bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Comparative Study of Nozzle/Diffuser Micropumps with Novel Valves
Authors: Yang Kai-Shing , Chao Tzu-Feng , Chen Ing Youn , Wang Chi-Chuan , Shyu Jin-Cherng
Published: February 2012

This study conducts an experimental study concerning the improvement of nozzle/diffuser micropump design using some novel no-moving-part valves. A total of three micropumps, including two enhancement structures having two-fin or obstacle structure and one conventional micro nozzle/diffuser design, are made and tested in this study. It is found that dramatic increase of the pressure drops across the designed micro nozzles/diffusers are seen when the obstacle or fin structure is added. The resultant maximum flow rates are 47.07 mm3/s and 53.39 mm3/s, respectively, for the conventional micro nozzle/diffuser and the added two-fin structure in micro nozzle/diffuser operated at a frequency of 400 Hz. Yet the mass flow rate for two-fin design surpasses that of conventional one when the frequency is below 425 Hz but the trend is reversed with a further increase of frequency. This is because the maximum efficiency ratio improvement for added two-fin is appreciably higher than the other design at a lower operating frequency. In the meantime, despite the efficiency ratio of the obstacle structure also reveals a similar trend as that of two-fin design, its significant pressure drop (flow resistance) had offset its superiority at low operating frequency, thereby leading to a lesser flow rate throughout the test range.
Thematic Considerations in Integrating TPACK in a Graduate Program
Authors: Mishra Punya , Koehler Matthew J. , Zellner Andrea , Kereluik Kristen
Published: February 2012

The integration of technology into classrooms is an increasingly important issue in America’s schools, and at the core of this integration is the training of teachers. Teacher educators seeking to impact teachers’ use of technology should recognize the needs of these learners as well as their knowledge as practitioners, in order to expand their knowledge and help them think about technology in creative ways. In this chapter, the authors describe the design and implementation of the Master’s program in Educational Technology at Michigan State University (MSU) as an example of an institution’s attempts to improve their facility to incorporate technology into the classroom practice. The authors briefly define the concept of the TPACK and how that theoretical model is important in thinking about technology with teacher practitioners, and how it helped to focus the design of the Educational Technology program at MSU. The authors then outline central TPACK themes that run through each of the stages of this program, and how each level, in turn, informs the others. Finally, the chapter offers concrete examples of TPACK in practice at each stage of the Master’s program in educational technology.
Guiding Framework and Principles for Technology Integration
Authors: Kim Minchi
Published: February 2012

Promoting student utilization of technology has been a challenging and persistent theme in education for the past twenty years. Many teachers find it difficult to interpret and transform their daily routines to incorporate new pedagogies to promote such skills. Given the emergence of new technologies including social network, Web 2.0, simulations and games, and pedagogical frameworks to support learning and teaching with technologies, teachers are expected to use technology not only as an assistive tool to accomplish certain objectives, but also as a well-coordinated stage where students can learn more meaningfully and authentically. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss definitions, frameworks, and examples of technology integration and to elaborate on four key principles of technology integration: authenticity, collaboration, inquiry, and scaffolding.
Technology Integration in Mathematics
Authors: Orrill Chandra Hawley , Polly Drew
Published: February 2012

This chapter describes Technology Integration in Mathematics (TIM), an iterative professional development model that focused on integrating technology into elementary school mathematics instruction. Grounded in the American Psychological Association’s Learner-Centered Principles, the program provided teachers with ownership of their own learning and situated teachers’ learning of technology in the context of learning mathematics. The authors provide design principles, a description of the project, examples, and challenges from their work.
Training Teachers for a Virtual School System
Authors: Barbour Michael K.
Published: February 2012

Online learning at the K-12 level is growing exponentially. Students learning in supplemental virtual schools and full-time cyber schools, using a variety of delivery models that include and sometimes combine independent, asynchronous, and synchronous instruction, in almost every state in the US. In some instances the knowledge, skills, and abilities required by teachers in this technology-mediated environment is consistent with what they learned about face-to-face teaching in their teacher education programs, while in many instances, the two are quite different. Presently the lack of empirical research into effective K-12 online teaching limits teacher education programs. However, teacher education programs still need to better prepare pre-service and in-service teachers to design, deliver, and support students engaged virtual schooling.
The Gender Divide
Authors: Johnson Vinitha
Published: February 2012

Technophobia, computer illiteracy, poverty, lack of necessity to counter the downward arch of the learning curve, and fear of sexual predators online are among the more popularly cited reasons for explaining the gender divide. It might be useful to elaborate on the concept of “access” in relation to the Gender Divide. Barriers to access could be physical such as spatial difficulty in gaining physical proximity to a computer, or internet connectivity, mental or related to ability to understand or utilise computer technology or computer usage, or attitudinal. The attitudinal aspect of a woman impeding herself from using the internet is possibly worthy of analysis.
End-Users’ Acceptance of Biometrics Authentication to Secure E-Commerce within the Context of Saudi Culture
Authors: Harby Fahad AL , Qahwaji Rami , Kamala Mumtaz
Published: February 2012

This book study presents recent findings from an ongoing cross-cultural study exploring the acceptance of a new security method based on biometrics authentication systems to be applied to an e-commerce application within the context of Saudi culture. The aim of the study was to explore factors affecting users’ acceptance of biometrics authentication system. The authors conducted a large scale experiment of 306 Saudis using a login fingerprint system and examined a proposed conceptual framework based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) with moderating variables. The findings from Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis indicate that education levels are significant moderating factors, while gender and age do not record as significant. The findings of this study propose the need to take cultural background and disposition into consideration when applying biometrics technology.
Exploring the Association Between Leisure Time Digital Immersion, Attention and Reasoning Ability in Pre-Teens
Authors: Grimley Mick , Allan Mary , Solomon Cathy
Published: February 2012

Some researchers claim that digital natives are endowed with greater cognitive abilities than digital immigrants, due to the interactive nature of digital technologies. This study investigates relationships between different types of digital activity, reasoning ability and attention in a pre-teen population. Two hundred twenty-four participants (139 males, 85 females) aged 10-12 years completed a questionnaire measuring leisure time digital immersion. Factor analysis reveals 5 distinct types of users. Ninety-two participants completed tests of reasoning and attention to ascertain the relationship between type of digital user and cognitive ability. Results indicate that users who engaged in simple low level writing and drawing tasks with technology were inclined to have low literacy levels and poor concentration levels. In addition, users who engaged in computer mediated communication and content creation showed inconsistent and unstable attentional ability.
A Knowledge Management Process in Communities of Practice of Engineering Based on the SECI Model for Knowledge
Authors: Sarirete Akila , Chikh Azeddine
Published: February 2012

With the vast movement toward promoting and developing models, practices, and technological environments in the engineering domain, a need exists to facilitate communication, collaboration, and coordination among its actors. Communities of Practice (CoPs) represent the natural and logical solution to answer these needs. In this paper, the authors propose a knowledge management process to exploit tacit and explicit knowledge in the engineering domain within the framework of a CoP of engineering. The approach used in this work introduces new elements in the Nonaka’s SECI model for knowledge creation. To validate the proposed process, a qualitative case study has been conducted on two CoPs, “CPsquare” and “The Cisco Learning Network”. It has been shown that CoPs and social learning impact learning as well as knowledge sharing. The use of web technologies and socio-technical approach in the management of knowledge is of high importance.
LOGO and Elementary Mathematics Education in Portugal
Authors: Carvalho Paulo , Palhares Pedro , Osório António , Gomes Alexandra , Mamede Ema
Published: February 2012

In the second part, the authors describe an elementary teachers’ training programme on mathematics education that during four years has every year provided a small time for the exploration of LOGO and promoted its use to teachers in the classroom. They reflect on this program and offer insights on teachers’ resistance to change their practices. The authors conclude the chapter with their own ideas for the implementation of LOGO in a group of schools in the near future.
Teaching the Greenhouse Effect with Inquiry-Based Computer Simulations
Authors: Cohen Edward , Zimmerman Timothy D.
Published: February 2012

This case study focuses on how students use a greenhouse effect simulation. The simulation is embedded within an inquiry-based technology-mediated science curriculum known as the Web-Based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE). For this research, students from a suburban, diverse, middle school setting were asked to use the simulation as part of a week-long class lesson on global warming and climate change. Using a combination of student interviews, focus groups, and students’ conversations while they used the simulation, the authors present evidence of shifts in student motivation, understanding of science content, and ideas about the nature of science, all connected to the use of the simulation. From this data, the authors derived ways that teachers can help students develop deeper understandings of climate science topics through educational technology. Examples of these pedagogical approaches included allowing students to conduct “extreme testing” and increasing the time for free exploration of the simulation.
Enhancing Folksonomy-Based Content Retrieval with Semantic Web Technology
Authors: Ungrangsi Rachanee , Anutariya Chutiporn , Wuwongse Vilas
Published: February 2012

While Flickr, a widely-known photo sharing system, allows users to describe their own photos with tags (aka. folksonomy tags) for indexing purposes, its tag-based photo retrieval function is severely hampered by the inherent nature of folksonomy tags. This paper presents SemFlickr, an application which enhances the search in Flickr with its semantic query suggestion feature. SemFlickr employs SQORE, an ontology retrieval system, to retrieve relevant ontologies from the Semantic Web and then derives query term suggestions from those ontologies. To ensure that the highly related photos will appear at the top of the results, SemFlickr takes the ontological relations among the given query terms to assign tag scores and then generates its ranked results. Experimental outcomes are encouraging and reveal a number of useful insights for developing applications that integrate the Semantic Web and Web 2.0 together.
Teaching Teachers
Authors: Moon Bob
Published: February 2012

Existing institutionally based systems for educating and training teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa have not kept up with present demand, nor can they hope to meet future needs. The reasons are simple: insufficient numbers of trained teachers and inadequate educational resources. Meeting these needs is not an option; education is the cornerstone for social and economic sustainability. Failure to educate more of a nation’s population does not maintain the status quo. In today’s world of technology, “uneducated” is synonymous with lower economic and social opportunities. The educational needs cannot be met in Sub-Saharan Africa by building more physical classrooms and dormitories, a reality that is facing emerging and developed countries alike. This chapter discusses the use of Open Educational Resources (OER) and how they can be a partial solution to the needs of developing countries.
Accurate Infrared Tracking System for Immersive Virtual Environments
Authors: Gaspar Filipe , Bastos Rafael , Sales Miguel
Published: February 2012

In large-scale immersive virtual reality (VR) environments, such as a CAVE, one of the most common problems is tracking the position of the user’s head while he or she is immersed in this environment to reflect perspective changes in the synthetic stereoscopic images. In this paper, the authors describe the theoretical foundations and engineering approach adopted in the development of an infrared-optical tracking system designed for large scale immersive Virtual Environments (VE) or Augmented Reality (AR) settings. The system is capable of tracking independent retro-reflective markers arranged in a 3D structure in real time, recovering all possible 6DOF. These artefacts can be adjusted to the user’s stereo glasses to track his or her head while immersed or used as a 3D input device for rich human-computer interaction (HCI). The hardware configuration consists of 4 shutter-synchronized cameras attached with band-pass infrared filters and illuminated by infrared array-emitters. Pilot lab results have shown a latency of 40 ms when simultaneously tracking the pose of two artefacts with 4 infrared markers, achieving a frame-rate of 24.80 fps and showing a mean accuracy of 0.93mm/0.51º and a mean precision of 0.19mm/0.04º, respectively, in overall translation/rotation, fulfilling the requirements initially defined.
A Survey of Scheduling and Management Techniques for Data-Intensive Application Workflows
Authors: Pandey Suraj , Buyya Rajkumar
Published: February 2012

This chapter presents a comprehensive survey of algorithms, techniques, and frameworks used for scheduling and management of data-intensive application workflows. Many complex scientific experiments are expressed in the form of workflows for structured, repeatable, controlled, scalable, and automated executions. This chapter focuses on the type of workflows that have tasks processing huge amount of data, usually in the range from hundreds of mega-bytes to petabytes. Scientists are already using Grid systems that schedule these workflows onto globally distributed resources for optimizing various objectives: minimize total makespan of the workflow, minimize cost and usage of network bandwidth, minimize cost of computation and storage, meet the deadline of the application, and so forth. This chapter lists and describes techniques used in each of these systems for processing huge amount of data. A survey of workflow management techniques is useful for understanding the working of the Grid systems providing insights on performance optimization of scientific applications dealing with data-intensive workloads.
Antistreptolysin O Titer in Health and Disease: Levels and Significance
Authors: Kotby Alyaa Amal , Habeeb Nevin Mamdouh , Ezz El Arab Sahar
Published: February 2012

Over diagnosis of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) based on a raised antistreptolysin O titer (ASOT) is not uncommon in endemic areas. In this study, 660 children (aged 9.2 ±1.7 years) were recruited consecutively and classified as: G1 (control group, n=200 healthy children), G2 (n=20 with ARF 1st attack), G3 (n=40 with recurrent ARF), G4 (n=100 with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) on long acting penicillin (LAP)), G5 (n=100 with acute follicular tonsillitis), and G6 (n=200 healthy children with history of repeated follicular tonsillitis more than three times a year). Serum ASOT was measured by latex agglutination. Upper limit of normal (ULN) ASOT (80th percentile) was 400 IU in G1, 200 IU in G4, and 1600 IU in G6. Significantly high levels were seen in ARF 1st attack when compared to groups 1 and 5 (P<0.001 and P<0.05, respectively). ASOT was significantly high in children over ten years of age, during winter and in those with acute rheumatic carditis. ASOT showed significant direct correlation with the number of attacks of tonsillitis (P<0.05). Egyptian children have high ULN ASOT reaching 400 IU. This has to be taken into consideration when interpreting its values in suspected ARF. A rise in ASOT is less prominent in recurrent ARF compared to 1st attack, and acute and recurrent tonsillitis. Basal levels of ASOT increase with age but the pattern of increase during infection is not age dependent.
Diurnal tracking of anthropogenic CO2 emissions in the Los Angeles basin megacity during spring, 2010
Authors: Newman S. , Jeong S. , Fischer M. L. , Xu X. , Haman C. L. , Lefer B. , Alvarez S. , Rappenglueck B. , Kort E. A. , Andrews A. E. , Peischl J. , Gurney K. R. , Miller C. E. , Yung Y. L.
Published: February 2012

Abstract. Attributing observed CO2 variations to human or natural cause is critical to deducing and tracking emissions from observations. We have used in situ CO2, CO, and planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) measurements recorded during the CalNex-LA (CARB et al., 2008) ground campaign of 15 May–15 June 2010, in Pasadena, CA, to deduce the diurnally varying anthropogenic component of observed CO2 in the megacity of Los Angeles (LA). This affordable and simple technique, validated by carbon isotope observations, is shown to robustly attribute observed CO2 variation to anthropogenic or biogenic origin. During CalNex-LA, local fossil fuel combustion contributed up to ~50 % of the observed CO2 enhancement overnight, and ~100 % during midday. This suggests midday column observations over LA, such as those made by satellites relying on reflected sunlight, can be used to track anthropogenic emissions.
Responses of N2O and CH4 fluxes to fertilizer nitrogen addition rates in an irrigated wheat-maize cropping system in northern China
Authors: Liu C. , Wang K. , Zheng X.
Published: February 2012

Abstract. Model and field studies generally posit that when the application rates of nitrogen fertilizer exceed crop needs, nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions will increase nonlinearly, though linear responses are also extensively reported by field studies. We conducted year-round measurements of crop yield, N2O and methane (CH4) fluxes for treatments of six fertilizer nitrogen levels (0, 135, 270, 430, 650 and 850 kg N ha−1 yr−1 in the form of urea) in a typical irrigated wheat-maize rotation field in northern China. Linear models characterized the responses of cumulative N2O emissions to fertilizer rates well; therefore, the calculated N2O emission factors of 0.17 ± 0.02%, 0.73 ± 0.05% and 0.49 ± 0.02% for the wheat season, maize season and annual scale, respectively, were appropriate for the different fertilizer rates. The cumulative CH4 uptake by the soil tended to be enhanced at higher fertilizer rates (≥350 kg N ha−1) in the maize season whereas no effect was observed for the wheat season. When the annual fertilizer rates increased from 270 to 430, from 270 to 650, and from 270 to 850 kg N ha−1 yr−1, the crop yields increased only 3 ∼ 15% (0.5 ∼ 2.1 t ha−1 yr−1), but cumulative N2O emissions increased 35 ∼ 115% (0.9 ∼ 3.0 kg N ha−1 yr−1). We recommend 270 kg N ha−1 yr−1 as the locally optimum fertilizer rate. Considering the nitrogen inputs by fertilization (270 kg N ha−1 yr−1), irrigation (4.3 ± 0.2 kg N ha−1 yr−1) and deposition (wet deposition: 30.5 ± 1.5 kg N ha−1 yr−1), the slightly positive soil nitrogen balance could maintain the current crop yield (∼13.8 t ha−1 yr−1) and reduce the present high N2O emissions (>3.51 kg N ha−1 yr−1) of the local farmers' practice (fertilizer rate > 430 kg N ha−1 yr−1).
Onset, retreat and length of the rainy season over Cameroon
Authors: Guenang G. M. , Mkankam Kamga F.
Published: February 2012

Observed precipitation from 24 stations in Cameroon during 1962–1993 were used to study onset, retreat and length of the rainy season. Results were compared to control simulations by four IPCC 4AR AOGCMs. CSIRO‐mk3.5 and MPI‐echam5 AOGCMs best captured onset, retreat and duration of the rainy season. Projections for 2082–2098 under the SRES A2 emission scenario were also analysed. For that period, onset dates are expected to be later by 1 pentad or more than in the current climate and retreat by less than half a pentad in zones 1 and 2. This will lead to a slight decrease in the duration of the rainy season. The situation is reverse in zone 3, where the season will be longer. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Probing the Structure of Lysozyme–Carbon‐Nanotube Hybrids with Molecular Dynamics
Authors: Calvaresi Matteo , Hoefinger Siegfried , Zerbetto Francesco
Published: February 2012

Lysozyme has been successfully used to solvate carbon nanotubes (CNT). Extensive molecular dynamics simulations show that 1) a favorite site of adsorption exists, 2) the protein–tube interaction region is located far from the active site, 3) two protein helices act as a tweezer that grips the nanotube, 4) a localized protein re‐arrangement hides the tube from the solvent, and 5) aminic and amidic moieties of lysozyme behave similarly to surfactants in the solvation of the tube.
Incidence of brain metastases as a first site of recurrence among women with triple receptor–negative breast cancer
Authors: Dawood Shaheenah , Lei Xiudong , Litton Jennifer K. , Buchholz Thomas A. , Hortobagyi Gabriel N. , Gonzalez‐Angulo Ana M.
Published: February 2012

BACKGROUND:

This retrospective study sought to define the incidence of brain metastases as a first site of recurrence among women with triple receptor–negative breast cancer (TNBC).

METHODS:

A total of 2448 patients with stage I through III TNBC who were diagnosed between 1990 and 2010 were identified. We computed the cumulative incidence of developing brain metastases as a first site of recurrence at 2 and 5 years. Cox proportional hazards models were fitted to determine factors that could predict for the development of brain metastases as a first site of recurrence. The Kaplan‐Meier product limit method was used to compute survival following a diagnosis of brain metastases.

RESULTS:

At a median follow‐up of 39 months, 115 (4.7%) patients had developed brain metastases as a first site of recurrence. The cumulative incidence at 2 and 5 years was 3.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.9%‐4.5%) and 5.4% (95% CI = 4.4%‐6.5%), respectively. Among patients with stage I, II, and III disease, the 2‐year cumulative incidence of brain metastases was 0.8%, 3.1%, and 8%, respectively (P < .0001). The 5‐year cumulative incidence was 2.8%, 4.6%, and 9.6% among patients with stage I, II, and III disease, respectively (P < .0001). In the multivariable model, patients with stage III disease had a significant increase in the risk of developing brain metastases as a first site of recurrence (hazards ratio = 3.51; 95% CI = 1.85‐6.67; P = .0001) compared to patients with stage I disease. Those with stage II disease had a nonsignificant increased risk of developing brain metastases as a first site of recurrence (hazards ratio = 1.61; 95% CI = 0.92‐2.81; P = .10) compared with patients with stage I disease. Median survival following a diagnosis of brain metastases was 7.2 months (range, 5.7‐9.4 months).

CONCLUSIONS:

Patients with nonmetastatic TNBC have a high early incidence of developing brain metastases as a first site of recurrence, which is associated with subsequent poor survival. Patients with stage III TNBC in particular would be an ideal cohort in which to research preventive strategies. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society.
Decreasing radiation therapy utilization in adult patients with glioblastoma multiforme
Authors: Walker Gary V. , Li Jing , Mahajan Anita , McAleer Mary Frances , de Groot John F. , Azeem Syed S. , Brown Paul D.
Published: February 2012

BACKGROUND:

The purpose of this study was to assess what factors influence radiation therapy (RT) utilization in patients with glioblastoma and to ascertain how patterns of care have changed over time.

METHODS:

A total of 9103 patients with supratentorial glioblastoma in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 1973 to 2006 were analyzed. Demographic information was obtained, including age, sex, race, year of diagnosis, and marital status. Treatment characteristics included receipt of RT and surgical resection.

RESULTS:

In total, 76.8% of patients received RT, whereas 78% received resection. Patients of male sex, who were currently married, who were <65 years old, and who underwent resection were more likely to receive RT. The average annual percentage change in RT utilization in the years 1990‐2006 was −0.41% (95% confidence interval [CI], −0.23 to −0.58), whereas for resection it was 0.26% (95% CI, 0.03 to 0.50). This equates to a 6.5% decrease in RT utilization and a 4.2% increase in resection during this time period. Patients treated with RT had a 2‐year overall survival of 11.4%, compared with 5.2% in those not treated with RT (P < .00001). Multivariate analysis showed that younger age (continuous; odds ratio [OR], 0.97; P < .0001), marital status (OR, 1.62; P < .0001), surgical resection (OR, 1.72; P < .0001), and year of diagnosis 1998‐2006 compared with 1990‐1997 (OR, 0.82; P < .0001) were associated with RT utilization, whereas sex, lesion size, and race were not.

CONCLUSIONS:

SEER data show a decreasing utilization of RT in patients with glioblastoma from 1990 to 2006. Patients who were older, who were unmarried, and who underwent biopsy only were less likely to receive RT. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society.
Modeling TGF‐mediated flow dynamics in a system of three coupled nephrons
Authors: Bayram Saziye
Published: February 2012

This paper focuses on a mathematical model of a system of three closely coupled nephrons and accompanying analytical and computational analysis. In our previous modeling efforts, we have shown how coupling magnifies the tendency of many coupled identical nephrons to oscillate owing to tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) mechanism. However, in this study, our focus is on the coupled nonidentical nephrons and their dynamics due to the TGF system. Our detailed analytical and computational results suggest that systems of three nonidentical nephrons coupled to their nearest neighbors are prone to be found in an oscillatory state, relative to a single‐nephron case with the same properties; however, their steady‐state regions are not necessarily as small as it was predicted from the system of many coupled identical nephrons cases. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spatial prediction of soil organic carbon from data on large and variable spatial supports. I. Inventory and mapping
Authors: Orton T. G. , Saby N. P. A. , Arrouays D. , Walter C. , Lemercier B. , Schvartz C. , Lark R. M.
Published: February 2012

We consider approaches for calculating and mapping statistical predictions of soil organic carbon (SOC), and attendant uncertainty, from data across a region of France. The data were collected from farms across the region. To protect the anonymity of farms that contributed, the locations and values of individual observations were unavailable, and we were only able to use the average value, sample variance, and number of observations from each commune. Communes varied in size up to a maximum of 130 km 2, with a mean of 10 km 2. The uncertainty due to data being commune‐wide averages—with sample error varying between communes as a result of variations in their size and the number of samples drawn from within them—raises an important methodological issue. We show how a residual maximum likelihood method can be used to estimate covariance parameters on the basis of this form of data and use the empirical best linear unbiased predictor to calculate predictions. Cross‐validation shows that by properly representing the commune‐wide averaged data, the predictions and attendant uncertainty assessments are more reliable than those from a naïve approach based on the summary means only. We compare maps produced using the approaches showing the SOC predictions and the attendant uncertainty. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design and implementation for location‐based integrated GIS application provisioning platform
Authors: Cheng Bo , Yang Qin , Chen Junliang
Published: February 2012

Mobile geographic information system (GIS) solutions and location‐based services can be considered as the most rapid expanded field of the mobile communications domain that will play a major role in the future. The combination of position‐fixing mechanisms with location and geographically dependent information can offer truly individualised personal communication services through the mobile phone or other type of devices. This paper aims to design, specify and implement an integrated GIS application provision platform, and focuses on the design of integrated service process language and geographic service description language as well as gives the implementation for the integrated GIS service execution container based on location‐based service using service component architecture, which will cater for the full range of issues concerning the provision of location‐based GIS value‐added services. This platform will enable the specification, creation and deployment of such services, which can offer truly individualised personal communication services through mobile phone, and also make performance measurement and analysis. Finally, we give the conclusions and the plan for future work. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Performance enhancement of 2‐D optical CDMA systems using MCM signalling and heterodyne detection receiver
Authors: Pham Anh T. , Dang Ngoc T.
Published: February 2012

We propose 2‐D optical code‐division multiple‐access systems using multi‐code modulation signalling and heterodyne detection receiver. The proposed system's performance is theoretically analysed and compared with conventional ones using on–off keying, pulse–amplitude modulation and pulse–position modulation. The numerical results show that the proposed system outperforms the conventional ones in terms of required transmitted power, the number of supportable users and spectral efficiency. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Using prospective hazard analysis to assess an active shooter emergency operations plan
Authors: Card Alan J. , Harrison Heidi , Ward James , Clarkson P. John
Published: February 2012

Most risk management activity in the healthcare sector is retrospective, based on learning from experience. This is feasible where the risks are routine, but emergency operations plans (EOP) guide the response to events that are both high risk and rare. Under these circumstances, it is important to get the response right the first time, but learning from experience is usually not an option. This case study presents the rationale for taking a proactive approach to improving healthcare organizations' EOP. It demonstrates how the Prospective Hazard Analysis (PHA) Toolkit can drive organizational learning and argues that this toolkit may lead to more efficient improvement than drills and exercises.
Conformations and intermolecular interactions pattern in solid chloroxylenol and triclosan (API of anti‐infective agents and drugs). A 35Cl NQR, 1H‐14 N NQDR, X‐ray and DFT/QTAIM study
Authors: Latosińska J. N. , Latosińska M. , Tomczak M. A. , Seliger J. , Žagar V. , Maurin J. K.
Published: February 2012

Two antibacterial and antifungal agents, chloroxylenol (4‐chloro‐3,5‐dimethyl‐phenol) and triclosan (5‐chloro‐2‐(2’,4’‐dichlorophenoxy)‐phenol), were studied experimentally in solid state with an X‐ray, 35Cl‐nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) and 17O‐nuclear quadrupole double resonance (NQDR) spectroscopies and, theoretically, with the density functional theory/quantum theory of atoms in molecules (DFT/QTAIM). The crystallographic structure of triclosan, which crystallises in space group P31 with one molecule in the asymmetric unit [a = 12.64100(10), b = 12.64100(10), c = 6.71630(10) Å], was solved with an X‐ray and refined to a final R‐factor of 2.81% at room temperature. The NQR frequencies of 35Cl and 17O were detected with the help of the density functional theory (DFT) assigned to particular chlorine and oxygen sites in the molecules of both compounds.

The NQR frequencies at 35Cl sites in chloroxylenol and triclosan were found to be more differentiated than frequencies at the 17O site. The former better describes the substituent withdrawing effects connected to π‐electron delocalization within the benzene rings and the influence of temperature; whereas, those at the 17O site provide more information on O‐H bond and intermolecular interactions pattern. The conformation adopted by diphenyl ether of triclosan in solid state was found to be typical of diphenyl ethers, but the opposite to those adopted when it was bound to different inhibitors. According to an X‐ray study, temperature had no effect on the conformation of the diphenyl ring of triclosan, which was the same at 90 K and at room temperature (RT). The scattering of NQR frequencies reproduced by the DFT under assumption of the X‐ray data at 90 K and RT is found to be a good indicator of the quality of resolution of the crystallographic structure. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane determination in air by thermal desorption gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
Authors: Martin Nicholas J , Smith Philip A , Brown Carlis W , Achee Nicole L , DeLong Gerald T
Published: February 2012

BACKGROUND: Current quantitative methods for airborne dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) require collection and extraction times of ≥ 12 h. The aim of this study was to develop a method for quantifying airborne DDT with a short (<4 h) collection and analysis time.

RESULTS: Precision [relative standard deviation (RSD)] for each calibration point (0.8–9.0), linearity (R2 = 0.99) and apparent recovery (R′ = 96.5%) were determined from thermal desorption (TD) gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) analyses of Tenax‐TA‐packed sampling tubes spiked with 1–250 ng of DDT. Recovery of 13C‐labeled 4,4′‐DDT from tubes spiked before and after air sampling was 97.3 and 90.3% respectively. DDT was detected and quantified in 1–3 L samples of air collected during 10–180 min sampling events. A significant difference was observed in DDT air concentration between 28 and 33 °C during microchamber studies.

CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate that the TD GC‐MS method developed in this study is precise, reproducible and linear over the span of 1–250 ng of DDT spiked onto TD tubes. By avoiding dilution of the sample, the method described allows the measurement of DDT vapor concentrations during short sampling periods (10–180 min) relevant to mosquito behavior studies. Published 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Relationship between nature of science understandings and argumentation skills: A role for counterargument and contextual factors
Authors: Khishfe Rola
Published: February 2012

The study investigated the relationship of high school students' understandings about nature of science (NOS) aspects and their argumentation skills in relation to two controversial socioscientific issues. The study was conducted in five schools selected from different geographical areas in Beirut, Lebanon. Participants were 219 grade 11 students. Students in all the schools were administered a survey that consisted of two scenarios that addressed the controversial socioscientific issues about genetically modified food and water fluoridation. The two scenarios were followed by questions relating to argumentation and NOS. The study used a mixed methods approach where quantitative and qualitative measures were employed. Analysis involved participants' views of the target NOS aspects (subjective, tentative, and empirical) and their argumentation components (argument, counterargument, and rebuttal). The Pearson analyses showed strong correlations between the counterargument, compared to argument and rebuttal, and the three NOS aspects. Further, the chi‐square analyses showed significant differences in participants' argumentation skills and NOS understandings between the two scenarios. Qualitative data from questionnaires and interviews further confirmed these findings. Two central implications for the teaching of NOS and argumentation skills were discussed in terms of highlighting the role of counterarguments and considering contextual factors that involve issue exposure and familiarity, prior content knowledge, and personal relevance. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 49: 489–514, 2012
Ellipsis: computation of
Authors: Kobele Greg
Published: February 2012

A computational account of ellipsis should specify not only how the meaning of an elliptical sentence is computed in context but also a description of what is being computed. Many proposals can be divided into two groups, as per whether they compute the meaning of an elliptical sentence based on the semantic or the syntactic parts of its context. A unifying theme of these proposals is that they are all based on the idea that the meaning of an elliptical sentence is determinable based on a structured representation which is transformationally related to its surface syntactic structure.WIREs Cogn Sci2012, 3:411–418. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1168

This article is categorized under:

Linguistics > Computational Models of Language
Differential usage of NF‐κB activating signals by IL‐1β and TNF‐α in pancreatic beta cells
Authors: Ortis F. , Miani M. , Colli M.L. , Cunha D.A. , Gurzov E.N. , Allagnat F. , Chariot A. , Eizirik D.L.
Published: February 2012

The cytokines interleukin (IL)‐1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α induce β‐cell death in type 1 diabetes via NF‐κB activation. IL‐1β induces a more marked NF‐κB activation than TNF‐α, with higher expression of genes involved in β‐cell dysfunction and death. We show here a differential usage of the IKK complex by IL‐1β and TNF‐α in β‐cells. While TNF‐α uses IKK complexes containing both IKKα and IKKβ, IL‐1β induces complexes with IKKα only; this effect is achieved by induction of IKKβ degradation via the proteasome. Both IKKγ and activation of the TRAF6‐TAK1‐JNK pathway are involved in IL‐1β‐induced IKKβ degradation.
Quality of life of methylphenidate treatment‐responsive adolescents with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Yang Pin‐Chen , Lung For‐Wey , Chiou Shyh‐Shin , Yen Cheng‐Fang , Fuh Jong‐Ling
Published: February 2012

Quality of life (QOL) in methylphenidate treatment‐responsive adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was assessed. Patients were 12‐ to 18‐year‐old adolescents with ADHD (total n = 45) who had been on methylphenidate treatment for at least 3 months and were clinically judged to be improved. The self‐completed Taiwanese Quality of Life Questionnaire for Adolescents (TQOLQA) was used, and the resulting measures were compared between adolescents with ADHD and: (1) community adolescents (n = 2316); (2) treatment‐responsive adolescents with a chronic medical condition (i.e., adolescents with leukemia in its first and complete continuous remission for at least 3 years after chemotherapy) (n = 39). Patients' cognitive profile and their daily executive functioning were also obtained for analysis. The QOL of the treated adolescents with ADHD was reported to be worse than that of both the community healthy adolescents and the adolescent leukemia survivors in the self‐reported TQOLQA domain of “psychological well‐being”. Treated adolescents with ADHD still had impaired executive skills in natural, everyday environments, and the scores for daily executive abilities could predict the QOL measures. Factors besides pharmacotherapy should be explored to further improve the QOL of medication‐treated adolescents with ADHD.
The antinociceptive effect of acetaminophen in a rat model of neuropathic pain
Authors: Im Kyong‐Shil , Jung Hyun‐Ju , Kim Jong‐Bun , Lee Jae‐Myeong , Park Hue‐Jung , Joo Choong‐Hee , Moon Dong‐Eon
Published: February 2012

Acetaminophen is one of the most popular and widely used analgesics for the treatment of pain and fever but few studies have evaluated its effects on neuropathic pain. This study examined the effect of acetaminophen on thermal hyperalgesia, mechanical and cold allodynia in a rat model of neuropathic pain. Male Sprague‐Dawley rats were prepared by tightly ligating the left L5 and L6 spinal nerves to produce a model of neuropathic pain. Sixty neuropathic rats were assigned randomly into six groups. Normal saline and acetaminophen (25, 50, 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg) were administered intraperitoneally to these individual groups. Thermal hyperalgesia, mechanical and cold allodynia were examined at preadministration and at 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 360 min after administering the drug. Mechanical allodynia was quantified by measuring the paw withdrawal threshold to stimuli with von Frey filaments. Cold allodynia was quantified by measuring the frequency of foot lift after applying 100% acetone. Thermal hyperalgesia was quantified by measuring the thermal withdrawal threshold. The rotarod performance was measured to detect any drug‐induced adverse effects, such as drowsiness. The hepatic and renal adverse effect was also assessed by measuring the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine. The paw withdrawal thresholds to mechanical stimuli and the thermal withdrawal threshold were increased significantly and withdrawal frequencies to cold stimuli were reduced by acetaminophen administration in a dose‐dependent manner. Acetaminophen reduces thermal hyperalgesia, mechanical and cold allodynia in a rat model of neuropathic pain, and might be useful for managing neuropathic pain.
Using known QTLs to detect directional epistatic interactions
Authors: SLATKIN MONTGOMERY , KIRKPATRICK MARK
Published: February 2012

Epistasis plays important roles in evolution, for example in the evolution of recombination, but each of the current methods to study epistasis has limitations. Here, we propose a new strategy. If a quantitative trait locus (QTL) affecting a quantitative character has been identified, individuals who have the same genotype at that QTL can be regarded as comprising a subpopulation whose response to selection depends in part on interactions with other loci affecting the character. We define the marginal differences to be the differences in the average phenotypes of individuals with different genotypes of that QTL. We show that the response of the marginal differences to directional selection on the quantitative character depends on epistatic gene interactions. For a model with no interactions, the marginal differences do not differ on average from their starting values once linkage equilibrium has been re-established. If there is directional epistasis, meaning that interactions between the QTL and other loci tend to increase or decrease the character more than under an additive model, then the marginal differences will tend to increase or decrease accordingly when larger values of the character are selected for. We develop a likelihood ratio test for significant changes in the marginal differences and show that it has some power to detect directional epistasis for realistic sample sizes. We also show that epistatic interactions which affect the evolution of the marginal differences do not necessarily result in a substantial epistatic component of the genetic variance.
Dynamic modeling of cusp ion structures
Authors: Connor H. J. , Raeder J. , Trattner K. J.
Published: February 2012

Dispersed ion structures observed near the magnetosphere cusps have long been used to infer locations and properties of reconnection at the Earth's magnetopause. However, observations are often difficult to interpret since spacecraft move relative to a cusp ion structure, creating temporal and spatial ambiguity in the observations. Models of cusp ion structures are also limited to the cases during stable solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) because empirical models are used to obtain the Earth's electromagnetic fields. We introduce a new model of a cusp ion structure by using the Liouville theorem particle tracer (LTPT) with the OpenGGCM 3D global MHD model. The OpenGGCM produces time‐dependent magnetospheric electromagnetic fields under various solar wind and IMF conditions, while the LTPT traces test particles backward from an observation point to the magnetosheath to map the phase space density and construct an energy‐time spectrogram. This allows our model to study cusp ion structures under dynamic solar wind and IMF conditions. In this paper, we first test our model's capability by reconstructing the cusp ion structures observed from three cusp‐crossing events of Cluster and Polar satellites. We show that the model reproduces various observed ion structures, such as normal dispersion, reverse dispersion, double dispersions, and stepped dispersion. We then show that the cusp structures observed by Cluster on 23 September 2004 and on 23 August 2003 are temporal structures caused by a sudden increase of solar wind dynamic pressure and various reconnection rates, respectively. We also show that the stepped dispersion observed by Polar on 25 August 1998 is not only spatial but also temporal, caused by two different subsolar reconnection sites during a change of the IMF clock angle. In addition, we find that the ions entering the cusp often cross the magnetopause far away from the reconnection site, even though the reconnection is the cause of precipitation, and that the magnetic configuration of the magnetosheath is also sometimes a cause of energy dispersion in a cusp structure.
Comparative performance of paleoclimate field and index reconstructions derived from climate proxies and noise‐only predictors
Authors: Wahl Eugene R. , Smerdon Jason E.
Published: February 2012

The performance of climate field reconstruction (CFR) and index reconstruction methods is evaluated using proxy and non‐informative predictor experiments. The skill of both reconstruction methods is determined using proxy data targeting the western region of North America. The results are compared to those targeting the same region, but derived from non‐informative predictors comprising red‐noise time series reflecting the full temporal autoregressive structure of the proxy network. All experiments are performed as probabilistic ensembles, providing estimated Monte Carlo distributions of reconstruction skill. Results demonstrate that the CFR skill distributions from proxy data are statistically distinct from and outperform the corresponding skill distributions generated from non‐informative predictors; similar relative performance is demonstrated for the index reconstructions. In comparison to the CFR results using proxy information, the index reconstructions exhibit similar skill in calibration, but somewhat less skill in validation and a tendency to underestimate the amplitude of the validation period mean.