bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Politics of Location and Sexuality in Leila Ahmed’s and Nawal El Saadawi’s Life Narratives
Authors: Aouadi Leila
Published: September 2014

This article explores Leila Ahmed’s A Border Passage, and Nawal El Saadawi’s Memoirs from the Women’s Prison, A Daughter of Isis, and Walking Through Fire. It contrasts their works and argues that location and genderawareness play an important role in the writing of autobiographies. The focus is on showing how El Saadawi’s positioning as a feminist activist in Egypt and Ahmed’s location in the USA determine the texts’ themes and shape the construction of the autobiographical “I.”
The Rhetoric and Reception of John Milbank’s Radical Orthodoxy: Privileging Prejudice in Theology?
Authors: Hedges Paul
Published: September 2014

This paper uses Douglas Pratt’s typology of religious extremism and fundamentalism to argue that John Milbank’s Radical Orthodoxy employs styles of rhetoric and representation of the religious Other that have clear affinities with such ideologies. While clearly demarcating Milbank’s theology from what is normally termed fundamentalism or extremism, the paper shows that nevertheless similar rhetoric and judgements are employed that suggests that his theology is at best unhelpful, and at worst potentially dangerous. Focusing upon Milbank’s early work, the paper suggests that such rhetoric can be found through much of his writings, but notes that a different approach can be detected in his most recent writings. Suggestions for more productive modes of theological encounters with the religious Other are advanced, which suggest how the ideology of Radical Orthodoxy may be in potential sympathy with such ideas.
A Set of Annotation Interfaces for Alignment of Parallel Corpora
Authors: Singh Anil Kumar
Published: September 2014

Annotation interfaces for parallel corpora which fit in well with other tools can be very useful. We describe a set of annotation interfaces which fulfill this criterion. This set includes a sentence alignment interface, two different word or word group alignment interfaces and an initial version of a parallel syntactic annotation alignment interface. These tools can be used for manual alignment, or they can be used to correct automatic alignments. Manual alignment can be performed in combination with certain kinds of linguistic annotation. Most of these interfaces use a representation called the Shakti Standard Format that has been found to be very robust and has been used for large and successful projects. It ties together the different interfaces, so that the data created by them is portable across all tools which support this representation. The existence of a query language for data stored in this representation makes it possible to build tools that allow easy search and modification of annotated parallel data.
Väetamise mõju hariliku kuuse (Picea abies (L.) Karst) poogenditele Pauska seemlas / The effect of fertilization on Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) grafts: a case study in Pauska seed orchard
Authors: Kurm Malle , Aosaar Jürgen , Kiviste Andres
Published: September 2014

Altogether 197 grafts were studied in Pauska seed orchard in South-Estonia to find out the effect of the fertilization on Norway spruce grafts. The fertilization trials were carried out in May 1988 and 2006. The grafts of 4 different clones with 5 different fertilization treatments (N, P, K, NPK, control) were under study. The effect of three factors (fertilization, clone and year) on different characteristics of spruce grafts was studied. The linear methods with R software were used to find out relationships between variables. In addition to the morphological features and the content of nutrients in needles, the quantities and qualities of the mean cone and the weight of 1000 seeds were measured. Furthermore, the variation of quantities of needles (density, weight, length) and the content of nutrients in needles between years 1988 and 2007 were compared, using the linear methods with R software package. The morphological characteristics and nutrient content of needles, the mass of cones and seeds have depended the most on a calendar year. During the last research period (2003−2007), the needles of grafts under study were longer, lighter and with lower density compared to earlier research period (1988-1993). The effect of a clone was also essential. Needles of younger grafts were longer, heavier and set sparser than needles of older grafts. The needle nutrient content of younger grafts was also higher compared to the older ones. The effect of fertilizers on the grafts was dependent on the period of time. Nitrogen fertilizers increased the N-content in their needles during the first four years and also after repetitive fertilization. Phosphate fertilizers increased the P-content in their needles starting from the third year after their fertilization. The impact of potassium fertilizers on the K-content of their needles appeared 2−4 years after their fertilization. Combined fertilizers increased the N- and P-content in the needles to some extent, whereas it decreased their Ca- and Mg-content.
GI Symptoms in Infants Are a Potential Target for Fermented Infant Milk Formulae: A Review
Authors: Van de Heijning Bert , Berton Amelie , Bouritius Hetty , Goulet Olivier
Published: September 2014

Besides pre- and pro-biotic-containing infant formulae, fermented infant formulae are commonly used to relieve or prevent symptoms of gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort in young infants. During the fermentation process in cow’s milk-based formulae, the beneficial bacteria modulate the product by forming several beneficial compounds, which contribute to the alleviation of the symptoms observed. This review summarizes the clinical evidence on the impact of fermented infant formulae on common pediatric GI-symptoms. The potential mechanisms involved are discussed: i.e., the lactose and protein (in-) digestibility, effects on gastric emptying and gut transit and modulation of the colonic microbiota. Although initial evidence indicates a beneficial effect of fermented formulae on GI discomfort in newborns, validation and confirmation of the clinical proof obtained so far is warranted, as well as further research to (more fully) understand the mode of action.
Structural, Optical and Electrical Properties of PVA/PANI/Nickel Nanocomposites Synthesized by Gamma Radiolytic Method
Authors: Meftah Abdo , Gharibshahi Elham , Soltani Nayereh , Yunus W. , Saion Elias
Published: September 2014

This article reports a simultaneous synthesis of polyaniline (PANI) and nickel (Ni) nanoparticles embedded in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film matrix by gamma radiolytic method. The mechanism of formation of PANI and Ni nanoparticles were proposed via oxidation of aniline and reduction of Ni ions, respectively. The effects of dose and Ni ions concentration on structural, optical, and electrical properties of the final PVA/PANI/Ni nanocomposites film were carefully examined. The structural and morphological studies show the presence of PANI with irregular granular microstructure and Ni nanoparticles with spherical shape and diameter less than 60 nm. The average particle size of Ni nanoparticles decreased with increasing dose and decreasing of precursor concentration due to increase of nucleation process over aggregation process during gamma irradiation. The optical absorption spectra showed that the absorption peak of Ni nanoparticles at about 390 nm shifted to lower wavelength and the absorbance increased with increasing dose. The formation of PANI was also revealed at 730 nm absorption peak with the absorbance increasing by the increase of dose. The electrical conductivity increased with increasing of dose and chlorine concentration due to number of polarons formation increases in the PVA/PANI/Ni nanocomposites.
Towards High Performance Organic Photovoltaic Cells: A Review of Recent Development in Organic Photovoltaics
Authors: Yu Junsheng , Zheng Yifan , Huang Jiang
Published: September 2014

Organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) have been a hot topic for research during the last decade due to their promising application in relieving energy pressure and environmental problems caused by the increasing combustion of fossil fuels. Much effort has been made toward understanding the photovoltaic mechanism, including evolving chemical structural motifs and designing device structures, leading to a remarkable enhancement of the power conversion efficiency of OPVs from 3% to over 15%. In this brief review, the advanced progress and the state-of-the-art performance of OPVs in very recent years are summarized. Based on several of the latest developed approaches to accurately detect the separation of electron-hole pairs in the femtosecond regime, the theoretical interpretation to exploit the comprehensive mechanistic picture of energy harvesting and charge carrier generation are discussed, especially for OPVs with bulk and multiple heterojunctions. Subsequently, the novel structural designs of the device architecture of OPVs embracing external geometry modification and intrinsic structure decoration are presented. Additionally, some approaches to further increase the efficiency of OPVs are described, including thermotics and dynamics modification methods. Finally, this review highlights the challenges and prospects with the aim of providing a better understanding towards highly efficient OPVs.
Data Fusion to Develop a Driver Drowsiness Detection System with Robustness to Signal Loss
Authors: Samiee Sajjad , Azadi Shahram , Kazemi Reza , Nahvi Ali , Eichberger Arno
Published: September 2014

This study proposes a drowsiness detection approach based on the combination of several different detection methods, with robustness to the input signal loss. Hence, if one of the methods fails for any reason, the whole system continues to work properly. To choose correct combination of the available methods and to utilize the benefits of methods of different categories, an image processing-based technique as well as a method based on driver-vehicle interaction is used. In order to avoid driving distraction, any use of an intrusive method is prevented. A driving simulator is used to gather real data and then artificial neural networks are used in the structure of the designed system. Several tests were conducted on twelve volunteers while their sleeping situations during one day prior to the tests, were fully under control. Although the impact of the proposed system on the improvement of the detection accuracy is not remarkable, the results indicate the main advantages of the system are the reliability of the detections and robustness to the loss of the input signals. The high reliability of the drowsiness detection systems plays an important role to reduce drowsiness related road accidents and their associated costs.
Residents’ Household Solid Waste (HSW) Source Separation Activity: A Case Study of Suzhou, China
Authors: Zhang Hua , Wen Zong-Guo
Published: September 2014

Though the Suzhou government has provided household solid waste (HSW) source separation since 2000, the program remains largely ineffective. Between January and March 2014, the authors conducted an intercept survey in five different community groups in Suzhou, and 505 valid surveys were completed. Based on the survey, the authors used an ordered probit regression to study residents’ HSW source separation activities for both Suzhou and for the five community groups. Results showed that 43% of the respondents in Suzhou thought they knew how to source separate HSW, and 29% of them have source separated HSW accurately. The results also found that the current HSW source separation pilot program in Suzhou is valid, as HSW source separation facilities and residents’ separation behavior both became better and better along with the program implementation. The main determinants of residents’ HSW source separation behavior are residents’ age, HSW source separation facilities and government preferential policies. The accessibility to waste management service is particularly important. Attitudes and willingness do not have significant impacts on residents’ HSW source separation behavior.
The Role of Ubiquitin and Ubiquitin-Like Modification Systems in Papillomavirus Biology
Authors: Wilson Van
Published: September 2014

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are small DNA viruses that are important etiological agents of a spectrum of human skin lesions from benign to malignant. Because of their limited genome coding capacity they express only a small number of proteins, only one of which has enzymatic activity. Additionally, the HPV productive life cycle is intimately tied to the epithelial differentiation program and they must replicate in what are normally non-replicative cells, thus, these viruses must reprogram the cellular environment to achieve viral reproduction. Because of these limitations and needs, the viral proteins have evolved to co-opt cellular processes primarily through protein-protein interactions with critical host proteins. The ubiquitin post-translational modification system and the related ubiquitin-like modifiers constitute a widespread cellular regulatory network that controls the levels and functions of thousands of proteins, making these systems an attractive target for viral manipulation. This review describes the interactions between HPVs and the ubiquitin family of modifiers, both to regulate the viral proteins themselves and to remodel the host cell to facilitate viral survival and reproduction.
Improving Irrigated Lowland Rice Water Use Efficiency under Saturated Soil Culture for Adoption in Tropical Climate Conditions
Authors: Kima Aimé , Chung Wen , Wang Yu-Min
Published: September 2014

: Saturated soil culture is one of the water saving techniques that can improve water productivity. However, it is either less implemented or adopted because it consumes more time and energy. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to determine the effective water depth that can keep soil moisture close to saturation for a commonly practiced irrigation interval, combined with a rainfall pattern for increasing water productivity. The design was a randomized complete block with three replications and four water treatments representing 120% (T120), 180% (T180), 240% (T240), and 300% (T300) of soil saturation or the application of 2, 3, 4 and 5 cm water depth. The results showed that the application of 3 cm was the effective depth. It decreased plant height, tiller number, chlorophyll content, and panicle number per hill by 12.37%, 20.84%, 7.59%, and 70.98%, respectively. The decrease of these parameters is followed by total recovery due to effective rainfall contribution, which led to low yield sacrifice (6% of reduction) and 40% of water saving. We argue that weekly application of a 3 cm water depth and matching crop needed-water period with the onset of rainfall may be implemented and recommended as suitable saturated soil culture practice for rice production in high water demand conditions.
Traitement dramatique des auditeurs chez Platon : l’Apologie et le Phédon
Authors: Matthey Aurélie
Published: September 2014

Dans les dialogues platoniciens, les règles de l’échange dialectique accordent une fonction privilégiée aux interlocuteurs. Ceux-ci ne sont cependant pas toujours seuls : Platon met en scène, en marge de la discussion, une variété de personnages qui assistent à la discussion de façon plus ou moins active. La mise en scène de ces personnages pose alors, par sa complexité, la question de leur fonction et des modalités de leur implication. Le problème est vaste. Pour le restreindre, on s’est limité à aborder la question des auditeurs dans deux dialogues : l’Apologie et le

Phédon. Les liens inter-dramatiques explicitement établis entre ces deux dialogues éclairent, en effet, la relation discursive qui se tisse entre Socrate et ceux qui l’écoutent. Le mouvement de correction, qui est conduit d’une oeuvre à l’autre, souligne l’inadéquation du système judiciaire de la cité pour juger Socrate et redéfinit le rôle critique des auditeurs, rapprochant leur responsabilité de celle des interlocuteurs.
Derivatives of the triaminoguanidinium ion, 3. Multiple N-functionalization of the triaminoguanidinium ion with isocyanates and isothiocyanates
Authors: Szabo Jan , Karger Kerstin , Bucher Nicolas , Maas Gerhard
Published: September 2014

1,2,3-Triaminoguanidinium chloride was combined with benzaldehyde and hydratropic aldehyde to furnish the corresponding tris(imines), which were converted into 1,2,3-tris(benzylamino)guanidinium salts by catalytic hydrogenation in the former, and by borane reduction in the latter case. The resulting alkyl-substituted triaminoguanidinium salts underwent a threefold carbamoylation with aryl isocyanates to furnish 1,2,3-tris(ureido)guanidinium salts, while p-toluenesulfonyl isocyanate led only to a mono-ureido guanidinium salt. With aryl isothiocyanates, 3-hydrazino-1H-1,2,4-triazole-5(4H)-thione derivatives were obtained. Compounds 7a and 8 show interesting solid-state structures with intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds.
IDENTIFICATION OF INDIVIDUAL TREES AND GROUPS OF TREES IN THE LANDSCAPE USING AIRBORNE LASER SCANNING DATA
Authors: Smreček Robert , Michňova Zuzana
Published: September 2014

In the work, a fully automatic approach for vegetation delineation using ALS data is presented. Nowadays, in Slovakia, aerial images and satellite scenes are used for this purpose. For vegetation identification, the measurement of local transparency and roughness directly in 3D point cloud was used. The aim was the identification of groups of trees with area bigger than 0.1 ha and individual trees. On the experimental area, 33 polygons representing groups of trees and 120 individual trees were identified. For groups of trees the accuracy of identification was 100%. For comparison, an area with reference polygons, which were manually vectorised by the operator on the orthophotos with spatial resolution 30 cm, was used. The average difference in the area was –0.26%, with standard deviation ±8.17%. The distance of borders of reference polygons and polygons derived from ALS data was also compared, average distance for border parts that fall inside the reference polygons was 2.24 m with standard deviation of ±2.8 m. The average distance for borders parts that fall outside of the reference polygons was 1.84 m with standard deviation ±2.04 m. The accuracy of individual trees identification was 98%.
Le massif forestier des Landes de Gascogne, un patrimoine naturel ? Le regard des gestionnaires
Authors: Pottier Aude
Published: September 2014

Au sein des forêts françaises, il en est une qui se détache tant par son étendue et son histoire que par sa forte propension à être considérée comme « ordinaire » : les Landes de Gascogne. Conçue pour produire, emblème s’il en est un de la vocation productive de l’espace forestier, la forêt landaise est souvent et précisément dénoncée pour cette orientation exclusive. Le caractère intensif de son exploitation et son importante superficie sont généralement avancés pour en critiquer son uniformité paysagère et sa faible richesse floristique et faunistique. Ces remarques reflètent son apparente incapacité à être porteuse de valeurs autres qu’économiques. Derrière le stéréotype, nous allons chercher à appréhender le regard que portent les professionnels (privés et publics) sur leur objet de travail, et pour beaucoup, de vie. À travers l’analyse d’entretiens semi-directifs, nous allons tenter de décrypter le rapport tissé entre cette catégorie professionnelle et son objet par et au-delà de l’« uniforme ». Cet article vise ainsi à appréhender les valeurs que ces personnes affectent à cette forêt landaise et montrera comment une forêt artificielle de production peut devenir, pour ses gestionnaires, un objet patrimonial où valeurs naturelles et culturelles s’enchevêtrent.
Quelles alternatives à l'automobile dans les espaces d'« entre-villes » ? Une comparaison franco-allemande
Authors: Brès Antoine , Desjardins Xavier
Published: September 2014

L’article porte sur les déterminants spatiaux des alternatives potentielles à offrir à l’usage de l’automobile dans l’aménagement des espaces d’urbanisation dispersée. Notre hypothèse principale est que, même dans les territoires de faible densité, la distribution géographique des populations et des activités ainsi que l’agencement territorial de ces fonctions a une importance majeure dans l’efficacité des modes actifs et des transports collectifs. Pour tester cette hypothèse, une enquête a été menée dans deux territoires situés à l’écart de toute commune de plus de 20 000 habitants (ou agglomération de plus de 25 000 habitants) en France et en Allemagne, plus précisément en Picardie et en Franconie. Une méthodologie particulière a été développée pour étudier précisément la distribution géographique de l’urbanisation et des services. Ce travail met à jour un potentiel de proximité non négligeable, surtout en France, et des possibilités d’usage des transports collectifs plus importantes en Allemagne. Dans une dernière partie, une analyse des documents d’urbanisme et de planification permet de partager la part de l’héritage et du volontarisme politique dans ces configurations territoriales.
Sens et valeur du contexte en éthique
Authors: Faes Hubert
Published: September 2014

La notion de contexte doit être affinée en fonction de situations de plus en plus spécialisées, d’une part, et de la mondialisation, d’autre part. L’extension du concept de contexte varie. Jusqu’où est-il souhaitable de prendre en compte le contexte dans l’élaboration d’une réflexion éthique ? C’est alors la notion d’action qu’il convient de préciser surtout quand il s’agit d’une action humaine toujours à la fois naturelle et culturelle. De plus, un contexte humain ne saurait ignorer l’aspect spécifiquement communicationnel de la réalité. Le sens courant du terme « contexte » ne suffit pas. L’exemple des rapports entre homme et nature illustrera notre propos qui devra retravailler aussi la question du rapport sujet/objet. Plusieurs conclusions apparaîtront alors : fin de la différence entre éthique fondamentale et éthique appliquée ; une réflexion éthique moderne à la fois contextuelle et communicationnelle ; l’éthique d’aujourd’hui n’implique plus nécessairement une application ; enfin, le point de vue de l’éthique est pragmatique et son opération essentielle est le jugement. In fine , c’est bien la possibilité même de valeurs universelles qui constitue le point d’orgue de notre analyse.
La morale de gradualité
Authors: Huguenin Marie-Joseph
Published: September 2014

L’encyclique Humanae Vitae de Paul VI a représenté une émergence forte de la problématique de la morale de gradualité. Nous sommes là en présence d’un enjeu important qui nécessite un retour vers la révélation biblique, Ancien et Nouveau Testament, mais aussi vers la Tradition augustino-thomasienne, notamment. L’apport spécifique de Jean-Paul II est ici aussi important. Le concept de miséricorde nous aide à reprendre l’ensemble du dossier afin de pouvoir proposer des ouvertures actuelles du côté de la pastorale des divorcés remariés. Sur cette question précise, exégèse, histoire, apports du Cardinal Ratzinger, du père Dingemans ou de Mgr Albert Rouet balisent la réflexion et permettent de poser des critères. Vatican II a incontestablement représenté un tournant décisif.
Liturgie et reconnaissance : enjeux actuels pour l'éthique théologique
Authors: Bordeyne Philippe
Published: September 2014

Tandis qu’on observe un renouveau dans la prise en compte de la liturgie, et donc du corps et de la ritualité, en théologie, l’article en montre la pertinence pour la théologie morale. L’approche philosophique de la reconnaissance aide à comprendre en quoi les pratiques liturgiques rendent plus apte à vivre l’éthique. Les théologiens communautariens anglo-saxons voient dans le culte chrétien une instance de résistance à la culture individualiste qui imprime dans les sujets, presque malgré eux, un nouveau sens de l’autre. Avec Ricœur, il convient d’insister davantage sur la médiation de la réflexion dans le moment cérémoniel de la reconnaissance mutuelle. Les gestes liturgiques sont d’autant plus féconds pour l’éthique qu’ils s’accompagnent d’une catéchèse qui en déploie la force symbolique et donnent à penser de manière nouvelle le sens de la vie humaine. L’expérience religieuse qu’offre le site cérémoniel chrétien assume le renversement propre au processus de reconnaissance quand il passe de l’actif (je reconnais) au passif (je demande à être reconnu). Elle a néanmoins vocation à le dépasser grâce à la reconnaissance d’un lien social plus originaire qui fonde la réconciliation (nous sommes déjà reconnus comme fils et frères).
Successful Seclusion and Restraint Prevention Effort in Child and Adolescent Programs
Authors: Caldwell Beth , Albert Chantell , Azeem Muhammad W. , Beck Susan , Cocoros David , Cocoros Trish , Montes Raquel , Reddy Bhagya
Published: September 2014

The current article presents the experiences of three different child- and family-serving programs in the United States that have successfully implemented interventions to prevent the use of restraint and seclusion (R/S) in their respective facilities. The article also provides family and youth perspectives on the impact of and recommendations for preventing R/S. Over the past decade, a significant shift has occurred toward preventing the use of R/S within programs serving children and adolescents. National efforts have included the work of the Building Bridges Initiative, as well as growing interest and support for the implementation of trauma-informed environments of care. [
Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 52
(11), 30–38.]
Integración de restos arqueológicos Almohades en el metropolitano de Granada. La investigación multidisciplinar para el proyecto y desarrollo de infraestructuras contemporáneas en los centros históricos
Authors: Jiménez-Torrecillas A. , Hernández-Soriano R. , Ruiz L. M. , Rodríguez-Aguilera A. , Tienza C. , Garzón F. , Carvajal R. , Sánchez-López A. , Moreno J. D.
Published: September 2014

La ejecución del tramo subterráneo del metropolitano de Granada ha permitido el hallazgo de los restos arqueológicos de la alberca del Alcázar Genil, residencia regia musulmana periurbana del siglo XIII. El Albercón, de 128 × 27 metros, fue devorado en sus extremos durante el crecimiento urbano del siglo XX, salvándose el tramo central pisado por el Camino de Ronda, vial bajo cuyo trazado discurre el metropolitano. El emplazamiento en Alcázar Genil de una estación subterránea posibilitará la integración de los restos arqueológicos de la alberca, recuperándolos, poniéndolos en valor y haciéndolos visitables.El proyecto de la estación Alcázar Genil aúna los esfuerzos conjuntos de diversas disciplinas que ponen al mismo nivel las ingenierías de los siglos XIII y XXI con una visión interdisciplinar básica para abarcar la complejidad de todo el proyecto con el objetivo de compatibilizar las infraestructuras contemporáneas con el pasado oculto bajo la piel de nuestros viejos centros históricos.
El ladrillo en la arquitectura ecléctica y modernista de la ciudad de Zamora: análisis de los tipos, los aparejos y la ejecución de los muros
Authors: Rodríguez-Esteban M. A. , Camino-Olea M. S. , Sáez-Pérez M. P.
Published: September 2014

El presente trabajo lleva a cabo una investigación sobre los tipos de ladrillos empleados en las fachadas de los inmuebles de la época decimonónica de la capital zamorana. Este estudio engloba no sólo los ladrillos sino la relación de los mismos con los usos de los inmuebles. El análisis desarrollado es fundamentalmente técnico, centrándose tanto en los aspectos materiales y morfológicos de las piezas como en la relación existente entre los mismos y los diferentes sistemas constructivos empleados en la ejecución de sus muros.

La existencia de múltiple y variada documentación original, combinada con la información recabada in situ sobre los inmuebles que se conservan en la ciudad, ha permitido realizar un estudio exhaustivo y detallado, que se destaca como el objetivo primordial, pues permitirá desarrollar de cara a las futuras actuaciones de conservación, intervenciones para preservar y actuar sobre los elementos de interés.
New method to assess the pozzolanic reactivity of mineral admixtures by means of pH and electrical conductivity measurements in lime:pozzolan suspensions
Authors: Tashima M. M. , Soriano L. , Monzó J. , Borrachero M. V. , Akasaki J. L. , Payá J.
Published: September 2014

A very simple method based on electrical conductivity and pH measurements was proposed for assessing reactivity of pozzolans. Calcium hydroxide:pozzolan water suspensions were monitored by means of measurements of electrical conductivity and pH values. In these suspensions, Ca(OH)2 in solid state was initially present, being them, thus, saturated in this reagent. Three testing temperatures were selected (40, 50 and 60 °C). In the experiments carried out, calcium hydroxide was suspended in deionized water for yielding a lime saturated suspension. The addition of siliceous pozzolan (two types of rice husk ash RHA and two types of densified silica fume DSF were tested) to the saturated lime suspension can produce the unsaturation of the system, depending on the testing time, testing temperature and reactivity of pozzolan. When unsaturation was reached, the loss of electrical conductivity was higher than 30% and the variation of pH was higher than 0.15 units. These threshold values were selected for characterizing the reactivity of pozzolans by means of a proposed template, classifying the pozzolan in three different reactivity levels.
Rereading John Stuart Mill's On Liberty in the Digital Communications Age
Authors: Santos Diogo
Published: September 2014

On Liberty by John Stuart Mill is about democracy, the limitations to political power, and the actions of individuals that protect the ability of the people to pursue their dreams and aspirations, as well as the shaping of modern democratic systems. The objective of this chapter is to review a classic of political science in the light on the current processes and developments in the Digital Age and thus extract new light on the impact the new digital communication technologies have on the relationship between the state and the citizens around the world. The widespread use of social media and digital communications will have and is having deep and unavoidable impacts on the relationship between the state and citizens. However, such impacts raise both hopes of a better future for democracies and dictatorships as well as concerns of privacy, freedom of speech and thought, consistency of public policy, quality of governmental services, and even the legitimacy and lifetime of regimes. The theoretical tools of classical political science may, however, aid us in better understanding such processes and steering change for the best.
From Justice That Bites to Justice through Bytes
Authors: Barrio Fernando , Bozzetti Alfredo
Published: September 2014

This chapter follows and recounts the Argentina's Province of Rio Negro project for informatization of its judicial system, which is called “Judicial Proceedings Informatization: Organizational and Informatics Development Plan 2011 – 2013.” The project encompasses technological development and regulatory reform activities that include computer programs, equipment, infrastructure, and personnel training for a three-year period, and here it is presented in three well differentiated segments. The first of them lays down the basis for the whole project, reviewing the background, the strategic vision, and the steps that established the structural basis for advances in the field of justice and informatization, presenting one of the core issues to be solved from the communications point of view that is the complete and geographic organization of the Rio Negro's judiciary. The second explains the ongoing projects in order to link them and translate them into a work schedule and set the budget for their functioning. Finally, the chapter explains specific projects for the triennium, the budget and staffing according to the Provincial Public Sector Internal Control and Financial Management Law, Law H 3186 of 2007.
M-Powering
Authors: Maake Benard Magara , Oino Naftal Nyarangi , Awuor Fredrick Mzee
Published: September 2014

A mobile government affords, for instance, a powerful and transformational capacity to extend access to existing services, to expand the delivery of new services, to increase active citizen participation in government operations, and to change the way of working within the public sector. With the advancement of wireless and mobile technology, more people have been enabled to connect to local and regional resources that might have been unreachable in the absence of these telecommunication networks. The ability to perform both private and government transactions using mobile phones has enhanced and promoted the awareness of a digital government, reducing the level of digital divide in marginalized, poor, and developing nations. M-PESA is a mobile money service in Kenya transforming the citizens' lives and the government's operations. This chapter shows how Mobile Money transfers (M-Pesa) transactions have been a driver to realize an e-Government in Kenya through the monetary controls.
Differences of ISO 15189:2012 and ISO 15189:2007
Authors: Karkalousos Petros
Published: September 2014

The new version of the ?SO 15189:2007 Standard was published in 2012, and it is called ISO 15189:2012. The new version is more specific to clinical laboratories as compared to the old one. The present chapter emphasizes in the most important changes between the two versions of the standard, especially in those that reveal the “spirit” of the new version. Some of these refer to ethics, quality management system, encouragement of the staff, risk management, evaluation of staff performance, purchase and withdraw of equipment, laboratory facilities, reagents and consumables, communication between the laboratory and its stakeholders, verification of the results by trained personnel, procedures of reporting the results, metrological procedures and traceability, function of laboratory information system, and responsibilities of laboratory director.
A Practical Approach for Implementing the Additional Requirements of the ISO 15189:2012 Revision
Authors: Uras Fikriye
Published: September 2014

Medical laboratory services have a critical role as an integral component of patient care. The accreditation standard of ISO 15189, a guidance document, provides validation that a laboratory is competent to deliver accurate and reliable test results. This international standard has been evolving since 2003. Following the second publication (2007), the standard was released as a revised and updated version in 2012 (Medical laboratories – Requirements for quality and competence). The text of ISO 15189:2012 has been approved as EN ISO15189:2012. European Union members and associate countries agreed to accord it the status of a national standard by May 2013. Any conflicting national standards need to be withdrawn by November 2015 at the latest. The purpose of this chapter is to mark the differences between the two versions of the standards and to highlight the changes and additions that have been incorporated into ISO 15189:2012. A practical approach will be helpful for laboratories to make a smooth transition to the updated standard when revising their quality and technical documentation to meet the new requirements.
Laboratory Information Management Systems
Authors: Colangeli Patrizia , De Massis Fabrizio , Cito Francesca , Mercante Maria Teresa , Ricci Lucilla
Published: September 2014

The Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is recognized as a powerful tool to improve laboratory data management and to report human health as well as veterinary public health. LIMS plays an essential role in public health surveillance, outbreak investigations, and pandemic preparedness. The chapter aims is to provide an overview of LIMS use in veterinary fields as well as to report 20 years of experience of a Veterinary Public Institute in working with LIMS, illustrating the features of the LIMS currently in use in the institute and highlighting the different aspects that should be considered when evaluating, choosing, and implementing a LIMS. In depth, the chapter illustrates how LIMS simplifies the accreditation path according to ISO IEC 17025 and the role in the epidemiology and veterinary public health. For this aspect, it is very important to collect clear data, and for this reason, a LIMS has to activate formal checks and controls on business rules. To facilitate this issue, an interconnection between LIMS and other applications (internal or external to laboratory) could be improved to allow automatic data exchange. At the same time, the unique data encoding at national/international level should be used.
Enhancing Linguistic and Intercultural Competencies through the Use of Social Network Sites and Google Earth
Authors: Yeh Ellen , Kessler Greg
Published: September 2014

The purpose of this chapter is to explore the role of global literacy in academic settings as the effect of increasingly digital technologies is being felt across areas of teaching and learning. Digital, global democracies require global literacy skills of individuals for twenty-first century citizenship and intercultural and linguistic competencies. This chapter covers four areas of this topic: (1) the enhancement of global literacy through linguistic and intercultural competencies; (2) the use of technology to enhance intercultural and linguistic competencies in language courses; (3) the use of technology in teacher training for administrators and policymakers; and (4) instructional approaches for using technology (i.e., social networking sites, Google Earth) in the classroom. The chapter also addresses how these technologies are anticipated to change in the future to further support global awareness. Using these social media and geographical tools, students will expand global awareness in education.
Developing Global Sensibilities through a Technology-Enabled Active Learning Anthropology Curriculum
Authors: Wells Joshua J. , VanderVeen James M.
Published: September 2014

The current global human environment is a diverse mixture of cultures and technologies, and university educators face daunting tasks to help their students develop competencies with both human and machine attributes of the modern world. This chapter presents the historical foundations, the pedagogical theoretical underpinnings, and illustrative examples from the implementation of a curriculum of technology-enabled active learning within the undergraduate anthropology program at a moderately sized, commuter campus in the Midwestern United States. Technology-enabled active learning has demonstrably improved the experience of undergraduate students who enroll in anthropology classes as majors, minors, or general education students by affording them new abilities, including the recognition of global information resources, the contextualization of their education in spatiotemporal terms, the development of an understanding of sociocultural and politico-economic connective webs, and the skilled capacity to productively create and critically analyze information with a peer cohort through networked information technologies.
Reliability Analysis for Degrading Systems with 100% Quality Inspection after Burn-In
Authors: Peng Hao , Feng Qianmei
Published: September 2014

Integrated quality and reliability models should be developed to improve system performance simultaneously, because quality and reliability are inherently related in a sense that quality inspection and monitoring decisions impact anticipated reliability and failure time distributions. Especially for degrading systems, important decisions including burn-in, quality inspection and preventive maintenance should be incorporated into an integrated model considering manufacturing variability and associated failure mechanisms. For various linear and non-linear degradation models, this paper develops conditional reliability functions and truncated failure time distributions considering the impacts of burn-in and quality inspection at manufacturing phase. It shows that burn-in and quality inspection policies have significant impacts on reliability performance of products in field operation. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the results. The developed reliability models can be readily used for optimizing burn-in, quality inspection and maintenance decisions simultaneously.
The Effects of Avatar-Based Customization on Player Identification
Authors: Turkay Selen , Kinzer Charles K.
Published: September 2014

Games allow players to perceive themselves in alternate ways in imagined worlds. Player identification is one of the outcomes of gameplay experiences in these worlds and has been shown to affect enjoyment and reduce self-discrepancy. Avatar-based customization has potential to impact player identification by shaping the relationship between the player and the character. This mixed method study aims to fill the gap in the identification literature by examining the effects of avatar-based customization on players' identification with and empathy towards their characters in a massively multiplayer online game, Lord of the Rings Online (LotRO). Participants (N = 66) played LotRO either in customization or in no-customization groups for about ten hours in four sessions over two weeks in a controlled lab setting. Data were collected through interviews, surveys and observations. Results showed both time and avatar-based customization positively impacted players' identification with their avatars. Self-Determination Theory is used to interpret results.
Measuring User Experience in Board Games
Authors: Barbara Jonathan
Published: September 2014

Measuring user experience in board games is broadly unexplored with research mainly focused on digital games. This paper assesses the suitability of using a questionnaire, developed for digital games, for use on board games - thus providing a common measure of user experience between board and digital games. The study involved play testing a themed board game with undergraduate computing students and alumni, measuring user experience via the Games Experience Questionnaire whilst testing for reliability and validity. Findings obtained high scores in both criteria, suggesting that the GEQ is a suitable tool to measure user experience in board games and thus a valid candidate for comparing game design across varied game media such as digital and board games.
Knowledge Base Refinement Using Limited Amount of Efforts from Experts
Authors: Chan Ki , Lam Wai , Wong Tak-Lam
Published: September 2014

Knowledge bases are essential for supporting decision making during intelligent information processing. Automatic construction of knowledge bases becomes infeasible without labeled data, a complete table of data records including answers to queries. Preparing such information requires huge efforts from experts. The authors propose a new knowledge base refinement framework based on pattern mining and active learning using an existing available knowledge base constructed from a different domain (source domain) solving the same task as well as some data collected from the target domain. The knowledge base investigated in this paper is represented by a model known as Markov Logic Networks. The authors' proposed method first analyzes the unlabeled target domain data and actively asks the expert to provide labels (or answers) a very small amount of automatically selected queries. The idea is to identify the target domain queries whose underlying relations are not sufficiently described by the existing source domain knowledge base. Potential relational patterns are discovered and new logic relations are constructed for the target domain by exploiting the limited amount of labeled target domain data and the unlabeled target domain data. The authors have conducted extensive experiments by applying our approach to two different text mining applications, namely, pronoun resolution and segmentation of citation records, demonstrating consistent improvements.
The Virtual Computing Lab (VCL)
Authors: Rindos Andy , Vouk Mladen , Jararweh Yaser
Published: September 2014

In this paper, we describe the Virtual Computing Lab (VCL) with its main features and services. Also, we introduce the recent advances of the VCL system and its usage in research and education. The VCL is a cloud computing system that has been optimized for the educational services and research needs of the academic community. VCL is an open source cloud orchestration stack with a self-service portal that currently supports a large number of customers and commercial cloud, or cloud-related services and solutions. It was developed by NCSU with support from IBM Corporation. VCLs promise to support researchers and students in all academic levels to fulfill all their computing needs. In addition to supporting students and faculty members at NC State University and other UNC System universities, the NC VCL now also supports students at several NC community colleges. Also, we introduced cloud computing and service science related activities and achievements at Jordan University of Science and Technology.
Enhancing User Engagement with Elected Officials
Authors: Fudge Marc
Published: September 2014

Keenly aware of the growing number of people using social networks to communicate, governments have begun to provide this popular form of communication on their own web sites in an effort to promote engagement among residents and public administrators. Yet despite the growing popularity of social networks on government web sites, it is unclear whether municipalities have begun providing links to social network sites on their homepage that allow users to discuss salient issues directly with elected officials. Furthermore, for cities that do offer this heightened level of engagement, it is unclear if an implementation strategy was followed. This exploratory study examines the factors impacting U.S. local governments to provide social network applications that allow users to communicate directly with elected officials on the government website. The study then explores the benefits and challenges elected officials face when determining the extent of their public communication efforts. Finally, a social network application strategy is developed to assist elected officials when deciding whether or not to use social networks to communicate with the public.
eICU STUDY
Authors: Dhakal Ajit , Dhakal Binod , Pathak Lakshmi Kant , Marina Shadi , Vijayaraghavan Vimala
Published: September 2014

The authors' objective is to study the effect of eICU (electronic ICU) as a supplementary remote intensive care program on improvement in clinical outcomes. The experiment is designed to determine the clinical usefulness before and after evaluation of the effects of eICU program. The setting is two adult ICU of a large 375 bed teaching community hospital in US. The study was undertaken by group of resident physicians after eICU was started to study the impact on few selected parameters in a teaching hospital. A total of 2537Patients admitted to ICU between June 2006 to June 2008 (n= 1310 before and n= 1227 after implementation of the eICU) The eICU Program used intensivists and other healthcare providers to give 24x7 supplemental monitoring and management from a remote location. Supporting software and computer based decision support tool were available. The outcome is to study and compare rate of falls, mortalities, incidence of code blues and length of stay between the two periods before and after the implementation of eICU. In the results no statistical difference was observed in the studied parameters thus showing contrary results to other previous studies. The incidence of code blue (39 vs. 54 with P value of 0.36), length of stay (3.0 vs. 3.1 P value 0.36), mortality rates (77 vs. 90 P value 0.28) and incidence of fall (0 vs. 1 P value 0.28) all show no improve outcomes before and after the implementation of eICU.