bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Parameter Estimation/Sensitivity Analysis for an Aquifer Test with Skin Effect
Authors: Chen Yen‐Ju , Yeh Hund‐Der 
Published: December 2008

AbstractAquifer information carried by aquifer test data may be affected by the presence of a finite thickness skin around the wellbore. The mathematical treatment for an aquifer accounting for the skin zone can be characterized by five parameters, that is, the outer radius of the skin zone and the transmissivity and storativity for each of the skin and aquifer zones. Sensitivity analysis was performed to examine the ground water flow behavior in the skin and aquifer zones in terms of the constant‐head test (CHT) data. The simulated annealing procedure was applied to simultaneously determine the skin and aquifer parameters from the analysis of CHT data. Toward the previously mentioned goals, four suites of CHT data were analyzed in this article. The analyses of wellbore flow rate at the test well and the specific drawdown at the observation well gave accurate estimates for the skin and aquifer parameters, respectively. Only the skin thickness and both the skin and the aquifer diffusivities could be accurately estimated from the analysis of drawdown data in the observation well. The estimates for all skin and aquifer parameters from the composite analysis of flow rate and drawdown data were the most accurate. The results of sensitivity analyses and parameter estimations provide instructive references in the analysis of the skin‐affected CHT data.
Numerical Modeling of Emulsified Oil Distribution in Heterogeneous Aquifers
Authors: Clayton Matthew H. , Borden Robert C. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractIn situ anaerobic bioremediation using edible oil emulsions will be most effective if the oil droplets can be brought into close contact with the contaminant to be treated. However, uniformly distributing oil in heterogeneous aquifers can be difficult. The impact of injection conditions on emulsion distribution in a three‐dimensional heterogeneous aquifer is examined using MODFLOW and RT3D. Emulsion retention is simulated using a rate‐limited Langmuir isotherm. Volume and flow contact efficiency are shown to be functions of mass of oil injected, injection fluid volume, well spacing, and injection sequence. Regression equations are developed relating dimensionless scaling factors to expected contact efficiency for area treatment and barriers. Cleanup time for uncontacted zones is estimated using a mobile‐immobile zone modeling approach.
Interannual variation in pup production and the timing of breeding in benthic foraging Australian fur seals
Authors: Gibbens John , Arnould John P. Y. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractLarge interannual variations in reproductive success caused by fluctuations in oceanography and prey availability are common to many species of air breathing epipelagic predators. In contrast, little is known about variation in benthic foragers such as Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus). Between 1997 and 2007, pup production was assessed in 9 yr, while the timing of breeding and adult female condition was assessed in 5 yr at Kanowna Island in Bass Strait, southeastern Australia. Pup production was variable (= 1,726 ± 42, range = 1,386–2,301), but without temporal trend, as was median birth date (= 23 November ± 1, range = 21–25 November) and pupping synchrony (period of 90% births: = 28 ± 2 d, range = 23–31 d). Pup production was negatively correlated with median birth date and positively correlated with female condition, winter sea‐surface temperature (SST) and zonal wind strength within Bass Strait. Pup production was also negatively correlated with SST in the previous summer within Bass Strait and in the eastern Great Australian Bight upwelling region. The results suggest that the reproductive success of Australian fur seals is influenced by oceanography but less so than in otariids foraging epipelagically in major upwellings. Despite spanning several El Niño events, no correlation between pup production and the Southern Oscillation Index was observed.
Grammatical Categories and Relations: Universality vs. Language‐Specificity and Construction‐Specificity
Authors: Cristofaro Sonia 
Published: December 2008

AbstractA long‐standing assumption in linguistic analysis is that different languages and constructions can be described in terms of the same grammatical categories and relations. Individual grammatical categories and relations are in fact often assumed to be universal. Grammatical categories and relations display however different properties across different languages and constructions, which challenges the idea that the same categories and relations should actually be posited in each case. These facts have been dealt with in two major ways in the functional‐typological literature. In a widespread approach, the same categories and relations are posited for different languages and constructions provided that these all have categories and relations that display some selected properties. In a more recent approach, this idea is abandoned, and grammatical categories and relations are argued to be language‐specific and construction‐specific. This article provides a critical review of these approaches, and a comparison is made with some generatively oriented approaches. In particular, it is argued that a distinction should be made between two views of grammatical categories and relations. In one view, grammatical categories and relations are classificatory labels indicating that a variety of linguistic elements display some selected property. In another view, grammatical categories and relations are proper components of a speaker's mental grammar. While cross‐linguistically valid (or possibly universal) and cross‐constructionally valid categories and relations can be posited when classifying linguistic elements based on observed grammatical patterns, there is no obvious evidence that such categories and relations exist at the level of mental representation. This is, however, because of the absence of conclusive evidence about the organization of a speaker's mental grammar, rather than because of the linguistic evidence as such.
Speaking and Hearing Clearly: Talker and Listener Factors in Speaking Style Changes
Authors: Smiljanić Rajka , Bradlow Ann R. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThis article provides an overview of the research concerning the nature of the distinct, listener‐oriented speaking style called ‘clear speech’ and its effect on intelligibility for various listener populations. We review major findings that identify talker, listener and signal characteristics that contribute to the characteristically high intelligibility of clear speech. Understanding the interplay of these factors sheds light on the interaction between higher level cognitive and lower‐level sensory and perceptual factors that affect language processing. Clear speech research is, thus, relevant for both its theoretical insights and practical applications. Throughout the review, we highlight open questions and promising future directions.
Surfacing Tension: Toward a Political Ecological Critique of Surfing Representations
Authors: Hill Lauren L. , Abbott J. Anthony 
Published: December 2008

AbstractHistorically, surfing has been perceived as an environmentally conscious endeavor. Some attribute this environmentalism to the ways in which surfing became a manifestation of American counter‐cultural political movements of the 1960s and 1970s, although others, like deep ecologists, indicate an inherent environmentalism in surfing, which makes surfing an important tool in developing an ecologically mature ‘self’. The evolution of surf culture, however, presents complexities to these representations; the commodification of surfing introduces contradictions to surfing as ecologically benign. Technological advances, while dramatically changing the face of surfing, have also had significant impacts on the environment. Surfparks, world travel, and the construction of surfboards bring to light not only the complications of an environmentally conscious surfer, but also the complexities which all humans face as ecological actors. Surfing may lead to an ecological ethic, but at what cost to the environment? Using the critical theory of political ecology, this research aims to illuminate the contradictory relationship between representations of surfing and the environment.
From Research to Application: Management Implications from Studies of Urban River Channel Adjustment
Authors: Chin Anne , Gregory Ken 
Published: December 2008

AbstractSince the major article by Wolman in 1967, investigations of river channel change have identified implications for future management. Whereas hard engineering methods originally dominated management of urban drainage, they are now complemented by a range of newer methods collectively constituting a more holistic approach. These methods address at least five concerns: location of urban areas with implications for land‐use planning; retention of precipitation; delay of runoff; management of the effects of runoff within urban areas; and planning for downstream consequences. A conceptual model illustrates the ways in which these methods change process dynamics and affect channel morphology. Spatial variations in process dynamics can be visualized in terms of relational, process, connectivity, and extrinsic drivers. Analysis of empirical studies from a range of world areas shows 47 that make explicit management recommendations. These recommendations, together with results of previous research, provide the basis for a checklist protocol to aid decision‐making by river managers.
Cultural Policy as Regeneration Approach in Western Cities: A Case Study of Liverpool's RopeWalks
Authors: Lee Chang Bin 
Published: December 2008

AbstractAs the definition of cultural policy in the discourse of urban regeneration gradually becomes fragmented and very broad, this article attempts to come to terms with the width of cultural approaches that have been employed in post‐industrial cities. An examination of urban regeneration through cultural policy reveals that most cultural approaches can be classified into one or more of four general types: high‐profile projects, civic revitalisation, cultural industries and urban heritage. Each of these cultural approaches reflects different concepts concerning the nature of urban regeneration. All four cultural policy approaches make comparisons based on the characteristics of their physical construction and social activities. This article further turns to a critical examination of the strength and validity of cultural industries as a type of cultural policy approach used in the RopeWalks area in Liverpool, England.
The Maquiladora Industry and Migration in Mexico: A Survey of Literature
Authors: Kohout Michal 
Published: December 2008

AbstractI survey the literature, which analyzes the relationship between the maquiladora industry and migration in Mexico. The maquiladora industry is an export processing program, which has grown to become one of Mexico's most important economic activities. It was expanded from its birthplace along the United States–Mexico border to Mexico's interior states, partly to absorb surplus labor and deter migration. I divide the literature into three main categories dealing with internal migration, migration to the United States, and gender issues. I find that despite a wide range of methodological and theoretical perspectives, there are generally three views on the industry's effect on migration. The optimistic view credits the industry with curbing migration; the neutral view is cautious about the maquiladora industry's long‐term sustainability as a development project that can affect migration; and the pessimistic view blames the industry's development model for Mexico's economic problems and higher emigration rates. I conclude that more study is needed to update the existing work, and to demystify today's polarized political and economic rhetoric, especially in the United States, concerning the relationship between development and migration.
Characterization of a whole, inactivated influenza (H5N1) vaccine
Authors: Tada Yoshikazu 
Published: December 2008

Objectives  Effective vaccines against the highly pathogenic influenza A/H5N1 virus are being developed worldwide. In Japan, two adjuvanted, inactivated, whole‐virion influenza vaccines were recently developed and licensed as mock‐up, pre‐pandemic vaccine formulations by the Ministry of Health and Labor Welfare of Japan. During the vaccine design and development process, various obstacles were overcome and, in this report, we introduce the non clinical production, immunogenicity data in human and development process that was associated with egg‐derived adjuvanted, inactivated, whole‐virion influenza A (H5N1) vaccine.Design  Pilot lots of H5N1 vaccine were produced using the avirulent H5N1 reference strain A/Vietnam/1194/2004 (H5N1) NIBRG‐14 and administered following adsorption with aluminum hydroxide as an adjuvant. Quality control and formulation stability tests were performed before clinical trials were initiated (phase I‐III). The research foundation for microbial diseases of Osaka University (BIKEN) carried out vaccine production, quality control, stability testing and the phase I clinical trial in addition to overseeing the licensing of this vaccine. Mitsubishi Chemical Safety Institute Ltd. carried out the non clinical pharmacological toxicity and safety studies and the Japanese medical association carried out the phase II/III trials. Phase I‐III trials took place in 2006.Results  The production processes were well controlled by established tests and validations. Vaccine quality was confirmed by quality control, stability and pre‐clinical tests, and the vaccine was approved as a mock‐up, pre‐pandemic vaccine by the Ministry of Health and Labor Welfare of Japan.Conclusions  Numerous safety and efficacy procedures were carried out prior to the approval of the described vaccine formulation. Some of these procedures were of particular importance e.g., vaccine development, validation, and quality control tests that included strict monitoring of the hemagglutinin (HA) content of the vaccine formulations. Improving vaccine productivity, shortening the production period and improving antigen yield of the avirulent vaccine strains were also considered important vaccine development criteria.
An Improved Method of Microencapsulation of Probiotic Bacteria for Their Stability in Acidic and Bile Conditions during Storage
Authors: Ding W.K. , Shah N.P. 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACT:  The purpose of this study was to develop a method for applying an extra coating of palm oil and poly‐L‐lysine (POPL) to alginate (ALG) microcapsules to enhance the survival of probiotic bacteria. Eight strains of probiotic bacteria including Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium longum, L. salivarius, L. plantarum, L. acidophilus, L. paracasei, B. lactis type Bl‐O4, and B. lactis type Bi‐07 were encapsulated using alginate alone or alginate with POPL. Electron microscopy was used to measure the size of the microcapsules and to determine their surface texture. To assess if the addition of POPL improved the viability of probiotic bacteria in acidic conditions, both ALG and POPL microcapsules were inoculated into pH 2.0 MRS broths and their viability was assessed over a 2‐h incubation period. Two bile salts including oxgall bile salt and taurocholic acid were used to test the bile tolerance of probiotic bacteria entrapped in ALG and POPL microcapsules. To assess the porosity and the ability of the microcapsule to hold small molecules in an aqueous environment a water‐soluble fluorescent dye, 6‐carboxyflourescin (6 FAM), was encapsulated and its release was monitored using a UV spectrophotometer. The results indicated that coating the microcapsules with POPL increased the overall size of the capsules by an average of 3 μm ± 0.67. However, microcapsules with added POPL had a much smoother surface texture when examined under an electron microscope. The results also indicated that the addition of POPL to microcapsules improved the average viability of probiotic bacteria by > 1 log CFU/mL when compared to ALG microcapsules at 2 h of exposure to acidic conditions. However, similar plate counts were observed between ALG and POPL microcapsules when exposed to bile salts. This suggests that an extra coating of POPL could be readily broken down by bile salts that are commonly found in the lower gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Upon testing the porosity of the microcapsules, findings suggest that POPL microcapsules were less porous and hold 52.2% more fluorescent dye over a 6‐wk storage period.
Acute Parvovirus B19 Infection Frequently Causes False-Positive Results in Epstein-Barr Virus- and Herpes Simplex Virus-Specific Immunoglobulin M Determinations Done on the Liaison Platform
Authors: Berth Mario , Bosmans Eugene 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACT

During an outbreak of parvovirus B19 we collected serum samples from 68 nonpregnant patients in the region of Antwerp (Belgium). Fifty-seven (84%) of the parvovirus B19 immunoglobulin M (IgM)-positive sera had a positive result for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) IgM by Liaison testing, 61 (90%) had a positive result for herpes simplex virus (HSV) IgM, 20 (29%) samples were positive for cytomegalovirus IgM, and 15 (22%) had a positive result for
Borrelia burgdorferi
sensu lato IgM. As assay interference was suspected, sera were further investigated by using additional infectious-disease serology tests and by performing various interference elimination procedures. We could show that the EBV IgM and HSV IgM results were false positives due to aspecific IgM reactions with the solid phase. All samples were also analyzed by a modified Liaison EBV IgM assay, based on the addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone and polyvinyl alcohol to the dilution buffer, which partially eliminated this type of assay interference. Although the Liaison is a very convenient, automated immunoassay platform, this study demonstrates the potential for improvement of mainly the EBV IgM and HSV IgM tests.
Ecology, Genetic Diversity, and Phylogeographic Structure of Andes Virus in Humans and Rodents in Chile
Authors: Medina Rafael A. , Torres-Perez Fernando , Galeno Hector , Navarrete Maritza , Vial Pablo A. , Palma R. Eduardo , Ferres Marcela , Cook Joseph A. , Hjelle Brian 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACT

Andes virus (ANDV) is the predominant etiologic agent of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) in southern South America. In Chile, serologically confirmed human hantavirus infections have occurred throughout a wide latitudinal distribution extending from the regions of Valparaíso (32 to 33°S) to Aysén (46°S) in southern Patagonia. In this study, we found seropositive rodents further north in the Coquimbo region (30°S) in Chile. Rodent seroprevalence was 1.4%, with
Oligoryzomys longicaudatus
displaying the highest seroprevalence (5.9%), followed by
Abrothrix longipilis
(1.9%) and other species exhibiting ≤0.6% seropositivity. We sequenced partial ANDV small (S) segment RNA from 6 HCPS patients and 32 rodents of four different species collected throughout the known range of hantavirus infection in Chile. Phylogenetic analyses showed two major ANDV South (ANDV Sout) clades, congruent with two major Chilean ecoregions, Mediterranean (Chilean matorral [shrubland]) and Valdivian temperate forest. Human and rodent samples grouped according to geographic location. Phylogenetic comparative analyses of portions of S and medium segments (encoding glycoproteins Gn and Gc) from a subset of rodent specimens exhibited similar topologies, corroborating two major ANDV Sout clades in Chile and suggesting that yet unknown factors influence viral gene flow and persistence throughout the two Chilean ecoregions. Genetic algorithms for recombination detection identified recombination events within the S segment. Molecular demographic analyses showed that the virus is undergoing purifying selection and demonstrated a recent exponential growth in the effective number of ANDV Sout infections in Chile that correlates with the increased number of human cases reported. Although we determined virus sequences from four rodent species, our results confirmed
O. longicaudatus
as the primary ANDV Sout reservoir in Chile. While evidence of geographic differentiation exists, a single cosmopolitan lineage of ANDV Sout remains the sole etiologic agent for HCPS in Chile.
Discovery of a Novel Single-Stranded DNA Virus from a Sea Turtle Fibropapilloma by Using Viral Metagenomics
Authors: Ng Terry Fei Fan , Manire Charles , Borrowman Kelly , Langer Tammy , Ehrhart Llewellyn , Breitbart Mya 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACT
Viral metagenomics, consisting of viral particle purification and shotgun sequencing, is a powerful technique for discovering viruses associated with diseases with no definitive etiology, viruses that share limited homology with known viruses, or viruses that are not culturable. Here we used viral metagenomics to examine viruses associated with sea turtle fibropapillomatosis (FP), a debilitating neoplastic disease affecting sea turtles worldwide. By means of purifying and shotgun sequencing the viral community directly from the fibropapilloma of a Florida green sea turtle, a novel single-stranded DNA virus, sea turtle tornovirus 1 (STTV1), was discovered. The single-stranded, circular genome of STTV1 was approximately 1,800 nucleotides in length. STTV1 has only weak amino acid level identities (25%) to chicken anemia virus in short regions of its genome; hence, STTV1 may represent the first member of a novel virus family. A total of 35 healthy turtles and 27 turtles with FP were tested for STTV1 using PCR, and only 2 turtles severely afflicted with FP were positive. The affected turtles were systemically infected with STTV1, since STTV1 was found in blood and all major organs. STTV1 exists as a quasispecies, with several genome variants identified in the fibropapilloma of each positive turtle, suggesting rapid evolution of this virus. The STTV1 variants were identical over the majority of their genomes but contained a hypervariable region with extensive divergence. This study demonstrates the potential of viral metagenomics for discovering novel viruses directly from animal tissue, which can enhance our understanding of viral evolution and diversity.