bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inter-firm Relationship Quality vs. Perceived Cultural Differences
Authors: Danik Lidia
Published: June 2015

The objective of this exploratory study is to determine whether and (if so) how perceived cultural differences influence relationship quality.

To make this determination this study analyzed the cooperation of 278 Polish exporters and importers with their German and Chinese partners. Indicators of perceived cultural differences by cooperating companies were created, and then linear regression models were derived, showing the dependence of relationship quality dimensions on the perceived cultural differences. The findings confirmed the impact of the cultural differences perceived by Polish partners on all dimensions of inter-firm relationship quality. However, not all the perceived differences influenced the relationships. The perception of the differences did not depend strongly on the partner’s country of origin.

This study identifies new antecedents of relationship quality, which not only contribute to the international business theory but also suggests practical managerial implications. On the whole, managers can improve relationship quality if they behave similarly to their partners.
Capturing Absorptive Capacity: Concepts, Determinants, Measurement Modes and Role in Open Innovation
Authors: Lewandowska Małgorzata Stefania
Published: June 2015

Absorptive capacity (ACAP) enables firm to adjust to a rapidly changing environment and achieve sustained competitive advantage. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on ACAP by providing a comprehensive literature review of the various conceptual attributes of the construct, its determinants, outcomes, and positive and negative consequences of using its input-oriented, output-oriented, and perceptive measurement modes. Proposals for constructing ACAP based on the Community Innovation Survey (CIS) empirically illustrate for the conceptual part of the paper. Additionally, combining concepts of absorptive capacity and open innovation (which is still rare in the literature) provides a new perspective on the role of absorptive capacity in opening up the innovation process. This advances the understanding of both inter-related proposals. The article also identifies key problems and formulates future research directions to improve the multi-level characteristics of absorptive capacity.
Performance of the High Sensitivity Open Source Multi-GNSS Assisted GNSS Reference Server.
Authors: Sarwar Ali , Rizos Chris , Glennon Eamonn
Published: June 2015

The Open Source GNSS Reference Server (OSGRS) exploits the GNSS Reference Interface Protocol (GRIP) to provide assistance data to GPS receivers. Assistance can be in terms of signal acquisition and in the processing of the measurement data. The data transfer protocol is based on Extensible Mark-up Language (XML) schema. The first version of the OSGRS required a direct hardware connection to a GPS device to acquire the data necessary to generate the appropriate assistance. Scenarios of interest for the OSGRS users are weak signal strength indoors, obstructed outdoors or heavy multipath environments.

This paper describes an improved version of OSGRS that provides alternative assistance support from a number of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). The underlying protocol to transfer GNSS assistance data from global casters is the Networked Transport of RTCM (Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services) over Internet Protocol (NTRIP), and/or the RINEX (Receiver Independent Exchange) format. This expands the assistance and support model of the OSGRS to globally available GNSS data servers connected via internet casters. A variety of formats and versions of RINEX and RTCM streams become available, which strengthens the assistance provisioning capability of the OSGRS platform.

The prime motivation for this work was to enhance the system architecture of the OSGRS to take advantage of globally available GNSS data sources. Open source software architectures and assistance models provide acquisition and data processing assistance for GNSS receivers operating in weak signal environments. This paper describes test scenarios to benchmark the OSGRSv2 performance against other Assisted-GNSS solutions. Benchmarking devices include the SPOT satellite messenger, MS-Based & MS-Assisted GNSS, HSGNSS (SiRFstar-III) and Wireless Sensor Networks Assisted-GNSS. Benchmarked parameters include the number of tracked satellites, the Time to Fix First (TTFF), navigation availability and accuracy.

Three different configurations of Multi-GNSS assistance servers were used, namely Cloud-Client-Server, the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) Client-Server and PC-Client-Server; with respect to the connectivity location of client and server. The impact on the performance based on server and/or client initiation, hardware capability, network latency, processing delay and computation times with their storage, scalability, processing and load sharing capabilities, were analysed.

The performance of the OSGRS is compared against commercial GNSS, Assisted-GNSS and WSN-enabled GNSS devices. The OSGRS system demonstrated lower TTFF and higher availability.
Managing Network Based Governance Structures in Disasters: The Case of the Passau Flood in 2013
Authors: Wittmann Sebastian , Jurisch Marlen , Krcmar Helmut
Published: June 2015

Over the past decades, an increasing number of environmental situations posed threats to humans and assets. Natural disasters happen more frequently and with higher intensity – such as floods caused by heavy rains. One example was the flood that hit in the middle of Europe in 2013. This article reports a single case study of the flood in the German city of Passau in 2013. In the case study we analyze the governance structure employed throughout the flooding as well as how it was managed. Beyond this, we examine how information and communication technology supported the management staff in fulfilling their tasks. Data were collected through semi-structured qualitative interviews with members of the management staff from the main organizations involved in the relief work for the Passau Flood in 2013. Our results show that a hybrid governance structure was employed. All in all, the disaster could be averted, but we identified several challenges and areas for improvement, which could be helpful for managing future disasters successfully.
Content-Based Image Retrieval Using Edge and Gradient Orientation Features of an Object in an Image From Database
Authors: Kavitha H. , Sudhamani M.V.
Published: June 2015

In this work, we present a combination of edge feature and distribution of the gradient orientation of an object technique for content-based image retrieval (CBIR). First, the bidimensional empirical mode decomposition (BEMD) technique is employed to get the edge features of an image. Later, the information about the gradient orientation is obtained by the histogram of oriented gradient (HOG) descriptor. These two features are extracted from the images and stored in the database for further usage. When the user submits the query image, the features are extracted in same way and compared with the features of the data set images. Based on the similarity, the relevant images have been selected as a resultant set. These images are ranked from higher similarity to lower similarity and displayed on the user interface. The experiments are carried out using the Columbia Object Image Library (COIL-100) dataset. The COIL-100 database is a collection of 7200 color images belonging to 100 various objects, each with 72 different orientations. Our proposed method results are high with precision and recall values of 93.00 and 77.70, respectively. Taken individually, the precision and recall values for BEMD are 82.25 and 68.54 and for HOG are 85.00, 71.10, respectively. The observation from the experimental result is that the combined method performs better than the individual methods. Experiments are conducted in the presence of noise, and the robustness of the method is verified.
Rent-Seeking and Litigation: The Hidden Virtues of Limited Fee Shifting
Authors: Carbonara Emanuela , Parisi Francesco , von Wangenheim Georg
Published: June 2015

In the past couple of decades, scholars have predominantly employed rent-seeking models to analyze litigation problems. In this paper, we build on the existing literature to show how alternative fee-shifting arrangements (e.g., the American rule and English rule with limited fee-shifting) affect parties’ litigation expenditures and their decisions to litigate. Contrary to the prevailing wisdom, we discover that, when fee shifting is limited, the English rule presents some interrelated advantages over the American rule, including the reduction of litigation rates and the possible reduction of expected litigation expenditures. Our results unveil a hidden virtue of limited fee shifting, showing that an increase in such limit may lead to a desirable sorting of socially valuable litigation.
Bottlenecks or Inefficiency? An Assessment of First Instance Italian Courts’ Performance
Authors: Castro Massimo Finocchiaro , Guccio Calogero
Published: June 2015

The efficiency and effectiveness of judicial systems has become one of the main points of interest in public sector administration, due to the beneficial effects of an efficient judicial system on economic growth and firm competition. This is particularly relevant in Italy where judicial proceedings are extremely long-lasting due to the huge (in)efficiency of courts and to the presence of bottlenecks that affect the efficient management of court activity. This paper attempts to measure the relative technical efficiency of Italian first instance courts in the period 2010–2011 by applying a non-parametric frontier and distinguishing between managerial (in)efficiency and (in)efficiency due to the non-discretionary caseload. Our findings show that, while the presence of bottlenecks in the caseload plays a role in the level of court inefficiency, this effect is relatively small compared with the inefficiency due to the lack of managerial ability to efficiently manage both the backlog and increases in filings. Furthermore, this outcome is more relevant in the South rather than in the North of the country. Finally, our empirical findings are robust to an alternative estimator and sample variation.
Abstracts of contributions presented at the International Conference on the Conservation of the Lesser Spotted Eagle, Slovakia, 2014
Authors: Dravecký Miroslav , Guziová Zuzana
Published: June 2015

The International Conference on the Conservation of the Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina) was held on September 25-27, 2014 in Lesanka Guesthouse at Košická Belá, Slovakia. The Conference was organized within the framework of the project LIFE09NAT/SK/000396 Conservation of Aquila pomarina in Slovakia, implemented by Raptor Protection of Slovakia, Východoslovenská energetika, a.s., Stredoslovenská energetika, a.s., and Stredoslovenská energetika - Distribúcia, a.s. This project was cofinanced by EU-LIFE and the Ministry for the Environment of the Slovak Republic. A total of 59 participants from 14 countries attended the conference. The conference agenda included 17 presentations and 7 posters. Some of the contributions are published in Slovak Raptor Journal volume 9 (2015) as full papers, and a further 23 contributions are published here as conference abstracts.
Why Patient Centered Care Coordination Is Important in Developing Countries?
Authors: Luna D. , Marcelo A. , Househ M. , Mandirola H. , Curioso W. , Pazos P. , Villalba C. , Otero C.
Published: June 2015

Patient Centered Care Coordination (PCCC) focuses on the patient health care needs. PCCC involves the organization, the patients and their families, that must coordinate resources in order to accomplish the goals of PCCC. In developing countries, where disparities are frequent, PCCC could improve clinical outcomes, costs and patients satisfaction.

Objective: the IMIA working group Health Informatics for Development analyzes the benefits, identifies the barriers and proposes strategies to reach PCCC.

Methods: Discussions about PCCC emerged from a brief guide that posed questions about what is PCCC, why consider PCCC important, barriers to grow in this direction and ask about resources considered relevant in the topic.

Results: PCCC encompasses a broad definition, includes physical, mental, socio-environmental and self care. Even benefits are proved, in developing countries the lack of a comprehensive and integrated healthcare network is one of the main barriers to reach this objective. Working hard to reach strong health policies, focus on patients, and optimizing the use of resources could improve the performance in the devolvement of PCCC programs. International collaboration could bring benefits. We believe information IT, and education in this field will play an important role in PCCC.

Conclusion: PCCC in developing countries has the potential to improve quality of care. Education, IT, policies and cultural issues must be addressed in an international collaborative context in order to reach this goal.
Medical Informatics Education & Research in Greece
Authors: Chouvarda I. , Maglaveras N.
Published: June 2015

Objectives: This paper aims to present an overview of the medical informatics landscape in Greece, to describe the Greek ehealth background and to highlight the main education and research axes in medical informatics, along with activities, achievements and pitfalls.

Methods: With respect to research and education, formal and informal sources were investigated and information was collected and presented in a qualitative manner, including also quantitative indicators when possible.

Results: Greece has adopted and applied medical informatics education in various ways, including undergraduate courses in health sciences schools as well as multidisciplinary postgraduate courses. There is a continuous research effort, and large participation in EU-wide initiatives, in all the spectrum of medical informatics research, with notable scientific contributions, although technology maturation is not without barriers. Wide-scale deployment of eHealth is anticipated in the healthcare system in the near future. While ePrescription deployment has been an important step, ICT for integrated care and telehealth have a lot of room for further deployment.

Conclusions: Greece is a valuable contributor in the European medical informatics arena, and has the potential to offer more as long as the barriers of research and innovation fragmentation are addressed and alleviated.
Health Information Technology Challenges to Support Patient-Centered Care Coordination
Authors: Séroussi B. , Jaulent M.-C. , Lehmann C. U.
Published: June 2015

Objectives: To provide an editorial introduction to the 2015 IMIA Yearbook of Medical Informatics.

Methods: We provide a brief overview of the 2015 special topic “Patient-Centered Care Coordination”, discuss the addition of two new sections to the Yearbook, Natural Language Processing and Public Health & Epidemiology Informatics, and present our editorial plans for the upcoming celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Yearbook.

Results: Care delivery currently occurs through the processing of complex clinical pathways designed for increasingly multi-morbid patients by various practitioners in different settings. To avoid the consequences of the fragmentation of services, care should be organized to coordinate all providers, giving them the opportunity to share the same holistic view of the patient’s condition, and to be informed of the planned clinical pathway that establishes the roles and interventions of each one. The adoption and use of electronic health records (EHRs) is a solution to address health information sharing and care coordination challenges. However, while EHRs are necessary, they are not sufficient to achieve care coordination, creating information availability does not mean the information will be accessed. This edition of the Yearbook acknowledges the fact that health information technology (HIT), and EHRs in particular, are not yet fully addressing the challenges in care coordination. Emerging trends, tools, and applications of HIT to support care coordination are presented through the keynote paper, survey papers, and working group contributions.

Conclusions: In 2015, the IMIA Yearbook has been extended to emphasize two fields of biomedical informatics through new sections. Next year, the 25th anniversary of the Yearbook will be celebrated in grand style! A special issue with a touch of reflection, a bit of rediscovery, and some “science-fiction” will be published in addition to the usual edition.
Family Experiences With Feeding Tubes in Neurologic Impairment: A Systematic Review
Authors: Nelson Katherine E. , Lacombe-Duncan Ashley , Cohen Eyal , Nicholas David B. , Rosella Laura C. , Guttmann Astrid , Mahant Sanjay
Published: June 2015

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

Gastrostomy tubes (G-tubes) are frequently used to provide enteral nutrition for children who have neurologic impairment. Understanding the impact of G-tubes from the family’s perspective will inform decision-making and improve support from health care providers. This study explored the experiences of families after G-tube placement in children with neurologic impairment.

METHODS:

We conducted a systematic review of English-language qualitative primary research studies describing family experiences after G-tube placement. Six electronic databases were searched from inception to June 2014. Two authors independently screened and identified relevant studies, evaluated quality of reporting by using the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research tool, and extracted data. Overarching concepts were developed by using thematic analysis.

RESULTS:

From 2674 screened abstracts, 84 texts were reviewed, and 13 studies met the inclusion criteria. G-tubes affect the lives of children, parents, and the family unit in many ways, both positive and negative. Improvements and challenges were described for children’s health and happiness, for parental caregiving and stress, and for logistics and bonding within the family. G-tube feeding also changed relationships within the family, between the family and the medical system, and between the family and the outside world. Furthermore, experiences varied, with different families framing similar concepts as positive and negative.

CONCLUSIONS:

G-tube placement has diverse effects on daily life for children with neurologic impairment and their families. Clinicians may use the themes identified in this study to guide conversations with families about their values, experiences, and expectations before and after G-tube placement.
Volver: el retorno de los capuchinos españoles al norte de Colombia a finales del siglo XIX
Authors: Andre Bosa Bastien
Published: June 2015

El artículo describe la compleja secuencia de interacciones y eventos que permitió asegurar la presencia de una misión dirigida por Capuchinos españoles en Colombia a finales del siglo XIX. Reflexiona sobre las condiciones intelectuales que permitieron justificar, en el contexto de la República, el regreso de los mismos misioneros que fueron expulsados durante la Independencia. El autor analiza los diferentes registros de justificación utilizados por los actores involucrados en este proceso. Discute, por otro lado, sobre las condiciones materiales, jurídicas e institucionales que permitieron a los Capuchinos consolidar su posición dentro de la compleja estructura eclesiástica y establecerse como intermediarios indispensables para el Estado colombiano.
Guzmán Escobar, Brenda. 2013. De los conflictos locales a la guerra civil. Tolima a finales del siglo XIX. Bogotá: Academia Colombiana de Historia ISBN: 9789589576502
Authors: Bonilla Ayala Juan Sebastian
Published: June 2015

A partir de los nuevos estudios de cultura política y tomando como ejemplo La Guerra de los Mil Días, Brenda Escobar le imprime un nuevo enfoque al estudio de los conflictos socio-políticos en Colombia. Con un estilo que sobrepasa y crítica posiciones de anteriores textos que pueden considerarse clásicos —la historiografía sobre la oposición liberales y conservadores, que gira en torno a que el compromiso político definía las acciones de los colombianos—, el aporte principal de la autora inicia desde la opción metodológica de concentrarse en el caso específico del Departamento del Tolima y la reconstrucción de los posibles orígenes de la guerra, indagando más allá de lo político, aspectos socio-económicos en torno a la tenencia de la tierra, la venta de ejidos, la lucha por el control del aguardiente y la fundación y control de los poblados
Single Molecular Layer Adaption of Interfacial Surfaces by Cyclic Azasilane “Click-Chemistry”
Authors: Maddox Annalese F. , Matisons Janis G. , Singh Mani , Zazyczny Joel , Arkles Barry
Published: June 2015

The surfaces of inorganic substrates containing hydroxyl groups can be adapted to a variety of physical and chemical requirements by reaction with cyclic azasilanes. The moderately-strained ring structure of cyclic azasilanes containing adjacent Si and N atoms, along with the high oxophilicity of silicon, enables the high reactivity towards available hydroxyl groups on all siliceous surfaces investigated, including amorphous silica and borosilicate glass. The reaction occurs quantitatively at room temperature, requires no catalyst and has no byproducts. This investigation looks specifically at the reaction kinetics by means of DRIFT spectroscopy and quantifies extent of reaction by TGA. The less sterically-hindered the Si–N bond, the faster the reaction occurs. In all cases, the reaction is essentially complete in less than one minute. This study provides the first confirmation that the rate and extent of reaction without catalysis or byproducts of cyclic azasilanes conforms to the Sharpless requirements for “click chemistry” and can be deemed “click chemistry for surfaces.”
Photoinduced conductivity enhancement in quantum dot/multilayer graphene nanostructures
Authors: Gromova Yulia A. , Reznik Ivan A. , Vovk Ilia A. , Rackauskas Simas , Alaferdov Andrei V. , Orlova Anna A. , Moshkalev Stanislav A. , Baranov Alexander V. , Fedorov Anatoly V.
Published: June 2015

We report on the formation of photoactive hybrid structures based on multilayer graphene nanobelts and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) on Pt microelectrodes. We have found that heat treatment in mild conditions enhances rate of electrical photoresponse of the hybrid structures due to elimination of long-lived charge traps. We also show that the electrical photoresponse polarity depends on the energy level structure of the QDs.
Integrating and ranking sustainability criteria for housing
Authors: Abdul-Rahman Hamzah , Wang Chen , Wood Lincoln C. , Ebrahimi Makdokht
Published: June 2015

Numerous researchers have determined building sustainability criteria relating to environmental performance, but the other two sustainability components – economic and social performance – have not been taken into consideration in an integrated and hierarchical manner. Existing sustainability assessment methods generally ignore economic and social aspects, and sustainable criteria are not prioritised for facilitating decision making. This paper reports how a fuzzy analytic hierarchical process tool was employed to prioritise sustainability criteria for residential buildings for environmental, economic and social performance in an integrated manner. A structured expert-based development process, comprising 17 building practitioners and eight academics from 16 nations was conducted globally. A fuzzy weighted hierarchy for all three aspects of sustainability in residential buildings was developed at the end of the study. Assisted by programmers, the hierarchy is expected to be developed into computer software in the near future to improve construction management.
A new tram network for Bristol: a possible scenario?
Authors: Pollock Fraser Hamish A. , Christopher Peter , Kennedy Chris , Webster Thomas , Vardanega Paul J. , Johansson Anders
Published: June 2015

Some UK cities have seen the successful reintroduction of trams to complement and improve public transport services. This paper investigates the impact a hypothetical tramline would have in Bristol. This study was conducted in light of proposals for a bus rapid transit (BRT) network in Bristol. The literature review undertaken concludes that while BRT systems tend to have lower capital costs, a tram system could also be considered. At near-capacity operation, trams may be more effective in encouraging a modal shift away from travelling by car. Evidence from a preliminary simulation model, which was built to evaluate the demand a hypothetical tramline from the airport to the city centre would attract, suggests that a tram would encourage users to switch to public transport. Suggestions for further work for model refinement coupled with better understanding system impacts of the proposed tram system are included.
Is the Intrinsic Value of Macroeconomic News Announcements Related to Their Asset Price Impact?
Authors: Gilbert Thomas , Scotti Chiara , Strasser Georg , Vega Clara
Published: June 2015

The literature documents a heterogeneous asset price response to macroeconomic news announcements: Some announcements have a strong impact on asset prices and others do not. In order to explain these differences, we estimate a novel measure of the intrinsic value of a macroeconomic announcement, which we define as the announcement&#x27;s ability to nowcast GDP growth, inflation, and the Federal Funds Target Rate. Using the same nowcasting framework, we then decompose this intrinsic value into the announcement&#x27;s characteristics: its relation to fundamentals, timing, and revision noise. We find that in the 1998{2013 period, a significant fraction of the variation in the announcements&#x27; price impact on the Treasury bond futures market can be explained by differences in intrinsic value. Furthermore, our novel measure of timing explains significantly more of this variation than the announcements&#x27; relation to fundamentals, reporting lag (which previous studies have used as a measure of timing), or revision noise
Sport and Family Functioning: Strengthening Elite Sport Families
Authors: Newhouse-Bailey Michael , Dixon Marlene A. , Warner Stacy
Published: June 2015

Families play an important role in society, both in human sustenance and individual development.  Family systems theory views the family as a series of interconnected parts that when functioning properly, provide individual members with multiple benefits. Interaction with external systems, such as sport, school or church, can have positive and negative impacts on the family. It is unclear, however, what elements of sport relate to specific outcomes.  The purpose of this study is to better understand the relationship between elite youth sport participation and family units, and how these two spheres, individually and in combination, impact family functioning.  In-depth, purposeful interviews with seven “sport families” revealed that in addition to the depletion of resources (financial and time), elite sport engagement strongly detracts from the marital dyad and family unit receiving sufficient time and attention for proper functioning.  The results also offer insight into how the leagues can be better managed such that they positively contribute to family functioning.  Specifically, the results indicate that leagues can aid in strengthening family functioning through allowing families to have coaching input, and providing greater attention to scheduling, league expectations, and instrumental support.
Investigating the Impact of Team Identification on the Willingness to Commit Verbal and Physical Aggression by Youth Baseball Spectators
Authors: Wann Daniel L. , Weaver Stephen , Belva Brian , Ladd Sagan , Armstrong Sam
Published: June 2015

The current investigation was designed to extend previous work on the aggressive actions of youth baseball spectators (Hennessy & Schwartz, 2007) by incorporating team identification into the research. Team identification, the extent to which a fan feels a psychological connection to a team, (Wann, Melnick, Russell, & Pease, 2001) has been found to be an important predictor of a wide variety of aggressive actions among sport consumers (Wann, 2006). Spectators (N = 80) at youth baseball games completed a questionnaire packet assessing demographics, team identification, vengeance, anger, hostility, and the likelihood of acting in a verbally or physically aggressive manner toward a number of potential targets (e.g., officials, opposing players). Consistent with expectations, team identification predicted a willingness to commit verbally aggressive acts. However, identification did not predict physical aggression.
This is video game play: video games, authority and metacommunication
Authors: Fassone Ricardo
Published: June 2015

Gregory Bateson claims that all play acts should be primarily understood as meta-com­municative. In other words, playing a game implies being able to transmit and receive the meta-message ‘this is play’, which establishes a psychological frame among the players. I will propose a radical reading of Bateson’s theory in the context of video games; specifically, I will attempt at analysing the characteristics, specificities and implications of the message ‘this is video game play’. I will contend that the specific language through which video games convey this message is that of their rules, the inescapable limitations posed by their computational and digital nature. In other words, playing a video game is always, at least to a degree, playing a game of meta-communication with, against and around a video game’s hard-coded rules. Finally, I will propose a close reading of the game Papers, Please and contend that Pope’s work engages in a significant reading of the inherent reflexivity of video games, deliberately portraying their authoritative na­ture and communicative potential.
Interatividade, expressividade e engajamento no newsgame “De volta a 1964: sua vida em tempos de ditadura”
Authors: França Lilian Cristina Monteiro
Published: June 2015

Em 2014, uma série de eventos tem marcado os 50 anos do golpe militar no Brasil, com destaque para a revista Superinteressante, que empreendeu a revisão dos fatos por meio do newsgame “De volta a 1964: sua vida em tempos de ditadura”. A proposta deste paper é analisar o newsgame considerando-se a sua expressividade, engajamento e experiência proporcionados ao jogador com base nos conceitos desenvolvidos por Frasca (2001), Bogost (2008), Bogost, Ferrari & Schweizer (2010), Iurgel & Zagalo (2009), Ferrari (2009), Gonçalves & Zagalo (2010) Zagalo (2012), Sicart (2008), entre outros. A partir da experiência com o jogo foram categorizados os níveis de interatividade e reatividade disponibilizados, de acordo com os possíveis percursos a serem trilhados pelo leitor/jogador. A análise desenvolvida permite verificar até que ponto o exercício de simulação proposto delineia narrativas vinculadas ao perfil editorial da revista e em que medida pode fomentar o debate público.
A liberdade académica e os seus inimigos
Authors: Martins Moisés de Lemos
Published: June 2015

Em nome da certificação da ‘qualidade’ e da ‘excelência’, a Universidade parece hoje condenada a celebrar apenas procedimentos, que no ensino e na investigação certificam rotinas e conformidades, eficiências e utilidades, confirmando a hegemonia da razão instrumental. É meu propósito, neste ensaio, todavia, refletir sobre a liberdade académica na universidade. Esta questão impõe que façamos recair a nossa interrogação sobre a natureza da própria universidade, sobre a profissão académica, e também sobre a sua vocação e missão. O que é, hoje, a universidade? Que forças a atravessam? Que abalos tem sofrido? A que ameaças está sujeita? Que contradições são as suas? Com que exigências se confronta? Que respostas têm que ser as suas?
Radiocarbon Dating of Marine Shells from the Gulf of Cadiz: The marine radiocarbon reservoir effect, its variability during the Holocene and palaeoenvironmental inferences.
Authors: Monge Soares António Manuel
Published: June 2015

The ocean reservoir is deficient in radiocarbon compared with the atmosphere and, consequently, an offset in 14C age exists between coeval samples containing marine carbon versus those containing terrestrial carbon. A record of past reservoir ages is preserved in the 14C ages of contemporary marine and terrestrial material. The quantification of the marine radiocarbon reservoir effect (ΔR) is of crucial importance to the correct calibration of the 14C ages of marine samples. For the southern Atlantic Iberian coast, for the last 3000 yr, ΔR takes the following values +69±17 14C yr (Barlavento coast), -26±14 14C yr (Sotavento coast), and -108±31 14C yr (Andalusian coast), which are in accordance with the oceanographic conditions present in each area. Results also suggest that during the 5th millennium cal BP very different oceanographic conditions (high positive ΔR values) prevail in the Barlavento and in the Atlantic Andalusian coastal areas and, consequently, in all the northern Gulf of Cadiz region, perhaps due to the extension of the Azores Front eastward along the Azores Current penetrating into the Gulf of Cadiz.
Collection, Curation, Citation at Source: Publication@Source 10 Years On
Authors: Frey Jeremy , Coles Simon J. , Bird Colin , Willoughby Cerys
Published: June 2015

The Southampton chemical information group had its genesis in 2001, when we began an e-Science pilot project to investigate structure-property mapping, combinatorial chemistry, and the Grid. CombeChem instigated a range of activities that have since been underway for more than ten years, in many ways matching the expansion of interest in using the Web as a vehicle for collection, curation, dissemination, reuse, and exploitation of scientific data and information. Chemistry has frequently provided the exemplar case studies, notably for the series of projects â€“ funded by Jisc and EPSRC â€“ that investigated the issues associated with the long-term preservation of data to support the scholarly knowledge cycle, such as the eBank UK project. Rapid developments in Internet access and mobile technology have significantly influenced the way researchers view connectivity, data standards, and the increasing importance and power of semantics and the Semantic Web. These technical advances interact strongly with the social dimension and have led to a reconsideration of the responsibilities of researchers for the quality of their research and for satisfying the requirements of modern stakeholders. Such obligations have given rise to discussions about Open Access and Open Data, creating a range of alternatives that are now technically feasible but need to be socially acceptable. Business plans are changing too, but in a strange contradiction, desire can run ahead of what is possible, sensible, and affordable, while lagging behind in imagination of what would be technically possible and potentially game-changing! Taking the chemical sciences as our example and focusing on the curation of research data, we explore from our perspective, ten years back and ten years forward, how far we have been able to re-imagine the data/information value pathway from bench to publication. We assess not only the major advances and changes that have been achieved, but also where we have been less successful than we might have hoped. We explore the directions for the future, based on what is clearly already possible and on what we can envisage becoming feasible in the near future.
Monterey-by-the-Smell: Odors and Social Conflict on the California Coastline
Authors: Chiang Connie Y.
Published: June 2015

In the first half of the twentieth century, fish odors created heated conflicts along the Monterey coastline. Few scholars in environmental history, however, have analyzed the significance of olfactory perceptions of the physical environment. This article examines two disputes in which odors became connected to larger power struggles over nature and society. The first conflict involved Chinese fishermen, whose squid-drying fields emitted unpleasant smells that precipitated a campaign to eliminate them. The second conflict emerged when the sardine factories along Cannery Row also created foul odors, prompting real estate developers and tourism-oriented politicians to take legal action. The debates over odors pitted tourism against fisheries and ultimately revealed Montereyans' divergent ideas about the types of people and activities that should shape the Pacific shoreline.
In Dubious Battle: Looking Backward
Authors: Saxton Alexander
Published: June 2015

Revised from an address in Santa Cruz (2002) commemorating the John Steinbeck centennial, this essay focuses on Steinbeck's views on race and class as expressed in his writings on agricultural labor in California, especially In Dubious Battle and The Grapes of Wrath. Grapes of Wrath, which played an important part in rallying support for the New Deal program of Social Security, is described as a "supreme portrayal of Great Depression America" and Steinbeck's finest novel. Steinbeck's work is linked to that of his predecessor, Edward Bellamy, author of Looking Backward. Both writers are presented as belonging to a tradition of "humane and humanist radicalism" in American culture and politics that reaches back at least as far as Tom Paine and Frances Wright.
Antioxidant Activity of Lupine Seeds in Nile Tilapia Fish (O. niloticus) Suspected to Oxidative Stress Induced by Neemazal T/S
Authors: El-Badawi Ashraf A.
Published: June 2015

This study was designed to determine the effects of acute toxicity of NeemAzal T/S on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and to investigate the antioxidant effect of Lupine seeds on the gills and erythrocytes(EC) oxidative stress induced by NeemAzal T/S in Nile tilapia .Two doses of NeemAzal; 1/10 LC50:16 PPM (NA1) and 1/5 LC50:32 PPM (NA2) and three periods of 10, 20 and 30 days were used. Oxidative stress parameter, total peroxide (TP) and antioxidant enzyme activities, catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) as well as glycemia were measured. NA2 markedly decreased CAT and SOD activities in gills and erythrocytes at most periods, but NA1 had less effect. In turn, both doses significantly enhanced TP levels in gills and EC. Moreover, hyperglycemia was detected 30 days after control (NA) exposure. LS significantly curtailed or abolished the adverse effect of NA exposure on oxidative and antioxidant parameters in gills and EC. This may be attributed to the hypoglycemic effect of LS as well as its antioxidant efficiency. In conclusion, Lupine seed exerts a potent antioxidant activity against oxidative damages induced by NeemAzal T/S in Nil tilapia fish.Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 3(2): 170-178 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v3i2.12284
Study of the Electromagnetic Field Radiated From the Cell Phone Towers within Kathmandu Valley
Authors: Parajuli Prakash , Panday Jagat Prasad , Koirala Rajendra Prasad , Shah Buddha Ram
Published: June 2015

With the increase in the use of the mobile phone, widely used wireless technology, people are highly conscious regarding the deleterious effects of the RF signals. To account this consciousness, this research work deals with the assessment of the radiation level near mobile Base Station Towers (BSTs) of Kathmandu valley with the analysis of the observed values in reference to the National and International guidelines and radiation norms adopted in different countries. “Tenmars, TM-196” and GPS map60Csx were employed for the measurement. It is found that the maximum value of the Power density in Kathmandu valley is 0.003602 W/m2 at Maximum Peak Point (MPP) near BST of New Baneshwor area, characterized by high traffic (Vicinity population) and all services across the BSTs and the minimum average radiation level far away from the BSTs (Off tower region) with access of the cellular network has 0.00000206 W/m2 Power density near Lele area, Lalitpur, which is far less than the Power density near the BSTs. It is found that all observed sites are within the standards of the Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) in terms of the amount of EMFs that the base station is radiating. Power density highly depends on vicinity population and moderately depends on services across the BSTs. Also the BSTs are constructed haphazardly near School and Colleges, Hospitals etc.Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 3(2): 179-187 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v3i2.12297
Correlation and Path Coefficient Analysis of Tomato Germplasms
Authors: Rahman Md. Salehur , Parveen Shahanaz , Rashid Md.Harun -Ur- , Akter Runa , Hossin Abu Yousuf , Robbani Md. Golam
Published: June 2015

Forty eight genotypes of tomato were evaluated for yield contributing characters to observe their associations and direct and indirect effect on yield. Character association analysis among yield and yield contributing characters revealed that in most of cases the genotypic correlation coefficient was higher than the respective phenotypic correlation coefficients. This indicated that the suppressive effect of the environment modified the phenotypic expression of these characters by reducing phenotypic correlation values. Also, narrow difference between phenotypic and genotypic correlation coefficient was noticed for almost all the pairs of characters studied showing that masking or modifying effects of the environment was little indicating the presence of an inherent association among these characters. Fruit/cluster showed non-significant positive association with yield/plant at genotypic and phenotypic level but individual weight of fruit had significant negative association at phenotypic level with yield/plant. Path coefficient analysis revealed that no. of fruit/cluster had the highest positive direct effects on fruit yield/plant suggesting their importance while imposing selection for correlation of yield in tomato.Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 3(2): 223-226 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v3i2.12421
In-Vitro Seed Germination and Effect of Growth Regulators on Subsequent Development of Protocorms of Eulophia Nuda Lindl
Authors: Dawande Varsha , Gurav Rajaram
Published: June 2015

Asymbiotic seed germination of Eulophia nuda Lindl. was observed on Knudson C medium. About 90% seeds germinated within 8-10 weeks and formed green protocorms in 11-12 weeks. Effect of BA and IBA was studied on plantlet development from protocorms. BA shows the best results with respect to number and length of shoots. Maximum number (6.45±1.36) and length (3.90±0.99) was observed on MS medium supplemented with 4.44μM.BA. Maximum root growth was also observed on same medium (4.8±0.99 number of roots and 1.43±0.13cm length). The regenerated plantlets were successfully acclimatized and transferred to earthen pots. The results presented here show that in vitro seed germination and plantlet development in Eulophia nuda Lindl., an endangered orchid, can be achieved at a higher rate by this method.Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 3(2): 243-247 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v3i2.12476
Wide Spread Prevalence of β-Lactam Resistance among Bacterial Species Obtained from Non-Clinical Samples
Authors: Bhatt Shivangi , Pandhi Neepa
Published: June 2015

The potential threats of bacterial resistance, especially widespread multi-drug resistance, are of major concern. The scenario of a patient dying from an infection caused by a multi-drug resistant organism is now a reality. Infections caused by resistant strains of bacteria are related to higher morbidity and mortality. β-Lactam antibiotics are a broad class of antibiotics, consisting of penicillin, cephalosporin, Monobactam, and carbapenems. β-lactam antibiotics are used to treat various infections. β-lactamases are enzymes responsible to provide resistance to β-lactam antibiotics. Among Gram-negative bacteria, the emergence of resistance to expanded-spectrum cephalosporin has been a major concern. Initially a limited number of bacterial species that could mutate to hyper produce their chromosomal class C β-lactamase were found but now, resistance appeared in large number of bacterial species due to the production of TEM- or SHV-type ESBLs. In our study non clinical samples were selected to study the prevalence of drug resistance. After placing the various generations of β-lactam drugs we found that they were also resistant up to 4th generation of β-lactam drugs. This study confirms the growing incidences of β-lactam resistant strains in bacterial species of community origin.Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 3(2): 248-255 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v3i2.12480
High Frequency Plant Regeneration of Musa paradisiaca cv. Karibale Monthan
Authors: Shashi Kumar R. , Krishna V. , Venkatesh .
Published: June 2015

High frequency plant regeneration protocol has been standardized from banana cultivar Musa paradisiaca cv. Karibale Monthan, an endemic cultivar of Malnad region of Karnataka. The fruits are used as glomerular protective to solve kidney problems. To minimize the microbial contamination and to promote healthy growth, explants were treated with 70 % absolute alcohol for 6 min, 0.1 % Mercuric chloride for 10 min and 0.2 % for 10 min, 1 % Sodium hypochlorite for 15 min, 0.1 % Cefotaxime for 5 min and 0.05 % Gentamicin for 5 min. The high frequency shoot initiation (93.33 %) was recorded at 5 mg/l BAP. The synergetic effect of BAP (4 to 6 mg/l), TDZ (0.1 to 1.2 mg/l) and coconut water (0.1 to 0.9 ml/l) induced multiple shoot buds and it was optimized at the concentration of 5 mg/l BAP, 0.5 mg/l TDZ and 0.5 ml/l coconut water with 15.90 ± 1.66 frequency of shoots per propagule. Supplementation of 1.0 mg/l IBA induced 5.33 ± 1.21 numbers of roots with a mean root length of 7.50 ± 1.87 roots. The 99% of plantlets with distinct roots and shoots were successfully acclimatized in the green house and transferred to the field to evaluate the agro-morphological variations. The weight of the bunch (kg), number of hands in a bunch, number of fingers in a hand, length of the finger (cm), girth of the finger (cm) and girth of the pseudostem (cm) exhibited by in vitro plants were higher than the in vivo plants.Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 3(2): 202-209 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v3i2.12536
Sero-Prevalence of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) in Pigs of Different Developmental Regions of Nepal
Authors: K.C. Mahesh , Joshi Bhoj Raj , Shrestha Swoyam Prakash , Prajapati Meera , Kathayat Dipak , Dhakal Santosh
Published: June 2015

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is a highly infectious viral disease of swine. This disease is becoming threat to pig industry of every corner of the world. As the status of this disease in Nepal is not properly understood so far, a cross-sectional sero-prevalence study was carried out in four development regions. A total of 200 blood samples were collected from major pig producing areas of eight districts of four development regions of Nepal and the serum samples were tested for antibodies against PRRS virus by rapid antibody detection kit (Immunochromatographic test using colloidal gold immunoassay: Schenzhen Lvshiyuan biotechnology Co. Ltd, China). Among the tested serum samples, 37 were found to be positive for PRRS indicating 18.5% prevalence of the disease. Statistically the prevalence difference was significant between different development regions and between topographical regions (P<0.05) of the country, but no significant difference was observed in age, sex and housing systems of pigs. Presence of antibodies in serum against PRRSV in the unvaccinated pig population of the country clearly indicates that pigs of the surveyed regions of Nepal have already been exposed to PRRS virus and the disease should be given adequate attention during differential diagnosis of porcine respiratory diseases in Nepal. Further studies are needed for molecular characterization of the virus and to develop control strategies against this disease in the country.Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 3(2): 218-222 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v3i2.12539