bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MATHEMATICAL FOUNDATION OF BINARY SYSTEM ONTOLOGY FOR DATA PROCESSING
Authors:   Samara State Technical University, Krylov S.
Published: May 2016

The paper deals with theoretical principles that guarantee Boolean functional completeness of some primitive types of heterogeneous and homogeneous binary operational units designed for a logical data processing. Information in such units can be represented by various (different) physical parameters coding different states of physical objects. Simplest functionalities that define output “signals” (“output” parameters) as primitive functions of input “signals” (“input” parameters) are analyzed. It is shown that heterogeneous and homogeneous binary systems for data processing can be constructed on the basis of a general concept using proper object models based on General Formal Technological approach. It is shown that the homogeneous and heterogeneous binary information processing systems can be constructed based on the total (universal) basic ontology, which considers all physical objects as functional convert a certain set of physical parameters (physical properties in its broadest sense) in the other.
COMPARISON OF CONCEPT DESIGN, DESIGNING AND PROJECT ACTIVITY: HISTORICAL, ETYMOLOGICAL AND EPISTEMOLOGICAL ASPECTS
Authors:   Nizhny Novgorod State Pedagogical University Kozma Minin (Mininsky University), Kochneva E.
Published: May 2016

The article compares the concept of «project», «design» and «designing activity» to refer to their conceptual space, the disclosure of their use in different sciences; it is implicit confirmation of the presence of the structural components of the design in a variety of philosophical and psycho-pedagogical teachings about the nature of mental activity of the person and type of his cognitive activity-activity. Based on analysis of the works of philosophers from different historical periods in the article marked an ontological and epistemological aspects of the subject as an advanced display design and future generation; identify and define the basic terminology necessary for the definition of the concepts of psychological analysis. Based on the analysis of historical and etymological conditioning using the terms «project» and «plan» («design» and «planning») in the Russian language are designated essential differences in the use of these concepts and show that the design of the process within the planning activity is a specific form of manifestation prognostic human functions. The article presents the concepts that the author proposed to include in the «Dictionary designer».
Syntactic Analysis of the Translation of the Interpretation of the Noble Qur’an by Muhammad Taqiuddin Al-Hilali and Muhammad Muhsin Khan
Authors: Huriyah Huriyah
Published: May 2016

Muhammad Taqiuddin al-Hilali and Muhammad Muhsin Khan are distinguished translators of some Islamic books, such as, the interpretation of al-Qur’an, Sahih Al-Bukhari, and Al-Lu’lu’ wa al-Marjan into English. Selecting sūrah al-Qadr as a topic of syntactic analysis, the aim of this paper is to know syntactic rules in English translation used by the translators. The sūrah is selected because it contains important meaning. As an example, its third āyah states that laylah al-Qadr (the night of al-Qadr) is better than a thousand months’; it means that worshipping Allah in that night is better than worshipping Him a thousand months i.e., 83 years and 4 months. Analyzing the syntax of surah al-Qadr, the writer uses the rules of Transformational Grammar (TG).
Awareness regarding breast feeding and complementary feeding in mothers of children with severe acute malnutrition at stabilization centre Multan
Authors: Khan Saadia , Iqbal Imran , Arshad Reema
Published: May 2016

Breast feeding is the most natural way of feeding the infants and help to reduce child mortality and morbidity and millions of deaths could be prevented each year if mothers were aware of benefits of exclusive breast feeding for 4 -6 months and early initiation of breast feeding. In current study, awareness regarding breast feeding and complementary feeding in mothers of severely malnourished children was evaluated. The results showed that 99% mothers considered breast milk safe and effective but practically only 23% babies were breast fed while 77% were bottle fed. According to 58% mothers, there should be a early initiation of breast feeding, while 57% were un aware of the facts that clostrum should be given while 43% (43/100) of then considered it unhealthy and non effective. The current awareness reveals that most of the mothers prefer to give commercially available foods for their infants instead of breast feeding. This situation is alarming regarding child health and there is need to educate the mothers especially about the beneficial and health curing effects of breast feeding.
Cataract, ocular surgery, aphakia, and the chromatic expression of the painter Jovan Bijelic
Authors: Nikolic Ljubisa , Jovanovic Vesna
Published: May 2016

Background/Aim. Approaching art from the standpoint of optics and the artist?s eye pathology can sometimes explain the shift of the spectral colors in the work of some artists with cataract and aphakia. This may not be obvious in the paintings of other artists with the same eye pathology. The aim of this study was to create a timeline from the recently obtained details of the cataract surgery, his best corrected aphakic visual acuity, and the last paintings of the artist Jovan Bijelic. Methods. The research included primary and secondary source material: Bijelic?s paintings from all stages of his career, interviews with Bijelic and his eye surgeon, art criticism, sources with the description of Bijelic?s symptoms, hospital archives, discussion with art historians, comparison of his palette from different periods. Results. Jovan Bijelic was nearly blind from cataract in 1957. He underwent an unsuccessful cataract surgery in 1956, followed by enucleation of the operated eye. In 1958, 20/25?20/20 vision was regained, after the extracapsular cataract extraction and sector iridectomy in his right eye, with the posterior lens capsule discision afterwards. Xanthopsia and cyanopsia are not present in his art, which is not a representation of visualized objects. Conclusion. The response of Jovan Bijelic to cataract and aphakia was predominantly a change of his style.
Lichen as Bioindicator for Monitoring Environmental Status in Western Himalaya, India
Authors: Gupta Sugam , Khare Roshni , Bajpai Omesh , Rai Himanshu , Upreti Dalip Kumar , Gupta Rajan Kumar , Sharma Pradeep Kumar
Published: May 2016

The use of bioindicator communities (lichen) to assess the environmental status of an area is a well-proved strategy to monitor any habitat without any logistic and instrumental facilities. In the present study, 13 bioindicator communities of lichen have been used to assess the environmental status of holy pilgrimage (Badrinath), western Himalaya, India. Three sites (i.e. Badrinath, Mana & pilgrimage route from Bhimpul to Vasudhara) have been comparatively assessed. The results of the study reveals that Badrinath site is less polluted and experiences low degree of anthropogenic disturbances compared to Mana, and pilgrimage route (Bhimpul to Vasudhara). Human settlements, construction of civil works, vehicular emission, and trampling and trekking by tourists are the major threats on these habitats, which ultimately decrease the quality of vegetation and adjacent environment. Controlled vehicular use, promotion of modern way of cooking and managed trekking in these pilgrimage routes could be helpful to combat the decreasing vegetation and environmental quality therein.INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTVolume-5, Issue-2, Mar-May 2016 page: 1-15
Knowledge Production and Emancipatory Social Movements from the Heart of Globalised Hipsterdom, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Authors: Beck Sam
Published: May 2016

Abstract

The nature of capitalism in its neoliberal form is decreasing higher education’s exclusive domain of knowledge production by exposing students to and exploiting local knowledge production. This has created a paradox. Experiential learning is being supported as ‘academic’ because students learn skills, values and perspectives by engaging in communities of practice. Through community service learning and social justice oriented internships, students learn about emancipatory social movements while simultaneously providing their intellectual capital. Urban Semester Program students participate in the movement for affordable housing, with its origins in post-war Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where many Puerto Ricans settled. Engaged in a struggle against displacement, for self-determination and developing community sustainability by advocating and winning low and moderate income housing, residents are determined to remain in their neighbourhood. Students are engaged in this struggle and connect this exposure to their internships, and the globalising world economy, the role of the state, and corporate power.
Confronting Tyranny in a Public Health Agency
Authors: McKenna Brian
Published: May 2016

Abstract

This article details how a community of practice came crashing down on the iron rocks of bureaucracy. I apply Brown and Duguid’s theorisation of the dialectics of ‘working, learning and innovating’ illustrating how these three aspects came to conflict with one another, and how I worked to resolve them. As an anthropologist leading an environmental health project in a mid-Michigan public health agency, I formed a ‘community of practice’ and proceeded as a researcher, ethnographer and community activist for nearly three years, gathering findings to change the agency’s organisational structure, as a form of ‘disruptive innovation’. The community ‘roundtable’ of external project advisors highly supported the penultimate reports on water pollution, air pollution and restaurant health. The interdisciplinary strategies pursued resulted in valuable integrations of new knowledge in public anthropology across several thematic areas: critical public pedagogy, sustainability, citizen science, radical journalism and anthropologies of violence, trauma and transformation.
Effect of polluted river water on growth, yield and heavy metal accumulation of red amaranth
Authors: Mohiuddin KM , Alam Md Mehediul , Rahman Md Shahinur , Islam Md Shafiqul , Ahmed Istiaq
Published: May 2016

The present study was carried out to assess the levels of different heavy metals like chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn) on red amaranth vegetable irrigated with polluted river water. Atomic Absorption Spectrometer was used for analyzing the heavy metals in the samples. The results indicated a substantial build-up of heavy metals accumulation in red amaranth irrigated with polluted river water. The ranges of various metals in red amaranth samples irrigated with polluted river water were 0.450.93, 0.1470.175, 42.33479.73, 1.3112.04, 3.7135.11 and 10.9142.9 ?g g-1 for Cr, Pb, Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn, respectively. Cadmium concentration was below the detection limit (0.01 ?g g-1) of the method used in the analysis. However, the regular monitoring of levels of these metals from effluents and sewage, in vegetables and in other food materials is essential to prevent excessive build-up of these metals in the food chain. In general, our results indicated that using polluted river water had no significant variation in growth and yield of red amaranth from the crops irrigated with fresh water.Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.3(1): 53-65, April 2016
Transboundary diseases of animals: Concerns and management strategies
Authors: Islam M Ariful
Published: May 2016

Transboundary animal diseases (TADs) are greatly contagious epidemic diseases that can spread very rapidly, irrespective of national borders. They cause high rates of death and disease in animals, thereby having serious socio-economic and sometimes public health consequences while constituting a steady threat to the livelihoods of livestock farmers. With the development of technology, livestock production has gained an integral position in the national economy, socioeconomic development, poverty alleviation and nutrition supply for human. Livestock farming is one of the important sources of livelihood to rural peoples in Bangladesh. A healthy livestock is pleasure of any country including Bangladesh. However, rapid trend of globalization has brought upon challenges in maintaining healthy herds of livestock. The emerging infections of foreign origin could spread across national geographical borders and cause devastation in livestock population. As a result, there will be an emergence and spread of new disease in the region which was once free from the disease. Regional and international approaches have to be followed, and the FAO and OIE Global framework-TADs initiative provides the suitable concepts and objectives as well as an organizational framework to link international and regional organizations at the service of their countries to better prevent and control the risks on animal and human health and the economic impact of TADs and emerging animal diseases. In this paper, we have summarized the main diseases of livestock that are transboundary in nature, and sum up the challenges and necessary management strategies in controlling the transboundary diseases.Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.3(1): 121-126, April 2016
Theoretical and Numerical Modeling of Acoustic Metamaterials for Aeroacoustic Applications
Authors: Iemma Umberto
Published: May 2016

The advent, during the first decade of the 21st century, of the concept of acoustic metamaterial has disclosed an incredible potential of development for breakthrough technologies. Unfortunately, the extension of the same concepts to aeroacoustics has turned out to be not a trivial task, because of the different structure of the governing equations, characterized by the presence of the background aerodynamic convection. Some of the approaches recently introduced to circumvent the problem are biased by a fundamental assumption that makes the actual realization of devices extremely unlikely: the metamaterial should guarantee an adapted background aerodynamic convection in order to modify suitably the acoustic field and obtain the desired effect, thus implying the porosity of the cloaking device. In the present paper, we propose an interpretation of the metamaterial design that removes this unlikely assumption, focusing on the identification of an aerodynamically-impermeable metamaterial capable of reproducing the surface impedance profile required to achieve the desired scattering abatement. The attention is focused on a moving obstacle impinged by an acoustic perturbation induced by a co-moving source. The problem is written in a frame of reference rigidly connected to the moving object to couple the convective wave equation in the hosting medium with the inertially-anisotropic wave operator within the cloak. The problem is recast in an integral form and numerically solved through a boundary-field element method. The matching of the local wave vector is used to derive a convective design of the metamaterial applicable to the specific problem analyzed. Preliminary numerical results obtained under the simplifying assumption of a uniform aerodynamic flow reveal a considerable enhancement of the masking capability of the convected design. The numerical method developed shows a remarkable computational efficiency, completing a simulation of the entire field in a few minutes on mid-end workstations. The results are re-interpreted in term of boundary impedance, assuming a locally-reacting behavior of the outer boundary of the cloaking layer. The formulation is currently being extended to the analysis of arbitrarily complex external flows in order to remove the limitation of the background uniform stream in the host.
Recent Innovations in Peptide Based Targeted Drug Delivery to Cancer Cells
Authors: Gilad Yosi , Firer Michael , Gellerman Gary
Published: May 2016

Targeted delivery of chemotherapeutics and diagnostic agents conjugated to carrier ligands has made significant progress in recent years, both in regards to the structural design of the conjugates and their biological effectiveness. The goal of targeting specific cell surface receptors through structural compatibility has encouraged the use of peptides as highly specific carriers as short peptides are usually non-antigenic, are structurally simple and synthetically diverse. Recent years have seen many developments in the field of peptide based drug conjugates (PDCs), particularly for cancer therapy, as their use aims to bypass off-target side-effects, reducing the morbidity common to conventional chemotherapy. However, no PDCs have as yet obtained regulatory approval. In this review, we describe the evolution of the peptide-based strategy for targeted delivery of chemotherapeutics and discuss recent innovations in the arena that should lead in the near future to their clinical application.
Performance Comparison on Repowering of a Steam Power Plant with Gas Turbines and Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Authors: Rokni Masoud
Published: May 2016

Repowering is a process for transforming an old power plant for greater capacity and/or higher efficiency. As a consequence, the repowered plant is characterized by higher power output and less specific CO2 emissions. Usually, repowering is performed by adding one or more gas turbines into an existing steam cycle which was built decades ago. Thus, traditional repowering results in combined cycles (CC). High temperature fuel cells (such as solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)) could also be used as a topping cycle, achieving even higher global plant efficiency and even lower specific CO2 emissions. Decreasing the operating temperature in a SOFC allows the use of less complex materials and construction methods, consequently reducing plant and the electricity costs. A lower working temperature makes it also suitable for topping an existing steam cycle, instead of gas turbines. This is also the target of this study, repowering of an existing power plant with SOFC as well as gas turbines. Different repowering strategies are studied here, repowering with one gas turbine with and without supplementary firing, repowering with two gas turbines with and without supplementary firing and finally repowering using SOFC. Plant performances and CO2 emissions are compared for the suggested repowered plants.
A New Predictive Model Based on the ABC Optimized Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines Approach for Predicting the Remaining Useful Life in Aircraft Engines
Authors: García Nieto Paulino , García-Gonzalo Esperanza , Bernardo Sánchez Antonio , Menéndez Fernández Marta
Published: May 2016

Remaining useful life (RUL) estimation is considered as one of the most central points in the prognostics and health management (PHM). The present paper describes a nonlinear hybrid ABC–MARS-based model for the prediction of the remaining useful life of aircraft engines. Indeed, it is well-known that an accurate RUL estimation allows failure prevention in a more controllable way so that the effective maintenance can be carried out in appropriate time to correct impending faults. The proposed hybrid model combines multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), which have been successfully adopted for regression problems, with the artificial bee colony (ABC) technique. This optimization technique involves parameter setting in the MARS training procedure, which significantly influences the regression accuracy. However, its use in reliability applications has not yet been widely explored. Bearing this in mind, remaining useful life values have been predicted here by using the hybrid ABC–MARS-based model from the remaining measured parameters (input variables) for aircraft engines with success. A correlation coefficient equal to 0.92 was obtained when this hybrid ABC–MARS-based model was applied to experimental data. The agreement of this model with experimental data confirmed its good performance. The main advantage of this predictive model is that it does not require information about the previous operation states of the aircraft engine.
Simultaneous Optimization of Topology and Component Sizes for Double Planetary Gear Hybrid Powertrains
Authors: Zhuang Weichao , Zhang Xiaowu , Peng Huei , Wang Liangmo
Published: May 2016

Hybrid powertrain technologies are successful in the passenger car market and have been actively developed in recent years. Optimal topology selection, component sizing, and controls are required for competitive hybrid vehicles, as multiple goals must be considered simultaneously: fuel efficiency, emissions, performance, and cost. Most of the previous studies explored these three design dimensions separately. In this paper, two novel frameworks combining these three design dimensions together are presented and compared. One approach is nested optimization which searches through the whole design space exhaustively. The second approach is called enhanced iterative optimization, which executes the topology optimization and component sizing alternately. A case study shows that the later method can converge to the global optimal design generated from the nested optimization, and is much more computationally efficient. In addition, we also address a known issue of optimal designs: their sensitivity to parameters, such as varying vehicle weight, which is a concern especially for the design of hybrid buses. Therefore, the iterative optimization process is applied to design a robust multi-mode hybrid electric bus under different loading scenarios as the final design challenge of this paper.
Analytical Model for Voltage-Dependent Photo and Dark Currents in Bulk Heterojunction Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Saleheen Mesbahus , Arnab Salman , Kabir M.
Published: May 2016

A physics-based explicit mathematical model for the external voltage-dependent forward dark current in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) organic solar cells is developed by considering Shockley-Read-Hall (SRH) recombination and solving the continuity equations for both electrons and holes. An analytical model for the external voltage-dependent photocurrent in BHJ organic solar cells is also proposed by incorporating exponential photon absorption, dissociation efficiency of bound electron-hole pairs (EHPs), carrier trapping, and carrier drift and diffusion in the photon absorption layer. Modified Braun’s model is used to compute the electric field-dependent dissociation efficiency of the bound EHPs. The overall net current is calculated considering the actual solar spectrum. The mathematical models are verified by comparing the model calculations with various published experimental results. We analyze the effects of the contact properties, blend compositions, charge carrier transport properties (carrier mobility and lifetime), and cell design on the current-voltage characteristics. The power conversion efficiency of BHJ organic solar cells mostly depends on electron transport properties of the acceptor layer. The results of this paper indicate that improvement of charge carrier transport (both mobility and lifetime) and dissociation of bound EHPs in organic blend are critically important to increase the power conversion efficiency of the BHJ solar cells.
3D FE Analysis of RC Beams Externally Strengthened with SRG/SRP Systems
Authors: Bencardino Francesco , Condello Antonio
Published: May 2016

The purpose of this study is to evaluate, through a nonlinear Finite Element (FE) analysis, the structural behavior of Reinforced Concrete (RC) beams externally strengthened by using Steel Reinforced Grout (SRG) and Steel Reinforced Polymer (SRP) systems. The parameters taken into account were the external strengthening configuration, with or without U-wrap end anchorages, as well as the strengthening materials. The numerical simulations were carried out by using a three-dimensional (3D) FE model. The linear and nonlinear behavior of all materials was modeled by appropriate constitutive laws and the connection between concrete substrate and external reinforcing layer was simulated by means of cohesive surfaces with appropriate bond-slip laws. In order to overcome convergence difficulties, to simulate the quasi-static response of the strengthened RC beams, a dynamic approach was adopted. The numerical results in terms of load-displacement curves, failure modes, and load and strain values at critical stages were validated against some experimental data. As a result, the proposed 3D FE model can be used to predict the structural behavior up to ultimate stage of similar strengthened beams without carrying out experimental tests.
Motorways in Metropolitan Areas: The Northwestern Growth of Florence and the Urban Use of Motorway A1
Authors: Cutini Valerio
Published: May 2016

The recent urban growth of Florence was mainly oriented northward, thus determining the urbanization of the flatland and the inclusion within a unique conurbation of a number of pre-existing urban nuclei. Over time, the congestion of the inner core has caused more and more prominent activities to shift towards this developing area, which is today one of the most attractive parts of the whole settlement, counterbalancing the representativeness and the touristic attractiveness of the historic center of Florence. This paper is concerned with the use of space syntax in order to reconstruct the genesis of the configurational geography of Florence. Configurational values at different dates will be cross-referenced with vehicular traffic data, so as to pinpoint the actual inclusion of the motorway A1, touching Florence on its western side, within the urban grid of Florence and its influence in the distribution of local traffic flows. Aside from this case study, this method can be extended to the general issue of the management of motorways in metropolitan areas. More in general, this approach is proposed as a suitable tool for interconnecting spatial issues and traffic questions, so as to concur in bridging the gap between urban design, focused on the morphologic features of blocks and buildings, and transport analysis, strictly concerned with the distribution of movement flows on the street network.
MT1-MMP Inhibits the Activity of Bst-2 via Their Cytoplasmic Domains Dependent Interaction
Authors: Fan Long , Liu Li , Zhu Cuicui , Zhu Qingyi , Lu Shan , Liu Ping
Published: May 2016

Bst-2 (bone marrow stromal cell antigen 2) is a type II membrane protein, and it acts as a tetherin to inhibit virion releasing from infectious cells. Membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) is a protease. It plays a pivotal role in cellular growth and migration by activating proMMP-2 into active MMP2. Our results here elaborate that MT1-MMP inhibits the tetherin activity of Bst-2 by interacting with Bst-2, and the cytoplasmic domains of both Bst-2 and MT1-MMP play critical roles within this interaction. Based on our experimental data, the assays for virion release and co-immunoprecipitation have clearly demonstrated that the activity of Bst-2 is markedly inhibited by MT1-MMP via their interaction; and both the N-terminal domain of Bst-2 and the C-terminal domain of MT1-MMP are important in the interaction. Immunostaining and Confocal Microscopy assay shows that MT1-MMP interacts with Bst-2 to form granular particles trafficking into cytoplasm from membrane and, finally, results in Bst-2 and MT1-MMP both being inhibited. In addition, mutant experiments elucidate that the N-terminal domain of Bst-2 is not only important in relating to the activity of Bst-2 itself, but is important for inhibiting the MT1-MMP/proMMP2/MMP2 pathway. These findings suggest that MT1-MMP is a novel inhibitor of Bst-2 in MT1-MMP expressed cell lines and also indicate that both the N-terminal domain of Bst-2 and the C-terminal domain of MT1-MMP are crucial in down-regulation.
Heterogeneous Pathology of Melasma and Its Clinical Implications
Authors: Kwon Soon-Hyo , Hwang Young-Ji , Lee Soo-Keun , Park Kyoung-Chan
Published: May 2016

Melasma is a commonly acquired hypermelanosis that affects sun-exposed areas of the skin, with frequent facial involvement. Its histologic manifestations are evident in the epidermis, extracellular matrix, and dermis. In addition to epidermal pigmentation, pathologic findings of melasma include extracellular matrix abnormality, especially solar elastosis. The disrupted basement membrane has been described in melasma with variable incidences. In the dermis, an increase in vascularity and an increase in the number of mast cells were observed, indicating that dermal factors have critical roles in the pathogenesis of melasma, despite the fact that melasma is characterized by epidermal hyperpigmentation. This review discusses such histologic characteristics of melasma, with consideration to their implications for melasma treatment.
Fast Modeling of Binding Affinities by Means of Superposing Significant Interaction Rules (SSIR) Method
Authors: Besalú Emili
Published: May 2016

The Superposing Significant Interaction Rules (SSIR) method is described. It is a general combinatorial and symbolic procedure able to rank compounds belonging to combinatorial analogue series. The procedure generates structure-activity relationship (SAR) models and also serves as an inverse SAR tool. The method is fast and can deal with large databases. SSIR operates from statistical significances calculated from the available library of compounds and according to the previously attached molecular labels of interest or non-interest. The required symbolic codification allows dealing with almost any combinatorial data set, even in a confidential manner, if desired. The application example categorizes molecules as binding or non-binding, and consensus ranking SAR models are generated from training and two distinct cross-validation methods: leave-one-out and balanced leave-two-out (BL2O), the latter being suited for the treatment of binary properties.
Aspergillosis in Chronic Granulomatous Disease
Authors: King Jill , Henriet Stefanie , Warris Adilia
Published: May 2016

Patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) have the highest life-time incidence of invasive aspergillosis and despite the availability of antifungal prophylaxis, infections by Aspergillus species remain the single most common infectious cause of death in CGD. Recent developments in curative treatment options, such as haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, will change the prevalence of infectious complications including invasive aspergillosis in CGD patients. However, invasive aspergillosis in a previously healthy host is often the first presenting feature of this primary immunodeficiency. Recognizing the characteristic clinical presentation and understanding how to diagnose and treat invasive aspergillosis in CGD is of utmost relevance to improve clinical outcomes. Significant differences exist in fungal epidemiology, clinical signs and symptoms, and the usefulness of non-culture based diagnostic tools between the CGD host and neutropenic patients, reflecting underlying differences in the pathogenesis of invasive aspergillosis shaped by the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-oxidase deficiency.
Three Identities of the Catalan-Qi Numbers
Authors: Mahmoud Mansour , Qi Feng
Published: May 2016

In the paper, the authors find three new identities of the Catalan-Qi numbers and provide alternative proofs of two identities of the Catalan numbers. The three identities of the Catalan-Qi numbers generalize three identities of the Catalan numbers.
Computer-Aided Sensor Development Focused on Security Issues
Authors: Bialas Andrzej
Published: May 2016

The paper examines intelligent sensor and sensor system development according to the Common Criteria methodology, which is the basic security assurance methodology for IT products and systems. The paper presents how the development process can be supported by software tools, design patterns and knowledge engineering. The automation of this process brings cost-, quality-, and time-related advantages, because the most difficult and most laborious activities are software-supported and the design reusability is growing. The paper includes a short introduction to the Common Criteria methodology and its sensor-related applications. In the experimental section the computer-supported and patterns-based IT security development process is presented using the example of an intelligent methane detection sensor. This process is supported by an ontology-based tool for security modeling and analyses. The verified and justified models are transferred straight to the security target specification representing security requirements for the IT product. The novelty of the paper is to provide a patterns-based and computer-aided methodology for the sensors development with a view to achieving their IT security assurance. The paper summarizes the validation experiment focused on this methodology adapted for the sensors system development, and presents directions of future research.
X-ray Photon Counting and Two-Color X-ray Imaging Using Indirect Detection
Authors: Dierickx Bart , Yao Qiang , Witvrouwen Nick , Uwaerts Dirk , Vandewiele Stijn , Gao Peng
Published: May 2016

In this paper, we report on the design and performance of a 1 cm2, 90 × 92-pixel image sensor. It is made X-ray sensitive by the use of a scintillator. Its pixels have a charge packet counting circuit topology with two channels, each realizing a different charge packet size threshold and analog domain event counting. Here, the sensor’s performance was measured in setups representative of a medical X-ray environment. Further, two-energy-level photon counting performance is demonstrated, and its capabilities and limitations are documented. We then provide an outlook on future improvements.
Generation of Equine-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Analysis of Their Therapeutic Potential for Muscle Injuries
Authors: Lee Eun-Mi , Kim Ah-Young , Lee Eun-Joo , Park Jin-Kyu , Park Se-Il , Cho Ssang-Goo , Kim Hong Kyun , Kim Shin-Yoon , Jeong Kyu-Shik
Published: May 2016

Horse health has become a major concern with the expansion of horse-related industries and sports; the importance of healthy muscles for horse performance and daily activities is undisputed. Here we generated equine-induced pluripotent stem cells (E-iPSCs) by reprogramming equine adipose-derived stem cells (E-ADSCs) into iPSCs using a polycistronic lentiviral vector encoding four transcription factors (i.e., Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc) and then examined their pluripotent characteristics. Subsequently, established E-iPSCs were transplanted into muscle-injured Rag/ mdx mice. The histopathology results showed that E-iPSC-transplanted mice exhibited enhanced muscle regeneration compared to controls. In addition, E-iPSC-derived myofibers were observed in the injured muscles. In conclusion, we show that E-iPSCs could be successfully generated from equine ADSCs and transplanted into injured muscles and that E-iPSCs have the capacity to induce regeneration of injured muscles.
EFFECT OF INNOVATION ON THE EU MEMBER-COUNTRIES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Bistrova Julija , Lace Natalja
Published: May 2016

Neoclassical economic theory states that the growth of the nation primarily is dependent on the innovation potential of the country. However, this theory is often being refuted by the recent empirical research, proving that the innovations are becoming more cost-extensive, late in generating return on invested capital and not as useful as they used to be. The present study researches the effect of innovation on the EU member-countries economic development, having selected R&D expenses, number of patents and number of researchers as innovation proxies. The results prove that there is a strong relationship between the R&D expenses and GDP growth as well as the labour productivity, but no evidence was found that the number of scientists or the number of patents significantly influence economic development of the country. The authors also ran a regression between the scientific productivity and impact and the GDP per capita to discover the strong relationship between the variables. However, the causality of the relationship should be studied further.
Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Algorithm for Power Information System Security Level Based on the Internet of Things
Authors: Ming Zeng , Shicheng Wang
Published: May 2016

With the development of information and communications technology, communication technology has been widely used in the electric power industry and has brought threats to the safe operation of power systems. Things can not only connect people; things can also connect other things. Therefore, the Internet of things plays an important role in power information system security. This study proposes a triangular fuzzy number weight method to calculate the index weight based on the analysis of the existing fuzzy algorithm and the security of a power information system. A fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model is established in accordance with matrix theory, statistical theory, and other methods after experimental data are analyzed. Results show that this algorithm can accurately evaluate system status and provide reference for managing power systems. The fuzzy algorithm for power information system security level ensures the safe operation of the power system and promotes its healthy development. This algorithm can significantly promote economic development in China.
Remote Monitoring System of an Agricultural Tillage Machine Based on an Embedded ARM Technology Wireless Sensor
Authors: He Jiaqi , Chen Yong
Published: May 2016

To solve the problems of monitoring system topology structure and joint ductility, as well as to improve the efficiency of agricultural planting, this study presents a greenhouse-monitoring system based on the advanced RISC machine (ARM) wireless sensor network. The design schemes of the hardware and software of the network nodes are presented, and the process of a ZigBee network coordinator is elucidated. The system uses ARM to control the wireless transceiver module for data transmission and reception as well to collect data through an inter-integrated circuit bus. The working-state data of the seeding machine are transmitted to the monitoring platform through the ZigBee network, which can achieve real-time data view. Test results show that the system has the advantages of a simple structure, a flexible node, and low power consumption. The effective monitoring of the agricultural seeding machine in a wireless environment is realized. This system can quickly monitor the agricultural seeding machine while working, and the data center allows reading the data for remote viewing and analysis. This system can also effectively reduce the workload of farmers, improve the efficiency of field sowing, and promote the rapid development of modern agriculture.
COMPARISON OF TIME AND FREQUENCY METHODS FOR CARDIAC ANOMALIES RECOGNITION
Authors: Slimane Saliha Ould , Talha Malika Kedir , Hadjer Zairi , Mekaoui Slimane
Published: May 2016

The main aim of this paper is a contribution to the design of an Intelligent Diagnosis System for Cardiac anomalies detection in acquired ECG (Electrocardiogram) signals. To attain this goal, the authors have developed two approaches to extract the most relevant and significant parameters that can best classify ECGs into two classes namely, Normal and Abnormal from real Electrocardiogram signals. The first approach is a time method which consists in modeling ECGs using RBF (Radial Basis Function) neural network algorithm, whereas, the second approach is a frequency based method which relies on the DWT (Discrete Wavelet Transform) that projects the signal into a time-scale (time-frequency) plane. In both approaches, the resulting data are submitted to the same SVM (Support Machine Vector) Classifier. The results obtained have shown a good adjustment of relevant parameters for each approach and have revealed the most efficient combined processing-classification algorithm that has achieved classification rates up to 100 % allowing at a time a reduced number of parameters. This fact had considerably simplified the hardware for a real time implementation. Finally, the authors compared both approaches and have identified some implementation constraints, such as the sampling frequency for the frequency based approach and preprocessing and cutting for the time approach.
Barriers to Achieving the Benefits of BIM
Authors: Halttula Heikki , Haapasalo Harri , Herva Maila
Published: May 2016

The purpose of this paper is to study the benefits of building information modelling (BIM) and determine the barriers to achieving these benefits. The use of BIM is not yet at a level where known benefits can be realised. This study consists of a literature review of the benefits of BIM and an empirical review, where focus group interviews were used to discover barriers. The major benefits of BIM include cost savings, better information flow, shorter project timelines and better quality. The greatest barrier is the lack of practical guidelines for BIM implementation in projects. Successful BIM implementation requires technology, people and processes to be in proper shape. Earlier studies identify the theoretical requirements of BIM implementation, but practical solutions are still not at an adequate level.
Urban Sprawl Monitoring using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques of the City Jaipur, India
Authors: Sisodia Pushpendra Singh , Tiwari Vivekananda , Dahiya Anil Kumar
Published: May 2016

The rapid increase in population of India forced people to migrate from rural areas and small towns to metropolitan cities for better employment, education, and, good lifestyle. Major cities of India were industrialized and required more work force in metropolitan cities, leading to uncoordinated and unplanned growth, often termed as urban sprawl. Urban sprawl destroyed the natural resources such as open green space, agricultural land, open water bodies and ground water. In this paper, an attempt has been made to monitor urban sprawl using Shannon's Entropy model, Remote Sensing, and GIS for city Jaipur, India. The changed entropy value during the years 1972–2013 proves more dispersed growth in the city. The built-up area of Jaipur has increased from 40 km2 in 1972 to 400 km2 in 2013. Land use percentage of urban settlement is doubled as compared to the urban population of Jaipur during 1972–2013. This study shows remarkable urban sprawl in fringe areas of Jaipur city in the last 41 years.
Extending Dynamic Scheduling Policies in WorkflowSim by Using Variance based Approach
Authors: Thaman Jyoti , Singh Manpreet
Published: May 2016

Workflow scheduling has been around for more than two decades. With growing interest in service oriented computing architecture among researchers and corporate users, different platform like clusters computing, grid computing and most recent cloud computing, appeared on computing horizon. Cloud computing has attracted a lot of interest from all types of users. It gave rise to variety of applications and tasks with varied requirements. Heterogeneity in application's requirement catalyzes the provision of customized services for task types. Representation of tasks characteristics and inter-task relationship through workflows is in use since the ages of automation. Scheduling of workflows not only maintain the hierarchical relationship between the tasks but also dictates the requirement of dynamic scheduling. This paper presents a variance based extensions of few promising dynamic scheduling policies supported by WorkflowSim. An exhaustive performance analysis presents strength and weakness of the authors' proposal.
Evaluating Information Systems with Continuous Assurance Services
Authors: Marques Rui Pedro , Santos Henrique , Santos Carlos
Published: May 2016

Nowadays there is a need for real-time awareness to assure conformity of organizational transactions to increase their reliability and to mitigate organizational risk. In this context, Continuous Assurance has assumed an important role as a management goal and in ensuring improved effectiveness of organizations. Some information systems already support Continuous Assurance services, but disposable data require extra effort to make them useful for management purposes. Hence, this paper presents a model constituted of three dimensions and one requirement aiming to evaluate an information system with Continuous Assurance services. The Delphi method was used to validate this model, assuring the relevance of inclusion of these dimensions and requirement. This method also validated a set of metrics to be included in each dimension and requirement which were also proposed for the model. Thus, this paper presents the results and conclusions of this study and contributes to disseminate a valid instrument to effectively evaluate information systems with Continuous Assurance Services.
Mobile Government in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alssbaiheen Anan , Love Steve
Published: May 2016

M-government has gained increasing global attention in recent years, especially among developed countries, as a mechanism to reduce costs, increase effectiveness and improve public access to governmental services. The concept is increasingly being adopted in developing countries, however it faces different challenges and opportunities. This study explores the opportunities and challenges for the deployment of mobile government (M-government) services in Saudi Arabia. Collecting data from 77 semi-structured interviews, this study found that there are many opportunities for M-government in the country, requiring increasing awareness amongst the people about the government initiatives of mobile government services and promoting willingness to use these services. This study also highlights different barriers faced by M-government in Saudi Arabia, including issues of internet quality and speed, customization of services and data security and privacy as well as infrastructural challenges and bureaucratic attitude of government departments.
The Public Library's Role in Enabling E-Government
Authors: Smart Cherry-Ann
Published: May 2016

In most developed countries, linking citizens with e-government through Information Communication Technology (ICT) is an important social role for public libraries. Public libraries partner with government agencies; acting as intermediaries to bridge government with citizens in a way which adds value. In developing countries, public libraries have not attained that intermediary level. Instead, the role of public libraries is constrained to performing a tangential role to e-government. This includes its focus on the provision of access to information. As Caribbean governments progress further with e-government implementation, public libraries may need to expand their role beyond information provision to help citizens in their adoption of e-government, as well as enhance their service provision to them. This highlights some of the digital divide issues that developing countries experience versus information rich countries (i.e., developed nations) such as the United States of America. Thus, the digital divide is not only about access to ICTs; it also now includes citizens' capacity to use ICTs. This paper examines the capacity and role of the public libraries in Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica in enhancing e-government efforts.