bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combining MucilAir™ and Vitrocell® Powder Chamber for the In Vitro Evaluation of Nasal Ointments in the Context of Aerosolized Pollen
Authors: Metz Julia , Knoth Katharina , Groß Henrik , Lehr Claus-Michael , Stäbler Carolin , Bock Udo , Hittinger Marius
Published: May 2018

Hay fever is notoriously triggered when nasal mucosa is exposed to allergenic pollen. One possibility to overcome this pollen exposure may be the application of an ointment with physical protective effects. In this context, we have investigated Bepanthen® Eye and Nose Ointment and the ointment basis petrolatum as reference while using contemporary in vitro techniques. Pollen from false ragweed (Iva xanthiifolia) was used as an allergy-causing model deposited as aerosol using the Vitrocell® Powder Chamber (VPC) on Transwell® inserts, while being coated with either Bepanthen® Eye and Nose Ointment and petrolatum. No pollen penetration into ointments was observed upon confocal scanning laser microscopy during an incubation period of 2 h at 37 °C. The cellular response was further investigated by integrating the MucilAir™ cell system in the VPC and by applying pollen to Bepanthen® Eye and Nose Ointment covered cell cultures. For comparison, MucilAir™ were stimulated by lipopolysaccharides (LPS). No increased cytokine release of IL-6, TNF-α, or IL-8 was found after 4 h of pollen exposure, which demonstrates the safety of such ointments. Since nasal ointments act as a physical barrier against pollen, such preparations might support the prevention and management of hay fever.
Evaluation of the Stability of Polymeric Materials Exposed to Palm Biodiesel and Biodiesel–Organic Acid Blends
Authors: Baena Libia M. , Zuleta Ernesto C. , Calderón Jorge A.
Published: May 2018

The aim of the present work is to evaluate the impact of pure palm biodiesel fuel (B100) and biodiesel blends with 0.32% oleic, palmitic, acetic, myristic, and stearic acids on the properties of some polymeric materials used commonly in the manufacture of auto parts such as the polyamide 66 (PA66), polyoxymethylene (POM), and high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The effects of the B100 and B100–acid blends on polymeric materials were examined by comparing changes in the gain/loss of mass and by measuring the hardness, the impact strength, and the tensile strength of the materials at the end of the exposure. The characterization of the polymers was carried out before and after exposure by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). After the immersion in B100–acids blends, the HDPE exhibited an increase in mass of 5%, which was very similar in all blends. The PA66 showed a small decrease in weight (2% approx.) in all mixtures. The POM presented an increase in the percentage of weight in the mixture of B100 with acetic acid of 0.3%. A decrease was observed in the crystallinity of the HDPE when exposed to blends of B100–acids. This behavior may be associated with a plasticizing effect in the HDPE exposed to the blends. The mechanical properties of POM and HDPE showed no significant changes after immersion in the fuels. On the other hand, PA66 exhibited a significant decrease in maximum stress value after immersion in B100, B100–oleic acid and B100–palmitic acid blends. The variation of the mechanical properties of the PA66 after exposure to B100 was potentiated by addition of organic acids. The assessed polymers did not undergo appreciable changes in the chemical structure of the samples after immersion in the fuels, so the variation in the mechanical properties could be explained by physical absorption of the fuel into the polymers.
Study of theThermo-/pH-Sensitivity of Stereo-Controlled Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-IAM) Copolymers via RAFT Polymerization
Authors: Rwei Syang-Peng , Chiang Whe-Yi , Way Tun-Fun , Tuan Huynh Nguyen Anh , Chang Ya-Chin
Published: May 2018

In this work, a smart copolymer, Poly(nipam-co-IAM) was synthesized by copolymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (nipam) and itaconamic acid (IAM) through reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Poly(nipam-co-IAM) has been studied previously synthesized via radical polymerization without stereo-control, and this work used cumyl dithiobenzoate and Ytterbium(III) trifluoromethanesulfonate as RAFT and stereo-control agents, respectively. The stereo-control result in this work shows that tacticity affects the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and/or the profile of phase separation of Poly(nipam-co-IAM). In the pH 7 and pH 10 buffer solutions, the P(nipam-co-IAM) copolymer solutions showed soluble–insoluble–soluble transitions, i.e., both LCST and upper critical solution temperature (UCST) transitions, which had not been found previously, and the insoluble to soluble transition (redissolved behavior) occurred at a relatively low temperature. The insoluble to soluble transition of P(nipam-co-IAM) in alkaline solution occurred at a temperature of less than 45 °C. However, the redissolved behavior of P(nipam-co-IAM) was found only in the pH 7 and pH 10 buffer solutions and this redissolved behavior was more prominent for the atactic copolymers than in the isotactic-rich ones. In addition, the LCST results under our experimental range of meso content did not show a significant difference between the isotactic-rich and the atactic P(nipam-co-IAM). Further study on the soluble-insoluble-soluble (S-I-S) transition and the application thereof for P(nipam-co-IAM) copolymers will be conducted.
Municipal Solid Waste Management in Latin America and the Caribbean: Issues and Potential Solutions from the Governance Perspective
Authors: Hettiarachchi Hiroshan , Ryu Sohyeon , Caucci Serena , Silva Rodolfo
Published: May 2018

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management is an essential service for an urban population to maintain sanitation. Managing MSW is complex as the treatment/recovery options depend not only on the volume of waste, but also on the socioeconomic conditions of the population. This paper focusses on MSW management in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries. Dominance of uncontrolled disposal options of MSW in the region, such as open dumps, has an adverse influence on health and sanitation. Interest in source separation practices and recycling is low in the LAC region. Furthermore, economic matters such as poor financial planning and ineffective billing systems also hinder service sustainability. Rapid urbanization is another characteristic feature in the region. The large urban centres that accommodate over 80% of the region’s population pose their own challenges to MSW management. However, the same large volume of MSW generated can become a steady supply of resources, if recovery options are prioritized. Governance is one aspect that binds many activities and stakeholders involved in MSW management. This manuscript describes how we may look at MSW management in LAC from the governance perspective. The issues, as well as the best potential solutions, are both described within three categories of governance: bureaucratic, market, and network. The governance perspective can assist by explaining which stakeholders are involved and who should be responsible for what. Financial issues are the major setbacks observed in the bureaucratic governance institutions that can be reversed with better billing strategies. MSW is still not seen by the private sector as a place to make investments, perhaps due to the negative social attitude associated with waste. The market governance aspects may help increase the efficiency and profitability of the MSW market. Private sector initiatives such as cost-effective microenterprises should be encouraged and the projects that fit under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) defined in the Kyoto Protocol should be incentivized to attract technology and capital. Lastly, network governance is at the centre of attention due to its flexibility in supporting/absorbing public-private partnerships, especially the participation of the informal sector that is important to the LAC region. Many individual waste pickers are providing their services to the LAC region by taking part in collecting and recycling under very unfavourable working conditions.
The Missing Link between Meiji Universalism and Postwar Pacifism, and What It Means for the Future
Authors: Mohr Michel
Published: May 2018

This article focuses on the life of two individuals who were actively promoting universalism in the Meiji era, becoming silent during World War II, and then resurfacing after the war, pursuing similar ideas and agendas. These two individuals were Imaoka Shin’ichirō (1881–1988), the former secretary of the Japanese Unitarian Association who died in 1988 at age 106, and Nishida Tenkō (1872–1968), the founder of the Ittōen movement. The author scrutinizes their role in formulating ideas and forming alliances between groups that still claim to promote transnational and transreligious ideas in the twenty-first century. Although Imaoka and Nishida contributed to bridge the gap between the Meiji era and today, whatever remains of their legacy may be related to the current standstill in attempts to deal with transnational and transdenominational divisions. In reviewing avenues for future transreligious conversations, this article discusses the extent to which the present Japanese religious traditions could contribute to such nonsectarian endeavors. It also indicates some of the philosophical strategies that could be adopted, highlighting the limits of common attempts based on an ethical approach, suggesting instead that empirical and epistemological approaches avoiding the pitfall of language may be more conducive to overcoming the current inertia in transreligious conversations.
Designing and Developing an Effective Safety Program for a Student Project Team
Authors: Catton John , Shaikhi Ramin , Fowler Michael , Fraser Roydon
Published: May 2018

In the workplace, safety must be the first priority of all employers and employees alike. In order to maintain the safety and well-being of their employees, employers must demonstrate due diligence and provide the appropriate safety training to familiarize employees with the hazards within the workplace. Although, a student “project team” is not a business, the work done by students for their respective teams is synonymous with the work done in a place of business and thus requires that similar safety precautions and training be administered to students by their team leads and faculty advisors. They take on the role of supervisors within the team dynamic. Student teams often utilize the guidelines and policies that their universities or colleges have developed in order to build a set of standard operating procedures and safety training modules. These guidelines aid in providing a base for training for the team, however, they are no substitute for training specific to the safety risks associated with the work the team is doing. In order to comply with these requirements, a full analysis of the workplace is required to be completed. A variety of safety analysis techniques need to be applied to define the hazards within the workplace and institute appropriate measures to mitigate them. In this work, a process is developed for establishing a safety training program for a student project team, utilizing systems safety management techniques and the aspect of gamification to produce incentives for students to continue developing their skills. Although, systems safety management is typically applied to the design of active safety components or systems, the techniques for identifying and mitigating hazards can be applied in the same fashion to the workplace. They allow one to analyze their workplace and determine the hazards their employees might encounter, assign appropriate hazard ratings and segregate each respective hazard by their risks. In so doing, safety level assignment can be completed to ensure team members are trained to be able to work on the systems associated with a given risk level.
How ‘Fake News’ Affects Autism Policy
Authors: Keenan Mickey , Dillenburger Karola
Published: May 2018

Since autism was first recognised, prevalence has increased rapidly. The growing economic as well as social cost to families and society can only be mitigated by effective interventions and supports. It is, therefore, not surprising that there is much heated debate and most governments have developed public policies to address the management of autism. This paper describes how well-known ‘propaganda’ techniques, that have become prevalent in the helping professions have been used to influence autism policies by spreading ‘fake news’ about the scientific discipline of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). Over the past 40–50 years, meaningful evidence has accrued showing that interventions based on ABA can help people with autism reach their potential. In view of this, nearly all of North America has laws to mandate that ABA-based interventions are available through their health care systems. In contrast, across Europe there are no such laws. In fact, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body guiding health and social policy in the UK, concluded that it could not find any evidence to support ABA, and therefore could not recommend it. This paper addresses the reasons for these diametrically opposed perspectives.
‘You Feel It in Your Body’: Narratives of Embodied Well-Being and Control among Women Who Use Complementary and Alternative Medicine during Pregnancy
Authors: McClean Stuart , Mitchell Mary
Published: May 2018

In Western societies, women’s use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) during pregnancy and labor is increasingly ubiquitous, yet there have been few in-depth explorations of the lived experience of women who use CAM and little critical analysis of CAM’s contribution to women’s overall experience of pregnancy and childbirth. This paper explores women’s narrative accounts of CAM use during pregnancy and childbirth to help uncover the meanings they attribute to CAM use. A qualitative narrative methodology was selected for this study, as it gives prominence to meanings that individuals assign to life events. A purposive sample of 14 women who were familiar with using a range of CAM modalities during pregnancy and childbirth took part in the study. This paper highlights different ways the women engaged with CAM, and how their embodied experiences became the mechanism by which CAM use, value, and safety were judged. CAM use in relation to embodiment became one way the women could reorder their world during pregnancy and childbirth. Moreover, CAM use among pregnant women may lead to the perception of more control and agency, but it also reinforces essentialist and naturalist conceptions of women’s identities and bodies.
Deciphering and Predicting Microscale Controls on Radon Production in Soils, Sediments and Rock
Authors: Mehta Neha , Kocar Benjamin D.
Published: May 2018

Soils, sediments and rock are natural sources of radon (Rn), which poses an ongoing threat to human health. Numerous studies have measured Rn release from bulk earth materials, yet few have examined microscale controls on Rn flux from solids (emanation), which is required to develop a process-based framework for predicting the rate and extent of production. Here, we use a novel closed loop flow-through system to measure Rn emanation from two crushed rock types with disparate physical and geochemical characteristics, shale and granitic pegmatite. We relate the extent of Rn emanation from each sample to microscale characteristics examined using conventional and synchrotron-based techniques, such as Rn parent radionuclide distribution within mineral grains, porosity, and surface area. Our results illustrate that the extent of Rn release from solids is primarily dependent on the position of parent radionuclides within host mineral grains relative to the “recoil range”—the maximum distance a daughter product (such as Rn) may traverse within a solid and into an adjacent pore owing to alpha-recoil—and is less dependent on the bulk parent radionuclide (e.g., radium) activity. We also present a simple model for predicting the emanation coefficient for pure solids based on mineralogical and physical parameters, which is an initial step toward developing a framework for predicting Rn efflux (exhalation) from soils.
Impact of Bio-Based Plastics on Current Recycling of Plastics
Authors: Alaerts Luc , Augustinus Michael , Van Acker Karel
Published: May 2018

Bio-based plastics are increasingly appearing in a range of consumption products, and after use they often end up in technical recycling chains. Bio-based plastics are different from fossil-based ones and could disturb the current recycling of plastics and hence inhibit the closure of plastic cycles, which is undesirable given the current focus on a transition towards a circular economy. In this paper, this risk has been assessed via three elaborated case studies using data and information retrieved through an extended literature search. No overall risks were revealed for bio-based plastics as a group; rather, every bio-based plastic is to be considered as a potential separate source of contamination in current recycling practices. For PLA (polylactic acid), a severe incompatibility with PET (polyethylene terephthalate) recycling is known; hence, future risks are assessed by measuring amounts of PLA ending up in PET waste streams. For PHA (polyhydroxy alkanoate) there is no risk currently, but it will be crucial to monitor future application development. For PEF (polyethylene furanoate), a particular approach for contamination-related issues has been included in the upcoming market introduction. With respect to developing policy, it is important that any introduction of novel plastics is well guided from a system perspective and with a particular eye on incompatibilities with current and upcoming practices in the recycling of plastics.
Oleotourism: Local Actors for Local Tourism Development
Authors: Tregua Marco , D’Auria Anna , Marano-Marcolini Carla
Published: May 2018

Olive oil consumption has grown substantially in recent years, due in part to the fact that olive oil is healthy. Much of the global olive oil production comes from the rural areas of Jaén in southern Spain. Surrounding this industry, services such as oleotourism are increasing. This paper aims to identify the key elements supporting the development of oleotourism. After a preliminary exploratory analysis of the existing data, a qualitative analysis was performed with actors directly involved in the industry in Jaén. The results helped us define the level of the stakeholders’ involvement and the sustainability, the opportunities, and the constraints affecting oleotourism in this area. The practical implications of this investigation can be useful for governing agencies, local firms, and the tourism industry in support of oleotourism development.
Exploring the Relationship between Prior Knowledge on Rain Gardens and Supports for Adopting Rain Gardens Using a Structural Equation Model
Authors: Kim Suyeon , Lee Sang-Woo , Lee Jongwon , An Kyungjin
Published: May 2018

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of prior knowledge and visual evaluation on supports for rain garden installations. To achieve this objective, a survey was conducted to obtain prior knowledge of rain gardens, rain garden implementation support ratings, and visual evaluation of rain gardens in 100 visitors of three rain garden sites. Results of the analysis revealed that users’ visual evaluation of rain gardens played a role as a moderator in the relationship between prior knowledge and support for rain garden installations. In other words, education and publicity of rain gardens alone cannot increase support for rain gardens. However, if rain gardens are visually evaluated positively, the effects of education and publicity of rain gardens can be expected. Therefore, to successfully apply a rain garden policy in the future, basic consideration should be given to aesthetics in order to meet visitors’ visual expectations prior to education and publicity of rain gardens.
Houses Based on Wood as an Ecological and Sustainable Housing Alternative—Case Study
Authors: Švajlenka Jozef , Kozlovská Mária
Published: May 2018

Sustainability of cities is currently a much-debated topic. The trend in Central Europe we witness nowadays is that people are going back from the impersonal and restrictive conditions of tower blocks to the more natural and relaxed conditions of family houses. New approaches to urbanization in the context of the sustainability of cities can be characterized by their use of innovative technologies and energetically efficient and ecologically acceptable construction materials. Companies have substantially responded to this trend, meeting the demand by offering a wide range of solutions. Alongside the traditional and long-established construction materials (brick, concrete), including wood, companies are introducing modern, innovative, and viable construction alternatives. Modern methods of construction (MMC), to which modern houses based on wood belong, promote the idea and application of environmentally and energetically efficient constructions. Just as the construction process itself significantly contributes to the depletion of natural resources, the production of construction materials contributes to significant environmental pollution and greenhouse emissions (particularly CO2). Sustainability assessments of construction projects increasingly involve the use of methodologies which assess sustainability criteria throughout a product’s Life-cycle. For our analysis of suburban housing clusters designed to serve as family houses, we chose an actual family house construction completed using a modern construction system based on wood. For the sake of comparing the modern construction method, we created an alternative model of a construction based on a traditional masonry construction system. The main objective of this contribution is to analyze selected variants of constructions in terms of environmental and economic sustainability characteristics, as part of a broader assessment of permanent sustainability, by applying the life-cycle assessment (LCA) and life-cycle cost (LCC) methodologies within specified assessment boundaries. A partial objective of this contribution is to point towards the ways of applying the LCA and LCC assessment methodologies, such as in the decision-making processes involved in alternative investment strategies for the construction of urban clusters in the context of sustainability.
Understanding the Transition to a Bio-Based Economy: Exploring Dynamics Linked to the Agricultural Sector in Sweden
Authors: Bennich Therese , Belyazid Salim , Kopainsky Birgit , Diemer Arnaud
Published: May 2018

There is a growing interest in the bio-based economy, evident in the policy domain as well as in the academic literature. Its proponents consider it an opportunity to address multiple societal challenges, and the concept has broad reach across different sectors of society. However, a potential transition process is also linked to areas of risk and uncertainty, and the need for interdisciplinary research and for the identification of potential trade-offs and synergies between parallel visions of the bio-based economy have been emphasized. The aim of this paper is to contribute to addressing this gap by using an approach combining tools for systems analysis with expert interviews. Focusing specifically on dynamics in the agricultural sector in Sweden, an integrated understanding of the social and ecological processes contributing to or hindering a transition in this area is developed, high order leverage points are identified, and potential impacts of proposed interventions explored. The paper also considers cross-sectoral linkages between the forestry and agricultural sectors.
Molecular and Clinical Characterization of Chikungunya Virus Infections in Southeast Mexico
Authors: Galán-Huerta Kame A. , Martínez-Landeros Erik , Delgado-Gallegos Juan L. , Caballero-Sosa Sandra , Malo-García Iliana R. , Fernández-Salas Ildefonso , Ramos-Jiménez Javier , Rivas-Estilla Ana M.
Published: May 2018

Chikungunya fever is an arthropod-borne infection caused by Chikungunya virus (CHIKV). Even though clinical features of Chikungunya fever in the Mexican population have been described before, there is no detailed information. The aim of this study was to perform a full description of the clinical features in confirmed Chikungunya-infected patients and describe the molecular epidemiology of CHIKV. We evaluated febrile patients who sought medical assistance in Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico, from June through July 2015. Infection was confirmed with molecular and serological methods. Viruses were isolated and the E1 gene was sequenced. Phylogeny reconstruction was inferred using maximum-likelihood and maximum clade credibility approaches. We studied 52 patients with confirmed CHIKV infection. They were more likely to have wrist, metacarpophalangeal, and knee arthralgia. Two combinations of clinical features were obtained to differentiate between Chikungunya fever and acute undifferentiated febrile illness. We obtained 10 CHIKV E1 sequences that grouped with the Asian lineage. Seven strains diverged from the formerly reported. Patients infected with the divergent CHIKV strains showed a broader spectrum of clinical manifestations. We defined the complete clinical features of Chikungunya fever in patients from Southeastern Mexico. Our results demonstrate co-circulation of different CHIKV strains in the state of Chiapas.
Serological Evidence for Influenza A Virus Exposure in Wild Birds in Trinidad & Tobago
Authors: Brown Jordan Arianne , Narang Darshan , Essen Steve C. , Brookes Sharon M. , Brown Ian H. , Oura Christopher
Published: May 2018

Migratory waterfowl and shorebirds are known to be important reservoirs for influenza A viruses (IAV) and they have been repeatedly implicated as causing avian influenza virus (AIV) outbreaks in domestic poultry flocks worldwide. In recent years, wild birds have been implicated in spreading zoonotic H5 influenza viruses to many countries, which has generated high levels of public health concern. Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) is positioned along the wintering route of migratory birds from the Americas; every year, many species of wild birds stopover on the islands of T&T, potentially carrying AIVs and exposing local populations of wild and domestic birds, including commercial poultry, to infection. The aim of this study was to trap, sample, and test as many wild bird species as possible to see whether they were actively infected or previously exposed to AIV. A total of 38 wild birds were trapped, sampled, and tested for IAV RNA, antibodies specific for influenza A nucleoprotein (NP) and antibodies that were specific for H5 and H7 subtypes. Five of the samples tested antibody positive for IAV, while three of these samples had positive titres (≥16) for the H5 subtype, indicating that they were likely to have been previously infected with an H5 IAV subtype. One of the samples tested positive for IAV (M gene) RNA. These results highlight the potential threat that is posed by wild birds to backyard and commercial poultry in T&T and emphasise the importance of maintaining high levels of biosecurity on poultry farms, ensuring that domestic and wild birds are not in direct or indirect contact. The results also underline the need to carry out routine surveillance for AIV in domestic and wild birds in T&T and the wider Caribbean region.
Case Study: On Objective Functions for the Peak Flow Calibration and for the Representative Parameter Estimation of the Basin
Authors: Kim Jungwook , Kim Deokhwan , Joo Hongjun , Noh Huiseong , Lee Jongso , Kim Hung Soo
Published: May 2018

The objective function is usually used for verification of the optimization process between observed and simulated flows for the parameter estimation of rainfall–runoff model. However, it does not focus on peak flow and on representative parameter for various rain storm events of the basin, but it can estimate the optimal parameters by minimizing the overall error of observed and simulated flows. Therefore, the aim of this study is to suggest the objective functions that can fit peak flow in hydrograph and estimate the representative parameter of the basin for the events. The Streamflow Synthesis And Reservoir Regulation (SSARR) model was employed to perform flood runoff simulation for the Mihocheon stream basin in Geum River, Korea. Optimization was conducted using three calibration methods: genetic algorithm, pattern search, and the Shuffled Complex Evolution method developed at the University of Arizona (SCE-UA). Two objective functions of the Sum of Squared of Residual (SSR) and the Weighted Sum of Squared of Residual (WSSR) suggested in this study for peak flow optimization were applied. Since the parameters estimated using a single rain storm event do not represent the parameters for various rain storms in the basin, we used the representative objective function that can minimize the sum of objective functions of the events. Six rain storm events were used for the parameter estimation. Four events were used for the calibration and the other two for validation; then, the results by SSR and WSSR were compared. Flow runoff simulation was carried out based on the proposed objective functions, and the objective function of WSSR was found to be more useful than that of SSR in the simulation of peak flow runoff. Representative parameters that minimize the objective function for each of the four rain storm events were estimated. The calibrated observed and simulated flow runoff hydrographs obtained from applying the estimated representative parameters to two different rain storm events were better than those retrieved from parameters estimated using a single rain storm event. The results of this study demonstrated that WSSR is adequate in peak flow simulation, that is, the estimation of peak flood runoff. In addition, representative parameters can be applied to a flow runoff simulation for rain storm events that were not involved in parameter estimation.
A Non-Equilibrium Sediment Transport Model for Dam Break Flow over Moveable Bed Based on Non-Uniform Rectangular Mesh
Authors: Wu Gangfeng , Yang Zhehao , Zhang Kefeng , Dong Ping , Lin Ying-Tien
Published: May 2018

The use of multiple-level non-uniform rectangular mesh in coupled flow and sediment transport modeling is preferred to achieve high accuracy in important region without increasing computational cost greatly. Here, a robust coupled hydrodynamic and non-equilibrium sediment transport model is developed on non-uniform rectangular mesh to simulate dam break flow over movable beds. The enhanced shallow water and sediment transport equations are adopted to consider the mass and momentum exchange between the flow phase and sediment phase. The flux at the interface is calculated by the positivity preserving central upwind scheme, which belongs to Godunov-type Riemann-problem-solver-free central schemes and is less expensive than other popular Riemann solvers while still capable of tracking wet/dry fronts accurately. The nonnegative water depth reconstruction method is used to achieve second-order accuracy in space. The model was first verified against two laboratory experiments of dam break flow over irregular fixed bed. Then the quantitative performance of the model was further investigated by comparing the computational results with measurement data of dam break flow over movable bed. The good agreements between the measurements and the numerical simulations are found for the flow depth, velocity and bed changes.
Decrease in Snow Cover over the Aysén River Catchment in Patagonia, Chile
Authors: Pérez Tomás , Mattar Cristian , Fuster Rodrigo
Published: May 2018

The evidence for global warming can be seen in various forms, such as glacier shrinkage, sea ice retreat, sea level rise and air temperature increases. The magnitude of these changes tends to be critical over pristine and extreme biomes. Chilean Patagonia is one of the most pristine and uninhabited regions in the world, home to some of the most important freshwater reservoirs as well as to evergreen forest, lakes and fiords. Furthermore, this region presents a sparse and weak network of ground stations which must be complemented with satellite information to determine trends on biophysical parameters. The main objective of this work is to present the first assessment on snow cover over the Aysén basin in Patagonia-Chile by using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data from the period 2000–2016. The MOD10A2 product was processed at 500 × 500 m spatial resolution. The time-series analysis consisted in the application of non-parametric tests such as the Mann–Kendall test and Sen’s slope for annual and seasonal mean of snow covered area (SCA). Data from ground meteorological network and river discharges were also included in this work to show the trends in air temperature, precipitation and stream flow during the last decades. Results indicate that snow cover shows a decreasing non-significant trend in annual mean SCA with a −20.01 km2⋅year−1 slope, and neither seasonal mean shows statistical significance. The comparison with in situ data shows a seasonal decrease in stream flows and precipitation during summer. The hydrological year 2016 was the year with the most negative standardized joint anomalies in the period. However, the lack of in situ snow-monitoring stations in addition to the persistence of cloud cover over the basin can impact trends, creating some uncertainties in the data. Finally, this work provides an initial analysis of the possible impacts of global warming as seen by snow cover in Chilean Patagonia.
As a Matter of Force—Systematic Biases in Idealized Turbulence Simulations
Authors: Grete Philipp , O’Shea Brian W. , Beckwith Kris
Published: May 2018

Many astrophysical systems encompass very large dynamical ranges in space and time, which are not accessible by direct numerical simulations. Thus, idealized subvolumes are often used to study small-scale effects including the dynamics of turbulence. These turbulent boxes require an artificial driving in order to mimic energy injection from large-scale processes. In this Letter, we show and quantify how the autocorrelation time of the driving and its normalization systematically change the properties of an isothermal compressible magnetohydrodynamic flow in the sub- and supersonic regime and affect astrophysical observations such as Faraday rotation. For example, we find that δ-in-time forcing with a constant energy injection leads to a steeper slope in kinetic energy spectrum and less-efficient small-scale dynamo action. In general, we show that shorter autocorrelation times require more power in the acceleration field, which results in more power in compressive modes that weaken the anticorrelation between density and magnetic field strength. Thus, derived observables, such as the line-of-sight (LOS) magnetic field from rotation measures, are systematically biased by the driving mechanism. We argue that δ-in-time forcing is unrealistic and numerically unresolved, and conclude that special care needs to be taken in interpreting observational results based on the use of idealized simulations.
Filling the BINs of life: Report of an amphibian and reptile survey of the Tanintharyi (Tenasserim) Region of Myanmar, with DNA barcode data
Authors: Mulcahy Daniel G. , Lee Justin L. , Miller Aryeh H. , Chand Mia , Thura Myint Kyaw , Zug George R.
Published: May 2018

Despite threats of species extinctions, taxonomic crises, and technological advances in genomics and natural history database informatics, we are still distant from cataloguing all of the species of life on earth. Amphibians and reptiles are no exceptions; in fact new species are described nearly every day and many species face possible extinction. The number of described species continues to climb as new areas of the world are explored and as species complexes are examined more thoroughly. The use of DNA barcoding provides a mechanism for rapidly estimating the number of species at a given site and has the potential to record all of the species of life on Earth. Though DNA barcoding has its caveats, it can be useful to estimate the number of species in a more systematic and efficient manner, to be followed in combination with more traditional, morphology-based identifications and species descriptions. Herein, we report the results of a voucher-based herpetological expedition to the Tanintharyi (Tenasserim) Region of Myanmar, enhanced with DNA barcode data. Our main surveys took place in the currently proposed Tanintharyi National Park. We combine our results with photographs and observational data from the Chaung-nauk-pyan forest reserve. Additionally, we provide the first checklist of amphibians and reptiles of the region, with species based on the literature and museum. Amphibians, anurans in particular, are one of the most poorly known groups of vertebrates in terms of taxonomy and the number of known species, particularly in Southeast Asia. Our rapid-assessment program combined with DNA barcoding and use of Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) of voucher specimens reveals the depth of taxonomic diversity in the southern Tanintharyi herpetofauna even though only a third of the potential amphibians and reptiles were seen. A total of 51 putative species (one caecilian, 25 frogs, 13 lizards, 10 snakes, and two turtles) were detected, several of which represent potentially undescribed species. Several of these species were detected by DNA barcode data alone. Furthermore, five species were recorded for the first time in Myanmar, two amphibians (Ichthyophiscf.kohtaoensis andChalcoranaeschatia) and three snakes (Ahaetullamycterizans,Boigadendrophila, andBoigadrapiezii).
Le procès européen fait au logement social
Authors: Daniel Brice
Published: May 2018

Cet article étudie les effets de l’institutionnalisation du droit de la concurrence de l’Union européenne sur les politiques de logement social néerlandaises, suédoises et françaises. Cette comparaison permet de mesurer la réduction de la marge de manœuvre financières des bailleurs sociaux induite par la libéralisation progressive du secteur. En analysant les conséquences de cette libéralisation au sein de trois traditions de logement social, il donne à voir la manière dont la Commission européenne et certains acteurs nationaux ont œuvré concomitamment à une extension du champ d’application du droit de la concurrence de l’Union européenne aux politiques nationales de logement. Si cet article montre comment ce droit prive les bailleurs sociaux d’une partie de leurs recettes financières et par là les fragilise financièrement, il pointe cependant des singularités nationales et des possibilités pour certains États de résister partiellement à ces logiques d’affaiblissement.
Qu’est l’urine des dieux devenue ?
Authors: Carton Solange , Djardem Fafia
Published: May 2018

À partir de « Sur la prise de possession du feu » et de fragments d’une cure, les auteures s’engagent dans une recherche sur les relations de l’urétralité au féminin et à l’ambition culturelle, qui remet sur le travail renoncement pulsionnel culturel, théories sexuelles et désacralisation des figures d’amour infantiles.
Cross-Cultural Business Education
Authors: Maheshkar Chandan , Sharma Vinod
Published: May 2018

Today, the scenario of cross-cultural businesses has made it incomparable to the earlier practices as well as an academic phenomenon, due to increasing internationalization and immigration in global job markets. The chapter attempts to notify the significance of culture in business and need for cross-cultural business awareness. It examines how the inclusion of cross-cultural perspectives into business practices will help to create a dynamic environment that facilitates enhanced competence to companies operating across cultures. This chapter has been developed in two parts. In its first part, the chapter discusses the cross-cultural problems and their possible solutions to effectively manage the cultural diversity. In the second part of the chapter, a model, Global Industry Academia (GIA) framework of business education has been introduced. This model enables the B-schools to explore essential constituents of contextual paradigms of change and interpret the complexities of business practices in diverse settings to develop cross-culturally sensitive managers of tomorrow.
A New Perspective in Competitiveness for Business Education
Authors: Martins Ana , Martins Isabel , Pereira Orlando Petiz
Published: May 2018

Organizations are currently living through profound changes while dealing with the prevailing rate of information change and innovation. Alternative ways of educating organizations highlight the strategic importance of humanization in organizations. Humanization is the stabilizer of productivity and communities of practice (CoPs) – the tools which enable employees to act in this space. Organizations that nurture CoPs embrace learning, are sensitive, tolerant, and cooperate. CoPs are nurtured by cooperation while disregarding both competition and egotism. Strategic variables emerge in this context which leads to the paradigm shift focusing on trust, voluntary sharing, employees' selflessness, and shared leadership. Knowledge in an organization and within each employee is viewed as complementary and not a substitute or as an issue of contention. Knowledge sharing is a necessary condition to improve both organizational performance and its attractiveness. The importance of CoPs in this chapter focuses on the humanization perspective as CoPs promote learning in business contexts.
Research, Theories, and Pedagogical Practices of Cultural Metacognition in Cross-Cultural Business Education
Authors: Phelan James E.
Published: May 2018

Cultural metacognition, or thinking about cultural assumptions, can help increase awareness, build trust, and create successful business outcomes. The role of cultural metacognition in business is vital. This chapter will enable building a cultural metacognition knowledge base, and promote appreciation of its importance and effect on business enhancement. The context of this chapter will amplify knowledge, ideas, and skills necessary to connect various issues of teaching and learning cultural metacognition in cross-cultural environments. The chapter will facilitate business educators' teaching practices that foster learning cultural metacognition and its effects on cross-cultural business practices. In addition, it includes discussion of the facts related to tools for developing metacognition skills, as well as suggestions for how to fill the gap between theoretical and practical implications. The ultimate goal is to help elevate teaching, learning practices, and research related to the topic of cultural metacognition in cross-cultural business education.
Leadership Strategies in Cross-Culture Settings
Authors: Dubey Sanjiva Shankar
Published: May 2018

Leadership in cross-cultural settings has become more and more demanding in the current complex world. Globalization on one hand and local aspirations on the other is creating a need of new breed of leadership who can manage the workforce and organization spread across multiple cultures in a cohesive manner to produce sustained business results. This chapter presents a detailed inquiry of cultural issues and outlines the factors behind their emergence. It also provides a framework to understand the leader preparation required and best practices to be used to be successful. For students and academicians, the topics of this chapter would provide a theoretical roadmap as well as practical insights bringing out unique understanding of this important subject. For managers, this chapter is comprehensive insight laced with practical wisdom which is ready for implementation. The word leader is used to cover managers at all levels who have to manage diverse multi-cultural teams.
Global Leadership Development
Authors: Bufalino Giambattista
Published: May 2018

No firm is immune from the impact of globalization. The new global context and the accompanying technological improvements are driving an increased need for global leaders with a wider variety of competencies, skills, and abilities. This chapter presents current perspectives on global leadership to better assist management educators in the design and implementation of global leadership programs. The fil rouge of this exploration will be the acknowledgement of the role of culture and its influence on business and management practices. First, the author will present current broad approaches to investigate global leadership; then he will focus on the development of global leadership, including practical challenges in business education. Finally, future directions will be discussed.
“Airpocalypse” or Tsar Economic China
Authors: Ghani Fauzia , Qureshi Komal Ashraf
Published: May 2018

This chapter focuses on the case study of China, which is facing grave issues regarding environment and global warming. Hence, the “Airpocalypse” in China led to need and debate about the sustainability of the environment. In this chapter, an effort has been made to analyze the environmental sustainability risk which the country of China can have for the increasing rate of global warming, and how this part of region can have a transnational impact on other neighboring countries when it comes to the cause of making environment pure from pollutants, carbon dioxide, and coal emissions. The methodology of this research is qualitative, descriptive, and analytical in nature. This chapter includes the variable of environmental sustainability which is dependent on the energy consumption of industries of China involved in emission of greenhouse gases.
The New Normal
Authors: Laurian-Fitzgerald Simona , Fitzgerald Carlton J. , Popa Carmen Alina , Bochis Laura
Published: May 2018

Adult learners are different from younger learners. Many have taken Knowles' ideas to work with adult learners as if they all are the same. Knowles described adult learners as more self-directed, willing to be responsible for what they do, unwilling to have teachers impose arbitrary information on them, ready to learn, task oriented, and experienced. Prather adds many adults have more immediate goals for their lives and careers. Kenner and Weinerman find adults want more collaborative relationships with professors. Adult students are unique and come to classes from a variety of backgrounds and circumstances, with different needs, wants, and learning preferences. Many students are prepared for college, while others are petrified. In this chapter, the authors argue that instructors should understand their students in order to help them be successful. Students are not alternative students; they are normal, intelligent people who can and will learn. Thus, the goal should be student-centered online learning.
Marking Community Identity Through Languaging
Authors: White Jonathan R.
Published: May 2018

This chapter takes up the issue of authenticity in language pedagogy. Traditional views of authenticity take the native speaker to be the primary authority for linguistic norms. Written standard language is especially highly valued here. It is argued herein that TELL environments are equally valid as learning environments, and that students can use the freedom they provide to develop their own locally negotiated cultural and linguistic norms. Evidence is provided that students on a net-based MA program develop their own norms for reducing language, and use them and other means to mark membership of a local TELL community. Thus, TELL is a rich and authentic environment for learners of English to become what is referred to as “language practitioners.”