bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Designing and Implementing an Effective Courseware for the Enhancement of e-Learning
Authors: Karajeh Wesam , Hamtini Thair M. , Hamdi Meysun
Published: April 2016

The objective of this study is to determine the effect of applying the cognitive theory of multimedia learning in an e-learning environment. Three versions of a course on how to master skills in Adobe Photoshop were designed and given to a sample of (60) students to test their effectiveness. This research sample was divided into three groups. The first was an experimental group that studied the subject through Course Facilitated Multimedia Principles (CFMP), like the multimedia principle, the modality principle and the contiguity principle. The second experimental group studied the subject through Course Not-Facilitated Multimedia Principles (CNFMP), which did not apply the multimedia principle. The last group is a control group that studied the subject through traditional methods. Learning outcomes were determined by achievement test. Differences between pre and post-test scores were analyzed. The results show that the students in the first experimental group had improved their academic achievement by 53.70%, while the students in the second experimental group improved by 45.80%. Finally, the students in the control group had improved their achievement only by 30.5%. The findings affirm that CFMP has more effect on student achievement than the traditional way or the CNFMP. This is an indication that the application of the multimedia principles has improved the students' ability to comprehend, and achieved higher levels in learning. We recommend that educators should continuously examine the effectiveness of their pedagogical strategies and smartly apply technologies to enhance student's learning.
Learning Management Systems: A Shift Toward Learning and Academic Analytics
Authors: Marks Adam , AL-Ali Maytha , Rietsema Kees
Published: April 2016

This paper presents the major findings from a study conducted with six different universities in the U.S. regarding their use of the learning analytics (LA) capabilities available within their learning management systems (LMS). Data was collected from an online survey instrument, in-depth interviews with IT directors and academic administrators, and a case study in Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. One observation is that universities are attempting to make better use of new analytics functions and the data stored in the university LMS in order to make more informed decisions regarding short-term and long-term goals and objectives. The new functions include analytics performed at the institutional level, college level, degree-program level, course level, and even course section level. Courses and degree programs as well as learning performance and objectives can be measured and analyzed using different goals, criteria, and accreditation requirements.
Improving English Pronunciation Teaching and Learning via Speech Corpora of Learners with Dialectal Backgrounds
Authors: Cao Ruilan
Published: April 2016

Speech corpora play an important role in phonetic research and have been applied in daily life. Their application can be found in pronunciation teaching and learning. This article takes Jianghuai mandarin, a transitional dialect between northern and southern dialects in China, as an example to illustrate the necessity and procedures about the construction of an English speech corpus of learners with dialectal backgrounds. It shows that such corpus can be applied to help improve English pronunciation teaching and learning with its technical power in saving large audio data and its annotation with voice editing and analyzing software. It assists, when working together with Praat, to visually demonstrate spectrogram of similarities and differences between English and native language. It also functions to raise pronunciation awareness and help improve learners’ pronunciation. It is expected to be useful in stimulating teachers and learners to study pronunciation based on data analysis of physical features of recorded audio sound.
WordNet and Cosine Similarity based Classifier of Exam Questions using Bloom’s Taxonomy
Authors: Jayakodi Kithsiri , Bandara Madhushi , Perera Indika , Meedeniya Dulani
Published: April 2016

Assessment usually plays an indispensable role in the education and it is the prime indicator of student learning achievement. Exam questions are the main form of assessment used in learning. Setting appropriate exam questions to achieve the desired outcome of the course is a challenging work for the examiner. Therefore this research is mainly focused to categorize the exam questions automatically into its learning levels using Bloom’s taxonomy. Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques such as tokenization, stop word removal, lemmatization and tagging were used before generating the rule set to be used for this classification. WordNet similarity algorithms with NLTK and cosine similarity algorithm were developed to generate a unique set of rules to identify the question category and the weight for each exam question according to Bloom’s taxonomy. These derived rules make it easy to analyze the exam questions. Evaluators can redesign their exam papers based on the outcome of the evaluation process. A sample of examination questions of the Department of Computing and Information Systems, Wayamba University, Sri Lanka was used for the evaluation; weight assignment was done based on the total value generated from both WordNet algorithm and the cosine algorithm. Identified question categories were confirmed by a domain expert. The generated rule set indicated over 70% accuracy.
“Sexless And White” : Transgressing Gender Boundaries in Carson McCullers’s The Ballad of The Sad Café (1951)
Authors: CASAS Inès
Published: April 2016

Pendant les premières décennies du XXe siècle, les exigences du discours dominant de la soumission et de la retenue auxquelles était soumise la femme du Vieux Sud la dissuadaient de poursuivre tout objectif professionnel, artistique ou politique. Les contraintes qu’on lui imposait lui faisaient craindre que le fait d’être femme et d’oser agir pour réussir signifierait s’aventurer sur un terrain dangereux et ainsi transgresser. La situation de Carson McCullers est un exemple extrême de la situation de détresse à laquelle était confrontée la femme du Vieux Sud ; elle portait délibérément des vêtements d’homme, exhibant ainsi, au cours de l’été 1941, son androgynie, alors qu’elle écrivait The Ballad of the Sad Café (1951). Le fait que l’héroïne transgresse les limites conventionnelles du genre et qu’elle échoue à jouer le jeu de la norme féminine la mènent finalement à un châtiment masculin désastreux, qui la réduit brutalement au silence et l’isole de sa communauté. McCullers met l’accent sur la revanche terrifiante que la loi phallique dominante inflige aux femmes qui défient ses impératifs, et met en scène la punition prodiguée à la femme qui avait supposé, de façon arrogante, qu’elle pourrait vivre dans un no man’s land. L’issue de cette nouvelle illustre le fait que des identités si opaques ne peuvent être expliquées et que, par conséquent, une telle vision ne peut exister dans le Vieux Sud contemporain.
Maîtrise du temps chez Colette
Authors: ABASSI Ali , MOHSENA Hannaneh
Published: April 2016

L’angoisse face à la mort et au passage du temps sera vécue de façons différentes selon les cultures. Cette angoisse suscite toutes les images et représentations. Ayant étudié une partie de la production littéraire de Colette, nous avons été frappés par l’importance capitale que pouvait revêtir le temps dans l’œuvre de cet auteur. Cette romancière de l’amour et de la nature sait bien qu’avec le temps, le désir s’étiole et se perd. La mort ne l’intéresse pas. Alors comment lutter contre cette fatalité et cette déchéance ? Pour répondre à cette question, cet article sera basé sur les symboles de la maîtrise du temps traités dans Les Structures anthropologiques de l’imaginaire. Introduction à l’archétypologie générale, l’ouvrage où Gilbert Durand présente sa démarche.
Filho de peixe sabe nadar: história e estórias com objetos
Authors: Nunes Ana Catarina
Published: April 2016

O presente artigo apresenta e discute o projeto Filho de Peixe Sabe Nadar, desenvolvido no Museu Marítimo de Ílhavo entre 2010 e 2011, e dirigido a alunos do 4.º ano do 1.º ciclo do Ensino Básico do Município de Ílhavo. Com o objetivo de dar a conhecer a história e as memórias da pesca do bacalhau à linha em dóris de um só homem e em grandes navios de arrasto, pilar temático do Museu Marítimo de Ílhavo, o projeto visou, ainda, estreitar os laços entre gerações e entre a comunidade, procurando incentivar as crianças na procura de antepassados ligados a esta atividade. Ao longo do texto são descritas as várias etapas do projeto, assim como a contextualização teórica que as fundamentam. Através deste projeto, as crianças da comunidade local tiveram oportunidade de confrontar os conhecimentos adquiridos durante uma visita ao Museu Marítimo de Ílhavo e ao Navio Museu Santo André, com as experiências e testemunhos transmitidos pelos familiares ou amigos que entrevistaram e dos quais recolheram objetos que materializam essas vivências. Herança da comunidade ilhavense, a pesca do bacalhau pôde ser vista de forma distinta, com um contacto direto das crianças com os personagens reais da história da Grande Pesca e com os objetos que lhe estão associados. É a partir destes objetos que surgem as estórias desses mesmos personagens que, juntas constroem as memórias da pesca do bacalhau.
Portugal dos Pequenitos: a cristalização de um império ou uma brincadeira de crianças?
Authors: Silva Ricardo Jerónimo
Published: April 2016

Este texto pretende contribuir para a interligação das ideias de nação, império, colonialismo, regionalismo, museologia, e discurso e poder no contexto do século XX português. Para tal, utiliza como cenário físico e simbólico o Portugal dos Pequenitos, parque construído em Coimbra, entre 1938 e 1962. O objetivo é debater o papel desempenhado por este parque com componente museológica, num período de plena afirmação do Estado Novo, mas igualmente explicar a sua edificação no âmbito da obra político-sanitária da Junta de Província da Beira Litoral (a instituição de política regional de maior importância à época) e do plano holístico do seu presidente, o médico Bissaya Barreto (1886-1974). Assim, partindo de um ponto de vista arquitetónico, são analisadas as características físicas deste espaço, tendo em conta a sua relação com a Exposição do Mundo Português (1940), as implicações simbólicas das construções, os subtextos da sua representação e o perfil do seu arquiteto, Cassiano Branco (1897-1970).
Solar Powered Smart Street Light with Maintenance Service System
Authors: Ramachandran Thinaharan , Ponnusamy Vasaki , Zaman Noor
Published: April 2016

Advancement of technology brings advantages to human race to certain extent. Unfortunately, some of the technological inventions not only brings advantages, but also disadvantages. One of the disadvantages is the pollution of carbon emission in the environment from the non renewal energy resources. Therefore, to prevent pollution from getting worse, the environmental-friendly aspect is suggested to be included in new inventions nowadays. Thanks to the invention of solar panel, solar energy is able to become a renewable energy source that can be applied to various applications. Considering the increase of electricity consumption every year in Malaysia, solar powered street lighting system is proposed in order to reduce the burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity, hence reducing air pollution. The proposed street lighting is companied with automatic switching mechanism to further reduce the electricity consumption of street lights. The system will also be able to provide energy measurement to determine the efficiency of street light. Security features like motion detection and camera module interfaced to the street light for surveillance monitoring in a residential area to overcome intruders and crime such as theft. Theft is now major issue in Malaysia and in many developing and developed countries. The news reported that many people lost their belongings due snatch theft and averagely 16 people go missing every day. Overall design of the solar powered street lighting systems with the security features will help people live in green and protected environment. The implementations of client server connection and Remote Method Invocation (RMI) in wireless network system ease the monitoring process of the entire street lights in a residential area for giving continuous service to the community and environment.
Modelling Formalisms for Green Transportation Systems
Authors: Ciufudean Calin
Published: April 2016

Protection of environment implies the coordination of the local and regional authorities to implement actions for conservation of all natural resources in the actual context of globalisation. One of the most important direction for applying the above mentioned desiderates is a better planning of transportation, as we all know that globalisation implies an accelerated process of externalisation of ideas, know-how, products and labours. In this chapter, we consider discrete event systems (DES) modeled via a state space representation. The model objective is the avoidance of a given set of states, or equivalently the fact that certain predicates, specified in terms of states are always false. We address the state space controlled Petri Nets (PN) and a technique to reduce the complexity of these nets, by taking into account the fact that the complexity of the considered nets depends mainly on the representation of the control design, respectively on the forbidden sets of places. Our goal is to describe in an efficient way the forbidden sets of the modeled system, e.g. to describe in an efficient way the DES modeled with controlled Petri nets. An example from the railway systems illustrates this approach.
A Biologically-Inspired Computational Solution for Protein Coding Regions Identification in Noisy DNA Sequences
Authors: Ahmad Muneer
Published: April 2016

Biologically inspired computational solutions for protein coding regions identification are termed as optimized solutions that could enhance regions of interest in noisy DNA signals contrary to contemporary identification. Exponentially growing genomic data needs better protein translation. The solutions proposed so far rely on statistical, digital signal processing and Fourier transforms approaches lacking the reflection for optimal biologically inspired identification of coding regions. This paper presents a peculiar biologically inspired solution for coding regions identification based on wavelet transforms with notion of a peculiar indicator sequence. DNA signal noise has been reduced considerably and exon peaks can be discriminated from introns significantly. A comparative analysis performed over datasets commonly used for protein coding identification revealed the outperformance of proposed solution in power spectral density estimation graphs and numerical discrimination measure's calculations. The significant results achieved depict 75% reduction in computational complexity than Binary indicator sequence method and 32% to 266% improvement than other methods in literature (as a comparison with standard NCBI range). The significance in results has been achieved by efficiently denosing the target DNA signal employing wavelets and peculiar indicator sequence.
Exploring Current Trends of Energy Harvesting
Authors: Ahmed Shakeel
Published: April 2016

There are numerous forms of energy that can gratify the needs of computing, these energies include solar, thermal, mechanical, wind, acoustic, and wave for different devices and applications. With ubiquitous computing requirements for self-powered devices such as MEMS (Micro-electromechanical systems) and these devices have narrow capacity of finite power sources and it is needed that these systems are needed to be supplied with energy for the lifetime of the system. Mostly Batteries are the main source of energy for many of these mobile systems, embedded systems and remote system applications. There is a requirement for Energy harvesting which is a method of extracting energy from the nearby environment called Environmental energy which can be used as supernumerary to electrochemical battery. Studies are being conducted to harvest energy from solar, wind, thermal, tidal and other mechanical sources which have limited lifespan. This paper serves as a study to identify various sources of energy available for harvesting centered on various technical papers available and present the work carried out by investigators in identifying them.
Swimming in the Liquid Age
Authors: Brusaporci Stefano
Published: April 2016

Aim of the chapter is to present a critical reflection on computer-based visualization of the architectural heritage and investigate on its relationship with other disciplines, starting from interdisciplinary experiences and from examples of other subject areas, in particular the archaeological one. In particular digital tools are used indifferently and simultaneously in dissimilar research fields, and scholars of different fields work and publish together. A clear definition of the ontologies, principles and procedures for advanced surveying, modeling, and visualization could allow the interdisciplinary collaboration. But cornerstone is the awareness of the disciplinary characteristics of the architectural heritage's issues for its critical digital representation.
The Post-Parametric Attitude in the Digital Materialization of Architecture
Authors: Quartara Andrea
Published: April 2016

The purpose of this essay is to outline a particular evolution path of digital achievements and improvements in architecture. The author depicts the historical emergence of the digital in architecture presenting a sequence of world-renowned and pioneering researches focusing the dissertation on the materiality feature of the digital designs. The author paraphrases several scientific papers and books using the designer's words to support his story telling. In this way, this chapter proposes not only an illustration of several researches that go beyond the boundaries of computational thought. The author argues his standpoint that is the awareness of materiality as the substantial feature of architecture. The digital tools and any further related improvement of powerful parametric logics for design require the physical objecthood of fabrication to really enrich architecture. The chapter does not illustrate an own research project; it neither aims to establish a digital workflow for the digital fabrication of architecture. Rather it aims to highlight the fallacy of digital productions (in the meaning of simplistic virtual representation), pointing out the material instance as the address of the advancing of the digital as a method. The increasing availability of technical equipment kits should not be confused with the potential of the computation for architecture. According to these premises, it is necessary to start to examine some of the cornerstones of the last century to support the validation of digital fabrication and robotics as a powerful research field.
The Interpretation of Vernacular Architecture through Fractal Models
Authors: Reza Ehsan , Dincyurek Ozgur
Published: April 2016

Mathematical algorithm and nonlinear theories were used in order to study the establishment and development of traditional settlements since the second half of twentieth century. In order to interrogate vernacular architecture, fractal geometry is one of the most advanced methodologies in this study. Vernacular architecture is an organic architecture, which is formed in response to environmental, cultural, economical factors. There are plenty of variations in topography; climate and geographical issues among the mountainous areas in Iran. Therefor, there are many useful thought, which can be learnt from the existing vernacular architecture. This study is going to investigate fractal pattern of housing in Masouleh village, Iran. By referring to the fractal dimension calculated with box counting method, different type of information will be collected and this attempt will help decision makers, planners, architects and designers, especially in new housing developments.
Meaning in the Geometry and Ornament of Imperial Roman Architecture
Authors: Gorski Gilbert James
Published: April 2016

The architecture of Imperial Rome occupies an important place in our social imagination, yet the meaning it held for its citizens remains a bit of a mystery. Little written information from that period has survived. It is unfortunate that Vitruvius – perhaps our best source – wrote his treatise two centuries before Roman architecture reached its apogee. Nonetheless, many scholars have tried to gain a greater understanding through empirical evidence. While some have contributed valuable insights regarding individual buildings or the organization of the towns and cities, few have speculated on the more intimate aspects of the architecture. This paper offers suggestions for why elemental geometry was used in Imperial Roman architecture and how its meaning may be interpreted.
Renaissance-Style Architecture in El Maestrazgo
Authors: Máñez María Jesús , Gual Jaume , Garfella José Teodoro , Martínez Joaquín Ángel
Published: April 2016

In the north-western part of the province of Castellón, Spain, there is a region called “El Maestrazgo”. This territory belonged to the Order of St. Mary of Montesa, created by King Jaime II of Aragon in 1317, and was to remain so for more than five hundred. During this time Renaissance-style architecture reached this territory, substituting and transforming the old Gothic style. The aim of this work is to survey some of the elements of architectural heritage in the Maestrazgo de Montesa from that period and their enhancement and dissemination through tactile models, as a means of providing access to this information for people with visual impairments. In carrying out this work we have used three main sources of information: historical documentation, manual data collection methods and advanced means of data collection, namely 3D scanner and photogrammetry. This data has been processed and studied to obtain virtual models of the architectural elements, thus allowing their subsequent physical modelling so that they can be made available to people with visual impairments.
Investigating Baroque Creativity of Minor Examples in Southern Sicily
Authors: Galizia Mariateresa , Santagati Cettina , Giuffrida Nuccio Delfo
Published: April 2016

This study takes advantage of digital surveying to investigate in reverse the complexity and creativity of architectural composition in religious Baroque buildings while studying a so-called minor architecture, the church of Santa Maria dell'Odigitria in Acireale (CT), whose interior is modeled with geometric rigor, through a design process that is based on the use of simple geometric figures but articulated differently, such as to structure a complex structural and proportional order. The three-dimensional space of a computer instead becomes the core of the unveiling process, the place where the scholar has the opportunity to interact and communicate with millions of points gained, to reason on the geometric and spatial qualities of the object; where the geometric intuition about the genesis of the shape can be verified in real time through a simple query / overlap, in which one can move from measurement to representation, from the spatiality of the real to its discretization and viceversa.
Transiting between Representation Technologies and Teaching/Learning Descriptive Geometry
Authors: Pires Janice de Freitas , Vecchia Luisa Dalla , da Silva Borda Adriane Almeida
Published: April 2016

Teaching descriptive geometry, in the context of this study, is characterized by the continuous investment in recognizing digital representation technologies which can enhance the didactic activities in architectural training. This study describes this trajectory which includes the use of virtual reality, augmented reality and parametric modelling, as well as freehand drawing and the production of physical models both by automating the unfolding process and by digital fabrication processes of 3D printing and laser cutting. In addition to questioning the relevance and sustainability of the infrastructure needed to ensure the continuation of this trajectory, the potentialities identified in each of the learning activities that have been structure, are shown. Although these potentialities are specific to this context, it is considered that this type of record contributes to understand the issues being faced in teaching practices.
Interpretative Reading of an Illusory Painted Wall
Authors: Porfiri Francesca
Published: April 2016

This study concerns architectural representation, and it focuses on the Quadratura issue: an illusory architecture painting where perspective creates the illusion of spatial depth on a flat surface. The main subject of this work is the study of the perspective scenes frescoed in the yards of historical building, during the 18th century in northern Italy, especially in Bologna; they represent architectural scenes, placed at the end of a promenade through the building. One of the most interesting example of these perspective frescoes in Bologna has been designed in 1761 by Antonio Galli Bibiena in Palazzo Vizzani's yard. This study aimed to approach a digital 3D-reconstruction of the scene, based on an accurate documentation and a combination of architectural survey techniques. Finally the digital reconstructed scene can be video-projected on the wall: it can simulate a viewer's eye guided across the building towards and inside the scene.
Platonic Solids and Spatial Visualization
Authors: Polimeni Beniamino
Published: April 2016

In last decades computer graphics design systems emerged as key players in architectural design, on the one hand leading to a combination of parametric, process-driven architecture and applied geometry, and on the other hand, to a new role of architects as makers, and craft-people, able to bring together architecture as an interplay between art and craftsmanship. This unique dual perspective about architectural practice and education inspires this paper, which tries to analyze how a set of basic volumetric transformations can generate complex spatial outcomes. Using platonic solids as base volumes, we will explore different ideas, applying generalized extrusions, remesh schemes of subdivision and multiplication of the object's faces, and a set of tools to create high-genus meshes. Starting from these new objects, a set of solid wireframe structures will be created as well. The goal of this process is to create a basic guideline to explore the spatial design language: a set of illustrated steps to activate architectural inquiry and to generate innovative design solutions.
Emilio Camps Cazorla and the Search of a Geometric Ratio for Islamic Architecture
Authors: Funes Pablo Alvarez
Published: April 2016

Islamic architecture has always been surrounded by an exotic aura which usually shows an impression of fanciful and exuberant forms as those romantic images suggested in stories like “The Arabian Nights” or “Tales of the Alhambra”. In architecture, this vision lead to studies more concerned on ornamentation or historical chronology of the buildings than its own proper architecture. Facing this view, there is a number of studies attempting to find a geometric reason for that architecture, which could not only analyse the ornament individually but also look for a formula able to explain how spatial, ornamental and constructive compositions remain constant along time. Emilio Camps Cazorla was one of the first theorists in searching that geometrical ratio which he called “Caliphal module”. Previously some authors had investigated the same subject and many others did after him, with mixed results. This paper documents all initiatives taken in order to determine this geometric ratio, their common characteristics as well as aspects to consider for future studies.
Islamic Stereotomy in Cairo
Authors: Gonzalo José Carlos Palacios
Published: April 2016

A great number of mosques, madrassas and hospitals compete with the enormous mausolea of the two gigantic historical necropolis of Cairo. The extraordinary Cairene domes have been the subject of really interesting studies. From the early historiography investigations to the most recent contributions, some of them focused on finding an explanation to the stability of these constructions of extraordinary slenderness. However, the remarkable stereotomy of these constructions has only been mentioned in a few of these publications. The art of stonecutting requires geometric knowledge which, although it starts with the professional practice at the workshop associated to the job, reaches extraordinary complexity and abstraction levels. In Islam, the passion for geometry finds in the masonry art a field where it can be developed without limits.
Generative Trees
Authors: Proietti Primo , Filippucci Marco , Nasini Luigi , Regni Luca , Brunori Antonio
Published: April 2016

The research integrates the study of trees with the sciences of representation, in order to investigate the relationship between morphology and light interception in a tree, starting from the case study of an olive, modeled without using automation in survey. The representation of canopy architecture, manipulated for agricultural purposes by men, describes the action of sunlight in the tree, testing the potential of advanced digital design tools, especially the generative modeling. Through the design of a specific algorithm, the tree is interpreted like a fragmented photovoltaic panel, analyzed using 14,000 control points, corresponding to each leaves. The possibility of selecting these classes of elements becomes the instrument in interpreting the canopy structure, by finding categories describing and simulating the annual radiance and illuminance.
Evaluation of Mechanical Strength of Miniaturized Functional Substrates and Components in Different Environments
Authors: Bermejo Raul , Krautgasser Clemens , Deluca Marco , Pletz Martin , Supancic Peter , Aldrian Franz , Danzer Robert
Published: April 2016

Functional components such as multilayer, low-temperature cofired ceramics are examples of the combination of a ceramic-based substrate with internal electrodes as well as surface features (e.g., metallization, contacting pads, and cylindrical vias) employed to provide the component with a given functionality. Another example is that of functionalized silicon chips to be embedded into polymer circuit boards to enhance integration and save costs. The functionality of the system can be influenced by the mechanical reliability of the different components. Due to miniaturization and design complexity, no standard methods for mechanical testing can be applied for the characterization of these brittle components. In this work, an experimental approach is presented that enables the determination of the strength distribution in functional components (e.g., rectangular plates as small as 2 ×2 ×0.12 mm3) in different environments at different temperatures. The method is based on localized biaxial testing using a ball-on-three-balls fixture. The high accuracy of the test allows quantification of the effect of surface quality, surface features, and/or metallization (e.g., contact pads or cylindrical vias) on the component strength distribution. Experimental findings show that the strength distribution of ceramic components can be affected by environmental degradation, whereby subcritical crack growth phenomena can be enhanced in environments with high relative humidity. In addition, metallization at the surface subjected to tensile stresses can even raise the strength of the component, acting as a protective layer against environmental degradation, whereas cylindrical vias can become weak points in the design. It is shown that functionalized layers such as those used in silicon chips can have a significant effect on the strength parameters, thus influencing the lifetime of the device.
Abstracts of the XII Annual Meeting of the Interuniversity Institute of Myology | Reggio Emilia, Italy, October 1-4, 2015
Authors: Editors The
Published: April 2016

Not available.
Abstracts of the 2016 Spring Padua Muscle Days: Muscle decline in aging and neuromuscular disorders -­ Mechanisms and countermeasures | Terme Euganee, Padua, Italy, April 13-16, 2016
Authors: Editors The
Published: April 2016

Not available.
3D linear referencing - a methodology
Authors: Montsion R M , de Kemp E A
Published: April 2016

Assigning data to a 3D framework is important for 3D modelling as it provides the backbone for all analysis. Linear Referencing is presented here as a method to capture and register drill hole data in a digital 3D work environment. Several specialized 3D
modelling applications currently exist that provide similar workflows however, these applications may not be accessable due to high costs and limited user bases. Additionally, a large portion of the geoscience community regularly uses full featured 2D GIS platforms such as ESRI© ArcmapTM and in
3D with 3D AnalystTM and ArcSceneTMto store and analyse their data.
Currently, performing linear referencing in ArcMapTM and ArcSceneTM is a complicated process with limited documentation . This open file was created to guide users through the workflow from data compilation to a 3D georeferenced dataset. The workflow is demonstrated using real world data from the
Sullivan Mine, Kimberly, British Columbia and a test dataset.
Acute obstructive hydrocephalus complicating decompression surgery of the craniovertebral junction
Authors: Ohya Junichi , Chikuda Hirotaka , Nakatomi Hirofumi , Sakamoto Ryuji , Saito Nobuhito , Tanaka Sakae
Published: April 2016

Obstructive hydrocephalus has been described as a rare complication following foramen magnum decompression for Chiari malformation. However, there are few reports of obstructive hydrocephalus after spinal surgery for other pathologies of the craniovertebral junction (CVJ). The authors herein report a 52-year-old female with achondroplasia presenting with an 8-month history of myelopathy due to spinal cord compression at CVJ. She underwent resection of the C1 posterior arch and part of the edge of the occipital bone. A computed tomography (CT) scan obtained 1-week after the surgery revealed bilateral infratentorial fluid collection. The patient was first managed conservatively; however, on the 17th day, her consciousness level showed sudden deterioration. Emergency CT demonstrated marked hydrocephalus due to obstruction of the cerebral aqueduct. Acute obstructive hydrocephalus can occur late after decompression surgery at the CVJ, and thus should be included in the differential diagnosis of a deteriorating mental status.
A novel equine-derived pericardium membrane for dural repair: A preliminary, short-term investigation
Authors: Centonze Roberto , Agostini Emiliano , Massaccesi Samantha , Toninelli Stefano , Morabito Letterio
Published: April 2016

Background: A large variety of biological and artificial materials are employed in dural repair, each of them with major limitations. Autologous grafts have limited availability and require an additional incision and surgical time. Cadaveric preparations and heterologous materials entail the risk of iatrogenic transmission of prions, whereas synthetic substitutes have been reported to cause inflammatory reactions and graft rejection. An equine-derived pericardium membrane has been developed (Heart®, Bioteck, Vicenza, Italy) with mechanical and safety-related features that could make it suitable for neurosurgical application. Aims: This preliminary study aimed to evaluate the short-term safety and efficacy of the Heart® membrane in dural repair procedures following meningioma surgeries. Subjects and Methods: Medical records of patients who were surgically treated for an intracranial meningioma and underwent duraplasty with the Heart® membrane were reviewed retrospectively. The occurrence of any graft-related complications such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage, postoperative hematoma, wound infection, meningitis, and neurological symptoms was analyzed. Results: Eight patients were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria. A watertight closure was achieved in all of them. Postoperatively, no patients exhibited CSF leak, cerebral contusion, hemorrhage, or wound infection. The 1-month radiological follow-up revealed no evidence of pseudomeningocele, wound breakdown, or meningitis. Neurologic complications were observed in three patients but not directly imputable to the dural substitute or its application. Conclusions: In all the patients, the pericardium membrane enabled achievement of a watertight dural closure without graft-related adverse events. Further investigations should be performed to assess medium- and long-term clinical outcomes in a larger set of patients.
Lysosomal Storage Diseases-Regulating Neurodegeneration
Authors: Onyenwoke Rob U. , Brenman Jay E.
Published: April 2016

Autophagy is a complex pathway regulated by numerous signaling events that recycles macromolecules and can be perturbed in lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs). The concept of LSDs, which are characterized by aberrant, excessive storage of cellular material in lysosomes, developed following the discovery of an enzyme deficiency as the cause of Pompe disease in 1963. Great strides have since been made in better understanding the biology of LSDs. Defective lysosomal storage typically occurs in many cell types, but the nervous system, including the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system, is particularly vulnerable to LSDs, being affected in two-thirds of LSDs. This review provides a summary of some of the better characterized LSDs and the pathways affected in these disorders.
Rezensionen
Authors: Liebling Thomas M.
Published: April 2016

Rezension zu:
M. Bierlaire:
Optimization. Principles and Algorithms
. 736 Seiten, CHF 90.–. EPFL Press, Lausanne, 2015; ISBN 978-294022278-0.
Pupillary Light Reflexes are Associated with Autonomic Dysfunction in Bolivian Diabetics But Not Chagas Disease Patients
Authors: Halperin Anthony , Pajuelo Monica , Tornheim Jeffrey A. , Vu Nancy , Carnero Andrés M. , Galdos-Cardenas Gerson , Ferrufino Lisbeth , Camacho Marilyn , Justiniano Juan , Colanzi Rony , Bowman Natalie M. , Morris Tiffany , MacDougall Hamish , Bern Caryn , Moore Steven T. , Gilman Robert H. , _ _
Published: April 2016

Autonomic dysfunction is common in Chagas disease and diabetes. Patients with either condition complicated by cardiac autonomic dysfunction face increased mortality, but no clinical predictors of autonomic dysfunction exist. Pupillary light reflexes (PLRs) may identify such patients early, allowing for intensified treatment. To evaluate the significance of PLRs, adults were recruited from the outpatient endocrine, cardiology, and surgical clinics at a Bolivian teaching hospital. After testing for Chagas disease and diabetes, participants completed conventional autonomic testing (CAT) evaluating their cardiovascular responses to Valsalva, deep breathing, and orthostatic changes. PLRs were measured using specially designed goggles, then CAT and PLRs were compared as measures of autonomic dysfunction. This study analyzed 163 adults, including 96 with Chagas disease, 35 patients with diabetes, and 32 controls. PLRs were not significantly different between Chagas disease patients and controls. Patients with diabetes had longer latency to onset of pupil constriction, slower maximum constriction velocities, and smaller orthostatic ratios than nonpatients with diabetes. PLRs correlated poorly with CAT results. A PLR-based clinical risk score demonstrated a 2.27-fold increased likelihood of diabetes complicated by autonomic dysfunction compared with the combination of blood tests, CAT, and PLRs (sensitivity 87.9%, specificity 61.3%). PLRs represent a promising tool for evaluating subclinical neuropathy in patients with diabetes without symptomatic autonomic dysfunction. Pupillometry does not have a role in the evaluation of Chagas disease patients.
Molecular Epidemiology of Blood-Borne Human Parasites in a Loa loa-, Mansonella perstans-, and Plasmodium falciparum-Endemic Region of Cameroon
Authors: Drame Papa M. , Montavon Céline , Pion Sébastien D. , Kubofcik Joseph , Fay Michael P. , Nutman Thomas B.
Published: April 2016

The study of the interactions among parasites within their hosts is crucial to the understanding of epidemiology of disease and for the design of effective control strategies. We have conducted an assessment of infections with Loa loa, Mansonella perstans, Wuchereria bancrofti, and Plasmodium falciparum in eastern Cameroon using a highly sensitive and specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay using archived dried whole blood spots. The resident population (N = 1,085) was parasitized with M. perstans (76%), L. loa (39%), and P. falciparum (33%), but not with W. bancrofti. Compared with single infections (40.1%), coinfection was more common (48.8%): 21.0% had L. loa–M. perstans (Ll+/Mp+/Pf−), 2.7% had L. loa–P. falciparum (Ll+/Pf+/Mp−), 15.1% had M. perstans–P. falciparum (Mp+/Pf+/Ll−), and 10.0% had L. loa–M. perstans–P. falciparum (Ll+/Mp+/Pf+). Interestingly, those with all three infections (Ll+/Mp+/Pf+) had significantly higher L. loa microfilaria (mf) counts than either single Ll+ (P = 0.004) or double Ll+/Mp+ (P = 0.024) infected individuals. Of those infected with L. loa, the mean estimated counts of L. loa mf varied based on location and were positively correlated with estimated intensities of M. perstans mf. Finally, at a community level, heavy L. loa infections were concentrated in a few individuals whereby they were likely the major reservoir for infection.
Follow-up of the 1977 Georgia Outbreak of Toxoplasmosis
Authors: Jones Jeffrey L. , Akstein Ricardo B. , Hlavsa Michele C. , Lopez Adriana S. , Wilson Mariana , Holland Gary N.
Published: April 2016

In 1977, an outbreak of toxoplasmosis occurred among 37 persons associated with exposure to an indoor horse arena. Cat feces containing the organism were most likely stirred up when horses ran on the dirt floor, and were inhaled or ingested by riders and observers. After 25 or more years, we attempted to locate persons from the outbreak and offer them an eye examination. Of the 37 persons in the outbreak, 18 (49%) were located; four had died, and the remaining 14 agreed to an examination. Among the 14 persons examined, three (21%) were found to have lesions typical of toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis. If these three persons were the only ones with ocular disease among the 37 persons in the outbreak, the disease rate would still be high (8%). As a result of exposure to Toxoplasma gondii during this outbreak, a relatively high percentage of persons developed ocular disease.
Can biomonitors effectively detect airborne benzo[a]pyrene? An evaluation approach using modelling
Authors: Ratola Nuno , Jiménez-Guerrero Pedro
Published: April 2016

Abstract. Biomonitoring data available on levels of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in pine needles from the Iberian Peninsula were used to estimate air concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and, at the same time, fuelled the comparison with chemistry transport model representations. Simulations with the modelling system WRF+EMEP+CHIMERE were validated against data from the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) air sampling network. Modelled atmospheric concentrations were used as a consistent reference in order to compare the performance of vegetation-to-air estimating methods. A spatial and temporal resolution of 9 km and 1 h was implemented. The field-based database relied on a pine needles sampling scheme comprising 33 sites in Portugal and 37 sites in Spain complemented with the BaP measurements available from the EMEP sites. The ability of pine needles to act as biomonitoring markers for the atmospheric concentrations of BaP was estimated by converting the levels obtained in pine needles into air concentrations by six different approaches, one of them presenting realistic concentrations when compared to the modelled atmospheric values. The justification for this study is that the gaps still exist in the knowledge of the life cycles of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), particularly the partition processes between air and vegetation. The strategy followed in this work allows for the effective estimation by the model of concentrations in air and vegetation and of the best approaches to estimate atmospheric levels from values found in vegetation.
20 Years of ClO Measurements in the Antarctic Lower Stratosphere
Authors: Nedoluha Gerald E. , Connor Brian J. , Mooney Thomas , Barrett James W. , Parrish Alan , Gomez R. Michael , Boyd Ian , Allen Doug R. , Kotkamp Michael , Kremser Stefanie , Deshler Terry , Newman Paul , Santee Michelle L.
Published: April 2016

Abstract. We present 20 years of springtime measurements of ClO over Antarctica from the Chlorine monOxide Experiment (ChlOE1) ground-based millimeter wave spectrometer at Scott Base, Antarctica, as well 12 years of ClO measurements from the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS). From August onwards we observe a strong increase in lower stratospheric ClO, with a peak column amount usually occurring in early September. From mid-September onwards we observe a strong decrease in ClO. In order to study interannual differences we focus on a 3-week period from August 28 to September 17 for each year, and compare the average column ClO anomalies. These column ClO anomalies are shown to be highly correlated with the average ozone mass deficit for September and October of each year. We also show that anomalies in column ClO are anti-correlated with 30 hPa temperature anomalies, both on a daily and an interannual timescale. We calculate the dependence of interannual variations in column ClO on interannual variations in temperature. By making use of this relationship we can better estimate the underlying trend in the Cly which provides the reservoir for the ClO. The resultant trends for zonal MLS, Scott Base MLS (both 2004–2015), and ChlOE (1996–2015) were 0.5 ± 0.2 %/yr, −1.4 ± 0.9 %/yr, and −0.6 ± 0.4 %/yr, respectively. These trends are within 1σ of trends in stratospheric Cly previously found at other latitudes. This decrease in ClO is the result of changes in anthropogenic CFC emissions due to actions taken under the Montreal Protocol.