bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Militantisme, féminisme et agency : qui de l’œuf ou de la poule ?
Authors: Lhenry Sophie
Published: February 2013

À partir de l’étude de carrières militantes de femmes exilées, il s’agit ici de comprendre les liens entre engagement, féminisme et agency. Cette réflexion porte plus précisément sur l’articulation entre l’expression de revendications collectives et la construction de soi en tant qu’individu.e autonome. La pratique féministe, parce qu’elle mêle à la fois combat politique et affirmation de soi, nous apporte un terrain d’observation privilégié. L’engagement politique pourra ainsi être envisagé à la fois comme une stratégie de contournement des rôles sexués prescrits, et comme une ressource ou un capital, à même d’être reconverti dans d’autres espaces ou contextes.

The study of exiled women activists’ careers allows to understand the links between commitment, feminism and agency. This paper will focus on the articulation between the expression of collective demands and the construction of self-sufficient individuals. Feminist attitudes and behaviour, as they combine political fight and self-assertion, provide a rich source for observation. Political commitment can thus be seen as both a strategy to bypass prescribed sexual roles and the constitution of a personal resource likely to be re-invested in other spheres or contexts.
L’agency sur le terrain : l’expérience militante
Authors: Mackenzie Caroline
Published: February 2013

Cet article propose un exemple d’agency en action en analysant l’introduction des politiques d’égalité des chances en Australie dans les années 1980. L’Australian National University, en se présentant comme candidate à un projet pilote pour tester une nouvelle loi sur l’égalité des chances sur le lieu de travail, a offert à ses employées féminines une opportunité de s’impliquer dans un processus d’analyse des pratiques de recrutement et de gestion des ressources humaines pour quatre minorités. La réponse enthousiaste et inattendue de la part de ces salariées a contribué non seulement à une réflexion globale de la part de l’université, mais aussi à la mise en place de changements profonds à tous les niveaux.
Agency : un concept applicable aux associations féminines en Tunisie et au Maroc ?
Authors: Romagnoli Michela
Published: February 2013

Le concept d’agency, élaboré en langue anglaise, est très complexe dans sa signification ; en effet, il est impossible de trouver un seul mot correspondant dans d’autres langues. Agency pourrait être traduit ainsi en français par : « pouvoir agir en ayant conscience de soi ». Le présent texte rend compte de mes premières recherches doctorales en Tunisie et au Maroc au sujet du rôle des associations féminines dans la société en essayant de comprendre si cette idée de « pouvoir agir » peut être prise en considération seulement comme une capacité individuelle ou si elle pourrait être également entendue comme une capacité collective. Les femmes réunies dans ces associations, par leurs actions quotidiennes, leur engagement en faveur de celles qui se trouvent dans des situations difficiles, sans protection, leurs manifestations et leurs combats pour l’égalité et la parité, font valoir leur agency.

The concept of agency is very complex in its meaning in English and, indeed, it is impossible to find a corresponding word in other languages. Agency is usually paraphrased as “the power to act with a sense of self”. The present text discusses my early research in Tunisia and Morocco about the role of women’s groups in the context of trying to understand if this idea of a will and ability to act can be considered only as an individual initiative or as a collective capacity as well. Women who belong to these associations, with their daily activities, the work to defend those who are in a difficult situation without protection, with their protests and battles for equality and parity, assert their agency.
Le marché du poisson à Lyon au XVIIe siècle
Authors: Montenach Anne
Published: February 2013

L’objectif de cet article est de montrer l’intérêt d’une entrée par le marché du poisson dans la complexité de l’économie urbaine d’Ancien Régime, à travers ses acteurs, ses espaces et ses pratiques. Une première partie envisage l’organisation et les différents acteurs de la filière du poisson, en amont et en aval du marché de la « Pêcherie ». Sont analysées, dans un deuxième temps, les motivations et les étapes de la transformation de ce marché ouvert en halle couverte et fermée et, à travers les résistances que ce processus suscite, les enjeux liés à l’emplacement de certains marchés. Un dernier axe s’attache à saisir les rôles joués par les femmes dans le commerce du poisson, qu’il soit licite ou illicite, et ce qu’ils révèlent sur la place de ces dernières dans l’économie urbaine.
Le commerce du poisson en conserve à Gênes au XVIIIe siècle, d’après une source douanière
Authors: Tosco Giorgio
Published: February 2013

Un sondage des registres douaniers de Gênes offre un aperçu du commerce du poisson en conserve au XVIIIe siècle, plus précisément à la période comprise entre 1730-1780. L’établissement des courbes annuelles de ce commerce révèle que l’activité poissonnière génoise connaît deux pics intenses. Le premier pic, qui est aussi le plus important, se produit en hiver. Il concerne le commerce de la morue et du hareng. Le second pic se produit durant les mois d’été et concerne le commerce du thon et de l’anchois. Le commerce de ces deux variétés de poissons s’est davantage accentué à la moitié du siècle, dans la mesure où le thon est devenu l’un des produits phares du commerce génois. Le poisson qui passe par Gênes est principalement destiné à la ville et à la Lombardie, mais cela n’empêche pas la demande des génois de baisser à la fin du siècle.
Deletion of Crry and DAF on Murine Platelets Stimulates Thrombopoiesis and Increases Factor H–Dependent Resistance of Peripheral Platelets to Complement Attack
Authors: Barata Lidia , Miwa Takashi , Sato Sayaka , Kim David , Mohammed Imran , Song Wen-Chao
Published: February 2013

Complement receptor 1–related gene/protein y (Crry) and decay-accelerating factor (DAF) are two murine membrane C3 complement regulators with overlapping functions. Crry deletion is embryonically lethal whereas DAF-deficient mice are generally healthy. Crry−/−DAF−/− mice were viable on a C3−/− background, but platelets from such mice were rapidly destroyed when transfused into C3-sufficient mice. In this study, we used the cre-lox system to delete platelet Crry in DAF−/− mice and studied Crry/DAF-deficient platelet development in vivo. Rather than displaying thrombocytopenia, Pf4-Cre+-Crryflox/flox mice had normal platelet counts and their peripheral platelets were resistant to complement attack. However, chimera mice generated with Pf4-Cre+-Crryflox/flox bone marrows showed platelets from C3−/− but not C3+/+ recipients to be sensitive to complement activation, suggesting that circulating platelets in Pf4-Cre+-Crryflox/flox mice were naturally selected in a complement-sufficient environment. Notably, Pf4-Cre+-Crryflox/flox mouse platelets became complement susceptible when factor H function was blocked. Examination of Pf4-Cre+-Crryflox/flox mouse bone marrows revealed exceedingly active thrombopoiesis. Thus, under in vivo conditions, Crry/DAF deficiency on platelets led to abnormal platelet turnover, but peripheral platelet count was compensated for by increased thrombopoiesis. Selective survival of Crry/DAF-deficient platelets aided by factor H protection and compensatory thrombopoiesis demonstrates the cooperation between membrane and fluid phase complement inhibitors and the body’s ability to adaptively respond to complement regulator deficiencies.
The ultra-fast Kelvin waves in the equatorial ionosphere: observations and modeling
Authors: Onohara A. N. , Batista I. S. , Takahashi H.
Published: February 2013

Abstract. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the vertical coupling between the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region and the ionosphere through ultra-fast Kelvin (UFK) waves in the equatorial atmosphere. The effect of UFK waves on the ionospheric parameters was estimated using an ionospheric model which calculates electrostatic potential in the E-region and solves coupled electrodynamics of the equatorial ionosphere in the E- and F-regions. The UFK wave was observed in the South American equatorial region during February–March 2005. The MLT wind data obtained by meteor radar at São João do Cariri (7.5° S, 37.5° W) and ionospheric F-layer bottom height (h'F) observed by ionosonde at Fortaleza (3.9° S; 38.4° W) were used in order to calculate the wave characteristics and amplitude of oscillation. The simulation results showed that the combined electrodynamical effect of tides and UFK waves in the MLT region could explain the oscillations observed in the ionospheric parameters.
Restoring mass conservation to shallow ice flow models over complex terrain
Authors: Jarosch A. H. , Schoof C. G. , Anslow F. S.
Published: February 2013

Abstract. Numerical simulation of glacier dynamics in mountainous regions using zero-order, shallow ice models is desirable for computational efficiency so as to allow broad coverage. However, these models present several difficulties when applied to complex terrain. One such problem arises where steep terrain can spuriously lead to large ice fluxes that remove more mass from a grid cell than it originally contains, leading to mass conservation being violated. This paper describes a vertically integrated, shallow ice model using a second-order flux-limiting spatial discretization scheme that enforces mass conservation. An exact solution to ice flow over a bedrock step is derived for a given mass balance forcing as a benchmark to evaluate the model performance in such a difficult setting. This benchmark should serve as a useful test for modellers interested in simulating glaciers over complex terrain.
Rear Cover: The Forgotten Victims: Childhood and the Soviet Gulag, 1929–1953
Authors: MacKinnon Elaine
Published: February 2013

This study examines a facet of Gulag history that only in recent years has become a topic for scholarly examination, the experiences of children whose parents were arrested or who ended up themselves in the camps. It first considers the situation of those who were true “children of the Gulag,” born either in prison or in the camps. Second, the paper examines the children who were left behind when their parents and relatives were arrested in the Stalinist terror of the 1930s.  Those left behind without anyone willing or able to take them in ended up in orphanages, or found themselves on their  own, having to grow up quickly and cope with adult situations and responsibilities. Thirdly, the study focuses on young persons who themselves ended up in the Gulag, either due to their connections with arrested family members, or due to actions in their own right which fell afoul of Stalinist “legality,” and consider the ways in which their youth shaped their experience of the Gulag and their strategies for survival.  The effects of a Gulag childhood were  profound both for individuals and for Soviet society as a whole.  Millions of children’s lives were torn apart by the Stalinist terror; they not only lost loved ones and friends, but they also faced social stigmatization,  political and economic marginalization, and compromised  opportunities for upward mobility and security. For some whose parents were rehabilitated, this brought a degree of normalcy, and they felt that the state had redeemed itself and their families. But for others it contributed to a process of alienation that ended up in political dissidence and emigration.   Any history of post-Stalinist society must take into consideration the fact that the Gulag did not just affect those who served time in the camps and colonies, but also the children they left behind.  Further studies are needed to determine to what extent the experiences of children of the Gulag informed social patterns during the last decades of the Soviet regime, and in particular, responses to Gorbachev’s efforts at reform.
DOES EU-INTEGRATION CHANGE AGGLOMERATION PROCESS? THE IMPACT OF EU MEMBERSHIP PROCESS ON THE CITY-SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF TURKEY
Authors: Sorhun Engin
Published: February 2013

This paper aims to reveal the eventual impacts of European Union (EU) membership process and other conventional factors on the city-size distribution of a candidate country (Turkey). I can state main results as follows: Analyzing from different estimation methods the direct effect of the EU reforms on agglomerating forces rather than congesting forces are revealed to be dominant for Turkey. However, the main impact of the EU membership process has positive but modest coefficient that indicate the weak willingness of the country for EU reforms.Keywords: Economic itegration, agglomeration, city-size distribution, EU, Turkey.JEL Classification: F15, F22, R12, R23
From Life to Existence: A Reconsideration of the Question of Intentionality in Michel Henry’s Ethics
Authors: Seyler Frédéric
Published: February 2013

Michel Henry has renewed our understanding of life as immanent affectivity: life cannot be reduced to what can be made visible; it is – as immanent and as affectivity – radically invisible. However, if life (la vie) is radically immanent, the living (le vivant) has nonetheless to relate to the world: it has to exist. But, since existence requires and includes intentional components, human reality – being both living and existing – implies that immanence and intentionality be related to one another, even though they are conceived at the same time as radically distinct modes of appearing in Henry’s phenomenology of life. Following this line of thought, we are faced with at least two questions: First, what reality does immanent appearing have for us as existing and intentional beings? And second, from an ethical point of view, what does Henry’s opposition of “barbarism” and “second birth” mean in terms of existence? As will be shown, it follows from the standpoint of radical phenomenology itself that immanent affectivity has reality for us only insofar as it finds its expression or translation in the realm of the intentionally visible and that, with regard to ethics, both “barbarism” and its overcoming in “second birth” are effective only insofar as they are mediated through representations. Henry’s critique of representation and intentionality needs therefore to be revised, especially in the field of practical philosophy, where the essential role played by intentionality has to be acknowledged even by radical phenomenology.
Praxis and Pragmatism
Authors: Dusausoit Hugues
Published: February 2013

A constructive dialogue between Henry’s phenomenology and Rorty’s pragmatism does not seem very likely: each would probably consider that the other has not been faithful to his claim of breaking with philosophical tradition and thus ultimately reproduces its limits. Nevertheless, one can also note that Henry and Rorty are not at the same level of analysis: while Henry focuses on giving coherent grounds for any philosophical critique of representation, Rorty is occupied with the consequences of such critique on philosophy itself. If one considers this difference, there emerge new results: Henry’s phenomenology is fundamental for the recognition of what Rorty calls the “human being’s sense of self-identity”, while it falls to Rorty’s pragmatism to ensure that, as hoped by Henry, there is “a mode of philosophy that does not harm essence”.
L’individu comme problème phénoménologique chez Hannah Arendt et Michel Henry
Authors: Cerny Jan
Published: February 2013

Cette étude, dans un premier temps, apporte des preuves à la possibilité d’interpréter la pensée politique de Hannah Arendt comme un projet phénoménologique original dont le but est d’élever l’apparence de la personne au rang de mode unique de l’apparaître. Puis elle présente brièvement la phénoménologie matérielle de Michel Henry dans laquelle le Soi individuel joue un rôle tout aussi central, puisqu’il est la condition de l’apparence de la vie et le fondement de tout apparaître. En conclusion, l’étude esquisse les conséquences d’une telle position privilégiée du sujet individuel pour la conception théorique de la réalité effective de l’apparaître, de même que pour les problèmes pratiques de l’action de l’homme dans le monde.
Au risque de soi: L’événement et la relation
Authors: Vallée Marc-Antoine
Published: February 2013

Ce texte s’efforce de définir la contribution possible de la phénoménologie française contemporaine au développement et à la radicalisation du projet d’une herméneutique du soi. Il s’agit, plus spécifiquement, de préciser quelle conception décentrée du soi ressort des récents travaux de Claude Romano sur l’événement et d’Emmanuel Housset sur la dimension relationnelle de la personne. Pour ce faire, l’auteur insiste sur les convergences entre les deux œuvres, tout en s’interrogeant sur les limites de ces approches.
Book Review: Jeffrey Hanson and Michael R. Kelly, eds. Michel Henry: The Affects of Thought
Authors: Hefty Karl
Published: February 2013

A review of Jeffrey Hanson and Michael R. Kelly, eds., Michel Henry: The Affects of Thought (London: Continuum, 2012), 177 pp.
Regulation of Emission of Greenhouse Gases and Hazardous Air Pollutants from Motor Vehicles
Authors: Davison Steven G.
Published: February 2013

Emissions from motor vehicles of toxic and hazardous air pollutants, carbon dioxide, and other greenhouse gases1-emissions that currently are not regulated under the federal Clean Air Act2-are receiving increasing attention at both the federal and state government levels as government officials and members of the public express increasing concern that these substances may pose as much of a threat to public health and welfare as other pollutants from motor vehicles which currently are regulated under the Clean Air Act.Many scientists are reporting a "25-year trend of rising globaltemperatures" and "other dramatic signs of global warming, such as the record shrinkage of the Arctic sea ice cover and unprecedented high ocean temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico."3 Many people attribute global warming to emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases resulting fromhuman activities such as the burning of fossil fuels by power plants and motor vehicles.4 Scientists recently have found that the year 2005 was the hottest year on record for the Northern Hemisphere, with temperatures approximately1.3 degrees Fahrenheit above historical average temperatures.5
Intersection of Tax-Exemption and Fraud and Abuse Issues
Authors: Boyle Thomas
Published: February 2013

Mr. Boyle: Thank you, Alan. First, I want to thank Jan Wenzel from our firm who is a 1999 Health Law Certificate graduate for pulling together some research material.With regard to Tom Hyatt’s comments, let me raise a couple of questions or comments to respond to those comments before I move into some of the other areas. First off, when you look at the test that was designed by the IRS in 1969 we really did not have many hospitals in large parts of the country that were participating in Medicare and Medicaid. In other words, you had a lot of hospitals that were not Medicare/Medicaid providers. You also at that time did not have a very high population that was covered by Medicare and Medicaid. UPMC today, my guess is, 50 to 60 percent of their revenue or patient flow is from Medicare or Medicaid. So of course you have today very few hospitals that do not participate in Medicare or Medicaid because the percentage of the population that has gone into those programs has grown far beyond what was projected in the mid-60s and certainly by 1969. 1
Comments on the Role of the Modern Charitable Health Care Providers
Authors: Emerson Karl
Published: February 2013

As was indicated earlier, my name is Karl Emerson and I am the Directorof the Pennsylvania Bureau of Charitable Organizations. The Bureau is thestate agency responsible for administering Pennsylvania’s Solicitation ofFunds for Charitable Purposes Act. 1 This is the statute that governsorganizations soliciting charitable contributions from Pennsylvania residents,businesses, and/or private foundations. Pennsylvania’s solicitation statute issimilar to the solicitation statutes of 38 other states and requires organizationssoliciting charitable contributions in Pennsylvania to typically register withthe Bureau prior to soliciting. 2 Registration usually involves the organizationsubmitting a registration statement; a copy of its IRS 990 Return; a copy of itsaudited or reviewed financial statements; and copies of its Articles ofIncorporation, By-Laws, and IRS Determination Letter. 3 The Bureau thenmakes this information available to the public through our toll-free number,our website, and otherwise.
Remarks on Tax Issues
Authors: Burke Linda
Published: February 2013

I kept praying that by the time the program got to me, there would be something left to say. My experience is purely as a tax advisor and not as an advisor to a hospital health care provider. Therefore, I do not have quite the overlap that the other speakers have had. But I can tell you how the IRS operates in this area and I can give you perhaps some predictions and some things to look for. Now, these thoughts are entirely mine. I did call my former colleagues at the IRS to find out if they would tell me anything, and they are not about to let somebody like me give information of that nature to an audience like you. Any such breaking information will definitely come directly from members of the IRS and Treasury.
Crisis in the Making: What is Wrong with Pennsylvania Public Health Law
Authors: Bozza John A.
Published: February 2013

There are few areas of government enterprise where the need to “get it right” is so critical as formulating and executing laws affecting the public health. When the government sets out to exercise its police power 1 to control the spread of disease, its goal is to accomplish an immensely important practical task; and its success is to a great degree  objectively determinable—the spread of disease is either curtailed or not. However, the manner in which the government’s goal is reached reflects not only its pragmatic concerns but also a society’s political, social, and legal values.
Waiving Environmental Concerns Along the Border: Fence Construction and the Waiver Authority of the Real ID Act
Authors: Echemendia Jennifer
Published: February 2013

In 1994, the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (“INS”) instituted a border enforcement policy aimed at deterring illegal immigration along strategic points of the United States’ southern border by increasing the presence of border patrol agents and constructing physical barriers. 3 The INS anticipated that securing conventional routes of entry would force illegal immigrants to more remote and rugged sections of the border that would be more difficult to traverse.4 The ultimate success of the policy has been debated, but it did result in a substantial decrease of illegal entries in places like San Diego, California and El Paso, Texas.5 As anticipated, the number of attempted illegal entries also increased along more remote sections of the border, although it is unclear that the inhospitable terrain has deterred significant numbers of illegal immigrants from crossing the border.
Conte v. Wyeth: Caveat Innovator and the Case for Perpetual Liability in Drug Labeling
Authors: Ramey Martin A.
Published: February 2013

Since the citadel of privity first crumbled for manufacturers of defective products decades ago, state and federal courts have expanded the foundations of products liability law to include not only purchasers as plaintiffs but “ultimate” bystanders under notions of reasonableness, foreseeability and risk allocation. 3 During this time, products such as drugs, blood products and  medical devices have come to be viewed as distinct from other commodities, particularly with the coming of the Restatement (Third) of Torts: Products Liability.
Sound Body, Sound Mind—The Impact of the Mental Health Parity Act of 2008
Authors: Stuckhardt Leigh
Published: February 2013

On October 3, 2008, in response to bank and lending house failures and the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, President Bush signed into law the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, more commonly known as the “bailout bill.” As funds 1 from the financial relief program created by the bailout bill, the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP), are spent to slowly reverse the economic recession, another positive effect of the bailout bill has already taken hold in an area having nothing to do with financial markets—health insurance coverage for Americans suffering from mental illness. This is because, buried within the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, is the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Act of 2008 (the “2008 Act”)—legislation that requires parity in insurance coverage for physical and mental illness.
The Octo Mom Meets Constitutional Law: Testing the Constitutionality of Restricting Fertility Treatments
Authors: Miller-Sporrer Theresa
Published: February 2013

On 26 January 2009, Nadya Suleman gave birth to eight children. 1 The public outpouring of support quickly turned into widespread condemnation as more information about Ms. Suleman’s multiple pregnancies and financial situation was released.2 Once the public learned not only that Ms. Suleman had six other children but also that all fourteen children had been conceived using in vitro fertilization, the public began to question both her judgment and the judgment of her doctor.3 The public apparently was willing to accept the birth if it was the non-deliberate product of a hormone-based fertility treatment but was less willing to accept the birth if it was the result of a deliberate choice on the part of Ms. Suleman and her physician.
A Brief Introduction to Medicare and the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals
Authors: Clermont Woody R.
Published: February 2013

Medicare is a single-payer federal program providing health insurance for individuals ages 65 and older, those meeting the definition for permanent disability within the Social Security Act, 1 and those with end-stage renal disease.2 Medicare also covers care that is both reasonable and necessary in connection with the diagnosis and treatment of the underlying illness or injury.3 Medicare evolved from the Social Security Act over the course of three decades. The original Social Security Act4 was drafted between 1934 and 1935 by the Committee on Economic Security;5 the Committee during the first term of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidency, had been under the oversight of United States Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins.
If Words Could Kill: Can the Government Regulate Any Online Speech?
Authors: Pontzer Laura
Published: February 2013

From the inception of American jurisprudence, an individual’s right to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution 1 has been given some of the strongest protection available.2 The most celebrated legal minds in American history have consistently advocated the necessity of an open and honest exchange of ideas as fundamental to democratic society,3 even when the ideas expressed may be unpopular or of little value.4 Nonetheless, it is equally well-established that not all speech is protected, particularly where the speech in question poses a threat to public order.5 Although First Amendment law continues to evolve, the media available to Americans wishing to express their ideas seem to be evolving exponentially faster, particularly in the forum provided by the Internet.6 Indeed, the vast expansion and availability of Internet media seem to continually outstrip the much more gradual evolution of the law, not only in the United States but worldwide.
A Simple Feedback Controller to Reduce Angular Momentum in ZMP-Based Gaits
Authors: Alcaraz-Jiménez Juan José , Herrero-Pérez David , Martínez-Barberá Humberto
Published: February 2013

The Zero Moment Point (ZMP) stability criterion has been broadly employed for walking pattern generation in legged robots. However, ZMP-based approaches usually ignore the presence of angular momentum in the system. This hinders the performance of the gait, especially against disturbances. In this work we propose an angular momentum controller that can be integrated into standard ZMP-based gaits. The experiments on a real Nao robot demonstrate that the use of the proposed angular momentum controller improves the stability of a walking pattern generator based on the preview control of the ZMP.
Two-Loop Control of Redundant Manipulators: Analysis and Experiments on a 3-DOF Planar Arm
Authors: Soto Israel , Campa Ricardo
Published: February 2013

A redundant robot has more degrees of freedom (DOF) than those required to accomplish a given motion task. This fact allows the possibility of achieving an additional task, such as avoidance of joint limits or singularities, besides the primary one. Different criteria have been proposed in the literature for the selection of such a secondary task. This paper first recalls some of those criteria and then proposes a two-loop scheme for the motion control of redundant robots. In order to validate the proposed scheme, some experiments are carried out in a direct-drive redundant planar arm which has been designed and built in our laboratory.
Automated Trajectory Planner of Industrial Robot for Pick-and-Place Task
Authors: Perumaal S. Saravana , Jawahar N.
Published: February 2013

Industrial robots, due to their great speed, precision and cost-effectiveness in repetitive tasks, now tend to be used in place of human workers in automated manufacturing systems. In particular, they perform the pick-and-place operation, a non-value-added activity which at the same time cannot be eliminated. Hence, minimum time is an important consideration for economic reasons in the trajectory planning system of the manipulator. The trajectory should also be smooth to handle parts precisely in applications such as semiconductor manufacturing, processing and handling of chemicals and medicines, and fluid and aerosol deposition. In this paper, an automated trajectory planner is proposed to determine a smooth, minimum-time and collision-free trajectory for the pick-and-place operations of a 6-DOF robotic manipulator in the presence of an obstacle. Subsequently, it also proposes an algorithm for the jerk-bounded Synchronized Trigonometric S-curve Trajectory (STST) and the ‘forbidden-sphere’ technique to avoid the obstacle. The proposed planner is demonstrated with suitable examples and comparisons. The experiments show that the proposed planner is capable of providing a smoother trajectory than the cubic spline based trajectory.
Robotic Platform for Automated Search and Rescue Missions of Humans
Authors: Kolberg Eli , Beiderman Yevgeny , Talyosef Roy , Amsalem Raphi , Garcia Javier , Zalevsky Zeev
Published: February 2013

We present a novel type of model incorporating a special remote life signals sensing optical system on top of a controllable robotic platform. The remote sensing system consists of a laser and a camera. By properly adapting our optics and by applying a proper image processing algorithm we can sense within the field of view, illuminated by the laser and imaged by the camera, the heartbeats and the blood pulse pressure of subjects (even several simultaneously). The task is to use the developed robotic system for search and rescue mission such as saving survivals from a fire.
Automatic Flight Control System Design of Level Change Mode for a Large Aircraft
Authors: Gong Huajun , Zhen Ziyang , Li Xin , Jiang Ju , Wang Xinhua
Published: February 2013

The level change mode is an essential part of large civil aircraft automatic flight control systems. In cruise, with the decrease of the plane's weight caused by fuel consumption and the influence of bad weather, such as thunderstorms, the level change mode is required to solve this problem. This work establishes a nonlinear model of large aircraft, takes level changed from 9500m to 10100m as an example to design control laws for the level change mode in cruise. The classical engineering method is used to design longitudinal and lateral control laws synthetically. The flight qualities are considered in the design process. Simulation results indicate the control laws can meet design requirements and have a good anti-gust performance.
Dynamic Coupling Analysis of a Spatial 6-DOF Electro-Hydraulic Parallel Manipulator Using a Modal Decoupling Method
Authors: Yang Chifu , Han Junwei
Published: February 2013

The workspace of a spatial 6-DOF electro-hydraulic parallel manipulator is strongly coupled, due to its multi-closed-loop kinematic structure and the coupling complicates motion planning and control of the parallel manipulator. This paper clearly analyses the strong dynamic coupling property in the workspace of a spatial 6-DOF parallel manipulator, using modal decoupling theory and a frequency responses characteristics analysis method. The dynamic model of a spatial 6-DOF electro-hydraulic parallel manipulator is expressed with the Kane method and hydromechanics principles. The modal analysis method is used to establish the map between strong coupling workspace and decoupled modal space and the dynamic coupling relationship and coupling strength between workspaces are exactly revealed. The quantitative evaluation index of dynamic coupling is presented. Moreover, the relationship between dynamic coupling effects and input is discussed through applying frequency characteristics analysis. Experimental results show the workspace of the parallel manipulator is strongly coupled and the coupling property is coincident with theoretical results.
Recognition of a Baby's Emotional Cry towards Robotics Baby Caregiver
Authors: Yamamoto Shota , Yoshitomi Yasunari , Tabuse Masayoshi , Kushida Kou , Asada Taro
Published: February 2013

We developed a method for pattern recognition of baby's emotions (discomfortable, hungry, or sleepy) expressed in the baby's cries. A 32-dimensional fast Fourier transform is performed for sound form clips, detected by our reported method and used as training data. The power of the sound form judged as a silent region is subtracted from each power of the frequency element. The power of each frequency element after the subtraction is treated as one of the elements of the feature vector. We perform principal component analysis (PCA) for the feature vectors of the training data. The emotion of the baby is recognized by the nearest neighbor criterion applied to the feature vector obtained from the test data of sound form clips after projecting the feature vector on the PCA space from the training data. Then, the emotion with the highest frequency among the recognition results for a sound form clip is judged as the emotion expressed by the baby's cry. We successfully applied the proposed method to pattern recognition of baby's emotions. The present investigation concerns the first stage of the development of a robotics baby caregiver that has the ability to detect baby's emotions. In this first stage, we have developed a method for detecting baby's emotions. We expect that the proposed method could be used in robots that can help take care of babies.
Simultaneous Blind Separation and Recognition of Speech Mixtures Using Two Microphones to Control a Robot Cleaner
Authors: Lee Heungkyu
Published: February 2013

This paper proposes a method for the simultaneous separation and recognition of speech mixtures in noisy environments using two-channel based independent vector analysis (IVA) on a home-robot cleaner. The issues to be considered in our target application are speech recognition at a distance and noise removal to cope with a variety of noises, including TV sounds, air conditioners, babble, and so on, that can occur in a house, where people can utter a voice command to control a robot cleaner at any time and at any location, even while a robot cleaner is moving. Thus, the system should always be in a recognition-ready state to promptly recognize a spoken word at any time, and the false acceptance rate should be lower. To cope with these issues, the keyword spotting technique is applied. In addition, a microphone alignment method and a model-based real-time IVA approach are proposed to effectively and simultaneously process the speech and noise sources, as well as to cover 360-degree directions irrespective of distance. From the experimental evaluations, we show that the proposed method is robust in terms of speech recognition accuracy, even when the speaker location is unfixed and changes all the time. In addition, the proposed method shows good performance in severely noisy environments.
Enhancing Wheelchair Manoeuvrability for Severe Impairment Users
Authors: Tomari Razali , Kobayashi Yoshinori , Kuno Yoshinori
Published: February 2013

A significant number of individuals with severe motor impairments are unable to control their wheelchair using a standard joystick. Even when they can facilitate the control input, navigation in a confined space or crowded environments is still a great challenge. Here we propose a wheelchair framework that enables the user to issue the command via a multi-input hands free interface (HFI), which subsequently assists him/her to overcome difficult circumstances using a multimodal control strategy. Initially the HFI inputs are analysed to infer the desired control mode and the user command. Then environmental information is perceived using a combination of laser and Kinect sensors for determining all possible obstacle locations and outputting a safety map around the wheelchair's vicinity. Eventually, the user's command is validated with the safety map to moderate the final motion, which is collision free and the best for the user's preference. The proposed method can reduce the burden of severe impairment users when controlling wheelchairs by continuously monitoring the surroundings and can make them move easily according to the users' intention.
Scalable Task Assignment for Heterogeneous Multi-Robot Teams
Authors: García Paula , Caamaño Pilar , Duro Richard J. , Bellas Francisco
Published: February 2013

This work deals with the development of a dynamic task assignment strategy for heterogeneous multi-robot teams in typical real world scenarios. The strategy must be efficiently scalable to support problems of increasing complexity with minimum designer intervention. To this end, we have selected a very simple auction-based strategy, which has been implemented and analysed in a multi-robot cleaning problem that requires strong coordination and dynamic complex subtask organization. We will show that the selection of a simple auction strategy provides a linear computational cost increase with the number of robots that make up the team and allows the solving of highly complex assignment problems in dynamic conditions by means of a hierarchical sub-auction policy. To coordinate and control the team, a layered behaviour-based architecture has been applied that allows the reusing of the auction-based strategy to achieve different coordination levels.
Robust Eye and Pupil Detection Method for Gaze Tracking
Authors: Gwon Su Yeong , Cho Chul Woo , Lee Hyeon Chang , Lee Won Oh , Park Kang Ryoung
Published: February 2013

Robust and accurate pupil detection is a prerequisite for gaze detection. Hence, we propose a new eye/pupil detection method for gaze detection on a large display. The novelty of our research can be summarized by the following four points. First, in order to overcome the performance limitations of conventional methods of eye detection, such as adaptive boosting (Adaboost) and continuously adaptive mean shift (CAMShift) algorithms, we propose adaptive selection of the Adaboost and CAMShift methods. Second, this adaptive selection is based on two parameters: pixel differences in successive images and matching values determined by CAMShift. Third, a support vector machine (SVM)-based classifier is used with these two parameters as the input, which improves the eye detection performance. Fourth, the center of the pupil within the detected eye region is accurately located by means of circular edge detection, binarization and calculation of the geometric center.

The experimental results show that the proposed method can detect the center of the pupil at a speed of approximately 19.4 frames/s with an RMS error of approximately 5.75 pixels, which is superior to the performance of conventional detection methods.
Room Categorization Based on a Hierarchical Representation of Space
Authors: Uršič Peter , Tabernik Domen , Boben Marko , Skočaj Danijel , Leonardis Aleš , Kristan Matej
Published: February 2013

For successful operation in real-world environments, a mobile robot requires an effective spatial model. The model should be compact, should possess large expressive power and should scale well with respect to the number of modelled categories. In this paper we propose a new compositional hierarchical representation of space that is based on learning statistically significant observations, in terms of the frequency of occurrence of various shapes in the environment. We have focused on a two-dimensional space, since many robots perceive their surroundings in two dimensions with the use of a laser range finder or sonar. We also propose a new low-level image descriptor, by which we demonstrate the performance of our representation in the context of a room categorization problem. Using only the lower layers of the hierarchy, we obtain state-of-the-art categorization results in two different experimental scenarios. We also present a large, freely available, dataset, which is intended for room categorization experiments based on data obtained with a laser range finder.
Redescription of Psolus tessellatus Koehler, 1896 (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea) with neotype designation
Authors: Massin Claude
Published: February 2013

In the bycatch of a scientific campaign in the Bay of Biscay (VITAL 2002) a third specimen of Psolus tessellatus Koehler, 1896 was collected very close to the type locality. This specimen is here fully illustrated and designated as the neotype.
Métodos de documentación arqueológica aplicados en arqueología subacuática: el modelo fotogramétrico y el fotomosaico del pecio fenicio Mazarrón-2 (Puerto de Mazarrón, Murcia)
Authors: Miñano Domínguez Ana I. , Fernández Matallana Francisco , Casabán Banaclocha José Luis
Published: February 2013

In 2007, ARQVA – National Museum of Underwater Archaeology carried out an archaeological project at the Phoenician shipwreck Mazarron-2 (Port of Mazarron, Murcia, Spain). The aims of the project were to check the state of preservation of the hull remains of the ship as well as the metal structure that protects the site. Moreover, the available archaeological data on the shipwreck were updated for the purpose of creating a new digital archive of the site. A real scale photogrammetrical 3D model of the interior of the hull of the ship was created using the program Photomodeler. In addition, a high-resolution photomosaic of the ship was produced since this had not been done in the past. This article describes the methods employed in the realization of both the photogrammetrical model and the photomosaic. Finally, an evaluation is offered of the applications of these recording techniques for archaeological hull remains underwater.
El balneario romano de Lugo: una nueva interpretación arquitectónica y funcional
Authors: González Soutelo Silvia
Published: February 2013

En las proximidades de la ciudad de Lugo, a orillas del río Miño, se localiza el balneario moderno de dicha ciudad en cuyo interior se descubre uno de los edificios más singulares y mejor conservados de la antigua Lucus Augusti. La presencia de aguas mineromedicinales, así como su localización y organización constructiva inciden en la necesidad de reconsiderar su configuración histórica y arquitectónica, y por lo tanto su interpretación, atentos a las singularidades constructivas de este tipo de complejos salutíferos en época romana.
Los botones campaniformes sardos y sus analogías con los adornos de la Península Ibérica y de otras zonas del Mediterráneo.
Authors: Pau Claudia
Published: February 2013

En este trabajo, se han estudiado los botones campaniformes de los principales yacimientos sardos, realizando contemporáneamente, confrontaciones con diferentes zonas de la península ibérica y de otros países Mediterráneos. Se ha intentado realizar un examen global (morfológico, tecnológico, funcional), de las singulares piezas, acompañado por pruebas experimentales, con materiales modernos similares a los arqueológicos, para poder entender los procesos de ejecución y desgastes. Adoptando esta metodología ha sido posible descubrir los procesos de recogida de las materias primas, de producción de los manufacturados, el sucesivo uso de los ornamentos, su papel y su significado.
Un pedestal eqüestre del fòrum de Valentia
Authors: Arasa Gil Ferran
Published: February 2013

A new inscription from Valentia's forum.
Graphene‐Based Composite with γ‐Fe2O3 Nanoparticle for the High‐Performance Removal of Endocrine‐Disrupting Compounds from Water
Authors: Sinha Arjyabaran , Jana Nikhil R.
Published: February 2013

Graphene is a 2D sp2‐hybridized carbon sheet and an ideal material for the adsorption‐based separation of organic pollutants. However, such potential applications of graphene are largely limited, owing to their poor solubility and extensive aggregation properties through graphenegraphene interactions. Herein, we report the synthesis of graphene‐based composites with γ‐Fe2O3 nanoparticle for the high‐performance removal of endocrine‐disrupting compounds (EDC) from water. The γ‐Fe2O3 nanoparticles partially inhibit these graphenegraphene interactions and offer water dispersibility of the composite without compromising much of the high surface area of graphene. In their dispersed form, the graphene component offers the efficient adsorption of EDC, whilst the magnetic iron‐oxide component offers easier magnetic separation of adsorbed EDC.
Qualitative analysis of sequence specific binding of flavones to DNA using restriction endonuclease activity assays
Authors: Duran Elizabeth , Ramsauer Victoria P. , Ballester Maria , Torrenegra Ruben D. , Rodriguez Oscar E. , Winkle Stephen A.
Published: February 2013

Flavones, found in nature as secondary plant metabolites, have shown efficacy as anti‐cancer agents. We have examined the binding of two flavones, 5,7‐dihydroxy‐3,6,8‐trimethoxy‐2‐phenyl‐4H‐chromen‐4‐one (5,7‐dihydroxy‐3,6,8‐trimethoxy flavone; FlavA) and 3,5‐dihydroxy‐6,7,8‐trimethoxy‐2‐phenyl‐4H‐chromen‐4‐one (3,5‐dihydroxy‐6,7,8‐trimethoxy flavone; FlavB), to phiX174 RF DNA using restriction enzyme activity assays employing the restriction enzymes Alw44, AvaII, BssHII, DraI, MluI, NarI, NciI, NruI, PstI, and XhoI. These enzymes possess differing target and flanking sequences allowing for observation of sequence specificity analysis. Using restriction enzymes that cleave once with a mixture of supercoiled and relaxed DNA substrates provides for observation of topological effects on binding. FlavA and FlavB show differing sequence specificities in their respective binding to phiX. For example, with relaxed DNA, FlavA shows inhibition of cleavage with DraI (reaction site 5′TTTAAA) but not BssHII (5′GCGCGC) while FlavB shows the opposite results. Evidence for tolological specificity is also observed, Molecular modeling and conformational analysis of the flavones suggests that the phenyl ring of FlavB is coplanar with the flavonoid ring while the phenyl ring of FlavA is at an angle relative to the flavonoid ring. This may account for aspects of the observed sequence and topological specificities in the effects on restriction enzyme activity. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 99: 530–537, 2013.