bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
History of malaria research and its contribution to the malaria control success in Suriname: a review
Authors: Breeveld Florence JV , Vreden Stephen GS , Grobusch Martin P
Published: March 2012

Suriname has cleared malaria from its capital city and coastal areas mainly through the successful use of chloroquine and DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) during the Global Malaria Eradication programme that started in 1955. Nonetheless, malaria transmission rates remained high in the interior of the country for a long time. An impressive decline in malaria cases was achieved in the past few years, from 14,403 registered cases in 2003 to 1,371 in 2009. The introduction of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) in 2004 has further fuelled the decrease in the number of infections with Plasmodium falciparum. The only population group still heavily burdened with malaria is gold mining industry workers. Interestingly, an important part of malaria cases diagnosed and treated in Suriname originate from border regions. Therefore, practical initiatives of combined efforts between neighbouring countries must be scaled up in order to effectively attack these specific areas. Furthermore, it is of vital importance to keep investing into the malaria control programme and public awareness campaigns. Especially the correct use of ACT must be promoted in order to prevent the emergence of resistance. However, effective preventive measures and adequate therapeutic options are on their own not enough to control, let alone eliminate malaria. Changing personal and social behaviour of people is particularly difficult, but crucial in making the current success sustainable. With this in mind, research on successfully implemented interventions, focusing on behavioural modifications and methods of measuring their effectiveness, must be expanded.
QoS-aware multihop routing in wireless sensor networks with power control using demodulation-and-forward protocol
Authors: Wu Jianjun , Ren Shubo , Jiang Yun , Song Lingyang
Published: March 2012

In this article, we propose a low-complexity joint power allocation and route planning algorithm for multiple antennas wireless sensor networks using dynamic programming. The sensor nodes utilize orthogonal space time block codes with demodulation-and-forward protocol. Unlike the previous work which typically optimize all the parameters, we cast this Quality-of-Service aware packet forwarding problem into two disjoint procedures: dynamic programming based route planning and subsequent adaptive power allocation. Simulation results indicate that the proposed protocol obtains comparative performance with the optimal results and significantly outperforms classical routing algorithms.
Bioconversion of glycerol to ethanol by a mutant Enterobacter aerogenes
Authors: Nwachukwu RES , Shahbazi A , Wang L , Ibrahim S , Worku M , Schimmel K
Published: March 2012

The main objective of this research is to develop, by adaptive evolution, mutant strains of Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC 13048 that are capable of withstanding high glycerol concentration as well as resisting ethanol-inhibition. The mutant will be used for high ethanol fermentation from glycerol feedstock. Ethanol production from pure (P-) and recovered (R-) glycerol using the stock was evaluated. A six-tube-subculture-generations method was used for developing the mutant. This involved subculturing the organism six consecutive times in tubes containing the same glycerol and ethanol concentrations at the same culture conditions. Then, the glycerol and/or ethanol concentration was increased and the six subculture generations were repeated. A strain capable of growing in 200 g/L glycerol and 30 g/L ethanol was obtained. The ability of this mutant, vis-à-vis the original strain, in utilizing glycerol in a high glycerol containing medium, with the concomitant ethanol yield, was assessed. Tryptic soy broth without dextrose (TSB) was used as the fermentation medium. Fermentation products were analyzed using HPLC.

In a 20 g/L glycerol TSB, E. aerogenes ATCC 13048 converted 18.5 g/L P-glycerol and 17.8 g/L R-glycerol into 12 and 12.8 g/L ethanol, respectively. In a 50 g/L P-glycerol TSB, it utilized only 15.6 g/L glycerol; but the new strain used up 39 g/L, yielding 20 g/L ethanol after 120 h, an equivalence of 1.02 mol ethanol/mol-glycerol. This is the highest ethanol yield reported from glycerol bioconversion. The result of this P-glycerol fermentation can be duplicated using the R-glycerol from biodiesel production.
Replication study confirms the association between UBAC2 and Behçet's disease in two independent Chinese sets of patients and controls
Authors: Hou Shengping , Shu Qinmeng , Jiang Zhengxuan , Chen Yuanyuan , Li Fuzhen , Chen Feilan , Kijlstra Aize , Yang Peizeng
Published: March 2012

Introduction

The purpose of this study was to replicate genetic factors associated with the susceptibility to Behçet's disease (BD). We conducted a two-stage candidate genes association and functional study, involving 477 BD patients and 1,334 normal controls of Chinese Han descent.

Methods

The genotyping of five candidate genes/loci, including LOC100129342, KIAA1529, CPVL, UBASH3B and UBAC2, were performed using TaqMan single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assays. Real-time PCR and luciferase reporter assay were performed to test the function of the identified promoter polymorphism. The main outcome measures were genotype frequencies and expression levels in BD patients.

Results

The first-stage study results showed that UBAC2 (rs9513584, Pc = 0.018, OR = 1.4), but not LOC100129342, KIAA1529, CPVL, UBASH3B was associated with the susceptibility to BD in Chinese Han. The fine-mapping association study of UBAC2 identified six risk SNPs for BD in the Chinese cohort; three of them were verified in validation study (rs3825427, first-stage Pc = 2.2 × 10-3, second-stage Pc = 9.3 × 10-3, combined Pc = 6.9 × 10-6; rs9517668, first-stage Pc = 1.7 × 10-3, second-stage Pc = 0.03, combined Pc = 3.3 × 10-4; rs9517701, first-stage Pc = 5.1 × 10-3, second-stage Pc = 9.0 × 10-3, combined Pc = 2.9 × 10-5; respectively). Functional analysis showed that the risk T allele of the promoter polymorphism rs3825427 had a significantly lower promoter activity than the non-risk G allele (P = 0.002) and a decreased expression of UBAC2 transcript variant 1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and skin of normal controls carrying the risk T allele than that in individuals with the G allele (P = 0.045, P = 0.025; respectively). The mRNA expression of UBAC2 transcript variant 1 was significantly decreased in PBMCs and skin of BD patients as compared with controls (P = 0.025; P = 0.047, respectively). The mRNA expression of UBAC2 transcript variant 2 was significantly increased in skin of BD patients as compared with controls (P = 0.004).

Conclusions

This study replicates a predisposition gene to BD, UBAC2, and suggests that UBAC2 may be involved in the development of BD through its transcriptional modulation.
RhoA as a Mediator of Clinically Relevant Androgen Action in Prostate Cancer Cells
Authors: Schmidt Lucy J. , Duncan Kelly , Yadav Neelu , Regan Kevin M. , Verone Alissa R. , Lohse Christine M. , Pop Elena A. , Attwood Kristopher , Wilding Gregory , Mohler James L. , Sebo Thomas J. , Tindall Donald J. , Heemers Hannelore V.
Published: March 2012

Recently, we have identified serum response factor (SRF) as a mediator of clinically relevant androgen receptor (AR) action in prostate cancer (PCa). Genes that rely on SRF for androgen responsiveness represent a small fraction of androgen-regulated genes, but distinguish benign from malignant prostate, correlate with aggressive disease, and are associated with biochemical recurrence. Thus, understanding the mechanism(s) by which SRF conveys androgen regulation to its target genes may provide novel opportunities to target clinically relevant androgen signaling. Here, we show that the small GTPase ras homolog family member A (RhoA) mediates androgen-responsiveness of more than half of SRF target genes. Interference with expression of RhoA, activity of the RhoA effector Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK), and actin polymerization necessary for nuclear translocation of the SRF cofactor megakaryocytic acute leukemia (MAL) prevented full androgen regulation of SRF target genes. Androgen treatment induced RhoA activation, increased the nuclear content of MAL, and led to MAL recruitment to the promoter of the SRF target gene FHL2. In clinical specimens RhoA expression was higher in PCa cells than benign prostate cells, and elevated RhoA expression levels were associated with aggressive disease features and decreased disease-free survival after radical prostatectomy. Overexpression of RhoA markedly increased the androgen-responsiveness of select SRF target genes, in a manner that depends on its GTPase activity. The use of isogenic cell lines and a xenograft model that mimics the transition from androgen-stimulated to castration-recurrent PCa indicated that RhoA levels are not altered during disease progression, suggesting that RhoA expression levels in the primary tumor determine disease aggressiveness. Androgen-responsiveness of SRF target genes in castration-recurrent PCa cells continued to rely on AR, RhoA, SRF, and MAL and the presence of intact SRF binding sites. Silencing of RhoA, use of Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1 inhibitors, or an inhibitor of SRF-MAL interaction attenuated (androgen-regulated) cell viability and blunted PCa cell migration. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that the RhoA signaling axis mediates clinically relevant AR action in PCa.
Occupy Economics
Authors: Beggs Mike
Published: March 2012

Mike Beggs asks why economics itself was a target of some Occupiers, and tells a history of battles over politics within economics.
Landscape context and scale differentially impact coffee leaf rust, coffee berry borer, and coffee root‐knot nematodes
Authors: Avelino Jacques , Romero-Gurdián Alí , Cruz-Cuellar Héctor F. , Declerck Fabrice A. J.
Published: March 2012

Crop pest and disease incidences at plot scale vary as a result of landscape effects. Two main effects can be distinguished. First, landscape context provides habitats of variable quality for pests, pathogens, and beneficial and vector organisms. Second, the movements of these organisms are dependent on the connectivity status of the landscape. Most of the studies focus on indirect effects of landscape context on pest abundance through their predators and parasitoids, and only a few on direct effects on pests and pathogens. Here we studied three coffee pests and pathogens, with limited or no pressure from host‐specific natural enemies, and with widely varying life histories, to test their relationships with landscape context: a fungus, Hemileia vastatrix, causal agent of coffee leaf rust; an insect, the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Coleoptera: Curculionidae); and root‐knot nematodes, Meloidogyne spp. Their incidence was assessed in 29 coffee plots from Turrialba, Costa Rica. In addition, we characterized the landscape context around these coffee plots in 12 nested circular sectors ranging from 50 to 1500 m in radius. We then performed correlation analysis between proportions of different land uses at different scales and coffee pest and disease incidences. We obtained significant positive correlations, peaking at the 150 m radius, between coffee berry borer abundance and proportion of coffee in the landscape. We also found significant positive correlations between coffee leaf rust incidence and proportion of pasture, peaking at the 200 m radius. Even after accounting for plot level predictors of coffee leaf rust and coffee berry borer through covariance analysis, the significance of landscape structure was maintained. We hypothesized that connected coffee plots favored coffee berry borer movements and improved its survival. We also hypothesized that wind turbulence, produced by low‐wind‐resistance land uses such as pasture, favored removal of coffee leaf rust spore clusters from host surfaces, resulting in increased epidemics. In contrast, root‐knot nematode population density was not correlated to landscape context, possibly because nematodes are almost immobile in the soil. We propose fragmenting coffee plots with forest corridors to control coffee berry borer movements between coffee plots without favoring coffee leaf rust dispersal.
Mercury bioaccumulation in estuarine food webs
Authors: Fry Brian , Chumchal Matthew M.
Published: March 2012

We tested for unintended mercury contamination problems associated with estuarine floodplain restoration projects of the Louisiana coastal zone, USA. Barataria Bay and Breton Sound are two neighboring deltaic estuaries that were isolated by levees from the Mississippi River about 100 years ago. These estuaries recently have been reconnected to the nutrient‐rich Mississippi River, starting major river diversion (input) flows in 1991 for Breton Sound and in 2004 for Barataria Bay. We collected >2100 fish over five years from 20 stations in these estuaries to test two hypotheses about Hg bioaccumulation: (H1) Background Hg bioaccumulation in fish would be highest in low‐salinity upper reaches of estuaries, and (H2) recent river inputs to these upper estuarine areas would increase Hg bioaccumulation in fish food webs. For H1, we surveyed fish Hg concentrations at several stations along a salinity gradient in Barataria Bay in 2003–2004, a time when this estuary lacked strong river inputs. Results showed that average Hg concentrations in fish communities were lowest (150 ng/g dry mass) in higher salinity areas and ∼2.4× higher (350 ng/g) in low‐salinity oligohaline and freshwater upper reaches of the estuary. For H2, we tested for enhanced Hg bioaccumulation following diversion onset in both estuaries. Fish communities from Breton Sound that had long‐term (>10 years) diversion inputs had ∼1.7× higher average Hg contents of 610 ng/g Hg vs. 350 ng/g background values. Shorter‐term diversion inputs over 2–3 years in upper Barataria Bay did not result in strong Hg enrichments or stable C isotope increases seen in Breton Sound, even though N and S stable‐isotope values indicated strong river inputs in both estuaries. It may be that epiphyte communities on abundant submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) are important hotspots for Hg cycling in these estuaries, and observed lesser development of these epiphyte communities in upper Barataria Bay during the first years of diversion inputs may account for the lessened Hg bioaccumulation in fish. A management consideration from this study is that river restoration projects may unintentionally fertilize SAV and epiphyte‐based food webs, leading to higher Hg bioaccumulation in river‐impacted floodplains and their food webs.
Combining Textual and Visual Information for Image Retrieval in the Medical Domain
Authors: Gkoufas Yiannis , Morou Anna , Kalamboukis Theodore
Published: March 2012

In this article we have assembled the experience obtained from our participation in the imageCLEF evaluation task over the past two years. Exploitation on the use of linear combinations for image retrieval has been attempted by combining visual and textual sources of images. From our experiments we conclude that a mixed retrieval technique that applies both textual and visual retrieval in an interchangeably repeated manner improves the performance while overcoming the scalability limitations of visual retrieval. In particular, the mean average precision (MAP) has increased from 0.01 to 0.15 and 0.087 for 2009 and 2010 data, respectively, when content-based image retrieval (CBIR) is performed on the top 1000 results from textual retrieval based on natural language processing (NLP).
Histochemical and immunohistochemical analyses of the myocardial scar fallowing acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Tatic Vujadin , Rafajlovski Saso , Kanjuh Vladimir , Gajanin Radoslav , Suscevic Dusan , Balint Bela , Obradovic Slobodan
Published: March 2012

Background/Aim. The heart has traditionally been considered as a static organ
without capacity of regeneration after trauma. Currently, the more and more
often asked question is whether the heart has any intrinsic capacities to
regenerate myocytes after myocardial infarction. The aim of this study was to
present the existence of the preserved muscle fibers in the myocardial scar
following myocardial infarction as well as the presence of numerous cells of
various size and form that differently reacted to the used
immunohistochemical antibodies. Methods. Histological, histochemical and
immunohistochemical analyses of myocardial sections taken from 177 patients
who had died of acute myocardial infarction and had the myocardial scar
following myocardial infarction, were carried out. More sections taken both
from the site of acute infarction and scar were examined by the following
methods: hematoxylin-eosin (HE), periodic acid schiff (PAS), PAS-diastasis,
Masson trichrom, Malory, van Gieson, vimentin, desmin, myosin, myoglobin,
alpha actin, smoth muscle actin (SMA), p53, leukocyte common antigen (LCA),
proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Ki-67, actin HHF35, CD34, CD31,
CD45, CD45Ro, CD8, CD20. Results. In all sections taken from the scar region,
larger or smaller islets of the preserved muscle fibers with the signs of
hypertrophy were found. In the scar, a large number of cells of various size
and form: spindle, oval, elongated with abundant cytoplasm, small with one
nucleus and cells with scanty cytoplasm, were found. The present cells
differently reacted to histochemical and immunohistochemical methods. Large
oval cells showed negative reaction to lymphocytic and leukocytic markers,
and positive to alpha actin, actin HHF35, Ki-67, myosin, myoglobin and
desmin. Elongated cells were also positive to those markers. Small
mononuclear cells showed positive reaction to lymphocytic markers.
Endothelial and smooth muscle cells in the blood vessel walls were positive
to CD34 and CD31, and smooth muscle cells to SMA. Oval and elongated cells
were positive to PCNA and Ki-67. The preserved muscle fibers in the scar were
positive to myosin, myoglobin and desmin as well as elongated and oval cells.
Other cells were negative to these markers. Conclusion. Our findings speak
that myocardial regeneration is maybe possible and develops in human ischemic
heart damages and that the myocardium is not a static organ without capacity
of cell regeneration.
Nager Acrofacial Dysostosis Syndrome: A Newborn with Bilateral Hearing Impairment
Authors: Naher Begum Sharifun , Mannan Md Abdul , Noor Khaled , Shahidullah Md
Published: March 2012

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjch.v34i2.10220 BJCH2010; 34(2): 67-69
A Neonate with Non-immune Hydrops Foetalis in Rh Non-immunized Mother
Authors: Begum Nurjahan , Kazal Rezaul Karim , Anwary Shaheen Ara , Nahar Khadiza Nurun , Shamsunnahar Parveen Akhter , Akhter Nargis
Published: March 2012

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjch.v34i2.10221BJCH2010; 34(2): 70-72
Clinical Response of Enhanced External Counter Pulsation (EECP) Among Bangladeshi Ischemic Heart Disease Patients
Authors: Haque KMHS Sirajul , Iqbal Md Jabed , Rahman Siddiqui Md Mahmudur , Salehin Khondaker Syedus
Published: March 2012

EECP is used to stabilize the coronary circulation in patients with severe coronary artery disease when maximal medical therapy and/or invasive procedures have proven inadequate. This prospective observational study was done for a period of 12 months. 40 patients with angina and angiographically proven coronary artery disease, who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria was enrolled in this study. Among 40 enrolled patients 30 (70%) patients completed their treatment. All the patients were in between 42 to 80 years age group. All patients required sublingual nitrate before started EECP treatment. But after completion of treatment, 75% patient required no nitrates. Who completed full course, 100% were improved their angina symptoms from class II, III, IV to class I. Overall 80% patients improved their quality of life. Those completed full course of treatment 100% patients improved their quality of life. EECP Heart therapy is now world-wide accepted alternative treatment option for those patients, who are not fit for surgery or any kind of interventional procedure and those developed heart failure. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/uhj.v7i1.10205 UHJ 2011; 7(1): 19-22
Pathophysiological and Clinical Significance of Coronary Artery Ectasia - A Review
Authors: Md Taimur Syed Dawood , Khan Saidur Rahman , Rahman Md Hasanur , Gomes Hemanto I , Islam Farzana , Siddique Md Abu , Qumruzzaman KH , Kulsum Umme , Uddin Sultan Md Ashraf
Published: March 2012

Coronary artery ectasia is a relatively common entity characterized by inappropriate dilatation of the coronary vasculature. The exact mechanism of its development is unknown, but evidence suggests a combination of genetic predisposition, common risk factors for coronary artery disease and abnormal vessel wall metabolism. It frequently coexists with aneurysms elsewhere, mostly involving the aorta. In this review, the flow disturbances that are associated with this condition and the imaging modalities, which can be used for diagnosis and prospective follow-up are described. The prognosis of coronary ectasias is controversialand prospective studies focusing on conservative or invasive strategies to prevent cardiac complications are needed. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/uhj.v7i1.10210 UHJ 2011; 7(1): 42-47
Systematics and evolution of arctic‐alpine Arabis alpina (Brassicaceae) and its closest relatives in the eastern Mediterranean
Authors: Karl Robert , Kiefer Christiane , Ansell Stephan W. , Koch Marcus A.
Published: March 2012

• Premise of the study: The high mountains in southern Anatolia and the eastern Mediterranean are assumed to play a major role as a primary center of genetic diversity and species richness in Eurasia. We tested this hypothesis by focusing on the widespread perennial arctic‐alpine Arabis alpina and its sympatrically distributed closest relatives in the eastern Mediterranean.

• Methods: Plastid (trnL intron, trnL‐F intergenic spacer) and nuclear (ITS) DNA sequence analysis was used for phylogenetic reconstruction. Broad‐scale plastid haplotype analyses were conducted to infer ancestral biogeographic patterns.

• Key results: Five Arabis species, identified from the eastern Mediterranean (Turkey mainland and Cyprus), evolved directly and independently from A. alpina, leaving Arabis alpina as a paraphyletic taxon. These species are not affected by hybridization or introgression, and species divergence took place at the diploid level during the Pleistocene.

• Conclusions: Pleistocene climate fluctuations produced local altitudinal range‐shifts among mountain glacial survival areas, resulting not only in the accumulation of intraspecific genotype diversity but also in the formation of five local species. We also show that the closest sister group of Arabis alpina consists exclusively of annuals/winter annuals and diverged prior to Pleistocene climatic fluctuations during the colonization of the lowland Mediterranean landscape. These findings highlight that Anatolia is not only a center of species richness but also a center for life‐history diversification.
RemoteLabs Platform
Authors: Crabeel Nils , Campos Neves Betina , Malheiro Benedita
Published: March 2012

This paper reports on a first step towards the implementation of a framework for remote experimentation of electric machines â?? the RemoteLabs platform. This project was focused on the development of two main modules: the user Web-based and the electric machines interfaces. The Web application provides the user with a front-end and interacts with the back-end â?? the user and experiment persistent data. The electric machines interface is implemented as a distributed client server application where the clients, launched by the Web application, interact with the server modules located in platforms physically connected the electric machines drives. Users can register and authenticate, schedule, specify and run experiments and obtain results in the form of CSV, XML and PDF files. These functionalities were successfully tested with real data, but still without including the electric machines. This

inclusion is part of another project scheduled to start soon.
Convergence of Software Science and Computational Intelligence
Authors: Wang Yingxu
Published: March 2012

Software Science is a discipline that studies the theoretical framework of software as instructive and behavioral information, which can be embodied and executed by generic computers in order to create expected system behaviors and machine intelligence. Intelligence science is a discipline that studies the mechanisms and theories of abstract intelligence and its paradigms such as natural, artificial, machinable, and computational intelligence. The convergence of software and intelligent sciences forms the transdisciplinary field of computational intelligence, which provides a coherent set of fundamental theories, contemporary denotational mathematics, and engineering applications. This editorial addresses the objectives of the International Journal of Software Science and Computational Intelligence (IJSSCI), and explores the domain of the emerging discipline. The historical evolvement of software and intelligence sciences and their theoretical foundations are elucidated. The coverage of this inaugural issue and recent advances in software and intelligence sciences are reviewed. This editorial demonstrates that the investigation into software and intelligence sciences will result in fundamental findings toward the development of future generation computing theories, methodologies, and technologies, as well as novel mathematical structures.
On Visual Semantic Algebra (VSA)
Authors: Wang Yingxu
Published: March 2012

A new form of denotational mathematics known as Visual Semantic Algebra (VSA) is presented for abstract visual object and architecture manipulations. A set of cognitive theories for pattern recognition is explored such as cognitive principles of visual perception and basic mechanisms of object and pattern recognition. The cognitive process of pattern recognition is rigorously modeled using VSA and Real-Time Process Algebra (RTPA), which reveals the fundamental mechanisms of natural pattern recognition by the brain. Case studies on VSA in pattern recognition are presented to demonstrate VAS’ expressive power for algebraic manipulations of visual objects. VSA can be applied not only in machinable visual and spatial reasoning, but also in computational intelligence as a powerful man-machine language for representing and manipulating visual objects and patterns. On the basis of VSA, computational intelligent systems such as robots and cognitive computers may process and inference visual and image objects rigorously and efficiently.
On the System Algebra Foundations for Granular Computing
Authors: Wang Yingxu , Zadeh Lotfi A. , Yao Yiyu
Published: March 2012

Granular computing studies a novel approach to computing system modeling and information processing. Although a rich set of work has advanced the understanding of granular computing in dealing with the “to be” and “to have” problems of systems, the “to do” aspect of system modeling and behavioral implementation has been relatively overlooked. On the basis of a recent development in denotational mathematics known as system algebra, this paper presents a system metaphor of granules and explores the theoretical and mathematical foundations of granular computing. An abstract system model of granules is proposed in this paper. Rigorous manipulations of granular systems in computing are modeled by system algebra. The properties of granular systems are analyzed, which helps to explain the magnitudes and complexities of granular systems. Formal representation of granular systems for computing is demonstrated by real-world case studies, where concrete granules and their algebraic operations are explained.
A Dualism Based Semantics Formalization Mechanism for Model Driven Engineering
Authors: Duan Yucong
Published: March 2012

Firstly this article presents a thorough discussion of semantics formalization related issues in model driven engineering (MDE). Then motivated for the purpose of software implementation, and attempts to overcome the shortcomings of incompleteness and context-sensitivity in the existing models, we propose to study formalization of semantics from a cognitive background. Issues under study cover the broad scope of overlap vs. incomplete vs. complete, closed world assumption (CWA) vs. open world assumption (OWA), Y(Yes)/N(No) vs. T(True)/F(False), subjective (SUBJ) vs. objective (OBJ), static vs. dynamic, unconsciousness vs. conscious, human vs. machine aspects, and so forth. A semantics formalization approach called EID-SCE (Existence Identification Dualism-Semantics Cosmos Explosion) is designed to meet both the theoretical investigation and implementation of the proposed formalization goals. EID-SCE supports the measure/evaluation in a {complete, no overlap} manner whether a given concept or feature is an improvement. Some elementary cases are also shown to demonstrate the feasibility of EID-SCE.
The Formal Design Model of a Telephone Switching System (TSS)
Authors: Wang Yingxu
Published: March 2012

A typical real-time system, the Telephone Switching System (TSS), is a highly complicated system in design and implementation. This paper presents the formal design, specification, and modeling of the TSS system using a denotational mathematics known as Real-Time Process Algebra (RTPA). The conceptual model of the TSS system is introduced as the initial requirements for the system. Then, the architectural model of the TSS system is created using the RTPA architectural modeling methodologies and refined by a set of Unified Data Models (UDMs). The static behaviors of the TSS system are specified and refined by a set of Unified Process Models (UPMs) such as call processing and support processes. The dynamic behaviors of the TSS system are specified and refined by process priority allocation, process deployment, and process dispatching models. Based on the formal design models of the TSS system, code can be automatically generated using the RTPA Code Generator (RTPA-CG), or be seamlessly transformed into programs by programmers. The formal model of TSS may not only serve as a formal design paradigm of real-time software systems, but also a test bench of the expressive power and modeling capability of exiting formal methods in software engineering.
A Partial Optimization Approach for Privacy Preserving Frequent Itemset Mining
Authors: Mukherjee Shibnath , Gangopadhyay Aryya , Chen Zhiyuan
Published: March 2012

While data mining has been widely acclaimed as a technology that can bring potential benefits to organizations, such efforts may be negatively impacted by the possibility of discovering sensitive patterns, particularly in patient data. In this article the authors present an approach to identify the optimal set of transactions that, if sanitized, would result in hiding sensitive patterns while reducing the accidental hiding of legitimate patterns and the damage done to the database as much as possible. Their methodology allows the user to adjust their preference on the weights assigned to benefits in terms of the number of restrictive patterns hidden, cost in terms of the number of legitimate patterns hidden, and damage to the database in terms of the difference between marginal frequencies of items for the original and sanitized databases. Most approaches in solving the given problem found in literature are all-heuristic based without formal treatment for optimality. While in a few work, ILP has been used previously as a formal optimization approach, the novelty of this method is the extremely low cost-complexity model in contrast to the others. They implement our methodology in C and C++ and ran several experiments with synthetic data generated with the IBM synthetic data generator. The experiments show excellent results when compared to those in the literature.
Classification Systems for Bacterial Protein-Protein Interaction Document Retrieval
Authors: Liu Hongfang , Torii Manabu , Xu Guixian , Goll Johannes
Published: March 2012

Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks are essential to understand the fundamental processes governing cell biology. Recently, studying PPI networks becomes possible due to advances in experimental high-throughput genomics and proteomics technologies. Many interactions from such high-throughput studies and most interactions from small-scale studies are reported only in the scientific literature and thus are not accessible in a readily analyzable format. This has led to the birth of manual curation initiatives such as the International Molecular Exchange Consortium (IMEx). The manual curation of PPI knowledge can be accelerated by text mining systems to retrieve PPI-relevant articles (article retrieval) and extract PPI-relevant knowledge (information extraction). In this article, the authors focus on article retrieval and define the task as binary classification where PPI-relevant articles are positives and the others are negatives. In order to build such classifier, an annotated corpus is needed. It is very expensive to obtain an annotated corpus manually but a noisy and imbalanced annotated corpus can be obtained automatically, where a collection of positive documents can be retrieved from existing PPI knowledge bases and a large number of unlabeled documents (most of them are negatives) can be retrieved from PubMed. They compared the performance of several machine learning algorithms by varying the ratio of the number of positives to the number of unlabeled documents and the number of features used.
Decision Making Approaches for Advanced Manufacturing Technology Evaluation and Selection
Authors: Maldonado-Macías Aidé , García-Alcaraz Jorge Luis , Esparza Francisco Javier Marrodan , Ortiz Zezzatti Carlos Alberto Ochoa
Published: March 2012

Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMT) constitutes one of the most important resources of manufacturing companies to achieve success in an extremely competitive world. Decision making processes for the Evaluation and Selection of AMT in these companies must lead to the best alternative available. Industry is looking for a combination of flexibility and high quality by doing significant investments in AMT. The proliferation of this technology has generated a whole field of knowledge related to the design, evaluation and management of AMT systems which includes a broad variety of methodologies and applications. This chapter presents a theoretical review of the term AMT, its diverse classification and a collection of the most effective multi-attribute models and methodologies available to support these processes. Relevant advantages are found in these models since they can manage complex decision making problems which involve large amount of information and attributes. These attributes frequently can be tangible and intangible when vagueness and uncertainty exist. There are several multi-attribute methodologies which are extensively known and used in literature; nevertheless, a new fuzzy multi-attribute axiomatic design approach is explained for an ergonomic compatibility evaluation of AMT.
Reusing Transaction Models for Dependable Cloud Computing
Authors: Gallina Barbara , Guelfi Nicolas
Published: March 2012

Cloud computing represents a technological change in computing. Despite the technological change, however, the quality of the computation, in particular its dependability, remains a fundamental requirement. To ensure dependability, and more specifically, reliability, transaction models represent an effective means. In the literature, several transaction models exist. Choosing (reusing entirely) or introducing (reusing partially) transaction models for cloud computing is not an easy task. The difficulty of this task is due to the fact that it requires a deep understanding of the properties that characterize transaction models to be able to discriminate reusable from non reusable properties with respect to cloud computing characteristics. To ease this task, the PRISMA process is introduced. PRISMA is a Process for Requirements Identification, Specification and Machine-supported Analysis that targets transaction models. PRISMA is then applied to engineer reusable requirements suitable for the achievement of the adequate transaction models for cloud computing.
A Mobile Learning Content-independent Versatile Ubiquitous System (CiVUS)
Authors: Rodrigues Joel J.P.C. , Sousa Diogo Videira , de la Torre Isabel
Published: March 2012

Mobile learning (m-learning) introduces the idea of learning from virtually anywhere, regardless of the in-motion learner. This paper presents the development and impact of m-learning system capable to deliver personalized contents to the learner, called Content-independent Versatile Ubiquitous System (CiVUS). This solution promotes communication between learners and their teachers by encouraging learners to share self-made multimedia contents. Enabling interactivity makes mobile devices suitable for the development of collaborative activities amongst engineering students. CiVUS intends to offer support for engineering subjects study. It can be used inside or outside classrooms by learners and teachers, due to the mobility of these devices, at the time they find more suitable. The system has been validated and evaluated through a real usage. The study group collected answers from 10 teachers and 87 engineering students of the University of Beira Interior, Portugal and the University of Valladolid, Spain. The results demonstrate that the majority of the inquired people totally agree (all items over 72% for professors and 74% for students).
Innovative Tools and Models for E-Learning in Romania
Authors: Moldovan Liviu
Published: March 2012

This article reports examples from new, ongoing distance learning activities in Romania that utilize state of the art digital media, tools, and methods. Examples include state of the art video tools, design of video infrastructure, and training courses employed for classroom modernisation, to address technological and pedagogical innovations in vocational education and training. The objective is to renovate the teaching infrastructure used by specialists in vocational education, and improve vocational training quality by providing more flexible trainings paths to the Romanian labor market. The latter includes dissemination of a new model for organizing and delivering professional vocational training comprising of competence transfer, competence export, building networks, and development of contacts with vocational schools within a regional development perspective. The training delivery utilizes state of the art ICT solutions, high definition video services, and blended learning frameworks.
Enabling Creative Blended Learning for Adults through Learning Design
Authors: Papadakis Spyros
Published: March 2012

This chapter discusses the emerging need and opportunity for the development the conceptualisation of representation and forms for learning design which are utilised in the activities a teacher plans to engage adult learners in lifelong learning setting. The chapter argues that effective teaching and facilitating practice involving ICT should be described and represented in ways that facilitate creative learning, self-directed learning, critical reflection and experiential learning scenarios. The sharing and reuse of quality ICT-based collaborative learning activities for adults could be a solution to enable creative and effective blended learning for adults. In this chapter Learning Activity Management System (LAMS) is presented as an innovative approach to blended learning paradigm. Inspired by the concept of “Learning Design,” it provides a visual authoring environment for the development of activity sequences, together with a learner run-time environment and a teacher-monitoring environment.
Radio-Frequency Identification and Human Tagging
Authors: Kakabadse Nada K. , Kouzmin Alexander , Kakabadse Andrew
Published: March 2012

Technological innovation continually shifts boundaries of possibilities and at the same time challenges ethical dimensions. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology challenges both what is possible and what is ethical. On this basis, this paper incorporates an analysis of RFID development and provides penetrating insight concerning the ethical issues society faces and will face. Attention is given to the burgeoning and challenging field of human-centred RFID technology and its impact on the individual’s privacy, safety, civil liberty and on society in general. The paper briefly outlines the history of RFID and identifies three broad themes concerning the application of RFID tags for the purpose of human “branding”. In particular, the social rights impact of implants in humans, the potential and actual damage of implants to the physical health of the person, and the ownership, use and miss-use of information collected through implant technology, act as the central themes. In conclusion, the authors identify the critical areas surrounding human branding that require research and public deliberation.
Vision Impairment and Electronic Government
Authors: Suomi Reima , Krebs Irene
Published: March 2012

The visually-impaired are in a distinctive disadvantage when using computer screens based on visual presentation of data. Their situation becomes increasingly critical, as most society services, including issues such as e-Commerce, e-Business, e-Health, and e-Government go on-line. Yet modern technologies can too offer solutions to their problems, both at hardware and software level, and often with reasonable cost. Effective ICT can open up new communication channels and functionalities for say totally blind people, which would not have been available for them otherwise. General sensitivity for this issue, and especially, sensitivity among designers of governmental e-services must be developed. E-Government is an especially demanding activity area as it comes to all sorts of imparities (not just vision impairment), as governmental services are often in a monopoly service delivery situation: citizen have to use them, and there is often no other alternative. The issue binds it to the wider discussion on digital divide, where vision impairment is one cause for digital divide, and often very devastating, especially if still combined with other sources of digital divide.
Co-Operative Load Balancing in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs)
Authors: Ali G. G. Md. Nawaz , Chan Edward
Published: March 2012

Recently data dissemination using Road Side Units (RSUs) in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) received considerable attention for overcoming the vehicle to vehicle frequent disconnection problem. An RSU becomes overloaded due to its mounting location and/or during rush hour overload. As an RSU has short wireless transmission coverage range and vehicles are mobile, a heavily overloaded RSU may experience high deadline miss rate in effect of serving too many requests beyond its capacity. In this work, the authors propose a co-operative multiple-RSU model, which offers the opportunity to the RSUs with high volume workload to transfer some of its overloaded requests to other RSUs that have light workload and located in the direction in which the vehicle is heading. Moreover, for performing the load balancing, the authors propose three different heuristic load transfer approaches. By a series of simulation experiments, the authors demonstrate the proposed co-operative multiple-RSU based load balancing model significantly outperforms the non-load balancing multiple-RSU based VANETs model against a number of performance metrics.
Performance Management within Social Network Sites
Authors: Wasmann Michel , Spruit Marco
Published: March 2012

The huge amount of data and complexity of decisions in the current information age requires decision makers to utilize information analysis tools for supporting business decisions. This is also the case for social network sites which control huge amounts of data just waiting to be transformed from information to valuable knowledge through Business Intelligence methods. These techniques are not yet widely in use within companies whose core business revolves around user generated content. This research conducts a qualitative research to provide more knowledge and a deeper understanding of a Business Intelligence approach which supports the business model of companies exploiting a Social Network Site. Available Business Intelligence process models do not take the organizational aspects into account as continuous process improvement elements. Therefore, this work proposes the new method: the Social Network Intelligence Process (SNIP) Method. The SNIP Method and its related management information items were validated through a series of expert interviews and an in-depth single case study at the leading Dutch social network site.
Antecedents to Evaluating the Brand Image of Orkut as a Social Networking Society
Authors: Khare Arpita
Published: March 2012

Social networking sites are perceived as interactive forums that enable users to manage their relationships through technology. The usage of social networking sites is dependent upon the brand image it connotes to the user. These forums modify social and self image of user and help in enhancing their social interactions. The research was targeted towards comprehending Indian youth’s brand perception of Orkut as a social networking forum. The results indicate that most youth used Orkut for maintaining contact with their friends and acquaintances. Six variables related to brand image of Orkut: quality, self identity, group identity, status, values and national heritage were used for understanding youth’s attitude towards Orkut. There was no difference between the two genders on the six variables. Multiple regression analysis results suggest that Indian youth’s attitude towards Orkut was most influenced by self identity and values.
Dr Math
Authors: A.Botha  , Butgereit L.
Published: March 2012

Dr Math is an online math tutoring service hosted by the CSIR Meraka Institute in South Africa, which aims to support secondary school learners with Mathematics. The service is predominantly accessed through the mobile social networking service MXit. Since 2007, students from the Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Information Technology (EBIT) at the University of Pretoria, have been assisting “Dr Math” in fulfillment of a compulsory undergraduate module, Community-Based Project. They have supported 28,000 registered users in user initiated interactions. This purpose of this paper is to describe the mobile scaffolding environment and scaffolding practices as well as the tutor support that enhance the Dr Math service as a sustained example of mobile learning.
Motivations for Play in the UFractions Mobile Game in Three Countries
Authors: Nygren Eeva , Sutinen Erkki , Blignaut A. Seugnet , Laine Teemu H. , Els Christo J.
Published: March 2012

UFractions (Ubiquitous fractions) is a storytelling mobile game that utilizes fraction rods in solving real life related math problems. The prototype of UFractions was tested during the period March 2009 to May 2011 in South Africa, Finland, and Mozambique amongst 279 players, ranging in age from 10 to 32, the majority being grade eight students. A multi-method approach, comprising of both qualitative and quantitative data collection strategies, was employed to develop a trans-cultural taxonomy for play motivation in mobile games, as observed in the evaluation of UFractions, i.e., altruism, challenge, cognitive restlessness, curiosity, fantasy, relations, and technology.