bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microsofts Monopoly: Anti-Competitive Behavior, Predatory Tactics, And The Failure Of Governmental Will
Authors: Jenkins Gregory T. , Bing Robert W.
Published: March 2016

Thirty years ago, Microsoft Corp. was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen.  To understand how the company has gained competitive advantage we examine how the company used unfair, anti-competitive, and predatory approaches in their business.  We discuss how we have come to the belief that the government settlement in United States and State of New York, et al., v. Microsoft Corporation imposing restrictions on Microsoft’s behavior and monitoring its actions for compliance is not enough to keep it from abusing its monopolistic power and does too little to prevent it from dominating the software and operating system industry today.
Financial Ratios And Stock Prices: Consistency Or Discrepancy? Longitudinal Comparison Between UAE And USA
Authors: Naïmy Viviane Y.
Published: March 2016

This paper aims at studying the association between stock prices and relevant financial ratios, and comparing the results for Dubai and USA based-stocks. It is noticed that the relationship between Dubai stock prices and respective ratios is not significant, whereas a better correlation is observed for US stocks. Several models and tests are applied and more than forty regressions are built in order to do individual companies’ assessment, sectors evaluation and countries comparison between USA and UAE.
Voice-Over-Internet Protocol (VOIP) Cost Efficiencies And The Decision To Implement
Authors: Nunn Les , McGuire Brian , Crowe Brian
Published: March 2016

The following study will discuss the quantitative and non-quantitative methodologies applicable to the cost and profitability of VoIP in the business environment.  Furthermore, the study will examine recent regulation topics surrounding VoIP technology and provide examples of current applications.
Sobrevida en hemodiálisis según el periodo de ingreso de pacientes entre 1982 y 2007 en Lima, Perú
Authors: Meneses Liendo Víctor , León Rabanal Cristian , Huapaya Carrera Julio , Cieza Zevallos Javier
Published: March 2016

La hemodiálisis desde la década del 1970 ha sufrido grandes variaciones tecnológicas, organizacionales y conceptuales. Objetivo: Evaluar la supervivencia de pacientes en hemodiálisis en función del periodo de inicio de su tratamiento. Material y métodos: Estudio de cohortes retrospectivo no concurrente de dos grupos de pacientes que iniciaron hemodiálisis antes de 1995 (Grupo 1) y después de 1995 (Grupo 2), pareados para edad, sexo y etiología de enfermedad renal crónica terminal (ERCt). Resultados: Se Incluyeron 179 pacientes en el grupo 1, (prescripción KT/V = 1,0) y 180 pacientes en el grupo 2 ,(prescripción KT/V > 1,2). No hubo diferencia estadística en la sobrevida de los pacientes en función del periodo de inicio de hemodiálisis (mediana ± ES: 7,2 ± 2,38 años para el grupo 1 y mediana ± ES: 7,4 ± 1,49 años para el grupo 2). La supervivencia al 1er y 5to año fue 0,87 ± 0,026 y 0,54±0,047 para el grupo 1; y 0,86 ± 0,028 y 0,62 ± 0,051 para el grupo 2. Las diferencias no fueron estadísticamente significativas. Conclusión: No hubo diferencia en la sobrevida entre los dos grupos estudiados. (Rev Med Hered 2011;22:157-161).
Coexistencia de síndrome de Burnout y síntomas depresivos en médicos residentes. Estudio descriptivo transversal en un hospital nacional de Lima.
Authors: Mariños Alejandro , Otero Miluska , Málaga Germán , Tomateo Jorge
Published: March 2016

Objetivo: Determinar la frecuencia de coexistencia de síndrome de Burnout (SBO) y síntomas depresivos en médicos residentes en un hospital general. Material y métodos: Estudio descriptivo transversal realizado en médicos residentes de todas las especialidades del Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia (HNCH) durante febrero del 2011, utilizando la versión en español del inventario de Maslach para SBO (MBI) y de la Escala de depresión del Centro de Estudios Epidemiológicos (CES-D 20). Resultados: Se analizó la información de 84 médicos residentes, 60 de los cuales fueron varones. La edad promedio de los participantes fue de 31 ± 4,4 años. La frecuencia de SBO fue 54,9% y de sintomatología depresiva 38,6%. El 32,9% presentó síntomas depresivos y SBO. No se encontró asociación entre el número de horas trabajadas a la semana con la presencia de síntomas depresivos o SBO. Conclusiones: La coexistencia entre SBO y síntomas depresivos fue 32,9% y debe tenerse en cuenta para desarrollar investigaciones e intervenciones en esta población médica para reducir su presentación y las derivadas complicaciones. (Rev Med Hered 2011;22:162-168).
Aislamiento de Cándida sp. en cultivos de catéteres intravasculares en un hospital de alta complejidad. 2008 y 2009, Lima-Perú.
Authors: Sedano-Rojas Katherine , Soto-Flores Milton , Vera-Vera Pedro , Málaga-Rodríguez Germán , Tapia-Egoavil Elena
Published: March 2016

Objetivo: Determinar la frecuencia de aislamiento de Cándida en cultivos de CIV en un hospital de alta complejidad entre los años 2008 y 2009 y describir las características clínicas de los pacientes. Material y métodos: Estudio descriptivo retrospectivo. Se revisaron 783 registros de cultivos de catéter intravascular (CIV) de la sección microbiología del Laboratorio Central del Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia, desde enero de 2008 a diciembre de 2009, así como la historia clínica de los pacientes con cultivo positivo a Cándida sp. Para la estadística se utilizó la hoja de cálculo de Microsoft Excel 2007, así como el programa estadístico Epi Info versión 3.4.3. Resultados: Se encontraron 467 (59,6%) cultivos positivos; 425 (91%) fueron bacterias. S. epidermidis se aisló en 215/467 (46%), siendo predominante en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos de Recién Nacidos (UCI-RN). Cándida se aisló en 42 (9%); 43,8% Cándida sp, 25% C. albicans y 31,3% C. krusei. Conclusiones: La frecuencia de aislamiento de cándida en cultivos de CIV fue 9%, siendo la especie más frecuente C. krusei. El 18,7% fallecieron. (Rev Med Hered 2011;22:176-181).
Apoplejía pituitaria con parálisis del III par craneal. Reporte de caso.
Authors: Pinto Valdivia Miguel , Ortiz Torres Milagros , Villena Chávez Jaime
Published: March 2016

Se describe el caso de un varón de 65 años de edad, sin antecedentes patológicos de importancia, que acudió a emergencia del Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia por presentar cefalea intensa y ptosis palpebral izquierda. El examen físico mostró parálisis aislada del III par craneal izquierdo. Los análisis de laboratorio mostraron hiponatremia e hipopituitarismo y la resonancia magnética nuclear un adenoma pituitario con áreas de hemorragia e invasión de los senos cavernosos. El tratamiento incluyó glucocorticoides y descompresión quirúrgica transesfenoidal. La anatomía patológica confirmó el diagnóstico de infarto hemorrágico de un adenoma pituitario. El paciente fue dado de alta con terapia sustitutiva de levotiroxina y prednisona. La ptosis palpebral izquierda se recuperó en forma parcial. La apoplejía pituitaria es un síndrome clínico producido por un proceso expansivo dentro de la silla turca, secundario a hemorragia o infarto de un adenoma pituitario, que se caracteriza por cefalea, déficit visual, oftalmoplejía y alteración del nivel de conciencia. Este proceso expansivo puede comprimir los pares craneales en los senos cavernosos, produciendo diferentes grados de parálisis de los músculos oculomotores. La parálisis aislada del III par craneal es rara.(Rev Med Hered 2011;22:186-189).
Perfil clínico del adulto mayor atendido ambulatoriamente en un hospital general.
Authors: Casas Paola , Varela Luis , Tello Tania , Ortiz Pedro , Chávez Helver
Published: March 2016

Objetivo: Describir el perfil clínico del adulto mayor atendido ambulatoriamente en un hospital general. Material y métodos: Estudio descriptivo, transversal, realizado a través de encuestas aplicadas a pacientes en la consulta ambulatoria de geriatría del Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia (HNCH), entre agosto de 2011 y enero 2012. Resultados: Se evaluaron 290 pacientes, el 69,3% fueron mujeres; el 65,5% tenía entre 60 y 79 años. La hipertensión arterial fue el diagnóstico más frecuente (55,5%). El 83,1% consumía algún tipo de medicamento y el 45% más de 3 fármacos. En la valoración por esferas: el 83,5% era autónomo, el 18,1% tenía deterioro cognitivo, el 7,7% depresión, el 79,3% riesgo social, el 23,8% disfunción familiar, el 31,4% riesgo de malnutrición, el 23,4% obesidad, el 96% mala higiene del sueño y el 4,9% riesgo de caídas. El síndrome geriátrico más frecuente fue caídas en 23,8% y de los problemas geriátricos, el edentulismo en 77,6%; 17,4% eran frágiles según la velocidad de la marcha; se encontró asociación entre fragilidad y edad avanzada, género femenino y la presencia de riesgo social. Conclusión: Los pacientes que acuden a la consulta externa de Geriatría fueron mayoritariamente mujeres, funcionalmente autónomos, sin deterioro cognitivo, con riesgo social y adecuada funcionalidad familiar, prefrágiles y con enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles principalmente.
Lesiones autoinfligidas sin propósito suicida.
Authors: Núñez-Moscoso Patricia , Arias-Gutiérrez Miguel
Published: March 2016

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A distributed hydrological model in the Heihe River basin and its potential for estimating the required irrigation water
Authors: Li Lei , Xu Zongxue , Zhao Jie , Su Longqiang
Published: March 2016

A Grid-based Integrated Surface–Groundwater Model (GISMOD) was developed to estimate the required irrigation water using a control-site method. The entire catchment is divided into multiple grid cells of equal size, and several grid cells can be chosen as the control sites by users in this model. The grid cells from the upper stream of each control site, which have a land-use type of farmland, are automatically identified as a controlled grid cell. The crop information around each controlled grid cell is set to be the same as its corresponding control site. Next, the irrigation water requirement for each controlled grid cell is calculated using a crop coefficient method that is integrated into the human water-use module of the GISMOD. After runoff is generated, the actual discharge of each control site is computed by comparing the available water sources with the irrigation water requirement based on the water-supply operation rules of the model. This paper subsequently presents a case study in the upper-middle reaches of the Heihe River to evaluate the performance of the GISMOD. The results demonstrate that the actual water consumption for irrigation in the Heihe River basin could be generally estimated by the GISMOD on a monthly basis.
Outpatient brain tumor craniotomy under general anesthesia
Authors: Au Karolyn , Bharadwaj Suparna , Venkatraghavan Lashmi , Bernstein Mark
Published: March 2016

OBJECTIVE

Outpatient craniotomy has many advantages to the psychological and physical well-being of patients, as well as benefits to the health care system. Its efficacy and safety have been well demonstrated, but barriers to its widespread adoption remain. Among the challenges is a perception that its application is limited to cases performed under conscious sedation, which is not always feasible given certain patient or surgeon factors. The object of this study was to characterize the rate of patient discharge from the day surgery unit (DSU) following craniotomy for tumor resection in a patient under general anesthesia. The authors identify postoperative complications and discuss appropriate patient selection for day surgery craniotomy.

METHODS

Patients undergoing elective craniotomy for supratentorial tumors between January 2010 and June 2014 were prospectively considered for outpatient management. Authors of the present study performed a retrospective chart review of these patients, analyzing cases by intention to treat.

RESULTS

Of 318 craniotomies undertaken in the study period, 141 were performed with the patient under general anesthesia. The day surgery protocol was initiated in 44 cases and completed in 38 (86%). Five patients required admission from the DSU, and 1 was discharged but admitted within the 1st postoperative day. In-hospital medical complications were fewer in the outpatient group, and no patients experienced an adverse outcome due to early discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

Close clinical and imaging surveillance in the early postoperative period allows for safe discharge of patients following craniotomy for tumor resection performed under general anesthesia. Therefore, general anesthesia does not preclude the application of outpatient craniotomy.
Inpatient morbidity and mortality after adult spinal deformity surgery in teaching versus nonteaching hospitals
Authors: De la Garza-Ramos Rafael , Jain Amit , Kebaish Khaled M. , Bydon Ali , Passias Peter G. , Sciubba Daniel M.
Published: March 2016

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this study was to compare inpatient morbidity and mortality after adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery in teaching versus nonteaching hospitals in the US.

METHODS

The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was used to identify surgical patients with ASD between 2002 and 2011. Only patients > 21 years old and elective cases were included. Patient characteristics, inpatient morbidity, and inpatient mortality were compared between teaching and nonteaching hospitals. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the effect of hospital teaching status on surgical outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 7603 patients were identified, with 61.2% (n = 4650) in the teaching hospital group and 38.8% (n = 2953) in the nonteaching hospital group. The proportion of patients undergoing revision procedures was significantly different between groups (5.2% in teaching hospitals vs 3.9% in nonteaching hospitals, p = 0.008). Likewise, complex procedures (defined as fusion of 8 or more segments and/or osteotomy) were more common in teaching hospitals (27.3% vs 21.7%, p < 0.001). Crude overall complication rates were similar in teaching hospitals (47.9%) compared with nonteaching hospitals (49.8%, p = 0.114). After controlling for patient characteristics, case complexity, and revision status, patients treated at teaching hospitals were significantly less likely to develop a complication when compared with patients treated at a nonteaching hospital (OR 0.89; 95% CI 0.82–0.98). The mortality rate was 0.4% in teaching hospitals and < 0.4% in nonteaching hospitals (p = 0.210).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients who undergo surgery for ASD at a teaching hospital may have significantly lower odds of complication development compared with patients treated at a nonteaching hospital.
Ermittlung der Kohlenstoffspeicherung von Bäumen im Siedlungsgebiet am Beispiel der Stadt Bern
Authors: Gardi Oliver , Schaller Guillaume , Neuner Matthias , Mack Sophia
Published: March 2016

Determining the carbon storage of trees in urban areas of the city of Bern

While the amount carbon stored in tree biomass within Swiss forests is well studied, many uncertainties remain for estimating the carbon stored by trees in settlements. As a part of the project «Urban Green and Climate», various existing biomass models were compared with the measured aboveground biomass of 21 trees within the city of Bern. Traditional forestry models that estimate the biomass based on the diameter at breast height only have a limited capacity to accurately predict the biomass of single urban trees. Good predictions are however achieved by using a biomass model that additionally includes tree height (R2 = 0.96). This model was then used to determine the aboveground tree biomass at 179 sample plots in Bern. The carbon densities (t C/ha) of the plots were used to calibrate a model predicting the carbon storage in the aboveground biomass for urban tree populations based on LiDAR data (R2 = 0.84). A value of 14.9 ± 0.5 t C/ha was obtained for the developed area of Bern (i.e. areas without water, forest and agricultural land). With this model and available LiDAR data, the carbon stored in the aboveground biomass of trees outside forests and its change over time could be determined with high accuracy for all of Switzerland.
Cas de suie de l'érable et de chancre du peuplier dans le canton de Genève
Authors: Cochard Bastien , Lefort François
Published: March 2016

A case of sooty bark disease and Cytospora poplar canker in the Canton of Geneva

In summer 2014, a case of sooty bark disease caused by Cryptostroma corticale on an individual field maple (Acer campestre) and two cases of poplar canker due to Cytospora chrysosperma on Populus x euramericana were identified genetically for the first time on the territory of the Canton of Geneva. In both cases, the trees presented signs of very advanced dieback, accompanied by specific symptoms such as bark peeling and sooty plaques for the maple, and loose twisted bark layers and black colouring of the wood in structural branches of the poplars. Sampling was carried out in the symptomatic areas and components of the fungal flora were isolated in pure cultures in order to identify any pathogenic fungi. The molecular analysis of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences made it possible to identify precisely all pure isolates obtained. The results showed a majority presence of C. corticale in the maple tree, and of C. chrysosperma in the two poplars. Both these fungi are little known in Switzerland and Europe, and their presence is maybe associated with changes in the climate.
Registration of ‘UA 5014C’ Soybean
Authors: Chen P. , Orazaly M. , Wu C. , Manjarrez-Sandoval P. , Florez-Palacios L. , Rupe J. C. , Dombek D. G. , Kirkpatrick T. , Robbins R. T.
Published: March 2016

‘UA 5014C’ soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] (Reg. No. CV‐141, PI 675648) is a high‐yielding early maturity group (MG) V conventional cultivar, developed and released in 2014 by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. UA 5014C is adapted to Arkansas and other southern states. It was developed by conventional breeding from a cross between two high‐yielding cultivars, ‘Ozark’ and ‘Anand’. The plant population was advanced from F2 to F4 using a modified single‐pod descent method. The F4:5 line was selected and bulk harvested for further agronomic evaluations. Before release, UA 5014C was tested in 125 environments in Arkansas and other southern states from 2006 to 2014 for yield and other agronomic traits, where it had a yield potential comparable to conventional and Liberty Link cultivars of similar maturity. Plants of UA 5014C have determinate growth habit, purple flowers, tawny pubescence, and tan pod walls. Seeds have yellow cotyledons with a dull yellow coat, and black hila. UA 5014C is resistant to southern stem canker [caused by Diaporthe phaseolorum (Cooke & Ellis) Sacc. var. meridionales F.A. Fernandez] and moderately resistant to frogeye leaf spot (caused by Cercospora sojina) and sudden death syndrome [caused by Fusarium solani (Mart.) Sacc. f. sp. glycines].
Situation actuelle de l'ethnologie en R.F.A.
Authors: Valjavec Friedrich
Published: March 2016

L'état actuel de l'ethnologie ouest-allemande se résume en cinq points, révélateurs de la crise des institutions universitaires : 1° expansion quantitative des départements, avortement des réformes, réorientation d'une grande partie des étudiants vers des disciplines marginales ; 2° absence de concertation, de pluridisciplinarité ou d'interdisciplinarité ; 3° inefficacité de la formation et de la recherche, alourdies par la bureaucratie, la diminution des ressources financières et humaines et l'isolement scientifique ; 4° contradiction entre le libéralisme de principe et l'immobilisme de fait, entre le corporatisme et l'émiettement des activités, donc manque de profil net vis-à-vis du public ; 5° renouveau timide de la discipline, émergence d'une nouvelle génération d'ethnologues à la quête d'une identité face à l'héritage du passé et face aux revendications du public étudiant et des pouvoirs politiques.
Development of 14 microsatellite markers in Odontites vernus s.l. (Orobanchaceae) and cross‐amplification in related taxa
Authors: Pinto‐Carrasco Daniel , Košnar Jiří , López‐González Noemí , Koutecký Petr , Těšitel Jakub , Rico Enrique , Martínez‐Ortega M. Montserrat
Published: March 2016

Premise of the study:

Microsatellite primers were developed for the first time in the root hemiparasite herb Odontites vernus (Orobanchaceae). These markers will be useful to investigate the role of polyploidization in the evolution of this diploid‐tetraploid complex, as well as the extent of gene flow between different ploidy levels.

Methods and Results:

Fourteen polymorphic and reproducible loci were identified and optimized from O. vernus using a microsatellite‐enriched library and 454 Junior sequencing. The set of primers amplified di‐ to pentanucleotide repeats and showed two to 13 alleles per locus. Transferability was tested in 30 taxa (19 belonging to Odontites and 11 from eight other genera of Orobanchaceae tribe Rhinantheae).

Conclusions:

The results indicate the utility of the newly developed microsatellites in O. vernus and several other species, which will be useful for taxon delimitation and conservation genetics studies.
Effective in silico prediction of new oxazolidinone antibiotics: force field simulations of the antibiotic–ribosome complex supervised by experiment and electronic structure methods
Authors: Grunenberg Jörg , Licari Giuseppe
Published: March 2016

We propose several new and promising antibacterial agents for the treatment of serious Gram-positive infections. Our predictions rely on force field simulations, supervised by first principle calculations and available experimental data. Different force fields were tested in order to reproduce linezolid's conformational space in terms of a) the isolated and b) the ribosomal bound state. In a first step, an all-atom model of the bacterial ribosome consisting of nearly 1600 atoms was constructed and evaluated. The conformational space of 30 different ribosomal/oxazolidinone complexes was scanned by stochastic methods, followed by an evaluation of their enthalpic penalties or rewards and the mechanical strengths of the relevant hydrogen bonds (relaxed force constants; compliance constants). The protocol was able to reproduce the experimentally known enantioselectivity favoring theS-enantiomer. In a second step, the experimentally known MIC values of eight linezolid analogues were used in order to crosscheck the robustness of our model. In a final step, this benchmarking led to the prediction of several new and promising lead compounds. Synthesis and biological evaluation of the new compounds are on the way.
Travel and Tourism Sector in India
Authors: Chauhan Mukesh
Published: March 2016

The travel and tourism industry has emerged as one of the fastest growing sectors contributing significantly to global economic growth and development. While traditionally Europe and America have remained among the tourism markets, new emerging markets are expected to witness high growth in international tourist visits over the next decade. India has significant potential to become a preferred tourist destination globally. Its rich and diverse cultural heritage, abundant natural resources and biodiversity provides numerous tourist attractions. The total tourist visits in India have been growing at a steady rate of about 16 per cent over the past five years. The travel and tourism sector in India provides significant socio economic benefits. Several industry drivers such as government initiatives, diverse product offerings, growing economy, increasing disposable income levels and marketing initiatives along with key trends such as increasing number of women and senior citizen travellers, multiple short trips and weekend holidays, introduction of innovative tourism concepts and customised tour packages are playing a pivotal role in shaping the Indian tourism sector. Total tourist visits in various states of India over a five year period reveal that while states of Karnataka, Delhi, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and Jammu and Kashmir have improved their positions in 2012 as compared to 2008, those of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala have witnessed decline. Key attributable reason to the success of tourism in states is the increase in state investments towards the tourism sector. While the key commercial and leisure destinations of Delhi and Maharashtra enjoy good quality transport and accommodation infrastructure, states of Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand may need significant improvements in their rail, road and airport infrastructure. Abundant natural and cultural resources in the northern states provide ample opportunities for development of diverse tourism products along with a single integrated tourism circuit. While an array of ancient and modern temples may provide an opportunity for developing states in northern India to emerge pilgrimage destinations, presence of palaces, forts and historical monuments help define their multi-cultural heritage. Also, wildlife sanctuaries with a wide variety of flora and fauna, mighty Himalayas, rivers, deserts, climate and diverse landscape provide attractive opportunities for thrill and adventure activities. It is worthwhile to mention here that tourism sector cannot develop without support of travel. Both are closely linked to each other and hence both the sector should be studied together. The research paper is intended to cover the potential, opportunities and framework for sustainable growth of travel and tourism industry in India. The main source of data will be of secondary type collected through various reliable sources.
Encouraging Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Tourism Development in Global Tourism
Authors: Kasemsap Kijpokin
Published: March 2016

This chapter aims to encourage corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainable tourism development in global tourism, thus describing the theoretical and practical concept of CSR; CSR and corporate financial performance (CFP); the overview of sustainable tourism development; the significance of CSR in global tourism; the significance of sustainable tourism development in global tourism; sustainable tourism development and stakeholders; and sustainable tourism development and environmental situations. The accomplishment of CSR and sustainable tourism development is vital for tourism businesses that seek to serve suppliers and customers, increase business performance, strengthen competitiveness, and attain regular success in global tourism. Thus, it is necessary for tourism businesses to encourage their CSR and sustainable tourism development toward satisfying customers' needs. The chapter argues that encouraging CSR and sustainable tourism development has the potential to enhance organizational performance and gain sustainable competitive advantage in global tourism.
Accelerating Occlusion Rendering on a GPU via Ray Classification
Authors: Costa Vasco , Pereira João Madeiras , Jorge Joaquim A.
Published: March 2016

Accurately rendering occlusions is required when ray-tracing objects to achieve more realistic rendering of scenes. Indeed, soft phenomena such as shadows and ambient occlusion can be achieved with stochastic ray tracing techniques. However, computing randomized incoherent ray-object intersections can be inefficient. This is problematic in Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) applications, where thread divergence can significantly lower throughput. The authors show how this issue can be mitigated using classification techniques that sort rays according to their spatial characteristics. Still, classifying occlusion terms requires sorting millions of rays. This is offset by savings in rendering time, which result from a more coherent ray distribution. The authors survey and test different ray classification techniques to identify the most effective. The best results were achieved when sorting rays using a compress-sort-decompress approach using 32-bit hash keys.
Communal farming, climate change adaptation and the media in Zimbabwe
Authors: Ndhlovu Mthokozisi P. , Mpofu Thabani
Published: March 2016

Climate change is destroying Zimbabwean communal farmers’ agricultural activities – a source of living for most people. As communal farmers struggle to adapt, the media is expected to assume a fundamental theoretical role of educating and informing them about the appropriate adaptation techniques. Located in Umguza District in Matabeleland North Province, the study explored how communal farmers created meaning out of climate change media content and its influence on their agricultural practices from October 2014 to April 2015. In doing so, the study used the Two-Step Flow theory and Hall’s Encoding and Decoding Model. Entrenched in pragmatism, the study embedded quantitative techniques at different stages. Multistage sampling combining Simple Random Sampling (SRS), purposive and systematic sampling techniques was used to identify the 263 households for semi structured questionnaires, direct observations and in-depth interviews. The findings were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), thematic analysis and pattern matching. The results show that personal observations; print, broadcast and online media; and opinion leaders were the main sources of climate change information. The radio was the most used medium in communicating climate change adaptation though it was the second most accessed after mobile phones. Conservation Agriculture and planting of drought-resistant crops were some of the adaptation techniques communicated in the media. When interacting with media content, communal farmers create their own meaning influenced by their cultural values, resulting in some adopting, rejecting or modifying certain adaptation techniques. The study concludes that opinion leaders are fundamental in communal farmers’ interaction with media but their influence must not be overestimated.
Designing a suite of measurements to understand the critical zone
Authors: Brantley Susan L. , DiBiase Roman A. , Russo Tess A. , Shi Yuning , Lin Henry , Davis Kenneth J. , Kaye Margot , Hill Lillian , Kaye Jason , Eissenstat David M. , Hoagland Beth , Dere Ashlee L. , Neal Andrew L. , Brubaker Kristen M. , Arthur Dan K.
Published: March 2016

Abstract. Many scientists have begun to refer to the earth surface environment from the upper canopy to the depths of bedrock as the critical zone (CZ). Identification of the CZ as an integral object worthy of study implicitly posits that the study of the whole earth surface will provide benefits that do not arise when studying the individual parts. To study the CZ, however, requires prioritizing among the measurements that can be made – and we do not generally agree on the priorities. Currently, the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory (SSHCZO) is expanding from a small original focus area (0.08 km2, Shale Hills catchment), to a larger watershed (164 km2, Shavers Creek watershed) and is grappling with the prioritization. This effort is an expansion from a monolithologic first-order forested catchment to a watershed that encompasses several lithologies (shale, sandstone, limestone) and land use types (forest, agriculture). The goal of the project remains the same: to understand water, energy, gas, solute, and sediment (WEGSS) fluxes that are occurring today in the context of the record of those fluxes over geologic time as recorded in soil profiles, the sedimentary record, and landscape morphology. Given the small size of the Shale Hills catchment, the original design incorporated measurement of as many parameters as possible at high temporal and spatial density. In the larger Shavers Creek watershed, however, we must focus the measurements. We describe a strategy of data collection and modeling based on a geomorphological and land use framework that builds on the hillslope as the basic unit. Interpolation and extrapolation beyond specific sites relies on geophysical surveying, remote sensing, geomorphic analysis, the study of natural integrators such as streams, groundwaters or air, and application of a suite of CZ models. We hypothesize that measurements of a few important variables at strategic locations within a geomorphological framework will allow development of predictive models of CZ behavior. In turn, the measurements and models will reveal how the larger watershed will respond to perturbations both now and into the future.
Travel, Autoethnography and “Cultural Schizophrenia” in Stephanie Elizondo Griest'sMexican Enough
Authors: Oliver-Rotger Maria Antonia
Published: March 2016

My discussion of this travelogue focuses on the ways it is the occasion for the narrative voice to become self-introspective and self-inquiring on the nature of ethnic identity and the politization of racial difference. By distinguishing between the speaking subject of Elizondo Griest the journalist and the autoethnographic subject of Stephanie, and through the critical concepts of “cultural schizophrenia” (Gaspar de Alba), nepantla (Anzaldúa), “hermeneutics of the self” (Alarcón), I suggest that in this book the authoethnographic self presents a Chicana consciousness-in-the-making through travel. As a Mexican American for whom ethnicity and cultural identification have long been an issue, Stephanie approaches the Others she visits in a way that differs from the general “authoritative” or “superior” position of other “comopolitan” travel writers. She relates to them through the experience of living in a “third space” or, as she has it, “between the borderlines,” which, in her case, means to be mestiza, bicultural, and biracial. Besides contributing to a better knowledge of contemporary Mexico and its dependence on the United States, Mexican Enough is also the author's inner journey toward understanding her distance from Mexico and toward a political awareness of her bicultural identity in the United States.
Classroom EFL Writing: The Alignment-Oriented Approach
Authors: Haiyan Miao , Rilong Liu
Published: March 2016

This paper outlines the alignment-oriented approach in classroom EFL writing. Based on a review of the characteristics of the written language and comparison between the product-focused approach and the process-focused approach, the paper proposes a practical classroom procedure as to how to teach EFL writing. A follow-up empirical study is conducted in classroom writing assignment to illustrate the alignment-oriented approach. Results show that learners show great interest in their reading materials. Besides, learners report being greatly influenced by their reading experience in their writing process, for instance, their lexical choices, writing coherence and tense usage. In this alignment-oriented approach, several factors should be paid great attention to, such as appropriate selection of materials and relevant task perception. It is hoped that this proposed approach can provide insights and implications to other EFL teachers and promote more in-depth studies in EFL writing research.
How Many Jelly Beans are in the Jar?
Authors: Roy George J. , Hodges Thomas E. , Graul LuAnn
Published: March 2016

Students' mathematical intuition about estimation can serve as an entry point for tasks exploring measures of center.
Fostering Understanding of Variable with Patterns
Authors: Store Jessie C. , Richardson Kerri D. , Carter Tyrette S.
Published: March 2016

Try these four growing-pattern strategies to teach algebraic thinking in elementary school.
“Something Extra on Chromosome 5”: Parents’ Understanding of Positive Prenatal Chromosomal Microarray Analysis (CMA) Results
Authors: Walser Sarah A. , Werner‐Lin Allison , Russell Amita , Wapner Ronald J. , Bernhardt Barbara A.
Published: March 2016

This study aims to explore how couples’ understanding of the nature and consequences of positive prenatal chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) results impacts decision‐making and concern about pregnancy. We interviewed 28 women and 12 male partners after receiving positive results and analyzed the transcripts to assess their understanding and level of concern about the expected clinical implications of results. Participant descriptions were compared to the original laboratory interpretation. When diagnosed prenatally, couples’ understanding of the nature and consequences of copy number variants (CNVs) impacts decision‐making and concern. Findings suggest women, but less so partners, generally understand the nature and clinical implications of prenatal CMA results. Couples feel reassured, perhaps sometimes falsely so, when a CNV is inherited from a “normal” parent and experience considerable uncertainty when a CNV is de novo, frequently precipitating a search for additional information and guidance. Five factors influenced participants’ concern including: the pattern of inheritance, type of possible phenotypic involvement, perceived manageability of outcomes, availability and strength of evidence about outcomes associated with the CNV, and provider messages about continuing the pregnancy. A good understanding of results is vital as couples decide whether or not to continue with their pregnancy and seek additional information to assist in pregnancy decision‐making.
Resting-state functional connectivity of emotion regulation networks in euthymic and non-euthymic bipolar disorder patients
Authors: Rey G. , Piguet C , Benders A , Favre S , Eickhoff SB , Aubry J.-M. , Vuilleumier P
Published: March 2016

Background

Previous functional magnetic resonance imaging studies in bipolar disorder (BD) have evidenced changes in functional connectivity (FC) in brain areas associated with emotion processing, but how these changes vary with mood state and specific clinical symptoms is not fully understood.

Methods

We investigated resting-state FC between a priori regions of interest (ROIs) from the default-mode network and key structures for emotion processing and regulation in 27 BD patients and 27 matched healthy controls. We further compared connectivity patterns in subgroups of 15 euthymic and 12 non-euthymic patients and tested for correlations of the connectivity strength with measures of mood, anxiety, and rumination tendency. No correction for multiple comparisons was applied given the small population sample and pre-defined target ROIs.

Results

Overall, regardless of mood state, BD patients exhibited increased FC of the left amygdala with left sgACC and PCC, relative to controls. In addition, non-euthymic BD patients showed distinctive decrease in FC between right amygdala and sgACC, whereas euthymic patients showed lower FC between PCC and sgACC. Euthymic patients also displayed increased FC between sgACC and right VLPFC. The sgACC–PCC and sgACC–left amygdala connections were modulated by rumination tendency in non-euthymic patients, whereas the sgACC-VLPFC connection was modulated by both the current mood and tendency to ruminate.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that sgACC-amygdala coupling is critically affected during mood episodes, and that FC of sgACC play a pivotal role in mood normalization through its interactions with the VLPFC and PCC. However, these preliminary findings require replication with larger samples of patients.
Physician Preferences for Botulinum Toxin Injections in Anticoagulated Patients with Spasticity
Authors: Kassam Adam , Phadke Chetan P. , Ismail Farooq , Boulias Chris
Published: March 2016

To understand physician preferences and bleeding complication rates of intramuscular botulinum neurotoxin type A injections for spasticity management in anticoagulated patients, questionnaires were mailed to 138 physicians across Canada. The international normalized ratio comfort range for injections was <2.0 in 10%, 2.0 to 2.5 in 35%, 2.6 to 3.0 in 25%, and 3.1 to 3.5 in 20% of physicians. Only 23% injected outside their comfort value and 57% did not; 72% did not normalize the international normalized ratio value before injections. Only one injector reported the development of compartment syndrome. As expected, high variability exists in physician preferences in botulinum neurotoxin type A injection in anticoagulated patients.
Surface viscosity and Marangoni stresses at surfactant laden interfaces
Authors: Elfring Gwynn J. , Leal L. Gary , Squires Todd M.
Published: March 2016

We calculate here the force on a probe at a viscous, compressible interface, laden with soluble surfactant that equilibrates on a finite time scale. The motion of the probe through the interface drives variations in the surfactant concentration at the interface that in turn leads to a Marangoni flow that contributes to the force on the probe. We demonstrate that the Marangoni force on the probe depends non-trivially on the surface shear and dilatational viscosities of the interface indicating the difficulty in extracting these material properties from force measurements at compressible interfaces.
The Early Growth of the First Black Holes
Authors: Johnson Jarrett L. , Haardt Francesco
Published: March 2016

With detections of quasars powered by increasingly massive black holes at increasingly early times in cosmic history over the past decade, there has been correspondingly rapid progress made on the theory of early black hole formation and growth. Here, we review the emerging picture of how the first massive black holes formed from the primordial gas and then grew to supermassive scales. We discuss the initial conditions for the formation of the progenitors of these seed black holes, the factors dictating the initial masses with which they form, and their initial stages of growth via accretion, which may occur at super-Eddington rates. Finally, we briefly discuss how these results connect to large-scale simulations of the growth of supermassive black holes in the first billion years after the Big Bang.
Gene expression of detoxification enzymes in insecticide-resistant and insecticide-susceptible Bemisia tabaci strains after diafenthiuron exposure
Authors: ZHANG B.-Z. , KONG F.-C. , CUI R.-K. , ZENG X.-N.
Published: March 2016

The B-biotype of Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) has become extremely resistant to commonly used insecticides in China. To further explore the mechanisms of resistance to diafenthiuron, the diafenthiuron induction profiles of carboxylesterase (COE1), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and seven cytochrome P450 genes in both resistant (R-DfWf) and susceptible (S-Lab) strains were characterized. The detoxification genes GST, CYP6CX4, CYP6DW3, CYP6DZ6 and CYP9F, which are known to be constitutively over-expressed in the R-DfWf strain, were significantly upregulated in R-DfWf and S-Lab strains exposed to diafenthiuron at LC50 compared with their levels in strains treated with distilled water (controls); however, CYP6CX1, another detoxification gene, was not upregulated. The upregulation was more pronounced in the R-DfWf strain than in the S-Lab strain exposed to different concentrations of diafenthiuron (LC10 or LC50). Interestingly, COE1, CYP6CM1 and CYP6A, which are not constitutively over-expressed in the R-DfWf strain, were all significantly upregulated after exposure to diafenthiuron. Similarly, significant differences in the expression of these detoxification genes, with the exception of CYP6CM1 in the S-Lab strain, were also observed after exposure to diafenthiuron. However, the induction of CYP6A and COE1 was more pronounced in the S-Lab strain than in the R-DfWf strain after treatment with diafenthiuron at both concentrations, indicating that diafenthiuron induction of CYP6CM1 is specific to the R-DfWf strain, while diafenthiuron induction of the other genes is common to both the R-DfWf and S-Lab strains. These results demonstrate that multiple detoxification genes are co-upregulated in the R-DfWf strain through both constitutive over-expression and induction mechanisms. This knowledge will be useful for rational selection of insecticides for use in resistance management and control of this species.
Estimation of genetic parameters for agonistic behaviour of pigs at different ages
Authors: SCHEFFLER K. , STAMER E. , TRAULSEN I. , KRIETER J.
Published: March 2016

The mixing of pigs unacquainted with each other in commercial pig production is a standard procedure which leads to agonistic interactions with a wide range of individual pig behaviour. Hence, the aims of the present study were to assess the heritabilities of agonistic behaviour and to estimate correlations between three different age groups (weaned pigs n = 1111, growing pigs n = 446 and breeding gilts n = 279). The behavioural observation analysis included a period of 17 h directly after mixing as weaned pigs, growing pigs and breeding gilts (220 days of age) whereby the following agonistic traits were observed: number of fights (NF), duration of fights (DF), initiated fights (IF), received fights (RF), fights won (FW) and fights lost (FL). The behaviour of the weaned and growing pigs was significantly influenced by cross-fostering, their weight at mixing and litter attributes. Cross-fostered animals showed fewer agonistic interactions as weaned pigs and as growing pigs than non-cross-fostered animals. The influence of weight revealed that heavier pigs had a higher NF score at weaning and as growing pigs. The random litter effect explained up to 0·08 of the total variance in weaned and 0·04 in growing pigs, whereby this could partly be explained by litter size. Pigs from larger litters tended to have more agonistic interactions. The heritabilities of the recorded traits were at a low to medium level but similar between the age groups. There were high correlations between NF and all other traits in weaned pigs. The trait IF showed that the more fights a pig initiated, the more it won. This was also found for growing pigs and breeding gilts. The relationships between the age groups provided no uniform trend. The phenotypic correlations were low and the genetic correlations varied widely, partly due to the small sample size.
Changes in macrobenthic community structure from estuary to continental slope in the south-east coast of India
Authors: Khan Ajmal , Manokaran Seerangan , Lyla Somasundharanair
Published: March 2016

The pattern of changes in the macrobenthic community was studied along the south-east coast of India from the estuary to continental slope. A transect perpendicular to the coast was selected for sampling in estuary, inshore region, continental shelf and continental slope. Sampling was done in 16 stations in the depth range of 1.7–1000 m. The community structure was characterized in terms of species composition, abundance, diversity and feeding type. Four taxa were encountered in the study area comprising 181 species of polychaetes, 65 species of molluscs, 47 species of crustaceans and six species of ‘others’ (four echinoderms and two cnidarians). Polychaetes were found to be dominant at all the depths constituting 53.89% of the total abundance and 60.54% of the total number of species. Number of species and Shannon diversity of macrobenthos increased from estuary to shelf region and then decreased. The abundance was found to be maximum in the estuary and minimum in the slope. Carnivorous species were found to be dominant in the estuarine and inshore regions and surface deposit feeders in the shelf and slope regions. Dissolved oxygen decreased gradually from 30 m depth and beyond 150 m the decrease was pronounced due to the presence of the oxygen minimum zone. The distance based linear model (DISTLM) showed the environmental variables to explain about 76.45% of the total variability in macrofaunal distribution. Among the various environmental parameters, total organic carbon, depth and salinity explained more variability than others. Gradual change in community structure was quite evident with increase in depth.
Speech as a breakthrough signaling resource in the cognitive evolution of biological complex adaptive systems
Authors: Mattei Tobias A.
Published: March 2016

In self-adapting dynamical systems, a significant improvement in the signaling flow among agents constitutes one of the most powerful triggering events for the emergence of new complex behaviors. Ackermann and colleagues' comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the brain structures involved in acoustic communication provides further evidence of the essential role which speech, as a breakthrough signaling resource, has played in the evolutionary development of human cognition viewed from the standpoint of complex adaptive system analysis.