bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vision-Based Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Navigation in Poor Visibility Conditions Using a Model-Free Robust Control
Authors: Pérez-Alcocer Ricardo , Torres-Méndez L. Abril , Olguín-Díaz Ernesto , Maldonado-Ramírez A. Alejandro
Published: July 2016

This paper presents a vision-based navigation system for an autonomous underwater vehicle in semistructured environments with poor visibility. In terrestrial and aerial applications, the use of visual systems mounted in robotic platforms as a control sensor feedback is commonplace. However, robotic vision-based tasks for underwater applications are still not widely considered as the images captured in this type of environments tend to be blurred and/or color depleted. To tackle this problem, we have adapted thelαβcolor space to identify features of interest in underwater images even in extreme visibility conditions. To guarantee the stability of the vehicle at all times, a model-free robust control is used. We have validated the performance of our visual navigation system in real environments showing the feasibility of our approach.
Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test in an Italian Population
Authors: Culicchia Greta , Nobilia Marta , Asturi Marilyn , Santilli Valter , Paoloni Marco , De Santis Rita , Galeoto Giovanni
Published: July 2016

Objective. This paper describes the Italian translation and adaptation to the Italian culture of the original version of the Jebsen-Taylor hand function test and conveys the procedure for testing its validity and reliability.Design. The cultural adaptation process and validation were based on data from a group of people with no clinical evidence of disease or impairment of the upper limbs. The process required a forward and reverse translation in its original language. The scale obtained was reviewed by 8 experts in the field of psychometrics dealing with statistical methods that are useful for the behavioral and social sciences. The Italian adapted version of the JTHFT was then produced and validated.Participants. The test was submitted to 320 people with no clinical evidence of disease in order to test its acceptability and consistency.Results. The total time required to perform each subtest was 80.16 ± 43.13 seconds for the nondominant hand (NDH) and49.97±27.28seconds for the dominant hand (DH). The internal consistency (assessed with Pearson’sr) and the reliability or the construct validity (assessed with Cronbach’s alpha) are significative.Conclusions. This is the first study reporting the result of the translation, cultural adaptation, and validation protocols of the JTHFT in Italian. It provides a new tool for Italian professionals to measure the functionality of the hand in participants with various upper limb pathologies.
SDN Based User-Centric Framework for Heterogeneous Wireless Networks
Authors: Lu Zhaoming , Lei Tao , Wen Xiangming , Wang Luhan , Chen Xin
Published: July 2016

Due to the rapid growth of mobile data traffic, more and more basestations and access points (APs) have been densely deployed to provide users with ubiquitous network access, which make current wireless network a complex heterogeneous network (HetNet). However, traditional wireless networks are designed with network-centric approaches where different networks have different quality of service (QoS) strategies and cannot easily cooperate with each other to serve network users. Massive network infrastructures could not assure users perceived network and service quality, which is an indisputable fact. To address this issue, we design a new framework for heterogeneous wireless networks with the principle of user-centricity, refactoring the network from users’ perspective to suffice their requirements and preferences. Different from network-centric approaches, the proposed framework takes advantage of Software Defined Networking (SDN) and virtualization technology, which will bring better perceived services quality for wireless network users. In the proposed user-centric framework, control plane and data plane are decoupled to manage the HetNets in a flexible and coadjutant way, and resource virtualization technology is introduced to abstract physical resources of HetNets into unified virtualized resources. Hence, ubiquitous and undifferentiated network connectivity and QoE (quality of experience) driven fine-grained resource management could be achieved for wireless network users.
Note sulla storia della ricezione della poesia italiana in Brasile
Authors: Wataghin Lucia
Published: July 2016

Notas sobre a recepção no Brasil de Petrarca, Tasso e Metastasio (no século XVIII) e sobre as traduções de Ariosto, Tasso, Leopardi, Ungaretti, Montale e outros no século XX.
Inovações Didáticas no Ensino de Economia: Experimentos Econômicos, Atividades On-line e Autoavaliação
Authors: Silva Roseli Da
Published: July 2016

Este artigo apresenta três técnicas didáticas alternativas aos métodos tradicionais de ensino de economia em nível de graduação. Por meio de tais expedientes, tem-se o objetivo de alcançar maior eficiência no processo ensino-aprendizagem e, assim, engajar os estudantes de maneira efetiva e ativa na construção do conhecimento, tanto em termos individuais quanto coletivos.
Homem Virtual (Ser Humano Virtual 3D): A Integração da Computação Gráfica, Impressão 3D e Realidade Virtual para Aprendizado de Anatomia, Fisiologia e Fisiopatologia
Authors: Wen Chao Lung
Published: July 2016

O projeto Homem Virtual promove a integração entre o aprendizado da anatomia topográfica e estrutural humana, da fisiologia, da fisiopatologia e de métodos de diagnósticos por imagens por meio do uso de objetos de aprendizagem interativos a partir da utilização de mídias digitais, impressoras 3D, tablets e smartphones. Existem três aspectos de destaque nesta iniciativa: a construção (modelagem de objetos digitais) das estruturas em computação gráfica 3D, utilização de recursos dinâmicos (animações) para explicar o funcionamento dos processos fisiológicos e fisiopatológicos de maneira objetiva e clara e a coordenação educacional para a organização didática dos conteúdos. De um modo geral, os recursos provenientes do projeto Homem Virtual abrem possibilidades inovadoras para aprendizagem uma vez que o seu acervo 3D estimula o estudante a observar e analisar vídeos específicos, a associar imagens com textos de referência, a identificar detalhes significativos nos conteúdos transmitidos, a personalizar objetos anatômicos e, até mesmo, a gerar objetos físicos de peças anatômicas em três dimensões com qualidade realística, por meio de impressoras 3D. E com a popularização destas, pela primeira vez na história do Brasil, é possível difundir conhecimentos científicos por meio da internet que podem ser produzidos localmente pelos usuários.
Alleviation of 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide induced oxidative stress by Oroxylum indicum (L.) leaf extract in albino Wistar rats
Authors: Mohan Shalini , Thiagarajan Kalaivani , Sundaramoorthy Balaji , Gurung Vivek , Barpande Manas , Agrawal Shilpi , Chandrasekaran Rajasekaran
Published: July 2016

Background

4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4-NQO) is a mutagen known to be responsible for causing cancer by generating oxidative stress in humans.Oroxylum indicum(L.) possesses various bioactive compounds with antioxidant properties. In this connection, the present study aims to analyze the alleviation of 4-NQO induced oxidative stress in albino Wistar rats usingO. indicum(L.) leaf extract.

Methods

O. indicum(L.) belonging to the family Bignoniaceae, has anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we observed severe oxidative stress in 4-NQO induced albino Wistar rats when compared to untreated control. Alleviation of this condition was seen after the oral administration ofO. indicum(L.) leaf extract at 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg body weight.

Results

4-NQO (50 ppm) administration in drinking water resulted in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) leading to cellular damage, lipid peroxidation and imbalance in antioxidant status. Administration ofO. indicum(L.) leaf extract has alleviated the level of 4-NQO induced oxidative stress by increasing the antioxidant status and decreasing the elevation of liver markers in serum.

Conclusions

Results clearly suggest thatO. indicum(L.) leaf extract when administered orally in a dose dependent manner has the ability to overcome the oxidative stress induced by 4-NQO with hepatoprotective and lipid protective properties.
From Mumbai to Tel Aviv
Authors: Lustenberger Sibylle
Published: July 2016

This article analyzes the place of intimacy in the encounters between Israeli gay men and Indian surrogates. While transnational surrogacy is often presented either as an act of solidarity or as a contract for mutual benefit, the article complicates this picture. The intended fathers in the study simultaneously negated, expected, feared, and desired intimacy. The emphasis of the surrogates’ monetary interests kept the women outside the fathers’ families. Yet framing surrogacy as pure work conflicts with the affection and appreciation the men felt toward their surrogates. They felt the need to meet them, even if only once, to bring the relationship to a good end. Their balancing act unveils the asymmetries that structure transnational surrogacy. Gay men rely on distance and proximity to create consistent stories of origin for their children. They do so, however, at the expense of the surrogates, whose possibilities to enact their ideas about these relationships are limited.
APRENDER E ENSINAR SOB A ÓTICA DA TEORIA DA MODIFICABILIDADE COGNITIVA ESTRUTURAL DE FEUERSTEIN E DA PEDAGOGIA FREIREANA
Authors: Nogaro Arnaldo , Strieder Roque , Dalmina Rute Rosângela
Published: July 2016

A teoria da modificabilidade cognitiva estrutural se fundamenta na crença de que todo ser humano é capaz de aprender desde que esteja aberto às mudanças, independente de sua idade, condição genética ou experiência de vida. Partindo dessa premissa, este artigo, fruto de pesquisa teórica, aborda possibilidades de a mudança cognitiva estrutural dar-se de forma similar ao que ocorre nas mudanças naturais e contínuas dos aspectos biológicos cronológicos de uma pessoa, sendo que a diferença entre ambas estaria no fato da primeira ser opcional; e a segunda, determinada. A partir desta predisposição do sujeito, surgem novas formas de aprender e ensinar que podem ser incorporadas ao exercício cotidiano da prática docente para que este possa contribuir com sua modificabilidade cognitiva. Para corroborar com essa perspectiva, buscaram-se nos princípios pedagógicos da pedagogia freireana bases teóricas que fundamentam os saberes necessários à adoção desta prática. A modificabilidade cognitiva ocorre quando são criadas as condições adequadas, sejam elas da parte do professor ou do estudante, para isso se exige a superação da pedagogia conservadora que impede a autonomia, o diálogo e a criticidade, princípios basilares da pedagogia de Freire e considerados elementos essenciais para gerar a modificabilidade cognitiva estrutural.
GESTÃO DEMOCRÁTICA: INSERÇÃO DOS GESTORES NAS INSTITUIÇÕES DE EDUCAÇÃO INFANTIL
Authors: Côco Valdete , Galdino Luciana
Published: July 2016

Este artigo discute a inserção dos gestores nos quadros profissionais das instituições de Educação Infantil (EI) a partir de dados de pesquisa de mapeamento, que empreendeu procedimento de aplicação de questionário aos gestores municipais da EI dos 78 municípios do estado do Espírito Santo (ES), Brasil. Com ancoragem em referencial teórico-metodológico bakhtiniano e afirmando as premissas da gestão democrática do ensino, desenvolve-se uma interlocução com a legislação brasileira e com estudos sobre gestão educacional, buscando compreender as formas de provimento ao cargo e aos processos de formação continuada dos gestores das instituições de EI. Os dados da pesquisa indicam que a maioria dos municípios pesquisados integra o profissional gestor na composição do quadro funcional das instituições de EI, ainda que sua designação possa não abarcar a totalidade das instituições das redes municipais. Com essa presença profissional marcante no quadro das instituições, atenta-se para a incipiência dos processos participativos no que se refere às formas de nomeação desse profissional, indicando desafios persistentes com vistas à gestão democrática nas instituições de EI.
ENSINAR E APRENDER COMO ESTADO DE PROCURA: DIÁLOGOS ALUNO-PROFESSOR NA LICENCIATURA EM TEATRO DA UFMG
Authors: Aguiar Francisco de Assis Soares , Machado Marina Marcondes
Published: July 2016

Na forma de entrevista mútua, o texto reproduz o diálogo entre aluno-professor na Licenciatura em Teatro da UFMG, onde fazem uma reflexão sobre a prática docente e a formação de professores em Teatro a partir da experiencia vivida na disciplina de Estágio II, cuja proposta foi planejar, realizar e avaliar pequenas cenas feitas nas enfermarias de Pediatria do Hospital das Clínicas da UFMG.
La Escuelita: Paradojas en la construcción de la autonomía disciplinar
Authors: Acosta Mg. Arq. María Martina
Published: July 2016

A mediados de la década del '70 la enseñanza de la arquitectura se encontraba marcada por la extrema politización de sus ideas y sus prácticas: la participación social en el proyecto y la organización de talleres verticales —que cuestionaban los principios pedagógicos tradicionales— señalaban el desplazamiento de los intereses estrictamente disciplinares. Los límites de este momento convulsionado pueden fijarse en el golpe de Estado de marzo del '76 que, con su componente de terror, desmontó esas experiencias de reforma. En este marco, un grupo de arquitectos apartados de la Universidad decidió crear los Cursos de Arquitectura con el objetivo de retomar la reflexión sobre los problemas de la disciplina, recuperando la autonomía que la década del '70 había disuelto en la práctica política. Este artículo explora la experiencia de estos cursos, que luego fueron conocidos como La Escuelita, y que desde 1977 hasta 1982, liderados por Antonio Díaz, Rafael Viñoly, Ernesto Katzenstein y Justo Solona, construyeron un notable ámbito de reflexión a partir del proyecto, la crítica y los estudios históricos, en consonancia con la cultura arquitectónica contemporánea internacional.

Palabras clave

Enseñanza de la arquitectura; Proyecto; Teoría; Crítica; Autonomía disciplinar
Vers un Nouveau Continent
Authors: Carapiá Lima Baptista Mg. Arq. Piero
Published: July 2016

Diversas investigações buscaram avaliar os impactos de Le Corbusier no meio profissional sul–americano. Muitas dessas centraram–se nas influencias de suas viagens a América do Sul (1929, 1936, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951 e 1962); na divulgação do ideário corbusiano por arquitetos latino–americanos que realizaram estágios profissionais com Le Corbusier e; nos projetos propostos pelo Mestre para o continente. Outro caminho, pouco explorado, objeto deste artigo, será: por um lado, a análise dos artigos publicados nas revistas especializadas sul–americanas pelo próprio Le Corbusier ou por profissionais locais e; por outro lado, analisando a lógica das publicações dos livros de Le Corbusier (em espanhol e português), na qual profissionais vinculados a ele tiveram papel decisivo. No primeiro caso identificamos: a relação entre a publicação de artigos e o interesse dos profissionais sulamericanos em temas específicos; a preocupação por adotar e adaptar as ideias corbusianas a cada realidade; a atitude crítica por parte dos profissionais sul–americanos; o interesse por manter–se «atualizados» sobre a obra do Mestre e; o intenso contato entre os diretores das diversas revistas. No segundo caso é possível entender o contexto e a importância da tradução dos livros de Le Corbusier, influenciando na escolha dos livros traduzidos e publicados.

Palabras clave

Arquitetura moderna; Le Corbusier; Movimento moderno; Revistas especializadas; Urbanismo moderno
Verticalización del núcleo urbano central de Santa Fe
Authors: Martínez Dra. Arq. Irene
Published: July 2016

El artículo describe y caracteriza la verticalización del núcleo urbano central de Santa Fe entre 1966 y 2010 y sus impactos en la dinámica urbana del tejido central a partir de tres cuestiones: los cambios morfológicos; la emergencia de nuevos actores y la generación de nuevos instrumentos de regulación urbana. A partir de estas tres cuestiones se registran las alteraciones en las representaciones y los significados sociales sobre el edificio en altura y sus efectos: de indicador de progreso y avance urbano a elemento que degrada el patrimonio arquitectónico y los usos de sectores urbanos.

Palabras clave

Actores; Centro urbano; Edificio en altura; Regulación urbana; Significado
Assessing zygosity in progeny of transgenic plants: current methods and perspectives
Authors: Passricha Nishat , Saifi Shabnam , Khatodia Surender , Tuteja Narendra
Published: July 2016

Homozygosity is highly desirable in transgenic plants research to ensure the stable integration and inheritance of transgene(s). Simple, reliable and high-throughput techniques to detect the zygosity of transgenic events in plants are invaluable tools for biotechnology and plant breeding companies. Currently, a number of basic techniques are being used to determine the zygosity of transgenic plants in T1 generation. For successful application of any technique, precision and simplicity of approach combined with the power of resolution are important parameters. On the basis of simplicity, resolution and cost involved, the available techniques have been classified into three major classes which are conventional methods, current methods and next generation methods. Conventional methods include antibiotic marker-based selection and the highly labour intensive Southern blot analysis. In contrast, methods such as real time PCR, TAIL PCR and competitive PCR are not only cost effective but rapid as well. Moreover, methods such as NGS, Digital PCR and Loop-mediated isothermal amplification also provide cost effective, fast and not so labour-intensive provide substitute of current methods. In this review we have attempted to compare and contrast all the available efficient methods to distinguish the homozygous plant in progeny of transgenics. This review also provides plenty of information regarding the various techniques available for determining zygosity in plants so as to permit the scientists to make informed choices of techniques that best suit their analyses. More importantly, detection and subsequent selection of homozygous individuals is central for facilitating the movement of transgenic plant from the laboratory to the field.
Influencia de John Dewey en las reformas educativas en Turquía y en la Unión soviética
Authors: Zorić Vučina
Published: July 2016

This theoretical analysis focuses on John Dewey’s ideas and activities regarding education reform and societal democratization in Turkey and in the Soviet Union, with particular emphasis on the period between the two World Wars. The springboard for the research was the fact that Dewey’s pragmatic conception of education represents one of the most influential tendencies in the development of pedagogy and education reforms in many countries all over Europe, and indeed the world. This research seeks to determine the essential features, forms, extents and outcomes of the influence that John Dewey’s activities and ideas have had on the educational policies and reforms in both countries. The circumstances and content of Dewey’s visits to both Turkey and the Soviet Union are analysed, alongside his reports, i.e., his own impressions of the visits he made, and his recommendations for the respective education reforms and thoughts on their application and their achievements. In addition, the wide scope and diversity of influence of Dewey’s ideas are also examined through the various translated editions of his books and articles, taking into consideration numerous studies devoted to his works. These methods of theoretical analysis and historical research led to the conclusion that John Dewey’s pedagogical ideas and activities made a significant impact among his contemporaries, and greatly influenced the education reforms in Turkey and the Soviet Union, where there is still significant interest in his concepts and the application of his ideas today. However, although Dewey’s conception of education was extensively examined, acknowledged and used in the aforementioned countries, albeit with certain modifications and developments, it ultimately became either too rigid or vulgarised through many superficial interpretations and manipulations.
Factors that determine child behavior during dental treatment
Authors: Bajrić Elmedin , Kobašlija S. , Huseinbegović A. , Marković N. , Selimović-Dragaš M. , Arslanagić-Muratbegović A.
Published: July 2016

In this review paper we wanted to summarize all the aspects which could affect the behavior of the child patients in the dental office. At the beginning, the factors that are related to the child patients are mentioned. Various segments of child psychological, cognitive, physiological and other kinds of development are discussed. Also, the reasons for dental fear and anxiety (DFA) and dental behavior problems (DBP) were analyzed, and how the child dental patients could cope with them. Finally, types of patients according to their behavior in the dental office were discussed. Furthermore, the influences of child patients' parents were studied, including parenting styles, as well as factors related to dentist, dental team and the dental office. Finally, critical evaluation of administration of assets to measure the presence of DFA and DBP is provided. Every part of the text was corroborated by the results from our own and other authors ' recent bibliography data.
Green Construction in Building Renovation
Authors: Ksit Barbara , Majcherek Michał
Published: July 2016

Modern materials and construction solutions draw more and more attention to ecology and building certification. Among the criteria appearing in revitalization, an important element is bringing plants back into heavily urbanized areas. In its natural form, this is not possible to carry out everywhere, often requiring large amounts of space. Nowadays, however, there are a number of green roofs and green wall systems, allowing “greener” construction without making significant changes in the urban environment.

The article includes a presentation and analysis of selected solutions of biological surfaces known as green roofs and green walls, specifying various solutions and their most important features. The case study focuses primarily on material and design solutions, as well as the potential benefits, risks and limitations in their use.

Plants structures on the surfaces of vertical and horizontal partitions continue to be a very interesting alternative to take into account when applying for grants, such as LEED or BREEAM certificates.
Growth and Yield Performance of Maize Seeded in Line and Broadcasted to Varying Doses of Nitrogen
Authors: Zaman R. , Khan A.
Published: July 2016

Improving production through better agronomic management is continued to feed ever-increasing population. The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of N on maize seeded in line or broadcasted. Treatments included four level of urea nitrogen (N), i.e. 0, 60, 120 and 180 kg ha-1 and two sowing techniques, i.e. drill sowing (improved) and broad cast (farmer practice). Improved method of sowing had improved yield and yield contributing parameters whereas emergence m-2 and biological yield was higher in broadcast method of sowing. Increasing N application had increased biological yield, number of plants at harvest and grains ear-1 linearly. Cobs per plant, grain yield, 1000 grains weight and harvest index showed sigmoid response to N application and was maximum at 120 kg N ha-1. Sowing of maize seed in line method and receiving 120 kg N ha-1 had increased grain yield by 45% over broad cast method of sowing receiving the same dose of nitrogen. However, the farmer practices method had increased the forage (straw) when received higher amount of N, i.e. 180 kg N ha-1. Thus, it is concluded from the experiment that application of 120 kg N ha-1 and seed sown in line had increased the yield and yielding parameters, compared to other treatments and is, therefore, recommended for general cultivation of variety Azam in agro-climatic condition of Peshawar.
Theoretical and Methodological Aspects of Optimization of Relationship between Economic Potential and Sources for Public Needs Settlement
Authors: Stojanović Aleksandar
Published: July 2016

The relative level of fiscal revenue in relation to the total aggregate domestic product or national income is a central indicator to be established in the national economy. This indicator is the “tax ratio”. The tendency of almost every economic and especially fiscal policy is that this indicator expresses the optimal ratio between the part of the domestic product or national income, which is intended to be used for the settlement of public needs and the general economic aggregate of the latter economic categories. Its special importance lies in the design concept of medium-term or long-term social and economic development. It is necessary to determine the framework of the global distribution of the domestic product or national income, which is acceptable, on the one hand, from the perspective of a balanced and stable economic growth, and on the other hand, from the standpoint of balancing interests of all social structures of modern mixed societies.
Experimental Evidence on Transfer Pricing
Authors: Tran Quoc H. , Croson Rachel T. A. , Seldon Barry J.
Published: July 2016

We use incentivized economics experiments to test both the point predictions and comparative static predictions of optimal transfer pricing models, comparing behavior under varying conditions, including wholly versus partially-owned subsidiaries and different tariff and tax rates. As predicted, we find that transfer prices are responsive to relative tax and tariff rates as well as ownership proportions. Additionally, we examine convergence and learning in this setting. While individuals do not choose optimal transfer prices, their choices converge to optimal levels with experience. This paper thus makes two important contributions. First, by comparing behavior with theoretical predictions it provides evidence of whether (and when) individuals set transfer prices optimally. Second, by comparing behavior under conditions of full and partial ownership it provides evidence on the impact of policy interventions (like regulating ownership proportions by MNEs) on tax revenues.
Corporate Governance and Financial Performance Nexus: Any Bidirectional Causality?
Authors: Alley Ibrahim S. , Adebayo Abimbola L. , Oligbi Blessing O.
Published: July 2016

Most studies on corporate governance recognize endogeneity in the nexus between corporate governance and financial performance. Little attention has, however, been paid to the direction of causality between the two phenomena, and hence the Vector Error Correction (VEC) model, which allows for endogenous determination of the direction of causality, has not been widely employed. This study fills that gap by estimating the nexus and the direction of causality using the VEC model to analyze panel data on selected listed firms in Nigeria. The results agree with the findings of most previous studies that corporate governance significantly affects financial performance. Board skills, board composition and management skills enhanced financial performance indicators – return on equity (ROE), return on asset (ROA) and net profit margin (NPM); in many occasions, significantly. Board size and audit committee size did not, and can actually undermine financial performance. More importantly, financial performance did not significantly affect corporate governance. On the basis of the lag structure of the VEC model, this study affirms unidirectional causality in the nexus, running from corporate governance to financial performance, nullifying the hypothesis of bidirectional causality in the nexus.
Statistical Analysis of the Forensic Autopsies, Performed in the Department of Forensic Medicine of University Hospital Pleven for the Period 2009-2013 (A Preliminary Report)
Authors: Dekov Dancho P. , Ivanov Ivan N. , Kostadinov Sergey D. , Popovska Savelina L. , Lisaev Petko I. , Dorovski Plamen D.
Published: July 2016

The study is a statistical analysis of the dynamics and structure of forensic autopsies performed on dead bodies and body remains at University Hospital “Dr. Georgi Stranski” in Pleven. The study was based on forensic autopsy records database and forensic autopsy reports for the period 2009-2013. A total of 976 cases, including forensic autopsies, exhumations, examination of bone remains and inspection of dead bodies at the site of death (without following forensic autopsy), were analyzed. The studied data was coded and processed with Microsoft Excel software. A detailed data analysis of the number of autopsies, frequency of death by cause, distribution of death by gender, age, residence, place of death and its forensic category is presented. According to our results, the deaths due to diseases comprised 35% of all forensic autopsies. The most common cause of violent death was damage by mechanical factors (53%), followed by asphyxia (24.7%). The most common mechanical factor was vehicle crash trauma, followed by falling (22.5%). Accidents were the most common cause of death 62%, followed by suicides (31 %) and homicides 7%. Fifty-nine percent of the suicides were by hanging. The preliminary analyses of the studied data lead to several conclusions. The number of forensic autopsies was found to be progressively decreasing, but the road traffic death rate remained unchanged. Most of the forensic autopsies were performed in July. The highest death rates by age was observed in the age group between 51 and 60 years, with predominance of males over females (3.3 males: 1 females).
Barriers to Use of Social Media by Emergency Managers
Authors: Plotnick Linda , Hiltz Starr Roxanne
Published: July 2016

Social media (SM) are socio-technical systems that have the potential to provide real-time information during crises and thus to help protect lives and property. Yet, US emergency management (EM) agencies do not extensively use them. This mixed-methods study describes the ways SM is used by county-level US emergency managers, barriers to effective SM use, and recommendations to improve use. Exploratory interviews were conducted with US public sector emergency managers to elicit attitudes about SM. This was followed by a survey of over 200 US county level emergency managers. Results show that only about half of agencies use SM at all. About one quarter of agencies with formal policies actually forbid the use of SM. For both disseminating (sending out) and collecting information lack of sufficient staff is the most important barrier. However, lack of guidance/policy documents is the second highest rated barrier to dissemination via SM. Lack of skills and of the training that could improve these skills is also important. For collecting data, trustworthiness and information overload issues are the second and third most important barriers, which points to the need for appropriate software support to deal with these system-related issues. There are few differences associated with agency characteristics. By understanding important barriers, technologists can better meet the needs of emergency managers when designing SM technologies.
Analytical Evaluation of the Effect of Cross-Polarization-induced Crosstalk on the BER Performance of a PDM-QPSK Coherent Homodyne Optical Transmission System
Authors: Taher K. A. , Majumder S. P.
Published: July 2016

An analytical approach is developed to find the effect of cross-polarization (XPol)-induced crosstalk on the bit error rate (BER) performance of a polarization division multiplex (PDM) quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) optical transmission system with polarization diversity receiver. Analytical expression for the XPol-induced crosstalk and signal to crosstalk plus noise ratio (SCNR) are developed at the output of polarization diversity PDM-QPSK coherent optical homodyne receiver conditioned on a given value of mean misalignment angle. Considering Maxwellian distribution for the pdf of the misalignment angle, the average SCNR and average BER are derived. Results show that there is significant deterioration in the BER performance and power penalty due to XPol-induced crosstalk. Penalties in signal power are found to be 8.85 dB, 11.28 dB and 12.59 dB correspondingly for LO laser power of −10 dBm, −5 dBm and 0 dBm at a data rate of 100 Gbps, mean misalignment angle of 7.5 degree and BER of 10−9 compared to the signal power without crosstalk.
Cultural responsiveness in EFL teaching: reflections from native instructors
Authors: Cinarbas H. Ibrahim , Hos Rabia
Published: July 2016

In recent years, many international students from different parts of the world have been studying at Turkish universities, which creates a multicultural educational setting. Due to the multicultural educational setting, English has become the most widely used language for exchanging and sharing knowledge, therefore many international universities in Turkey put a great emphasis on English language education and offer English preparatory courses to students. In order to succeed at better language education, universities employ native English instructors to provide a richer language experience with cultural components embedded in language content. In this qualitative case study, cultural reflections of native English instructors at a Turkish university were investigated. Individual and focus group interviews were data sources for the study. Findings indicated that cultural responsiveness was considered to be constructed through time, and a necessity of orientation process was emphasized. However, the native instructors’ presumptions cause intolerance and underestimation of the host culture. In addition, educational issues and students’ misbehaviors, such as cheating and calling their instructors by their first name, were attributed to cultural background of the students.
A cross-cultural study of the smile in the Russian- and English-speaking world
Authors: Arapova Maria A.
Published: July 2016

Although the smile is a universal facial expression, the use of smiles in communication varies across cultures. This may lead to misunderstandings and miscommunication. Both Americans and Europeans experience the same frustration and communication failure when they do not find smiling faces in Russia. At the same time, it is common for Russian people to perceive the smiles of Westerners as artificial and insincere. What is the reason for such a difference in perception? Why don’t Russians smile in some situations?

The study of the use of the smile as a non-verbal sign in a few chosen communicative contexts across Russian, European and American cultures showed the difference in its meaning and distribution according to the cultural tradition. The reason could stem from the difference of Russia’s history when compared to that of Western Europe, as well as in the specific restrictions in Russian Orthodox Christianity and the traditions of laughter in Russia. All the meanings and specific cases of distribution are clearly retained and expressed in the languages. If we compare the Russian улыбка and улыбаться with the English smile, we can see both common and distinctive semantic elements and different connotations.
Nest site characteristics of the Great-spotted Woodpecker in a bottomland riparian forest in the presence of invasive tree species
Authors: Ónodi Gábor , Winkler Dániel
Published: July 2016

This study was carried out in Hungary, in an old unmanaged riparian poplar-willow forest during the breeding seasons of 2014 and 2015. The occurrence of two invasive tree species, the green ash and boxelder, is significant in the study area, which influences negatively the populations of native riparian tree species in Central Europe. We studied Great-spotted Woodpecker nest sites in the presence of these invasive species. Throughout the study period, eight and twelve nesting cavity trees were mapped. Trees were recorded in 20-20 circular plots of 0.05 ha both for each mapped nest trees and random plots as well. Species, diameter at breast height and condition were recorded for each tree. Composition and diversity of nest site and random plots were compared. Distributions and preferences were calculated for nest tree use. Most of the recorded trees were invasive. Nest site plots had more native trees compared to random plots. Nest site showed higher diversity in terms of all three variables. Decayed and dead willow and white poplar hybrid trees were preferred for nesting. Diameter at breast height of nest trees was between 30-90 cm. Studies about cavity excavators in transformed habitats have high importance for nature conservation of riparian forests.
Salmon: Robust Proxy Distribution for Censorship Circumvention
Authors: Douglas Frederick , Rorshach  , Pan Weiyang , Caesar Matthew
Published: July 2016

Many governments block their citizens’ access to much of the Internet. Simple workarounds are unreliable; censors quickly discover and patch them. Previously proposed robust approaches either have non-trivial obstacles to deployment, or rely on low-performance covert channels that cannot support typical Internet usage such as streaming video. We present Salmon, an incrementally deployable system designed to resist a censor with the resources of the “Great Firewall” of China. Salmon relies on a network of volunteers in uncensored countries to run proxy servers. Although any member of the public can become a user, Salmon protects the bulk of its servers from being discovered and blocked by the censor via an algorithm for quickly identifying malicious users. The algorithm entails identifying some users as especially trustworthy or suspicious, based on their actions. We impede Sybil attacks by requiring either an unobtrusive check of a social network account, or a referral from a trustworthy user.
Privately Evaluating Decision Trees and Random Forests
Authors: Wu David J. , Feng Tony , Naehrig Michael , Lauter Kristin
Published: July 2016

Decision trees and random forests are common classifiers with widespread use. In this paper, we develop two protocols for privately evaluating decision trees and random forests. We operate in the standard two-party setting where the server holds a model (either a tree or a forest), and the client holds an input (a feature vector). At the conclusion of the protocol, the client learns only the model’s output on its input and a few generic parameters concerning the model; the server learns nothing. The first protocol we develop provides security against semi-honest adversaries. We then give an extension of the semi-honest protocol that is robust against malicious adversaries. We implement both protocols and show that both variants are able to process trees with several hundred decision nodes in just a few seconds and a modest amount of bandwidth. Compared to previous semi-honest protocols for private decision tree evaluation, we demonstrate a tenfold improvement in computation and bandwidth.
DeNASA: Destination-Naive AS-Awareness in Anonymous Communications
Authors: Barton Armon , Wright Matthew
Published: July 2016

Prior approaches to AS-aware path selection in Tor do not consider node bandwidth or the other characteristics that Tor uses to ensure load balancing and quality of service. Further, since the AS path from the client’s exit to her destination can only be inferred once the destination is known, the prior approaches may have problems constructing circuits in advance, which is important for Tor performance. In this paper, we propose and evaluate DeNASA, a new approach to AS-aware path selection that is destination-naive, in that it does not need to know the client’s destination to pick paths, and that takes advantage of Tor’s circuit selection algorithm. To this end, we first identify the most probable ASes to be traversed by Tor streams. We call this set of ASes the Suspect AS list and find that it consists of eight highest ranking Tier 1 ASes. Then, we test the accuracy of Qiu and Gao AS-level path inference on identifying the presence of these ASes in the path, and we show that inference accuracy is 90%. We develop an AS-aware algorithm called DeNASA that uses Qiu and Gao inference to avoid Suspect ASes. DeNASA reduces Tor stream vulnerability by 74%. We also show that DeNASA has performance similar to Tor. Due to the destination-naive property, time to first byte (TTFB) is close to Tor’s, and due to leveraging Tor’s bandwidth-weighted relay selection, time to last byte (TTLB) is also similar to Tor’s.
Near-Optimal Fingerprinting with Constraints
Authors: Gulyás Gábor György , Acs Gergely , Castelluccia Claude
Published: July 2016

Several recent studies have demonstrated that people show large behavioural uniqueness. This has serious privacy implications as most individuals become increasingly re-identifiable in large datasets or can be tracked, while they are browsing the web, using only a couple of their attributes, called as their fingerprints. Often, the success of these attacks depends on explicit constraints on the number of attributes learnable about individuals, i.e., the size of their fingerprints. These constraints can be budget as well as technical constraints imposed by the data holder. For instance, Apple restricts the number of applications that can be called by another application on iOS in order to mitigate the potential privacy threats of leaking the list of installed applications on a device. In this work, we address the problem of identifying the attributes (e.g., smartphone applications) that can serve as a fingerprint of users given constraints on the size of the fingerprint. We give the best fingerprinting algorithms in general, and evaluate their effectiveness on several real-world datasets. Our results show that current privacy guards limiting the number of attributes that can be queried about individuals is insufficient to mitigate their potential privacy risks in many practical cases.
Kidney diseases in children – early diagnosis and prevention
Authors: Polenakovic Momir , Gucev Zoran , Tasic Velibor
Published: July 2016

Pediatric kidney diseases were in the focus of the World Kidney Day 2016. Macedonian pediatric nephrologists gave their contribution with public appearance in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, with interactive lectures and discussion with the youngest about the kidney function, healthy life style and simple measures to prevent kidney and urinary tract diseases. Besides promotive appearance in the media, series of lectures were presented in front of the health professionals. The aim was to attract the attention of the professionals for early diagnosis and prevention of kidney disease. The action starts in utero, followed by early postnatal imaging and assessment, conservative treatment and in selected cases surgical treatment. The emphasis is on the multidisciplinary and comprehensive approach to children and adolescents with kidney diseases.
The use of video in educational research and teacher training in the digital classroom
Authors: Falcinelli Floriana , Gaggioli Cristina
Published: July 2016

The introduction of new technologies, video in particular, in educational and pedagogical research has not only changed how research is conducted in the educational field but has also brought about significant changes in teacher training. The advent of digitalisation, along with the miniaturisation of both video cameras and storage media, has led to a dramatic increase in the use of video, particularly in terms of video production. This has led to the introduction of new teaching practices and new training initiatives derived from the analysis of these practices. The use of video, at an educational and didactic level on the one hand, and as an instrument for field observation on the other, offers a variety of benefits, along with some critical issues. One of the advantages is the capacity to allow for an analytical vision of complex actions, which may be reviewed at different times, by a variety of interlocutors. The aim of this study is to present a reflection based on research conducted in nine digital classes, focussing on the use of video as both an instrument for recording, collecting and analysing data, as well as a training tool in the didactic practice of teachers.
Exposures associated with clandestine methamphetamine drug laboratories in Australia
Authors: Wright Jackie , Edwards John , Walker Stewart
Published: July 2016

The clandestine manufacture of methamphetamine in residential homes may represent significant hazards and exposures not only to those involved in the manufacture of the drugs but also to others living in the home (including children), neighbours and first responders to the premises. These hazards are associated with the nature and improper storage and use of precursor chemicals, intermediate chemicals and wastes, gases and methamphetamine residues generated during manufacture and the drugs themselves. Many of these compounds are persistent and result in exposures inside a home not only during manufacture but after the laboratory has been seized or removed. Hence new occupants of buildings formerly used to manufacture methamphetamine may be unknowingly exposed to these hazards. Children are most susceptible to these hazards and evidence is available in the literature to indicate that these exposures may result in immediate and long-term adverse health effects. The assessment of exposure within the home can be undertaken by measuring contaminant levels or collecting appropriate biological data from individuals exposed. To gain a better understanding of the available data and key issues associated with these approaches to the characterisation of exposure, a review of the published literature has been undertaken.
Assessment of continental hydrosphere loading using GNSS measurements
Authors: Zygmunt Michał , Rajner Marcin , Liwosz Tomasz
Published: July 2016

Presented paper is dedicated to problems of deformation of the Earth's crust as a response to the surface loading caused by continental waters. The aim of this study was to specify areas particularly vulnerable to studied deformation and to compare calculated and observed displacements. Information of the continental water volume was taken from the WaterGAP Global Hydrological Model. Calculated values of the deformations were verified with the results obtained with programs SPOTL and grat. Vertical deformations were almost 10 times higher than the deformation in the horizontal plane, for which reason later part of the paper focuses on the former. In order to check agreement of the calculated and observed deformation 23 stations of International GNSS Service (IGS) were selected and divided into three groups (inland, near the shoreline and islands). Before comparison outliers and discontinuities were removed from GNSS observations. Modelled and observed signals were centred. The analysed time series of the vertical displacements showed that only for the inland stations it is possible to effectively remove displacements caused by mass transfer in the hydrosphere. For stations located in the coastal regions or islands, it is necessary to consider additional movement effects resulting from indirect ocean tidal loading or atmosphere loading.