bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The link between atmospheric radicals and newly formed particles at a spruce forest site in Germany
Authors: Bonn B. , Bourtsoukidis E. , Sun T. S. , Bingemer H. , Rondo L. , Javed U. , Li J. , Axinte R. , Li X. , Brauers T. , Sonderfeld H. , Koppmann R. , Sogachev A. , Jacobi S. , Spracklen D. V.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. It has been claimed for more than a century that atmospheric new particle formation is primarily influenced by the presence of sulfuric acid. However, the activation process of sulfuric acid related clusters into detectable particles is still an unresolved topic. In this study we focus on the PARADE campaign measurements conducted during August/September 2011 at Mt Kleiner Feldberg in central Germany. During this campaign a set of radicals, organic and inorganic compounds and oxidants and aerosol properties were measured or calculated. We compared a range of organic and inorganic nucleation theories, evaluating their ability to simulate measured particle formation rates at 3 nm in diameter (J3) for a variety of different conditions. Nucleation mechanisms involving only sulfuric acid tentatively captured the observed noon-time daily maximum in J3, but displayed an increasing difference to J3 measurements during the rest of the diurnal cycle. Including large organic radicals, i.e. organic peroxy radicals (RO2) deriving from monoterpenes and their oxidation products, in the nucleation mechanism improved the correlation between observed and simulated J3. This supports a recently proposed empirical relationship for new particle formation that has been used in global models. However, the best match between theory and measurements for the site of interest was found for an activation process based on large organic peroxy radicals and stabilised Criegee intermediates (sCI). This novel laboratory-derived algorithm simulated the daily pattern and intensity of J3 observed in the ambient data. In this algorithm organic derived radicals are involved in activation and growth and link the formation rate of smallest aerosol particles with OH during daytime and NO3 during night-time. Because the RO2 lifetime is controlled by HO2 and NO we conclude that peroxy radicals and NO seem to play an important role for ambient radical chemistry not only with respect to oxidation capacity but also for the activation process of new particle formation. This is supposed to have significant impact of atmospheric radical species on aerosol chemistry and should be taken into account when studying the impact of new particles in climate feedback cycles.
Implementation of a quality control for Radio Occultation observations in the presence of large gradients of atmospheric refractivity
Authors: Cucurull L.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. In preparation for the launch of the first six satellites of the COSMIC-2 mission in equatorial orbit, and the larger number of observations that such a mission will provide in the lower tropical troposphere, work is underway at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to improve the assimilation of Radio Occultation (RO) observations, particularly in the lower tropical troposphere. As part of the improvement of the bending angle forward operator at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), additional quality controls aimed to detect and reject observations that might have been affected by super-refraction conditions have been implemented and tested. The updated quality control procedures also address the situation where the model detects atmospheric super-refraction conditions. This paper describes the limitations of the current standard quality controls and discusses the implementation of additional quality control procedures to address the limitations of assimilating observations likely affected by the super-refraction conditions, either in the model simulation or in the retrieval process.
Predicting the soil moisture retention curve, from soil particle size distribution and bulk density data using a packing density scaling factor
Authors: Meskini-Vishkaee F. , Mohammadi M. H. , Vanclooster M.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. A substantial number of models predicting the soil moisture characteristic curve (SMC) from particle size distribution (PSD) data underestimate the dry range of the SMC especially in soils with high clay and organic matter contents. In this study, we applied a continuous form of the PSD model to predict the SMC, and subsequently we developed a physically based scaling approach to reduce the model's bias at the dry range of the SMC. The soil particle packing density was considered as a metric of soil structure and used to define a soil particle packing scaling factor. This factor was subsequently integrated in the conceptual SMC prediction model. The model was tested on 82 soils, selected from the UNSODA database. The results show that the scaling approach properly estimates the SMC for all soil samples. In comparison to the original conceptual SMC model without scaling, the scaling approach improves the model estimations on average by 30%. Improvements were particularly significant for the fine- and medium-textured soils. Since the scaling approach is parsimonious and does not rely on additional empirical parameters, we conclude that this approach may be used for estimating SMC at the larger field scale from basic soil data.
Effect of climate change and variability on extreme rainfall intensity–frequency–duration relationships: a case study of Melbourne
Authors: Yilmaz A. G. , Hossain I. , Perera B. J. C.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. The increased frequency and magnitude of extreme rainfall events due to anthropogenic climate change, and decadal and multi-decadal climate variability question the stationary climate assumption. The possible violation of stationarity in climate can cause erroneous estimation of design rainfalls derived from extreme rainfall frequency analysis. This may result in significant consequences for infrastructure and flood protection projects since design rainfalls are essential input for design of these projects. Therefore, there is a need to conduct frequency analysis of extreme rainfall events in the context of non-stationarity, when non-stationarity is present in extreme rainfall events. A methodology consisting of threshold selection, extreme rainfall data (peaks over threshold data) construction, trend and non-stationarity analysis, and stationary and non-stationary generalised Pareto distribution (GPD) models was developed in this paper to investigate trends and non-stationarity in extreme rainfall events, and potential impacts of climate change and variability on intensity–frequency–duration (IFD) relationships. The methodology developed was successfully implemented using rainfall data from an observation station in Melbourne (Australia) for storm durations ranging from 6 min to 72 h. Although statistically significant trends were detected in extreme rainfall data for storm durations of 30 min, 3 h and 48 h, statistical non-stationarity tests and non-stationary GPD models did not indicate non-stationarity for these storm durations and other storm durations. It was also found that the stationary GPD models were capable of fitting extreme rainfall data for all storm durations. Furthermore, the IFD analysis showed that urban flash flood producing hourly rainfall intensities have increased over time.
Early 21st century snow cover state over the western river basins of the Indus River system
Authors: Hasson S. , Lucarini V. , Khan M. R. , Petitta M. , Bolch T. , Gioli G.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. In this paper we assess the snow cover and its dynamics for the western river basins of the Indus River system (IRS) and their sub-basins located in Afghanistan, China, India and Pakistan for the period 2001–2012. First, we validate the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) daily snow products from Terra (MOD10A1) and Aqua (MYD10A1) against the Landsat Thematic Mapper/Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (TM/ETM+) data set, and then improve them for clouds by applying a validated non-spectral cloud removal technique. The improved snow product has been analysed on a seasonal and annual basis against different topographic parameters (aspect, elevation and slope). Our results show a decreasing tendency for the annual average snow cover for the westerlies-influenced basins (upper Indus basin (UIB), Astore, Hunza, Shigar and Shyok) and an increasing tendency for the monsoon-influenced basins (Jhelum, Kabul, Swat and Gilgit). Seasonal average snow cover decreases during winter and autumn, and increases during spring and summer, which is consistent with the observed cooling and warming trends during the respective seasons. Sub-basins at relatively higher latitudes/altitudes show higher variability than basins at lower latitudes/middle altitudes. Northeastern and northwestern aspects feature greater snow cover. The mean end-of-summer regional snow line altitude (SLA) zones range from 3000 to 5000 m a.s.l. for all basins. Our analysis provides an indication of a descending end-of-summer regional SLA zone for most of the studied basins, which is significant for the Shyok and Kabul basins, thus indicating a change in their water resources. Such results are consistent with the observed hydro-climatic data, recently collected local perceptions and glacier mass balances for the investigated period within the UIB. Moreover, our analysis shows a significant correlation between winter season snow cover and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index of the previous autumn. Similarly, the inter-annual variability of spring season snow cover and spring season precipitation explains well the inter-annual variability of the summer season discharge from most of the basins. These findings indicate some potential for the seasonal stream flow forecast in the region, suggesting snow cover as a possible predictor.
Multiobjective sensitivity analysis and optimization of distributed hydrologic model MOBIDIC
Authors: Yang J. , Castelli F. , Chen Y.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. Calibration of distributed hydrologic models usually involves how to deal with the large number of distributed parameters and optimization problems with multiple but often conflicting objectives that arise in a natural fashion. This study presents a multiobjective sensitivity and optimization approach to handle these problems for the MOBIDIC (MOdello di Bilancio Idrologico DIstribuito e Continuo) distributed hydrologic model, which combines two sensitivity analysis techniques (the Morris method and the state-dependent parameter (SDP) method) with multiobjective optimization (MOO) approach ε-NSGAII (Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II). This approach was implemented to calibrate MOBIDIC with its application to the Davidson watershed, North Carolina, with three objective functions, i.e., the standardized root mean square error (SRMSE) of logarithmic transformed discharge, the water balance index, and the mean absolute error of the logarithmic transformed flow duration curve, and its results were compared with those of a single objective optimization (SOO) with the traditional Nelder–Mead simplex algorithm used in MOBIDIC by taking the objective function as the Euclidean norm of these three objectives. Results show that (1) the two sensitivity analysis techniques are effective and efficient for determining the sensitive processes and insensitive parameters: surface runoff and evaporation are very sensitive processes to all three objective functions, while groundwater recession and soil hydraulic conductivity are not sensitive and were excluded in the optimization. (2) Both MOO and SOO lead to acceptable simulations; e.g., for MOO, the average Nash–Sutcliffe value is 0.75 in the calibration period and 0.70 in the validation period. (3) Evaporation and surface runoff show similar importance for watershed water balance, while the contribution of baseflow can be ignored. (4) Compared to SOO, which was dependent on the initial starting location, MOO provides more insight into parameter sensitivity and the conflicting characteristics of these objective functions. Multiobjective sensitivity analysis and optimization provide an alternative way for future MOBIDIC modeling.
Optimal well locations using genetic algorithm for Tushki Project, Western Desert, Egypt
Authors: Khalaf S. , Gad M. I.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. Groundwater depletion is one of the most important problems threaten the national projects in Egypt. The optimal distribution of well locations and pumping rates mitigate this problem. In this paper, a trial to mitigate this problem in Tushki National Project, south western desert, Egypt was carried out via delineating the optimal well locations and optimal pumping rates. The methodology of combination between simulation and optimization techniques was applied. A linked simulation-optimization model for obtaining the optimum management of groundwater flow is used in this research. MODFLOW packages are used to simulate the groundwater flow system. This model is integrated with an optimization model OLGA (Optimal well Location using Genetic Algorithm technique) which is based on the genetic algorithm (GA). Two management cases were considered by running the model in Abu Simbel-Tushki area with adopted steady and transit calibrated parameters. The first case (fixed well location) is found that the optimum value of the objective function (maximum pumping rate). In the second case (flexible well location with the moving well option) locations of wells are to be decided by the OLGA model itself within a user defined region of the model grid until the optimal location is reached. Also, the prediction of the future changes in both head and flow were made in steady and transient states.
Genotyping of non-human primate models: perspectives and challenges for the implementation of the "three R's"
Authors: Haus T. , Prinz K. , Pauling B. , Roos C.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. Although non-human primates (NHPs) represent only a minor fraction of all animals used in biomedical research, there is a continuous effort to further reduce, refine and replace research with NHPs in accordance with the principles of the three R's. Most of the NHP model species are genetically highly diverse, and significant variation occurs among populations of different geographic origins, particularly in macaques. Since such differences can considerably affect the outcome of biomedical experiments, genotyping represents a promising tool to refine research approaches and to reduce the number of NHPs in biomedical research. Accordingly, the European Primate Network (EUPRIM-Net) developed an anonymous online survey to evaluate possibilities and potential hindrances for the application of genotyping in NHP research. On the one hand, our results point to the importance of genetic variation in NHPs and the need to consider the genetic background for future research approaches. On the other hand, our survey identified several hindrances and limiting factors for the application of genotyping and its incorporation in research, primate husbandry and breeding. We provide some fundamental recommendations on how to meet these challenges and how genotyping can be efficiently used to refine NHP research and to reduce the number of NHPs in biomedical research in the long term.
Tracing glacial disintegration from the LIA to the present using a LIDAR-based hi-res glacier inventory
Authors: Fischer A. , Seiser B. , Stocker-Waldhuber M. , Mitterer C. , Abermann J.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. Glacier inventories provide the basis for further studies on mass balance and volume change, relevant for local hydrological issues as well as for global calculation of sea level rise. In this study, a new Austrian glacier inventory updating data from 1969 (GI I) and 1998 (GI II) has been compiled, based on high resolution LiDAR DEMs and orthophotos dating from 2004 to 2011 (GI III). To expand the time series of digital glacier inventories in the past, the glacier inventory of the Little Ice Age maximum state (LIA) has been digitalized based on the LiDAR DEM. The resulting glacier area for GI III of 415.11 ± 11.18 km2 is 44% of the LIA area. The area losses show high regional variability, ranging from 11% annual relative loss to less than 1% for the latest period. The glacier sizes reduced from LIA to the latest period, so that in GI III 47% of the glaciers' areas are smaller than 0.1 km2.
Assessment of permafrost distribution maps in the Hindu Kush–Himalayan region using rock glaciers mapped in Google Earth
Authors: Schmid M.-O. , Baral P. , Gruber S. , Shahi S. , Shrestha T. , Stumm D. , Wester P.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. The extent and distribution of permafrost in the mountainous parts of the Hindu Kush–Himalayan (HKH) region have barely been investigated and are largely unknown. Only on the Tibetan Plateau a long tradition of permafrost research on rather gentle relief exists. Two permafrost maps are available that cover the HKH and provide estimates of permafrost extent, i.e. the areal proportion of permafrost: the manually delineated Circum-Arctic Map of Permafrost and Ground Ice Conditions (Brown et al., 1998) and the Global Permafrost Zonation Index, based on a computer model (Gruber, 2012). This article provides first-order assessment of permafrost maps of the HKH region based on the mapping of rock glaciers. Rock glaciers were used as a proxy, because they are visual indicators of permafrost, often occurring near the lowermost regional occurrence of permafrost in mountains, and because they can be delineated based on high-resolution remote sensing imagery freely available on Google Earth. For the mapping 4000 square samples (approx. 30 km2) were randomly distributed over the HKH region. Every sample was investigated and rock glaciers were mapped by two independent researchers following precise mapping instructions. Samples with insufficient image quality were recorded but not mapped. It is shown that mapping of rock glaciers in Google Earth can be used as first-order evidence for permafrost in mountain areas with severely limited ground truth. The minimum elevation of rock glaciers varies between 3500 and 5500 m a.s.l. within the region. The Circum-Arctic Map of Permafrost and Ground Ice Conditions does not reproduce mapped conditions in the HKH region adequately, whereas the Global Permafrost Zonation Index appears to be a reasonable first-order prediction of permafrost in the HKH. Only in the central part of the region a considerable deviation exists that needs further investigations.
Paleo-ice flow directions of the Northern Antarctic Peninsula ice sheet based upon a new synthesis of seabed imagery
Authors: Lavoie C. , Domack E. W. , Pettit E. C. , Scambos T. A. , Larter R. D. , Schenke H.-W. , Yoo K. C. , Gutt J. , Wellner J. , Canals M. , Anderson J. B. , Amblas D.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. We present a new seafloor map for the northern Antarctic Peninsula (AP), including swath multibeam data sets from five national programs. Our map allows for the examination and interpretation of Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) paleo-ice sheet/stream flow directions developed upon the seafloor from the preservation of: mega-scale glacial lineations, drumlinized features, and selective linear erosion. We combine this with terrestrial observations of flow direction to place constraints on ice divides and accumulation centers (ice domes) on the AP continental shelf. The results show a flow bifurcation as ice exits the Larsen-B embayment. Flow emanating off the Seal Nunataks (including Robertson Island) is directed toward the southeast, then eastward as the flow transits toward the Robertson Trough. A second, stronger "streaming flow" is directed toward the southeast then southward, as ice overflowed the tip of the Jason Peninsula to reach the southern perimeter of the embayment. Our reconstruction also refines the extent of at least five other distinct paleo-ice stream systems which, in turn, serve to delineate seven broad regions where contemporaneous ice domes must have been centered on the continental shelf during the LGM time interval. Our reconstruction is more detailed than other recent compilations because we followed specific flow indicators and have kept tributary flow paths parallel.
Review of Japanese Horror Films and the Their American Remakes
Authors: Harmes Marcus
Published: October 2014

Valerie Wee’s monograph on American remakes of Japanese supernatural horror films is a contribution to Routledge’s Advances in Film Studies series and examines a cluster of films made in the late 1990s and early 2000s. These are films which in their first incarnation were Japanese (such as Ringu) which were then remade by Hollywood (for example Ringu became The Ring).
Review of The Drift: Affect, Adaptation and New Perspectives on Fidelity
Authors: Barraclough Rachel
Published: October 2014

John Hodgkins’ book revitalises the field of cinematic adaptation studies by drawing upon and developing concepts of affect, most notably theorised by scholars such as Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, contributing to a growing trend in wider areas of film scholarship where these concepts have been used to challenge normative ideas and methodologies.
Review of Monster Culture in the 21st Century: A Reader
Authors: Brown Shane
Published: October 2014

The essays in this new edited collection are, therefore, designed to address how monstrosity has come to represent the fears that the new century has brought with it, from terror threats through to changes in our identifications with race, gender and sexuality.
Preternatural Claims, Precarious Workers: The Content and Distribution of the Most Successfully Crowdfunded Documentary
Authors: Nichols Dugan
Published: October 2014

This article examines the raced, gendered, and classed world of UFO-related media with the intention of assessing its potential as a form of resistance. I use as a case study the largest crowdsourced documentary of all time, Sirius (2013), which explores exotic technologies and the exploits of ufologist, Dr. Steven Greer. Sirius’s affiliates conducted immaterial, post-Fordist labor to distribute the environmentally conscious film online, yet despite their progressive, utopian bent, they indicate that any technologies associated with the film will operate under market logic. Moreover, Sirius recycles racially fraught tropes of UFO culture, such as reflecting white ufologists’ desire to experience the Other or subject to understanding a gray race of beings they fear has challenged their racially privileged status.
Correlation of Tumor-Infiltrative Lymphocyte Subtypes Alteration with Neoangiogenesis before and after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Treatment in Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Chan Monica SM , Chen Shi-Fan , Felizola Saulo JA , Wang Lin , Nemoto Noriko , Tamaki Kentaro , Ishida Takanori , Chow Louis W.C. , Ohuchi Noriaki , Sasano Hironobu
Published: October 2014

The two most important factors in tumor-stromal interactions are tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and neoangiogenesis (NAng). While changes of these parameters in responders of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCTx) have been reported, their correlation with pathological response in breast cancer (BC) patients treated with NCTx have not been described. We therefore evaluated alterations of the TIL subtypes ratio and alterations of NAng using the vasohibin-1-positive ratio (VPR) in BC patients during the course of NCTx. To this aim we used: (i) double immunohistochemistry of CD8 cytotoxic T cells and T regulatory cells (Treg) with Foxp3, determining the CD8+/Foxp3 ratio; (ii) immunostaining of CD31 and vasohibin-1, yielding the VPR, which reflects the NAng status. Changes between the CD8+/Foxp3 ratio and VPR before and after therapy were then correlated with the pathological response of the patients. A concomitant significant decrement of Foxp3 and NAng, represented by VPR, were detected only in NCTx pathological responders (p<0.001 and p=0.044, respectively). The CD8+/Foxp3 ratio increased in both responders and non-responders, but to greater extent in responders (p=0.02). The changes of VPR in the NCTx-treated group differed from those recorded for the patients treated with aromatase inhibitors and shown in our earlier study; this indicates that the reactions of the tumor-stromal interaction to therapy were different among different treatments in BC patients. Changes in Foxp3 and VPR in responders may reflect the dynamic activity of tumor stroma and host immune response to tumor antigens in the tumor microenvironment in response to the NCTx. VPR can be a potential surrogate marker in BC specimens for predicting the response to NCTx, incorporating both features of carcinoma and stromal cells.
Chaucer's Pentameter:
Authors: Duffell Martin J.
Published: October 2014

This article brings together evidence from three disciplines to support a new and more detailed analysis of Chaucer's pentameter line. First, it draws upon linguistics, explaining the concepts and terms introduced by American scholars working in the field of generative metrics. Second, it embraces the use of statistical techniques in the analysis of poetic meter, first pioneered by Russian metrists. Third, it examines textual evidence from European literary history of how poets before Chaucer versified in France, Italy, and England. This combination of data suggests that Chaucer's pentameter owes more to the Italian endecasillabo than the French vers de dix, and confirms that Chaucer molded Middle English words and phrases to meet the iambic norm of the Modern English long-line canon.
“Thou wolt make … thyn hed to ake”:
Authors: Robison Katie
Published: October 2014

Christine de Pizan worked carefully to construct her reputation as a scholar. However, in her poem Le Chemin de long estude, her literary self admits that she has been grappling with a mental condition directly linked to her studies. Already grief-stricken at her husband's death, her excessive reading and writing have aggravated her melancholy to the point of madness. I submit that Christine's persona seeks a remedy based in contemporary medical practice, but because she relies on the income generated from her writing, she cannot follow a conventional allopathic mode of treatment (cure by contraries) in the manner of Chaucer and other earlier writers. Instead, she establishes an isopathic mode of treatment (cure by similarities), seeking a remedy in the very activity that caused her mental instability. Her success demonstrates not only that the dominant model of humoral balance was not universally applicable but also that remedies could be self-prescribed.
John Lydgate's “Mumming at Windsor”:
Authors: Winstead Karen A.
Published: October 2014

Lydgate's “Mumming at Windsor,” performed before Henry VI and his household in 1429, is not the straightforward work of propaganda that it has been taken to be. Lydgate interjects ironic observations about women into his ostensibly earnest propaganda celebrating Henry's Gallic roots. These observations may have awakened Lydgate's audience from complacent spectatorship and invited them to question his sincerity throughout. Lydgate conveys a complex message, consonant with the troubled politics that emerge elsewhere in his writings, even as he trumpets his support for the English claim to France.
Reality as Dream:
Authors: Sugito Hisashi
Published: October 2014

This essay seeks to make an account of the nature of Thomas Hoccleve's inner life in light of “dream.” Hoccleve's Regiment of Princes and the Series, despite their obvious indebtedness to the patterns of medieval dream vision, never describe formal dreams of the poet. Regarding this problem, I argue that Hoccleve dreams a dream while he is awake: dreme is a figurative notion for him, referring to his benumbed state of mind or “wit.” The insomniac Hoccleve, afflicted with melancholic “thought,” describes his feelings as dull and heavy, and the dullness makes his mind asleep even when he is awake. It is this languid inner condition that he calls dreme. In the Hocclevian dream, the mind is given a fluid image and fails to be captured precisely. Hoccleve develops the dream vision tradition to a paradoxical extreme: while he remains in reality, he reaches a dreamworld with his daydreaming mind.
Antarctica Through The Archive: A Script
Authors: Gould Polly
Published: October 2014

This script explores the act of seeing clearly under special conditions, namely the extreme environment of Antarctica, and the contrasting environment of the archive. The archive is accessed through the watercolours of explorer Edward Wilson (1872-1912) and the photographs of Herbert Ponting (1870-1935). This text is presented as a script for, or transcript of, a lecture on the archival encounter with Antarctica, exposing those subjects that are not immediately visible but none-the-less intrinsic to it. As a transcript of what has already taken place, the text mimics the relation between historical event and archival evidence. As a script for future enactment, the text opens roles to other actors.This lecture is spoken among the new art works that have been made out of a process of imitation, emulation and distortion in response to watercolours and drawings in the Wilson archive. The two settings include the lecture’s contemporary situations, as well as the historical setting of Scott’s Antarctic expedition hut in 1911, in which lectures were given to educate and entertain the expedition crew. Archival references to the hut lectures include a photograph of Ponting lecturing on Japan with a magic lantern, and also Wilson’s pencil-written notes on the topic of sketching.
Using the Case Study Method to Enhance the Learning Skills of Supply Chain Management Students
Authors: Naude M. , Derera E.
Published: October 2014

Higher education institutions need to align themselves more closely with the needs of businesses and equip students with the skills and experience necessary to make them more successful and value-adding employees. This paper explores undergraduate student perceptions of the effectiveness of the case study teaching and learning method in the discipline of supply chain management. This exploratory study collected data using a questionnaire that was administered to 168 third-year registered students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The findings reveal that the students perceive the case study teaching and learning method to be beneficial to their learning skills and hence that it increases their chances of securing employment.
Evaluation of Availability of Financial Resources and Manpower Development in Selected Monotechnics in Nigeria
Authors: Potokri Onoriode Collins
Published: October 2014

This research investigates manpower development and availability of financial resources in Nigerian monotechnic education. Monotechnics are single-subject institutions of higher learning that offer specialized programmes. A quantitative research design located within the positivist paradigm was adopted. A sample of 200 students and 80 members of staff was randomly selected from two public and two private monotechnics. A structured questionnaire was used and Chi-square and Pearson product moment correlation statistics were used to analyse the resulting data. The findings indicate that manpower development, in terms of the skills and competency of prospective graduates, is affected by the funding made available to these institutions. It was further found that the financial resources provided or otherwise available in monotechnics (whether privately or publicly owned) are inadequate. Recommendations are made based on the findings.
In Praise of Ignorance
Authors: Formica Piero
Published: October 2014

In this article Piero Formica examines the difference between incremental and revolutionary innovation, distinguishing between the constrained ‘path finders' and the unconstrained ‘path creators’. He argues that an acceptance of ‘ignorance’ and a willingness to venture into the unknown are critical elements in radically creative innovation and entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurial Training: A Comparative Study across Fifteen European Countries
Authors: Matricano Diego
Published: October 2014

This paper arises from the contents of the Lisbon Strategy, a set of cooperation policies stressing the role of education and training. The findings from a comparative study of the influence that entrepreneurial training – classified as formal or informal – can have on start-up expectations are analysed. The study covers fifteen European countries and uses data derived from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) website. The results of a logistic regression model show significant differences across Europe: in some countries, start-up expectations are influenced only by participation in formal entrepreneurial training programmes; in others, they are affected only by participation in informal entrepreneurial training activities; in yet others, such expectations are induced by both formal and informal entrepreneurial training. Regarding the current status of entrepreneurial training, it appears that although the fifteen European countries are following the correct path there is still much to do to achieve the overall objectives established by the Lisbon Strategy. Some recommendations for policy makers and the implications for future research are suggested in the concluding section of the paper.
Understanding Consumer Responses to Travel Websites from Online Shopping Value and Flow Experience Perspectives
Authors: Wu Cedric Hsi-Jui , Li Hung-Jen , Chiu Chung-Wen
Published: October 2014

As online travel shopping rapidly increases, consumer responses to travel websites need to be better understood. The authors integrate the perspectives of flow experience and perceived shopping value to explain those consumer responses and incorporate website design characteristics into their model. Data were collected from consumers with browsing or purchasing experiences on Taiwan's travel websites. The results show that website attractiveness and interactivity have a positive influence on flow experience. Website reliability positively affects utilitarian value, whereas ease of use has no significant effect. Flow experience is positively associated with utilitarian value and consumer attitude towards the website; conversely, purchase intention from the website is not affected by flow experience. Furthermore, the findings reveal that perceived utilitarian value positively and significantly influences consumer attitude towards the website and purchase intention. These findings have both theoretical and practical implications.
Empirische studie over het Belgisch IPR in familiezaken
Authors: Verhellen Jinske
Published: October 2014

Empirische studie over het Belgisch IPR in familiezaken

Met de financiële steun van het FWO Vlaanderen werd een doctoraat geschreven over grensoverschrijdend familierecht in de praktijk. Opzet van het onderzoek was om de concrete toepassing van het Belgisch Wetboek IPR grondig door te lichten. De auteur onderzocht of de doelstellingen van de wetgever werden bereikt in de praktijk. Hiertoe steunde zij op drie bronnen: 1) een databank met meer dan 3000 adviesvragen aan het Steunpunt IPR; 2) diepte-interviews met magistraten gespecialiseerd in familiezaken met een internationaal aspect; 3) 659 rechterlijke uitspraken. Dit empirisch bronnenmateriaal gaf de auteur een goed zicht op de wijze waarop rechtbanken en administraties de IPR-regels toepassen. Het artikel gaat uitvoerig in op de empirische onderzoeksmethode en bespreekt enkele onderzoeksbevindingen en beleidsaanbevelingen.

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Through funding from the Research Foundation Flanders, a doctoral thesis on the actual practices of cross-border family law has been written. The main research question concerned whether or not the Belgian Code of Private International Law adequately deals with 'real-life' international family law matters. It was examined whether the objectives set out by the legislator have been met in practice. Three empirical sources were relied upon: 1) The database of the Centre for Private International Law, which contained more than 3.000 files, ranging from simple questions posed to the helpdesk to more elaborate advice given by the Centre's lawyers; 2) In-depth interviews with judges specialized in cross-border family cases; 3) 656 court decisions. This material allowed the author to obtain a very good understanding of how courts and (local) authorities apply the PIL rules. This paper elaborates on the empirical methodology, several research findings and policy recommendations.
Bespreking dissertatie van mr. J.H.M. ter Haar met de titel 'Minderjarigen en (de zorg voor hun) vermogen'
Authors: Mellema-Kranenburg Tea
Published: October 2014

Bespreking dissertatie van mr. J.H.M. ter Haar met de titel 'Minderjarigen en (de zorg voor hun) vermogen'

Ter Haar’s thesis is een verfrissende studie. De aanpak is origineel: verschillende thema’s rond het vermogen van een minderjarige worden besproken. De inhoud van het proefschrift bestaat voornamelijk uit reeds gepubliceerde artikelen, met inbegrip van een uitgebreid empirisch onderzoek. Hoewel het vermogen van een minderjarige de rode draad van zijn dissertatie vormt, handelt Ter Haar over veel verschillende aspecten van minderjarigheid: handelings(on)bekwaamheid (vergeleken met het fictieve tachtig-pusbewind), bewind (Boek 1 en Boek 4 van het Burgerlijk Wetboek), ouderlijk vruchtgenot, de som ineens, de verjaringstermijn in het kader van vermogensbeheer en de minderjarige in het erfrecht. Naar mijn mening ligt het zwaartepunt van de dissertatie bij het testamentaire bewind, waar Ter Haar een goede analyse maakt van de verhouding tussen het beschermingsbewind van Boek 1 en die van Boek 4 BW. Maar ook de andere hoofdstukken, gevuld met soms prikkelende suggesties, zijn zeer lezenswaardig.

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Ter Haar's thesis is a refreshing study. The approach is original: different themes surrounding the property of a minor are discussed. The contents of his thesis mainly consist of already published articles, including extensive empirical investigation. Although the minor's property is absolutely the leitmotiv in his thesis, Ter Haar deals with very different aspects of minority: legal (in)capacity (compared with a fictitious eighty-plus administration), administration (Book 1 and Book 4 of the Dutch Civil Code), parental usufruct, the lump sum, the limitation period within the framework of property management, the minor in inheritance law. As far as I am concerned, the centre of gravity of the thesis lies with the testamentary administration under inheritance law, where Ter Haar makes a fine analysis between the administration from Book 1 and that from Book 4. But also the other chapters, filled with sometimes tantalizing suggestions, are very much worth reading.
To Market, To Market: Ontario, Canadaâ€™s vision to improve commercialization of healthcare research
Authors: Thompson Stephen
Published: October 2014

Transforming medical research findings into viable commercial enterprises is a persistent challenge. Ontario, Canada, has deployed several approaches that could be applied in other regions. The provincial government has created R&D tax incentives, investment funds and commercialization incubators, along with streamlining clinical trials regulatory processes, to increase speed-to-market for medical biotechnology innovations. By creating supportive government policies, providing seed capital, and promoting partnerships between research institutions and industry, Ontario helps start-ups such as ApneaDX and OtoSim attract follow-on funding and access markets.
Genetic engineering technologies for Ethiopian agriculture: Prospects and challenges
Authors: Abraham Adane
Published: October 2014

Genetic engineering (GE) technologies can contribute to improve crop productivity and quality in Ethiopia. Adoption of commercialized insect resistance and herbicide tolerance technologies can help to protect major crops such as cotton, maize, sorghum and small cereals from their main insect pests or prevent heavy weed-inflicted loss. Moreover, key production constraints such asÂ  bacterial wilt of enset, late blight of potato, drought stress on crops like maize and wheat, lodging resistance on tef as well as low nutritive quality of native crops like enset and grasspea can be addressed by strengthening domestic GE research capacity and international collaboration. Cognizant of this potential, the Ethiopian government has made significant investment in modern biotechnology capacity building in the last decade. There has also been specific interest by cotton sector to boost its productivity by adopting insect resistance (Bt) technologies. However, the GE regulatory system based on the existing biosafety law is so stringent that it is not possible for the country to access useful technologies from abroad as well as initiate domestic GE research. Consequently, no GE experiment is approved so far, leaving the country at risk of missing out on the global GE revolution. To catch up and Â harness the benefits of GE technologies, the country needs to create conducive regulatory environment, strengthen domestic GE capacity and devise a farsighted strategy.
“Hudhud of Dinulawan and Bugan at Gonhadan” (Oral Literature of Ifugao Culture)
Authors: Batin Judith
Published: October 2014

In 2001, UNESCO proclaimed the Ifugao epic hudhud as one of the 19 masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity. This study aims to promote greater understanding and of appreciation, and interest in the epics, highest form of oral literature. The analysis is anchored on E. Arsenio Manuel's theory of the Philippine ethno-epic. A descriptive-qualitative method was used in this study. Immersion, observation and random informal interviews in Ifugao (Kiangan, Asipulo and Lagawe) were employed in gathering and validating data. The narrative structure and characterization of the epic heroes were determined through textual analysis. A contextualist approach in the analysis of the text was utilized to validate the identified Ifugao culture that is still practiced today. The epic reveals the beauty and legacy of the great ancestors of the highland that need to be protected and preserved. This study helps in the preservation of the sacredness of the tradition. Likewise, it also proves that the hudhud is not just used as mere tourist attraction of the local government units and Department of Tourism for economic growth in the hudhud areas. It will also attract more scholars, local and international, to understand and preserve the rich and dying tradition.
Efficacy of Botanical Pesticides in Controlling Insect Pests of Three Pigeon Pea Varieties
Authors: Artienda, Jr. Victorino
Published: October 2014

Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan) is a high-value crop with its nutritional and medicinal properties that could augment food security. Pigeon pea is prone to pests attack that could affect its yield, thus, this study is conceived.  This study aimed to evaluate the effect of botanical pesticides in controlling insect pests of three pigeon pea varieties. Specifically, it sought to: 1) determine which of the botanical pesticides can effectively control insect pests of pigeon pea; 2) find out which among the pigeon pea varieties has the least damage by insect pests; and 3) identify and recommend the best-botanical pesticides to control insect pests of pigeon peas. The experiment was laid out in Factorial Randomized Complete Block Design. Data gathered were analyzed using the Analysis of Variance. Significant differences among treatment means were analyzed using the Duncan Multiple Range Test. The results implied that the botanical extract applied to the pigeon pea plants exhibited a significant effect in terms of controlling the pests. The results of the study conclude that the application of botanical extracts is comparably effective in controlling pests of pigeon pea. The study recommends that B1 (Neem Leaf Extract), B2 (Yellow Ginger Extract) and B3 (Hot Pepper Extract) can be used to control insect pests of pigeon peas; V2 (ICPL 87119) is recommended for production due to its resistance to pests.
The Socio-cultural and Political Undertones in Demetillo's Barter in Panay: An Epic
Authors: Biclar Leo Andrew
Published: October 2014

The Philippines, a treasury of oral folk epics, calls us for opportunities to research epics in transition, documenting and introducing them to wider audiences. Losing of the epic tradition attracts national and international attention and becomes a concern of the state and the educational system. This study is focused on the metahistorical contexts of the epic Barter in Panay by Ricaredo Demetillo (1961) who gathered his materials from Maragtas. The study is anchored to Hornedo’s (2004) theory of reality frames in teaching literature. Employing descriptive-qualitative method of research through textual analysis unfolds the value of the text as literary and fictive-historical records. The study aims to answer: How the narrative structure of the epic unveils the political and social practices of the Visayan people? How the characterization reveals the themes of the literary epic? Barter in Panay reflects the “sweetness and light” of the Filipino lifeways-its unique genetic origin and rich traditions. The voice in the epic sketches the community beyond the spatial and projects itself into the future who continues his legacy to the young listening to the tales. The epic contains historically self-aware characters providing integral engines to the Filipino identity. The study benchmarks for literary-anthropological research.
Facets of Machismo and Maternalism in Fictional Philippine Settings
Authors: Gilbas Sherill
Published: October 2014

The legal implication of infidelity in Philippine law serves as an initial display of “machismo” that reflects the propensity and pervasiveness of its concept in Philippine society. As a response to society’s partiality to male’s gender role, the gender role of women called “maternalism” has surfaced. This gender role identifies itself as a manifestation of society’s concept of gender roles including double-standard machismo. This paper aims to disclose how desire is depicted as justification to the existence of machismo and maternalism in selected Philippine short stories like “Magnificence,” “Of Fish, Flies, Dogs and Women,” “The Chieftest Mourner,” “Thirsty is the Arid Land,” and “Wedding Dance.” This paper also supports the concept of desire with pleasure principle and tripartite model of Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis. The paper’s critical point focuses on how infidelity is reflected in said stories, thereby leading to understanding its concept as manifested by characters’ gender roles. This paper also employs the descriptive literary analysis anchored on Hans-Georg Gadamer’s hermeneutics. In addition, the paper also discusses the binary opposition of marriage and infidelity, faithfulness and unfaithfulness, along with its implication to the couple and the society in general. The paper identifies culture as an inherent factor in addressing the questions of gender roles in Philippine fiction.