bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prototyping and Real-Time Implementation of Bipedal Humanoid Robots
Authors: Ugurlu Barkan , Kawamura Atsuo
Published: September 2013

This chapter is aimed at describing a contemporary bipedal humanoid robot prototyping technology, accompanied with a mathematically rigorous method to generate real-time walking, jumping, and running trajectories that can be applied to this type of robots. The main strategy in this method is to maintain the overall dynamic equilibrium and to prevent undesired rotational actions for the purpose of smooth maneuvering capabilities while the robot is in motion. In order to reach this goal, Zero Moment Point criterion is utilized in spherical coordinates, so that it is possible to fully exploit its properties by the help of Euler’s equations of motions. Such a strategy allows for characterization of the rotational inertia and therefore the associated angular momentum rate change terms, so that undesired torso angle fluctuations during walking and running are well suppressed. It enables prevention of backwards-hopping actions during jumping as well. To validate the proposed approach, the authors performed simulations using a precise 3D simulator and conducted experiments on an actual bipedal robot. Results indicated that the method is superior to classical methods in terms of suppressing undesired rotational actions, such as torso angle fluctuations and backwards-hopping.
Design of a Mobile Robot to Clean the External Walls of Oil Tanks
Authors: Acuña Hernán González , Lara Alfonso René Quintero , Guerrero Ricardo Ortiz , Alvarez Jairo de Jesús Montes , Acevedo Hernando González , Diaz Elkin Yesid Veslin
Published: September 2013

This chapter describes a Mechatronics Design methodology applied to the design of a mobile robot to climb vertical surfaces. The first part of this chapter reviews different ways to adhere to vertical surfaces and shows some examples developed by different research groups. The second part presents the stages of Mechatronics design methodology used in the design, including mechanical design, electronics design, and control design. These stages describe the most important topics for optimally successful design. The final part provides results that were obtained in the design process and construction of the robot. Finally, the conclusions of this research work are presented.
Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing of On-Board Subsystems
Authors: Pugi Luca , Allotta Benedetto
Published: September 2013

Hardware in the Loop testing is a very powerful tool for the development, tuning, and synthesized homologation of safety-relevant on-board subsystems and components. In this chapter some case-studies, based on typical topics of industrial research for railways, are introduced in order to emphasize some aspects of the mechatronic design with a particular attention to the integration of actuation systems into rig design.
Attentive Visual Memory for Robot Localization
Authors: Vega Julio , Perdices Eduardo , Cañas José María
Published: September 2013

Cameras are one of the most relevant sensors in autonomous robots. Two challenges with them are to extract useful information from captured images and to manage the small field of view of regular cameras. This chapter proposes a visual perceptive system for a robot with a mobile camera on board that cope with these two issues. The system is composed of a dynamic visual memory that stores the information gathered from images, an attention system that continuously chooses where to look at, and a visual evolutionary localization algorithm that uses the visual memory as input. The visual memory is a collection of relevant task-oriented objects and 3D segments. Its scope and persistence is wider than the camera field of view and so provides more information about robot surroundings and more robustness to occlusions than current image. The control software takes its contents into account when making behavior or navigation decisions. The attention system considers the need of reobserving objects already stored, of exploring new areas and of testing hypothesis about objects in the robot surroundings. A robust evolutionary localization algorithm has been developed that can use both the current instantaneous images or the visual memory. The system has been programmed and several experiments have been carried out both with simulated and real robots (wheeled Pioneer and Nao humanoid) to validate it.
A Neuromorphic Robot Vision System to Predict the Response of Visual Neurons
Authors: Shimonomura Kazuhiro
Published: September 2013

The author of this chapter describes a binocular robotic vision system that was designed to emulate the neural images of cortical cells under vergence eye movements. The robotic vision system is constructed by employing a combinational strategy of neuromorphic engineering and conventional digital technology. The system consists of two silicon retinas and a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The silicon retinas carry out Laplacian-Gaussian-like spatial filtering, mimicking the response properties of the vertebrate retina. The outputs of the silicon retina chips on the left and right cameras are transmitted to the FPGA. The FPGA receives the outputs from the two simple cell chips and calculates the responses of complex cells based on the disparity energy model. This system provides complex cell outputs tuned to five different disparities in real-time. The vergence control signal is obtained by pooling these multiple complex cell responses. The system is useful for predicting the neural images of the complex cells and for evaluating the functional roles of cortical cells in real situations.
Visual Control of an Autonomous Indoor Robotic Blimp
Authors: Alkurdi L. M. , Fisher R. B.
Published: September 2013

The problem of visual control of an autonomous indoor blimp is investigated in this chapter. Autonomous aerial vehicles have been an attractive platform for a wide range of applications, especially since they don’t have the terrain limitations the autonomous ground vehicles face. They have been used for advertisements, terrain mapping, surveillance, and environmental research. Blimps are a special kind of autonomous aerial vehicles; they are wingless and have the ability to hover. This makes them overcome the maneuverability constraints winged aerial vehicles and helicopters suffer from. The authors’ blimp platform also provides an exciting platform for the application and testing of control algorithms. This is because blimps are notorious for the uncertainties within their mathematical model and their susceptibility for environmental disturbances such as wind gusts. The authors have successfully applied visual control by using a fuzzy logic controller on the robotic blimp to achieve autonomous waypoint tracking.
Study and Design of an Autonomous Mobile Robot Applied to Underwater Cleaning
Authors: Junior Lafaete Creomar Lima , Filho Armando Carlos de Pina , Carlos de Pina Aloísio
Published: September 2013

The chapter describes the stages of an autonomous mobile robot project, in this case, an underwater cleaning robot. First, the authors analyze the products already available for costumers, mainly focusing on the tasks they can perform (instead of the systems they use), in order to define the requirements of their project. Then, they build some models, based in the literature available. Based on them, the authors dimension the parts and systems by evaluating the results of these models. Finally, the authors use all information gathered to create a prototype, modeled with a CAE system.
Unpredicted Trajectories of an Automated Guided Vehicle with Chaos
Authors: Tavera Magda Judith Morales , Lengerke Omar , Dutra Max Suell
Published: September 2013

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) are the future of transportation. As a result of emerging standards, vehicles will soon be able to talk to one another as well as their environment. A number of applications will be made available for vehicular networks that improve the overall safety of the transportation infrastructure. This chapter develops a method to impart chaotic motions to an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV). The chaotic AGV implies a mobile robot with a controller that ensures chaotic motions. This kind of motion is characterized by the topological transitivity and the sensitive dependence on initial conditions. Due the topological transitivity, the mobile robot is guaranteed to scan the whole connected workspace. For scanning motion, the chaotic robot neither requires a map of the workspace nor plans global motions. It only requires the measurement of the workspace boundary when it comes close to it.
Medical Robotics in K-12 Education
Authors: Rockland Ronald , Kimmel Howard , Carpinelli John , Hirsch Linda S. , Burr-Alexander Levelle
Published: September 2013

Medibotics, the merging of medicine, robotics, and Information Technology, is a program that uses LEGO™ Mindstorms for school kits with NXT software to introduce students and teachers to engineering and Information Technology through the use of robotics. The curriculum, developed for the Medibotics program, was a collaboration of university faculty and secondary school teachers, incorporating Information Technology, engineering, and robotics into classroom lessons by teaching students to design and build robots to solve biomedical engineering problems. Teachers receive intensive professional development in the integration of the Medibotics curriculum and the robotics kits into their classroom instruction and in methods to develop standards-based lesson plans as the curricula are aligned with the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards (NJCCCS) and national standards in science and mathematics. A workbook of lessons for building robots to perform simulated computer-assisted surgeries, with elements of actual medical procedures, has been developed. This chapter describes the rationale behind this program, its structure, and evaluation.
Surgical Robots
Authors: Haidegger Tamás
Published: September 2013

Information technology and robotics have been integrated into interventional medicine for over 25 years. Their primary aim has always been to provide patient benefits through increased precision, safety, and minimal invasiveness. Nevertheless, robotic devices should allow for sophisticated treatment methods that are not possible by other means. Several hundreds of different surgical robot prototypes have been developed, while only a handful passed clearance procedures, and was released to the market. This is mostly due to the difficulties associated with medical device development and approval, especially in those cases when some form of manipulation and automation is involved. This chapter is intended to present major aspects of surgical robotic prototyping and current trends through the analysis of various international projects. It spans across the phases from system planning, to development, validation, and clearance.
Human-Friendly Mechatronics Systems with Functional Fluids and Elastomers
Authors: Kikuchi Takehito
Published: September 2013

Safety for humans is one of the most important issues for systems in which humans and machines coexist. Man has developed human-friendly devices using functional materials (electrorheological fluids (ERF), magnetorheological fluids (MRF), and magnetic-field sensitive elastomers (MSE)) and applied them to several types of robots and mechatronics devices for health care, life support, and the evaluation of human functioning. In this chapter, projects related to human-machine coexistent systems and functional materials are presented and classified according to their applications.
Effects of Human-Machine Integration on the Construction of Identity
Authors: Ballesté Francesc , Torras Carme
Published: September 2013

Recent developments in social robotics, intelligent prosthetics, brain-computer interfaces, and implants pose new questions as to the effects of technology on identity, society, and the future of humankind. The authors’ standpoint is that such effects cannot be studied separately from their social/cultural context, and thus, this chapter begins by reviewing the existing approaches to the social construction of reality, placing special emphasis on language and its limitations to describe the future. Then, it focuses on the body as the place where the human-machine integration occurs, and describes four levels at which the notion of cyborg has been analyzed in anthropological studies: symbolic, physical, as a permeable layer between nature and culture, and as an intermediate step towards a higher-order existence. The chapter ends up with a word of caution in relation to technological determinism stemming from STS (Science and Technology Studies), as well as the need to establish Relevant Social Groups (RSG) with well-founded criteria that join scientific and sociological academics under a multidisciplinary approach.
Android Robots as Telepresence Media
Authors: Ogawa Kohei , Nishio Shuichi , Minato Takashi , Ishiguro Hiroshi
Published: September 2013

In this chapter, the authors describe two human-like android robots, known as Geminoid and Telenoid, which they have developed. Geminoid was developed for two reasons: (1) to explore how humans react or respond the android during face-to-face communication and (2) to investigate the advantages of the android as a communication medium compared to traditional communication media, such as the telephone or the television conference system. The authors conducted two experiments: the first was targeted to an interlocutor of Geminoid, and the second was targeted to an operator of it. The results of these experiments showed that Geminoid could emulate a human’s presence in a natural-conversation situation. Additionally, Geminoid could be as persuasive to the interlocutor as a human. The operators of Geminoid were also influenced by the android: during operation, they felt as if their bodies were one and the same with the Geminoid body. The latest challenge has been to develop Telenoid, an android with a more abstract appearance than Geminoid, which looks and behaves as a minimalistic human. At first glance, Telenoid resembles a human; however, its appearance can be interpreted as any sex or any age. Two field experiments were conducted with Telenoid. The results of these experiments showed that Telenoid could be an acceptable communication medium for both young and elderly people. In particular, physical interaction, such as a hug, positively affected the experience of communicating with Telenoid.
Robotic Hardware and Software Integration for Changing Human Intentions
Authors: Durdu Akif , Erkmen Ismet , Erkmen Aydan M. , Yilmaz Alper
Published: September 2013

Estimating and reshaping human intentions are among the most significant topics of research in the field of human-robot interaction. This chapter provides an overview of intention estimation literature on human-robot interaction, and introduces an approach on how robots can voluntarily reshape estimated intentions. The reshaping of the human intention is achieved by the robots moving in certain directions that have been a priori observed from the interactions of humans with the objects in the scene. Being among the only few studies on intention reshaping, the authors of this chapter exploit spatial information by learning a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) of motion, which is tailored for intelligent robotic interaction. The algorithmic design consists of two phases. At first, the approach detects and tracks human to estimate the current intention. Later, this information is used by autonomous robots that interact with detected human to change the estimated intention. In the tracking and intention estimation phase, postures and locations of the human are monitored by applying low-level video processing methods. In the latter phase, learned HMM models are used to reshape the estimated human intention. This two-phase system is tested on video frames taken from a real human-robot environment. The results obtained using the proposed approach shows promising performance in reshaping of detected intentions.
Building a Technoself
Authors: Melson Gail F.
Published: September 2013

This chapter focuses on how the technoself develops in children through relationships with a “personal” robot technology, robotic pets, especially the robotic dog AIBO. Drawing on studies of children and AIBO as well as similar robotic technologies, I examine children’s ideas about and behaviors toward such robotic pets in order to describe three domains of the technoself: (1) ideas about the robot (the technological object); (2) ideas about the child’s relationship with the robot; and (3) ideas about the self-in-relationship with the robot. A dynamic developmental perspective is applied to each of the three domains of cognition and behavior, technological object, relationship, and self-in-relationship, that make up the technoself. This perspective asks how variability in child characteristics, such as developmental level, gender, temperament, personality or intelligence; in contextual factors, such as family background or prior experience with other technologies; and in robotic pets themselves predict these three aspects of the technoself.
Modular Assembly Micro-Robots for Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery
Authors: Zygomalas Apollon , Giokas Kostas , Koutsouris Dimitris
Published: September 2013

Surgical operations are progressively being performed using minimally invasive techniques. Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES) is a novel surgical technique that uses the natural orifices of the human body in order to approach the peritoneal cavity. There are two basic types of robotics for NOTES; the external robots that stay outside the patient but act inside the abdominal cavity, and the internal robots that stay and act in the abdomen. The internal robots could only be mini-robots. The development of modular assembling reconfigurable micro-robots is a revolutionary idea for the NOTES. Modular micro-robots consist of small subunits which could be assembled and construct a functional miniature robot. These surgical micro-robots may increase the possibility for true scarless tele-surgery. Although specific applications of intrabdominal surgical micro-robots are still in an early concept stage, the field is rapidly evolving. In the future, patients may be operated by specialized micro-robotic intrabdominal surgeons.
A Neurorobotics Approach to Investigating Word Learning Behaviors
Authors: Veale Richard
Published: September 2013

This chapter presents two examples of how neurorobotics is being used to further understanding of word learning in the human infant. The chapter begins by presenting an example of how neurorobotics has been used to explore the synchrony constraint of word-referent association in young infants. The chapter then demonstrates the application of neurorobotics to free looking behavior, another important basic behavior with repercussions in how infants map visual stimuli to auditory stimuli. Neurorobotics complements other approaches by validating proposed mechanisms, by linking behavior to neural implementation, and by bringing to light very specific questions that would otherwise remain unasked. Neurorobotics requires rigorous implementation of the target behaviors at many vertical levels, from the level of individual neurons up to the level of aggregate measures, such as net looking time. By implementing these in a real-world robot, it is possible to identify discontinuities in our understanding of how parts of the system function. The approach is thus informative for empiricists (both neurally and behaviorally), but it is also pragmatically useful, since it results in functional robotic systems performing human-like behavior.
Making “Real” Connections
Authors: Clark Jenna L. , Green Melanie C.
Published: September 2013

Examining the subjective aspects of online social interaction can help explain contradictory results about the consequences of such interaction. The authors posit a new theoretical construct, the perceived reality of online interactions, defined as the extent to which an individual believes online interactions are suitable for the maintenance and formation of close relationships. Higher perceived reality of online interactions is theorized to lead to more investment and effort in computer-mediated communication, thus increasing benefits such as perceived social support from online relationships. An experiment using an Amazon Mechanical Turk sample (n = 169) and undergraduate students (n = 88) found correlational evidence that perceived reality of online relationships predicted perceived social support from online sources. Additionally, patterns of correlations between perceived reality, personality traits, and general attitudes toward the Internet point at differential implications of this variable between samples.
Building Marketing Relationships on Twitter
Authors: Watkins Brandi A. , Lewis Regina
Published: September 2013

The current study applies a relationship marketing approach to examine how universities use Twitter to communicate with their audiences. To explore social media strategies related to top-ranked universities’ Twitter activity, Kotler’s (1992) model of five levels of relationship building was refined and operationalized. A content analysis of 1375 tweets distributed by 22 universities was conducted to evaluate the level of relationship building that universities establish through social media in order to engage with current and prospective students, alumni, donors, and external audiences. The authors conclude that top-ranked universities are more likely to engage primarily in reactive relationship building, which can be characterized as the broadcast of an original message with opportunities for followers to initiate post-communication interaction. Results of the message orientation analysis reveal that the vast majority of tweets in the sample were used to give opinion, suggestion, or information.
Second Life in the Psychology Classroom
Authors: Edlund John E. , Hartnett Jessica L.
Published: September 2013

This article focuses on the advantages of using online virtual environments such as Second Life (SL) to assist in teaching and research. Although instructors have used SL to supplement the in-class experience in various fields including Information Technology, Communication, and English, few have used it widely for the teaching of psychology. The authors first present a best practices guide for teachers looking to incorporate SL into the psychology classroom. Next, an easily adaptable and readily modifiable class activity for illustrating research methods in an Introduction to Psychology classroom is introduced. The study demonstrates how this activity can generate research data to further students’ and instructors’ research agendas and enhance learning.
Mobile Government in Jordan
Authors: Sultan Al-masaeed  , Love Steve
Published: September 2013

Mobile government (M-government) is a new delivery channel for governments to provide timely information and services ubiquitously to residents, businesses and other government departments through mobile devices. Developing countries have a higher mobile penetration rate than the fixed line internet rates which opens doors of opportunities for these countries to bridge the digital gab and gain a better reach through M-government. This paper measures the Jordanian citizens’ awareness of launching a mobile government (M-government) portal in Jordan and investigates their attitude towards it. Furthermore, this study captured the government perspective in regards to launching the mobile government portal and citizens’ awareness of that. The results showed that Jordanians have a positive attitude towards mobile government; additionally the results also identified the main barriers of using mobile internet and electronic government (E-government) services in Jordan and proposed a success factors model for mobile government in Jordan.
Use of RFID Technology for Automatic Job Costing
Authors: Bellah Jeremy C. , Li Kunpeng , Zelbst Pamela J. , Gu Qiannong
Published: September 2013

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology has been used to collect information for use in information systems that support knowledge-based business decisions. Most applications involve using the technology for automatic identification and tracking within facilities and supply chains. However, there are a number of other uses for the technology in the context of supporting knowledge-based decisions. By describing an innovative use of RFID technology, this study contributes to research and practice in the area of knowledge-based tools. Specifically, the process created in this study uses RFID technology to automatically and accurately calculate job costing information for fixed-position projects. By implementing the methods described in this process, business professionals can reap important benefits from the knowledge generated by the system.
Enterprise Architecture
Authors: Clarke Michael , Hall Jon G. , Rapanotti Lucia
Published: September 2013

Enterprise Architecture (EA) has been portrayed as one of the cornerstones of modern IT Governance, with increasing numbers of organisations formally recognising an EA function and adopting EA frameworks such as TOGAF (http://www.opengroup.org/togaf/) (The Open Group Architectural Framework). Many claims have been made of the benefits of EA, yet little is known as to what organisations actually do or evidence of the benefits they accrue through EA. In this paper we report on the results of a small scale survey painting a snapshot of current EA practice in large UK organisations across the private and public sectors.
Best Practices in Software Maintenance Projects
Authors: Mohapatra Sanjay
Published: September 2013

Maintenance of software projects is an important phase in software engineering. However, there are many challenges associated during this maintenance phase, including technical and managerial. In order to reduce the cost of maintaining software project, many such projects are being outsourced to low cost development countries like India, Philippines, Russia or China. This paper talks about decision parameters for outsourcing maintenance projects. However, outsourced maintenance projects have their own issues and challenges such as poor domain knowledge, lack of understanding of application & technological knowledge and managerial issues such as lack of motivation, attrition. To find solution to these issues, the research conducted study in CMM level 5 organizations and based on case studies, developed an approach for addressing these issues and challenges successfully. The best practices so identified (such as training the trainer, process oriented systematic approach, developing a test strategy and involving end users during execution) can be adopted in other organizations as well. It was observed that the best practices improved productivity while reducing defects in the deliverables.
ERM Implementation and Future Directions at Ankara University
Authors: Özdemirci Fahrettin , Özlem (Gökkurt) Bayram  , Ünal Mehmet Altay
Published: September 2013

In the study, the matter how the records management systems will adapt to this new process in a rapid way in a period, in which the transformations of public institutions into e-Government has been accelerated, is evaluated with a development that can be a sample especially for the universities. “Modelling of Transition Process of Electronic Records Management and Archiving System in Universities Project (e-BEYAS)” is a project carried out in Ankara University. Through the “e-Records Management and Archiving System (e-BEYAS), which gave its name to the software in which the model is applied, communication within the institution, information/records share inter institutions, and archiving of electronic records can be realized in a reliable medium; integration to the applications on sharing information/records inter institutions on e-Government channels can be provided. For this purpose, system usage scenarios have been created in order to produce, register, preserve, archive, access and report the records and documents safely in an appropriate model for institutional structure in Ankara University. Thus, after completing the workouts, the system will be not only mobile signature (m-signature) supported with its substructure providing the adaptation to mobile life, but also they can support the e-mail, SMS, integration, audio and video applications that can access the system through smart devices.
Absence, presence, remembrance: A theological essay on frailty, the university and the city
Authors: De Beer Stephan F.
Published: September 2013

This essay is reflecting on frailty, the university and the city, in relation to each other. It seeks to transcend the binary concepts of presence and absence, proposing remembrance as the frail work of making absence present, of reweaving what is dismembered, and of a politics of hospitality. It considers the task of remembrance in the �studio of life�, disrupting or transcending the confines of laboratory and asylum.
Endovascular therapy for acute stroke: Quo vadis?
Authors: Madhugiri Venkatesh , Pandey Paritosh
Published: September 2013

Endovascular therapy (EVT) has gained vogue in the management of patients with acute stroke. Newer stent-retriever devices have led to better recanalization rates. In many centers, EVT is slowly being used as an add on to or in some instances, even as an alternative to intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV tPA). The publication of the results of the SYNTHESIS expansion, Interventional Management of Stroke III and Mechanical Retrieval Recanalization of Stroke Clots Using Embolectomy trials in 2013 has questioned the enthusiastic use of EVT in acute stroke. They demonstrate that EVT (using a variety of devices) is no superior to IV tPA in the management of acute stroke. In the light of these controversial findings, we review the current status of EVT in the management of acute stroke.
Evolution of radiotherapy and chemotherapy practice in malignant gliomas
Authors: Paul Sayan , Munshi Anusheel
Published: September 2013

Malignant astrocytomas of the brain carry a poor prognosis. This article traces the evolution of radiotherapy and chemotherapy practice including the development of concurrent chemo-radiation schedules in the context of these tumors.
Management of craniopharyngiomas: Role of conservative strategies
Authors: Pillai Shibu
Published: September 2013

Craniopharyngiomas are uncommon tumors and their management remains controversial. Despite gross total resection, recurrences can occur in 15-43% during long-term follow-up of more than 10 years. Furthermore, radical surgery can be associated with complications associated with hypothalamic damage, which can lead to a poor quality-of-life. Limited surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) can provide excellent long-term tumor control with minimum complications and good functional outcome. RT can however, produce insidious onset of hypopituitarism and vasculopathy. Secondary malignancies are a rare complication of RT. Modern radiation techniques and intracystic radiation can reduce these complications. Intracystic radiation is highly effective for cystic craniopharyngiomas. Intracystic bleomycin (ICB) and interferon alpha (IFN) are rarely curative, but can produce long lasting control of tumor cysts and this is very useful in very young children who may not tolerate radical surgery or RT. IFN has fewer toxicity issues compared to ICB.
“Made in India”: How’s that for an indigenous medical device?
Authors: Umamaheswara Rao Ganne
Published: September 2013

With increasing costs of imported equipment, there is a need for Indigenization of medical devices in India. The resources including skilled manpower to develop equipment of a good standard are available in the country. What plagues the developmental process is the lack of adequate interaction between the medical profession and the technologists and reluctance of the industry to venture into the medical device manufacturing. A much bigger and more serious road-block is the lack of formal certification and regulatory processes for these devices. Medical practitioners should be open to evaluating and accepting indigenous equipment that pass the requisite standards. Formal mechanisms should be developed to orient both physicians and engineers to the technical and commercial issues of device development.
The therapeutic effect of cranioplasty in severe head injuries: Report of two cases
Authors: Marsella Marco , Tigan Leonardo , Vicaut Eric , George Bernard , Guichard Jean-Pierre , Vallee Fabrice , Kehrli Pierre , Houssen Kourban , Diemidio Paolo , Keppi Jean-Julien , Chibbaro Salvatore
Published: September 2013

Aesthetic appearance and brain protection are the main indications for cranial reconstruction following decompressive craniectomy. Recently, few reports indicated that cranioplasty could also improve both, cognitive and functional status.

A group of 20 patients were treated with decompressive craniectomy following closed head injury; among these patients, two of them (who represent the subject of the current investigation) had to undergo subsequent cranioplasty removal due to the development of local infection. All patients were evaluated by Glasgow outcome scale, frontal assessment battery and mini-mental state examination at 1 week before completion of the cranioplasty as well as 6 and 24 weeks following cranioplasty. Perfusion computed tomography scans were also performed (1 week before and 6 weeks after cranioplasty) as well as a trans-cranial Doppler 1 week before, and 6 and 24 weeks after. The two patients being the subject of this study were also clinically and radiologically evaluated after cranioplasty removal.

These two patients, who represent (not intentionally) two case control, showed a real clinical and cerebral perfusion improvement following repair of the skull defect followed by obvious clinical worsening after the skull flap had to be removed.

Cranioplasty is likely not to have just a positive influence on cosmetic and protective features of the patients but also seem to improve both, cognitive and functional status by favorably influencing local and global brain hemodynamic and perfusion.
A rare case report of cerebral phaeohyphomycosis mimicking glioma in a patient of rheumatic valvular heart disease
Authors: Chugh Ashish , Rane Sharada , Maithili Kulkarni , Gandhoke Charandeep
Published: September 2013

Phaeohyphomycosis is a collective term used for fungal infections caused by moulds and yeasts that have brown pigmented cell walls due to the presence of melanin. These are also known as dematiaceous fungi. We report this patient who presented with headache, right hemiparesis, slurred speech, and altered sensorium. Patient was a known case of rheumatic valvular heart disease (RVHD) and had undergone balloon valvotomy for mitral stenosis 1 year back. Radiological features were suggestive of high grade glioma. Left fronto-parietal decompressive craniectomy with complete excision of mass lesion was performed. Histopathological examination of the surgical specimen revealed multiple granulomas with giant cells. These giant cells contained branched septate pigmented fungal hyphae in their cytoplasm. After the histopathology report, patient was started on intravenous amphotericin and was discharged on oral itraconazole 200 mg twice daily. Unfortunately, the patient was non-compliant and stopped taking oral itraconazole after 1 month. He landed up in fulminant fungal meningo-encephalitis and died 10 weeks after the initial diagnosis. We report a rare case of cerebral phaeohyphomycosis in a patient of RVHD which, to our knowledge, is nowhere mentioned in the literature.
Intrasellar schwannoma mimicking pituitary adenoma
Authors: Puduru Sai
Published: September 2013

Intrasellar location of schwannoma is extremely uncommon and 18 cases are documented in the literature till now. This report describes intrasellar schwannoma in a patient in whom the neuroimaging features were suggestive of a pituitary adenoma.
A rare case report of aneurysmal bone cyst involving the roof of the orbit
Authors: Ashish Chugh , Priyanka Chaudhari , Bhooshan Gandhi , Gandhoke Charandeep
Published: September 2013

Aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is a benign, tumor like, multi-cystic vascular lesion that causes destruction of the cortical bone. It usually involves the metaphysis of long bones and spine (posterior elements). ABC arising in the orbit constitutes less than 0.25% of all reported cases. We report a 5-year-old girl who presented with painless right sided proptosis without any visual disturbance, which was gradual in onset. Contrast enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans of the orbit were suggestive of an expansile bony lytic lesion in the roof of the right orbit. Frontal craniotomy followed by the supra-orbital osteotomy was carried out. The entire tumor-like mass was removed piece-meal. Histopathological diagnosis was “a solid variant of ABC of the orbital roof.” Post-operative course was satisfactory and the patients eye symptoms improved.
Traumatic pneumorrhachis with tension pneumocephalus
Authors: Dawar Pankaj , Sedain Gopal , Sinha Sumit
Published: September 2013

Air contained within the spinal canal is termed as pneumorrhachis. There are only few previously reported cases in the literature about pneumorrhachis. We herein report a case of pneumorrhachis associated with tension pneumocephalus in a patient with severe head injury.
Neurothekeoma of petrous apex: A rare entity
Authors: Kumaran Sunitha , Ghosal Nandita , Narayanam Saikiran , Viswamitra Sanjaya , Assis Zarina
Published: September 2013

Intraosseous nerve sheath tumors are very rare tumors accounting for lesser than 0.2% of primary bone tumors. We present an 18-year-old female who presented with left facial paresis for the last 1 year. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated expansile, multiseptated, enhancing bony lesion in the left petrous apex. There was also abnormal enhancement of the 7-8th nerve complex within the internal auditory canal. Tumor was excised by subtemporal extradural approach. The lesion was diagnosed as intraosseous neurothekeoma on histopathology. This is an extremely rare tumor and its MRI appearance in this location is being described for the first time in literature.
Does economics add up? An introduction to meta-regression analysis
Authors: Stanley T.D.
Published: September 2013

Meta-analysis is the statistical analysis of an entire empirical literature. It seeks to summarize, evaluate and analyse what we know about a given empirical question, phenomenon, or effect. Meta-regression analysis (MRA) is meta-econometrics, uses the very tools that produce economics research, and provides a rigorous, objective alternative to conventional narrative reviews in economics. MRA often reveals surprising truths about economics. To illustrate these methods, I discuss meta-analyses of the employment effect of the minimum wage, efficiency wages, the natural rate hypothesis and unemployment hysteresis, the last two of which provide a rigorous, empirical falsification of the natural rate hypothesis.
Responses of carbon dioxide flux and plant biomass to drought in a treed peatland in northern Alberta: a climate change perspective
Authors: Munir T. M. , Xu B. , Perkins M. , Strack M.
Published: September 2013

Abstract. Northern peatland ecosystems represent large carbon stocks that are susceptible to changes such as accelerated mineralization due to water table lowering expected under a climate change scenario. During the growing seasons of 2011 and 2012 we monitored CO2 fluxes and plant biomass along a microtopographic gradient (hummocks-hollows) in an undisturbed dry continental boreal treed bog (control) and a nearby site that was drained (drained) in 2001. Ten years of drainage in the bog significantly increased coverage of shrubs at hummocks and lichens at hollows. Considering measured hummock coverage and including tree incremental growth, we estimate that the control site was a larger sink in 2011 of −40 than that of −13 g C m−2 in 2012 while the drained site was a source of 144 and 140 g C m−2 over the same years. We infer that, drainage induced changes in vegetation growth led to increased biomass to counteract a portion of soil carbon losses. These results suggest that spatial variability (microtopography) and changes in vegetation community in boreal peatlands will affect how these ecosystems respond to lowered water table potentially induced by climate change.
Mid-Holocene ocean and vegetation feedbacks over East Asia
Authors: Tian Z. , Jiang D.
Published: September 2013

Abstract. Mid-Holocene ocean and vegetation feedbacks over East Asia are investigated by a set of numerical experiments performed with the version 4 of the Community Climate System Model (CCSM4). With reference to the pre-industrial period, most of the mid-Holocene annual and seasonal surface-air temperature and precipitation changes are found to result from a direct response of the atmosphere to insolation forcing, while dynamic ocean and vegetation modulate regional climate of East Asia to some extent. Because of its thermal inertia, the dynamic ocean induced an additional warming of 0.2 K for the annual mean, 0.5 K in winter (December–February), 0.0003 K in summer (June–August), and 1.0 K in autumn (September–November), but a cooling of 0.6 K in spring (March–May) averaged over China, and it counteracted (amplified) the direct effect of insolation forcing for the annual mean and in winter and autumn (spring) for that period. The dynamic vegetation had an area-average impact of no more than 0.4 K on the mid-Holocene annual and seasonal temperatures over China, with an average cooling of 0.2 K for the annual mean. On the other hand, ocean feedback induced a small increase of precipitation in winter (0.04 mm day−1) and autumn (0.05 mm day−1), but a reduction for the annual mean (0.14 mm day−1) and in spring (0.29 mm day−1) and summer (0.34 mm day−1) over China, while it also suppressed the East Asian summer monsoon rainfall. The effect of dynamic vegetation on the mid-Holocene annual and seasonal precipitation was comparatively small, ranging from −0.03 mm day−1 to 0.06 mm day−1 averaged over China. In comparison, the CCSM4 simulated annual and winter cooling over China agrees with simulations within the Paleoclimate Modeling Intercomparison Project (PMIP), but the results are contrary to the warming reconstructed from multiple proxy data for the mid-Holocene. Ocean feedback narrows this model–data mismatch, whereas vegetation feedback plays an opposite role but with a level of uncertainty.
Simultaneous estimation of model state variables and observation and forecast biases using a two-stage hybrid Kalman filter
Authors: Pauwels V. R. N. , De Lannoy G. J. M. , Hendricks Franssen H.-J. , Vereecken H.
Published: September 2013

Abstract. In this paper, we present a two-stage hybrid Kalman filter to estimate both observation and forecast bias in hydrologic models, in addition to state variables. The biases are estimated using the discrete Kalman filter, and the state variables using the ensemble Kalman filter. A key issue in this multi-component assimilation scheme is the exact partitioning of the difference between observation and forecasts into state, forecast bias and observation bias updates. Here, the error covariances of the forecast bias and the unbiased states are calculated as constant fractions of the biased state error covariance, and the observation bias error covariance is a function of the observation prediction error covariance. In a series of synthetic experiments, focusing on the assimilation of discharge into a rainfall-runoff model, it is shown that both static and dynamic observation and forecast biases can be successfully estimated. The results indicate a strong improvement in the estimation of the state variables and resulting discharge as opposed to the use of a bias-unaware ensemble Kalman filter. Furthermore, minimal code modification in existing data assimilation software is needed to implement the method. The results suggest that a better performance of data assimilation methods should be possible if both forecast and observation biases are taken into account.
How the Saint Santin incoherent scatter system paved the way for a French involvement in EISCAT
Authors: Bauer P. , Giraud A. , Kofman W. , Petit M. , Waldteufel P.
Published: September 2013

Abstract. This paper relates the development of a French incoherent scatter system which started its operations in 1965. This development took place several years after the initial implementation of such systems in the United States, in Peru and in the United Kingdom. The French system, owing to its bistatic configuration and the use of continuous waves, differed from the previous ones. These characteristics yielded signals of excellent spectral quality, unravelling the possibility of inferring physical parameters (Doppler shift, average ion mass) out of reach, at that time, of other systems. The possibility of making ion drift vector measurements led to extend the system into a quadristatic configuration. The multiple capabilities offered by the incoherent scatter technique, notably as concerns the thermodynamical properties of the ionosphere and of the thermosphere, led further the French community to a project of embarking an incoherent scatter radar on board a ship. Taking account of a project of a Scandinavian auroral zone radar and of the considerable interest of the study of auroral zone electrodynamics, the French community abandoned the idea of the ship and expressed an interest in joining the Scandinavian project in conjunction with Germany and the United Kingdom.
TOWARDS AUTOMATIC VALIDATION AND HEALING OF CITYGML MODELS FOR GEOMETRIC AND SEMANTIC CONSISTENCY
Authors: Alam N. , Wagner D. , Wewetzer M. , von Falkenhausen J. , Coors V. , Pries M.
Published: September 2013

Abstract. A steadily growing number of application fields for large 3D city models have emerged in recent years. Like in many other domains, data quality is recognized as a key factor for successful business. Quality management is mandatory in the production chain nowadays. Automated domain-specific tools are widely used for validation of business-critical data but still common standards defining correct geometric modeling are not precise enough to define a sound base for data validation of 3D city models. Although the workflow for 3D city models is well-established from data acquisition to processing, analysis and visualization, quality management is not yet a standard during this workflow. Processing data sets with unclear specification leads to erroneous results and application defects. We show that this problem persists even if data are standard compliant. Validation results of real-world city models are presented to demonstrate the potential of the approach. A tool to repair the errors detected during the validation process is under development; first results are presented and discussed. The goal is to heal defects of the models automatically and export a corrected CityGML model.