bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Attitudes toward Use of Hearing Protection Devices and Effects of an Intervention on Fit-Testing Results
Authors: Smith Pegeen S. , Monaco Barbara A. , Lusk Sally L.
Published: September 2014

This study assessed attitudes toward the use of hearing protection devices (HPDs) and the effect of an educational intervention on fit-testing results by comparing personal attenuation ratings (PAR50) before and after the intervention. Employees ( n = 327) from a large metal container manufacturer at four geographic locations were tested with a field attenuation estimation system (FAES) to identify workers ( n = 91) requiring intervention. PAR50 values significantly increased from baseline to post-intervention ( p < .001, 15.1 to 26.9) and at the 6-month follow-up ( p < .001, 95% confidence interval = −11.2, −6.3). Perceived self-efficacy scores for using HPDs significantly declined from baseline to post-intervention ( p = .006, 95% confidence interval = 0.3, 1.9), but were not significantly related to PAR50. Therefore, a FAES can assist the occupational health nurse to identify workers at high risk (low PAR50), teach proper fit and use of HPDs, and improve hearing protector selection.
Industrial Working Conditions and the Treatment of Child Workers in Turkey
Authors: Arkan Gülcihan , Sohbet Rabia
Published: September 2014

The purpose of this study was to determine working conditions for children working at industry sites in Turkey. This descriptive study was conducted between May and June 2010 and included 249 workers 18 years or younger working at a Kahramanmaras industry site. Study data demonstrated that 33.3% of the children were 18 years old, 32.9% were working in a mechanics store, 82.3% were working 9 to 12 hours a day, 68.7% were earning a weekly wage of 55 to 100 Turkish Liras, and only 22 were using annual leave. These children started working under the age determined by law; they entered into the work force and quit school. Also, it was found that working conditions were suboptimal and no auditing was instituted in many workplaces.
Fostering the Learning Capacity of Small-Scale Ethnic Chinese Business Organizations
Authors: Menkhoff Thomas , Wah Chay Yue
Published: September 2014

Business leaders who enable learning whether through regular training needs assessments or externally sourced scientific advice to support product development efforts contribute to organizational effectiveness. While the drivers of learning capacity and their effects on the business are well documented in large firms, little is known about this issue in Asian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Therefore, this paper is aimed at exploring some of the antecedents of organizational learning capability of small-scale ethnic Chinese business organizations with particular reference to knowledge-intensive SMEs in Singapore. By utilizing Asian family business and organizational behavior concepts with regard to knowledge, leadership, absorptive capacity, fair process and knowledge transfer as well as qualitative data obtained through a case study of a small-scale ethnic Chinese SME which provides IT-enabled trading solutions for financial institutions, several hypothesized relationships between knowledge leadership, firm attributes, organizational learning and firm performance are developed into an organizational learning capability model to be tested in the context of a future empirical SME study. The model's implications are discussed with special reference to CEOs of SMEs and SME promotion agencies interested in facilitating the development of a culture of learning and innovation in small business organizations in an era of rapid globalization.
An Empirical Study on China's Gold Futures Market Hedging Performance
Authors: Zhu Heliang , Zhang Xi , Ordóñez de Pablos Patricia
Published: September 2014

In the current financial crisis, promoting rapid developments of gold industry, ensuring healthy operations of national economy, and actively developing the gold futures market are very important. Functioning of the gold futures market will determine the gold market maturity and integrity. Risk transfer is one of the two basic functions of futures market. The risk transfer function is realized through hedging. China's gold futures market has been in market for more than four years, is the risk transfer function fully realized? How the performance of hedging? Based on the data of futures prices and spot prices from January 9th of 2008 to December 31st of 2010, we use the following four statistical models such as traditional regression model (OLS), two-variable vector auto regression model (B-VAR), error correction hedging model (ECM), and error correction GARCH model (EC-GARCH) to perform stationarity and cointegration test On the basis of minimum risk hedge ratio estimated, the following conclusions are made based on the study: (1) As China's gold futures market has run for more than three years, hedge is effective through the gold futures market, which can significantly reduce the participants ‘ risk of price fluctuation; (2)In practice, hedging ratio should be rationally determined by different models according to different hedging length and different expectations. Based on these conclusions, this paper also made corresponding policy recommendations.
ANT, Phenomenography and a Research Question in Information Systems
Authors: Davey Bill
Published: September 2014

This paper describes the research Approach of Phenomenography. A research question that has been addressed by this method is used to allow comparison between Phenomenography and Actor- Network Theory as approaches to questions involving the adoption of new techniques in information systems projects.
Consumer Creativity as a Prerequisite for the Adoption of New Technological Products
Authors: Frederiksen Marianne Harbo , Tanev Stoyan
Published: September 2014

Creativity is often conceptualized as actions and outcomes related to the creation of novel and useful ideas within the context of the development of new products. It is usually positioned in the activities of designers who play the role of “the creator”. In this paper the authors suggest “changing the subject” to consumers by claiming that creativity plays a key role in the adoption phase when they attempt to address their needs and preferences by appropriating the use value of everyday technological products. They emphasize that the product value perception which makes a potential consumer buy is the result of this consumer's own activities and efforts. Thus, the intensity of consumers' creative activities becomes a critical adoption factor. The authors suggest that activity-based approaches such as actor-network theory and activity theory could be quite appropriate in studying the dynamics and the design of new product adoption, and offer a comparative analysis indicating that actor-network theory has a greater potential to contribute to the interplay between consumer creativity and technology adoption research.
Multi-Scaling Analysis of the S&P500 under Different Regimes in Wavelet Domain
Authors: Lahmiri Salim
Published: September 2014

In this article, the authors investigate the multi-scale structure of the S&P500 minute-by-minute time series. The authors attempt to find the answer to the following question: Are upward and downward regimes in the S&P500 time series exhibit different long-range power-law correlations? To answer this question, the authors apply the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) to the original time series for de-noising purpose. Then, the authors apply the generalized Hurst exponent (GHE) to the de-noised data to characterize the multi-scaling complexity of the signal (time series) under each regime and using different q-order moments. The authors found that S&P500 intra-day time series show long-range power-law correlations. In addition, this behavior varies depending on the stock market regime. This finding should be taken into account in active investment management.
A Holistic Trust Management Leasing Algorithm for IaaS Cloud
Authors: Mehta Hemant Kumar , Ahuja Rohit
Published: September 2014

Trust is an important factor, in the exchange of services among multiple parties for example in cloud environment a large number of users interact in the form of resource provider and resource consumers. The resource consumer requests for computation service from the resource provider which provide service to the resource consumer. In this paper we proposed a trust management architecture that keeps track of past performance of resource provider and resource consumer so that every time the participating entity in a transaction has idea of behavior of other entities. This architecture not relies only on trust value of a resource provider, however it also considers several other parameters viz. activeness, ratio of positive and negative feedback etc. As the trust value of a resource provider is actually the result of user's feedback which declines over time, hence we have also given chance of regret to the resource providers which were proven to be untrusted to convert their “setback to comeback”.
Adaptive Virtual Machine Management in the Cloud
Authors: Torres Gildo , Liu Chen
Published: September 2014

The success of cloud computing technologies heavily depends on both the underlying hardware and system software support for virtualization. In this study, we propose to elevate the capability of the hypervisor to monitor and manage co-running virtual machines (VMs) by capturing their dynamic behavior at runtime and adaptively schedule and migrate VMs across cores to minimize contention on system resources hence maximize the system throughput. Implemented at the hypervisor level, our proposed scheme does not require any changes or adjustments to the VMs themselves or the applications running inside them, and minimal changes to the host OS. It also does not require any changes to existing hardware structures. These facts reduce the complexity of our approach and improve portability at the same time. The main intuition behind our approach is that because the host OS schedules entire virtual machines, it loses sight of the processes and threads that are running within the VMs; it only sees the averaged resource demands from the past time slice. In our design, we sought to recreate some of this low level information by using performance counters and simple virtual machine introspection techniques. We implemented an initial prototype on the Kernel Virtual Machine (KVM) and our experimental results show the presented approach is of great potential to improve the overall system throughput in the Cloud environment.
Resource Scheduling Techniques in Utility Computing
Authors: Chana Inderveer , Kaur Tarandeep
Published: September 2014

Utility Computing offers on-demand services from a shared pool of resources and can be envisaged to be a benchmark in the IT development. The capability to provide on-demand services involves management of large number of resources that are geographically dispersed and thus poses a number of resource management and scheduling challenges in the domain of resource heterogeneity, dynamic resource locations and load balancing. Proficient resource allocations and efficient scheduling helps in achieving optimal resource utilization and hence enhances the performance of the system. This paper evaluates existing resource management systems, listing their key characteristic features and highlighting the factors that make the existing systems excel upon each other. It also discusses various resource scheduling techniques currently available and characterizes the techniques based on Quality of Service (QoS) parameters supported by them along with the classification on basis of their operating environment and further extends towards load balancing and energy efficiency support if available.
The Interplay Between Human and Structure in IT Strategy
Authors: Iyamu Tiko
Published: September 2014

In organisations, human actions and structures are inseparable from processes and activities including in the development and implementation of the IT strategy. IT strategy is often intended to be driven by the organisational vision and strategy to achieve its goals periodically. IT has significant impact on an organisation's success or failure. It therefore does not operate in a vacuum. The issue is not just about information technology, rather, it is the strategic application of technology, including management, which is about people and the processes. The research applied Structuration Theory to examine the types of structures that exist during the development and implementation of IT strategy, and the structures that actually emerge as a result of human action in the computing environment of the organisation and through that, identify its impact. The primary aim of the research was to examine how cultural, policy and personal issues enable at the same time constrain activities in the computing environment during the development and implementation of IT strategy.
Influence of windbreaks and forest borders on abundance and species richness of native pollinators in lowbush blueberry fields in Québec, Canada
Authors: Moisan-DeSerres Joseph , Chagnon Madeleine , Fournier Valérie
Published: September 2014

Lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifoliumAiton (Ericaceae)) production is highly dependent on insect pollination to maximise yields. The current losses in honey bee (Apis melliferaLinnaeus (Hymenoptera: Apidae)) colonies pose a serious threat to the blueberry industry, raising interest in alternative pollinators. Abundance and diversity of native pollinators usually decreases with distance from natural habitats. In this study, we evaluated the effects of distance from wooded habitats such as windbreaks and forest borders on the presence of native pollinators in blueberry fields in Lac-St-Jean (Québec, Canada). Four treatments were compared: single-row, double-row, natural windbreaks, and forest borders. Pan-traps were placed at 5, 30, and 60 m from the windbreak or forest border. A total of 3878 native pollinators were collected and 81% were ground-nesting bees. The forest border was the only treatment with higher abundance and species richness on the periphery (5 m) of the field than at further distances, supporting the hypothesis that the presence of pollinators is favoured by habitats potentially offering more abundant and diverse nutritional resources. Our overall results reveal that native pollinators are distributed quite homogeneously in blueberry fields, suggesting that windbreaks are beneficial to native pollinator communities.
Are we wasting theology in our continent?
Authors: Hendriks H. Jurgens
Published: September 2014

The 2014 conference theme of the society for Practical Theology in South Africa was ‘Practical Theology in Africa and human waste’. The article asks the question whether we can do theology in Africa in such a way that the kingdom of God is realised, notwithstanding the feeling that the seed that is sown is often wasted. The growth of Christianity and southern shift of the majority of Christians to amongst others Africa, is described, discussed and questioned: Is this seed falling on fertile ground or is it wasted if one considers all the calamities of the African continent? Taking its cues from the parable of the sower the epistemological revolution and paradigm shift are outlined stating that unless doing theology within a new paradigm the kingdom of God cannot be served. It calls for new paradigm labourers who are trained to be on the marketplace, who reach out to where people are suffering and struggling and serve their needs thus following the example set by Christ in training his disciples.
Reading strategies used by Grade 9 English Second Language learners in a selected school
Authors: Cekiso Madoda , Madikiza Nophawu
Published: September 2014

Knowledge of the reading strategies used by English Second Language learners can help teachers to plan appropriate lessons and apply relevant methods of teaching reading in order to enhance learners’ reading comprehension. The main objective of this study was to investigate the reading strategies used by Grade 9 English Second Language (ESL) learners and also to establish if there was any significant difference between perceived strategy use and gender. The respondents (192) were all ESL learners in Grade 9 in 2011 in a selected school. The study employed a quantitative research method. The study used convenience sampling on a group of 192 Grade 9 learners. The data collected through questionnaires was analysed by means of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The findings revealed that the learners did not employ a wide range of reading strategies. The results further indicated that there was no significant difference between boys and girls in terms of strategy use. Based on the above findings several suggestions were made to help teachers improve their teaching and help learners improve their reading comprehension and also about possible areas for future research.
Evaluation of the Horizontal Wave Forces on Piles
Authors: Barbaro Giuseppe , Foti Giandomenico , Sicilia Carmelo Luca
Published: September 2014

Reliability of offshore platforms is an important issue in the prevention of environmental disasters. In this paper, the variation of the horizontal force exerted on an offshore gravity platform is analyzed to achieve a deep comprehension of a storm scenario. Considering the wave motion as a potential motion, the quasi-determinism theory is applied to obtain the kinematic characteristics of a storm. The evolution of force against time is analyzed through the Morison's equation, diffraction theory, and a simplified method. Moreover, two case studies are examined, one in the Ortona region of the Italian coast and the other in the Gulf of Alaska, USA.
Interactions among Plant Transcription Factors Regulating Expression of Stress-responsive Genes
Authors: Malhotra Sony , Sowdhamini R.
Published: September 2014

Plants are simultaneously subjected to a variety of stress conditions in the field and are known to combat the hostile conditions by up/downregulating number of genes. There exists a significant level of cross-talk between different stress responses in plants. In this study, we predict the interacting pairs of transcription factors that regulate the multiple abiotic stress-responsive genes in the plant Arabidopsis thaliana. We identified the interacting pair(s) of transcription factors (TFs) based on the spatial proximity of their binding sites. We also examined the interactions between the predicted pairs of TFs using molecular docking. Subsequent to docking, the best interaction pose was selected using our scoring scheme DockScore, which ranks the docked solutions based on several interface parameters and aims to find optimal interactions between proteins. We analyzed the selected docked pose for the interface residues and their conservation.
Prediction of gas/particle partitioning of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in global air: a theoretical study
Authors: Li Y.-F. , Ma W.-L. , Yang M.
Published: September 2014

Abstract. Gas/particle (G / P) partitioning for most semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) is an important process that primarily governs their atmospheric fate, long-range atmospheric transport potential, and their routs to enter human body. All previous studies on this issue have been hypothetically derived from equilibrium conditions, the results of which do not predict results from monitoring studies well in most cases. In this study, a steady-state model instead of an equilibrium-state model for the investigation of the G / P partitioning behavior for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) was established, and an equation for calculating the partition coefficients under steady state (KPS) for PBDE congeners (log KPS = log KPE + logα) was developed, in which an equilibrium term (log KPE = log KOA + logfOM −11.91, where fOM is organic matter content of the particles) and a nonequilibrium term (logα, mainly caused by dry and wet depositions of particles), both being functions of log KOA (octanol-air partition coefficient), are included, and the equilibrium is a special case of steady state when the nonequilibrium term equals to zero. A criterion to classify the equilibrium and nonequilibrium status for PBDEs was also established using two threshold values of log KOA, log KOA1 and log KOA2, which divide the range of log KOA into 3 domains: equilibrium, nonequilibrium, and maximum partition domains; and accordingly, two threshold values of temperature t, tTH1 when log KOA = log KOA1 and tTH2 when log KOA = log KOA2, were identified, which divide the range of temperature also into the same 3 domains for each BDE congener. We predicted the existence of the maximum partition domain (the values of log KPS reach a maximum constant of −1.53) that every PBDE congener can reach when log KOA ≥ log KOA2, or t ≤ tTH2. The novel equation developed in this study was applied to predict the G / P partition coefficients of PBDEs for the published monitoring data worldwide, including Asia, Europe, North America, and the Arctic, and the results matched well with all the monitoring data, except those obtained at e-waste sites due to the unpredictable PBDE emissions at these sites. This study provided evidence that, the new developed steady-state-based equation is superior to the equilibrium-state-based equation that has been used in describing the G / P partitioning behavior in decades. We suggest that, the investigation on G / P partitioning behavior for PBDEs should be based on steady state, not equilibrium state, and equilibrium is just a special case of steady state when nonequilibrium factors can be ignored. We also believe that our new equation provides a useful tool for environmental scientists in both monitoring and modeling research on G / P partitioning for PBDEs and can be extended to predict G / P partitioning behavior for other SVOCs as well.
Derivation of tropospheric methane from TCCON CH4 and HF total column observations
Authors: Saad K. M. , Wunch D. , Toon G. C. , Bernath P. , Boone C. , Connor B. , Deutscher N. M. , Griffith D. W. T. , Kivi R. , Notholt J. , Roehl C. , Schneider M. , Sherlock V. , Wennberg P. O.
Published: September 2014

Abstract. The Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) is a global ground-based network of Fourier transform spectrometers that produce precise measurements of column-averaged dry-air mole fractions of atmospheric methane (CH4). Temporal variability in the total column of CH4 due to stratospheric dynamics obscures fluctuations and trends driven by tropospheric transport and local surface fluxes that are critical for understanding CH4 sources and sinks. We reduce the contribution of stratospheric variability from the total column average by subtracting an estimate of the stratospheric CH4 derived from simultaneous measurements of hydrogen fluoride (HF). HF provides a proxy for stratospheric CH4 because it is strongly correlated to CH4 in the stratosphere, has an accurately known tropospheric abundance (of zero), and is measured at most TCCON stations. The stratospheric partial column of CH4 is calculated as a function of the zonal and annual trends in the relationship between CH4 and HF in the stratosphere, which we determine from ACE-FTS satellite data. We also explicitly take into account the CH4 column averaging kernel to estimate the contribution of stratospheric CH4 to the total column. The resulting tropospheric CH4 columns are consistent with in situ aircraft measurements and augment existing observations in the troposphere.
Multi-wavelength optical measurement to enhance thermal/optical analysis for carbonaceous aerosol
Authors: Chen L.-W. A. , Chow J. C. , Wang X. L. , Robles J. A. , Sumlin B. , Lowenthal D. H. , Zimmermann R. , Watson J. G.
Published: September 2014

Abstract. A thermal/optical carbon analyzer equipped with seven-wavelength light source/detector (405–980 nm) for monitoring spectral reflectance (R) and transmittance (T) of filter samples allows "thermal spectral analysis (TSA)" and wavelength (λ)-dependent organic carbon (OC)-elemental carbon (EC) measurements. Optical sensing is calibrated with transfer standards traceable to absolute R and T measurements and adjusted for loading effects to determine spectral light absorption (as absorption optical depth [τa, λ]) using diesel exhaust samples as a reference. Tests on ambient and source samples show OC and EC concentrations equivalent to those from conventional carbon analysis when based on the same wavelength (~635 nm) for pyrolysis adjustment. TSA provides additional information that evaluates black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC) contributions and their optical properties in the near-IR to the near-UV parts of the solar spectrum. The enhanced carbon analyzer can add value to current aerosol monitoring programs and provide insight into more accurate OC and EC measurements for climate, visibility, or health studies.
Nitrogen control of 13C enrichment in heterotrophic organs relative to leaves in a landscape-building desert plant species
Authors: Zhang J. , Gu L. , Bao F. , Cao Y. , Hao Y. , He J. , Li J. , Li Y. , Ren Y. , Wang F. , Wu R. , Yao B. , Zhao Y. , Lin G. , Wu B. , Lu Q. , Meng P.
Published: September 2014

Abstract. A longstanding puzzle in isotope studies of C3 plant species is that heterotrophic plant organs (e.g., stems, roots, seeds, and fruits) tend to be enriched in 13C compared to the autotrophic organ (leaves) that provides them with photosynthate. Our inability to explain this puzzle suggests key deficiencies in understanding post-photosynthetic metabolic processes. It also limits the effectiveness of applications of stable carbon isotope analyses in a variety of scientific disciplines ranging from plant physiology to global carbon cycle studies. To gain insight into this puzzle, we excavated whole plant architectures of Nitraria tangutorum Bobrov, a C3 species that has an exceptional capability of fixing sands and building sand dunes, in two deserts in northwestern China. We systematically and simultaneously measured carbon isotope ratios and nitrogen and phosphorous contents of different parts of the excavated plants. We also determined the seasonal variations in leaf carbon isotope ratios on nearby intact plants of N. tangutorum. We found, for the first time, that higher nitrogen contents in heterotrophic organs were significantly correlated with increased heterotrophic 13C enrichment compared to leaves. However, phosphorous contents had no effect on the enrichment. In addition, new leaves had carbon isotope ratios similar to roots but were progressively depleted in 13C as they matured. We concluded that a nitrogen-mediated process, probably the refixation of respiratory CO2 by phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylase, was responsible for the differences in 13C enrichment among different heterotrophic organs while processes within leaves or during phloem loading may contribute to the overall autotrophic – heterotrophic difference in carbon isotope compositions.
Testing functional trait-based mechanisms underpinning plant responses to grazing and linkages to ecosystem functioning in grasslands
Authors: Zheng S. X. , Li W. H. , Lan Z. C. , Ren H. Y. , Wang K. B. , Bai Y. F.
Published: September 2014

Abstract. Abundant evidence has shown that grazing alters plant functional traits, ecological strategies, community structure, and ecosystem functioning of grasslands. Few studies, however, have examined how plant responses to grazing are mediated by resource availability and functional group identity. We test functional trait-based mechanisms underlying the responses of different life forms to grazing and linkages to ecosystem functioning along a soil moisture gradient in the Inner Mongolia grassland. A principal component analysis (PCA) based on 9 traits × 276 species matrix showed that the plant size spectrum (i.e., individual biomass), leaf economics spectrum (leaf N content and leaf density), and light competition spectrum (height and stem-leaf biomass ratio) distinguished plant species responses to grazing. The three life forms exhibited differential strategies as indicated by trait responses to grazing. The annuals and biennials adopted grazing-tolerant strategies associated with high growth rate, reflected by high leaf N content and specific leaf area. The perennial grasses exhibited grazing-tolerant strategies associated with great regrowth capacity and high palatability scores, whereas perennial forbs showed grazing-avoidant strategies with short stature and low palatability scores. In addition, the dominant perennial bunchgrasses exhibited mixed tolerance–resistance strategies to grazing and mixed acquisitive–conservative strategies in resource utilization. Grazing increased the relative abundance of perennial forbs with low palatability in the wet and fertile meadow, but it promoted perennial grasses with high palatability in the dry and infertile typical steppe. Our findings suggest that the effects of grazing on plant functional traits are dependent on both the abiotic (e.g., soil moisture) and biotic (e.g., plant functional group identity and composition) factors. Grazing-induced shifts in functional group composition are largely dependent on resource availability, particularly water availability.
Numerical studies on the Impact of the Last Glacial Cycle on recent borehole temperature profiles: implications for terrestrial energy balance
Authors: Beltrami H. , Matharoo G. S. , Tarasov L. , Rath V. , Smerdon J. E.
Published: September 2014

Abstract. Reconstructions of past climatic changes from borehole temperature profiles are important independent estimates of temperature histories over the last millennium. There remain, however, multiple uncertainties in the interpretation of these data as climatic indicators and as estimates of the changes in the heat content of the continental subsurface due to long-term climatic change. One of these uncertainties is associated with the often ignored impact of the last glacial cycle (LGC) on the subsurface energy content, and on the estimate of the background quasi steady-state signal associated with the diffusion of accretionary energy from the Earth's interior. Here, we provide the first estimate of the impact of the development of the Laurentide ice sheet on the estimates of energy and temperature reconstructions from measurements of terrestrial borehole temperatures in North America. We use basal temperature values from the data-calibrated Memorial University of Newfoundland glacial systems model (MUN-GSM) to quantify the extent of the perturbation to estimated steady-state temperature profiles, and to derive spatial maps of the expected impacts on measured profiles over North America. Furthermore, we present quantitative estimates of the potential effects of temperature changes during the last glacial cycle on the borehole reconstructions over the last millennium for North America. The range of these possible impacts is estimated using synthetic basal temperatures for a period covering 120 ka to the present day that include the basal temperature history uncertainties from an ensemble of results from the calibrated numerical model. For all the locations, we find that within the depth ranges that are typical for available boreholes (≈600 m), the induced perturbations to the steady-state temperature profile are on the order of 10 mW m−2, decreasing with greater depths. Results indicate that site-specific heat content estimates over North America can differ by as much as 50%, if the energy contribution of the last glacial cycle in those areas of North America that experienced glaciation is not taken into account when estimating recent subsurface energy changes from borehole temperature data.
Rearrangement of stresses in fault zones – detecting major issues of coupled hydraulic–mechanical processes with relevance to geothermal applications
Authors: Ziefle G.
Published: September 2014

Abstract. The South German Molasse Basin provides favourable conditions for geothermal plants. Nevertheless, micro-seismic events occur in the vicinity of the geothermal Unterhaching Gt2 well and seem to be caused by the geothermal plant.

 The injection and production are located in an existing fault system. The majority of seismic events takes place at a horizontal distance of 500 m or less of the borehole. However, none of the seismic events are located in the injection reservoir but in fact at a significantly greater depth. A deeper process understanding of the interacting thermal–hydraulic–mechanical effects in the vicinity of the well is desired.

 This article presents a significantly simplified 2-D model, investigating interactions of the stress field in the vicinity of the geothermal well and movements in the fault system. This might be of special interest, as the operation of the geothermal plant might lead to changes in the material and fracture properties on the one hand and in the equilibrium state on the other. A detailed description of the model, as well as various parameter studies, is presented. It can be seen that boundary conditions such as direction of the stress field in relation to the fault system, geometry of the fault system and parameters of the fractures have a significant influence on stresses in the proximity of the geothermal well. A variation in the spatial stress field in some parts of the fault system is to be expected. For the chosen assumptions the dimension of this variation is about 25% of the assumed stresses. Future work on this model might focus on the characteristics of the fault system, as well as on the influence of the coupled thermal–hydraulic–mechanical effects.
Sensitivity of simulated global-scale freshwater fluxes and storages to input data, hydrological model structure, human water use and calibration
Authors: Müller Schmied H. , Eisner S. , Franz D. , Wattenbach M. , Portmann F. T. , Flörke M. , Döll P.
Published: September 2014

Abstract. Global-scale assessments of freshwater fluxes and storages by hydrological models under historic climate conditions are subject to a variety of uncertainties. Using the global hydrological model WaterGAP (Water – Global Assessment and Prognosis) 2.2, we investigated the sensitivity of simulated freshwater fluxes and water storage variations to five major sources of uncertainty: climate forcing, land cover input, model structure/refinements, consideration of human water use and calibration (or no calibration) against observed mean river discharge. In a modeling experiment, five variants of the standard version of WaterGAP 2.2 were generated that differed from the standard version only regarding the investigated source of uncertainty. The basin-specific calibration approach for WaterGAP was found to have the largest effect on grid cell fluxes as well as on global AET (actual evapotranspiration) and discharge into oceans for the period 1971–2000. Regarding grid cell fluxes, climate forcing ranks second before land cover input. Global water storage trends are most sensitive to model refinements (mainly modeling of groundwater depletion) and consideration of human water use. The best fit to observed time series of monthly river discharge or discharge seasonality is obtained with the standard WaterGAP 2.2 model version which is calibrated and driven by daily reanalysis-based WFD/WFDEI (combination of Watch Forcing Data based on ERA40 and Watch Forcing Data based on ERA-Interim) climate data. Discharge computed by a calibrated model version using monthly CRU TS (Climate Research Unit time-series) 3.2 and GPCC (Global Precipitation Climatology Center) v6 climate input reduced the fit to observed discharge for most stations. Taking into account uncertainties of climate and land cover data, global 1971–2000 discharge into oceans and inland sinks ranges between 40 000 and 42 000 km3 yr−1. Global actual evapotranspiration, with 70 000 km3 yr−1, is rather unaffected by climate and land cover uncertainties. Human water use reduced river discharge by 1000 km3 yr−1, such that global renewable water resources are estimated to range between 41 000 and 43 000 km3 yr−1. The climate data sets WFD (available until 2001) and WFDEI (starting in 1979) were found to be inconsistent with respect to shortwave radiation data, resulting in strongly different actual evapotranspiration. Global assessments of freshwater fluxes and storages would therefore benefit from the development of a global data set of consistent daily climate forcing from 1900 to present.
Evaluating the Utah Energy Balance (UEB) snow model in the Noah land-surface model
Authors: Sultana R. , Hsu K.-L. , Li J. , Sorooshian S.
Published: September 2014

Abstract. Noah (version 2.7.1), the community land-surface model (LSM) of National Centers for Environmental Predictions-National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP-NCAR), which is widely used to describe the land-surface processes either in stand-alone or in coupled land-atmospheric model systems, is recognized to underestimate snow–water equivalent (SWE). Noah's SWE bias can be attributed to its simple snow sub-model, which does not effectively describe the physical processes during snow accumulation and melt period. To improve SWE simulation in the Noah LSM, the Utah Energy Balance (UEB) snow model is implemented in Noah to test alternate snow surface temperature and snowmelt outflow schemes. Snow surface temperature was estimated using the force-restore method and snowmelt event is regulated by accounting for the internal energy of the snowpack. The modified Noah's SWE simulations are compared with the SWE observed at California's NRCS SNOTEL stations for 7 water years: 2002–2008, while the model's snow surface temperature is verified with observed surface-temperature data at an observation site in Utah. The experiments show that modification in Noah's snow process substantially reduced SWE estimation bias while keeping the simplicity of the Noah LSM. The results suggest that the model did not benefit from the alternate temperature representation but primary improvement can be attributed to the substituted snowmelt process.
Automated reconstruction of rainfall events responsible for shallow landslides
Authors: Vessia G. , Parise M. , Brunetti M. T. , Peruccacci S. , Rossi M. , Vennari C. , Guzzetti F.
Published: September 2014

Abstract. Over the last 40 years, many contributions have identified empirical rainfall thresholds (e.g. rainfall intensity (I) vs. rainfall duration (D), cumulated rainfall vs. rainfall duration (ED), cumulated rainfall vs. rainfall intensity (EI)) for the possible initiation of shallow landslides, based on local and global inventories. Although different methods to trace the threshold curves have been proposed and discussed in literature, a systematic study to develop an automated procedure to select the rainfall event responsible for the landslide occurrence has only rarely been addressed. Objective criteria for estimating the rainfall responsible for the landslide occurrence play a prominent role on the threshold values. In this paper, two criteria for the identification of the effective rainfall events are presented. The first criterion is based on the analysis of the time series of rainfall mean intensity values over 1 month preceding the landslide occurrence. The second criterion is based on the analysis of the trend in the time function of the cumulated mean intensity series calculated from the rainfall records measured through rain gauges. The two criteria have been implemented in an automated procedure that is written in the R language. A sample of 100 shallow landslides collected in Italy from 2002 to 2012 was used to calibrate the procedure. The cumulated event rainfall (E) and duration (D) of rainfall events that triggered the documented landslides are calculated through the new procedure and are fitted with power law in the D, E diagram. The results are discussed by comparing the D, E pairs calculated by the automated procedure and the ones by the expert method.
Degradation of buried ice and permafrost in the Veleta cirque (Sierra Nevada, Spain) from 2006 to 2013 as a response to recent climate trends
Authors: Gómez-Ortiz A. , Oliva M. , Salvador-Franch F. , Salvà-Catarineu M. , Palacios D. , de Sanjosé-Blasco J. J. , Tanarro-García L. M. , Galindo-Zaldívar J. , Sanz de Galdeano C.
Published: September 2014

Abstract. The Veleta cirque is located at the foot of the Veleta peak, one of the highest summits of the Sierra Nevada National Park (southern Spain). This cirque was the source of a glacier valley during the Quaternary cold periods. During the Little Ice Age it sheltered a small glacier, the most southerly in Europe, about which we have possessed written records since the 17th century. This glacier still had ice residues until the mid-20th century. This ice is no longer visible, but a residue persists along with discontinuous permafrost trapped under strata of rock blocks that make up an incipient rock glacier. From 2006 to 2013, this rock glacier was monitored by measurement of the temperature of the active layer, the degree of snow cover on the ground, movements of the body of the rock glacier and geophysical prospection inside it. The results show that the relict ice and trapped permafrost have been steadily declining. The processes that explain this degradation occur in chain, starting from the external radiation that affects the ground in summer, which is when the temperatures are higher. In effect, when this radiation steadily melts the snow on the ground, the thermal expansive wave advances into the heart of the active layer, reaching the ceiling of the frozen mass, which it then degrades and melts. In this entire linked process, the circulation of meltwaters fulfils a highly significant function, as they act as heat transmitters. The complementary nature of these processes explains the subsidence and continuous changes in the entire clastic pack and the melting of the frozen ceiling on which it rests. This happens in summer in just a few weeks. All these events, in particular the geomorphological ones, take place on the Sierra Nevada peaks within certain climate conditions that are at present unfavourable to the maintenance of snow on the ground in summer. These conditions could be related to recent variations in the climate, starting in the mid-19th century and most markedly since the second half of the 20th century. The work and results highlight the climate sensitivity of the peaks of the Sierra Nevada to the effect of climate change and its impact on the dynamics of ecosystems, which is a benchmark for evaluating the current evolution of landscapes of Mediterranean high mountains.
A SÍNTESE DA TEORIA GERAL DO EMPREGO, DOS JUROS E DA MOEDA SEGUNDO ROY HARROD EM MR. KEYNES AND TRADITIONAL THEORY
Authors: Heller Claudia
Published: September 2014

A hipótese discutida na pesquisa (ainda inconclusa) que dá origem a este texto é a de que as formalizações matemáticas da Teoria Geral do Emprego, dos Juros e da Moeda, elaboradas por Roy HARROD, John HICKS e James MEADE, além das de David CHAMPERNOWNE e de Brian REDDAWAY, ainda que semelhantes na forma final, foram alcançadas mediante diferentes raciocínios, justificativas e argumentos teóricos, e que a aceitação e o sucesso da versão matematizada se deu pelo fato dela permitir a incorporação  de modo implícito  das variadas relações de causalidade definidas por cada um destes autores. Por razões de tempo e de espaço, o texto explora esta hipótese de forma ainda preliminar e cinge-se apenas à contribuição de HARROD. Abstract The hypothesis behind the ongoing research that motivates this paper suggests that the mathematical formalizations of the General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money advanced by Roy HARROD, John HICKS and James MEADE, as well as the ones by David CHAMPERNOWNE and Brian REDDAWAY, although similar in their form, were constructed using different kinds of reasonings, justifications and theoretical arguments. Consequently, the acceptance and success of the mathematized version occurred because it allowed the  implicit  incorporation of the diverse causal relations proposed by each of these authors. Lack of space and time prevent a complete development of this hypothesis here, so this text focuses only on HARRODs contribution.
A EXPANSÃO DOS IMPÉRIOS EUROPEUS: VALEU A PENA?
Authors: OBrien Patrick Karl , De La Escosura Leandro
Published: September 2014

Este artigo é uma revisão do crescente volume de publicações sobre os custos e benefícios, para as economias européias, de cinco séculos de envolvimento com impérios ultramarinos. Para isso, é dada atenção à tradição do debate político e ao discurso histórico relativos às despesas e retornos do imperialismo formal. Este artigo se concentra nos custos e benefícios dos impérios para o crescimento de longo prazo de algumas economias européias durante o período de 1815-1914. Também são analisados os períodos subseqüentes de reintegração e descolonização, inaugurada pelas duas guerras mundiais no século XX. Abstract This paper surveys a growing volume of publications with a view to assessing the costs and benefits of five centuries of European involvement with empires overseas. Therefore, attention is paid to the tradition of political debate and to the historical discourse regarding outlays and returns flowing from formal imperialism. The paper focuses on the costs and benefits of empires for the economic growth of several European economies during 1815-1914. It also analyses the subsequent period of imperial reintegration and decolonization, inaugurated by two world wars in the twentieth century.
MERCADO CAMBIAL CONTEMPORÂNEO
Authors: Vasconcelos Marcos Roberto
Published: September 2014

Este artigo busca sintetizar algumas das principais características e transformações estruturais do mercado internacional de câmbio na última década. O intuito é apontar como os fatores, que fizeram o volume de recursos a circular diariamente neste mercado crescer a taxas elevadas nos últimos dez anos, podem ter também responsabilidade pelos períodos de volatilidade e desalinhamento cambial e pela emergência mais freqüente de casos de crises cambiais na década de noventa. Abstract This paper synthesizes some of the main characteristics and structural changes that took place in the international exchange market in the last decade. Its aim is to show how the same causes that made the international amount of resources circulating daily in that market increase significantly in the last ten years, may have also some responsibility for the periods of exchange volatility and disarray, and for the increased frequency of exchange crises in the 1990s.
INOVAÇÃO TECNOLÓGICA E DINÂMICA ECONÔMICA: UMA SÍNTESE DE ALGUMAS CONTRIBUIÇÕES EVOLUCIONISTAS
Authors: Ferrari Marcos Adolfo Ribeiro , De Paula Teófilo Henrique Pereira
Published: September 2014

Este trabalho consubstancia-se numa síntese do pensamento de alguns autores sobre como a dinâmica econômica pode ser entendida através da mudança tecnológica. Para este fim, é utilizado o instrumental analítico da corrente neo-schumpeteriana ou evolucionista, visto que esta permite compreender, por meio da interação entre tecnologia e instituições, as diferentes performances, tanto no âmbito da firma como no âmbito agregado das economias nacionais. Abstract This paper intends to provide a synthesis of some authors ideas on how the economic dynamics can be understood on the basis of technological change. For doing so, its going to be used the evolutionist analytical framework, that enables the understanding of the different economic performances of both firms and countries, by the analysis of the interaction between technology and institutions.