bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative study of three evolutionary algorithms coupled with neural network model for optimization of electric discharge machining process parameters
Authors: Majumder Arindam
Published: July 2014

The process parameters of electric discharge machining such as current, pulse-on time and pulse-off time play a major role for deciding the machining performance such as material removal rate and wear ratio. In this article, the process parameters of electric discharge machining have been optimized for maximum material removal rate and minimum wear ratio. A properly trained neural network has been used to establish the relation between the process parameters and machining performance. Three different evolutionary algorithms such as simulated annealing, genetic algorithm and particle swarm optimization were then used with the neural network model to predict the optimum process parameters for maximum material removal rate and minimum wear ratio. The evolutionary algorithms thus used have been compared in terms of performance.
Experimental investigations into machining accuracy and surface roughness of microgrooves fabricated by electrochemical micromachining
Authors: Rathod V , Doloi B , Bhattacharyya B
Published: July 2014

Microgrooves are one of the basic microfeatures fabricated on different microproducts, used to integrate micro systems in various fields. Service life and product functioning of microproducts are directly influenced by shape, size, and surface quality of microgrooves fabricated on it. Hence, these are the important criteria to be considered while fabricating microgrooves on micro devices. This article presents the experimental study into fabrication of microgrooves on stainless steel by electrochemical micromachining. The influence of electrochemical micromachining process parameters like applied voltage, pulse frequency, duty ratio, electrolyte concentration, and microtool scanning speed on machining accuracy, that is, width overcut, length overcut and depth overcut, material removal rate, linearity of microgroove, depth profile, and surface finish were investigated during microgroove generation. From the experimental results, optimal parameters obtained were applied voltage of 2.6 V, pulse frequency of 8 MHz, 30% duty ratio, electrolyte concentration of 0.15 M H2SO4, and microtool scanning speed of 93.75 μm/s for machining of accurate microgroove, with best surface finish. Finally, microfeatures like “C”-shaped microgroove of rectangular cross section and multiple microgrooves as required in micro thermal devices have been machined with optimal parametric settings. This study will be useful for machining of need-based microgrooves on microproducts like micro actuators, micro pumps, micro coolers, and micromixers.
Energy savings in metro-transit systems: A comparison between operational Italian and Spanish lines
Authors: Falvo Maria Carmen , Sbordone Danilo , Fernández-Cardador Antonio , Cucala Asunción P , Pecharromán Ramón R , López-López Alvaro
Published: July 2014

For transportation in large cities, new technologies that impact the operation of metro-transit systems are being developed. The energy efficiency in metro-transit systems is a key topic that is being studied in order to reduce both consumption and costs. A review on approaches to managing the energy recovered from train braking is reported. Then, energy performance indexes are presented. Their assessment is possible due to highly specialized simulation tools that have been developed at the University of Rome Sapienza and Comillas Pontifical University, Madrid. The indexes are used to perform a comparison between an operational metro-line in Spain and one in Italy. The results confirm their accuracy and significant improvements in energy efficiency and environmental effects are presented.
Robust missile longitudinal autopilot design based on equivalent-input-disturbance and generalized extended state observer approach
Authors: Li Tong , Zhang Shifeng , Yang Huabo , Zhang Yinhui , Zhang Lijun
Published: July 2014

This paper presents a new robust design for the longitudinal autopilot of a tail-controlled, skid-to-turn missile based on equivalent-input-disturbance (EID) and generalized extended state observer (GESO) approach. Firstly, the nonlinear missile longitudinal dynamics is modeled as a linear formulation for angle-of-attack tracking with uncertainties and disturbances. Next, as a new method, EID-GESO-based control is proposed for disturbance rejection. The method regards the uncertainties and disturbances as a lumped disturbance, named as EID, and simultaneously attenuates it through estimation of linear GESO and simple feedback. Closed-loop stability of the method is also proved. The most important feature of the proposed method over the others is that there is no requirement for system transformation, differentiation of the measured output, full system state available, exact plant model or any information about uncertainties and disturbances. Subsequently, the method is applied to robust longitudinal autopilot design and the feasibility is illustrated by numerical simulations. Finally, a performance comparison with some notable designs under considerable uncertainties and disturbances is implemented to demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed design.
Neighbourhood reputation in the Soviet city and beyond: Disassembling the geography of prestige in Ust’-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan
Authors: Gentile Michael
Published: July 2014

This paper revisits the geographical legacy of socialism in the urban areas of the former Soviet Union. Building on research on housing and socio-spatial differentiation under and after socialism, this will be achieved by examining an important component in the spatial differentiation of the city, namely neighbourhood reputation. The analysis is based on survey data ( n = 1515) from the city of Ust’-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan; a combination of descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression are deployed in order to shed light on the factors that are associated with the reputation of the neighbourhoods in which people reside. The results show that the Soviet system manufactured its own brand of socio-spatial distinction, which reflected the priority hierarchies built in the socialist planned economy. Education, age and, most importantly, area of employment appear to have been ‘rewarded’ with prestigiously located housing.
Music Therapy Services in Pediatric Oncology
Authors: Tucquet Belinda , Leung Maggie
Published: July 2014

This article presents the results of a national clinical practice review conducted in Australia of music therapy services in pediatric oncology hospitals. Literature specifically related to music therapy and symptom management in pediatric oncology is reviewed. The results from a national benchmarking survey distributed to all music therapists working with children with cancer in Australian pediatric hospitals are discussed. Patient and family feedback provided from a quality improvement activity conducted at a major pediatric tertiary hospital is summarized, and considerations for future growth as a profession and further research is proposed.
Living Alone During Cancer Treatment
Authors: Benoot Charlotte , Bilsen Johan , Grypdonck Maria , Deschepper Reginald
Published: July 2014

The social environment is an important determinant in the overall experience of having cancer. The purpose of this article is to identify how patients experience living alone during their cancer treatment. Using qualitative methods based on grounded theory techniques, we interviewed a sample of 32 cancer patients. Living alone was an ambiguous experience during cancer treatment: patients experienced both a lack of support as well a gain in privacy, freedom, and know-how. Living alone was also seen as a constitutive element of the patients’ identity. Consequently, patients saw living alone as either a threat or as a resource for their adjustment to cancer treatment. These divergent meanings of living alone did share one common attribute, which was that staying independent was their key goal during cancer treatment. Health care providers should be attentive to the heterogeneous aspects of the experience of living alone when critically appraising the independence of patients.
Integration of bill of materials with unified bill of materials model for commercial aircraft design to manufacturing
Authors: He Lina , Ni Yanrong , Ming Xinguo , Li Miao , Li Xiuzhen
Published: July 2014

The commercial aircraft enterprise faces a major challenge in product data management as it deals with increasing product complexity and global manufacturing. As such, the effective bill of materials management throughout the product lifecycle is becoming much more important for the advanced competitiveness. This study proposed a unified bill of materials model based on single source of product data for commercial aircrafts. This study illustrated the details of the unified bill of materials model throughout the product lifecycle and presented the technology to support the integration of engineering bill of materials and manufacturing bill of materials with unified bill of materials model. A prototype system was implemented to verify the developed technology by taking into account real cases of a local commercial aircraft enterprise. It proved that the developed technology could substantially improve industrial competitive advantage.
Development of a non-dairy probiotic fermented product based on almond milk and inulin
Authors: Bernat Neus , Cháfer Maite , Chiralt Amparo , González-Martínez Chelo
Published: July 2014

A new fermented almond “ milk” that combined the properties of both almonds and probiotics was considered to cover the current versatile health-promoting foods’ demand. Almond milk fermentation with probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri and Streptococcus thermophilus was studied by using a Central Composite design with response surface methodology, and different factors (glucose, fructose, inulin and starters) were optimised to assure high probiotic survivals in the final product. The optimal formulation was physicochemically characterised throughout cold storage (28 days) and both probiotic survivals to in vitro digestion and proteolysis were quantified. Results showed that a high probiotic population (>107 cfu/mL) was obtained in the previously optimised almond milk throughout storage time, which correspond to the addition of 0.75 g of glucose/100 mL, 0.75 g of fructose/100 mL, 2 g/100 mL inulin and 6 mL/100 mL inoculum. Glucose was used as the main nutrient and the production of mannitol by L. reuteri was detected. The fermentation process increased the viscosity values, forming a weak gel structure, whose physical properties hardly changed. Probiotic bacteria notably survived (51%) to the in vitro digestion, surely related to the inulin presence, which would add value to the developed product by enhancing the potential health benefits of its consumption.
Diversity and the Eurosphere
Authors: Kivisto Peter
Published: July 2014

This paper offers reflections on the Eurosphere's proper object domain. It does so by reflecting on two interrelated questions: (1) what is the European public sphere?; and (2) how does diversity shape the character of the European public sphere?
Engineering leadership: Grounding leadership theory in engineers’ professional identities
Authors: Rottmann Cindy , Sacks Robin , Reeve Douglas
Published: July 2014

In recent years the US-based National Academy of Engineering and Engineers Canada have urged engineering educators to supplement technical coursework with multiple domains of professional skills development. One such domain is that of engineering leadership. While leadership education is beginning to be infused into some undergraduate engineering programs, it has not yet gained traction as a legitimate field of study. The legitimacy of the field depends on engineers recognizing themselves as members of a leadership profession. Our paper facilitates this process of recognition by grounding leadership theory in the professional experiences of engineers employed by four Canadian engineering-intensive firms. Our constant comparative analysis of qualitative data collected through nine focus groups and seven interviews suggests that engineers are largely resistant to dominant leadership paradigms drawn from other disciplines, but that they do, in fact lead in ways that blend key aspects of their identities with professionally recognized forms of influence. Our compound model of engineering leadership has practical and theoretical implications for engineers, leadership theorists and engineering educators.
Social communities in a knowledge enabling organizational context: Interaction and relational engagement in a community of practice and a micro-community of knowledge
Authors: Fletcher Jeannie
Published: July 2014

Organizations comprise many social communities which arguably contribute to organizational knowledge creation. Two of these are the widely discussed community of practice and the lesser known micro-community of knowledge. Within such organizational communities collegial relationships are formed and maintained, norms and expectations learned, experiences shared, and ideas articulated and developed. The quality of collegial relations fostered by such communities, together with the importance of productive dialogue, have been identified as key components in organizations with the capability for ongoing innovation. Although communities of practice have long been recognized as contexts for both learning and the development of collegial relations, little attention has been paid to micro-communities of knowledge. Using examples from a micro-community of knowledge found in a small New Zealand-based IT company, I demonstrate the ways in which participants ‘do collegiality’ towards establishing relational engagement. An example of collegial interaction in a community of practice is provided by way of contrast. The article concludes by arguing that despite being two distinct interactional contexts, the repertoire of relational skills required and the potential for social learning through participation in these two kinds of communities renders them not only complementary, but tightly interdependent.
Book Review: Sucheta Mahajan, ed., Towards Freedom: Documents on the Movement for Independence in India: 1947, Part 1
Authors: Habib Irfan
Published: July 2014

Sucheta Mahajan, ed., Towards Freedom: Documents on the Movement for Independence in India: 1947, Part 1, (New Delhi: Indian Council of Historical Research/Oxford University Press), 2013, pp. 1318, ₹ 5,495.
Treatment recommendations for patients with Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) and related disorders: IWWM-7 consensus
Authors: Dimopoulos Meletios A. , Kastritis Efstathios , Owen Roger G. , Kyle Robert A. , Landgren Ola , Morra Enrica , Leleu Xavier , García-Sanz Ramón , Munshi Nikhil , Anderson Kenneth C. , Terpos Evangelos , Ghobrial Irene M. , Morel Pierre , Maloney David , Rummel Mathias , Leblond Véronique , Advani Ranjana H. , Gertz Morie A. , Kyriakou Charalampia , Thomas Sheeba K. , Barlogie Bart , Gregory Stephanie A. , Kimby Eva , Merlini Giampaolo , Treon Steven P.
Published: July 2014

Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is a distinct B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder for which clearly defined criteria for the diagnosis, initiation of therapy, and treatment strategy have been proposed as part of the consensus panels of International Workshops on WM (IWWM). As part of the IWWM-7 and based on recently published and ongoing clinical trials, the panels updated treatment recommendations. Therapeutic strategy in WM should be based on individual patient and disease characteristics (age, comorbidities, need for rapid disease control, candidacy for autologous transplantation, cytopenias, IgM-related complications, hyperviscosity, and neuropathy). Mature data show that rituximab combinations with cyclophosphamide/dexamethasone, bendamustine, or bortezomib/dexamethasone provided durable responses and are indicated for most patients. New monoclonal antibodies (ofatumumab), second-generation proteasome inhibitors (carfilzomib), mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors, and Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitors are promising and may expand future treatment options. A different regimen is typically recommended for relapsed or refractory disease. In selected patients with relapsed disease after long-lasting remission, reuse of a prior effective regimen may be appropriate. Autologous stem cell transplantation may be considered in young patients with chemosensitive disease and in newly diagnosed patients with very-high-risk features. Active enrollment of patients with WM in clinical trials is encouraged.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Antidiabetic, renal/hepatic/pancreas/cardiac protective and antioxidant potential of methanol/dichloromethane extract of Albizzia Lebbeck Benth. stem bark (ALEx) on streptozotocin induced diabetic rats
Authors: Ahmed Danish , Kumar Vikas , Verma Amita , Gupta Pushpraj S , Kumar Hemant , Dhingra Vishal , Mishra Vatsala , Sharma Manju
Published: July 2014

Background

Hypoglycemic and/or anti-hyperglycemic activities have been recorded with numerous plants, many of which are used as traditional herbal treatments of diabetes. Albizzia Lebbeck Benth. stem bark have been used in traditional medicine along with some preliminary reports on its hypoglycemic action. The aim of present investigation was to evaluate the antidiabetic and antioxidant activities of methanolic extract of stem bark of Albizzia Lebbeck Benth. in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.

Methods

The powdered stem bark of Albizzia Lebbeck Benth.. was extracted with methanol (MeOH) using soxhlation method and subjected to phytochemical analysis. The methanol/dichloromethane extract of Albizzia Lebbeck Benth. (ALEx) was concentrated to dryness using Rotary Evaporator. Diabetes was experimentally induced in the rats by single intraperitoneal administration of Streptozotocin (60 mg/kg). They glycemic control was measured by the blood glucose, glycated heamoglobin and plasma insulin. The oxidative stress was evaluated in the liver and kidney by level of antioxidant markers and various biochemical parameters were assessed in diabetic control and extract treated rats.

Results

Streptozotocin induced diabetic rats depicted the increased blood glucose levels, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), diminished level of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) level and perturb level of antioxidant markers. Oral administration of MeAL at a concentration of 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg/kg b.w daily for 30 days results a momentous decrease in fasting blood glucose, glycated heamoglobin and enhancement of plasma insulin level as compared with STZ induced diabetic rats. Furthermore, it significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the level of TC, TG, and LDL-c, VLDL-c. While it increases the level of HDL-c to a significant (p < 0.05) level. The treatment also resulted in a marked increase in reduced glutathione, glutathione Peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase and diminished level of lipid peroxidation in liver and kidney of STZ induced diabetic rats. Histopathological studies suggest the diminution in the pancreatic, liver and cardiac muscle damage.

Conclusion

Our research exertion clearly indicates the considerable antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic, antioxidant & pancreas/renal/hepatic/cardiac protective action of ALEx.
Sublobar resection versus lobectomy in solid-type, clinical stage IA, non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Jeon Hyun Woo , Kim Young-Du , Kim Kyung Soo , Sung Sook Whan , Park Hyung Joo , Park Jae Kil
Published: July 2014

Background

Recent studies have demonstrated that sublobar resection is not inferior to lobectomy for peripheral early lung cancer with ground-glass opacification. However, the effect of sublobar resection on solid-type early lung cancer is controversial. The aim of this study was to compare clinical outcomes of patients who have undergone sublobar resection or lobectomy for solid-type, early-stage, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

This study was a retrospective review of the records of patients who underwent lobectomy or sublobar resection between March 2000 and September 2010 for clinical stage IA NSCL. Patients with pure ground-glass opacities or death within 30 days after surgery were excluded. Disease-free interval, survival, and prognostic factors were analyzed.

Results

Thirty-one patients and 133 patients underwent sublobar resection and lobectomy, respectively. There were significant differences in age (P <0.001), cardiovascular disease (P = 0.001), and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) (P <0.001). The patients with lobectomy had a significantly longer disease-free interval (P <0.001) and survival (P = 0.001). By multivariate analysis, sublobar resection (P = 0.011), lymphatic vessel invasion (P = 0.006), and number of positive lymph nodes (P = 0.028) were predictors for survival. Sublobar resection (P <0.001), visceral pleural invasion (P = 0.002), and lymphatic vessel invasion (P <0.001) were predictors for disease-free interval.

Conclusions

Lobectomy should remain the standard surgical procedure for solid-type, clinical stage IA, NSCLC.
Targeting of viral interleukin-10 with an antibody fragment specific to damaged arthritic cartilage improves its therapeutic potency
Authors: Hughes Chris , Sette Angelica , Seed Michael , D’Acquisto Fulvio , Manzo Antonio , Vincent Tonia L , Lim Ngee Han , Nissim Ahuva
Published: July 2014

Introduction

We previously demonstrated that a single-chain fragment variable (scFv) specific to collagen type II (CII) posttranslationally modified by reactive oxygen species (ROS) can be used to target anti-inflammatory therapeutics specifically to inflamed arthritic joints. The objective of the present study was to demonstrate the superior efficacy of anti-inflammatory cytokines when targeted to inflamed arthritic joints by the anti-ROS modified CII (anti-ROS-CII) scFv in a mouse model of arthritis.

Methods

Viral interleukin-10 (vIL-10) was fused to anti-ROS-CII scFv (1-11E) with a matrix-metalloproteinase (MMP) cleavable linker to create 1-11E/vIL-10 fusion. Binding of 1-11E/vIL-10 to ROS-CII was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blotting, and immune-staining of arthritic cartilage, whereas vIL-10 bioactivity was evaluated in vitro by using an MC-9 cell-proliferation assay. Specific in vivo localization and therapeutic efficacy of 1-11E/vIL-10 was tested in the mouse model of antigen-induced arthritis.

Results

1-11E/vIL-10 bound specifically to ROS-CII and to damaged arthritic cartilage. Interestingly, the in vitro vIL-10 activity in the fusion protein was observed only after cleavage with MMP-1. When systemically administered to arthritic mice, 1-11E/vIL-10 localized specifically to the arthritic knee, with peak accumulation observed after 3 days. Moreover, 1-11E/vIL-10 reduced inflammation significantly quicker than vIL-10 fused to the control anti-hen egg lysozyme scFv (C7/vIL10).

Conclusions

Targeted delivery of anti-inflammatory cytokines potentiates their anti-arthritic action in a mouse model of arthritis. Our results further support the hypothesis that targeting biotherapeutics to arthritic joints may be extended to include anti-inflammatory cytokines that lack efficacy when administered systemically.
Albumin administration in the acutely ill: what is new and where next?
Authors: Vincent Jean-Louis , Russell James A , Jacob Matthias , Martin Greg , Guidet Bertrand , Wernerman Jan , Roca Ricard Ferrer , McCluskey Stuart A , Gattinoni Luciano
Published: July 2014

Albumin solutions have been used worldwide for the treatment of critically ill patients since they became commercially available in the 1940s. However, their use has become the subject of criticism and debate in more recent years. Importantly, all fluid solutions have potential benefits and drawbacks. Large multicenter randomized studies have provided valuable data regarding the safety of albumin solutions, and have begun to clarify which groups of patients are most likely to benefit from their use. However, many questions remain related to where exactly albumin fits within our fluid choices. Here, we briefly summarize some of the physiology and history of albumin use in intensive care before offering some evidence-based guidance for albumin use in critically ill patients.
Inhibition of BMP2-Induced Bone Formation by the p65 Subunit of NF-κB via an Interaction With Smad4
Authors: Hirata-Tsuchiya Shizu , Fukushima Hidefumi , Katagiri Takenobu , Ohte Satoshi , Shin Masashi , Nagano Kenichi , Aoki Kazuhiro , Morotomi Takahiko , Sugiyama Goro , Nakatomi Chihiro , Kokabu Shoichiro , Doi Takahiro , Takeuchi Hiroshi , Ohya Keiichi , Terashita Masamichi , Hirata Masato , Kitamura Chiaki , Jimi Eijiro
Published: July 2014

Bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) stimulate bone formation in vivo and osteoblast differentiation in vitro via a Smad signaling pathway. Recent findings revealed that the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) inhibits BMP-induced osteoblast differentiation. Here, we show that NF-κB inhibits BMP signaling by directly targeting the Smad pathway. A selective inhibitor of the classic NF-κB pathway, BAY11–770682, enhanced BMP2-induced ectopic bone formation in vivo. In mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) prepared from mice deficient in p65, the main subunit of NF-κB, BMP2, induced osteoblastic differentiation via the Smad complex to a greater extent than that in wild-type MEFs. In p65−/− MEFs, the BMP2-activated Smad complex bound much more stably to the target element than that in wild-type MEFs without affecting the phosphorylation levels of Smad1/5/8. Overexpression of p65 inhibited BMP2 activity by decreasing the DNA binding of the Smad complex. The C-terminal region, including the TA2 domain, of p65 was essential for inhibiting the BMP-Smad pathway. The C-terminal TA2 domain of p65 associated with the MH1 domain of Smad4 but not Smad1. Taken together, our results suggest that p65 inhibits BMP signaling by blocking the DNA binding of the Smad complex via an interaction with Smad4. Our study also suggests that targeting the association between p65 and Smad4 may help to promote bone regeneration in the treatment of bone diseases.
Polarized pairs, log minimal models, and Zariski decompositions
Authors: Birkar Caucher , Hu Zhengyu
Published: July 2014

We continue our study of the relation between log minimal models and various types of Zariski decompositions. Let (X,B) be a projective log canonical pair. We will show that (X,B) has a log minimal model if either KX + B birationally has a Nakayama–Zariski decomposition with nef positive part, or if KX +B is big and birationally has a Fujita–Zariski or Cutkosky–Kawamata–Moriwaki–Zariski decomposition. Along the way we introduce polarized pairs (X,B +P), where (X,B) is a usual projective pair and where P is nef, and we study the birational geometry of such pairs.
Identification and Assessment of Project Management�s Key Factors at Early Stage of Realization
Authors: �������  , Gergert Dmitriy , ���������  , Zhuravleva Yu.
Published: July 2014

This paper is devoted to identification and assessment of project management�s key factors at project realization�s early stage. In scientific and practical literature such type of projects often and unconditionally are ranked as venture ones. However the venture project is only one of project steps at an early stage of realization. The questions considered in this paper, cover a wide range of problems connected with absence of methodological unity in this subject. A great attention in this research has been paid to such factors, as features related to interference of projects profitability and chosen business model; influence on projects implementation such factors, as team, financing, market growth; assessment of project manager�s leadership skills influence on project realization success. Paper represents results of projects� quality and quantitative research at their realization�s early stage in the Russian Federation and can form a basis for subsequent and deeper researches in this direction.
Functional and Cost Modeling in Project Management
Authors: ��������  , Moiseeva Nina
Published: July 2014

Stages of cost analysis development in world practice, methodical forms of systems� functional and cost diagnostics, types of models, and features of objects organization�s functional and structural assessment are considered in this paper. Projects� cost management possibilities are revealed by the example of business incubator design and risk management mechanism.
Formalizing Economic Tasks Research Based on State-Variable Approach
Authors: Гришина  , Grishina Svetlana
Published: July 2014

The paper explains how to apply state-variable approach when exploring multidimensional

economic systems. Applicability of this approach, broadly used in

the systems theory to solve economic tasks, is justified primarily by dynamic

nature of the said tasks. Shown, how to apply state-variable approach to a single-

nomenclature system of inventory management; also proved that the statevariable

approach can be applicable for exploring complex multidimensional

economic systems.
On the Convergence of Decomposition Methods for Multistage Stochastic Convex Programs
Authors: Girardeau P. , Leclere V. , Philpott A. B.
Published: July 2014

We prove the almost-sure convergence of a class of sampling-based nested decomposition algorithms for multistage stochastic convex programs in which the stage costs are general convex functions of the decisions and uncertainty is modelled by a scenario tree. As special cases, our results imply the almost-sure convergence of stochastic dual dynamic programming, cutting-plane and partial-sampling (CUPPS) algorithm, and dynamic outer-approximation sampling algorithms when applied to problems with general convex cost functions.
A Bound on the Performance of an Optimal Ambulance Redeployment Policy
Authors: Maxwell Matthew S. , Ni Eric Cao , Tong Chaoxu , Henderson Shane G. , Topaloglu Huseyin , Hunter Susan R.
Published: July 2014

Ambulance redeployment is the practice of repositioning ambulance fleets in real time in an attempt to reduce response times to future calls. When redeployment decisions are based on real-time information on the status and location of ambulances, the process is called system-status management. An important performance measure is the long-run fraction of calls with response times over some time threshold. We construct a lower bound on this performance measure that holds for nearly any ambulance redeployment policy through comparison methods for queues. The computation of the bound involves solving a number of integer programs and then simulating a multiserver queue. This work originated when one of the authors was asked to analyze a response to a request-for-proposals (RFP) for ambulance services in a county in North America.
Success speaks for itself
Authors: Maples Carolyn
Published: July 2014

A focus on the importance of language and communication underpins every activity at Wentworth Nursery School in Hackney, and it is determined to continue to innovate, says headteacher Carolyn Maples.
Yummy food for you and you
Authors: Williams Brenda
Published: July 2014

The Tummy Wizard is a nonsense poem which offers a fun way to introduce children to the topic of food, and explain how our daily food is digested and used to provide us with vital vitamins and energy.
Ants and their antics
Authors: Sharpe Dee
Published: July 2014

Children love to watch busy ants performing tasks such as carrying objects and hunting for food. Ant colonies are miniature communities; make comparisons with humans and encourage learning about living creatures.
My mate the primate
Authors: de Bruin Eleanor
Published: July 2014

Anthony Browne's classic picture book Gorilla inspires activities that get children looking closely at words and pictures, thinking about feelings, using non-fiction books and writing imaginative sentences.
Activity Patterns of a Harvester Ant in an Inter-tropical Semiarid Zone in Central Mexico
Authors: Ríos-Casanova Leticia , Castaño Gabriela , Farías-González Verónica , Dávila Patricia , Godínez-Alvarez Héctor Octavio
Published: July 2014

Red harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex barbatus) inhabits deserts of USA and Mexico. Its activity patterns are well known in temperate deserts, but they have not been studied in tropical ones. We studied these patterns in the Tehucan Valley, a tropical desert in central Mexico. It had bimodal activity patterns in spring, summer, and fall while unimodal patterns in winter. These patterns differ from those reported for this species in temperate deserts where activity stopped in winter. Our results suggest that P. barbatus extends its activity periods and remains active all year round in the Tehuacan Valley.
Seasonality of Epigaeic Ant Communities in a Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest
Authors: Montine Pâmella Souza Martins , Viana Nicoly Faria , Almeida Fábio Souto , Dátillo Wesley Francisco da Cruz , Santanna Alinne Silva , Martins Luciano , Vargas André Barbosa
Published: July 2014

In this study we assessed the leaf-litter ant community in the Cicuta Forest, a semi-deciduous forest located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil. Specifically, we tested the following hypotheses: (1) ant richness and diversity are higher in the rainy season, due to higher resource availability and better temperature and humidity conditions; and that (2) the structure of the ant community is influenced by climate seasonality. We collected 83 ant species of 35 genera and eight subfamilies. In total, 64 species were collected in the dry season and 73 species in the rainy season. Based on rarefaction curves with confidence intervals, we observed that species richness in the dry and rainy seasons did not differ significantly from each other. Diversity did not differ significantly (t = -1.20; P = 0.23) between the dry (3.43) and rainy seasons (3.52). Community structure did not differ between the dry and rainy seasons (NMDS followed by ANOSIM: r = 0.048, P < 0.001). We did not observe a significant effect of climate seasonality neither on ant species composition, richness, and diversity, nor on community structure. These results may be explained by the degree of isolation and degradation of this forest remnant. In short, our study contributes to knowledge on how seasonal variations affects ant communities.
Susceptibility of Melipona scutellaris Latreille, 1811 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) worker bees to Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill.
Authors: Conceição Pamela de Jesus , Neves Cynthia Maria de Lyra , Sodré Geni da Silva , De Carvalho Carlos Alfredo Lopes , Souza Adriane Vieira , Ribeiro Generosa Sousa , Pereira Rozimar de Campos
Published: July 2014

Entomopathogenic fungi are often used as an alternative method for insect pest control. However, few studies mention the action of these fungi on bees and selectivity to beneficial organisms in agroecosystems. The objective of the present study was to assess the susceptibility of Melipona scutellaris bees to the isolate of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. The experiment was carried out by applying fungus suspension on the back and by contact on recently emerged bees. A complete randomized design was used with five treatments (four concentrations: 1 x 105, 1 x 106, 1 x 107, 1 x 108 conidia/ml and a control of distilled water) with five replications. The mortality data were subjected to variance analysis, regression Probit analysis Statistic software, obtaining the estimate of the lethal dose to 50% of the population (LD50). The curves adjustment to model was evaluated by Pearson test chi-squared test and differences between the curves evaluated by test of parallelism. The B. bassiana was virulent uruçu bees (M. scutellaris) causing mortality at lower dose. Based on these results, it can make recommendations to minimize the impact, contributing to maintenance of naturalpopulations of these insects.
Survey of Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) Utilization of Temperate Forests
Authors: Little Nathan S , Blount Nathan A , Caprio Michael A , Riggins John J
Published: July 2014

Both native and invasive subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), including the Formosan subterranean termite, are well known pests of urban areas, but little is known about their distribution or impact in forest ecosystems of the southeastern United States. Recently harvested timber stumps were mechanically inspected for the presence of subterranean termites in multiple locations across southern Mississippi and eastern Louisiana. A systematic line plot cruise with 100 x 200m spacing and1/20thha plots was implemented, and all stumps with a diameter greater than 7.6cm were inspected. In total, 7,413 stumps were inspected for the presence of subterranean termites, and 406 of those contained native subterranean termite (Reticulitermes spp) infestations. Light traps were also placed at 8 sites to detect the presence of subterranean termite alates. While no invasive Formosan subterranean termites were found during mechanical inspection of tree stumps, alates were captured in light traps at three sites. The proportion of stumps infested with subterranean termites was negatively correlated with the number of stumps in each plot. Although 6.27% of pine stumps and 1.86% of hardwood stumps were infested, no correlation was found between subterranean termite presence and type of stump (pine or hardwood). Infestations of stumps by subterranean termites ranged from 0.94% to 14.97% depending on site.
Trap-nesting solitary wasps (Hymenoptera: Aculeata) in an insular landscape: Mortality rates for immature wasps, parasitism, and sex ratios
Authors: Nascimento Ana Luiza Oliveira , Garófalo Carlos Alberto
Published: July 2014

The aim of this study was to examine the species composition and the abundance of solitary wasps that nest in preexisting cavities in the Ilha Anchieta State Park, Brazil. Sampling was made during two years utilizing trap-nests. Of the 254 nests obtained, 142 nests were built by 14 species belonging to four genera and four families. In the remaining 112 nests all immatures were dead by unknown causes or had been parasitized by natural enemies.  The occupation of trap-nests occurred almost throughout the study period and the wasps nested more frequently during the super-humid season. Trypoxylon lactitarse, Pachodynerus nasidens, Trypoxylon sp.2 aff. nitidum and Podium denticulatum were the most abundant species. The sex ratios of T. lactitarse and Trypoxylon sp.2 aff. nitidum were significantly male-biased, whereas those of Trypoxylon sp.5 aff. nitidum and P. nasidens were significantly female-biased. Sex ratios of P. denticulatum and P. brevithorax were not significantly different from 1:1. Natural enemies emerging from the nests were identified as belonging to the families Chrysididae, Ichneumonidae  and Chalcididae (Hymenoptera), the genus Melittobia (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae), and the species Amobia floridensis (Townsend, 1892) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae). The number of cells with dead immatures  from unknown factors was significantly higher than the number of cells parasitized by insects.
The Social Wasp Fauna of a Riparian Forest in Southeastern Brazil (Hymenoptera, Vespidae)
Authors: Locher Gabriela de Almeida , Togni Olga Coutinho , Silveira Orlando Tobias , Giannotti Edilberto
Published: July 2014

An inventory of social wasps was made in a section of riparian forest along the Passa-Cinco River in Ipeúna, São Paulo, Brazil. Two active collecting methods (active collecting and point sampling using a liquid bait) and one passive method (baited PET bottle trap) were used. Thirty-one species belonging to eight genera were recorded; the most abundant were Agelaia vicina and Agelaia pallipes, species belonging to the tribe Epiponini which was dominant in the sample. In the State of São Paulo, a local richness greater than the one sampled in Ipeúna was only reported for Rio Claro city. Regarding sampling methods, active collecting obtained the greatest richness value and also presented the largest number of exclusive species to a given method; however, for the other methods as well, exclusive species were also obtained.
A romantic fairy tale in the era of globalization: Love, mobility and cosmopolitanism in Elizabeth Tchoungui’s Je vous souhaite la pluie
Authors: Toivanen Anna-Leena
Published: July 2014

Elizabeth Tchoungui’s Je vous souhaite la pluie (2006) is a pronouncedly cosmopolitan novel as it acknowledges the intertwined character of the local and the global. The novel could be defined as a romantic postcolonial fairy tale that is as much informed by the African predicament as it is by global inequalities. In the face of the fiasco of the postcolonial nation state, hopes for more viable future prospects are invested in western diasporic spaces. In this context, love represents an important element of transnational mobility for the underprivileged protagonist who eventually becomes the heroine of a diasporic African Cinderella tale in the global age. The article focuses on the novel’s ways of representing intercultural love affairs against the canvas of globalization, pondering also on the possibility of a truly cosmopolitan future and the obstacles on its way.

Je vous souhaite la pluie (2006) d’Elizabeth Tchoungui est un roman à tendance cosmopolite dans lequel l’auteure révèle la nature imbriquée des sphères locales et globales. Le roman est apparenté à un conte de fées romantique postcolonial marqué tout autant par une sensibilité à l’embarras africaine que par les inégalités causées par la mondialisation. Face aux échecs de l’état-nation postcolonial, l’Occident est devenu l’espace d’espoir dans l’imagination postcoloniale africaine. Dans ce contexte, l’amour représente un aspect central de la mobilité transnationale pour la protagoniste, une Cendrillon africaine des temps contemporains. Le présent article s’attache à définir la manière dont le roman dépeint les relations amoureuses interculturelles dans le cadre de la mondialisation, et envisage également l’éventualité d’un avenir véritablement cosmopolite ainsi que les obstacles qu’il rencontre.
Year of the Typhus: Operation Torch through the eyes of Tunisian women, or how to make the Holocaust an Arab story?
Authors: Benyoussef Lamia
Published: July 2014

This article examines the plight of Tunisian ‘Arabs’ and ‘Jews’ during the critical period between 8 November 1942 and 20 May 1943 through the viewpoint of a local subaltern narrative, known in women’s oral history as Year of the Typhus. Relying on interviews conducted with World War II women survivors, family archives, war memoirs and other military correspondence by the Allies, this article presents four main arguments. First, both the Jew and the Arab appear as a dehumanized Oriental Otherness in the war diaries of the Anglo-American soldiers and war correspondents who were stationed in North Africa during Operation Torch. Second, both the Allies and the Axis Powers were anti-Semitic, not just the Nazis. Third, the chapter of the Holocaust in North Africa is not separate from European history of colonialism in Africa and the Middle East. Although today the word anti-Semitism includes only the ‘Jew’, World War II archives show that it included various ethnicities, namely, the Jew, the Arab, the Negro/Black and the Italian. Finally, the relations between ‘Jews’ and ‘Arabs’ during the war were governed by the racial and social hierarchy characterizing all colonized societies as well as by the French colonial politics of nativization and denativization. This hierarchal system shaped not only how these two groups viewed each other, but also how they viewed themselves.

Cet article examine la situation de la population tunisienne ‘juive’ et ‘arabe’ pendant la période critique entre le 8 novembre 1941 et le 20 mai 1943 à travers un référant narratif local appelé l’année du typhus dans l’histoire féminine orale et subalterne. En s’appuyant sur des interviews avec des survivantes de la deuxième guerre mondiale, les mémoires de guerre et autres correspondances militaires et médicales entre les alliés, cet article soutient quatre arguments majeurs. Le premier est la déshumanisation du juif et de l’arabe en tant qu’altérité orientale dans les carnets de guerre des soldats et correspondants de guerre Anglo-Américains stationnés en Afrique du Nord pendant Opération Torche. Deuxièmement, l’antisémitisme existait dans les deux camps, autant bien chez les alliés que les forces de l’axe. Troisièmement, dans le contexte Nord-Africain, le holocauste ne peut-pas être séparé de l’histoire du colonialisme européen en Afrique et au Moyen-Orient. Bien que le mot antisémitisme n’inclue que le ’juif’ aujourd’hui, les archives de la deuxième guerre mondiale démontrent qu’il incluait au passé non seulement le juif et l’arabe mais aussi l’Italien et le noir africain. En conclusion, les relations entre ‘juifs’ et ‘arabes’ étaient gouvernées par la hiérarchie raciale et sociale caractéristique de toute société colonisée ainsi que par la politique de dé-indigénisation et de ré-indigénisation poursuivie par la France coloniale. Cette hiérarchie coloniale a façonné non seulement l’image de l’autre, juif ou arabe, mais aussi l’image de soi.
Secret histories revealed: The journal of Joseph Elisée Pèyre-Ferry
Authors: Mahlis Kristen
Published: July 2014

This article examines the recently published (2005) journal of a French officer and soldier fighting in the final year (1802–1803) of the Haitian Revolution. Napoleon Bonaparte’s failed campaign to recolonize the French territory of Saint-Domingue has been the subject of historians and imaginative writers alike, but Pèyre-Ferry’s journal complicates previous representations of the French mission to subdue its former colony and reinstitute slavery. As captain of the grenadiers, Pèyre-Ferry fulfils his military duty but uses his journal to launch a subtly feminist critique of colonialism through the perspective of a male soldier. Indeed, Peyre-Ferry’s close relationship with his mother, played out in his journal, is the medium through which his anti-colonial and pro-feminist sentiments take shape. What emerges in this remarkable journal is a radical critique of the racist assumptions implicit in the colonial venture.
‘Screenwriting research: No longer a lost cause’: A keynote presentation at the SRN Conference 2013
Authors: Nelmes Jill
Published: July 2014

The article discusses the past, present and future of screenwriting research from a somewhat personal viewpoint, being US and UK in its focus, partly because of my own lack of knowledge of the researchers in other countries in the ‘dark’ years. Yet the pioneering writers and, more recently, the creation of the Screenwriting Research Network and the Journal of Screenwriting have all encouraged the exchanging of ideas and the realization that there are many of us interested in the same subject. More recently the area has proven to be exciting and dynamic with a diverse range of high quality research from many countries.
Indelible experience: An exploration of religion and ethnicity in the films of Woody Allen and the Coen Brothers
Authors: Bachman Gregg
Published: July 2014

This article explores, within the peculiarly modern landscape of assimilation, how the Jewish culture/religion that engages in seemingly unending conversations (Talmudic thinking) encourages the writer/directors Woody Allen and the Coen Brothers, to question tropes of existing genres and conventional narrative structure, and to tackle challenging themes, many of which are connected to a specifically Jewish American response to a moral universe deeply affected by the post-Holocaust world-view.
On short film storytelling
Authors: Raskin Richard
Published: July 2014

Three major differences between short film and feature film storytelling are described, and a non-formulaic model is proposed as an alternative to sequential models that were designed to describe feature film storytelling.