bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Blended Learning towards Social Capital in Higher Education
Authors: Freddano Michela
Published: October 2012

This chapter focuses on blended learning towards social capital by showing the experience of Methodology of Social Research II, the blended learning training course held at the Faculty of Education of the University of Genoa (A.Y. 2010/2011). Blended learning engages disciplinary, technical, and relational skills so that human capital and social capital are empowered. The evidence is that in higher education blended learning empowers teaching/learning processes and student achievement providing active student engagement into participatory processes promoted in educational and evaluation activities, involving students in balanced relationships with peers and teacher facilitated by new technologies and tutorship.
Improving Learning Strategies for Mathematics through E-Learning
Authors: Bardelle Cristina
Published: October 2012

This chapter describes an experience concerning a mathematics course offered at university for first-year science students. The course, realized in a blended format, is aimed at supporting students in the critical stage of transition from high school to university. Beside standard materials and resources, students were provided with online tools for the achievement of learning strategies mainly based on semiotic and pragmatic aspects of mathematical language. The online activities are an effective tool from the cognitive and metacognitive perspective, promoting a shift from passive learning (listening to lectures and taking notes) to more active modalities of learning where the students were engaged in student-instructor or student-computer interaction activities. Overall, more than half of the students participated in the optional online activities, and a positive relationship between this participation and the results in the final written test serve to verify the potential effectiveness of this form of study.
Discussion Board Assignments and Their Impact on Creating Engaged Learning Environments in Art History Online Courses
Authors: Ter-Stepanian Anahit
Published: October 2012

The adaptation of traditional, face-to-face courses to the online format presents both challenges and opportunities. Many pedagogical practices need to be rethought when designing online courses. A successful online course needs to be intellectually stimulating and engaging. The chapter demonstrates how to create an engaging learning environment without any additional budget. The author describes approaches that she has developed, experimented with, and found to be effective in asynchronous online art history courses, as well as learner engagement strategies she has implemented in the eLearning environment. Advantages of scenario-based discussions board assignments and the effects of role playing in discussion forums are discussed. The author shares examples of personalized discussion board assignments aimed to motivate online learners, create a collaborative learning environment, improve peer-to-peer interaction, and prevent plagiarism.
eTwinning Project
Authors: Casamassima Livia
Published: October 2012

This chapter aims to explore new possibilities in musical, social, and cooperative learning offered by new technologies. The author worked on an electronic twinning project creating a virtual European orchestra (choral and instrumental). It was formed by pupils from 6 to 19 years in 5 countries: Italy, Greece, Turkey, Spain, and UK .The common goal was to create a spirit of community, both among young people than among teachers who do overcome the difficulties of communication and enhance commonality and specificity. Music was chosen as subject because of its valences in multidisciplinary and inclusive educational activities. Some of the pupils had special needs, and they were very involved in the project. At the same time, the Greek Music School’s pupils created a Braille Scores’ Library for their schoolfellows. Participants used the European eTwinning platform (part of the Lifelong Learning Program of the European Community) to communicate, exchange files, and publish some of the works.
The Toolbox
Authors: Drivet Alessio
Published: October 2012

This chapter concerns the use of concrete objects and tools connected with mathematics. Currently, over a hundred items have already been provided by the author, and others are in preparation. The topics are part of what is called “education and recreational use of games and simulations,” and so the objects also come in a technological version. Part of the materials were used in an educational experience with the aim of stimulating students to identify objects and situations that speak to us of mathematics and to teach them how to retrieve and organize information, promoting non-traditional learning of the discipline. The most interesting aspect is the use of a very artisanal approach, starting from objects that students can, in part, found in everyday life.
Using Genetic Algorithms to Search for Key Stakeholders in Large-Scale Software Projects
Authors: Lim Soo Ling , Harman Mark , Susi Angelo
Published: October 2012

Large software projects have many stakeholders. In order for the resulting software system and architecture to be aligned with the enterprise and stakeholder needs, key stakeholders must be adequately consulted and involved in the project. This work proposes the use of genetic algorithms to identify key stakeholders and their actual influence in requirements elicitation, given the stakeholders’ requirements and the actual set of requirements implemented in the project. The proposed method is applied to a large real-world software project. Results show that search is able to identify key stakeholders accurately. Results also indicate that many different good solutions exist. This implies that a stakeholder has the potential to play a key role in requirements elicitation, depending on which other stakeholders are already involved. This work demonstrates the true complexity of requirements elicitation – all stakeholders should be consulted, but not all of them should be treated as key stakeholders, even if they appear to be significant based on their role in the domain.
An Approach for Integrated Lifecycle Management for Business Processes and Business Software
Authors: Betz Stefanie , Oberweis Andreas , Burger Erik , Reussner Ralf , Eckert Alexander , Trunko Ralf
Published: October 2012

The lifecycles of business processes and business software interact with each other since business software is used to support business processes, and requirements on business software are derived from business processes. By integrating these lifecycles, it is possible to test if the business software meets the process-based requirements as well as to identify which impacts changes of the software product have on the business process. In this chapter, the authors give an introduction into these interdependencies. Foundations of lifecycle management, business process modeling, and performance engineering are presented, followed by the description of a framework for an integrated lifecycle management for business processes and business software. This framework is based on business process simulation and software performance prediction. The evaluation of the framework is described by applying it to an example of use and the results are discussed. The chapter closes with a conclusion and an outlook on future work.
High-Level Modeling to Support Software Design Choices
Authors: Muller Gerrit
Published: October 2012

The IT industry is suffering from severe budget overruns and ill-performing IT services. Some of the problems that have caused IT project disasters could have been anticipated in the early project phases and mitigated in the project follow-up by modeling the system context and the software design. This chapter shows how to make models of varied views and at varied levels of abstraction to guide software design choices. Models of the enterprise provide understanding of the objectives. Models of the specification provide understanding of system performance and behavior. Models of the design provide understanding of design choices, such as the allocation of functions, resource usage, selection of mechanisms for communication, instantiation, synchronization, security, exception handling, and many more aspects. High-level models are simple models with the primary goal to support understanding, analysis, communication, and decision making. The models have various complementary representations and formats, e.g. visual diagrams, mathematical formulas, and quantitative information and graphs. Model-driven and model-based engineering approaches focus mostly on artifacts to analyze and synthesize software and hardware. High-level models complement model driven approaches by linking the system context to more detailed design decisions. High-level modeling as discussed in this chapter is based on research performed in industrial settings; the so-called industry-as-laboratory approach.
Decisions Required vs. Decisions Made
Authors: Zimmermann Olaf , Miksovic Christoph
Published: October 2012

Contemporary enterprise architecture frameworks excel at inventorying as-is and at specifying to-be architecture landscapes; they also help enterprise architects to establish governance processes and architectural principles. Solution architects, however, expect mature frameworks not only to express such fundamental design constraints, but also to provide concrete and tangible guidance how to comply with framework building blocks, processes, and principles – a route planner is needed in addition to maps of destinations. In this chapter, the authors show how to extend an existing enterprise architecture framework with decision guidance models that capture architectural decisions recurring in a particular domain. Such guidance models codify architectural knowledge by recommending proven patterns, technologies, and products; architectural principles are represented as decision drivers. Owned by enterprise architects but populated and consumed by solution architects, guidance models are living artifacts (reusable assets) that realize a lightweight knowledge exchange between the two communities – and provide the desired route planners for architectural analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
Linking Business and Application Architectures
Authors: Kamath Suresh
Published: October 2012

The development of an IT strategy and ensuring that it is the best possible one for business is a key problem many organizations face. This problem is that of linking business architecture to IT architecture in general and application architecture specifically. Without this linkage it is difficult to manage the changes needed by the business and maximize the benefits from the information technology (IT) investments. Linking the two domains requires defining the two architectures using a “common language.” While the application architecture domain has developed tools and processes to define and represent the architecture, the business architecture domain, however, lacks such processes and tools to be useful for linking of the two. The chapter addresses several questions dealing with the linking of the business and the application architectures. The author proposes to use category theory related constructs and notions to represent the business and information architecture and the linkages.
Using Obstacles for Systematically Modeling, Analysing, and Mitigating Risks in Cloud Adoption
Authors: Zardari Shehnila , Faniyi Funmilade , Bahsoon Rami
Published: October 2012

In this chapter, the authors motivate the need for a systematic approach to cloud adoption from the risk perspective. The enormous potential of cloud computing for improved and cost-effective service delivery for commercial and academic purposes has generated unprecedented interest in its adoption. However, a potential cloud user faces numerous risks regarding service requirements, cost implications of failure, and uncertainty about cloud providers’ ability to meet service level agreements. Hence, the authors consider two perspectives of a case study to identify risks associated with cloud adoption. They propose a risk management framework based on the principle of GORE (Goal-Oriented Requirements Engineering). In this approach, they liken risks to obstacles encountered while realising cloud user goals, therefore proposing cloud-specific obstacle resolution tactics for mitigating identified risks. The proposed framework shows benefits by providing a principled engineering approach to cloud adoption and empowering stakeholders with tactics for resolving risks when adopting the cloud.
ART-Improving Execution Time for Flash Applications
Authors: Ying Ming , Miller James
Published: October 2012

Rich Internet Applications (RIA) require fast execution time and allow richer, faster, and more interactive experiences. Flash is a common technology for building RIAs. Flash programmers usually specialize in graphic design rather than programming. In addition, the tight schedule of projects makes the Flash programmers ignore non-functional characteristics such as the efficiency of their systems; yet, to enhance Flash users’ experiences, writing efficient ActionScript code is a key requirement. Flash programmers require automated support to assist with this key requirement. This paper proposes a refactoring system called ART (ActionScript Refactoring Tool) to provide automatic support for Flash programmers by rewriting their ActionScript code to make their applications faster.
An Adaptive System for Retrieval and Composition of Learning Objects
Authors: Yoosooka Burasakorn , Wuwongse Vilas
Published: October 2012

This paper proposes a new approach to automatic retrieval and composition of Learning Objects (LOs) in an Adaptive Educational Hypermedia System (AEHS) using multidimensional learner characteristics to enhance learning effectiveness. The approach focuses on adaptive techniques in four components of AEHS: Learning Paths, LO Retrieval, LO Sequencing, and Examination Difficulty Levels. This approach has been designed to enable the adaptation of rules to become generic. Hence, the application to various domains is possible. The approach dynamically selects, sequences, and composes LOs into an individual learning package based on the use of domain ontology, learner profiles, and LO metadata. The Sharable Content Object Reference Model is employed to represent LO metadata and learning packages in order to support LO sharing. The IMS Learner Information Package Specification is used to represent learner profiles. A preliminary evaluation of the developed system indicates the system’s effectiveness in terms of learners’ satisfaction.
Integrating Semantic Web and Software Agents
Authors: Gong Yiwei , Overbeek Sietse , Janssen Marijn
Published: October 2012

Software agents and rules are both used for creating flexibility. Exchanging rules between Semantic Web and agents can ensure consistency in rules and support easy updating and changing of rules. The Rule Interchange Format (RIF) is a new W3C recommendation Semantic Web standard for exchanging rules among disparate systems. Yet, the contribution of RIF in rules exchange between Semantic Web and software agents is unclear. The BDI architectural style is regarded as the predominant approach for the implementation of intelligent agents. This paper proposes a development for integrating RIF and BDI agents to enhance agent reasoning capabilities. This approach consists of an integration architecture and equivalence principles for rule translation. The equivalence principles are demonstrated using examples. The results show that the approach allows the integration of RIF with BDI agent programming and realize the translation between the two systems.
Dynamic Business Collaborations Through Contract Services
Authors: Nepal Surya , Chen Shiping
Published: October 2012

New applications have recently emerged within the domains of e-Health, e-Science, e-Research and e-Government that require the formation of dynamic collaborations between independent, autonomous business organizations for the duration of a project designed with a specific purpose. To successfully create and manage such collaborations, there is a need of a standard way to specify: (a) what resources are required, (b) who will contribute resources, (c) the type of access required to these resources, (d) agreement and obligations of the partners within the business collaboration, with the terms and conditions specified in the agreement, and (e) how to instantiate, maintain and terminate such business collaborations easily and in a well understood manner. The authors address these issues through the creation, negotiation and execution of an agreed electronic contract. First, this paper provides a framework for an electronic contract (e-Contract) by introducing a Web Service Collaborative Context Definition Language (WS-CCDL), which was developed in the context of dynamic business collaboration. Then, the authors illustrate its use with a universal (anywhere) connectivity service for a tele-Collaboration application in the context of e-Research domain. Both architectural design and implementation considerations are provided to highlight the feasibility and complicity of the technologies.
Governance of Cross-Organizational Healthcare Document Exchange through Watermarking Services and Alerts
Authors: Chiu Dickson K.W. , Wang Yuexuan , Hung Patrick , Cheng Vivying S.Y. , Chan Kai-Kin , Kafeza Eleanna , Tung Wei-Feng , Zhuang Yi , Jiang Nan
Published: October 2012

There is an increasing demand for sharing documents for process integration among organizations. Web services technology has recently been widely proposed and gradually adopted as a platform for supporting such an integration. There are no holistic solutions thus far that are able to tackle the various protection issues, specifically regarding the security and privacy protection requirements in cross-organizational progress integration. This paper proposes the exchange of documents through a Document / Image Exchange Platform (DIEP), replacing traditional ad-hoc and manual exchange practices. The authors show how the contemporary technologies of Web services under a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), together with watermarking, can help protect document exchanges with layered implementation architecture. Furthermore, to facilitate governance and regulation compliance against protection policy violation attempts, the management and the affected parties are notified with alerts for warning and possible handling. The authors discuss the applicability of the proposed platform with a physician towards security and privacy protection requirements based on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States, which imposes national regulations to protect individuals’ healthcare information. The proposed approach aims at facilitating the whole governance process from technical to management level with a single unified platform.
Segmentation Matters
Authors: Sell Anna , Walden Pirkko , Carlsson Christer
Published: October 2012

Despite the penetration of mobile phones in the world the number of mobile services in actual use is – besides voice calls and SMS – rather few. In the study at hand, the authors describe users of mobile phones and mobile services and build the basis for segmentation of the consumer market based on a large random sample of the population. Selecting the correct segmentation base is one of the key steps in any segmentation procedure. The authors carried out life-style segmentation and found five segments – the skillful, the efficient, the trendy, the basic and the social – which offer a systematic description of the mobile consumers, and gives insight on how different users make use of mobile services. The findings are potentially important as mobile service providers do not appear to pay enough attention to consumer segments and the needs of the mobile service users.
Facilitating Biodefense Research with Mobile-Cloud Computing
Authors: Zhang Jingyu , Yao Jinhui , Chen Shiping , Levy David
Published: October 2012

This paper proposes the use of a mobile-cloud by combining mobile devices and the cloud together in a biodefense and emerging infectious diseases (BEI) research application scenario. A mobile-cloud framework is developed to facilitate the use of mobile devices to collect data for, and manipulate and interact with the scientific workflows running in the Cloud. In this framework, an independent trusted accountability service is used to provide data provenance and enforce compliance among the participants of a biodefense research workflow. The authors have implemented a prototype which allows the researchers to use mobile devices to design and participate in biodefense workflows. The authors evaluated the effectiveness of the mobile-cloud with a prototype and conducted performance testing with example biodefense workflows.
Towards a Framework for Weaving Social Networks Into Mobile Commerce
Authors: Maamar Zakaria , Faci Noura , Mostéfaoui Soraya Kouadri , Akhter Fahim
Published: October 2012

This paper discusses a framework that supports weaving social elements into mobile commerce applications. This weaving takes place through different types of social networks that identify the stakeholders taking part in completing these applications. These stakeholders are consumers, providers, and brokers and are connected to each other through relationships such as competition, referral, loyalty, and collaboration. Each relationship is mapped onto a social network upon which a stakeholder relies before engaging in any of these applications and afterwards, making any decision. The value of social networks added to mobile commerce is illustrated with a set of experiments implementing a smart mobile restaurant guide.
Enhancing ERP System with RFID
Authors: Chiu Dickson K. W. , Mark Kai-Pan , Kafeza Eleanna , Wong Tat-Pui
Published: October 2012

Various contemporary information and communication technologies (ICT) have revolutionized the global computing environment. This impacts most companies, especially traditional stand-alone ERP systems are inadequate to handle the current requirements of logistics applications. This paper studies the integration of RFID and mobile technologies with web-enabled applications to an existing in-house ERP system. This enables management to utilize accurate information for analyzing their business performance and then perform any other further decisions quickly. Benefits include retrieving information more easily, reducing order processing and delivery time, increasing sales performance, enhancing communication with customer, and improving data accuracy for in-house ERP System. In particular, the authors illustrate how this infrastructure can help the integration of logistic processes and the handling of exceptions in key business processes. The authors further evaluate the approach with respect to the requirements of key system stakeholders.
Immunogenicity of Stem Cells
Authors: Ricklefs Franz , Schrepfer Sonja
Published: October 2012

Current medical research is focused on two particular types of stem cells, adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells. Both cell types demonstrate a tremendous potential as the source for regenerative medicine due to their paracrine and pluripotency effects, respectively. Therefore, stem cells are expected to have an enormous impact on clinical therapy. However, allogeneic approaches using “off-the-shelf” stem cells from healthy donors are the only financially and ethically feasible pathway. The long-standing assumption that stem cells are not recognized by the recipient’s immune system was recently disproved not only by our group. Therefore, specific knowledge of the immunologic properties of pluripotent and multipotent stem cells is a prerequisite for safe applications of stem cell-based therapy. This chapter will discuss the involvement of the innate and adaptive immune system and summarize state-of-the art approaches to overcome the immunological barrier.
Regulatory T Cell-Based Immunotherapy
Authors: Schallenberg Sonja , Petzold Cathleen , Riewaldt Julia , Kretschmer Karsten
Published: October 2012

CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells expressing the forkhead box transcription factor Foxp3 have a vital function in the maintenance of immune homeostasis and the prevention of fatal multi-organ autoimmunity throughout life. In the last decade, Foxp3+ Treg cells have raised the hope for novel cell-based therapies to achieve tolerance in clinical settings of unwanted immune responses such as autoimmunity and graft rejection. Conceptually, the antigen-specific enhancement of Treg cell function is of particular importance because such strategies will minimize the requirements for pharmaceutical immunosuppression, sparing desired protective host immune responses to infectious and malignant insults. This chapter discusses current concepts of Treg cell-based immunotherapy with particular emphasis on antigen-specific Treg cell induction from conventional CD4+ T cells to deal with organ-specific autoimmunity.
Generation of Scaffold Free 3-D Cartilage-Like Microtissues from Human Chondrocytes
Authors: Martin Frank , Lehmann Mario , Anderer Ursula
Published: October 2012

Since our society is characterized by an increasing age of its people on the one hand and a high number of persons dealing with sports on the other hand, the number of patients suffering from traumatic defects or osteoarthritis is growing. In combination with the articular cartilage specific limited capacity to regenerate, a need for suitable therapies is obvious. Thereby, cell-based therapies are of major interest. This type of clinical intervention was introduced to patients at the beginning of the 1990s. During the last years, a technological shift from simple cell suspensions to more complex 3D structures was performed. In order to optimize the scaffold free generation of cartilage, such as microtissues from human chondrocytes, the authors examine the influence of a static or spinner flask culture with respect to differentiation and architecture of the engineered microtissues. Additionally, the impact of the soluble factors TGF-ß2 and ascorbic acid on this process are investigated. The results demonstrate a positive impact of TGF-ß2 and ascorbic acid supplementation with respect to general Type II Collagen and proteoglycan expression for both the static and spinner flask culture.
The Hidden Markov Brains
Authors: Pham Tuan D.
Published: October 2012

This chapter presents Hidden Markov models (HMM) of the brain on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for the inference of white matter hyperintensities and brain age prediction to study the bidirectional vascular depression hypothesis in the elderly and neurodegenerative diseases, respectively. Rating and quantification of cerebral white matter hyperintensities on magnetic resonance imaging are important tasks in various clinical and scientific settings. The authors have proposed that prior knowledge about white matter hyperintensities can be accumulated and utilised to enable a reliable inference of the rating of a new white matter hyperintensity observation. The use of HMM for rating inference of white matter hyperintensities can be used as a computerized rating-assisting tool and can be very economical for diagnostic evaluation of brain tissue lesions. They have also applied HMM for MRI-based brain age prediction. Cortical thinning and intracortical gray matter volume losses are widely observed in normal ageing, while the decreasing rate of the volume loss in subjects with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease is reported to be faster than the average speed. Therefore, neurodegenerative disease is considered as accelerated aging. Accurate detection of accelerated ageing of the brain is a relatively new direction of research in computational neuroscience, as it has the potential to offer positive clinical outcome through early intervention.
Dental Tissue Engineering Research and Translational Approaches towards Clinical Application
Authors: Bakopoulou Athina , Leyhausen Gabriele , Geurtsen Werner , Koidis Petros
Published: October 2012

Stem cell-based dental tissue regeneration is a new and exciting field that has the potential to transform the way that we practice dentistry. It is, however, imperative its clinical application is supported by solid basic and translational research. In this way, the full extent of the potential risks involved in the use of these technologies will be understood, and the means to prevent them will be discovered. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to analyze the state-of-the-science with regard to dental pulp stem cell research in dental tissue engineering, the new developments in biomimetic scaffold materials customized for dental tissue applications, and to give a prospectus with respect to translational approaches of these research findings towards clinical application.
Can Activated Platelet Rich Plasma Combined with Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Be Used to Treat Skin Wrinkles?
Authors: Van Pham Phuc , Dang Loan Thi-Tung , Truong Nhung Hai , Phan Ngoc Kim
Published: October 2012

In recent years, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Adipose-Derived Stem Cells (ADSCs) have been used separately for many clinical applications, especially skin rejuvenation. A combined injection of PRP and ADSCs could therefore be used to treat skin wrinkles. However, there are controversies and reports with conflicting results regarding the efficacy of this treatment. The authors aimed to determine the anti-wrinkle and skin rejuvenation mechanism of combined PRP and ADSCs treatment. The effects of PRP and ADSCs isolated from the same consenting donors were evaluated using in vitro and in vivo models. The in vitro effects of PRP and ADSCs on dermal fibroblast proliferation, collagen production, and inhibition of Matrix Metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) production were investigated using a co-culture model. Fibroblasts and ADSCs were cultured within the same dish, but in two separate cavities (using an insert plate), in the presence of the same PRP-supplemented medium. In vivo, the authors evaluated the effects of combined PRP and ADSCs on skin histochemistry, including changes in the dermal layer and collagen production in photo-aged skin (mice). They also determined the survival and differentiation of grafted ADSCs. The results show that combined PRP and ADSCs strongly stimulate in vitro fibroblast proliferation, collagen production, and inhibition of MMP-1 synthesis. Intra-dermal co-injection of PRP and ADSCs was observed to stimulate increased dermal layer thickness and collagen production compared with the untreated group. These results indicate that a combined PRP and ADSC injection can reduce wrinkles more effectively than either PRP or ADSC alone, and provide insight into the clinical use of PRP combined with ADSCs for dermal applications, particularly skin rejuvenation.
Efficient Execution of Dataflows on Parallel and Heterogeneous Environments
Authors: Teodoro George
Published: October 2012

Current advances in computer architectures have transformed clusters, traditional high performance distributed platforms, into hierarchical environments, where each node has multiple heterogeneous processing units including accelerators such as GPUs. Although parallel heterogeneous environments are becoming common, their efficient use is still an open problem. Current tools for development of parallel applications are mainly concerning with the exclusive use of accelerators, while it is argued that the adequate coordination of heterogeneous computing cores can significantly improve performance. The approach taken in this chapter to efficiently use such environments, which is experimented in the context of replicated dataflow applications, consists of scheduling processing tasks according to their characteristics and to the processors specificities. Thus, we can better utilize the available hardware as we try to execute each task into the best-suited processor for it. The proposed approach has been evaluated using two applications, for which there were previously available CPU-only and GPU-only implementations. The experimental results show that using both devices simultaneously can improve the performance significantly; moreover, the proposed method doubled the performance of a demand driven approach that utilizes both CPU and GPU, on the two applications in several scenarios.
Deadlock Prevention with Wormhole Routing
Authors: Levitin Lev , Karpovsky Mark , Mustafa Mehmet
Published: October 2012

The problem of preventing deadlocks and livelocks in computer communication networks with wormhole routing is considered. The method to prevent deadlocks is to prohibit certain turns (i.e., the use of certain pairs of connected edges) in the routing process, in such a way that eliminates all cycles in the graph. A new algorithm that constructs a minimal (irreducible) set of turns that breaks all cycles and preserves connectivity of the graph is proposed and analyzed. The algorithm is tree-free and is considerably simpler than earlier cycle-breaking algorithms. The properties of the algorithm are proven, and lower and upper bounds for minimum cardinalities of cycle-breaking connectivity preserving sets for graphs of general topology, as well as for planar graphs, are presented. In particular, the algorithm guarantees that not more than 1/3 of all turns in the network become prohibited. Experimental results are presented on the fraction of prohibited turns, the distance dilation, as well as on the message delivery times and saturation loads for the proposed algorithm in comparison with known tree-based algorithms. The proposed algorithm outperforms the tree-based algorithms in all characteristics that were considered.
On the Dissemination of IEEE 802.11p Warning Messages in Distributed Vehicular Urban Networks
Authors: Costa-Montenegro Enrique , Peleteiro Ana M. , Burguillo Juan C. , Vales-Alonso Javier , Barragáns-Martínez Ana Belén
Published: October 2012

IEEE 802.11p is a technology used for communication among vehicles, related to security issues, warning of incidents, or mere exchange of different types of information. Future cars will have the ability to communicate among them and with roadside data systems to spread information about congestion, road conditions, and accidents. They will also have access to travel-related Internet services, publicity from business nearby, tourist information, or even to exchange user files. In this chapter, the authors base their work on an ad-hoc highly configurable agent-based simulator that models communication among cars in a distributed vehicular urban network. Using this model, they provide different measurements concerning coverage and dissemination times to describe the behavior of the standard protocol for disseminating warning messages. Based on the results obtained, the chapter presents proposals to enhance the behavior of the protocol, some of them changing the specification, and others with the use of location-based information.
Computational Approaches to Measurement of Visual Attention
Authors: Haspel Nurit , Shell Alison , Deutsch Curtis K.
Published: October 2012

Alterations in gazing patterns and visual attention have often been noted among patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) relative to neurotypical individuals. Here, the authors discuss visual attention with a particular focus on attention overselectivity. Overselectivity is observed when a subject focuses on a limited subset of available stimuli, or attends to a limited spatial field of vision. It is a widely-observed problem among individuals with IDD, notably, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In this chapter, the authors survey computational and experimental approaches to analyze selective visual attention patterns, including overselectivity. These may provide useful computational frameworks for modeling visual attention in ASD patients and quantifying how it differs from neurotypical patterns. Computer-automated routines would be a boon for the field, distilling key dependent measures for aberrant attentional processes (a) for group studies of pathological processes and (b) on a single-subject basis for clinical description and possible remediation of attentional deficits.
Task, Timing, and Representation in Visual Object Recognition
Authors: Rothenstein Albert L.
Published: October 2012

Most biologically-inspired models of object recognition rely on a feed-forward architecture in which abstract representations are gradually built from simple representations, but recognition performance in such systems drops when multiple objects are present in the input. This chapter puts forward the proposal that by using multiple passes of the visual processing hierarchy, both bottom-up and top-down, it is possible to address the limitations of feed-forward architectures and explain the different recognition behaviors that primate vision exhibits. The model relies on the reentrant connections that are ubiquitous in the primate brain to recover spatial information, and thus allow for the selective processing of stimuli. The chapter ends with a discussion of the implications of this work, its explanatory power, and a number of predictions for future experimental work.
Local Constraints for the Perception of Binocular 3D Motion
Authors: Lages Martin , Heron Suzanne , Wang Hongfang
Published: October 2012

The authors discuss local constraints for the perception of three-dimensional (3D) binocular motion in a geometric-probabilistic framework. It is shown that Bayesian models of binocular 3D motion can explain perceptual bias under uncertainty and predict perceived velocity under ambiguity. The models exploit biologically plausible constraints of local motion and disparity processing in a binocular viewing geometry. Results from computer simulations and psychophysical experiments support the idea that local constraints of motion and disparity processing are combined late in the visual processing hierarchy to establish perceived 3D motion direction.
Modeling Binocular and Motion Transparency Processing by Local Center-Surround Interactions
Authors: Raudies Florian , Neumann Heiko
Published: October 2012

Binocular transparency is perceived if two surfaces are seen in the same spatial location, but at different depths. Similarly, motion transparency occurs if two surfaces move differently over the same spatial location. Most models of motion or stereo processing incorporate uniqueness assumptions to resolve ambiguities of disparity or motion estimates and, thus, can not represent multiple features at the same spatial location. Unlike these previous models, the authors of this chapter suggest a model with local center-surround interaction that operates upon analogs of cell populations in velocity or disparity domain of the ventral second visual area (V2) and dorsal medial middle temporal area (MT) in primates, respectively. These modeled cell populations can encode motion and binocular transparency. Model simulations demonstrate the successful processing of scenes with opaque and transparent materials, not previously reported. Results suggest that motion and stereo processing both employ local center-surround interactions to resolve noisy and ambiguous disparity or motion input from initial correlations.
Implementation and Evaluation of a Computational Model of Attention for Computer Vision
Authors: Da Silva Matthieu Perreira , Courboulay Vincent
Published: October 2012

In the field of scene analysis for computer vision, a trade-off must be found between the quality of the results expected and the amount of computer resources allocated for each task. Using an adaptive vision system provides a more flexible solution as its analysis strategy can be changed according to the information available concerning the execution context. The authors describe how to create and evaluate a visual attention system tailored for interacting with a computer vision system so that it adapts its processing according to the interest (or salience) of each element of the scene. The authors propose a new set of constraints called ‘PAIRED’ to evaluate the adequacy of a model with respect to its different applications. The authors then justify why dynamical systems are a good choice for visual attention simulation, and we show that predator-prey models provide good properties for simulating the dynamic competition between different kinds of information. They present different results (cross-correlation, Kullback-Leibler divergence, normalized scanpath salience) that demonstrate that, in spite of being fast and highly configurable, their results are as plausible as existing models designed for high biological fidelity.
LIMS Deployment in an Assay Service Environment
Authors: Clark Roger , Wingfield Jonathan
Published: October 2012

In 2006 AstraZeneca (AZ) executed a strategy to centralise all biochemical screening activities within one of its Research Areas, into a single team. This team had the remit to deliver data faster and more consistently, whilst reducing the FTE’s deployed against such activities. Keeping the team small, AZ hoped to facilitate more flexible use of resources, remaining agile enough to respond to changing business demands; however this centralised approach brought with it a fresh set of challenges, not least of which was information management. This review describes a successful LIMS implementation within AZ (who deployed a customised COTS solution in just four months). It outlines the steps taken over the initial system development life cycle and highlights the requirement for dedicated in-house resource (with intimate domain knowledge) coupled with experienced vendor personnel. It goes on to explore the requirement for continued evolution of the system and the challenges this posed.
Ashok Leyland
Authors: Seetharaman Priya , Sajjad Ambreen Alam
Published: October 2012

An organization that has been traditionally known to have a strong in house information technology development team and has successfully managed a home grown ERP solution for over a decade faces a transition point. Ashok Leyland, a large leading Indian automobile manufacturer is faced with the dilemma of moving to a product based ERP platform or continuing with the homegrown ERP solution. The challenges with the homegrown ERP solution are evident to the GM, but the potential challenges of the product platform are not crystal clear. What path should he take?
Operative vs. Technical Role Management in Emergency Organizations
Authors: Kurki Taina , Sihvonen Hanna-Miina
Published: October 2012

Operative role management relates to delegating the right roles to the right resources at a specific moment. Role management is commonly understood as technical role management, relating to access control and administrative role management. Operative role management is the practical daily work of emergency organizations’ personnel and relates to overall resource management. The authors have carried out in-depth ethnographic research on the topic and distinguish the difference between operative and technical role management. The research for this paper concentrates on the practical work processes of the emergency management staff and not merely on the information systems and their functionalities. They focus on describing the interdependencies between the two role management approaches with examples from our field studies and findings from literature.
Social Media – Viable for Crisis Response?
Authors: Jennex Murray E.
Published: October 2012

On September 8, 2011, the Great San Diego/Southwest Blackout occurred affecting approximately 5 million people. This paper explores the availability and use of social media as a crisis response tool following such a crisis event. Contrary to expectations, Internet and the cell phone system had less than the expected availability and as a result, users had a difficult time using social media to status/contact family and friends (even though they wanted to). This paper presents a survey exploring and analyzing the use and availability of social media during the Great San Diego/Southwest Blackout event.
Web Portal
Authors: Martins Tiago , Carvalho Vítor , Soares Filomena
Published: October 2012

The Web is an extraordinary success, for its simplicity. This simplicity has brought disadvantages, because with vast amounts of information available, the search is a difficult, time-consuming and sometimes inefficient task, creating the need for a strategic information management. To overcome this need came the portals. The characteristics of portals differ from each other, which made them appear different definitions. Also arose several classifications of portals, one of which considers three dimensions to classify them: the scope of content, the aim of the portal and the range of its intended users. With this work, the authors intend to build a Web Portal to support one or more serious games. A database is shared with the Web Portal. This portal will serve to make an interface between the user and the games, for the dissemination and support of these and as a platform for managing and monitoring results.
Patients’ Confidentiality
Authors: McGowan Claire
Published: October 2012

Critical care providers are often privy to confidential information in the course of clinical practice. A dilemma can arise when confidential information is requested by family members or friends of the patient. Critical care nurses must be aware of the regulations regarding confidentiality, as well as situations where the use and disclosure of protected health information are permitted.
Coagulopathy in the Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Dressler Diane K.
Published: October 2012

Coagulopathy is a potential problem for many critically ill patients, placing them at risk for hemorrhage. Critical illness activates both hemostasis and the inflammatory-immune system, leading to both physiological and potentially pathophysiological responses. Following complex surgery or trauma, patients are at high risk for development of problems such as thrombocytopenia and postoperative bleeding, challenging nurses to recognize and manage these problems. The clinical manifestations of coagulopathy may be obvious or occult, and correlation with the coagulation panel results is a complex process. Transfusion of blood and components has long been an important part of patient management, but is known to put patients at risk for transfusion-related complications. Current clinical practice guidelines provide blood conservation strategies and criteria to guide decisions on transfusion therapy.
Cutting Edge: Regulation of Intestinal Inflammation and Barrier Function by IL-17C
Authors: Reynolds Joseph M. , Martinez Gustavo J. , Nallaparaju Kalyan C. , Chang Seon Hee , Wang Yi-Hong , Dong Chen
Published: October 2012

In the IL-17 family of cytokines, much is known about the sources and functions of IL-17, IL-17F, and IL-25 in the host defense against infection and in inflammatory diseases; however, the physiological function of IL-17C remains poorly understood. Using mice deficient in IL-17C, we demonstrate that this cytokine is crucial for the regulation of an acute experimental colitis elicited by dextran sulfate sodium. In this model, mice lacking IL-17C exhibited exacerbated disease that was associated with increased IL-17 expression by γδ T cells and Th17 cells. Moreover, IL-17C directly regulated the expression of the tight junction molecule occludin by colonic epithelial cells. Thus, our data suggest that IL-17C plays a critical role in maintaining mucosal barrier integrity.