cultural Diversity
Authors: Jacques Peter , Jacques Jessica
Published: November 2012

The loss of genetic diversity of thousands of plants and crops has been well documented at least since the 1970s, and has been understood as a result of epistemological and political economic conditions of the Green Revolution. The political economic arrangement of the Green Revolution, alongside a post-war focus on economies of scale and export-oriented growth, replace high-yield single varieties of crops for a diverse array of varieties that may not have the same yield, but may be able to resist pests, disease, and changing climatic conditions. Also, the harvest does not flow in all directions equally: Whereas small holder subsistence farming uses a large variety of crops as a food source and small-scale trade, the industrial economic system requires simplified, machine harvested ship-loads of one variety of maize, for example. Diverse varieties of different crops confound the machines, whereas one variety of wheat can be harvested with one setting on a machine. However, none of this is new. The purpose of this article is to analyze how the twin concerns of lost varietals and lost cultures are bound together in the socio-political process of standardization, and to explain some areas of resistance.
Palynological composition of a Lower Cretaceous South American tropical sequence: Climatic implications and diversity comparisons with other latitudes
Authors: Mejia‐Velasquez Paula J. , Dilcher David L. , Jaramillo Carlos A. , Fortini Lucas B. , Manchester Steven R.
Published: November 2012

•Premise of the study:Reconstruction of floristic patterns during the early diversification of angiosperms is impeded by the scarce fossil record, especially in tropical latitudes. Here we collected quantitative palynological data from a stratigraphic sequence in tropical South America to provide floristic and climatic insights into such tropical environments during the Early Cretaceous.

•Methods:We reconstructed the floristic composition of an Aptian‐Albian tropical sequence from central Colombia using quantitative palynology (rarefied species richness and abundance) and used it to infer its predominant climatic conditions. Additionally, we compared our results with available quantitative data from three other sequences encompassing 70 floristic assemblages to determine latitudinal diversity patterns.

•Key results:Abundance of humidity indicators was higher than that of aridity indicators (61% vs. 10%). Additionally, we found an angiosperm latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG) for the Aptian, but not for the Albian, and an inverted LDG of the overall diversity for the Albian. Angiosperm species turnover during the Albian, however, was higher in humid tropics.

•Conclusions:There were humid climates in northwestern South America during the Aptian‐Albian interval contrary to the widespread aridity expected for the tropical belt. The Albian inverted overall LDG is produced by a faster increase in per‐sample angiosperm and pteridophyte diversity in temperate latitudes. However, humid tropical sequences had higher rates of floristic turnover suggesting a higher degree of morphological variation than in temperate regions.
Valeurs et engagement dans les études supérieures au Québec
Authors: Hamel Jacques , Méthot Christian , Doré Gabriel
Published: November 2012

Résumé Dans le cadre de cet article, on envisagera les valeurs des étudiants dans leur « rapport aux études ». Après avoir défini la notion sous ce chef, on cherchera donc à cerner les valeurs à l’œuvre à l’égard de l’engagement dans les études supérieures, et cela dans les rangs des étudiants inscrits aux programmes collégiaux et universitaires en médecine, en travail social et en sociologie. L’exposé s’appuiera principalement sur les résultats d’un sondage en ligne conduit sur le sujet pendant l’été 2007 et dont l’analyse établit la distinction entre valeurs « instrumentales » et valeurs « expressives ».
« Je suis venu vous dire que je m'en vais » : un groupe Photolangage© à l'épreuve de la perte
Authors: Restivo-Martin Anaïs , Charazac Vincent
Published: November 2012

Résumé À travers le cas clinique d’un groupe Photolangage © , nous explorons différents destins de la perte, de la mélancolisation au travail de deuil via la position dépressive. Ce groupe va se centrer sur la problématique du conflit générationnel, qui permet d’expérimenter la survie à la perte et de mettre au travail la question du passage d’un couple thérapeutique à un autre.
Le travail avec les familles au csapa Monceau : pertes ambiguës, liens ambigus et addiction
Authors: Duriez Nathalie
Published: November 2012

Résumé La question de la perte est au cœur du travail que nous faisons avec les familles à transaction addictive au centre Monceau. Après avoir présenté le modèle de la perte ambiguë de P. Boss (1999), nous verrons à partir d’un cas comment le vécu de perte, par sa dimension fractale, participe à la construction d’une définition de la famille et représente une condition pour appartenir à cette famille. Fragilisée par les pertes ambiguës occasionnées par une migration non désirée, la famille ne peut avancer dans un processus de deuil après le décès d’un « tiers pesant » (Goldbeter, 1999). Pour retrouver son homéostasie, elle va mettre le thérapeute dans cette position de « tiers pesant » afin de récupérer ce qui manquait. L’élaboration devient alors possible, une nouvelle temporalité mieux adaptée à l’âge des enfants s’installe, chacun trouve enfin une place mieux définie et le processus de deuil peut avancer.
Reading skills for weak learners
Authors: Lutjeharms Madeline
Published: November 2012

Les besoins en langues étrangères des étudiants en formation professionnelle sont très variés. Il est important de préparer les apprenants à acquérir en autonomie d'autres compétences linguistiques et des vocabulaires différents pour qu’ils puissent les utiliser plus tard au cours de leur carrière. Apprendre à travailler à partir de textes en langue étrangère leur permettra d'atteindre cet objectif, même s’il s’agit d’apprenants de faible niveau. Nous étudions les problèmes auxquels sont confrontés en lecture dans leur langue maternelle les apprenants de faible niveau, problèmes qui peuvent être liés à la mémoire et au traitement des informations. Nous montrons ensuite l'importance de la lecture d'une langue étrangère dans l'amélioration des compétences linguistiques et l'importance de la motivation des apprenants en classe.
The effect of high frequency sound on Culicoides numbers collected with suction light traps
Authors: Venter Gert J. , Labuschagne Karien , Boikanyo Solomon N.B. , Morey Liesl
Published: November 2012

Culicoides midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), are involved in the transmission of various pathogens that cause important diseases of livestock worldwide. The use of insect repellents to reduce the attack rate of these insects on livestock could play an important role as part of an integrated control programme against diseases transmitted by these midges. The objective of this study was to determine whether high frequency sound has any repellent effect on Culicoides midges. The number of midges collected with 220 V Onderstepoort white light traps fitted with electronic mosquito repellents (EMRs), emitting 5-20 KHz multi-frequency sound waves, was compared with that of two untreated traps. Treatments were rotated in two replicates of a 4 x 4 randomised Latin square design. Although fewer midges were collected in the two traps fitted with EMRs, the average number collected over eight consecutive nights was not significantly different. The EMRs also had no influence on any of the physiological groups of Culicoides imicola Kieffer or the species composition of the Culicoides population as determined with light traps. The results indicate that high frequency sound has no repellent effect on Culicoides midges. There is therefore no evidence to support their promotion or use in the protection of animals against pathogens transmitted by Culicoides midges.
Existence and approximation of a nonlinear degenerate parabolic system modelling acid-mediated tumour invasion
Authors: Barrett John W. , Deckelnick Klaus
Published: November 2012

We consider a nonlinear parabolic system of reaction–diffusion equations modelling acid-mediated tumour invasion. The system couples potentially degenerate equations for the cell densities of the normal and tumour populations to a parabolic equation for the concentration of HC ions. We obtain an existence result for the system by constructing a suitable finite element approximation and analyzing its convergence. Finally, we report on corresponding numerical experiments.
Acoustic and seismic imaging of the Adra Fault (NE Alboran Sea): in search of the source of the 1910 Adra earthquake
Authors: Gràcia E. , Bartolome R. , Lo Iacono C. , Moreno X. , Stich D. , Martínez-Diaz J. J. , Bozzano G. , Martínez-Loriente S. , Perea H. , Diez S. , Masana E. , Dañobeitia J. J. , Tello O. , Sanz J. L. , Carreño E. ,   EVENT-SHELF Team
Published: November 2012

Abstract. Recently acquired swath-bathymetry data and high-resolution seismic reflection profiles offshore Adra (Almería, Spain) reveal the surficial expression of a NW–SE trending 20 km-long fault, which we termed the Adra Fault. Seismic imaging across the structure depicts a sub-vertical fault reaching the seafloor surface and slightly dipping to the NE showing an along-axis structural variability. Our new data suggest normal displacement of the uppermost units with probably a lateral component. Radiocarbon dating of a gravity core located in the area indicates that seafloor sediments are of Holocene age, suggesting present-day tectonic activity. The NE Alboran Sea area is characterized by significant low-magnitude earthquakes and by historical records of moderate magnitude, such as the Mw = 6.1 1910 Adra Earthquake. The location, dimension and kinematics of the Adra Fault agree with the fault solution and magnitude of the 1910 Adra Earthquake, whose moment tensor analysis indicates normal-dextral motion. The fault seismic parameters indicate that the Adra Fault is a potential source of large magnitude (Mw ≤ 6.5) earthquakes, which represents an unreported seismic hazard for the neighbouring coastal areas.
IR spectral analysis for the diagnostics of crust earthquake precursors
Authors: Umarkhodgaev R. M. , Liperovsky V. A. , Mikhailin V. V. , Bogdanov V. V. , Meister C.-V. , Liperovskaya E. V.
Published: November 2012

Abstract. Some possible physical processes are analysed that cause, under the condition of additional ionisation in a pre-breakdown electric field, emissions in the infrared (IR) interval. The atmospheric transparency region of the IR spectrum at wavelengths of 7–15 μm is taken into account. This transparency region corresponds to spectral lines of small atmospheric constituents like CH4, CO2, N2O, NO2, NO, and O3. The possible intensities of the IR emissions observable in laboratories and in nature are estimated. The acceleration process of the electrons in the pre-breakdown electrical field before its adhesion to the molecules is analyzed. For daytime conditions, modifications of the adsorption spectra of the scattered solar emissions are studied; for nighttime, variations of emission spectra may be used for the analysis.
A stochastic nonlinear oscillator model for glacial millennial-scale climate transitions derived from ice-core data
Authors: Kwasniok F. , Lohmann G.
Published: November 2012

Abstract. A stochastic Duffing-type oscillator model, i.e noise-driven motion with inertia in a potential landscape, is considered for glacial millennial-scale climate transitions. The potential and noise parameters are estimated from a Greenland ice-core record using a nonlinear Kalman filter. For the period from 60 to 20 ky before present, a bistable potential with a deep well corresponding to a cold stadial state and a shallow well corresponding to a warm interstadial state is found. The system is in the strongly dissipative regime and can be very well approximated by an effective one-dimensional Langevin equation.