bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Weighted E-Spaces and Epistemic Information Operators
Authors: Burgin Mark
Published: June 2014

Information is usually related to knowledge. Here, we present a broader picture in which information is associated with epistemic structures, which form cognitive infological systems as basic recipients and creators of cognitive information. Infological systems are modeled by epistemic spaces, while operators in these spaces are mathematical models of information. Information that acts on epistemic structures is called cognitive information, while information that acts on knowledge structures is called epistemic information. The latter brings new and updates existing knowledge, being of primary importance to people. In this paper, both types of information are studied as operators in epistemic spaces based on the general theory of information. As a synthetic approach, which reveals the essence of information, organizing and encompassing all main directions in information theory, the general theory of information provides efficient means for such a study. Different types of information dynamics representation use tools from various mathematical disciplines, such as the theory of categories, functional analysis, mathematical logic and algebra. In this paper, we base our exploration of information and knowledge dynamics on functional analysis further developing the mathematical stratum of the general theory of information.
Bioceramics for Hip Joints: The Physical Chemistry Viewpoint
Authors: Pezzotti Giuseppe
Published: June 2014

Which intrinsic biomaterial parameter governs and, if quantitatively monitored, could reveal to us the actual lifetime potential of advanced hip joint bearing materials? An answer to this crucial question is searched for in this paper, which identifies ceramic bearings as the most innovative biomaterials in hip arthroplasty. It is shown that, if in vivo exposures comparable to human lifetimes are actually searched for, then fundamental issues should lie in the physical chemistry aspects of biomaterial surfaces. Besides searching for improvements in the phenomenological response of biomaterials to engineering protocols, hip joint components should also be designed to satisfy precise stability requirements in the stoichiometric behavior of their surfaces when exposed to extreme chemical and micromechanical conditions. New spectroscopic protocols have enabled us to visualize surface stoichiometry at the molecular scale, which is shown to be the key for assessing bioceramics with elongated lifetimes with respect to the primitive alumina biomaterials used in the past.
Polyphenol-Rich Strawberry Extract Protects Human Dermal Fibroblasts against Hydrogen Peroxide Oxidative Damage and Improves Mitochondrial Functionality
Authors: Giampieri Francesca , Alvarez-Suarez José , Mazzoni Luca , Forbes-Hernandez Tamara , Gasparrini Massimiliano , Gonzàlez-Paramàs Ana , Santos-Buelga Celestino , Quiles José , Bompadre Stefano , Mezzetti Bruno , Battino Maurizio
Published: June 2014

Strawberry bioactive compounds are widely known to be powerful antioxidants. In this study, the antioxidant and anti-aging activities of a polyphenol-rich strawberry extract were evaluated using human dermal fibroblasts exposed to H2O2. Firstly, the phenol and flavonoid contents of strawberry extract were studied, as well as the antioxidant capacity. HPLC-DAD analysis was performed to determine the vitamin C and β-carotene concentration, while HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS analysis was used for anthocyanin identification. Strawberry extract presented a high antioxidant capacity, and a relevant concentration of vitamins and phenolics. Pelargonidin- and cyanidin-glycosides were the most representative anthocyanin components of the fruits. Fibroblasts incubated with strawberry extract and stressed with H2O2 showed an increase in cell viability, a smaller intracellular amount of ROS, and a reduction of membrane lipid peroxidation and DNA damage. Strawberry extract was also able to improve mitochondrial functionality, increasing the basal respiration of mitochondria and to promote a regenerative capacity of cells after exposure to pro-oxidant stimuli. These findings confirm that strawberries possess antioxidant properties and provide new insights into the beneficial role of strawberry bioactive compounds on protecting skin from oxidative stress and aging.
Design, Synthesis and Bioactivity of Novel Glycosylthiadiazole Derivatives
Authors: Zong Guanghui , Zhao Hanqing , Jiang Rui , Zhang Jianjun , Liang Xiaomei , Li Baoju , Shi Yanxia , Wang Daoquan
Published: June 2014

A series of novel glycosylthiadiazole derivatives, namely 2-phenylamino-5-glycosyl-1,3,4-thiadiazoles, were designed and synthesized by condensation between sugar aldehydes A/B and substituted thiosemicarbazide C followed by oxidative cyclization by treating with manganese dioxide. The original fungicidal activities results showed that some title compounds exhibited excellent fungicidal activities against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary and Pyricularia oryzae Cav, especially compounds F-5 and G-8 which displayed better fungicidal activities than the commercial fungicide chlorothalonil. At the same time, the preliminary studies based on the Elson-Morgan method indicated that many compounds exhibited some inhibitory activity toward glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase (GlmS). The structure-activity relationships (SAR) are discussed in terms of the effects of the substituents on both the benzene and the sugar ring.
Inhibition of Cancer Derived Cell Lines Proliferation by Synthesized Hydroxylated Stilbenes and New Ferrocenyl-Stilbene Analogs. Comparison with Resveratrol
Authors: Chalal Malik , Delmas Dominique , Meunier Philippe , Latruffe Norbert , Vervandier-Fasseur Dominique
Published: June 2014

Further advances in understanding the mechanism of action of resveratrol and its application require new analogs to identify the structural determinants for the cell proliferation inhibition potency. Therefore, we synthesized new trans-resveratrol derivatives by using the Wittig and Heck methods, thus modifying the hydroxylation and methoxylation patterns of the parent molecule. Moreover, we also synthesized new ferrocenylstilbene analogs by using an original protective group in the Wittig procedure. By performing cell proliferation assays we observed that the resveratrol derivatives show inhibition on the human colorectal tumor SW480 cell line. On the other hand, cell viability/cytotoxicity assays showed a weaker effects on the human hepatoblastoma HepG2 cell line. Importantly, the lack of effect on non-tumor cells (IEC18 intestinal epithelium cells) demonstrates the selectivity of these molecules for cancer cells. Here, we show that the numbers and positions of hydroxy and methoxy groups are crucial for the inhibition efficacy. In addition, the presence of at least one phenolic group is essential for the antitumoral activity. Moreover, in the series of ferrocenylstilbene analogs, the presence of a hidden phenolic function allows for a better solubilization in the cellular environment and significantly increases the antitumoral activity.
WGS Analysis and Interpretation in Clinical and Public Health Microbiology Laboratories: What Are the Requirements and How Do Existing Tools Compare?
Authors: Wyres Kelly , Conway Thomas , Garg Saurabh , Queiroz Carlos , Reumann Matthias , Holt Kathryn , Rusu Laura
Published: June 2014

Recent advances in DNA sequencing technologies have the potential to transform the field of clinical and public health microbiology, and in the last few years numerous case studies have demonstrated successful applications in this context. Among other considerations, a lack of user-friendly data analysis and interpretation tools has been frequently cited as a major barrier to routine use of these techniques. Here we consider the requirements of microbiology laboratories for the analysis, clinical interpretation and management of bacterial whole-genome sequence (WGS) data. Then we discuss relevant, existing WGS analysis tools. We highlight many essential and useful features that are represented among existing tools, but find that no single tool fulfils all of the necessary requirements. We conclude that to fully realise the potential of WGS analyses for clinical and public health microbiology laboratories of all scales, we will need to develop tools specifically with the needs of these laboratories in mind.
Pyrosequencing Reveals the Predominance of Pseudomonadaceae in Gut Microbiome of a Gall Midge
Authors: Bansal Raman , Hulbert Scot , Reese John , Whitworth Robert , Stuart Jeffrey , Chen Ming-Shun
Published: June 2014

Gut microbes are known to play various roles in insects such as digestion of inaccessible nutrients, synthesis of deficient amino acids, and interaction with ecological environments, including host plants. Here, we analyzed the gut microbiome in Hessian fly, a serious pest of wheat. A total of 3,654 high quality sequences of the V3 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene were obtained through 454-pyrosequencing. From these sequences, 311 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were obtained at the >97% similarity cutoff. In the gut of 1st instar, otu01, a member of Pseudomonas, was predominant, representing 90.2% of total sequences. otu13, an unidentified genus in the Pseudomonadaceae family, represented 1.9% of total sequences. The remaining OTUs were each less than 1%. In the gut of the 2nd instar, otu01 and otu13 decreased to 85.5% and 1.5%, respectively. otu04, a member of Buttiauxella, represented 9.7% of total sequences. The remaining OTUs were each less than 1%. In the gut of the 3rd instar, otu01 and otu13 further decreased to 29.0% and 0%, respectively. otu06, otu08, and otu16, also three members of the Pseudomonadaceae family were 13.2%, 8.6%, and 2.3%, respectively. In addition, otu04 and otu14, two members of the Enterobacteriaceae family, were 4.7% and 2.5%; otu18 and otu20, two members of the Xanthomonadaceae family, were 1.3% and 1.2%, respectively; otu12, a member of Achromobacter, was 4.2%; otu19, a member of Undibacterium, was 1.4%; and otu9, otu10, and otu15, members of various families, were 6.1%, 6.3%, and 1.9%, respectively. The investigation into dynamics of Pseudomonas, the most abundant genera, revealed that its population level was at peak in freshly hatched or 1 day larvae as well as in later developmental stages, thus suggesting a prominent role for this bacterium in Hessian fly development and in its interaction with host plants. This study is the first comprehensive survey on bacteria associated with the gut of a gall midge, and provides a foundation for future studies to elucidate the roles of gut microbes in Hessian fly virulence and biology.
FAO-56 Dual Model Combined with Multi-Sensor Remote Sensing for Regional Evapotranspiration Estimations
Authors: Amri Rim , Zribi Mehrez , Lili-Chabaane Zohra , Szczypta Camille , Calvet Jean , Boulet Gilles
Published: June 2014

The main goal of this study is to evaluate the potential of the FAO-56 dual technique for the estimation of regional evapotranspiration (ET) and its constituent components (crop transpiration and soil evaporation), for two classes of vegetation (olives trees and cereals) in the semi-arid region of the Kairouan plain in central Tunisia. The proposed approach combines the FAO-56 technique with remote sensing (optical and microwave), not only for vegetation characterization, as proposed in other studies but also for the estimation of soil evaporation, through the use of satellite moisture products. Since it is difficult to use ground flux measurements to validate remotely sensed data at regional scales, comparisons were made with the land surface model ISBA-A-gs which is a physical SVAT (Soil–Vegetation–Atmosphere Transfer) model, an operational tool developed by Météo-France. It is thus shown that good results can be obtained with this relatively simple approach, based on the FAO-56 technique combined with remote sensing, to retrieve temporal variations of ET. The approach proposed for the daily mapping of evapotranspiration at 1 km resolution is approved in two steps, for the period between 1991 and 2007. In an initial step, the ISBA-A-gs soil moisture outputs are compared with ERS/WSC products. Then, the output of the FAO-56 technique is compared with the output generated by the SVAT ISBA-A-gs model.
Preliminary Evaluation of a Personal Healthcare System Prototype for Cognitive eRehabilitation in a Living Assistance Domain
Authors: Pastorino Matteo , Fioravanti Alessio , Arredondo Maria , Cogollor José , Rojo Javier , Ferre Manuel , Bienkiewicz Marta , Hermsdörfer Joachim , Fringi Evangelia , Wing Alan
Published: June 2014

The integration of rehabilitation systems in an ambient assisted living environment can provide a powerful and versatile tool for long-term stroke rehabilitation goals. This paper introduces a novel concept of a personalized cognitive rehabilitation system in a naturalistic setting. The proposed platform was developed within the CogWatch project, with the intent of fostering independence in activities of daily living in patients with apraxia and action disorganization syndrome. Technical usability was evaluated in a series of pilot experiments, which illustrate how this approach may help to retrain patients in activities of daily living. The first system prototype has been tested with 36 participants divided into three groups, providing an exploratory evaluation of the usability of this solution and its acceptability. The technical solutions used within the CogWatch project are targeted to meet both the end users’ needs from the interaction and usability point of views and the clinical requirements associated with the use of such systems. The challenges behind the development of ambient assisted living systems for cognitive rehabilitation are discussed.
Augmented GNSS Differential Corrections Minimum Mean Square Error Estimation Sensitivity to Spatial Correlation Modeling Errors
Authors: Kassabian Nazelie , Lo Presti Letizia , Rispoli Francesco
Published: June 2014

Railway signaling is a safety system that has evolved over the last couple of centuries towards autonomous functionality. Recently, great effort is being devoted in this field, towards the use and exploitation of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals and GNSS augmentation systems in view of lower railway track equipments and maintenance costs, that is a priority to sustain the investments for modernizing the local and regional lines most of which lack automatic train protection systems and are still manually operated. The objective of this paper is to assess the sensitivity of the Linear Minimum Mean Square Error (LMMSE) algorithm to modeling errors in the spatial correlation function that characterizes true pseudorange Differential Corrections (DCs). This study is inspired by the railway application; however, it applies to all transportation systems, including the road sector, that need to be complemented by an augmentation system in order to deliver accurate and reliable positioning with integrity specifications. A vector of noisy pseudorange DC measurements are simulated, assuming a Gauss-Markov model with a decay rate parameter inversely proportional to the correlation distance that exists between two points of a certain environment. The LMMSE algorithm is applied on this vector to estimate the true DC, and the estimation error is compared to the noise added during simulation. The results show that for large enough correlation distance to Reference Stations (RSs) distance separation ratio values, the LMMSE brings considerable advantage in terms of estimation error accuracy and precision. Conversely, the LMMSE algorithm may deteriorate the quality of the DC measurements whenever the ratio falls below a certain threshold.
The Design, Fabrication and Characterization of a Transparent Atom Chip
Authors: Chuang Ho-Chiao , Huang Chia-Shiuan , Chen Hung-Pin , Huang Chi-Sheng , Lin Yu-Hsin
Published: June 2014

This study describes the design and fabrication of transparent atom chips for atomic physics experiments. A fabrication process was developed to define the wire patterns on a transparent glass substrate to create the desired magnetic field for atom trapping experiments. An area on the chip was reserved for the optical access, so that the laser light can penetrate directly through the glass substrate for the laser cooling process. Furthermore, since the thermal conductivity of the glass substrate is poorer than other common materials for atom chip substrate, for example silicon, silicon carbide, aluminum nitride. Thus, heat dissipation copper blocks are designed on the front and back of the glass substrate to improve the electrical current conduction. The testing results showed that a maximum burnout current of 2 A was measured from the wire pattern (with a width of 100 μm and a height of 20 μm) without any heat dissipation design and it can increase to 2.5 A with a heat dissipation design on the front side of the atom chips. Therefore, heat dissipation copper blocks were designed and fabricated on the back of the glass substrate just under the wire patterns which increases the maximum burnout current to 4.5 A. Moreover, a maximum burnout current of 6 A was achieved when the entire backside glass substrate was recessed and a thicker copper block was electroplated, which meets most requirements of atomic physics experiments.
Viral Oncolysis — Can Insights from Measles Be Transferred to Canine Distemper Virus?
Authors: Lapp Stefanie , Pfankuche Vanessa , Baumgärtner Wolfgang , Puff Christina
Published: June 2014

Neoplastic diseases represent one of the most common causes of death among humans and animals. Currently available and applied therapeutic options often remain insufficient and unsatisfactory, therefore new and innovative strategies and approaches are highly needed. Periodically, oncolytic viruses have been in the center of interest since the first anecdotal description of their potential usefulness as an anti-tumor treatment concept. Though first reports referred to an incidental measles virus infection causing tumor regression in a patient suffering from lymphoma several decades ago, no final treatment concept has been developed since then. However, numerous viruses, such as herpes-, adeno- and paramyxoviruses, have been investigated, characterized, and modified with the aim to generate a new anti-cancer treatment option. Among the different viruses, measles virus still represents a highly interesting candidate for such an approach. Numerous different tumors of humans including malignant lymphoma, lung and colorectal adenocarcinoma, mesothelioma, and ovarian cancer, have been studied in vitro and in vivo as potential targets. Moreover, several concepts using different virus preparations are now in clinical trials in humans and may proceed to a new treatment option. Surprisingly, only few studies have investigated viral oncolysis in veterinary medicine. The close relationship between measles virus (MV) and canine distemper virus (CDV), both are morbilliviruses, and the fact that numerous tumors in dogs exhibit similarities to their human counterpart, indicates that both the virus and species dog represent a highly interesting translational model for future research in viral oncolysis. Several recent studies support such an assumption. It is therefore the aim of the present communication to outline the mechanisms of morbillivirus-mediated oncolysis and to stimulate further research in this potentially expanding field of viral oncolysis in a highly suitable translational animal model for the benefit of humans and dogs.
Nicolas, l'auteur du Sommaire de la philosophie d'Aristote : doutes sur son identité, sa datation, son origine
Authors: Fazzo Silvia
Published: June 2014

L'article discute l'attribution du sommaire De Philosophia Aristotelis à Nicolas le Damascène l'historien (fl. : fin Ier s. av. J.-C). Il existe des raisons de penser que cela fut l'ouvrage d'un Péripatéticien nommé Nicolas entre le IIIe et le VIe siècle, plus probablement en Syrie autour du IVe siècle de notre ère. Ainsi, la preuve d'un intérêt pour une large partie du corpus d'Aristote dès le Ier siècle av. J.-C, ou début du Ier s. après J.-C, disparaît, ainsi que l'occurrence de Métaphysique comme titre d'un ouvrage d'Aristote déjà à cette époque. En revanche, l'idée que l'activité de l'école péripatéticienne s'arrête avec Alexandre d'Aphrodise, et que Thémistius au IVe siècle serait la seule exception est affaiblie par un autre exemple à côté de Thémistius. En fait, une culture aristotélicienne doit avoir été encore très vivante à l'époque de Thémistius et de Nicolas, lorsque des outils de travail scolaire furent produits pour l'activité d'enseignement et pour la transmission de la philosophie d'Aristote aux époques plus tardives.
Typhoid fever: misuse of Widal test in Libya
Authors: Zorgani Abdulaziz , Ziglam Hisham
Published: June 2014

The worldwide gold standard of diagnosing of enteric fever depends on the isolation of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi from a patient’s bone marrow and/or blood culture. In Libya clinicians are heavily dependent on the Widal test for diagnosis of enteric fever which has been used without determining the locally appropriate threshold titer, because the laboratories lack the skilled, experienced personnel and appropriate facilities to detect and serotype Salmonella isolates. To improve the diagnosis process, clinical management and reliability of public health measures, there is an urgent need for the effective training of laboratory technicians and to provide resources to culture Salmonella species according to published guidelines. Clinicians should understand the limitations of Widal test and recognize that it cannot be expected to give a reliable diagnosis.
Molecular characterization and antibiotic resistance of Salmonella in children with acute gastroenteritis in Abuja, Nigeria
Authors: Ifeanyi Casmir Ifeanyichukwu Cajetan , Bassey Bassey Enya , Ikeneche Nkiruka Florence , Al-Gallas Nazek
Published: June 2014

Introduction: In Nigeria, acute gastroenteritis in children under five years of age is a major cause of mortality and morbidity; identification and characterization of microbial agents of acute gastroenteritis, including Salmonella, remains a powerful tool for effective management, surveillance, and control. Methodology: Diarrheal stool samples were directly plated onto differential and selective media to isolate Salmonella. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases were screened using the double disk diffusion technique and by PCR targeting the blaTEM and blaCTX-M genes. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed usingthe PulseNet Canada Laboratory protocol for molecular subtyping using the restriction enzymes XbaI and BlnI. Results: The serotypes identified were Salmonella enterica serovar Zanzibar (n = 5), Salmonella Brancaster (n = 3), and one isolate of Salmonella Enteritidis (phage type 1). The following levels of resistance were found among the Salmonella strains: amoxicillin, five strains (55.6%); amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, two strains (22.2%); cephalexin, five strains (55.6%); and cefuroxime, five strains (55.6%). Intermediate resistance was found in five strains (55.6%) only to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid. All isolates were susceptible to nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, and ceftriaxone, and no ESBL-producing Salmonella were detected. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated the involvement of three Salmonella serovars in acute gastroenteritis; resistance to penicillins and cephalosporins was common.
Antimicrobial resistance, class 1 integrons, and horizontal transfer in Salmonella isolated from retail food in Henan, China
Authors: Yu Tao , Jiang Xiaojie , Zhou Qiaohong , Wu Junmei , Wu Zhenbin
Published: June 2014

Introduction: Salmonellosis remains one of the most frequently occurring foodborne diseases worldwide, especially in developing countries. The increasing prevalence of multidrug resistance among Salmonella isolates from food has been an emerging problem in China. Methodology: In this study, a total of 638 food samples including raw meat, seafood, vegetables, and cooked meat were collected in Henan province of China between July 2007 and August 2008 to determine the prevalence of Salmonella. These isolates were subjected to serotyping, antimicrobial susceptibility, presence of class 1 integrons, and horizontal transfer of integrons. Results: The overall percentage of Salmonella prevalence was 9.7% (n = 62). Among these isolates, S. Anatum and S. Senftenberg were most common, and high rates of antimicrobial resistance were observed to sulfamethoxazole (90.3%), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (87.1%), streptomycin (29.0%), and ciprofloxacin (25.8%). Class 1 integrons were detected in 16.1% of these isolates, and contained gene cassettes dfrA12-aadA2, dfrA1-aadA1, and dfrA1. Three Salmonella isolates could transfer their integrons and resistance genes to Escherichia coli by conjugation. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the mobile DNA elements could play an important role in the dissemination of resistance determinants among those Salmonella isolates.
Integrating Corporate Competence with Real Cases into Higher Education Curriculum
Authors: Wu Hong
Published: June 2014

Industrial competence and real business cases can be great attributes to higher education curriculum. For engineering higher education, there is a need for these attributes, not only to enrich the curriculum, but also to reduce the gap between theories and practices. An innovative teaching approach is integrating these attributes into off campus industrial lectures conducted during company visits. This paper writes about implementing and learning experiences on such off campus teaching approach at Ã˜stfold University College (HIOF). The paper documented students´ surveys, feedback and reflections on their off campus industrial lectures, and stated great learning outcomes through real company cases.
Collaborative Learning in the Workplace: Practical Issues and Concerns
Authors: Lee Hyunkyung , Bonk Curtis J.
Published: June 2014

This study aims to identify practical issues and concerns about collaborative learning in the workplace. For this purpose, the study examines perceptions of corporate personnel including learning managers and instructional designers related to workplace collaboration and associated technology tools that might foster or enhance it. First, we identify future research interests and concerns related to collaboration and collaborative tools as revealed from an online survey of 97 respondents. Second, we verify the primary collaboration issues and concerns in corporations through an open discussion forum in which 30 corporate personnel participated. Findings indicate that the use of collaborative tools is growing in importance in the workplace as is collaboration in general. Further, participants in the survey appear highly interested in wikis as collaborative tools. In addition, group discussions reveal five main collaboration concerns in corporations including factors to consider when selecting and using collaborative tools. Based on those findings, significant implications for future research on workplace collaborative learning are offered.
Knowing Customers Better: An Experimentation of Twit Marketing in the e-Commerce Industry
Authors: Al Turki Hamad , Fayyoumi Ayham
Published: June 2014

Internet gives incredible opportunities for companies to learn about their consumers and provides different channels for marketing. Otlobli.com website (an e-commerce company established in Saudi Arabia), uses different channels, such as: Google AdWords, newspaper website banners, official thread on a famous online forum and, Twitter. A marketing tool has been developed to enhance the effectiveness of marketing on Twitter. This research investigates the impact of the developed system. Website access from these various channels was examined, in addition to the number of visitors who have completed an order. Results showed that the tool caused around 49% increase in the number of visits from Twitter, and comparatively, a good percentage of them completed an order.
Collaborative M-Learning Adoption Model: A Case Study for Jordan
Authors: Alnabhan Mohammad , Aljaraideh Yousef
Published: June 2014

This work investigates university students’ acceptance and readiness for adopting collaborative and context-aware mobile learning services. An acceptance evaluation study was conducted to identify challenges affecting successful implementation and adoption of collaborative m-learning system. The acceptance study has focused on learning contextual factors and learners requirements available at developing countries, where Jordan was considered as the case of this research. Results have confirmed that learning style, mobile device capability and perceived ease of use are having the most positive contribution towards learners’ behavior to use collaborative m-learning services. In light of the achieved results, this work provides a new user acceptance model focused toward the adoption of collaborative m-learning services. Finally, this research draws fundamental recommendations allowing for learning context adaptation and successful collaborative m-learning services implementation.
An Innovative Approach to the Development of an International Software Process Lifecycle Standard for Very Small Entities
Authors: O'Connor Rory V. , Laporte Claude Y.
Published: June 2014

For very small software development companies, the quality of their software products is a key to competitive advantage. However, the usage of Software Engineering standards is extremely low amongst such very small software companies. A primary reason cited by many such companies for this lack of quality standards adoption is the perception that they have been developed for large multi-national software companies and not with small and very small organizations in mind and are therefore not suitable for their specific needs. This paper describes an innovative systematic approach to the development of the software process lifecycle standard for very small entities ISO/IEC 29110, following the Rogers model of the Innovation-Development process. The ISO/IEC 29110 standard is unique amongst software and systems engineering standards, in that the working group mandated to develop a new standard approached industry to conduct a needs assessment and gather actual requirements for a new standard as part of the standards development process. This paper presents a unique insight from the perspective of some of the standards authors on the development of the ISO/IEC 29110 standard, including the rationale behind its development and the innovative design of implementation guides to assist very small companies in adopting the standards, as well outlining a pilot project scheme for usage in early trials of this standard.
Emoticon Recommendation System to Richen Your Online Communication
Authors: Urabe Yuki , Rzepka Rafal , Araki Kenji
Published: June 2014

Japanese emoticons are widely used to express users' feelings and intentions in social media, blogs and instant messages. Japanese smartphone keypads have a feature that shows a list of emoticons, enabling users to insert emoticons simply by touching them. However, this list of emoticons contains more than 200, which is difficult to choose from, so a method to reorder the list and recommend appropriate emoticons to users is necessary. This paper proposes an emoticon recommendation method based on the emotive statements of users and their past selections of emoticons. The system is comprised of an affect analysis system and an original emoticon database: a table of 59 emoticons numerically categorized by 10 emotion types. The authors' experiments showed that 73.0% of chosen emoticons were among the top five recommended by the system, which is an improvement of 43.5% over the method used in current smartphones, which is based only on users' past emoticon selections.
Matching Word-Order Variations and Sorting Results for the iEPG Data Search
Authors: Kiselev Denis , Rzepka Rafal , Araki Kenji
Published: June 2014

This paper describes using a finite-state automaton (FSA) to retrieve Japanese TV guide text. The proposed FSA application can be considered novel due to lack of research on the subject. The automaton has been implemented for matching and extracting all possible combinations of search query words in all possible word orders that may be present in the TV guide text. This implementation also sorts the extraction results by analyzing word semantic features (such as “being an object” or “being a property of an object”). The present paper also proposes a search system using the above implementation and compares it with a baseline system that matches query words (of multi-word queries) in exactly the same and exactly the opposite word orders only. Both systems use morphological parsing and apply a stop list to the query. A multi-parameter evaluation has shown advantages of the proposed system over the baseline one.
The Nature and Role of Complexity in Simulation Performance
Authors: Figueiredo Paulo , Loiola Elisabeth
Published: June 2014

The objective of this study is to understand the nature and role of complexity in simulation performance. In order to do this, a system dynamics model of the product development pipeline was developed, and an online game based on that model was created. An experiment was run where subject made a series of decisions on one or two variables for many periods, with different levels of information available to them (attribute complexity). Hypotheses were proposed based on the literature. The results confirmed the hypotheses relating degree of difficulty to distance from optimality. Two factors adversely affected the subjects' performance: dealing with more complex information on performance (more than one attribute) and having to make more than one simultaneous decision, i.e. more than one decision per period. The latter condition was more detrimental to performance than the former.
Case History: Performance of a Drilling Campaign in the Santos Basin, Brazil, 2008-2010: A Success Story
Authors: Carrizo Humberto Julio , Ortuno Giovanny , Neto Tarcilio Dutra
Published: June 2014

This paper describes the evolution in well design and continuous improvement actions during the execution of five shallow and deepwater wells drilled by Repsol using a third generation semi-submersible rig from 2008 until 2010 and the overall improvements from the first well to the end of the campaign.

Sharing this experience will benefit the future construction of post-salt shallow and deepwater wells with oil and gas objectives.

A multidisciplinary team of geologists and drilling engineers started work on these projects in 2007, gathering and analyzing available offset well data from The Santos Basin.

Initially, the quantity of casing and casing point selection followed what had been done in the majority of previous offset wells and the prediction of shallow hazards was performed using the available 3D data.

The knowledge acquired from the top hole sections during the operation of the first well, and more precise pore pressure prediction, allowed us to change the well design for the appraisal well, leaving out a casing point and changing the casing point selection strategy. Later, a more reliable shallow hazard prediction using new 2D high resolution seismic data permitted us to apply the same concept in an exploration well.

As part of the continuous improvement approach followed during well operations the QA/QC procedures were tightened throughout the campaign. The proper use of After Action Reviews at the completion of each well phase was paramount for the lessons learnt from each well and their application to subsequent wells.

Well design optimization and operational performance allowed for a reduction in the number of dry hole days per 1000 m from around 20 to approximately 9.

Good team work between onshore and offshore personnel contributed to a reduction in flat time and an increase in drilling efficiency which contributed to this success story.

The data is of relevance to other oil companies which plan to drill in the Santos Basin and other similar conditions. The achievement of drilling the best well in class, in terms of drilling performance, indicates the success of the planning and execution of the drilling campaign.

Introduction

The drilling exploration campaign during 2008-2010 in the Santos Basin using a moored semi-submersible drilling rig was the first done in Brazilian waters using a floating rig by Repsol Sinopec Brasil (RSB). The blocks where operations were performed are from ANP round number 7 and the wells are located approximately 180 NM from the shore base. The wells drilled were post-salt prospects in shallow and deepwater at the Santos Basin. The map in Fig. 1 shows the well locations for A, B, C, D and E. In the lower right of this figure is the order that they were drilled together with the water depths.
Left Atrial Appendage Closure Devices
Authors: Romero Jorge , Perez Irving E. , Krumerman Andrew , Garcia Mario J. , Lucariello Richard J.
Published: June 2014

Atrial fibrillation (AF) increases the risk for thromboembolic stroke five-fold. The left atrial appendage (LAA) has been shown to be the main source of thrombus formation in the majority of strokes associated with AF. Oral anticoagulation with warfarin and novel anticoagulants remains the standard of care; however, it has several limitations, including bleeding and poor compliance. Occlusion of the LAA has been shown to be an alternative therapeutic approach to drug therapy. The purpose of this article is to review the different techniques and devices that have emerged for the purpose of occluding this structure, with a particular emphasis on the efficacy and safety studies published to date in the medical literature.
Geodesic Distances and Intrinsic Distances on Some Fractal Sets
Authors: Hino Masanori
Published: June 2014

Given strong local Dirichlet forms and

\mathbb R^N

-valued functions on a metrizable space, we introduce the concepts of geodesic distance and intrinsic distance on the basis of these objects. They are defined in a geometric and an analytic way, respectively, and they are closely related to each other in some classical situations. In this paper, we study the relations of these distances when the underlying space has a fractal structure. In particular, we prove their coincidence for a class of self-similar fractals.
On Nuclearity of $C*$-algebras of Fell Bundles over Étale Groupoids
Authors: Takeishi Takuya
Published: June 2014

We show the nuclearity of the reduced

C^*

-algebra of a Fell bundle over an étale amenable groupoid, whose fibers over the unit space are all nuclear. We introduce the (minimal) tensor product of a Fell bundle and a

C^*

-algebra in order to show the uniqueness of tensor product norms.
On Congruences of Galois Representations of Number Fields
Authors: Ozeki Yoshiyasu , Taguchi Yuichiro
Published: June 2014

We give a criterion for two

\ell

-adic Galois representations of an algebraic number field to be isomorphic when restricted to a decomposition group, in terms of the global representations mod

\ell

. This is applied to prove a generalization of a conjecture of Rasmussen-Tamagawa under a semistablity condition, extending some results of one of the authors. It is also applied to prove a congruence result on the Fourier coefficients of modular forms.
A toolbox to improve algorithms for insulin-dosing decision support
Authors: Donsa K. , Plank J. , Schaupp L. , Mader J. K. , Truskaller T. , Tschapeller B. , Höll B. , Spat S. , Pieber T. R. , Beck P.
Published: June 2014

Background: Standardized insulin order sets for subcutaneous basal-bolus insulin therapy are recommended by clinical guidelines for the inpatient management of diabetes. The algorithm based GlucoTab system electronically assists health care personnel by supporting clinical workflow and providing insulin-dose suggestions.

Objective: To develop a toolbox for improving clinical decision-support algorithms.

Methods: The toolbox has three main components. 1) Data preparation: Data from several heterogeneous sources is extracted, cleaned and stored in a uniform data format. 2) Simulation: The effects of algorithm modifications are estimated by simulating treatment workflows based on real data from clinical trials. 3) Analysis: Algorithm performance is measured, analyzed and simulated by using data from three clinical trials with a total of 166 patients.

Results: Use of the toolbox led to algorithm improvements as well as the detection of potential individualized subgroup-specific algorithms.

Conclusion: These results are a first step towards individualized algorithm modifications for specific patient subgroups.

Citation: Donsa K, Beck P, Plank J, Schaupp L, Mader JK, Truskaller T, Tschapeller B, Höll B, Spat S, Pieber TR. A toolbox to improve algorithms for insulin-dosing decision support. Appl Clin Inf 2014; 5: 548–556 http://dx.doi.org/10.4338/ACI-04-RA-0033
Utilization of Saliva as a Diagnostic Fluid in Determination of Oral Cancer
Authors: Vahanwala Sonal Pratapsingh , Mukherji Soumyo
Published: June 2014

Today's world technology has evolved and we have been able to evaluate certain phenomenon that occurs before manifestation of observable clinical symptoms. Every health care worker has a dream of a perfect diagnosis so that correct service whether medical or surgical, care can be facilitated to the patient. Cancer is one such disease where tracking the tell-tale signs is essential. The one factor behind oral cancer's high mortality is the challenge in its early detection. Despite the scepticism in the scientific community and the conservatism of the patients, saliva seems to emerge as a valuable tool in cancer diagnostics and mass screening of the population. An attempt to integrate the simultaneous testing of different salivary molecular markers in order to raise the possibility of an accurate diagnosis by simply using micro- and nano- electricmechanical systems biosensors is on the way raising much hope in its future applications.

How to cite this article

Vahanwala SP, Mukherji S. Utilization of Saliva as a Diagnostic Fluid in Determination of Oral Cancer. Int J Head Neck Surg 2014;5(1):15-21.
Oncocytoma Parotid Gland: A Case Report and Brief Review of Literature
Authors: Kumar Sunil , Sethi Ashwini , Singh Satwinder Pal
Published: June 2014

Very few cases of oncocytoma parotid have been reported in literature. Because of its rarity (less than 1% of salivary gland tumors) and clinical presentation of the tumor, there is a tendency among the clinicians to misdiagnose it as pleomorphic adenoma, hemangioma or other forms of oncocytosis. Only a histopathological examination can confirm it. We report here a case of oncocytoma of parotid gland in a 70-year-old male who had the tumor for over 9 years.

How to cite this article

Kumar S, Sethi A, Singh SP, Sharma V. Oncocytoma Parotid Gland: A Case Report and Brief Review of Literature. Int J Head Neck Surg 2014;5(1):25-27.
A Giant Undifferentiated Sarcoma of Parotid Gland: A Case Report and Review of Literature
Authors: Mukherji Srijon , Chauhan Yogendra Singh , Bakshi Niladri Sekhar
Published: June 2014

Malignant spindle cell tumors of the parotid gland are a diagnostic challenge. The clinical and histologic assessments were consistent with a primary sarcoma of the parotid gland. In this article, we present a case of 79-year female with huge right parotid swelling which came out to be an undifferentiated sarcoma on histological examination only. The huge size of the lesion, rarity and less number of reported cases on undifferentiated sarcoma prompted us to report the particular case. The major differential diagnostic considerations were malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH), fibrosarcoma, osteosarcoma, spindle cell carcinoma, carcinosarcoma and primary undifferentiated sarcoma of the parotid gland.

How to cite this article

Chauhan Y, Mukherji S, Bakshi NS. A Giant Undifferentiated Sarcoma of Parotid Gland: A Case Report and Review of Literature. Int J Head Neck Surg 2014;5(1):31-34.
Multiple Keratocysts of the Mandible in Association with Multiple Basal Epithelioma, Jaw Cysts and Bifid Rib Syndrome: A Rare Case Report
Authors: Khaji Shahanavaj Imam Husen , Kulkarni Gayathri H , Kulkarni Harish S , Metkari Suryakant B , Kulkarni Reshma
Published: June 2014

Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome is a syndrome with wide variety of manifestations ranging from oral lesions to skeletal deformities. It calls for due responsibility of maxillofacial surgeon to diagnose the syndrome because very often they are the first health professionals to see the patient for the treatment of keratocystic odontogenic tumor.

Keratocystic odontogenic tumor (KCOT) has been the topic of numerous investigators and is known for its potentially aggressive behavior and significant rate of recurrences. Keratocystic odontogenic tumor often occurs as a solitary lesion, and in some instances multiple keratocysts may occur in association with a syndrome called Gorlin-Goltz syndrome (nevoid basal cell carcinoma, jaw cyst bifid rib basal cell nevus syndrome).

Here, we present a case of multiple keratocysts in the mandible in association with skeletal, ocular and cutaneous anomalies in the given clinical scenario which has profound relevance in the clinical dental practice.

How to cite this article

Kulkarni GH, Khaji SI, Kulkarni HS, Metkari SB, Kulkarni R. Multiple Keratocysts of the Mandible in Association with Multiple Basal Epithelioma, Jaw Cysts and Bifid Rib Syndrome: A Rare Case Report. Int J Head Neck Surg 2014;5(1):39-41.
Obtaining Artificially Caries-affected Dentin for in vitro Studies
Authors: Matos Adriana Bona , Garbui Bruna Uglik , de Azevedo Cynthia Soares , Silva Caroline Martins e , Simionato Maria Regina Lorenzetti , de Freitas Anderson Zanardi
Published: June 2014

Aim

This study evaluated and improved a protocol for obtaining standard caries-affected dentin (CAD) by Streptococcus mutans biofilm demineralization process.

Materials and methods

Forty-eight human molars were divided in six experimental groups, according to: period of cariogenic challenge (7, 14 or 21 days) and type of dentin (erupted or unerupted teeth). After complete cariogenic challenge sound and CAD dentin were evaluated by: visual inspection (VI), digital radiography (DR), optical coherence tomography (OCT) and laser fluorescence (LF).

Results

Visual inspection confirmed the formation of CAD based on tissue yellowing and loss of surface gloss. Digital radiography detected the presence of radiolucent images, suggesting caries. Three calibrated examiners viewed all images obtained by VI and DR and were able to distinguish healthy from CAD. Fisher's exact statistical test (p < 0.05) confirmed no difference between groups by VI (G1/G4: p = 0.6; G2/G5: p = 1; G3/G6: p = 1) or DR (G1/G4: p = 1; G2/G5: p = 1; G3/G6: p = 1). Both LF values and demineralization depth, as determined by OCT, were subjected to ANOVA (p < 0.05). For LF, a statistically significant difference was observed for the type of substrate (p = 0.001). For OCT, no statistically significant differences in the type of substrate (p = 0.163), length of cariogenic challenge (p = 0.512) or interaction between factors (p = 0.148) were observed. Scanning electron micrographs confirmed the presence of CAD; a more uniform demineralization surface was observed in the dentin of unerupted teeth.

Conclusion

This protocol suggests that standard CAD can be obtained in 7 days of cariogenic challenge using unerupted teeth.

Clinical significance

With the new perspective on the clinical treatment of caries lesions, bonding is increasingly performed to demineralize CAD, which is susceptible to remineralization. A useful protocol to standardize the production of CAD, by microbiological cariogenic challenge, would be an important contribution to laboratorial test in the field of operative dentistry.

How to cite this article

Azevedo CS, Garbui BU, Silva CM, Simionato MRL, Freitas AZ, Matos AB. Obtaining Artificially Caries-affected Dentin for in vitro Studies. J Contemp Dent Pract 2014;15(1):12-19.