bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Performance Analysis of Polarization Modulated DirectDetection Optical CDMA Systems over Turbulent FSO LinksModeled by the Gamma-Gamma Distribution
Authors: Bai Fan , Su Yuwei , Sato Takuro
Published: January 2015

This paper proposes a theoretical study to characterize the transmission of optical code division multiple access (CDMA) systems deploying polarization shift keying (PolSK) over a free space optical (FSO) link under the impact of atmospheric turbulence. In our analysis, a novel transceiver architecture for atmospheric OCDMA FSO systems based on polarization modulation with direct detection is proposed and discussed. A detailed analytical model for PolSK-OCDMA systems over a turbulent FSO link is provided. Further, we derive a closed-form bit error ratio (BER) and outage probability expressions, taking into account the multiple-access interference (MAI), optical noise and the atmospheric turbulence effect on the FSO link modeled by the Gamma-Gamma distribution. Finally, the results of this study show the most significant parameters that degrade the transmission performance of the PolSK-OCDMA signal over FSO links and indicate that the proposed approach offers improved bit error ratio (BER) performances compared to the on-off-keying (OOK) modulation scheme in the presence of turbulence.
Augustine’s Introduction to Political Philosophy: Teaching De Libero Arbitrio, Book I
Authors: Burns Daniel
Published: January 2015

Book I of Augustine’s work On Free Choice (De Libero Arbitrio) offers a helpful introduction to some of the most important themes of political philosophy. The paper makes a case for teaching this text in introductory courses on political thought, theology of social life, and similar topics, alongside or even in place of the more usually assigned excerpts from City of God. The text is written as a dialogue in which Augustine seeks to introduce a student of his to reflection on the ways in which our moral outlook is profoundly shaped by our political citizenship. It invites all of us, whether Christian or non-Christian citizens, to enter into the dialogue ourselves as Augustine’s students and so to reflect on the moral significance of our own citizenship.
Uncertainty Analysis in the Creation of a Fine-Resolution Leaf Area Index (LAI) Reference Map for Validation of Moderate Resolution LAI Products
Authors: Iiames John , Congalton Russell , Lewis Timothy , Pilant Andrew
Published: January 2015

The validation process for a moderate resolution leaf area index (LAI) product (i.e., MODIS) involves the creation of a high spatial resolution LAI reference map (Lai-RM), which when scaled to the moderate LAI resolution (i.e., > 1 km) allows for comparison and analysis with this LAI product. This research addresses two major sources of uncertainty in the creation of the LAI-RM: (1) the uncertainty associated with the indirect in situ optical measurements of southeastern United States needle-leaf LAI and (2) the uncertainty in the process of classifying land cover (LC). Uncertainty within the loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) in situ data collection was highest for the assessment of the plant area index (PAI), Le (27.2%), and the woody-to-total ratio, α, (30.6%). The needle-to-shoot ratio, λE, and the element clumping index, ΩE, contributed 14.9% and 9.3%, respectively, to the uncertainty in the calculation of LAI. Combining LC differences (3.4%) with the uncertainty within the loblolly pine component resulted in doubling the LAI-RM variability (σ = 0.50 to σ = 0.97) at the 1 km2 validation site located in Appomattox, Virginia, USA.
A Framework for Defining Spatially Explicit Earth Observation Requirements for a Global Agricultural Monitoring Initiative (GEOGLAM)
Authors: Whitcraft Alyssa , Becker-Reshef Inbal , Justice Christopher
Published: January 2015

Global agricultural monitoring utilizes a variety of Earth observations (EO) data spanning different spectral, spatial, and temporal resolutions in order to gather information on crop area, type, condition, calendar, and yield, among other applications. Categorical requirements for space-based monitoring of major agricultural production areas have been articulated based on best practices established by the Group on Earth Observation’s (GEO) Global Agricultural Monitoring Community (GEOGLAM) of Practice, in collaboration with the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS). We present a method to transform generalized requirements for agricultural monitoring in the context of GEOGLAM into spatially explicit (0.05°) Earth observation (EO) requirements for multiple resolutions of data. This is accomplished through the synthesis of the necessary remote sensing-based datasets concerning where (crop mask, when (growing calendar, and how frequently imagery is required (considering cloud cover impact throughout the agricultural growing season. Beyond this provision of the framework and tools necessary to articulate these requirements, investigated in depth is the requirement for reasonably clear moderate spatial resolution (10–100 m) optical data within 8 days over global within-season croplands of all sizes, a data type prioritized by GEOGLAM and CEOS. Four definitions of “reasonably clear” are investigated: 70%, 80%, 90%, or 95% clear. The revisit frequency required (RFR) for a reasonably clear view varies greatly both geographically and throughout the growing season, as well as with the threshold of acceptable clarity. The global average RFR for a 70% clear view within 8 days is 3.9–4.8 days (depending on the month), 3.0–4.1 days for 80% clear, 2.2–3.3 days for 90% clear, and 1.7–2.6 days for 95% clear. While some areas/times of year require only a single revisit (RFR = 8 days) to meet their reasonably clear requirement, generally the RFR, regardless of clarity threshold, is below to greatly below the 8 day mark, highlighting the need for moderate resolution optical satellite systems or constellations with revisit capabilities more frequent than 8 days. This analysis is providing crucial input for data acquisition planning for agricultural monitoring in the context of GEOGLAM.
Evaluation of Six High-Resolution Satellite and Ground-Based Precipitation Products over Malaysia
Authors: Tan Mou , Ibrahim Ab , Duan Zheng , Cracknell Arthur , Chaplot Vincent
Published: January 2015

Satellite precipitation products (SPPs) potentially constitute an alternative to sparse rain gauge networks for assessing the spatial distribution of precipitation. However, applications of these products are still limited due to the lack of robust quality assessment. This study compares daily, monthly, seasonal, and annual rainfall amount at 342 rain gauges over Malaysia to estimations using five SPPs (3B42RT, 3B42V7, GPCP-1DD, PERSIANN-CDR, and CMORPH) and a ground-based precipitation product (APHRODITE). The performance of the precipitation products was evaluated from 2003 to 2007 using continuous (RMSE, R2, ME, MAE, and RB) and categorical (ACC, POD, FAR, CSI, and HSS) statistical approaches. Overall, 3B42V7 and APHRODITE performed the best, while the worst performance was shown by GPCP-1DD. 3B42RT, 3B42V7, and PERSIANN-CDR slightly overestimated observed precipitation by 2%, 4.7%, and 2.1%, respectively. By contrast, APHRODITE and CMORPH significantly underestimated precipitations by 19.7% and 13.2%, respectively, whereas GPCP-1DD only slightly underestimated by 2.8%. All six precipitation products performed better in the northeast monsoon than in the southwest monsoon. The better performances occurred in eastern and southern Peninsular Malaysia and in the north of East Malaysia, which receives higher rainfall during the northeast monsoon, whereas poor performances occurred in the western and dryer Peninsular Malaysia. All precipitation products underestimated the no/tiny (<1 mm/day) and extreme (≥20 mm/day) rainfall events, while they overestimated low (1–20 mm/day) rainfall events. 3B42RT and 3B42V7 showed the best ability to detect precipitation amounts with the highest HSS value (0.36). Precipitations during flood events such as those which occurred in late 2006 and early 2007 were estimated the best by 3B42RT and 3B42V7, as shown by an R2 value ranging from 0.49 to 0.88 and 0.52 to 0.86, respectively. These results on SPPs’ uncertainties and their potential controls might allow sensor and algorithm developers to deliver better products for improved rainfall estimation and thus improved water management.
Citizen Sensors for SHM: Use of Accelerometer Data from Smartphones
Authors: Feng Maria , Fukuda Yoshio , Mizuta Masato , Ozer Ekin
Published: January 2015

Ubiquitous smartphones have created a significant opportunity to form a low-cost wireless Citizen Sensor network and produce big data for monitoring structural integrity and safety under operational and extreme loads. Such data are particularly useful for rapid assessment of structural damage in a large urban setting after a major event such as an earthquake. This study explores the utilization of smartphone accelerometers for measuring structural vibration, from which structural health and post-event damage can be diagnosed. Widely available smartphones are tested under sinusoidal wave excitations with frequencies in the range relevant to civil engineering structures. Large-scale seismic shaking table tests, observing input ground motion and response of a structural model, are carried out to evaluate the accuracy of smartphone accelerometers under operational, white-noise and earthquake excitations of different intensity. Finally, the smartphone accelerometers are tested on a dynamically loaded bridge. The extensive experiments show satisfactory agreements between the reference and smartphone sensor measurements in both time and frequency domains, demonstrating the capability of the smartphone sensors to measure structural responses ranging from low-amplitude ambient vibration to high-amplitude seismic response. Encouraged by the results of this study, the authors are developing a citizen-engaging and data-analytics crowdsourcing platform towards a smartphone-based Citizen Sensor network for structural health monitoring and post-event damage assessment applications.
Design and Implementation of a Prototype with a Standardized Interface for Transducers in Ambient Assisted Living
Authors: Dorronzoro Enrique , Gómez Isabel , Medina Ana , Gómez José
Published: January 2015

Solutions in the field of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) do not generally use standards to implement a communication interface between sensors and actuators. This makes these applications isolated solutions because it is so difficult to integrate them into new or existing systems. The objective of this research was to design and implement a prototype with a standardized interface for sensors and actuators to facilitate the integration of different solutions in the field of AAL. Our work is based on the roadmap defined by AALIANCE, using motes with TinyOS telosb, 6LoWPAN, sensors, and the IEEE 21451 standard protocol. This prototype allows one to upgrade sensors to a smart status for easy integration with new applications and already existing ones. The prototype has been evaluated for autonomy and performance. As a use case, the prototype has been tested in a serious game previously designed for people with mobility problems, and its advantages and disadvantages have been analysed.
LIDAR Developments at Clermont-Ferrand—France for Atmospheric Observation
Authors: Fréville Patrick , Montoux Nadège , Baray Jean-Luc , Chauvigné Aurélien , Réveret François , Hervo Maxime , Dionisi Davide , Payen Guillaume , Sellegri Karine
Published: January 2015

We present a Rayleigh-Mie-Raman LIDAR system in operation at Clermont-Ferrand (France) since 2008. The system provides continuous vertical tropospheric profiles of aerosols, cirrus optical properties and water vapour mixing ratio. Located in proximity to the high altitude Puy de Dôme station, labelled as the GAW global station PUY since August 2014, it is a useful tool to describe the boundary layer dynamics and hence interpret in situ measurements. This LIDAR has been upgraded with specific hardware/software developments and laboratory calibrations in order to improve the quality of the profiles, calibrate the depolarization ratio, and increase the automation of operation. As a result, we provide a climatological water vapour profile analysis for the 2009–2013 period, showing an annual cycle with a winter minimum and a summer maximum, consistent with in-situ observations at the PUY station. An overview of a preliminary climatology of cirrus clouds frequency shows that in 2014, more than 30% of days present cirrus events. Finally, the backscatter coefficient profile observed on 27 September 2014 shows the capacity of the system to detect cirrus clouds at 13 km altitude, in presence of aerosols below the 5 km altitude.
Aquatic Debris Detection Using Embedded Camera Sensors
Authors: Wang Yong , Wang Dianhong , Lu Qian , Luo Dapeng , Fang Wu
Published: January 2015

Aquatic debris monitoring is of great importance to human health, aquatic habitats and water transport. In this paper, we first introduce the prototype of an aquatic sensor node equipped with an embedded camera sensor. Based on this sensing platform, we propose a fast and accurate debris detection algorithm. Our method is specifically designed based on compressive sensing theory to give full consideration to the unique challenges in aquatic environments, such as waves, swaying reflections, and tight energy budget. To upload debris images, we use an efficient sparse recovery algorithm in which only a few linear measurements need to be transmitted for image reconstruction. Besides, we implement the host software and test the debris detection algorithm on realistically deployed aquatic sensor nodes. The experimental results demonstrate that our approach is reliable and feasible for debris detection using camera sensors in aquatic environments.
Facilities Design Based on Apparent Motion of Grating for Speed Reduction in Tunnel
Authors: Liu Bing , Zhu Shunying , Wang Hong , Xia Jing
Published: January 2015

This paper introduces the concept of apparent motion, and by examining the characteristics of apparent motion and of velocity vectors, puts forward a new speed reduction method in tunnels. Finally, we verify this effect through a simulation experiment. The experiment first used 3DMAX to make simulation videos with apparent motion grating installed on the tunnel wall, and then took the “stable same, direction movement” proportion of perception responses as the index to determine the optimal form of apparent motion. Using the observations of six males and two females, the experiments show that, with a space layout of two bright, two dark or four bright, four dark, a stimulus separation (SS) of 2 or 4 m, and stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) of 60, 120, 180 or 240 ms, participants tended to perceive apparent motion as “stable same, direction movement”. Based on the above, 16 combinations of grating were adopted as optimal forms. By using the Forced-Choice Method, the experiments showed that the best parameters of apparent motion grating for speed reduction are: two bright, two dark, SS as 4 m and SOA as 60 ms. Under these conditions, the average perceived speed of eight observers reaches the maximum; meanwhile, the standard deviation is lower than that of the four dark, four bright case.
Orphan Toxin OrtT (YdcX) of Escherichia coli Reduces Growth during the Stringent Response
Authors: Islam Sabina , Benedik Michael , Wood Thomas
Published: January 2015

Toxin/antitoxin (TA) systems are nearly universal in prokaryotes; toxins are paired with antitoxins which inactivate them until the toxins are utilized. Here we explore whether toxins may function alone; i.e., whether a toxin which lacks a corresponding antitoxin (orphan toxin) is physiologically relevant. By focusing on a homologous protein of the membrane-damaging toxin GhoT of the Escherichia coli GhoT/GhoS type V TA system, we found that YdcX (renamed OrtT for orphan toxin related to tetrahydrofolate) is toxic but is not part of TA pair. OrtT is not inactivated by neighboring YdcY (which is demonstrated to be a protein), nor is it inactivated by antitoxin GhoS. Also, OrtT is not inactivated by small RNA upstream or downstream of ortT. Moreover, screening a genomic library did not identify an antitoxin partner for OrtT. OrtT is a protein and its toxicity stems from membrane damage as evidenced by transmission electron microscopy and cell lysis. Furthermore, OrtT reduces cell growth and metabolism in the presence of both antimicrobials trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole; these antimicrobials induce the stringent response by inhibiting tetrahydrofolate synthesis. Therefore, we demonstrate that OrtT acts as an independent toxin to reduce growth during stress related to amino acid and DNA synthesis.
Bovine Lactoferrin Inhibits Toscana Virus Infection by Binding to Heparan Sulphate
Authors: Pietrantoni Agostina , Fortuna Claudia , Remoli Maria , Ciufolini Maria , Superti Fabiana
Published: January 2015

Toscana virus is an emerging sandfly-borne bunyavirus in Mediterranean Europe responsible for neurological diseases in humans. It accounts for about 80% of paediatric meningitis cases during the summer. Despite the important impact of Toscana virus infection-associated disease on human health, currently approved vaccines or effective antiviral treatments are not available. In this research, we have analyzed the effect of bovine lactoferrin, a bi-globular iron-binding glycoprotein with potent antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities, on Toscana virus infection in vitro. Our results showed that lactoferrin was capable of inhibiting Toscana virus replication in a dose-dependent manner. Results obtained when lactoferrin was added to the cells during different phases of viral infection showed that lactoferrin was able to prevent viral replication when added during the viral adsorption step or during the entire cycle of virus infection, demonstrating that its action takes place in an early phase of viral infection. In particular, our results demonstrated that the anti-Toscana virus action of lactoferrin took place on virus attachment to the cell membrane, mainly through a competition for common glycosaminoglycan receptors. These findings provide further insights on the antiviral activity of bovine lactoferrin.
Incidence de l’impôt sur les sociétés
Authors: Trannoy Alain , Simula Laurent
Published: January 2015

Nous étudions l'incidence de l'impôt sur les sociétés en équilibre général dans le cadre d'un modèle à 2 ou 4 secteurs. En économie fermée, le capital supporte l'essentiel de la taxe. En économie ouverte, lorsqu'on suppose que le capital est un facteur mobile et pas le travail, on obtient la conclusion inverse : c'est le travail qui supporte la très grande majorité de la taxe. Cette présomption semble validée empiriquement. Une baisse de l'impôt sur les sociétés peut donc amener une hausse des salaires lorsque tous les ajustements auront eu lieu. C'est une piste à retenir lors de la discussion sur le partage des profits.
Méthodes de recherche sur les fluctuations longues
Authors: Metz Rainer
Published: January 2015

La réponse à la question de savoir si les cycles longs existent ou non dépend principalement des méthodes statistiques utilisées pour les analyser. Depuis l’article fondateur de Kondratiev dans les années 1920, ces méthodes ont fait l’objet d’importants changements. La critique fondamentale délivrée à l’encontre des approches traditionnelles développées dans les années 1970, a conduit à la diffusion d’une approche par les filtres «idéaux» qui devait permettre, dans les séries chronologiques, une parfaite isolation des composants des bandes de fréquences prédéfinies. L’approche en termes de filtres a été ensuite concurrencée dans les années 1980 par l’idée dite de racine unité. Si une série chronologique suit une racine unité en termes de processus de filtre, même s’ils sont idéaux, cela conduit à des cycles de long terme faussés, dont la durée est semblable à celle des cycles de type Kondratiev. A partir de là, les filtres idéaux furent remplacés par des modèles stochastiques qui correspondent aux propriétés des séries chronologiques analysées. Mais cette approche fut à son tour concurrencée dans les années 1990 par le développement de filtres qui apparaissent également adaptés pour des séries chronologiques qui contiennent une racine unité. L’article traite, dans une première partie, du développement des approches traditionnelles (en termes de filtres et de modèle stochastiques) en comparant systématiquement leurs résultats au regard des cycles de Kondratiev. Dans une seconde partie, l’article présente l’état de l’art des approches en termes de filtres et de modèles stochastiques. L’idée défendue est qu’une approche en termes de modèles stochastiques et de filtres est pertinente uniquement si des points atypiques et des cassures structurelles sont considérés explicitement. Si de telles interventions sont correctement modélisées, il peut être montré que les filtres et les modèles conduisent à des résultats très similaires. Les considérations méthodologiques sont illustrées par des séries chronologiques de long terme qui sont souvent utilisées dans la recherche empirique sur les cycles longs.
Synthesis of dinucleoside acylphosphonites by phosphonodiamidite chemistry and investigation of phosphorus epimerization
Authors: Hersh William H
Published: January 2015

The reaction of the diamidite, (iPr2N)2PH, with acyl chlorides proceeds with the loss of HCl to give the corresponding acyl diamidites, RC(O)P(N(iPr)2)2 (R = Me (7), Ph (9)), without the intervention of sodium to give a phosphorus anion. The structure of 9 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The coupling of the diamidites 7 and 9 with 5′-O-DMTr-thymidine was carried out with N-methylimidazolium triflate as the activator to give the monoamidites 3′-O-(P(N(iPr)2)C(O)R)-5′-O-DMTr-thymidine, and further coupling with 3′-O-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)thymidine was carried out with activation by pyridinium trifluoroacetate/N-methylimidazole. The new dinucleoside acylphosphonites could be further oxidized, hydrolyzed to the H-phosphonates, and sulfurized to give the known mixture of diastereomeric phosphorothioates. The goal of this work was the measurement of the barrier to inversion of the acylphosphonites, which was expected to be low by analogy to the low barrier found in acylphosphines. However, the barrier was found to be high as no epimerization was detected up to 150 °C, and consistent with this, density functional theory calculations give an inversion barrier of over 40 kcal/mol.
OPENING OF MICROCRACKS AND AIR PERMEABILITY IN CONCRETE
Authors: Stehlík Michal , Věra Heřmánková Věra Heřmánková , Vítek Lubomír
Published: January 2015

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the suitability of the Torrent method of determining air permeability of concrete for an approximate assessment of damage to the surface layer of concrete caused by microcracks. The combined measurement of deformation and air permeability by means of Torrent method and of the width of microcracks on the tested concrete cubes during loading in the splitting tensile test contributed to the clarification of certain facts. The use of Torrent method seems to be more suitable in reinforced concretes where it is possible to anticipate a slower opening of cracks during the increase of load. In spite of that, the testing of these concretes is limited by the maximum dimensions of cracks, i.e. 0.075–0.1 mm in the width and 60 mm in the length. Exceeding these limit dimensions causes a massive decrease in vacuum and subsequent separation of the adhering bell of the Torrent tester.
Une petite énigme délienne : les « curieuses offrandes » des Hiéronautes de Tyr
Authors: Hermary Antoine
Published: January 2015

Un bloc architectural portant une dédicace bilingue (en grec et en phénicien), trouvé en 1877 dans le sanctuaire d’Apollon à Délos, est resté relativement peu connu. Il a longtemps été considéré comme perdu, bien qu’il ait rapidement été transporté à Athènes, où il est toujours conservé (Musée épigraphique, EM 1862). Le petit monument auquel il appartenait contenait, d’après l’inscription grecque, les statues des villes de Tyr et de Sidon, dédiées par les « hiéronautes » de Tyr. Ces offrandes, que l’on peut dater autour de 340 av. J.-C., peuvent être rapprochées, dans l’art grec d’époque classique, d’une série d’images de villes personnifiées. On peut cependant se demander s’il n’existe pas un lien privilégié avec la tête d’Aphrodite coiffée d’une couronne murale qui est figurée, quelques années plus tôt, sur les monnaies du roi de Salamine de Chypre Evagoras II, ainsi qu’avec une série de sculptures chypriotes de cette époque.
Die neuen spätaltbabylonischen Briefe des ,Königlichen Barbiers‘ aus Sippar
Authors: Fadhil Anmar Abdulillah
Published: January 2015

La campagne de fouille de 2002 à Sippar (Tell Abu Habbah) a permis la découverte d’environ 700 tablettes d’époque paléo-babylonienne tardive, en trois lots. Le troisième contient notamment 72 lettres adressées par le roi Ammiditana à un certain Liṭīb-libbašu, qui portait le titre de ŠU.I LUGAL. Trois de ces lettres sont ici publiées, qui permettent de compléter ce qu’on savait sur les tâches du « barbier du roi ».
What's in a name: Hallušu, Hallutaš or Hallutuš?
Authors: Tavernier Jan
Published: January 2015

Cet article se concentre sur la forme correcte du nom royal élamite Hallutaš/Hallutuš-Inšušinak, qui est souvent rendu par son hypocoristique Hallušu.
Devenir professeur des universités
Authors: Sabatier Mareva , Musselin Christine , Pigeyre Frédérique
Published: January 2015

En référence aux travaux qui éclairent la constitution des trajectoires des universitaires aux États-Unis, nous analysons les déterminants de l’accès au professorat des universités en France dans trois disciplines (histoire, physique, gestion). Parmi ces déterminants, nous cherchons à mesurer l’impact de caractéristiques individuelles (âge, genre), la place de la production scientifique et l’importance de variables institutionnelles, qu’elles soient liées à chacune des disciplines étudiées ou au mode d’accès à la promotion (concours d’agrégation vs recrutement). Nous cherchons également à comprendre l’évolution de ces déterminants au cours de la période observée pour rendre compte des transformations des carrières académiques. Nos résultats s’appuient sur des analyses statistiques effectuées sur une base de données originale appariant données individuelles et données bibliométriques relatives à quatre cohortes d’enseignants-chercheurs dans les trois disciplines choisies, totalisant plus de 800 individus.
Does Gender Affect Scientific Productivity ?
Authors: Mairesse Jacques , Pezzoni Michele
Published: January 2015

Dans cette étude, nous reconsidérons la question de la moindre productivité scientifique des femmes, souvent désignée comme celle du « gender gap » ou du « productivity puzzle » par les économistes et sociologues de la science. Après une revue critique des travaux empiriques sur cette question, nous présentons les résultats d’une analyse économétrique conduite en parallèle sur deux échantillons de panels représentatifs des chercheurs en physique du cnrs et des enseignant-chercheurs en physique des universités françaises. Nous observons que, dans les deux cas, la productivité des physiciennes en termes de publication est largement inférieure, d’environ un tiers en moyenne, par rapport à celle de leurs collègues masculins. Nous concluons cependant que cette différence de productivité disparaît pour le cnrs et qu’elle s’inverse même pour les universités quand nous tenons compte de plusieurs facteurs, notamment ceux liés à des chances inégales de promotion et à des discontinuités notables dans les publications, qui peuvent refléter de forts engagements familiaux. JEL Codes : C23, I23, J40
The Diffusion of the Internet and the Increased Propensity of Teams to Transcend Institutional and National Borders
Authors: Winkler Anne E. , Glänzel Wolfgang , Levin Sharon , Stephan Paula
Published: January 2015

Nous étudions, dans le cas des États-Unis, la relation entre l’exposition à l’Internet et l’évolution des collaborations nationales et internationales entre institutions académiques. Nous utilisons comme un indicateur de l’exposition à Internet le nombre des années depuis lesquelles ces institutions ont adopté un nom de domaine ( dns ). Nous avons, par ailleurs, collecté les données de toutes les publications indexées par l’ isi , dans les domaines des sciences sociales et de la nature sur les années 1991-2007, pour plus de 1 200 collèges universitaires, universités et écoles de médecine aux États-Unis. Nous retenons deux mesures de collaboration institutionnelle nationale et internationale, définies par les pourcentages de publications ayant un auteur appartenant à chacune de ces institutions et ayant soit un ou plusieurs coauteurs dans une autre de ces institutions ( us-us ), soit un ou plusieurs coauteurs hors États-Unis ( us-intl ). Nos résultats montrent une croissance spectaculaire du pourcentage des collaborations nationales et internationales avec des différences par domaine importantes. Ils indiquent que la durée d’exposition à l’Internet a eu un effet positif et significatif dans le cas des institutions les plus performantes en recherche. JEL Codes : A14, I23, O33
L'influence des facteurs organisationnels sur l'émergence et la dynamique des Communautés de Pratique : Comparaison entre trois agences d'une administration
Authors: Mebarki Lamine
Published: January 2015

Bien qu’il existe de nombreux travaux sur la notion des Communautés de Pratique (CP), les conditions de leur formation n’ont pas été analysées de manière concrète. L’ambition de cette contribution est d’interroger le rôle des facteurs organisationnels susceptibles de préconfigurer ces structures et leurs dynamiques. Après avoir rappelé quelques éléments de définition de la CP, nous tenterons de dégager les facteurs organisationnels (espace, temps et profils des participants) influençant la configuration de cette dernière. Au niveau empirique, nous analyserons les résultats d’une étude réalisée auprès de trois guichets d’accueil d’une administration. Nous verrons comment l’agencement spatiotemporel des guichets intervient dans la définition des connaissances transmises et des rythmes des échanges, ainsi que la manière dont le profil des participants dessine les schémas interactionnels dans les CP.
Janus réconcilié : associer traduction et purification pour analyser la trajectoire des outils de gestion
Authors: Dreveton Benjamin , Rocher Sébastien
Published: January 2015

Cet article propose une analyse du processus de construction d’un tableau de bord au sein d’une région française. Afin d’analyser l’itinéraire de l’outil au sein de cette organisation, la théorie de la traduction est mobilisée. Deux apports sont identifiés. Le premier est théorique. Cette recherche souligne comment le concept de purification (Latour, 1991, 1999) permet d’associer deux approches souvent considérées comme opposées dans la littérature, l’approche diffusionniste des innovations et l’approche socio-technique. Le second apport est managérial. Cette recherche montre que l’absence des élus dans le processus de construction constitue l’une des causes majeures de la sinuosité de la trajectoire de cet outil.
L'embourgeoisement agricole
Authors: Laferté Gilles
Published: January 2015

Résumé À travers une étude de cas, marquée par la double originalité d’une revisite et d’une ethnographie collective, il s’agit de réévaluer la position sociale contemporaine de certaines franges des agriculteurs dans la structure sociale. En effet, l’étude s’intéresse non pas aux paysans empaysannés, ni à la bourgeoisie agricole établie de longue date, deux figures aux antipodes d’une catégorie socioprofessionnelle très éclatée, mais aux enfants de la modernisation agricole qui connaissent une mobilité sociale ascendante depuis plusieurs décennies. L’augmentation des revenus, du patrimoine à la fois foncier puis immobilier, l’occupation des postes politiques ou encore la modification de l’habitat, tout comme les choix scolaires des enfants, concourent à interpréter ce processus comme un embourgeoisement. Après la « dépaysannisation », l’embourgeoisement est défini ici comme un processus d’accumulation d’abord du capital économique puis du capital culturel et social, processus guidé par une reconnaissance de la légitimité d’un ordre social et du mode de vie des dominants.
Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teaching: Part I
Authors: Billings Diane M.
Published: January 2015

As increasing numbers of culturally and linguistically diverse learners are enrolled in nursing programs and employed in nursing service agencies, nurse educators must be aware of their own culture and how it influences their teaching and understand the learning needs of a diverse group of learners. This article offers strategies for nurse educators for being culturally and linguistically responsive while also establishing an inclusive learning environment.

J Contin Educ Nurs.
2015;46(2):62–64.
CircleRides
: Developing an Older Adult Transportation Application and Evaluating Feedback
Authors: Heinz Melinda , Kelly Norene
Published: January 2015

The purpose of the current study was to assess perceptions of
CircleRides
, a paper prototype of a service website designed to meet older adult transportation needs. Researchers used purposive sampling to conduct two focus groups comprised of older adults to obtain feedback on the
CircleRides
prototype at the beginning of its iterative design process. One focus group was conducted in a continuing care retirement community (
n
= 13) and the other in an independent living community for older adults (
n
= 11). The study assessed perceptions of the
CircleRides
prototype as well as self-reported older adult transportation preferences and needs. Three themes emerged from the data: (a)
trust and concern
, (b)
socialization
, and (c)
flexibility and options
. Researchers found that participants are interested in transportation options; however, concern exists about trusting a new system or prototype that has not established a reputation. Findings from the current study offer lessons learned for future iterations and for creating transportation prototypes for older adults. [
Journal of Gerontological Nursing
,
41
(5), 34–47.]
Business Analytics and Big Data
Authors: Kennedy Dennis T. , Crossen Dennis M. , Szabat Kathryn A.
Published: January 2015

Big Data Analytics has changed the way organizations make decisions, manage business processes, and create new products and services. Business analytics is the use of data, information technology, statistical analysis, and quantitative methods and models to support organizational decision making and problem solving. The main categories of business analytics are descriptive analytics, predictive analytics, and prescriptive analytics. Big Data is data that exceeds the processing capacity of conventional database systems and is typically defined by three dimensions known as the Three V's: Volume, Variety, and Velocity. Big Data brings big challenges. Big Data not only has influenced the analytics that are utilized but also has affected technologies and the people who use them. At the same time Big Data brings challenges, it presents opportunities. Those who embrace Big Data and effective Big Data Analytics as a business imperative can gain competitive advantage.
Nonprofit Fundraising Transformation through Analytics
Authors: Vequist IV David George
Published: January 2015

The authors present the experiences of a professor and a team of students who found that social media and predictive analytics go hand-in-hand when designing effective marketing campaigns (in this case, fundraising for a community of nonprofit organizations). The students of a medium-sized southwestern private university assisted a large southwestern city with the social media marketing efforts for the city's first Big Give fundraising. The organizers then told the students that the internal goal for the 24-hour event was $1.5 million USD. The campaign resulted in 21,361 gifts made for a grand total of $2,095,606.50 USD (approximately 40% greater than was forecasted). It was estimated by the organizers that the most significant contributing factor to the greater performance of the campaign was the social media efforts of the students. The average number of donations raised by the 467 organizations that participated was 45.52 for an overall average of $3,527.09 USD.
A Data Warehouse Integration Methodology in Support of Collaborating SMEs
Authors: Olaru Marius Octavian , Vincini Maurizio
Published: January 2015

Collaborative business making is emerging as a possible solution for the difficulties that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are having in recent difficult economic scenarios. In fact, collaboration, as opposed to competition, may provide a competitive advantage to companies and organizations that operate in a joint business structure. When dealing with multiple organizations, managers must have access to unified strategic information obtained from the information repositories of each individual organization; unfortunately, traditional Business Intelligence (BI) tools are not designed with the aim of collaboration so the task becomes difficult from a managerial, organizational, and technological point of view. To deal with this shortcoming, the authors provide an integration, mapping-based, methodology for heterogeneous Data Warehouses that aims at facilitating business stakeholders' access to unified strategic information. A complete formalization, based on graph theory and the RELEVANT clustering approach, is provided. Furthermore, the authors perform an experimental evaluation of the proposed method by applying it over two DW instances.
Consumer Information Integration at Pre-Purchase
Authors: Dalman M. Deniz , Min Junhong
Published: January 2015

During the pre-purchase stage, consumers look for information in the external environment to verify marketers' claims, and by doing so, they are likely to encounter some reliable independent information such as consumer reports or technical reports. Using a Discrete Choice Experiment, this chapter shows that consumers use marketers' claims as reference points and record the independent information they encounter as either gain or loss. Moreover, consistent with Prospect Theory, losses loom larger than gains. However, the valuations of losses/gains do not differ for brands with different strengths.
An Exploration of Backpropagation Numerical Algorithms in Modeling US Exchange Rates
Authors: Lahmiri Salim
Published: January 2015

This chapter applies the Backpropagation Neural Network (BPNN) trained with different numerical algorithms and technical analysis indicators as inputs to forecast daily US/Canada, US/Euro, US/Japan, US/Korea, US/Swiss, and US/UK exchange rate future price. The training algorithms are the Fletcher-Reeves, Polak-Ribiére, Powell-Beale, quasi-Newton (Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno, BFGS), and the Levenberg-Marquardt (LM). The standard Auto Regressive Moving Average (ARMA) process is adopted as a reference model for comparison. The performance of each BPNN and ARMA process is measured by computing the Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD), and Mean of Squared Errors (MSE). The simulation results reveal that the LM algorithm is the best performer and show strong evidence of the superiority of the BPNN over ARMA process. In sum, because of the simplicity and effectiveness of the approach, it could be implemented for real business application problems to predict US currency exchange rate future price.
Solving Solid Transportation Problems with Multi-Choice Cost and Stochastic Supply and Demand
Authors: Roy Sankar Kumar , Mahapatra Deshabrata Roy
Published: January 2015

In this chapter, the authors propose a new approach to analyze the Solid Transportation Problem (STP). This new approach considers the multi-choice programming into the cost coefficients of objective function and stochastic programming, which is incorporated in three constraints, namely sources, destinations, and capacities constraints, followed by Cauchy's distribution for solid transportation problem. The multi-choice programming and stochastic programming are combined into a solid transportation problem, and this new problem is called Multi-Choice Stochastic Solid Transportation Problem (MCSSTP). The solution concepts behind the MCSSTP are based on a new transformation technique that will select an appropriate choice from a set of multi-choice, which optimize the objective function. The stochastic constraints of STP converts into deterministic constraints by stochastic programming approach. Finally, the authors construct a non-linear programming problem for MCSSTP, and by solving it, they derive an optimal solution of the specified problem. A realistic example on STP is considered to illustrate the methodology.
Determinants of Migration-Related Decision Making among the Asian Indian Community in the United States
Authors: George Babu P.
Published: January 2015

This chapter examines the complex dynamics underlying Indian immigrants' decision to continue to stay in the United States or to counter migrate back to India. In a reversal of fortunes, the specific set of conditions that once triggered a massive inflow of economic migrants from India to the US has been causing a counter migration to India. Based on a review of literature and an exploratory study involving focus groups, the authors identify some of the major migration-/counter migration-related factors. Then, employing a survey, the relative importance of each of these factors is gauged for migrant individuals associated with different professions.
Soil Contamination
Authors: Sheikhavandi Tarlan
Published: January 2015

Soil, the final product of long-lasting forming processes, is a nearly non-renewable source and an environmental necessity. Soil contamination, also known as soil pollution, which is generally defined as the presence of man-made chemicals and alterations in soil, is widely capable of causing long-term health issues and a disrupted ecosystem. From a general scientific point of view, soil contaminants can be classified as Macro and Micro contaminants by quantity, while micro-contaminants divide into two groups: organic and inorganic pollutants. Contamination types can be also categorized by contamination source. Subsequent to verifying the type of contaminant and in order to amend contaminated soils, varieties of methods are provided. Physical, Chemical, and Biological (Bio-Remediation) techniques are used to extract, degrade, or immobilize soil contaminants. These methods can be utilized as a single technique or as a combination of methods. The objective of this chapter is to clarify the soil contamination and the approaches to amendment.
A Case Study on Collaborative Modeling of Environmental Decision Processes
Authors: Kirchner Kathrin
Published: January 2015

Environmental decision making has to deal with trade-offs between social, political, environmental, and economic impacts, with different stakeholders' views, which rely on expert knowledge and expertise. This chapter describes how such environmental decision processes can be explored, analyzed, documented, and formalized. Decisions in this problem area depend notably on expertise and experience acquired by all involved decision makers. In this chapter, a collaborative approach is developed and applied that integrates the stakeholders as a partner into the modeling process. After the decision process is documented using the card game CUTA4BPM, all information, which leads up to a decision, will be collected, systemized, and grouped using supplementary paper cards. The outcome of this modeling leads to a formalized model of the decision process. On account of this approach, the real decision process is modeled and increases trust in the decisions suggested by a decision support system later on. This collaborative approach is evaluated by a case study in crop planning.
E-Waste Recycling by Electrostatic Separation
Authors: Bedeković Gordan
Published: January 2015

This chapter discusses the problem of Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) as one of the largest growing waste streams globally, the influence of the product complexity and liberation in separation, and the basics of electrostatic separation. A very short review of mechanical separation processes is given and research conducted on one fraction of CRT TV set is presented. A CRT TV set fraction with higher copper content consists of yokes of a cathode tube, cables, connectors, and wires, which were tested by electrostatic separation method. The aim of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of electrostatic separation, to determine and rank the influence of separator operating parameters, and to set models for assessment of the concentration quality and recovery of metals. The results show that it is possible to achieve a high quality of concentrates (metal content from 77 to 100%), while recovery varies greatly (from 10 to 99%).
Developing Language Awareness in Primary School Children with Multilingual Virtual Talking Books
Authors: Lohe Viviane , Elsner Daniela
Published: January 2015

This paper introduces the software application MuViT (Multilingual Virtual Talking Books) which was developed within an EU funded Comenius project between 2011 and 2013. MuViT contains digital storybooks in five different languages (German, English, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish). The article specifies the theoretical background of the project, the software application and its objectives, as well as the research interests and first findings with regard to the development of mono- and plurilingual primary school pupils' language awareness while and after working with MuViT for 6 weeks.
Improving Technology of Constructing Pre-Fabricated Buildings in the Conditions of Northern Regions
Authors: Sychev Sergei , Bad’in Gennadiy , Kazakov Yuriy , Judina Antonina
Published: January 2015

The principles of high-speed pre-fabricated industrial construction in the conditions of Northern regions are as follows. There are several types of methods for using industrial unified structures pre-fabricated at the factory in the form of light-weight multi-layer sandwich panels and aggregated block-modules. They are: complex mechanization of assembly processes, transportation and sequenced-flow organization of assembly on the basis of supplying aggregated sandwich panels. Key importance belongs to the following: adaptability of project solutions to streamlined production, accuracy of assembly and regular pace of assembly operations in the construction site by means of transportable small-size equipment.
New Paradigm of Integrated Housing Development in the Metropolitan Area (Based on the Example of St. Petersburg)
Authors: Ershova Svetlana , Smirnov Evgeny
Published: January 2015

The article studies the development of an integrated residential housing in Russian metropolises. One of the pressing issues of the modern real estate market development in a metropolis is the need for stirring up investment processes in the housing sector. Study of the problems associated with the formation of integrated residential development and social orientation of housing, are hampered by a number of factors, primarily related to the lack of the mechanism of management of investments into an integrated housing in the metropolitan area, a rather complicated structure of the public administration system, lack of clarity combined with a certain duplication of functions conferred on authorities, unclear mechanism of interaction between the participants of the investment process, and many others.While studying problems of the formation of the residential development for a large city, authors used the methods of logical analysis, synthesis and comparison. A systematic approach, methods of scientific abstraction and expertise have allowed authors to identify the main problems and specific features of the large Russian cities’ residential areas development; on this basis they formulated the main principles of urban planning policy in the sphere of housing construction, and grounded the necessity of developing a monitoring system of integrated development.