bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evolutionary Optimization of Artificial Neural Networks for Prosthetic Knee Control
Authors: Thomas George , Wilmot Timothy , Szatmary Steve , Simon Dan , Smith William
Published: April 2013

This chapter discusses closed-loop control development and simulation results for a semi-active above-knee prosthesis. This closed-loop control is a delta control that is added to previously developed open-loop control. The control signal consists of two hydraulic valve settings. These valves control a rotary actuator that provides torque to the prosthetic knee. Closed-loop control using artificial neural networks (ANNs) are developed, which is an intelligent control method. The ANNs are trained with biogeography-based optimization (BBO), which is a recently developed evolutionary algorithm. This research contributes to the field of evolutionary algorithms by demonstrating that BBO is successful at finding optimal solutions to real-world, nonlinear, time varying control problems. The research contributes to the field of prosthetics by showing that it is possible to find effective closed-loop control signals for a newly proposed semi-active hydraulic knee prosthesis. The research also contributes to the field of ANNs; it shows that they are able to mitigate some of the effects of noise and disturbances that will be common in normal operation of a prosthesis and that they can provide better robustness and safer operation with less risk of stumbles and falls. It is demonstrated that ANNs are able to improve average performance over open-loop control by up to 8% and that they show the greatest improvement in performance when there is high risk of stumbles.
A Scalable Approach to Network Traffic Classification for Computer Network Defense using Parallel Neural Network Classifier Architectures
Authors: Hambebo Bereket M. , Carvalho Marco , Ham Fredric M.
Published: April 2013

The ability to recognize network traffics plays an important role in securing modern computer network infrastructures. In this chapter, we propose a machine learning approach that is based on statistical features of communication flow between two end-points. The statistical features are then used to develop and test a Parallel Neural Network Classifier Architecture (PNNCA), which is trained to recognize specific HTTP session patterns in a controlled environment, and then used to classify general traffic. The classifier’s performance and scalability measures have been compared with other neural network based approaches. The classifier’s correct classification rate (CCR) is calculated to be 96%.
Exploring the Use of Performance Measurements in Arab Manufacturing Firms
Authors: Abdel-Maksoud Ahmed B.
Published: April 2013

This study focuses on two Arab developing countries following the view that scope, role, and positioning of management accounting differ across organisations and countries, and, in the same direction, the study draws on the recent literature on localisation of global management control systems. Furthermore, the study embeds the view that certain contextual variables such as country differences and organisational culture possess particular cultural characteristics, which in turn affect individuals to respond distinctively to Management Accounting Systems’ (MAS) applications. The main objective of this study is to investigate whether or not there are significant associations between the use and levels of importance of operational non-financial performance indicators (ONFPIs) and the extent of a set of contextual variables including firms’ and managers’ characteristics and workforce involvement. The study reports and discusses findings of surveying manufacturing firms belonging to various industry sectors in Egypt and Saudi Arabia (SA) in mid-2005. Findings show that levels of importance of ONFPIs in Egyptians firms are higher than those in use at their Saudi peers’ firms. In general, findings on significant positive associations between the levels of importance of ONFPIs and the incorporated contextual variables in the Egyptian firms seem to be in line with prior literature findings drawn from global practices. Interestingly, the effect of organisational culture seems to be witnessed in Saudi firms evident by the negative, rather than positive, associations between two variables belonging to managers’ characteristics and workforce involvement and levels of importance of ONFPIs.
Industrial and Organizational (I/O) Psychology
Authors: Tran Ben
Published: April 2013

An Industrial and Organizational (I/O) psychologist is commonly referred to as an I/O practitioner and as an I/O consultant. I/O psychology is the branch of psychology concerned with the application of psychological principles in the workplace. To practitioners, I/O psychology is the application or extension of psychological methods and principles to the solution of organizational and workplace problems, both in the domestic and international arenas. Most commonly, I/O psychology is concerned with those problems caused by human performance and those which affect human performance within organizational contexts. As such, I/O psychologists employ psychological measurement and research findings related to human abilities, motivation, perception, and learning in seeking to improve the fit between the needs of the work organization and those of the people who populate it. Thus, an I/O psychologist plays a paramount role in successful global ventures by addressing two key factors—culture and behavior—resulting in positive return-on-investment (ROI).
The Role of Culture in Developing Disruptive Innovation in Domestic Firms
Authors: Cowden Birton J. , Kalliny Morris
Published: April 2013

National culture influences how people perceive the world, and subsequently, what actions they take. Research has shown that this also follows in the actions taken by firms that reside in those national cultures. The actions identified in this paper look at domestic firms’ pursuit of disruptive innovation. Disruptive innovations are unique types of innovation that require different thinking from the firm. We discuss the two ways a firm can pursue disruption and how culture might affect that pursuit. Specifically, Hofstede’s (1980) five cultural dimensions of uncertainty avoidance, power distance, long-term orientation, individualism, and masculinity will provide a guiding light on the values needed for a firm to develop disruptive innovations. Additionally, it will be further argued of the coexistence of disruptive business models and the opportunities of the bottom of the pyramid markets.
Qualitative Research
Authors: Hunter M. Gordon
Published: April 2013

This chapter presents a conceptual discussion about investigating management issues relating to global business operations. Current global business operations provide an opportunity to conduct Ex Cultura research. This term represents the situation where researchers conduct investigations beyond their own culture. A Grounded Theory approach within a qualitative perspective is proposed so that newly emerging themes may be identified. These themes may not be known before hand because of the Ex Cultura environment. Two methods are suggested; the first method, Personal Construct Theory and the RepGrid technique, documents what the research participant thinks about a particular research question. The other method, Narrative Inquiry and the Long Interview technique, documents what a research participant has done relative to a research question. Both methods document the research participant’s interpretation of their personal experiences. Further, the methods support Ex Cultura research into management issues involved in global business operations.
Search in Encrypted Data
Authors: Tang Qiang
Published: April 2013

Recently, the concept of Search in Encrypted Data (SED) has become a highlight in cryptography. A SED scheme enables a client to have third-party server(s) perform certain search functionalities on the encrypted data. In this chapter, the authors conduct a systematic study on SED schemes. First, they describe three application scenarios and identify the desirable security requirements. Second, they provide two orthogonal categorizations and review the related security models for each category of SED schemes. Third, the authors analyze the practical issues related to SED schemes and identify some future research directions.
Secure Multiparty Computation via Oblivious Polynomial Evaluation
Authors: Özarar Mert , Özgit Attila
Published: April 2013

The number of opportunities for cooperative computation has exponentially been increasing with growing interaction via Internet technologies. These computations could occur between almost trusted partners, between partially trusted partners, or even between competitors. Most of the time, the communicating parties may not want to disclose their private data to the other principal while taking the advantage of collaboration, hence concentrating on the results rather than private data values. For performing such computations, one party must know inputs from all the participants; however, if none of the parties can be trusted enough to know all the inputs, privacy will become a primary concern. Hence, the techniques for Secure Multiparty Computation (SMC) are quite relevant and practical to overcome such kind of privacy gaps. The subject of SMC has evolved from earlier solutions of combinational logic circuits to the recent proposals of anonymity-enabled computation. In this chapter, the authors put together the significant research that has been carried out on SMC. They demonstrate the concept by concentrating on a specific technique called Oblivious Polynomial Evaluation (OPE) together with concrete examples. The authors put critical issues and challenges and the level of adaptation achieved before the researchers. They also provide some future research proposals based on the literature survey.
Intelligent Computation for Manufacturing
Authors: Afify Ashraf
Published: April 2013

Intelligent computation refers to intelligence artificially realised through computation. This chapter reviews six intelligent computation techniques. They are: knowledge-based systems, fuzzy logic, inductive learning, neural networks, genetic algorithms, and swarm intelligent techniques. All of these tools have found many practical applications. Examples of applications in manufacturing are given in the chapter.
Iterative Deadlock Control for Petri Net Models of Automated Manufacturing Systems
Authors: Wang Anrong , Zhou MengChu
Published: April 2013

Deadlocks should be eliminated in resource allocation systems such as flexible manufacturing systems. An iterative deadlock control policy is usually considered to be a natural solution with reasonable computational cost for a large-scale system where direct methods would be prohibitively expensive (and in some cases impossible) even with the best available computing power. This chapter reviews the existing iterative deadlock prevention policies for discrete event systems that are modeled with Petri nets. A number of technical problems in the existing iterative deadlock control approaches are formulated and discussed. Their solutions are illustrated through case studies. The authors conclude that the suitability, effectiveness, and efficiency of an iterative deadlock control approach are sensitive to specific examples and no general algorithm is found in the literature, which works well for all cases.
The Practice and Evaluation of Applying PBL to e-Learning via Screencasting
Authors: Wang Ye Diana
Published: April 2013

As the practice of e-learning continues to proliferate, online educators, especially in the computing disciplines, are facing special challenges. This chapter represents an effort in moving the existing problem-based learning (PBL) paradigm to e-learning through the use of screencasts. In the form of an empirical case study, the chapter provides empirical evidence and indicative support for the successful application and evaluation of PBL methods in a highly technical computing course that has traditionally been taught in a face-to-face setting. This chapter makes a unique contribution to the e-learning research with respect to the applicability of PBL methods in the online environment and the exciting possibilities for screencasting as an instructional technology. It also offers implications for creating e-learning courses that can prepare students to develop lifelong problem solving skills and become more motivated and responsible learners in today’s networked society.
Effective Use of RFID in Medicine and General Healthcare
Authors: Hanada Eisuke
Published: April 2013

RFID have been used for decades. There are a variety of systems and several standards for RFID tags. RFID systems have long been utilized in industry, but their use in hospitals is not widespread. RFID tag systems with specific applications to hospital needs have the potential for great benefit, both clinically and economically. In the first part of this chapter, typical uses of RFID in hospitals are shown, after which practical RFID systems are introduced, including the use of newly developed active RFID tags. Finally, possible future medical uses of RFID tags and tag systems are discussed.
Economic and Environmental Aspects of Controlled Vegetable Production within the Region of Danube Basin
Authors: Subic Jonel , Jelocnik Marko
Published: April 2013

In their struggle for survival on the international market and to increase their own competitiveness, agricultural producers in the Republic of Serbia are faced with the demands of modern society. Such requirements are reflected through the measures and actions that have to be taken in order to achieve economic and environmental efficiency, in other words profitability of production with minimal risk of environmental degradation. In this research, focus is on economic and environmental aspects of vegetable production with known origin and controlled quality within the region of Danube Basin (or in the Metropolitan area Belgrade - Novi Sad that also includes the administrative territory of the Pancevo city). In particular, research activities are concentrated on the ecological and economic aspects in production of safe food on family farms in Glogonj village, a village that is one of the most famous locations for vegetable production within the Pancevo city (Južnobanatski District, region of AP Vojvodina). Consequently, in this chapter examples of analytical calculations based on variable costs in the vegetable production (production of cucumbers and tomatoes in greenhouse) are presented.
Organic Production in Serbia
Authors: Filipovic Vladimir , Roljevic Svetlana , Bekic Bojana
Published: April 2013

Faculty research is focused on the present state of organic agricultural production in the Republic of Serbia, with emphasis on existing legislation and activities planned in the next period, as well on the parallel between organic agriculture and basic principles of green economy, which represents great perspective of Serbia considering its natural potential. Having in mind that the green economy is recognized by leading world organizations for environmental protection as one of factors that could support realization of sustainable development concept through “greening” economy and opening of new “green” workplaces, the goal of this chapter is to indicate the potential and importance of the larger participation of farmers in organic production as one of the most realistic “green” chances of Serbia.
Sustainable Agriculture
Authors: Turek Adrian
Published: April 2013

Agriculture has the objective of producing food by growing plants and raising animals, but being a productive activity, depending on the technologies used, the level of intensification and specialization may result in natural resources and environmental degradation: soil, water, air. By the early 1990s, Romania practiced an intensive agriculture based on the concentration and specialization of production. Intensive chemical treatments were used to control weeds, pests, and diseases. After reconstitution ownership of agricultural land was practiced an extensive agriculture with minimal inputs. There are used small amounts of chemical fertilizers and pesticides; monoculture or short rotation is practiced. Both agricultural systems affect the environment and natural resources, endangering their long-term productive potential. In this context, a viable alternative to these agricultural systems is sustainable agriculture that combines harmoniously tillage, crop rotation, crop rotation length, use of agrochemical substances to achieve stable production, while preserving quality of resources.
Scaffolding Pedagogical Planning and the Design of Learning Activities
Authors: Bottino Rosa Maria , Ott Michela , Tavella Mauro
Published: April 2013

This paper examines pedagogical planning as a means to foster the introduction of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) tools into classroom practice. The authors illustrate IAMEL, an ICT-enhanced system aimed at supporting teachers in the process of designing, structuring and planning educational activities. Pedagogical planning, which is a traditional school practice, is meant as the description of a learning situation aimed at the acquisition of a precise body of knowledge through the specification of roles, activities, educational theories and methods. ICT-enhanced pedagogical planning offers significant added value to the intended scope: (1) helps teachers fully express their didactical ideas and finalize the educational approaches and methods to be adopted (2) supports the sharing of practice among teachers and communities of teachers (3) fosters “a posteriori” reflections on the planned educational experience, once implemented in real school settings.
Location Guided System of Training Solutions and Learning Itineraries Based on Competences Adapted to Users’ Needs
Authors: López-Ruiz Jose , Lara-Navarra Pablo , Serradell-Lopez Enric , Martínez-Aceituno Josep Antoni
Published: April 2013

Competency design stands out among the methodological and educational model changes introduced by the EHEA (European Higher Education Area). This concept is a key factor when developing programs based on academic and professional profiles that respond to social and labour market needs. The UOC eLearning GPS is based on competences and is meant to reduce the gap between formal training and the reality of the labour market and social needs that traditionally has characterized the university. These aspects are the basis of this application. Using a language of competences, the application helps the students identify their main skills and capacities, as well as areas of improvement. Following the model of competency design, this tool helps the user detect and reduce the gap between a starting position of competence and his or her learning and training expectations. UOC eLearning GPS application offers solutions and learning itineraries closer to the user’s real learning needs.
What Practitioners Think of Inter-Organizational ERP Requirements Engineering Practices
Authors: Daneva Maya , Ahituv Niv
Published: April 2013

Empirical studies on requirements engineering for inter-organizational enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have demonstrated that the ERP vendor-provided prescriptive models for ERP roll-outs make tacit assumptions about the ERP adopter’s context. This, in turn, leads to the implementation of suboptimal solutions. Specifically, these models assume that ERP implementations happen within a single company, and so they pay only scant attention to the stakeholders’ requirements for inter-organizational coordination. Given this backdrop, the first author proposed 13 practices for engineering the ERP coordination requirements in previous publications. This paper reports a confirmatory study evaluating those practices. Using an online focus group, the authors collected and analyzed practitioners’ feedback and their experiences to understand the extent to which the proposed practices are indeed observable. The study indicated very low variability in practitioners’ perceptions regarding 12 of the 13 practices, and considerable variability in their perceptions regarding the role of modeling inter-organizational coordination requirements. The contribution of the study is twofold: (1) it adds to the body of knowledge in the sub-area of RE for ERP; and (2) it adds to the practice of using qualitative research methods in empirical RE.
Towards Method Component Contextualization
Authors: Kornyshova Elena , Deneckère Rébecca , Claudepierre Bruno
Published: April 2013

Method Engineering (ME) is a discipline which aims to bring effective solutions to the construction, improvement and modification of the methods used to develop Information Systems (IS). Situational Method Engineering (SME) promotes the idea of retrieving, adapting and tailoring components, rather than complete methodologies, to the specific context. Existing SME approaches use the notion of context for characterizing situations of IS development projects and for guiding the method components selection from a repository. However, in the reviewed literature, there is no proposed approach to specify the specific context of method components. This paper provides a detailed vision of context and a process for contextualizing methods in the IS domain. This proposal is illustrated with three case studies: scenario conceptualization, project portfolio management, and decision-making.
Trust Measures for Implementers of E-Government Adoption
Authors: Puron-Cid Gabriel
Published: April 2013

Trust is a critical factor for e-government adoption that has been extensively studied from the citizen´s perspective. This study explores the multiple dimensions of trust, but from the perspective of those inside of government responsible to implement and adopt it. As in previous studies of citizen trust, the nature of trust of those inside of government is also complex and multi-dimensional. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to uncover the multiple dimensions of trust inside of government. The data come from a questionnaire applied over government officials who participated in a contemporary case of e-government. The questionnaire includes inquiries about different dimensions of trust found in the literature. The main motivation of this study is to extend our understanding of multiple dimensions of trust as possible enablers and inhibitors during e-government adoption inside of government. Derived from the analysis, five practical advises are suggested as trust-building mechanisms during e-government adoption.
E-Government in Australia
Authors: Chugh Ritesh , Grandhi Srimannarayana
Published: April 2013

The research indicates that e-government in Australia is in its early stages and there is scope for further improvement and growth. The high incidence of web presence indicates that government entities, such as city councils are pursuing cyber strategies. Although the majority of government entities utilise websites to disseminate information to the public, optimal use of ICT in the public sector is ad hoc and in infancy albeit growing rapidly. This chapter provides a concise and holistic understanding of issues that can be encountered when exploiting the Internet and ICT for providing e-government services.
Local E-Government and Citizen Participation
Authors: Freeman Julie
Published: April 2013

This chapter explores local e-government and the provision of online spaces for citizen participation. It highlights how different approaches to e-government development and implementation contribute to the likely success of participatory practices in informing decision-making and enhancing civic engagement with government. A comparative examination is drawn from the experiences of two local governments – the City of Casey in Australia and the Italian City of Bologna. The City of Casey’s e-government prioritises service delivery, with opportunities for participation largely restricted. In contrast, the City of Bologna facilitates two-way online citizen discourse and deliberation, which is used to enhance public policy. This chapter highlights that institutional contexts, including insufficient policies and the understandings and motives of political actors, affect the development of participatory e-government and the use of citizen contributions in decision-making. It suggests that successfully facilitating civic participation and engagement through e-government requires strong policy frameworks guiding online content and applications, and a broader change in governmental culture so that representatives are receptive to civic views.
A Country Level Evaluation of the Impact of E-Government
Authors: Castelnovo Walter
Published: April 2013

Despite considerable investments made worldwide in e-government initiatives in the past years, whether e-government succeeded in achieving the expected benefits in terms of increased efficiency, effectiveness and quality in the delivery of services is still under discussion. This chapter proposes an evaluation of the outcomes of the National Action Plan (NAP) for the diffusion of e-government at the local level in Italy. The evaluation considers whether the implementation of the projects funded under the action plan determined positive effects at the country level in terms of an increase in the value generated for different stakeholders. The discussion of data from both national and international secondary sources shows that during the period in which the benefits of the NAP should have become apparent no positive effects have emerged with evidence. The chapter argues that this depends on some of the principles the NAP has been based on that limited its capability of achieving the expected results.
Investigation of Underwater Acoustic Networking Enabling the Cooperative Operation of Multiple Heterogeneous Vehicles
Authors: Cruz Nuno A. , Ferreira Bruno M. , Kebkal Oleksiy , Matos Aníbal C. , Petrioli Chiara , Petroccia Roberto , Spaccini Daniele
Published: April 2013

AbstractIn this paper, we investigate the creation of an underwater acoustic network to support marine operations based on static and mobile nodes. Each underwater device combines communication, networking, and sensing capabilities and cooperates with the other devices in
coordinated missions. The proposed system is built upon the SUNSET framework, providing acoustic communications and networking capabilities to autonomous underwater vehicles, autonomous surface vessels, and moored systems, using underwater acoustic modems. Specific solutions have been developed
and tested to control the underwater nodes acoustically and to instruct the vehicles on keeping a given formation using acoustic links. One of the novelties of our approach has been the development and utilization of a realistic simulation infrastructure to provide a very accurate representation
of all the dynamic systems involved in the network, modeling the vehicle dynamics, the acoustic channel, and the communication messages. This infrastructure has been extensively used to investigate and validate the proposed solutions under different environmental conditions before the actual
deployment of devices. Several experiments were then conducted in the laboratory and in the field. The experimental results have confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed solutions and the reliability of the proposed simulation framework in estimating system performance.
Selection ofAedes aegypti(Diptera: Culicidae) strains that are susceptible or refractory to Dengue-2 virus
Authors: Caicedo Paola A. , Barón Olga L. , Pérez Mauricio , Alexander Neal , Lowenberger Carl , Ocampo Clara B.
Published: April 2013

The vector competence (VC) ofAedes aegypti(Linnaeus) (Diptera: Culicidae) varies geographically and is affected by both genetic and environmental factors. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that influence VC may help develop novel control strategies. The selection of susceptible and refractory strains is the first step in this process. We collected immatureA. aegyptiin the field and established strains that were susceptible and refractory to Dengue-2 virus by isofamily selection through several generations. Infection was detected by immunofluorescence of head or midgut tissues to determine infection barriers and the % of VC by tissue. We selected three strains: Susceptible (Cali-S) (96.4% susceptible at F19), Refractory with a midgut escape barrier (Cali-MEB) (44.1% refractory at F15), and Refractory with a midgut infection barrier (Cali-MIB) (40% refractory at F16). The effects of the infection were measured using Kaplan–Meier survival rates over the first seven generations. All selected strains showed a similar decrease in survival and in the number of eggs laid/female through the seven generations, suggesting that changes were a result of the selection process rather than the virus infection. The results of this study suggest that VC is associated with multiple genes, which have additive effects on susceptibility.
Severe war trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder in adolescents with sensory impairments: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Shaar Khuzama Hijal
Published: April 2013

A paucity of studies of the psychological status of adolescents with sensory impairments in political conflict areas is noted. This study was set up to examine the exposure of adolescents with sensory impairments (ASIs) to severe war trauma and development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as compared to their able-bodied peers (ABPs). It also answers the question whether their impairments have made them more resilient in facing traumatic events. A cross-sectional study of all ASIs attending special schools in three administrative districts in Lebanon (n=166) as well as a group of 166 age and sex-matched ABPs from neighboring schools was conducted. The Post Traumatic Stress Reaction Checklist for children (PTSRC) was used to assess exposure to severe trauma, PTSD and their determinants. ASIs reported a lower exposure to severe traumatic events (24.1%) as compared to their ABPs (69.9%), and risk factors for their exposure were an older age group, a fatherless family, and severe visual impairment. Prevalence rates for PTSD were similar in the two study groups (17.5% and 16.4%). Younger ASIs were at a significantly higher risk of developing PTSD. Lower exposure to trauma among ASIs points to the more sheltered life that they lead. Given the same exposure as ABPs, similar rates of PTSD are noted among the two study groups. This may indicate that having a sensory impairment may protect from PTSD due to decreased exposure to severe trauma and not due to increased resilience of subjects.
Macroscopic identification key of 36 Sphagnum species in eastern Canada
Authors: Bastien D F , Garneau M
Published: April 2013

An illustrated guide for the macroscopic identification of 36 Sphagnum species found in eastern Canada was produced as part of the Geological Survey of Canada project "Surficial Geology and Environmental Processes in Peatlands". Sphagnum is a genus of mosses
encountered in peatlands of eastern Canada. It is hard to find Sphagnum identification books that do not require the use of sophisticated tools such as a microscope. Two identification keys were produced to help the user identify, often directly in the field (using a hand lens), most of the species
described in this guide. Descriptions and comments provide additional information about each of the species (distinctive characteristics, distribution, habitat, etc.). So that the user does not have to search through the text each time a species characteristic is mentioned, all figures and
photographs are presented at the end of the guide. These illustrations will help in the identification process.
The effect of projections on dimension in the Heisenberg group
Authors: Balogh Zoltán M. , Durand-Cartagena Estibalitz , Fässler Katrin , Mattila Pertti , Tyson Jeremy T.
Published: April 2013

We prove analogs of classical almost sure dimension theorems for Euclidean projection mappings in the first Heisenberg group, equipped with a sub-Riemannian metric.
Size of orthogonal sets of exponentials for the disk
Authors: Iosevich Alex , Kolountzakis Mihail N.
Published: April 2013

Suppose that

\Lambda \subseteq \mathbb{R}^2

has the property that any two exponentials with frequency from

\Lambda

are orthogonal in the space

L^2(D)

, where

D \subseteq \mathbb{R}^2

is the unit disk. Such sets

\Lambda

are known to be finite but it is not known if their size is uniformly bounded. We show that if there are two elements of

\Lambda

which are distance

t

apart then the size of

\Lambda

is

O(t)

. As a consequence we improve a result of Iosevich and Jaming and show that

\Lambda

has at most

O(R^{2/3})

elements in any disk of radius

R

.
Medidas de protección del menor en los casos de violencia de género
Authors: Ramón Fernández Francisca
Published: April 2013

En el presente trabajo nos proponemos realizar un análisis de los distintos preceptos que contemplan las medidas de protección del menor en los casos de violencia de género, tanto en la legislación internacional, estatal y autonómica. El menor como sujeto, directo o indirecto, de la violencia sobre la mujer es protegido a través de una serie de medidas y reconocimiento de derechos, que es más amplio en una legislación que en otra de las estudiadas. Sería conveniente una uniformidad sobre esa protección al menor, ya que en la mayoría de las veces sufre esa violencia en el entorno familiar. La reflexión del análisis de los preceptos nos indica que es el interés superior del menor el que tiene que prevalecer en todas las situaciones, y que, en muchas ocasiones, la legislación no dota de suficientes medidas de protección al menor que se encuentra en una situación de violencia doméstica.
Infancia migrante y educación trasnacional en la frontera de México-Estados Unidos
Authors: Sierra Pérez Susana Evelyn , López López Yara Amparo
Published: April 2013

La migración infantil, así como de la población en general, no es un hecho aislado en la actualidad. En este artículo queremos hacer referencia al hecho migratorio de menores de edad y a las consecuencias educativas que derivan de él. En el aspecto que nos ocupa, trataremos de dar una visión de la realidad actual de la migración transfronteriza México-Estados Unidos. Se analizarán las variables que hemos observado, según los perfiles de niños/as y jóvenes que migran de un país al otro y los procesos de inclusión o exclusión en el sistema educativo, tanto en México, como en el país vecino, así como las dificultades sociales por las que esta infancia en movimiento puede llegar a pasar en ese complejo proceso de cambio y adaptación.
A Comparison of Different Methods for Disinfection or Sterilization of Extracted Human Teeth to be Used for Dental Education Purposes
Authors: Mishra Amit , Garg Ashish , Chandki Rita , Maru Rahul , Gunwal Mohit
Published: April 2013

Objective

To determine efficacy of commonly used methods of disinfection/sterilization of extracted human teeth.

Materials and methods

A total of 140 freshly extracted human single-rooted teeth were randomly divided into 14 different groups and sterilized using different methods: Formalin, hydrogen peroxide, quaternary ammonium, glutaraldehyde, thymol, boiling, autoclaving, keeping sodium chloride as control. Following the assigned treatment procedures, teeth from each group were placed individually in separate test tubes containing 10 ml of tryptic soy broth at 37°C for 48 hours. Evidence of growth was observed after 2 days.

Results

A statistically significant difference in the outcomes was obtained when comparing the different methods of disinfection and sterilization.

Conclusion

It was concluded that immersion in 10% formalin for 1 week, 5.25% sodium hypochlorite for 1 week or autoclaving at 121°C at 20 psi for 40 minutes were significantly better than all other methods tested.

How to cite this article

Chandki R, Maru R, Gunwal M, Garg A, Mishra A. A Comparison of Different Methods for Disinfection or Sterilization of Extracted Human Teeth to be Used for Dental Education Purposes. World J Dent 2013;4(1):29-31.
Polymerase Chain Reaction: An Innovative Tool in Periodontal Diagnosis
Authors: Patil Suvarna H , Bhat Kishore G , Lotlekar Paresh S , Hombal Laxmi V
Published: April 2013

Bacterial species colonizing the surfaces of the human oral cavity play an important role in oral health and disease and thus an accurate means of identification is crucial. Traditionally, identification has been based on microscopy, biochemical tests, immunofluorescence staining and antibiotic sensitivity. However, these tests are labor-intensive and costly, providing sometimes inconsistent results that make identification rather tentative. Recently, molecular DNA-based techniques have been used to identify bacteria directly from clinical samples. Development of a microbiological diagnostic kit using this technology therefore requires the ability to extract the bacterial DNA from the plaque sample and amplify the specific DNA sequence of the target periodontal pathogen. Polymerase chain reaction has emerged as the most powerful tool for the amplification of the genes and their RNA transcripts. The focus of this review is to describe the current status of the DNA-based method PCR which has become a standard diagnostic and research tool in dentistry.

How to cite this article

Patil SH, Bhat KG, Lotlekar PS, Hombal LV. Polymerase Chain Reaction: An Innovative Tool in Periodontal Diagnosis. World J Dent 2013;4(1):60-66.
Bilaterally Symmetrical Multiple Impacted Permanent Teeth in a Nonsyndromic Patient: A Rare Finding
Authors: Joyce Sequiera , Mathias Vincent , Rao BH Shripathi
Published: April 2013

While impaction of tooth is widespread and common, multiple impacted teeth by itself is a rare condition which often is found in association with syndromes and also rarely reported in the literature. In some cases, however, impaction of multiple teeth is not accompanied by a fixed complex of symptoms. A 51- year-old male reported to our clinic with pain and sensitivity of his maxillary right last molar and mandibular anteriors respectively. IOPA and panoramic views revealed 4 impacted teeth in mandible (bilateral cuspids and I bicuspids) and 6 impacted teeth in maxilla (bilateral cuspids, I and II bicuspids). A total of 10 permanent teeth were impacted. In our case medical and family history along with extraoral examination were not suggestive of any syndrome or metabolic disorder. The rareness is the bilateral symmetrical pattern of impaction.

How to cite this article

Joyce S, Mathias V, Rao BHS. Bilaterally Symmetrical Multiple Impacted Permanent Teeth in a Nonsyndromic Patient: A Rare Finding. World J Dent 2013;4(1):72-73.
Analysis of upper-tropospheric humidity in tropical descent regions using observed and modelled radiances
Authors: John V. O. , Parker D. E. , Buehler S. A. , Price J. , Saunders R. W.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. We use multiple observations and climate model simulations to study upper tropospheric humidity (UTH) in tropical descent regions. A satellite simulator is used to generate UTH from model fields to ensure a like-to-like comparison. We have shown that HadGEM2 is generally able to reproduce the patterns and magnitude of UTH in these regions. In both models and observations, the major mode of UTH variability in these regions is associated with El Nino and Southern Oscillation (ENSO); a negative UTH anomaly is seen during El Nino years. There is no significant trend in UTH in these regions, where even a small negative trend would lead to an important reduction of the positive water vapour feedback on global warming.
Comparison of temporal fluctuations in the total electron content estimates from EISCAT and GPS along the same line of sight
Authors: Forte B. , Smith N. D. , Mitchell C. N. , Da Dalt F. , Panicciari T. , Chartier A. T. , Stevanovic D. , Vuckovic M. , Kinrade J. , Tong J. R. , Häggström I. , Turunen E.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. The impact of space weather events on satellite-based technologies (e.g. satellite navigation and precise positioning) is typically quantified on the basis of the total electron content (TEC) and temporal fluctuations associated with it. GNSS (global navigation satellite systems) TEC measurements are integrated over a long distance and thus may include contributions from different regions of the ionised atmosphere which may prevent the resolution of the mechanisms ultimately responsible for given observations. The purpose of the experiment presented here was to compare TEC estimates from EISCAT and GPS measurements. The EISCAT measurements were obtained along the same line of sight of a given GPS satellite observed from Tromsø. The present analyses focussed on the comparison of temporal fluctuations in the TEC between aligned GPS and EISCAT measurements. A reasonably good agreement was found between temporal fluctuations in TEC observed by EISCAT and those observed by a co-located GPS ionospheric monitor along the same line of sight, indicating a contribution from structures at E and F altitudes mainly to the total TEC in the presence of ionisation enhancements possibly caused by particle precipitation in the nighttime sector. The experiment suggests the great potential in the measurements to be performed by the future EISCAT_3D system, limited only in the localised geographic region to be covered.
Effects of topography, soil type and forest age on the frequency and size distribution of canopy gap disturbances in a tropical forest
Authors: Lobo E. , Dalling J. W.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. Treefall gaps are the major source of disturbance in most tropical forests. The frequency and size of these gaps have important implications for forest ecosystem processes as they can influence the functional trait distribution of tree communities, stand-level above-ground biomass and productivity. However, we still know little about the relative importance of environmental drivers of gap disturbance regimes because existing studies vary greatly in criteria used for defining gaps, in the spatial extent of the study area, and the spatial resolution of canopy height measurements. Here we use LiDAR (light detecting and ranging) to explore how forest age, topography and soil type affect canopy disturbance patterns across a 1500 ha tropical forest landscape in central Panama. We characterize disturbance based on the frequency distribution of gap sizes (the "gap size distribution"), and the area of the forest affected by gaps (the "gap area fraction"). We found that slope and forest age had significant effects on the gap size distribution, with a higher frequency of large gaps associated with old-growth forests and more gentle slopes. Slope and forest age had similar effects on the gap area fraction, however gap area fraction was also affected by soil type and by aspect. We conclude that variation in disturbance patterns across the landscape can be linked to factors that act at the fine scale (such as aspect or slope), and factors that show heterogeneity at coarser scales (such as forest age or soil type). Awareness of the role of different environmental factors influencing gap formation can help scale-up the impacts of canopy disturbance on forest communities measured at the plot scale to landscape and regional scales.
The effect of vertically-resolved soil biogeochemistry and alternate soil C and N models on C dynamics of CLM4
Authors: Koven C. D. , Riley W. J. , Subin Z. M. , Tang J. Y. , Torn M. S. , Collins W. D. , Bonan G. B. , Lawrence D. M. , Swenson S. C.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. Soils are a crucial component of the Earth System; they comprise a large portion of terrestrial carbon stocks, mediate the supply and demand of nutrients, and influence the overall response of terrestrial ecosystems to perturbations. In this paper, we develop a new soil biogeochemistry model for the Community Land Model, version 4 (CLM4). The new model includes a vertical dimension to carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools and transformations, a more realistic treatment of mineral N pools, flexible treatment of the dynamics of decomposing carbon, and a radiocarbon (14C) tracer. We describe the model structure, comparison against site-level and global observations, and overall effect of the revised soil model on CLM carbon dynamics. Site-level comparisons to radiocarbon and bulk soil C observations support the idea that soil C turnover is reduced at depth beyond what is expected from environmental controls by temperature, moisture, and oxygen that are considered in the model. The revised soil model predicts substantially more and older soil C, particularly at high latitudes, where it resolves a permafrost soil C pool, in better agreement with observations. In addition the 20th century C dynamics of the model are more realistic than the baseline model, with more terrestrial C uptake over the 20th century due to reduced N downregulation and longer turnover times of decomposing C.
Topological and canonical kriging for design flood prediction in ungauged catchments: an improvement over a traditional regional regression approach?
Authors: Archfield S. A. , Pugliese A. , Castellarin A. , Skøien J. O. , Kiang J. E.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. In the United States, estimation of flood frequency quantiles at ungauged locations has been largely based on regional regression techniques that relate measurable catchment descriptors to flood quantiles. More recently, spatial interpolation techniques of point data have been shown to be effective for predicting streamflow statistics (i.e., flood flows and low-flow indices) in ungauged catchments. Literature reports successful applications of two techniques, canonical kriging, CK (or physiographical-space-based interpolation, PSBI), and topological kriging, TK (or top-kriging). CK performs the spatial interpolation of the streamflow statistic of interest in the two-dimensional space of catchment descriptors. TK predicts the streamflow statistic along river networks taking both the catchment area and nested nature of catchments into account. It is of interest to understand how these spatial interpolation methods compare with generalized least squares (GLS) regression, one of the most common approaches to estimate flood quantiles at ungauged locations. By means of a leave-one-out cross-validation procedure, the performance of CK and TK was compared to GLS regression equations developed for the prediction of 10, 50, 100 and 500 yr floods for 61 streamgauges in the southeast United States. TK substantially outperforms GLS and CK for the study area, particularly for large catchments. The performance of TK over GLS highlights an important distinction between the treatments of spatial correlation when using regression-based or spatial interpolation methods to estimate flood quantiles at ungauged locations. The analysis also shows that coupling TK with CK slightly improves the performance of TK; however, the improvement is marginal when compared to the improvement in performance over GLS.