bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of circulating fibrocytes in inflammation and autoimmunity
Authors: Galligan Carole L , Fish Eleanor N
Published: September 2012

Review on the role of circulating fibrocytes in augmenting the inflammatory/immune processes, and contributing to tissue remodeling in autoimmune diseases.

Autoimmunity is a chronic process resulting in inflammation, tissue damage, and subsequent tissue remodeling. Circulating fibrocytes are bone marrow-derived cells with characteristics of hematopoietic and mesenchymal cells. These cells have been implicated in many inflammatory and fibrotic conditions as well as in wound healing. Fibrocytes can amplify the inflammatory/immune response through multiple mechanisms, including antigen presentation, cytokine and chemokine secretion, and production of MMPs. Increased numbers of circulating fibrocytes are observed in RA, systemic scleroderma, and Gravesˈ disease. Here, we review the current literature and potential involvement of fibrocytes in inflammation and autoimmunity.
Draper acts through the JNK pathway to control synchronous engulfment of dying germline cells by follicular epithelial cells
Authors: Etchegaray Jon Iker , Timmons Allison K. , Klein Adam P. , Pritchett Tracy L. , Welch Elaine , Meehan Tracy L. , Li Christy , McCall Kimberly
Published: September 2012

The efficient removal of dead cells is an important process in animal development and homeostasis. Cell corpses are often engulfed by professional phagocytes such as macrophages. However, in some tissues with limited accessibility to circulating cells, engulfment is carried out by neighboring non-professional phagocytes such as epithelial cells. Here, we investigate the mechanism of corpse clearance in the Drosophila melanogaster ovary, a tissue that is closed to circulating cells. In degenerating egg chambers, dying germline cells are engulfed by the surrounding somatic follicular epithelium by unknown mechanisms. We show that the JNK pathway is activated and required in engulfing follicle cells. We find that the receptor Draper is also required in engulfing follicle cells, and activates the JNK pathway. Overexpression of Draper or the JNK pathway in follicle cells is sufficient to induce death of the underlying germline, suggesting that there is coordination between the germline and follicular epithelium to promote germline cell death. Furthermore, activation of JNK bypasses the need for Draper in engulfment. The induction of JNK and Draper in follicle cells occurs independently of caspase activity in the germline, indicating that at least two pathways are necessary to coordinate germline cell death with engulfment by the somatic epithelium.
Dynamics of clathrin-mediated endocytosis and its requirement for organelle biogenesis in Dictyostelium
Authors: Macro Laura , Jaiswal Jyoti K. , Simon Sanford M.
Published: September 2012

The protein clathrin mediates one of the major pathways of endocytosis from the extracellular milieu and plasma membrane. In single-cell eukaryotes, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the gene encoding clathrin is not an essential gene, raising the question of whether clathrin conveys specific advantages for multicellularity. Furthermore, in contrast to mammalian cells, endocytosis in S. cerevisiae is not dependent on either clathrin or adaptor protein 2 (AP2), an endocytic adaptor molecule. In this study, we investigated the requirement for components of clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) in another unicellular organism, the amoeba Dictyostelium. We identified a heterotetrameric AP2 complex in Dictyostelium that is similar to that which is found in higher eukaryotes. By simultaneously imaging fluorescently tagged clathrin and AP2, we found that, similar to higher eukaryotes, these proteins colocalized to membrane puncta that move into the cell together. In addition, the contractile vacuole marker protein, dajumin-green fluorescent protein (GFP), is trafficked via the cell membrane and internalized by CME in a clathrin-dependent, AP2-independent mechanism. This pathway is distinct from other endocytic mechanisms in Dictyostelium. Our finding that CME is required for the internalization of contractile vacuole proteins from the cell membrane explains the contractile vacuole biogenesis defect in Dictyostelium cells lacking clathrin. Our results also suggest that the machinery for CME and its role in organelle maintenance appeared early during eukaryotic evolution. We hypothesize that dependence of endocytosis on specific components of the CME pathway evolved later, as demonstrated by internalization independent of AP2 function.
Activity of PLCε contributes to chemotaxis of fibroblasts towards PDGF
Authors: Martins Marta , Warren Sean , Kimberley Christopher , Margineanu Anca , Peschard Pascal , McCarthy Afshan , Yeo Maggie , Marshall Christopher J. , Dunsby Christopher , French Paul M. W. , Katan Matilda
Published: September 2012

Cell chemotaxis, such as migration of fibroblasts towards growth factors during development and wound healing, requires precise spatial coordination of signalling events. Phosphoinositides and signalling enzymes involved in their generation and hydrolysis have been implicated in regulation of chemotaxis; however, the role and importance of specific components remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that phospholipase C epsilon (PLCε) contributes to fibroblast chemotaxis towards platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-BB). Using PLCe1 null fibroblasts we show that cells deficient in PLCε have greatly reduced directionality towards PDGF-BB without detrimental effect on their basal ability to migrate. Furthermore, we show that in intact fibroblasts, signalling events, such as activation of Rac, are spatially compromised by the absence of PLCε that affects the ability of cells to enlarge their protrusions in the direction of the chemoattractant. By further application of live cell imaging and the use of FRET-based biosensors, we show that generation of Ins(1,4,5)P3 and recruitment of PLCε are most pronounced in protrusions responding to the PDGF-BB gradient. Furthermore, the phospholipase C activity of PLCε is critical for its role in chemotaxis, consistent with the importance of Ins(1,4,5)P3 generation and sustained calcium responses in this process. As PLCε has extensive signalling connectivity, using transgenic fibroblasts we ruled out its activation by direct binding to Ras or Rap GTPases, and suggest instead new unexpected links for PLCε in the context of chemotaxis.
Steep progressive waves in deep and shallow water
Authors: Sobey Rodney J.
Published: September 2012

Analytical solutions for steady progressive waves in deep and shallow water are developed and explored. The solution presentations emphasise the significant overlap in their formulations. Each theory is numerically confirmed as correct to fifth order and details of the solutions are archived in a manner that anticipates application code. Finally, the limits of validity, separate and overlapping, of the respective analytical solutions are extensively examined. It is suggested that ω2h/g ≈ 0·65 separates the region of applicability of the shallow and deep water theories.
Effect of confining pressure and frequency on the deformation of ballast
Authors: THAKUR P.K. , VINOD J.S. , INDRARATNA B.
Published: September 2012

Increasing the speed and frequency of trains with the same static axle weight imparts higher dynamic axle loads more frequently. When this occurs on existing track which has not been designed for such loading there can be increased rates of ballast degradation, characterised by unacceptable deformation and lateral spread, leading to more frequent requirements for track maintenance. Recent studies carried out at the University of Wollongong highlighted that confining pressure and frequency have a significant influence on the permanent deformation and degradation of ballast. However, confinement required to keep the deformation and degradation of the ballasted track to an acceptable limit will depend on the train speed (frequency). In this context, a series of cyclic triaxial tests was conducted on latite basalt samples having an initial confining pressure of 120 kPa. After every 25 000 cycles, the confining pressure was decreased in steps to simulate the drop of confining pressure during heavy traffic. This test procedure was adopted to replicate the influence of train speed on the stability of ballast. Test results indicated that both the frequency and confining pressure have a significant influence on the permanent deformation of ballast. Resilient modulus is found to increase with an increase in confining pressure and number of cycles, but to decrease with increasing frequency. The results also showed that the ballast layer requires a minimum level of confinement for preventing an excessive amount of track deformation. An empirical equation is formulated to determine the required confining pressure and resilient modulus of the ballast layer for an allowable limit of track deformation at a given train speed.
A Multidomain Approach to Understanding Risk for Underage Drinking: Converging Evidence From 5 Data Sets
Authors: Jones Damon E. , Feinberg Mark E. , Cleveland Michael J. , Cooper Brittany Rhoades
Published: September 2012

Objectives. We examined the independent and combined influence of major risk and protective factors on youths’ alcohol use.

Methods. Five large data sets provided similar measures of alcohol use and risk or protective factors. We carried out analyses within each data set, separately for boys and girls in 8th and 10th grades. We included interaction and curvilinear predictive terms in final models if results were robust across data sets. We combined results using meta-analytic techniques.

Results. Individual, family, and peer risk factors and a community protective factor moderately predicted youths’ alcohol use. Family and school protective factors did not predict alcohol use when combined with other factors. Youths’ antisocial attitudes were more strongly associated with alcohol use for those also reporting higher levels of peer or community risk. For certain risk factors, the association with alcohol use varied across different risk levels.

Conclusions. Efforts toward reducing youths’ alcohol use should be based on robust estimates of the relative influence of risk and protective factors across adolescent environment domains. Public health advocates should focus on context (e.g., community factors) as a strategy for curbing underage alcohol use.
Heterogeneity of Falls Among Older Adults: Implications for Public Health Prevention
Authors: Kelsey Jennifer L. , Procter-Gray Elizabeth , Hannan Marian T. , Li Wenjun
Published: September 2012

Objectives. We examined risk factors for falls among older people according to indoor and outdoor activity at the time of the fall and explored risk factors for seriously injurious falls.

Methods. Data came from MOBILIZE Boston, a prospective cohort study of 765 community-dwelling women and men, mainly aged 70 years or older. Over 4.3 years, 1737 falls were recorded, along with indoor or outdoor activity at the time of the fall.

Results. Participants with poor baseline health characteristics had elevated rates of indoor falls while transitioning, walking, or not moving. Healthy, active people had elevated rates of outdoor falls during walking and vigorous activity. For instance, participants with fast, rather than normal, gait speed, had a rate ratio of 7.36 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.54, 21.28) for outdoor falls during vigorous activity. The likelihood of a seriously injurious fall also varied by personal characteristics, activity, and location. For example, the odds ratio for serious injury from an outdoor fall while walking outside compared to inside a participant’s neighborhood was 3.31 (95% CI = 1.33, 8.23).

Conclusions. Fall prevention programs should be tailored to personal characteristics, activities, and locations.
A Ban on Menthol Cigarettes: Impact on Public Opinion and Smokers' Intention to Quit
Authors: Pearson Jennifer L. , Abrams David B. , Niaura Raymond S. , Richardson Amanda , Vallone Donna M.
Published: September 2012

Objectives. We assessed support for a ban by the Food and Drug Administration on menthol in cigarettes and behavioral intentions among menthol smokers in the event of such a ban.

Methods. We surveyed 2649 never, former, and current smokers and used ordinal logistic regression to calculate weighted point estimates and predictors of support for a menthol ban among the adult population and menthol smokers only. For menthol smokers, we also calculated weighted point estimates and predictors of behavioral intentions.

Results. Overall, 28.2% of adults opposed, 20.0% supported, and 51.9% lacked a strong opinion about a menthol ban. Support was highest among Hispanics (36.4%), African Americans (29.0%), never smokers (26.8%), and respondents with less than a high school education (28.8%). Nearly 40% of menthol smokers said they would quit if menthol cigarettes were no longer available, 12.5% would switch to a nonmenthol brand, and 25.2% would both switch and try to quit.

Conclusions. Support for a menthol ban is strongest among populations with the highest prevalence of menthol cigarette use. A menthol ban might motivate many menthol smokers to quit.
The Impact of a Free Older Persons’ Bus Pass on Active Travel and Regular Walking in England
Authors: Coronini-Cronberg Sophie , Millett Christopher , Laverty Anthony A. , Webb Elizabeth
Published: September 2012

Objectives. We assessed the potential public health benefit of the National Bus Pass, introduced in 2006, which permits free local bus travel for older adults (≥ 60 years) in England.

Methods. We performed regression analyses with annual data from the 2005–2008 National Travel Survey. Models assessed associations between being a bus pass holder and active travel (walking, cycling, and use of public transport), use of buses, and walking 3 or more times per week.

Results. Having a free pass was significantly associated with greater active travel among both disadvantaged (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 4.06; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.35, 4.86; P < .001) and advantaged groups (AOR = 4.72; 95% CI = 3.99, 5.59; P < .001); greater bus use in both disadvantaged and advantaged groups (AOR = 7.03; 95% CI = 5.53, 8.94; P < .001 and AOR = 7.11; 95% CI = 5.65, 8.94; P < .001, respectively); and greater likelihood of walking more frequently in the whole cohort (AOR = 1.15; 95% CI = 1.07, 1.12; P < .001).

Conclusions. Public subsidies enabling free bus travel for older persons may confer significant population health benefits through increased incidental physical activity.
Current Tobacco Use Among Adults in the United States: Findings From the National Adult Tobacco Survey
Authors: King Brian A. , Dube Shanta R. , Tynan Michael A.
Published: September 2012

Objectives. We assessed the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of tobacco use among US adults.

Methods. We used data from the 2009–2010 National Adult Tobacco Survey, a national landline and cell phone survey of adults aged 18 years and older, to estimate current use of any tobacco; cigarettes; cigars, cigarillos, or small cigars; chewing tobacco, snuff, or dip; water pipes; snus; and pipes. We stratified estimates by gender, age, race/ethnicity, education, income, sexual orientation, and US state.

Results. National prevalence of current use was 25.2% for any tobacco; 19.5% for cigarettes; 6.6% for cigars, cigarillos, or small cigars; 3.4% for chewing tobacco, snuff, or dip; 1.5% for water pipes; 1.4% for snus; and 1.1% for pipes. Tobacco use was greatest among respondents who were male, younger, of non-Hispanic “other” race/ethnicity, less educated, less wealthy, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Prevalence ranged from 14.1% (Utah) to 37.4% (Kentucky).

Conclusions. Tobacco use varies by geography and sociodemographic factors, but remains prevalent among US adults. Evidence-based prevention strategies are needed to decrease tobacco use and the health and economic burden of tobacco-related diseases.
Growth responses of sessile oak to climate and hydrological regime in the Zbytka Nature Reserve, Czech Republic
Authors: Čejková Alžběta , Poláková Simona
Published: September 2012

Complex of Nature reservation Zbytka is the rest of various fen vegetation in the northeast part of the Czech Republic. It represents an important spring area which provides high quality potable water for more than 150 000 inhabitants. Waterworks utilization was started in the 1960s and the change of land-use practices has had a strong effect on the ecosystem. Oak chronology has been showing different tree growth trends since the start of the waterworks utilization. Also the occurrences of negative pointer years differ markedly before and after initiation of pumping underground water. Dendroclimatological analyses primarily revealed a close relationship between the temperature and tree growth — positive influence of spring and summer temperature. The period 1983–1992 of maximum artesian water pumping is expressed as higher tree-ring increments, but linear model analyses showed that the growth reaction of oak is not due to simple causality between temperature and under-ground water level. The radial increments reacted positively to the combination of high temperature during the vegetation season and low or, the contrary, high depth of underground water level. No direct relationship was detected between tree growth and fluctuation of underground water level; despite of the results dendrochronological data may be useful in historical ground water modelling studies. Results are also crucial for conflict of interests between nature preservation and potable water supply.
A Computational Study of Calcium(II) and Copper(II) Ion Binding to the Hyaluronate Molecule
Authors: Pirc Elizabeta Tratar , Zidar Jernej , Bukovec Peter
Published: September 2012

The hyaluronate molecule is a negatively charged polysaccharide that performs a plethora of physiological functions in many cell tissues depending on its conformation. In the present paper, molecular modeling at three levels of theory and two basis sets was used to gain a deeper insight in the complex molecular structure of calcium(II) and copper(II) hyaluronate. Simulation results were compared with the experimental data (EXAFS or X-ray). It was found that B3LYP does not properly reproduce the experimental data while the HF and M06 methods do. Simulation data confirm that the N-acetyl group of the N-acetylglucosamine residue does not participate in the coordination bonding to the calcium(II) or copper(II) ion, as evident from the experimental data.
Packing of Fruit Fly Parasitoids for Augmentative Releases
Authors: Montoya Pablo , Cancino Jorge , Ruiz Lía
Published: September 2012

The successful application of Augmentative Biological Control (ABC) to control pest fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) confronts two fundamental requirements: (1) the establishment of efficient mass rearing procedures for the species to be released, and (2) the development of methodologies for the packing and release of parasitoids that permit a uniform distribution and their optimal field performance under an area-wide approach. Parasitoid distributions have been performed by ground and by air with moderate results; both options face challenges that remain to be addressed. Different devices and strategies have been used for these purposes, including paper bags and the chilled adult technique, both of which are commonly used when releasing sterile flies. However, insect parasitoids have morphological and behavioral characteristics that render the application of such methodologies suboptimal. In this paper, we discuss an alternate strategy for the augmentative release of parasitoids and describe packing conditions that favor the rearing and emergence of adult parasitoids for increased field performance. We conclude that the use of ABC, including the packaging of parasitoids, requires ongoing development to ensure that this technology remains a viable and effective control technique for pest fruit flies.
A Phytoanticipin Derivative, Sodium Houttuyfonate, Induces in Vitro Synergistic Effects with Levofloxacin against Biofilm Formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Shao Jing , Cheng Huijuan , Wang Changzhong , Wang Yan
Published: September 2012

Antibiotic resistance has become the main deadly factor in infections, as bacteria can protect themselves by hiding in a self-constructed biofilm. Consequently, more attention is being paid to the search for “non-antibiotic drugs” to solve this problem. Phytoanticipins, the natural antibiotics from plants, could be a suitable alternative, but few works on this aspect have been reported. In this study, a preliminary study on the synergy between sodium houttuyfonate (SH) and levofloxacin (LFX) against the biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was performed. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of LFX and SH, anti-biofilm formation and synergistic effect on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and quantification of alginate were determined by the microdilution method, crystal violet (CV) assay, checkerboard method, and hydroxybiphenyl colorimetry. The biofilm morphology of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was observed by fluorescence microscope and scanning electric microscope (SEM). The results showed that: (i) LFX and SH had an obvious synergistic effect against Pseudomonas aeruginosa with MIC values of 0.25 μg/mL and 128 μg/mL, respectively; (ii) ½ × MIC SH combined with 2 × MIC LFX could suppress the biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa effectively, with up to 73% inhibition; (iii) the concentration of alginate decreased dramatically by a maximum of 92% after treatment with the combination of antibiotics; and (iv) more dead cells by fluorescence microscope and more removal of extracellular polymeric structure (EPS) by SEM were observed after the combined treatment of LFX and SH. Our experiments demonstrate the promising future of this potent antimicrobial agent against biofilm-associated infections.
Vers un monde plus égal ?
Authors: Morrisson Christian , Murtin Fabrice
Published: September 2012

Résumé This article is based on a consistent data base for GDP per capita and for population in 32 countries or group of countries from 1700 to 2030. World inequality, that had been increasing since 1700, decreased between 1992 and 2008. An increase from nowadays to 2030 is unlikely. Since 1992, the number of poors in the world has decreased for the first time in world’s history. Morevoer the number and the percentage of people in the middle class have increased dramatically. Finally there has been a change in the regional origin of the 10% most rich people in the world in favour of East Asia at the expense of the West.
L'essor et le déclin de l'Occident : une perspective géographique
Authors: Grether Jean-Marie , Lutzelschwab Claude , Mathys Nicole A.
Published: September 2012

Résumé This paper proposes a new representation of the worldwide distribution of human population and economic activity over two millennia. Combining the Maddison and the G-Econ databases, it tracks the evolution of the world’s demographic and economic centers of gravity during the 12010 period. The distributional and temporal patterns that emerge are clear and contrasted, with a stable East-Asian predominance during the first eighteen centuries, followed by a boomerang-like westward shift during the last two centuries. New turning points are identified, suggesting that the reversal of the Western shift occurred as early as the 1920s in demographic terms and in the 1950s in economic ones.
Concilier les politiques commerciales et les politiques climatiques
Authors: de Melo Jaime , Mathys Nicole A.
Published: September 2012

Résumé The outcome of the 15th conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Copenhagen showed a shift from a top-down approach with a collective target favoring environmental objectives to a bottom-up accord favoring political feasibility. There is no meaningful binding agreement in sight, also because the global climate regime and the global trade policy regime appear to be on a collision course. Following a review of the challenges ahead, the paper argues that trade will have a second-order contribution to world-wide CO2 emissions. Evidence shows increasing carbon transfers through trade, but the magnitude of carbon leakage effects may be less than feared in some circles. Trade policy, however, will play a role in implementing climate mitigation policies in three areas: maintaining an open trading system and hence boosting growth and facilitating technology diffusion; leveling the playing field for countries that do not mitigate and as a strategic instrument to bring compliance and participation. The paper concludes that a climate agreement with a few guiding principles and leeway where much initial mitigation would first take place unilaterally or in small groups, as under the early days of the GATT, is the most promising way ahead. This would help preserve an open trading system as well as environmental integrity.
Les sens imprévus de la musique comme action culturelle collective en milieu urbain
Authors: Raffin Fabrice
Published: September 2012

Résumé Ce texte décrit comment, à Poitiers et Genève entre 1980 et 2012, des amateurs de musiques rock sont devenus des acteurs urbains à part entière, véritables aménageurs de leurs villes à long terme, en créant des lieux culturels aujourd’hui encore en activité. Il s’agit d’analyser des actions collectives à dimensions culturelles, en y incluant l’univers des significations auxquelles leurs acteurs se réfèrent (Becker, 1963).
Cultiver l'« être-ensemble », même dans son salon : une approche communicationnelle des DVD de metal
Authors: Schall Céline
Published: September 2012

Résumé Cet article propose une étude exploratoire du DVD de musique metal en tant que dispositif de médiation. L’approche communicationnelle permet d’analyser les modalités d’instauration du sentiment d’« être-ensemble », si cher aux fans de musique metal, et ce même lorsqu’un DVD est regardé seul et en privé. Cette médiation passe essentiellement par trois modalités, qui se construisent aux niveaux de l’énonciation, de la textualité et des représentations véhiculées par le film. Ainsi, quand Metallica, Iron Maiden ou Motörhead fondent la relation au spectateur sur l’intimité dévoilée de ses membres (avec des procédés filmiques proches de ceux utilisés par la téléréalité), Slipknot ou Down préfèrent placer le spectateur en immersion dans l’ambiance (et l’inconfort) du concert, tout en jouant sur les codes et les représentations les plus « rebelles » du metal.
Matrices rituelles de la culture ibérique au XVIe siècle
Authors: Gabbay Marcello M.
Published: September 2012

Résumé Dans ce texte nous essayons d’exposer certains aspects de la puissance concrète de la spiritualité catholique pendant l’époque des colonisations, au XVI e siècle. La confluence parmi le répertoire mythique chrétien de cette époque-là, avec ses stratégies de domination symbolique et matérielle, et le répertoire religieux africain et indigène des colonies, et autres références andines, arabes, juives, etc., est le noyau symbolique de ce que nous comprenons aujourd’hui comme la résurgence de la magie dans les systèmes sociaux et de communication, et aussi de sa « matérialité » poignante dans le processus de changement social et culturel. Il s’agit ici d’une première analyse à partir des rapports historiques et de quelques observations dans le champ de recherche au nord du Brésil.
Location Privacy
Authors: Duckham Matt
Published: September 2012

In this chapter, the author raises a number of issues surrounding the ever-growing capabilities of geoinformatics. Location privacy can be defined as the claim of individuals to determine for themselves when, how, and to what extent information about their geographic location is communicated to others. Location privacy has become an especially important issue in geoinformatics because of the emergence of location-aware computing. This implication of the interaction between these technology and personal rights is explored in this chapter.
Diagnostic Modeling of Digital Systems with Multi-Level Decision Diagrams
Authors: Ubar Raimund , Raik Jaan , Jutman Artur , Jenihhin Maksim
Published: September 2012

In order to cope with the complexity of today’s digital systems in diagnostic modeling, hierarchical multi-level approaches should be used. In this chapter, the possibilities of using Decision Diagrams (DD) for uniform diagnostic modeling of digital systems at different levels of abstraction are discussed. DDs can be used for modeling the functions and faults of systems at logic, register transfer and behavior like instruction set architecture levels. The authors differentiate two general types of DDs – logic level binary DDs (BDD) and high level DDs (HLDD). Special classes of BDDs are described: structurally synthesized BDDs (SSBDD) and structurally synthesized BDDs with multiple inputs (SSMIBDD). A method of iterative synthesis of SSBDDs and SSMIBDDs is discussed. Three methods for synthesis of HLDDs for representing digital systems at higher levels are described: iterative superposition of HLDDs for high-level structural representations of systems, symbolic execution of procedural descriptions for functional representations of systems, and creation of vector HLDDs (VHLDD) on the basis of using shared HLDDs for compact representing of a given set of high level functions. The nodes in DDs can be modeled as generic locations of faults. For more precise general specification of faults different logic constraints are used. A functional fault model to map the low level faults to higher levels, particularly, to map physical defects from transistor level to logic level is discussed.
TVAL-Farm
Authors: Rex Art , Mathews Leah Greden , Lancaster Anne
Published: September 2012

The Total Value Assessment Tool for Farmland (TVAL-Farm) is a tool which incorporates scenic quality and cultural heritage elements to create an enhanced Land Evaluation and Site Assessment (LESA) model. The enhancement of the LESA model provides insight and a framework on how to collect and incorporate qualitative public values within the quantitative environment of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Inclusion of these public values is essential for holistically valuing land parcels and using LESA to make land protection decisions.
Landscape Biodiversity Characterization in Ecoregion 29 Using MODIS
Authors: Tripathi Nitin Kumar , Khant Aung Phey
Published: September 2012

Biodiversity conservation is a challenging task due to ever growing impact of global warming and climate change. The chapter discusses various aspects of biodiversity parameters that can be estimated using remote sensing data. Moderate resolution satellite (MODIS) data was used to demonstrate the biodiversity characterization of Ecoregion 29. Forest type map linked to density of the study area was also developed by MODIS data. The outcome states that remote sensing and geographic information systems can be used in combination to derive various parameters related to biodiversity surveillance at a regional scale.
Open Source Based Deployment of Environmental Data into Geospatial Information Infrastructures
Authors: Gil José , Díaz Laura , Granell Carlos , Huerta Joaquín
Published: September 2012

Today, scientists use local and closed geospatial solutions to run their models and store their results. This may limit their ability to share their models, and results with other interested colleagues. This scenario is changing with the advent of new factors such as the rapid growth and rise of open source projects, or new paradigms promoted by government organizations to manage environmental data, such as Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (INSPIRE) directive, or the massive use of Web 2.0 techniques where users are looking for applications with a high degree of collaboration, interactiveness, and multimedia effects. Many authors address the versatility of Spatial Data Infrastructures where resources are shared and accessed via standard service according to complex specifications. In this context, the authors point out the need to merge the traditional building and maintenance of these infrastructures, driven by official providers, with these more participative methodologies where users can participate in creating and integrating information. It seems necessary to develop new geospatial tools which integrate these new trends. This paper proposes a unified solution offering to the scientific field an open development framework, based on standards and philosophies focused on new technologies and scientific needs.
GIS Implementation in Malaysian Statutory Development Plan System
Authors: Abdullah Muhammad Faris , Abdullah Alias , Zahari Rustam Khairi
Published: September 2012

The chapter presents the current state of GIS implementation in Malaysian development plan system. It offers an overview of GIS implementation worldwide, touching briefly on the history of GIS, planners’ early acceptance of the system, factors that promote GIS implementation, level of usage among planners, and factors that impede successful GIS implementation. At the end, the chapter provides a comparison between the state of GIS implementation in Malaysian statutory development plan system with the state of GIS implementation worldwide. The evidence was derived from three main sources: literature, empirical observation of GIS implementation in Malaysia, and a survey conducted in 2008.
Location Management in PCS Networks Using Base Areas (BAs) and 2 Level Paging (2LP) Schemes
Authors: Ali Hesham A. , Saleh Ahmed I. , Ali Mohammed H.
Published: September 2012

The main objective of PCS networks is to provide “anytime-anywhere” cellular services. Accordingly, lost calls as well as the network slow response have become the major problems that hardly degrade the network reliability. Those problems can be overcome by perfectly managing the Mobile Terminals (MTs) locations. In the existing location management (LM) scheme, Location Area (LA) is the smallest unit for registration. A MT must register itself when passing through its LA boundary to a neighboring one. Moreover, such registration takes place at the MTs’ master HLR (even though currently managed by another HLR), which increases communication costs. As a result, existing LM scheme suffers from; (1) excessive location registrations by MTs located around LA boundaries (ping-pong effect) and (2) requiring the network to poll all LA cells to locate the callee MT. In this paper, a novel LM strategy is introduced by restructuring LAs into smaller areas called Base Areas (BAs), which impacts the paging cost. The proposed LM strategy uses caching to reduce unwanted updates and 2LP to reduce paging cost. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme introduces a distinct improvement in network response and tracing process.
Target Evaluation and Correlation Method (TECM) as an Assessment Approach to Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS)
Authors: Epelbaum Samuel , Mansouri Mo , Gorod Alex , Sauser Brian , Fridman Alexander
Published: September 2012

The Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) is a ten-year-long Implementation Plan, which commenced in 2005 as a group effort by numerous participating countries and organizations to build a large-scale network to effectively monitor and respond to the increasingly complex web of global environmental and socio-economic issues. This paper proposes the Target Evaluation and Correlation Method (TECM) as an assessment approach to GEOSS with its 241 Targets across the nine “Societal Benefit Areas,” along with a method to identify Target Correlation Levels (TCL). Applying TECM allows concluding whether the chosen targets within the GEOSS fall into the domain of System of Systems (SoS), while using TCLs delineates the extent of inclusion for these targets in the form of a system. Furthermore, this research investigates the possible ways of raising the correlation levels of the targets for the cases in which TCLs are low.
Communities, Cartography and GIS
Authors: Hawthorne Timothy L.
Published: September 2012

This paper discusses an introductory cartography and GIS service learning course. The service learning experience, highlighted by a final mapping project and community presentation, resulted in 3,000 student-designed maps being distributed to community residents, a website of downloadable student maps, multiple student speaking engagements, and a sustained community-university collaboration. The course demonstrates the importance of applied geography in local communities and highlights the benefits of community-university partnerships for addressing social change. Such an applied geography experience offers an important twist on the conventional, introductory cartography course where students engage in pre-packaged lectures and labs, and are then asked to complete a final mapping project. Unlike the conventional approach, this service learning class experience allows students to use their creativity to demonstrate knowledge learned in the course and allows students to apply and present their geographic knowledge in a real-world setting to community members.
Estimating Fractional Snow Cover in Mountain Environments with Fuzzy Classification
Authors: Whitesides Clayton J. , Connolly Matthew H.
Published: September 2012

The disproportionate amount of water runoff from mountains to surrounding arid and semiarid lands has generated much research in snow water equivalent (SWE) modeling. A primary input in SWE models is snow covered area (SCA) which is generally obtained via satellite imagery. Mixed pixels in alpine snow studies complicate SCA measurements and can reduce accuracy. A simple method was developed to estimate fractional snow cover using freely available Landsat and data derived from DEMs, commercial and free software, as well as fuzzy classification and recursive partitioning. The authors attempted to develop a cost effective technique for estimating fractional snow cover for resource and recreation managers confined by limited budgets and resources. Results indicated that the method was non-sensitive (P = 0.426) to differences in leaf area index and solar radiation between 4 March 2000 and 13 March 2003. Fractional snow cover was predicted consistently despite variation in model parameters between years, indicating that the developed method may be a viable way for monitoring fractional snow cover in mountainous areas where capital and resources are limited.
Fractal Estimation Using Extended Triangularisation and Box Counting Algorithm for any Geo-Referenced Point Data in GIS
Authors: Sridhar R. , Balasubramaniam S.
Published: September 2012

Fractal dimension is often used as a measure of how fast length, area, or volume increases or decreases with increase or decrease in scale, or as a measure of complexity of a system. In this paper, input depends only on the Geo-referenced point data where the point event has occurred. An Extended Triangularisation Algorithm is developed to cover the area of point data as a polygon and its perimeter is calculated. Box Counting Algorithm is applied on those point data to calculate the Fractal values, which in turn work as an input to Prediction Plot Linear Model, to show that fractal value increases or decreases as perimeter of Polygon increases or decreases. To validate this model, Crime data was used and its results were analyzed. It provides information to police officials about the intensity of crime, area of patrolling and deputation of police in the sensitivity area. This model could be applied for any Geo-referenced point data such as cancer data, hypertension data and so on.
Discovering Geosensor Data By Means of an Event Abstraction Layer
Authors: Llaves Alejandro , Everding Thomas
Published: September 2012

Environmental monitoring is a critical process in areas potentially affected by natural disasters. Nowadays, the distributed processing of vast amounts of heterogeneous sensor data in real time is a challenging task. Event processing tools allow creating an event abstraction layer on top of sensor data. Users can define event patterns to filter in real-time the information they are interested in and avoid irrelevant data. Extreme events are usually related to other environmental occurrences, e.g. landslides are related (among others) to precipitations and earthquakes. To be able to determine whether an occurrence could potentially lead to an extreme event, domain knowledge is necessary. Ontologies are helpful for this task, since they are able to capture a representation of knowledge as a set of concepts and relations, within a specific domain. The research presented in this chapter aims at combining event-processing tools with semantic technologies to improve the discovery of environmental data.
Modeling Species Distribution
Authors: Trisurat Yongyut , Toxopeus Albertus G.
Published: September 2012

The results show that among the three approaches, the potentially suitable habitats derived from cartographic overlay cover the largest area and are likely to overestimate existing occurrence areas. The logistic regression model predicts approximately 56% as suitable area, while maximum entropy results covers approximately 9% of the sanctuary. Although the results show large differences in the suitable areas, it should not be concluded that any one method always proves better than the others. Utilization of any method is dependent on the situation and available information. If species observations are limited, the cartographic overlay or habitat suitability is recommended. The logistic regression method is recommended when adequate presence and absence data are available. If presence-only data is available, a niche-based model or the maximum entropy method (MAXENT) is highly recommended.
3D Camera Tracking for Mixed Reality using Multi-Sensors Technology
Authors: Ababsa Fakhreddine , Zendjebil Iman Maissa , Didier Jean-Yves
Published: September 2012

The concept of Mixed Reality (MR) aims at completing our perception of the real world, by adding fictitious elements that are not perceptible naturally such as: computer generated images, virtual objects, texts, symbols, graphics, sounds, smells, et cetera. One of the major challenges for efficient Mixed Reality system is to ensure the spatiotemporal coherence of the augmented scene between the virtual and the real objects. The quality of the Real/Virtual registration depends mainly on the accuracy of the 3D camera pose estimation. The goal of this chapter is to provide an overview on the recent multi-sensor fusion approaches used in Mixed Reality systems for the 3D camera tracking. We describe the main sensors used in those approaches and we detail the issues surrounding their use (calibration process, fusion strategies, etc.). We include the description of some Mixed Reality techniques developed these last years and which use multi-sensor technology. Finally, we highlight new directions and open problems in this research field.
Decision Rule Extraction for Regularized Multiple Criteria Linear Programming Model
Authors: Sun DongHong , Liu Li , Zhang Peng , Zhu Xingquan , Shi Yong
Published: September 2012

Due to the flexibility of multi-criteria optimization, Regularized Multiple Criteria Linear Programming (RMCLP) has received attention in decision support systems. Numerous theoretical and empirical studies have demonstrated that RMCLP is effective and efficient in classifying large scale data sets. However, a possible limitation of RMCLP is poor interpretability and low comprehensibility for end users and experts. This deficiency has limited RMCLP’s use in many real-world applications where both accuracy and transparency of decision making are required, such as in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Credit Card Portfolio Management. In this paper, the authors present a clustering based rule extraction method to extract explainable and understandable rules from the RMCLP model. Experiments on both synthetic and real world data sets demonstrate that this rule extraction method can effectively extract explicit decision rules from RMCLP with only a small compromise in performance.
Data Field for Hierarchical Clustering
Authors: Wang Shuliang , Gan Wenyan , Li Deyi , Li Deren
Published: September 2012

In this paper, data field is proposed to group data objects via simulating their mutual interactions and opposite movements for hierarchical clustering. Enlightened by the field in physical space, data field to simulate nuclear field is presented to illuminate the interaction between objects in data space. In the data field, the self-organized process of equipotential lines on many data objects discovers their hierarchical clustering-characteristics. During the clustering process, a random sample is first generated to optimize the impact factor. The masses of data objects are then estimated to select core data object with nonzero masses. Taking the core data objects as the initial clusters, the clusters are iteratively merged hierarchy by hierarchy with good performance. The results of a case study show that the data field is capable of hierarchical clustering on objects varying size, shape or granularity without user-specified parameters, as well as considering the object features inside the clusters and removing the outliers from noisy data. The comparisons illustrate that the data field clustering performs better than K-means, BIRCH, CURE, and CHAMELEON.
Boundary Critique and Stakeholder Collaboration in Open Source Software Migration
Authors: Jokonya Osden , Hardman Stan
Published: September 2012

This paper investigates the contribution of stakeholder collaboration during an open source software migration using a case study. The case study is based on the Presidential National Commission, a South African government department that migrated from proprietary software to open source software in 2007. The organization was one of the few that migrated to open source software as part of a South African government initiative. The case study consisted of semi-structured interviews with the participants involved in the migration. The interviews centered on the contribution of stakeholder collaboration during the software migration using a boundary critique. The results suggest that stakeholder collaboration can contribute to open source software migration. From a managerial perspective, business leaders must understand the value of stakeholder collaboration in open source software migration. Boundary critique can be an important tool for achieving broader collaboration of stakeholders.
Boundaries of Socio-Technical Systems and IT for Knowledge Development in Military Environments
Authors: Ariely Gil-Ad
Published: September 2012

This article explores the boundaries of socio-technical IT systems for knowledge development, using military environments in a case study approach. The need to examine the effects of socio-technical convergence of human systems and computer systems is emerging in many fields. The article examines both the risks and the potential in military critical-environments for early adoption of socio-technical systems. The author addresses risks for creative knowledge creation by too-early adoption of information technology and the effects on socio-technical systems and sense-making. Such risks are more easily highlighted in a critical, stressful environment (stressful for man, machine, and their co-operation) with high-stakes. However, examined military environments are proposed as point of reference leading to further research in other sectors. The author argues for a socio-technical analysis before, during, and after adoption of new systems, especially those relating to knowledge development, reviewing boundaries created. Finally, the author discusses the future promise of socio-technical convergence of man-machine for knowledge development.