bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Pulmonary Toxicity of a Fume Generated from a Nickel-, Copper-Based Electrode to be Used as a Substitute in Stainless Steel Welding
Authors: Antonini James M. , Badding Melissa A. , Meighan Terence G. , Keane Michael , Leonard Stephen S. , Roberts Jenny R.
Published: October 2014

Epidemiology has indicated a possible increase in lung cancer among stainless steel welders. Chromium (Cr) is a primary component of stainless steel welding fume. There is an initiative to develop alternative welding consumables [nickel (Ni)- and copper (Cu)-based alloys] that do not contain Cr. No study has been performed to evaluate the toxicity of fumes generated from Ni- and Cu-based consumables. Dose-response and time-course effects on lung toxicity of a Ni- and Cu-based welding fume (Ni-Cu WF) were examined using an in vivo and in vitro bioassay, and compared with two other well-characterized welding fumes. Even though only trace amounts of Cr were present, a persistent increase in lung injury and inflammation was observed for the Ni-Cu WF compared to the other fumes. The difference in response appears to be due to a direct cytotoxic effect by the Ni-Cu WF sample on lung macrophages as opposed to an elevated production of reactive oxygen species (ROS).
Asymptotic Behavior of Solutions for the Time-Delayed Kuramoto-Sivashinsky Equation
Authors: Zhu Chaosheng
Published: October 2014

In this paper, we investigate the asymptotic behavior of the solutions for the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation with a time delay. We prove the global existence of solutions and energy decay. By using the Liapunov function method, we shall show that the solution is exponentially decay if the delay parameter

\tau

is sufficiently small.
De la nécessité d’innover à l’émergence de pratiques innovantes en santé
Authors: Danan Jane-Laure , Boulangé Michel , Coudane Henry , Kanny Gisèle
Published: October 2014

L’innovation en médecine a toujours existé. Elle est, par essence, la nécessaire adaptation pour que le dispositif de santé perdure tout en s’adaptant à son époque et à l’environnement. Aujourd’hui, l’approche innovante consiste en une vision plus globale et plus systémique de la santé, associant tous les acteurs : les usagers, leur entourage et les professionnels de santé. Les pratiques en santé issues de l’innovation sont indubitablement liées à une culture transdisciplinaire et pluri professionnelle ainsi qu’à une formation commune et non plus en silo des professionnels de santé. La recherche dont seront issues les pratiques innovantes devra se fonder sur cette vision novatrice de la santé alliant les sciences fondamentales et les sciences humaines. Les auteurs soulignent la nécessaire régulation et la visée éthique pour la durabilité des pratiques innovantes en santé.
Dreams in American Television Narratives From Dallas to Buffy
Authors: Burkhead Cynthia
Published: October 2014

Dreams in Television Narratives is the first comprehensive analysis of one of American television's most frequently utilized tropes, the dream. From its beginning, television has been a storytelling medium. Whether delivered to a live audience or played out on a sound stage, narratives and those who write them have always been the crux of the television program. While film can claim a long history of scholarly inquiry into the connection between film and dreams, no comprehensive research exists on the subject of television dreams. Locating its primary function as narrative, the author uses examples from American sitcoms and dramatic programs, analyzing the narrative functions of dreams using, as its frame, Carl Jung’s narrative stages of the dream: exposition, development, culmination, and conclusion. While television dreams are analyzed throughout, case studies of the television programs The Sopranos and Buffy the Vampire Slayer are included to show in detail how dreams function throughout a television series. Includes a compendium of over 1000 television episodes that include dreams, a valuable tool for any television scholar or enthusiast.
A mobile differential absorption lidar to measure sub-hourly fluctuation of tropospheric ozone profiles in the Baltimore–Washington, D.C. region
Authors: Sullivan J. T. , McGee T. J. , Sumnicht G. K. , Twigg L. W. , Hoff R. M.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. Tropospheric ozone profiles have been retrieved from the new ground-based National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center TROPospheric OZone DIfferential Absorption Lidar (GSFC TROPOZ DIAL) in Greenbelt, MD (38.99° N, 76.84° W, 57 m a.s.l.), from 400 m to 12 km a.g.l. Current atmospheric satellite instruments cannot peer through the optically thick stratospheric ozone layer to remotely sense boundary layer tropospheric ozone. In order to monitor this lower ozone more effectively, the Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network (TOLNet) has been developed, which currently consists of five stations across the US. The GSFC TROPOZ DIAL is based on the DIAL technique, which currently detects two wavelengths, 289 and 299 nm, with multiple receivers. The transmitted wavelengths are generated by focusing the output of a quadrupled Nd:YAG laser beam (266 nm) into a pair of Raman cells, filled with high-pressure hydrogen and deuterium, using helium as buffer gas. With the knowledge of the ozone absorption coefficient at these two wavelengths, the range-resolved number density can be derived. An interesting atmospheric case study involving the stratospheric–tropospheric exchange (STE) of ozone is shown, to emphasize the regional importance of this instrument as well as to assess the validation and calibration of data. There was a low amount of aerosol aloft, and an iterative aerosol correction has been performed on the retrieved data, which resulted in less than a 3 ppb correction to the final ozone concentration. The retrieval yields an uncertainty of 16–19% from 0 to 1.5 km, 10–18% from 1.5 to 3 km, and 11–25% from 3 to 12 km according to the relevant aerosol concentration aloft. There are currently surface ozone measurements hourly and ozonesonde launches occasionally, but this system will be the first to make routine tropospheric ozone profile measurements in the Baltimore–Washington, D.C. area.
Determining regional limits and sectoral constraints for water use
Authors: Lissner T. K. , Sullivan C. A. , Reusser D. E. , Kropp J. P.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. Water is an essential input to the majority of human activities. Often, access to sufficient water resources is limited by quality and infrastructure aspects, rather than by resource availability alone, and each activity has different requirements regarding the nature of these aspects. This paper develops an integrated approach to assess the adequacy of water resources for the three major water users: the domestic, agricultural and industrial sectors. Additionally, we include environmental water requirements. We first outline the main determinants of water adequacy for each sector. Subsequently, we present an integrated approach using fuzzy logic, which allows assessing sector-specific as well as overall water adequacy. We implement the approach in two case study settings to exemplify the main features of the approach. Using results from two climate models and two forcing RCPs (representative concentration pathways), as well as population projections, we further assess the impacts of climate change in combination with population growth on the adequacy of water resources. The results provide an important step forward in determining the most relevant factors, impeding adequate access to water, which remains an important challenge in many regions of the world. The methodology allows one to directly identify the factors that are most decisive in determining the adequacy of water in each region, pointing towards the most efficient intervention points to improve conditions. Our findings underline the fact that, in addition to water volumes, water quality is a limitation for all sectors and, especially for the environmental sector, high levels of pollution are a threat to water adequacy.
The melt pond fraction and spectral sea ice albedo retrieval from MERIS data: validation and trends of sea ice albedo and melt pond fraction in the Arctic for years 2002–2011
Authors: Istomina L. , Heygster G. , Huntemann M. , Schwarz P. , Birnbaum G. , Scharien R. , Polashenski C. , Perovich D. , Zege E. , Malinka A. , Prikhach A. , Katsev I.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. The presence of melt ponds on the Arctic sea ice strongly affects the energy balance of the Arctic Ocean in summer. It affects albedo as well as transmittance through the sea ice, which has consequences on the heat balance and mass balance of sea ice. An algorithm to retrieve melt pond fraction and sea ice albedo (Zege et al., 2014) from the MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) data is validated against aerial, ship borne and in situ campaign data. The result show the best correlation for landfast and multiyear ice of high ice concentrations (albedo: R = 0.92, RMS = 0.068, melt pond fraction: R = 0.6, RMS = 0.065). The correlation for lower ice concentrations, subpixel ice floes, blue ice and wet ice is lower due to complicated surface conditions and ice drift. Combining all aerial observations gives a mean albedo RMS equal to 0.089 and a mean melt pond fraction RMS equal to 0.22. The in situ melt pond fraction correlation is R = 0.72 with an RMS = 0.14. Ship cruise data might be affected by documentation of varying accuracy within the ASPeCT protocol, which is the reason for discrepancy between the satellite value and observed value: mean R = 0.21, mean RMS = 0.16. An additional dynamic spatial cloud filter for MERIS over snow and ice has been developed to assist with the validation on swath data. The case studies and trend analysis for the whole MERIS period (2002–2011) show pronounced and reasonable spatial features of melt pond fractions and sea ice albedo. The most prominent feature is the melt onset shifting towards spring (starting already in weeks 3 and 4 of June) within the multiyear ice area, north to the Queen Elizabeth Islands and North Greenland.
Review of Dark Energy: Hitchcock’s Absolute Camera and the Physics of Cinematic Spacetime
Authors: Collamati Anthony
Published: October 2014

Skerry’s Dark Energy draws from astrophysics’ most popular and intriguing concepts—from Eisenstein’s theories of relativity to questions surrounding the expanding universe—and trace them metaphorically through Hitchcock’s films.
Review of Politics as Form in Lars von Trier: A Post-Brechtian Reading
Authors: Marino Sara
Published: October 2014

Controversial and unconventional designer of formal experimentations, simultaneously celebrated and despised around the world, performative to a point that realism is achieved through the manipulation of realistic conventions hidden in everyday forms of human interactions, von Trier is indeed one of the most important contemporary filmmakers within European cinema, as well as the protagonist of Koutsourakis’s Politics as Form in Lars von Trier: A Post-Brechtian Reading.
Review of Postfeminism and Paternity in Contemporary U.S. Film: Framing Fatherhood
Authors: Lennon Elaine
Published: October 2014

Hannah Hamad’s timely work on the topic of fatherhood in film reckons that men are getting a very good deal in this postfeminist era and heroic mothers are everywhere in abeyance.
Review of Vertov, Snow, Farocki: Machine Vision and the Posthuman
Authors: Binns Daniel
Published: October 2014

Tomas’ book implies that cinematic representation is no longer separate from the thing it represents. Bazin and Kracauer’s ultimate dream of cinema becomes a nightmare even Baudrillard may struggle to comprehend. Tomas’ book, though, presents these ideas in a measured way, precisely and deliberately considering his key examples.
Review of Terrence Malick: Film and Philosophy
Authors: Çağlayan Emre
Published: October 2014

This new anthology edited by Thomas Dean Tucker and Stuart Kendall predates the release of The Tree of Life and examines Malick’s earlier work from a variety of philosophical perspectives. The editors argue that Malick’s background in philosophy not only warrants philosophical questions into his oeuvre, but more importantly his “films offer privileged sites for this kind of inquiry”
Film As Nation Building: The UAE Goes Into the Movie Business
Authors: Yunis Alia
Published: October 2014

For the past 10 years, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been aggressively pioneering at a national, government-financed level the production of local films while also courting Hollywood producers as a financier and production center.As a young, wealthy nation still conflicted about how it defines itself to itself and how it wishes to be defined outside its border--and as a country with no previous history in the visual arts of any kind and no movie-going culture until the late 1990s--the UAE presents a unique approach to the building of a film industry, one that is not grounded in previous models of national film building. Through content analysis of UAE films and interviews with local filmmakers, framed through rhetoric scholar Kenneth Burke’s writing on symbolism, we look at how the UAE government wishes to be perceived abroad versus how its filmmakers—who have a co-dependent relationship with the government--are portraying the country.
Anxious Love and Disordered Urine:
Authors: Morrissey Jake Walsh
Published: October 2014

This article presents an edition of the chapter on intense emotional states including lovesickness in Henry Daniel's Middle English treatise on the judgment of urines, the Liber uricrisiarum. The chapter reveals an idiosyncratic perspective on a medical counterpart to the malady of love that figures prominently in medieval literature and culture. Although the condition of amor hereos was frequently discussed in medieval Latin medical texts, it failed to generate interest in the equivalent vernacular English discourse. Among widely circulated English texts, only Chaucer's description of Arcite's malady in the Knight's Tale rivals Daniel's in its sophistication and use of technical language.
Building the Nation at the Crossroads of ‘East’ and ‘West’: Ernest Hébrard and Henri Prost in the near East
Authors: Amygdalou Kalliopi
Published: October 2014

The transition of the Ottoman Empire into nation-states was manifested through significant state-led changes in the fabric of its urban centres, especially in cities that had a multi-cultural character and lay in debated territories. Their urban transformation was the result of practical reasons such as need for post-war reconstruction, as well as ideological factors that stemmed from a commitment to modernization and a desire to enhance and underline their national identity. Many European architects were invited to participate in the re-design of such cities. This paper explores the cases of Thessaloniki and Izmir, which after ten years of conflict found themselves on the opposite sides of the Greco-Turkish border and were destroyed by fire in 1917 and 1922 respectively. Ernest Hébrard in the first case and Henri Prost in the second, belonging to the same network of architects and coming from the same educational background, were the main architects who left their imprint on the new plans of these two cities. This paper examines the background of their involvement and their role in the design of the two cities and aims to highlight the complexity of this cultural exchange, in which the ‘local’ and the ‘West’ cannot be reduced to single definitions, and whose negotiated product became the new urban space of each city.
The View from the Traveller Site: Post-nomadic Subjects and the Material Relations of Permanent Temporary Dwelling
Authors: Hoare Anna
Published: October 2014

The Caravan Sites Act 1968 imposed a duty on local authorities in the United Kingdom to provide sites for ‘gipsies’ (sic). Contradictory aims of active repression, enforced dependency and notional integration combined in a mode of dwelling invented and controlled by the state, but increasingly promoted, transformed and privatised by Travellers themselves. In a ruling in 2004 against the United Kingdom, the European Court of Human Rights found that local authority sites were ‘homes’ under Article Eight of the European Convention on Human Rights, and tantalisingly described the UK’s Traveller population as ‘nomadic in spirit if not in actual or constant practice’ (Connors v. the United Kingdom, ECtHR 267, 2004, Press Release of the Registrar: 4). This paper explores the paradox of permanent temporariness imbedded in the relation between the UK Traveller site, the legal category of the gypsy, and the house of the post-war planning system. It argues that post-nomadic architectures and subjectivities radically challenge the public-private nexus of citizenship, property, and family objectified in the post-war ideal of the permanent house. In the house, as Engels (1948 [1891]) describes, political economy and the materiality of dwelling and family life collide, and the tension of contradictions eventually gives rise to new house forms and concomitant social relations. The paper draws on anthropological fieldwork in the UK and Ireland to revisit the house as a field of productive instability.
Understanding Dishonest Academic Behaviour Amongst Business Students – The Business Leaders of the Future
Authors: Bagraim Jeffrey , Goodman Suki , Pulker Stephanie
Published: October 2014

This study applies the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to increase understanding about dishonest academic behaviour amongst undergraduate business students. A total of 579 respondents from three universities in South Africa completed an online survey about their beliefs regarding academic dishonesty, their intentions to engage in dishonest academic behaviour and their recent history of dishonest academic behaviour. A partial least squares (PLS) structural model shows that the TPB significantly explains dishonest academic behaviour. Validated TPB models that help to predict dishonest academic behaviour should be helpful in designing interventions to decrease academic dishonesty and thereby help to prevent later unethical business practices.
The Use of Financial Management Practices by Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises: A Perspective from South Africa
Authors: Brijlal Pradeep , Enow Samuel , Isaacs Eslyn B.H.
Published: October 2014

This paper reports on an investigation of financial management practices used by small, medium-sized and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa. It was found that more than half the SMMEs examined use external accounting staff to prepare accounting reports and more than 60% rely on external accounting staff to interpret and use accounting information. A majority of the SMME owners were found to lack interpretation skills and an awareness of how to use information from financial statements. An implication of this study therefore is that policy makers, business support organizations, banks and academic institutions need to focus on educating SMMEs more effectively in financial management, thereby mitigating the risk of cash flow problems and business failure.
Estimating Tournament Effects on Sportfishing Demand
Authors: McKean John R. , Johnson Donn , Taylor R.G.
Published: October 2014

A two-step decision travel cost model is used to estimate the demand for sportfishing and to measure the effect of fishing tournaments on anglers' willingness-to-pay on the Lower Hudson River. The endogenous opportunity cost of angler travel time is incorporated in the demand function using a latent variable. The latent time value indicator is a count of the unique types of complementary and time-saving goods and services purchased during a fishing trip. Tournament fishing is valued at US$317 per angler per trip, compared to US$73 per angler per trip for other sportfishing.
Condiciones de posibilidad y desarrollo para una educación intercultural crítica. Tres estudios de caso en el contexto
Authors: Márquez Lepe Esther , Garcia-Cano Torrico María
Published: October 2014

Este trabajo presenta los resultados de una investigación cuyo interéses analizar las condiciones que posibilitan y/o dificultan el desarrollo delenfoque crítico intercultural en centros educativos de Infantil y Primaria.Para ello, hemos realizado tres estudios de caso en colegios de laComunidad Autónoma andaluza. Las principales técnicas deproducción de datos han sido la observación participante, entrevistas yanálisis documental. Los resultados se han organizado en torno a dosdimensiones de análisis: el interés de la desigualdad y/o la diferenciacomo motor del cambio escolar y la apertura del escenario escolarcomo desafío/reproducción de la homogeneidad y hegemonía cultural.A través de ello mostramos cómo las dinámicas e interacciones deestos centros suponen oportunidades pero también límites para laconfiguración de nuevas realidades inter-culturales.
Influencia de la gobernanza en el rendimiento de las redes regionales de investigación
Authors: Cabanelas Lorenzo Pablo , Cabanelas Omil José , Somorrostro López Patricia , Lampón Caride Jesús F.
Published: October 2014

Las políticas públicas de ciencia están apostando por la investigacióncooperativa como motor de desarrollo regional. A partir de la teoría deredes, el presente trabajo estudia la relación entre gobernanza yrendimiento en redes compuestas por grupos de investigación. Elanálisis, que incluye 11 redes de investigación de diferentes disciplinasintegradas por 83 grupos de investigación, demuestra que lagobernanza de la red influye en su rendimiento. Específicamente, lasredes con rendimiento están caracterizadas por relaciones basadas enlazos fuertes, la disponibilidad de estructuras formalizadas, y gruposcon elevado poder pero baja centralidad. Estos hallazgos sugieren lanecesidad de trabajar en la consolidación de las redes y en la definiciónde órganos rectores que velen por el correcto funcionamiento colectivo.
¿Bandas latinas en España? Grupos juveniles de origen inmigrante, estigmas y síntomas
Authors: Giliberti Luca
Published: October 2014

Este artículo explora los imaginarios sociales criminalizados que se hanconstruido sobre las denominadas bandas latinas en España,desmontando tópicos y proponiendo diferentes aproximacionesanalíticas. El material empírico procede de una etnografía realizadaentre 2010 y 2011 en algunos barrios-suburbios de la periferia deBarcelona. Las principales técnicas utilizadas han sido el análisisdocumental, la observación participante con diversos grupos juveniles yla recogida de fuentes orales con diferentes tipos de informantes. Losresultados del estudio discuten la imagen social de estos grupos, queestigmatiza a los jóvenes en ellos inmersos y es síntoma de la acogidasegregadora de la inmigración, cada vez más con la crisis. Se analizanlas dinámicas de la violencia vinculadas con estos colectivos; al mismotiempo, se interpretan los grupos como espacios de circulación decapital social y como formas de agencia, que pueden empoderar a susmiembros a nivel individual y colectivo.
¿Adiós al corporatismo competitivo en España? Pactos sociales y conflicto en la crisis económica
Authors: González Bebega Sergio , Luque Balbona David
Published: October 2014

La crisis económica ha erosionado el marco corporatista para laproducción de políticas socioeconómicas, laborales y de bienestar enEspaña. La conflictividad socio-laboral también se ha vistointensificada, registrando un desplazamiento hacia el ámbito político yamenazando con desbordar sus mecanismos de encauzadoinstitucional. El artículo evalúa las tendencias de consenso y conflictoen la España democrática, revisando el debate teórico sobre lareorientación competitiva de los modelos nacionales de corporatismoen el sur de Europa en el contexto de la Unión Económica y Monetaria(UEM). Asimismo, examina los síntomas de desgaste de la experienciacorporatista española dentro del escenario de crisis económica. Elartículo subraya la continuidad subyacente del intercambio políticoentre gobierno y agentes sociales y concluye que, a pesar de sudeterioro, el dispositivo de producción de pactos sociales en España noha llegado a fracturarse y dispone de posibilidades de reactivación.
Isolation of Filamentous Fungi Species Contaminating Some Nigerian Food Commodities
Authors: Egbuta Mary Augustina , Mwanza Mulunda , Njobeh Patrick Berka , Phoku Judith Zanele , Chilaka Cynthia Adaku , Dutton Micheal Francis
Published: October 2014

Samples of maize, rice, cocoa and cocoa-based powder beverage) collected from different stores and markets in south-western Nigeria were screened for filamentous fungi contamination using conventional and molecular methods. Samples were cultured aseptically on potato dextrose agar (PDA), ohio agricultural experimental agar (OEASA), Malt Extract Agar (MEA) and Czapek Yeast Agar (CYA) prior to fungi isolation. Conventional methods comprising of macroscopic and microscopic evaluation of isolated fungi species were implemented in the analysis for identification of fungi species. Molecular method of identification involved DNA extraction, Polymerase chain Reaction (PCR) using ITS-1/ITS-4 primer pair and nucleotide sequencing. Results obtained indicated a range of filamentous fungi genus including Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Alternaria, Cladosporium and Rhizopus contaminating the food commodities with Aspergillus and Penicillium species dominating most of the samples. High incidences were recorded for Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus fumigatus in most of the samples screened. The occurrence of these filamentous fungal species pose a reason for concern as most of these fungal species are known producers of toxic substances. This study was carried out to contribute to mycological screening of different Nigerian food commodities for a variety of filamentous fungi species.
Plaidoyer en faveur de mécanismes juridiques plus cohérents pour appréhender, au moment de la rupture du couple, la problématique de l'économie conjugale
Authors: Dandoy Nathalie
Published: October 2014

Plaidoyer en faveur de mécanismes juridiques plus cohérents pour appréhender, au moment de la rupture du couple, la problématique de l'économie conjugale

D'après le Code civil, et ce dè s son origine, la séparation du couple marié peut donner lieu à une obligation légale de payer au conjoint, ou à l'ancien conjoint, une pension censée couvrir ses besoins. En dehors du mariage, point de lien alimentaire prévu par la loi. Depuis 1804, deux évolutions sociales majeures ont cependant changé le visage de la vie de couple. D'un côté, elle ne passe plus nécessairement par le mariage. D'un autre côté, seule sa dimension affective est censée lui donner sens, ce qui la rend éminemment fragile. La question se pose dè s lors de savoir si le lien alimentaire qui existe actuellement en droit belge entre conjoints désunis répond encore de maniè re adéquate et pertinente aux modes de fonctionnement de l'économie conjugale.

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According to the Civil code, and in view of its development, the separation of a married couple can give rise to a legal obligation to pay maintenance to the other spouse, or ex-spouse, in order to cover his or her needs. In contrast, outside marriage, no statutory maintenance is available. However, since 1804, two major social evolutions have changed the way of life of couples. On the one hand, maintenance no longer flows inevitably from marriage. On the other hand, only the ‘love’ dimension of a relationship supports the provision of maintenance, which makes this claim eminently fragile.

The question then arises as to whether the maintenance between separated spouses which is presently provided for under Belgian law still adequately and appropriately serves the functioning of the conjugal economy.

In addition, the absence of maintenance rights for unmarried couples also raises questions. The contribution proposes a reconsideration of the right to maintenance between all couples, married or not, on the basis of other justifications, in particular the solidarity which couples establish during their shared lives.
Stress-Testing the EU Proposal on Matrimonial Property Regimes: Co-operation between EU private international law instruments on family matters and succession
Authors: Gray Jacqueline , Quinzá Redondo Pablo
Published: October 2014

Stress-Testing the EU Proposal on Matrimonial Property Regimes: Co-operation between EU private international law instruments on family matters and succession

This article seeks to critically analyse the European Commission's Proposal for a Council Regulation on jurisdiction, applicable law and recognition and enforcement of decisions in matters of matrimonial property regimes (COM (2011) 126). It focuses upon the coordination of the Proposal's provisions on jurisdiction and applicable law with the parallel provisions contained in other related EU private international law instruments, namely those relating to divorce (Brussels II bis and Rome III) and succession (Succession Regulation). In doing so, the article adopts a 'stress-test' approach, presenting scenarios in which interaction between these related instruments takes place. The compositions and circumstances of the fictitious couples in these scenarios are varied in order to fully illustrate the potential consequences of the interplay between the instruments. This article seeks to assess the extent to which (in)consistency exists between the current and proposed EU private international instruments and, by evaluating this interaction through a number of norms, how identified inconsistencies impact upon international couples' legal relationships. In order to ensure the analysis remains as up to date as possible, the article will also take into account relevant changes introduced in the latest revised versions of the Proposal.
Transgenic crop research and regulation in India: Whether legislation rightly drives the motion?
Authors: Kandasamy Muthukrishnakumar , Manchikanti Padmavati
Published: October 2014

The promotion of genetic engineering research and GM crops can help to overcome the future deficit of food production in India. Hunger, poverty, malnutrition etc. are significant problems that still need to be addressed. â€˜The National Food Security Act, 2013â€™ is expected to resolve some of these challenges. Agricultural GDP needs to be augmented by an increase in food crop production. Policy and social considerations related to GM crops continue to be a popular debate in the country. The regulation of transgenic plant research is guided by several legislations in the country. Regulatory agency approvals impact commercialization of transgenic crops. As greater capacity continues to develop in transgenic research on plants in Asia one of the prime considerations is whether Indian legislation and regulation adequately promote transgenic plant research. The present study maps and analyses various legislations that are involved in the research and commercialization of transgenic crops. The framework suggested will serve as a ready reckoner for firms practicing in this area.
Awareness on Climate Change and Compliance with the Code of Practice for Refrigeration and Air Conditioning in Ilocos Sur, Philippines
Authors: BAJET, JR. MANUEL A.
Published: October 2014

An evaluation on the climate change awareness among service providers and their compliance with the Code of Practice on Refrigerant and Air Conditioningwas conducted in Ilocos Sur. Specifically, the study focused on registration,refrigerant handling and storage, recovery and recycling, reclamation anddisposal, and safety. Descriptive research design was used; 56 service providerswere the respondents of the study. Data were gathered using survey questionnaireand analyzed using mean, t-test and Pearson r. Findings reveal that majority ofthe service providers were not TESDA accredited. They had a “Very High Level”of awareness on climate change and ozone depleting substances. Moreover, theyalways complied with the Code. However, there was no significant differencebetween the two groups of respondents in their level of awareness on climatechange and extent of compliance. There was no significant relationship betweenthe respondents’ influence level of awareness on climate change and level ofcompliance with the Code.Keywords: Environmental Science, climate change, ozone depleting substances, Code ofPractice, refrigeration, air conditioning, descriptive design, Ilocos Sur, Philippines
Status and Prospect of Mushroom Industry in the Philippines
Authors: Chang Hyun You , Jeon Sung Woo , Cosadio Alma , Icalina Casimero , Panganiban  Rodel , Quirino Rosalito , Song Yanghoon
Published: October 2014

The mushroom industry in the Philippines has exacerbated since 1995, and the lowest production volume was 355 metric tons (MT) in 2009. Most of the mushroom consumed were imported from the different countries of South East Asia like China, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea and Japan. Growing mushrooms in the Philippines is economically feasible due to low- production cost, abundance of cheap substrates from agro wastes and high demand, which will be profitable to the mushroom growers. The study aimed to assess the production of mushroom in some parts of the Philippines, assess their potentials and introduce the non-sterile fermentation method of growing mushroom to the Philippine mushroom industry. There are ten varieties of edible and medicinal mushrooms grown in the Philippines such as Paddy straw mushroom, Oyster mushroom, Shiitake mushroom, Button mushroom, Ear fungi mushroom, Milky mushroom, Yellowish oyster mushroom, Reishi mushroom, Lion`'s mane mushroom, and  King tuber oyster mushroom. Supporting the mushroom industry is vital in developing the rural economy, enhancing employment and income opportunity in the rural communities as well as providing income to the small farmers.
Volcanic sulfate aerosol formation in the troposphere
Authors: Martin Erwan , Bekki Slimane , Ninin Charlotte , Bindeman Ilya
Published: October 2014

The isotopic composition of volcanic sulfate provides insights into the atmospheric chemical processing of volcanic plumes. First, mass‐independent isotopic anomalies quantified by Δ17O and to a lesser extent Δ33S and Δ36S in sulfate depend on the relative importance of different oxidation mechanisms that generate sulfate aerosols. Second, the isotopic composition of sulfate (δ34S and δ18O) could be an indicator of fractionation (distillation/condensation) processes occurring in volcanic plumes. Here we present analyses of O‐ and S isotopic compositions of volcanic sulfate absorbed on very fresh volcanic ash from nine moderate historical eruptions in the Northern Hemisphere. Most of our volcanic sulfate samples, which are thought to have been generated in the troposphere or in the tropopause region, do not exhibit any significant mass‐independent fractionation (MIF) isotopic anomalies, apart from those from an eruption of a Mexican volcano. Coupled to simple chemistry model calculations representative of the background atmosphere, our data set suggests that although H2O2 (a MIF‐carrying oxidant) is thought to be by far the most efficient sulfur oxidant in the background atmosphere, it is probably quickly consumed in large dense tropospheric volcanic plumes. We estimate that in the troposphere, at least, more than 90% of volcanic secondary sulfate is not generated by MIF processes. Volcanic S‐bearing gases, mostly SO2, appear to be oxidized through channels that do not generate significant isotopically mass‐independent sulfate, possibly via OH in the gas phase and/or transition metal ion catalysis in the aqueous phase. It is also likely that some of the sulfates sampled were not entirely produced by atmospheric oxidation processes but came out directly from volcanoes without any MIF anomalies.
A climate change range‐based method for estimating robustness for water resources supply
Authors: Whateley Sarah , Steinschneider Scott , Brown Casey
Published: October 2014

Many water planning and operation decisions are affected by climate uncertainty. Given concerns about the effects of uncertainty on the outcomes of long‐term decisions, many water planners seek adaptation alternatives that are robust given a wide range of possible climate futures. However, there is no standardized paradigm for quantifying robustness in the water sector. This study uses a new framework for assessing the impact of future climate change and uncertainty on water supply systems and defines and demonstrates a new metric for quantifying climate robustness. The metric is based on the range of climate change space over which an alternative provides acceptable performance. The metric is independent of assumptions regarding future climate; however, GCM‐based (or other) climate projections can be used to create a “climate‐informed” version of the metric. The method is demonstrated for a water supply system in the northeast United States to evaluate the additional robustness that can be attained through optimal operational changes, by comparing optimal reservoir operations with current reservoir operations. Results show the additional robustness gained through adaptation. They also reveal the additional insight regarding robust adaptation gained from the decision‐scaling approach that would not be discerned using a GCM projection‐based analysis.
Method for the determination of wood dust [Air Monitoring Methods, 2012]
Authors: Mattenklott M.
Published: October 2014

Published in the series
Analyses of Hazardous Substances in Air
, Vol. 13 (2012)
Plant Stress Physiology
Authors: Smirnoff Nicholas
Published: October 2014

Over the last few years there has been an explosion of information on responses to abiotic stresses in the model plant

Arabidopsis thaliana

as well as crops such as rice. Much of the research has focussed on changes in gene transcription following stress imposition. The approach identifies potential ‘stress tolerance genes’ followed by assessment of their effects in mutants and genetically modified plants. Although this approach has produced plants that are apparently more stress resistant, evidence for translation to improved performance in the field has been very limited. Possible reasons include the use of unrealistic laboratory stress treatments and the use of plants that are not fully acclimatised to the variable and interacting environmental factors encountered in the field. Stress research is beginning to address this issue and more recent approaches are highlighting the importance of putting stress responses in the context of the control of plant growth by hormones, the initial perception of stress signals and in the context of understanding the physiological and metabolic adjustments that are needed for stress tolerance.

Key Concepts:

Transcriptome studies are revealing the details of signalling and transcriptional networks that are involved in plant responses to a wide range of environmental stresses. Epigenetic control over gene expression is also important in stress responses.

Stress resistance mechanisms are sometimes incompatible with growth and laboratory studies of stress often focus on extreme or rapidly developing stress. Since these conditions are not generally relevant to agriculture, the translatability of this research to crop improvement is limited.

New approaches in which the signalling mechanisms that restrain growth during mild stress (e.g. low temperature or water stress) are circumvented may be promising avenues for crop improvement.

The plant microbiome consists of bacteria and fungi associated with the rhizosphere and living within tissues (endophytes). The microbiome influences stress resistance. Manipulating its composition has promise in improving stress resistance.
Molecular Ecology
Authors: Freeland Joanna R
Published: October 2014

Molecular ecology is a field of biology that uses molecular genetic data to address ecological questions in disciplines as varied as genomics, biogeography, conservation genetics, and behavioural ecology. The majority of studies in molecular ecology use data that are based on deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequences, an approach that has been greatly enhanced in recent years by the advent of next‐generation sequencing, which collectively refers to methods that allow researchers to simultaneously sequence up to several thousand genes from a very small amount of starting DNA. In addition to DNA sequences, researchers can compare individuals and populations by characterising different versions of a particular gene (known as alleles) based on their sizes. By using molecular markers such as DNA sequences or allele sizes, researchers can quantify the genetic diversity within populations and the genetic similarity among populations. This in turn allows them to address specific questions pertaining to the ecology and evolution of species.

Key Concepts:

Molecular ecology uses molecular genetic data to address ecological questions.

A variety of molecular markers can be used to genetically characterise species and populations.

Next‐generation sequencing has greatly enhanced our ability to collect large amounts of genetic data at relatively low cost.

Molecular genetic data from natural populations allow researchers to quantify the genetic diversity within populations, and the genetic similarity among populations.

Genetic diversity is required for the long‐term survival of populations and species, and is influenced by a range of different factors.

Gene flow among populations strongly influences their genetic similarity.

Landscape genetics helps researchers to understand barriers to gene flow across a series of landscapes.

Eco‐genomics is a field of study that seeks to understand the genetic mechanisms behind adaptation and natural selection.

Behavioural molecular ecology uses highly variable molecular markers to differentiate individuals and to assign parentage.

Phylogeography uses molecular genetic data to infer some of the ways in which historical events and processes have shaped the current distributions of species.
Scientific Method and Experimentation in Biology
Authors: Ruse Michael
Published: October 2014

Scientific method in biology has been of great interest since the time of the Greek philosopher Aristotle in the fourth century before the common era. Generally, the aim has been to be like the physical sciences in being causal and increasingly showing biology as a topic governed by universal natural laws. However, there has always been a debate about the end‐directed nature of organisms, which seem to require explanations in terms of final causes. Although these were expelled from the physical sciences in the scientific revolution, they remained in biology until Darwin wrote the
Origin of Species
. Even after that, they remained but today can be seen to be natural and brought on by Darwin's mechanism of natural selection.

Key Concepts:

Aristotle had an organic view of nature that led him to value end‐directed thinking, in terms of final cause.

The Scientific Revolution introduced the mechanical metaphor, thus making final causes otiose.

George Cuvier argued that organisms cannot be brought fully under the mechanical metaphor and thus demand final‐cause thinking.

Charles Darwin spoke to final‐cause thinking through his mechanism of natural selection, although whether he eliminated such thinking is still debated.

The coming of molecular biology seemed a triumph of reductionist thinking and the mechanistic viewpoint, however, many think that organisms still require understanding over and beyond that one finds in the physical sciences.
History of Anticancer Drugs
Authors: Jones Graham B
Published: October 2014

The origins of cancer chemotherapies can be traced back to their roots in the nineteenth century. Historically, the majority of anticancer drugs have been natural products or synthetic agents designed to target a specific function in the cell or nucleus of tumour cells. These conventional agents however typically suffer from side effects as they are administered systemically – that is, they circulate to other organs where they often exert unwanted ‘bystander’ toxicity. More recent approaches have harnessed the power of monoclonal antibodies, complex proteins which are manufactured from cells. Antibodies accumulate on and around specific cell types (by binding to antigens on the surface of cells), and a number of antibodies which target and kill specific cancer cells have now been developed as therapeutics. A related strategy is to employ the antibody as a ‘delivery vehicle’ to accumulate a conventional anticancer drug in the cancer cell. Such antibody drug conjugates hold great promise.

Key Concepts:

A number of plants and bacteria produce toxins which have been used successfully as anticancer drugs.

A major limitation of conventional anticancer drugs is that they are also toxic to healthy tissue, and result in many side effects including nausea, hair loss, bone marrow loss and irritation of the gastrointestinal tract.

Proteins known as monoclonal antibodies, which target individual cell types specifically, hold great promise for the treatment of certain cancers.

Future research will focus on personalised cancer therapeutics, where the appropriate drug is selected based on the patients genomic makeup.

Synthetic derivatives and mimics of natural products have become front line therapeutics against a number of cancers.
Creationism
Authors: Ruse Michael
Published: October 2014

Creationism is the product of US evangelical religion. Formulated in the American South in the years after the Civil War, it is opposed to evolutionary ideas, and indeed to all forms of modernistic thinking. Creationist efforts to promote the doctrine have made their ways into courts of law, most notably in 1925 when the school teacher John Thomas Scopes was prosecuted for teaching evolution in a high school in Tennessee. After the World War II, the creationist work Genesis Flood (1961) had much effect in turning people to Young Earth Creationism – the belief that the earth is only 6000 years old – and this led to another court case, in Arkansas in 1981. The judge ruled firmly that Creationism taught in schools violates the US constitutional ban on the entwining of state and religion. However, a new mutant, so‐called Intelligent Design Theory, has been formulated, which continues to attract the support of many American evangelical Christians.

Key Concepts:

American evangelical religion often supports an antievolutionary doctrine known as Creationism.

Based on a literal reading of the
Bible
,
Genesis
in particular, Creationism has been the subject of continued court cases and thrives today under the name of Intelligent Design Theory.

Much of the difference between Creationists and their opponents has more to do with moral and social values rather than religion narrowly conceived.

Creationism is very much an American phenomenon with roots back to the years following the Declaration of Independence.

The key work, Genesis Flood, was written during the cold war and reflected tensions about nuclear war.

Courts have again and again declared the teaching of Creationism in state‐supported schools to be unconstitutional.

Intelligent Design Theory is smoother than Creationism but shares the same ends, especially with respect to moral and social values.