bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enquête sur la genèse du Deuxième quatuor à cordes de Michael Finnissy
Authors: Bayley Amanda
Published: July 2013

Cet essai porte sur le processus de composition de son Deuxième quatuor à cordes par Michael Finissy en 2006-2007. Les sources principales de l’étude sont des entretiens semi-structurés avec le compositeur qui ont eu lieu durant une période de plus de deux ans, tant pendant qu’après la composition. L’enregistrement des interactions entre compositeur et instrumentistes a conféré une dimension supplémentaire à la saisie du processus créateur. Si le compositeur n’a pas suscité d’interventions des interprètes au cours de l’écriture, en revanche, son travail avec eux lorsqu’ils répétaient le Quatuor a produit d’importants éléments de contextualisation de ses décisions compositionnelles. Cette contextualisation est prolongée par les entretiens que nous avons menés avec Finissy à propos de ses influences, des sources du matériau mis en œuvre, de ses méthodes de développement. Le retour avec les acteurs sur leur matériau de travail passé provoque des observations spontanées qui stimulent, chez le chercheur, de nouvelles interprétations et analyses de la musique.
La « Genèse » de Salammbô
Authors: Bouvier Agnès
Published: July 2013

L’insertion dans Salammbô de la traduction/adaptation d’un récit de genèse issu des fragments d’une Histoire phénicienne de Philon, amène à s’interroger globalement sur l’œuvre comme résurrection fictive d’un monde et d’une langue perdus qui menace la charge symbolique du texte biblique dans la tradition occidentale. La comparaison de la traduction de Flaubert avec plusieurs traductions contemporaines met en évidence sa volonté de retrouver le caractère énigmatique et étranger au rationalisme occidental de l’original perdu, de restaurer – et de repenser – une langue épousant la dynamique du vivant et de la matière. Du même coup, le texte biblique de la Genèse se trouve lui-même dénoncé implicitement comme détournement et avatar dérisoire d’un original matérialiste, et son autorité est sourdement attaquée par le roman flaubertien et la manière dont il ordonne en strates poétiques la série historique des discours. De ce point de vue, Salammbô intériorise et approfondit le travail de déconstruction des textes sacrés par les Lumières et représente une version poétique radicale de la modernité (dont le retour à l’origine est la clé paradoxale) comme mise en cause des traditions judéo-chrétiennes.
L’illumination lointaine des tablettes d’argile. Le statut de « l’intertexte mésopotamien » dans la genèse de Vents de Saint-John Perse
Authors: Hartmann Esa Christine
Published: July 2013

Une découverte surprenante permit d’enrichir le dossier génétique du poème Vents (1946) de Saint-John Perse : les notes documentaires manuscrites, rencontrées par Christian Rivoire dans les archives de la Fondation Saint-John Perse d’Aix-en-Provence, livrent des éclaircissements exégétiques de nombreux passages obscurs de l’œuvre, et conduisent à une réorientation considérable de l’interprétation du poème. Prises à partir d’un livre d’anthropologie antique qui, curieusement, ne figure pas dans la bibliothèque personnelle du poète conservée à la Fondation, La Divination chez les Assyriens et les Babyloniens du Dr Georges Contenau, ces notes se constituent en un avant-texte du poème naissant, où émerge une véritable écriture poétique. L’article est suivi d’un entretien avec Christian Rivoire, exposant les motivations idéologiques, les étapes méthodologiques et les conséquences herméneutiques de sa recherche dans les archives.
Incidences génétiques des Cahiers de Paul Valéry
Authors: Celeyrette-Pietri Nicole , Hontebeyrie Micheline
Published: July 2013

L’aventure des Cahiers, poursuivie par Paul Valéry durant plus de cinquante années, dévoile un manœuvrier de l’écriture. Ce quasi « journal de bord », qui, sous les divers masques de l’Ego, explore sa pensée, engage un subtil dialogue entre le fonctionnement propre du Moi et celui de l’homme universel. L’avatar intellectuel « Je pense, donc je puis » n’occulte pas les affres d’une vive sensibilité cherchant à traduire en « Langage des Dieux » les états liés à l’Éros. Et le langage « absolu », qui à l’écriture associe souvent le dessin, sa quête ad libitum, multipliant les exercices sous la figure métaphorique de Gladiator, tandis que Valéry, en parallèle, applique à l’Histoire et aux événements du « monde actuel » la clairvoyance de ses regards. Journal à la manière valéryenne, hors visée d’une « fabrication » à des fins littéraires, la « recherche infinie » des Cahiers recèle une richesse génétique évidente.
Genèses du Tour through Italy de Stendhal (1811-1813)
Authors: Mariette-Clot Catherine
Published: July 2013

La découverte au printemps 2008 d’une des copies de 1813 du Tour through Italy (1811), corrigée de la main de Stendhal, est à l’origine d’une volonté de reconstituer les différentes strates d’un dossier génétique presque complet ; deux ensembles s’en dégagent : un autographe de 1811, simple journal de voyage, censé consigner des événements advenus au jour le jour ; trois séries de copies, retravaillées en 1813, et dont la destination est sans doute de constituer un réservoir d’écriture pour des publications à venir. Dans Rome, Naples et Florence en 1817, L’Italie en 1818, Rome, Naples et Florence (1826), Promenades dans Rome (1829), on retrouve en effet des « extraits » de cette matière première de 1811-1813. Cet exemple nous permet d’avancer une hypothèse sur la méthode de composition stendhalienne : le « Journal » n’est pas seulement une écriture pour soi mais une sorte d’hypotexte toujours susceptible d’être modifié.
« Le texte postcolonial n’existe pas »
Authors: Combe Dominique
Published: July 2013

La théorie postcoloniale du monde anglophone paraît étrangère à l’idée même d’une génétique des textes. Un malentendu persistant divise la critique postcoloniale du monde anglo-saxon et la critique française, encore souvent hostile à une approche interdisciplinaire considérée comme trop générale et, surtout, idéologique. Le rapport au texte est sans doute l’une des raisons majeures de ce malentendu. Négligeant, oubliant même la textualité des œuvres, la critique postcoloniale les traverse pour accéder aux idéologies et aux situations sociopolitiques qui président à leur naissance. Alors même qu’elle reproche à la critique génétique son défaut de « théorie », la critique postcoloniale met en place nombre d’éléments susceptibles de nourrir une réflexion sur la genèse : textualité de l’univers colonial comme « discours », procédés d’intertextualité et de réécriture, rôle du bilinguisme et des langues en général dans la définition d’un corpus spécifique, etc. Ces éléments, centraux dans la théorie postcoloniale, sont susceptibles d’être repensés en termes de genèse. Cette convergence de la génétique et des études postcoloniales, outre sa portée heuristique, devrait permettre un examen critique, à distance, des apports de la théorie postcoloniale.
L’amour La poétique
Authors: Meitinger Serge
Published: July 2013

Notre travail de génétique sur l’origine du poème « Lignes », poème qui est devenu le liminaire de Sylves (1927), tente de résoudre une petite énigme : pourquoi ce poème, alors intitulé « Poétique », est-il paru dans l’éphémère revue Zodiaque, à Port-Louis (Île Maurice) en décembre 1925, avec deux autres poèmes d’inspiration délibérément amoureuse et tous deux dédiés à la belle Sahondra ? L’étude des manuscrits nous révèle que les premiers jets du poème qui nous intéresse esquissent bien, eux aussi, une stance à Sahondra en mettant en évidence d’emblée un battement dialectique, celui d’une forme-sens, entre dévoilement espéré et nécessaire revoilement. Ce rythme, applicable à l’invite amoureuse adressée à l’aimée, se trouve bientôt en mesure de qualifier l’essor poétique même par l’entremise d’un intertexte mallarméen. La conjonction, dans la troisième esquisse, des termes « azur » et « hanter », permet au poète de réorienter le mouvement en l’appliquant au poème lui-même et de tracer le programme d’une poétique à la fois exigeante et tempérée, rigoureuse et sensuelle.
Des éditions génétiques haïtiennes : pourquoi ? pour qui ? comment ?
Authors: Jonassaint Jean
Published: July 2013

Partant des questions de Sartre dans Qu’est-ce que la littérature ?, cet article met en lumière le Pourquoi, le Pour qui, et le Comment d’une entreprise d’édition génétique d’œuvres haïtiennes, plus particulièrement de Dézafi/Les Affres d’un défi de Frankétienne. En effet, pour la période contemporaine, ces œuvres sont fort caractéristiques des productions littéraires haïtiennes avec leur double tension : d’une part, linguistique – langue de la majorité de la population (l’haïtien)/langue principale des productions littéraires (le français) – ; d’autre part spatiale – l’ici de la représentation/l’ailleurs des procès de production et de consécration. Enfin, sur le plan théorique, il montre comment une telle recherche peut contribuer à enrichir la génétique textuelle, notamment sur le plan des traductions auctoriales et de la stylistique comparée.
La critique génétique en Argentine : précurseurs, irruption et état actuel
Authors: Lois Élida
Published: July 2013

L’article brosse un tableau du paysage des études génétiques en Argentine. Au xixe siècle, le juriste Juan Bautista Alberdi fut un précurseur de la critique génétique. Dans le premier tiers du xxe siècle, ce pays dispose de quelques études de variantistica au sein d’une tradition philologique. En 1983, quasiment en même temps qu’arrivent d’Europe les premiers travaux génétiques, paraît, sous la plume d’Ana Maria Barrenechea, le premier ouvrage, consacré à une œuvre de Cortazar, qui témoigne d’un vrai renouvellement. Nourrie de traditions nationales, elle y développe une nouvelle conception de « texte » et introduit « l’avant-texte ». Suit en 2001, d’Elida Lois, le premier manuel de critique génétique écrit en espagnol. Au plan des éditions, réalisés au sein de la collection « Archivos », paraissent une dizaine de volumes (dont certains sur CD-ROM). En même temps, l’Argentine a réalisé une réelle politique de sauvegarde de ses fonds littéraires ; ainsi l’université de La Plata dispose du fonds immense de Manuel Puig, qui est maintenant mis en ligne.
Jules Verne : un processus d’écriture sous contraintes
Authors: Scheinhardt Philippe
Published: July 2013

Devenu célèbre, Jules Verne reçoit souvent la visite de journalistes qui l’interrogent aussi bien sur sa vie que sur son œuvre. De ces entretiens, il ressort que l’écrivain respecte comme tant d’autres des rites de création : habitudes de documentation, méthode de genèse littéraire. Ces rites, en écho à la contrainte externe du programme encyclopédique des Voyages extraordinaires, remplissent la fonction de contraintes internes au service de l’acte créateur. Ils renseignent sur les diverses phases du processus d’écriture de Jules Verne et présentent des critères de comparaison possible avec d’autres écrivains du xixe siècle. Il faut toutefois être prudent, en confrontant le discours avec les faits, à savoir les traces laissées par les manuscrits. C’est à ce dessein que tend l’étude génétique du dénouement dans Le Tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours où apparaît un aspect oublié par les entretiens, la tutelle exercée sur l’œuvre en chantier par son éditeur Hetzel.
Fact, Fiction, and Disruptive Pedagogies
Authors: Kenney Jacqueline L.
Published: July 2013

This chapter explores potentially disruptive pedagogies. A conceptual frame is developed from characteristic features of disruptive pedagogies, including motivation, engagement, higher-order thinking, sociability, and fun in learning. The frame is applied to review how an undergraduate consumer behaviour learning design is used, preferred, and experienced by learners using data from two face-to-face cohorts in comparison to historic course feedback. Evidence of disruptive pedagogies existed in the context of technology-rich and focused activity and interactive collaborative learning settings. The design engaged and supported learning and its experience, in different ways, for different learners. Results indicate the importance of multiple, varied technologies with deep embedment in the learning design and disruptive pedagogies that confer control to learners. Socio-affective design elements using technologies increased diverse learner participation in voluntary and informal activities, in class and online.
Ten Rules of Thumb in Blended and Flexible Learning
Authors: Rafferty John M. , Munday Jenni , Buchan Janet
Published: July 2013

As emerging Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) are increasingly being engaged as pedagogical tools, the role of traditional academic values might be overlooked. This chapter highlights some of the challenges faced by educators as they reconcile their own pedagogical reasoning with the engagement opportunities presented through ICTs. It also reports on a study that followed the introduction of three blended-mode university subjects into teacher education programs over several years. The research resulted in identifying ten considerations for an effective pedagogy to use for flexible and blended learning, and it identified ten organizational limitations of applying good pedagogical practices in pursuing blended-mode learning. The chapter also provides an example of the benefits of engaging a heuristic inquiry process when developing pedagogy. It is argued that a heuristic inquiry process provides a framework that allows for a variety of important perspectives to be recognized and acted upon.
Giving Teaching Advice Meaning
Authors: Cameron Leanne
Published: July 2013

Moving a course to a blended, online, or distance environment prompts some level of course evaluation and re-design. Having an understanding of the teaching process, both within and across the disciplines, can have a profound effect in developing a cohesive academic program. With an understanding of pedagogy, an effective course developer can implement positive pedagogical change without undermining a discipline’s integrity. The course developer needs to have an awareness not only of how, but of what and why knowledge is taught within a discipline. An in-depth understanding of a subject cannot be achieved by a few generalized sessions with an academic. In a face-to-face setting, poor course design can often be compensated for by an astute academic where physical cues can be received directly from the students and delivery can be immediately adjusted accordingly. In online or distance learning, however, it can be harder to gauge student concern, so poor course design can have a devastating effect on student learning. This chapter highlights the importance of contextualising pedagogical instruction within a discipline when undertaking course evaluation and/or redesign.
Six Practical Principles for Inclusive Curriculum Design
Authors: Kerr Sharon , Baker Michaela
Published: July 2013

Within the context of the Australian higher education sector, this chapter aims to draw together the principles of inclusive curriculum design and Universal Instructional Design (Silver, Bourke, & Strehorn, 1998) to provide lecturers and curriculum designers with concrete advice on how to design curricula that are both inclusive and accessible. Through a review of the literature and the introduction of six practical principles, the chapter sheds light on the importance of inclusive curriculum design for all students, and, more particularly, students studying in online, distance, or blended modes.
The Pedagogical Suitability of Using Cell Phones to Support Distance Education Students
Authors: Makoe Mpine
Published: July 2013

The use of mobile technologies in education has had a major impact on the pedagogy as known and understood by many academics in Open Distance Learning (ODL) institutions. The aim of this chapteer is to investigate the pedagogic approaches that best support effective use of cell phones in the distance education context. This is done through highlighting some of the theories of learning and analysing how they can be used to enhance social interaction to support distance learners. Social interaction is used as a conceptual framework to explore the pedagogy that can be supported by ‘MXit’—a cell phone instant messaging system. The idea is to utilise devices that students already use in their informal learning social context to develop formal learning opportunities and support mechanisms for distance education students.
Rethinking Reusability
Authors: Wills Sandra
Published: July 2013

This chapter provides the results of a study that tracked the use of fifty-three online role-plays in Australian higher education over the period 1990–2006, calculating that forty-five of these were a reuse of another role-play. Most reused the design of another role-play (82%) whereas only a handful reused a role-play itself (18%) which confirms the relevance of learning designs as a reusability construct but raises concerns about learning objects. The instances of reuse of the same role-play involved four role-plays which were analyzed in more detail. This fuller history of reuse post-2006 provided a rich sample for: Exploring issues around what is meant by “reuse,” describing factors that could improve the design of reusable learning objects (RLOs). The implications from this study apply in particular to RLOs that involve active, authentic and collaborative learning such as online role-plays.
Facilitating Immersion in Virtual Worlds
Authors: Farley Helen
Published: July 2013

Virtual worlds, in particular Second Life and Open Sim, are providing welcome opportunities for the development of innovative curricula for tertiary educators, particularly those engaged with distance education. They provide a virtual meeting ground for those students and teachers who are geographically remote from one another, rendering distance irrelevant and enabling the formation of community. This chapter looks at those factors—physical, social, virtual, and those related to pedagogy—which facilitate immersion in virtual worlds; that suspension of disbelief which generates the feeling of presence or “being there,” crucial to promoting student engagement and ultimately, flow.
Learning and Teaching in Second Life
Authors: Gregory Sue , Willems Julie , Wood Denise , Hay Lyn , Ellis Allan H. , Jacka Lisa
Published: July 2013

Formal off-campus flexible learning has been a feature of higher education since the 19th century. The introduction of various educational technologies over the years has provided additional opportunities for learners to undertake courses offered anytime and in any location, providing greater flexibility for the development of cost-effective learner-centred curricula. With the emergence of 3D virtual worlds such as Second Life in 2003, educators are quick to realise the potential of such immersive environments to extend the flexible learner-centred approaches that have been a feature of off-campus learning over the decades. However, the benefits of technology-enhanced learning can be contradictory and incompatible and can both widen and reduce access to education. Despite the proliferation of articles attesting to the benefits of teaching in virtual worlds such as Second Life, until relatively recently, there has been a lack of empirical evidence reporting on the learning outcomes for students participating in these virtual learning sessions. Good pedagogical practices must be taken into consideration when educating in a virtual world. The case studies presented in this chapter aim to go some way in addressing this perceived gap in the literature. In this chapter, six authors from five Australian Universities provide their accounts of teaching in a virtual world and report on the learning outcomes as well as their students’ perceptions of their learning experiences.
Attrition in the Digital Age
Authors: Reed Kate , Wise Nathan , Tynan Belinda , Bossu Carina
Published: July 2013

Distance education (learning and teaching by distance modes of information exchange) is often characterised by having higher attrition rates (often labelled as “drop-out” or “withdrawal”) compared to traditional face-to-face (or “on-campus”) education. It has been claimed that no area of research in distance education has received more attention; such is the concern surrounding attrition. This chapter suggests that a holistic understanding of the numerous, complex, and interlinked factors that may contribute to a learner choosing to discontinue their studies continues to elude researchers. Furthermore, attrition may not always be a negative outcome; for example, a learner may have achieved the desired skill set from their studies. In the current higher education climate it is imperative for universities to maintain student enrolments. Attrition directly impacts upon wasted expenditure and loss of revenue for an institution. Additionally, withdrawing from tertiary studies can have consequences for the distance learner. This chapter explores underlying concerns and identify key questions and gaps regarding attrition in distance education for the digital age.
Supervising Higher Degree Research (HDR) Candidates at a Distance
Authors: Willems Julie , Farley Helen , Ellis Allan H. , McCormick Debbie , Walker Dan
Published: July 2013

New information and communication technologies provide opportunities and challenges for teachers. Emerging virtual world technologies, such as Second Life, are a current example of this. Early adopters and innovators are currently exploring what these technologies offer specific cohorts of students, such as the distance higher degree by research (HDR) candidate. This chapter explores the experiences of three educators and four HDR candidates using virtual worlds as part of the supervisory process. Each case study explores the potentials and pitfalls of the medium from the individual’s perspective, and suggests solutions to overcoming some of the challenges. Subsequent thematic analysis of the case studies helps to support the field of literature on using virtual worlds in formal education. Demonstrating the potential merit of virtual worlds to support the HDR candidate, the chapter concludes with a range of possible research directions for this new and exciting field of study.
Gaze-Based Assistive Technologies
Authors: Pfeiffer Thies
Published: July 2013

The eyes play an important role both in perception and communication. Technical interfaces that make use of their versatility can bring significant improvements to those who are unable to speak or to handle selection tasks elsewise such as with their hands, feet, noses or tools handled with the mouth. Using the eyes to enter texts into a computer system, which is called gaze-typing, is the most prominent gaze-based assistive technology. The article reviews the principles of eye movements, presents an overview of current eye-tracking systems, and discusses several approaches to gaze-typing. With the recent advent of mobile eye-tracking systems, gaze-based assistive technology is no longer restricted to interactions with desktop-computers. Gaze-based assistive technology is ready to expand its application into other areas of everyday life. The second part of the article thus discusses the use of gaze-based assistive technology in the household, or “the wild,” outside one’s own four walls.
Free Assistive Technology Software for Persons with Motor Disabilities
Authors: Pino Alexandros
Published: July 2013

Free assistive technology software can be an answer to various problems of the market, most importantly the products’ high cost. The focus of this chapter is on open source software and freeware available at online repositories like Raising the Floor, EmpTech, Adaptech, ATHENA, OATSoft, and Project:Possibility. The most important features and suggested information fields for each included application are presented, followed by a comparison of the repositories in the context of these features. Finally, brief descriptions and prominent examples of free AT applications are given in the following categories: augmentative and alternative communication, click helpers, content simplification, eye control, games, head control, joystick control, media players, mouse enhancers, on-screen keyboards, scanning, shortcuts and macros, stylus control, switch control, talking browsers, text entry, text readers, voice control, and word prediction.
AsTeRICS
Authors: Miesenberger Klaus , Nussbaum Gerhard , Ossmann Roland
Published: July 2013

The authors outline the potential of sensor technology for people with disabilities and those people with motor disabilities in general. First the authors describe how people with disabilities interact with the environment using specialized Assistive Technologies (AT) to interface modern Information and Communication Technology (ICT) via the standardized Human-Computer Interface (HCI). The authors discuss the state-of-the-art and emerging sensor technology and how it enhances the potential of AT facilitated interaction with ICT/HCI regarding two domains: a) Sensor technology embedded in the environment providing flexible and adaptable means of interaction and b) sensor technology for better, more flexible and efficient application of skills of people with disabilities as AT solutions. Based on this analysis the authors advocate for changing AT practice in terms of assessment and service provision, but also R&D to recognize the extended potential provided by sensor technology to exploit presently unused or neglected skills of users. The authors underline the need to make AT solutions more flexible, adaptable, and affordable. the authors argue, in view of the potential of sensor technology, that there is an increasing need for an efficient software framework allowing an easy integration of sensor technology into AT solutions or even individual AT service provision. Finally the authors present the AsTeRICS framework as an example of an extendable AT construction set for an open source and crowed sourcing approach for a more user-centered, easy, fast, and economic implementation of sensor based or sensor enhanced AT solutions.
A Facial Expression Mediated Natural User Interface Communication Model for Children with Motor Impairments
Authors: Ann Ong Chin , Theng Lau Bee
Published: July 2013

This work was motivated by the limitations of the existing Assistive and Augmentative Communication tools to help children with Cerebral Palsy who have Motor Impairments (CP-MI). A novel model was designed, developed, and evaluated in order to help CP-MI children. The proposed model monitors and detects in real time the critical expressions on the CP-MI children’s faces. Subsequently, the critical expression is sent to the caretaker either by an audio alarm or as an SMS message through the mobile phone. Multiple pilot tests on the developed prototype were performed with normal human prior to the evaluation with the CP-MI children. Later, 21 CP-MI children from a special education school were being invited to participate in the evaluation. The evaluation results and findings showed that the idea of adopting the facial expression as an alternate communication medium is workable for the CP-MI children.
Shape Codification Indexing and Retrieval Using the Quad-Tree Structure
Authors: Aouat Saliha
Published: July 2013

The author presents in this paper a new approach for indexing and Content-based image retrieval based on the Quad-tree structure. The 3D objects are represented by their silhouettes and codified following the filling rate of each quadrant at different levels of the quad-tree subdivision. The author proposes a modified linear codification for silhouettes, this method improves the processing time because, in opposite to the traditional algorithms, the author’s algorithm has not a processing time that is proportional to the number of pixels in the image. As the same descriptor may characterize a set of different shapes, the author proposes also, efficient similarity measures to distinguish different objects having the same index in order to apply the approach to the retrieval process.
A Time Efficient Clustering Algorithm for Gray Scale Image Segmentation
Authors: Nayak Nihar Ranjan , Mishra Bikram Keshari , Rath Amiya Kumar , Swain Sagarika
Published: July 2013

The goal of image segmentation is to assign every image pixels into their respective sections that share a common visual characteristic. In this paper, the authors have evaluated the performances of three different clustering algorithms – the classical K-Means, a modified Watershed segmentation as proposed by A. R. Kavitha et al., (2010) and their proposed Improved Clustering method normally used for gray scale image segmentation. The authors have analyzed the performance measure which affects the result of gray scale segmentation by considering three very important quality measures that is – Structural Content (SC) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) as suggested by Jaskirat et al., (2012). Experimental result shows that, the proposed method gives remarkable consequence for the computed values of SC, RMSE and PSNR as compared to K-Means and modified Watershed segmentation. In addition to this, the end result of segmentation by means of the Proposed technique reduces the computational time as compared to the other two approaches irrespective of any input images.
Ensemble Classifier for Benign-Malignant Mass Classification
Authors: Hussain Muhammad
Published: July 2013

Mammography is currently the most effective imaging modality for early detection of breast cancer. In a CAD system for masses based on mammography, a mammogram is segmented to detect the masses. The segmentation gives rise to mass regions of interested (ROIs), which are either benign or malignant. There is a need to classify the extracted mass ROIs into benign and malignant masses; it is a hard problem because the texture micro-structures of benign and malignant masses have close resemblance. In this paper, a method for classifying mass ROIs into benign and malignant masses is presented. The key idea of the proposal is to build an ensemble classifier that employs Gabor features, consults different experts (classifiers) and takes the final decision based on majority vote. The system is evaluated on 512 (256 benign+256 malignant) mass ROIs extracted from mammograms of DDSM database. The ensemble classifier improves the classification rate for the problem of the discrimination of benign and malignant masses to 90.64%. Comparison with state-of-the-art techniques suggests that the proposed system outperforms similar methods.
Users’ Perception towards the “Safe Medication through Pharmacovigilance and Compliance Monitoring (Pharmacov)” Service
Authors: Karagiannis George E. , Tzachani Lida , Stamatopoulos Vasileios G. , Lazakidou Athina , Iliopoulou Dimitra , Petridou Maria , Gatzoulis Michael A.
Published: July 2013

A feasibility study was conducted to evaluate the acceptability and effectiveness of the “Safe medication through pharmacovigilance and compliance monitoring (PharmacoV)” service, an Internet-based interactive information tool that assists physicians in identifying potential Adverse Drug Events (ADEs) or contraindications when they are prescribing medicinal products to patients. The users’ perception was assessed by the means of a structured questionnaire containing Likert type responses ranging from 1 to 5. Five hundred eighty nine (n=589) healthcare professionals were enrolled during an eight (8) month trial of the service in London, UK during 2007. The vast majority of the healthcare professionals who participated in the study was very enthusiastic about the PharmacoV concept and perceived clear benefits in terms of accessing drug information. The authors’ results suggest that a well-designed intervention study is possible. This will allow the evaluation of the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of the intervention in the context of the different European healthcare systems, and may gradually shape an optimal health care system. Their study is limited to the specific extend that the pilot trial of the service could not be implemented as part of the routine clinical practice of the participating physicians mainly because of the need to continuously update the service functionality during the execution of the study.
Incremental Hyperplane Partitioning for Classification
Authors: Yang Tao , Guan Sheng-Uei , Song Jinghao , Zheng Binge , Cao Mengying , Yu Tianlin
Published: July 2013

The authors propose an incremental hyperplane partitioning approach to classification. Hyperplanes that are close to the classification boundaries of a given problem are searched using an incremental approach based upon Genetic Algorithm (GA). A new method - Incremental Linear Encoding based Genetic Algorithm (ILEGA) is proposed to tackle the difficulty of classification problems caused by the complex pattern relationship and curse of dimensionality. The authors solve classification problems through a simple and flexible chromosome encoding scheme, where the partitioning rules are encoded by linear equations rather than If-Then rules. Moreover, an incremental approach combined with output portioning and pattern reduction is applied to cope with the curse of dimensionality. The algorithm is tested with six datasets. The experimental results show that ILEGA outperform in both lower- and higher-dimensional problems compared with the original GA.
Modeling and Querying Continuous Fields with OLAP Cubes
Authors: Gómez Leticia Irene , Gómez Silvia Alicia , Vaisman Alejandro
Published: July 2013

The notion of SOLAP (Spatial On-Line Analytical Processing) is aimed at exploring spatial data in the same way as OLAP operates over tables. SOLAP, however, only accounts for discrete spatial data. Current decision support systems are increasingly being needed for handling more complex types of data, like continuous fields, which describe physical phenomena that change continuously in time and/or space (e.g., temperature). Although many models have been proposed for adding spatial (continuous and discrete) information to OLAP tools, no one is general enough to allow users to just perceive data as a cube, and analyze any type of spatial data together with typical alphanumerical discrete OLAP data, using only the classic OLAP operators (e.g., Roll-up, Drill-down). In this paper the authors propose a model and an algebra supporting it, that allow operating over data cubes, independently of the underlying data types and physical data representation. That means, in this approach, the final user only sees the typical OLAP operators at the query level, whereas at lower abstraction levels the authors provide discrete and continuous spatial data support as well as different ways of partitioning the space. As far as the authors are aware of, this is the first proposal, which provides such a general framework for spatiotemporal data analysis.
A BPMN-Based Design and Maintenance Framework for ETL Processes
Authors: El Akkaoui Zineb , Zimányi Esteban , Mazón Jose-Norberto , Trujillo Juan
Published: July 2013

Business Intelligence (BI) applications require the design, implementation, and maintenance of processes that extract, transform, and load suitable data for analysis. The development of these processes (known as ETL) is an inherently complex problem that is typically costly and time consuming. In a previous work, the authors have proposed a vendor-independent language for reducing the design complexity due to disparate ETL languages tailored to specific design tools with steep learning curves. Nevertheless, the designer still faces two major issues during the development of ETL processes: (i) how to implement the designed processes in an executable language, and (ii) how to maintain the implementation when the organization data infrastructure evolves. In this paper, the authors propose a model-driven framework that provides automatic code generation capability and ameliorate maintenance support of our ETL language. They present a set of model-to-text transformations able to produce code for different ETL commercial tools as well as model-to-model transformations that automatically update the ETL models with the aim of supporting the maintenance of the generated code according to data source evolution. A demonstration using an example is conducted as an initial validation to show that the framework covering modeling, code generation and maintenance could be used in practice.
Statistically Enhanced Multi-Dimensional Trust Computing Mechanism for Cloud Computing
Authors: Firdhous Mohamed , Hassan Suhaidi , Ghazali Osman
Published: July 2013

Quality of service plays an important role in distributed systems. Cloud computing has been the recent entrant to the distributed system market and has revolutionized computing by changing the way computing resources are accessed and paid for. Users can access cloud services and pay only for the usage similar to utilities. Trust computing systems can be employed for identifying the service providers quality in terms of their adherence to the committed in SLAs. Several trust computing mechanisms have been proposed in literature based on various algorithms and functions. Almost all of them are based on a single performance parameter and modify the trust scores monotonously when performance deviations are reported. This paper proposes a trust computing mechanism that statistically validates the attribute monitored before modifying the trust scores. Hence the proposed mechanism is protected from momentary fluctuations in system performances. The experiments conducted show that the trust scores computed using the proposed mechanism are more representative of the long term system performance than the ones that were computed without the validation of the inputs.
The Impact of Domain Knowledge on Structured Data Collection and Templated Note Design
Authors: McClay JC. , Windle JR. , Windle T.
Published: July 2013

Objective: The objective of this case report is to evaluate the importance of specialized domain knowledge when designing and using structured templated notes in a clinical environment.

Methods: To analyze the impact of specialization on structured note generation we compared notes generated for three scenarios: 1) We compared the templated history of present illness (HPI) for patients presenting with a dermatology concern to the dermatologist versus the emergency department. 2) We compared the evaluation of chest pain by ED physicians versus cardiologists. 3) Finally, we compared the data elements asked for in the evaluation of the gastrointestinal system between cardiologists and the liver transplant service (LTS). We used the SNOMED CT representation via BioPortal to evaluate specificity and grouping between data elements and specialized physician groups.

Results: We found few similarities in structured data elements designed by and for the specific physician groups. The distinctness represented both differences in granularity as well as fundamental differences in data elements requested. When compared to ED physicians, dermatologists had different and more granular elements while cardiologists requested much more granular data. Comparing cardiologists and LTS, there were differences in the data elements requested.

Conclusion: This case study supports the importance of domain knowledge in EHR design and implementation. That different specialities should want and use different information is well supported by cognitive science literature. Despite this, it is rare for domain knowledge to be considered in EHR implementation. Physicians with correct domain knowledge should be involved in the design process of templated notes.
Documentation and virtual reconstruction of historical objects in Peru damaged by an earthquake and climatic events
Authors: Hanzalová K. , Pavelka K.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. This paper deals with the possibilities of creating a 3-D model and a visualization technique for a presentation of historical buildings and sites in Peru. The project Nasca/CTU is documenting historical objects by using several techniques. This paper describes the documentation and the visualization of two historical churches (San Jose and San Xavier Churches) and the pre-Hispanic archaeological site La Ciudad Perdida de Huayuri (Abandoned town near Huayuri) in Nasca region by using photogrammetry and remote sensing. Both churches were damaged by an earthquake. We use different process for the documentation of these objects. Firstly, PhotoModeler software was used for the photogrammetric data processing of the acquired images. The subsequent making models of both churches were different too. Google SketchUp software was used for the San Jose Church and the 3-D model of San Xavier Church was created in MicroStation software. While in the modelling of the "Abandoned town" near Huayuri, which was destroyed by a climatic event (El Niño), the terrestrial photogrammetry, satellite data and GNSS measurement were applied. The general output of the project is a thematic map of this archaeological site; C14 method was used for dating.
Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar observations of anomalous electron heating in the E region
Authors: Makarevich R. A. , Koustov A. V. , Nicolls M. J.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. A comprehensive 2-year dataset collected with the Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR) located near Fairbanks, Alaska (MLAT = 65.4° N) is employed to identify and analyse 22 events of anomalous electron heating (AEH) in the auroral E region. The overall AEH occurrence probability is conservatively estimated to be 0.3% from nearly-continuous observations of the E region by PFISR, although it increases to 0.7–0.9% in the dawn and dusk sectors where all AEH events were observed. The AEH occurrence variation with MLT is broadly consistent with those of events with high convection velocity (>1000 m s−1) or electron temperature (> 800 K), except for much smaller AEH probability and absence of AEH events near magnetic midnight. This suggests that high convection electric field by itself is necessary but not sufficient for measurable electron heating by two-stream plasma waves. The multi-point observations are utilised to investigate the fundamental dependence of the electron temperature on the convection electric field, focusing on the previously-proposed saturation effects at extreme electric fields. The AEH dataset was found to exhibit considerable scatter and, on average, similar rate of the electron temperature increase with the electric field up to 100 mV m−1 as compared with previous studies. At higher (highest) electric fields, the electron temperatures are below the linear trend on average (within uncertainty). By employing a simple fluid model of AEH, it is demonstrated that some of this deviation from the linear trend may be due to a stronger vibrational cooling at very large temperatures and electric fields.
EISCAT and ESRAD radars observations of polar mesosphere winter echoes during solar proton events on 11–12 November 2004
Authors: Belova E. , Kirkwood S. , Sergienko T.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. Polar mesosphere winter echoes (PMWE) were detected by two radars, ESRAD at 52 MHz located near Kiruna, Sweden, and EISCAT at 224 MHz located near Tromsø, Norway, during the strong solar proton event on 11–12 November 2004. PMWE maximum volume reflectivity was estimated to be 3 × 10−15 m−1 for ESRAD and 2 × 10−18 m−1 for EISCAT. It was found that the shape of the echo power spectrum is close to Gaussian inside the PMWE layers, and outside of them it is close to Lorentzian, as for the standard ion line of incoherent scatter (IS). The EISCAT PMWE spectral width is about 5–7 m s−1 at 64–67 km and 7–10 m s−1 at 68–70 km. At the lower altitudes the PMWE spectral widths are close to those for the IS ion line derived from the EISCAT data outside the layers. At the higher altitudes the PMWE spectra are broader by 2–4 m s−1 than those for the ion line. The ESRAD PMWE spectral widths at 67–72 km altitude are 3–5 m s−1, that is, 2–4 m s−1 larger than ion line spectral widths modelled for the ESRAD radar. The PMWE spectral widths for both EISCAT and ESRAD showed no dependence on the echo strength. It was found that all these facts cannot be explained by turbulent origin of the echoes. We suggested that evanescent perturbations in the electron gas generated by the incident infrasound waves may explain the observed PMWE spectral widths. However, a complete theory of radar scatter from this kind of disturbance needs to be developed before a full conclusion can be made.
Magnetic susceptibility from electron holes
Authors: Treumann R. A. , Baumjohann W.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. A recent theory of magnetic field amplification in electron holes is extended to derive the magnetic susceptibility of an electron-hole gas propagating in a magnetic flux tube along the ambient magnetic field. It is shown that the hole gas behaves diamagnetic adding some small amount to the well-known Landau susceptibility in the hole-carrying volume.
Improvement of the sensitivity of a conductometric soot sensor by adding a conductive cover layer
Authors: Bartscherer P. , Moos R.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. Diesel particulate filters are emission-relevant devices of the exhaust gas aftertreatment system. They need to be monitored as a requirement of the on-board diagnosis. In order to detect a malfunction, planar sensors with interdigital electrodes on an insulating substrate can be installed downstream of the filter. During the loading phase, soot deposits onto the electrodes, but the sensor remains blind until the percolation threshold has been reached (initiation time) and the sensor current starts to flow. In order to detect small soot concentrations downstream of the filter from small defects, this initiation time needs to be as low as possible. One may reduce the initiation time by covering the interdigital electrodes with an electrically conductive layer. Using finite element method (FEM) simulations, the influence of conductivity and thickness of such a coating on the initiation time are determined. It is found that a thin, screen printable coating with a thickness of 20 μm and a conductivity in the range of 10−3 to 10−1 S m−1 may reduce the initiation time by about 40%. The FEM results were verified by a commercially available thick film resistor paste with a conductivity of 0.45 mS m−1, showing an improvement of about 40% compared to an uncoated sensor.
Grassland fire effect on soil organic carbon reservoirs in semiarid environment
Authors: Novara A. , Gristina L. , Rühl J. , Pasta S. , D'Angelo G. , La Mantia T. , Pereira P.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of a experimental fire, used for grassland management, on soil organic carbon (SOC) reservoirs. The study was carried out on Hyparrhenia hirta (L.) Stapf (Hh) grassland and Ampelodesmos mauritanicus (Desf.) T. Durand and Schinz (Am) grasslands, located in the north of Sicily. Soil samples were collected at 0–5 cm before and after experimental fire and SOC was measured. During grassland fire soil surface temperature was monitored. Biomass of both grasses was analyzed in order to determine dry weight and its chemical composition. The results showed that SOC varied significantly with vegetation cover, while it is not affected in the short period by grassland fire. Am grassland stored more SOC compared with Hh grassland thanks to lower content in biomass of labile carbon pool. No significant difference was observed in SOC before and after fire which could be caused by several factors: first, in both grassland types the measured soil temperature during fire was low due to thin litter layers; second, in semiarid environment higher mineralization rate results in lower soil carbon labile pool; and third, the C stored in the finest soil fractions, physical protected, is not affected by fire.