bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of routine surveillance urine cultures in rehabilitation ward admissions: a prospective study
Authors: Pabbineedi R. , Kulkarni JR , Barnes AJ
Published: July 2008

Objective: To assess the value of routine surveillance urine cultures and the prevalence of bacteriuria in the younger disabled patient subgroup admitted to the younger disabled unit (YDU). Most of these patients do require some form of assisted urinary drainage.

Design: A prospective study of 50 consecutive patients admitted to the YDU for short-term rehabilitation were screened by obtaining relevant clinical details and urine specimens at weekly intervals.

Interventions: Relevant clinical details were retrieved from case notes and minimum of two urine specimens were collected for culture from each patient.

Main outcome measures: Presence of positive urine culture, sensitivity and clinical symptoms were recorded.

Results: Out of 50 patients studied, 27 were on some form of urinary drainage. Urine culture and sensitivity results were positive in 35 patients. Cultures were predominantly mixed growth or coliform organisms.

Conclusions: Majority of patients were admitted with asymptomatic bacteriuria. There was no evidence to suggest that these short-term rehabilitation patients acquired nosocomial uropathogens and routine surveillance urine cultures were not particularly useful in this setting.
Client and Consultant Management Problem-Solving Values
Authors: Larwood Laurie , Gattiker Urs E.
Published: July 2008

This study examines the expectations and perceptions of both clients and consultants toward the consulting relationship. Results from 52 client firms are compared with those obtained with consultants in an earlier study. Factor analysis of preferences for a number of values is used to describe three significant dimensions in the consulting relationship. While clients and consultants agree on one of the three value dimensions, they significantly disagree on a second and are marginally dissimilar on the third. The results highlight potential problems in the consulting relationship and suggest areas for further necessary research.
Toward a Transcultural Ethics in a Multicultural World
Authors: Cha In-Suk
Published: July 2008

This paper presents its author’s famous distinction between globalization, as the process or vehicle by which ideas, habits and worldviews travel from one culture to another and are transformed in the process, and mundialization, as the taking in of the outside world into our own lifeworlds, a process by which the ideas and customs of other cultures are transported into our homeworlds. In this process, what was once strange and unfamiliar is transformed into something comfortable and familiar. This is the process that is generally known as cultural assimilation, and by virtue of which the boundaries of our individual homeworlds become constantly widened. Examining this phenomenon, which he calls the ‘mundialization of home’, leads the author to sketch the main features of a possible transcultural moral world.
Cultural Essentials versus Universal Values?
Authors: Stepanyants Marietta
Published: July 2008

This paper adopts a comparative approach to analyze the crucial issue of the dynamics between universally shared values and the essentials of different cultures. It presents the ways in which universal values are conceptualized in Western, Indian and Muslim philosophy, presenting not only a historical overview but referring to modern authors such as Daya Krishna, D.P. Chattopadhyaya, Richard Rorty, Muhammad Iqbal, S.H. Nasr and Abdolkarim Soroush to show how these authors implicitly use, or do not use, cultural essential and universal values in their own work. It is eventually claims that comparative philosophy is of crucial importance for the future of philosophical thought in a global world.
The Universality of Economics and Cultural Diversity
Authors: Bienaymé Alain
Published: July 2008

The very diversity of cultures impels the economist to respect a principle of modesty when it comes to specifying the degree of universality to which the science of economics can lay claim. In considering this issue, this paper: a) criticizes the ambition of certain forms of economic thought to arrive at truths which are universal, and b) explores the modes by which contemporary economic science participates in a renewed pursuit of a universalist doctrine. It concludes that the logic of economic rationality implies a representation of the world that is incompatible with the diversity of cultures. At the same time, such diversity should not be raised to the status of absolutes. Combining difference and unity is a major challenge for current economics.
Effects of multiple ligand coordinations on electroless nickel plating on magnesium alloys
Authors: Gao X. L. , Yu G. , Ouyang Y. J. , Chen J. L. , Lei X. P. , Chen Y.
Published: July 2008

The effects of various ligands in the bath on electroless nickel plating on magnesium alloy were investigated to improve the qualities of coating and the bath stability and to decrease the plating temperature. A scanning electronic Microscopy is employed to characterise the surface morphology and an energy dispersed X-ray spectrometer is used to measure the phosphor content. Corrosion resistance and adhesion of the coating are assessed by 5% NaCl solution for 30 h and by thermal shock test, respectively. The results show that the Ni–P coating plated at 70°C in the pH 5·5 ternary ligand bath has higher coverage and better compactness. The ternary combination of citric acid, succinic acid and glycine in the plating solution has obvious synergic effects in improving the coating qualities and the bath stability. The plating temperature is successfully receded to 70°C.
K-RasG12D–induced T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma/leukemias harbor Notch1 mutations and are sensitive to γ-secretase inhibitors
Authors: Kindler Thomas , Cornejo Melanie G. , Scholl Claudia , Liu Jianing , Leeman Dena S. , Haydu J. Erika , Fröhling Stefan , Lee Benjamin H. , Gilliland D. Gary
Published: July 2008

To study the impact of oncogenic K-Ras on T-cell leukemia/lymphoma development and progression, we made use of a conditional K-RasG12D murine knockin model, in which oncogenic K-Ras is expressed from its endogenous promoter. Transplantation of whole bone marrow cells that express oncogenic K-Ras into wild-type recipient mice resulted in a highly penetrant, aggressive T-cell leukemia/lymphoma. The lymphoblasts were composed of a CD4/CD8 double-positive population that aberrantly expressed CD44. Thymi of primary donor mice showed reduced cellularity, and immunophenotypic analysis demonstrated a block in differentiation at the double-negative 1 stage. With progression of disease, approximately 50% of mice acquired Notch1 mutations within the PEST domain. Of note, primary lymphoblasts were hypersensitive to γ-secretase inhibitor treatment, which is known to impair Notch signaling. This inhibition was Notch-specific as assessed by down-regulation of Notch1 target genes and intracellular cleaved Notch. We also observed that the oncogenic K-Ras-induced T-cell disease was responsive to rapamycin and inhibitors of the RAS/MAPK pathway. These data indicate that patients with T-cell leukemia with K-Ras mutations may benefit from therapies that target the NOTCH pathway alone or in combination with inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/MTOR and RAS/MAPK pathways.
Genetic Programming with Wavelet-Based Indicators for Financial Forecasting
Authors: Li Jin , Shi Zhu , Li Xiaoli
Published: July 2008

Wavelet analysis, as a promising technique, has been used to approach numerous problems in science and engineering. Recent years have witnessed its novel application in economic and finance. This paper is to investigate whether features (or indicators) extracted using the wavelet analysis technique could improve financial forecasting by means of Financial Genetic Programming (FGP), a genetic programming-based forecasting tool. More specifically, to predict whether the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) Index will rise by 2.2% or more within the next 21 trading days, we first extract some indicators based on wavelet coefficients of the DJIA time series using a discrete wavelet transform; we then feed FGP with those wavelet-based indicators to generate decision trees and make predictions. By comparison with the prediction performance of our previous study, it is suggested that wavelet analysis be capable of bringing in promising indicators, and improving the forecasting performance of FGP.
Displaced intra-articular fractures of the calcaneum: what is new?
Authors: Hart AJ , Eastwood DM
Published: July 2008

The management of displaced intra-articular fractures of the calcaneum remains a contentious subject. Recent advances in the understanding of fracture anatomy have emphasized the fact that not all fractures are the same and therefore different management options should be considered for different patients. This review endeavours to highlight new developments in the assessment of the patient and his fracture and discusses new techniques for the operative management of some injuries. There is also considerable debate on how outcome should be assessed and the role of gait analysis and pedobarography is discussed. Undoubtedly some patients with a displaced intra-articular fracture of the calcaneum will benefit from a surgical procedure the skill, as always, is in deciding which fracture requires which treatment.
Surface exposure dating of moraines in the Kromer valley (Silvretta Mountains, Austria)-evidence for glacial response to the 8.2 ka event in the Eastern Alps?
Authors: Kerschner Hanns , Hertl Andreas , Gross Günther , Ivy-Ochs Susan , Kubik Peter W.
Published: July 2008

10Be dating of a pronounced glacier advance (‘Kromer Stadial’) in the western part of the Silvretta Mountains (western Austria) yielded ages ranging from 8010±360 to 8690±410 years with a mean age for moraine stabilization of 8410±690 years. Hence, the Kromer Stadial, which was previously considered as early Preboreal, may represent the glacier response to the early phase of the ‘8.2-ka event’, as it is recorded in the Greenland ice-cores. The glacier advanced to a position beyond its ‘Little Ice Age’ (LIA) limit; the end moraines are situated 750-1000 m downvalley from the glacier ends in 1850. The corresponding drop of the equilibrium line altitude relative to the LIA datum was 75 m. The glacier advance was followed by a period of glacier recession and rock glacier development. In total, the climatic fluctuation may have lasted for about 500±200 years. The age and duration of the climatic fluctuation is in good accordance with the ‘Misox cold phase’ and CE-3 climatic fluctuation as recorded in Switzerland. Climate during the Kromer Stadial was characterized by more humid conditions than today along the northern fringe of the Alps and slightly negative to moderately positive changes in precipitation in the central part of the Austrian Alps. Summer temperatures changes were most likely in the order of-1 to OK. Mean annual temperature was 1.5K to 2K lower than today, at least during the second phase of the climatic fluctuation.
Direct Functionalization of Polystyrenes by Platinum(II)-catalyzed Hydroarylation. A New Methodology for Utilization of Polymers
Authors: Hashimoto Takuya , Iguchi Naomi , Oyamada Juzo , Kitamura Tsugio
Published: July 2008

Direct introduction of an acrylic acid moiety into polystyrenes was first conducted. Reaction of polystyrenes with propiolic acid or its methyl ester in the presence of K2PtCl4 and AgOTf afforded alkenylated polystyrenes with up to 35% incorporation of the acrylic acid moiety relative to styrene unit.
New Click Chemistry: Click Polymerization via 1,3-Dipolar Addition of Homo-ditopic Aromatic Nitrile Oxides Formed In Situ
Authors: Koyama Yasuhito , Yonekawa Morio , Takata Toshikazu
Published: July 2008

New click chemistry is demonstrated. Click polymerization proceeded via 1,3-dipolar polycycloaddition of homo-ditopic nitrile oxides to bifunctional terminal olefinic and acetylenic monomers as dipolarophiles. Molecular sieves (MS 4A) served as an efficient promoter for the polymerization to afford polyisoxazolines and polyisoxazoles in high yields.
Synthesis of 3,3′-(4H,4′H)-spirobi(2H-naphtho[1,2-b]pyran)-6,6′-dicarboxylic Acid and Its Optical Resolution
Authors: Tojo Kenta , Arisawa Tatsuya , Yasutake Mikio , Aoki Yoshio , Terunuma Daiyo
Published: July 2008

The synthesis and optical resolution of 3,3′-(4H,4′H)-spirobi(2H-naphtho[1,2-b]pyran)-6,6′-dicarboxylic acid were successfully accomplished. The formation of the spiro skeleton and the bromination of the aromatic ring were easily achieved in the presence of bromine. Optical resolution was achieved by amidation with l-valinol (2-amino-3-methyl-1-butanol).
Neurosyphilitic gumma in a homosexual man with HIV infection confirmed by polymerase chain reaction
Authors: Morshed Muhammad G , Maguire John , Lee Min-Kuang , Zwimpfer Thomas , Willoughby Brian , Clement Jason , Crawford Richard I , Barberie Jay , Gul Shahid , Jones Hugh
Published: July 2008

The brain gumma is a rare manifestation of the tertiary stage of syphilis. A case of neurosyphilitic gumma was confirmed by the Treponema pallidum polymerase chain reaction in a 46-year-old HIV-positive homosexual man. The patient presented with a severe headache and was hospitalized. A computed tomography scan was performed which revealed a left frontal lobe mass. Lymphoma was suspected. However, infectious disease diagnostics were performed on the cerebrospinal fluid that included investigations for syphilis and other microbiological agents such as Toxoplasma gondii. This revealed a reactive venereal disease research laboratory test, a reactive syphilis rapid plasma reagin and a reactive T. pallidum particle agglutination test. The patient was treated for syphilis till complete recovery.
Major neurological events following foam sclerotherapy
Authors: Bush R G , Derrick M , Manjoney D
Published: July 2008

Aim

This report describes two complications of severe neurologic alterations (TIA, CVA) after foamed sclerotherapy injection.

Methods

Using foam sclerotherapy in accepted concentrations, volume, and in standard ratio of air to sclerosant, two serious neurologic complications occurred.

Results

In both cases described, unknown atrial communications existed resulting in foam emboli. One case involving the vertebral system resolved without treatment. The other involving the cerebral system was treated with hyperbaric oxygen.

Conclusions

Foam sclerotherapy can cause serious neurologic phenomenon even though the incidence is rarely described. Immediate treatment with 100% O2 and possible hyperbaric O2 therapy should be considered.
Social and emotional functioning following bilateral and unilateral neurosurgical prefrontal cortex lesions
Authors: Bramham J. , Morris R. G. , Hornak J. , Bullock P. , Polkey C. E.
Published: July 2008

Alterations in emotional and social functioning such as impaired ability to recognize emotions in others, a lack of empathy and poor insight have commonly been reported following prefrontal cortex damage. This study sought to investigate the subtleties of such difficulties in 34 individuals with discrete unilateral and bilateral neurosurgical lesions encroaching on the orbitofrontal, medial, and dorsolateral regions of the prefrontal cortex. A specifically devised self‐ and informant report measure, the social‐emotional questionnaire was used to examine five factors of functioning: emotion recognition; empathy; social conformity; antisocial behaviour; and sociability.

There were some specific significant differences between the clinical and control groups' informant‐ratings in certain domains of social and emotional functioning. Individuals with damage involving the orbitofrontal region were reported to display elevated levels of antisocial behaviour. Individuals with bilateral orbitofrontal lesions were rated as showing significantly reduced social and emotional functioning in comparison with individuals with unilateral lesions and controls. In addition, individuals with bilateral lesions had significantly less insight overall regarding their social‐emotional abilities. The right unilateral lesion group showed significantly less insight into their abilities to recognize emotion in others in comparison with the left unilateral group.

In conclusion, these results suggest that specific social‐emotional and insight deficits may form separate constellations of impairment. The findings also indicate that marked changes in social and emotional functioning are more likely following bilateral damage, and unilateral lesions do not inevitably lead to impairments.
Patient- and Family-Centered Care of Children in the Emergency Department
Authors: O'Malley Patricia J. , Brown Kathleen , Krug Steven E. ,   and the Committee on Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Published: July 2008

Patient- and family-centered care is an innovative approach to the planning, delivery, and evaluation of health care that is grounded in a mutually beneficial partnership among patients, families, and health care professionals. Providing patient- and family-centered care to children in the emergency department setting presents many opportunities and challenges. This technical report draws on previously published policy statements and reports, reviews the current literature, and describes the present state of practice and research regarding patient- and family-centered care for children in the emergency department setting as well as some of the complexities of providing such care. This technical report has been endorsed by the Academic Pediatric Association (formerly the Ambulatory Pediatric Association), the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians, the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, the Institute for Family-Centered Care, and the American College of Emergency Physicians. This report is also supported by the Emergency Nurses Association.
“You Have the Right to Remain Silent. . . But Only If You Ask for It Just So”: The Role of Linguistic Ideology in American Police Interrogation Law
Authors: Ainsworth Janet
Published: July 2008

American constitutional law provides protection for arrested persons from coercive police interrogation by giving them the right to refuse to answer questions and to the assistance of a lawyer during questioning. Once these Miranda rights are invoked by the interrogated suspect, the police must cease questioning immediately. In recent years, however, courts have adopted restrictive definitions of the kind of invocation that will count as legally efficacious. In using hyper-literal parsings of the language of suspects who attempt to assert their rights, these judges fail to utilize ordinary norms of conversational implicature and ignore the power asymmetries inherent in custodial police interrogation. Instead, these strained interpretations result in part from an ideology of language that presumes that language is a transparent medium of communication. Because direct and unmodified locutions are consequently privileged, most attempts to claim constitutional rights are found to be defective. As a result, the constitutional protections of Miranda re practically unattainable by most arrestees.
Water demand management in Syria: centralized and decentralized views
Authors: Salman M. , Mualla W.
Published: July 2008

The countries of the Middle East are characterized by large temporal and spatial variations in precipitation and with limited surface and groundwater resources. The rapid growth and development in the region have led to mounting pressures on scarce resources to satisfy water demands. The dwindling availability of water to meet development needs has become a significant regional issue, especially as a number of countries are facing serious water deficit.

Syria is becoming progressively shorter of water as future demand is coming close to or even surpassing available resources. Syria had a population of 18 million in 2002, and its total renewable water resources (TRWR) is estimated around 16 × 109 m3 per year. In other words, the per capita TRWR is less than the water scarcity index (1,000 m3 per person per year) which will make the country experience chronic stress that will hinder its economic development and entail serious degradation. Unfortunately, if water demand at current prices continues to increase in the same way, Syria will experience an alarming deficit between the available resources and the potential needs in the near future.

In Syria, until fairly recently, emphasis has been placed on the supply side of water development. Demand management and improvement of patterns of water use has received less attention. The aim was always to augment the national water budget with new water. The most popular way of achieving this aim was to control surface flows by building new dams and creating multi-purpose reservoirs (there are now around 160 dams in Syria with a total capacity of 14 × 109 m3). Irrigation schemes were also built and agricultural activities were expanded greatly to achieve self-sufficiency in essential food products and food security. However, this is no longer achievable with the limited water resources available; water demand is rapidly increasing and easily mobilizable resources have already been exploited.

The objective of this paper is to think of different possible ways to manage water demand in the agricultural sector of Syria. It mainly involves two main management options: taxation as a centralized option and water markets as a decentralized one. While water demand management refers to improving both productive and allocative efficiency of water use, this paper focuses on two allocative measures (taxation and water markets) and does not thoroughly cover productive measures such as rehabilitation and upgrading of irrigation schemes or improving operation. However, the paper does not attempt to settle the question for or against each option but tries to find some elements to determine under which conditions the option can lead to expected outcomes taking into account the history of management and the local conditions in Syria: political, social and economical. The paper also looks at other alternatives such as cooperative action and lifting subsidies and argues their possible association to the main management options that may help in reducing the difficulties of implementation.
Competitiveness and effectiveness concerns in water charge implementation: a case study of the Paraíba do Sul River Basin, Brazil
Authors: Féres José , Reynaud Arnaud , Thomas Alban , Seroa da Motta Ronaldo
Published: July 2008

Policymakers should be aware of the potential trade-off between environmental effectiveness and competitiveness concerns involving water charge implementation. This trade-off can be particularly important in countries such as Brazil, which adopt a decentralized and participative water management approach through River Basin Committees. In such a regulatory framework, it is crucial for the consensus reaching process to evaluate in advance potential impacts of water charge schemes. This paper aims at assessing the economic and environmental impacts of industrial water charges in Brazil. The analysis is based on a survey of 488 plants located within the Paraíba do Sul River Basin. The survey indicates that a significant proportion of the industrial plants approves the water charge mechanism and that increasing water costs are already inducing them to undertake conservation measures. Simulations based on an econometric water demand model suggest that water charges can induce significant industrial water demand reductions with limited impact on firms' costs. Regarding pollution control, the estimated marginal effluent treatment costs are far above the current values established for the pollution-related component of the water charge. These results indicate that competitiveness conflicts will not necessarily pervade the political economy of water charges in Brazil.
A Native American System of Wetland Agriculture in Different Ecosystems in the Ecuadorian Andes (15th-18th Centuries)
Authors: Caillavet Chantal
Published: July 2008

Ridged fields and wetland agriculture are a key element in the culture and ecology of pre-Hispanic societies, and their role often survived well beyond the immediate aftermath of the Spanish conquest. Their importance was highlighted in a series of groundbreaking publications which have appeared from the mid-twentieth century onwards. In marked contrast to Mexico, however, there is much less historical data on this type of native agriculture in South America. Was this silence caused by these techniques falling into centuries of disuse on the arrival of the European colonisers? Or, despite ongoing use, did they fail to attract enough attention to surface in the literature? In the absence of descriptions written by the Spanish chroniclers, what other types of historical sources provide significant information on native traditions of land use? Native voices are recorded in legal texts that Indians dictated to satisfy Colonial bureaucratic requirements: wills, declarations during land litigation, and judicial ceremonies associated with land possession. In this paper, I have identified a range of archival sources which provide evidence of the nature, functions and ecology of these agricultural techniques in the northern Ecuadorian highlands.
Biodiversity and Traditional Land Use in South-Central Sweden: The Significance of Management Timing
Authors: Dahlström Anna , Lennartsson Tommy , Wissman Jörgen , FRYCKLUND INGEMAR
Published: July 2008

During the last 50-100 years, large numbers of species associated with semi-natural grassland have declined. One reason for this is the considerable reduction of grassland area. Another possible explanation is the loss of historical management practices. This study addresses changes in the timing of management and its implications for biodiversity, and combines historical data on management timing (eighteenth century) with data on reproductive phenology of vascular plants and butterflies. All data are from south-east and south-central Sweden and demonstrate a considerable loss of grassland area, but an even greater loss of historical management practices. Historically, 21-32 per cent of the semi-natural grassland area was subject to late season management (from early July onwards) by mowing or late-season grazing. In 2005, management had ceased in 97-99 per cent of the historically managed grassland, and current management was dominated by all-season grazing. 0.2 per cent of the grassland area was managed by mowing in 2005. Historically, at the time of mowing, 50-80 per cent of the butterfly species and 20-95 per cent of vascular plant species had completed their reproductive cycles, the proportions increasing with the later onset of management. The results suggest that the reduced use of late management is a major cause of the observed decline of grassland organisms.
The Environmental Footprint of War
Authors: Hupy Joseph
Published: July 2008

Warfare and the physical environment have always shared a close and interconnected relationship. Until recently, historical writings have mainly focused on the environmental factors influencing the outcome of battle and not the effects of war on the environment. While a growing body of literature has begun to address the effects of war on the environment, many aspects of the direct effects of battle on the environment still require attention. Warfare, a powerful agent of landscape change, is a unique form of landscape disturbance in that it is often larger in magnitude and size than other forms of anthropogenic disturbance, such as mining or logging. War is also unique as an anthropogenic agent of change because of its capability to render such widespread destruction over large areas in such short periods of time. Despite the magnitude of landscape disturbance associated with modern warfare, however, it is seldom recognised as a significant form of anthropogenic disturbance. The destruction associated with modern warfare is particularly catastrophic due to the extent, magnitude and duration of contemporary wars. These large magnitude disturbances radically alter the shape of the landscape, limiting the ability of the landscape to revert back to its original state. This article addresses the direct impacts of war on the physical landscape and why the magnitude of disturbance has increased significantly over the past century.
PORTRAIT OF AN ALIEN ENEMY
Authors: Molnar Michael
Published: July 2008

Official documents and photographs are forms of alienation yet they carry imprints of the inner life of their subjects. An identity paper and photograph of the 18 year-old Anna Freud serves as the basis for an investigation of various aspects of her identity at the time – firstly her position in England as an ‘alien enemy’; secondly her emotional and sexual predicament, brought to light primarily through her father's response to Ernest Jones's supposed advances; and finally her own sense of self as deduced from the expression in the portrait, backed up by the evidence of her poetry.
Scientific Autonomy and Public Oversight
Authors: Resnik David B.
Published: July 2008

When scientific research collides with social values, science's right to self-governance becomes an issue of paramount concern. In this article, I develop an account of scientific autonomy within a framework of public oversight. I argue that scientific autonomy is justified because it promotes the progress of science, which benefits society, but that restrictions on autonomy can also be justified to prevent harm to people, society, or the environment, and to encourage beneficial research. I also distinguish between different ways of limiting scientific autonomy, and I argue that government involvement in scientific decision-making should usually occur through policies that control the process of science, rather than policies that control the content of science.
Organization of Care: Problems in Developing Countries—South America
Authors: Arias Pablo , Libman Astrid M. , Libman Julio
Published: July 2008

In the past two decades South American countries have experienced important sociopolitical changes and major economic crises. The associated demographic, epidemiological, and nutritional transitions have exerted a profound impact on the precarious health care systems in most countries of this region. At present, the mean prevalence of diabetes mellitus in South America (6–9% of adult population) does not seem to be different to that registered in many other countries of the world. However, some serious problems cast a shadow of extreme worry:

The number of patients with diabetes will possibly double in the next 20 years;

Nonequity is a constant in the health care delivery systems of this region and thus a large number of people are effectively excluded from most health care services;

The highest prevalence of diabetes is found in the ethnic minorities and disadvantaged populations;

Few important efforts are directed toward increasing early detection and administering appropriate treatment; as a consequence it is expected that the number of patients with complications will rise drastically;

The burden posed by the increasing number of cases and the elevated cost of treating the disease and its complications will exceed the possibilities of the already meager health budgets of most countries in the region.

In spite of this reality, there are efforts arising from public and privet sectors in order to provide epidemiological data, diabetes education, and better diabetes care in the region. These initiatives are achieved thanks to commited persons and institution working to improve the health of the population.
The Economics of Diabetes: South and East Asia
Authors: Tong P. , Cockram C.S.
Published: July 2008

Asia is at the forefront of the diabetes epidemic and is predicted to have the highest number of people with diabetes. By the year 2025 it is estimated that one third of the global population of people with diabetes will live in India and China alone. In addition to India and China, South and Eastern Asia includes a number of other countries that combine large populations with relatively high and increasing diabetes prevalence rates, relatively scarce health resources, and low levels of health care funding. In many countries in Asia there are also wide disparities between levels of health care available in different parts of the same country, for example between rural and urban areas. Inevitably this produces great variation in health care systems, costs, funding, and organization of care. As a result in many parts of the region there is a huge amount of unmet need. Although economic factors are very important contributors to this, a number of other factors are also important, for example geography, language, literacy and education, policy, and culture
Application Service Providers (ASPs)
Authors: Jacobsen Hans‐Arno
Published: July 2008

Application outsourcing refers to the emerging trend of deploying applications over the Internet, rather than installing them in the local environment. Application outsourcing shifts the burden of installing, maintaining, and upgrading the application from the application user to the remote application service provider (ASP). The ASP takes over all server administration and application management tasks. This deployment model allows application software to be distributed on a highly differentiable basis. This model is in contrast to the traditional license‐based software distribution model, in which a customer receives “all‐or‐nothing” of the product and must manage the entire application on its own. This chapter explores different facets of the ASP model, compares it with traditional software distribution models, and discusses its implications.
Business Plans for
E
‐commerce Projects
Authors: Ray Amy W.
Published: July 2008

In a brief period of time, we have seen the rise and subsequent fall of numerous e‐businesses. Would‐be entrepreneurs can learn much through analysis of the business plans of e‐business failures as well as successes. Analyses of failures show that e‐businesses have been viewed as substantially different from other businesses when in fact they are not. Consequently, writing a business plan for an e‐business is similar in many ways to writing a business plan for any other business. For example, attention to financial responsibility and customer value are still at the heart of any successful plan. This chapter begins with a brief analysis of some common reasons for the failure of dot‐com companies since the mid‐1990s. The following section describes traditional business plan elements that should be included in any e‐business project plan. The next three sections describe special considerations for new start‐up companies, e‐ventures of brick and mortar firms, and special considerations for new e‐businesses respectively. The final section of this chapter provides one detailed framework for writing a business plan and several other resources for writing business plans.
Cascading Style Sheets (
CSS
)
Authors: Condo Fred
Published: July 2008

Cascading style sheets (CSS) are a recommendation of the World Wide Web Consortium for applying styles to Web pages and other documents. Using CSS gives Web producers great control over the appearance of Web documents and can make documents adaptable to different display media, including adaptive media used by persons with sensory impairments. CSS enables Web producers to keep information about appearance and presentation separate from the content and structure of Web documents. This separation simplifies the maintenance of Web sites and reduces the redundancy of presentational information. CSS defines selectors, a syntax for expressing the context to which a style applies. It also defines properties and values that apply style to document elements. A conservative approach is recommended for applying CSS. Certain best practices are identified and explained, and practical examples are provided.
Circuit, Message, and Packet Switching
Authors: Greenfield Robert H.
Published: July 2008

Packets and packet switching were invented to utilize effectively, i.e., to multiplex, digital networks. We easily grasp the concepts of circuit switching, such as a voice telephone call, and message switching, such as the paper‐based postal system, because there are many common and historical examples. In recent decades, we've discovered that digital techniques for transmission and switching information are far superior, faster, cheaper, and less error prone than the analog techniques devised in earlier times. These digital methods allowed for the invention of packets and packet switching, thereby making digital technology even more effective. Networks are built in layers. First, we look at some important layering models for different kinds of digital networks. We also mention how addresses fit into our layering schemes. Next, we briefly describe circuit and message switching before surveying the primary topic of packet switching.
Client/Server Computing
Authors: McFarland Daniel J.
Published: July 2008

Client/server computing is a broadly defined term that describes a system architectural configuration. In particular, client/server computing conceptually and physically divides an application into component processes. The ensuing processes work together to satisfy the requirements of the overall application.

The particular configuration of the processes describes the client/server system. Three defining classification scenarios are presented. The first classification is based on the presentation–application–data (P–A–D) architecture. P–A–D defines and classifies an application based upon how the computational requirements are distributed between the client and the server. The second classification is based on the number of separate processes (or tiers) that exist within a client/server application. The final classification is based on the functional role of the server process.

Client/server processes must interoperate seamlessly. The integration of software and hardware is challenging, particularly in heterogeneous environments. Middleware is an enabling technology that facilitates the intercommunication among software processes. Component software is an approach whereby self‐contained, self‐describing objects are combined to form applications. Networking technologies bridge the gap among the various computing and networking devices.

This chapter concludes with a review of the following client/server implementations: the Internet, intranets, and extranets.
Cyberterrorism
Authors: Jaeger Charles W.
Published: July 2008

In the past several years, the world has come face‐to‐face with terrorists who are becoming more extreme and more global. At the same time, the world has become increasingly dependent on using computers and networks to manage the way we work, communicate, and live. At some future point, it is reasonable to conclude that global terrorism and cyberspace will converge in a deadly intersection. It is a question of “when,” not “if.”

The idea of cyberterrorism is relatively new. While hacking and vandalism in cyberspace have become common in the past 20 years, much as graffiti and malicious mischief has exploded in physical space, violent acts of terrorism in cyberspace will follow. Today, “cyberterrorism” is in the news on a regular basis.

Cyberterrorism, potentially as destructive as poison gas, deadly diseases, truckloads of explosives, and atomic radiation, may be even more dreadful than terrorism in the physical world, since the enemy may strike without being seen from anywhere in the world and disappear like a vapor trail. The terror of a 9/11‐magnitude attack from an unknown, unseen enemy could be even more devastating than anything the world has experienced.

This chapter addresses the meaning of cyberterrorism, how and why it came into being, the vulnerable targets of cyberterrorism, the tools of the cyberterrorist, the potential effects on us all, and some of the things that can be done to minimize its threat.
DHTML
(Dynamic Hyper
T
ext Markup Language)
Authors: Knuckles Craig D.
Published: July 2008

Dynamic hypertext markup language (DHTML) is not a distinct language or technology. It refers to the way HTML, cascading style sheets (CSS), and JavaScript are used together to endow Web pages with interactivity. DHTML is introduced as an abstract notion. Then, the concrete ways in which the technologies that collectively enable DHTML work together to create DHTML are illustrated. The document object model, which allows JavaScript to access and manipulate the HTML and CSS properties that define a Web page, is at the foundation of DHTML. The intertwined evolutionary histories of DHTML, Web browsers, and the document object model are provided. The current capabilities of DHTML are presented in detail, and an indication of the future prospects of DHTML is provided.
Extranets
Authors: Thorpe Stephen W.
Published: July 2008

Extranets provide the means to extend information stored on internal networks (intranets) to external audiences. External groups often include suppliers, vendors, or customers. Allowing business partners to access internal information provides a foundation for e‐commerce strategies, improves collaboration, and can result in faster time to market for new products. Access to organizational extranets also promotes internal efficiencies and cost reduction. Developing extranet applications requires careful planning of the applications and content management, defining classes of external organizations that can access internal information through the extranet, and security policies to protect the network and information resources.
Gender and Internet Usage
Authors: Dholakia Ruby Roy , Dholakia Nikhilesh , Kshetri Nir
Published: July 2008

This chapter examines the nature and sources of gender disparity in the adoption and usage of information and communications technologies (ICTs), especially the Internet. Various levels of gender disparity exist in the adoption of the Internet. Moreover, the disparity varies widely across the globe. These gender disparities are functions of factors such as male–female cultural differences; differences in specialization, preferences for jobs, and education; complex interactions among the features of the Internet and gender; and external variables such as sociocultural and economic factors. If appropriate policy measures are taken in the public sector and the corporate world, then some of the sources of gender disparity in Internet adoption and usage can be overcome and the gender related digital divide could be bridged.
Geographic Information Systems (
GIS
) and the Internet
Authors: Cetin Haluk
Published: July 2008

During the second half of the 20th century, which is considered the computer age, there were many advances in information technology. Increasing computational and storage power of computers made it possible to handle large, complex geographic databases in the 1980s and early 1990s, a time period recognized by many people as the start of the digital information age. Tasks were accomplished much more rapidly using a geographic information system (GIS) than by previously used methods. In fact many of today's complex projects could not even have been contemplated before the advent of GIS. During the last decade, the Internet and GIS together have changed the way that people and institutions share and analyze geographic data. Desktop GIS has been the system of choice, but it has many limitations including cost, learning curve, and public access issues. On the other hand, an Internet‐GIS (i‐GIS) has many advantages including decentralized data storage and data maintenance, wider data and user access, and convenience. Although today's Web‐based systems offer an excellent opportunity to go beyond our world (home, office, or city), existing i‐GIS map servers do not fully facilitate analysis of complex geographic databases due to the specific user requirements. Future GISs, including automated GIS processing at offices and in homes, will be a part of our daily lives.
History of the Internet
Authors: Sherry John , Brown Colleen
Published: July 2008

This chapter traces the beginnings of the Internet, focusing on key personalities and technological developments. The history follows the origin of the original ARPANET, including development of TCP/IP protocols, through the emergence of the NSFNET backbone and the development of the World Wide Web. Focus is also placed on the process of discovery, facilitated by open cooperation among scientists through Requests for Comments and the dedication to create a flexible, open‐architecture environment.
Machine Learning and Data Mining on the Web
Authors: Yang Qiang
Published: July 2008

Ever since its inception, the Web has provided unprecedented opportunities for machine learning and data mining to grow. Machine learning and data mining concern the task of discovering statistical knowledge from large data sets. In this chapter, we survey the main areas in which machine learning has been applied to learn about the Web and its users in the areas of learning about Web contents, Web structures, Web usage, and Web users. We also survey research and applications in Web‐based recommendation systems for electronic commerce.
Mobile Devices and Protocols
Authors: Mariga Julie R. , Pobanz Benjamin R.
Published: July 2008

The value of a mobile communication device is its ability to organize and access important information quickly. Mobile devices are often associated with the cutting‐edge technology of the last 4 years. Although having gained an increasing popularity over recent years, mobile devices have a history of 15 years. The first generation of mobile devices was the analog mobile phone. They were large and cumbersome, resembling a small briefcase. With the launch of the second generation, mobile phone units became smaller and easier to handle. Currently, third‐generation phones are starting to be released, advancing in design and dynamic capabilities. By the year 2005, 76% of consumers will own an Internet compatible device, 66% will own a cell phone, 45% will own an Internet cell phone, and 10% will own a personal digitial assistant (Forrester,

). In today's information surge, business never stops. IDC Research has forecasted that an average of more than 36 billion person‐to‐person e‐mails will be sent daily by 2005 (Juptner,

). Hence, mobile communication plays a major role in the success of most of today's business operations (Jones,

), and all businesses are continually faced with the challenge of engaging with the rapidly changing information technology age. One area of mobile communications that has been growing exponentially is mobile computing.
Multiplexing
Authors: Whitmore Dave
Published: July 2008

This chapter surveys the key concepts of multiplexing, an engineering technique that stretches the capacity of transmission media and vastly multiplies the amount of data, voice, video, and multimedia information that can be carried on a single physical facility. The service providers that support the Internet backbone and consumers of Internet services use many of the techniques described in this chapter to enhance capacity, provide economical growth options, and minimize cost. Reference is made to frequency division multiplexing and time division multiplexing and their applications. North American and international approaches to mutiplexing are reviewed. Fiber‐optic systems such as SONET/SDH are covered along with wavelength division multiplexing. References are provided to standard texts and to online resources.