bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ANALYSES OF THE STRESS INTENSITY OF THE CYLINDRICAL TANK WALL AT THE PLACE OF THE GEOMETRICAL DEFECT
Authors: Rasiulis Konstantin , Gurkšnys Kęstutis
Published: June 2010

Major repair or regular inspection of the large capacity thin‐walled tankages is very expensive. Steel cylindrical tanks are an individual case of the thin‐walled tankages. The common calculation of the tanks by analytical and numerical methods is not difficult. Strengthening the places, where a perfect calculated form is disturbed, that is, at the spots of in‐cuts, hatches, defects etc. is a responsible part of the design of such constructions. The problems of prevention of defects during the operation period and repairs, as well as possibility to assure quickly the safety of defective places of the constructions are more important than the common calculations. The main objective of the presented investigations is to identify stress/strain state of the wall tank with local imperfections from the ideal cylindrical surface, taking into account the membrane theory of the shells by using the finite element's method. Santrauka Didelio tūrio statiniu remontai arba net profilaktines apžiūros yra gana brangūs procesai. Metalines cilindrines talpyklos priskiriamos prie atskiros tūriniu plonasieniu konstrukciju grupes. Talpyklu reguliariu konstrukciju analitiniai ar skaitiniai skaičiavimai nera sudetingi. Bet tokiu vietu, kaip konstrukciju jungčiu bei technologines irangos prijungimo projektavi‐mas ar konstrukciju defektu analize yra gerokai svarbesne projektavimo dalis. Defektu prevencija naudojant talpyklas, taip pat defektuotu vietu sustiprinimas yra svarbesnis nei bendrieji talpyklu skaičiavimai. Šio darbo tikslas ‐ nustatyti realaus objekto cilindrines talpyklos sieneles su geometrinemis lokaliomis nuokrypomis itempiu ir deformaciju būvi pagal memb‐ranine kevalu skaičiavimo teorija, taikant baigtiniu elementu metoda.
CURVATURE ANALYSIS FOR COMPOSITE WITH ORTHOGONAL, ASYMMETRICAL MULTI‐LAYER STRUCTURE
Authors: Šliseris Jānis , Rocēns Kārlis
Published: June 2010

An option for reducing material consumption in bent construction is flat plate replacement with a curved or saddle shaped plate (shell). This option applies to plywood sheet, provided that the curved or saddle shaped plates are made in widely used multilevel plywood presses with parallel shelves using layers with an appropriate physical properties, geometric dimensions and orientation, creating a structurally asymmetrical sheet, relative to mid‐surface. Improved currently used method for calculation of curvature with taking into account curvature interaction effect and elastic characteristic change in moisture changing process. Compared results obtained by improved method and finite element method. Using improved method calculated values of curvature for a sheet with different geometrical properties and moisture conditions. Santrauka Lenkiamuju konstrukciju medžiagu sanaudas mažina plokščio lakšto pakeitimas sulenktu arba balno pavidalo lakštu (kevalu). Šis pasirinkimas taikomas klijuotes lakštams užtikrinus, kad sulenkti arba balno pavidalo lakštai yra padaromi naudojant keliu lygiu klijuotes presus su lygiagrečiomis lentynomis, imant tinkamu fizikiniu savybiu, geometriniu matmenu ir orientavimo sluoksnius bei sukuriant struktūriškai asimetrinius lakštus, susijusius su viduriniu paviršiumi. Patobulintas dabar taikomas metodas kreivumui skaičiuoti, atsižvelgiant i kreivumo saveikos poveiki ir dregnio kitimo vyksmo tampruji būdingaji pokyti. Palyginti rezultatai, gauti patobulintu ir baigtiniu elementu metodais. Taikant patobulinta metoda, apskaičiuotos kreivumo reikšmes lakštams, kuriu yra ivairūs geometriniai rodikliai ir ivairios dregnumo salygos.
Intestinal parasitic infection of immunocompromised children with diarrhoea: clinical profile and therapeutic response
Authors: Idris Nikmah Salamia , Dwipoerwantoro Pramita Gayatri , Kurniawan Agnes , Said Mardjanis
Published: June 2010

Background: Parasitic gastrointestinal infections have been variably reported among immunocompromised adults while data on children have been limited. This prospective cross-sectional study aimed to assess the clinical profile of intestinal parasitic infections among immunocompromised children with diarrhoea and their treatment response. Methodology: Two freshly voided stool samples taken for two consecutive days were examined by direct and formalin-ether concentrated smears. Modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining was used to detect Cryptosporidium, Isospora belli, and Cyclospora cayetanensis. Blastocystis hominis was identified using in vitro culture. Subjects positive for stool parasite(s) received standard therapy according to the aetiology and were evaluated afterward. Results: Forty-two subjects from Jakarta, Indonesia were included in this study, mostly aged one to five years (78%) and HIV infected (52%). Parasites were found in 24/42 (57%) subjects in which B. hominis comprised the largest proportion (23/24 = 96%). Cryptosporidium was identified in two subjects who were HIV infected with CD4 percentages of < 15%. No helminth infestations were found. Parasites were most frequently found in preschool age children (16/23), in those with recurrent or watery diarrhoea (23/24 and 14/18, respectively), and in HIV subjects not receiving antiretrovirals (16/22). Of 13 subjects evaluated for response to a 10-day metronidazole course for B. hominis infection, seven achieved clinical remission and nine had their parasites eradicated. Conclusions: The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection in immunocompromised children with persistent and/or recurrent diarrhoea is moderately high and dominated by B. hominis infection. Clinical remission and parasite eradication can be achieved in B. hominis infection treated with metronidazole.
Bioimmunological responses to Schistosoma mansoni and Fasciola gigantica worm homogenates either with or without saponin
Authors: Maghraby Amany Sayed , Hamed Manal Abdel-Aziz , Ali Sanaa Ahmed
Published: June 2010

Background: In this study, we evaluated the biochemical, immunological, histopathological and antischistosomal activities of Schistosoma mansoni or Fasciola gigantica worm homogenates mixed either with or without saponin that was extracted from Atriplex nummularia. Methodology: The immunization schedule was based on subcutaneous administration of two doses (50 μg /100 μl PBS) of each homogenate with time intervals of 15 days. After 15 days of the last homogenate inoculation, all mice were challenged with 100 Schistosoma mansoni cercariae and sacrificed after two months. Free radical scavengers and liver function enzymes were determined in mice liver. Worm counting and the histopathological picture of the liver were also done. Results: Immunization with Schistosoma or Fasciola worm homogenates, mixed either with or without saponin, recorded an amelioration of the free radical scavenger levels, liver function enzymes and reduction in worm burden, as well as improvement of the histological feature of the liver, the number and size of granuloma, evidence of increased immune reaction manifested by a lymphocytic cuff surrounding the granuloma, diminution of its fibrotic and collagen content, and destruction of Schistosoma ova. Conclusion: Fasciola or Schistosoma worm antigens mixed with or without saponin succeeded to eliminate the product of oxidative stress and assistance in immune-mediated destruction of eggs that ameliorate the histopathological picture of the liver cells and preserve its function.
Knowledge of health care-associated infections among Georgian obstetricians and gynecologists
Authors: Butsashvili Maia , Kamkamidze George , Umikashvili Lia , Gvinjilia Lia , Kankadze Kartlos , Berdzuli Nino
Published: June 2010

Background: Knowledge of health care associated infections (HAIs) and adherence to infection control precautions in medical institutions, including obstetrics and gynecological settings, is important to prevent the transmission of infections among health care workers and patients. This study evaluated the level of knowledge of Georgian obstetricians and gynecologists (OBGYN) in the field of HAIs and standard precautions. Methodology: The survey was conducted in nine maternity hospitals. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used and a summary knowledge score was created from 10 questions estimating awareness of health care workers (HCWs).  An acceptable knowledge was arbitrarily determined to be correctly answering six or more questions. Results: The total number of surveyed HCWs was 433. Of these 49.2% were physicians and 50.8% were nurses.  The data showed that 31.4% of HCWs had never received any educational intervention in the field of HAIs/safety precautions. By multivariate analysis factors related to knowledge score were age (HCWs > 35 years had higher scores), position (physicians had higher scores than nurses) and educational intervention on safety precautions.  Conclusion: This study demonstrates an acute need for educational interventions in the field of HAIs/safety precautions for HCWs in most OBGYN settings, particularly among nurses.
De la nature des croyances collectives
Authors: Clément Fabrice
Published: June 2010

Résumé Les croyances collectives ont constitué dès Durkheim un objet privilégié pour l’analyse sociologique. Pourtant, les sociologues peinent aujourd’hui encore à s’accorder sur la manière de les aborder, aussi bien théoriquement que méthodologiquement. Certains pensent qu’elles renvoient essentiellement à des dispositions acquises lors de la socialisation. D’autres qu’elles s’ancrent sur de bonnes raisons que l’analyste doit expliciter. Le pari de cet article consiste à montrer que ces oppositions reposent pour l’essentiel sur le fait que des phénomènes de nature différente se cachent derrière cette notion trop vague. L’identification de différents types de croyances permet alors de montrer comment une approche résolument pluridisciplinaire est susceptible d’enrichir notre compréhension des croyances collectives.
Taking the Lead
Authors: Muller Adrian
Published: June 2010

In this chapter, the author argues that the countries in the Global South can gain from stringent own climate policies. This is so, as in the current situation, the south tends to be dominated by the climate policies of northern countries and climate finance largely supports single projects and technology transfer that are not embedded in a broader policy framework in southern countries. Adopting own stringent policies could help to counteract this and to channel these financial means to their most beneficial use. This could help southern countries to follow an agenda that is different from the fossil fuel based development path of the north. Such a “green new deal” could be a promising economic and technological development strategy. Stringent climate policies would strengthen the southern countries in the international climate negotiations and southern countries could take the lead in the climate change mitigation debate. Technology transfer and the carbon finance sector would play a crucial role for this. Climate policy and climate finance could thus be used to set a new stage, where the south is not at a disadvantage with respect to the north.
Technological Change and the Transformation of Global Agriculture
Authors: Nin-Pratt Alejandro
Published: June 2010

This chapter discusses the economic impact of science-based research in agriculture. Global agriculture was transformed in the 20th century by the Green Revolution that resulted from applying Mendelian genetics to crop and animal breeding. Developments of biotechnology in the last 20 years marked the dawn of a gene revolution that is thought to replace Mendelian genetics as the driver of technical change in agriculture. In recent years and still far from reaching the full potential impact of biotechnology in agriculture, developments in nanotechnology promise to further push the research and innovation frontier in agriculture. In this new environment, the private sector emerges as the main actor in agricultural R&D displacing the public sector, which played a central role during the Green Revolution period. However, more public investment in R&D rather than less and new institutions will be needed in developing countries if they are to benefit from the new technologies.
Technology Adoption and Economic Development
Authors: Mafimisebi Taiwo E.
Published: June 2010

Africa’s economic development will result from conscious efforts directed towards diversification and increased productivity in its low-performing agricultural sector. Technology development, transfer and uptake, which are low for now, are indispensible necessities in this respect. The purpose of this chapter is to review the characteristics, importance, constraints and technology adoption process of African agriculture to identify factors that enhance or hinder technology uptake. This is with a view to isolating lessons for developers or packagers of new agricultural or other technologies for Africa, especially nanotechnology and microelectronics which are evolving and transformational. The attributes of technologies that have made desired impact in African agriculture included cheapness, simplicity, observability, visibility of results, usefulness, compatibility with existing technologies and farm- or farmer-specific socio-economic or socio-cultural conditions. Case studies of the welfare-enhancing impacts of adopted agricultural technologies were examined under use of fertilizers, improved varieties and biotechnology. Useful lessons for development and transfer of nanotechnology and micro-electronics to Africa were highlighted.
Odanacatib, a New Drug for the Treatment of Osteoporosis: Review of the Results in Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Pérez-Castrillón José Luis , Pinacho Florentino , De Luis Daniel , Lopez-Menendez María , Dueñas Laita Antonio
Published: June 2010

Osteoclasts are specialized cells that initiate the process of bone resorption, which has two phases, dissolution of the mineral component and degradation of the organic matrix, in which cathepsin K plays a key role. Cathepsin K inhibitors, which block the activity of cathepsin on bone resorption lacunae, may be a new therapeutic option in osteoporosis. Odanacatib is a nonpeptidic biaryl inhibitor of cathepsin K. Two studies have evaluated the efficacy and safety of odanacatib, a phase I study to determine the dose and a phase II study of safety and efficacy. Due to the long half-life of odanacatib and the similar effects of different doses on bone remodeling markers, a weekly dosage was chosen for the phase II trail, with the best results being obtained with a dose of 50 mg. At 36 months, increases in bone mineral density similar to those produced by other powerful antiresorptive drugs (zoledronate and denosumab) were observed but there were differences in the behaviour of bone remodeling markers. Data on fractures from the phase III trial currently in development are required to confirm these possible advantages.
Calcaneal BMD Obtained by Dual X-Ray and Laser Predicts Future Hip Fractures—A Prospective Study on 4 398 Swedish Women
Authors: Brismar Torkel B. , Janszky Imre , Toft L. I. M.
Published: June 2010

The predictive value of dual X-ray and laser (DXL) calcaneal BMD (BMDDXL) on hip fractures was prospectively studied in 4,398 females aged 55 to 99 years. The average follow-up period was 3 years and 11 months with a total of 17,270 person years. Fractures were identified from the national patient register. After inclusion, 130 females sustained a hip fracture. The age adjusted hazard ratio for T-score <−2.5 versus >−2.5 was 2.64. Of all patients who sustained a hip fracture 78% had a T-score of −2.5 or below. The annual hip fracture rate was 0.26% at T-scores ≥−2, but 1.5% at T-scores ≤−2.5. The area under curve for the model including calcanealBMDDXL, follow-up time, and age to prospectively predict hip fractures was 0.84.Conclusions. CalcanealBMDDXLobtained by DXL Calscan predicts hip fractures and may therefore be suitable for diagnosing osteoporosis and for predicting fracture risk.
 Industrial psychology students’ attitudes towards statistics
Authors: Coetzee Sanet , Van der Merwe Pieter
Published: June 2010

Orientation: The attitude of students toward statistics may influence their enrolment, achievement and motivation in the subject of research and Industrial Psychology.Research purpose: The aims of this study were to determine the reliability and validity of the survey of attitudes toward statistics (SATS-36) for a South African sample and to determine whether biographical variables influence students’ attitudes.Motivation for study: Students could be better prepared for, and guided through, a course in statistics if more is known about their attitudes towards statistics.Research design, approach and method: A cross-sectional survey design was used and the SATS-36 was administered to a sample of convenience consisting of 235 students enrolled in Industrial and Organisational Psychology at a large tertiary institution in South Africa.Main findings: Results revealed that even though students perceive statistics to be technical, complicated and difficult to master, they are interested in the subject and believe statistics to be of value. The degree to which students perceived themselves to be competent in mathematics was related to the degree to which they felt confident in their own ability to master statistics. Males displayed slightly more positive feelings toward statistics than females. Older students perceived statistics to be less difficult than younger students and also displayed slightly more positive feelings concerning statistics.Practical implications: It seems that in preparing students for statistics, their perception regarding their mathematical competence could be managed as well.Contribution: This study provides the first preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of the SATS-36 for a sample of South African students.
Oxaliplatin-induced lung fibrosis
Authors: Shah Arpan , Udwadia Zarir F , Almel Sachin
Published: June 2010

Oxaliplatin has been approved for use as an adjuvant treatment in stage III colorectal carcinoma by the US-FDA. The majority of toxicity caused by this drug is manageable. However, rare, isolated cases of pulmonary fibrosis induced by this drug have been reported in literature. We report one such case of rapidly evolving pulmonary fibrosis following treatment with oxaliplatin.
Significant resolution of tuberculous pleural effusion on chemotherapy alone
Authors: Loh LC , Lim BK , Wan Yusuf S
Published: June 2010

Background: As a standard, significant pleural effusion, whether tuberculous (TB) or not, requires therapeutic thoracocentesis. We tested the hypothesis that standard anti-TB chemotherapy alone can resolve significant pleural effusion.

Methods: 20 eligible patients with TB pleural effusion of at least 30% of the hemithorax (10 with moderate-size and 10 with large-size effusion, respectively) were retrospectively reviewed for radiological resolution of their effusions at two, six and 12 months after commencement of standard six-month therapy.

Results: The mean percentage resolutions in both groups were comparable (48% vs 46% at two months; 59% vs 85% at six months; 84% vs 95% at 12 months). The mean sizes of effusions were also comparable (18% vs 33% at two months; 14% vs 10% at six months; 6% vs 4% at 12 months). Cigarette smoking and Indian ethnicity were univariately associated with incomplete resolution of effusions.

Conclusion: Standard anti-TB chemotherapy alone appears to be sufficient to resolve significant TB pleural effusion. An avoidance of therapeutic thoracocentesis may reduce the risk of infection exposure or allow better channelling of resources in certain clinical settings.
Lyme carditis: a reversible cause of complete atrioventricular block
Authors: Bhattacharya IS , Dweck M , Francis M
Published: June 2010

A 54-year-old American woman presented with an episode of syncope. This had occurred against a background of several days of dizziness and palpitations. Her medical history included Bell’s palsy, which had been diagnosed three weeks earlier. On examination, she had a resting bradycardia of 31 beats per minute and her electrocardiogram demonstrated third-degree atrioventricular (AV) block. She was referred to cardiology for consideration of permanent pacemaker implantation. Given her facial nerve palsy and AV block, a diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis was suspected. Within 48 hours of initiation of ceftriaxone, she reverted to sinus rhythm, albeit with a marked first-degree AV block. Subsequent serology confirmed the diagnosis. Reversible causes of complete AV block should always be considered and appropriate therapy may avoid the need for permanent pacemaker insertion.
Anaphylactic shock: no time to think
Authors: Whiteside M , Fletcher A
Published: June 2010

Anaphylaxis is the quintessential medical emergency where prompt recognition and treatment is life-saving. In the UK the incidence is increasing year on year, and is most common in the sixth and seventh decades of life. More than half of cases are iatrogenic in nature, most of the rest are caused by venom (stings) and food substances. The clinical signs can be subtle, but an acute onset of skin or mucosal oedema with respiratory compromise or reduced blood pressure should alert the physician to the diagnosis. The management revolves around the use of adrenaline after an initial airway, breathing and circulation approach, in a dose of 0.5 mg 1:1,000 intramuscularly, repeated five minutes later if there has been no response. Any delay in treatment is associated with increased risk of adverse outcome. Steroids and antihistamines are often given, although there is no convincing evidence of their effect in the acute setting. Where diagnostic uncertainty arises, serum tryptase levels can confirm or refute the diagnosis.
New technologies in the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infection
Authors: Humphreys H
Published: June 2010

The increased interest in healthcare-associated infection (HCAI) among the public, patients and politicians has led to the development of potential new approaches to its prevention by industrial concerns and others. Such developments include better methods of assessing hospital hygiene, enhanced decontamination of the healthcare environment, biosynthetic tissue alternatives, antibiotic-impregnated medical devices and information technology that can help improve professional practice. Although promising, many of these have not been adequately evaluated in the clinical setting, highlighting the need for greater collaboration between industry and infection prevention and control practitioners to maximise the benefit of new products and to complement conventional approaches to HCAI prevention such as education, professional practice and the provision of better facilities.
The Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) mission: design, execution, and first results
Authors: Jacob D. J. , Crawford J. H. , Maring H. , Clarke A. D. , Dibb J. E. , Emmons L. K. , Ferrare R. A. , Hostetler C. A. , Russell P. B. , Singh H. B. , Thompson A. M. , Shaw G. E. , McCauley E. , Pederson J. R. , Fisher J. A.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. The NASA Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) mission was conducted in two 3-week deployments based in Alaska (April 2008) and western Canada (June–July 2008). Its goal was to better understand the factors driving current changes in Arctic atmospheric composition and climate, including (1) influx of mid-latitude pollution, (2) boreal forest fires, (3) aerosol radiative forcing, and (4) chemical processes. The June–July deployment was preceded by one week of flights over California (ARCTAS-CARB) focused on (1) improving state emission inventories for greenhouse gases and aerosols, (2) providing observations to test and improve models of ozone and aerosol pollution. ARCTAS involved three aircraft: a DC-8 with a detailed chemical payload, a P-3 with an extensive aerosol and radiometric payload, and a B-200 with aerosol remote sensing instrumentation. The aircraft data augmented satellite observations of Arctic atmospheric composition, in particular from the NASA A-Train. The spring phase (ARCTAS-A) revealed pervasive Asian pollution throughout the Arctic as well as significant European pollution below 2 km. Unusually large Siberian fires in April 2008 caused high concentrations of carbonaceous aerosols and also affected ozone. Satellite observations of BrO column hotspots were found not to be related to Arctic boundary layer events but instead to tropopause depressions, suggesting the presence of elevated inorganic bromine (5–10 pptv) in the lower stratosphere. Fresh fire plumes from Canada and California sampled during the summer phase (ARCTAS-B) indicated low NOx emission factors from the fires, rapid conversion of NOx to PAN, no significant secondary aerosol production, and no significant ozone enhancements except when mixed with urban pollution.
Partitioning of catchment water budget and its implications for ecosystem carbon exchange
Authors: Lee D. , Kim J. , Lee K.-S. , Kim S.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. Spatially averaged annual carbon budget is one of the key information needed to understand ecosystem response and feedback to climate change. Water availability is a primary constraint of carbon uptake in many ecosystems and therefore the estimation of ecosystem water use may serve as an alternative to quantify Gross Primary Productivity (GPP). To examine this concept, we estimated a long-term steady state water budget for the Han River basin (~26 000 km2) in Korea and examined its application for catchment scale carbon exchange. For this, the catchment scale evapotranspiration (ET) was derived from the long term precipitation (P) and discharge (Q) data. Then, using stable isotope data of P and Q along with other hydrometeorological information, ET was partitioned into evaporation from soil and water surfaces (ES), evaporation from intercepted rainfall (EI, and transpiration (T). ES was identified as a minor component of ET in the study areas regardless of the catchment scales. The annual T, estimated from ET after accounting for EI and ES for the Han River basin from 1966 to 2007, was 22~31% of annual P and the proportion decreased with increasing P. Assuming that T further constrains the catchment scale GPP in terms of water use efficiency (WUE), we examined the possibility of using T as a relative measure for the strength and temporal changes of carbon uptake capacity. The proposed relationship would provide a simple and practical way to assess the spatial distribution of ecosystem GPP, provided the WUE estimates in terms of GPP/T at ecosystem scale could be obtained. For carbon and water tracking toward a sustainable Asia, ascertaining such a spatiotemporally representative WUE and their variability is a requisite facing the flux measurement and modeling communities.
Preliminary results of land subsidence monitoring project in Konya Closed Basin between 2006–2009 by means of GNSS observations
Authors: Ustun A. , Tusat E. , Yalvac S.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. One of the potential dangers that might arise as a result of bringing excessive amounts of groundwater to the surface of the Earth is land subsidence. Such surface deformations – these velocities may vary from a few millimetres to a few metres per year – do the greatest damage to infrastructure facilities and buildings in residential units. Agricultural lands, in which excessive irrigation is performed, and densely populated cities are more likely to suffer from land subsidence. Konya Closed Basin (KCB), where a rapid groundwater withdrawal has been observed during the last 30–40 years, is faced with such a threat. In this study, the possibility of the occurrence of land subsidence, related to groundwater withdrawal for the KCB, is assessed and the geodetic studies conducted up to now, with the intention of identifying land subsidence, are introduced. The vertical displacements of between -12 and -52 mm/year have been detected through GNSS observations collected on the 6-point test network. The land subsidence phenomenon has been developing in the areas where the groundwater is extensively used for irrigation and daily life. The results support the findings derived from the historical leveling records and point out the need of an extended study based on both GNSS and InSAR techniques for spatial and temporal mapping of land subsidence in the KCB.
Digital Image Processing and Analysis with ImageJ
Authors: Gallagher Sean R.
Published: June 2010

ImageJ is a freely available, cross‐platform (e.g., Windows, Mac, Linux) image processing and analysis program developed by the NIH. In addition to being readily available for no cost, ImageJ is supported by a wide range of constantly evolving user‐created functionalities to address a remarkable range of applications, complementing commercial software that typically comes with imaging instruments such as digital gel‐imaging systems or microscopy workstations. New processing/analysis macros and plug‐ins are routinely added to the support site, and are frequently validated via refereed publications. With the continued improvements and growth of fluorescence‐based applications, ImageJ continues to be a mainstay in the laboratory. ImageJ has extensive support materials available online, its base code is regularly updated, and a survey of Medline references indicates that it is one of the most widely used image‐analysis packages available today. Curr. Protoc. Essential Lab. Tech. 3:A.3C.1‐A.3C.24. © 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A Review of Equity in Nonprofit and Public Sector: A Vehicle Routing Perspective
Authors: Balcik Burcu , Iravani Seyed M. R. , Smilowitz Karen
Published: June 2010

The majority of operations research (OR) applications and models focus on performance metrics and objectives based on effectiveness and efficiency. Equity is a key goal of nonprofit and public sector operations and has been studied considerably less than effectiveness and efficiency. In this article, we present an overview of incorporating equity in OR models and we review vehicle routing applications, such as disaster relief, mobility services, food distribution, and hazardous material transportation, which consider equity. We suggest future research directions in studying equity in vehicle routing.
Aggregation and Lumping of
DTMCs
Authors: Thomas Marlin U.
Published: June 2010

Under certain conditions the state space of a discrete time Markov chain (DTMC) can be partitioned into subsets of states called
lumpings
, each of which can be treated as a single state of a smaller Markov chain. Such a chain is said to be “lumpable” and this article provides an overview of the conditions and methods for examining aggregated chains for lumpability.
American Football: Rules and Research
Authors: Wilson Rick L.
Published: June 2010

American football, known as justfootballin the United States, is a popular team sport played primarily in the United States (not to be confused with the sport known assoccerin the United States, but football elsewhere in the world). This article will briefly describe the game of American football, highlighting its basic premises, rules, and pertinent background information. It will then conclude by identifying and describing some of the academic research that has explored relevant attributes of this fascinating, yet decidedly North American game.
Assessing Probability Distributions from Data
Authors: Jose Victor Richmond R.
Published: June 2010

Data can be a powerful tool in the process of probability elicitation, especially in situations where a decision maker has limited prior experience in dealing with the event considered. We provide an introductory discussion on how historical data can be used to generate probability assessments. We also discuss some methods that can be used to incorporate explanatory variables in assessing probability distributions.
A
ustrian Society of Operations Research (
O
esterreichische
G
esellschaft für Operations Research,
O
egor)
Authors: Rauner Marion S. , Haunschmied Josef
Published: June 2010

The Austrian Society for Operations Research (Oesterreichische Gesellschaft fuer Operations Research, OEGOR) was founded at the Vienna University of Technology in 1978. OEGOR is a nonprofit scientific organization, which supports application and promotes development of operations research (OR) methods with particular focus on efficient knowledge transfer among high‐profile scientific research and decision makers in all areas. Hereby, our working groups play a key role in metaheuristics, OR in finance, OR in health care, production and logistics, theory and practice of optimization, and mathematical économics and optimization in energy. As a nationwide association, OEGOR also represents Austria in the international network of OR experts such as the Association of European Operational Research Societies (EURO) and the International Federation of Operational Research Societies (IFORS). In the past, several major Austrian OR conferences were organized in cooperation with fellow societies such as: (i) Vienna, OR 1990, and (ii) Klagenfurt, OR 2002. A European Summer Institute (ESI) on nonlinear methods in combinatorial optimization for EURO will be held at the University of Klagenfurt in September 2010. OEGOR cooperates with fellow societies from Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Croatia to edit and finance the SCI‐indexed journal, Central European Journal of Operations Research (CEJOR), which is published by Springer.
Average Reward of a Given
MDP
Policy
Authors: Bailey Matthew D.
Published: June 2010

This article describes the fundamentals of determining the average reward of a given policy for a Markov decision process (MDP). For an MDP, a given policy induces a DTMC with rewards. The average reward for the policy is then dependent on the structure of this induced Markov chain. Summarized within this article are the classifications of average reward MDPs, the definition of the gain and bias for a given MDP policy, and approaches for determining the gain and bias for each of these classifications.
Basic Interdiction Models
Authors: Smith J. Cole
Published: June 2010

The field of network interdiction explores techniques for optimally impeding network operations using limited disruption actions. These disruptions may serve to remove network components, decrease arc capacities, or increase cost flows. Network interdiction models and algorithms help to identify vulnerabilities in a complex network without resorting to exhaustively enumerating worst‐case scenarios, and can be coupled with fortification models to assess benefits of protecting a network. This article is presented at an introductory level to illustrate the use and breadth of interdiction models, along with a discussion of fortification and design problems.
Biclustering: Algorithms and Application in Data Mining
Authors: Petros Xanthopoulos , Nikita Boyko , Neng Fan , Panos M Pardalos
Published: June 2010

Biclustering(orcoclustering) refers to the problem of simultaneously grouping similar objects and similar features at the same time. It is a problem with various applications in a broad range of fields like pattern recognition, text mining, bioinformatics, and financial engineering. Although biclustering has attracted the interest of many researches in the field of computational bioinformatics (because of its usefulness in microarray data analysis), there exist many applications in other fields of science. In this article, we present a description of the biclustering problem, the main algorithmic approaches proposed in the literature and also in some of the most prominent applications with emphasis on data mining.
Business Process Outsourcing
Authors: Tsay Andy A.
Published: June 2010

This article explains “Business Process Outsourcing” (BPO), discusses the decision process for choosing whether or not to outsource an activity, summarizes best practices for managing the service providers, and comments about ORMS research on outsourcing.
Combining Forecasts
Authors: Radziukyniene Ingrida , Xanthopoulos Petros , Pardalos Panos M.
Published: June 2010

Combining forecasts is a methodology for increasing prediction accuracy by taking multiple predictors of a random variable/process into account. This approach is popular especially when the amount of data available for forecasting is limited and it is necessary to utilize the underlying information included in this data set to the maximum level. In this article, we give an overview of the most commonly used methods for combining forecasts applied in practice. These methodologies range from simple averaging to most recent expert system based techniques.
Conceptual Modeling for Simulation
Authors: Robinson Stewart
Published: June 2010

Conceptual modeling is the process of abstracting a simulation model from the real world. The art of conceptual modeling is determining what to model and just as importantly what not to model. This article explores the key artifacts of conceptual modeling (system description and conceptual model) and the processes of knowledge acquisition and abstraction involved in deriving these artifacts. Different definitions of the termconceptual modelare discussed. Four ways of viewing the conceptual modeling process are also identified: the requirements of a conceptual model, principles of modeling, conceptual modeling frameworks, and methods of model simplification. Conceptual modeling for simulation is an area ripe for further research and specific ideas for research topics are listed.
Coordination of Production and Delivery in Supply Chain Scheduling
Authors: Chen Zhi‐Long
Published: June 2010

In many supply chains for make‐to‐order or time‐sensitive products, finished orders are often delivered to customers immediately or shortly after production. Consequently, there is little or no finished product inventory, and production and finished product delivery must be scheduled in a coordinated way in order to achieve a desired level of delivery performance at minimum total cost. Research on coordinated production and delivery scheduling models is relatively recent, but is growing rapidly due to an increasing number of applications in practice. In this article, major application examples that can be modeled as a coordinated production and delivery scheduling problem are reviewed, an overview of existing coordinated production and delivery scheduling models is given, and solution techniques that have been studied in the literature are discussed along with several directions for future research.
Cusum Charts for Multivariate Monitoring and Forecasting
Authors: Tsui Kwok‐Leung , Jiang Wei , Mei Yajun
Published: June 2010

Based on likelihood ratio tests, this article presents CUSUM methods for multivariate monitoring and forecasting. Several recent applications including industrial process control, disease surveillance, sensor networks, and financial and economic analysis are discussed.
Describing Decision Problems by Decision Trees
Authors: Bordley Robert F.
Published: June 2010

Decision trees are especially useful in describing problems where the scientific trial and error processes used in continuous learning are not practical. This article describes the process of formulating the basis for decision trees: values, choices, uncertainties, and deciders. We then describe its application to the simplest problem where we are only concerned with meeting a target and then consider the more general problem—where utility assessment is required—where there is no well‐defined target describing our values. We first present a purely visual approach to decision trees followed by the more precise numerical approach. We close with a discussion of the special case of expected value.
Evolutionary Algorithms
Authors: Michalewicz Zbigniew , Schoenauer Marc
Published: June 2010

This article broadly introduces evolutionary algorithms and discusses the current trends, both in a historical perspective and with respect to practical outcomes. It then quickly surveys theoretical results and main domains of applications.
The Exponentially Weighted Moving Average
Authors: Perry Marcus B.
Published: June 2010

In this tutorial, the exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) is discussed. The EWMA is often used for smoothing irregular fluctuations (i.e., noise) in a time series to permit the data analyst to better reveal trend/cycle patterns over time. Additionally, the EWMA is frequently used to compute short‐term forecasts of time series (e.g., sales and stocks). Some common applications of the EWMA in the management science and quality engineering disciplines are discussed. Further, some properties of the EWMA, such as the expected value, variance, and one‐step ahead prediction variance are also discussed.
Guided Local Search
Authors: Voudouris Christos , Tsang Edward P. K. , Alsheddy Abdullah
Published: June 2010

Guided local search (GLS) is a metaheuristic method proposed to solve combinatorial optimization problems. It is a high‐level strategy that applies an efficient penalty‐based approach to interact with the local improvement procedure. This interaction creates a process capable of escaping from local minima, which improves the efficiency and robustness of the underlying local search algorithms. Fast local search (FLS) is a local search algorithm, which improves the efficiency of local search by reducing the size of the neighborhood. GLS can be efficiently combined with FLS in the form of guided fast local search (GFLS). This article describes the principles of GLS, FLS, and GFLS. It also surveys GLS's extensions, hybrids, and applications.
Horse Racing
Authors: Bacon‐Shone John
Published: June 2010

Horse racing is a popular sport in many countries for racing on the flat, over obstacles, and with carts, because of the associated gambling. The wide range of bets available have attracted wide academic interest in predicting the outcomes, testing for efficiency of the betting markets, constructing betting systems, and predicting the turnover. This article discusses the key modeling issues raised in these different contexts, including the arguments about how to account for decreasing incentives down the finishing order and whether the inefficencies found are caused by risk preference or biased expectations.
Infinite Linear Programs
Authors: C. Sharkey Thomas
Published: June 2010

We consider infinite linear programs, that is, linear programs with an infinite number of variables and constraints. The analysis of infinite linear programs is quite challenging due to the fact that many of the fundamental properties of finite‐dimensional linear programming fall apart in infinite‐dimensional spaces. We discuss the challenges in extending such fundamental concepts as basic feasible solutions and duality theory to infinite linear programs and the methods used to overcome these challenges. We survey the two main classes of infinite linear programs, countable infinite linear programs and continuous linear programs, and discuss the motivating applications of them.
The Operational Research Society of
S
ingapore
Authors: Kah Wah Lai
Published: June 2010

Founded in 1975, the Operational Research Society of Singapore (ORSS) is the only professional association for operations research and management science in Singapore. ORSS fulfills its objectives by publishing a journal, organizing regular talks and seminars, promoting OR education at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and serving as a channel for its members to network.
The Operations Research Society ofSouthAfrica
Authors: Ittmann Hans W. , Yadavalli V. S. Sarma
Published: June 2010

The history and current activities of the Operations Research Society of South Africa (ORSSA) is presented in this paper.
Operations Research to Improve Disaster Supply Chain Management
Authors: Ergun Ozlem , Karakus Gonca , Keskinocak Pinar , Swann Julie , Villarreal Monica
Published: June 2010

Disasters have recently received the attention of the operations research community because of the great potential of improving disaster‐related operations through the use of analytical tools, and the impact on people that this implies. In this introductory article, we describe the main characteristics of disaster supply chains, and we highlight the particular issues that are faced when managing these supply chains. We illustrate how operations research tools can be used to make better decisions, taking debris management operations as an example, and discuss potential general research directions in this area.
Parallel‐Series and Series‐Parallel Systems
Authors: Agustin Marcus
Published: June 2010

This article will consider the reliability of two different systems, namely, a parallel‐series system and a series‐parallel system. The main focus is on finding the system reliability when the failure of each component depends on the length of time that the component is observed. In particular, the main result will be illustrated for exponentially distributed failure times.
PASTAand Related Results
Authors: El‐Taha Muhammad
Published: June 2010

Poisson Arrivals See Time Averages (PASTA) says that, in a queueing system, an arriving customer sees the same as an independent outside observer (i.e., customer averages are the same as time averages).PASTAhas been extended to Arrivals See Time Averages (ASTA), which is concerned with finding sufficient and/or necessary conditions for the equality of event (customer) and time averages. In this article, we give Wolff'sPASTAunder lack‐of‐anticipation assumption (LAA), and several illustrative examples. We also discussPASTA/ASTAin a sample‐path framework, where results pertaining to conditionalASTA, and reversedASTAare given. Several simple examples are also provided. Moreover,ASTAresults are given in a stochastic framework under the lack‐of‐bias‐assumption (LBA) and a discussion ofLBAconnection to a similar condition given in the sample‐path framework is highlighted. Finally, we provide a literature review emphasizingPASTAtype results and applications that are not covered in this article.
Prospect Theory
Authors: Chiu Andrew , Wu George
Published: June 2010

Prospect theory is a descriptive theory of how individuals choose among risky alternatives. The theory challenged the conventional wisdom that economic decision makers are rational expected utility maximizers. We present a number of empirical demonstrations that are inconsistent with the classical theory, expected utility, but can be explained by prospect theory. We then discuss the prospect theory model, including the value function and the probability weighting function. We conclude by highlighting several applications of the theory.
Random Search Algorithms
Authors: Zabinsky Zelda B.
Published: June 2010

Random search algorithms are useful for many ill‐structured global optimization problems with continuous and/or discrete variables. Typically random search algorithms sacrifice a guarantee of optimality for finding a good solution quickly with convergence results in probability. Random search algorithms include simulated annealing, tabu search, genetic algorithms, evolutionary programming, particle swarm optimization, ant colony optimization, cross‐entropy, stochastic approximation, multistart and clustering algorithms, to name a few. They may be categorized as global (exploration) versus local (exploitation) search, or instance‐based versus model‐based. However, one feature these methods share is the use of a random element embedded in their iterative procedures. This article provides an overview of random search algorithms used to solve black‐box global optimization problems.