bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Peculiar Characteristics of Fish Type I Interferons
Authors: Boudinot Pierre , Langevin Christelle , Secombes Christopher , Levraud Jean-Pierre
Published: November 2016

Antiviral type I interferons (IFNs) have been discovered in fish. Genomic studies revealed their considerable number in many species; some genes encode secreted and non-secreted isoforms. Based on cysteine motifs, fish type I IFNs fall in two subgroups, which use two different receptors. Mammalian type I IFN genes are intronless while type III have introns; in fish, all have introns, but structurally, both subgroups belong to type I. Type I IFNs likely appeared early in vertebrates as intron containing genes, and evolved in parallel in tetrapods and fishes. The diversity of their repertoires in fish and mammals is likely a convergent feature, selected as a response to the variety of viral strategies. Several alternative nomenclatures have been established for different taxonomic fish groups, calling for a unified system. The specific functions of each type I gene remains poorly understood, as well as their interactions in antiviral responses. However, distinct induction pathways, kinetics of response, and tissue specificity indicate that fish type I likely are highly specialized, especially in groups where they are numerous such as salmonids or cyprinids. Unravelling their functional integration constitutes the next challenge to understand how these cytokines evolved to orchestrate antiviral innate immunity in vertebrates.
Prior exposure to freezing stress enhances the survival and recovery of Poa pratensis exposed to severe drought
Authors: Kong Ricky S. , Henry Hugh A. L.
Published: November 2016

PREMISE OF THE STUDY:

Both freezing and drought cause cellular dehydration, and they elicit similar increases in protective compounds, which suggests that these stresses could potentially interact. We examined whether the physiological changes that occur in response to freezing in the fall and spring could affect subsequent survival and growth after summer drought.

METHODS:

We froze Poa pratensis tillers in the late fall, early spring, or late spring at 0, −5, or −10°C for 3 d and then subjected them to no drought (−0.025 MPa), moderate drought (−0.140 MPa), or severe drought (−0.250 MPa) for 3 wk in the summer. We quantified survival and total biomass after a 3‐wk recovery period, and we determined leaf soluble sugar concentrations before and then 0, 30, and 55 d after freezing.

KEY RESULTS:

For survival and biomass, there were significant interactions between freezing and drought. Spring frozen tillers had the highest biomass and survival following severe drought, whereas fall freezing did not significantly increase the biomass of tillers following the severe drought. Increased drought tolerance after spring freezing did not appear to be associated with increased soluble sugar content, given that the freezing effects on leaf glucose, fructose, and sucrose content were absent 55 d post freezing.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our results demonstrate that multiple stresses that occur over different seasons can interact; this interaction is highly relevant to herbaceous species in northern temperate regions that are experiencing more intense and frequent stress as a result of changes in snow cover and extreme climatic events.
Land‐use change has no detectable effect on reproduction of a disturbance‐adapted, hawkmoth‐pollinated plant species
Authors: Skogen Krissa A. , Jogesh Tania , Hilpman Evan T. , Todd Sadie L. , Rhodes Matthew K. , Still Shannon M. , Fant Jeremie B.
Published: November 2016

PREMISE OF THE STUDY:

Land‐use change is cited as a primary driver of global biodiversity loss, with myriad consequences for species, populations, and ecosystems. However, few studies have examined its impact on species interactions, particularly pollination. Furthermore, when the effects of land‐use change on pollination have been studied, the focus has largely been on species pollinated by diurnal pollinators, namely, bees and butterflies. Here, we focus onOenothera harringtonii, a night‐flowering, disturbance‐adapted species that has experienced a range‐wide gradient of land‐use change. We tested the hypothesis that the negative impacts of land‐use change are mitigated by long‐distance pollination.

METHODS:

Our study included both temporal (4 yr) and spatial (19 populations range‐wide, and 1, 2, and 5 km from the population center) data, providing a comprehensive understanding of the role of land‐use change on pollination biology and reproduction.

KEY RESULTS:

We first confirmed thatO. harringtoniiis self‐incompatible and reliant on pollinators for reproduction. We then showed that hawkmoths (primarilyHyles lineata) are highly reliable and effective pollinators in both space and time. Unlike other studies, we did not detect an effect of population size, increased isolation, or a reduction in suitable habitat in areas with evidence of land‐use change on pollination (visitation, pollen removal and deposition). Furthermore, the proportion of suitable habitat and other fragmentation metrics examined were not associated with population size or density in this plant species.

CONCLUSIONS:

We conclude that nocturnal pollination ofOenothera harringtoniivia hawkmoths is robust to the negative impacts of land‐use change.
Buccal Corridors: A Fact or a Myth in the Eyes of Laymen?
Authors: Elhiny Omnia A. , Harhash Asmaa Y.
Published: November 2016

AIM: This study aimed to investigate laymen knowledge of the existence of the buccal corridor and whether it was an important factor for them in judging smile attractiveness and the effect of introducing the knowledge to them on their further judgment.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine subjects were randomly selected with variable buccal corridor percentages. They were coached to smile in a posed fashion and full face smile photographs were taken from a standardised distance. The photographs were randomly arranged in a power point presentation and displayed to a panel of thirty-nine randomly selected laymen judges. The judges made their beauty judgment on a visual analogue scale (VAS) and filled a questionnaire. After their education about the buccal corridor, they were asked to make a second judgment on a second sheet with VAS and with a different random sequence of the photographs.RESULTS: Intra-class correlation agreement for all the judges between the first and second scores was 0.713. The Spearman's rho Correlation coefficient indicated a positive correlation for all the photos. For the male judges, the agreement between the ratings was 0.839, and the correlation was positive for all the photos. For the female judges, the agreement between the ratings was 0.510, and the correlation was positive for all the photographs. Hundred percent of the judges were not familiar with the buccal corridor. Eighty percent of the female judges and 44.4% of the male judges mentioned that it would affect their further judgment.CONCLUSION: Laymen build their esthetic judgments on what we teach them, and modifying treatment plans to include corrections of buccal corridors for esthetic reasons only is a myth.
Validity of the Stage of Exercise Scale in Children with Rheumatologic Conditions
Authors: Stephens Samantha L. , Tremblay Mark S. , Faulkner Guy , Beyene Joseph , Nguyen Tri H. , Koohsari Suneye , Limenis Elizaveta , Feldman Brian M.
Published: November 2016

Objective.

To determine the face, content, and construct validity of the Stages of Exercise Scale (SOES) in children with rheumatologic conditions [juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM)], and if the validity of the SOES differs by disease type by comparing it with a disease control with a chronic respiratory illness [cystic fibrosis (CF)].

Methods.

Sixty-seven children and adolescents (43 female) ages 11 to 18 years with a diagnosis of either JDM (n = 15), JIA (n = 39), or CF (n = 13) completed the SOES; scales of sensibility, process of change, decisional balance, and self-efficacy; the Child Health Assessment Questionnaire; and patient/physician ratings of disease severity. Physical activity was measured by an accelerometer. Relationships among SOES and measured constructs were determined by ANOVA and with logistical modeling.

Results.

SOES, decisional balance, and self-efficacy as well as behavioral and cognitive processes from the process of change demonstrated significant differences across the staging subgroups. Disease groups did not significantly differ on the scoring across the SOES. Children and adolescents in higher stages participated in more minutes of vigorous physical activity compared with those in the lower stages.

Conclusion.

The SOES demonstrated good face, content, and construct validity in children and adolescents with rheumatic disease.
The Direct Economic Burden of Gout in an Elderly Canadian Population
Authors: Fischer Aren , Cloutier Michel , Goodfield Jason , Borrelli Richard , Marvin Dawn , Dziarmaga Alison
Published: November 2016

Objective.

To estimate the direct healthcare cost and resource use from the public payer perspective between patients with incident gout and matched gout-free patients in Ontario.

Methods.

Patients with incident gout aged ≥ 66 with uninterrupted Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) coverage in the 1-year baseline period were included in the study. Patients with gout were indexed at first gout diagnosis or prescription over the study period April 1, 2008, to March 31, 2014. Gout-free patients with no gout diagnosis within history were matched (up to 5:1) to each patient with gout. Linked medical records were analyzed until end of study, death, or OHIP ineligibility. Bang and Tsiatis adjusted healthcare costs and resource use were compared using bootstrap p-values and 95% CI.

Results.

A total of 29,894 patients with gout and 148,231 gout-free patients were included in the study. Patients were 56% male, had a median Adjusted Clinical Group healthcare resource use band of moderate morbidity, and had a median age of 75–79 years. Baseline comorbidities were similar between groups except for renal disease. Analyzing 5-year total healthcare costs, patients with gout ($44,297) incurred a significantly higher average healthcare cost compared to gout-free patients ($33,965), for an incremental cost of $10,332 (95% CI $9617–$11,039; p < 0.01). Similar trends were observed in all individual healthcare component cost and use metrics.

Conclusion.

Following onset of gout, patients in Ontario incur significantly greater healthcare costs and resource use compared to matched gout-free patients. Alternative gout management strategies should be investigated to reduce the incremental burden of gout borne by the Ontario healthcare system.
Community-Based Older Adults With Mental Illness: We Can Do Better
Authors: Sorrell Jeanne M.
Published: November 2016

One third of older adults in the community have significant mental health problems, but many do not receive needed treatment for problems such as depression, anxiety, and psychotic disorders. Without effective community-based mental health services, older adults may give up and withdraw from treatment. New collaborative and integrative models of mental health services are being implemented that offer innovative roles for nurses. It is important that nurses, as well as other health care professionals, researchers, and policy makers, continue to advocate for a mental health care system that is accessible and effective for older adults in the community. [
Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 54
(11), 25–29.]
Analysis of the bearing capacity of unbound granular mixtures with rubber particles from scrap tyres when used as sub-ballast
Authors: Hidalgo-Signes C. , Martínez-Fernández P. , Garzón-Roca J. , Insa-Franco R.
Published: November 2016

Scrap tyres are a problematic waste material. As a method for recycling large quantities of rubber from scrap tyres, this paper analyses the use of unbound granular mixtures with varying percentages of rubber particles as sub-ballast in railway lines. Bearing capacity for such mixtures is studied in laboratory and field tests using static and dynamic plate load tests, as well as cyclic triaxial tests. It is found that adding rubber increases permanent and resilient strain and that none of the mixtures suffer plastic creep after 2.5 million cycles. Considering the usual bearing capacity requirements, the optimum rubber content is 2.5% (by weight). This percentage increases resistance to degradation while ensuring sufficient bearing capacity.
Automatic Detection of Cyberbullying to Make Internet a Safer Environment
Authors: Kovacevic Ana , Makajic-Nikolic Dragana
Published: November 2016

The Internet has become an inevitable form of communication, which enables connections with colleagues, friends, or people with similar interests, regardless of physical barriers. However, there is also a dark side to the Internet, since an alarming number of adolescents admit they have been victims or bystanders of cyberbullying. In order to make the Internet a safer environment, it is necessary to develop novel methods and software capable of preventing and managing cyberbullying. This chapter reviews existing research in dealing with this phenomenon and discusses current and potential applications of text mining techniques for the detection of cyberbullying.
An Approach to Distinguish Between the Severity of Bullying in Messages in Social Media
Authors: Sarna Geetika , Bhatia M.P.S.
Published: November 2016

Users on the social media can share positive as well as negative information intentionally and unintentionally in the form of multimedia content without knowing its impact on other user, which threatens the security and privacy of social media. Cyberbullying is one of the risks associated with social media. Cyberbullying is an aggressive act carried out intentionally against the victim by posting harmful material on social media to harm his/her reputation. Aggressive act creates depression, anxiety in users which may lead to diversion of attention and sometimes suicidal actions. In this paper the authors have included a survey on recent algorithms which work on detection of cyberbullying. State-of-the-art studies only focus on the detection of cyberbullying but not on the preventive measures against cyberbullying. In order to tackle this problem, the authors showed how the severity of the bullying in messages helps to find the real culprit.
Does Location Matter?
Authors: Adi Samar
Published: November 2016

Domestic Violence is a societal issue that affects all members of a family where it occurs; children are especially vulnerable even when violence isn't directed towards them. Exposure to family violence has been shown to impact all the developmental stages of childhood; the consequences this exposure to trauma can have lifelong effects. As a result many programs attempt to provide children services to assist with increasing resiliency as well as mitigating the effects caused by exposure to violence. Rural communities face specific barriers unique to their areas – this chapter will explore the impact Domestic Violence has on people living in these underserved regions. While there is limited research on the impact of domestic violence on children living in rural communities this chapter will summarize some of the risks faced by families as well as discuss considerations with assessment and treatment.
Gender Violence Experiences of Urban Adult Indigenous Women
Authors: Gómez M. Cruz Sánchez , García Antonio V. Martín , Llorente Ana María Pinto , Dávila Paula Andrea Fernández , Sepúlveda Pamela Zapata
Published: November 2016

This chapter deals with the problem of gender violence, especially in Chilean Aymara women. The aim of the study is to make a diagnosis of the indices and forms of domestic violence against women on the basis of gender in a sample of Aymara women from the urban area in the Arica and Parinacota Region (Chile). The chapter assumes the definition of intrafamiliar violence, according to the formulation adopted by Chilean legislation, as a complex and multi-determined phenomenon, which happens in the context of a culture and certain social relationships that support and make it possible. In this sense, it is one of the most dramatic manifestations of discrimination experienced by women because of their sexual condition. It is conceptualized as any form of physical, psychological-emotional, sexual, and/or economic abuse, which happens within the couple relationship, regardless of the legality of the bond. The chapter deals with the description of conditions and ways of life of the Aymara ethnic group, from socio-demographic, economic, and public health indicators that may be related to these women's perceptions concerning their situation in view of the intrafamiliar violence phenomenon. The research is a quantitative and qualitative multimethod design. The qualitative side of this study consists of group discussions in which the object of the research is analyzed through an outline ad hoc. The quantitative side of the research consists of the application of two standardized scales of domestic violence (WASTT and ISA).
Child Maltreatment Prevention in Rural Communities
Authors: Alabi Tosin O. , Barnes Sandra D.
Published: November 2016

For more than half a century, child maltreatment prevention programs have been implemented in communities across America with hopes of stopping the abuse and neglect of children. To broaden the understanding of maltreatment in rural families, risk markers and protective factors are discussed with specific attention to contextual stressors and resources available in rural communities. Furthermore, primary maltreatment prevention initiatives directed at improving parenting practices and increasing public awareness of child maltreatment are reviewed. Also discussed are empirically supported secondary and tertiary maltreatment prevention programs that are commonly used to intervene with families at risk for interfacing with child welfare and protection agencies, or in instances of substantiated maltreatment. Preventing ill-treatment of children in rural communities requires ingenuity, community engagement and leadership, and governmental funding to best serve children and their families.
Questioning Media Responsibility during Terrorism
Authors: Eid Mahmoud
Published: November 2016

The media's dual role during times of terrorism can be as useful as the most effective security and political counterterrorism measures and can be as harmful as exacerbating terrorist events to the worst humanitarian disasters. Media decision-making processes, therefore, are integral to achieving more desired outcomes. This chapter questions the effectiveness of media performance during times of terrorism through the examination of their decision-making processes in terms of rationality and responsibility. The numerous media decisions that are usually made under severe stress during times of terrorism require adherence to both ethical standards and rational thinking. Strategic and goal-directed decision-making that is based on rational choice approach and game theory can help enhance the quality of media decisions. Ethical and socially responsible media performance is fundamental for effective communication. Interweaved, responsible and rational media decision-making are integral to the effectiveness of media decision-making during times of terrorism towards achieving more desired outcomes.
Attack Scenarios Perpetrated by Terrorist Organizations Through the Use of IT and ICT
Authors: Leccisotti Flavia Zappa , Chiesa Raoul , De Scalzi Niccolo , Gudas Leopoldo , De Nicolo Daniele
Published: November 2016

The ICT technology is even more central in modern society. Every relevant sectors of Western economies depend on ICT technology, from Energy Infrastructure to banking and finance, from TLC infrastructure to government administration. Throughout history, terrorist organizations have demonstrated capacity to adapt and evolve in order to further their ideological and political goals. Cyber Terrorism is increasingly becoming a top five national security priority for Nation States. The purpose of this chapter is to evaluate the threat Cyber Terrorism poses to the stability of the international community. It will explore the concept of Cyber Terrorism, its interpretations and terminology. This chapter seeks to identify potential attacks made possible through IT and ICT technologies (like SCADA and Industrial Automation, while it includes those ICT standards used in the field of Transport, Automotive, and Social Networks as well) and to classify all the possible actors, needed skills and relevant goals, thanks to the currently available public documentation and relevant case studies.
Violence and Masculinity in the Syrian Conflict
Authors: Valter Stéphane
Published: November 2016

This paper aims at analyzing the various forms of violence carried out by the different categories of people directly involved in the actual Syrian war: ‘regular' soldiers, Alawite elite troops (plus the different security services), (mostly) Alawite militiamen, rebels from the (Sunni) mainstream armed opposition, and Islamist fighters, not to mention rogues who thrive on unruliness. This paper's hypothesis is that the demobilization of combatants is just partially connected to concrete issues – in the sense, for example, that any nationwide economic reconstruction will probably not be enough to promote reconciliation – since other factors impede any eventual transition from a violent civil war to a peaceful agreement, among them: a peculiar middle-eastern sense of masculinity plus the plague of sectarianism which builds organic barriers between people.
Ethics, Decision-Making, and Risk Communication in the Era of Terroredia
Authors: Eid Mahmoud
Published: November 2016

Terrorism today is one of the most frequent global severe stress situations. The advanced and widespread new media and information technologies as well as modern tactics of terrorism make the public of any nation in exposure, directly and indirectly, to uncertain potential acts of terrorism. The relationship between terrorists and media personnel has grown widely influential, and has been described recently by the term terroredia, in which the public is the main target of both terrorism and the media. Both responsibility and rationality are fundamental weights for the effectiveness of risk communication during times of terrorism. This paper critically analyzes how policymakers in several Western countries have communicated to the public, through the media, the risk of terrorist attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) against their individuals and societies. The study uncovers that rationality and responsibility are lacking in Western media decision-making regarding the risk of ISIL's potential activities.
Violent Video Games and Attitudes Towards Victims of Crime
Authors: McLean Lavinia , Griffiths Mark D.
Published: November 2016

Previous research has indicated that playing violent video games may be associated with an increase in acceptance of violence and positive attitudes towards perpetrators of crime. This study is the first to investigate the relationship between playing violent video games and attitudes towards victims of crime. A total of 206 young people (aged 12-24 years) completed measures of attitudes towards victims and violent video game exposure. The results suggest that exposure to violent video games is associated with less concern being reported for victims of crime. Young people who play more violent video games reported less concern for general victims and for culpable victims, and these effects cannot be explained by gender or age differences. The results are discussed in relation to relevant research in the area, along with recommendations for future research.
A Brief History of School Violence and Disturbance in America
Authors: Keenan Sheri Jenkins , Rush Jeffrey P.
Published: November 2016

George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” This chapter explores, in brief, the history of school violence. The intent of the authors is to help readers understand school violence from an historical context in hopes that a better understanding of what has happened will help inform attempts at reducing school violence in the future.
The Impact of Mass Incarceration and Social Issues of Institutionalization on School Violence in Youths
Authors: Stanko Stephen C. , Crews Gordon A.
Published: November 2016

In this chapter the authors examine the impact that mass incarceration has had upon children in the United States over the last several decades. Inherent in this examination is to discuss the impact of institutionalization on the propensity of committing violent acts by children. The authors also discuss the impact of these American phenomena on many aspects of juvenile delinquency and violence.
The Interrelationships of Politicization of School Shootings, Focal Concerns, and Racial Disproportionality in School Discipline Policies
Authors: Nation Denise D. , Henderson Dawn X. , Monell Jack S.
Published: November 2016

School shootings have redefined perceptions and definitions of school violence, elevating incidences of misbehaviors and rule infractions to consistent violent threats. School shootings are rare but that important fact is lost in the debate and political rhetoric. What is also atypical are school shootings involving minority students and even more uncommon school shootings at minority schools. However, minority students have disproportionately experienced the latent effects of these policies. Few studies have offered systematic theoretical explanations for racial disciplinary disproportionality. This chapter outlines a theoretical argument using the “focal concerns” perspective to link the latent impact of the politicization of school shootings to continued racial disproportionality in school discipline. The discussion and analysis show the role of the politicization of school shootings has played in redefining and expanding the definition of school violence or school misbehaviors. Policy suggestions based in socio-political and psychological frameworks are also outlined.
Line Parameter based Word-Level Indic Script Identification System
Authors: Singh Pawan Kumar , Das Supratim , Sarkar Ram , Nasipuri Mita
Published: November 2016

In this paper, a line parameter based approach is presented to identify the handwritten scripts written in eight popular scripts. Since Optical Character Recognition (OCR) engines are usually script-dependent, automatic text recognition in multi-script environment requires a pre-processing module that helps identifying the scripts before processing the same through the respective OCR engine. The work becomes more challenging when it deals with handwritten document which is still a less explored research area. In this paper, a line parameter based approach is presented to identify the handwritten scripts written in eight popular scripts namely, Bangla, Devanagari, Gujarati, Gurumukhi, Manipuri, Oriya, Urdu, and Roman. A combination of Hough transform (HT) and Distance transform (DT) is used to extract the directional spatial features based on the line parameter. Experimentations are performed at word-level using multiple classifiers on a dataset of 12000 handwritten word images and Multi Layer Perceptron (MLP) classifier is found to be the best performing classifier showing an identification accuracy of 95.28%. The performance of the present technique is also compared with those of other state-of-the-art script identification methods on the same database. A combination of Hough transform (HT) and Distance transform (DT) is used to extract the directional spatial features based on the line parameter. Experimentation are performed at word-level on a total dataset of 12000 handwritten word images and Multi Layer Perceptron (MLP) classifier is found to be the best performing classifier showing an identification accuracy of 95.28%.
A Key Point Selection Shape Technique for Content Based Image Retrieval System
Authors: Nikkam Pushpalatha Shrikant , Reddy B. Eswara
Published: November 2016

Content Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) is the process of retrieving visually similar images from huge datasets. Images are identified based on their content. Content identification using shape features is considered in this paper. Content identification using shapes is a challenging task considering multiple variations observed in images, complex backgrounds and vast categories of contents. This paper describes a shape descriptor based CBIR system. The content of an image is identified using a key point based shape descriptor. Template matching techniques are adopted to accurately describe object shapes. The object shape identified is described using histogram vectors. The use of SVM classifier for content recognition and image retrieval task is considered. Results presented prove robustness of the key point technique to accurately describe object shapes even in complex images. Performance of the proposed system is compared with existing state of art systems. Results obtained and described in the paper prove a better performance of proposed CBIR system.
An Experimental Approach and Monitoring Tools for Evaluating a Dynamic Cubing System
Authors: Tchounikine Anne , Miquel Maryvonne , Ahmed Usman
Published: November 2016

In this paper, the authors propose an approach and different tools to evaluate the performance and assess the effectiveness of a model in the field of dynamic cubing. Experimental evaluation, on one hand allows observing the behavior and the performance of the solution, while on the other hand it lets one compare the results with those of the other competing solutions. The authors' proposal includes an experimental workflow based on a set of configuration parameters to characterize the inputs (data sets, queries sets and algorithm input parameters) and a set of metrics to analyze and qualify the output (performance and behavior metrics) of the solution. They have identified a number of useful tools necessary to develop an experimental evaluation strategy. These monitoring tools allow elaborating the execution scenarios, collecting output metrics and storing and analyzing them online in real-time as well as later in off-line mode. Using a use-case model, the authors show that the framework and the proposed environment help carrying out a rigorous experimental evaluation of a dynamic cubing solution.
TLabel
Authors: Oukid Lamia , Boussaid Omar , Benblidia Nadjia , Bentayeb Fadila
Published: November 2016

Data Warehousing technologies and On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP) feature a wide range of techniques for the analysis of structured data. However, these techniques are inadequate when it comes to analyzing textual data. Indeed, classical aggregation operators have earned their spurs in the online analysis of numerical data, but are unsuitable for the analysis of textual data. To alleviate this shortcoming, on-line analytical processing in text cubes requires new analysis operators adapted to textual data. In this paper, the authors propose a new aggregation operator named Text Label (TLabel), based on text categorization. Their operator aggregates textual data in several classes of documents. Each class is associated with a label that represents the semantic content of the textual data of the class. TLabel is founded on a tailoring of text mining techniques to OLAP. To validate their operator, the authors perform an experimental study and the preliminary results show the interest of their approach for Text OLAP.
An Energy Management Strategy and Fuel Cell Configuration Proposal for a Hybrid Renewable System with Hydrogen Backup
Authors: Fernández Francisco José Vivas , Jiménez Ainhoa de las Heras , Manzano Francisca Segura , Márquez José Manuel Andújar
Published: November 2016

This paper presents a new and optimal proposal of energy management strategy for a solar panels/wind turbines/fuel cell/battery/alkaline electrolyzer on grid hybrid power system. These new proposal takes into account technical and economical optimization parameters, improving the system performance, the lifetime of different elements and reducing operation and maintenance cost. The features of the proposed energy management strategy are compared over other strategies found in the scientific literature. Additionally, another key parameter like fuel cell modularity has been considered. That is the effect over the whole system performance of using a single fuel cell with high rate power (PFC) versus a modular configuration built from n stacks with PFC/n rate power each one. Then, joining the new proposed strategy with the optimization parameter regarding the fuel cell modularity, it is possible to get the best solution for this kind of hybrid systems.
Economic Evaluation of Solar Cooling Schemes
Authors: Kumar Manoj
Published: November 2016

This paper provides an economic evaluation and comparison of ejector, absorption and vapor compression systems driven either partly or fully by solar energy. Life cycle costing has been used to assess the relative economic ranks of eight solar cooling schemes. It has been shown that the capital cost of solar collectors is the dominant capital cost item in the total inventory of solar cooling plant, which has a strong influence on the system life cycle costs. Lower collector costs are therefore critical in establishing economically viable solar cooling systems. Primary energy analysis has been carried out and the running costs of chillers were determined for the maximum range of thermal and electric solar fractions and a number of annual equivalent full load hours of operation. The results indicate that two low temperature flat-plate collector assisted single-effect absorption chillers compete favorably with a PV assisted centrifugal mechanical compression chiller across the maximum range of thermal and electrical solar fractions. Low temperature options for solar cooling have been shown to be more economical than their high temperature counterparts. At current collector prices, solar cooling systems are still not cost effective compared with conventional centrifugal cooling systems, however, it is shown that at a collector cost of £57/m2 for thermal energy and £1.8/Wp for electrical energy, single-effect solar absorption and PV-centrifugal compression could become cost effective within an annual EFLH of 5840 hours. As such, the paper presents technical guidance on the procurement and operation of solar cooling plant. The novel energy and cost calculation methodology developed here can be applied globally to a wide range of solar collectors, chillers, heat rejection and ancillary subsystems.
Combined Heat and Power Dispatch using Hybrid Genetic Algorithm and Biogeography-based Optimization
Authors: Roy Provas Kumar , Ghosh Madhumita
Published: November 2016

This paper explores the performance of biogeography-based optimization (BBO) algorithm for solving combined heat and power dispatch (CHPD) or cogeneration problem of power system. BBO is a type of evolutionary algorithm which is based on the theory of biogeography and is inspired by the two concepts, namely migration of species between “islands” via flotsam, wind, flying, swimming, etc. and mutation. To improve the convergence property and solution quality, blended crossover strategy of genetic algorithm (GA) is integrated with conventional BBO algorithm in this study. The effect of valve-point in cost function is considered by adding an absolute sinusoidal term with the conventional polynomial cost function. The potential of the proposed BBO and GA based BBO (GABBO) algorithms are assessed by means of an extensive comparative study of the solutions obtained for small and medium CHPD problems of power systems. To show the priority of the proposed algorithm, comparative studies are carried out to examine the effectiveness of the proposed BBO and GABBO approaches over evolutionary programming (EP), differential evolution (DE), particle swarm optimization (PSO) and time varying acceleration coefficients PSO (TVAC-PSO reported in the literature. The experimental results and comparison with other algorithms demonstrate that the proposed GABBO algorithm can be a proficient substitute lying on solving combined heat and power dispatch problems.
Rigorous Integrated Evolutionary Workflow for Optimal Exploitation of Unconventional Gas Assets
Authors: Plaksina Tatyana , Gildin Eduardo
Published: November 2016

Applications of stochastic evolutionary algorithms in engineering are gaining more attention in practical applications in the oil and gas industry. An important factor to consider when implementing stochastic algorithms is its ability to find the global optimum efficiently. In this study the authors formulate, implement, and test a genetic algorithm with strong elitism to solve a critical problem in the upstream oil industry: how to develop economically an unconventional gas asset. This problem involves finding the optimal number of horizontal wells, the number of transverse hydraulic fracture stages along them, and stage half-length. The described problem is inherently discrete or mixed optimization problem for which the authors develop a conceptually new evolutionary integrated framework that addresses all production design questions. They outline the range of applicability of their workflow and provide ample test cases and results. Their rigorous formulation performs well for a given problem statement and finds the optimal solution that is consistent with the industry accepted optimum.
Grassroots Innovation for Human Development
Authors: Boni Alejandra , Leivas Monique , De La Fuente Teresa , Belda-Miquel Sergio
Published: November 2016

Can digital technologies serve to highlight and strengthen the work of social organizations that promote human development? This is the question the authors want to answer in this article, in which they analyse an eight-month participatory video (PV) process, promoted by a group of university researchers and conducted in collaboration with two grassroots innovations (GI) in the city of Valencia (Spain): the Fuel Poverty Group and Sólar Dómada. The innovative component of PV is situated in two areas: firstly, as an action research methodology, the PV process enables people's participation, with the aim of generating learning, agency and contextual knowledge from the participants; secondly, the innovation is found in the product, the video itself. The video narratives can be used to disseminate the practices of the GIs and offer a space for critical reflection on the structural constraints that may hamper the diffusion of innovations. Furthermore, the audiovisual work itself has its own agency and has the potential to create opportunities for advocacy and contribute towards removing barriers that limit human development.
A New Meta-Heuristics for Intrusion Detection System Inspired from the Protection System of Social Bees
Authors: Boudia Mohamed Amine , Hamou Reda Mohamed , Amine Abdelmalek
Published: November 2016

In this paper, the authors will propose a meta-heuristic for intrusion detection system by scenario, inspired from the protection system of social bees to their hive. This approach is based on a specialized multi agent system where the authors will give a limited responsibility to each guard bee agent: to secure only one port, this specialization aims to better exploit the training set and the hardware and software performance. The authors will start this paper by a short introduction where they will show the importance of IT security especially today, then they will give a little insight into the state of the art, before starting the essential part of a scientific paper: “our approach” where the authors will explain the natural model, and then they'll simplify their model in a modelling table to share their vision and philosophy to switch from natural model to artificial model, and then they will detail the artificial model they are going to experience in the next chapter, they will discuss the results and make comparison in the two following chapter to get out with a conclusion and perspective of their future work.
Detecting Wormhole Attack on Data Aggregation in Hierarchical WSN
Authors: Kumar Mukesh , Dutta Kamlesh
Published: November 2016

Wireless networks are used by everyone for their convenience for transferring packets from one node to another without having a static infrastructure. In WSN, there are some nodes which are light weight, small in size, having low computation overhead, and low cost known as sensor nodes. In literature, there exists many secure data aggregation protocols available but they are not sufficient to detect the malicious node. The authors require a better security mechanism or a technique to secure the network. Data aggregation is an essential paradigm in WSN. The idea is to combine data coming from different source nodes in order to achieve energy efficiency. In this paper, the authors proposed a protocol for worm hole attack detection during data aggregation in WSN. Main focus is on wormhole attack detection and its countermeasures.
Predictive Quantitative Structure Toxicity Relationship Study on Avian Toxicity of Some Diverse Agrochemical Pesticides by Monte Carlo Method
Authors: Halder Amit Kumar , Saha Achintya , Jha Tarun
Published: November 2016

Application of pesticides may have serious adverse consequences in environment. Birds are one of the most important non-target species that are harmed by agricultural chemical pesticides. In the current study, Monte Carlo optimization based Quantitative Structure Toxicity Relationship (QSTR) analyses were performed on a dataset containing diverse chemical pesticides with toxicity data determined on Bobwhite quail. Hybrid models containing SMILES and graph based descriptors were developed on three different training and test set combinations. The best model was selected based on validation statistics on internal training (n = 96) and external test (n = 31) as well as validation (n=25) sets. The best model was thoroughly analyzed to understand structural requirements of the chemical pesticides for higher avian toxicity. The models developed in the current analyses may be useful to design novel less toxic pesticides.
2D and 3D QSAR Studies on a Series of Antichagasic Fenarimol Derivatives
Authors: de Souza Anacleto S. , Ferreira Leonardo G. , Andricopulo Adriano D.
Published: November 2016

Chagas disease is one of the most important neglected tropical diseases. Endemic in Latin America, the disease is a global public health problem, affecting several countries in North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania. The disease affects around 8-10 million people worldwide and the limited treatments available present low efficacy and severe side effects, highlighting the urgent need for new therapeutic options. In this work, the authors developed QSAR models for a series of fenarimol derivatives exhibiting anti-T. cruzi activity. The models were constructed using the Hologram QSAR (HQSAR), Comparative Molecular Field Analysis (CoMFA) and Comparative Molecular Similarity Indices Analysis (CoMSIA) methods. The QSAR models presented substantial predictive ability for a series of test set compounds (HQSAR, r2pred = 0.66; CoMFA, r2pred = 0.82; and CoMSIA, r2pred = 0.76), and were valuable to identify key structural features related to the observed trypanocidal activity. The results reported herein are useful for the design of novel derivatives having improved antichagasic properties.
Multilayered Variable Selection in QSPR
Authors: Das Souvik , Ojha Probir K , Roy Kunal
Published: November 2016

Ionic liquids (ILs) are widely used in industry as green solvent alternatives because of their exceptional solvating ability and extremely low vapor pressure. For many applications of ILs, a low melting point temperature is desirable. Several simple ILs do not exhibit a clear melting point in the accessible temperature range of the DSC apparatus. Therefore, a computational approach is required to understand the relationship between the melting point of ILs and their structural characteristics. In the present study, the authors have developed predictive quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) models for melting point of ILs. A pool of 376 bromide ILs having quantitative melting point data were used to develop predictive models. A multilayered variable selection strategy has been adopted for development of final QSPR models. The models would provide an important guidance for the chemists to predict melting point of bromide ILs theoretically thereby saving the time and resources involved in the experimental determination.
Penile vascular diagnostic categorization using penile duplex Doppler ultrasound: Differences in vascular hemodynamics parameters by differences in anatomic sampling location
Authors: Pezzoni Fabio , Scroppo Fabrizio Ildefonso
Published: November 2016

Objectives. In 2013 the International Society for Sexual Medicine(ISSM) published the guidelines regarding the standard operating procedure (SOP) for penile duplex Doppler ultrasound (PDDU). Although ISSM-SOP have given important strides in reducing interobserver variability in PDDU by procedural protocol and parameters these guidelines do not address the anatomic location along the penis at which hemodynamic measurements have to be done. In our opinion a “double sampling” may be interesting to detect the arteriogenic or venogenic nature of the erectile dysfunction (ED). In particular sampling measurements at the “crus” (at the level of the peno-scrotal junction) may be significative for detection of veno-occlusive dysfunction (VOD),whereas an evaluation at “mid penis” (1/2 distance between peno-scrotal junction and coronal sulcus), may be useful to diagnose an arterial insufficiency (AI). Material and Methods. We evalued 90 men, mean age 56.3, affected with ED of medium degree, responder to PDE5-I that urdergone to PDDU and also responder after pharmacologic intracavernosal injection (PII)of prostaglandin E1 20 mcg, with rigid erection and normal maintenance. We moreover evalued 90 men in youthful age (mean 35.2), in absence of vascular risk factors, no responder to PDE5-I that undergone to PDDU by PII at high dosage (bimix: prostaglandin E1 20 mcg, papaverine 20 mg). Results. In the first pool the sampling at “mid penis” resulted significative for arterial insuffciency (AI) in 81% (73), in presence of normal or borderline end diastolic velocity (EDV). Sampling at the “crus” resulted negative for VOD in 90% (81). In the second pool, 66.6% (60) resulted responder with rigid erection and normal maintenance in presence of normal hemodynamic parameters: peak systolic velocity (PSV) and end diastolic velocity (EDV) both at the “crus” and at “mid penis” sampling. 33.4% (30) responded with a semirigid erection and manifested a constant deficit of maintenance; at the “crus”and at “mid penis” the hemodynamic arterial parameters resulted normal. At the “crus” the EDV resulted significantly augmented (VOD index) in 96.6% (29); at “mid penis” augmented EDV was founded in 50% (15). Conclusions. These observational data would be able to confirm the utility of a routinary “double sampling” procedure, at the “crus” and at “md penis”, during PDDU in order to better distinguish between VOD or AI or in any case to be useful to stimulate a future more precise standardization in execution of PDDU examination.