pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Relationship Between the NAO and Rainfall Erosivity in NE Spain During the Period 1955–2006

20^Pag., 1 Tabl., 7 Fig.   The definitive version is available at: http://www.springerlink.com/content/978-94-007-1371-0/Rainfall erosivity is the ability of precipitation to erode soil. Microerosion processes due to the impact of raindrops on the soil – rainsplash – represent an important mechanism of detachment of soil particles, which might be removed thereafter by surface runoff. The annual and interannual patterns of rainfall erosivity are controlled by the variability of rainfall intensity. This study analyses the interannual variability of daily rainfall erosivity due to precipitation in the NE of Spain during the period 1955–2006, and its connection with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). It was found that the erosive power of rainfall is stronger during the negative phase of NAO and weaker during positive NAO conditions, as are the rainfall amounts. Daily rainfall erosivity series were adjusted to a Generalized Pareto probability distribution for positive and negative NAO phases for assessing the effect of NAO on extreme events. Results showed higher values expected for a given return period in most of the area under negative NAO conditions. These findings would be useful in the implementation of soil conservation strategies.The research of\ud
M.A. was supported by a JAE-Predoc Research Grant from the Spanish National\ud
Research Council (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; CSIC).Peer reviewe
Can We Get Happier Than We Are?

There is growing support for the idea that we should aim at greater happiness for a greater number. Yet, there are also qualms about the reality value of that ambition: Some doubt that enduring happiness is not possible at all in the human condition, while others claim that the nature of happiness makes greater happiness as illusory. And there is also much skepticism about the possibility of planned promotion of happiness. These doubts are reviewed and rejected. It is argued that happiness can be furthered by improving the livability of society as well as by strengthening the life abilities of individuals. One of the options in the latter approach is helping people to make more informed choices by investigating long-term consequences on happiness
The Effect of Leisure Activities on Life Satisfaction: The Importance of Holiday Trips

Does active leisure make life more satisfying? If so, what kind of leisure activity is the greatest contributor to happiness? These questions are answered by means of data from four waves of a large-scale continuous study of the general public in Germany. Cross-sectional analysis does not show much of a relationship between happiness and last year’s leisure activities, with the exception of holiday trips. People who took one or more holiday trips appeared to be significantly happier, even when income, health, and personality were controlled for. Over-time analysis suggests that the correlation is due to an effect of holiday trips on happiness rather than an effect of happiness on holiday tripping. If holiday trips boost happiness, the effect is short lived. This is not to say that the effect is trivial. Holiday trips accounted for about 2% of the variance in happiness, which is comparable to observed effects of some happiness training programs and financial windfalls
Motivations Behind Sustainable Purchasing

Sustainability issues in purchasing are receiving greater attention. Literature is rapidly growing,\ud
with several research programs being initiated to investigate the topic. This study presents the results of a\ud
research project which aims to reveal and structure the motivating forces leading companies to make efforts\ud
in sustainability purchasing and the means used to attain achievements in some fields of sustainability.\ud
Results presented in the literature are scattered in terms of the fields of sustainability: most of the studies\ud
focus only on green or corporate social responsibility issues and there is a lack of exploratory models.\ud
Sustainability in purchasing is addressed in a comprehensive way including green, social responsibility and\ud
corporate growth issues. After presenting the results of a literature review, theoretical development was\ud
undertaken to create a framework in which it is possible to describe the means of sustainability applied and\ud
the motivating forces behind them. This framework serves as the basis for an empirical investigation among\ud
Hungarian companies. Empirical results confirm the usefulness of the theoretical framework: the number\ud
and the characteristics of sustainability activities were determined by the particular types of motivation – to\ud
avoid negative effects, to achieve compliance with expectations and to attain positive effects
Dyes-environmental impact and remediation

Dyes are an important class of synthetic organic compounds used in many industries, especially textiles. Consequently, they have become common industrial environmental pollutants during their synthesis and later during fibre dyeing. Textile industries are facing a challenge in the field of quality and productivity due to the globalization of the world market. As the highly competitive atmosphere and the ecological parameters become more stringent, the prime concern of the textile processors is to be aware of the quality of their products and also the environmental friendliness of the manufacturing processes. This in turn makes it essential for innovations and changes in these processes, and investigations of appropriate and environmentally friendly treatment technologies or their residues. The large-scale production and extensive application of synthetic dyes can cause considerable environmental pollution, making it a serious public concern. Legislation on the limits of colour discharge has become increasingly rigid. There is a considerable urgent need to develop treatment methods that are effective in eliminating dyes from their waste. Physicochemical and biological methods have been studied and applied, although each has its advantages and disadvantages, with the choice being based on the wastewater characteristics, available technology and economic factors. Some industrial-scale wastewater treatment systems are now available; however, these are neither fully effective for complete colour removal nor do they address water recycling. 

This chapter outlines the background of dye chemistry, the application areas and the impact of dyeing effluents in the environment. The processes/techniques being implemented and developed for wastewaters remediation are revisited
Life extension techniques for aircraft structures-Extending durability and
promoting damage tolerance through bonded crack retarders

This paper explores the viability of the bonded crack retarder concept as a
device for life extension of damage tolerant aircraft structures. Fatigue crack
growth behaviour in metallic substrates with bonded straps has been determined.
SENT and M(T) test coupons and large scale skin-stringer panels were tested at
constant and variable amplitude loads. The strap materials were glass fibre
polymer composites, GLARE, AA7085 and Ti-6Al-4V. Comprehensive measurements were
made of residual stress fields in coupons and panels. A finite element model to
predict retardation effects was developed. Compared to the test result,
predicted crack growth life had an error range of -29% to 61%. Mechanisms and
failure modes in the bonded strap reinforced structures have been identified.
The strap locally reduces substrate stresses and bridges the crack faces,
inhibiting crack opening and reducing crack growth rates. In the absence of
residual stress, global stiffness ratio accounts for effects of both strap
modulus and strap cross section area. In elevated temperature cure adhesives,
retardation performance was best in aluminium and GLARE strap materials, which
have the closest thermal expansion coefficient to the substrate. Strap materials
of high stiffness and dissimilar thermal expansion coefficient such as titanium
had poor retardation characteristics
Human insecurity in the People's Republic of China: the vulnerability of Chinese women to HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS has become one of the world’s leading causes of human insecurity for both men and women. In addition to physiological factors, women’s vulner-ability to HIV transmission is primarily fuelled by gender inequality and gender-based discrimination and violence. Therefore, women’s vulnerability to HIV transmission is closely linked to issues of empowerment and gender-based power relations. Even with this realization however, women are still sometimes over-looked in many HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment campaigns, such as those in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and responses to HIV/AIDS do not always actively seek to empower women. Therefore, a deficiency in women’s human se-curity  increases their HIV/AIDS vulnerability. This chapter examines the inter-section of gender inequality and HIV vulnerability as it applies to women in the PRC. The unequal status of many women in China, and the privileged position accorded to Chinese men, strongly indicates that Chinese women face a heightened vulnerability to HIV transmission. While many of these vulnerabilities are similar to women elsewhere in the world and certainly are not unique to China, by overlooking the many social, cultural, economic and political factors that contribute to HIV/AIDS vulnerability and transmission of the virus, particularly those faced by women, China has a long way to go before Chinese women are protected from HIV transmission. Given that HIV/AIDS heightens human insecurity, the stage is set for Chinese women (and men) to face an insecure future if the Chinese government does not fully implement international best practice, meaning a gendered response, into its overall HIV/AIDS response
GIS for the determination of bioenergy potential in the centre region of Portugal

Every activity performed by mankind is directly or indirectly dependant on
the use of energy. Fossil fuels are the main source used nowadays, a presumably
limited energy source that may end in the near future (Boyle, 2004). World
total annual consumption of all forms of primary energy increased drastically,
and in the year 2006 it reached an estimated 10,800 Mtoe (million tons of oil
equivalent) (U.S. Energy Information Administration [USEIA], 2009). The
annual average energy consumption per person of the world population in
2006 was about 1.65 toe (ton of oil equivalent) (Population Reference Bureau,
2010). In 2010, the consumption of this energy may reach 12,800 Mtoe (USEIA,
2009) and in 2050 it is expected to achieve a range of 14,300 Mtoe to 23,900
Mtoe (International Energy Agency for Bioenergy [IEAB], 2009). We can
also assume that it might possibly never end. The current energy crisis is
affecting great part of the world population (U.S. Department of Energy,
2009)
Masters’ Writings and Students’ Writings: School Material in Mesopotamia

International audienceBy nature, school drafts of Mesopotamia were meant to destruction. But, thanks to clay support of writing and ancient recycling practices, they reached us in vast amount. These school tablets were mainly produced along a quite short period, between 18th and 17th century B.C. They contain principally exercises for learning writing, Sumerian language and mathematics. These sources bear witness of phenomena linked with those which are examined in this book: change of knowledge medium, from memorisation to writing; standardisation processes, notably in the field of writing and metrology, in which scribe schools played a key part; emergence of a set of ideological references specifically linked to a scholar milieu. This contribution relies on school sources, particularly mathematical ones, in order to bring to light some aspects of these phenomena. In particular, it  endeavours to identify authors, users, function and status of different types of mathematical writings produced in the context of scribal schools
Quantum Monte Carlo calculations of electronic excitation energies: the case of the singlet n to pi* (CO) transition in acrolein

6 pages, 1 figure, 2 tablesInternational audienceWe report state-of-the-art quantum Monte Carlo calculations of the singlet $n \to \pi^*$ (CO) vertical excitation energy in the acrolein molecule, extending the recent study of Bouabça {\it et al.} [J. Chem. Phys. {\bf 130}, 114107 (2009)]. We investigate the effect of using a Slater basis set instead of a Gaussian basis set, and of using state-average versus state-specific complete-active-space (CAS) wave functions, with or without reoptimization of the coefficients of the configuration state functions (CSFs) and of the orbitals in variational Monte Carlo (VMC). It is found that, with the Slater basis set used here, both state-average and state-specific CAS(6,5) wave functions give an accurate excitation energy in diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC), with or without reoptimization of the CSF and orbital coefficients in the presence of the Jastrow factor. In contrast, the CAS(2,2) wave functions require reoptimization of the CSF and orbital coefficients to give a good DMC excitation energy. Our best estimates of the vertical excitation energy are between 3.86 and 3.89 eV
Salvador Dalí's Dream of Venus at the 1939 New York world's fair: capitalist funhouse or surrealist landmark?

For the 1939 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, New York, Salvador Dalí created a surrealist funhouse called Dream of Venus. This installation, which included sound and performance, aimed at a controversial sensation, a truly surreal experience for its visitors. Labelled as “tacky, Oceanside amusement park attraction” and wrapped up by consumer commodity, however, Dalí’s surrealist funhouse is been said to have lost much of its provocative power. This contribution investigates to what extent the avant-garde aesthetics and politics became part and parcel of American consumer culture, commodity culture and capitalism. Gilles Deleuze’s and Félix Guattari’s poststructuralist analysis of the axiomatic regime of capitalism and their view on madness provides a toolbox for taking a closer look at surrealist (vain?) efforts to combat capitalist dominion
Deep-seated bedrock landslides and submarine canyon evolution in an active tectonic margin : Cook Strait, New Zealand

The Cook Strait sector of the Hikurangi subduction margin, off south-east central New\ud
\ud
Zealand, is dominated by a multi-branched canyon system where landslides are widespread. The objective of this study is to determine the character, origin, and influence of\ud
\ud
these landslides on the evolution of the canyon system. Multibeam bathymetry covering\ud
\ud
seven submarine canyons is utilised to characterise landslides’ spatial distribution, morphological attributes and area-frequency characteristics. We demonstrate that mass\ud
\ud
movements within the Cook Strait canyons consist of spatially dense, predominantly\ud
\ud
retrogressive, small, deep-seated, translational bedrock landslides occurring in Late Cenozoic sequences. These landslides affect up to a quarter of the canyoned area. Concentration of landslides in the shallow canyon reaches (down to 800 m) is attributed to the\ud
\ud
influence of oceanographic processes originating on the continental shelf such as tide-\ud
generated currents, dense shelf water cascading and internal waves. Canyon incision\ud
\ud
and wall undercutting, locally favoured by underlying lithological control, are proposed\ud
as major landslide drivers in Cook Strait. Ground motion during regional earthquakes is\ud
\ud
considered a secondary cause. Retrogressive landslides are responsible for canyon widening and wall retreat, cross-sectional asymmetry, preconditioning for additional failure, destabilisation of adjacent slopes and delivery of sediment into canyon floors.peer-reviewe
How Do ∼2° Slopes Fail in Areas of Slow Sedimentation? A Sensitivity Study on the Influence of Accumulation Rate and Permeability on Submarine Slope Stability

Overpressure generation due to rapid sediment deposition can result in low effective stresses within the sediment column. It has been proposed that these large overpressures are the main preconditioning factor for causing large-scale submarine slope failure on passive continental margins, such as those in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Norway. The rate of overpressure generation depends on the sedimentation rate, sediment compressibility and permeability. The Gulf of Mexico and the Norwegian continental slope have experienced comparatively high sediment input, but large-scale slope failure also occurs in locations with very low sedimentation rates such as the Northwest African continental margin. Here we show results from 2D numerical modelling of a 2° continental slope subjected to deposition rates of 0.15 m/ka. These results do not indicate any evidence for significant overpressure or slope instability. We conclude that factors other than overpressure must be fundamental for initiating slope failure, at least in locations with low sedimentation rates.\u
Pore water geochemistry as a tool for identifying and dating recent mass-transport deposits

Several previous studies have shown that submarine mass-movements can profoundly impact the shape of pore water profiles. Therefore, pore water geochemistry and diffusion models were proposed as tools for identifying and dating recent (max. several thousands of years old) mass-transport deposits (MTDs). In particular, sulfate (SO42−) profiles evidentially indicate transient pore water conditions generated by submarine landslides. After mass-movements thatresult in the deposition of sediment packages with distinct pore water signatures,the SO42− profiles can be kink-shaped and evolve into the concave and linear shape\ud
with time due to molecular diffusion. Here we present data from the RV METEOR cruise M78/3 along the continental margin off Uruguay and Argentina. SO42− profiles of 15 gravity cores are compared with the respective acoustic facies recorded by a sediment echosounder system. Our results show that in this very\ud
dynamic depositional setting, non-steady state profiles occur often, but are not exclusively associated with mass-movements. Three sites that show acoustic indications for recent MTDs are presented in detail. Where recent MTDs are identified,a geochemical transport/reaction model is used to estimate the time that has\ud
elapsed since the perturbation of the pore water system and, thus, the timing of the MTD emplacement. We conclude that geochemical analyses are a powerful complementary tool in the identification of recent MTDs and provide a simple and accurate way of dating such deposits
Characterization of metal ion-nucleic acid interactions in solution

Metal ions are inextricably involved with nucleic acids due to their polyanionic nature. In order to understand the structure and function of RNAs and DNAs, one needs to have detailed pictures on the structural, thermodynamic, and kinetic properties of metal ion interactions with these biomacromolecules. In this review we first compile the physicochemical properties of metal ions found and used in combination with nucleic acids in solution. The main part then describes the various methods developed over the past decades to investigate metal ion binding by nucleic acids in solution. This includes for example hydrolytic and radical cleavage experiments, mutational approaches, as well as kinetic isotope effects. In addition, spectroscopic techniques like EPR, lanthanide(III) luminescence, IR and Raman as well as various NMR methods are summarized. Aside from gaining knowledge about the thermodynamic properties on the metal ion-nucleic acid interactions, especially NMR can be used to extract information on the kinetics of ligand exchange rates of the metal ions applied. The final section deals with the influence of anions, buffers, and the solvent permittivity on the binding equilibria between metal ions and nucleic acids. Little is known on some of these aspects, but it is clear that these three factors have a large influence on the interaction between metal ions and nucleic acids
Post-fire management of cork oak forests

28 páginas, 11 figuras.This chapter concerns the ecology and post-fire management of cork oak forests. It starts with a short overview of ecological and socio-economic context, continuing with an introduction on the cork oak post-fire regeneration strategies and the main factors affecting tree responses. Several post-fire management issues and alternatives, such as tree logging, assisting natural regeneration, reforestation, cork harvesting and pruning, or protecting against herbivory, are also presented and discussed.To all people who contributed in some way to the contents of this chapter, with special thanks to Francisco Rego, Paulo Fernandes and Thomas Curt. To Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (PhD grant SFRH/BD/65991/2009), FFP (project Recuperação de Áreas Ardidas), EU (COST FP0701 and TRANZFOR), and the Spanish government (project VARQUS, CGL2004-4325/BOS).Peer reviewe
Dropping out from apprenticeship training as an opportunity for change

In recent years, the VET systems in Germany and Switzerland have been characterised by a shortage of training places which has created a fierce competition for those places among candidates. Nowadays, in Switzerland, almost one out of three school-leaving VET applicants has to wait at least 1 year until he or she secures a suitable place of apprenticeship. Furthermore, the dropout rate in apprenticeships is quite high and challenges educational policy. About one in five apprenticeship contracts is terminated without the apprentice having achieved the aspired degree on the secondary level. Dropping out of vocational education puts youths at great risk of not gaining re-entry into upper secondary education and staying without a secondary level degree. A Swiss survey following circa 1,300 young persons 3 years after dropping out of apprenticeship training shows that three-quarters of the dropouts continued their education within these three years. Although the time around the drop out had been a strain for these young people, most of the ‘education returners’ are more satisfied with their new education than before dropping out. These findings suggest that dropping out of education is not bad per se and should not be avoided in every case. Dropping out can also provide an opportunity to solve problems concerning one’s education, to improve one’s educational situation and to realign. After having changed to another company, another educational level or another field, around two-thirds tend to finish their vocational education. Nonetheless, for one-third of youths dropping out of education represents the end of any education on the upper secondary level. The aim of this chapter is to follow the life courses of dropouts, to describe the educational situation they are in during the first 3 years after dropping out of their apprenticeship training and to discuss in what way dropping out may represent an opportunity for change
Commentary to Gloria Quiñones and Marilyn Fleer: "Visual Vivencias"

On my initial reading of this chapter I was struck by its clarity in relation to the research journey that unfolds about a young Mexican boy, Cesar, and his homework activity through the employment of analytical snapshots that are underpinned by carefully articulated methodological imperatives. The detailed description of the methodology that underpins this data provides the reader with a rare glimpse into what, I believe, constitutes a new and exciting operationalisation of sociocultural theory in the form of Visual Vivencias. I am in no doubt that, for this reason alone, the chapter will be inspirational for researchers grappling with meaningful ways of entering into the complex world of the very young child