bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Response evaluation of horizontally loaded pile groups in clayey soils
Authors: COMODROMOS E.M. , PAPADOPOULOU M.C.
Published: February 2012

The aim of this paper is to investigate the behaviour of laterally loaded pile groups with a rigid head, and correlate the response of a pile group to that of a single pile. For this purpose, a computationally intensive study using three-dimensional non-linear numerical analysis was carried out for different pile group arrangements in clayey soils. The responses of the pile groups were compared with that of the single pile, and the variation of the displacement amplification factor Ra was then quantified. The influence of the number of piles, the spacing and the deflection level on the group response is discussed. A previously proposed relationship for predicting the response of a pile group, based on its configuration and the response of a single pile, has been modified to allow for soil shear strength that was found to affect the group response. The modified relationship provides a reasonable prediction for various group configurations in clayey soils.
The microstructure and properties of as-cast Sn-Zn-Bi solder alloys
Authors: Mladenovic Srba , Markovic Desimir , Ivanic Ljubica , Ivanov Svetlana , Acimovic-Pavlovic Zagorka
Published: February 2012

Research on the lead-free solders has attracted wide attention, mostly as the
result of the implementation of the Directive on the Restriction of the Use
of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment. The Sn-Zn
solder alloys have been considered to be one of the most attractive lead-free
solders due to its ability to easily replace Sn-Pb eutectic alloy without
increasing the soldering temperature. Furthermore, the mechanical properties
are comparable or even superior to those of Sn-Pb solder. However, other
problems still persist. The solution to overcoming these drawbacks is to add
a small amount of alloying elements (Bi, Ag, Cr, Cu, and Sb) to the Sn-Zn
alloys. Microstructure, tensile strength, and hardness of the selected
Sn-Zn-Bi ternary alloys have been investigated in this study. The SEM-EDS was
used for the identification of co-existing phases in the samples. The
specimens? microstructures are composed of three phases: Sn-rich solid
solution as the matrix, Bi-phase and Zn-rich phase. The Bi precipitates are
formed around the Sn-dendrit grains as well as around the Zn-rich phase. The
amount of Bi segregation increases with the increase of Bi content. The
Sn-Zn-Bi alloys exhibit the high tensile strength and hardness, but the
values of these mechanical properties decrease with the increase of Bi
content, as well as the reduction of Zn content. The results presented in
this paper may offer further knowledge of the effects various parameters have
on the properties of lead-free Sn-Zn-Bi solders.
Effects of Performing Resistance Exercise Before Versus After Aerobic Exercise on Glycemia in Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Yardley Jane E. , Kenny Glen P. , Perkins Bruce A. , Riddell Michael C. , Malcolm Janine , Boulay Pierre , Khandwala Farah , Sigal Ronald J.
Published: February 2012

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effects of exercise order on acute glycemic responses in individuals with type 1 diabetes performing both aerobic and resistance exercise in the same session.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Twelve physically active individuals with type 1 diabetes (HbA1c 7.1 ± 1.0%) performed aerobic exercise (45 min of running at 60% V̇o2peak) before 45 min of resistance training (three sets of eight, seven different exercises) (AR) or performed the resistance exercise before aerobic exercise (RA). Plasma glucose was measured during exercise and for 60 min after exercise. Interstitial glucose was measured by continuous glucose monitoring 24 h before, during, and 24 h after exercise.

RESULTS

Significant declines in blood glucose levels were seen in AR but not in RA throughout the first exercise modality, resulting in higher glucose levels in RA (AR = 5.5 ± 0.7, RA = 9.2 ± 1.2 mmol/L, P = 0.006 after 45 min of exercise). Glucose subsequently decreased in RA and increased in AR over the course of the second 45-min exercise bout, resulting in levels that were not significantly different by the end of exercise (AR = 7.5 ± 0.8, RA = 6.9 ± 1.0 mmol/L, P = 0.436). Although there were no differences in frequency of postexercise hypoglycemia, the duration (105 vs. 48 min) and severity (area under the curve 112 vs. 59 units ⋅ min) of hypoglycemia were nonsignificantly greater after AR compared with RA.

CONCLUSIONS

Performing resistance exercise before aerobic exercise improves glycemic stability throughout exercise and reduces the duration and severity of postexercise hypoglycemia for individuals with type 1 diabetes.
Intellectual History, Life and Fiction. The Case of Evelyn Waugh
Authors: Soffer Reba
Published: February 2012

Although most intellectual historians have left novels to their cultural colleagues, novels often illuminate the prevalent kinds of thought within historical periods. History, like fiction, is a narrative that constructs, reconstructs, and deconstructs meaning and novels, read by more people than any other kind of writing, can tell us what their readers prefer to think. This is most likely when authors with a serious purpose have access to an audience willing to take them seriously or at least to engage with them at some level of reflection. During the two tumultuous decades that followed the Great War, new varieties of fiction appeared that deliberately attempted to alter perceptions and reflection about unprecedented events. Among the avant garde, Evelyn Waugh was a new, satirical voice that shared anti-modernist, anti-technological attitudes with Elliot and Huxley, and a religious commitment with Tolkien. But he was unique among his contemporaries because of his trajectory through an exotic, far flung world, domestically and internationally. A reading of Waugh, in the context of his troubled times, reveals an adapter and propagator of ideas and pervasive mentalities shared by great numbers of people both within and without elites. His outrageous, misanthropic, bitterly cynical, very funny, relentlessly self-centered, anti-feminist, anti-Semitic and consistently best-selling novels attacked “modernity,” “progress,” and the possibility of reform. Repudiating liberal and socialist ideals, Waugh reflected and endorsed a conservative, traditionalist, and by the 1940s, a Roman Catholic alternative among the new ideas stridently clamoring for attention. Especially in those novels and occasional essays meant to influence opinion, written from Decline and Fall in 1928 through Brideshead Revisited in 1944, Waugh represented newly asserted and contested thinking about free will, determinism, religious and secular obligation, tradition, social status, and morality.
Playing Fields and Battlefields: The Football Pitch, England and the First World War
Authors: Luedtke Brandon
Published: February 2012

Football during the First World War has been oft-studied in a socio-cultural context. Held as either a symbol of England's sporting approach to war or as evidence of working-class evasion of manly duty, anxiety over England's ability to win wars inspired both praise for and resentment toward the game of football. But what of the landscape on which the game itself was played? This essay demonstrates how the football pitch helped to manage the many strains brought on by World War I. On the home front, the pitch became a recruitment office, training camp, storage ground, rifle range, and livestock pasturage, in addition to hosting matches in the interest of maintaining civilian morale. At the front lines, English soldiers refashioned the mangled environment into a more familiar space by staging impromptu matches on makeshift pitches. Throughout the First World War, the football pitch satisfied many of the very real material and psychological needs of the English war effort.
Archibald Campbell's views of Self-Cultivation and Self-Denial in context
Authors: Maurer Christian
Published: February 2012

This paper discusses the accounts of self-cultivation and self-denial of Archibald Campbell (1691–1756). It analyses how he attempts to make room for moral self-improvement and for the control of the passions in a thoroughly egoistic psychological framework, and with a theory of moral motivation that focuses on a specific kind of self-love, namely the desire for esteem. Campbell's views are analysed in the context of his criticisms of both Francis Hutcheson's benevolence-based moral philosophy and of Bernard Mandeville's version of an egoistic psychology. The paper explores the key role of Campbell's distinction between true and mistaken self-love, and it discusses how his account of self-cultivation reflects both his optimistic view of human nature as being naturally disposed to virtue and his moral rehabilitation of self-love – two points on which he is in conflict with the period's orthodox Calvinism.
Live to Tell: Coming Out as Fat
Authors: Pausé Cat
Published: February 2012

Fat individuals live in a fat phobic world. Individuals with a fat identity engage in identity management to negotiate the stigma surrounding fatness. Goffman proposed three forms of identity management: passing, covering, and withdrawing. More recently, scholars have proposed a fourth form of identity management: coming out. In this paper, I consider the usefulness of the four styles in managing the stigmatised identity of fatness. Special consideration is given to whether a fat identity may engage in passing. By integrating theory, literature, and my own experience, autoethnography allows me to identify important markers in my process of coming out as fat. I offer up my narrative as a contribution to the growing discourse on fat identity and stigma management. And in conclusion, I consider whether fat identity development, and coming out as fat, are developmental processes that can be characterised by stages.
The Molecular Structure of 1,2:5,6-Di-O-isopropylidene-3-O-toluenesulfonyl-α-D-glucofuranose
Authors: Mamat Constantin , Peppel Tim , Köckerling Martin
Published: February 2012

The crystal and molecular structure of 1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-3-O-toluenesulfonyl-α-D-glucofuranose is reported. This compound crystallizes from a petroleum ether/ethyl acetate mixture with the chiral orthorhombic space group P212121 with four molecules in the unit cell. The unit cell parameters are: a = 9.7945(7) Å, b = 10.1945(7) Å, c = 21.306(1) Å, and V = 2127.4(2) Å3. No classical hydrogen bonds were found. Bond lengths and angles of this tosylated glucofuranose derivative are typical.
Effects of Educating Local Government Officers and Healthcare and Welfare Professionals in Suicide Prevention
Authors: Kaniwa Isao , Kawanishi Chiaki , Suda Akira , Hirayasu Yoshio
Published: February 2012

Suicide is a major public health issue. In Japan, local governments are responsible for suicide prevention, and local government officers are therefore expected to act as gatekeepers for suicide prevention. In this study, through a questionnaire survey, the authors examined the current knowledge and attitudes concerning suicide prevention among local government officers and healthcare and welfare professionals, and the effects of providing suicide prevention education on their knowledge of and attitudes toward suicide and its prevention. One hundred eighty-three local government officers and 432 healthcare/welfare professionals completed the survey before and after a single education session. Before the session, the local government officers and healthcare/welfare professionals showed mainly positive attitudes toward suicide prevention efforts, with little difference between the two groups. After the training, knowledge and attitudes were further improved for most questionnaire items. Respondents with one or more experiences of suicide prevention training showed significantly more knowledge and positive attitudes before the training than those with no such experience. Moreover, knowledge of depression and having a sympathetic attitude were found to be especially associated with the overall attitude that “suicide can be prevented”. Training in suicide prevention was shown to be effective in promoting appropriate knowledge and attitudes among local government officers and healthcare/welfare professionals who are gatekeepers for preventing suicide. Our findings confirm the importance of suicide prevention education, and will contribute to creating a standard educational program on suicide prevention in Japan.
Distributed Coding/Decoding Complexity in Video Sensor Networks
Authors: Cordeiro Paulo J. , Assunção Pedro
Published: February 2012

Video Sensor Networks (VSNs) are recent communication infrastructures used to capture and transmit dense visual information from an application context. In such large scale environments which include video coding, transmission and display/storage, there are several open problems to overcome in practical implementations. This paper addresses the most relevant challenges posed by VSNs, namely stringent bandwidth usage and processing time/power constraints. In particular, the paper proposes a novel VSN architecture where large sets of visual sensors with embedded processors are used for compression and transmission of coded streams to gateways, which in turn transrate the incoming streams and adapt them to the variable complexity requirements of both the sensor encoders and end-user decoder terminals. Such gateways provide real-time transcoding functionalities for bandwidth adaptation and coding/decoding complexity distribution by transferring the most complex video encoding/decoding tasks to the transcoding gateway at the expense of a limited increase in bit rate. Then, a method to reduce the decoding complexity, suitable for system-on-chip implementation, is proposed to operate at the transcoding gateway whenever decoders with constrained resources are targeted. The results show that the proposed method achieves good performance and its inclusion into the VSN infrastructure provides an additional level of complexity control functionality.
qPlus magnetic force microscopy in frequency-modulation mode with millihertz resolution
Authors: Schneiderbauer Maximilian , Wastl Daniel , Giessibl Franz J
Published: February 2012

Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) allows one to image the domain structure of ferromagnetic samples by probing the dipole forces between a magnetic probe tip and a magnetic sample. The magnetic domain structure of the sample depends on the alignment of the individual atomic magnetic moments. It is desirable to be able to image both individual atoms and domain structures with a single probe. However, the force gradients of the interactions responsible for atomic contrast and those causing domain contrast are orders of magnitude apart, ranging from up to 100 Nm−1 for atomic interactions down to 0.0001 Nm−1 for magnetic dipole interactions. Here, we show that this gap can be bridged with a qPlus sensor, with a stiffness of 1800 Nm−1 (optimized for atomic interaction), which is sensitive enough to measure millihertz frequency contrast caused by magnetic dipole–dipole interactions. Thus we have succeeded in establishing a sensing technique that performs scanning tunneling microscopy, atomic force microscopy and MFM with a single probe.
Physical and mechanical characterization of Portland cement mortars made with expanded polystyrene particles addition (EPS)
Authors: Ferrándiz-Mas V. , García-Alcocel E.
Published: March 2012

On this work the influence of the addition of different types (commercial and recycled) and contents of expanded polystyrene on the physical and mechanical properties of Portland cement mortars has been studied. Variables studied are: workability, air content, bulk density, mechanical strength, porosity, water absorption and sound absorption. Mixtures have been also characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Air-entraining agents, water retainer and superplasticizer additives have been used in order to improve the workability of mortars. The results show that the workability and mechanical strength decreases with increasing content of expanded polystyrene. Additives improve the workability and porosity, allowing manufacture mortars with high levels of recycled material that show mechanical properties suitable for use as masonry mortars, stucco and plaster.
Influence of different curing conditions on the pore structure and the early age properties of mortars with fly ash and blast-furnace slag
Authors: Ortega J. M. , Sánchez I. , Climent M. A.
Published: March 2012

In this work, the evolution of the microstructure, durability properties and mechanical strength of mortars made with commercial cements, which contain fly ash (between 21% and 35%) and ground granulated blast-furnace slag (between 66% and 80%), were studied. These mortars were exposed to three different environments during their hardening, an optimum laboratory condition, and two environments representing a mild Atlantic climate and a Mediterranean climate, respectively. As a reference, ordinary Portland cement mortars were also tested. The microstructure was characterized using mercury intrusion porosimetry. Regarding durability, the capillary suction coefficient and non-steady-state chloride migration coefficient were determined. Compressive strength was studied too. The tests were performed at 7, 28 and 90 days. The main conclusion of this work is that cements with slag and fly ash hardened under environmental conditions of Atlantic and Mediterranean climates, can develop good service properties after three months of hardening.
Media Effects
Authors: Demetrious Kristin
Published: February 2012

Public Relations (PR) is an occupation through which public identities and realities can be constructed and manipulated. Thus, understanding the implications for ethical practice, especially in light of rapid developments in social media and new digital technologies, is increasingly relevant. However, conventional approaches to the teaching of public relations tend to emphasize practice and knowledge of occupational tools, over deeper reflection in areas such as the social effects and ethics. This chapter explores an e-simulation used in the public relations program at Deakin University, which aspires to develop higher ethical dispositions in students and canvasses what this means at a societal, practitioner, and industry level.
Through the Looking Glass
Authors: Grenfell Janette , Warren Ian
Published: February 2012

This chapter outlines current research profiling students and educators participating in and constructing immersive interfaces in blended e-learning settings. Multi User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) and real world settings augmented with virtual information can generate problem-solving communities where participants gain greater technical knowledge and skills through meaningful and frequent interaction. MUVEs can also generate technical innovation amongst students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, provided students are encouraged to help each other and learn together. After detailing some false assumptions about computer literacy that can stifle meaningful exploration with new technologies in contemporary education, this chapter documents an exemplar involving extensive collaboration between students from different educational backgrounds with diverse technical competencies. The success of this initiative hinges on the willingness of educators to provide a shared learning experience where technology is used to facilitate increased student communication and offers a site for invention, informed critique, industry participation, and a sense of community.
A Framework for Designing Mainstream Educational E-Simulations
Authors: Cybulski Jacob L.
Published: February 2012

This chapter describes the knowledge, skills, and technology needed for the effective design of educational e-simulations. It reviews the features and functionality of a typical experiential e-simulation and discusses approaches useful in its design, with impact on its subsequent construction and deployment in the field. The chapter reports a conceptual study examining development experiences gained in the construction of several educational e-simulations and folds these experiences into a framework for understanding e-simulation design. The chapter finally uses the framework to compare and contrast different approaches taken while designing and delivering two e-simulations, based on the same technology and business case, but delivered to distinct cohorts of university students.
Supporting the Design of Interactive Scenarios in a University Environment
Authors: Stewart T. M.
Published: February 2012

Interactive scenarios are embedded in many e-simulations and can assist learning by providing authentic and engaging student experiences. While software exists for constructing and delivering interactive scenarios, planning and storyboarding for the latter can be difficult. This chapter illustrates a systematic approach to planning interactive scenario-based exercises and tying them into a lesson plan prior to constructing the electronic version. Constraints and barriers to using interactive scenarios in a university setting include lack of training or knowledge of pedagogy by academics and conflicting demands on their time. Strong institutional support is required to embed interactive scenarios within the learning culture.
Neural Networks
Authors: Bhattacharyya Siddhartha
Published: February 2012

These networks generally operate in two different modes, viz., supervised and unsupervised modes. The supervised mode of operation requires a supervisor to train the network with a training set of data. Networks operating in unsupervised mode apply topology preservation techniques so as to learn inputs. Representative examples of networks following either of these two modes are presented with reference to their topologies, configurations, types of input-output data and functional characteristics. Recent trends in this computing paradigm are also reported with due regards to the application perspectives.
Estimation of MIMO Wireless Channels Using Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Sarma Kandarpa Kumar , Mitra Abhijit
Published: February 2012

Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is a non-parametric statistical tool which can be used for a host of pattern classification and prediction problems. It has excelled in diverse areas of application ranging from character recognition to financial problems. One of these areas, which have ample of scope of application of the ANN, is wireless communication. Especially, in segments like Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) wireless channels ANNs have seldom been used for problems like channel estimation. Very few reported work exists in this regard. This work is related to the application of ANN for estimation of a MIMO channel of a wireless communication set-up. As Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is becoming an option to tackle increased demands of higher data rates by the modern generation mobile communication networks, a MIMO-OFDM system assisted by an ANN based channel estimation can offer better quality of service (QoS) and higher spectral efficiency.
A Neuro-Fuzzy Expert System Trained by Particle Swarm Optimization for Stock Price Prediction
Authors: Zarandi Mohammad Hossein Fazel , Avazbeigi Milad , Alizadeh Meysam
Published: February 2012

In today’s competitive markets, prediction of financial variables has become a critical issue. Especially in stock market analysis where a wrong prediction may result in a big loss in terms of time and money, having a robust prediction is a crucial issue. To model the chaotic, noisy, and evolving behavior of stock market data, new powerful methods should be developed. Soft Computing methods have shown a great confidence in such environments where there are many uncertain factors. Also it has been observed through many experiments that the hybridization of different soft computing techniques such as fuzzy logic, neural networks, and meta-heuristics usually results in better results than simply using one method. This chapter presents an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), trained by the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm for stock price prediction. Instead of previous works that have emphasized on gradient base or least square (LS) methods for training the neural network, four different strategies of PSO are implemented: gbest, lbest-a, lbest-b, and Euclidean. In the proposed fuzzy rule based system some technical and fundamental indexes are applied as input variables. In order to generate membership functions (MFs), a robust noise rejection clustering algorithm is developed. The proposed neuro-fuzzy model is applied for an automotive part-making manufactory in an Asia stock market. The results show the superiority of the proposed model in comparison with the available models in terms of error minimization, robustness, and flexibility.
Natural Language Processing Tools
Authors: Brunelle Justin F. , Boonthum-Denecke Chutima
Published: February 2012

This chapter discusses a subset of Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools available for researchers and enthusiasts of computer science, computational linguistics, and other fields that may utilize or benefit from Natural Language Processing. Several tools are described in this chapter, along with background, algorithms used in brief, usages, and examples. While this chapter is not comprehensive, it provides an extensive exposure to various NLP tools through examples, and it aims at providing an overview of the resources available, and concentrates mainly on open-source applications. Open-source applications were chosen since they are freely available for download by all users. Commonly, open source software provides the code that makes up the tool, and allows for users to inspect the inner-workings of the tools, or even modify them. By using open source examples, readers of this chapter can extend their investigation of NLP tools beyond the pages of this text by investigating the tools outlined.
Corpora and Concordancers
Authors: Hall Charles
Published: February 2012

At the heart of almost all ANLP is the corpus. This chapter provides an overview of the history and development of the corpus and crucial criteria that define the modern corpus. It ends with a discussion of the most basic analytical tool for corpus linguistics, the concordancer.
Cognitive Load Aspects of Text Processing
Authors: Kalyuga Slava
Published: February 2012

Cognitive load theory investigates instructional consequences of processing limitations of the human cognitive system. Because of these limitations, text processing may result in an excessive cognitive load that would influence comprehension and learning from texts, as well as change learner affective states. This chapter reviews basic assumptions of cognitive load theory, their consequences for optimizing the design of information presentations, and implications for processing written and spoken texts.
Evaluating Semantic Metrics on Tasks of Concept Similarity
Authors: Schwartz Hansen A. , Gomez Fernando
Published: February 2012

In this study, first, concept similarity measures are evaluated over human judgments by using existing sets of word similarity pairs that we annotated with word senses. Next, an application-oriented study is presented to evaluate semantic metrics based on integration into an algorithm, first focused on the task of concept similarity then on the task of concept relatedness. The results found no single measure to be most significantly correlated with human-judgments, while an information content-based measure clearly lead to the best results in the application-oriented task of concept similarity. Reinforcing the difference between tasks of concept similarity and concept relatedness, the best measure for an application-oriented task of concept relatedness was a gloss-based relatedness measure rather than a similarity measure. A major conclusion of this work is that similarity measures may perform differently if embedded in specific applications than if they are compared with human judgments.
Energy and Latency Efficient Access of Wireless XML Stream
Authors: Park Jun Pyo , Park Chang-Sup , Chung Yon Dohn
Published: February 2012

In this article, we address the problem of delayed query processing raised by tree-based index structures in wireless broadcast environments, which increases the access time of mobile clients. We propose a novel distributed index structure and a clustering strategy for streaming XML data that enables energy and latency-efficient broadcasting of XML data. We first define the DIX node structure to implement a fully distributed index structure which contains the tag name, attributes, and text content of an element, as well as its corresponding indices. By exploiting the index information in the DIX node stream, a mobile client can access the stream with shorter latency. We also suggest a method of clustering DIX nodes in the stream, which can further enhance the performance of query processing in the mobile clients. Through extensive experiments, we demonstrate that our approach is effective for wireless broadcasting of XML data and outperforms the previous methods.
Information Search Patterns in E-Commerce Product Comparison Services
Authors: Nah Fiona Fui-Hoon , Hong Weiyin , Chen Liqiang , Lee Hong-Hee
Published: February 2012

To facilitate product selection and purchase decisions on e-commerce Web sites, the presentation of product information is very important. In this research, the authors study how disposition styles influence users’ search patterns in product comparison services of e-commerce Web sites. The results show that people use relatively more feature paths and less product paths in vertical disposition style than horizontal disposition style. The findings also indicate that there are relatively more feature paths and less product paths in the first half than second half of the information search paths. This is consistent with Gensch’s two-stage choice model which suggests that people use attribute processing to derive a consideration set before they apply alternative processing to arrive at a final choice in product comparison services.
Co-creation and Collaboration in a Virtual World
Authors: Siau Keng , Nah Fiona Fui-Hoon , Mennecke Brian E. , Schiller Shu Z.
Published: February 2012

One of the most successful and useful implementations of 3D virtual worlds is in the area of education and training. This paper discusses the use of virtual worlds in education and describes an innovative 3D visualization design project using one of the most popular virtual worlds, Second Life. This ongoing project is a partnership between IBM and three universities in the United States: the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Iowa State University, and Wright State University. More than 400 MBA students have participated in this project by completing a creative design project that involves co-creation and collaboration in Second Life. The MBA students from the three universities worked in pairs to create designs to represent concepts related to IBM Power Systems, a family of IBM servers. The paper discusses observations and reflections on the 3D visualization design project. The paper concludes with a discussion of future research directions in applying virtual worlds in education.
Global Analysis of Security and Trust Perceptions in Web Design for E-Commerce
Authors: Srinivasan S. , Barker Robert
Published: February 2012

Security and trust play a critical role in e-commerce transactions. Web sites project the trustworthiness of the business. In this regard, web design should take into account the user perceptions concerning security and trust in facilitating e-commerce. In this study, the authors focused on these two key aspects. Successful interaction with an e-commerce site depends on attracting and maintaining user’s trust of the web business. To assess the security and trust perception, the authors designed and surveyed more than 1000 college students, a major group supporting e-commerce. The authors developed three hypotheses concerning e-commerce web site design with respect to trust, security, and privacy. In this paper, the authors identify important user expectations with regard to web site design and test the hypotheses. As E-commerce is global, this analysis includes results from other countries besides the U.S.
Safety and Efficacy of Tocilizumab for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Ogata Atsushi , Hirano Toru , Hishitani Yoshihiro , Tanaka Toshio
Published: March 2012

Because of the pathological role of IL-6 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), tocilizumab (TCZ), a humanized anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody, was expected to improve inflammation and joint destruction of RA. Indeed, randomized clinical trials demonstrated the clinical efficacy of TCZ as monotherapy or combined with methotrexate (MTX) for RA patients with inadequate responses to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, MTX or tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors. Although long-term tolerability for TCZ is superior to that for TNF inhibitors, information regarding the potency of drug free remission of TCZ is limited at present. In terms of its safety profile, the general risk of infection when using TCZ is comparable to that of TNF inhibitors. TCZ has some advantage in RA patients who can not use MTX and are non-responders to TNF inhibitors. In conclusion, TCZ is one of the most prospective next generation biologics for the treatment of RA.
Pilot Comparative Study of Unilateral and Bilateral Robot-Assisted Training on Upper-Extremity Performance in Patients With Stroke
Authors: Yang Chieh-Ling , Lin Keh-Chung , Chen Hsieh-Ching , Wu Ching-Yi , Chen Chia-Ling
Published: February 2012

We compared a unilateral robot-assisted training protocol (URTP) and a bilateral robot-assisted training protocol (BRTP) to study their differential effects. We recruited 21 patients with stroke who received 90–105 min of therapy 5 days/wk for 4 wk. Participants in the URTP and BRTP groups practiced forearm pronation and supination and wrist flexion and extension in a simultaneous manner with the Bi-Manu-Track. The control group received standard rehabilitation. Clinical measures included the Fugl-Meyer Assessment, the Medical Research Council instrument, grip strength, and the Modified Ashworth Scale to assess motor impairment, muscle power, muscle strength, and spasticity, respectively. The pilot study indicated that the URTP and BRTP might have differential benefits for movement improvement. URTP might be a more compelling approach to improving upper-limb motor impairment, muscle power, and strength at the distal joints than BRTP, whereas BRTP could be an optimal approach to improving proximal muscle power.
N2O emission from organic barley cultivation as affected by green manure management
Authors: Nadeem S. , Hansen S. , Azzaroli Bleken M. , Dörsch P.
Published: February 2012

Abstract. Legumes are an important source of nitrogen in stockless organic cereal production. However, substantial amounts of N can be lost from legume-grass leys prior to or after incorporation as green manure (GM). Here we report N2O emissions from a field experiment in SE Norway exploring different green manure management strategies: mulching versus removal of grass-clover herbage during a whole growing season and replacement as biogas residue to a subsequent barley crop. Grass-clover ley had small but significantly higher N2O emissions as compared with a non-fertilized cereal reference during the year of green manure (GM) production in 2009. Mulching of herbage induced significantly more N2O emission (+0.37 kg N2O-N ha−1) throughout the growing season than removing herbage. In spring 2010 all plots were ploughed (with and without GM) and sown with barley, resulting in generally higher N2O emissions than during the previous year. Application of biogas residue (110 kg N ha−1) before sowing did not increase emissions neither when applied to previous ley plots nor when applied to previously unfertilized cereal plots. Ley management (mulching vs. removing biomass in 2009) had no effect on N2O emissions during barley production in 2010. In general, GM ley (mulched or harvested) increased N2O emissions relative to a cereal reference with low mineral N fertilisation (80 kg N ha−1). Organic cereal production emitted 95 g N2O-N kg−1 N yield in barley grain, which was substantially higher than in the cereal reference treatment with 80 kg mineral N fertilization in 2010 (47 g N2O-N kg−1 N yield in barley grain).
Comparison between seismic and domestic risk in moderate seismic hazard prone region: the Grenoble City (France) test site
Authors: Dunand F. , Gueguen P.
Published: February 2012

Abstract. France has a moderate level of seismic activity, characterized by diffuse seismicity, sometimes experiencing earthquakes of a magnitude of more than 5 in the most active zones. In this seismicity context, Grenoble is a city of major economic and social importance. However, earthquakes being rare, public authorities and the decision makers are only vaguely committed to reducing seismic risk: return periods are long and local policy makers do not have much information available. Over the past 25 yr, a large number of studies have been conducted to improve our knowledge of seismic hazard in this region. One of the decision-making concerns of Grenoble's public authorities, as managers of a large number of public buildings, is to know not only the seismic-prone regions, the variability of seismic hazard due to site effects and the city's overall vulnerability, but also the level of seismic risk and exposure for the entire city, also compared to other natural or/and domestic hazards. Our seismic risk analysis uses a probabilistic approach for regional and local hazards and the vulnerability assessment of buildings. Its applicability to Grenoble offers the advantage of being based on knowledge acquired by previous projects conducted over the years. This paper aims to compare the level of seismic risk with that of other risks and to introduce the notion of risk acceptability in order to offer guidance in the management of seismic risk. This notion of acceptability, which is now part of seismic risk consideration for existing buildings in Switzerland, is relevant in moderately seismic-prone countries like France.
The Darker Side of Motivation: Demotivation and Its Relation with Two Variables of Anxiety among Iranian EFL Learners
Authors: Rastegar Mina , Akbarzadeh Mahboubeh , Heidari Nahid
Published: February 2012

The present study is an attempt to explore any significant relationships between demotivation, test anxiety (TA), and foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) and to seek any significant differences between males and females regarding demotivation, TA, and FLCA. One hundred Iranian EFL students studying at the departments of foreign languages of Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman took part in this study. In order to obtain the required data, three questionnaires were utilized: the Demotivation questionnaire (Kikuchi and Sakai, 2007) to measure demotivation, the Test Anxiety Scale ((TAS), Sarason, 1975) to measure test anxiety, and the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS, Horwitz, Horwitz, and Cope, 1986) to determine the level of students’ FLCA. The findings of this study revealed the following first, there was a significant positive relationship between demotivation and TA; second, there was a significant positive relationship between demotivation and FLCA; third, there was a significant positive relationship between TA and FLCA, finally, there were no significant differences between males and females regarding demotivation, TA, and FLCA.
Assessment of Various Factors for Feasibility of Fixed Cantilever Bridge: A Review Study
Authors: Sharma Ashu , Rahul G. R. , Poduval Soorya T. , Shetty Karunakar
Published: March 2012

Cantilever fixed partial dentures are defined as having one or more abutments at one end of the prosthesis while the other end is unsupported. Much controversy without documentary evidence has surrounded this prosthesis. Despite negative arguments, the cantilever prosthesis has been used extensively by the clinicians. If used nonjudiciously without following proper guidelines these might lead to some complications. Although complications may be an indication that clinical failure has occurred, this is not typically the case. It is also possible that complications may reflect substandard care. Apart from the substandard care, the unique arrangement of the abutments and pontic also accounts for the prime disadvantage: the creation of a class I lever system. When the cantilevered pontic is placed under occlusal function, forces are placed on the abutments. There are various criteria and factors necessary for a successful cantilever fixed partial denture (FPD). The purpose of this paper is to discuss briefly various factors involved in the planning of a cantilever fixed partial denture.
Effects of Stimulation and Blockade of Receptor on Depression-Like Behavior in Ovariectomized Female Rats
Authors: Fedotova Julia
Published: March 2012

The aim of the present study was to explore the hedonic effects of D2receptor agonist, quinpirole and D2receptor antagonist, and sulpiride alone or in combination with a low dose of 17β-E2-estradiol (17β-E2) in the adult ovariectomized female rats (OVX). OVX rats of Wistar strain were used in all experiments. Two weeks after surgery rats were chronically treated with vehicle, a low dose of 17β-E2(5.0 μg/rat), quinpirole (0.1 mg/kg), sulpiride (10.0 mg/kg), quinpirole plus 17β-E2, or sulpiride plus 17β-E2for 14 days before the forced swimming test. We found that sulpiride significantly decreased immobility time in the OVX females. A combination of sulpiride with a low dose of 17β-E2induced more profound decrease of immobility time in the OVX rats compared to the rats treated with sulpiride alone. On the contrary, quinpirole failed to modify depression-like behavior in the OVX rats. In addition, quinpirole significantly blocked the antidepressant-like effect of 17β-E2in OVX rats. Thus, the D2receptor antagonist sulpiride alone or in combination with a low dose of 17β-E2exerted antidepressant-like effect in OVX female rats, while the D2receptor agonist quinpirole produced depressant-like profile on OVX rats.
MATLAB-Based Investigation of Multiphase Interleaved Buck-Boost Converter for PV System
Authors: Desai Hardik P. , Maheshwari Ranjan , Sharma Shambhu N.
Published: March 2012

A photovoltaic (PV) generator exhibits nonlinear voltage-current characteristics and its maximum power point varies with solar radiation. Analytical investigations of the new family of switching converters based on a parallel connection of (=4) identical buck-boost converters employed in PV system are presented. The interleaving strategy ensures that all the converters operate at the same switching frequency. Mathematical models developed using the state-space average technique are presented in this paper. Various steady-state performance expressions are also derived. The present converter system has the advantages of reduced size of the converter, and ripple in the total inductor current. The effectiveness of the four-phase interleaved dc-dc converter combined with PV system is demonstrated through simulations carried out in MATLAB environment.
Thermogravimetric and Spectroscopic Analysis of 8-Hydroxyquinoline 5-Sulphonic Acid-melamine-formaldehyde Polymer Resin-IV
Authors: Singru Rajesh N.
Published: February 2012

The title terpolymer (8-HQ5-SAMF-IV) synthesized by the condensation of 8-hydroxyquinoline 5-sulphonic acid (8-HQ5-SA) and melamine (M) with formaldehyde (F) in the presence of acid catalyst and using varied 3 : 1 : 5 molar proportions of the reacting monomers. The synthesized terpolymer was characterized by different physicochemical techniques. The thermogravimetric analysis of terpolymer resin prepared in the present study has been carried out by nonisothermal thermogravimetric analysis technique in which sample is subjected to condition of continuous increase in temperature at linear rate. Thermal study of the resin was carried out to determine the mode of decomposition and thermal stability. Thermal decomposition curve was studied carefully with minute details. The Freeman-Carroll and Sharp-Wentworth methods have been used in the present investigation to calculate thermal activation energy and different kinetic parameter of the terpolymer resin. Thermal activation energy () calculated by two above mentioned methods, is in close agreement. The advantage of Freeman-Carroll method is to calculate both the order of reaction (n) and energy of activation in one single stage by keeping heating rate constant. By using data of thermogravimetric analysis, various thermogravimetric parameters like frequency factor (Z), entropy change (ΔS), free energy change (ΔF), and apparent entropy () have been determined using Freeman-Carroll method.
Impact of Maize Formulated Herbicides Mesotrione and S-Metolachlor, Applied Alone and in Mixture, on Soil Microbial Communities.
Authors: Joly Pierre , Besse-Hoggan Pascale , Bonnemoy Frédérique , Batisson Isabelle , Bohatier Jacques , Mallet Clarisse
Published: March 2012

In order to reduce the amounts of pesticides used, and thereby their associated risks, new generations of less environmentally dangerous molecules with lower weight are currently being used in the mixtures sprayed on crops. Few studies have been made, however, to analyse their impact on the soil, and more particularly on the microorganisms living in the soil which maintain the essential functions of this ecosystem. By taking a microcosmic approach, we were able to assess the impact of the maize herbicides “cocktail” Mesotrione and S-metolachlor on global soil microbial activity, biomass, and structures, by using the formulated compounds, respectively, Callisto and Dual Gold (both registered brands of Syngenta). Our results highlighted a synergetic effect in “cocktail” microcosms resulting in an increase in the Mesotrione herbicide dissipation time and in an impact on the microbial community at onefold field rate equally to more than a single herbicide used at tenfold field rate.
Isoflavones-Enriched Soy Protein PreventsCCL4-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats
Authors: Sarhan Nesma A. Z. , El-Denshary Ezzeldein S. , Hassan Nabila S. , Abu-Salem Ferial M. , Abdel-Wahhab Mosaad A.
Published: March 2012

The burden of liver disease in Egypt is exceptionally high due to the highest prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) resulting in rising rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of the current study was to determine the isoflavones in soy and to evaluate the protective role of soy against CCl4-induced liver damage in rats. Four experimental groups were treated for 8 weeks and included the control group, soy-supplemented diet (20% w/w) group, the group treated orally with CCl4(100 mg/kg bw) twice a week, and the group fed soy-supplemented diet and treated with CCl4. Blood and liver tissue samples were collected for biochemical analyses and histological examination. The results indicated that protein content was 45.8% and the total isoflavones recorded 167.3 mg/100 g soy. Treatment with CCl4resulted in a significant biochemical changes in serum liver tissue accompanied with severe oxidative stress and histological changes. Supplementation with soy succeeded to restore the elevation of liver enzymes activities and improved serum biochemical parameters. Moreover, soy supplementation improved the antioxidant enzymes, decreased lipid peroxidation, and improved the histological picture of the liver tissue. It could be concluded that soy-protein-enriched isoflavones may be a promising agent against liver diseases.