bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
L’observation du lien entre un bébé et une auxiliaire de puériculture lors d’un soin : une écoute de la subjectivité du bébé
Authors: Simon Marie-Madeleine
Published: October 2015

Un bébé accueilli en pouponnière nécessite des soins de maternage appropriés à son état et à ses besoins primaires fondamentaux. L’auxiliaire de puériculture s’appuie sur ses connaissances et son expérience pour y répondre. Cependant, sa pratique est en permanence à réajuster au ressenti du bébé, dans le lien qui s’établit au quotidien, notamment dans ces temps de soin qui sont des temps de rencontre spécifiques. Le travail clinique, à partir de l’observation de ce qui se vit dans la relation bébé-professionnelle lors d’un soin, favorise une meilleure connaissance de cet enfant au fil des jours et participe à l’élaboration d’un prendre soin adapté. Cela facilite chez le bébé l’intériorisation de ses expériences et éprouvés corporels, dans un tissage de lien de confiance sécurisant pour lui.
Du massage viennent les mots
Authors: Griffay Mouterde Florence
Published: October 2015

Des parents se retrouvent en petits groupes pour apprendre à masser leur bébé. La technique proposée est simple, afin qu’ils puissent rapidement se l’approprier. Ils vivent ainsi un moment d’échanges privilégiés avec leur enfant à travers le toucher. Cet espace où le corps est très présent va souvent libérer la parole et permettre aux parents de partager leur expérience de la parentalité. Ces échanges très riches vont les rassurer et les aider à trouver leur propre cheminement.
Une ostéopathe dans sa pratique avec les bébés :une rencontre au service du mouvement
Authors: Parmentier Bénédicte
Published: October 2015

Une ostéopathe évoque sa pratique quotidienne avec les bébés en cabinet libéral. Elle nous parle de sa rencontre avec les enfants, du contact à leur corps qui ouvre à une présence de toute leur personne. Elle nous explique comment son travail conduit à la transformation des tissus et à redonner de la mobilité à l’ensemble des structures du corps.
À la découverte de sa corporalité animée
Authors: Xambeu Maurice
Published: October 2015

Un nouveau-né ne peut découvrir son corps que dans une perception globale de lui-même. La confirmation affective qu’il peut recevoir, dans le contact tendre direct comme dans l’accompagnement de tous ses élans, ses mouvements d’âme, lui permet de découvrir sa façon « d’habiter son corps » : sa corporalité, sentiment qui lui permet de se vivre dans les rencontres.
Debilities of the UMTS Security Mode Set-Up Procedure and Attacks against UMTS/HSPA Device
Authors: Alonso Diego Fernández , Alejos Ana Vázquez , Sánchez Manuel García
Published: October 2015

A study and identification of vulnerabilities during the set-up procedure of the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) and how some of them can be exploited. For accomplishment a good understanding of the security messages exchange, a part of UMTS architecture is developed firstly. After the explanation of the security mode set-up procedure debilities, the chapter identify attacks that take advantage of the fact that some messages during their exchange in the process are not protected. The attacks indicated in the chapter are mostly of Denial of Service (DoS) kind, and mainly are performed with a rogue BTS.
Big Data
Authors: Ghorpade-Aher Jayshree , Pagare Reena , Thengade Anita , Ghorpade Santaji , Kadam Manik
Published: October 2015

Today is the Computer Era, where the data is increasing exponentially. Managing such a huge data is a challenging job. Under the explosive increase of global data, the term of big data is mainly used to describe enormous datasets. The state-of-the-art of big data is discussed here. The discussions aim to provide a comprehensive overview and big-picture to readers of this existing research area. This chapter discusses the different models and technologies for Big Data; It also introduces Big data Storage. Big data has been a potential topic in various research fields and areas like healthcare, public sector, retail, manufacturing personal data, etc.
The Pedagogy of English Teaching-Learning at Primary Level in Rural Government Schools
Authors: Kumar P. Sunil , Pradhan Sateesh Kumar , Panda Sachidananda
Published: October 2015

English language is accepted as the global language in all walks of life today. Hence it becomes mandatory for everyone to learn English in order to be successful at the individual as well as social levels. Although Government has taken number of initiatives, it is necessary to mention that our rural schools at the primary level are adversely affected in this aspect, as the children are not properly taken care of in English teaching and learning skills. This paper is based on a survey work done amongst the students, parents and teachers by using data mining techniques like association rule mining measures and other interesting measures to reveal the facts for better implementation.
CUDA or OpenCL
Authors: Bhura Mayank , Deshpande Pranav H. , Chandrasekaran K.
Published: October 2015

Usage of General Purpose Graphics Processing Units (GPGPUs) in high-performance computing is increasing as heterogeneous systems continue to become dominant. CUDA had been the programming environment for nearly all such NVIDIA GPU based GPGPU applications. Still, the framework runs only on NVIDIA GPUs, for other frameworks it requires reimplementation to utilize additional computing devices that are available. OpenCL provides a vendor-neutral and open programming environment, with many implementations available on CPUs, GPUs, and other types of accelerators, OpenCL can thus be regarded as write once, run anywhere framework. Despite this, both frameworks have their own pros and cons. This chapter presents a comparison of the performance of CUDA and OpenCL frameworks, using an algorithm to find the sum of all possible triple products on a list of integers, implemented on GPUs.
Academic Assessment of Critical Thinking in Distance Education Information Technology Programs
Authors: Richards Mina , Guzman Indira R
Published: October 2015

The purpose of this book chapter is to elucidate the process of assessment in higher education with a focus on distance learning and information technology programs. Its mission is to bring awareness of academic assessment concepts and best practices in the use of standard assessment tools and direct measures to evaluate student learning. The chapter provides definitions of academic assessment and presents the application of signature assignments and rubrics in the Computer Science and Information Technology Management programs to demonstrate student learning results.
Economic Crisis and Higher Education in Greece
Authors: Giousmpasoglou Charalampos , Marinakou Evangelia , Paliktzoglou Vasileios
Published: October 2015

It can be argued that higher education (HE) in Greece has always been problematic and dysfunctional in the post-dictatorship era (1974-2008). This is evident from the fact that Greek governments have failed to reform HE according to the EU standards despite the public demand and industry needs. Additionally the existence of a large number of state universities and technological institutes (TEIs) in combination with the phenomena of: nepotism, favouritism, trade unionism, political involvement, and the creation of unnecessary departments in rural areas in order to satisfy the local voters support this argument. This chapter describes the current situation of HE in Greece. It discusses the challenges that staff, students and the government face from the impact of the economic crisis. In addition, it provides an overview of the effects of the changes in HE on the society. Finally, it explores the prospects and opportunities that exist for HE policy makers, staff and students; especially in terms of their future employability.
IT in Higher Education-Possibilities and Prospects in an Era of Economic Crisis
Authors: Manzoor Amir
Published: October 2015

A 21st Century Classroom is a learning environment that incorporates current critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and collaboration skills into traditional core knowledge instruction. Fostering this space will enable students to integrate core subjects and lead to a deeper understanding of global awareness and greater economic, civic, health and environmental literacy. Skeptics have argued that transforming higher education, especially to attenuate its cost is something, which we know, but we cannot get it. However, information technology is a way to achieve this required transformation. This chapter explores explore how information technology might help achieve this transformation to advance higher education, and its prospects for success.
Financial Valuation of a Business Model as an Intangible Asset
Authors: Hanafizadeh Payam , Hosseinioun Seyed Saeed , Khedmatgozar Hamid Reza
Published: October 2015

Knowledge-based economies rely greatly on intangible assets. Based on its features, a business model can be an intangible asset; by posing barriers to imitation, it can create competitive advantage and increase a company's value. Hence, a business model's financial valuation is of great importance. Accordingly, the main objective of the present study is to design a process to valuate business models, using income approach and the concept of competitive advantage. An active corporation engaged in daily deal business was chosen as a case study. Its business model is identified and then valued using the proposed process. The results revealed that the process has reasonable accuracy. Financial valuation of business models is useful for bridging the gap between book value and market value, increasing a firm's ability to raise capital from venture capitalists, improving bargaining power in M&A contracts and providing support in the case of litigation.
Comparison of Performance of Optimized Varela Immune Controller and PID Controller for Control of Time-Delay Process
Authors: Hošovský Alexander , Tóthová Mária , Židek Kamil
Published: October 2015

Varela immune controller is a kind of nonlinear controller, which is said to have good anti-delay capabilities. We compare the performance of simulated annealing optimized improved Varela immune controller and optimized PID controller for controlling a process with very long time delay (approximation of biomass-fired boiler temperature control). The results confirm that Varela immune controller is indeed capable of stabilizing the process while being very robust even to extreme changes in process parameters (time constant and time delay). In addition to that, it is also found out that properly (optimally) tuned PID controller is capable of achieving similar performance. The problem of controller tuning is relevant for both controllers but there are no tuning rules for immune controllers, which might favor the use of conventional PID controller. On the other hand, Varela controller has greater flexibility due to its more complex structure, which might help to adapt it to some special kinds of processes.
Implementation of Robot Control Algorithms by Real-Time Control System
Authors: Fedak Viliam , Durovsky Frantisek , Uveges Robert , Kyslan Karol , Lacko Milan
Published: October 2015

The paper deals with development and implementation of the direct and inverse kinematics to control of 6 DOF industrial robot SEF-ROBOTER SR25 by a real time control system. To obtain the angular position of each joint an iterative algorithm is applied that is developed in the Simulink program. This solution creates a basis for real time control of the robot drives utilizing features of SIEMENS SINAMICS family of frequency converters. The developed control system presents a universal platform enabling to debug any robot control algorithm and also easy to change a desired trajectory of the end effector. The equipment is suitable for testing different trajectories of the robot and is suitable also for educational purposes.
Experimental Verification of Force Feedback for Rehabilitation Robot
Authors: More Marcel , Líška Ondrej , Kováč Juraj
Published: October 2015

Unlike conventional robots, the equipment provided with pneumatic artificial muscles cannot integrate standard systems for force measurement. Applied measurement system involves specific attributes and requirements for pneumatic muscles. Force feedback of rehabilitation device equipped with pneumatic muscles was experimentally verified under the laboratory condition.
Robotic Arm Based Dynamixel Actuators Controlled by the Data Glove
Authors: Girovský Peter , Kundrát Matúš
Published: October 2015

This contribution deals with the control of a robot arm using a data glove. To construct the data gloves were used bend sensors and sensor of acceleration. Robotic arm was built using the modular actuators Dynamixel. Control program for controlling a robot arm using a data glove was created in Matlab.
Utilization of RFID Technology for Monitoring Technical State of Chosen Elements of Cargo Railway Wagon
Authors: Balog Michal , Szilagyi Erik , Mindas Miroslav
Published: October 2015

This article deals about specific application of RFID technology in safety area of railway cargo transport. The goal is utilization of this technology in interaction with most common interferences on cargo railway wagons, which causes not only higher costs of repair of these wagons, but by substantial impact increase also the risk of danger accident. The essence of article is formed by draft of specific RFID tags on chosen elements of chassis of cargo railway wagon.
A Case Study of a Two Wheeler Manufacturing Unit on Manufacturing Competency & Strategic Success
Authors: Singh Chandan Deep , Khamba Jaimal Singh
Published: October 2015

Competence management comprises the management, building, leveraging and deployment of strategic and operational competencies, the causal relationships and linkages between them, and the way competencies are embedded in organizational and individual resources. In-house development and external acquisition to contextual factors, for small manufacturing firms, such as the firms’ strategic orientations are inter related. This paper presents a detailed case study in a two wheeler manufacturing unit.Keywords: Manufacturing Competency, Strategic Success, Case Study, Two Wheeler Manufacturing Unit
A Novel CNFET Technology Based 3 Bit Flash ADC for Low-Voltage High Speed SoC Application
Authors: Sankar P.A. Gowri , Sathiyabama G.
Published: October 2015

The continuous scaling down of metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) led to the considerable impact in the analog-digital mixed signal integrated circuit design for system-on-chips (SoCs) application. SoCs trends force ADCs to be integrated on the chip with other digital circuits. These trends present new challenges in ADC circuit design based on existing CMOS technology. In this paper, we have designed and analyzed a 3-bit high speed, low-voltage and low-power flash ADC at 32nm CNFET technology for SoC applications. The proposed ADC utilizes the Threshold Inverter Quantization (TIQ) technique that uses two cascaded carbon nanotube field effect transistor (CNFET) inverters as a comparator. The TIQ technique proposed has been developed for better implementation in SoC applications. The performance of the proposed ADC is studied using two different types of encoders such as ROM and Fat tree encoders. The proposed ADCs circuits are simulated using Synopsys HSPICE with standard 32nm CNFET model at 0.9 input supply voltage. The simulation results show that the proposed 3 bit TIQ technique based flash ADC with fat tree encoder operates up to 8 giga samples per second (GSPS) with 35.88µW power consumption. From the simulation results, we observed that the proposed TIQ flash ADC achieves high speed, small size, low power consumption, and low voltage operation compared to other low power CMOS technology based flash ADCs. The proposed method is sensitive to process, temperature and power supply voltage variations and their impact on the ADC performance is also investigated.
Simulation and Experiment Study on Cutting Temperature in Diamond Ultra-Precision Cutting of Aluminum Alloy Mirror
Authors: Zhang Yuan Jing , Dong Guo Jun , Zhou Ming
Published: October 2015

The aluminum alloys are widely used to manufacture large mirror of infrared band optical systems because they have many advantages such as low cost, low mass density, well thermal conductivity, well plasticity and easy manufacturing. In order to imporve the machining efficiency and meet the requirements of suface error and suface roughness of large metal mirror, diamond ultra-precision cutting is used as finish machining to manufacture them. But the diamond tool wear is severe which is induce by the cutting heat and the cutting force during the cutting process. In this work, the metal cutting finit element sofeware-AdvantEdge has been used to study the cutting tempreture in diamond ultra-precision cutting of aluminum alloy, the influence rules of cutting parameters and tool geometric parameters are researched. And the diamond ultra-precesion cutting experiments were performed, the cutting temperature were detected by infrared thermal imager. The results show that the cutting speed exerts the most considerable influence on the cutting temperature, and the cutting temperature increases with an increase in the cutting speed. Although the temperature detected by the infrared thermal imager in the diamond ultra-precesion cutting experiments is lower than that obtained from the simulation of finit element method (FEM), the varied trend of the cutting temperature is the same. So the FEM simulation proves to be true.
The Influence of Welding Sequence on Welding Deformation of Sheet Metal Stamping
Authors: Shen Jiang Feng , He Yu Jing , Yu Yong Chang
Published: October 2015

Connection process of welding has many characteristics, such as high efficiency, simple and low cost. The change of welding sequence makes the stress and welding deformation changed, so welding sequence has larger influences for welding deformation. The proper welding sequence is important to reduce the deformation of the workpiece, improve the process quality of the product, reduce the electrode wear, increase the service life of welding machine. This paper according to the zhengzhou Nissan C16 models under the left engine cabin wall welding assembly, by comparison, different welding sequence draws the conclusion: in the welding process of sheet metal, irregular alloy steel workpiece thin will appear in size and shape in the stamping process, especially the two or more than two pieces of sheet metal combined welding to be used welding sequence suitable to reduce the deformation and error in the process of welding. For the sheet metal parts of irregular shape, with the gap bending degree and joint surface big welding area is the first welding object, to fit a small gap region is the second welding object, then from the big regional joint gap to fit clearance small area welded, solder joints of welding can be uniformly distributed, according to the results of the analysis to formulate reasonable welding sequence, can provide a theoretical basis for the formulation of welding technology in actual production. Therefore, welding sequence is particularly important.
Heat Transfer Analysis on Aluminum-Polymer Composite Molding Process
Authors: Wang Shuang , Li Xi Ping , Bai Li Li , Gong Ning Ning
Published: October 2015

Aluminum-polymer composite products have advantages of metals with high specific stiffness, specific strength and abrasion resistance as well as that of the polymers with easy forming and low cost. The aluminum-polymer parts with lightweight, high strength can be produced to meet the requirement and demand of market. The interface conditions between aluminum and polymer, especially the metal surface temperature has important effect on the strength of the molded products. On the basis of aluminum-polymer composite molding principle, the heat transfer process during the molding process is analyzed. First, the finite element model for the aluminum and the metal mold heat transfer is established, and the boundary conditions are analyzed and calculated. Then the temperature field of the aluminum and the metal mold after heating process are obtained by finite element method. Lastly, the simulation results are compared with the actual temperature test. It is showed that the simulation and test results are in good condition within error range. Results presented in this paper can be helpful to study the mechanism of aluminum-polymer composite molding process and improve their interface strength.
Dynamic Porosity of 3D Network SiC Ceramic as the Shock-Damping and Acoustic-Absorbing Material for Ultra-Precise Machine Laying
Authors: Huang Dan , Wang Ying , Zhao Wu
Published: October 2015

The continuously improving of the performance of ultra-precise machine bed is claimed for, including not only the better tolerance stiffness, strength, shock and wear resistance, but also the further shock-damping and acoustic-absorbing performance. In this paper, the acoustic absorption for continuous network SiC ceramic as the laying of ultra-precise machine bed is investigated. By way of the constitutive relation of the network SiC ceramic, the flexibility matrix of such structural body is obtained. In line with the virtual loading application, the balance equation of the unit cell of the network structure is constructed, as well as the effective stress and effective Yang’s modulus. While the elastic flexibility matrix of the structure body can be re-construct with the results above, the bulk strain of the material under the infinitesimal strain would be derived from the modified matrix. The mechanism induced the deformation of network SiC structure is revealed by means of the combination of the dynamic porosity model with the bulk strain. The sensitivities of all kinds of effective factors to the dynamic porosity is analyzed and the order of parameters’ sensitivities to the dynamic porosity of 3D triangle structure is: pressure < temperature < initial porosity < network rod length < network rod radius. The results lay the theoretical foundation of the micro-mesh structure design of the network ceramics as the ultra-precise machine beding.
Experimental and Modelling of Constitutive Equation of Polycarbonate Material
Authors: Liu Hai Tao , Chen Neng , Sun Ya Zhou
Published: October 2015

In this paper, according to the principle of building the constitutive model of polymer material, the one-dimensional structure of the ZWT material constitutive model is added to dashpot element in parallel, and in which strain rate and coefficient of viscosity is introduced and the nonlinear viscoelastic constitutive model of Polycarbonate material is achieved. Additionally, tensile test at low strain rate and Hopkinson test at high strain rate of polycarbonate material are carried out, and the change rule of yield strength of polycarbonate material is obtained both at high strain rate and low strain rate. According to the experimental data, the parameters of the constitutive model have been optimized and fitted using ant colony algorithm, and then the fitted results are compared with experimental results. The comparative results show that the improved ZWT constitutive model can reasonably represent the nonlinear characteristics of polycarbonate material at different strain rate.
Cutting Force in High-Speed Face Milling AISI H13 Steel
Authors: Cui Xiao Bin , Guo Jing Xia , Wang Xiao Yang
Published: October 2015

For the purpose of acquiring thorough understanding of the characteristics of cutting force in high and ultra-high-speed face milling of hardened steel, experimental investigations on face milling of AISI H13 steel (46-47 HRC) are conducted in the present study. The cutting speed of 1400 m/min, at which relatively low cutting force and relatively low surface roughness can be obtained at the same time, is considered as a critical value for both mechanical load and surface finish. The Taguchi method is applied to investigate the effects of cutting parameters on cutting force in different speed ranges (below and above 1400 m/min). In different speed ranges, the contribution order of the cutting parameters for the resultant cutting force is the same, namely axial depth of cut, cutting speed and feed per tooth. However, the contributions of cutting speed and feed per tooth increase substantially as the cutting speed surpasses 1400 m/min. Within the range of cutting parameters used in the present study, the optimum cutting conditions for the cutting force are cutting speed 200 m/min, feed per tooth 0.02 mm/tooth and axial depth of cut 0.1 mm.
Stress Analysis of Stepped Oblique End-Face Combined Concave Die Based on the Least Square Method
Authors: Lyu Zhi Peng , Ma Xiu Hua , Zhou Si Zhu , Wei Shi Zhong
Published: October 2015

this paper introduced two parameters, step height and end face Angle by improving the structure of the prestressed combination concave die to improve mould work performance, Analyzed the step height of 0-10mm, end face Angle of 0-35o, the change of stress, with the help of MATLAB software fitting the equivalent stress and the function relation between the step height and transverse Angle. Using stepwise slanting end face combination concave die can improve the bearing capacity and reduce the fracture and deformation of the die.
Design of Hydraulic Locking Mechanism Based on Material Friction
Authors: Zhu Wen Dong , Pan Xu Dong , Li Ye , Huo Wei Jie
Published: October 2015

Hydraulic cylinders are the actuators used in driving and bearing heavy loads. In normal conditions, it is required to bear load steadily for long time. Due to the inevitable internal leakage of traditional hydraulic cylinder, the strict conditions of the applications are always hard to meet. The materials selecting of cylinder and lock sleeve is very important on a new type of locking mechanism. This paper presents the design of hydraulic locking mechanism based on material friction properties. The strength, elasticity, temperature coefficient, and the factors such as friction coefficient are considered in the process of design. The choosing of materials of the cylinder and the lock sleeve are proposed based on different specific situations, such as steel and steel, steel and nodular cast iron, steel and bronze, steel and aluminum alloy. The paper take 45# steel cylinder body and QT50-5 lock sleeve as an example to illustrate the design process of locking mechanism.
Light Scattering of HDPE and LDPE in Laser Transmission Welding
Authors: Zhong Xue Jiao , Fan Cai Lian , Liu Hui Xia , Li Pin , Wang Xiao
Published: October 2015

Light scattering of the upper polymer have a great influence on welding quality. Light scattering of high density polyethylene (HDPE) and low density polyethylene (LDPE) are assessed by constructing experiment and numerical computation method. Firstly, the beam quality of semiconductor laser is analyzed, power flux distribution of the laser beam in a defocused plane is measured by knife edge method; Afterwards, the power flux distributions of the laser beam after passing through HDPE/LDPE are measured by line scanning method; Lastly, with the combination of the mathematical model which is used to calculate scattering coefficient and standard deviation of scattering, scattering related parameters and the laser power flux distribution at the welding interface are obtained by writing a program in MATLAB. The results show that the light scattering coefficient of high density polyethylene is up to 0.988, the light scattering coefficient of low density polyethylene is 0.92; Higher crystalline polyethylene leads to more obvious light scattering; the laser beam power flux distribution at the weld interface affected by scattering is determined, which lays a solid foundation on numerical simulation in laser transmission welding.
Nanocellulose Films from Amazon Forest Wood Wastes: Structural and Thermal Properties
Authors: Bufalino Lina , Tonoli G.H.D. , Costa Tattiane Gomes , Protásio Thiago de Paula , Sena Neto Alfredo Rodrigues , Marconcini José Manoel , Guimarães Junior Mário , Mendes Lourival Marin
Published: October 2015

The aim of this work was to determine the best fibrillation intensity that should be used to produce high crystalline and thermal stable microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) and nanocellulose films fromC. goeldianaveneer wastes. The number of passages (cycles) of cellulose suspension tested in grinder were 10, 20, 30 and 40. Important properties to be analyzed included changes in morphology from the raw wood to the nanocellulose films, increases/decreases in cellulose crystalline index for inference on biomaterial strength, and thermal behavior changes to support conclusions on biomaterials processing and application possibilities. After chemical treatments for cellulose isolation, mechanical shearing was applied to produce cellulose nanostructures; hence nanocellulose films could be successfully produced fromC. goeldianawood wastes. Influence of more refining cycles on thermal properties, indicated higher stability for 40-cycles nanocellulose films. In general, grinder refining process decreased crystalline index of cellulose.
The Elastic Modulus and Poisson's Ratio of Laminated Bamboo Guadua angustifolia
Authors: Takeuchi Caori Patricia , Estrada Martin , Linero Dorian Luis
Published: October 2015

Laminated bamboo is a natural composite material with cellulose fibers, parenchyma cells, and vascular bundles. The mechanical characterization of this material includes not only the determination of its strength, but also of its elastic constants. Given the anisotropic nature of the laminated material, compression tests were performed on three groups of specimens. The elastic modulus in the load direction and the Poisson's ratio were determined, and the results showed that the material's physical anisotropy causes an anisotropic mechanical behavior. The average values obtained for the elastic modulus ranged from 30044 MPa for group 1 to 265 MPa for group 2. The results of the test to determine the Poisson's ratio in compression perpendicular to the fibers, ranged from 0.013 to 0.278 whereas those obtained in compression parallel to the fibers, ranged from 0.621 to 1.506.
Concrete Water Footprint Assessment Methodologies
Authors: Mack Yazmin Lisbeth , Oliveira Lidiane Santana , John Vanderley Moacyr
Published: October 2015

Concrete is the single most widely used material in the world and is only surpassed by water in terms of consumption. By 2013, 4 billion tonnes of Portland cement were produced worldwide, enough to produce about 32 billion tonnes of concrete, which represents more than 4.6 tonnes of concrete per person per year. The high water consumption and large amount of wastewater generated in the concrete industry has become a very important environmental issue. Due to the large global use of concrete, it is essential to correctly assess the environmental impacts of this material including impacts related to water consumption. Life cycle perspective is important because it allows identifying and reducing water related potential environmental impacts associated with products. In concrete life cycle assessment, these impacts are not considered mostly because of lack of data. There are several methodologies for water footprint assessment, as The Water Footprint Assessment Tool and the ISO 14046:2014 standard -that is based on life cycle assessment (ISO 14044)-, as well as sustainable reporting guidelines, which include water assessment for organizations. The aim of this paper is to evaluate existing water footprint methodologies based on life-cycle assessment, their concepts and difficulties, and link them to concrete industry. Out of at least eighteen existing water footprint methodologies, it was found that four of them are feasible for cement based materials industry, however there are differences between the definitions and criteria adopted by each methodology.
Analysis of the Durability of Lightweight Concrete Protected by an Acrylic Layer in an Aggressive Acid Environment
Authors: Ribeiro Carmen Couto , de Souza Abreu Felipe , Starling Tadeu , Lopes Neto Pedro José , Silva Pinto Joana Darc
Published: October 2015

When exposed to adverse conditions the concrete must be protected so as to maintain absorption at acceptable levels. This paper presents the assessment of a lightweight expanded clay concrete protected by an acrylic layer exposed to an aggressive environment. The specimens were prepared with 370kg/m3 of cement and the water-binder ratio of 0.50 corresponds to the value established in NBR 6118 types for concrete subjected to highly aggressive environments. The concrete produced presented specific mass of 1,600kg/m3, dry consistency and compressive strength of 25MPa. Visual inspection shows that the protected specimens of lightweight concrete presented a clear reduction of the loss of cohesion of the grout caused by the attack as well as lower water absorption and mass loss. The acrylic layer assessed as a surface protector presented a good adherence level to the substrate and efficiency since it reduced the penetration of the aggressive agent, thus minimizing degradation and increasing durability of the lightweight expanded clay concrete.
Thermal and Mechanical Behaviors of Cementitious Composites Reinforced with Bagasse
Authors: Bilba Ketty , Rodier Loïc , Onésippe Cristel , Arsène Marie Ange
Published: October 2015

Worldwide, the purpose of enhancing sustainability, circular economy, use of by-products and renewable resources, has an increasing interest. Adding value to vegetable tropical resources is one of the challenges of COVACHIM-M2E laboratory. In this paper, sugar cane bagasse is evaluated both as mineral replacement and as reinforcement in cementitious matrices. In the modified matrix, cement is partly replaced by natural pozzolan and bagasse ashes, thus a ternary matrix is obtained. Composites materials are then elaborated by incorporation of bagasse fibers in this modified matrix (2 to 6 weight percent).The thermal conductivity and bending strength of the composites placed in a climatic chamber (25°C, 50% of relative humidity) are evaluated and compared to composites made with commercial cement and bagasse fibers, exposed to identical aging conditions.
Use of Castor Hull and Sugarcane Bagasse in Particulate Composites
Authors: Wisky Silva Danillo , Farrapo Camila Láis , Farinassi Mendes Rafael , Mendes Lourival Marin , Tonoli Gustavo Henrique Denzin , Guimarães Jr. José Benedito
Published: October 2015

Particulate composites can be manufactured using low-quality raw materials, thus presents the option of using various non-wood materials, including agricultural waste. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of using castor hull and sugarcane bagasse on the physico-mechanical properties of particulate composites. Particleboards were produced using raw materials such as Pinus oocarpa wood, castor hull (Ricinus communis), and sugarcane bagasse (Saccharum officinarum) in different proportions: 1) 100% P. oocarpa wood; 2) 100% castor hull; 3) 100% sugarcane bagasse; 4) 50% P. oocarpa wood and 50% castor hull; and 5) 50% P. oocarpa wood and 50% sugarcane bagasse. The produced panels had a nominal density of 0.70 g/cm3, 8% urea-formaldehyde adhesive, specific pressure of 3.92 MPa, temperature of 160°C, and pressing time of 8 min. The panels produced with sugarcane bagasse, with or without pine wood, showed better dimensional stability. The panels produced with sugarcane bagasse only or with castor hull only showed the lowest values ​​of modulus of rupture and elasticity to the bending. However, despite these differences among the treatments, all treatments met the requirements of the EN 312 (2003) standard for internal use panels.
Buriti Palm Fiber (Mauritia flexuosa MART.): Characterization and Studies for its Application in Design Products
Authors: Cattani Ivete Maria , Baruque-Ramos Júlia
Published: October 2015

Buriti (Mauritia flexuosa Mart.) is the most common and abundant palm tree in the Brazilian territory and it is present throughout South America. It is known as the "Tree of Life", because everything in it can be used and many residents of rural communities have this palm tree as their main source of income. In different Brazilian states, the fibers removed from young leaves of the Buriti palm tree are employed in the manufacturing of handicraft, being this fiber popularly known as "flax or silk" of buriti. In order to apply the “flax or silk” of buriti in new products, it is necessary to study their physiochemical characteristics, as well as to monitor the handling of the palm tree, the extraction process of the fiber and its application in handmade products. The buriti fiber analyzed in this study is from the Brazilian Cerrado biome, more specifically from the town of Barreirinhas (Maranhão State). The fibers were tested in order to determine tensile rupture strength, tenacity, elongation, Young’s modulus, cross microscopic structure and regain. In order to carry out the tests, the fibers were separated in 5 groups: 1) in natura fibers, 2) fibers boiled by the origin community, 3) fibers boiled in bleach, 4) fibers boiled in softener, and 5) fibers boiled in lemon juice, being the processing of last three groups done in the city of São Paulo. The group used for cross and longitudinal microscopy was in natura fibers. The groups of fibers referred were also maintained in water at 37°C for 21 days to determine its reaction and resistance to weather and were analyzed every 3 days. The results of tenacity, elongation and Young ́s modulus for each group were respectively: 1) 28.4±5.6 cN/tex (CV=20%), 8.3±0.6% (CV=7%), 6.1±0.8 N/tex (CV=13%); 2) 31.0±7.7 cN/tex (CV=25%), 8.4±0.8% (CV=9%), 7.2±0.7 N/tex (CV=10%); 3) 27.6±7.2 cN/tex (CV=26%), 7.9±0.6% (CV=7%), 6.0±1.2 N/tex (CV=20%); 4) 22.1±8.8 cN/tex (CV=40%), 8.6±1.9% (CV=22%), 5.0±1.0 N/tex (CV=20%); 5) 29.7±6.5 cN/tex (CV=22%), 8.6±0.6% (CV=7%), 5.8±0.8 N/tex (CV=13%). Through this study it could be possible to expand knowledge regarding the potential of the Brazilian biodiversity, presenting applications for the buriti fiber in the development of new products to be employed in design and industry as well as collaborating in the construction of social benefits by encouraging the recovery and strengthening of local cultural identity, community organization around solidarity economy and consequent generation of income for fibers extractive communities.
Nanoferrites of Transition Metals and their Catalytic Activity
Authors: Sharma J.K. , Srivastava Pratibha , Singh Gurdip , Virk Hardev Singh
Published: October 2015

Recent applications of transition metal nanoferrites as catalyst in thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) and combustion of composite solid propellant (CSP), have been reviewed. Catalytic applications include the use of mainly cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, manganese, cadmium nanoferrites, as well as their mixed-metal combinations. The nanoferrites are obtained mainly by wet-chemical, sol-gel, solvo-thermal, auto-combustion and co-precipitation methods. Addition of nanoferrites to AP led to shifting of the high temperature decomposition peak toward lower temperatures which shows their catalytic activity. The burning rates of CSPs have also been enhanced by these nanoferrites.
Contents of Paper
Housing Temperature–Induced Stress Is Suppressing Murine Graft-versus-Host Disease through β2-Adrenergic Receptor Signaling
Authors: Leigh Nicholas D. , Kokolus Kathleen M. , O’Neill Rachel E. , Du Wei , Eng Jason W.-L. , Qiu Jingxin , Chen George L. , McCarthy Philip L. , Farrar J. David , Cao Xuefang , Repasky Elizabeth A.
Published: October 2015

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is the major complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, a potentially curative therapy for hematologic diseases. It has long been thought that murine bone marrow–derived T cells do not mediate severe GVHD because of their quantity and/or phenotype. During the course of experiments testing the impact of housing temperatures on GVHD, we discovered that this apparent resistance is a function of the relatively cool ambient housing temperature. Murine bone marrow–derived T cells have the ability to mediate severe GVHD in mice housed at a thermoneutral temperature. Specifically, mice housed at Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee–mandated, cool standard temperatures (∼22°C) are more resistant to developing GVHD than are mice housed at thermoneutral temperatures (∼30°C). We learned that the mechanism underlying this housing-dependent immunosuppression is associated with increased norepinephrine production and excessive signaling through β-adrenergic receptor signaling, which is increased when mice are cold stressed. Treatment of mice housed at 22°C with a β2-adrenergic antagonist reverses the norepinephrine-driven suppression of GVHD and yields similar disease to mice housed at 30°C. Conversely, administering a β2-adrenergic agonist decreases GVHD in mice housed at 30°C. In further mechanistic studies using β2-adrenergic receptor–deficient (β2-AR−/−) mice, we found that it is host cell β2-AR signaling that is essential for decreasing GVHD. These data reveal how baseline levels of β-adrenergic receptor signaling can influence murine GVHD and point to the feasibility of manipulation of β2-AR signaling to ameliorate GVHD in the clinical setting.
Health-related quality of life, lung function and dyspnea rating in COPD patients
Authors: Justine M. , Tahirah F. , Mohan V.
Published: October 2015

Health-related quality of life, lung function and dyspnea rating in COPD patients. M. Justine, F. Tahirah, V. Mohan. Background and Aim. COPD is a progressive and irreversible disease, thus assessing the impact of the disease on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is important in the management of COPD. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between HRQOL, lung function and dyspnea rating in patients with stable COPD. Methods. One hundred COPD patients (mean age = 64.76±11.43 years) were recruited for this cross-sectional study. Lung function test was measured using a FlowScreen portable spirometry. Dyspnea rating was measured using the baseline dyspnea index (BDI). HRQOL was assessed using the SF-36v2 which summarized two components; physical health component summary (PHCS) and mental health component summary (MHCS). The results. The mean value of lung function (Forced expiratory volume in 1 second, FEV1% predicted) was 58.19±30.24 and dyspnea rating was 6.85±2.68. The lung function was significantly correlated with MHCS (r=.294, p0.05). The dyspnea rating was significantly correlated with both PHCS (r=.730, p<0.05) and MHCS (r=.324, p<0.05). Regression analysis indicated that dyspnea rating emerged as the most significant predictor for PHCS and MHCS accounting for 54% and 12% of the variances respectively. Conclusions. The findings show that dyspnea rating is an important factor in predicting HRQOL of patients with COPD. This indicates that dyspnea rating influences HRQOL to a greater extent than the physiological measurement of lung function. Therefore, focusing on such predictors at an early stage may provide meaningful benefits in the management of COPD.
Effective implementation of change into routine work. Thinking over ways and means of a learning experience in Cardiology
Authors: Angelino Elisabetta
Published: October 2015

Effective implementation of change in patients’ care is a substantive problem. Organizational learning is viewed as process of seeking, selecting, and adapting new “routines” to improve performance but learning from experience is not automatic, but rather may result from action and reflection within the organization. Keywords: hospital discharge, intervention development, learning, checklist.
Review of ‘Evaluation management in South Africa and Africa’
Authors: Rogers Patricia J.
Published: October 2015

No abstract available.
Etiology and Incidence of Viral Acute Respiratory Infections Among Refugees Aged 5 Years and Older in Hagadera Camp, Dadaab, Kenya
Authors: Mohamed Gedi A. , Ahmed Jamal A. , Marano Nina , Mohamed Abdinoor , Moturi Edna , Burton Wagacha , Otieno Samora , Fields Barry , Montgomery Joel , Kabugi Willy , Musa Hashim , Cookson Susan T.
Published: October 2015

We used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–Kenya Medical Research Institute Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) Surveillance System data to estimate severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) hospitalization rates, viral etiology, and associated complaints of influenza-like illnesses (ILI) and SARI conditions among those aged 5 years and older in Hagadera, Dadaab refugee camp, Kenya, for 2010–2012. A total of 471 patients aged ≥ 5 years met the case definition for ILI or SARI. SARI hospitalization rates per 10,000 person-years were 14.7 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 9.1, 22.2) for those aged 5–14 years; 3.4 (95% CI = 1.6, 7.2) for those aged 15–24 year; and 3.8 (95% CI = 1.6, 7.2) for those aged ≥ 25 years. Persons between the ages of 5 and 14 years had 3.5 greater odds to have been hospitalized as a result of SARI than those aged ≥ 25 years (odds ratio [OR] = 3.5, P < 0.001). Among the 419 samples tested, 169 (40.3%) were positive for one or more virus. Of those samples having viruses, 36.9% had influenza A; 29.9% had adenovirus; 20.2% had influenza B; and 14.4% had parainfluenza 1, 2, or 3. Muscle/joint pain was associated with influenza A (P = 0.002), whereas headache was associated with influenza B (P = 0.019). ARIs were responsible for a substantial disease burden in Hagadera camp.
Emergence of Melioidosis in Indonesia
Authors: Tauran Patricia M. , Sennang Nurhayana , Rusli Benny , Wiersinga W. Joost , Dance David , Arif Mansyur , Limmathurotsakul Direk
Published: October 2015

Melioidosis is known to be highly endemic in parts of southeast Asia and northern Australia; however, cases are rarely reported in Indonesia. Here we report three cases of melioidosis in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia occurring between 2013 and 2014. Two patients died and the other was lost to follow-up. Burkholderia pseudomallei isolates from all three cases were identified by the VITEK2 Compact installed in the hospital in 2012. None of the three patients reported received antimicrobials recommended for melioidosis because of the delayed recognition of the organism. We reviewed the literature and found only seven reports of melioidosis in Indonesia. Five were reported before 1960. We suggest that melioidosis is endemic throughout Indonesia but currently under-recognized. Training on how to identify B. pseudomallei accurately and safely in all available microbiological facilities should be provided, and consideration should be given to making melioidosis a notifiable disease in Indonesia.
Diagnostic Accuracy Assessment of Immunochromatographic Tests for the Rapid Detection of Antibodies Against Orientia tsutsugamushi Using Paired Acute and Convalescent Specimens
Authors: Watthanaworawit Wanitda , Turner Paul , Turner Claudia , Tanganuchitcharnchai Ampai , Jintaworn Suthatip , Hanboonkunupakarn Borimas , Richards Allen L. , Day Nicholas P. J. , Blacksell Stuart D. , Nosten François
Published: October 2015

We assessed the diagnostic accuracy of two immunochromatographic tests (ICTs), the Access Bio CareStart Scrub Typhus test (Somerset, NJ) (IgM), and the SD BIOLINE Tsutsugamushi test (Kyonggi-do, Republic of Korea) (IgG, IgM, or IgA) compared with indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and real-time PCR results as reference tests using 86 paired acute and convalescent specimens from febrile patients. The sensitivity and specificity of the CareStart test were 23.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 11.8–38.6) and 81.4% (95% CI: 66.6–91.6), respectively, for acute specimens and 32.6% (95% CI: 19.1–48.5) and 79.1% (95% CI: 64.0–90.0), respectively, for convalescent specimens. For the SD BIOLINE test, sensitivity and specificity were 20.9% (95% CI: 10.0–36.0) and 74.4% (95% CI: 58.8–86.5), respectively, for acute specimens and 76.7% (95% CI: 61.4–88.2) and 76.7% (95% CI: 61.4–88.2), respectively, for convalescent specimens. The poor sensitivity obtained for both ICTs during this study when performed on acute specimens highlights the difficulties in prompt diagnosis of scrub typhus.