bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Atlantic Gardens in Mediterranean Climates: Understanding the Production of Suburban Natures in Barcelona
Authors: PARÉS MARC , MARCH HUG , SAURÍ DAVID 
Published: March 2012

AbstractWhile the city of Barcelona is being held up worldwide as an example of a compact and sustainable urban settlement, its metropolitan region has been suburbanized with low‐density housing that, among other impacts, threatens the water supply system of the area. In this process of urbanization new landscapes of consumption — greening the city with non‐native natures — have been produced, requiring a higher use of water and other inputs. Starting with the drought events of 2008 in Metropolitan Barcelona, this article aims to develop an understanding of the production of the green city in a Mediterranean environment. Using urban political ecology, and extending our scope to cultural theories, we investigate the proliferation of Atlantic gardens in the Barcelona Metropolitan Region. By broadening existing debates on suburban natures from a predominantly North American focus to other contexts, the article aims to offer a different view of the political, economic and cultural constructions of urban natures in order to facilitate the design of more equitable cities.RésuméLa ville de Barcelone est citée partout comme exemple d'implantation urbaine compacte et durable. En revanche, dans sa région métropolitaine, les banlieues se caractérisent par un habitat peu dense et, entre autres impacts, elles mettent en danger l'approvisionnement local en eau. Au cours de cette urbanisation, de nouveaux paysages de consommation ont été créés (avec des espaces verts composés de natures non locales), nécessitant davantage d'eau et d'autres apports. Partant des épisodes de sécheresse de 2008 dans la métropole de Barcelone, ce travail développe un concept de production de la ‘ville verte’ dans un environnement méditerranéen. En s'appuyant sur l'écologie politique urbaine et en étendant le champ d'investigation aux théories culturelles, il étudie la prolifération des jardins d'inspiration atlantique dans la région métropolitaine de Barcelone. Les débats existants sur les ‘natures suburbaines’ sont élargis pour passer d'un cadre nord‐américain prédominant à d'autres contextes, ce qui permet d'offrir une vision différente des interprétations politiques, économiques et culturelles des ‘natures urbaines’ afin de faciliter la conception de villes plus équitables.
When Do Papers Matter? An Institutional Analysis of Undocumented Life in the United States
Authors: Gleeson Shannon , Gonzales Roberto G. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractThis article assesses how two key institutions differentially shape immigrants’ relationship to their rights in American society. We draw on over 200 in‐depth interviews to argue that there is a stark difference between how schools encourage undocumented youth to view themselves as equal members of US society and how undocumented workers are marginalized in the workplace. We find that even as schools track and stratify students, they also foster a culture of meritocracy between documented and undocumented youth. Schools ultimately render immigration status irrelevant as undocumented youth learn to navigate the primary institution of this stage of their lives. Conversely, immigration status is central to the experience of undocumented workers, who develop a particular set of survival skills that help them live and work successfully in the United States without being detected while also erecting a barrier between themselves and any additional rights they may be afforded.
Evaluating the accuracy and calibration of expert predictions under uncertainty: predicting the outcomes of ecological research
Authors: McBride Marissa F. , Fidler Fiona , Burgman Mark A. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractAim Expert knowledge routinely informs ecological research and decision‐making. Its reliability is often questioned, but is rarely subject to empirical testing and validation. We investigate the ability of experts to make quantitative predictions of variables for which the answers are known.Location Global.Methods Experts in four ecological subfields were asked to make predictions about the outcomes of scientific studies, in the form of unpublished (in press) journal articles, based on information in the article introduction and methods sections. Estimates from students were elicited for one case study for comparison. For each variable, participants assessed a lower and upper bound, best guess and level of confidence that the observed value will lie within their ascribed interval. Responses were assessed for (1) accuracy: the degree to which predictions corresponded with observed experimental results, (2) informativeness: precision of the uncertainty bounds, and (3) calibration: degree to which the uncertainty bounds contained the truth as often as specified.Results Expert responses were found to be overconfident, specifying 80% confidence intervals that captured the truth only 49–65% of the time. In contrast, student 80% intervals captured the truth 76% of the time, displaying close to perfect calibration. Best estimates from experts were on average more accurate than those from students. The best students outperformed the worst experts. No consistent relationships were observed between performance and years of experience, publication record or self‐assessment of expertise.Main conclusions Experts possess valuable knowledge but may require training to communicate this knowledge accurately. Expert status is a poor guide to good performance. In the absence of training and information on past performance, simple averages of expert responses provide a robust counter to individual variation in performance.
Large‐scale assessment of regeneration and diversity in Mediterranean planted pine forests along ecological gradients
Authors: Ruiz‐Benito Paloma , Gómez‐Aparicio Lorena , Zavala Miguel A. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractAim There is increasing concern regarding sustainable management and restoration of planted forests, particularly in the Mediterranean Basin where pine species have been widely used. The aim of this study was to analyse the environmental and structural characteristics of Mediterranean planted pine forests in relation to natural pine forests. Specifically, we assessed recruitment and woody species richness along climatic, structural and perturbation gradients to aid in developing restoration guidelines.Location Continental Spain.Methods We conducted a multivariate comparison of ecological characteristics in planted and natural stands of main Iberian native pine species (Pinus halepensis,Pinus pinea,Pinus pinaster,Pinus nigraandPinus sylvestris). We fitted species‐specific statistical models of recruitment and woody species richness and analysed the response of natural and planted stands along ecological gradients.Results Planted pine forests occurred on average on poorer soils and experienced higher anthropic disturbance rates (fire frequency and anthropic mortality) than natural pine forests. Planted pine forests had lower regeneration and diversity levels than natural pine forests, and these differences were more pronounced in mountain pine stands. The largest differences in recruitment – chiefly oak seedling abundance – and species richness between planted and natural stands occurred at low‐medium values of annual precipitation, stand tree density, distance toQuercusforests and fire frequency, whereas differences usually disappeared in the upper part of the gradients.Main conclusions Structural characteristics and patterns of recruitment and species richness differ in pine planted forests compared to natural pine ecosystems in the Mediterranean, especially for mountain pines. However, management options exist that would reduce differences between these forest types, where restoration towards more natural conditions is feasible. To increase recruitment and diversity, vertical and horizontal heterogeneity could be promoted by thinning in high‐density and homogeneous stands, while enrichment planting would be desirable in mesic and medium‐density planted forests.
Positioning of antihistamines in the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guidelines
Authors: Mullol Joaquim 
Published: March 2012

SummaryAllergic rhinitis (AR) is a major health problem with high and ever‐increasing prevalence worldwide. At least one‐fifth of adults in industrialized countries are estimated to have AR, defined as nasal and eye symptoms that are sufficiently severe to have a substantial negative impact on the quality of life (QoL). The former classification of AR comprised seasonal AR (SAR) and perennial AR (PAR), which did not adequately reflect the presentation and clinical course of the disease. The Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) classification is based on the duration of symptoms and the disease severity. Both intermittent AR (IAR: symptoms ≤ 4 days/week or ≤ 4 consecutive weeks) and persistent AR (PER: symptoms > 4 days/week and > 4 consecutive weeks) may be mild, moderate, or severe based on the QOL impairment (sleep, daily activities/leisure, work productivity/school performance) and bothersome symptoms. Despite its disabling effects, AR remains a condition where affected individuals do not seek appropriate treatment, are undertreated and do not adhere well to treatment, which all lead to low disease control and high societal costs. The four pillars of AR treatment are allergen and pollutant avoidance, patient education, pharmacotherapy and allergen‐specific immunotherapy. Oral antihistamines, together with intranasal corticosteroids and leucotriene antagonists, constitute important pharmacological options for the treatment of AR at all levels of severity. New second‐generation antihistamines are H1‐receptor antagonists with high efficacy (rapid onset of action for AR symptoms, sometimes even on nasal congestion, improvement of QoL and additional anti‐allergic effects) and safety (low sedation rates). Although new antihistamines have been studied and approved for SAR and PAR, only some of them have been reported to show efficacy and safety for treatment of AR under the ARIA classification: levocetirizine (high efficacy) and rupatadine (dual antihistamine and anti‐PAF effects) for PER, and desloratadine (high safety) for both IAR and PER.
Happiness is drinking beer: a cross‐cultural analysis of multimodal metaphors in American and Ukrainian commercials
Authors: Lantolf James P. , Bobrova Larysa 
Published: March 2012

This paper examines multimodal conceptual metaphors in a corpus of 32 American and Ukrainian beer commercials. The dominant metaphor in both cultures is HAPPINESS IS DRINKING BEER, with a secondary metaphor BEER IS A PERSON. The Ukrainian commercials exhibit a third metaphor that appears in a very subtle way in the American commercials: LOVE FOR THE MOTHERLAND IS DRINKING BEER. The analysis reveals cross‐cultural variation in the mappings and entailments of the metaphors. We argue that this variation is not just a matter of divergent advertising strategies but is a manifestation of differences in the conceptual understandings of happiness, beer drinking, friendship, and patriotism in both cultures.Este estudio investiga las metáforas conceptuales multimodales en un corpus de treinta y dos anuncios publicitarios de cerveza estadounidenses y ucranianas. La metáfora principal en ambas culturas es LA FELICIDAD ES TOMAR CERVEZA, y una metáfora secundaria es LA CERVEZA ES UNA PERSONA. Los comerciales ucranianos manifiestan una tercera metáfora que aparece de una manera sutil en los comerciales estadounidenses: EL AMOR A LA PATRIA ES TOMAR CERVEZA. El análisis revela una variación transcultural en las proyecciones e inferencias de las metáforas. Proponemos que esta variación no sólo se debe a estrategias de publicidad divergentes, sino que revela diferencias en la comprensión conceptual de la felicidad, tomar cerveza, la amistad y el patriotismo entre las dos culturas.
Mandatory IFRS Adoption and the Contractual Usefulness of Accounting Information in Executive Compensation
Authors: OZKAN NESLIHAN , SINGER ZVI , YOU HAIFENG 
Published: March 2012

ABSTRACTWe examine how the mandatory adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in continental Europe affects the contractual usefulness of accounting information in executive compensation, as reflected in pay‐performance sensitivity (PPS) and relative performance evaluation (RPE). The empirical evidence indicates a weak increase in accounting‐based PPS in the post‐adoption period, primarily driven by countries with large differences between IFRS and their previously adopted local accounting standards. We also document a significant increase in accounting‐based RPE using foreign peers after the adoption. Additional analysis shows that the increase in RPE is greater for firms with more foreign sales, and for those with lower availability of domestic peers of comparable size. The overall results are consistent with the compensation committees in those countries perceiving earnings after IFRS adoption to be of higher quality and comparability. Our paper highlights an important benefit of IFRS largely ignored by the literature, that is, the higher earnings quality and comparability brought by the adoption of IFRS facilitate executive compensation contracting.
Modeling the Coverage of Splat Areas Arising from Thermal Spray Processes
Authors: Ang Andrew Siao Ming , Berndt Christopher C. , Dunn Michelle , Sesso Mitchell L. , Kim Sun Yung 
Published: March 2012

The coverage of a deposited material that arises from the integration of discrete splat areas is an essential parameter that needs to be understood during thermal spray processes. However, there is absence of a theoretical method to predict and estimate the area coverage per pass by a thermal spray torch; for example by the plasma spray process. In this study, a model is presented that calculates the splat area coverage for a thermal spray process of ceramic materials. A focused survey of the published literature takes into consideration experimental observations that are related to this work. The model accounts for physical events in thermal spray processes, such as the use of a mono‐modal feedstock and size of spray stream. The model predictions for the area coverage of plasma sprayed yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ) ranged between 12% and 18% depending on the value assumed for the maximum flattening ratio. The results for the model were demonstrated via wipe studies where microscope glass slides were spray coated with YSZ and image analysis conducted. The average coverage calculated was approximately 13% for the sprayed images. The experiment verifies that the simulation results from the model predict adequately the splat area coverage of a thermal spray process.
The Preparation and the Third‐Order Optical Nonlinearities of Sodium Borosilicate Glass Doped with CuInS2 Quantum Dots
Authors: Xiang Weidong , Zhao Haijun , Zhong Jiasong , Yang Xinyu , Guo Yuqing , Luo Hongyan , Liang Xiaojuan 
Published: March 2012

The sodium borosilicate glass doped with CuInS2 quantum dots was prepared by using both sol–gel and atmosphere control methods. The formation mechanism and the microstructure of the glass were examined using differential thermal analysis and thermal gravimeter, X‐ray powder diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray spectra, high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, and selected area electron diffraction. The results revealed that CuInS2 quantum dots in a tetragonal crystal system had formed uniformly in the glass, and the size distribution of these quantum dots generally ranged from 5 to 15 nm. In addition, Z‐scan technique was used to measure the third‐order optical nonlinearities of the glass. The results indicated that the glass has excellent third‐order optical nonlinearities, and thus will have potential applications in the field of nonlinear optics.
Bi‐Tunable Dielectric Constant of Antiferroelectric PZT Ceramics Under DC Electric Field
Authors: Wang Jinfei , Yang Tongqing , Wei Kun , Li Gang , Chen Shengchen 
Published: March 2012

The dielectric properties of (Pb0.85Ba0.11La0.03)(Zr0.76Sn0.20Ti0.04) (PLZST–B11) composite ceramics have been investigated systematically. The characteristic of PLZST–B11 was that it demonstrated antiferroelectricity. The dielectric constant increased, then decreased sharply with increasing DC electric field, and a low loss also was obtained under DC electric fields (≤40 kV/cm). The low loss (tan δ ~0.003) and the highest tunability (~65%) were obtained for the PLZST–B11 ceramics around 50°C, indicating that it is a promising candidate for bi‐tunable materials nearby room temperature. The dielectric properties of PLZST–B11 composites under a DC bias field can be useful for the design of devices and practical applications.
Level of oral health impacts among patients participating in PEARL: a dental practice‐based research network
Authors: Botello‐Harbaum Maria T. , Matthews Abigail G. , Collie Damon , Vena Donald A. , Craig Ronald G. , Curro Frederick A. , Thompson Van P. , Broder Hillary L. ,   The PEARL Network
Published: March 2012

AbstractObjectivesTo determine whether participants of a dental practice–based research network (PBRN) differ in their level of oral health impact as measured by the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) questionnaire.MethodsA total of 2410 patients contributed 2432 OHIP measurements (median age = 43 years; interquartile range = 28) were enrolled in four dental studies. All participants completed the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP‐14) during a baseline visit. The main outcome of this study was the level of oral health impact, defined as follows: no impact (‘Never’ reported on all items); low (‘Occasionally’ or ‘Hardly ever’ as the greatest frequency score reported on any item); and high (‘Fairly often’ or ‘Very often’ as the greatest frequency reported on any item). Polychotomous logistic regression was used to develop a predictive model for the level of oral health impact considering the following predictors: patient's age, gender, race, practice location, type of dentist, and number of years the enrolling dentist has been practicing.ResultsA high level of oral health impacts was reported in 8% of the sample; almost a third (29%) of the sample reported a low level of impacts, and 63% had no oral health impacts. The prevalence of impacts differed significantly across protocols (P < 0.001). Women were more likely to be in the high oral impact group than in the no impact group compared to men (OR = 1.46; 95% CI = 1.06–1.99). African Americans were more likely to report high oral impacts when compared to other racial/ethnic groups (OR = 2.11; 95% CI = 1.26–3.55). Protective effects for being in the high or in the low‐impact groups were observed among patients enrolled by a solo practice (P < 0.001) or by more experienced dentists (P = 0.01). A small but highly significant statistical association was obtained for patient age (P < 0.001). In the multivariate model, patient's age, practice size, and gender were found to jointly be significant predictors of oral health impact level.ConclusionsPatients' subjective report of oral health impact in the clinical setting is of importance for their health. In the context of a dental PBRN, the report of oral health–related quality of life (OHRQoL) was different across four dental studies. The observed findings validate the differential impact that oral health has on the patients' perception of OHRQoL particularly among specific groups. Similar investigations to elucidate the factors associated with patient's report of quality of life are warranted.
The β‐diversity of arable weed communities on organic and conventional cereal farms in two contrasting regions
Authors: Armengot Laura , Sans Francesc Xavier , Fischer Christina , Flohre Andreas , José‐María Laura , Tscharntke Teja , Thies Carsten 
Published: March 2012

AbstractQuestionsDo diversity components (α, β and γ) differ across contrasting regions? What is the relative contribution of organic and conventional farming practices to the structuring of arable weed species diversity and different functional groups (legumes, grasses and broad‐leaves)? To what extent do arable weed communities differ between regions and farming systems (organic vs conventional)?LocationTwenty‐six farms in total in northeast Spain (Catalonia) and north Germany (Lower Saxony).MethodsWe examined the weed flora in paired organic and conventional farms at each locality and assessed diversity components by additive partitioning of species richness (α, β and γ).ResultsThe weed species composition differed greatly between the two regions. Only 18 of 135 arable weed species were shared. The α‐, β‐ and γ‐diversity of all functional groups was significantly higher under organic farming practices for both regions, indicating an increasing homogenization of local communities by agricultural intensification within each region. β‐diversity contributed most to the total observed species richness in both regions (69.8% and 35.8% on organic and conventional farms, respectively, in Catalonia; and 62.4% and 53.0% on organic and conventional farms, respectively, in Lower Saxony). These results demonstrate the great importance of environmental heterogeneity and of farm‐specific differences in agricultural practices for the richness of arable weed species.ConclusionsRegardless of the substantial differences in arable weed community composition across regions, our study emphasizes the great importance of organic farming for arable weed species richness. Understanding the patterns and causes of the dissimilarity of local communities appears to be a key factor for species conservation and the development of effective European‐wide agri‐environmental schemes at landscape and regional scales. This approach is in contrast to current nature conservation practices that are restricted primarily to local (field‐ and farm‐scale) implementation.