bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design of Manufacturing Cells Based on Graph Theory
Authors: Ribeiro José Francisco Ferreira
Published: February 2013

In this chapter a comparative study is presented between (I) sequential heuristics, (II) simulated annealing, (III) tabu search, and (IV) threshold algorithm for graph coloring and its application for solving the problem of the design of manufacturing cells in a job shop system production. The job shop production system has a very large proportion of all manufacturing activity. The principal concepts of manufacturing cells, graph theory, and heuristics are presented. The results obtained with these algorithms on several examples found in the literature are consistently equivalent with the best solution hitherto known in terms of numbers of inter-cell moves and dimensions of cells.
Optimization and Mathematical Programming to Design and Planning Issues in Cellular Manufacturing Systems under Uncertain Situations
Authors: Ghezavati Vahidreza , Saidi-Mehrabad Mohammad , Jabal-Ameli Mohammad Saeed , Makui Ahmad , Sadjadi Seyed Jafar
Published: February 2013

In practice, demands, costs, processing times, set-up times, routings, and other inputs to classical cellular manufacturing systems (CMS) problems may be highly uncertain, which can have a major impact on characteristics of manufacturing system. So, development models for cell formation (CF) problem under uncertainty can be a suitable area for researchers and belongs to a relatively new class of CMS problems that not researched well in the literature. In this way, random parameters can be either continuous or described by discrete scenarios. If probability information is known, uncertainty is described using a (discrete or continuous) probability distribution on the parameters, otherwise, continuous parameters are normally limited to lie in some pre-determined intervals. This chapter introduces basic concepts about uncertainty themes associated with cellular manufacturing systems and briefly reviews literature survey for this type of problem. The chapter also discusses the characteristics of different mathematical models in the context of cellular manufacturing.
Multi-Modal Assembly-Support System for Cellular Manufacturing
Authors: Duan Feng , Tan Jeffrey Too Chuan , Kato Ryu , Zhu Chi , Arai Tamio
Published: February 2013

Cellular manufacturing meets the diversified production and quantity requirements flexibly. However, its efficiency mainly depends on the operators’ working performance. In order to improve its efficiency, an effective assembly-support system should be developed to assist operators during the assembly process. In this chapter, a multi-modal assembly-support system (MASS) was proposed, which aims to support operators from both information and physical aspects. To protect operators in MASS system, five main safety designs as both hardware and control levels were also discussed. With the information and physical support from the MASS system, the assembly complexity and burden to the assembly operators are reduced. To evaluate the effect of MASS, a group of operators were required to execute a cable harness task. From the experimental results, it can be concluded that by using this system, the operators’ assembly performance is improved and their mental work load is reduced. Consequently the efficiency of the cellular manufacturing is improved.
Accessibility and Usability Issues
Authors: Monaco Eugene , Lackey Stephen , Skawinski Edward , Stanley Rebecca , Young Carol Day
Published: February 2013

Democratic governments seek to serve all citizens equally and fairly. Achieving this ideal in e-governance will in large measure be determined by government’s commitment to the development of websites and web applications that encourage and enable participation by all. Accessibility and usability are gateways to participation. This chapter examines the professional and legal standards for accessibility and usability as well as studies on actual implementation. A survey of New York State webmasters found that while IT professionals considered usability and accessibility important, none of them rated user satisfaction as excellent. Agency management was perceived as less aware of the importance of usability and accessibility than IT professionals. Assuring usability and accessibility is an on-going, iterative process that requires continual accountability and involvement of user/citizens, political leaders, and IT professionals.
The Internet and Representative Democracy
Authors: Navarria Giovanni
Published: February 2013

The chapter questions a conventional line of interpretation of the political relevance of the Internet in democratic countries: if on the one hand new communication media such as the Internet represent a positive element in the fight against the hubris of power; on the other hand, the same technologies can serve the agenda of those who want to influence popular consent in support of questionable politics and, hence, hinder the representative system in its very essence. To elucidate this point, the chapter focuses on the Road Tax online-petition that in the early months of 2007 attracted almost 2 million signatures on the UK Government e-Petition website. My argument here is that when simple and historical democratic means such as petitions are coupled with the new generation of Web technologies, the outcome might be unexpected. The road-tax petition will serve us as a blueprint of: the possibilities embedded in the use of new technologies within representative democratic systems, the challenges they pose for democracy, and their unforeseen consequences.
Empowering People Using Twitter
Authors: Sandoval-Almazan Rodrigo , Gutierrez-Alonso Mario Arturo
Published: February 2013

The purpose of this chapter is to provide evidence of the impact that Twitter has on empowering Mexican people and transforming social protests. This technological tool enables citizens to force political actors and electronic media to take a proper position on certain issues. The aim of this chapter is to explore the uses and misuses of Twitter in Mexican online protests, and in common citizen-user interactions. The main outcome is an explanatory model of e-participation as a possible explanation of this phenomenon and the promotion of some ideas to use Twitter in a proper way. This chapter is organized in five major sections. First, the introduction reviews the origins and fundamental principles of Twitter and social interaction. Section two describes the model of online participation. Section three presents the Internet tax case in Mexico, named: “necessary Internet.” Section four discusses the outcomes and possible implications of citizens’ empowerment through Twitter using the model. Section five provides insights into future research in this field.
Portable Wireless Device for Automated Agitation Detection
Authors: Sakr George E. , Elhajj Imad H. , Joujou Mohamad Khaled , Abboud Sarah , Huijer Huda Abu-Saad
Published: February 2013

The objective of this chapter is to provide an overview of existing portable medical devices. The chapter then focuses on portable automated agitation detection. The design and prototyping of a device capable of portable wireless agitation detection is detailed. In addition, the agitation detection algorithm, which uses Support Vector Machines (SVM) based on the measurement of skin conductivity, skin temperature, and inter-beat interval, is described. Experimental results pertaining to the performance of the device and the agitation detection are provided. The chapter concludes with challenges to the development of medical portable devices in general and to agitation detection specifically. Some potential future research directions are highlighted.
Towards Achieving Semantic Interoperability In eHealth Services
Authors: Taweel Adel , Delaney Brendan , Speedie Stuart
Published: February 2013

One common and primary vision of eHealth is to achieve seamless interoperability between eHealth systems to enable the delivery of the right information about the right patient to the right person at the right time. However, the high sensitivity of the clinical domain and the vast differences in eHealth systems pose a great interoperability challenge for solutions that rely solely on prior knowledge of common interoperability standards will not sufficiently scale. This chapter presents a service-based approach that utilises domain ontologies combined with extensible problem models, enriched with domain terminology and knowledge services to enable autonomous data governance and semantic interoperability. The chapter addresses the resulting requirements and proposes a solution outlining the results from the prototype of the approach.
Open Business Models in the Telecommunications Industry
Authors: Berzosa David López , Martínez Andrés L. , Heredero Carmen de Pablos
Published: February 2013

The case of study hereby presented provides organizational, strategic and technological insights regarding emergent business models upon which open innovation regimes may take place.
Perceptions of Productivity and Digital Ethics in Smart Phone Use in a Chinese Context
Authors: Lind Mary , Anyansi-Archibong Chi , Akan Obasi H.
Published: February 2013

The networked society is impacting all aspects of people’s lives and changing the way that information is obtained and used. For students this impact is changing how information is shared and tasks are performed. A digital enabled culture is resulting in changed norms on collaboration and providing more opportunities for teams to collaborate on a moment’s notice. The digital ethics code of the 1980s is addressed in the current digital culture. This research will develop a measurement scale for digital ethics and assess this scale in the context using students from China.
Machine Vision Based Non-Magnetic Object Detection and Removal on Moving Conveyors in Steel Industry through Differential Techniques
Authors: Manjunatha K. C. , Mohana H. S. , Vijaya P. A.
Published: February 2013

Intelligent process control technology in various manufacturing industries is important. Vision based non-magnetic object detection on moving conveyor in the steel industry will play a vital role for intelligent process and raw material handling. This paper presents an approach for a vision based system which performs the detection of non-magnetic objects on raw material moving conveyor in a secondary steel making industry. At single camera level, a vision based differential algorithm is applied to recognize an object. Image pixels based differential techniques; optical flow and motion based segmentations are used for traffic parameters extraction, the proposed approach extends those futures into industrial applications. The authors can implement smart control system, since they can save the energy and control unnecessary breakdowns in a robust manner. The technique developed for non-magnetic object detection is having single static background. Establishing background and background subtraction from continuous video input frames forms the basis. Detection of non-magnetic materials which are moving with raw materials and taking immediate action at the same stage as material handling system will avoid the breakdowns or power wastage. The authors achieve accuracy up to 95% with the computational time of not more than 1.5 seconds for complete system execution.
Feasibility of Building Information Models for 3D Cadastre in Unified City Models
Authors: El-Mekawy Mohamed , Östman Anders
Published: February 2013

The current cadastral systems are usually based on a 2D parcel maps and land registries having references to different documents. In many countries, the parcel maps, as well as the registries and referenced documents, are represented digitally. The 3D cadastral systems have usually a similar approach, where the descriptions of the 3D components are represented by drawings in PDF format. This article focuses on creating the 3D geometries corresponding to 3D property based on existing 3D building models. The article investigates shortages of IFC and CityGML, the most prominent semantic building models for representation of BIM and geospatial models respectively, as well as a unified building model (UBM) that was developed earlier for modelling complete and real 3D cadastre information system. The result shows that IFC, CityGML, nor the UBM has capabilities for such tasks. The article proposes an extension to the UBM in adding different subtypes to the boundary surfaces above and underground. The extended UBM is then implemented in a case study of a hospital building in Sweden. The implementation shows that by adding the four subtypes “Building Elements Surfaces,” “Digging Surfaces,” “Protecting Area Surfaces,” and “Real Estate Boundary Surfaces” of boundary surfaces, it has become possible to model all the needed surfaces that define 3D cadastral information of a building.
A Two-Fold Linear Programming Model with Fuzzy Data
Authors: Saati Saber , Hatami-Marbini Adel , Tavana Madjid , Hajiahkondi Elham
Published: February 2013

Linear programming (LP) is the most widely used optimization technique for solving real-life problems because of its simplicity and efficiency. Although LP models require well-suited information and precise data, managers and decision makers dealing with optimization problems often have a lack of information on the exact values of some parameters used in their models. Fuzzy sets provide a powerful tool for dealing with this kind of imprecise, vague, uncertain or incomplete data. In this paper, the authors propose a two-fold model which consists of two new methods for solving fuzzy LP (FLP) problems in which the variables and the coefficients of the constraints are characterized by fuzzy numbers. In the first method, the authors transform their FLP model into a conventional LP model by using a new fuzzy ranking method and introducing a new supplementary variable to obtain the fuzzy and crisp optimal solutions simultaneously with a single LP model. In the second method, the authors propose a LP model with crisp variables for identifying the crisp optimal solutions. The authors demonstrate the details of the proposed method with two numerical examples.
A Fuzzy Multiple Regression Approach for Optimizing Multiple Responses in the Taguchi Method
Authors: Al-Refaie Abbas , Rawabdeh Ibrahim , Abu-alhaj Reema , Jalham Issam S.
Published: February 2013

The fuzzy regression has been found effective in modeling the relationship between the dependent variable and independent variables when a high degree of fuzziness is involved and only a few data sets are available for model building. This research, therefore, proposes an approach for optimizing multiple responses in the Taguchi method using fuzzy regression and desirability function. The statistical regression is formulated for the signal to noise (S/N) ratios of each response replicate. Then, the optimal factor levels for each replicate are utilized in building fuzzy regression model. The desirability function, pay-off matrix, and the deviation function are finally used for formulating the optimization models for the lower, mean, and upper limits. Two case studies investigated in previous literature are employed for illustration; where in both case studies the proposed approach efficiently optimized processes performance.
Design and Analysis of an Improved Approximated Fuzzy Logic Controller for Shunt Active Power Filter
Authors: Singh Rambir , Singh Asheesh K.
Published: February 2013

This paper presents the design and analysis of an improved approximated simplest fuzzy logic controller (IASFLC). A cascade combination of simplest 4-rule fuzzy logic controller (FLC) and an nth degree polynomial is proposed as an IASFLC to approximate the control characteristics of a 49-rule FLC. The scheme is based on minimizing the sum of square errors between the control outputs of a 49-rule FLC and a simplest 4-rule FLC in the entire range of universe of discourse (UOD). The coefficients of compensating polynomial are evaluated by solving instantaneous square error equations at various test points in the entire UOD. This IASFLC maps the output of a 49-rule FLC with absolute deviation of less than 5%. The proposed IASFLC is used to control the dc link voltage of a three phase shunt active power filter (APF). A detailed analysis is performed during transient and steady state conditions to check power quality (PQ) and dynamic performance indices. The performance of proposed IASFLC is compared with a 49-rule FLC and approximated simplest fuzzy logic controller (ASFLC) based on minimization of the deviation at central values of membership functions (MFs). It is found comparatively better for harmonic and reactive compensation with a comparable dynamic response. The memory requirement and computational time of proposed IASFLC are less than the ASFLC.
Efficient Retrieval Technique for Microarray Gene Expression
Authors: Salome J. Jacinth
Published: February 2013

The DNA mciroarray gene data is in the expression levels of thousands of genes for a small amount of samples. From the microarray gene data, the process of extracting the required knowledge remains an open challenge. Acquiring knowledge is the intricacy in such types of gene data, though number of researches is arising in order to acquire information from these gene data. In order to retrieve the required information, gene classification is vital; however, the task is complex because of the data characteristics, high dimensionality and smaller sample size. Initially, the dimensionality diminution process is carried out in order to shrink the microarray data without losing information with the aid of LPP and PCA techniques and utilized for information retrieval. In this paper, we propose an effective gene retrieval technique based on LPP and PCA called LPCA. The technique like LPP and PCA is chosen for the dimensionality reduction for efficient retrieval of microarray gene data. An application of microarray gene data is included with classification by SVM. SVM is trained by the dimensionality reduced gene data for effective classification. A comparative study is made with these dimensionality reduction techniques.
User Experience of Mobile Internet
Authors: Kaasinen Eija , Roto Virpi , Roloff Kristin , Väänänen-Vainio-Mattila Kaisa , Vainio Teija , Maehr Wolfgang , Joshi Dhaval , Shrestha Sujan
Published: February 2013

Mobile access to the Internet with handheld devices has been technically possible for quite a while and consumers are aware of the services but not so ready to use them. A central reason for the low usage is that user experience of the mobile Internet is not yet sufficiently good. This paper analyses the mobile Internet from the end-user perspective, identifying factors and solutions that would make Internet usage on a mobile device an enjoyable experience. User experience can be improved by a better understanding of users and usage contexts, by developing mobile services that better serve the needs of mobile users, easing service discovery and by developing the infrastructure needed for the mobile Internet. This paper discusses all these aspects and gives development recommendations. Multidisciplinary and multicultural cooperation between the various actors in the field is needed to improve user experience.
Nonparametric Correspondence Analysis of Global Risk Management Techniques
Authors: Strang Kenneth David
Published: February 2013

This study presents 211 program managers that were interviewed from around the globe to explore the nature of the relationship between portfolio risk management and the functional discipline where it was applied. The purpose was to identify multidisciplinary best-practices in light of the recent global crises and natural disasters. Open-ended questions were asked to avoid limiting responses to survey choices as well as to capture emerging routines. The participants were from 15 companies around the world with high annual earnings-per-share (listed on the New York Stock Exchange). A mixed-method design was used, employing correspondence analysis in SPSS to estimate the quality of the relationship between the applied techniques versus industry disciplines. A significant symmetric model of portfolio risk management techniques was plotted, dimensioned by five distinct methods across six functional disciplines. The prototype revealed unexpected relationships such as the use of nonlinear techniques in manufacturing and statistical procedures in the human resource/labor management field.
Effects and Benefits of Space Exploration
Authors: Crosby Norma B.
Published: February 2013

It has been more than half a century since humans first ventured into space. While competing in being the first to land on the Moon, they learned to utilize space for human needs on Earth (e.g., telecommunications, navigation systems). Many space technologies were later applied to basic needs on Earth. Space research and development led to the “transfer of technology” in non-space sectors and became better known as “spin-offs.” They have improved global modern life in many ways. This paper discusses the cost-benefit of space technology spin-offs, as well as the relationships between various space agencies, spin-offs, and commercial enterprises. Other benefits that have come out of space exploration such as psychological, political and environmental effects are also reviewed, as well as the potential future benefits of going to space. Technologies developed for harsh environments on Earth and for those in space benefit all and collaborating both ways is the future.
Mediating Effects of Study Outcomes on Student Experience and Loyalty
Authors: Quintal Vanessa Ann , Shanka Tekle , Chuanuwatanakul Pattamaporn
Published: February 2013

This paper aims to examine whether expectations of the student experience have an impact on student loyalty that is mediated by expectations of study outcomes at their university. To achieve this, a 15-minute pen and paper survey was self-administered to a convenience sample of students at a major university in Western Australia. The total sample size was 400 students, with 200 students each drawn from the home and international student populations. Findings suggest the university’s image and facilities that prepare students for career, personal and academic development were positively related to home student loyalty, while teaching and support services that prepare students for career development were positively related to both home and international students’ loyalty. Since the global trend is toward a customer-oriented model, universities can remain competitive by providing the ‘gestalt’ student experience that helps students to achieve their study outcomes and develop loyalty toward their university.
A Framework for the Forensic Analysis of User Interaction with Social Media
Authors: Haggerty John , Casson Mark C. , Haggerty Sheryllynne , Taylor Mark J.
Published: February 2013

The increasing use of social media, applications or platforms that allow users to interact online, ensures that this environment will provide a useful source of evidence for the forensics examiner. Current tools for the examination of digital evidence find this data problematic as they are not designed for the collection and analysis of online data. Therefore, this paper presents a framework for the forensic analysis of user interaction with social media. In particular, it presents an inter-disciplinary approach for the quantitative analysis of user engagement to identify relational and temporal dimensions of evidence relevant to an investigation. This framework enables the analysis of large data sets from which a (much smaller) group of individuals of interest can be identified. In this way, it may be used to support the identification of individuals who might be ‘instigators’ of a criminal event orchestrated via social media, or a means of potentially identifying those who might be involved in the ‘peaks’ of activity. In order to demonstrate the applicability of the framework, this paper applies it to a case study of actors posting to a social media Web site.
Serious Assessments in Serious Games
Authors: Hubal Robert , Pina Jamie
Published: February 2013

In the past decade the serious games initiative has produced a number of games being used today as adjuncts to institutional training. Many of the games produced through the serious games initiative do not incorporate adaptive assessment to assure the acquisition of real-world skills from virtual training. Detailed performance assessment techniques are often lacking. Successful performance assessment in virtual training requires that students are placed into multiple simulated contexts and are challenged with different tasks to perform under various conditions, to specified standards. The aggregate of training situations must adequately cover the space of real-world situations. This article discusses important concepts related to virtual training performance assessment including critical tasks, performance criteria, forward recommendation, errors of commission, red screen alerts, reusable competency definitions, ill-structured domains, violent domains, and other game design templating. By integrating these concepts into serious game design, trainers can develop sufficiently varying simulated tasks to ensure that serious games meet real-world adaptive needs.
The Gameplay Enjoyment Model
Authors: Quick John M. , Atkinson Robert K. , Lin Lijia
Published: February 2013

To date, reviews of the games literature have noted a lack of empirical studies examining the relationships between games and their purported benefits (Huizenga, Admiraal, & Dam, 2011; Vandercruysse, Vanderwaetere, & Clarebout, 2012; Young et al., 2012). Furthermore, researchers have called for a better understanding of the specific game features that may lead to beneficial outcomes (Hartmann & Klimmt, 2006; Klimmt, Schmid, & Orthmann, 2009; McNamara, Jackson, & Graesser, 2010; Vorderer, Bryant, Pieper, & Weber, 2006; Wilson et al., 2009). In this survey study, a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was employed to better understand the specific features that influence player enjoyment of video games. The resulting Gameplay Enjoyment Model (GEM) explains players’ overall Enjoyment of games, as well as their preferences for six specific types of enjoyment, including Challenge, Companionship, Competition, Exploration, Fantasy, and Fidelity. The implications of these model components are discussed in the context of educational game design and future directions for research are offered. GEM provides an empirical framework within which vital progress can be made in understanding the enjoyment of games and the role that games play in education.
Soft Computing Approaches for Human-Autonomous Agent Communication
Authors: Petry Frederick E. , Yager Ronald R.
Published: February 2013

This paper describes soft computing approaches for human-agent communications in the context of influencing decision making behavior. Several methods are illustrated including using a person’s predispositions and generalization techniques that allow issues to be viewed in a more favorable light with social interaction persuasion tendencies modeled with soft computing. The context of a robotic assistant for the elderly is used to illustrate the various communication techniques. Finally the related topic of negotiations using some the developed techniques is presented.
Analyzing the Effect of Node Density on the Performance of the LAR-1P Algorithm
Authors: Al-Bahadili Hussein , Maqousi Ali , Naoum Reyadh S.
Published: February 2013

The location-aided routing scheme 1 (LAR-1) and probabilistic algorithms are combined together into a new algorithm for route discovery in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) called LAR-1P. Simulation results demonstrated that the LAR-1P algorithm reduces the number of retransmissions as compared to LAR-1 without sacrificing network reachability. Furthermore, on a sub-network (zone) scale, the algorithm provides an excellent performance in high-density zones, while in low-density zones; it preserves the performance of LAR-1. This paper provides a detailed analysis of the performance of the LAR-1P algorithm through various simulations, where the actual numerical values for the number of retransmissions and reachability in high- and low-density zones were computed to demonstrate the effectiveness and significance of the algorithm and how it provides better performance than LAR-1 in high-density zones. In addition, the effect of the total number of nodes on the average network performance is also investigated.
Building Socially-Aware E-Learning Systems Through Knowledge Management
Authors: Sharma Richa , Banati Hema , Bedi Punam
Published: February 2013

Conformance to social context while designing an e-learning course is crucial in enhancing acceptability of the course. Building socially aware e-learning courses requires elicitation of social opinion from various stakeholders associated with the system. Stakeholders are disparate in their perception towards the intricacies of the system, leading to generation of numerous assorted ideas. Knowledge Management (KM) assimilates these ideas to bring congruency into the system. This paper proposes i) a model KMeLS (Knowledge Management in e-Learning Systems) built upon the SECI (Socialization, Externalization, Combination and Internalization) framework, and ii) an algorithm PARSeL (Prioritizing Alternatives using Recommendations of Stakeholders in e-Learning) to incorporate KM into designing an e-learning course. PARSeL prioritizes the content using stakeholder recommendations using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and fuzzy modeling. A case study is also presented with a goal of prioritizing a set of programming languages for an online computing course. The proposed methodology can be promising in recommending appropriate content for the e-learners and can be implemented to benefit e-learning organizations in a wider spectrum.
Progressive Data Synchronization Model for Mobile Devices
Authors: Adda Mehdi
Published: February 2013

Mobile data synchronization is an important technique used to replicate or synchronize data between a mobile client and a remote server. It helps overcome unstable wireless networks and support the disconnected operation. The current state of mobile data synchronization is most successful at transparently synchronizing all data. Generally, once a synchronization feature enabled, data is automatically synchronized without offering a fine grained and customizable synchronization policy. Furthermore, the context information, such as localization, date, device overload and resource consumption, type and quality of the connection, etc., are not equally taken into account or not considered at all. One solution is to develop a synchronization model that rely on a fine grained and flexible synchronization policy and where context information is considered as first-class citizen. This article puts forward a new model of data synchronization in mobile devices based on progressive data access schema.
Synthetic Emotions for Humanoids
Authors: Grunberg David K. , Batula Alyssa M. , Schmidt Erik M. , Kim Youngmoo E.
Published: February 2013

The recognition and display of synthetic emotions in humanoid robots is a critical attribute for facilitating natural human-robot interaction. The authors utilize an efficient algorithm to estimate the mood in acoustic music, and then use the results of that algorithm to drive movement generation systems to provide motions for the robot that are suitable for the music. This system is evaluated on multiple sets of humanoid robots to determine if the choice of robot platform or number of robots influences the perceived emotional content of the motions. Their tests verify that the authors’ system can accurately identify the emotional content of acoustic music and produce motions that convey a similar emotion to that in the audio. They also determine the perceptual effects of using different sized or different numbers of robots in the motion performances.
Policy Incoherencies and Research Gaps in Uganda’s Primary Education Sub-Sector
Authors: Yawe Bruno Lule
Published: February 2013

The elimination of school fees at Uganda’s primary education level was accelerated by the 1996 first direct presidential elections. Since the inception of the universal primary education in 1996 and its actual operationalization in 1997, universal primary education is synonymous with primary education. Because school fees were eliminated before infrastructural improvements in the school system had been carried out, the access shock created by the elimination of fees resulted in a substantial initial decrease in resources available per pupil, and a large increase in the pupil-teacher ratio. The purpose of this study is to identify the policy incoherencies as well as research or knowledge gaps relating to Uganda’s primary education.
CSCL@Work
Authors: Goggins Sean , Jahnke Isa
Published: February 2013

The authors introduce Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) at the workplace (CSCL@Work) as a conceptual framework for bridging the knowledge of researchers in the field of CSCL to work-based learning. In contemporary firms, shepherding the creation of new knowledge is of equal importance, and is driven by two primary research questions. First, how do organizations create new knowledge when the answer to a particular problem is not available within the firm? Second, what cultures of learning must and do exist to support solving problems when the answer is not known within an organization? Contemporary answers to these questions must recognize that learning is an implicit, often invisible component of work, and explicitly decouple the construct of learning from its main western institutionalization, the school. To advance thinking in this area, the authors undertook a meta analysis of 8 CSCL@Work cases and developed 3 design theses: 1) Learning occurs in unexpected and unusual online learning places, especially through Social Media. 2) Learning activities incorporate feedback from diverse people, who are not available within traditional organizational boundaries; 3) learning must be made visible across established boundaries. Designing explicit construction of new knowledge needs to be integrated into workplace practices today through pedagogical and technological design.
The Organizational Blog as a Boundary Object
Authors: Agerdal-Hjermind Annette
Published: February 2013

This article looks at organizational blogger roles and how they both reflect and affect the way knowledge is communicated across department boundaries in a corporate blogging context. The blog is approached from a sociotechnical perspective, addressing and looking into the various roles in a community of practice and the enactment of the bloggers in a transparent context. Empirical examples of discourses at work in an organizational blog are highlighted, and the diverging roles and dilemmas of the blogging employees are discussed. People within the same organization have different goals in relation to the same technology, and the content of the blog and the blog comments are managed differently by the internal bloggers which feel empowered or disempowered. The article pinpoints roles of enactment in a socio-technical perspective through pointing out conflicting goals, roles and the resulting counter discourses and shows examples of how the group of bloggers with the shared narrative tradition is able to mobilize its members and create subgroups for appropriate blog behaviors and changing behavior.
An Information Services Inspired Framework for Assessing Scientific Book Quality
Authors: Kostagiolas P. A. , Banou C. , Stamou S.
Published: February 2013

Scientific book quality is two-fold in terms of an intangible and a tangible aspect. Traditionally, an editor reads and assesses the quality characteristics of the manuscript. Considering the book as an object, quality focuses on the publishing production process and workmanship. The above include a wide number of services and operations involving publishers, authors, the editorial department, the creative department, etc. The advent of scholarly communication and self-publishing would benefit from an objective and measurable book quality assessment framework. This paper addresses a number of challenging issues, such as definition and quantification of quality in scientific books. The paper examines services and techniques which can be used to reduce the cost of scientific manuscript assessment and increase objectivity. The information services inspired framework supports the review process in which an expert engages the assessment of a manuscript.
Simulation-Aided Optimal Microfluidic Sorting for Monodispersed Microparticles
Authors: Hsu Ming-Ying , Yang Chih-Hui , Wang Chih-Yu , Lin Yung-Sheng
Published: February 2013

In order to avoid performing too many experiments by a trial-and-error approach, this study used the simulation method to investigate the optimum geometry of a microfluidic chip for sorting droplets. Under the framework of the double T-junction hybrid channel, geometry factors such as (i) the distance between the two junctions, (ii) the size of the second junction, and (iii) the size of the broadened channel were analyzed. How these factors impacted the separation process and device performance were examined and discussed to optimize the double T-junction channel design. Results indicated that the best separation performance occurred when the separation layer thickness was 8~15% of the upstream main channel width. This simulation analysis helped the optimum channel geometry design in the microfluidic chip for droplet sorting to prepare uniform microparticles.
Study on the Performance and Exhaust Emissions of Motorcycle Engine Fuelled with Hydrogen-Gasoline Compound Fuel
Authors: Lin Chang-Huei , Chu Li-Ming , Hsu Hsiang-Chen
Published: February 2013

The motorcycle plays an important role in the life for the people of Taiwan. However, the motorcycles’ emissions are the main moving air pollution sources. Therefore, it’s important to develop more efficient combustion technology in order to save energy and reduce air pollution. In this paper, a novel technology of hydrogen-gasoline compound fuel is developed. Hydrogen gas is released from solid state hydrogen storage tank and then mixed with the incoming gasoline. The intake valve in manifold sucks the hydrogen-gasoline compound fuel into the cylinder for combustion. A series of performance test is conducted by motorcycle chassis dynamometers. The results reveal that this technology can increase the power and torque, and decrease fuel consumption per kilo-power due to promote combustion efficiency. In addition, the hydrogen has greater heat value, so the oil temperature and spark plug temperature increase. This technique can reduce CO and HC, but increase CO2 and NOx. The engine performance is improved at rarefied hydrogen-gasoline compound fuel. Therefore, the engine performance with M.J. #98 is better than that with M.J. #110. This technique can achieve energy saving and environment-friendly purpose.
Utilizing Innovative Video Chat Technology to Meet National Standards
Authors: Parveen Shaheen , Pater Cayley
Published: February 2013

Responding to the need for foreign language fluency in ever-globalizing business and cultural spheres, the federal government and foreign language institutions in an eleven-member task force collaboratively published a set of nationally recognized, foundational standards for foreign language teaching. Rather than rely on teacher-centered classrooms where rote memorization is the rule, standards-based curricula are student-centered and emphasize meaningful communication in contexts that build cultural understanding. The new standards emphasize performance-based assessment, offer students opportunities to communicate in a variety of communicative modes and experience authentic cultural materials. In order to investigate the applicable strategic use of videochat technology in standards-based foreign language teaching, instructors from the Hindi STARTALK program at the University of Pennsylvania conducted a small case study to assess student responses to this modern technology-based interactive module. This paper focuses on a pedagogical intervention in which the Hindi instructors for the summer programs in 2010 and 2011 aimed to discover how communications technology, specifically Skype technology, could be used to effectively implement the National Standards.
Email Tandem Exchanges as a Tool for Authentic Cultural Learning
Authors: Llopis-García Reyes
Published: February 2013

This paper presents the description of an email Tandem exchange project conducted between 94 intermediate-level students (47 pairs) from Columbia University/Barnard College in New York and Universidad Autonóma de Madrid in Spain during the Fall Semester 2010. There were several goals to this project: to help improve students’ writing skills; to encourage them to learn about culture through authentic (understood as ‘direct contact with a native speaker’) and real exposure to the target language; to foster progress in their use of the target languages through peer-to-peer corrections; and to take an active part in their own learning through self-assessment. Based on students’ opinions, this project had a very positive impact in the way they viewed the foreign/target culture on both sides of the Atlantic. It also helped them enhance their written proficiency and acquire a new lexical mastery that would have been impossible through the limited and less-real scope of the classroom.
A Peptide Antagonist Disrupts NK Cell Inhibitory Synapse Formation
Authors: Borhis Gwenoline , Ahmed Parvin S. , Mbiribindi Bérénice , Naiyer Mohammed M. , Davis Daniel M. , Purbhoo Marco A. , Khakoo Salim I.
Published: February 2013

Productive engagement of MHC class I by inhibitory NK cell receptors depends on the peptide bound by the MHC class I molecule. Peptide:MHC complexes that bind weakly to killer cell Ig-like receptors (KIRs) can antagonize the inhibition mediated by high-affinity peptide:MHC complexes and cause NK cell activation. We show that low-affinity peptide:MHC complexes stall inhibitory signaling at the step of Src homology protein tyrosine phosphatase 1 recruitment and do not go on to form the KIR microclusters induced by high-affinity peptide:MHC, which are associated with Vav dephosphorylation and downstream signaling. Furthermore, the low-affinity peptide:MHC complexes prevented the formation of KIR microclusters by high-affinity peptide:MHC. Thus, peptide antagonism of NK cells is an active phenomenon of inhibitory synapse disruption.
CD4+ T Cell–Depleted Lymphocyte Infusion Impairs Neither the Recovery of Recipient Thymus nor the Development of Transplanted Thymus
Authors: Shi Ming , Li Ming , Cui Yunze , Liu Lin , Adachi Yasushi , Ikehara Susumu
Published: February 2013

Thymus transplantation, in conjunction with bone marrow transplantation (BMT), has been attracting attention for the treatment of various diseases. Recently, donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) has been used as a helpful tool for establishing donor chimerism and preventing a relapse of leukemia/lymphoma. However, the effects of DLI on transplanted and recipient thymuses have not been explored. We therefore performed DLI in the intrabone marrow–BMT + thymus transplantation setting. We have found that DLI leads to derangements in both recipient thymuses and transplanted thymuses; by 2 wk after BMT, we saw a decrease in total cell number, a lower percentage of CD4+CD8+ cells, and the obliteration of the thymic corticomedullary junction. Four weeks later, the thymic impairment became more serious. However, when we depleted the CD4+ T cells (CD4−-DLI), the recipient thymic recovery and transplanted thymic development were significantly restored by the treatment. In addition, there were much greater levels of TNF-α and Fas ligand, and a lower percentage of regulatory T cells in the DLI group than in the CD4−-DLI group. These findings indicate that inflammation induced by DLI, especially by CD4+ T cells, plays a crucial role in the thymic impairment.
Drug Discovery Algorithm for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis
Authors: Grogl Max , Hickman Mark , Ellis William , Hudson Thomas , Lazo John S. , Sharlow Elizabeth R. , Johnson Jacob , Berman Jonathan , Sciotti Richard J.
Published: February 2013

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is clinically widespread but lacks treatments that are effective and well tolerated. Because all present drugs have been grandfathered into clinical use, there are no examples of a pre-clinical product evaluation scheme that lead to new candidates for formal development. To provide oral agents for development targeting cutaneous leishmaniasis, we have implemented a discovery scheme that incorporates in vitro and in vivo testing of efficacy, toxicity, and pharmacokinetics/metabolism. Particular emphasis is placed on in vivo testing, progression from higher-throughput models to those with most clinical relevance, and efficient use of resources.
Ecohealth Interventions Limit Triatomine Reinfestation following Insecticide Spraying in La Brea, Guatemala
Authors: Lucero David E. , Morrissey Leslie A. , Rizzo Donna M. , Rodas Antonieta , Garnica Roberto , Stevens Lori , Bustamante Dulce M. , Monroy Maria Carlota
Published: February 2013

In this study, we evaluate the effect of participatory Ecohealth interventions on domestic reinfestation of the Chagas disease vector Triatoma dimidiata after village-wide suppression of the vector population using a residual insecticide. The study was conducted in the rural community of La Brea, Guatemala between 2002 and 2009 where vector infestation was analyzed within a spatial data framework based on entomological and socio-economic surveys of homesteads within the village. Participatory interventions focused on community awareness and low-cost home improvements using local materials to limit areas of refuge and alternative blood meals for the vector within the home, and potential shelter for the vector outside the home. As a result, domestic infestation was maintained at ≤ 3% and peridomestic infestation at ≤ 2% for 5 years beyond the last insecticide spraying, in sharp contrast to the rapid reinfestation experienced in earlier insecticide only interventions.
The Effects of ACT Treatment and TS Prophylaxis on Plasmodium falciparum Gametocytemia in a Cohort of Young Ugandan Children
Authors: Kakuru Abel , Jagannathan Prasanna , Arinaitwe Emmanuel , Wanzira Humphrey , Muhindo Mary , Bigira Victor , Osilo Emmanuel , Homsy Jaco , Kamya Moses R. , Tappero Jordan W. , Dorsey Grant
Published: February 2013

Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TS) prophylaxis are important tools for malaria control, but there are concerns about their effect on gametocytes, the stage of the parasite responsible for transmission. We conducted a longitudinal clinical trial in a cohort of HIV-infected and uninfected children living in an area of high malaria transmission intensity in Uganda. Study participants were randomized to artemether-lumefantrine (AL) or dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) for all treatments of uncomplicated malaria (N = 4,380) as well as TS prophylaxis for different durations. The risks of gametocytemia detected by microscopy in the 28 days after antimalarial therapy were compared using multivariate analyses. The risk of gametocyte detection was significantly higher in patients treated with DP compared with AL (adjusted relative risk = 1.85, P < 0.001) and among children prescribed TS prophylaxis (adjusted relative risk = 1.76, P < 0.001). The risk of gametocytemia and its potential for increasing transmission should be considered when evaluating different ACTs and TS prophylaxis for malaria control.