bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Ethics and Integrity on Good Public Procurement System
Authors: Akaninyene OU , Mark J
Published: March 2015

This study aimed at exposing the effect of ethics and integrity on good public procurement system in Nigeria. Data for the study were collected through a structured questionnaire administered on eighty-two (82) officers of the Bureau for Public Procurement in Abuja, Nigeria. The data generated were analysed with the Pearson Product Moment Coefficient of Correlation. Our findings revealed that ethics, accountability, and transparency of public procurement system in Nigeria. In view of the above, the paper recommended that fairness and impartiality should be enshrined in public procurement in Nigeria; there should be proper re-orientation of public procurement officers on the need for consistency and transparency in procurement procedure; and regulatory authorities should ensure that legislative obligations and policies on public procurement are fully enforced.Key words: Ethics, integrity, good public procurement, accountability, transparency.
Perspectives on the Santiago Principles and the Nigeria Sovereign Wealth Fund
Authors: Otinche SI
Published: March 2015

The process of nation building is framed around the effective management of resources by government and its equitable distribution to the citizens. The failure of many leaders to effectively manage the nation’s resources has left their countries at the nadir of development with high incidences of poverty, unemployment, inequality, illiteracy, women/child/drug trafficking, maternal/infant mortality rates and social vices. In resources rich countries like Nigeria, there is no correlation between the revenue generated by government and the standard of life led by majority of the citizens. Scholars have attributed this development to corruption and fiscal indiscipline. The poor culture of resources governance has undermined the efforts of government to create inter-generational wealth and a cushion for resources glut or resource inertia. The paper therefore examines the propriety of the sovereign wealth fund in addressing inter-generational inequity in Nigeria. The paper asserted that the effective management of the NSWF in line with the Santiago Principles will go a long way to bridging the inequality gap in Nigeria. The paper argued that the prudent management of the sovereign wealth fund would bring about job and wealth creation and sustainable development. The paper is however apprehensive of the danger posed to it by a corrupt oligarchy but asserted that the success of the policy lies on the political will to create the environment for the efficient management of the funds.Key Words: Sovereign Wealth, Santiago Principles, Disclosure, Inter-generational Equity
Issues on the Gagging of Nigerian Press with Obnoxious Laws
Authors: Elebute A
Published: March 2015

This study examined the issues on the gagging of Nigerian press with obnoxious laws and it investigated the rate at which the Nigerian media had been prevented from expressing opinion freely by dictatorial leaders who enacted draconian laws to suppress facts and figures. Also, the study identified the major activities of Nigerian press in fighting authoritarianism and in upholding the philosophy of rationalism and natural rights and in checking the excesses of government in power by separating judgements of truth from falsity. Data were sourced through the secondary means and information was obtained from the contents of books, journals, magazines, newspapers and the Internet. It was established that the Nigerian press has been so uncompromising and very zealous in exposing the evils perpetrated by people in power and that the military leadership in Nigeria had engaged several state apparatus in suppressing the truth. The conclusion is that the past governments in Nigeria had used their privileged position to forbid criticism and they had invoked absolutism under extreme conditions. The recommendation is that the incumbent government should eschew autocracy and avoid exploiting the obnoxious laws enacted by the military ‘boys’ in the guise of providing security for the state.Key words: Nigerian press, Obnoxious decrees, Dictatorial leaders, Draconian laws, Incumbent government
La Mauvaise Traduction Dans Des Etiquettes Des Produits Médicaux Ou Pharmaceutiques
Authors: Asadu FO
Published: March 2015

Le rôle inestimable de la traduction c’est de combler les barrières linguistiques. La plupart de temps une mauvaise traduction empêche les gens d’avoir accès à toutes les informations nécessaires surtout au niveau de santé. Ça c’est la raison principale de travailler sur L’EMTRIM pour montrer le danger d’emploi un traducteur non- professionnel dans les industries pharmaceutiques. Pour réaliser ce but nous traiterons les qualités d’un bon traducteur, les causes et les effets d’un mauvais traducteur et nous proposons des solutions possibles.Mots clés : la traduction, étiquettes pharmaceutiques ou médicales.
Akokoland before Colonial Rule: Earliest Times to 1900
Authors: Faboyede O
Published: March 2015

The study examines the evolution and the growth of mini-states into towns and villages in Akokoland. During this period of emergence, these mini-states were very significant and were contributory factors to the urbanisation processes that took place in western and southeastern Yorubaland. In spite of their significant contributions to the growth of mega-states in western and southeastern parts of Yoruba land in the nineteenth century, much scholarly attention has not been given to the study of the mini-states. Thus, besides highlighting the value of the mini-states to historical reconstruction in Akokoland, the scope covers pre-interruption of the indigenous patterns of settlement in the Akoko region during the British administration. The level of neglect of the examination of mini-states in Yoruba historiography by early scholars is worrisome and thus informs the writing of this paper. However, the present study complements the paltry existing literatures, which are of course, considerable works on Yoruba history. The paper identifies the pre-historic histories that had existed before the colonial era. The paper concludes that local history is a valuable source of historical reconstruction.Key words: Akokoland, Colonial rule, Evolution, Mini-states, Urbanisation, Historical reconstruction
Migrant Groups and Inter-Group Relations in Tiv Society of Central Nigeria: Pre to Post Colonial Era
Authors: Uji WT
Published: March 2015

Societies and groups in Africa were mutually inter-dependent and coexisted as a whole in the pre-colonial era. This is contrary to Eurocentric views which regarded African societies as “tribes” which were isolated and antagonistic to each other in their co-existence. This paper shows that societies in Africa had series of network of relationship that bonded them to together. This existing pre-colonial network became the foundation upon which European imperialism by the 20th century wielded these Africans together into a common nationhood. This paper adopts the methodology of using oral traditions as well as archival sources in looking at the experience of the Tiv people and her neighbours, Jukun, Hausa and Alago of central Nigeria in their intergroup relationship from the colonial period to the post-colonial era.
Memorandum of Understanding and Its Effects on Multinational Companies’ Operations in Less Developed Countries: The Case of Nigeria
Authors: Nwaeke MLI
Published: March 2015

This study was carried out with the aim of determining why there is so much tension in Nigeria as a result of the activities of multinational companies operating in her sub-regions and how this seeming tension could be minimized or abated by tying corporate social responsibility based on the needs of her citizens. It employed a theoretical approach in its investigation and revealed that the seeming high level of societal, economic and political discontents, anomie, dissonance and ambivalence in Nigeria are associated to poverty, poor infrastructural development, unemployment and utter neglect. Multinational corporations operating in Nigeria are very contented with their levels of profitability without contributing adequately to the social, economic, political and infrastructural developments of Nigeria. It concludes that if the corporate social responsibility factors/dimensions of these multinational corporations are tied implicitly and explicitly to a well guided memorandum of understanding the basic necessities of Nigerians will be adequately provided for and Nigeria will be a far better country to live in based on developmental contexts, peace and stability.Key words: Memorandum of Understanding, corporate social responsibility, National stability and development
A science-based use of ensembles of opportunities for assessment and scenario studies
Authors: Solazzo E. , Galmarini S.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. The multimodel ensemble exercise performed within the HTAP project context (Fiore et al., 2009) is used here as an example of how a pre-inspection, diagnosis and selection of an ensemble, can produce more reliable results. The procedure is contrasted with the often-used practice of simply averaging model simulations, assuming different models produce independent results, and using the diversity of simulation as an illusory estimate of model uncertainty. It is further and more importantly demonstrated how conclusions can drastically change when future emission scenarios are analysed using an un-inspected ensemble. The HTAP multimodel ensemble analysis is only taken as an example of a widespread and common practice in air quality modelling.
Importance of aerosol composition and mixing state for cloud droplet activation over the Arctic pack ice in summer
Authors: Leck C. , Svensson E.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. Concentrations of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) were measured throughout an expedition by icebreaker around the central Arctic Ocean, including a 3 week ice drift operation at 87° N, from 3 August to 9 September 2008. In agreement with previous observations in the area and season, median daily CCN concentrations at 0.2% water vapour supersaturation (SS) were typically in the range of 15 to 30 cm−3, but concentrations varied by 2 to 3 orders of magnitude over the expedition and were occasionally below 1 cm−3. The CCN concentrations were highest near the ice edge and fell by a factor of 3 in the first 48 h of transport from the open sea into the pack ice region. For longer transport times they increased again, indicating a local source over the pack ice, suggested to be polymer gels, via drops injected into the air by bubbles bursting on open leads. We inferred the properties of the unexplained non-water soluble aerosol fraction that was necessary for reproducing the observed concentrations of CCN. This was made possible by assuming Köhler theory and simulating the cloud nucleation process using a Lagrangian adiabatic air parcel model that solves the kinetic formulation for condensation of water on size resolved aerosol particles. We propose that the portion of the internally/externally mixed water insoluble particles was larger in the corresponding smaller aerosol size ranges. These particles were physically and chemically behaving as polymer gels: the interaction of the hydrophilic and hydrophobic entities on the structures of polymer gels during cloud droplet activation would at first only show a partial wetting character and only weak hygroscopic growth. Given time, a high CCN activation efficiency is achieved, which is promoted by the hydrophilicity or surface-active properties of the gels. Thus the result in this study argues that the behaviour of the high Arctic aerosol in CCN-counters operating at water vapour SSs > 0.4% (high relative humidities) may not be properly explained by conventional Köhler theory.
Simulating CO2 profiles using NIES TM and comparison with HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations
Authors: Song C. , Maksyutov S. , Belikov D. , Takagi H. , Shu J.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. We present a study on validation of the National Institute for Environmental Studies Transport Model (NIES TM) by comparing to observed vertical profiles of atmospheric CO2. The model uses a hybrid sigma-isentropic (σ–θ) vertical coordinate that employs both terrain-following and isentropic parts switched smoothly in the stratosphere. The model transport is driven by reanalyzed meteorological fields and designed to simulate seasonal and diurnal cycles, synoptic variations, and spatial distributions of atmospheric chemical constituents in the troposphere. The model simulations were run for biosphere, fossil fuel, air–ocean exchange, biomass burning and inverse correction fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2) by GOSAT Level 4 product. We compared the NIES TM simulated fluxes with data from the HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO) Merged 10 s Meteorology, Atmospheric Chemistry, and Aerosol Data, including HIPPO-1, HIPPO-2 and HIPPO-3 from 128.0° E to −84.0° W, and 87.0° N to −67.2° S. The simulation results were compared with CO2 observations made in January and November 2009, and March and April 2010. The analysis attests that the model is good enough to simulate vertical profiles with errors generally within 1–2 ppmv, except for the lower stratosphere in the Northern Hemisphere high latitudes.
On the vertical distribution of the chlorophyll a concentration in the Mediterranean Sea: a basin scale and seasonal approach
Authors: Lavigne H. , D'Ortenzio F. , Ribera D'Alcalà M. , Claustre H. , Sauzède R. , Gacic M.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. The distribution of the chlorophyll a concentration ([Chl a]) in the Mediterranean Sea, which is mainly obtained from satellite surface observations or from scattered in situ experiments, is updated by analyzing a database of fluorescence profiles calibrated into [Chl a]. The database, which includes 6790 fluorescence profiles from various origins, was processed with a dedicated quality control procedure. To ensure homogeneity between the different data sources, 65% of fluorescence profiles have been inter-calibrated on the basis of their concomitant satellite [Chl a] estimation. The climatological pattern of [Chl a] vertical profile in four key sites of the Mediterranean Sea has been analyzed. Climatological results confirm previous findings on the range of [Chl a] values and on the main Mediterranean trophic regimes. It also provides new insights on the seasonal variability of the shape of the vertical [Chl a] profile, inaccessible from remote sensing observations. An analysis based on the recognition of the general shape of the fluorescence profile was also performed. Although the shape of [Chl a] vertical distribution characterized by a deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) is ubiquitous during summer, different forms are observed during winter, suggesting thus that factors affecting the vertical distribution of the biomass are complex and highly variable. The [Chl a] distribution in the Mediterranean Sea mimics, at smaller scales, what is observed in the Global Ocean. As already evidenced by analyzing satellite surface observations, mid-latitude and subtropical like phytoplankton dynamics coexist in the Mediterranean Sea. Moreover, the Mediterranean DCM variability appears characterized by patterns already observed at global scale.
A generic simulation cell method for developing extensible, efficient and readable parallel computational models
Authors: Honkonen I.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. I present a method for developing extensible and modular computational models without sacrificing serial or parallel performance or source code readability. By using a generic simulation cell method I show that it is possible to combine several distinct computational models to run in the same computational grid without requiring modification of existing code. This is an advantage for the development and testing of, e.g., geoscientific software as each submodel can be developed and tested independently and subsequently used without modification in a more complex coupled program. An implementation of the generic simulation cell method presented here, generic simulation cell class (gensimcell), also includes support for parallel programming by allowing model developers to select which simulation variables of, e.g., a domain-decomposed model to transfer between processes via a Message Passing Interface (MPI) library. This allows the communication strategy of a program to be formalized by explicitly stating which variables must be transferred between processes for the correct functionality of each submodel and the entire program. The generic simulation cell class requires a C++ compiler that supports a version of the language standardized in 2011 (C++11). The code is available at https://github.com/nasailja/gensimcell for everyone to use, study, modify and redistribute; those who do are kindly requested to acknowledge and cite this work.
MEMLS3&a: Microwave Emission Model of Layered Snowpacks adapted to include backscattering
Authors: Proksch M. , Mätzler C. , Wiesmann A. , Lemmetyinen J. , Schwank M. , Löwe H. , Schneebeli M.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. The Microwave Emission Model of Layered Snowpacks (MEMLS) was originally developed for microwave emissions of snowpacks in the frequency range 5–100 GHz. It is based on six-flux theory to describe radiative transfer in snow including absorption, multiple volume scattering, radiation trapping due to internal reflection and a combination of coherent and incoherent superposition of reflections between horizontal layer interfaces. Here we introduce MEMLS3&a, an extension of MEMLS, which includes a backscatter model for active microwave remote sensing of snow. The reflectivity is decomposed into diffuse and specular components. Slight undulations of the snow surface are taken into account. The treatment of like and cross polarization is accomplished by an empirical splitting parameter q. MEMLS3&a (as well as MEMLS) is set up in a way that snow input parameters can be derived by objective measurement methods which avoids fitting procedures of the scattering efficiency of snow, required by several other models. For the validation of the model we have used a combination of active and passive measurements from the NoSREx campaign in Sodankylä, Finland. We find a reasonable agreement between the measurements and simulations, subject to uncertainties in hitherto unmeasured input parameters of the backscatter model. The model is written in MATLAB and the code is publicly available for download through the following website: http://www.iapmw.unibe.ch/research/projects/snowtools/memls.html.
Experimental comparison of five friction models on the same test-bed of the micro stick-slip motion system
Authors: Liu Y. F. , Li J. , Zhang Z. M. , Hu X. H. , Zhang W. J.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. The micro stick-slip motion systems, such as piezoelectric stick-slip actuators (PE-SSAs), can provide high resolution motions yet with a long motion range. In these systems, friction force plays an active role. Although numerous friction models have been developed for the control of micro motion systems, behaviors of these models in micro stick-slip motion systems are not well understood. This study (1) gives a survey of the basic friction models and (2) tests and compares 5 friction models in the literature, including Coulomb friction model, Stribeck friction model, Dahl model, LuGre model, and the elastoplastic friction model on the same test-bed (i.e. the PE-SSA system). The experiments and simulations were done and the reasons for the difference in the performance of these models were investigated. The study concluded that for the micro stick-slip motion system, (1) Stribeck model, Dahl model and LuGre model all work, but LuGre model has the best accuracy and (2) Coulomb friction model and the elastoplastic model does not work. The study provides contributions to motion control systems with friction, especially for micro stick-slip or step motion systems as well as general micro-motion systems.
Seasonal forecasting of fire over Kalimantan, Indonesia
Authors: Spessa A. C. , Field R. D. , Pappenberger F. , Langner A. , Englhart S. , Weber U. , Stockdale T. , Siegert F. , Kaiser J. W. , Moore J.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. Large-scale fires occur frequently across Indonesia, particularly in the southern region of Kalimantan and eastern Sumatra. They have considerable impacts on carbon emissions, haze production, biodiversity, health, and economic activities. In this study, we demonstrate that severe fire and haze events in Indonesia can generally be predicted months in advance using predictions of seasonal rainfall from the ECMWF System 4 coupled ocean–atmosphere model. Based on analyses of long, up-to-date series observations on burnt area, rainfall, and tree cover, we demonstrate that fire activity is negatively correlated with rainfall and is positively associated with deforestation in Indonesia. There is a contrast between the southern region of Kalimantan (high fire activity, high tree cover loss, and strong non-linear correlation between observed rainfall and fire) and the central region of Kalimantan (low fire activity, low tree cover loss, and weak, non-linear correlation between observed rainfall and fire). The ECMWF seasonal forecast provides skilled forecasts of burnt and fire-affected area with several months lead time explaining at least 70% of the variance between rainfall and burnt and fire-affected area. Results are strongly influenced by El Niño years which show a consistent positive bias. Overall, our findings point to a high potential for using a more physical-based method for predicting fires with several months lead time in the tropics rather than one based on indexes only. We argue that seasonal precipitation forecasts should be central to Indonesia's evolving fire management policy.
Landslide susceptibility mapping in Mawat area, Kurdistan Region, NE Iraq: a comparison of different statistical models
Authors: Othman A. A. , Gloaguen R. , Andreani L. , Rahnama M.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. During the last decades, expansion of settlements into areas prone to landslides in Iraq has increased the importance of accurate hazard assessment. Susceptibility mapping provides information about hazardous locations and thus helps to potentially prevent infrastructure damage due to mass wasting. The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare frequency ratio (FR), weight of evidence (WOE), logistic regression (LR) and probit regression (PR) approaches in combination with new geomorphological indices to determine the landslide susceptibility index (LSI). We tested these four methods in Mawat area, Kurdistan Region, NE Iraq, where landslides occur frequently. For this purpose, we evaluated 16 geomorphological, geological and environmental predicting factors mainly derived from the advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer (ASTER) satellite. The available reference inventory includes 351 landslides representing a cumulative surface of 3.127 km2. This reference inventory was mapped from QuickBird data by manual delineation and partly verified by field survey. The areas under curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC), and relative landslide density (R index) show that all models perform similarly and that focus should be put on the careful selection of proxies. The results indicate that the lithology and the slope aspects play major roles for landslide occurrences. Furthermore, this paper demonstrates that using hypsometric integral as a prediction factor instead of slope curvature gives better results and increases the accuracy of the LSI.
Polyphase evolution of a crustal-scale shear zone during progressive exhumation from ductile to brittle behaviour: a case study from Calabria, Italy
Authors: Fazio E. , Ortolano G. , Cirrincione R. , Pezzino A. , Visalli R.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. Mylonitic rocks involved within a polyphase crustal-scale shear zone, cropping out in the Aspromonte Massif (Calabria, Italy), has been investigated to reveal the meso- and micro-structural evolution (from ductile- to brittle-type deformation) occurred during exhumation trajectory. A relatively small area (about 4 km2) has been selected in the central-eastern part of the massif to constrain the sequence of the structural features from the earliest ones (Hercynian in age), almost totally obliterated by a pervasive mylonitic foliation (plastic regime), up to recent ones, consisting of various sets of veins typical of semibrittle to brittle regime. The former ductile evolution was followed by a compressive thin-skinned thrusting stage developed during the Apennine phase of the Alpine Orogeny, interested by a second brittle stage, consistent with the switching from compressive to extensional tectonics. This last stage accompanied the final exhumation process causing the activation of regional scale normal faults, which partly disarticulated previous mylonitic microstructures. A suite of oriented specimens were collected and analyzed to complete the deformational history already recognized in the field. Quartz c axis orientation patterns confirm the greenschist facies conditions of the former ductile exhumation stage with a dominant top-to-NE sense of shear. Microstructural investigations highlighted the progressive development from plastic- to brittle-type structures, allowing to constrain each step of the multistage exhumation history, and to establish the relative timing of the stress field variation causing thrusting and subsequent normal faulting. Obtained results support a continue compressional exhumation of this sector since the opening of Tyrrhenian basin (10 Ma).
Editorial: Organic carbon pools in permafrost regions on the Qinghai–Xizang (Tibetan) Plateau
Authors: Mu C. , Zhang T. , Wu Q. , Peng X. , Cao B. , Zhang X. , Cao B. , Cheng G.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. The current Northern Circumpolar Soil Carbon Database did not include organic carbon storage in permafrost regions on the Qinghai–Xizang (Tibetan) Plateau (QXP). In this study, we reported a new estimation of soil organic carbon (SOC) pools in the permafrost regions on the QXP up to 25 m depth using a total of 190 soil profiles. The SOC pools were estimated to be 17.3 ± 5.3 Pg for the 0–1 m depth, 10.6 ± 2.7 Pg for the 1–2 m depth, 5.1 ± 1.4 Pg for the 2–3 m depth and 127.2 ± 37.3 Pg for the layer of 3–25 m depth. The percentage of SOC storage in deep layers (3–25 m) on the QXP (80%) was higher than that (39%) in the yedoma and thermokarst deposits in arctic regions. In total, permafrost regions on the QXP contain approximately 160 ± 87 Pg SOC, of which approximately 132 ± 77 Pg (83%) stores in perennially frozen soils and deposits. Total organic carbon pools in permafrost regions on the QXP was approximately 8.7% of that in northern circumpolar permafrost region. The present study demonstrates that the total organic carbon storage is about 1832 Pg in permafrost regions on northern hemisphere.
Seasonal changes of ice surface characteristics and productivity in the ablation zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet
Authors: Chandler D. M. , Alcock J. D. , Wadham J. L. , Mackie S. L. , Telling J.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. Field and remote sensing observations in the ablation zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet have revealed a diverse range of ice surface characteristics, primarily reflecting the variable distribution of fine debris (cryoconite). This debris reduces the surface albedo and is therefore an important control on melt rates and ice sheet mass balance. Meanwhile, studies of ice sheet surface biological processes have found active microbial communities associated with the cryoconite debris, which may themselves modify the cryoconite distribution. Due to the considerable difficulties involved with collecting ground-based observations of the ice surface, our knowledge of the physical and biological surface processes, and their links, remains very limited. Here we present data collected at a field camp established in the ice sheet ablation zone at 67° N, occupied for almost the entire melt season (26 May–10 August 2012), with the aim of gaining a much more detailed understanding of the physical and biological processes occurring on the ice surface. These data sets include quadrat surveys of surface type, measurements of ice surface ablation, and in situ biological oxygen demand incubations to quantify microbial activity. In addition, albedo at the site was retrieved from AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) remote sensing data. Observations of the areal coverage of different surface types revealed a rapid change from complete snow cover to the "summer" (summer study period) ice surface of patchy debris ("dirty ice") and cryoconite holes. There was significant correlation between surface albedo, cryoconite hole coverage and surface productivity during the melt season, but microbial activity in "dirty ice" was not correlated with albedo and varied widely throughout the season. While this link suggests the potential for a remote-sensing approach to monitoring cryoconite hole biological processes, very wide seasonal and spatial variability in net surface productivity demonstrates the need for caution when extrapolating point measurements of biological processes to larger temporal or spatial scales.
Total polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity changes in dependence on chosen garden pea varieties
Authors: Hegedüsová Alžbeta , Mezeyová Ivana , Timoracká Mária , Šlosár Miroslav , Musilová Janette , Jurí­ková Tünde
Published: March 2015

The green pea is ranged between the crops with high antioxidant potential. This potential is connected with phytochemical components mainly with polyphenols. All these bioactive chemicals have disease - fighting properties. In real human diet there is no usually possibility of fresh garden pea consumption during the whole year. The total polyphenol content is significantly changed among other things by processing methods. Focus on variety, bio-fortification and other specific agricultural inputs, could be the right method of total polyphenol contents and total antioxidant capacity increasing. The main objective of the present work was to consider the changes of total polyphenols content in dependence on variety and to evaluate an antioxidant potential six garden pea varieties arranged by the ripening point of view. Variety “Exzeleus” belongs to very early type, ́Premium ́ is early maturing,”Flavora” is middle ripening variety and the last three varieties “Utrio”, “Jumbo” and “Ambassador” are middle late types of varieties. Every variety was grown in four replications, i.e. on 24 m2 total plot in Botanical garden of Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra during 2013. Total polyphenols were determined by the Lachmans method and expressed as mg of gallic acid equivalent per kg fresh mater. Total antioxidant capacity was measured by the Brand - Williams method using a compound DPPH (2.2-diphenyl-1-pikrylhydrazyl)). The highest value was reached in case of variety “Jumbo” 1179.995±28.081 mg/kg, the lowest value in case of “Premium” 674.505 ±26.541 mg/kg. When evaluating an antioxidant capacity in chosen varieties of garden pea, the interval estimated by our trail ranged from 0.523 ±0.206% (“Exzeleus”) to 6.844 ±0.591% (“Flavora”) Following the both observed parameters, TPC and TAC, variety “Flavora” (as a member of middle ripening varieties) seems to be the most optimal from the human nutrition point of view. The various varieties had significant influence on TPC and TAC according to used statistical analyzes. Within the all observed varieties, when they were arranged by ripening, there was estimated significant difference only in case of garden pea varieties early – middle late. Other couples didn’t show any statistical important differences in total polyphenol content.
Tissue Engineering of the Temporomandibular Joint Disc: Current Status and Future Trends
Authors: Shu Weina , Liu Lin , Bao Guangjie , Kang Hong
Published: March 2015

Introduction

Temporomandibular joint disorders are extremely prevalent and there is no ideal treatment clinically for the moment. For severe cases, a discectomy often need to be performed, which will further result in the development of osteoarthritis. In the past thirty years, tissue engineering has provided a promising approach for the effective remedy of severe TMJ disease through the creation of viable, effective, and biological functional implants.

Methods

Although TMJ disc tissue engineering is still in early stage, unremitting efforts and some achievements have been made over the past decades. In this review, a comprehensive summary of the available literature on the progress and status in tissue engineering of the TMJ disc regarding cell sources, scaffolds, biochemical and biomechanical stimuli, and other prospects relative to this field is provided.

Results and Conclusions

Even though research studies in this field are too few compared to other fibrocartilage (e.g., knee meniscus) and numerous, difficult tasks still exist, we believe that our ultimate goal of regenerating a biological implant whose histological, biochemical, and biomechanical properties parallel native TMJ discs for clinical therapy will be achieved in the near future.
Current Role of Training in Robot-Assisted Urological Procedures
Authors: Ficarra Vincenzo , Abbinante Maria , Giannarini Gianluca , Rossanese Marta , Crestani Alessandro , Novara Giacomo , Mottrie Alexandre
Published: March 2015

The rapid introduction of robotic procedures necessitates new training methods. Currently, we can estimate that in a considerable proportion of the hospitals in Europe, the criteria for the surgeon's competence before starting with robotic surgery are insufficient. Therefore, the development of structured robotic training programs should be considered as one of the priorities that the urologic community must take into account in the near future.
STORAGE WARS
Authors: Kersel Morag M.
Published: March 2015

Whether sponsored by academic institutions, governments, international agencies, or private landowners, the results of archaeological investigations are the same: the production of knowledge and an accumulation of things. The material manifestations (artifacts and samples) and the accompanying daily notes, digital records, maps, photographs, and plans together comprise a comprehensive record of the past. Once these items have been amassed, they are deposited in dig houses, magazines, museums, repositories, storage containers, and sometimes in personal basements and garages to be held in perpetuity. Across the globe, storage (here implying curation and permanent care) is one of the most pressing issues facing archaeology today. The following examines the curation crisis and some of the traditional and innovative solutions to the storage wars, arguing that rather than something that is viewed as a time-consuming, costly afterthought; curation should be an integral part of archaeological praxis.
A Facile Method to Establish Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells From Adult Blood Cells Under Feeder-Free and Xeno-Free Culture Conditions: A Clinically Compliant Approach
Authors: Chou Bin-Kuan , Gu Haihui , Gao Yongxing , Dowey Sarah N. , Wang Ying , Shi Jun , Li Yanxin , Ye Zhaohui , Cheng Tao , Cheng Linzhao
Published: March 2015

Reprogramming human adult blood mononuclear cells (MNCs) cells by transient plasmid expression is becoming increasingly popular as an attractive method for generating induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells without the genomic alteration caused by genome-inserting vectors. However, its efficiency is relatively low with adult MNCs compared with cord blood MNCs and other fetal cells and is highly variable among different adult individuals. We report highly efficient iPS cell derivation under clinically compliant conditions via three major improvements. First, we revised a combination of three EBNA1/OriP episomal vectors expressing five transgenes, which increased reprogramming efficiency by ≥10–50-fold from our previous vectors. Second, human recombinant vitronectin proteins were used as cell culture substrates, alleviating the need for feeder cells or animal-sourced proteins. Finally, we eliminated the previously critical step of manually picking individual iPS cell clones by pooling newly emerged iPS cell colonies. Pooled cultures were then purified based on the presence of the TRA-1-60 pluripotency surface antigen, resulting in the ability to rapidly expand iPS cells for subsequent applications. These new improvements permit a consistent and reliable method to generate human iPS cells with minimal clonal variations from blood MNCs, including previously difficult samples such as those from patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. In addition, this method of efficiently generating iPS cells under feeder-free and xeno-free conditions allows for the establishment of clinically compliant iPS cell lines for future therapeutic applications.
Entre vents et marées ou la psychanalyse en dépit des formes et des formules
Authors: Crombez Jean-Charles
Published: March 2015

La psychanalyse est un dispositif de mise en scène d’un sujet. D’une part, la psychanalyse est un dispositif de mise en conscience et de mise en lien. Malgré les empreintes de ses origines qui la supportent et la freinent, elle soutient un processus hors des temps chronologiques, des espaces culturels et des pathologies spécifiques. D’autre part, la psychanalyse est un instrument de mise en question et de mise en jeu. Elle interroge et relance les réalités et leurs sens, les vécus et leurs origines, les crises et leurs fonctions. Du même souffle, ses théories et ses pratiques sont mises à l’épreuve, en dégageant les premières du risque de conservatisme et en préservant les deuxièmes du danger de dispersion. Et puis, la psychanalyse est un outil de création, de mise en oeuvre. Elle place deux sujets là où tout peut s’avérer nouveau et imprévu. Elle peut apporter à tous les thérapeutes, au-delà des différents modèles thérapeutiques, une lucidité et une liberté dans l’exercice de leur fonction.
Redonner la parole au sujet. Une proposition de travail à court terme, dans un contexte institutionnel
Authors: Riaño Patricia
Published: March 2015

L’analyste travaillant en institution peut s’inspirer du travail réalisé pendant les « entretiens préliminaires à l’analyse » pour redonner la parole au sujet en dispositifs à court terme, tout en respectant les conditions de la position de l’analyste établies par Freud et Lacan. Cette proposition a été mise en place par l’auteure notamment dans un projet au sein d’un CSSS.
Entre dinosaures et Don Quichotte : « rouler avec la résistance »… de l’institution. Une utopie ?
Authors: Levert Carole
Published: March 2015

À partir des enjeux auxquels font face les psychanalystes inscrits dans le travail institutionnel et des formations obligatoires auxquelles on les soumet, nommément l’approche motivationnelle et l’approche du rétablissement en santé mentale, deux positions de l’auteure s’affrontent. Dans le respect à la fois de son éthique et de son autonomie professionnelles, quelle place le psychanalyste peut-il trouver pour lui-même et pour l’Autre qu’il écoute ? Confronté à des paradigmes qui ne sont pas les siens, où le sujet se voit réduit aux considérations marchandes des données probantes, il est appelé à tenter quelques petites subversions pour sortir de l’écheveau normatif et quantifiable, un brin de création et d’inattendu. Il est néanmoins violemment exposé aux discours vides, aux mots-clés, écartant l’essentiel de la souffrance humaine : son sens. Tout en brossant un tableau de l’état des lieux, l’auteure questionne et critique l’insensé contenu dans ces « bonnes pratiques » avec, en fil d’Ariane, les questions « qu’est la psychanalyse devenue ? » mais aussi que deviendra-t-elle ?
Is Knowledge like Love?
Authors: Saussois Jean-Michel
Published: March 2015

The label ‘knowledge management’ is a source of ambiguity within the education community. In fact, the role played by knowledge within economics has an impact on the education sector, especially on the nature of the teacher's job. Compared to other sectors such as engineering and health, research and development investment is still weak. Schools need organisational innovation on how to produce, mediate and use knowledge.
Mapping Lifelong Learning Attributes in the Context of Higher Education Institutions
Authors: Mwaikokesya Mpoki J. D. , Osborne Michael , Houston Muir
Published: March 2015

Over the past four decades lifelong learning has been an important concept in educational policy, so much so that it has become one of the essential guiding principles in almost all of the educational reforms. Accompanying its popularity amongst policy makers, however, has been a perennial debate among academics concerning the viability of the concept as a researchable construct. Such debates have also focused on addressing the conceptual issues surrounding lifelong learning. In particular, there have been only limited numbers of studies aimed at understanding what really constitute the attributes of lifelong learners in the context of higher education. Despite much rhetoric about the significance of lifelong learning as a policy goal, there is a dearth of studies focusing on exploring the possible ways in which educational institutions can really achieve this goal of policy. This article aims at contributing to these debates, in an attempt to address issues associated with the challenges of developing a conceptual framework for understanding the indicators that provide quantifiable measures of lifelong learning. In particular, the article focuses on examining the individual, social and economic dimensions of lifelong learning that are fostered in higher education institutions. The article seeks to provide an understanding of possible ways in which higher learning institutions can concretise lifelong learning and move from rhetorical commitments to action.
From Adults to Non-Traditional Students to Lifelong Learners in Higher Education: Changing Contexts and Perspectives
Authors: Schuetze Hans G.
Published: March 2015

This chapter looks into the changing contexts and definitions of clienteles of lifelong learners over the last quarter of a century. The author has been involved in three closely related studies on who lifelong learners are, how they access and participate in higher education (HE), and how and what are they learning in HE and summarises some of the developments and issues over the 25 years that these studies cover (approximately 1987 to 2012).
Harnessing the Internet for International Exchanges on Learning Cities: The PIE Experience 2011–2013
Authors: Kearns Peter
Published: March 2015

The PASCAL International Exchanges (PIE) project was developed to facilitate online exchanges of information and experience between learning cities around the world and, in doing this, to test the potential of the internet to enable such low-cost exchanges. The author provides a personal assessment of the PIE experience over the three years 2011 to 2013, and comments on selected significant themes emerging from PIE during these years.
Infusing the New Technologies Debate with a Socio-Economic Agenda
Authors: Wilson Bruce
Published: March 2015

Dramatic changes occurred in the international economy in the latter part of the twentieth century. CERI, the Centre for Education Research and Innovation at the OECD, was an important contributor to the understanding of the nature and implications of these developments, and in foreshadowing the central policy challenges which would arise. Jarl Bengtsson was an important catalyst in focusing CERI's attention on these issues, particularly in relation to their implications for education, both in formal institutional learning and also the less immediate yet profound world of work. In the latter realm, he made a particular contribution which has remained rather hidden as part of the broader OECD work on new technologies and their implications, particularly for employment. This article reviews the thinking on ICT, people, work and education before returning to CERI's specific contribution.
Importin-β modulates the permeability of the nuclear pore complex in a Ran-dependent manner
Authors: Lowe Alan R , Tang Jeffrey H , Yassif Jaime , Graf Michael , Huang William YC , Groves Jay T , Weis Karsten , Liphardt Jan T
Published: March 2015

Soluble karyopherins of the importin-β (impβ) family use RanGTP to transport cargos directionally through the nuclear pore complex (NPC). Whether impβ or RanGTP regulate the permeability of the NPC itself has been unknown. In this study, we identify a stable pool of impβ at the NPC. A subpopulation of this pool is rapidly turned-over by RanGTP, likely at Nup153. Impβ, but not transportin-1 (TRN1), alters the pore's permeability in a Ran-dependent manner, suggesting that impβ is a functional component of the NPC. Upon reduction of Nup153 levels, inert cargos more readily equilibrate across the NPC yet active transport is impaired. When purified impβ or TRN1 are mixed with Nup153 in vitro, higher-order, multivalent complexes form. RanGTP dissolves the impβ•Nup153 complexes but not those of TRN1•Nup153. We propose that impβ and Nup153 interact at the NPC's nuclear face to form a Ran-regulated mesh that modulates NPC permeability.
Aerosol‐cloud interactions in ship tracks using Terra MODIS/MISR
Authors: Chen Yi‐Chun , Christensen Matthew W. , Diner David J. , Garay Michael J.
Published: March 2015

Simultaneous ship track observations from Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) have been compiled to investigate how ship‐injected aerosols affect marine warm boundary layer clouds for different cloud types and environmental conditions. By taking advantage of the high spatial resolution multiangle observations available from MISR, we utilized the retrieved cloud albedo, cloud top height, and cloud motion vectors to examine cloud property responses in ship‐polluted and nearby unpolluted clouds. The strength of the cloud albedo response to increased aerosol level is primarily dependent on cloud cell structure, dryness of the free troposphere, and boundary layer depth, corroborating a previous study by Chen et al. (2012) where A‐Train satellite data were utilized. Under open cell cloud structure the cloud properties are more susceptible to aerosol perturbations as compared to closed cells. Aerosol plumes caused an increase in liquid water amount (+38%), cloud top height (+13%), and cloud albedo (+49%) for open cell clouds, whereas for closed cell clouds, little change in cloud properties was observed. Further capitalizing on MISR's unique capabilities, the MISR cross‐track cloud speed was used to derive cloud top divergence. Statistically averaging the results from the identified plume segments to reduce random noise, we found evidence of cloud top divergence in the ship‐polluted clouds, whereas the nearby unpolluted clouds showed cloud top convergence, providing observational evidence of a change in local mesoscale circulation associated with enhanced aerosols. Furthermore, open cell polluted clouds revealed stronger cloud top divergence as compared to closed cell clouds, consistent with different dynamical mechanisms driving their responses. These results suggest that detailed cloud responses, classified by cloud type and environmental conditions, must be accounted for in global climate modeling studies to reduce uncertainties in calculations of aerosol indirect forcing.