bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Matching the Best Viewing Angle in Depth Cameras for Biomass Estimation Based on Poplar Seedling Geometry
Authors: Andújar Dionisio , Fernández-Quintanilla César , Dorado José
Published: June 2015

In energy crops for biomass production a proper plant structure is important to optimize wood yields. A precise crop characterization in early stages may contribute to the choice of proper cropping techniques. This study assesses the potential of the Microsoft Kinect for Windows v.1 sensor to determine the best viewing angle of the sensor to estimate the plant biomass based on poplar seedling geometry. Kinect Fusion algorithms were used to generate a 3D point cloud from the depth video stream. The sensor was mounted in different positions facing the tree in order to obtain depth (RGB-D) images from different angles. Individuals of two different ages, e.g., one month and one year old, were scanned. Four different viewing angles were compared: top view (0°), 45° downwards view, front view (90°) and ground upwards view (−45°). The ground-truth used to validate the sensor readings consisted of a destructive sampling in which the height, leaf area and biomass (dry weight basis) were measured in each individual plant. The depth image models agreed well with 45°, 90° and −45° measurements in one-year poplar trees. Good correlations (0.88 to 0.92) between dry biomass and the area measured with the Kinect were found. In addition, plant height was accurately estimated with a few centimeters error. The comparison between different viewing angles revealed that top views showed poorer results due to the fact the top leaves occluded the rest of the tree. However, the other views led to good results. Conversely, small poplars showed better correlations with actual parameters from the top view (0°). Therefore, although the Microsoft Kinect for Windows v.1 sensor provides good opportunities for biomass estimation, the viewing angle must be chosen taking into account the developmental stage of the crop and the desired parameters. The results of this study indicate that Kinect is a promising tool for a rapid canopy characterization, i.e., for estimating crop biomass production, with several important advantages: low cost, low power needs and a high frame rate (frames per second) when dynamic measurements are required.
QD-Based FRET Probes at a Glance
Authors: Shamirian Armen , Ghai Aashima , Snee Preston
Published: June 2015

The unique optoelectronic properties of quantum dots (QDs) give them significant advantages over traditional organic dyes, not only as fluorescent labels for bioimaging, but also as emissive sensing probes. QD sensors that function via manipulation of fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET) are of special interest due to the multiple response mechanisms that may be utilized, which in turn imparts enhanced flexibility in their design. They may also function as ratiometric, or “color-changing” probes. In this review, we describe the fundamentals of FRET and provide examples of QD-FRET sensors as grouped by their response mechanisms such as link cleavage and structural rearrangement. An overview of early works, recent advances, and various models of QD-FRET sensors for the measurement of pH and oxygen, as well as the presence of metal ions and proteins such as enzymes, are also provided.
Using a Smart City IoT to Incentivise and Target Shifts in Mobility Behaviour—Is It a Piece of Pie?
Authors: Poslad Stefan , Ma Athen , Wang Zhenchen , Mei Haibo
Published: June 2015

Whilst there is an increasing capability to instrument smart cities using fixed and mobile sensors to produce the big data to better understand and manage transportation use, there still exists a wide gap between the sustainability goals of smart cities, e.g., to promote less private car use at peak times, with respect to their ability to more dynamically support individualised shifts in multi-modal transportation use to help achieve such goals. We describe the development of the tripzoom system developed as part of the SUNSET—SUstainable social Network SErvices for Transport—project to research and develop a mobile and fixed traffic sensor system to help facilitate individual mobility shifts. Its main novelty was its ability to use mobile sensors to classify common multiple urban transportation modes, to generate information-rich individual and group mobility profiles and to couple this with the use of a targeted incentivised marketplace to gamify travel. This helps to promote mobility shifts towards achieving sustainability goals. This system was trialled in three European country cities operated as Living Labs over six months. Our main findings were that we were able to accomplish a level of behavioural shifts in travel behaviour. Hence, we have provided a proof-of-concept system that uses positive incentives to change individual travel behaviour.
Fitting the Stocking Rate with Pastoral Resources to Manage and Preserve Mediterranean Forestlands: A Case Study
Authors: Bianchetto Elisa , Buscemi Ivan , Corona Piermaria , Giardina Giovanni , La Mantia Tommaso , Pasta Salvatore
Published: June 2015

Pasture practices have affected Mediterranean forest ecosystems for millennia, and they are still quite widespread in mountainous areas. Nevertheless, in the last decades, the stability of forest ecosystems has been jeopardized due to the abandonment of traditional agro-pastoral practices, so that the gradual reduction of open areas due to progressive succession processes has caused a high increase of grazing pressure by livestock and wild ungulates feeding on forest areas. This paper aims at showing a methodological approach for evaluating the effect of applying measures in order to improve the grazing value of grasslands and ecotonal patches and lower the grazing impact on native woodlands. A protected area in Sicily (Italy) is considered as a representative case study. The analysis of remotely sensed imagery and several field surveys enabled to identify and map six different land use units subject to grazing, i.e., (1) forests; (2) grasslands (pastures dominated by palatable herbs and grasses); (3) overgrazed grasslands (dominated by poisonous and/or thorny herbs and forbs, not palatable); (4) encroached pastures; (5) roadside firebreaks (dominated by palatable herbs) with no shrubs; and (6) wooded/ encroached roadside firebreaks. Several data were collected through sample plots selected within each land use unit, in order to assess their pastoral value. These data have been used to define current and optimal animal stock rates aiming at addressing pasture management planning towards a sustainable use of forestland and shrubland.
Hydrogen Peroxide Induce Human Cytomegalovirus Replication through the Activation of p38-MAPK Signaling Pathway
Authors: Xiao Jun , Deng Jiang , Lv Liping , Kang Qiong , Ma Ping , Yan Fan , Song Xin , Gao Bo , Zhang Yanyu , Xu Jinbo
Published: June 2015

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a major risk factor in transplantation and AIDS patients, which induces high morbidity and mortality. These patients infected with HCMV experience an imbalance of redox homeostasis that cause accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at the cellular level. H2O2, the most common reactive oxygen species, is the main byproduct of oxidative metabolism. However, the function of H2O2 on HCMV infection is not yet fully understood and the effect and mechanism of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on H2O2-stimulated HCMV replication is unclear. We, therefore, examined the effect of NAC on H2O2-induced HCMV production in human foreskin fibroblast cells. In the present study, we found that H2O2 enhanced HCMV lytic replication through promoting major immediate early (MIE) promoter activity and immediate early (IE) gene transcription. Conversely, NAC inhibited H2O2-upregulated viral IE gene expression and viral replication. The suppressive effect of NAC on CMV in an acute CMV-infected mouse model also showed a relationship between antioxidants and viral lytic replication. Intriguingly, the enhancement of HCMV replication via supplementation with H2O2 was accompanied with the activation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Similar to NAC, the p38 inhibitor SB203580 inhibited H2O2-induced p38 phosphorylation and HCMV upregulation, while upregulation of inducible ROS was unaffected. These results directly relate HCMV replication to H2O2, suggesting that treatment with antioxidants may be an attractive preventive and therapeutic strategy for HCMV.
Agriculture industrielle et agriculture industrialisée (Industrial agriculture and industrialized agriculture)
Authors: Diry Jean-Paul
Published: June 2015

Résumé. - De nombreuses exploitations agricoles sont aujourd'hui considérées comme «industrielles». L'article dénonce remploi abusif de ce qualificatif qui devrait être réservé à certains cas exceptionnels, et établit la distinction entre une agriculture «industrielle » (ayant les caractères de l'industrie) et une agriculture «industrialisée » (qui entretient des rapports étroits avec l'«amont» et l'«aval» industriel, mais reste d'essence familiale).
Le remodelage de la géographie des I.A.A. en France (Change in settlement of agricultural produce processing industries in France)
Authors: Vergneau Gustave
Published: June 2015

Résumé. - Depuis 1980 l'emploi régresse très légèrement en France dans les industries de transformation des produits agricoles mais la répartition spatiale se modifie constamment. Les régions de production et de consommation présentent des évolutions distinctes. La nature des produits agricoles influe sur cette différenciation. La localisation des établissements résulte parfois de négociations entre les chefs d'entreprises et les pouvoirs territoriaux.
Un programme de recherche interdisciplinaire sur les îles du Ponant (An interdisciplinary program of research in the Ponant islands)
Authors: Brigand Louis
Published: June 2015

Résumé. - L'étude des changements écologiques, économiques et sociologiques dans les îles du Ponant correspond à un programme de recherche interdisciplinaire en cours depuis 1983. L'auteur présente un résumé des conclusions relatives aux différents thèmes qui ont été étudiés durant la première phase de recherche (1983-1986) et des nouvelles perspectives de recherche poursuivies pour la période 1986-1989.
Hepatic Decompensation with Sofosbuvir plus Simeprevir in a Patient with Child–Pugh B Compensated Cirrhosis
Authors: Soriano Vincent , Barreiro Pablo , De Mendoza Carmen , Peña José M
Published: June 2015

A 75-year-old male with compensated Child–Pugh B cirrhosis initiated sofosbuvir plus simeprevir, and developed hepatic decompensation and died a few days thereafter. High exposure to simeprevir leading to hepatotoxicity most likely explained this fatal outcome. This observation, along with similar cases recently reported in the literature, should raise awareness of the potential for decompensation in patients with advanced cirrhosis treated with simeprevir.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, entre Ciel et Terre
Authors: Giard Luce
Published: June 2015

Malgré la censure et les difficultés, Teilhard de Chardin n’a jamais renoncé à sa vocation de jésuite, ni à celle de scientifique. Une vie nourrie par sa foi en Dieu et dans le monde, fidèle au « devoir d’intelligence » et mieux (re)connue depuis le concile Vatican II.
Les enfants de Freud : propos sur le refoulement et le clivage
Authors: Kupermann Daniel , Ingratta Giliane
Published: June 2015

Dans les premiers temps de l’expérience freudienne, lorsque l’enfant représentait le sexuel refoulé, l’interprétation constituait l’expression maximale du savoir inconscient. Avec la perception des limites de l’interprétation, par la formulation du concept de perlaboration, il s’est produit un déplacement du savoir interprétatif au profit de l’accueil des régressions des analysants et du jeu partagé. La figure de l’enfant traumatisé e de la clivage jouerait dès lors le premier rôle.
Parental Investment in Early Childhood
Authors: Dhouha Hajali
Published: June 2015

This paper aims to assess and estimate parental investment in children in four activities: education, health, leisure and nurture. The author first analyzes constructed composite scores and observed similarity for parental investment in health and differences in the other activities but the investment level is little enough. The author next provides new empirical evidence to shed light on the relationship between the level of parental investment and characteristics of the child, the mother and the household. Using Poisson and Negative Binominal regression models on household micro-data, the author finds good investment level in health but weak in education and almost unawareness of leisure and recreation. The education is linked to mothers' attitude and the household lifestyle is slightly valuable for the Center-Eastern area and the capital city. On the contrary, nurture activity is not linked to the lifestyle and exhibit regional differences. Moreover, households in the East of the country are more investing then those in the west.
Simulation of Skulduggery in a Multi-Agent System
Authors: Ramezanian Rasoul , Emdadi Akram
Published: June 2015

In a testing session, students may want to use the information of other students, which is cheating. The authors of this paper develop an artificial society to model and simulate this situation. They consider two control factors to increase the incentive of students to not cheat. The first factor is the penalty for similarity between responses (as much as two answer-sheets of two students are the same, their final grades decrease). The second factor is the observers who look into the students and do not allow the observed students to cheat. In this model, agents participate in a test based on their level of knowledge, location and two above factors, deciding whether or not to cheat. These components are used to formulate the utility function. Taking advantage of the developed artificial society, the authors now study the above factors affecting the amount of cheating in a test session.
Integrating International Video Chat into the Foreign Language Curriculum
Authors: Lewis Tasha N. , Schneider Holly
Published: June 2015

This article is a description of face-to-face real-time international virtual language exchanges that have been integrated into first and second year Spanish courses at the university level. The focus of this article is to explain the origins of the virtual language exchange, its implementation into the program-wide curriculum, its effect on students, and to explain in detail how a session operates. The success of the virtual language exchange program is evident based on an analysis of video captured dialogues, coordinator and facilitator observations of the program, as well as participant feedback about the experience. The content and methodology of this article are adaptable to any second/foreign language course.
Towards Creative Smart Learning Environments
Authors: Catala Alejandro , Jaen Javier , Pons Patricia , Garcia-Sanjuan Fernando
Published: June 2015

The creation of artefacts and entities to be used in simulated worlds and games has been used in practice to foster creativity in informal activities. Motivational issues and entertainment have therefore been combined along with creative tasks. The systems with higher complexity and more creative capabilities are usually based on WIMP interfaces, which negatively impact on the role of collaboration and active participation. This paper summarizes the main findings and the authors' experiences in the project CreateWorlds, which relies on an interactive tabletop interface in order to support the creation of 2D games. Finally, the paper discusses some key challenges that will have to be addressed to support creative smart learning environments in the future.
Multi-View Meets Average Linkage
Authors: Ravoori Divya Teja , Chen Zhengxin
Published: June 2015

Inspired by the success of a recently developed algorithm MVSC-IR, the authors embed the idea of Multi-Viewpoint Based Similarity Measure for clustering (MVSC) into a hierarchical clustering method, i.e., average linkage clustering, to overcome the problem of initiation with random seeds, resulting in a new algorithm, referred to as MVSC-HAC. The improved performance of this new algorithm encouraged us to further explore the impact of metadata in document clustering. In this paper, after reviewing two existing algorithms, the authors describe their new algorithm and present experimental results on various sizes of data sets at two different levels: the one using the entire context of documents and the one using existing meta tags of the documents. The result shows MVSC-HAC excels at both levels. The authors analyze the results, and provide a discussion based on other observation on the role of metadata in document clustering.
Effectiveness of Visualization for Information Retrieval through Ontologies with Entity Evolution
Authors: Katifori Akrivi , Vassilakis Costas , Lepouras George , Torou Elena
Published: June 2015

Incorporating digital tools in the business and scientific research workflows is at the moment an on-going process, challenging and demanding as every domain has its own needs in terms of data models and information retrieval methods. The information in some domains involves entity evolution, a characteristic that introduces additional tasks, such as finding all evolution stages of an entity, and poses additional requirements for the information retrieval process. In this paper, we present a user study aiming to investigate how the different aspects of ontology modelling affect the performance and effectiveness of users regarding information retrieval tasks that are carried out using visualization methods. The results of the user study are analyzed and guidelines for ontology design are offered.
Impacts of insect outbreaks on tree mortality, productivity, and stand development
Authors: MacLean David A.
Published: June 2015

The impacts of insect outbreaks on tree mortality, productivity, and stand development in Canada are reviewed, emphasising spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana(Clemens), Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosaeHopkins, Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Reduced growth and survival are a function of insect population and defoliation level. It is feasible to make short-term (annual) predictions of insect population and defoliation based upon sampling, but long-term, multi-year predictions are problematic. Given the historical record, it is expected that outbreaks will occur with relatively predictable frequency and basic host relationships and abiotic constraints will not change dramatically. However, the precision of predictions at fine scales is variable and reduced over time. Relationships between tree growth reduction, survival, and cumulative defoliation or beetle population level are available for major insect species. Understanding insect outbreak effects hinges on mortality, changes in interspecies competition, regeneration, and succession. Altered stand dynamics caused by insects can be interpreted for indicators such as wildlife habitat, old forest, riparian buffer cover, viewscapes, and connectivity. Anthropogenic changes are altering impacts via range expansions, northward shifts, and changes in forest composition. We can better understand effects of insect outbreaks and how best to ameliorate damage through a combination of empirical permanent plot studies, modelling, and manipulative experiments.
B Lymphocytes Are Required during the Early Priming of CD4+ T Cells for Clearance of Pneumocystis Infection in Mice
Authors: Opata Michael M. , Hollifield Melissa L. , Lund Frances E. , Randall Troy D. , Dunn Robert , Garvy Beth A. , Feola David J.
Published: June 2015

B cells play a critical role in the clearance of Pneumocystis. In addition to production of Pneumocystis-specific Abs, B cells are required during the priming phase for CD4+ T cells to expand normally and generate memory. Clearance of Pneumocystis was found to be dependent on Ag specific B cells and on the ability of B cells to secrete Pneumocystis-specific Ab, as mice with B cells defective in these functions or with a restricted BCR were unable to control Pneumocystis infection. Because Pneumocystis-specific antiserum was only able to partially protect B cell–deficient mice from infection, we hypothesized that optimal T cell priming requires fully functional B cells. Using adoptive transfer and B cell depletion strategies, we determined that optimal priming of CD4+ T cells requires B cells during the first 2–3 d of infection and that this was independent of the production of Ab. T cells that were removed from Pneumocystis-infected mice during the priming phase were fully functional and able to clear Pneumocystis infection upon adoptive transfer into Rag1−/− hosts, but this effect was ablated in mice that lacked fully functional B cells. Our results indicate that T cell priming requires a complete environment of Ag presentation and activation signals to become fully functional in this model of Pneumocystis infection.
The emergence of the Black Methodist Consultation and its possible prophetic voice in post-apartheid South Africa
Authors: Mtshiselwa Ndikho
Published: June 2015

Racism is an issue which the activism of the Black Methodist Consultation (BMC) was set to address during the South African apartheid rule, a view which black theologians and church historians generally accept. This observation brought to mind, in turn, the influence that the Black Consciousness philosophy and the black theology of liberation had on the establishment of the BMC. Recounting such an influence, this article provides a reflection on the formation of the BMC in 1975. In such a reflection, the hypothesis is that the prophetic voice of the BMC is crucial in post-apartheid South Africa. Firstly, the interconnectedness of the Black Consciousness philosophy, the black theology of liberation and the BMC is highlighted. Secondly, the article proceeds to navigate the possible prophetic voice of the BMC in post- apartheid South Africa. In the end, this article sees the BMC as a crucial interlocutor of liberation in present South Africa.
Pre-interventional assessment and calcification score of the aortic valve and annulus, with multi-detector CT, in transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) using the Medtronic CoreValve
Authors: Reinders Antoinette , De Vries Coert S. , Joubert G.
Published: June 2015

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) provides an acceptable alternative for aortic valve replacement in the elderly, but needs accurate pre-procedural imaging to optimise intervention. Objectives: To evaluate an alternative manual aortic valve calcification scoring system with computed tomography, for patients undergoing TAVI. We hypothesise a correlation between the Free State aortic valve calcium computed tomography score (FACTS) scoring system, valve plaque density and procedure-related complications. Methods: Twenty patients suitable for TAVI were selected according to standard international guidelines and received multimodality imaging prior to intervention. Images were reviewed by two reviewers who were blinded to each other’s scores. Where large inter-individual score variations existed, retraining was done and scores repeated, using a double-blinded method. Matched scores were included in the final analysis. Rosenhek calcification scores were used as a standard of reference. Results: The study comprised 9 (45%) men and 11 (55%) women, with a median age of 83.5 years. Median EuroSCORE was 15.5. FACTS scores ≥6 were associated with the presence of a paravalvular leak (p = 0.01). Procedure-related complications (left bundle branch block, repositioning of the valve and anaemia) were seen in patients with plaques measuring ≥1000 HU (p = 0.07). Conclusion: The FACTS score and averaged valve plaque HU showed potential for predicting a paravalvular leak and procedure-related complications, and could be valuable in the future for optimising patient selection for TAVI.
Numerical Simulation of Melting with Natural Convection Based on Lattice Boltzmann Method and Performed with CUDA Enabled GPU
Authors: Gong Wei , Johannes Kévyn , Kuznik Frédéric
Published: June 2015

A new solver is developed to numerically simulate the melting phase change with natural convection. This solver was implemented on a single Nvidia GPU based on the CUDA technology in order to simulate the melting phase change in a 2D rectangular enclosure. The Rayleigh number is of the order of magnitude of 108and Prandlt is 50. The hybrid thermal lattice Boltzmann method (HTLBM) is employed to simulate the natural convection in the liquid phase, and the enthalpy formulation is used to simulate the phase change aspect. The model is validated by experimental data and published analytic results. The simulation results manifest a strong convection in the melted phase and a different flow pattern from the reference results with low Rayleigh number. In addition, the computational performance is estimated for single precision arithmetic, and this solver yields 703.31MLUPS and 61.89GB/s device to device data throughput on a Nvidia Tesla C2050 GPU.
Photochemical processing of aqueous atmospheric brown carbon
Authors: Zhao R. , Lee A. K. Y. , Huang L. , Li X. , Yang F. , Abbatt J. P. D.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. Atmospheric brown carbon (BrC) is a collective term for light absorbing organic compounds in the atmosphere. While the identification of BrC and its formation mechanisms is currently a central effort in the community, little is known about the atmospheric removal processes of aerosol BrC. As a result, we report on a series of laboratory studies of photochemical processing of BrC in the aqueous phase, by direct photolysis and OH oxidation. Solutions of ammonium sulfate mixed with glyoxal (GLYAS) or methylglyoxal (MGAS) are used as surrogates for a class of secondary BrC mediated by imine intermediates. Three nitrophenol species, namely 4-nitrophenol, 5-nitroguaiacol and 4-nitrocatechol, were investigated as a class of water-soluble BrC originating from biomass burning. Photochemical processing induced significant changes in the absorptive properties of BrC. The imine-mediated BrC solutions exhibited rapid photo-bleaching with both direct photolysis and OH oxidation, with atmospheric half-lives of minutes to a few hours. The nitrophenol species exhibited photo-enhancement in the visible range during direct photolysis and the onset of OH oxidation, but rapid photo-bleaching was induced by further OH exposure on an atmospheric timescale of an hour or less. To illustrate the atmospheric relevance of this work, we also performed direct photolysis experiments on water-soluble organic carbon extracted from biofuel combustion samples and observed rapid changes in the optical properties of these samples as well. Overall, these experiments indicate that atmospheric models need to incorporate representations of atmospheric processing of BrC species to accurately model their radiative impacts.
Inter-comparison of laboratory smog chamber and flow reactor systems on organic aerosol yield and composition
Authors: Bruns E. A. , El Haddad I. , Keller A. , Klein F. , Kumar N. K. , Pieber S. M. , Corbin J. C. , Slowik J. G. , Brune W. H. , Baltensperger U. , Prévôt A. S. H.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. A variety of tools are used to simulate atmospheric aging, including smog chambers and flow reactors. Traditional, large-scale smog chambers age emissions over the course of hours to days, whereas flow reactors rapidly age emissions using high oxidant concentrations to reach higher degrees of oxygenation than typically attained in smog chamber experiments. The atmospheric relevance of the products generated under such rapid oxidation warrants further study. However, no previously published studies have compared the yields and chemical composition of products generated in flow reactors and smog chambers from the same starting mixture. The yields and composition of the organic aerosol formed from the photo-oxidation of α-pinene and of wood-combustion emissions in a smog chamber (SC) and two flow reactors: a potential aerosol mass reactor (PAM) and a micro-smog chamber (MSC), were determined using aerosol mass spectrometry. Reactants were sampled from the SC and aged in the MSC and the PAM using a range of hydroxyl radical (OH) concentrations and then photo-chemically aged in the SC. The chemical composition, as well as the maximum yields and emission factors, of the products in both the α-pinene and wood-combustion systems determined with the PAM and the SC agreed reasonably well. High OH exposures have been shown previously to lower yields by breaking carbon–carbon bonds and forming higher volatility species, which reside largely in the gas phase; however, fragmentation in the PAM was not observed. The yields determined using the PAM for the α-pinene system were slightly lower than in the SC, possibly from increased wall losses of gas phase species due to the higher surface area to volume ratios in the PAM, even when offset with better isolation of the sampled flow from the walls. The α-pinene SOA results for the MSC were not directly comparable, as particles were smaller than the optimal AMS transmission range. The higher supersaturation in the flow reactors resulted in more nucleation than in the SC. For the wood-combustion system, emission factors measured from the MSC were typically lower than those measured from the SC. Lower emission factors in the MSC may have been due to considerable nucleation mode particles formed in the MSC which were not detected by the AMS or due to condensational loss of gases to the walls inside or after the MSC. More comprehensive coverage of the potential particle size range is needed in future SOA measurements to improve our understanding of the differences in yields when comparing the MSC to the SC. The PAM and the SC agreed within measurement uncertainties in terms of yields and composition for the systems and conditions studied here and this agreement supports the continued use of the PAM to study atmospheric aging.
Decadal-scale soil redistribution along hillslopes in the Mojave Desert
Authors: Crouvi O. , Polyakov V. O. , Pelletier J. D. , Rasmussen C.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. This study estimates the relative magnitude of decadal-scale soil redistribution (i.e., soil loss or gain) by slope wash using 137Cs inventories measured in 46 soil profiles at four study sites in the Ft. Irwin area of the Mojave Desert of California, USA. The variability in 137Cs inventories on a <5 m scale suggests that even for the same topographic position, there is large variation in runoff generation and flow continuity. Smaller average 137Cs inventories that are suggestive of higher relative erosion rates are associated with more gently sloping sites that have a lower percentage of surficial rock-fragment and vegetation coverage. Individual 137Cs inventories from all four sites are positively correlated with the percentage of rock fragments in the upper soil profile. The increase in rock-fragment cover (i.e., soil armoring) with increasing slope gradient appears to negate any potential increase in transport effectiveness with increasing slope steepness. This armoring, together with the sandy-loam soil texture characteristic of steeper slopes, hinders runoff and slope-wash erosion. Our findings are supported by soil data that suggest that these patterns are persistent for longer timescales (i.e., centuries and millennia).
Modelling survival and connectivity of Mnemiopsis leidyi in the south-western North Sea and Scheldt estuaries
Authors: van der Molen J. , van Beek J. , Augustine S. , Vansteenbrugge L. , van Walraven L. , Langenberg V. , van der Veer H. W. , Hostens K. , Pitois S. , Robbens J.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. Three different models were applied to study the reproduction, survival and dispersal of Mnemiopsis leidyi in the Scheldt estuaries and the southern North Sea: a high-resolution particle tracking model with passive particles, a low-resolution particle tracking model with a reproduction model coupled to a biogeochemical model, and a dynamic energy budget (DEB) model. The results of the models, each with its strengths and weaknesses, suggest the following conceptual situation: (i) the estuaries possess enough retention capability to keep an overwintering population, and enough exchange with coastal waters of the North Sea to seed offshore populations; (ii) M. leidyi can survive in the North Sea, and be transported over considerable distances, thus facilitating connectivity between coastal embayments; (iii) under current climatic conditions, M. leidyi may not be able to reproduce in large numbers in coastal and offshore waters of the North Sea, but this may change with global warming; however, this result is subject to substantial uncertainty. Further quantitative observational work is needed on the effects of temperature, salinity and food availability on reproduction and on mortality at different life stages to improve models such as used here.
Toward a Practice of Stoic Pragmatism
Authors: Miller Steven A.
Published: June 2015

Despite broad influence on the history of philosophy, Stoicism has lain long dormant as a practical philosophy. Of late, however, some have sought to modernize Stoicism for the contemporary world.1 It has found success in the military, as Stockdale and Sherman report. While the promise of tranquility through reason and self-discipline presents an appealing vision in emotional times, some tenets of Stoicism cannot gain purchase among society at large: predetermination, absolute morality at all times, and the idea of a non-relational conception of virtue sound dated to a modern audience, particularly Americans.
Recognizing the Epistemic Role of Experience in Ethics: Reflections Inspired by Putnam, McDowell, Wittgenstein, and Dewey
Authors: Tumulty Peter J.
Published: June 2015

Standard, or ordinary, modern philosophy, with its inadequately examined assumption of what amounts to a Cartesian-inspired epistemological stance accompanied today with materialist reductionist patterns of seeing and thinking, presents significant obstacles to recognizing the cognitive force of the diverse experiences that arise within and are made possible by our need and interest-based practices whose roots lie in our bio-social nature.1 This denial of epistemic value to experience has negative consequences in general but particularly for understanding the ethical dimension of our lives, not the least being learning what is required to foster our ethical maturation in a pluralistic world.
The Spirit of Capitalism and the Caribbean Slave Trade
Authors: Stikkers Kenneth W.
Published: June 2015

capitalist proponents and orthodox Marxists alike tend to agree that capitalism entails a significant break from systems of chattel slavery: both claim that there is a significant, substantive difference between a system that commands and oppresses labor directly and one that commands labor indirectly through the private ownership of capital, although Marxists would deny that the latter is any less oppressive that the former. Apologists for capitalism commonly claim that the rise of that system ended slavery and that the overthrow of slavery by “free labor” is the clearest evidence of capitalism’s moral superiority over other economic systems. Orthodox Marxists, such as Eugene Genovese, concur that slavery in the Americas was “precapitalist,”(45) and that capitalism brought it to an end, although they would maintain more continuities between the two systems than capitalism’s defenders would admit, and deny any moral advantage to “wage slavery” over chattel slavery. Defenders of capitalism are wrong on this matter for several reasons, but what I wish to focus upon in this paper is how a Weberian understanding of capitalism as a “spirit” or ethos, rather than in terms of a set of economic institutions and practices, demonstrates how the Caribbean slave trade was an early manifestation of capitalism rather than its antithesis.
“I” Who? A New Look at Peirce’s Theory of Indexical Self-Reference
Authors: Stango Marco
Published: June 2015

The aim of this article is to address the problem of what is usually called “self-consciousness” by studying Charles S. Peirce’s semeiotic treatment of self-referential statements. Peirce believes that an adequate study of the mind requires “to reduce all mental action,” including “self-consciousness,” “to the formula of valid reasoning” (W 2:214, EP 1:30, 5:267, 1868) and its semeiotic nature. While Peirce makes frequent use of the notion of “consciousness,” he is at the same time distant from the understanding of the “conscious mind” that Descartes invented and made canonical (e.g., W 1:491, 1866), and which from the modern epoch stretches out to the contemporary discussion on, as David Chalmers put it, the “hard problem” of the mind. In what follows, I argue that Peirce puts forth a powerful theory of self-consciousness based on his semeiotic understanding of self-reference and indexicality. To the question, “How can we elucidate the phenomenon of self-consciousness?”, we should answer, with Peirce, “What we call self-consciousness corresponds to the practice of narratives and descriptions ultimately based on indexical self-referential statements, which are in turn rooted in very specific dimensions of human experience.” It is also important to underscore from the outset that the problem of indexical self-reference cannot be separated from Peirce’s concept of experience, which is one of the most interesting insights of Peirce’s philosophy and classical American pragmatism. In particular, it will be essential to see what are the experiential-perceptual conditions under which indexical self-referential statements can work as such.
"I Know What I Am Not" The Problem of the Marginal Self in Gombrowicz’s Novels
Authors: Lutsky Klara
Published: June 2015

Witold Gombrowicz’s undefined characters represent the notion of the self as inauthentic and incomplete, occupying a marginal position between Form and the "true self" of the unconscious. They are unable to resist the imposed mask because they are aware of the fact that they are not capable of opposing a true self-identity to the "mug" imposed on them by others. They stand for the "marginal subjectivity" who is neither totally a victim of "mugs" nor the one who exists without them. Suspended between Form and chaos, their challenge lies in their constant "struggle to be themselves."
Gombrowicz and the Monster
Authors: Mandolessi Silvana
Published: June 2015

It is no coincidence that, together with his best- known novel—Ferdydurke— which placed him as one of the most important Polish Modernism writers, Witold Gombrowicz, around the same period, became involved in the writing of a gothic novel: Opętani (Possessed; or, The secret of Myslotch). Under the pseudonym Z. Niewieski, Gombrowicz serialized Possessed in two Polish daily newspapers from June 6 to August 30, 1939. The German attack on Poland interrupted its publication.
Witold Gombrowicz Diary of a Playwright
Authors: Kuharski Allen J.
Published: June 2015

Witold Gombrowicz’s Diary does not fulfill any of the obvious expectations of such a work by a major playwright. Gombrowicz never attended the performance of his works or collaborated in any way with producers, directors, actors, designers, or composers. As a result, there is a complete dearth of theatrical anecdote in the text, though he expresses profound vindication at the positive critical response in Paris and Stockholm to Ivona, Princess of Burgundia. References to other contemporary playwrights such as Beckett, Brecht, or Weiss are fleeting and superficial. Gombrowicz’s interest in Genet was apparently limited to the novels and [Jean- Paul] Sartre’s critical biography Saint Genet: Comédien et martyr. Virgilio Piñera was one of Gombrowicz’s closest contacts in Buenos Aires and a major presence in the Diary, and he went on to become a prolific and influential playwright in his native Cuba, but their respective interest in playwriting was apparently not a significant part of their relationship. [Henrik] Ibsen receives several respectful mentions, but functions primarily as the author of the kind of plays that Gombrowicz is not interested in writing himself.
Kronos and Literature
Authors: Jarzębski Jerzy
Published: June 2015

The publication of Witold Gombrowicz’s Kronos elicited a range of reactions from its readers: from affirmative to aggressive. The aggressive ranged from civil to brutal and rude. Jerzy Franczak (at the civil end of the spectrum) maintains that Kronos does not teach anything, does not aid the reader, and appears totally unnecessary—it does not pass the test of reading as literature.1 At the other end of the spectrum, expressed mainly in Internet forums, we find that the publication of the book is either a swindle on the part of the publisher (and editors, with me leading the way) or a nail in the coffin of this perverse and depraved writer.
Was Gombrowicz the First Postsecularist?
Authors: Tischner Łukasz
Published: June 2015

In this article, based on my recent book Gombrowicza milczenie o Bogu (Gombrowicz’s silence about God),1 I demonstrate the essence of Witold Gombrowicz’s singularity, as well as the paradox of his attitude with regard to religion. The subject is of interest insofar as the author often passed over it in silence, though it was crucial to his worldview—all the more so in that it allows us to speak of the originality of his thought. Gombrowicz liked to provoke; he would mention his innovation or even his genius, and he regarded himself as a “universal precursor,” who had come before postwar existentialism and structuralism. This was, of course, part of his strategy to spread his fame. The onetime “first of the Structuralists,” as he called himself in an interview with himself in 1967, would have doubtless applauded my attempts to paint him as the first “postsecularist.”
Quand le consommateur devient commerçant : motivations, production d’expérience et perspectives
Authors: Lemaitre Nathalie , de Barnier Virginie
Published: June 2015

Cette recherche s’intéresse aux motivations à la vente d’occasion entre particuliers (C to C). Trois études (focusgroup, entretiens semi-directifs et questionnaire) montrent que les motivations ne sont pas uniquement économiques mais que ce qui donne du sens à la vente d’occasion supplante l’aspect financier : la volonté de s’opposer à la société de consommation (dimension protestataire), celle de retrouver le plaisir de l’échange (dimension récréationnelle) et celle de prolonger la vie des objets (dimension générative). La vente via Internet répond aux motivations économiques tandis que les vide-greniers et vide-dressing répondent davantage à des motivations récréationnelles, protestataires ou génératives.
Analysis and Purification of Synthetic Nucleic Acids Using HPLC
Authors: Sinha Nanda D. , Jung Kyeong Eun
Published: June 2015

Chromatographic methods have been essential tools for analysis and purification of synthetic oligonucleotides since the 1970s. Significant developments in terms of instruments and stationary phases (media) have been made during the past several decades; among the latest are sub‐micron to micron particles for the media, as well as ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). Micron and sub‐micron particles have increased product resolution. Applications of recently developed methods such as IP‐RP‐HPLC and LC‐MS have been discussed for analysis, along with use of various methods for purification. Utilization of UPLC has decreased analysis time, increasing the throughput for analysis. Commonly used methods for analysis and purification of synthetic oligonucleotides have been described in this unit. © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Black carbon aerosol‐induced Northern Hemisphere tropical expansion
Authors: Kovilakam Mahesh , Mahajan Salil
Published: June 2015

Global climate models (GCMs) underestimate the observed trend in tropical expansion. Recent studies partly attribute it to black carbon (BC) aerosols, which are poorly represented in GCMs. We conduct a suite of idealized experiments with the Community Atmosphere Model version 4 coupled to a slab ocean model forced with increasing BC concentrations covering a large swath of the estimated range of current BC radiative forcing while maintaining their spatial distribution. The Northern Hemisphere (NH) tropics expand poleward nearly linearly as BC radiative forcing increases (0.7° W−1 m2), indicating that a realistic representation of BC could reduce GCM biases. We find support for the mechanism where BC‐induced midlatitude tropospheric heating shifts the maximum meridional tropospheric temperature gradient poleward resulting in tropical expansion. We also find that the NH poleward tropical edge is nearly linearly correlated with the location of the Intertropical Convergence Zone, which shifts northward in response to increasing BC.
Thermal and dynamical perturbations in the winter polar mesosphere‐lower thermosphere region associated with sudden stratospheric warmings under conditions of low solar activity
Authors: Lukianova Renata , Kozlovsky Alexander , Shalimov Sergey , Ulich Thomas , Lester Mark
Published: June 2015

The upper mesospheric neutral winds and temperatures have been derived from continuous meteor radar (MR) measurements over Sodankyla, Finland, in 2008–2014. Under conditions of low solar activity pronounced sudden mesospheric coolings linked to the major stratospheric warming (SSW) in 2009 and a medium SSW in 2010 are observed while there is no observed thermal signature of the major SSW in 2013 occurred during the solar maximum. Mesosphere‐ionosphere anomalies observed simultaneously by the MR, the Aura satellite, and the rapid‐run ionosonde during a period of major SSW include the following features. The mesospheric temperature minimum occurs 1 day ahead of the stratospheric maximum, and the mesospheric cooling is almost of the same value as the stratospheric warming (~50 K), the former decay faster than the latter. In the course of SSW, a strong mesospheric wind shear of ~70 m/s/km occurs. The wind turns clockwise (anticlockwise) from north‐eastward (south‐eastward) to south‐westward (north‐westward) above (below) 90 km. As the mesospheric temperature reaches its minimum, the gravity waves (GW) in the ionosphere with periods of 10–60 min decay abruptly while the GWs with longer periods are not affected. The effect is explained by selective filtering and/or increased turbulence near the mesopause.
Intraseasonal SST variations in the South China Sea during boreal winter and impacts of the East Asian winter monsoon
Authors: Wu Renguang , Chen Zhang
Published: June 2015

Present study documents the intraseasonal variability of sea surface temperature (SST) in the South China Sea (SCS) during boreal winter and its association with the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) variability. In northern Tropics, the largest intraseasonal variability of SST during boreal winter is found in the SCS, with two localized regions of large standard deviation, one extending westward from the Luzon Strait and the other extending southward from the coast of central Vietnam. Correspondingly, large intraseasonal variability in surface heat fluxes is observed in the above regions. Analysis shows that the formation of large intraseasonal SST anomalies in these regions is attributed largely to wind‐related surface latent heat flux changes, with supplementary contribution from cloud‐related surface shortwave radiation changes. Wind‐induced Ekman advection has a negative effect, and the Ekman upwelling pattern differs from the intraseasonal SST anomaly pattern. The intraseasonal variations of SST in the SCS display a close association with the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) change with a time lag of 3–5 days. In a weak (strong) phase of the EAWM, decrease (increase) in surface wind speed and suppression (enhancement) in surface latent heat flux lead to intraseasonal SST warming (cooling). This intraseasonal SST signal displays a southward propagation with the SST change in northern SCS leading that in southern SCS by about 2 days. A similar southward propagation is seen in surface wind speed and latent heat flux anomalies. The southward propagation of cloud and shortwave radiation anomalies is limited to northern part of the SCS.