bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Salvage Radiotherapy for Biochemically Recurrent Prostate Cancer After Prostatectomy
Authors: Zumsteg Zachary S. , Daskivich Timothy J. , Sandler Howard M.
Published: August 2016

The Oncology Grand Rounds series is designed to place original reports published in the Journal into clinical context. A case presentation is followed by a description of diagnostic and management challenges, a review of the relevant literature, and a summary of the authors’ suggested management approaches. The goal of this series is to help readers better understand how to apply the results of key studies, including those published in Journal of Clinical Oncology, to patients seen in their own clinical practice.

A 67-year-old man had presented to his primary physician for routine health maintenance. A digital rectal examination was performed and revealed a suspicious nodule in the right lobe of the prostate without any extraprostatic extension. A serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test was 12.4 ng/mL. He had no previous PSA tests. Transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy showed Gleason 3 + 4 prostate adenocarcinoma in seven of 12 cores. Bone scan and computed tomography scan of the pelvis showed no evidence of metastatic disease, and the patient underwent a robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy with bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy. Pathology revealed Gleason 3 + 4 adenocarcinoma bilaterally, with extracapsular extension, no seminal vesicle invasion, a 2-mm positive margin at the right mid gland, and 0 of 15 lymph nodes containing adenocarcinoma. Two months after surgery, he had mild stress urinary incontinence and PSA of < 0.1 ng/mL. Adjuvant radiotherapy was discussed, but he elected to have careful follow-up. His PSA was monitored every 6 months and gradually increased from < 0.1 ng/mL to 0.4 ng/mL over the next 3 years. He was asymptomatic. He was referred to discuss the role of salvage radiotherapy.
Postprandial Monocyte Activation in Individuals With Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Khan Ilvira M. , Pokharel Yashashwi , Dadu Razvan T. , Lewis Dorothy E. , Hoogeveen Ron C. , Wu Huaizhu , Ballantyne Christie M.
Published: August 2016

Context:

Postprandial hyperlipidemia has been suggested to contribute to atherogenesis by inducing proinflammatory changes in monocytes. Individuals with metabolic syndrome (MS), shown to have higher blood triglyceride concentration and delayed triglyceride clearance, may thus have increased risk for development of atherosclerosis.

Objective:

Our objective was to examine fasting levels and effects of a high-fat meal on phenotypes of monocyte subsets in individuals with obesity and MS and in healthy controls.

Design, Setting, Participants, Intervention:

Individuals with obesity and MS and gender- and age-matched healthy controls were recruited. Blood was collected from participants after an overnight fast (baseline) and at 3 and 5 hours after ingestion of a high-fat meal. At each time point, monocyte phenotypes were examined by multiparameter flow cytometry.

Main Outcome Measures:

Baseline levels of activation markers and postprandial inflammatory response in each of the three monocyte subsets were measured.

Results:

At baseline, individuals with obesity and MS had higher proportions of circulating lipid-laden foamy monocytes than controls, which were positively correlated with fasting triglyceride levels. Additionally, the MS group had increased counts of nonclassical monocytes, higher CD11c, CX3CR1, and human leukocyte antigen-DR levels on intermediate monocytes, and higher CCR5 and tumor necrosis factor-α levels on classical monocytes in the circulation. Postprandial triglyceride increases in both groups were paralleled by upregulation of lipid-laden foamy monocytes. MS, but not control, subjects had significant postprandial increases of CD11c and percentages of IL-1β+ and tumor necrosis factor-α+ cells in nonclassical monocytes.

Conclusions:

Compared to controls, individuals with obesity and MS had increased fasting and postprandial monocyte lipid accumulation and activation.
The roles of microRNAs and siRNAs in mammalian spermatogenesis
Authors: Hilz Stephanie , Modzelewski Andrew J. , Cohen Paula E. , Grimson Andrew
Published: August 2016

MicroRNAs and siRNAs, both of which are AGO-bound small RNAs, are essential for mammalian spermatogenesis. Although their precise germline roles remain largely uncharacterized, recent discoveries suggest that they function in mechanisms beyond microRNA-mediated post-transcriptional control, playing roles in DNA repair and transcriptional regulation within the nucleus. Here, we discuss the latest findings regarding roles for AGO proteins and their associated small RNAs in the male germline. We integrate genetic, clinical and genomics data, and draw upon findings from non-mammalian models, to examine potential roles for AGO-bound small RNAs during spermatogenesis. Finally, we evaluate the emerging and differing roles for AGOs and AGO-bound small RNAs in the male and female germlines, suggesting potential reasons for these sexual dimorphisms.
Splice variants of the SWR1-type nucleosome remodeling factor Domino have distinct functions during Drosophila melanogaster oogenesis
Authors: Börner Kenneth , Becker Peter B.
Published: August 2016

SWR1-type nucleosome remodeling factors replace histone H2A by variants to endow chromatin locally with specialized functionality. In Drosophila melanogaster a single H2A variant, H2A.V, combines functions of mammalian H2A.Z and H2A.X in transcription regulation and the DNA damage response. A major role in H2A.V incorporation for the only SWR1-like enzyme in flies, Domino, is assumed but not well documented in vivo. It is also unclear whether the two alternatively spliced isoforms, DOM-A and DOM-B, have redundant or specialized functions. Loss of both DOM isoforms compromises oogenesis, causing female sterility. We systematically explored roles of the two DOM isoforms during oogenesis using a cell type-specific knockdown approach. Despite their ubiquitous expression, DOM-A and DOM-B have non-redundant functions in germline and soma for egg formation. We show that chromatin incorporation of H2A.V in germline and somatic cells depends on DOM-B, whereas global incorporation in endoreplicating germline nurse cells appears to be independent of DOM. By contrast, DOM-A promotes the removal of H2A.V from stage 5 nurse cells. Remarkably, therefore, the two DOM isoforms have distinct functions in cell type-specific development and H2A.V exchange.
Beyond GDP? Welfare across Countries and Time
Authors: Jones Charles I. , Klenow Peter J.
Published: August 2016

We propose a summary statistic for the economic well-being of people in a country. Our measure incorporates consumption, leisure, mortality, and inequality, first for a narrow set of countries using detailed micro data, and then more broadly using multi-country datasets. While welfare is highly correlated with GDP per capita, deviations are often large. Western Europe looks considerably closer to the United States, emerging Asia has not caught up as much, and many developing countries are further behind. Each component we introduce plays a significant role in accounting for these differences, with mortality being most important. (JEL D63, E21, E23, E24, I12, O57)
How To Count Citations If You Must
Authors: Perry Motty , Reny Philip J.
Published: August 2016

Citation indices are regularly used to inform critical decisions about promotion, tenure, and the allocation of billions of research dollars. Nevertheless, most indices (e.g., the h-index) are motivated by intuition and rules of thumb, resulting in undesirable conclusions. In contrast, five natural properties lead us to a unique new index, the Euclidean index, that avoids several shortcomings of the h-index and its successors. The Euclidean index is simply the Euclidean length of an individual's citation list. Two empirical tests suggest that the Euclidean index outperforms the h-index in practice. (JEL A14, C43)
Who Benefits from State Corporate Tax Cuts? A Local Labor Markets Approach with Heterogeneous Firms
Authors: Suárez Serrato Juan Carlos , Zidar Owen
Published: August 2016

This paper estimates the incidence of state corporate taxes on the welfare of workers, landowners, and firm owners using variation in state corporate tax rates and apportionment rules. We develop a spatial equilibrium model with imperfectly mobile firms and workers. Firm owners may earn profits and be inframarginal in their location choices due to differences in location-specific productivities. We use the reduced-form effects of tax changes to identify and estimate incidence as well as the structural parameters governing these impacts. In contrast to standard open economy models, firm owners bear roughly 40 percent of the incidence, while workers and landowners bear 30–35 percent and 25–30 percent, respectively. (JEL H22, H25, H32, H71, R23, R51)
Long-Run Risk Is the Worst-Case Scenario
Authors: Bidder Rhys , Dew-Becker Ian
Published: August 2016

We study an investor who is unsure of the dynamics of the economy. Not only are parameters unknown, but the investor does not even know what order model to estimate. She estimates her consumption process nonparametrically—allowing potentially infinite-order dynamics—and prices assets using a pessimistic model that minimizes lifetime utility subject to a constraint on statistical plausibility. The equilibrium is exactly solvable and the pricing model always includes long-run risks. With risk aversion of 4.7, the model matches major facts about asset prices, consumption, and dividends. The paper provides a novel link between ambiguity aversion and nonparametric estimation. (JEL D11, D12, D81, G11, G12)
Robust Social Decisions
Authors: Danan Eric , Gajdos Thibault , Hill Brian , Tallon Jean-Marc
Published: August 2016

We propose and operationalize normative principles to guide social decisions when individuals potentially have imprecise and heterogeneous beliefs, in addition to conflicting tastes or interests. To do so, we adapt the standard Pareto principle to those preference comparisons that are robust to belief imprecision and characterize social preferences that respect this robust principle. We also characterize a suitable restriction of this principle. The former principle provides stronger guidance when it can be satisfied; when it cannot, the latter always provides minimal guidance. (JEL D71, D81)
Whose sample is it anyway? Widespread misannotation of samples in transcriptomics studies
Authors: Toker Lilah , Feng Min , Pavlidis Paul
Published: August 2016

Concern about the reproducibility and reliability of biomedical research has been rising. An understudied issue is the prevalence of sample mislabeling, one impact of which would be invalid comparisons. We studied this issue in a corpus of human transcriptomics studies by comparing the provided annotations of sex to the expression levels of sex-specific genes. We identified apparent mislabeled samples in 46% of the datasets studied, yielding a 99% confidence lower-bound estimate for all studies of 33%. In a separate analysis of a set of datasets concerning a single cohort of subjects, 2/4 had mislabeled samples, indicating laboratory mix-ups rather than data recording errors. While the number of mixed-up samples per study was generally small, because our method can only identify a subset of potential mix-ups, our estimate is conservative for the breadth of the problem. Our findings emphasize the need for more stringent sample tracking, and that re-users of published data must be alert to the possibility of annotation and labelling errors.
Phylogeny of non‐monophyletic Teucrium (Lamiaceae: Ajugoideae): Implications for character evolution and taxonomy
Authors: Salmaki Yasaman , Kattari Stefan , Heubl Günther , Bräuchler Christian
Published: August 2016

Teucrium, with an almost cosmopolitan distribution, comprises about 250 species and is the second ‐ largest genus of subfamily Ajugoideae (Lamiaceae). Phylogenetic studies were conducted using nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS) and chloroplast (ndhF gene, trnL‐F region) DNA sequence data from 101 taxa to estimate phylogenetic relationships among Teucrium and its closest allies. We conclude that: (1) Teucridium, Spartothamnella and Oncinocalyx are nested within Teucrium, thus rendering the latter paraphyletic; (2) previously proposed taxonomic classification systems for Teucrium mostly are not supported by our phylogenetic results; (3) Rubiteucris and Schnabelia appear to be sister to Teucrium. Our results indicate that, among various morphological characters, the calyx shape is diagnostic for different clades within Teucrium. Based on the cladograms derived in this study, the pattern of karyotype evolution suggests that switches in ploidy level are common in at least two groups. Adaptations to drought stress and the regional establishment of Mediterranean climates obviously facilitated speciation and the spread of the genus. Molecular dating analyses indicate diversification of Teucrium at the middle/late Miocene boundary, correlated with Tertiary climatic and tectonic changes.
On a Role of Hearing Protection Equipment under Conditions of In-Plant Noise Harmful Impact
Authors: Панкова  , Pankova V. , Капцов  , Kaptsov V. , Чиркин  , Chirkin A.
Published: August 2016

Статья является ответом на ранее опубликованную статью в журнале «Безопасность в техносфере» (2015. № 2. с. 40-47, авторы Готлиб Я.Г., Алимов Н.П.),

в которой предлагалось снизить класс условий труда при обеспечении рабочих средствами индивидуальной защиты органов слуха, повысить предельно-допустимый уровень шума для рабочих мест. Кратко описаны современные

представления о воздействии шума на здоровье человек, об эффективности

средств индивидуальной защиты при их реальном применении. Показано, что

предложения авторов указанной статьи обоснованы некорректно, не соответствуют современному уровню мировой науки, и их выполнение может ухудшить

здоровье работников. Показано возможное негативное последствие снижения

классов условий труда при обеспечении рабочих средствами защиты, даны рекомендации по снижению вызванной шумом профессиональной заболеваемости.
Industrial Facilities and Transport as Sources of Low-Frequency Noise and Infrasound: Harmful Action Control and Prevention
Authors: Зинкин  , Zinkin V.
Published: August 2016

Peculiarities related to assessment of low-frequency noise and infrasound as harmful production factors have been

demonstrated taking into account existing regulations; recommendations for choosing of measurement means, risk

assessment methods and protection techniques have been formulated.
Optimization of spline hole broach processes and grinding of cylindrical surfaces in hardened cog-wheels
Authors: Клепиков Виктор , Klyepikov Viktor , Черепахин Александр , CHyeryepakhin Alyeksandr
Published: August 2016

One of the factors affecting considerably gear cutting accuracy consists in technological basis quality. The largest influence upon treatment accuracy of a reference hole have broach wear and errors in hole grinding. In the paper there are shown the investigation results of technological parameter effect upon broach stability and accuracy in broach treatment and grinding of a reference splined hole. The developed model of a process and a tool test allowed defining optimum parameters from the point of view of the treatment accuracy, surface layer parameters and life of a tool and cutting modes. It was considered simultaneously the hardening impact upon a reference hole surface layer.
The Surgical Patient Routing Problem: A Central Planner Approach
Authors: Nemati Sepehr , Shylo Oleg V. , Prokopyev Oleg A. , Schaefer Andrew J.
Published: August 2016

Many patients face difficulties when accessing medical facilities, particularly in rural areas. To alleviate these concerns, medical centers may offer transportation to eligible patients. However, the operation of such services is typically not tightly coordinated with the scheduling of medical appointments. Motivated by our collaborations with the U.S. Veterans Health Administration, we propose an integrated approach that simultaneously considers patient routing and operating room scheduling decisions. We model this problem as a mixed-integer program. Unfortunately, realistically sized instances of this problem are intractable, so we focus on a special case of the problem that captures the needs of low-volume (e.g., rural) hospitals. We establish structural properties that are exploited to develop a branch-and-price algorithm, which greatly outperforms a commercial solver on the original formulation. We discuss several algorithmic strategies to improve the overall solution efficiency. We evaluate the performance of the proposed approach through an extensive computational study calibrated with clinical data. Our results demonstrate that there exist opportunities for healthcare providers to significantly improve the quality of their services by integrating scheduling and routing decisions.
Does Quality Knowledge Spillover at Shared Suppliers? An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Muthulingam Suresh , Agrawal Anupam
Published: August 2016

We use a unique empirical setting to investigate the spillover of quality knowledge across supply chains and to the examine contingencies that affect such spillover. We analyze the quality performance of 191 suppliers, who utilize the same facilities to manufacture similar products for two distinct businesses: one that makes cars and the other that makes commercial vehicles. From 2006 to 2009, the car business undertook 2,121 quality improvement initiatives at these suppliers, while the commercial vehicles business did not undertake any such initiatives. We find that the quality knowledge developed through the quality improvement initiatives undertaken by the car business does not easily spill over to benefit the commercial vehicles business. Quality knowledge spills over under three conditions: (1) when quality improvement efforts are focused on organizational members, as opposed to when they focus on routines or technology; (2) when quality improvement efforts focus on the output activities of suppliers, not when they focus on the input or in-process activities; and (3) when quality knowledge is developed at suppliers with low complexity in their operations. Our results provide insights on managing quality at shared suppliers.
The Time–Money Trade-Off for Entrepreneurs: When to Hire the First Employee?
Authors: Yoo Onesun Steve , Roels Guillaume , Corbett Charles J.
Published: August 2016

For many early-stage entrepreneurs, hiring the first employee is a critical step in the firm’s growth. Doing so often requires significant time and monetary investments. To understand the trade-offs involved in deciding when to hire the first employee and how hiring differs in entrepreneurial settings from more established firm settings, we present a simple growth model that depends on two critical inputs for revenue generation: the entrepreneur’s time and money. We show that without hiring, the entrepreneur’s time eventually becomes more valuable than money in contributing to the firm’s growth. In that context, the value of the employee is driven by how much relief he provides to the entrepreneur. We characterize the optimal timing of hiring in terms of the firm’s cash position and how the firm is affected if it requires an upfront fixed investment in time and/or money. We find that the upfront investment in time needed for hiring cannot be converted to an equivalent upfront investment in money and that mistiming hiring can be very costly, especially when these upfront investments are high.
Potential of Decentralised Wastewater Treatment Systems Applicable to India
Authors: Arora Jitesh , Yadav Anuj , Saroj Devendra
Published: August 2016

Appropriate sanitation facilities are still a challenge in many parts of the world, particularly in developing countries. With regard to almost 950 million people defecating in the open, the question arises whether the existing treatment facilities are sufficient to provide for a healthy sanitation in the world. This paper mainly emphasizes on developing countries (particularly, India) where cost is generally a very important parameter of judgment for choosing the appropriate system. This makes decentralized treatment systems much more suitable for installation as they are easier to build and operate, both financially and technically. This paper includes basic differences and fundamental explanations about the processes involved in different decentralized treatment systems and their comparison on the basis of installation cost carried out by using a technology ranking method. It is concluded that waste stabilisation ponds would be most cost effective solution from capital investment point of view. However, Multi Criteria Analysis (MCA) should be carried out for appropriate technology selection in different scenarios on the basis of different criteria. New developments in sanitation technologies can play an important role in selecting appropriate sanitation technology for a particular scenario.
Modelling Integrated Wastewater Treatment Plant for Agro Industry Zone in Banyuasin, South Sumatera, Indonesia
Authors: Hasmawaty Hasmawaty
Published: August 2016

The purpose of this article is to analyze integrated wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) design for Tanjung Api-Api (TAA) agro-industrial area, South Sumatra, Indonesia, using Environmentally Sensitive Investment System (ESIS). This article is based on empirical research that conducted in Banyuasin District, South Sumatera Province, Indonesia. Our result show that wastewater discharge (Q) release into river at E5 has reachton/day and contain 87.16 mg/l TSS. This number does not exceed200 mg/l, TSS threshold for industry area, which regulated by South Sumatra Province through Regulation of the Governor of South Sumatera 18/2005 on Liquid Waste Quality Standard (LWQS). It also produced BOD (100 mg/l) lower than LQWS standard (200 mg/l). Sludge dewatering generate 724,48mg/l/day TSS which can be converted into value-added product. Our WWTP design for TAA area can protect wetland ecosystems in South Sumatra Province. We also give recommendation for TAA multi-stakeholder and propose several topics for further research.
Projected Change in Climate Under A2 Scenario in Dal Lake Catchment Area of Srinagar City in Jammu and Kashmir
Authors: Parvaze Saqib , Parvaze Sabah , Haroon Sheeza , Khurshid Noureen , Khan J. N , Ahmad Latief
Published: August 2016

The present study was done to study the effect of climate change on weather parameters like highest possible temperature, lowest possible temperature, average temperature and precipitation. Multiple linear Regression (MLR), Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Statistical Downscaling Model (SDSM) models were tested in the Dal lake catchment area of Jammu and Kashmir State. Twenty seven year weather data (1985-2012) obtained from SKUAST-Kashmir weather station was used for the study. The modeling results showed a first-rate agreement between the observed data and predicted values for temperature series with high coefficient of determination R2 values varying from (0.87-0.97) for different models. In case of precipitation R2 values varied from (0.112-219) for different models. The low values of coefficient of determination in precipitation time series are due to lot of uncertainty in occurrence of precipitation which could not be defined by the selected models. The SDSM showed the best results of the three models tested for prediction of weather parameters. Thus SDSM was used for climate scenario generation. By comparing daily precipitation and temperature series for 1985-2012 with 2015-2030, an overall increasing pattern of 0.46%, 1.96%, 0.95% and 2.66% was observed for monthly, highest possible temperature, lowest possible temperature, average temperature and precipitation.
Effect of Urban Revitalization on Promoting of Sense of Place (Case Study: Behrouzieh Alley & Heidarieh Religious Theater of Tabriz City)
Authors: Jabbari Sevda , Hosseinalizadeh Saghar
Published: August 2016

The word "urban revitalization " has changed significantly especially since 1980s. Looking to future, urban revitalization indicates to "return to home" where "home" refers to human mind and its perception from the environment and sensory experience arising from being in urban spaces. The sense is not tangible and it is empowered through human recognition and its induction by memorial elements. Thus, citizens may participate and take actions in urban revitalization since it leads to urban revive in the modern world and provides a real city for citizens. Unfortunately, the concept of "sense of place" is weakened due to lack of appropriate and accurate revitalization interventions in historical contexts. According to the present article, this study aims at emphasizing on valuable elements to promote sense of place, appropriate revitalization interventions to empower sense of collective memory, highlight valuable elements and solve current problems found in quarters using revitalization approaches as well as appropriate practical and scientific strategies. Conceptual pattern of the article is based on analytical-descriptive method carried out through collecting informative and theoretical data from authentic scientific databases, studying specialized texts, using field studies, and noting the observations. According to the observations, this study focused on parameters of urban revitalization and sense of place including security, vitality, collective memory, Permeability, Compatibility, and building density. Using SPSS software, it was finally made clear that there is a direct relation between urban revitalization and sense of place.
An Approach for Power Generation with Reduced Fuel Consumption using PTO Driven Generator
Authors: Patel Manish , Raheman H
Published: August 2016

Using the gear up throttle down concept, suitable power take off (PTO) speed required to run a PTO powered generator was decided. For this PTO test was carried out using an eddy current dynamometer. The tractor engine was loaded to different torque values at different engine speeds for obtaining constant PTO power corresponding to the full load of the generator. Fuel consumption, smoke level, exhaust gas temperature and coolant temperature were measured during PTO test. Engine speed fluctuation and engine overloading were also observed to judge whether the engine was running smoothly, or it was overloaded. The specific fuel consumption was reduced from 268.9 g/kW h at 1579 rpm to 242.9 g/kW h at 1000 rpm. Considering the engine speed fluctuation, overloading of the engine, rapid rise of smoke level, exhaust gas temperature and coolant temperature, an engine speed of 1215 rpm was recommended instead of 1579 rpm (corresponding to standard PTO speed of 540 rpm). A suitable power transmission system comprising belt and pulley drive was designed to run the generator at rated speed of 1500 rpm. When the generator was operated at reduced PTO speed of 415 rpm (corresponding to engine speed of 1215 rpm) in comparison to standard PTO speed of 540 rpm, fuel saving of 0.35 l/h to 0.55 l/h and 0.43 l/h to 0.48 l/h was achieved at different alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) loads on the generator, respectively. Following this approach, a considerable amount of fuel energy could be saved while generating electric power using tractor. Efficient use of fuel will reduce the overall production cost of agricultural products as well as help in protecting our environment.
Gill net Selectivity and Fishing Pressure on Indian Major Carp in Thirumoorthy Reservoir, Tamil Nadu
Authors: Velmurugan R , Neethiselvan N , Sundaramoorthy B , Rayan Xavier , Radhakrishnan Kalidoss , Kalaiarasan M
Published: August 2016

In present study attempts has been made to document the fishing crafts and gears which operated in Thirumoorthy reservoir, Tamil Nadu. This investigation revealed, the post monsoon season had higher catch per unit effort of 11kg/boat/day by gillnet fishing and about 20 to 30kg/day in cast net. Catla catla has the dominant fish species and accounted about 58% followed by Cirrhinus mrigala (29%), Labeo rohita (12%) and Cyprinus carpio (2%) against the total landings. However, three species including the Tilapia, Rohu and Mrigala were found to constitute fishery in the cast net with mean CPUE of 20 to 30 kg per day.
Effect of Preconditioning Treatments and Auxins on the Rooting of Semi-Hardwood Cuttings of Olive Planted During Winter Under Mist Condition
Authors: Thakur Manish , Sharma D. D , Verma Pramod , Babita
Published: August 2016

An experiment was conducted during winter to find the effect of girdling, etiolation and auxins i.e. IBA and NAA on rooting of semi- hardwood cuttings of olive cv. Leccino under mist. The experiment comprised of 13 treatments and was combinations of girdling, etiolation and auxins. The results indicated that the best rooting characteristics viz; highest percent rooted cuttings (53.33), number of primary roots (6.58) and secondary roots (8.53) and diameter (0.46 mm) were maximum with cuttings treated with IBA at 5000 ppm, where as the maximum primary root length (5.30 cm) and secondary root length (2.42) was recorded with the treatment girdling + IBA 4000 ppm + NAA 1000 ppm and IBA 4000 ppm, respectively. Regarding the shoot characteristics viz; plant height (14.59 cm) was recorded highest for the treatment IBA@ 4000 ppm which was at par with the treatment IBA @ 5000 ppm (14.26 cm). Highest plant diameter (2.40 mm), numbers of leaves (16.26) and leaf area (36.42 cm2) were highest for the treatment IBA @ 5000 ppm. Survival percentage of cuttings (71.57 %) was also highest in cuttings treated with IBA @ 5000 ppm. It is concluded that IBA at 5000 ppm was found to be the best treatment for propagation of olive through semi- hardwood cuttings during winter.
Rainfall Variability and Trend Detection in Dindigul District of Amaravathi Basin
Authors: Thangamani S , Raviraj A
Published: August 2016

The present study attempted to find out the relation between rainfall variability, trend and distribution in Dindigul district of Amaravathi basin for groundwater management. A detailed analysis of monthly, seasonal and spatial variation of rainfall (1971-2014) for the study area had carried out. The normal annual rainfall of the district varies from 700 to 1600 mm. The north east monsoon contributed the maximum rainfall of 439mm (50%), followed by South-west monsoon which contributed 254 mm (29%), summer which contributed 147 mm (16.8%) and winter contributed the minimum rainfall of 26.8 mm (2.8%).A high value of CV had observed in all the stations, which indicate the greater rainfall variability, and more chances of occurrence of drought. Higher variability of coefficient of variation was observed in central part of the district.Theresult of MMK z-test at 1% level indicates that the majority of stations showed non-significant trend in annual, summer and monsoon season of rainfall. Out of the 13 stations studied in the district, annual rainfall of only one station (Kuthiraiyar) showed significant decreasing trend in annual rainfall (-3.05 mm/year) and five stations recorded the significant decreasing trend in rainy days during southwest monsoon. Chatrapatti and Natham stations recorded the significant increasing trend during north east monsoon and Virupatchi station recorded the decreasing trend.
Evaluation of Infiltration Behaviour and Soil Characteristics in Dhanbad - Jharia Township Area, Jharkhand, India
Authors: Sinha Ritu , Singh Prasoon
Published: August 2016

As a consequence of interaction between human and surrounding urban soils are generally sealed, compacted and contaminated. Thus investigating and understanding the processes, properties and functions of these soil posses a great challenge for the large human population. The prime goal of this study has to evaluate and relate the steady state infiltration rate with parameters which has significant impact on it. The various parameter considered here includes bulk density, total porosity, organic matter, sand, silt and clay content. Further, current study was also analysed by thematic maps such as soil and geomorphology map. Sixteen locations were selected randomly and experiment was conducted through double ring infiltrometer having inner and outer diameter 30 and 60 cm in the interval of 5,5,10,10,15,15,30,30 minutes. Soil samples were also collected near by the each experiment site for the determination of above said parameters. The results of the infiltration rates was mapped by applying the interpolation method of the Arc GIS 10 software and classified as slow, slow to medium and medium classes. Furthermore, the generated data were subjected to correlation and regression analysis which reveals the significant positive correlation with total porosity, sand organic matter, having r = 0.818, 0.811 and 0.573 where as bulk density, silt and clay were significantly negatively correlated as r = - 0.627, -0.693 and - 0.444.Overall, the measured infiltration rate varies from slow to medium class which may be due to the soil compaction and other parameters. So to over come this hazard appropriate environmental measure must be applied and plant cover must be increased.
Environmentally Benign Coal Mining: Target One Billion Tonne Coal Production by CIL by 2019-20
Authors: Singh Gurdeep , Singh Amarjeet
Published: August 2016

Coal is the most abundant fuel resource in India. Coal is the major source of energy and is the principal contributor for the industrial growth of the developing nation like India. Coal is a bridge component in a current, balanced energy group. It is connection for the future as a vital low cost energy solution for achieving sustainability challenges for competing with the developed countries. The largest consumer of coal in India is power sector, and the industrial sector is coming next to power sector. The major consumption of coal in India is in steel plant, cement plant and brick-manufacturing units.52%of primary energy is coal dependent.1 About 66% of India's power generation is based upon coal production.1 While coal is considered the most significant element for the growth of country, it faces major and massive social and environmental issues. Environmental worries are the most important parameter for the coal industry’s future. In comparison to the other fossil fuels, coal is more pollution causing and less energy efficient. Coal has an important role in fulfillment of current needs. 212.10 Million Tonnes of coal was imported in the financial year 2014-15.2 The coal demand will be increasing due to increase in electricity demand of the country. Coal India being the largest producer of coal in India has to plan accordingly to fulfill the coal demand of country. A road map for enhancement of coal production up to 1 Billion of coal by 2019-2020 has been prepared by Coal India.3 Due to coal mining the key environmental impacts are on air, water, land, forest, biodiversity, and climate etc. The biggest challenge is to put on the innovative technologies in the most efficient and environmentally friendly manner and to solve social issues by taking care of the implementation of rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R). Thrust is now to promote inclusive growth of mining areas by adequate corporate social responsibilities (CSR) activities.4,5 Thus the target 1 Billion of coal production by 2019-2020 may be achieved by proper implementation environmentally benign coal mining for the fulfilment of the growing demand of electricity of India.
Note on Occurrence of Jaydia queketti (Osteichthyes: Apogonidae) from the Bycatch of Tropical Trawl Fishery
Authors: Ranjith L. , Ramkumar S , Kannan K , Vinod K , Joshi K. K , Shukla S. P , Purushothaman C. S , Chakraborty S. K
Published: August 2016

Three specimens of apogonids species of total length 72.69, 106.28 and 110.67 mm were caught off Tuticorin at the depths of 90-100 m as a bycatch on 1st January 2013 from the commercial trawler operated from Tuticorin Fishing Harbour, Southeast coast of India. In this paper, on the occurrence of Jaydia queketti was figured and the comprehensive diagnostic features of the recorded specimens were elucidated. The species of this genus Jaydia is distributed continentally and often caught as a bycatch from shrimp or fish trawl. These species are widely distributed in New Guinea, larger islands in the Coral Sea, Australia, Arabian Sea of India and also from Africa to Japan. Nevertheless, the present observation shows the occurrence of J. queketti from the by-catch of trawl fishery operated along Gulf of Mannar, Southeast coast of India.
Water Budgeting of Portable FRP Carp Hatchery for Rohu, Labeo Rohita Spawn Production
Authors: Mohapatra Bikash , Mahanta Sudeep , Sahu Hrushikesha , Majhi Dukhia
Published: August 2016

Water budgeting experiments were conducted in three portable FRP carp hatchery units installed in three different places of Odisha State, India. Induced breeding programmes were conducted for spawn production for seven times in these FRP hatcheries taking rohu, Labeo rohita as the test species. Water requirement for one complete cycle of FRP carp hatchery operation was calculated to be 105 - 136.3 m3, when spawn production ranged between 0.7 and 1.4 million per operation in field condition. It was estimated that the water requirement per 0.1 million spawn production ranged between 8.86 - 15.01 m3. It was concluded that the water requirement for FRP carp hatchery operation was comparatively more when less quantity of carp spawn produced and was less when more spawn produced.
Application of Artificial Neural Network Approach for Estimating Reference Evapotranspir
Authors: Vyas Khyati , Subbaiah R
Published: August 2016

The process of evapotranspiration (ET) is a vital part of the water cycle. Exact estimation of the value of ET is necessary for designing irrigation systems and water resources management. Accurate estimation of ET is essential in agriculture, its over-estimation leads to cause the waste of valuable water resources and its underestimation leads to the plant moisture stress and decrease in the crop yield. The well known Penman-Monteith (PM) equation always performs the highest accuracy results of estimating reference Evapotranspiration (ET0) among the existing methods is without any discussion. However, the equation requires climatic data that are not always available particularly for a developing country. ET0 is a complex process which is depending on a number of interacting meteorological factors, such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, and radiation. The lack of physical understanding of ET0 process and unavailability of all appropriate data results in imprecise estimation of ET0. Over the past two decades, artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been increasingly applied in modeling of hydrological processes because of their ability in mapping the input–output relationship without any understanding of physical process. This paper investigates for the first time in the semiarid environment of Junagadh, the potential of an artificial neural network (ANN) for estimating ET0 with limited climatic data set.
Crop Coefficient for Mulched Cotton Under Variable Irrigation Regimes
Authors: Prajapati G. V. , Subbaiah R , Kunapara A. N , Vithlani N. S , Makwana J. J
Published: August 2016

Reduced cost of cultivation (30%) and increase in yield (40%) obliged the Saurashatra farmers to adopt Bt. Cotton on mass scale. Saurashtra cotton earns more profit at international market due to good luster, low naps, more wax on fibers surface, very low dye absorption. High evaporative conditions, scarcity of groundwater, and deficient rainfall condition are detrimental to cotton yields. Climatic change is adding another dimension to this complex nexus of soil-water-plant-atmosphere. Adverse environmental conditions coupled with water scarcity intrigued farmers of this region to adopt drip irrigation with mulch in Bt. Cotton for mitigating the impact of climatic aberrations. Determination of actual crop evapotranspiration during crop growing season is highly advantageous for sound irrigation scheduling. So far no study is reported to develop crop coefficient for drip irrigated biodegradable mulch cotton subjected to variable irrigation regimes. An experiment was undertaken consecutively for two years (2013-14 and 2014-15) to address this issue. Diurnal and temporal variation of soil moisture with depth was monitored using soil moisture sensors at irrigation regimes 1.0 IW/ETc and 0.8 IW/ETc. The control treatment was taken as drip with no mulch. Adjusted FAO Kc predict higher value than sensor based Kc values at both irrigation regimes. Sensor based Kc-mid values were lower by 12.99% and 30.04% than the adjusted FAO Kc-mid value at 1.0 IW/ETc and 0.8 IW/ETc respectively. Biodegradable plastic mulch reduced Kc-ini value by 72.26% and 66.54% over control at 1.0 IW/ETc and 0.8 IW/ETc respectively. Overestimated adjusted FAO Kc values caused a loss of 78.13mm and 66.54mm of precious water at 1.0 IW/ETc and 0.8 IW/ETc respectively. This study admonishes blind adoption of published FAO Kc curves, for mulch conditions.
Climate Change Impact Assessment for Aji Basin Using Statistical Downscaling and Bias Correction of Climate Model Outputs
Authors: Vithlani N. S , Rank H. D
Published: August 2016

For the future projections Global climate models (GCMs) enable development of climate projections and relate greenhouse gas forcing to future potential climate states. When focusing it on smaller scales it exhibit some limitations to overcome this problem, regional climate models (RCMs) and other downscaling methods have been developed. To ensure statistics of the downscaled output matched the corresponding statistics of the observed data, bias correction was used. Quantify future changes of climate extremes were analyzed, based on these downscaled data from two RCMs grid points. Subset of indices and models, results of bias corrected model output and raw for the present day climate were compared with observation, which demonstrated that bias correction is important for RCM outputs. Bias correction directed agreements of extreme climate indices for future climate it does not correct for lag inverse autocorrelation and fraction of wet and dry days. But, it was observed that adjusting both the biases in the mean and variability, relatively simple non-linear correction, leads to better reproduction of observed extreme daily and multi-daily precipitation amounts. Due to climate change temperature and precipitation will increased day by day.
Ethiopia–China Economic Relations: A Classic Win–Win Situation?
Authors: Malancha Chakrabarty
Published: August 2016

A significant body of literature has held that Chinese interest in Africa is driven by a hunger for resources. This makes Ethiopia an important case study. Ethiopia experienced high rates of economic growth from 2003 onwards, thanks to rapid agricultural development. This period was also characterized by an intensification of Ethiopia–China relations. Bilateral trade between the two countries expanded rapidly, and China is currently the country's top trading partner. Ethiopia gained from China's zero-tariff policy on agricultural imports, and there was a dramatic growth in its sesame exports to China. China is also a major source of manufactured goods and machinery for Ethiopia. Despite being an agricultural exporter, it has attracted significant volumes of Chinese official financial flows and foreign direct investment (FDI). Chinese official finance is directed to building infrastructure, whereas Chinese FDI is directed to the manufacturing sector. This article concludes that the overall impact of China on Ethiopia is beneficial.
China and Latecomer Industrialization Processes in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Case of Combined and Uneven Development
Authors: Christina Wolf
Published: August 2016

This article examines the question of how China's systemic impact on the world economy and growing presence in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) affects processes of structural change in SSA countries through the framework of combined and uneven development: Global economic forces can act to perpetuate underdevelopment, but these global forces, of which China's rise in the world economy is one among many, need to be studied in conjunction with the societal forces that mediate them. This article argues that many China-related effects actually work in favor of manufacturing development, but the size and composition of China-related effects vary considerably across countries. Therefore, the article uses cluster analysis to find groups of SSA countries with similar patterns of interaction with China and shows that we do, indeed, observe differences in average manufacturing output growth across these groups. However, the cluster analysis also reveals considerable variations within the groups of countries with similar China-related effects. The article provides a case study on Angola to illustrate the interplay between global factors linked to China and the domestic political economy setting.
Men, masculinity and style in 2008: A study of men’s clothing considerations in the latter aughts
Authors: Green Denise Nicole , Kaiser Susan B.
Published: August 2016

This article examines how, in the latter aughts, men from the United States thought about their style, favourite clothing, masculine style(s) and the ways they imagined masculinity as articulated through everyday practices of fashioning the body. The body is a site of identity production, situated within broader cultural expectations, commitments and ideals. This study explores men’s relationships to masculine ideals while dressing the body. We ask: how do men think about masculinity in relation to dress? How do they define ‘masculine style’? In this article we examine individual responses about everyday appearance decisions, as well as larger trends. The study is a cross-section from a particular moment in time (May 2008) and uses demographically balanced open-ended survey responses to gauge men’s relationships to masculine ideals while dressing the body. We use descriptive statistics to illustrate how men in the United States – at a particularly transitional moment in time – articulated their perspectives on favourite clothes and masculine style.
Riboflavin as migraine prophylaxis in adolescents
Authors: Athaillah Athaillah , Dimyati Yazid , Saing Johannes H. , Saing Bistok , Hakimi Hakimi , Lelo Aznan
Published: August 2016

Background Migraine is a cause of recurrent headaches inchildren. Riboflavin has been sho\Vll to be efficacious in preventingmigraine in adults. However, there has been little research on itsuse in children and adolescents.Objective To assess the effectiveness of riboflavin for migraineprevention in adolescents.Methods We conducted a randomized, double􀁅blind, controlledtrial in the Islamic Centre of the Musthafav.iyah Mandailing NatalDistrict, North Sumatera, from May to July 2010. Adolescents\\lith migraines, as defined criteria, were included. Subjects were divided into two groups,receiving either 400 mg of riboflavin or placebo for 3 months.Headache frequency was measured in headache days per month,headache duration was measured in hours, and functionaldisability was measured using the Pediatric Migraine DisabilityAssessment Scale (PedMIDAS). Migraines were assessed before,during and after intervention. Student's t􀁅test was used forstatistical analysis.Results A total of 98 patients, ranging from 12 to 19 years inage (mean age 14.0 years) were enrolled. We found a significantreduction in headache frequency in the second and third months.Headache duration also differed significantly third months (P=0.012 and P=O.OOl, respectively). Riboflavindecreased disability, as indicated by lower PedMIDAS scores inthe riboflavin group compared to the placebo group (26.1 and34.3, respectively, P= 0.001).Conclusion Riboflavin effectively decreased migraine frequency,duration and disability in adolescents. [Paediatr Indones.2012;52:132-7].