bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Corporate Communicative Engagement in Micro-Blogging
Authors: Florenthal Bela , Chao Mike Chen-Ho
Published: June 2015

Micro-blogging platforms have emerged as marketing tools that multinational companies increasingly utilize to establish and promote their brands. The question is whether they use these platforms strategically, localizing the content and the structure for their target population. This chapter uses case study content analysis to begin answering this question. Social media updates posted by Starbucks over a one-month period on Twitter in the U.S. and on Sina Weibo in China were analyzed using three existing validated frameworks. The results indicate that Starbucks somewhat localizes its posts to its Chinese consumers, in terms of content, symbols, values, and offerings. However, it underutilizes its Sina Weibo page compared to its Twitter counterpart. This chapter goes on to suggest micro-blogging strategies for multinational companies in the Managerial Implications section and concludes with a discussion on the direction of future research for scholars in this field.
Legal Implications of Utilizing Micro-Blogs in Employment Practices
Authors: Tryce Stephanie A.
Published: June 2015

Business professionals take full advantage of micro-blogs and other social media platforms as powerful tools in recruiting and screening job candidates. In addition businesses aggressively monitor employees' social media use, both inside and outside the workplace, as employees actively use these platforms to both discuss work experiences and perform work duties. These monitoring practices seem warranted as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recognizes hiring practices, harassment, and off-duty conduct as the top three areas of conflict in the workplace. Much litigation and literature in this area focuses largely on employees' privacy rights; this chapter will take a more encompassing view and assert that having a strong corporate-wide social media policy in place can help strike an equitable balance between an employee's expectation of privacy and an employer's legitimate business interests in selecting ideal job candidates, managing its brand image, protecting the company's proprietary interests and assuring a harassment free workplace.
Economic analysis of forest insect pests in Canada
Authors: Niquidet Kurt , Tang Jingwen , Peter Brian
Published: June 2015

Canada is host to a number of native and introduced forest insects that negatively affect the goods and services provided by forests. Some insects affect forests on a fairly predictable, ongoing basis, while others have impacts that are intermittent, difficult to predict, and sometimes catastrophic. Economic analysis has provided important insights that have informed our understanding of the impact of forest pests and pest management. At the same time, interactions between forests, forest insects, forest management, and economic welfare are complex, and credible assessments may be time consuming and may not always provide results with the certainty sought by policy-makers. This paper reviews the contribution of economics to forest pest management in Canada and suggests future directions for this important field of research.
Adaptation and cross-cultural validationof the United States Primary Care Assessment Tool (expanded version) for use in South Africa
Authors: Bresick Graham , Sayed Abdul-Rauf , Le Grange Cynthia , Bhagwan Susheela , Manga Nayna
Published: June 2015

Background: Measuring primary care is important for health sector reform. The Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT) measures performance of elements essential for cost-effective care. Following minor adaptations prior to use in Cape Town in 2011, a few findings indicated a need to improve the contentand cross-cultural validity for wider use in South Africa (SA).Aim: This study aimed to validate the United States of America-developed PCAT before being used in a baseline measure of primary care performance prior to major reform.Setting: Public sector primary care clinics, users, practitioners and managers in urban and rural districtsin the Western Cape Province.Methods: Face value evaluation of item phrasing and a combination of Delphi and Nominal Group Technique (NGT) methods with an expert panel and user focus group were used to obtain consensus on content relevant to SA. Original and new domains and items with > = 70% agreement were included in the South African version – ZA PCAT.Results: All original PCAT domains achieved consensus on inclusion. One new domain, the primary healthcare (PHC) team, was added. Three of 95 original items achieved < 70% agreement, that is consensus to exclude as not relevant to SA; 19 new items were added. A few items needed minor rephrasing with local healthcare jargon. The demographic section was adapted to local socio-economic conditions. The adult PCAT was translated into isiXhosa and Afrikaans.Conclusion: The PCAT is a valid measure of primary care performance in SA. The PHC team domainis an important addition, given its emphasis in PHC re-engineering. A combination of Delphi and NGT methods succeeded in obtaining consensus on a multi-domain, multi-item instrument in a resource-constrained environment.
Radiative and thermodynamic responses to aerosol extinction profiles during the pre-monsoon month over South Asia
Authors: Feng Y. , Kotamarthi V. R. , Coulter R. , Zhao C. , Cadeddu M.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. Aerosol radiative effects and thermodynamic responses over South Asia are examined with a version of the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) for March 2012. Model results of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) and extinction profiles are analyzed and compared to satellite retrievals and two ground-based lidars located in the northern India. The WRF-Chem model is found to underestimate the AOD during the simulated pre-monsoon month and about 83 % of the model low-bias is due to aerosol extinctions below ~2 km. Doubling the calculated aerosol extinctions below 850 hPa generates much better agreement with the observed AOD and extinction profiles averaged over South Asia. To separate the effect of absorption and scattering properties, two runs were conducted: in one run (Case I), the calculated scattering and absorption coefficients were increased proportionally, while in the second run (Case II) only the calculated aerosol scattering coefficient was increased. With the same AOD and extinction profiles, the two runs produce significantly different radiative effects over land and oceans. On the regional mean basis, Case I generates 48 % more heating in the atmosphere and 21 % more dimming at the surface than Case II. Case I also produces stronger cooling responses over the land from the longwave radiation adjustment and boundary layer mixing. These rapid adjustments offset the stronger radiative heating in Case I and lead to an overall lower-troposphere cooling up to −0.7 K day−1, which is smaller than that in Case II. Over the ocean, direct radiative effects dominate the heating rate changes in the lower atmosphere lacking such surface and lower atmosphere adjustments due to fixed sea surface temperature, and the strongest atmospheric warming is obtained in Case I. Consequently, atmospheric dynamics (boundary layer heights and meridional circulation) and thermodynamic processes (water vapor and cloudiness) are shown to respond differently between Case I and Case II underlying the importance of determining the exact portion of scattering or absorbing aerosols that lead to the underestimation of aerosol optical depth in the model. In addition, the model results suggest that both direct radiative effect and rapid thermodynamic responses need to be quantified for understanding aerosol radiative impacts.
The feasibility of water vapor sounding of the cloudy boundary layer using a differential absorption radar technique
Authors: Lebsock M. D. , Suzuki K. , Millan L. F. , Kalmus P. M.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. The feasibility of Differential Absorption Radar (DAR) for the spaceborne remote profiling of water vapor within the cloudy boundary layer is assessed by applying a radar instrument simulator to Large Eddy Simulations (LES). Frequencies near the 183 GHz water vapor absorption line attenuate too strongly to penetrate the large vapor concentrations that are ubiquitous in the boundary layer. However it is shown that lower frequencies between 140 and 170 GHz in the water vapor absorption continuum and on the wings of the absorption line, which are attenuated less efficiently than those near the line center, still have sufficient spectral variation of gaseous attenuation to perform sounding. The high resolution LES allow for assessment of the potential uncertainty in the method due to natural variability in thermodynamic and dynamic variables on scales smaller than the instrument field of view. The (160, 170) GHz frequency pair is suggested to best maximize signal for vapor profiling while minimizing noise due to undesired spectral variation in the target extinction properties. Precision in the derived water vapor is quantified as a function of the range resolution and the instrument precision. Assuming an observational spatial scale of 500 m vertical and 750 m Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM) horizontal, measurement precision better that 1 g m−3 is achievable for stratocumulus scenes and 3 g m−3 for cumulus scenes given precision in radar reflectivity of 0.16 dBZ. Expected precision in the Column Water Vapor (CWV) is achievable between 0.5 and 2 kg m−2 on these same spatial scales. Sampling efficiency is quantified as a function of radar sensitivity. Mean biases in CWV due to natural variability in the target extinction properties do not exceed 0.25 kg m−2. Potential biases due to uncertainty in the temperature and pressure profile are negligible relative to those resulting from natural variability. Assuming a −35 dBZ minimum detectable signal, 40 % (21.9 %) of stratocumulus (cumulus) atmospheric boundary layer range bins would be sampled. Simulated surface reflectivities are always greater than −5 dBZ, which implies the DAR technique could provide near spatially continuous observation of the CWV in subtropical boundary layers at a spatial resolution better than 1 km.
Intercomparison of the comparative reactivity method (CRM) and pump-probe technique for measuring total OH reactivity in an urban environment
Authors: Hansen R. F. , Blocquet M. , Schoemaecker C. , Léonardis T. , Locoge N. , Fittschen C. , Hanoune B. , Stevens P. S. , Sinha V. , Dusanter S.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. The investigation of hydroxyl radical (OH) chemistry during intensive field campaigns has led to the development of several techniques dedicated to ambient measurements of total OH reactivity, which is the inverse of the OH lifetime. Three techniques are currently used during field campaigns, including the total OH loss rate method, the pump-probe method, and the comparative reactivity method. However, no formal intercomparison of these techniques has been published so far, and there is a need to ensure that measurements of total OH reactivity are consistent among the different techniques. An intercomparison of two OH reactivity instruments, one based on the Comparative Reactivity Method (CRM) and the other based on the pump-probe method, was performed in October 2012 in a NOx-rich environment, which is known to be challenging for the CRM technique. This study presents an extensive description of the two instruments, the CRM instrument from Mines Douai (MD-CRM) and the pump-probe instrument from the University of Lille (UL-FAGE), and highlights instrumental issues associated with the two techniques. It was found that the CRM instrument used in this study underestimates ambient OH reactivity by approximately 20 % due to the photolysis of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) inside the sampling reactor; this value is dependent on the position of the lamp within the reactor. However, this issue can easily be fixed, and the photolysis of VOCs was successfully reduced to a negligible level after this intercomparison campaign. The UL-FAGE instrument may also underestimate ambient OH reactivity due to the difficulty to accurately measure the instrumental zero. It was found that the measurements are likely biased by approximately 2 s−1, due to impurities in humid zero air. Two weeks of ambient sampling indicate that the measurements performed by the two OH reactivity instruments are in agreement, within the measurement uncertainties for each instrument, for NOx mixing ratios up to 100 ppbv. The CRM technique has hitherto mainly been used in low-NOx environments, i.e. environments with ambient NOx mixing ratios lower than a few ppbv, due to a measurement artifact generated by ambient NO inside the sampling reactor. However, this study shows that this technique can also be used under NOx-rich conditions if a NOx-dependent correction is carefully applied on the OH reactivity measurements. A full suite of 52 VOCs, NOx, and other inorganic species were monitored during this intercomparison. An investigation of the OH reactivity budget for this urban site suggests that this suite of trace gases can account for the measured total OH reactivity.
Soil fertility controls soil–atmosphere carbon dioxide and methane fluxes in a tropical landscape converted from lowland forest to rubber and oil palm plantations
Authors: Hassler E. , Corre M. D. , Tjoa A. , Damris M. , Utami S. R. , Veldkamp E.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. Expansion of palm oil and rubber production, for which global demand is increasing, causes rapid deforestation in Sumatra, Indonesia and is expected to continue in the next decades. Our study aimed to (1) quantify changes in soil CO2 and CH4 fluxes with land-use change, and (2) determine their controlling factors. In Jambi Province, Sumatra, we selected two landscapes on heavily weathered soils that differ mainly in texture: loam and clay Acrisol soils. At each landscape, we investigated the reference land uses: forest and secondary forest with regenerating rubber, and the converted land uses: rubber (7–17 years old) and oil palm plantations (9–16 years old). We measured soil CO2 and CH4 fluxes monthly from December 2012 to December 2013. Annual soil CO2 fluxes from the reference land uses were correlated with soil fertility: low extractable phosphorus (P) coincided with high annual CO2 fluxes from the loam Acrisol soil that had lower fertility than the clay Acrisol soil (P < 0.05). Soil CO2 fluxes from the oil palm decreased compared to the other land uses (P < 0.01). Across land uses, annual CO2 fluxes were positively correlated with soil organic carbon (C) and negatively correlated with 15N signatures, extractable P and base saturation. This suggests that the reduced soil CO2 fluxes from oil palm was a result of strongly decomposed soil organic matter due to reduced litter input, and possible reduction in C allocation to roots due to improved soil fertility from liming and P fertilization in these plantations. Soil CH4 uptake in the reference land uses was negatively correlated with net nitrogen (N) mineralization and soil mineral N, suggesting N limitation of CH4 uptake, and positively correlated with exchangeable aluminum (Al), indicating decrease in methanotrophic activity at high Al saturation. Reduction in soil CH4 uptake in the converted land uses compared to the reference land uses (P < 0.01) was due to decrease in soil N availability in the converted land uses. Our study shows for the first time that differences in soil fertility control soil–atmosphere exchange of CO2 and CH4 in a tropical landscape, a mechanism that we were able to detect by conducting this study at the landscape scale.
C : N : P stoichiometry at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study station in the North Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Singh A. , Baer S. E. , Riebesell U. , Martiny A. C. , Lomas M. W.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability determine the strength of the ocean's carbon (C) uptake, and variation in the N : P ratio in inorganic nutrients is key to phytoplankton growth. A similarity between C : N : P ratios in the plankton biomass and deep-water nutrients was observed by Alfred C. Redfield around 80 years ago and suggested that biological processes in the surface ocean controlled deep ocean chemistry. Recent studies have emphasized the role of inorganic N : P ratios in governing biogeochemical processes, particularly the C : N : P ratio in suspended particulate organic matter (POM), with somewhat less attention given to exported POM and dissolved organic matter (DOM). Herein, we extend the discussion on ecosystem C : N : P stoichiometry but also examine temporal variation of stoichiometric relationships. We have analysed elemental stoichiometry in the suspended POM and total (POM + DOM) organic matter (TOM) pools in the upper 100 m, and in the exported POM and sub-euphotic zone (100–500 m) inorganic nutrient pools from the monthly data collected at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site located in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean. C : N : P ratios in the TOM pool were more than twice that in the POM pool. Observed C : N ratios in suspended POM were approximately equal to the canonical Redfield Ratio (C : N : P = 106 : 16 : 1), while N : P and C : P ratios in the same pool were more than twice the Redfield Ratio. Average N : P ratios in the subsurface inorganic nutrient pool were ~ 26 : 1, squarely between the suspended POM ratio and the Redfield ratio. We have further linked variation in elemental stoichiometry with that of phytoplankton cell abundance observed at the BATS site. Findings from this study suggest that the variation elemental ratios with depth in the euphotic zone was mainly due to different growth rates of cyanobacterial cells. These time-series data have also allowed us to examine the potential role of climate variability on C : N : P stoichiometry. This study strengthens our understanding of elemental stoichiometry in different organic matter pools and should improve biogeochemical models by constraining the range of non-Redfield stoichiometry.
Including the dynamic relationship between climatic variables and leaf area index in a hydrological model to improve streamflow prediction under a changing climate
Authors: Tesemma Z. K. , Wei Y. , Peel M. C. , Western A. W.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. Anthropogenic climate change is projected to enrich the atmosphere with carbon dioxide, change vegetation dynamics and influence the availability of water at the catchment scale. This study combines a nonlinear model for estimating changes in leaf area index (LAI) due to climatic fluctuations with the variable infiltration capacity (VIC) hydrological model to improve catchment streamflow prediction under a changing climate. The combined model was applied to 13 gauged sub-catchments with different land cover types (crop, pasture and tree) in the Goulburn–Broken catchment, Australia, for the "Millennium Drought" (1997–2009) relative to the period 1983–1995, and for two future periods (2021–2050 and 2071–2100) and two emission scenarios (Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 and RCP8.5) which were compared with the baseline historical period of 1981–2010. This region was projected to be warmer and mostly drier in the future as predicted by 38 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) runs from 15 global climate models (GCMs) and for two emission scenarios. The results showed that during the Millennium Drought there was about a 29.7–66.3 % reduction in mean annual runoff due to reduced precipitation and increased temperature. When drought-induced changes in LAI were included, smaller reductions in mean annual runoff of between 29.3 and 61.4 % were predicted. The proportional increase in runoff due to modeling LAI was 1.3–10.2 % relative to not including LAI. For projected climate change under the RCP4.5 emission scenario, ignoring the LAI response to changing climate could lead to a further reduction in mean annual runoff of between 2.3 and 27.7 % in the near-term (2021–2050) and 2.3 to 23.1 % later in the century (2071–2100) relative to modeling the dynamic response of LAI to precipitation and temperature changes. Similar results (near-term 2.5–25.9 % and end of century 2.6–24.2 %) were found for climate change under the RCP8.5 emission scenario. Incorporating climate-induced changes in LAI in the VIC model reduced the projected declines in streamflow and confirms the importance of including the effects of changes in LAI in future projections of streamflow.
On the observability of turbulent transport rates by Argo: supporting evidence from an inversion experiment
Authors: Forget G. , Ferreira D. , Liang X.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. Although estimation of turbulent transport parameters using inverse methods is not new, there is little evaluation of the method in the literature. Here, it is shown that extended observation of the broad scale hydrography by Argo provides a path to improved estimates of regional turbulent transport rates. Results from a 20 year ocean state estimate produced with the ECCO v4 non-linear inverse modeling framework provide supporting evidence. Turbulent transport parameter maps are estimated under the constraints of fitting the extensive collection of Argo profiles collected through 2011. The adjusted parameters dramatically reduce misfits to in situ profiles as compared with earlier ECCO solutions. They also yield a clear reduction in the model drift away from observations over multi-century long simulations, both for assimilated variables (temperature and salinity) and independent variables (bio-geochemical tracers). Despite the minimal constraints imposed specifically on the estimated parameters, their geography is physically plausible and exhibits close connections with the upper ocean ocean stratification as observed by Argo. The estimated parameter adjustments furthermore have first order impacts on upper-ocean stratification and mixed layer depths over 20 years. These results identify the constraint of fitting Argo profiles as an effective observational basis for regional turbulent transport rates. Uncertainties and further improvements of the method are discussed.
Improving a priori regional climate model estimates of Greenland ice sheet surface mass loss through assimilation of measured ice surface temperatures
Authors: Navari M. , Margulis S. A. , Bateni S. M. , Tedesco M. , Alexander P. , Fettweis X.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. The Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) has been the focus of climate studies due to its considerable impact on sea level rise. Accurate estimates of surface mass fluxes would contribute to understanding the cause of its recent unprecedented changes and would help to better estimate the past, current and future contribution of the GrIS to sea level rise. Though the estimates of the GrIS surface mass balance have improved significantly over the last decade, there is considerable disparity between the results from different methodologies that need to be addressed. In this study, an Ensemble Batch Smoother data assimilation approach was developed to assess the feasibility of generating a reanalysis estimate of the GrIS surface mass fluxes via integrating remotely sensed ice surface temperature measurements with a regional climate model (a priori) estimate. The performance of the proposed methodology for generating an improved posterior estimate was investigated within an observing system simulation experiment (OSSE) framework using synthetically generated ice surface temperature measurements. The results showed that assimilation of ice surface temperature time series were able to overcome uncertainties in near-surface meteorological forcing variables that drive the GrIS surface processes. Our findings show that the proposed methodology is able to generate posterior reanalysis estimates of the surface mass fluxes that are in good agreement with the synthetic true estimates. The results also showed that the proposed data assimilation framework improves the root-mean-square-error (RMSE) of the posterior estimates of runoff, sublimation/evaporation, surface condensation and surface mass loss fluxes by 61, 64, 76, and 62 % respectively over the nominal a priori climate model estimates.
Defining heterogeneity as a second level of variation
Authors: Hanberry B. B.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. The term heterogeneity has been defined in various ways so that the meaning of heterogeneity has become ambiguous. However, heterogeneity can be defined carefully as a distinct response to multiple single types of underlying variation, that is, a secondary level of variation (or "metavariation"). Identification of heterogeneity is affected by multiple factors, including researcher decisions, and ecosystems at a specified scale can contain both heterogeneous and homogenous variables. A formalized definition may also reduce the suggestion that heterogeneity is more beneficial than homogeneity.
Health Impact Bonds: Removing the Legal Barriers
Authors: Coble Whitney
Published: June 2015

None
Contractuele afspraken met goederenrechtelijke werking: het onoverdraagbaarheidsbeding, eigendomsvoorbehoud en overwaardearrangement
Authors: Mellenbergh R.
Published: June 2015

Contractuele afspraken met goederenrechtelijke werking: het onoverdraagbaarheidsbeding, eigendomsvoorbehoud en overwaardearrangement

Sommige contractuele afspraken hebben vergaande goederenrechtelijke gevolgen. De precieze formulering van contractuele afspraken met goederenrechtelijke gevolgen is noodzakelijk, aangezien kleine aanpassingen in de tekst van het contractuele beding belangrijke goederenrechtelijke gevolgen kunnen hebben. In dit artikel wordt aan de hand van drie in de praktijk belangrijke situaties ingegaan op de goederenrechtelijke werking van contractuele afspraken: (1) het onoverdraagbaarheidsbeding, (2) het eigendomsvoorbehoud, en (3) het overwaardearrangement. Deze drie situaties zijn van belang binnen de commerciële contractspraktijk en voor de financiering van bedrijven.
McBankroet: faillissement en franchise
Authors: Kolenbrander J.H.
Published: June 2015

McBankroet: faillissement en franchise

In dit artikel worden enkele onderwerpen besproken waarmee zowel franchisegevers als franchisenemers te maken kunnen gaan krijgen op het moment dat er sprake is van een faillissement binnen een franchiseformule.
Description of Gaertnera luteocarpa (Gentianales: Rubiaceae), with two subspecies, a new forest shrub species from Liberia, Ivory Coast and Ghana
Authors: Jongkind Carel Christiaan Hugo
Published: June 2015

Gaertnera luteocarpa sp. nov., with two subspecies, is described and illustrated. The new species resembles G. spicata K.Schum. but has yellow, not reddish, fruits. With G. cooperi and G. aurea it shares the ruminate endosperm.
MIP–based heuristic for the unrelated parallel machine scheduling problem with sequence and machine-dependent setup times
Authors: Muller Felipe Martins , Araujo Olinto Bassi , Stefanello Fernando , Zanetti Marcelo
Published: June 2015

In this paper we study the unrelated parallel machine scheduling problem with sequence and machine-dependent setup times. We consider the objective of minimizing the maximum completion time of the latest job, usually referred to as makespan. We propose a new MIP-based heuristic combining atomic moves such as insertion, ejection and closure, in order to generate sequences of such atomic moves minimizing the makespan. This heuristic employs a commercial solver to search the neighborhood in a multi-start algorithm. Our approach performed well in computational experiments targeting two sets of benchmark instances previously used in the literature.
A visão dos gestores de empreendimentos de hospedagem certificados em sustentabilidade pela NBR 15401:2006
Authors: Oliveira Murilo De Alencar Souza , Rossetto Adriana Marques
Published: June 2015

This article aimed to understand the influence of social and environmental practices (sustainable) in strategic decision-making of national accommodation establishments (AE), upon perceptions of their managers. The study was conducted with a qualitative approach using field surveys and exploratory research. The sample was compound by every AE certified by the Brazilian Standard Recorded (NBR) 15401:2006 (Lodging - System of Sustainability Management) until august/2012. The 6 AE identified are located only in three tourist destinations (Armação dos Búzios/RJ, Lençóis /BA and Canela /RS) and they were visited for observation of the practices adopted and interviews with their managers. The results appoint that the sustainable decision stemmed from awareness of managers, of influence of government programs and of marketing (competitive differential), of sustainability (reconcile practices with the standard) and managerial (professionalism) goals. The strategic decision on organizational performance generated positive impacts on the image and in the cost reduction. The main facilitators identified were the subsidies and the support of the consultants, and the complicating factors were the discontinuity of government programs, the level of requirements of the standard and the absence of references to sustainability and professional qualify in the segment of lodging.
¿Pensar históricamente o memorizar el pasado? La evaluación de los contenidos históricos en la educación obligatoria en España
Authors: Gómez Carrasco Cosme J. , Martínez Pedro Miralles
Published: June 2015

The aim of this paper is to analyze what historical knowledge teachers are assessing and how they are assessing it in compulsory education in Spain. For this purpose, 359 exams and 3127 questions have been used in the Region of Murcia (Spain) in the courses in which history is mainly taught: 3rd Cycle of Primary Education, and 1st, 2nd and 4th Cycles of Compulsory Secondary Education. We have analyzed the type of exercises, the content evaluated, the cognitive skills required to answer the questions, and the presence of concepts about history of first and second order. The results show the predominance of questions that require rote-learning of conceptual-factual knowledge, with a great lack of procedures.
The mesh is a network of microtubule connectors that stabilizes individual kinetochore fibers of the mitotic spindle
Authors: Nixon Faye M , Gutiérrez-Caballero Cristina , Hood Fiona E , Booth Daniel G , Prior Ian A , Royle Stephen J
Published: June 2015

Kinetochore fibers (K-fibers) of the mitotic spindle are force-generating units that power chromosome movement during mitosis. K-fibers are composed of many microtubules that are held together throughout their length. Here, we show, using 3D electron microscopy, that K-fiber microtubules (MTs) are connected by a network of MT connectors. We term this network ‘the mesh’. The K-fiber mesh is made of linked multipolar connectors. Each connector has up to four struts, so that a single connector can link up to four MTs. Molecular manipulation of the mesh by overexpression of TACC3 causes disorganization of the K-fiber MTs. Optimal stabilization of K-fibers by the mesh is required for normal progression through mitosis. We propose that the mesh stabilizes K-fibers by pulling MTs together and thereby maintaining the integrity of the fiber. Our work thus identifies the K-fiber meshwork of linked multipolar connectors as a key integrator and determinant of K-fiber structure and function.
Effects of cavitation-enhanced heating in high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment on shear wave imaging
Authors: Iwasaki Ryosuke , Nagaoka Ryo , Takagi Ryo , Goto Kota , Yoshizawa Shin , Saijo Yoshifumi , Umemura Shin-ichiro
Published: June 2015

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy is a less invasive method of cancer treatment, in which ultrasound is generated outside the body and focused at the tumor tissue to be thermally coagulated. To enhance the safety, accuracy, and efficiency of HIFU therapy, “multiple-triggered HIFU” has been proposed as a method of cavitation-enhanced heating to shorten treatment time. In this study, we also propose shear wave elastography (SWE) to noninvasively monitor the cavitation-enhanced heating. Results show that the increase in shear wave velocity was observed in the coagulation area, but it was significantly slower when cavitation occurred. This suggests that the cavitation-enhanced heating requires a significantly longer cooling time before the accurate measurement of shear modulus than heating without generating bubbles.
Effect of dietary cholesterol content on growth and its accumulation in liver and muscle tissues of juvenile yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi)
Authors: Guerra-Olvera Fernando M , Viana María Teresa
Published: June 2015

A feed trial conducted with juvenile yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) was designed to address the effect of dietary cholesterol content on growth performance and the cholesterol concentration in liver and muscle. For 60 days fish were fed four diets based on defatted fish meal, soy protein concentrate, cholesterol-free fish oil, canola oil, and olive oil, with four different concentrations of cholesterol (treatments Ch0.0, Ch0.05, Ch0.12, and Ch0.19 containing 530, 2880, 4120, and 6170 mg kg–1 of crude fat, respectively). After 60 days, maximum weight gain was obtained with diet Ch0.05, and it was significantly higher than that obtained with diets Ch0.0 and Ch0.19, but not different from that obtained with Ch0.12. Cholesterol concentration in liver and muscle tissues was not affected by the diet, showing no significant differences among dietary treatments with levels reported as normal. Though cholesterol biosynthesis could not be measured in the present work, we discuss the possibility that fish are able to synthesize cholesterol when fed diets containing no or less cholesterol than required, but at the expense of energy consumption, limiting fish growth. We conclude that cholesterol content in aquafeeds affects fish growth when diets are formulated with vegetable ingredients, and the optimal content should be between 2880 and 4120 mg kg–1 of crude fat to avoid consequent cholesterol accumulation in liver or muscle tissues.
Flux and budget of BC in the continental shelf seas adjacent to Chinese high BC emission source regions
Authors: Fang Yin , Chen Yingjun , Tian Chongguo , Lin Tian , Hu Limin , Huang Guopei , Tang Jianhui , Li Jun , Zhang Gan
Published: June 2015

This study conducted the first comprehensive investigation of sedimentary black carbon (BC) concentration, flux, and budget in the continental shelves of “Bohai Sea (BS) and Yellow Sea (YS),” based on measurements of BC in 191 surface sediments, 36 riverine water, and 2 seawater samples, as well as the reported data set of the atmospheric samples from seven coastal cities in the Bohai Rim. BC concentrations in these matrices were measured using the method of thermal/optical reflectance. The spatial distribution of the BC concentration in surface sediments was largely influenced by the regional hydrodynamic conditions, with high values mainly occurring in the central mud areas where fine‐grained particles (median diameters > 6 Φ (i.e., <0.0156 mm)) were deposited. The BC burial flux in the BS and YS ranged from 4 to 1100 µg/cm2 yr, and averaged 166 ± 200 µg/cm2 yr, which was within the range of burial fluxes reported in other continental shelf regimes. The area‐integrated sedimentary BC sink flux in the entire BS and YS was ~325 Gg/yr, and the BS alone contributed ~50% (~157 Gg/yr). The BC budget calculated in the BS showed that atmospheric deposition, riverine discharge, and import from the Northern Yellow Sea (NYS) each contributed ~51%, ~47%, and ~2%. Therefore, atmospheric deposition and riverine discharge dominated the total BC influx (~98%). Sequestration to bottom sediments was the major BC output pattern, accounting for ~88% of the input BC. Water exchange between the BS and the NYS was also an important BC transport route, with net BC transport from the BS to the NYS.
Interannual variability of tropospheric trace gases and aerosols: The role of biomass burning emissions
Authors: Voulgarakis Apostolos , Marlier Miriam E. , Faluvegi Greg , Shindell Drew T. , Tsigaridis Kostas , Mangeon Stéphane
Published: June 2015

Fires are responsible for a range of gaseous and aerosol emissions. However, their influence on the interannual variability of atmospheric trace gases and aerosols has not been systematically investigated from a global perspective. We examine biomass burning emissions as a driver of interannual variability of large‐scale abundances of short‐lived constituents such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydroxyl radicals (OH), ozone, and aerosols using the Goddard Institute for Space Studies ModelE composition‐climate model and a range of observations, with an emphasis on satellite information. Our model captures the observed variability of the constituents examined in most cases, but with substantial underestimates in boreal regions. The strongest interannual variability on a global scale is found for carbon monoxide (~10% for its global annual burden), while the lowest is found for tropospheric ozone (~1% for its global annual burden). Regionally, aerosol optical depth shows the largest variability which exceeds 50%. Areas of strong variability of both aerosols and CO include the tropical land regions (especially Equatorial Asia and South America) and northern high latitudes, while even regions in the northern midlatitudes experience substantial interannual variability of aerosols. Ozone variability peaks over equatorial Asia in boreal autumn, partly due to varying biomass burning emissions, and over the western and central Pacific in the rest of the year, mainly due to meteorological fluctuations. We find that biomass burning emissions are almost entirely responsible for global CO interannual variability, and similarly important for OH variability. The same is true for global and regional aerosol variability, especially when not taking into account dust and sea‐salt particles. We show that important implications can arise from such interannual influences for regional climate and air quality.
Tree ring δ18O's indication of a shift to a wetter climate since the 1880s in the western Tianshan Mountains of northwestern China
Authors: Xu Guobao , Liu Xiaohong , Wu Guoju , Chen Tuo , Wang Wenzhi , Zhang Qiong , Zhang Youfu , Zeng Xiaomin , Qin Dahe , Sun Weizhen , Zhang Xuanwen
Published: June 2015

Central Asian droughts have drastically and significantly affected agriculture and water resource management in these arid and semiarid areas. Based on tree ring δ18O from native, dominant Schrenk spruce (Picea schrenkiana Fisch. et Mey.), we developed a 300 year (1710–2010) standard precipitation‐evaporation index (SPEI) reconstruction from January to August for China's western Tianshan Mountains. The regression model explained 37.6% of the variation in the SPEI reconstruction during the calibration period from 1950 to 2010. Comparison with previous drought reconstructions confirmed the robustness of our reconstruction. The 20th century has been a relatively wet period during the past 300 years. The SPEI showed quasi 2, 5, and 10 year cycles. Several pluvials and droughts with covariability over large areas were revealed clearly in the reconstruction. The two longest pluvials (lasting for 12 years), separated by 50 years, appeared in the 1900s and the 1960s. The most severe drought occurred from 1739 to 1761 and from 1886 to 1911 was the wettest period since 1710. Compared to previous investigations of hydroclimatic changes in the western Tianshan Mountains, our reconstruction revealed more low‐frequency variability and indicated that climate in the western Tianshan Mountains shifted from dry to wet in 1886. This regime shift was generally consistent with other moisture reconstructions for the northeastern Tibetan Plateau and northern Pakistan and may have resulted from a strengthened westerly circulation. The opposite hydrological trends in the western Tianshan Mountains and southeastern Tibetan Plateau reveal a substantial influence of strengthened westerlies and weakening of the Indian summer monsoon.
The optical properties of river and floodplain waters in the Amazon River Basin: Implications for satellite‐based measurements of suspended particulate matter
Authors: Martinez Jean‐Michel , Espinoza‐Villar Raul , Armijos Elisa , Silva Moreira Luciane
Published: June 2015

Satellite images can now be used to assess river sediment discharge, and systematic studies over rivers and lakes are required to support such applications and document the variability of inland water optical properties at the watershed scale. The optical properties of the Amazon Basin waters were analyzed from in situ measurements of the remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) at 279 stations and downwelling diffuse attenuation coefficients (Kd) at 133 stations. Measurements of the apparent optical properties, suspended particulate matter (SPM) contents, and characteristics and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorption spectra were performed during 16 cruises along the main Amazonian Rivers draining the Andes and for some tributaries. Surface‐suspended sediment granulometry and mineralogy showed a stable distribution at the catchment scale, even over large distances and between tributaries. The particle number‐size distribution was best described using a segmented distribution with a slope of 2.2 for the fine range (1–15 µm), and the CDOM absorption coefficient at 440 nm varied from 1.8 to 7.9 m−1. Overall, both Rrs and Kd were strongly correlated with SPM, although strong CDOM absorption limited the use of the blue spectrum. Reflectance saturation from blue to red was observed at approximately 100 g m−3, whereas the near‐infrared (NIR) wavelength enabled the monitoring of the full SPM range (5–620 g m−3). In contrast, Kd showed no saturation for SPM from green to NIR, and a linear model was calculated. The use of the reflectance ratio was investigated and shown to improve the suspended sediment concentration retrieval performance.
Experimental modeling of CO2‐fluid‐rock interaction: The evolution of the composition and properties of host rocks in the Baltic Region
Authors: Shogenov Kazbulat , Shogenova Alla , Vizika‐Kavvadias Olga , Nauroy Jean‐François
Published: June 2015

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of the possible CO2 geological storage in the Baltic Region on the composition and properties of host rocks to support more reliable petrophysical and geophysical models of CO2 plume. The geochemical, mineralogical, and petrophysical evolution of reservoir sandstones of Cambrian Series 3 Deimena Formation and transitional clayey carbonate caprocks of Lower Ordovician Zebre Formation from two offshore structures in Latvia and Lithuania and two onshore structures in Latvia, induced by laboratory‐simulated CO2 geological storage, was studied for the first time in the Baltic Region. The geochemical, mineralogical, and petrophysical parameters were measured in 15 rock samples, before and after the alteration experiment. The diagenetic alterations of reservoir rocks were represented by carbonate cementation in the top of the onshore South Kandava structure, and quartz cementation and compaction, reducing the reservoir quality, in the deepest offshore E7 structure in Lithuania. The shallowest E6 structure offshore Latvia was least affected by diagenetic processes and had the best reservoir quality that was mainly preserved during the experiment. Carbonate cement was represented by calcite and ankerite in the transitional reservoir sandstones of very low initial permeability in the upper part of the South Kandava structure. Its dissolution caused a significant increase in the effective porosity and permeability of sandstones, a decrease in the weight of samples, bulk and matrix density, and P and S wave velocities, demonstrating short‐term dissolution processes. Only slight geochemical changes occurred during the experiment in offshore reservoir sandstones. Minor dissolution of carbonate and clay cements, feldspar and some accessory minerals, and possible minor precipitation of pore‐filling secondary minerals associated with slight variations in rock properties, demonstrating both short‐term and long‐term processes, were suggested. As a novelty, this research shows the relationship between diagenetic alterations of the Cambrian Series 3 Deimena Formation reservoir sandstones and their changes caused by the CO2 injection‐like experiment.
Miocene climate change on the Chinese Loess Plateau: Possible links to the growth of the northern Tibetan Plateau and global cooling
Authors: Sun Youbin , Ma Long , Bloemendal Jan , Clemens Steven , Qiang Xiaoke , An Zhisheng
Published: June 2015

The evolution of the Asian monsoon‐arid environmental system during the Cenozoic was closely related to the growth of the Himalayan‐Tibetan Plateau and global climate change. However, due to inconsistencies in paleoclimatic reconstructions and to various constraints on the timing of the growth of the Tibetan Plateau, the relative impacts of regional uplift and global cooling on Asian climate change remain controversial. Here we investigate the mineralogical composition of a Miocene Red Clay deposit on the western Chinese Loess Plateau in order to infer changes in chemical weathering and monsoon intensity. Variations of four mineralogical ratios (chlorite/quartz, illite/quartz, calcite/quartz, and protodolomite/quartz) reveal that the summer monsoon intensity was relatively strong during the early Miocene (23.5–18.5 Ma), weakened gradually until ∼9.5 Ma, and strengthened again in the late Miocene. We synthesized previously published thermochronological data from the northeastern Tibetan Plateau and surrounding mountains, and the results suggest that two phases of the rapid growth of northern Tibet occurred around 24–17 and 13–7 Ma. Comparison of paleoclimatic proxies and thermochronological data suggests that the gradual weakening of the summer monsoon intensity from 18.5 to 9.5 Ma paralleled global cooling, whereas two intervals of strengthened monsoon in the early and late Miocene were possibly related to the rapid growth of northern Tibet. Our combination of paleoenvironmental proxies and thermochronological data reveals possible links between Miocene Asian monsoon evolution, phased growth of the Tibetan Plateau, and global climate change, and confirms the interconnection of geodynamic and atmospheric processes in the geological past.
Lithospheric structure of the Texas‐Gulf of Mexico passive margin from surface wave dispersion and migrated Ps receiver functions
Authors: Agrawal Mohit , Pulliam Jay , Sen Mrinal K. , Gurrola Harold
Published: June 2015

The seismic velocity structure beneath Texas Gulf Coastal Plain (GCP) is imaged by migrating Ps receiver functions with a seismic velocity model found by fitting surface wave dispersion. We use seismic data from a linear array of 22 broadband stations, spaced 16–20 km apart. A Common Conversion Point (CCP) stacking technique is applied to earthquake data to improve the S/N ratios of receiver functions. Using an incorrect velocity model for depth migration of a stacked CCP image may produce an inaccurate image of the subsurface. To find sufficiently accurate P and S‐velocity models, we first apply a nonlinear modeling technique to fit Rayleigh wave group velocity dispersion via Very Fast Simulated Annealing. Vs ranges from 1.5 km/s in shallow layers of the GCP to 4.5 km/s beneath the Llano uplift and just outboard of the Balcones Fault Zone (BFZ). The BFZ is characterized by slow velocities that persist to nearly 100 km depth. In the stacked image, the largest amplitude positive‐polarity event ranges from the surface, at the Llano uplift, to a maximum depth of ∼16 km beneath Matagorda Island. We attribute this event to the sediment‐basement contact, which is expected to produce a large impedance contrast. Another large‐amplitude and positive‐polarity event at ∼35 km depth, which likely marks the Moho, disappears outboard of the Luling Fault Zone. The disappearance of the Moho beneath the GCP may be due to serpentinization of the upper mantle, which would reduce the impedance contrast between the lower crust and upper mantle dramatically.