bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and Anticancer Activity of Some New Pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-one Derivatives
Authors: Abdellatif Khaled , Abdelall Eman , Abdelgawad Mohamed , Ahmed Rasha , Bakr Rania
Published: March 2014

3,6-Dimethyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d][1,3]oxazin-4-one (3) was prepared by hydrolysis of ethyl 5-amino-3-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylate (1) to afford the corresponding carboxylic acid 2, which was reacted with acetic anhydride to give 3. The pyrazolo[3,4-d][1,3]oxazin-4-one 3 was reacted with hydroxylamine hydrochloride, urea, thiourea, thiosemicarbazide, phenylhydrazine and aromatic amines to afford the corresponding pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-ones 4, 5a,b, 6, 7, 8a–e, respectively. Condensation of pyrazoloxazine derivative 3 with 99% hydrazine hydrate afforded the 5-aminopyrazolo[3,4-d] pyrimidine derivative 9. Coupling of 9 with aromatic aldehydes yielded a series of 3,6-dimethyl-5-(4-substitutedbenzylideneamino)-1-phenyl-1,5-dihydropyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin- 4-ones 10a–e. The new compounds were tested for their antitumor activity on the MCF-7 human breast adenocarcinoma cell line. Almost all the tested compounds revealed antitumor activity, especially 3,6-dimethyl-5-(4-nitrobenzylideneamino)-1-phenyl-1,5-dihydropyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-one (10e) which displayed the most potent inhibitory activity with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 11 µM.
Polymorphisms in Genes Involved in Fatty Acid β-Oxidation Interact with Dietary Fat Intakes to Modulate the Plasma TG Response to a Fish Oil Supplementation
Authors: Bouchard-Mercier Annie , Rudkowska Iwona , Lemieux Simone , Couture Patrick , Vohl Marie-Claude
Published: March 2014

A large inter-individual variability in the plasma triglyceride (TG) response to an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) supplementation has been observed. The objective was to examine gene-diet interaction effects on the plasma TG response after a fish oil supplementation, between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within genes involved in fatty acid β-oxidation and dietary fat intakes. Two hundred and eight (208) participants were recruited in the greater Quebec City area. The participants completed a six-week fish oil supplementation (5 g fish oil/day: 1.9–2.2 g EPA and 1.1 g DHA). Dietary fat intakes were measured using three-day food records. SNPs within RXRA, CPT1A, ACADVL, ACAA2, ABCD2, ACOX1 and ACAA1 genes were genotyped using TAQMAN methodology. Gene-diet interaction effects on the plasma TG response were observed for SNPs within RXRA (rs11185660, rs10881576 and rs12339187) and ACOX1 (rs17583163) genes. For rs11185660, fold changes in RXRA gene expression levels were different depending on SFA intakes for homozygotes T/T. Gene-diet interaction effects of SNPs within genes involved in fatty acid β-oxidation and dietary fat intakes may be important in understanding the inter-individual variability in plasma TG levels and in the plasma TG response to a fish oil supplementation.
Genome Sequencing of Xanthomonas vasicola Pathovar vasculorum Reveals Variation in Plasmids and Genes Encoding Lipopolysaccharide Synthesis, Type-IV Pilus and Type-III Secretion Effectors
Authors: Wasukira Arthur , Coulter Max , Al-Sowayeh Noorah , Thwaites Richard , Paszkiewicz Konrad , Kubiriba Jerome , Smith Julian , Grant Murray , Studholme David
Published: March 2014

Xanthomonas vasicola pathovar vasculorum (Xvv) is the bacterial agent causing gumming disease in sugarcane. Here, we compare complete genome sequences for five isolates of Xvv originating from sugarcane and one from maize. This identified two distinct types of lipopolysaccharide synthesis gene clusters among Xvv isolates: one is similar to that of Xanthomonas axonopodis pathovar citri (Xac) and is probably the ancestral type, while the other is similar to those of the sugarcane-inhabiting species, Xanthomonas sacchari. Four of six Xvv isolates harboured sequences similar to the Xac plasmid, pXAC47, and showed a distinct Type-IV pilus (T4P) sequence type, whereas the T4P locus of the other two isolates resembled that of the closely related banana pathogen, Xanthomonas campestris pathovar musacearum (Xcm). The Xvv isolate from maize has lost a gene encoding a homologue of the virulence effector, xopAF, which was present in all five of the sugarcane isolates, while xopL contained a premature stop codon in four out of six isolates. These findings shed new light on evolutionary events since the divergence of Xvv and Xcm, as well as further elucidating the relationships between the two closely related pathogens.
USE OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE AND PERCARBONATE TO TREAT CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBON-CONTAMINATED SOIL
Authors: Viisimaa Marika , Goi Anna
Published: March 2014

This study compared treatment methods that utilised a liquid carrier of hydrogen peroxide and a solid carrier, percarbonate, for p-dichlorobenzene, p-chloro-m-cresol and p-chlorothymol degradation in the soil. The targeted chlorinated aromatic contaminants in the soil degraded to a certain level when treated with the liquid hydrogen peroxide, but the removal efficacy was not dependent on the dosage. In contrast, an increase in the percarbonate dosage enhanced the contaminant removal. Supplementary ferrous iron was more effective for the treatment that employed the liquid carrier of hydrogen peroxide than the treatment employing the solid carrier. Although acidic pH conditions (initial pH of 2.5) favoured contaminant degradation using liquid hydrogen peroxide, the treatment involving percarbonate resulted in more effective contaminant removal without any soil pH preadjustment. Therefore, the solid carrier of hydrogen peroxide, percarbonate, was concluded to be an effective alternative to the liquid carrier, resulting in greater contaminant removal at natural soil pH values.
SPATIO-TEMPORAL DYNAMICS ALONG THE TERRAIN GRADIENT OF DIVERSE LANDSCAPE
Authors: Ramachandra T. V. , Bharath Settur , Bharath Aithal
Published: March 2014

Land use (LU) land cover (LC) information at a temporal scale illustrates the physical coverage of the Earth’s terrestrial surface according to its use and provides the intricate information for effective planning and management activities. LULC changes are stated as local and location specifc, collectively they act as drivers of global environmental changes. Understanding and predicting the impact of LULC change processes requires long term historical restorations and projecting into the future of land cover changes at regional to global scales. The present study aims at quantifying spatio temporal landscape dynamics along the gradient of varying terrains presented in the landscape by multi-data approach (MDA). MDA incorporates multi temporal satellite imagery with demographic data and other additional relevant data sets. The gradient covers three different types of topographic features, planes; hilly terrain and coastal region to account the signifcant role of elevation in land cover change. The seasonality is another aspect to be considered in the vegetation dominated landscapes; variations are accounted using multi seasonal data. Spatial patterns of the various patches are identifed and analysed using landscape metrics to understand the forest fragmentation. The prediction of likely changes in 2020 through scenario analysis has been done to account for the changes, considering the present growth rates and due to the proposed developmental projects. This work summarizes recent estimates on changes in cropland, agricultural intensifcation, deforestation, pasture expansion, and urbanization as the causal factors for LULC change.
South Tyrol is (not) Italy: A Special Case in a (De)federalizing system
Authors: Woelk Jens
Published: March 2014

Le Tyrol du Sud bénéficie du statut spécial de Région autonome en Italie. Dans une perspective comparative, le cas sud-tyrolien est très particulier tant en termes de compétences et de garanties, qu’en termes de durée, démontrant les effets de plusieurs décennies d’autonomie fonctionnelle. Ceci pose d’intéressantes questions au regard de la capacité durable à faire vivre ensemble des intérêts conflictuels, mais également en ce qui concerne les relations avec l’État italien et l’influence de ce système d’autonomie sur le processus de fédéralisation en Italie (qui connaît une période difficile après les ambitieuses réformes constitutionnelles de 2001). À l’inverse, on peut s’interroger sur l’impact que la crise actuelle du système politique italien peut avoir sur le Tyrol du Sud. L’objectif de cet article est donc d’analyser la situation du Tyrol du Sud comme cas d’étude dans le contexte de l’Italie.
The European Union and the Identity of Member States
Authors: Mangiameli Stelio
Published: March 2014

L’identité des États membres de l’UE limite les compétences européennes et le processus d’intégration et détermine l’interprétation du droit européen, puisque le noyau inviolable et essentiel des constitutions peut empêcher l’application du droit européen. Toutefois, le processus d’intégration européenne, ainsi que la fondation de la souveraineté légale européenne, ne sont pas garantis par les constitutions nationales, mais par la volonté, partagée par les États, de faire naître un système juridique commun. La situation de la dernière décennie montre des fractures dans le processus d’intégration, qui mettent en discussion même la souveraineté juridique de l’Union européenne. En effet, d’un point de vue factuel, certains États de l’Union ont obtenu une position, qui les différencie des autres. Une telle différenciation peut se manifester, nettement, dans la position de « veto », que la France a revendiqué (2005), dans les positions juridiques prises par le juge constitutionnel allemand dans sa décision sur le traité de Lisbonne (2009) et dans le Traité sur la stabilité, la coordination et la gouvernance (2012). Particulièrement avec ce dernier, l’attribution de la souveraineté budgétaire a clairement été effectuée en faveur de certains États membres, plutôt que de l’Union.
Just another Crisis?
Authors: Petritsch Wolfgang
Published: March 2014

Le monde est confronté à des changements fondamentaux dans le système international. L’émergence de la Chine, de l’Inde et d’autres économies émergentes modifie l’équilibre du pouvoir dans le monde, tandis que les pays occidentaux, en particulier les membres de l’Union européenne et les États-Unis, font face à de grandes difficultés économiques et politiques liées au niveau de la dette souveraine, à la hausse des inégalités et à la « croissance sans emploi ». Des conflits intra-étatiques et transnationaux, souvent lancés par des acteurs non étatiques, y compris les organisations terroristes comme Al-Qaida, posent de nouveaux enjeux difficiles pour la préservation de la paix et de la sécurité. Dans ce contexte global, l’UE est confrontée à ses plus grands défis depuis sa création. Alors qu’elle est confrontée à la crise économique, elle doit faire face en même temps à la nécessité d’achever l’élargissement vers l’Europe du Sud-Est. En outre, l’UE doit relever le défi d’être perçue – pas tout à fait à tort – comme trop distante, technocratique, non démocratique, et excessivement tatillonne. Ce défi offre également de nouvelles possibilités, mais, à défaut de les saisir et de mettre en œuvre les réformes nécessaires, il peut également conduire la grande expérience européenne à sa fin. Cela ne doit et ne peut pas être le cas, et les stratégies possibles pour un renouvellement de l’Europe sont ici présentées.
Foundations of Interreligious Dialogue
Authors: Atlan Henri
Published: March 2014

This chapter is less concerned with foundations as such than with the different kinds of dialogues undertaken at various levels between different religions as well as between religions and science and philosophy. The beliefs and dogmas at stake often dead-end these dialogues or lead to misunderstandings. “Spirituality” as a common trait of all religions supposedly uniting them in opposition to scientific materialism is a misleading concept. Religions deemed similar, such as monotheistic faiths, when analyzed in terms of their meanings and effects, are actually very different. However, different traditions, even when they diverge across space and time, can reveal interesting convergences in their philosophical teachings. The primeval infra-linguistic foundations of the sacred at the origins of humanity have been passed down through the millennia in different ways according to their different cultural histories. The ethical and legal issues arising from the role of science and technology today make it imperative to seize opportunities for dialogue. Faced with these new issues, religions and philosophies must collaborate in their attempts to address them. Consequently, their traditional role in the genealogy of ethics needs to be overhauled. This may be achieved through efforts to construct an empirically based universal ethics rather than a purely theoretical one that is limited to specific religious or philosophical doctrines. The success of these efforts is not guaranteed; however, they may be facilitated by the underdetermination of decisions by their motivations, an argument adapted from the concept of underdetermination of theory by facts.
Media Narratives of the Interactions between Religions and Cultures in Canada
Authors: Wiseman Richelle R.
Published: March 2014

Canadian immigration patterns suggest that as the country retains its commitment to intake some half a million immigrants a year from Southeast Asia, Africa, South and Central America, the dynamics of religious diversity and interactions in Canada are bound to increase. A fixed and rigid “secularist” mindset among news outlets, magazine boardrooms, film companies, and other media will miss the richness of the creativity, diversity, imagination, and interactions between cultures and religions, which will continue to form the “street narratives” that the media's meta-narrative overlooks. This chapter documents instances of where the “meta-narrative” is seen to prevail and distort the accurate portrayal of religion and culture in Canada, where it has missed the interactions between religions, and the contributions that culture and religion are making to each other.
Media Policy, Co-Existence, and Freedom of Speech
Authors: Cohen Ronald I.
Published: March 2014

The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) is an independent, non-governmental organization created by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters to administer broadcast codes dealing with issues of ethics, stereotypes and portrayal, journalistic ethics and violence on television, among others. As of the end of 2011 (the period dealt with in this chapter), the CBSC had rendered 505 Panel decisions, which have served to define the parameters of permissible (and excessive) content on a broad array of radio and television programming, including news, public affairs, magazine format television shows, radio and television talk shows, children's television, other dramatic forms, and so on. In many of the foregoing types of programming, complaints pertain to representations and discussions of religious issues and religious groups. This chapter addresses the nature of the complaints received with particular relevance to religion, religious communities, and discourses.
Blasphemy and Outrage in a Secular State
Authors: Garrido Néstor Luis
Published: March 2014

In a religious context, blasphemy is defined as a derogatory expression against God or other sacred objects or concepts and is a sin that is defined and punished in theocracies or religious normative frameworks. In secular democracies, some countries, especially those parliamentary kingdoms in Europe, have kept some restrictions to the blasphemous expression in their legal system, but sanctions are never as harsh as in Muslim countries such as Pakistan, where people face death penalty if a judge finds eviction for the crime. In secular regimes, blasphemy is no longer considered a crime or this concept is fading as a punishable fault, but in some countries where a sort of “civil religion” is promoted by the State, outrage—speaking or manifesting contrary, hideous, or disdainful opinion against national symbols or heroes—works as a functional substitute of blasphemy. In this chapter, the authors study the case of Venezuela that could be considered emblematic of a secularist use of religiously inspired notions applied to national symbols in order to justify censorship and control free speech to promote a “forced national consensus.” They discuss the historical roots of these illegitimate restrictions to freedom of speech. The authors also analyze the attempts to use the figure of the deceased president Hugo Chávez to deepen the configuration of a “patriotic religion” in order to curve political dissent and increase social control.
The Future of Curriculum Development in Distance Education
Authors: Kılıc Figen
Published: March 2014

Today, extremely fast developments take place in science and technology. These changes and developments reflect upon all systems and give rise to changes in some concepts and processes. Lifelong learning is one of the concepts affected by these changes. Educational institutions are considered to be responsible for spreading knowledge through e-learning, virtual university, Web-based education, distance education, which offer professional development. Therefore, distance education institutions have an important place in the education system of the future. However, innovations and developments have to be followed closely and operationally used for adaptation to the education system of the future within the distance education system as well. A scientific and realistic way of adapting to these developments is possible only if program development efforts are constant. Looking from this framework, teaching design, internationalization, entrepreneurship have given rise to differentiation in the program development of distance education. This is explored in this chapter.
The Role of Implicit and Explicit Feedback in Learning and the Implications for Distance Education Techniques
Authors: van der Helden Jurjen , Bekkering Harold
Published: March 2014

In this chapter, the authors review the cognitive scientific state-of-the-art relevant for Distance Education (DE) followed by an overview of how different aspects of Distance Education relate to such cognitive mechanisms. The goal is to list and categorize the cognitive advantages and disadvantages of DE and consider and discuss how cognitive factors can be negotiated in new developments in DE. The authors argue that modern DE provides excellent opportunities to supplement traditional DE by the providing of contingent feedback while meeting the learner's need to stay intrinsically motivated.
Integration of Education for Sustainable Development into Formal Secondary Curricula of East Timor
Authors: Capelo Ana
Published: March 2014

This chapter explores the relevance of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in formal education reform in East Timor. This chapter relied on relevant published documents and information published by various national and international agencies concerning East-Timor. It firstly reflects on the organization background of development of new secondary curriculum in East Timor; then it focuses on what protocols and principles form the basis of these new curricula. There is further description of the development and implementation of the new curricula inclusive of subject selection in consideration of ESD and Millennium Development Goals (MGDs) as illustrated with some examples of ESD integration in new textbooks for 10th year. Lastly, it highlights the challenges that team developers faced at the completion of curricular development and presents some solutions to overcome difficulties related to restructuring and implementation. Thus this chapter aims to provide an example of sustainable development integration into secondary curricula of a young country - East Timor – while illustrating the extent of curricular materials could contribute to developing skills, values and attitudes aligned with sustainable development perspectives.
Integrating Sustainable Design and Systems Thinking throughout an Engineering Curriculum
Authors: Nagel Robert L. , Gipson Kyle G. , Ogundipe Adebayo
Published: March 2014

The Madison Engineering Department was founded on the recognition that engineers are no longer constrained to disciplinary boundaries, and instead, must work across disciplines as members of global communities and multidisciplinary teams. The program offers a single undergraduate engineering degree that focuses on sustainable design and systems thinking. Since the inaugural class started in 2008, the faculty has been striving to integrate environmental, social, economic, and technical contexts of sustainable design and systems thinking as common curricular threads. This chapter discusses courses taken by students freshman through senior year to illustrate how content integration, developmental instruction, and a problem-based learning framework are used in Madison Engineering Department to purposefully transition students through Bloom's levels from knowing and thinking to simulating and doing to quantifying and applying with the goal of training students able to understand systems holistically, describe and analyze tradeoffs, understand resultant perturbations, and design effective, sustainable solutions.
Teaching about Sustainability
Authors: Penaskovic Richard , DeVries Dennis R. , Chadwick Nanette E.
Published: March 2014

This chapter offers concrete recommendations for teaching a capstone course in sustainability to upper level undergraduates minoring in sustainability studies. Given the multifaceted nature of sustainability, the authors use a strong interdisciplinary framework. Because the two instructors are senior faculty from a scientific/technical field and a liberal arts perspective; the course is overseen by the university's academic sustainability program director, adding further breadth of input into student projects. This course comprises three distinct but interconnected components: (1) a theoretical element, i.e., reading and discussion that raises students' consciousness about advanced issues in sustainability and encourages critical thinking; (2) the use of cooperative learning teams in which students choose to solve a practical, real-world problem dealing with sustainability that forces them to be active learners; and (3) ten pedagogical strategies that are effective in motivating students to put forth their best efforts in working on their team projects dealing with sustainability.
Sustainability, Ethics and Education
Authors: Khan Tehmina
Published: March 2014

Accounting education has faced limitations as a highly technical and discipline-specific body of knowledge. The case presented in this chapter demonstrates and reflects on an attempt at incorporating the study of sustainability-related accounting knowledge through multiple forms of delivery and assessment. Sustainability-related material that draws from business, accounting and ethics' perspectives was included in an accounting ethics course for accounting majors at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University in Melbourne, Australia. This pedagogy has encouraged the development of students' soft skills including their emotional intelligence. Sustainability education has been found as engaging and thought provoking, albeit involving a steep learning curve for students as far as knowledge and awareness are concerned. It has allowed for the promotion of multiple and broader perspectives and education on key sustainability-related concerns, from a range of angles including ethics and accounting frameworks for sustainability as well as multidisciplinary approaches to sustainability and business.
Are University Lecturers Literate in Sustainability?
Authors: Kokkarinen Noora , Cotgrave Alison J.
Published: March 2014

An extensive body of knowledge exists about students and education for sustainable development; though very little can be found for educators. This chapter will review existing literature and relate how it is relevant for educators to be sustainability literate in order to promote the skill among students. A purely qualitative approach was used for this study. Eleven lecturers were interviewed in order to ascertain their level of sustainability knowledge. The interview transcripts were analysed using phenomenography. Findings indicate that built environment academics were particularly literate in sustainability matters. Recommendations as to how other institutions can assess the sustainable literacy level of educators are made.
Embedding Sustainability Learning
Authors: Taylor Ros , Barron Elise , Eames Katherine A.T.
Published: March 2014

In this chapter the authors argue the benefits of an “embedded strategy” for achieving a robust and sustainable Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) curriculum and outline some of the main approaches used at Kingston University (KU), London. The chapter includes feedback from students, academics, support staff and local employers engaged in these developments and highlights the main successes and the pitfalls encountered. Case studies exemplifying sustainability learning through a diversity of embedded approaches are presented and analysed. The authors' experience demonstrates that, although there is no “one size fits all” solution to ESD, sharing of experiences between sustainability professionals is vital to this agenda. The examples detailed in this chapter show that with careful design, active and multidisciplinary learning, sustainability understanding can be securely embedded in students' learning even where it is not the main programme objective.
Efforts to Promote Sustainable Development through Education in Cambodia
Authors: Kitamura Yuto
Published: March 2014

This chapter provides an overview of how “Education for Sustainable Development” (ESD) is being promoted in Cambodia today through historical, social, and cultural contexts as part of the implementation of the goals of “Education for All (EFA),” from three perspectives: (1) acquisition/improvement of life skills; (2) enhancing environmental education; and (3) promotion of peace education and human rights education. It is worth noting here that although the educational activities conducted in Cambodia are not necessarily known as ESD, they certainly embody the concept of it. The chapter emphasizes that the positioning of EFA and ESD as essential lifelong learning is important to achieve a sustainable society.1
Cutting Edge: Flt3 Ligand Mediates STAT3-Independent Expansion but STAT3-Dependent Activation of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells
Authors: Rosborough Brian R. , Mathews Lisa R. , Matta Benjamin M. , Liu Quan , Raïch-Regué Dàlia , Thomson Angus W. , Turnquist Hēth R.
Published: March 2014

The Flt3–Flt3 ligand (Flt3L) pathway is critically involved in the differentiation and homeostasis of myeloid cells, including dendritic cells (DC); however, its role in the expansion and function of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) has not been determined. In this article, we describe the ability of Flt3L to expand and activate murine MDSC capable of suppressing allograft rejection upon adoptive transfer. Although Flt3L expands and augments the stimulatory capacity of myeloid DC, MDSC expanded by Flt3L have increased suppressive activity. Although STAT3 is considered the central transcription factor for MDSC expansion, inhibition and genetic ablation of STAT3 did not block, but rather augmented, Flt3L-mediated MDSC expansion. MDSC suppressive function, preserved when STAT3 inhibition was removed, was reduced by genetic STAT3 deletion. Both STAT3 inhibition and deletion reduced Flt3L-mediated DC expansion, signifying that STAT3 had reciprocal effects on suppressive MDSC and immunostimulatory DC expansion. Together, these findings enhance our understanding of the immunomodulatory properties of Flt3L.
Incubation Periods of Mosquito-Borne Viral Infections: A Systematic Review
Authors: Rudolph Kara E. , Lessler Justin , Moloney Rachael M. , Kmush Brittany , Cummings Derek A. T.
Published: March 2014

Mosquito-borne viruses are a major public health threat, but their incubation periods are typically uncited, non-specific, and not based on data. We systematically review the published literature on six mosquito-borne viruses selected for their public health importance: chikungunya, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, Rift Valley fever, West Nile, and yellow fever viruses. For each, we identify the literature's consensus on the incubation period, evaluate the evidence for this consensus, and provide detailed estimates of the incubation period and distribution based on published experimental and observational data. We abstract original data as doubly interval-censored observations. Assuming a log-normal distribution, we estimate the median incubation period, dispersion, 25th and 75th percentiles by maximum likelihood. We include bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals for each estimate. For West Nile and yellow fever viruses, we also estimate the 5th and 95th percentiles of their incubation periods.
The Persistence of Dominant‐Firm Market Share: Raising Rivals' Cost on the New York Stock Exchange
Authors: Harris Frederick H. deB. , Hyde Adam S. , Wood Robert A.
Published: March 2014

To explain the persistence of dominant New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) market share in stock trading of listed securities from 1992 to 2002, we develop a dominant‐firm price leadership model and hypothesize that NYSE specialists raised the costs of rival market makers. The model predicts that natural and induced cost advantages will determine the NYSE's market share vis‐à‐vis the regional exchanges, electronic trading systems, and NASDAQ dealers. Empirically, NYSE market share increases with economies of scale and scope, abnormal price volatility, high asymmetric information, and with trading practices that raise rivals' costs, such as failure to display limit orders that bettered the existing quotes.
Can Empirical Demand Models Assist in CON Comparative Reviews? A Case Study in Florida
Authors: Fournier Gary M.
Published: March 2014

Certificate‐of‐Need (CON) programs for new hospital construction are intended to foster the best selection among competing hospital applications, given demands for hospital care in the community. Yet, the merits of CON depend in part on the quality of the comparative review process. This article examines a case study in Florida to illustrate the utility of empirical evaluations using patient choice models. I estimate such models to show how patients would respond to a change in hospital choices. By simulating the welfare effects of the proposed hospitals, I can further predict how prices of hospital care differ by applicant. Results suggest that empirical analysis using data on patient choice of hospitals may better inform the review process. At the same time, however, it may not give a unique ranking without additional analysis of the fixed costs of proposed services in the context of existing marketwide capacity.
Risk Aversion and the Winner's Curse
Authors: Holt Charles A. , Sherman Roger
Published: March 2014

This article analyzes an auction in which bidders see independent components of a common prize value. The Nash equilibrium for two rational bidders is shown to be independent of risk attitudes. The information structure allows explicit calculation of an alternative equilibrium in which naive bidders do not correctly discount the value of the prize, contingent on winning, and thus they suffer the winner's curse. Subjects in a laboratory experiment clearly fall prey to the winner's curse; the data conform most closely to the predictions of the naive model. Moreover, the level of risk aversion implied by fitting the naive model is similar to an independent risk aversion measure obtained in a separate (private value) bidding exercise.
What Are SEC Football Tickets Worth? Evidence from Secondary Market Transactions
Authors: Sanford Ken , Scott Frank
Published: March 2014

Tickets to sporting events are highly differentiated—seat location, date and time of the game, and home‐team and opponent qualities make each ticket unique. Preferences also differ nontrivially across fans, all of which make the supplier's pricing problem complex. We examine strategies employed by Southeastern Conference (SEC) universities in pricing their football tickets and evaluate their effectiveness in extracting surplus from fans. We use hedonic analysis of data collected from online secondary market transactions to construct a synthetic season ticket, which we compare to prices actually charged by university athletic departments. We also compare quality premiums charged by universities for better seats with market evaluations of those quality differences.
Trabalho e estresse: identificação do estresse e dos estressores ocupacionais em trabalhadores de uma unidade administrativa de uma Instituição Pública de Ensino Superior (IES)
Authors: Junior Edward Goulart , Cardoso Hugo Ferrari , Domingues Luiza Calori , Green Roberta Miguel , Lima Thássia Ramos
Published: March 2014

O artigo apresenta pesquisa realizada junto a servidores públicos de uma Instituição de Ensino Superior (IES) que teve como objetivo diagnosticar a presença do estresse nessa população, a fase do estresse em que os indivíduos se encontram e a predominância de sintomas, se físicos ou psicológicos. Objetivou também caracterizar o quadro sintomatológico da população que experimenta estresse e os principais estressores do contexto de trabalho onde os participantes atuam. A pesquisa revelou que 46,6% dos participantes estão experimentando estresse, a sua maioria se encontra em fase de resistência com predominância de sintomas psicológicos. Entre os principais estressores dos contextos de trabalho, destacaram-se o ambiente físico do local de trabalho, infraestrutura do setor de trabalho, processo de avaliação de desempenho profissional adotado pela IES, baixo reconhecimento atribuído ao  trabalho realizado e o número reduzido de servidores em determinados setores. Os resultados revelaram a avanço da presença do estresse nessa amostra e a necessidade de ações adequadas de políticas e práticas de gestão de pessoas que visem atuar para minimizar esse fenômeno.
A evasão na educação superior para o curso de bacharelado em sistema de informação
Authors: Slhessarenko Michelli , Gonçalo Claudio Reis , Beira Joana Carlos , Cembranel Priscila
Published: March 2014

O artigo faz menção à evasão de alunos do curso de Bacharelado em Sistema de Informação de uma Instituição Federal de Educação em Santa Catarina entre os anos de 2010 e 2011. Objetivou-se identificar as causas contribuintes para a evasão de alunos do curso e propor uma estratégia de marketing em serviços para reduzir a evasão de alunos. A metodologia utilizada compreende um estudo de caso de natureza qualitativa, procedimento de pesquisa documental A técnica utilizada para coleta de dados foram o questionário e a entrevista estruturada aplicada aos alunos evadidos do curso e representantes administrativos da instituição. A análise dos dados obtidos apontam como principais causas de evasão: a mudança de interesse, opção de vida ou indecisão profissional, a didática não eficiente dos professores, expectativas não atendidas em relação ao curso, a carga horária semanal de trabalho, os aspectos inadequados das salas de aula ao ensino, a falta de orientação adequada por parte da coordenação do curso e as dificuldades de acompanhamento do curso. As estratégias de marketing devem preocupar-se com o bem estar do aluno, sua orientação e adequação ao curso, preparando professores e melhorando a didática de ensino.
A colaboração do segmento privado da educação superior na proposta de democratização do acesso: um estudo da perspectiva sul catarinese
Authors: Francisco Thiago Henrique Almino , Nakayama Marina Keiko , Ramos Alexandre Moraes , Pinto Rodrigo Serpa , Rodrigues Thiago Meneghel
Published: March 2014

Considerando a democratização do acesso à educação superior, o artigo tem como objetivo apresentar quais são as principais contribuições de Faculdades Isoladas localizadas no Sul do Estado de Santa Catarina. Para tanto, as contribuições teóricas se estruturam sob a égide de uma reflexão baseada na evolução da educação superior no Brasil, em reflexões sobre a qualidade no segmento e sobre o PNE como instrumento norteador da expansão da educação superior. Desse modo, com base nas orientações metodológicas, a pesquisa configura-se como sendo predominantemente qualitativa, tendo suas bases principais centradas em um estudo de caso de IES localizadas no sul do estado de Santa Catarina.  Os resultados permitem inferir que os principais indicadores que práticas vinculadas a observância das características sociais do entorno permitem alinhar ações acadêmicas e administrativas que fomentam a democratização do acesso, a equidade e a permanência, fomentando oportunidades para a consecução dos objetivos do Plano Nacional da Educação.
Slower ozone production in Houston, Texas following emission reductions: evidence from Texas Air Quality Studies in 2000 and 2006
Authors: Zhou W. , Cohan D. S. , Henderson B. H.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. Airborne measurements from two Texas Air Quality Study (TexAQS) field campaigns have been used to investigate changes of ozone production in Houston, Texas, from 2000 to 2006, a period of major emission reduction measures for petrochemical and other sources. Simultaneous declines in nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) and highly reactive volatile organic compounds (HRVOCs) were observed between the two periods. We simulate HOx (OH and HO2) and organic radicals with a box model, the Dynamically Simple Model of Atmospheric Chemical Complexity, constrained by available airborne observations. Parameters such as total radical production, total OH reactivity of VOCs and ozone production rate (OPR) are computed to characterize the change of ozone production between 2000 and 2006 in the Houston area. The reduction in HRVOCs led to a decline in total radical production by 20–50%. Ozone production rates in the Houston area declined by 40–50% from 2000 to 2006, to which the reduction in NOx and HRVOCs made large contributions. Despite the significant decline in OPR, ozone production efficiency held steady, and VOC-sensitive conditions dominated during times of most rapid ozone formation, while the slow ozone formation continued to be NOx-limited. Our results highlight the importance of a balanced approach of ongoing HRVOC controls with NOx controls to further reduce O3 levels in the Houston area.
Silica cycling in the ultra-oligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Krom M. D. , Kress N. , Fanning K.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. Although silica is a key plant nutrient there have been few studies aimed at understanding the Si cycle in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMS). Here we use a combination of new measurements and literature values to explain the silicic acid distribution across the basin and to calculate a silica budget to identify the key controlling processes. The surface water concentration of ~ 1 μM, which is unchanging seasonally across the basin was due to the inflow of Western Mediterranean Sea (WMS) water at the Straits of Sicily. It does not change seasonally because there is only a sparse population of diatoms due to the low nutrient (N and P) supply to the photic zone in the EMS. The concentration of silicic acid in the deep water of the western Ionian Sea (6.3 μM) close to the S. Adriatic area of formation was due to the preformed silicic acid (3 μM) plus biogenic silica (BSi) from the dissolution of diatoms from the winter phytoplankton bloom (3.2 μM). The increase of 4.4 μM across the deep water of the EMS was due to silicic acid formed from in-situ diagenetic weathering of alumina-silicate minerals fluxing out of the sediment. The major inputs to the EMS are silicic acid and BSi inflowing from the western Mediterranean (121 × 109 mol Si year−1 silicic acid and 16 × 109 mol Si year−1 BSi), silicic acid fluxing from the sediment (54 × 109 mol Si year−1), riverine (27 × 109 mol Si year−1) and subterranean ground water (9.7 × 109 mol Si year−1) inputs, with only a minor direct input from dissolution of dust in the water column (1 × 109 mol Si year−1). This budget shows the importance of rapidly dissolving BSi and in-situ weathering of alumino-silicate minerals as sources of silica to balance the net export of silicic acid at the Straits of Sicily. Future measurements to improve the accuracy of this preliminary budget have been identified.
Formulation, calibration and validation of the DAIS model (version 1), a simple Antarctic Ice Sheet model sensitive to variations of sea level and ocean subsurface temperature
Authors: Shaffer G.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. The Dcess Antarctic Ice Sheet (DAIS) model is presented. Model hindcasts of Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) sea level equivalent are forced by reconstructed Antarctic temperatures, global mean sea level and high-latitude, subsurface ocean temperatures, the latter calculated using the Danish Center for Earth System Science (DCESS) Earth System Model forced by reconstructed global mean atmospheric temperatures. The model is calibrated by comparing such hindcasts for different model configurations with paleoreconstructions of AIS sea level equivalent from the last interglacial, the last glacial maximum and the mid-Holocene. The calibrated model is then validated against present estimates of the rate of AIS ice loss. It is found that a high-order dependency of ice flow at the grounding line on water depth there is needed to capture the observed response of the AIS at ice age terminations. Furthermore it is found that a dependency of this ice flow on ocean subsurface temperature by way of ice shelf demise and a resulting buttressing decrease is needed to explain the contribution of the AIS to global mean sea level rise at the last interglacial. When forced and calibrated in this way, model hindcasts of the rate of present day AIS ice loss agree with recent, data-based estimates of this ice loss rate.
Biochar increases plant available water in a sandy soil under an aerobic rice cropping system
Authors: de Melo Carvalho M. T. , de Holanda Nunes Maia A. , Madari B. E. , Bastiaans L. , van Oort P. A. J. , Heinemann A. B. , Soler da Silva M. A. , Petter F. A. , Meinke H.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. The main objective of this study was to assess the impact of biochar rate (0, 8, 16 and 32 t ha−1) on the water retention capacity (WRC) of a sandy Dystric Plinthosol. The applied biochar was a by-product of slow pyrolysis (∼450 °C) of eucalyptus wood, milled to pass through a 2000 μm sieve that resulted in a material with an intrinsic porosity ≤10 μm and a specific surface area of ∼3.2 m2 g−1. The biochar was incorporated into the top 15 cm of the soil under an aerobic rice system. Our study focused on both the effects on WRC and rice yields at 2 and 3 years after application. Undisturbed soil samples were collected from 16 plots in two soil layers (5–10 and 15–20 cm). Soil water retention curves were modelled using a nonlinear mixed model which appropriately accounts for uncertainties inherent of spatial variability and repeated measurements taken within a specific soil sample. We found an increase in plant available water in the upper soil layer proportional to the rate of biochar, with about 0.8% for each t ha−1 of biochar amendment at 2 and 3 years after application. The impact of biochar on soil WRC was most likely related to an increase in overall porosity of the sandy soil, which was evident from an increase in saturated soil moisture and macro porosity with 0.5% and 1.6% for each t ha−1 of biochar applied, respectively. The increment in soil WRC did not translate into an increase in rice yield, essentially because in both seasons the amount of rainfall during critical period for rice production exceeded 650 mm. The use of biochar as a soil amendment can be a worthy strategy to guarantee yield stability under water limited conditions. Our findings raise the importance of assessing the feasibility of very high application rates of biochar and the inclusion of a detailed analysis of its physical and chemical properties as part of future investigations.
Empirical sea ice thickness retrieval during the freeze-up period from SMOS high incident angle observations
Authors: Huntemann M. , Heygster G. , Kaleschke L. , Krumpen T. , Mäkynen M. , Drusch M.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. Sea ice thickness information is important for sea ice modelling and ship operations. Here a method to detect the thickness of sea ice up to 50 cm during the freeze-up season based on high incidence angle observations of the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite working at 1.4 GHz is suggested. By comparison of thermodynamic ice growth data with SMOS brightness temperatures, a high correlation to intensity and an anticorrelation to the difference between vertically and horizontally polarised brightness temperatures at incidence angles between 40 and 50° are found and used to develop an empirical retrieval algorithm sensitive to thin sea ice up to 50 cm thickness. The algorithm shows high correlation with ice thickness data from airborne measurements and reasonable ice thickness patterns for the Arctic freeze-up period.
Decadal trends in the Antarctic sea ice extent ultimately controlled by ice–ocean feedback
Authors: Goosse H. , Zunz V.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. The large natural variability of the Antarctic sea ice is a key characteristic of the system that might be responsible for the small positive trend in sea ice extent observed since 1979. In order to gain insight of the processes responsible for this variability, we have analysed in a control simulation performed with a coupled climate model a positive ice–ocean feedback that amplifies sea ice variations. When sea ice concentration increases in a region, in particular close to the ice edge, the mixed layer depth tends to decrease. This can be caused by a net inflow of ice, and thus of freshwater, that stabilizes the water column. A second stabilizing mechanism at interannual timescales is associated with the downward salt transport due to the seasonal cycle of ice formation: brine is released in winter and mixed over a deep layer while the freshwater flux caused by ice melting is included in a shallow layer, resulting in a net vertical transport of salt. Because of this stronger stratification due to the presence of sea ice, more heat is stored at depth in the ocean and the vertical oceanic heat flux is reduced, which contributes to maintaining a higher ice extent. This positive feedback is not associated with a particular spatial pattern. Consequently, the spatial distribution of the trend in ice concentration is largely imposed by the wind changes that can provide the initial perturbation. A positive freshwater flux could alternatively be the initial trigger but the amplitude of the final response of the sea ice extent is finally set up by the amplification related to the ice–ocean feedback. Initial conditions also have an influence as the chance to have a large increase in ice extent is higher if starting from a state characterized by a low value.