bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatio-temporal patterns along a primary succession on alluvial sediments
Authors: Ignjatović Maša , Kaligarič Mitja , Škornik Sonja , Ivajnšič Danijel
Published: June 2013

Dynamic alluvial landscapes offer many possibilities to study primary succession processes on newly developed habitats. However, within the Central European environmental conditions, where watercourses and their riparian spaces are under severe anthropogenic pressures — water regulation, deforestation, lowering of groundwater — natural processes are limited. We studied primary succession on alluvial stream deposits in an artificial lake, where we aimed to follow the terrestrialisation rate and habitat turnover, along with plant species richness and composition across successional stages. In 30 years, a pristine white-willow riparian forest developed. One half of the initially aquatic habitat became terrestrial. The frequency of change, studied on 11250 quadrats 10×10 m each (on a scale from “no change” to 8 changes) and the mean of change per habitat type (most of the habitats changed 2 to 3 times) revealed only one successional trajectory. The percentage flow chart showed a deterministic pathway of succession. The “time since formation” of a terrestrial habitat shows that more than 20% of the lake was terrestrialised within in the first ten years. We studied species richness and composition along three composed transects, following successional stages. We found that the newly assembled riparian white willow woodland has a surprisingly low colonisation rate of plant species.
Number of ghost crab burrows does not correspond to population size
Authors: Silva Willian , Calado Tereza
Published: June 2013

Ghost crabs are distributed worldwide on sandy beaches, and several studies have associated the number of ghost crab burrows with the levels of anthropogenic impacts on the beaches under study. However, our results show that the use of ghost crab Ocypode quadrata burrows to assess levels of anthropogenic impacts on sand beaches may not be accurate, as previously thought, because the number of burrows does not represent an estimate of the population size. In addition, we propose three hypotheses to explain the extremely low number of individuals/number of burrows ratio: the “secret chamber”, the “multiple openings”, and the “one crab, several burrows” hypotheses. We also observed an unusual sex ratio.
Cladonia lichens as the most effective and essential pioneers in strongly contaminated slag dumps
Authors: Osyczka Piotr , Rola Kaja
Published: June 2013

The epigeic lichen biota of ten post-smelting slag dumps were studied to identify the ecological importance of Cladonia species in spontaneous succession within artificial areas. Species diversity, abundance, constancy and cover indices were determined at the initial stages of vegetation establishment. Substrates under lichen vegetation were characterised in terms of the pH, organic C and total N content, C/N ratio and Zn, Pb, Cd and As concentration. Species occurrence and abundance indices were related to habitat type, enabling the ability to identify species-specific responses to environmental factors. Despite the unfavourable and artificial habitat conditions at dump sites, some Cladonia appear abundant and form swards, with Cladonia rei as a dominant species. They appear to be well-adapted for slag substrate and their special arrangement illustrative of site contamination. Certain sward-forming Cladonia lichens play a fundamental role as effective pioneers in the initial stage of succession and provide stable plant cover development.
Existence of derivations on near-rings
Authors: Kamal Ahmed , Al-Shaalan Khalid
Published: June 2013

We obtain conditions on (R,+) which force that the zero map is the only derivation on a zero-symmetric near-ring R. Throughout the paper we construct several new examples of near-rings which are not rings admitting non-zero derivations, non-zero (σ, σ)-derivations and non-zero (1, σ)-derivations.
The Laguerre polynomials in several variables
Authors: Aktaş Rabıa , Erkuş-Duman Esra
Published: June 2013

In this paper, we give some relations between multivariable Laguerre polynomials and other well-known multivariable polynomials. We get various families of multilinear and multilateral generating functions for these polynomials. Some special cases are also presented.
Strongly nonatomic densities defined by certain matrices
Authors: Boos Johann , Leiger Toivo
Published: June 2013

Drewnowski and Paúl proved about ten years ago that for any strongly nonatomic submeasure η on the power set P(ℕ) of the set ℕ of all natural numbers the ideal of all null sets of η has the Nikodym property (NP). They stated the problem whether the converse is true in general. By presenting an example, Alon, Drewnowski and Łuczak proved recently that the answer is negative. Nevertheless, it is of mathematical interest to identify classes of submeasures η such that η is strongly nonatomic if and only if the set of all null sets of η has the Nikodym property. In this context, the authors proved some years ago that this equivalence holds, for instance, if one restricts the attention to the case of densities defined by regular Riesz matrices or by nonnegative regular Hausdorff methods. Also sufficient and necessary conditions in terms of the matrix coefficients are given, that the defined density is strongly nonatomic. In this paper we extend these investigations to the class of generalized Riesz matrices, introduced by Drewnowski, Florencio and Paúl in 1994.
Periodical as an information medium in book distribution
Authors: Poriezová Miriam , Juríková Erika
Published: June 2013

The article looks at Novi ecclesiastico-scholastici Annales (…), a periodical which is a significant resource in book culture research. The authors focus mainly on book distribution and propagation in Protestant communities during the last decade of the 18th century.
CD-ROM encyclopedias: Extending the Gutenberg galaxy to include computer multimedia technologies
Authors: Wasiak Patryk
Published: June 2013

The aim of this article is to discuss the “multimedia encyclopedia” genre launched in the 1980s, the era of “the multimedia revolution.” Encyclopedias of this kind were released on CD-ROM by several well-respected encyclopedia publishers and were widely discussed as an innovation which would lead to information and communication technologies extending rather than replacing the Gutenberg Galaxy. While discussing the launch of multimedia encyclopedias I aim to show how the culture of the printed word was perceived in “the information revolution” discourse of the time by relevant cultural intermediaries.
Combining SPOT 5 imagery with plotwise and standwise forest data to estimate volume and biomass in mountainous coniferous site
Authors: Dimitrov Petar , Roumenina Eugenia
Published: June 2013

In this study, regression-based prediction of volume and aboveground biomass (AGB) of coniferous forests in a mountain test site was conducted. Two datasets — one with applied topographic correction and one without applied topographic correction — consisting of four spectral bands and six vegetation indices were generated from SPOT 5 multispectral image. The relationships between these data and ground data from field plots and national forest inventory polygons were examined. Strongest correlations of volume and AGB were observed with the near infrared band, regardless of the topographic correction. The maximal correlation coefficients when using plotwise data were −0.83 and −0.84 for the volume and AGB, respectively. The maximal correlation with standwise data was −0.63 for both parameters. The SCS+C topographic correction did not significantly affect the correlations between spectral data and forest parameters, but visually removed much of the topographically induced shading. Simple linear regression models resulted in relative RMSE of 32–33% using the plotwise data, and 43–45% using the standwise data. The importance of the source and the methodology used to obtain ground data for the successful modelling was pointed out.
Air recirculation and ventilation in the coastal regions of the Black Sea
Authors: Surkova Galina
Published: June 2013

An initial investigation of recirculation is carried out for the coast of the Black Sea. The local mesoscale circulations (land-sea breezes, mountain and valley winds) in coastal areas are shown to be an additional risk factor in creating favorable conditions for air stagnation and accumulation of air pollutants in the surface atmosphere layer. Two types of annual recirculation patterns are revealed for northern and north-eastern coast of the Black Sea. Long-term changes in recirculation are investigated. It is shown that the recirculation parameter values remained quasistable until the mid-1970s. Since 1976–1977, steady intensification of recirculation in both winter and summer is identified.
Active fault segmentation and seismic hazard in Hoa-Binh reservoir, Vietnam
Authors: Trinh Phan , Vinh Hoang , Huong Nguyen , Liem Ngo
Published: June 2013

Based on remote sensing, geological data, geomorphologic analysis, and field observations, we determine the fault system which is a potential source of earthquakes in Hoa-Binh reservoir. It is the sub-meridian fault system composed of fault segments located in the central part of the eastern and western flanks of the Quaternary Hoa-Binh Graben: the Hoa-Binh 1 fault is east-dipping (75–80°), N-S trending, 4 km long, situated in the west of the Hoa-Binh Graben, and the Hoa-Binh 2 is a west-dipping (75–80°), N-S trending; 8.4 km long fault, situated in the east of the Hoa-Binh Graben. The slip rate of normal fault in Hoa-Binh hydropower dam was estimated at 0.3–1.1 mm/yr. The Maximum Credible Earthquake (MCE) and Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) in the Hoa-Binh hydropower dam have been assessed. The estimated MCE of HB.1 and HB.2 is 5.6 and 6.1 respectively, and the maximum PGA at Hoa-Binh dam is 0.30 g and 0.40 g, respectively. The assessment of seismic hazard in Hoa-Binh reservoir is a typical example of seismic hazards of a large dam constructed in an area of low seismicity and lack of law of seismic attenuation.
Neuro-fuzzy reaping of shear wave velocity correlations derived by hybrid genetic algorithm-pattern search technique
Authors: Asoodeh Mojtaba , Bagheripour Parisa
Published: June 2013

Shear wave velocity is a critical physical property of rock, which provides significant data for geomechanical and geophysical studies. This study proposes a multi-step strategy to construct a model estimating shear wave velocity from conventional well log data. During the first stage, three correlation structures, including power law, exponential, and trigonometric were designed to formulate conventional well log data into shear wave velocity. Then, a Genetic Algorithm-Pattern Search tool was used to find the optimal coefficients of these correlations. Due to the different natures of these correlations, they might overestimate/underestimate in some regions relative to each other. Therefore, a neuro-fuzzy algorithm is employed to combine results of intelligently derived formulas. Neuro-fuzzy technique can compensate the effect of overestimation/underestimation to some extent, through the use of fuzzy rules. One set of data points was used for constructing the model and another set of unseen data points was employed to assess the reliability of the propounded model. Results have shown that the hybrid genetic algorithm-pattern search technique is a robust tool for finding the most appropriate form of correlations, which are meant to estimate shear wave velocity. Furthermore, neuro-fuzzy combination of derived correlations was capable of improving the accuracy of the final prediction significantly.
Map presentation of changes in Europe’s artificial surfaces for the periods 1990–2000 and 2000–2006
Authors: Feranec Jan , Soukup Tomas
Published: June 2013

The landscapes of the world are constantly changing under the influence of human activities leading to the growth of artificial surfaces. The covering of soil by artificial surfaces is referred to as soil sealing. Aerial and satellite images or data derived from them (for instance CORINE land cover — CLC data used here) provide important information that makes it possible to assess the occurrence, area and rate of soil sealing. As the term sealed soil cannot be wholly identified with the content of the appropriate CLC classes, the term land cover flow urbanization (LCFU) will be used here. The essence of this study is the demonstration and documentation of the trends of the LCFU in Europe for the periods 1990–2000 and 2000–2006 on a single map. This may contribute to a better spatial awareness of the ongoing transformation of landscape under the effects of human activities in an pan-European context. Changes in the LCFU can be seen on a map, compiled from 3 × 3 km squares at an all-European scale, using colours and their hues, to fulfil the role both of identification and classification. The colour method employed makes it possible to perceive three groups of LCFU changes on two time horizons, that is, whether the rate of LCFU in 2000–2006 increased or remained the same (hues of red); or dropped compared to the 1990–2000 period (hues of light to dark blue). The third group represents the LCFU with rates higher or lower than the average (countries with changes recorded in only one time horizon are presented in dark and light magenta colours).
AO4AADL: Aspect oriented extension for AADL
Authors: Loukil Sihem , Kallel Slim , Zalila Bechir , Jmaiel Mohamed
Published: June 2013

Managing embedded system complexity and scalability is one of the most important problems in software development. To better address this problem, it is very recommended to have an abstraction level high enough to model such systems. Architectural description languages (ADLs) intend to model complex systems and manage their structure at a high abstraction level. Traditional ADLs do not normally provide appropriate formalisms to separate any kind of crosscutting concerns. This frequently results in poor descriptions of the software architectures and a tedious adaptation to constantly changing user requirements and specifications. AOSD (Aspect Oriented Software Development) deals with these problems by considering crosscutting concerns in software development. The effectiveness of considering an aspect-oriented architectural design appears when aspect concepts are taken into account early in the software’s life-cycle.

In this paper, we propose a new aspect language called AO4AADL that adequately manipulates aspect oriented concepts at architecture level in order to master complexity and ensure scalability. The abstract nature of our proposed language allows the generation of aspect code for several programming languages and platforms.
High prevalence of antibodies against Leptospira spp. in male Austrian adults: a cross-sectional survey, April to June 2009
Authors: Poeppl W , Orola M J , Herkner H , Müller M , Tobudic S , Faas A , Mooseder G , Allerberger F , Burgmann H
Published: June 2013

To assess the distribution of specific antibodies against Leptospira spp. in Austrian adults, we conducted an explorative nationwide cross-sectional serological study in 400 healthy individuals. Antibody titres against Leptospira spp. were determined in a microscopic agglutination test using a panel of 14 serovar cultures. Sera of 18 participants were excluded because the samples were unsuitable for testing; the remaining 382 participants comprised 166 professional soldiers and 216 civilians. Overall, 88 (23%) individuals tested positive in serological screening. The subjects' sera reacted most frequently with serovars Canicola (16.5%) and Hardjo (11.8%). Epidemiological information was obtained from a questionnaire: no correlation was found for area of residence, travel abroad, regular outdoor activities, occupational animal contact, or ownership of companion animals. The proportion of seropositive samples was significantly lower among professional soldiers (15.7%) than among civilians (28.7%) (p=0.003). Our data demonstrate serological evidence of a high rate of exposure to Leptospira spp. among the Austrian population. No increased risk of exposure to Leptospira spp. was detected in military personnel.
Cu2SnS3 absorber thin films prepared via successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method
Authors: Kahraman Süleyman , Çetinkaya Samed , Çakmak Hacı Mustafa , Çetinkara Hacı Ali , Güder Hüsnü Salih
Published: June 2013

In this paper, we report the production of Cu2SnS3 thin films with high phase purity via successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method on soda lime glass substrates. Structural, morphological, compositional, optical and electrical investigations were carried out. The X-ray diffraction patterns of the samples matched very well with the reference pattern and proved the polycrystalline nature of the films. As a secondary phase, one weak peak indicating covallite Cu2–xS phase was observed in the pattern of the sample deposited by using equimolar Cu and Sn. The surface morphologies of the films were found to be continuous and composed of homogeneously distributed large grains. From the reflectance and transmittance data, the optical absorption coefficient values of the films were found to be about 104 cm−1 and the films were found to be almost opaque in the wavelengths from 200 to 600 nm with a small reflectivity of about 10%. Band gap values of the films decreased from 1.45 to 1.35 eV with decreasing Cu content. Electrical characterization showed that the films were p-type semiconductor. Two different impurity levels for each film were found via resistivity-temperature characteristics.
Artificial aging of thixocast ZA27 alloy and particulate ZA27/SiCp composites
Authors: Bobić Ilija , Babić Miroslav , Vencl Aleksandar , Bobić Biljana , Mitrović Slobodan
Published: June 2013

Thixocast ZA27 alloy and particulate ZA27/SiCp composites were subjected to artificial aging at 80, 120 and 160°C (T5 regime). Composites with 5 and 10 vol.% SiC particles were produced via the compocasting method. The influence of the aging was investigated using different techniques. Differential scanning calorimetry was performed to reveal the presence of phases created in the thixocast ZA27 alloy and the composites. Microstructures and fracture behavior were examined by means of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Aging processes in the matrix alloy and composites were followed using hardness measurements. A decrease in the hardness values was noticed with the increase in the aging temperature. At higher temperatures diffusion of zinc atoms from supersaturated phases in the matrix alloy was enhanced, which resulted in faster changes in the hardness. Aging processes in the composites were significantly accelerated compared to the matrix alloy, due to the presence of particulate reinforcements. The maximum in hardness was achieved for shorter time in the ZA27/SiCp composite with higher volume fraction of SiC particles.
Evasive Enlightenment:World Without Endand the Internationalism of Postwar Documentary
Authors: MacDonald Richard
Published: June 2013

This article explores the discursive theme of documentary's crisis and renewal through internationalism as it evolved at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, established in 1947. During its first decade Edinburgh was the most significant forum for discussion on the future of documentary as an international genre, a debate to which all the key figures of the prewar generation contributed, as critics, panelists, advisors, speakers and film-makers. Amid a sense of crisis for British documentary, marked by the perceived dominance of instructional film-making of limited social and aesthetic ambition, these figures urged film-makers to look to the developing world, where the old themes of documentary could inspire new work to match the canonical works of the past. Presented at Edinburgh in 1953 World Without End, an aesthetically ambitious film made in Siam and Mexico, sponsored by the international agency UNESCO and co-directed by two of the British documentary movement's most celebrated film-makers Basil Wright and Paul Rotha, was widely praised as renewing the prewar traditions of the sponsored documentary. The article argues that the well-intentioned critical discourse of renewal through thematic engagement with international development, evident in the reception of World Without End, evades the contemporary politics of the British state's relationship to its empire, the movements of national liberation that actively sought to end it and the new forms of despotism nurtured by the geopolitics of the Cold War.
British Science Documentaries: Transitions from Film to Television
Authors: Boon Tim
Published: June 2013

The relationship between documentary films made for projection and television documentaries has not been studied in any sustained way. This is partially a product of the weakness of the literature on both postwar documentary and of the development of the form within the new medium. This article uses a combination of biography and formal analysis to begin to address this lacuna in the literature as it relates in particular to films and programmes with scientific themes. It examines four individuals who worked in documentary film before spending varying amounts of time in television: Duncan Ross, Paul Rotha, Michael Orrom and Ramsay Short, who joined the BBC respectively in 1947, 1953, 1954 and 1963. The analysis shows that those who stayed long term at the BBC (Ross and Short) adapted their technique to the new medium, while Rotha and Orrom – who both left after a comparatively short time – mainly sought to use TV as a medium for broadcasting existing documentary styles. It concludes that the approach of taking biographical details and formal qualities is useful, but that larger samples of programme-makers would be required to reach firm conclusions about the relationship between documentary films made for projection and television documentaries
The Continuity Girl: Ice in the Middle of Fire
Authors: Williams Melanie
Published: June 2013

This article offers the first detailed scholarly account of the role of the continuity supervisor, also known as script supervisor, in film production. After examining in more general terms its attendant duties and responsibilities, the typical career trajectories of a number of ‘continuity girls’ working in British cinema and the deeply gendered nature of this section of film production labour, the article goes on to examine continuity supervision in more depth through looking at two specific case studies: two continuity supervisors who worked on several productions directed by David Lean, Maggie Unsworth and Barbara Cole. The work of Unsworth and Cole provides a starting point for reconsidering the significance of the hitherto critically marginalised ‘continuity girl’, and the article concludes with suggestions for further study in this area.
APPLICATION OF STEPWISE DATA ENVELOPMENT ANALYSIS AND GREY INCIDENCE ANALYSIS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EXPORT PROMOTION PROGRAMS
Authors: Hajiagha Seyed Hossein Razavi , Zavadskas Edmundas Kazimieras , Hashemi Shide Sadat
Published: June 2013

Export promotion programs are incentives to increase the participation of companies in international markets. On the other hand, governments try to help exporting companies with developing their goal markets. Therefore, for this purpose, many different programs have been created. To show the effectiveness of these programs, the paper refers to stepwise DEA and grey incidence analysis. Finally, the article determines a unified ranking of the applied programs that can be used by decision makers for resource allocation considering different types of programs based on their effectiveness.
PERFORMANCE-BASED-MAINTENANCE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN THE NETHERLANDS AND ISRAEL
Authors: Shohet Igal M. , Straub Ad
Published: June 2013

Traditional maintenance contracts using the unit price system and prescriptive specifications are simple in their structure and implementation. Implementation of prescriptive-based specification reduces though the flexibility of the procurement and limits the possibilities of the contractor to improve the in-sight operation. Furthermore, the management of the contract faces difficulties such as poor performance of the buildings and ineffective contract management. Performance-Based-Maintenance (PBM) attains an alternative means for outsourcing of maintenance. The objective of the study was to comparatively assess the state-of-the-art of PBM between the Netherlands and Israel, with the focus on performance of public facilities and cost of the service. Pilot studies, carried out in the Netherlands and Israel, reveal that PBM attains high potential of cost-savings (20%) and improved performance. The paper concludes with provision of a future bidding system for PBM contracts.
Very Late Relapse after Discontinuation of Antiviral Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis C
Authors: Soriano Vincent , Vispo Eugenia , de Mendoza Carmen , Labarga Pablo , Plaza Zulema , Fernandez-Montero Jose V , Poveda Eva , Treviño Ana , Barreiro Pablo
Published: June 2013

Serum HCV RNA rebound beyond 24 weeks after completing hepatitis C therapy has been rarely reported. From 744 patients treated for chronic hepatitis C at our institution, 4 became HCV-RNA-positive again between weeks 36 and 48 post-treatment. Epidemiological and phylogenetic analyses supported very late HCV relapse instead of re-infection in two of them. This observation may have important implications in the pathogenesis and therapeutics of HCV infection.
Establishing the Safety of Influenza Vaccine in Egg-Allergic Individuals
Authors: Greenhawt Matthew J.
Published: June 2013

CME Educational Objectives

1.

Understand that trivalent influenza vaccine is safe for patients with egg allergy, including patients with severe egg allergy.

2.

Understand that egg-allergic patients no longer require any special precautions to safely receive trivalent influenza vaccine.

3.

Recognize that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices advises that most egg-allergic patients can now receive trivalent influenza vaccine from their primary care physician.

Trivalent influenza vaccine is grown in chick embryos and contains residual egg protein (ovalbumin). Historically, trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) has been contraindicated in egg-allergic individuals (EAI) and the vaccine was withheld in many of these individuals due to the ovalbumin. However, protocols were developed that allowed EAIs to safely receive TIV, including stepwise desensitization, vaccine skin testing, and use of low ovalbumin containing vaccine. In the past 3 years, several groups have systematically disproven that EAI are at any increased risk for an allergic reaction than the general population and withholding TIV is not necessary. To date, approximately 4,315 patients have safely received 4,872 total doses of TIV, including 656 EAI with severe egg allergy (including anaphylaxis to egg) who safely received 740 doses of TIV. Thus, it is as safe to provide TIV to EAI as providing it to a non-EAI. This article will trace the evolution of this practice.
Practical Management of Eosinophilic Esophagitis
Authors: Davis Carla M.
Published: June 2013

CME Educational Objectives

1.

Determine the clinical presentation and diagnostic criteria for eosinophilic esophagitis in children.

2.

Discuss the three major treatment strategies for eosinophilic esophagitis.

3.

Provide key strategies for practical identification and management of eosinophilic esophagitis in children and adolescents.

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a recently discovered disease that affects patients worldwide. The conceptual definition of EoE is a chronic, immune/antigen-mediated esophageal disease characterized clinically by symptoms related to esophageal dysfunction and histologically by eosinophil-predominant inflammation. As a chronic, antigen-mediated disease causing eosinophilic inflammation in the esophagus, EoE symptoms are similar to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and it results in significant morbidity.
Queer Literature in Spain: Pathways to Normalisation
Authors: Martínez-Expósito Alfredo
Published: June 2013

More than any other, the idea of normalisation has provoked deep divisions within queer activism both at a philosophical and also at a political level. At the root of these divisions lies the irreconcilable divergence between an agenda for social change, which advocates the need for society to accept all sexual behaviours and identities as normal, and an approach of radical resistance against some social structures that can only offer a bourgeois and conformist normalisation. Literary fiction and homo-gay-queer themed cinema have explored these and other sides of the idea of normalisation and have thus contributed to the taking of decisive steps: from the poetics of transgression towards the poetics of celebration and social transformation. In this paper we examine two of these literary normalisation strategies: the use of humour and the proliferation of discursive perspectives both in the cinema and in narrative fiction during the last decades.
Queering Gender: The New Femme Fatale in Almodóvar’s La mala educación (2004)
Authors: Pastor Brígida M.
Published: June 2013

It is difficult to define film genres in the post-modern cinema, as they are strongly influenced by the conventions of classic genres. Within this context the emergence of transgressive or “dissident” identities have populated such genres and particularly the creation of a modern femme fatale has become a popular and polemical character in contemporary fiction. This new transgressive identity deviates from its counterpart in classical cinema-film noir. Pedro Almodóvar’s La mala educación (2004) reveals that the modern femme fatale has become at the turn of the twenty-first century an integral part of the queer community, thus proposing a new filmic platform of queering gender for the vindication of the rights of the (“other”) stigmatized identities.
The Politics of Pretence: Woman and Nation in Laura Restrepo’s Delirio
Authors: Davies Lloyd Hughes
Published: June 2013

This article examines the interrelationships among the text’s major themes: violence, dissimulation and delirium, at both the level of nation and also of family and individual. The dysfunctional character of the Loudoño family is reflected in the plight of the nation: while Agustina is the chief victim of her father’s violent outbursts, so the nation is traumatized by the violent outrages committed by the criminal ‘father’, Pablo Escobar. Restrepo shows how, in these circumstances, madness takes its place on the inside of Colombian culture, ceasing thereby to be a state of exception. It is pretence that drives Agustina mad; but Restrepo’s novel is not one-sidedly negative. She locates the possibility of a new order in Agustina’s challenge to patriarchal power through her defiance of her father and through her don de escribir that provides a gender-inflected counterpoint to her mother’s don de encubrir. Particular emphasis is given to the narrative reconstruction of the climactic scene when familial tensions finally spill over: though truth is revealed, the pretence survives unscathed. But Agustina’s own narrative provides a countervailing force: her language declines to conform to the syntax of reason, assuming instead the rhythms of madness. This madness can be seen as creative, a mode of escaping the patriarchal furrow of the male symbolic order and spurious male rationality.
Gender, Body and Writing in Ena Lucía Portela’s “Una extraña entre las piedras”
Authors: Dorado-Otero Ángela
Published: June 2013

This article seeks to fill a gap in Cuban gender studies. The aim here is to explore, through Ena Lucía Portela’s short story “Una extraña entre las piedras”, how intertextuality is used in recent Cuban lesbian narrative to challenge the monologic and homogeneous positions created in terms of post-revolutionary Cuban subjectivities. By inserting the feminine subjects within a transnational debate, this article claims that Portela will create a fluid identity within a context labelled by Portela herself as “pulp”, a heterogeneity framed by discourses that engage with postmodernism, and feminine writing. This article will prove that although the text itself attempts to defy the parameters of French feminists, it ends up representing them through a metanarrative process, which paradoxically places Portela at the forefront of new gender frameworks in Cuban studies, by giving visibility to the generally absent lesbian body.
A comparative study of natural zeolite and synthetic zeolite as an additive in warm asphalt mixes
Authors: Alonso A. , Tejeda E. , Moreno F. , Rubio M. C. , Medel E.
Published: June 2013

Zeolite can be used as an ingredient in warm bituminous
mixes to reduce manufacturing temperatures. The
zeolite for this purpose is usually synthetic, but natural
zeolite can also be used. The research presented in this
paper analyzed the use of natural zeolite from Cuba in
the form of sand and filler as an additive in warm asphalt
mixes and compared it to asphalt mixes with synthetic
zeolite. The mixes were given the Marshall tests, and
their moisture sensitivity and stiffness modulus values
were also obtained. The results showed that both types
of mix had a similar performance, which was only slightly
lower than that of the reference mix. The use of different
dosages of natural zeolite in the mixes gave the best
results when the zeolite was incorporated as filler. This
study demonstrated that the use of natural zeolite is an
effective way of reducing the temperature of bituminous
mixes.
Size grading methods to characterize construction and demolition waste for its use in structural concrete
Authors: Martín-Morales M. , Sánchez-Roldán Z. , Zamorano M. , Valverde-Palacios I.
Published: June 2013

Recycled aggregate produced at construction and demolition waste plants is frequently used as an ingredient in structural concrete. Nevertheless, the physical, chemical and mechanical properties of this aggregate must be supervised in order to ensure the quality of the final product. Of these properties, one of the most important is particle size which depends to a great extend on the process used to manufacture the aggregate and it directly affects the consistency, workability, uniformity, and mechanical strength of concrete as well as its density, compactness, permeability and resistance to wear. This paper analyzes recycled aggregate samples with various size grading methods to determine their potential use in concrete. On the one hand, results have showed that some differences between different methods existed; on the other hand the manufacturing process should be modified so that the particle size of the recycled aggregate complied with the guidelines in the EHE-08 Code.
De periodistas improvisados a golpistas consumados : el ideario militar africanista de la Revista de Tropas Coloniales (1924-1936)
Authors: Velasco de Castro Rocío
Published: June 2013

La Revue de Troupes Coloniales naît comme porte-parole de l'Armée d'Afrique dans la « campagne de pacification ». Avec Queipo de Llano comme directeur et Franco comme membre du conseil de direction, la publication constitue l'un des meilleurs moyens pour connaître de première main leur conception de ce qui devait être l'activité espagnole au Maroc. De l'analyse de ses pages se dégage l'importance de la revue pour étudier les aspirations d'une Armée de plus en plus influente dans la vie politique espagnole, et les contradictions de leur idéologie à l'égard du pragmatisme qui a caractérisé le comportement des putschistes durant la guerre civile et la politique des premières années du franquisme, concernant surtout, la prétendue « fraternité hispano-marocaine ».
« Militat gladio, militat spiritu » : le Periódico militar del Estado Mayor General (1812)
Authors: Larriba Elisabel
Published: June 2013

L'accès à l'information et la maîtrise de sa diffusion constituent, dès le début de la Guerre d'Indépendance, un enjeu majeur et chacun comprend que cette guerre sera également une guerre de la plume. Dès lors, la presse, à la fois témoin et acteur du conflit, acquiert une nouvelle dimension. Libérée de ses fers (du moins dans l'Espagne patriote), elle goûte à la liberté, s'ouvre avec fougue à la politique et se diversifie. C'est ainsi que l'on voit apparaître les premiers périodiques militaires. Parmi eux, le Periódico militar del Estado Mayor General (1812). Son analyse nous permettra de déterminer quelle est la spécificité de ce type de périodiques et comment les militaires concevaient la pratique du journalisme.L'on trouvera en document annexe la reproduction intégrale de cet hebdomadaire dont la seule collection complète localisée à ce jour est conservée à la Bibliothèque de la Fundación Federico Joly Höhr (Cadix, Espagne).
Journalisme militaire pendant la première guerre carliste : le Boletín del Real Ejército de Aragón, Valencia y Murcia
Authors: Rújula Pedro
Published: June 2013

La presse carliste est née de la guerre civile et ce, avec un double objectif : elle servit, d’une part, à transmettre des informations officielles à travers le territoire en rébellion, et réalisa, d’autre part, un important travail de propagande contre la presse libérale, alors très active. Le Boletín del Ejército Real de Aragón, Valencia y Murcia constitue un bon exemple de ce type de presse sur le territoire du Maestrazgo. Il apparaît en 1836, au moment où le noyau rebelle commence à se consolider, et son apogée coïncide avec les principaux événements de la guerre : l’Expédition Royale ou la conquête de Morella par Cabrera. La décadence du foyer insurrectionnel du Maestrazgo signe la fin de la publication en 1840.
Convivencia y conflicto de modelos de defensa a través de los periódicos de guerra republicanos (1936-1939)
Authors: Núñez Díaz-Balart Mirta
Published: June 2013

La défense de la République espagnole face au putsch militaire fut l’affaire des milices et de l’armée régulière loyaliste. Au cours de la guerre civile (1936-1939), l’information et la propagande, à travers des centaines de périodiques, devinrent le ciment d’un régime harcelé sur le plan national et international. Leur étude s’avère essentielle pour comprendre le vécu des combattants ainsi que les débats et les conflits qui marquèrent le camp républicain.
Voltage Stability Analysis of a Distributed Network Incorporating Wind Power Resource
Authors: Juma Denis , Monchusi Bessie , Munda Josiah , Jimoh Adisa
Published: June 2013

This paper investigates the impacts of a wind farm connected at Harterbeespoort substation in South Africa on voltage stability of the power network. The site wind speed was determined and analyzed for viability. A comparison is made between the use of Doubly-Fed Induction Generators and Self-excited Induction Generators driven by the wind turbines. The resulting P-V and Q-V curves from load flow studies are presented and analyzed. The models for this study were implemented in DigSILENT PowerFactory.
Exploitation of the EDF Scheduling in the Wireless Sensors Networks
Authors: Chéour Rym , Bilavarn Sébastien , Abid Mohamed
Published: June 2013

Today, due to recent advances in wireless technology, new products using wireless sensor networks are being employed. However, despite the excitement surrounding wireless sensor networks, it is not immune to the problem of energy consumption. To overcome this deficiency and enhance the real time aspect, a growing interest lies in the implementation of an “Earliest Deadline First” (EDF) scheduler. Thus, in this paper, the authors establish a management policy of periodic tasks that is preemptive, multiprocessor, and dynamic. The authors implement a real-time scheduling policy as a part of a user-level threads package under the Linux operating system as Linux does not support EDF. Furthermore, this paper describes the technique of the EDF scheduler and how it can yield to significant power savings.
Secure Multiparty Computing Protocol
Authors: Shaikh Zulfa , Garg Poonam
Published: June 2013

Secure Multiparty Computation (SMC) can be defined as n number of parties who do joint computation on their inputs (x1, x2…xn) using some function F and want output in the form of y. The increase in sensitive data on a network raises concern about the security and privacy of inputs. During joint computation, each party wants to preserve the privacy of their inputs. Therefore, there is a need to define an efficient protocol that maintains privacy, security, and correctness parameters of SMC. In this chapter, an approach towards secure computation is provided and analyzed with security graphs.
Model-Driven Engineering for Electronic Commerce
Authors: Bermúdez Giovanny Mauricio Tarazona , Rojas Luz Andrea Rodríguez
Published: June 2013

The chapter explores the development of a specific process e-Commerce metamodel for reuse and interoperability, which is proposed to obtain the taxonomy of e-business processes. It defines a specific ontology and semantics of independent processes platform. This is achieved with the help of the principles proposed by the Model Driven Engineering (MDE), specifically the proposal for the OMG, Model Driven Architecture (MDA), enabling it to minimize the time and effort required to create ecommerce solutions.
Introduction to Cognitive Radio Networks
Authors: Meghanathan Natarajan
Published: June 2013

A cognitive radio (CR) is a radio that can change its transmission parameters based on the perceived availability of the spectrum bands in its operating environment. CRs support dynamic spectrum access and can facilitate a secondary unlicensed user to efficiently utilize the available underutilized spectrum allocated to the primary licensed users. A cognitive radio network (CRN) is composed of both the secondary users with CR-enabled radios and the primary users whose radios need not be CR-enabled. In this chapter, the authors provide an exhaustive analysis of the issues and the state-of-the-art literature solutions available with regards to the following four layers of the TCP/IP protocol layer stack, in the context of CRNs: physical layer (spectrum sensing), medium access control, routing, and transport layers. We discuss the various techniques/mechanisms/protocols that have been proposed for each of these four layers, in the context of CRNs. In addition to the above, we discuss in detail several security attacks that could be launched on CRNs and the countermeasure solutions that have been proposed to avoid or mitigate them. This chapter serves as a good comprehensive review and analysis of all the critical aspects for CRNs, and would lay a strong foundation for someone to further delve onto any particular aspect in greater depth.
Energy Detection Based Spectrum Sensing Analysis of Cooperative Cognitive Radios under Different Fading Environments
Authors: Kakkar Deepti , Gupta Mayank , Khosla Arun , Uddin Moin
Published: June 2013

This chapter discusses the detection performance of relay based cognitive radio networks. Relays are assigned in cognitive radio networks to transmit the primary user’s signal to cognitive coordinators or CPUs, thus achieving cooperative spectrum sensing. The purpose of the chapter is to provide mathematical analysis of energy detectors for dual hop networks. The soft fusion rule is used at the relays which acts as amplify and forward relays. For the detection purpose, the energy detector is employed at the cognitive coordinator. In the ending sections, sensing performance is analyzed for different fading channels in the MATLAB environment and simulation results present comparative performance of various relay conditions with concluding remarks.
Spectrum Handoff Management in Cognitive Radio Networks
Authors: Hossain Md. Akbar , Sarkar Nurul I.
Published: June 2013

Cognitive radio (CR) is a promising technology that can enhance the radio spectrum utilization by enabling unlicensed users to exploit the spectrum in an opportunistic manner. However, the main challenge is to share the licensed spectrum without interfering transmissions of other licensed users. A CR node needs to vacate the spectrum upon detection of licensed users on a particular frequency band (e.g., spectrum handoff or spectrum mobility) leading to significant network performance drops and switching overheads. This chapter aims to propose a proactive spectrum handoff management scheme to overcome the problem of handoff latency management in CR ad hoc networks. The proposed scheme is modeled and its performance is evaluated using an OPNET simulation tool. Simulation results are presented to evaluate the performance of the proposed system. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion and future research directions.
Nanocomputing in Cognitive Radio Networks to Improve the Performance
Authors: Reddy Yenumula B.
Published: June 2013

This spectrum sensing application is ideal for nanotechnology implementation because intensive computations are needed. Without nanocomputing it might be infeasible to implement sensing and analysis in real-time for cognitive radio networks with the current available computing power. Therefore, we need complicated distributed processing schemes to achieve our goals and nanocomputing is the best answer. The contribution includes the current state of nanotechnology, the cognitive radio networks, role of nanotechnology in cognitive radio networks, and building the model using nanotechnology for real-time applications.
Computation of Performance Parameters in Multi-service Cognitive Radio Networks
Authors: Lian Hongbing , Farago Andras
Published: June 2013

In this chapter the authors consider a cognitive cellular network that allows secondary (cognitive) users to access the bandwidth that is left over by the primary users. Furthermore, the authors allow multiple traffic classes in the system. The analysis of such a network is complicated by the fact that the secondary users face a randomly changing available capacity to serve their demands. The authors start with the multi-class Call Admission Control (CAC) model for existing Primary Radio Network (PRN). Then the authors propose a multi-class CAC model for Cognitive Radio Network (CRN) with different call blocking and call dropping thresholds for different class of services. The authors build up their analytical models for PRN and CRN based on Markov chain. The PRN works as if there is no interference from CRN. But the CRN needs to sense the status of PRN and to utilize the unused channels left by PRN. So the CRN is dependent on the PRN traffic load. The authors use a multi- dimensional Markov chain to model the CRN status under the condition of certain channels unused by the PRN. The authors can get the stationary distributions over all possible states of PRN and CRN. The Quality of Service (QoS) performance parameters for CRN, such as blocking probability, call dropping probability, and channel utilization can be derived from the obtained stationary distributions. Using it, the authors calculate the QoS performance parameters for multi-service cognitive radio network.