bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plasma-Modified, Epitaxial Fabricated Graphene on SiC for the Electrochemical Detection of TNT
Authors: Trammell Scott , Hernández Sandra , Myers-Ward Rachael , Zabetakis Daniel , Stenger David , Gaskill D. , Walton Scott
Published: August 2016

Using square wave voltammetry, we show an increase in the electrochemical detection of trinitrotoluene (TNT) with a working electrode constructed from plasma modified graphene on a SiC surface vs. unmodified graphene. The graphene surface was chemically modified using electron beam generated plasmas produced in oxygen or nitrogen containing backgrounds to introduce oxygen or nitrogen moieties. The use of this chemical modification route enabled enhancement of the electrochemical signal for TNT, with the oxygen treatment showing a more pronounced detection than the nitrogen treatment. For graphene modified with oxygen, the electrochemical response to TNT can be fit to a two-site Langmuir isotherm suggesting different sites on the graphene surface with different affinities for TNT. We estimate a limit of detection for TNT equal to 20 ppb based on the analytical standard S/N ratio of 3. In addition, this approach to sensor fabrication is inherently a high-throughput, high-volume process amenable to industrial applications. High quality epitaxial graphene is easily grown over large area SiC substrates, while plasma processing is a rapid approach to large area substrate processing. This combination facilitates low cost, mass production of sensors.
Optical Inspection and Morphological Analysis of Diospyros kaki Plant Leaves for the Detection of Circular Leaf Spot Disease
Authors: Wijesinghe Ruchire , Lee Seung-Yeol , Kim Pilun , Jung Hee-Young , Jeon Mansik , Kim Jeehyun
Published: August 2016

The feasibility of using the bio-photonic imaging technique to assess symptoms of circular leaf spot (CLS) disease in Diospyros kaki (persimmon) leaf samples was investigated. Leaf samples were selected from persimmon plantations and were categorized into three groups: healthy leaf samples, infected leaf samples, and healthy-looking leaf samples from infected trees. Visually non-identifiable reduction of the palisade parenchyma cell layer thickness is the main initial symptom, which occurs at the initial stage of the disease. Therefore, we established a non-destructive bio-photonic inspection method using a 1310 nm swept source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) system. These results confirm that this method is able to identify morphological differences between healthy leaves from infected trees and leaves from healthy and infected trees. In addition, this method has the potential to generate significant cost savings and good control of CLS disease in persimmon fields.
Re-Introducing Consumption to the ‘Circular Economy’: A Sociotechnical Analysis of Domestic Food Provisioning
Authors: Mylan Josephine , Holmes Helen , Paddock Jessica
Published: August 2016

The paper makes two contributions to the advancement of the ‘circular economy’ as a blueprint for a more sustainable society. The first is to highlight the importance of understanding the dynamics of consumption and waste in the domestic sphere. The second is to illustrate two ways in which using insights from socio-technical literature on sustainable consumption, in combination with the sociology of food, could contribute to redressing this shortfall. This includes understanding why people use or consume particular goods or services, and how this might be altered; and what drives the production of waste and the adoption of strategies for its reduction by consumers. We mobilise insights from a socio-technical perspective on consumption, which highlights the importance of everyday interactions between routine activities, mundane technologies and cultural meanings in (re)producing patterns of consumption. These insights are illustrated with reference to domestic food provisioning, using empirical data generated through twenty semi-structured interviews with consumers in relation to meat consumption and thriftiness. Two suggestions for the development of the ‘circular economy’ to better take account of consumption within the domestic sphere are made. The first is a shift from imagining consumers as ‘users’ of particular products or services, to conceptualisation as ‘doers’ of everyday activities. The second is a broadening of the principle of ‘eco-effectiveness’ to take account for the social value of consumption.
Spatial Distribution of Mercury (Hg) Concentration in Agricultural Soil and Its Risk Assessment on Food Safety in China
Authors: Wang Shanqian , Zhong Taiyang , Chen Dongmei , Zhang Xiuying
Published: August 2016

Soil mercury (Hg) pollution in some areas of China is a serious problem and has aroused a lot of attention on a local scale. However, there are few studies on Hg pollution on a national scale. This study collected 444 published papers during 2005–2015 on Hg concentrations in agricultural soil throughout China, under seven land uses, namely: dry land, paddy field, vegetable field, tea garden, orchard, traditional Chinese medicine field and tobacco field, to assess the spatial distribution of Hg concentration and evaluate its influence on food safety. The averaged Hg concentration (0.108 mg/kg) was higher than its background (0.065 mg/kg), but much lower than the guidelines (GB15618-1995 II) for crop production. The spatial distribution of Hg throughout China showed great variability, with some hotspots due to Hg related mining and smelting activities. According to the Environment Quality Standard for soil in China (GB15618-1995 II), 4.2% of agricultural soil should be abandoned due to Hg pollution, and 2.0% faced a high risk of Hg pollution.
Fuzzy Bi-Objective Production-Distribution Planning Problem under the Carbon Emission Constraint
Authors: Moon Ilkyeong , Jeong Yoon , Saha Subrata
Published: August 2016

This study addresses the design of a four-stage production distribution system under a carbon emission constraint. The first stage contains a set of established retail outlets. The second stage consists of a set of possible distribution centers. The third stage is comprised of a set of manufacturing units. The final and fourth stage involves a set of suppliers. We propose a bi-objective optimization problem with a mixed-integer linear programming scheme for maximizing the total profits while minimizing the cumulative shortages in a multi-period planning horizon with inaccurate information on raw material resources. We also propose a two-phase approach to solve the proposed model and obtain a Pareto-optimal solution. The effectiveness of the solution method for obtaining the fuzzy efficient solution is demonstrated with computational experiments. Sensitivity analysis is used for examining the effect of the carbon emission constraint on the optimal decisions.
Mycotoxin Determination in Foods Using Advanced Sensors Based on Antibodies or Aptamers
Authors: Xu Lin , Zhang Zhaowei , Zhang Qi , Li Peiwu
Published: August 2016

Mycotoxin contamination threatens health and life of humans and animals throughout the food supply chains. Many of the mycotoxins have been proven to be carcinogens, teratogens and mutagens. The reliable and sensitive sensing methods are requested to monitor mycotoxin contamination. Advanced sensors based on antibodies or aptamers boast the advantages of high sensitivity and rapidity, and have been used in the mycotoxin sensing. These sensors are miniaturized, thereby lowering costs, and are applicable to high-throughput modes. In this work, the latest developments in sensing strategies for mycotoxin determination were critically discussed. Optical and electrochemical sensing modes were compared. The sensing methods for single mycotoxin or multiple mycotoxins in food samples were reviewed, along with the challenges and the future of antibody or aptamer-based sensors. This work might promote academic studies and industrial applications for mycotoxin sensing.
Energy Recovery Using Micro-Hydropower Technology in Water Supply Systems: The Case Study of the City of Fribourg
Authors: Samora Irene , Manso Pedro , Franca Mário , Schleiss Anton , Ramos Helena
Published: August 2016

Water supply systems (WWSs) are one of the main manmade water infrastructures presenting potential for micro-hydropower. Within urban networks, local decentralized micro-hydropower plants (MHPs) may be inserted in the regional electricity grid or used for self-consumption at the local grid level. Nevertheless, such networks are complex and the quantification of the potential for micro-hydropower other than that achieved by replacing pressure reducing valves (PRVs) is difficult. In this work, a methodology to quantify the potential for hydropower based on the excess energy in a network is proposed and applied to a real case. A constructive solution is presented based on the use of a novel micro-turbine for energy conversion, the five blade tubular propeller (5BTP). The location of the MHP within the network is defined with an optimization algorithm that maximizes the net present value after 20 years of operation. These concepts are tested for the WSS in the city of Fribourg, Switzerland. The proposed solution captures 10% of the city’s energy potential and represents an economic interest. The results confirm the location of PRVs as potential sites for energy recovery and stress the need for careful sensitivity analysis of the consumption. Finally, an expedited method is derived to estimate the costs and energy that one 5BTP can produce in a given network.
Reasons and remedies for the agglomeration of multilayered graphene and carbon nanotubes in polymers
Authors: Atif Rasheed , Inam Fawad
Published: August 2016

One of the main issues in the production of polymer nanocomposites is the dispersion state of filler as multilayered graphene (MLG) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) tend to agglomerate due to van der Waals forces. The agglomeration can be avoided by using organic solvents, selecting suitable dispersion and production methods, and functionalizing the fillers. Another proposed method is the use of hybrid fillers as synergistic effects can cause an improvement in the dispersion state of the fillers. In this review article, various aspects of each process that can help avoid filler agglomeration and improve dispersion state are discussed in detail. This review article would be helpful for both current and prospective researchers in the field of MLG- and CNT-based polymer nanocomposites to achieve maximum enhancement in mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of produced polymer nanocomposites.
Cross-linked cyclodextrin-based material for treatment of metals and organic substances present in industrial discharge waters
Authors: Euvrard Élise , Morin-Crini Nadia , Druart Coline , Bugnet Justine , Martel Bernard , Cosentino Cesare , Moutarlier Virginie , Crini Grégorio
Published: August 2016

In this study, a polymer, prepared by crosslinking cyclodextrin (CD) by means of a polycarboxylic acid, was used for the removal of pollutants from spiked solutions and discharge waters from the surface treatment industry. In spiked solutions containing five metals, sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and three alkylphenols (AP), the material exhibited high adsorption capacities: >99% of Co2+, Ni2+ and Zn2+ were removed, between 65 and 82% of the PAHs, as well as 69 to 90% of the APs. Due to the structure of the polymer and its specific characteristics, such as the presence of carboxylic groups and CD cavities, the adsorption mechanism involves four main interactions: ion exchange, electrostatic interactions and precipitation for metal removal, and inclusion complexes for organics removal. In industrial discharge waters, competition effects appeared, especially because of the presence of calcium at high concentrations, which competed with other pollutants for the adsorption sites of the adsorbent.
Contact Dermatitis in Pediatrics
Authors: Pelletier Janice L. , Perez Caroline , Jacob Sharon E.
Published: August 2016

Contact dermatitis is an umbrella term that describes the skin's reaction to contacted noxious or allergenic substances. The two main categories of contact dermatitis are irritant type and allergic type. This review discusses the signs, symptoms, causes, and complications of contact dermatitis. It addresses the testing, treatment, and prevention of contact dermatitis. Proper management of contact dermatitis includes avoidance measures for susceptible children. Implementation of a nickel directive (regulating the use of nickel in jewelry and other products that come into contact with the skin) could further reduce exposure to the most common allergens in the pediatric population.

[
Pediatr Ann
. 2016;45(8):e287–e292.]
La carrera de un mercader judeoconverso en el Nápoles español. Negocios y relaciones políticas de Miguel Vaaz (1590-1616)
Authors: Crivelli Benedetta , Sabatini Gaetano
Published: August 2016

Este ensayo profundiza en algunos aspectos de la actividad en Nápoles del mercader y banquero judeoconverso de origen portugués Miguel Vaaz (1550 ca. - 1623). Más precisamente, en la primera parte del ensayo, se presentan los resultados de un análisis sistemático de la documentación contable proveniente de los archivos de los antiguos bancos públicos napolitanos (actualmente conservada en el Archivio Storico del Banco di Napoli). Esta documentación ha permitido reconstruir no solo las actividades comerciales y financieras de Miguel Vaaz para los años 1593-1610, sino también su extraordinaria capacidad de crear una red de relaciones con las elites económicas y políticas del reino, hasta alcanzar, en los años del gobierno en Nápoles del virrey VII conde de Lemos, 1610-1616, el auge de su poder. A los conflictos que acompañaron esta trayectoria, se dedica la segunda parte del ensayo, con particular referencia al enfrentamiento que en el bienio 1614-1615 opuso el virrey conde de Lemos a una parte de la aristocracia del reino. Las vicisitudes de Miguel Vaaz se pueden considerar como ejemplos de la importancia del papel que los mercaderes y banqueros judeoconversos desarrollaron dentro de la monarquía española en la primera etapa de la edad moderna.
Micer García de Gibraleón († 1534), un bróker eclesiástico en la Roma del Renacimiento
Authors: Ollero Pina José Antonio
Published: August 2016

Los conversos se pueden entender como un grupo definido que adoptó incluso conductas comunitarias, pero en su seno se encontraban situaciones sociales y culturales muy diferentes, de manera que su historia debe reconstruirse a partir del estudio de individuos y familias múltiplemente interrelacionados y que vivieron trayectorias muy diversas. García de Gibraleón (†1534) representa un caso ejemplar de supervivencia y adaptación. Hijo de Pedro Fernández Benadeva, uno de los primeros condenados y ejecutados por la Inquisición sevillana, ya a principios de 1481, y de una madre cuyo rastro se pierde en el destierro, nunca regresaría a su ciudad natal. Sin embargo, desde Roma y durante el primer tercio del XVI, valiéndose de la posición a la que había escalado en el medio curial, estuvo en condiciones de actuar como un intermediario imprescindible, un auténtico bróker, del mercado de las sinecuras y los beneficios eclesiásticos y ponerse al servicio de varias iglesias españolas, entre ellas de la de Sevilla, de donde sus hermanos tuvieron que abandonar sus prebendas para salvar sus vidas, al mismo tiempo que se hacía con un apreciable patrimonio. Hasta en el legado que dejó al morir significó la trágica ironía de aquel tiempo de angustia.
La élite mercantil judeoconversa andaluza y la articulación de la trata negrera hacia las Indias de Castilla, ca. 1518-1560
Authors: Fernández Chaves Manuel F. , Pérez García Rafael M.
Published: August 2016

El presente artículo estudia el proceso histórico por el que la élite mercantil judeoconversa de la Baja Andalucía jugó un papel decisivo en la articulación de la trata negrera hacia la América española en la época de Carlos V. Gracias a ello, resulta posible percibir el cambiante mundo de los negocios a Indias y las interrelaciones habidas entre los grandes grupos económicos involucrados en la misma durante la primera mitad del siglo XVI.
Conectores sefarditas en una monarquía policéntrica. El caso Belmonte/Schonenberg en la articulación de las relaciones hispano-neerlandesas durante la segunda mitad del siglo XVII
Authors: Herrero Sánchez Manuel
Published: August 2016

El presente artículo analiza el papel central ejercido por las redes sefarditas y judeoconversas en la evolución de las relaciones entre la Monarquía Hispánica y las Provincias Unidas a lo largo del siglo XVII. Su sólida implantación en el comercio ultramarino y en el mercado de capitales de Ámsterdam y el protagonismo de su abigarrado tejido de corresponsales en el control de la información o en el abastecimiento de todo tipo de servicios financieros y mercantiles explican la facilidad con la que se integraron en el seno de unos sistemas políticos policéntricos al operar sin dificultades en el marco de ordenamientos jurídicos y monetarios diversos y actuar como conectoras entre territorios dispersos. Una diáspora cosmopolita involucrada en intercambios a escala planetaria que estaba lejos de actuar exclusivamente en torno a criterios étnicos y religiosos y cuyos miembros mostraban una gran preocupación por cuestiones de prestigio y distinción y por la adquisición de cargos públicos o títulos nobiliarios. Para ello, analizaremos el entramado conformado por Manuel Belmonte, agente del rey católico en Ámsterdam, y por su sobrino, Francisco de Schonenberg, representante diplomático de la república en Madrid, que impulsaron el proceso de acercamiento hispanoneerlandés y apostaron por la causa austracista durante la Guerra de Sucesión.
Los judeoconversos y el negocio de la Guerra: La leva de Manuel Cortizos por vía de Factoría (1648)
Authors: Rodríguez Hernández Antonio José
Published: August 2016

El objetivo de este trabajo es conocer mejor los sistemas de asientos y factorías, profundizando de paso en una faceta poco conocida del banquero judeoconverso Manuel Cortizos. A su vez desvelaremos las posibilidades de enriquecimiento que generaba la gestión indirecta potenciada por la monarquía para conseguir recursos para la guerra, mostrando a la luz las posibilidades de fraude ante el escaso control de la Hacienda. Elementos facilitados por el favor real, que verifican la elevada posición de una familia judeoconversa, que gracias al poder del dinero compró cargos, se benefició de hábitos, e incluso, una generación después, de títulos nobiliarios.
Agent Based Modelling of Smart Structures
Authors: Ion Andreea , Patrascu Monica
Published: August 2016

Smart structures are complex systems situated in even more complex and large scale urban environments. This chapter opens the field of agent based modelling and simulation (ABMS) to civil engineers. ABMS offers a wide range of tools for implementing simulation models of systems with high degrees of interconnectivity and a large number of component subsystems. The ease of use for specialized engineers and the capabilities of integration with existent technologies and infrastructures, make agent based models a very attractive way to incorporate the social system in the design process of buildings. Moreover, ABMS allows for the testing and validation of structure wide control and automation systems. This chapter presents past and current efforts of using agent based modelling for smart structures, as well as the main challenges brought by this new interdisciplinary research domain.
Definition of Static Nonlinear Procedure and Flexibility-Based Model with Application on 2D Model for an Existing Structure and Comparing Results with Time History Analysis
Authors: Belgasmia Mourad
Published: August 2016

This chapter presents in one hand the definition of the pushover procedure based on Eurocode 8, and displacement based and force base elements which will be used in this study, and the application of the pushover procedure based to Eurocode 8 to nonlinear framed structure model and comparison with time history analysis. As test-bed application, we consider a two-story reinforced concrete building in Bonefro, Italy. It is representative of typical residential building construction in Italy in the 1970's and 1980's. The aim of this chapter is to compare 2D model for both modal and uniform load distributions with time history analysis. In another hand an Application to two-story RC Frame using force base elements without soil and with taking into account soil in order to have an idea of the soil modelisation effect with the structure in the results
Experiments on a Ring Tension Setup and FE Analysis to Evaluate Transverse Mechanical Properties of Tubular Components
Authors: Samal M.K. , Balakrishnan K.S.
Published: August 2016

Determination of transverse mechanical properties from ring specimens machined from tubular components is not straightforward due to presence of combined tension and bending stresses. Zircaloy tubes as used in nuclear reactors are manufactured through a complicated process of pilgering and heat-treatment and hence, the properties need to be determined in the as-manufactured condition. In this work, the authors perform ring-tensile tests on specimens of Zircaloy pressure tubes of Indian pressurized heavy water reactor in order to carry out integrity assessment of these tubes. As the loading condition in this test imposes both membrane and bending stresses in the cross-section of the ring, 3-D finite element analysis of the test setup was carried out in order to determine material stress-strain curve using an iterative technique. The effect of the design of the loading mandrel on the experimental stress-strain data has been investigated in detail. To validate the methodology, miniature tensile specimens have been tested and the data has been compared to those of ring specimens.
Dynamic Analysis of Offshore Wind Turbine Structures
Authors: Banerjee Arundhuti , Chakraborty Tanusree , Matsagar Vasant , Datta Tushar Kanti
Published: August 2016

Wind turbines are slender flexible structures susceptible to strong wind fluctuations. The flexible wind turbine structure, when subjected to strong dynamic forces, it leads to an ideal condition for induced vibrations and resonance problems. Hence studying the dynamic response of these critical structures using the computational and experimental procedures becomes of utmost importance. This chapter reviews the theories used for the dynamic analysis of a modern day offshore wind turbine structure and applies these theories in analyzing realistic situations for offshore turbines under wave and wind action. The first half of the chapter gives a broad overview on the concepts of structural dynamics of wind turbine structures with illustrative examples that will enable the user to understand the methodology used to analyze these structures. The latter half of the chapter deals with the computational aspect of the analysis and focuses on the use of finite element software ANSYS 14 to model these critical structures.
FE Analysis and Experimental Investigation of Cracked and Un-Cracked Thin-Walled Tubular Components to Evaluate Mechanical and Fracture Properties
Authors: Samal M.K.
Published: August 2016

For investigation of fracture behavior and assessment of remaining life of critical thin-walled tubular components in industry, the transverse mechanical property and the axial fracture properties are essential. However, evaluation of these properties by machining suitable standard specimens from these components directly and subjecting them to standard tests is usually not feasible. In this chapter, the nonlocal version of the Rousselier's damage model has been used to predict the fracture resistance behavior of double-edged-notched-tensile specimens made from Zircaloy-4 material. Initially, the micro-mechanical parameters have been determined from the testing of ring-type specimens. Subsequently, these parameters were used in finite element analysis of the double-edged-notched-tensile specimen in order to predict the crack growth behavior and the crack path under applied displacement-controlled loading conditions. The fracture resistance behavior obtained in terms of J-R curve was also compared with the corresponding J-R curves of axially-cracked pin-loading-tension specimens.
MARS and Neural Network Models for Shear Strength Prediction of Squat Reinforced Concrete Walls
Authors: Goh Anthony T.C. , Zhang Wengang
Published: August 2016

Squat walls are widely used in structural engineering. The empirical equations currently used to calculate the peak shear strength of squat walls do not correlate well with the experimental results. Another limitation is the reliance on the use of many assumed intermediate parameters. This chapter explores the use of MARS and BPNN approaches to build predictive peak shear strength models of squat walls based on an extensive experimental database from the literature. First the MARS methodology and its associated procedures will be explained in detail. Analyses of the database are then carried out to verify the MARS's capacity in modelling the non-linear interactions between variables without making any specific assumptions. The performances of the built MARS and BPNN models are compared in terms of predictive accuracy, parameter relative importance, parametric analysis and model interpretability. Design charts are also proposed based on parametric studies using the developed models.
Nonlinear System Identification of Smart Buildings
Authors: Mohammadzadeh Soroush , Kim Yeesock
Published: August 2016

In this book chapter, a system identification method for modeling nonlinear behavior of smart buildings is discussed that has a significantly low computation time. To reduce the size of the training data used for the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), principal component analysis (PCA) is used, i.e., PCA-based adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system: PANFIS. The PANFIS model is evaluated on a seismically excited three-story building equipped with a magnetorheological (MR) damper. The PANFIS model is trained using an artificial earthquake that contains a variety of characteristics of earthquakes. The trained PANFIS model is tested using four different earthquakes. It was demonstrated that the proposed PANFIS model is effective in modeling nonlinear behavior of a smart building with significant reduction in computational loads.
Structural Integrity Assessment and Control of Ageing Onshore and Offshore Structures
Authors: Ratnayake R.M. Chandima , Samarakoon S.M. Samindi
Published: August 2016

Structural integrity assessment and control (SIA & C) are vital for existing ageing as well as newly built offshore and onshore structures. The SIA & C becomes highly sensitive to interventions under a potential loss of structural integrity (SI) especially when there are inherent constraints present in carrying out engineering work in hazardous environments such as petroleum production and process facilities (P&PFs). The challenges have been further exacerbated by the constantly ageing onshore and offshore structures whilst it is the necessity of carrying out life extension at the verge of their design service lives. Local and international regulations demand the implementation of appropriate strengthening, modification and repair (SMR) plans when significant changes in the SI have been revealed. This chapter presents potential simulation approaches that are possible to utilize for SIA&C in relation to prioritization as well as evaluation of current status of a SIA&C organization.
Analysis of User's Browsing Behavior and Their Categorization Using Markov Chain Model
Authors: Jain Ratnesh Kumar , Singhai Rahul
Published: August 2016

Web server log file contains information about every access to the web pages hosted on a server like when they were requested, the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the request, the error code, the number of bytes sent to the user, and the type of browser used. Web servers can also capture referrer logs, which show the page from which a visitor makes the next request. As the visit to web site is increasing exponentially the web logs are becoming huge data repository which can be mined to extract useful information for decision making. In this chapter, we proposed a Markov chain based method to categorize the users into faithful, Partially Impatient and Completely Impatient user. And further, their browsing behavior is analyzed. We also derived some theorems to study the browsing behavior of each user type and then some numerical illustrations are added to show how their behavior differs as per categorization. At the end we extended this work by approximating the theorems.
Folksonomy-Based Information Retrieval by Generating Tag Cloud for Electronic Resources Management Industries and Suggestive Mechanism for Tagging Using Data Mining Techniques
Authors: Pandya Sohil D. , Virparia Paresh V.
Published: August 2016

In the current scenario the amount of electronic resources are increasing rapidly. These resources are human readable and understandable. The industries which are managing these resources have various problems for their retrieval. In this chapter, the authors tried to propose folksonomy based information retrieval by generating tag cloud. This model not only helps the industries to manage their electronic resources for retrieval but helps them by providing suggestions for tagging with the usage of similarity metrics. This suggestive mechanism also helps users to understand resources at specific and organizations at general. The authors also have implemented the model to demonstrate the experimental results followed by discussion.
Applications of Web Usage Mining across Industries
Authors: Kumar A. V. Senthil , Umagandhi R.
Published: August 2016

Web Usage Mining (WUM) is the process of discovery and analysis of useful information from the World Wide Web (WWW) by applying data mining techniques. The main research area in Web mining is focused on learning about Web users and their interactions with Web sites by analysing the log entries from the user log file. The motive of mining is to find users' access models automatically and quickly from the vast Web log data, such as similar queries imposed by the various users, frequent queries applied by the user, frequent web sites visited by the users, clustering of users with similar intent etc. This chapter deals with Web mining, Categories of Web mining, Web usage mining and its process, Applications of Web usage mining across the industries and its related works. This Chapter offers a general knowledge about Web usage mining and its applications for the benefits of researchers those performing research activities in WUM.
Enhancing Web Data Mining
Authors: Taneja Abhishek
Published: August 2016

An enormous production of databases in almost every area of human endeavor particularly through web has created a great demand for new, powerful tools for turning data into useful, task-oriented knowledge. The aim of this study is to study the predictive ability of Factor Analysis a web mining technique to prevent voting, averaging, stack generalization, meta- learning and thus saving much of our time in choosing the right technique for right kind of underlying dataset. This chapter compares the three factor based techniques viz. principal component regression (PCR), Generalized Least Square (GLS) Regression, and Maximum Likelihood Regression (MLR) method and explores their predictive ability on theoretical as well as on experimental basis. All the three factor based techniques have been compared using the necessary conditions for forecasting like R-Square, Adjusted R-Square, F-Test, JB (Jarque-Bera) test of normality. This study can be further explored and enhanced using sufficient conditions for forecasting like Theil's Inequality coefficient (TIC), and Janur Quotient (JQ).
Analyzing Website Quality Issues through Web Mining
Authors: Sreedhar G.
Published: August 2016

In the present day scenario the World Wide Web (WWW) is an important and popular information search tool. It provides convenient access to almost all kinds of information – from education to entertainment. The main objective of the chapter is to retrieve information from websites and then use the information for website quality analysis. In this chapter information of the website is retrieved through web mining process. Web mining is the process is the integration of three knowledge domains: Web Content Mining, Web Structure Mining and Web Usage Mining. Web content mining is the process of extracting knowledge from the content of web documents. Web structure mining is the process of inferring knowledge from the World Wide Web organization and links between references and referents in the Web. The web content elements are used to derive functionality and usability of the website. The Web Component elements are used to find the performance of the website. The website structural elements are used to find the complexity and usability of the website. The quality assurance techniques for web applications generally focus on the prevention of web failure or the reduction of chances for such failures. The web failures are defined as the inability to obtain or deliver information such as documents or computational results requested by web users. A high quality website is one that provides relevant, useful content and a good user experience. Thus in this chapter, all areas of website are thoroughly studied for analysing the quality of website design.
Search Query Recommendations in Web Information Retrieval Using Query Logs
Authors: Umagandhi R. , Kumar A. V. Senthil
Published: August 2016

Web is the largest and voluminous data source in the world. The inconceivable boom of information available in the web simultaneously throws the challenge of retrieving the precise and appropriate information at the time of need. The unpredictable amount of web information available becomes a menace of experiencing ambiguity in the web search. In this scenario, Search engine retrieves significant information from the web, based on the query term given by the user. The search queries given by the user are always short and ambiguous and the queries may not produce the appropriate results. The retrieved result may not be relevant all the time. At times irrelevant and redundant results are also retrieved because of the short and ambiguous query keywords. Query Recommendation is a technique to provide the alternate queries as a substitute of the input query to the user to frame the queries in future. A methodology was framed to identify the similar queries and they are clustered; this cluster contains the similar queries which are used to provide the recommendations.
Web Harvesting
Authors: Umamageswari B. , Kalpana R.
Published: August 2016

Web mining is done on huge amounts of data extracted from WWW. Many researchers have developed several state-of-the-art approaches for web data extraction. So far in the literature, the focus is mainly on the techniques used for data region extraction. Applications which are fed with the extracted data, require fetching data spread across multiple web pages which should be crawled automatically. For this to happen, we need to extract not only data regions, but also the navigation links. Data extraction techniques are designed for specific HTML tags; which questions their universal applicability for carrying out information extraction from differently formatted web pages. This chapter focuses on various web data extraction techniques available for different kinds of data rich pages, classification of web data extraction techniques and comparison of those techniques across many useful dimensions.
A Review on Noninvasive Beat-to-Beat Systemic and Pulmonary Blood Pressure Estimation through Surrogate Cardiovascular Signals
Authors: Castro Ana , de Carvalho Paulo , Muehlsteff Jens , Mattos Sandra S. , Coimbra Miguel
Published: August 2016

Blood pressure monitoring is essential in hospital and home monitoring scenarios, with applications requiring on-line beat-to-beat blood pressure estimation, such as tele-monitoring of neurally mediated syncope. This chapter presents a comprehensive review of investigated approaches and reported performance, using different noninvasive correlates of the circulatory and cardiovascular system. Papers of interest were located in Scopus, IEEE Xplore and PubMed databases. The resulting pool of papers was then methodologically reviewed using 5 thematic taxonomies developed: 1) pulse arrival time and pulse transit time, 2) vascular transit time, 3) RS2 time, 4) heart sound characteristics, 5) PPG characteristics. The status of evidence in the literature demonstrates that cardiovascular signals such as the electrocardiogram, photoplethysmogram, and phonocardiogram contain important information for the estimation of blood pressure. Still, there are open issues regarding the validity, reliability and stability of these methods.
Non-Linear Analysis of Heart Rate Variability and ECG Signal Features of Swimmers from NIT-Rourkela
Authors: Ray Anupama , Nayak Suraj Kumar , Champaty Biswajeet , Tibarewala D. N. , Pal Kunal
Published: August 2016

The current study deals with the investigation of the effect of long-term endurance training on the autonomic nervous system of healthy adults. ECG was recorded for 5 min under resting condition in a sitting position using an ECG acquisition device for 25 swimmers and 25 age-matched sedentary controls. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) parameters of the volunteers were used for statistical analysis and classification using binary classification trees and artificial neural networks. The LF/HF ratio for swimmers and sedentary controls was found to be 0.89 ± 0.32 and 0.94 ± 0.46, respectively. This may be attributed to the vagal dominance due to endurance training in the swimmers. Statistical ECG signal processing and db06 wavelet based processing were performed to understand the effect of swimming on the cardiac health. The signal classification results indicated that both the HRV and the processed ECG signal features may be used for the classification of the swimmers and the sedentary controls using CART, Boosted tree, Random Forest and neural network algorithms.
Two-Directional Two-Dimensional Principal Component Analysis Based on Wavelet Decomposition for High-Dimensional Biomedical Signals Classification
Authors: Xie Hong-Bo , Guo Tianruo
Published: August 2016

Here, we present a multi-scale two-directional two-dimensional principal component analysis (MS2D2PCA) method for the efficient and effective extraction of essential feature information from signals. Time-invariant multi-scale matrices are constructed in the first step. The two-directional two-dimensional principal component analysis then operates on the multi-scale matrices to reduce the dimension, rather than vectors in conventional PCA. Results are presented from an experiment to classify twenty hand motions using 89-channel EMG signals recorded in stroke survivors, which illustrates the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method for biomedical signal analysis. With this multi-scale two-directional two-dimensional principal component analysis for high-dimensional signal classification, spatial-time-frequency discriminant information from high-dimensional EMG electrode array can be effectively extracted and reduced using the proposed method. Compared with the time domain feature extraction in conjunction with PCA, MS2D2PCA performed better with higher classification accuracy and less PCs in EMG classification. The efficiency and effectiveness of the method can be further validated by using high-dimensional EEG, MEG, fMRI signals. Although the present study focuses on high-dimensional signal pattern classification, based on the PCs obtained at multiple scales, it is relatively straightforward to expand MS2D2PCA for high-dimensional signal compression, denoising, component extraction, and other related tasks.
Electromyogram and Inertial Sensor Signal Processing in Locomotion and Transition Classification
Authors: Joshi Deepak , Hahn Michael E.
Published: August 2016

Signal processing in biomedical engineering is essentially required for classification while serving mainly two aims. The first is noise removal and the second is signal representation. Signal representation deals with transforming the signal in such a way that the signal is most informative in that particular domain for the application at hand. This chapter will describe signal processing methods like spectrogram with specific applications to locomotion and transition classification using Electromyography (EMG) data. A wavelet analysis application on foot acceleration signals for automatic identification of toe off in locomotion and the ramp transition is also shown. Finally, the performance of EMG and accelerometer performance across different time windows of a gait cycle in locomotion and transition classification is presented with an emphasis on fusing the data from both sensors for better classification.
A Comparative Study on Diabetic Retinopathy Detection Using Texture-Based Feature Extraction Techniques
Authors: Bidgoli Azam Asilian , Ebrahimpour-Komleh Hossein , Mousavirad Seyed Jalaleddin
Published: August 2016

Diabetic retinopathy is proved to be one of the most important eye disorders in recent decades that late diagnosis of it may cause low vision or even blindness. Specialist are able to detect retinopathy in retinal images using machine learning as a decision support system which helps accelerate and facilitate the diagnosis. The automated diabetic retinopathy is a difficult computer vision problem –with the goal of detecting features of retinopathy. The present chapter is written with the purpose of analyzing and comparing different feature extraction methods to evaluate the best algorithm for detection retinopathy with least error. Extracted features using these methods are used to classify images into normal and altered groups.
Open Judiciary in High Courts
Authors: Cano Jesus , Pomed Luis , Jiménez-Gómez Carlos E. , Hernández Roberto
Published: August 2016

With this work, it is hoped to offer an insight into open judiciary applied to the specific context of constitutional courts in the Civil Law system from both a legal and technological point of view. The advances in IT are now becoming the drivers of social change and new ways for citizens and public administrations to interrelate. Information technology has enabled a different way for citizens to access public services under an e-Government umbrella to a greater or lesser degree of success. In the area of e-Justice it would appear that advances are perceived in different ways, particularly in the higher courts. This chapter will set out how constitutional justice is integrated into the world of electronic justice as an example of a genuine challenge that is full of paradoxes.
Open Judiciary in a Closed Society
Authors: Gechlik Mei , Dai Di , Beck Jordan Corrente
Published: August 2016

This chapter examines the open government initiative and the application of open government principles to the court system in China in order to illustrate what “open judiciary”—and, ultimately, an “open state”—looks like in a relatively closed society. The authors present a comprehensive background of China's open government initiative and related court reform efforts, along with critical analysis of trends in “Guiding Cases” (“GCs”), de facto binding precedents released by the Supreme People's Court (SPC) of China, and subsequent cases (“SCs”) that cite GCs. Drawing on these theoretical and empirical studies, the authors discuss the prospects of leveraging China's open government and open judiciary efforts to develop an open state in the country and identify key factors for promoting open judiciary in other closed societies around the world.
From eJustice to Open Judiciary
Authors: Lourenço Rui Pedro , Fernando Paula , Gomes Conceição
Published: August 2016

This chapter will consider the Portuguese context, with a relatively ‘traditional' eGovernment successful development, to analyse the way eJustice and open judiciary have progressed. The aim is to provide useful insights which may be considered in other contexts (countries), including a reflection on the factors that may account for differences in eJustice and open judiciary development when compared to eGovernment and open government achievements. eGovernment, eJustice, open government and open judiciary development processes are placed in dialogue, in order to discuss the factors that have contributed to differences and similarities in both generic eGovernment and open government and specific eJustice and open judiciary development in Portugal.
Integrating Semi-Open Data in a Criminal Judicial Setting
Authors: Bargh Mortaza S. , Choenni Sunil , Meijer Ronald F.
Published: August 2016

Judiciary systems comprise various partner organizations (e.g., police, public prosecutor, courts, and rehabilitation centres) that collaboratively resolve criminal cases. These partner organizations have their own data administration and management systems, which are setup/operated separately and integrated barely. This chapter explains the approach of the authors' organization for integrating the data sets of the Dutch judiciary systems, and for opening the data integration outcomes to the public and/or to specific groups. These outcomes (e.g., data sets and reports) are meant to provide useful insights into (the performances of) the partner organizations individually and collectively. Such data opening efforts do not comply with all Open Data requirements, mainly due to the quality, (privacy) sensitivity and interoperability issues of the raw data. Nevertheless, since these initiatives aim at delivering some benefits of Open Data, the chapter introduces the new paradigm of Semi-Open Data for acknowledging such data opening initiatives.
Openlaws.eu
Authors: Lampoltshammer Thomas J. , Guadamuz Andres , Wass Clemens , Heistracher Thomas
Published: August 2016

Legal texts represent a fundamental building block in all democratic states. As such, legal information must be accessible to all members of society to the widest possible extent, to aid inclusiveness and to enable participation in public decision-making. In recognition of this, the EU and its Member States work to make laws, court decisions, etc. publicly available online. The sheer mass of legal norms, instruments, and interpretations in court decisions, commentaries and other sources, makes it increasingly difficult for citizens, civil society, businesses, and all involved stakeholders in legal practices to locate the relevant law. The challenge is to interlink local legal information and to have structures in place to enrich this information through aggregation and mass customization. The technological possibilities to achieve this goal do exist. The European project openlaws.eu aims for initiating a platform and to develop a vision for Big Open Legal Data (BOLD): an open framework for legislation, case law, and legal literature from across Europe.
Internet-Based Social Reporting in Emerging Economies
Authors: Osman Mohamed Nagy
Published: August 2016

This chapter examines how public banks operating in Egypt and the UAE respond to stakeholders' needs. It uses content analysis to explore the volume, nature, and quality of social information presented on the websites of these banks and the way in which these banks use web technology to report such information. The results indicate that public banks in both countries made more disclosures about corporate social responsibility (CSR) and community issues. Nevertheless, they lag behind stakeholders' expectations in regard to information about employees and cultural issues. Furthermore, the UAE banks tend to offer better stakeholders access to social information than Egyptian banks. However, both have a long way to go in better facilitating interaction with stakeholders. There is evidence to suggest that social reporting by public banks' in both countries is still below the expectations of the Muslim and global communities.