bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ossification of the cruciform ligament of atlas; a rare cause of cervical myelopathy: Case report and review of literature
Authors: Baqai Muhammad , Javed Gohar , Baig Mirza
Published: August 2019

We present a case of cervical myelopathy secondary to ossification of the cruciform ligament (also known as cruciate ligament). This is a rare phenomenon that, to the best of our knowledge, has only been reported 16 times previously in literature. We have added a review of literature after our case presentation. We hope that by doing so, we may aid clinicians reach early diagnosis so as to be able to better manage this rare disease.
Collision occurrence of meningioma and astrocytoma: A case report and literature review
Authors: Truong Van , Tran Duc , Dang Cong
Published: August 2019

A case of collision tumors occurring between two distinct primary brain tumors is reported. A 61-year-old female without history of radiotherapy or phakomatosis presented with progressive ly increasing headache and left hemiparesis. Investigation revealed a meningioma and a Grade II astrocytoma in the right frontal lobe. Simultaneous development of a meningioma and a low-grade glioma at adjacent sites is extremely rare. This is the third case reported in the literature. Some hypotheses are proposed to explain this phenomenon but most likely represent a coincidental event.
Assessing the Demand for Plastic Latrine Slabs in Rural Kenya
Authors: Peletz Rachel , Kisiangani Joyce , Ronoh Patrick , Cock-Esteb Alicea , Chase Claire , Khush Ranjiv , Luoto Jill
Published: August 2019

Improving access to safe and affordable sanitation facilities is a global health priority that is essential for meeting the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. To promote the use of improved sanitation in rural and low-income settings, plastic latrine slabs provide a simple option for upgrading traditional pit latrines. The International Finance Corporation/World Bank Selling Sanitation program estimated that plastic slabs would have a 34% annual growth, with a market size of US$2.53 million in Kenya by 2017. In this study, we examined the commercial viability of these plastic latrine slabs in rural Kenya by evaluating a financing and distribution model intervention, documenting household slab sales to date, and assessing consumer exposure and perceptions. We also determined household willingness to pay through a real-money auction with 322 households. We found that no households in our study area had purchased the plastic slabs. The primary barriers to slab sales were limited marketing activities and low demand compared with the sales price: households were willing to pay an average of US$5 compared with a market price of US$16. Therefore, current household demand for the plastic latrine slabs in rural Kenya is too low to support commercial distribution. Further efforts are required to align the price of plastic latrine slabs with consumer demand in this setting, such as additional demand creation, product financing, and public sector investment.
Identification of Enteropathogens by Multiplex PCR among Rural and Urban Guatemalan Children with Acute Diarrhea
Authors: Gaensbauer James T. , Lamb Molly , Calvimontes Diva M. , Asturias Edwin J. , Kamidani Satoshi , Contreras-Roldan Ingrid L. , Dominguez Samuel R. , Robinson Christine C. , Zacarias Alma , Berman Stephen , Melgar Mario A.
Published: August 2019

Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) platforms have enhanced understanding of intestinal pathogens in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, few such studies have been performed in Latin America, where poverty, poor sanitation, and undernutrition persist. Multiplex PCR (BioFire, Salt Lake City, UT) was used to identify viral, bacterial, and parasitic pathogens in stool collected on day 1 and 31 from children aged 6 to 35 months with acute, non-bloody diarrhea in two locations (rural and urban) in Guatemala. We analyzed correlation between pathogens and clinical, demographic, and socioeconomic variables; described patterns of pathogen acquisition, persistence, and clearance over the 30-day period; and calculated population attributable fractions (PAFs) for diarrheal causation for individual pathogens. We analyzed 316 subjects (144 urban; 172 rural) enrolled between March 2015 and January 2016. Rural subjects had significantly more malnutrition, animal exposure, and unimproved water/sanitation infrastructure. The majority of subjects had multiple pathogens/sample (4.8 rural and 2.7 urban). Few meaningful correlates were identified between individual pathogens and clinical, demographic, or environmental variables. Escherichia coli pathotypes, Shigella, Campylobacter, and Giardia had high rates of persistence between initial and 30-day follow-up. Statistically significant adjusted PAFs were identified for Campylobacter (14.9%, 95% CI: 3.2–23.1), norovirus (10.2%, 95% CI: 0.4–17.1), sapovirus (7.6%, 95% CI: 2.3–10.9), and adenovirus 40/41 (5.6%, 95% CI: 0.3–8.7). These observations further characterize the diversity and complexity of enteric pathogens in children in LMICs. Patterns of chronic symptomatic and asymptomatic infection among Latin American children are similar to those observed in other LMIC regions. Findings have direct implications for practitioners treating individuals with acute infectious diarrhea and should inform regional public health strategies.
Characterization of ESBL-Producing Salmonella enterica Serovar Infantis Infection in Humans, Lima, Peru
Authors: Garcia Coralith , Hinostroza Noemí , Astocondor Lizeth , Ochoa Theresa , Jacobs Jan , _ _
Published: August 2019

Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis is causing an increasing number of infections worldwide. Our aim was to describe the characteristics of S. enterica serovar Infantis among patients attended in a hospital of Lima, Peru. Fifty cases of salmonellosis were seen during October 2015–May 2017; Salmonella Infantis was detected in 36% (n = 18) of them, displacing Enteritidis and Typhimurium (n = 13, 26%, each). Seventeen cases caused by Salmonella Infantis were presented as diarrheal illnesses; only one extraintestinal case (bacteremia) was seen in a 1-year-old infant. This serovar is resistant to multiple groups of antimicrobials, showing only fully susceptibility to carbapenems. Compared with Infantis, other serovars analyzed (mainly Enteritidis and Typhimurium) showed a lower frequency of resistance to antimicrobials such as trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole, ampicillin, and chloramphenicol. The antibiotic with the highest frequency of resistance was ciprofloxacin. Further studies are needed to evaluate the routes of transmission and measures of control of this multidrug-resistant Salmonella.
Review of the Fund's Strategy on Overdue Financial Obligations
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: August 2019

This paper reviews progress under the Fund’s strengthened cooperative strategy on overdue financial obligations. The level and structure of arrears to the Fund has remained broadly unchanged since the last review. Total arrears to the Fund at end-June 2012 amounted to SDR 1,302.3 million, a decline of SDR 1.6 million from the end-June 2011 level. While payments to the Fund by Sudan and Zimbabwe exceeded new obligations falling due, Somalia’s arrears increased further. All overdue obligations to the Fund at end-June 2012 were due to the protracted arrears cases. Three members remain in protracted arrears to the Fund—Somalia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe. Sudan accounted for the bulk of the arrears to the Fund (76 percent).
Adequacy of the Global Financial Safety Net--Proposal for a New Policy Coordination Instrument
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: August 2019

The global financial safety net (GFSN) has become larger and more decentralized, creating a need for greater coordination. The expanded GFSN has created multiple sources of official financing for countries in need of support to address balance of payments shocks. Enhanced coordination among these layers would facilitate a more efficient use of global resources and provide better incentives for implementing sound policies.

A new non-financing Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI) would address gaps in the GFSN and the Fund’s toolkit. The new Policy Coordination Instrument is designed for countries that are seeking to unlock financing from multiple sources and/or to demonstrate a commitment to a reform agenda. It would enable a closer policy dialogue between the Fund and countries, more regular monitoring of economic developments and policies, as well as Board endorsement of those policies. It would be available for all member countries. The key design features draw on Fund financing arrangements and the Policy Support Instrument (PSI), with some important differences. These include no qualification criteria, a review-based approach for monitoring of conditionality, and a more flexible review schedule.

The PCI is part of a broader set of Fund policy proposals to improve coordination with RFAs, enhance liquidity provision for members, and ensure the cohesion of the Fund’s toolkit. The IMFC and the G20 called for further work to strengthen the GFSN and to improve cooperation between the Fund and regional financing arrangements (RFAs). In response, the Fund has produced a diagnostic of the GFSN and the Fund’s toolkit and identified important gaps. Introduction of the PCI, when considered together with the other proposals, will help to move towards a GFSN with improved coverage, more reliable support, and better coordination between the various layers.
Increasing Resilience to Large and Volatile Capital Flows—The Role of Macroprudential Policies
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: August 2019

Capital flows can deliver substantial benefits for countries, but also have the potential to contribute to a buildup of systemic financial risk. Benefits, such as enhanced investment and consumption smoothing, tend to be greater for countries whose financial and institutional development enables them to intermediate capital flows safely.

Post-crisis reforms, including the development of macroprudential policies (MPPs), are helping to strengthen the resilience of financial systems including to shocks from capital flows. The Basel III process has improved the quality and level of capital, reduced leverage, and increased liquid asset holdings in financial systems. Drawing on and complementing such international reforms at the national level, robust macroprudential policy frameworks focused on mitigating systemic risk can improve the capacity of a financial system to safely intermediate cross-border flows.

Macroprudential frameworks can play an important role over the capital flow cycle, and help members harness the benefits of capital flows.

Introducing macroprudential measures (MPMs) preemptively can increase the resilience of the financial system to aggregate shocks, including those arising from capital inflows, and can contain the build-up of systemic vulnerabilities over time, even when such measures are not designed to limit capital flows.
While the risks from capital outflows should be handled primarily by macroeconomic policies, a relaxation of MPMs may assist, as long as buffers are in place, in countering financial stresses from outflows.
Capital flow liberalization should be supported by broad efforts to strengthen prudential regulation and supervision, including macroprudential policy frameworks.
The Fund has two frameworks to help ensure that its advice on MPPs and policies related to capital flows is consistent and tailored to country circumstances. The frameworks (the Macroprudential framework and the Institutional View on capital flows) are consistent in terms of key principles, including avoiding using MPMs and capital flow management measures (CFMs) as a substitute for necessary macroeconomic adjustment.

The appropriate classification of measures is important to ensure targeted advice consistent with the two frameworks. The conceptual framework for the assessment of measures laid out in this paper will assist staff in properly identifying MPMs and measures that are designed to limit capital flows and to reduce systemic financial risk stemming from such flows (CFM/MPMs), and thereby ensure the appropriate application of the Fund’s frameworks, so that staff policy advice is consistent and well targeted. The Fund will continue to develop and share expertise in using MPMs, and integrate these findings into its surveillance and technical assistance, which should contribute to building international understanding and experience on these issues.
Building Fiscal Capacity in Fragile States
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: August 2019

The paper draws on recent country experience to describe the approach to designing and implementing fiscal reforms in fragile states (FS) taken in the IMF’s technical assistance (TA). In doing so, it highlights how the TA that the IMF provides to FS differs from that of non-FS, describes the trends in and modalities of TA delivery, and draws on recent experiences to derive lessons for future work.
Vertical profiles of sub-micron aerosol single scattering albedo over Indian region immediately before monsoon onset and during its development: Research from the SWAAMI field campaign
Authors: Manoj Mohanan R. , Satheesh Sreedharan K. , Moorthy Krishnaswamy K. , Coe Hugh
Published: August 2019

Abstract. Vertical structures of aerosol single scattering albedo (SSA), from near the surface through the free troposphere, have been estimated for the first time at distinct geographical locations over the Indian mainland and adjoining oceans, using in-situ measurements of aerosol scattering and absorption coefficients aboard the FAAM BAe-146 aircraft during the South West Asian Aerosol Monsoon Interactions (SWAAMI) campaign from June to July 2016. These are used to examine the spatial variation of SSA profiles and also to characterize its transformation from just prior to the onset of Indian Summer Monsoon (June 2016) to its active phase (July 2016). Very strong aerosol absorption, with SSA values as low as 0.7, persisted in the lower altitudes (
Magnitude, Trends, and Impacts of Ambient Long-Term Ozone Exposure in the United States from 2000–2015
Authors: Seltzer Karl M. , Shindell Drew T. , Kasibhatla Prasad , Malley Christopher S.
Published: August 2019

Abstract. Long-term exposure to ambient ozone (O3) is associated with a variety of impacts, including adverse human-health effects and reduced yields in commercial crops. Ground-level O3 concentrations for assessments are typically predicted using chemical transport models, however such methods often feature biases that can influence impact estimates. Here, we develop and apply artificial neural networks to empirically model long-term O3 exposure over the continental United States from 2000–2015, and generate a measurement-based assessment of impacts on human-health and crop yields. Notably, we find that two commonly-used human-health averaging metrics, based on separate epidemiological studies, differ in their trends over the study period. The population-weighted, April–September average of the daily 1-hour maximum concentration peaked in 2002 at 55.9 ppb and decreased by −0.43 [95 % CI: −0.28, −0.57] ppb/yr between 2000–2015, yielding a ~ 18 % decrease in normalized human-health impacts. In contrast, there was little change in the population-weighted, annual average of the maximum daily 8-hour average concentration between 2000–2015, which resulted in a ~ 5 % increase in normalized human-health impacts. In both cases, an aging population structure played a substantial role in modulating these trends. By contrast, all agriculture-weighted crop-loss metrics featured decreasing trends, leading to reductions in the estimated national relative yield loss ranging from 1.7–1.9 % for maize, 5.1–7.1 % for soybeans, and 2.7 % for wheat. Overall, these results provide a measurement-based estimate of long-term O3 exposure over the United States, quantify the historical magnitude, trends, and impacts of such exposure, and illustrate how different conclusions regarding historical impacts can be made through the use of varying metrics.
Potential for the measurement of MLT wind, temperature, density and geomagnetic field with Superconducting Submillimeter-Wave Limb-Emission Sounder-2 (SMILES-2)
Authors: Baron Philippe , Ochiai Satoshi , Dupuy Eric , Larsson Richard , Liu Huixin , Manago Naohiro , Murtagh Donal , Oyama S. , Sagawa Hideo , Saito Akinori , Sakazaki Takatoshi , Shiotani Masato , Suzuki Makoto
Published: August 2019

Abstract. Submillimeter-Wave Limb-Emission Sounder-2 (SMILES-2) is a satellite mission proposed in Japan to probe the middle and upper-atmosphere (20–160 km). The main instrument is composed of 4-K cooled radiometers operating near 0.7 and 2 THz. It could measure the diurnal changes of the horizontal wind above 30 km, temperature above 20 km, ground-state atomic oxygen above 90 km, atmospheric density near the mesopause, as well as abundance of about 15 chemical species. In this study we have conducted simulations to assess the wind, temperature and density retrieval performance in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (60–110 km) using the radiometer at 760 GHz. It contains lines of water vapor (H2O), molecular oxygen (O2) and nitric oxide (NO) that are the strongest signals measured with SMILES-2 at these altitudes. The Zeeman effect on the O2 line due to the geomagnetic field (B) is considered, otherwise, the retrieval errors would be underestimated by a factor of 2 above 90 km. The optimal configuration for the radiometer’s polarization is found to be vertical linear. The line-of-sight wind is retrieved with a precision of 2–5 m/s up to 90 km (30 m/s at 110 km) and a vertical resolution of 2.5 km. Temperature and atmospheric density are retrieved with a precision better than 5 K (30 K) and 7 % (20 %) up to 90 km (110 km), respectively. Errors induced by uncertainties on the vector B are mitigated by retrieving it. The retrieval of B is described as a side-product of the mission. At high-latitudes, precisions of 30–100 nT on the vertical component and 100–300 nT on the horizontal one could be obtained at 85 and 105 km (vertical resolution of 20 km). SMILES-2 could therefore provide the first measurements of B close to the electrojets' altitude, and the precision is enough to measure variations induced by solar storms in the auroral regions.
Jets in the magnetosheath: IMF control of where they occur
Authors: Vuorinen Laura , Hietala Heli , Plaschke Ferdinand
Published: August 2019

Abstract. Magnetosheath jets are localized regions of plasma that move faster towards the Earth than the surrounding magnetosheath plasma. Due to their high velocities, they can cause indentations when colliding into the magnetopause and trigger processes such as magnetic reconnection and magnetopause surface waves. We statistically study the occurrence of these jets in the subsolar magnetosheath using measurements from the five Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) spacecraft and OMNI solar wind data from 2008 to 2011. We present the observations in the BIMF–vSW plane and study the spatial distribution of jets during different interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientations. Jets occur downstream of the quasi-parallel bow shock approximately 9 times as often as downstream of the quasi-perpendicular shock, suggesting that foreshock processes are responsible for most jets. For an oblique IMF, with 30–60∘ cone angle, the occurrence increases monotonically from the quasi-perpendicular side to the quasi-parallel side. This study offers predictability for the numbers, locations, and magnetopause impact rates of jets observed during different IMF orientations, allowing us to better forecast the formation of these jets and their impact on the magnetosphere.
Generalized models to estimate carbon and nitrogen stocks of organic soil layers in Interior Alaska
Authors: Manies Kristen , Waldrop Mark , Harden Jennifer
Published: August 2019

Abstract. Boreal ecosystems comprise about one tenth of the world's land surface and contain over 20 % of the global soil carbon (C) stocks. Boreal soils are unique in that the mineral soil is covered by what can be quite thick layers of organic soil. These organic soil layers, or horizons, can differ in their state of decomposition, source vegetation, and disturbance history. These differences result in varying soil properties (bulk density, C content, and nitrogen (N) content) among soil horizons. Here we summarize these soil properties, as represented by over 3000 samples from Interior Alaska, and examine how soil drainage and stand age affect these attributes. The summary values presented here can be used to gap-fill large datasets when important soil properties were not measured, provide data to initialize process-based models, and validate model results. These data are available at https://doi.org/10.5066/P960N1F9 (Manies, 2019).
Revised treatment of wet scavenging processes dramatically improves GEOS-Chem 12.0.0 simulations of surface nitric acid, nitrate, and ammonium over the United States
Authors: Luo Gan , Yu Fangqun , Schwab James
Published: August 2019

Abstract. The widely used community model GEOS-Chem 12.0.0 and previous versions have
been recognized to significantly overestimate the concentrations of gaseous
nitric acid, aerosol nitrate, and aerosol ammonium over the United States.
The concentrations of nitric acid are also significantly overpredicted in
most global models participating in a recent model intercomparison study. In
this study, we show that most or all of this overestimation issue appears to
be associated with wet scavenging processes. The replacement of constant
in-cloud condensation water (ICCW) assumed in GEOS-Chem standard versions
with one varying with location and time from the assimilated meteorology
significantly reduces mass loadings of nitrate and ammonium during the
wintertime, while the employment of an empirical washout rate for nitric
acid significantly decreases mass concentrations of nitric acid and ammonium
during the summertime. Compared to the standard version, GEOS-Chem with
updated ICCW and washout rate significantly reduces the simulated annual
mean mass concentrations of nitric acid, nitrate, and ammonium at surface
monitoring network sites in the US from 2.04 to 1.03, 1.89 to
0.88, and 1.09 to 0.68 µg m−3, respectively, in much
better agreement with corresponding observed values of 0.83, 0.70, and 0.60 µg m−3, respectively. In addition, the agreement of model-simulated seasonal variations of corresponding species with measurements is
also improved. The updated wet scavenging scheme improves the skill of the
model in predicting nitric acid, nitrate, and ammonium concentrations, which
are important species for air quality and climate.
Impact of the dry-day definition on Mediterranean extreme dry-spell analysis
Authors: Rivoire Pauline , Tramblay Yves , Neppel Luc , Hertig Elke , Vicente-Serrano Sergio M.
Published: August 2019

Abstract. To define a dry day, the most common approach is to identify a fixed
threshold below which precipitation is considered equivalent to zero. This
fixed threshold is usually set to account for measurement errors and
precipitation losses due to the atmospheric evaporation demand. Yet,
this threshold could vary in time according to the seasonal cycle and
in the context of long-term trends, such as the increase in temperature due
to climate change. In this study, we compare extreme dry spells, defined
either with a fixed threshold for a dry day (1 mm) or with a time-varying
threshold estimated from reference evapotranspiration (ET0), for a large database of 160 rain gauges covering large parts of the Mediterranean basin. Results indicated positive trends in ET0 during summer months (June, July and August) in particular. However, these trends do not imply longer dry spells since the daily precipitation intensities remain higher than the increase in the evaporative demand. Results also indicated a seasonal behavior: in winter the distribution of extreme dry spells is similar when considering a fixed threshold (1 mm) or a time-varying threshold defined with ET0. However, during summer, the extreme dry-spell durations estimated with a 1 mm threshold are strongly underestimated in comparison to extreme dry spells computed with ET0. We stress the need to account for the atmospheric evaporative demand instead of using fixed thresholds for defining a dry day when analyzing dry spells, with respect to agricultural impacts in particular.
The long-term spatio-temporal variability of sea surface temperature in the Northwest Pacific and the Near China Sea
Authors: Wu Zhiyuan , Jiang Changbo , Conde Mack , Chen Jie , Deng Bin
Published: August 2019

Abstract. The variability of the sea surface temperature (SST) in the Northwest Pacific has been studied on seasonal, annual and interannual scales based on the monthly datasets of ERSST 3b (1854–2017, 164 years) and OISST V2 (1988–2017, 30 years). The overall trends, spatial-temporal distribution characteristics, regional differences in seasonal trends, and seasonal differences of SST in the Northwest Pacific have been calculated over the past 164 years based on these datasets. In the past 164 years, the SST in the Northwest Pacific has been increasing linearly year by year with a trend of 0.033 °C/10 yr. The period from 1880 to 1910 is a slow decreasing trend period in the past 164 years and the SST during the 1910–1930 period was a trough of the past 164 years. After 1930, SST has continued to increase until now. The increasing trend in the past 30 years has reached 0.132 °C/10 yr and the increasing trend in the past 10 years is 0.306 °C/10 yr, which is around ten times in the past 164 years. The SST in most regions of the Northwest Pacific showed a linear increasing trend year by year, and the increasing trend in the offshore region was stronger than that in the ocean and deep-sea region. The change trend of the SST in the Northwest Pacific shows a large seasonal difference, and the increasing trend in autumn and winter is larger than that in spring and summer. There are some correlations between the SST and some climate indexes and atmospheric parameters, the correlation between the SST and some atmospheric parameters have been discussed, such as NAO, PDO, SOI anomaly, TCW, Nino 3.4, SLP, Precipitation, T2 and wind speed. The lowest SST in the Near China Sea basically occurred in February and the highest in August. The SST fluctuation in the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea (BYS) is the largest with a range from 5 °C to 22 °C, the SST in the East China Sea (ECS) is from 18 °C to 27 °C, the smallest fluctuations occurs in the South China Sea (SCS) maintained at range of 26 °C to 29 °C. There are large differences between the mean and standard deviation in different sea regions.
Evaluating the carbon sequestration potential of volcanic soils in southern Iceland after birch afforestation
Authors: Hunziker Matthias , Arnalds Olafur , Kuhn Nikolaus J.
Published: August 2019

Abstract. Afforestation is a strategy to sequester atmospheric
carbon in the terrestrial system and to enhance ecosystem services.
Iceland's large areas of formerly vegetated and now degraded ecosystems
therefore have a high potential to act as carbon sinks. Consequently, the
ecological restoration of these landscape systems is part of climate
mitigation programmes supported by the Icelandic government. The aim of this
study was to explore the change in the soil organic carbon (SOC) pools and
to estimate the SOC sequestration potential during the re-establishment of
birch forest on severely degraded land. Differently aged afforested mountain
birch sites (15, 20, 25 and 50 years) were compared to sites of severely
degraded land, naturally growing remnants of mountain birch woodland and
grasslands which were re-vegetated using fertilizer and grass seeds 50 years
ago. The soil was sampled to estimate the SOC stocks and for physical
fractionation to characterize the quality of the SOC. The results of our
study show that the severely degraded soils can potentially sequester an
additional 20 t C ha−1 (0–30 cm) to reach the SOC stock of naturally
growing birch woodlands. After 50 years of birch growth, the SOC stock is
significantly lower than that of a naturally growing birch woodland,
suggesting that afforested stands could sequester additional SOC beyond 50
years of growth. The SOC fractionation revealed that at all the tested sites
most of the carbon was stored in the <63 µm fraction.
However, after 50 years of birch growth on severely degraded soils the
particulate organic matter (POM) fraction was significantly enriched most
(+12 t POM-C ha−1) in the top 30 cm. The study also found a doubling
of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration after 50 years of birch
growth. Therefore and due to the absence of any increase in the tested
mineral-associated SOC fractions, we assume that the afforestation process
evokes a carbon deposition in the labile SOC pools. Consequently, parts of
this plant-derived, labile SOC may be partly released into the atmosphere
during the process of stabilization with the mineral soil phases in the
future. Our results are limited in their scope since the selected sites do
not fully reflect the heterogeneity of landscape evolution and the range of
soil degradation conditions. As an alternative, we suggest using repeated
plot measurements instead of space-for-time substitution approaches for
testing C changes in severely degraded volcanic soils. Our findings clearly
show that detailed measurements on the SOC quality are needed to estimate
the SOC sequestration potential of restoration activities on severely
degraded volcanic soils, rather than only measuring SOC concentration and
SOC stocks.
Bifurcación del modelo de negocio radiofónico colombiano en la convergencia antena–ecosistema digital
Authors: Barrios Rubio Andrés
Published: August 2019

Las TIC han replanteado la sociedad en todas sus formas de actuar y enfrentarse a los medios de comunicación, ello ha propiciado un periodo de transformación y reinvención al interior de la industria radiofónica para adaptarse a la evolución tecnológica de las audiencias, establecer rutas y fijar un campo de acción. Estudio de caso que se desarrolló con una metodología mixta que permitió caracterizar las acciones del medio en el ecosistema digital (web-radio, app-radio y redes sociales), su nuevo modelo de negocio y rutinas productivas. Queda como conclusión que las emisoras en su proceso de culturización digital estratégicamente en su quehacer proponen una bifurcación analógica-digital para captar la atención del público desde múltiples alternativas de consumo.
Modelo de análisis web para centrales nucleares: estudio del caso de España
Authors: Cobos Urbina Enrique , Recoder Sellarés María José
Published: August 2019

Las centrales nucleares necesitan buenos sistemas de comunicación externa para convertirse en referente informativo sobre su actividad, y para convencer al público en general sobre la viabilidad de esta apuesta energética. Se propone un modelo de análisis web para centrales nucleares y se aplica y examinan las webs de las centrales atómicas de España: ¿Cuáles son sus características principales, y en qué puntos pueden mejorar para lograr su objetivo informativo?
Periodismo comunitario: apropiación, mediación y transferencia de medios. Diálogo de saberes entre Academia y colectivos de comunicación
Authors: Garcés Montoya Ángela , Acosta Valencia Gladys Lucia
Published: August 2019

Este artículo reflexiona sobre procesos de apropiación y gestión de medios con sentido social a partir del reconocimiento de procesos de comunicación y su incidencia en las transformaciones de entornos de periferia a partir del empoderamiento de las comunidades y la emancipación de los actores que agencian la mediación comunicativa. Se toman como referente dos experiencias de comunicación social, que responden a escenarios divergentes, de un lado, se considera la experiencia de voluntariado en el marco de la extensión universitaria (Universidad de Antioquia) proyecto Barrio U, ámbito académico de formación profesional en comunicación social; y de otro lado, la experiencia Revelando Barrio, pertenece al colectivo de comunicación Ciudad Comuna con énfasis en comunicación comunitaria. En éstas experiencias se resalta la importancia del papel de los sujetos en los procesos de apropiación y gestión de medios con sentido social y se reconoce como los procesos de comunicación que agencian, logran la transformación de las subjetividades del actor mediador (comunicador comunitario; voluntariado) y la emergencia de la territorialidad comunicativa.
El “Baguazo” en el discurso periodístico peruano. Un análisis crítico de los medios durante el conflicto amazónico de 2009
Authors: Guzmán Zamora Franklin , Rodrigo Alsina Miquel
Published: August 2019

Se presenta los resultados de una investigación que realiza un análisis crítico del discurso sobre el conflicto amazónico peruano de 2009 denominado por los medios peruanos como el “Baguazo”. Se examina cómo los discursos televisivos periodísticos representan a los pueblos indígenas de la Amazonía durante el conflicto. Se analizan estructuras y estrategias del discurso verbal público sobre el conflicto desde una perspectiva social, política y crítica para entender cómo se establece, legitima, ejerce o resiste el poder durante un conflicto étnico-social. Se seleccionan una combinación herramientas metodológicas que giran en torno al análisis de los actores sociales, la acción social, el tiempo, la legitimación y el encuadre, en una muestra de entrevistas periodísticas televisivas consideradas como casos políticamente importantes. La investigación expone cómo el discurso dominante de las entrevistas construye una imagen negativa de los pueblos indígenas amazónicos y avala el discurso oficial del Estado peruano sobre el conflicto amazónico.
Análisis crítico de las informaciones sobre las lenguas publicadas en la prensa española de la Transición
Authors: Iglésias Franch Narcís
Published: August 2019

El presente artículo se propone analizar críticamente de qué modo la prensa española informó sobre las lenguas durante la Transición. En este período varios actores reclamaron el fin del monolingüismo impuesto por el régimen de Franco y el inicio de una etapa en la que las diferentes lenguas fueran reconocidas y promovidas desde las que tenían que ser las nuevas instituciones democráticas. Por un lado, se muestra que los periódicos españoles de todas las tendencias dieron una cobertura informativa más o menos neutra sobre los sectores que impulsaban un reconocimiento de todas las lenguas. Por otro lado, también hubo no pocas informaciones en las que predominaba un tono negativo hacia la diversidad. El presente artículo solo empieza a cubrir un vacío en la literatura académica e intenta asentar posibles bases sobre las que construir una primera interpretación sobre las ideologías lingüísticas de la prensa durante la Transición.
Tratamiento informativo del Word Pride Madrid en las cadenas generalistas en España
Authors: Sánchez Soriano Juan José , Sánchez Castillo Raúl
Published: August 2019

La investigación analiza el tratamiento informativo de la celebración del World Pride Madrid 2017 en los telediarios españoles de máxima audiencia, tanto del día 28 de junio, día oficial del Orgullo mundial, como del 1 de julio de 2017, fecha de celebración de la manifestación. El objetivo es hallar diferencias en el tratamiento entre la televisión pública y las cadenas privadas y entre el tipo de información mostrado en cada una de ellas, destacando el tiempo dedicado en cada informativo, el enfoque de las noticias, la evaluación realizada y las imágenes mostradas. El objeto de estudio es un total de diez informativos, dos por cada una de las cinco cadenas generalistas de máxima audiencia españolas. La metodología elegida es un análisis de contenido doble, por una parte cuantitativo, y por otra cualitativo, con los ítems seleccionados. Los resultados muestran una tendencia, con excepciones, a una visión equilibrada sobre el evento.
El "engagement" y las nuevas narrativas en el diseño de la comunicación digital
Authors: Zurita Andión José Luis
Published: August 2019

La cultura digital, la revolución de las TIC y la comunicación interactiva que fomenta la web 2.0, ha traído consigo que los medios utilicen, cada vez más, nuevas narrativas. El reto está en dialogar, participar y generar adhesiones estables que creen comunidad y, en consecuencia, beneficios económicos para la empresa informativa. Se trata de conocer las emociones y medirlas. La narrativa transmedia se hace fuerte en un entorno innovador que desborda libertad creadora y reivindicativa. Consciente de esta realidad, el Laboratorio de Comunicación de la Universidad de La Laguna ensaya nuevas formas de comunicar a través del diario digital periodismo.ull.es, al igual que también lo hacen periódicos, radios y televisiones de todo el mundo. En este ecosistema, ahora más que nunca, el engagement o marketing de compromiso es necesario.
The Influence of Short-Term Overseas Internship on English Learners’ Self-Efficacy and Intercultural Communication Apprehension
Authors: Jing Yangming , Zhang Jianying
Published: August 2019

There are more choices of overseas internship program with the increasing international communication. As an international language, English plays an important role in overseas internship program. The influence of short-term overseas internship is worthy of deep study. This study was designed to explore the possible influence of short-term Disney College Internship on interns’ self-efficacy and intercultural communication apprehension. Questionnaires and follow-up interview were used to collect data. The results show that the internship experience has enhanced interns’ intercultural self-efficacy and lowered their intercultural communication apprehension.
The Effect of Business Process Re-Engineering on Organizational Performance: The Mediating Role of Information and Communications Technology
Authors: Mohammad Khashman Aysar
Published: August 2019

The purpose of this study is to attempt to highlight the factors of business process reengineering (BPR) processes that effect on organizational performance in the Drivers and Vehicles License Department (DVLD) in Jordan through using ICT as a mediating role. From previous studies, five factors of BPR were adopted for this study, including "Ability to change, Selecting BPR Methodology, Organizational Culture, BPR strategic alignment, and Top management support ". ICT was used as an intermediary role for this structure to promote organizational performance. The study used the PLS software to analyze the basic relationships amongst the most relevant combinations between BPR, ICT, and Organizational Performance with a total of five constructs. As a result of the findings of operational, middle, and top levels (n=124) working in Drivers and Vehicles License Department (DVLD), it was awarded the King Abdullah II Award for Excellence in Jordan for 2018. It was found that there was a strong and statistically positive significant relationship between several variables of business process reengineering and organizational Performance by using the ICT as a mediating variable.
Ride-sharing Service in Bangladesh: Contemporary States and Prospects
Authors: Islam Saiful , Huda Ekramul , Nasrin Farjana
Published: August 2019

This study aims to identify the current status and prospect of ride-sharing service in Bangladesh from the users’ perspective. Data has been collected through a survey questionnaire from a sample of 164 respondents and analyzed using simple descriptive statistics. Findings show that ride-sharing services are emerging rapidly in Bangladesh as an alternative to traditional transportation because people prefer flexibility, convenience, time savings, and ease of use. The young generation is the top user of this service as they well equipped with the technologies required for this gig economy. Currently, Uber and Pathao, only two companies hold more than three-quarter of the market share because of their first mover advantage and availability in both car and motorbike segments. Further growth of this service is expected if major problems like concern over safety and security can overcome. Thus, this study would be useful for companies understanding users’ perception and improving their service quality.
Influence of the Period of Peach Tree Chemical Thinning on Fruit Quality
Authors: Barreto Caroline Farias , Farias Roseli de Mello , Zandoná Renan Ricardo , Martins Carlos Roberto , Malgarim Marcelo Barbosa
Published: August 2019

The need to decrease production costs along with the lack of man power in the countryside has asked for cultural practices which lead to these factors, such as thinning. Thus, chemical thinning has been studied as an alternative to fruit manual thinning. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating the quality of peach tree fruits after chemical thinning with metamitron at different time periods in the south of Brazil. The experiment was carried out in a commercial peach tree orchard with cultivars ‘Maciel’ in Morro Redondo, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, from 2015 to 2016. Treatments consisted in the application of metamitron (doses of 200 mg L-1) on the 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th and 60th day after full bloom (DAFB) and manual thinning on the 40th DAFB. Epidermis color, pulp firmness, ripeness index, soluble solids, titratable acidity, juice pH, total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity were evaluated. The application of metamitron in peach tree thinning did not affect peach color. Changes in the other variables related to the quality of fruits depended on the application period of metamitron in the thinning process and between crops.
Spatial Analysis and Population Dynamics of Haplaxius crudus (Hemiptera: Cixiidae) in Coconut Amazon
Authors: Bastos Lucas Faro , Santos Artur Vinícius Ferreira dos , Penner Fernanda Valente , Siqueira Lizandra Maria Maciel , Silva Anderson Gonçalves da , Martins Ivan Carlos Fernandes , Lins Paulo Manoel Pontes , Batista Telma Fátima Vieira
Published: August 2019

Haplaxius crudus is the primary vector of the phytoplasma that causes the Lethal Yellowing of Coconut, a disease that has become a barrier to the establishment of large coconut plantations in the world. The objective of this study was to determine the spatial distribution pattern and population dynamics of H. crudus adults by correlating them with the abiotic factors, such as temperature and rainfall in commercial dwarf coconut palm plantations. Collection of American palm cixiid was carried out using yellow sticky traps fixed to the abaxial part of the coconut leaves. The sampled plants were georeferenced to obtain the geographic coordinates and geostatistical analysis, besides the planialtimetric survey of the experimental plot for the preparation of the map that shows the topographic conformation of the terrain. Insects were found at the study site throughout the year, showing greater abundance in months when the average monthly temperatures and rainfall were not significant. The climatic factors showed a correlation with the total of insects, positive for the temperature, with 0.733 and negative for the precipitation with -0.606. The spatial distribution of H. crudus displayed an aggregate pattern, explained by the spherical model. The infestation focus occurred in the periphery of the plot, near a Brachiaria humidicola pasture. It was concluded that the infestation of the H. crudus showed a behavior directly related to the local climatic conditions and the aggregate spatial distribution explained by the spherical model, therefore, forming shrubs with a radius of 154 to 190 m, with areas of influence between 7.45 and 17.80 ha, which coincide with the lower part of the terrain.
Doses and Times of Trinexapac-ethyl Application in Soybean Development and Yield
Authors: Sales L. Z. de S. , Lazarini E. , Sanches I. R. , Bossolani J. W. , Santos F. L. dos , Alcalde A. M.
Published: August 2019

The intense vegetative growth is one of the problems faced by soybean producers, causing the lodging, making difficult and damaging the harvest and, even, the efficiency of the application of agricultural defenses. The use of growth regulators is an important tool in the management of growth, in addition, it can favor the transport of photoassimilates for grain filling. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the best dose and time of trinexapac-ethyl application in the development and yield of soybean varieties. The experiment was conducted in the Selvíria County, Brazil (20°20′53″ S, 51°24′02″ W). The experimental design was used in randomized blocks with treatments arranged in a factorial scheme 5 x 3 (doses x times), with four replications. The varieties used were the BRS Valiosa RR and the BMX Potência RR, the doses of the growth regulator were 0; 50; 100; 200 and 400 g ha-1 of trinexapac-ethyl (Moddus®) and the application times were at the phenological stages V7, V10 and R2. The varieties BRS Valiosa and BMX Potência, respectively, were obtained at the phenological stage V10, with application of 200 g ha-1 of trinexapac-ethyl, greater dry matter accumulation of leaves and pods. Nevertheless, the same did not act on the foliar area of the BRS Valiosa RR variety in the same way that it did not induce changes in the production components of the BMX Potência RR variety. Regardless of the application period (V7, V10 and R2) and the dose (up to 400 g ha-1), the application of trinexapac-ethyl was not a management capable of influencing the agronomic characteristics and the lodging of the plants in both varieties.
The Impact of Competition Policy Enforcement on the Functioning of EU Energy Markets
Authors: Duso Tomaso , Seldeslachts Jo , Szücs Florian
Published: August 2019

We investigate the impact of competition policy enforcement on the functioning of European energy markets while accounting for sectoral regulation. For this purpose, we compile a novel dataset on the European Commission’s (EC) and EU member states’ competition policy decisions in energy markets and combine it with firm- and sector-level data. We find that EC merger policy has a positive and robust impact on (i) the level of competition, (ii) investment and (iii) productivity. This impact, however, only shows up in low-regulated sectors. Other competition policy tools—EC state aid control and anti-trust, as well as all member state policy variables—do not have a uniform effect on energy markets. Our findings are consistent with the idea that the EC’s merger policy actions have been used to overcome obstacles to a well-functioning EU energy sector and may have contributed to the overall development of gas and electricity markets in Europe.
Globalization of the Cruise Industry: A Tale of Ships Part II - Asia Post 1994
Authors: O. Coggins Andrew
Published: August 2019

Cruising has grown over 7% a year since 1980. Sustained rapid expansion in North America, followed by local expansion in Europe and Asia, has made cruising a global industry, with 365 ships and estimated sales of $37.8 US billion (CIN, 2017). This global development has been fueled by innovation and introduction of market changing resident ships appealing to the mass traveler which were quickly matched by competitors, establishment of industry and port marketing organizations, awareness of cruising as a vacation option, and availability of suitable port and berthing facilities. When these four conditions coexisted the industry experienced rapid growth. Since 1966, the cruise industry has developed from a Miami-centered industry to a global industry centered in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia/New Zealand. Given the high cost of state-of-the-art ships, their deployment is a good indication of industry’s confidence in market growth. This chapter chronicles the development of the Asian cruise industry from 1994 through 2017. Data from Cruise Industry News Annual Reports (CIN) and Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships (Ward) are examined and conclusions are drawn.