bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Systematic Disturbance Analysis Method for Resilience Evaluation: A Case Study in Material Handling Systems
Authors: Li Ruiying , Tian Xiaoyu , Yu Li , Kang Rui
Published: March 2019

With the development of intelligent manufacturing technology, the material handling system (MHS) faces larger resilience challenges that threaten the sustainability of the system. To evaluate system resilience, the disturbance that the system may experience and the system response need to be identified in advance. This paper proposes a systematic and innovative approach to performing resilience-related disturbance analysis, i.e., disturbance mode and effects analysis (DMEA). Using this method, the possible disturbance modes, their occurrence probabilities, and the quantitative effects on system performance can be collected in a bottom-up process, and the information can be applied to further resilience quantification. Moreover, a quantitative system resilience evaluation framework for the MHS based on DMEA and the Monte Carlo method is presented. Production is defined as the key performance index of the system and is monitored to reflect the resilience behavior of the system after the disturbance occurs. The resilience of a tire tread handing system is quantified in our case study, and the results show the effectiveness of our DMEA-based resilience evaluation method. We also find that a reasonable system configuration and maintenance strategy can effectively improve system resilience, and a trade-off can be made between resilience and cost.
Quasiprobability Distribution Functions from Fractional Fourier Transforms
Authors: Anaya-Contreras Jorge A. , Zúñiga-Segundo Arturo , Moya-Cessa Héctor M.
Published: March 2019

We show, in a formal way, how a class of complex quasiprobability distribution functions may be introduced by using the fractional Fourier transform. This leads to the Fresnel transform of a characteristic function instead of the usual Fourier transform. We end the manuscript by showing a way in which the distribution we are introducing may be reconstructed by using atom-field interactions.
Distributional Chaoticity of C0-Semigroup on a Frechet Space
Authors: Lu Tianxiu , Waseem Anwar , Tang Xiao
Published: March 2019

This paper is mainly concerned with distributional chaos and the principal measure of C 0 -semigroups on a Frechet space. New definitions of strong irregular (semi-irregular) vectors are given. It is proved that if C 0 -semigroup T has strong irregular vectors, then T is distributional chaos in a sequence, and the principal measure μ p ( T ) is 1. Moreover, T is distributional chaos equivalent to that operator T t   is distributional chaos for every ∀ t > 0 .
Twist and Glide Symmetries for Helix Antenna Design and Miniaturization
Authors: Palomares-Caballero Ángel , Padilla Pablo , Alex-Amor Antonio , Valenzuela-Valdés Juan , Quevedo-Teruel Oscar
Published: March 2019

Here we propose the use of twist and glide symmetries to increase the equivalent refractive index in a helical guiding structure. Twist- and glide-symmetrical distributions are created with corrugations placed at both sides of a helical strip. Combined twist-and glide-symmetrical helical unit cells are studied in terms of their constituent parameters. The increase of the propagation constant is mainly controlled by the length of the corrugations. In our proposed helix antenna, twist and glide symmetry cells are used to reduce significantly the operational frequency compared with conventional helix antenna. Equivalently, for a given frequency of operation, the dimensions of helix are reduced with the use of higher symmetries. The theoretical results obtained for our proposed helical structure based on higher symmetries show a reduction of 42.2% in the antenna size maintaining a similar antenna performance when compared to conventional helix antennas.
Letter to the Editor: Bean-Associated Cytorhabdovirus and Papaya Cytorhabdovirus are Strains of the Same Virus
Authors: Bejerman Nicolás , Dietzgen Ralf G.
Published: March 2019

Recently, Alves-Freitas and colleagues [...]
The Dynamic Capsid Structures of the Noroviruses
Authors: Smith Hong Q. , Smith Thomas J.
Published: March 2019

Noroviruses are responsible for almost a fifth of all cases of gastroenteritis worldwide. New strains evolve every 2–4 years by escaping herd immunity and cause worldwide epidemics. In the US alone, noroviruses are responsible for ~20 million cases and more than 70,000 hospitalizations of infected children, annually. Efforts towards a vaccine have been hindered by a lack of detailed structural information about antibody binding and the mechanisms of antibody escape. Caliciviruses have 180 copies of the major capsid protein (VP1; ~58 kDa), that is divided into the N-terminus (N), the shell (S) and C-terminal protruding (P) domains. The S domain forms a shell around the viral RNA genome, while the P domains dimerize to form protrusions on the capsid surface. The P domain is subdivided into P1 and P2 subdomains, with the latter containing the binding sites for cellular receptors and neutralizing antibodies. There is increasing evidence that these viruses are extremely dynamic and this flexibility is critical for viral replication. There are at least two modes of flexibility; the entire P domain relative to the shell and within the P domain itself. Here, the details and possible roles for this remarkable flexibility will be reviewed.
Knowledge and Perceptions of Adverse Events Following Immunization among Healthcare Professionals in Africa: A Case Study from Ghana
Authors: Yamoah Peter , Bangalee Varsha , Oosthuizen Frasia
Published: March 2019

The spontaneous reporting of suspected adverse events following immunization (AEFI) by healthcare professionals (HCPs) is vital in monitoring post-licensure vaccine safety. The main objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and perceptions of AEFIs among healthcare professionals (HCPs) in Africa, using the situation in Ghana as a case study. The study was of a cross-sectional quantitative design, and was carried out from 1 July 2017 to 31 December 2017 with doctors, pharmacists, and nurses as the study participants. A 28-item paper-based questionnaire, delivered by hand to study participants, was the data collection tool in the study. The study was conducted in 4 hospitals after ethical approval was granted. The desired sample size was 686; however, 453 consented to partake in the study. Data were analyzed using SPSS (software version 22, IBM, Armonk, NY, USA), and chi-square and binary logistic regression tests were used for tests of association between HCPs’ characteristics and their knowledge and perceptions. Detailed knowledge of AEFIs was ascertained with a set of 9 questions, with 8 or 9 correctly answered questions signifying high knowledge, 5 to 7 correctly answered questions signifying moderate knowledge, and below 5 correctly answered questions signifying low knowledge. A set of 10 questions also ascertained HCPs’ positive and negative perceptions of AEFI. Results revealed that knowledge of AEFIs was high in 49 (10.8%) participants, moderate in 213 (47.0%) participants, and low in 191 (42.2%) participants. There was no statistically significant correlation between AEFI knowledge and professions. The highest negative perception was the lack of desire to learn more about how to diagnose, report, investigate, and manage AEFI, whereas the lowest was the lack of belief that surveillance improves public trust in immunization programs. There was a general awareness of AEFIs among HCPs in this study. However, negative perceptions and the lack of highly knowledgeable HCPs regarding AEFIs were possible setbacks to AEFI diagnosis, management, prevention, and reporting. More training and sensitization of HCPs on AEFIs and vaccine safety will be beneficial in improving the situation. Future research should focus on assessing the training materials and methodology used in informing HCPs about AEFIs and vaccine safety.
Impact Assessment of Distribution Network Layout on the Reliability of Water Delivery
Authors: Kowalski Dariusz , Kowalska Beata , Bławucki Tomasz , Suchorab Paweł , Gaska Krzysztof
Published: March 2019

The process of shaping distribution network structures is one of the most fundamental design tasks, and determines the delivery certainty of media transported by them. It is especially crucial with reference to network elements of a critical character, such as roads or water supply, sewage, or electrical networks. In urban conditions, the geometric shaping of these structures has a quasi-chaotic character that is individual for each network and city. The complexity of these networks increases significantly with the size of a city, and therefore the evaluation of water delivery certainty is also a difficult issue. Despite many years of research, there is no universal method to evaluate this certainty. The objective of this paper is to present two original approaches: the number of minimal efficiency paths from a water source to reference consumption nodes, and the relation of this number to the fractal dimension of a network’s geometric structure. The developed methods were tested in the conditions of a few real water supply networks. The obtained results indicate that the analyzed methods can be used for the preliminary and relatively rapid evaluation of water delivery certainty.
Numerical Modelling as a Support Tool for River Habitat Studies: An Italian Case Study
Authors: Nones Michael
Published: March 2019

Numerical modelling is becoming a major tool for supporting environmental studies at different scales, thanks to the ability of up-to-date codes to reproduce the complex mechanisms of the natural environment in quite a reliable manner. In evaluating the habitat diversity of anthropized rivers, however, many issues are rising because of the intrinsic complexity of the physical processes involved and the limitations associated with numerical models. Using a reach of the Po River in Italy as a case study, the present works aims to provide a qualitative description of the changes of the Eco-Environmental Diversity index as a response to different constant flow discharges typically observed along this reach. The goals are achieved by means of two solvers of the freeware iRIC suite, applied in cascade to first simulate the 2D fluvial hydrodynamics and subsequently provide a qualitative estimate of the habitat conditions. Despite the several simplifications intrinsically present in the modelling cascade and the ones introduced for practical purposes, the results show that an extremely strong and long-lasting reduction of the flow discharge, like the one very recently observed, can ultimately threaten the overall biological status of the river. Because of the modelling uncertainties, these preliminary outcomes are only qualitative and show the need for more research, both in terms of data acquisition and numerical schematization, to adequately and quantitatively evaluate the effects of transient hydrology on the river ecosystems. Moreover, additional field surveys are necessary to calibrate and validate the used biological parameters, aiming to obtain sufficiently reliable estimates.
Mapping Riparian Vegetation Functions Using 3D Bispectral LiDAR Data
Authors: Laslier Marianne , Hubert-Moy Laurence , Dufour Simon
Published: March 2019

Riparian zones experience many anthropic pressures and are the subject of European legislation to encourage their monitoring and management, to attenuate these pressures. Assessing the effectiveness of management practices requires producing indicators of ecological functions. Laser Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data can provide valuable information to assess the ecological status of riparian zones. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of LiDAR point clouds to produce indicators of riparian zone status. We used 3D bispectral LiDAR data to produce several indicators of a riparian zone of a dammed river in Normandy (France). The indicators were produced either directly from the 3D point clouds (e.g., biomass overhanging the channel, variation in canopy height) or indirectly, by applying the Random Forest classification algorithm to the point clouds. Results highlight the potential of 3D LiDAR point clouds to produce indicators with sufficient accuracy (ca. 80% for the number of trunks and 68% for species composition). Our results also reveal advantages of using metrics related to the internal structure of trees, such as penetration indexes. However, intensity metrics calculated using bispectral properties of LiDAR did not improve the quality of classifications. Longitudinal analysis of the indicators revealed a difference in attributes between the reservoir and areas downstream from it.
Comparative Study of Balancing SRT by Using Modified ASM2d in Control and Operation Strategy at Full-Scale WWTP
Authors: Drewnowski Jakub , Mąkinia Jacek , Szaja Aleksandra , Łagód Grzegorz , Kopeć Łukasz , Aguilar José Alonso
Published: March 2019

Detailed knowledge on the composition of the influent going into the wastewater treatment system is essential for the development of a reliable computer model. In the context of WWTPs (wastewater treatment plants), the wastewater characteristics are not only important for activated sludge system modelling, but also have an impact on the appropriate control of single unit operations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the concepts of COD (chemical oxygen demand) fractionation measurement in municipal wastewater with a respirometric method in control, and modelling the biological treatment processes at WWTP using the modified Activated Sludge Model no. 2d (ASM2d) developed by Drewnowski and Makinia. The batch OUR (oxygen uptake rate) test results and COD measurements obtained at BNR plant (96,000 m3/d) in Gdansk (Poland), were compared and evaluated with the main BNR (biological nutrient removal) WWTP (144,000 m3/d) located in Malaga (Spain). Respirometric tests and COD fractionation provided the experimental database for the comparison of the wastewater characteristics and model predictions at both large WWTPs. Some parameters, such as the heterotrophic growth yield (YH) coefficient, required calibration/validation of the range (YH = 0.64 and 0.74 gCOD/gCOD for Gdańsk and Malaga WWTP, respectively) to fit the modified ASM2d. The crucial issue when dealing with the newly developed model and proposed wastewater characterization for both study plants were extremely low and high values of the XS/XI ratio, which can be used to control full-scale WWTP and balance the solid retention time (SRT) in activated sludge systems.
Synchronization Optimization of Pipeline Layout and Pipe Diameter Selection in a Self-Pressurized Drip Irrigation Network System Based on the Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Zhao Rong-Heng , He Wu-Quan , Lou Zong-Ke , Nie Wei-Bo , Ma Xiao-Yi
Published: March 2019

A synchronous optimization method for self-pressure drip irrigation pipe network system is proposed. We have generalized the optimization design problem of the system and have established the mathematical models for the simultaneous optimization design of pipeline layout and pipe diameters. A genetic algorithm based on the infeasibility degree of the solution was used to solve the model. A typical example is used to validate the presented method. The method exhibits effective performance in the case studied. Designers can use the results of this study to efficiently design self-pressurized drip irrigation network systems.
Third-Order Polynomial Normal Transform Applied to Multivariate Hydrologic Extremes
Authors: Tung Yeou-Koung , You Lingwan , Yoo Chulsang
Published: March 2019

Hydro-infrastructural systems (e.g., flood control dams, stormwater detention basins, and seawalls) are designed to protect the public against the adverse impacts of various hydrologic extremes (e.g., floods, droughts, and storm surges). In their design and safety evaluation, the characteristics of concerned hydrologic extremes affecting the hydrosystem performance often are described by several interrelated random variables—not just one—that need to be considered simultaneously. These multiple random variables, in practical problems, have a mixture of non-normal distributions of which the joint distribution function is difficult to establish. To tackle problems involving multivariate non-normal variables, one frequently adopted approach is to transform non-normal variables from their original domain to multivariate normal space under which a large wealth of established theories can be utilized. This study presents a framework for practical normal transform based on the third-order polynomial in the context of a multivariate setting. Especially, the study focuses on multivariate third-order polynomial normal transform (TPNT) with explicit consideration of sampling errors in sample L-moments and correlation coefficients. For illustration, the modeling framework is applied to establish an at-site rainfall intensity–duration-frequency (IDF) relationship. Annual maximum rainfall data analyzed contain seven durations (1–72 h) with 27 years of useable records. Numerical application shows that the proposed modeling framework can produce reasonable rainfall IDF relationships by simultaneously treating several correlated rainfall data series and is a viable tool in dealing with multivariate data with a mixture of non-normal distributions.
Are Presence/Absence Microbial Tests Appropriate for Monitoring Large Urban Water Supplies in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Authors: MacLeod Clara , Peletz Rachel , Kere Francis , M’Baye Aminata , Onyango Michael , Aw Sadat , El Hadj Issabre Mamadou , Tung Rosalind , Khush Ranjiv
Published: March 2019

Screening for fecal contamination via microbial water quality monitoring is a critical component of safe drinking water provision and public health protection. Achieving adequate levels of microbial water quality testing, however, is a challenge in resource-limited settings. One strategy for addressing this challenge is to improve the efficiency of monitoring programs. In African countries, quantitative microbial testing methods are commonly used to monitor chlorinated piped water systems. However, presence/absence (P/A) tests may provide an appropriate alternative for water supplies that generally show negative fecal contamination results. This study compares 1048 water quality test results for samples collected from five African urban water systems. The operators of the systems conducted parallel tests on the 1048 samples using their standard quantitative methods (e.g., most probable number or membrane filtration) and the Colitag™ method in P/A format. Combined data demonstrates agreement rates of 97.9% (1024/1046) for detecting total coliforms and 97.8% (1025/1048) for detecting E. coli. We conclude that the P/A test offers advantages as a simpler and similarly sensitive measure of potential fecal contamination for large, urban chlorinated water systems. P/A tests may also offer a cost-effective alternative to quantitative methods, as they are quicker to perform and require less laboratory equipment.
Understanding the Functionality and Burden on Decentralised Rural Water Supply: Influence of Millennium Development Goal 7c Coverage Targets
Authors: Truslove Jonathan P. , V. M. Miller Alexandra , Mannix Nicholas , Nhlema Muthi , Rivett Michael O. , Coulson Andrea B. , Mleta Prince , Kalin Robert M.
Published: March 2019

The sustainability of rural groundwater supply infrastructure, primarily boreholes fitted with hand pumps, remains a challenge. This study evaluates whether coverage targets set out within the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) inadvertently increased the challenge to sustainably manage water supply infrastructure. Furthermore, the drive towards decentralised service delivery contributes to the financial burden of water supply assets. A sample size of 14,943 Afridev hand pump boreholes was extracted from a comprehensive live data set of 68,984 water points across Malawi to investigate the sustainability burden as emphasis shifts to the 2030 agenda. The results demonstrate that the push for coverage within the MDG era has impacted the sustainability of assets. A lack of proactive approaches towards major repairs and sub-standard borehole construction alongside aging infrastructure contributes to reduced functionality of decentralised supplies. Furthermore, costly rehabilitation is required to bring assets to operational standards, in which external support is commonly relied upon. Acceleration towards the coverage targets has contributed towards unsustainable infrastructure that has further implications moving forward. These findings support the need for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) investment planning to move from a focus on coverage targets to a focus on quality infrastructure and proactive monitoring approaches to reduce the future burden placed on communities.
PROJECT SYNTHESIS USING COMPROMISE-COMPENSATING MODEL IN DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY/PROJEKTŲ SINTEZĖ NAUDOJANT KOMPROMISO KOMPENSACINIUS MODELIUS STATYBOJE
Authors: Šarka Vaidotas , Ustinovičius Leonas , Zavadskas Edmundas K.
Published: March 2019

The primary goal for development of project decision support system is to optimise design of rational lifetime processes of a building. An efficient realisation of construction projects requires analysing their constituent parts in close interdependent relationship.

This can be reached by applying three methods of project synthesis in computer software “Universal decision support system in construction” with database of various construction project variants. Thus for carrying out a multicriteria synthesis of various projects and selecting the highest quality alternatives, it is necessary:

to develop all feasible alternative variations;

to develop a system of attributes able to produce a detailed description of the alternatives;

to calculate values and significances of the attributes;

to develop relation system between alternative variations.

On a UniDSS methodological basis, a technological model of the selections of the most efficient construction elements (main walls, foundations, roof, windows, internal walls) of the real project, Polish house near Naugarduko-Kaunas street crossing, using synthesis, with compromise-compensating model, was developed.
How Well Do Children Understand the Vocabulary of Sleep?
Authors: Ludwig Beris , Smith Simon S. , Heussler Helen
Published: March 2019

Background:

Sleep surveys, such as the Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale (PDSS), are used to determine a variety of concerns associated with sleep, including excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnolence), bedtime sleep behaviors, night awakenings, sleep duration, and sleep-disordered breathing. However, the literacy ability of the patient may not be adequate to ensure comprehension of questions and provision of accurate responses.

Objective:

To assess children's understanding of the sleep-associated vocabulary included in the PDSS.

Methods:

A cross-sectional, open-response survey was developed for use with students age 4 to 12 years. Prior to completing the instrument, each student was asked the meaning of six key sleep-related words used in the PDSS: drowsy, sleepy, alert, awakened, tired, and awake. The parents/caregivers were requested to record their child's definitions of these key words exactly as stated. Identification of words for “suitable” definitions was undertaken through consultation of three online dictionaries. This enabled the qualitative process associated with open-response surveys to be followed: identification of common themes, chunking of information, and criteria for coding responses. The final sample consisted of word definitions from 325 students (152 boys and 173 girls) from a school enrollment of 727 (45%).

Key Results:

A high percentage of children provided “suitable” responses for the words sleepy (84%) and tired (75%). The percentage of “suitable” responses for the words drowsy and awakened gradually increased across the age groups. The words alert and awake were challenging for the children to define, with the sleep-associated definition for alert only being provided by 31% of children overall and awake only being provided by 48% overall. In total, 57% of children were able to provide suitable definitions for at least four words.

Conclusions:

Our findings suggest that the results of many sleep surveys using these terms may not yield results that accurately reflect a child's actual state of daytime sleepiness and sleep/wake behaviors. Prior to administering a sleep survey, physicians need to clearly explain the meanings of sleep-associated words used in the survey and thus gain a more accurate reflection of a child's sleep and daytime behaviors.

[
HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice
. 2019;3(1):e53–e69.]

Plain Language Summary:

Sleep surveys are used to identify problems with sleep. Children with poor health literacy due to age may not understand the questions and may not provide adequate answers. Children's understanding of sleep-associated vocabulary was assessed using six words:
drowsy
,
sleepy
,
alert
,
awakened
,
tired
, and
awake
. Many of these words were found to be difficult for the children to define.
Yaoundé carcérale
Authors: Morelle Marie
Published: March 2019

À partir d’entretiens répétés auprès des détenus, des sortants de prison, de leurs familles, comme de l’administration pénitentiaire et des ONG, d’observations conduites dans la prison et dans les quartiers de Yaoundé, Marie Morelle dévoile le quotidien de la prison centrale de Yaoundé. Elle dépasse les stéréotypes sur les prisons africaines, souvent réduites à des espaces surpeuplés et délabrés, signes « d’États en crise » et encore mal connus, et met en perspective les actions et les discours nationaux et internationaux sur les prisons.

Plus largement, l’auteure éclaire la vie urbaine des populations dominées et les pratiques de régulation dont elles font l’objet de la part des autorités au Cameroun. Démontrant l’existence d’un continuum liant prison et quartiers populaires, elle montre comment le pouvoir en place gère la pauvreté comme les oppositions politiques en ville.

À la croisée des approches urbaine, sociale et politique en géographie, cet ouvrage s’adresse aux étudiants en sciences sociales et à toute personne engagée sur les questions carcérales et sur les droits de l’homme.
Detection and Location of Buried Infrastructures Using Ground Penetrating Radar
Authors: Tabarro Paulo Guilherme , Pouliot Jacynthe , Losier Louis-Martin , Fortier Richard
Published: March 2019

This article proposes an approach to improve the deployment of ground penetrating radar (GPR) in the field to detected and locate urban infrastructures. It consists of exploiting geographic data layers, database management systems, and a WebGIS, allowing users to handle GPR data within a georeferenced environment is developed based on a platform called GVX, providing users with four features, being (1) map integration, (2) geo-annotations and points of interest interaction, (3) radargram georeferencing, and (4) georeferenced slice visualization. Experiments with two categories of users, expert and non-expert GPR practitioners, have been performed. Based on the users' evaluation, the approach is valuable and can significantly improve GPR deployment. It helps users when discovering unmapped underground objects, delimiting the survey area, and interpreting GPR complex datasets. Overall, the approach optimized time and facilitated the spatial notion between GPR profiles and 3D meshes with map resources, allowing users to produce reliable maps, conforming to geospatial standards (CityGML).
The Improved LSTM and CNN Models for DDoS Attacks Prediction in Social Media
Authors: Alguliyev Rasim M. , Aliguliyev Ramiz M. , Abdullayeva Fargana J
Published: March 2019

Automatic identification of conversations related to DDoS events in social networking logs helps the organizations act proactively through early detection of negative and positive sentiments in cyberspace. In this article, the authors describe the novel application of a deep learning method to the automatic identification of negative and positive sentiments in large volumes of social networking texts. The authors present classifiers based on Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) to address this problem domain. The improved CNN and LSTM architecture outperform the classification techniques that are common in this domain including classic CNN and classic LSTM in terms of classification performance, which is measured by recall, precision, f-measure, train loss, train accuracy, test loss, and test accuracy. In order to predict the occurrence probability of the DDoS events the next day, the negative and positive sentiments in social networking texts are used. To verify the efficacy of the proposed method experiments is conducted on Twitter data.
Media Images of Islamophobia on Cable News Network (CNN) and Implications for International Relations
Authors: Kurebwa Jeffrey , Muchakabarwa Prosper
Published: March 2019

This study focuses on media images of islamophobia as portrayed by Cable News Network (CNN) and its implications for international relations. The study employed qualitative methodology. Data was collected using key informant interviews, while documentary search was done using CNN current affairs videos. The study findings indicated that the media has the power to influence human perceptions towards stereotyping Islam as a terrorist organisation and conflating the Islamic religion and the Muslim culture with terrorism. The study also found out that islamophobia really has a relationship with how Muslims are represented in the media. The study recommends that media houses should have media ethics, laws and policies which force journalists to be more accountable and objective when reporting issues of religion, race and culture as a way of eliminating offensive communication and religious intolerance.
Slow Education and Cognitive Agility
Authors: Knox Benjamin James , Lugo Ricardo G , Helkala Kirsi , Sütterlin Stefan
Published: March 2019

Governance of cyberpower from a military perspective are focused on the efforts to control and influence events occurring in cyberspace. For the Norwegian Defence, this means educating cyber engineers, responsible for governing cyberpower effects, beyond technical skills and competencies. To match the complexity of modern warfighting necessitates adaptive high-order thinking skills. Building on earlier cognitive engineering and human factors research in cyber defence this article suggests how Slow Education has the potential to improve cognitive performance among cyber cadets. Slow techniques were applied to 37 cyber cadets during a three-year bachelor programme at the Norwegian Defence Cyber Academy. The quantitative data for this study was gathered during a two-week Cyber Defence Exercise. Combining and applying a novel pedagogic method with psychological techniques suggests reflective pondering, self-regulation and metacognition as being associated with cognitive agility. This study helps develop and make metrics available that are suitable to evaluate human performance in cyber defence.
Modeling Emotive and Cognitive Origins of Consumer's Purchase Choices and Patronage Decisions
Authors: Rezaei Sajad , Emami Maryam , Valaei Naser
Published: March 2019

Despite the considerable role of consumers' emotive and cognitive origins in performing e-commerce transactions, a few empirical investigations systemically integrate the utilitarian and hedonic factors into the online retailing environment to uncover consumers' purchase choices and repatronage decisions. Built upon the dual-process framework and cognitive model (COG) of satisfaction decisions, this article proposes that anticipated elation (emotive factor) and trust propensity (cognitive factor) are the determinants of immersive satisfaction (emotive factors/outcome) and repatronage intention (cognitive outcome). The study further argues that the utilitarian and hedonic factors moderates the proposed relationships. A sample of 424 valid questionnaires was collected from experienced online consumers in Malaysia. Statistical analysis of the study was conducted using partial least square (PLS), which is a variance-based structural equation modeling (VB-SEM) technique, for both measurement and structural assessments. The empirical evaluation supports the structural relationships between exogenous and endogenous constructs in the online retailing environment. Additionally, utilitarian and hedonic product type moderates the proposed structural relationships, except for the relationship between anticipated elation and immersive satisfaction. The research's practical and theoretical implications are discussed.
Technology Acceptance Model and Stimulus-Organism Response for the Use Intention of Consumers in Social Commerce
Authors: Choi Youngkeun
Published: March 2019

This article examined two aspects of user decision making for social commerce and suggested technology acceptance model as cognitive process and stimulus-organism response as affective process to explain the people's behaviors. Research methodology is a survey for undergraduate students, which was conducted in December 2013 on a popular social commerce site (www.ticketmonster.co.kr). In the results, first, usefulness and ease of use are shown to increase user intention of social commerce. Second, joy and pride increase user intention of social commerce, while fear decreases it.
Decision Support System for Credit Risk Management
Authors: Bilginci Mehmet Resul , Kaya Gamze Ogcu , Turkyilmaz Ali
Published: March 2019

Risk is an integrated part of the banking functions, which cannot be eliminated completely but it can be reduced by employing appropriate techniques. Credit processing is one of the core functions in the banking system, and its performance is closely related to management of the risks. The aim of this article is to develop a credit scorecard model which can be used as decision support system. A logistic regression with stepwise selection method is used to estimate the model parameters. The data that is used to construct the credit scorecard model is obtained from one of the pioneering banks in Turkish Banking Sector. The performance of the developed model is tested using statistical metrics including Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curve and Gini statistics. The result reveals that the model performs well and it can be used as a decision support system for managing the credit risk by managers of the banks.
Software Quality Prediction Using Fuzzy Logic Technique
Authors: Pattnaik Saumendra , Pattanayak Binod Kumar , Patnaik Srikanta
Published: March 2019

In the global market, the value of software quality is a major factor in software industries. In a majority of cases, software quality needs to be quantified and measured. Previously, many models like the ISO model, the McCall model, the Boehm model, etc., have been used for the quantification of the parameters which determine the software quality. The software quality can be judged by analyzing all the characteristics of the product. In this article, a new pragmatic model which is the modification of the existing ISO Model has been proposed in order for the quantification of the software quality factors in a more precise way. Because of the nature of the attributes which determine the software quality, a Fuzzy logic-based approach is considered to be a better technique among various existing machine learning techniques. Here, the simulink tool is used for constructing the running model which helps the net quality of the software.
Maximum Inter Class Variance Segmentation Algorithm Based on Decision Tree
Authors: Yi Sanli , Zhang Guifang , He Jianfeng
Published: March 2019

In image segmentation, there are always some false targets which remain in the segmented image. As the grayscale values of these false targets are quite similar to the grayscale values of the targets of interest, it is very difficult to split them out. And because these false targets exist in the original image, which are not caused by noise or traditional filtering methods, such as median filtering, they cannot be eliminated effectively. It is important to analyze the characteristics of false targets, so the false targets can be removed. In addition, it should be noted that the targets of interest cannot be affected when the false targets are removed. In order to overcome above problems, a maximum inter-class variance segmentation algorithm based on a decision tree is proposed. In this method, the decision tree classification algorithm and the maximum inter-class variance segmentation algorithm are combined. First, the maximum inter-class variance algorithm is used to segment the image, and then a decision tree is constructed according to the attributes of regions in the segmented image. Finally, according to the decision tree, the regions of the segmented image are divided into three categories, including large target regions, small target regions and false target regions, so that the false target regions are removed. The proposed algorithm can eliminate the false targets and improve the segmentation accuracy effectively. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm proposed in this article, the proposed method is compared with some frequently used false target removal approaches. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve better results than other algorithms.
Modified Firefly Algorithm With Chaos Theory for Feature Selection
Authors: Dash Sujata , Thulasiram Ruppa , Thulasiraman Parimala
Published: March 2019

Conventional algorithms such as gradient-based optimization methods usually struggle to deal with high-dimensional non-linear problems and often land up with local minima. Recently developed nature-inspired optimization algorithms are the best approaches for finding global solutions for combinatorial optimization problems like microarray datasets. In this article, a novel hybrid swarm intelligence-based meta-search algorithm is proposed by combining a heuristic method called conditional mutual information maximization with chaos-based firefly algorithm. The combined algorithm is computed in an iterative manner to boost the sharing of information between fireflies, enhancing the search efficiency of chaos-based firefly algorithm and reduces the computational complexities of feature selection. The meta-search model is implemented using a well-established classifier, such as support vector machine as the modeler in a wrapper approach. The chaos-based firefly algorithm increases the global search mobility of fireflies. The efficiency of the model is studied over high-dimensional disease datasets and compared with standard firefly algorithm, particle swarm optimization, and genetic algorithm in the same experimental environment to establish its superiority of feature selection over selected counterparts.
A New Topological Method for Examining Historical Inscriptions
Authors: Tóth Loránd Lehel , Hosszú Gábor
Published: March 2019

The article presents a new method developed to increase the efficiency of the identification algorithm for historical inscriptions of unknown origin. The authors extracted topological properties of the symbols containing different script relics, and analyzed them by using statistical tools. The considered topological properties are circular loop, oblique lines, vertical section, and crossing, among others. The article describes the use of the number of a three-circle grapheme intersection point vectors to identify unknown symbols. The number of intersections of the three circles and the examined symbol is stored in a feature vector. By supplementing the feature vectors with the circle vectors, the authors succeeded in improving the efficiency of the algorithm designed to decipher hard to read historical inscriptions.
Quantum Local Binary Pattern for Medical Edge Detection
Authors: Lekehali Somia , Moussaoui Abdelouahab
Published: March 2019

Edge detection is one of the most important operations for extracting the different objects in medical images because it enables delimitation of the various structures present in the image. Most edge detection algorithms are based on the intensity variations in images. Edge detection is especially difficult when the images are textured, and it is essential to consider the texture in edge detection processes. In this article, the authors propose a new procedure to extract the texture from images, called the Quantum Local Binary Pattern (QuLBP). The authors introduce two applications that use QuLBP to detect edges in magnetic resonance images: a cellular automaton (CA) edge detector algorithm and a combination of the QuLBP and the Deriche-Canny algorithm for salt and pepper noise resistance. The proposed approach to extracting texture is designed for and applied to different gray scale image datasets with real and synthetic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The experiments demonstrate that the proposed approach produces good results in both applications, compared to classical algorithms.
Evaluation of High School Websites Based on Users
Authors: Santos Ana Maria , Cordón-García José Antonio , Díaz Raquel Gómez
Published: March 2019

This study has as an objective to evaluate four educational sites directed to High School through the implementation of an assessing EQEWS Model, based on Santos, Cordón García and Gomez Díaz (2017). The evaluating quality model is based on ten criteria, according to a Likert scale of 0 to 4. The results gave rise to a quality ranking with the averages of the two best and the two worst sites. These four sites were evaluated by two hundred users who answered a questionnaire applied through of agree, disagree and undefined scale. They evaluated the performance and degree of satisfaction while consulting the websites. The results showed that usability and navigation were the first and second criteria to be preferred by the users. A majority of the users were satisfied with the usability and the navigation but dissatisfied with the criteria of update and communication of the websites they evaluated.
A Context-Aware Approach for Generating User Interfaces Based on Usability Requirements
Authors: Zaibi Dorra , Riahi Meriem , Moussa Faouzi
Published: March 2019

The advent of mobile devices has raised new challenges. One main challenge concerns the quality of the dialogue between human beings and interactive systems. This dialogue pertains principally to the user interface since it is the visible part of the systems to humans. Developing a usable interface is crucial for the success or failure in the actual use of mobile applications. One of the important research issues for the effective use of user interfaces is regarding how to conduct usability requirements in ubiquitous environments. The present article addresses this issue taking into account context-awareness. The authors propose a methodology in this direction that considers the human factors while designing user interfaces. Particularly, the approach focuses on how to select consistent usability requirements and how to incorporate them into user interface development process considering the context of use. An illustrative case study is presented. Finally, an experimental platform for interface evaluation is proposed.
Response Shift After a 4-Week Multimodal Intervention for Chronic Ankle Instability
Authors: Powden Cameron J. , Hoch Matthew C. , Jamali Beth E. , Hoch Johanna M.
Published: March 2019

Context

The accurate evaluation of self-reported changes in function throughout the rehabilitation process is important for determining patient progression. Currently, how a response shift (RS) may affect the accuracy of self-reported functional assessment in a population with chronic ankle instability (CAI) is unknown.

Objective

To examine the RS in individuals with CAI after a 4-week multimodal rehabilitation program.

Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Setting

Laboratory.

Patients or Other Participants

Twenty adults (5 men, 15 women; age = 24.35 ± 6.95 years, height = 169.29 ± 10.10 cm, mass = 70.58 ± 12.90 kg) with self-reported CAI participated. Inclusion criteria were at least 1 previous ankle sprain, at least 2 episodes of the ankle “giving way” in the 3 months before the study, and a score ≤24 on the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool.

Intervention(s)

Individuals participated in 12 intervention sessions over 4 weeks and daily home ankle strengthening and stretching.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were assessed at 4 times (baseline, preintervention, postintervention, and 2-week follow-up). At the postintervention and 2-week follow-up, participants completed then-test assessments to measure RS. Then-test assessments are retrospective evaluations of perceived baseline function completed after an intervention. The PROs consisted of the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure-Activities of Daily Living and Sport subscales, the modified Disablement in the Physically Active scale physical and mental summary components, and the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire Physical Activity and Work subscales. We used repeated-measures analyses of variance to compare preintervention with then-test measurements. Individual-level RSs were examined by determining the number of participants who experienced preintervention to then-test differences that exceeded the calculated minimal detectable change.

Results

We did not identify an RS for any PRO (F > 2.338, P > .12), indicating no group-level differences between the preintervention and retrospective then-test assessments. Individual-level RS was most prominent in the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure-Sport subscale (n = 6, 30%) and the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire Physical Activity subscale (n = 9, 45%).

Conclusions

No group-level RS was identified for any PRO after a 4-week multimodal rehabilitation program in individuals with CAI. This finding indicates that traditional assessment of self-reported function was accurate for evaluating the short-term effects of rehabilitation in those with CAI. Low levels of individual-level RS were identified.
Maximal surfaces in Anti-de Sitter space, width of convex hulls and quasiconformal extensions of quasisymmetric homeomorphisms
Authors: Seppi Andrea
Published: March 2019

We give upper bounds on the principal curvatures of a maximal surface of nonpositive curvature in three-dimensional Anti-de Sitter space, which only depend on the width of the convex hull of the surface. Moreover, given a quasisymmetric homeomorphism

\phi

, we study the relation between the width of the convex hull of the graph of

\phi

, as a curve in the boundary of infinity of Anti-de Sitter space, and the cross-ratio norm of

\phi

.

As an application, we prove that if

\phi

is a quasisymmetric homeomorphism of

\mathbb{R}\mathrm P^1

with cross-ratio norm

||\phi||

, then ln

K\leq C||\phi||

, where

K

is the maximal dilatation of the minimal Lagrangian extension of

\phi

to the hyperbolic plane.