bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Paspalum (Poaceae) no Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil
Authors: Oliveira Regina Célia de , Santana Suzi Helena de , Silva Anádria Stéphanie da , Maciel Jefferson Rodrigues , Valls José Francisco M.
Published: February 2014

Paspalum L. (Poaceae) apresenta elevada riqueza e importância econômica no Brasil. Diante da importância de estudos regionalizados para ampliar o conhecimento taxonômico das espécies e atualizar a lista da flora do Brasil, o presente trabalho descreve o gênero e as espécies de Paspalum do estado do Rio Grande do Norte. Foram realizadas coletas por quatro anos em todas as regiões fitogeográficas do Rio Grande do Norte e levantamento em herbários com coleções representativas da flora local. O estado de conservação das espécies foi avaliada segundo critérios regionais da IUCN. Foram registradas 16 espécies de Paspalum no Rio Grande do Norte. Paspalum carinatum Humb. & Bonpl. ex Flüggé, P. gardnerianum Nees e P. pumilum Nees são consideradas vulneráveis no estado do Rio Grande do Norte, pela pressão antrópica sobre os ambientes em que ocorrem, porém, não são ameaçadas quando avaliadas em escala global. Com base na análise de populações no campo e em cultivo, propõe-se a sinonimização de P. pleostachyum Döll sob P. ligulare Nees. Ao contrário do que está difundido na literatura, justifica-se a preferência de utilização do nome Paspalumcrassum Chase sobre P. tumidum Kuhlm. O trabalho inclui chave para identificação das espécies, descrições, comentários taxonômicos e nomenclaturais, informações sobre distribuição e grau de ameaça regional, bem como comentários ecológicos e ilustrações.
Vochysiaceae no Parque Nacional da Serra da Canastra, Minas Gerais, Brasil
Authors: Gonçalves Deise Josely Pereira , Romero Rosana , Yamamoto Kikyo
Published: February 2014

No Parque Nacional da Serra da Canastra, localizado a sudoeste do estado de Minas Gerais, foram encontradas 11 espécies de quatro gêneros da família Vochysiaceae: Vochysia, com cinco espécies (V. cinnamomea Pohl, V. elliptica Mart., V. sessilifolia Warm., V. thyrsoidea Pohl e V. tucanorum Mart.), Qualea com quatro espécies (Q. cordata Spreng., Q. grandiflora Mart., Q. multiflora Mart. e Q. parviflora Mart.) e Callisthene e Salvertia com uma espécie cada, C. major Mart. e S. convallariodora A.St.-Hil. O presente artigo fornece chave de identificação e descrições das espécies, dados de distribuição geográfica, comentários taxonômicos e ilustrações dos caracteres diagnósticos.
As concepções e contribuições de Pestalozzi, Grube, Parker e Dewey para o ensino da aritmética no nível elementar: o conceito de número
Authors: Costa David Antonio da
Published: February 2014

Este artigo aborda as concepções relacionadas ao ensino de Aritmética de Pestalozzi, Grube, Parker e Dewey. Tais concepções perpassaram os tempos e deixaram vestígios nos livros didáticos utilizados. Focalizar a investigação no conceito de número presente nos livros didáticos revela importantes contribuições destes autores na constituição da Aritmética como disciplina escolar no Brasil.
Educação e modernização em Minas Gerais: propostas reformistas na ação conservadora (1926-1930)
Authors: Oliveira Pâmela Faria , Carvalho Carlos Henrique de
Published: February 2014

Dentre as mudanças que marcaram a modernização do Brasil, a educação ocupou lugar central na dimensão intelectual e política do processo modernizante. Nesse sentido, este texto busca problematizar as relações entre educação e modernidade, sobretudo sua condição de índice de modernização em Minas Gerais na primeira metade do século 20. Para tanto, especulamos o discurso dos idealizadores da Reforma Educacional Francisco Campos a fim de reconhecer traços do ideário modernizante e progressista e vínculos com os interesses da elite oligárquica então predominante na política mineira. Os procedimentos metodológicos incluíram pesquisa bibliográfica, para a contextualização conceitual e histórica, bem como leitura dos discursos de Antônio Carlos e Francisco Campos.
A constituição da Universidade Federal de Sergipe (1950- 1960): um estudo sobre aspectos históricos da educação superior brasileira
Authors: Bretas Silvana Aparecida , Oliveira Iadrelhe de Souza
Published: February 2014

Este artigo apresenta os resultados da pesquisa sobre a criação da Universidade Federal de Sergipe e aborda os aspectos da formação da comunidade científica brasileira. O contexto da investigação é a política de federalização das universidades públicas, iniciada nos anos de 1920 e intensificada nos anos de 1950. O objetivo é destacar os três embates fundamentais e polarizados entre os seus organizadores e, por conseguinte, retomar a política de federalização da primeira universidade pública sergipana por meio de pesquisa documental e de depoimentos orais. As conclusões indicam que a UFS foi composta por faculdades muito diferenciadas entre si e cujo modelo já era praticado pela primeira universidade brasileira.
Mobilidade urbana na área metropolitana de Maputo: análise dos órgãos de gestão do planeamento e mobilidade urbana, arranjos institucionais e insumos para a sua efectiva articulação
Authors: Mendonça Inocêncio Nhatuguês de
Published: February 2014

Maputo, capital de Moçambique, vê a condição dos deslocamentos e da acessibilidade urbana se agravar na medida em que cresce sua área metropolitana. Mais do que soluções tecnológicas ou implementação de modais, mostra-se necessária a revisão dos instrumentos legais e reestruturação do arranjo institucional no sector de gestão urbana. Com uma breve reflexão sobre o processo de municipalização e política de descentralização em curso em Moçambique, e revisita ao histórico do planeamento urbano em Moçambique, este trabalho pretende fazer o relacionamento deste conjunto de processos com a abordagem feita pelos diversos governos que actuaram na Área Metropolitana de Maputo pois, os actores na gestão e mobilidade urbana em Maputo variam e assumem diferentes papéis ao longo do tempo. Deste modo, como sucede com grande parte das áreas metropolitanas em Moçambique, Maputo clama por um por um arranjo institucional de nível regional-metropolitano de forma a permitir uma melhor coordenação entre os actores no sector de mobilidade.
Improving post-sale reverse logistics in department stores: a Brazilian case study
Authors: Lopes Diana Mery Messias , D'Agosto Márcio de Almeida , Ferreira Amanda Fernandes , Oliveira Cintia Machado de
Published: February 2014

Post-sale reverse logistics has grown in importance in the supply chain. As a contribution to scientific innovation, we present a structured procedure for reverse supply chain management of goods after sale. In addition, a comparison is made between the structures of direct supply chains by checking the similarity in terms of transport operations, inventory management and information management, which allows its application in the case study. This paper aims to suggest a procedure to structure the reverse logistics chain which is based on Process Management and consider three basic levels: Product Entry Management, Resource Management and Performance Management in the Reverse Logistics Chain. A bibliographical and documentary review was conducted in addition to a field research with a group of three department stores. The data collected from the companies using questionnaires and interview shows that the application of the procedure suggests that a better structuring of management in post-sales reverse logistics in the retail market can improve financial results in companies by contributing to reduce product returns and consequently its costs, improve efficiency in inventory and storage management, improve assets usage, increase revenue and promote social benefits such as donation of the products which was used and had been returned for charity.
A new model for composite beams with partial interaction
Authors: Lu Pengzhen , Shao Changyu
Published: February 2014

A theoretical formulation for the deflection of composite beams with consideration of interface slip is derived. The exact closed-form characteristic equations for composite beams with interlayer slip are derived for the boundary conditions. The equations also consider deflections and slips in the cross-section, leading to determinations of internal forces in the cross-section. Based on the research, practical applications are compared with the corresponding transformed section method. The results show that the theory is correct and convenient for solving problems of the analysis of steel–concrete composite box girders. Arbitrary cross-internal forces of the steel–concrete composite box girders are also obtained. The results provide a theoretical basis for the safe design of steel–concrete composite box girders.
Tracey Emin: Life Made Art, Art Made from Life
Authors: Medina Miguel
Published: February 2014

Tracey Emin is one of the best- known current British artists. Her art is essentially autobiographical. The major aim of the present essay is to analyze Emin’s artist work and to study her artistic references. To fulfill this goal, biographic references, linked to her artistic work, are mentioned and her topics, obsessions, procedures, and techniques are reviewed, with a special mention to the central role of words in her art.
Biomedical Nanoparticles: Overview of Their Surface Immune-Compatibility
Authors: Gamucci Olimpia , Bertero Alice , Gagliardi Mariacristina , Bardi Giuseppe
Published: February 2014

Diagnostic- and therapeutic release-aimed nanoparticles require the highest degree of biocompatibility. Some physical and chemical characteristics of such nanomaterials are often at odds with this requirement. For instance, metals with specific features used as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging need particular coatings to improve their blood solubility and increase their biocompatibility. Other examples come from the development of nanocarriers exploiting the different characteristics of two or more materials, i.e., the ability to encapsulate a certain drug by one core-material and the targeting capability of a different coating surface. Furthermore, all these “human-non-self” modifications necessitate proofs of compatibility with the immune system to avoid inflammatory reactions and resultant adverse effects for the patient. In the present review we discuss the molecular interactions and responses of the immune system to the principal nanoparticle surface modifications used in nanomedicine.
Standards and Guidelines in Telemedicine and Telehealth
Authors: Krupinski Elizabeth , Bernard Jordana
Published: February 2014

The development of guidelines and standards for telemedicine is an important and valuable process to help insure effective and safe delivery of quality healthcare. Some organizations, such as the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), have made the development of standards and guidelines a priority. The practice guidelines developed so far have been well received by the telemedicine community and are being adopted in numerous practices, as well as being used in research to support the practice and growth of telemedicine. Studies that utilize published guidelines not only help bring them into greater public awareness, but they also provide evidence needed to validate existing guidelines and guide the revision of future versions. Telemedicine will continue to grow and be adopted by more healthcare practitioners and patients in a wide variety of forms not just in the traditional clinical environments, and practice guidelines will be a key factor in fostering this growth. Creation of guidelines is important to payers and regulators as well as increasingly they are adopting and integrating them into regulations and policies. This paper will review some of the recent ATA efforts in developing telemedicine practice guidelines, review the role of research in guidelines development, review data regarding their use, and discuss some of areas where guidelines are still needed.
Assessing Cognitive Abilities: Intelligence and More
Authors: Stanovich Keith
Published: February 2014

In modern cognitive science, rationality and intelligence are measured using different tasks and operations. Furthermore, in several contemporary dual process theories of cognition, rationality is a more encompassing construct than intelligence. Researchers need to continue to develop measures of rational thought without regard to empirical correlations with intelligence. The measurement of individual differences in rationality should not be subsumed by the intelligence concept.
Energy-Efficient Sensing in Wireless Sensor Networks Using Compressed Sensing
Authors: Razzaque Mohammad , Dobson Simon
Published: February 2014

Sensing of the application environment is the main purpose of a wireless sensor network. Most existing energy management strategies and compression techniques assume that the sensing operation consumes significantly less energy than radio transmission and reception. This assumption does not hold in a number of practical applications. Sensing energy consumption in these applications may be comparable to, or even greater than, that of the radio. In this work, we support this claim by a quantitative analysis of the main operational energy costs of popular sensors, radios and sensor motes. In light of the importance of sensing level energy costs, especially for power hungry sensors, we consider compressed sensing and distributed compressed sensing as potential approaches to provide energy efficient sensing in wireless sensor networks. Numerical experiments investigating the effectiveness of compressed sensing and distributed compressed sensing using real datasets show their potential for efficient utilization of sensing and overall energy costs in wireless sensor networks. It is shown that, for some applications, compressed sensing and distributed compressed sensing can provide greater energy efficiency than transform coding and model-based adaptive sensing in wireless sensor networks.
Risk factors for complicated varicella infection in pediatric oncology patients at a tertiary health care facility in Pakistan
Authors: Alam Muhammad Matloob , Qamar Farah Naz , Khan Zalan Wahid , Kumar Vikram , Mushtaq Naureen , Fadoo Zehra
Published: February 2014

Introduction: Varicella zoster infection (VZI) is well recognized as a potential cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised pediatric oncology patients (POP). The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical profile and risk factors for complications and outcomes of VZI in POP treated with acyclovir. Methodology: Medical records of all POP with a discharge diagnosis of VZI over a period of seven years (2005-2011) were reviewed. The demographic features, underlying malignancy, risk factors for VZI, complications, and outcomes were recorded. Results: Thirty-six POP with VZI were identified. Leukemia was the most common underlying malignancy (n = 20, 58.8%), followed by lymphoma (n = 7, 20.6%) and solid organ tumors (n = 7, 20.6%). Most of the cases (41%) were observed in children under five. All patients were treated with acyclovir. Varicella-related complications developed in 10 (29%) patients. The most frequent complication was bloodstream infection (n = 3, 8.8%), followed by pneumonia (n = 2, 5.9%), skin infection (n = 2, 5.9%), hepatitis, renal failure, and encephalitis. Independent risk factors associated with complications were age < five years, weight for age < fifth percentile, delay in seeking care (> seven days after onset of symptoms) and severe neutropenia (ANC < 500/cm). One child died secondary to varicella encephalitis. Conclusion: Our data suggests that young age, poor health-seeking behavior, severe neutropenia, and being underweight are the major risk factors for the development of varicella-related complications in POP in developing countries. These complications could be favorably modified through active immunization of immunocompetent children.
Cultures juvéniles et bibliothèques publiques
Authors: Roselli Mariangela
Published: February 2014

Dressant une ethnographie des usages juvéniles des bibliothèques, l’article repère les codes comportementaux associés à l’acte de lire comme autant de composantes d’un rapport négatif à la lecture que produit le lieu : règle du silence, injonction à la solitude, capacité à s’enfermer et à rester immobile, présupposé d’autonomie, volonté de concentration. Sur la base de ces constats, cette étude invite les bibliothèques à offrir une scène d’expérimentation dynamique de formes culturelles et sociétales plus conviviales et récréatives, plus permissives et audacieuses de manière à se distinguer des institutions de la culture consacrée.
Économie et vote en 2012
Authors: Sauger Nicolas , Raillard Sarah-Louise
Published: February 2014

L’élection présidentielle de 2012 a été dominée par les questions économiques. Cet article évalue l’impact de la perception des conditions économiques sur le vote lors de cette échéance. L’analyse porte d’abord sur le poids du vote sociotropique et rétrospectif. L’impact de l’économie apparaît significatif statistiquement mais limité en termes de pouvoir d’explication. L’article analyse ensuite le lien entre attitudes économiques et vote. La permanence du lien entre le vote et ces attitudes est démontrée, même si l’enjeu de la dette publique apparaît pour la première fois significatif. Au total, l’effet négatif mais limité des conditions économiques sur le soutien à Nicolas Sarkozy a pu être pour partie compensé par l’émergence de l’enjeu de l’orthodoxie budgétaire.
L'Europe comme enjeu clivant
Authors: Belot Céline , Cautrès Bruno , Strudel Sylvie
Published: February 2014

Quel rôle a tenu l’enjeu européen, à la fois dans l’offre électorale et dans le choix des électeurs, au cours de la séquence électorale présidentielle de 2012 ? À partir de l’articulation d’un triple jeu de données (professions de foi, discours de campagne, enquête post-électorale Cevipof), les résultats présentés mettent en évidence les effets perturbateurs des questions européennes. Un double cadrage de dénonciation et de politisation (indexée sur une structuration gauche-droite opposant État providence/État souverain) organise de manière inédite les argumentaires des candidats et fait écho aux préoccupations des citoyens. La bidimensionalité confirmée des attitudes à l’égard de l’UE et son influence contrastée sur les comportements électoraux montre aussi que la réflexion sur l’intégration européenne comme clivage n’est pas un débat clos.
L'effet candidat lors des élections parlementaires
Authors: Brouard Sylvain , Kerrouche Éric
Published: February 2014

En partant d’une analyse approfondie de la littérature scientifique existante, l’article souligne la nécessité d’étudier rigoureusement l’hypothèse selon laquelle l’évaluation des candidats par les électeurs affecte significativement leurs choix électoraux, ce que nous dénommons l’effet candidat, et ceci tout particulièrement dans le cas des élections législatives françaises, où celui-ci est considéré comme improbable. Les résultats de nos analyses basées sur une enquête inédite dédiée à ce projet lors des élections législatives de juin 2012 accréditent l’hypothèse d’un effet candidat en France, qui s’ajoute aux facteurs explicatifs habituellement utilisés dans la littérature. Au-delà de l’identification partisane et de l’idéologie, les candidats comptent lorsque les citoyens élisent leurs parlementaires.
La maladie de Lyme entre cadrage infectieux, vectoriel et zoonotique : vers une écologisation des problèmes sanitaires ?
Authors: Massart Clémence
Published: February 2014

Cet article est consacré à la qualification de la maladie de Lyme en France. Principale pathologie vectorielle de l’hémisphère nord, la maladie de Lyme est transmise par une tique du genre Ixodes (Ixodes ricinus en Europe ; Ixodes persulcatus en Asie ; Ixodes scapularis aux États-Unis et au Canada). Les médecins et les malades ont d’abord développé un cadrage infectieux, ancré dans la santé humaine, réservé à Lyme et soumis à une vive controverse. Progressivement, un second cadrage vectoriel s’est structuré autour des entomologistes médicaux puis des écologues, généralement étrangers à la problématique des maladies humaines. Axé sur le vecteur, ce cadrage englobe les autres maladies transmises par Ixodes ricinus en Europe qui, durant les 30 dernières années, n’ont cessé d’être découvertes : bartonnelles, babésioses, tularémie, encéphalite à tiques, etc. Combinée à ces nouvelles pathologies, la notoriété de Lyme a finalement contribué à ouvrir la catégorie « transmission vectorielle » – traditionnellement associée aux moustiques des pays tropicaux – aux tiques et aux maladies de l’hémisphère nord qu’elles véhiculent. Un troisième cadrage axé sur les réservoirs et qualifié de zoonotique commence enfin à se dessiner. Il faut reconnaître dans cette juxtaposition des cadrages – infectieux, vectoriel et zoonotique – une forme d’écologisation des problèmes sanitaires.
Changements socio-environnementaux et dynamiques des paysages ruraux le long du gradient bioclimatique nord-sud dans le sud-ouest du Niger (régions de Tillabery et de Dosso)
Authors: Emeterio José Luis San , Alexandre Frédéric , Andrieu Julien , Génin Alain , Mering Catherine
Published: February 2014

Cet article analyse les changements intervenus dans l’occupation du sol et le couvert végétal au cours des dernières décennies dans un ensemble de villages échelonnés le long du gradient bioclimatique dans le sud-ouest du Niger, depuis la ligne Tillabéry-Filingué au nord jusqu’à Gaya, à la frontière nigéro-béninoise au sud. Des analyses diachroniques d’images ont été réalisées à l’aide d’images satellitaires (CORONA mars et octobre 1965) ou de photographies aériennes (mission IGN mars 1975) comparées à des images actuelles Google Earth. Ces analyses sont confrontées aux entretiens réalisés dans les différents villages ainsi qu’aux relevés sur l’état de la végétation. Si les chercheurs soulignent la reprise des précipitations depuis le milieu des années 1990, ils montrent aussi que le sud-ouest du Niger présente, de façon apparemment paradoxale, une vulnérabilité socio-environnementale accrue. Ce constat semble pouvoir être généralisé à l’échelle de l’ensemble des deux départements. Pourtant, la démarche entreprise amène à nuancer le tableau : lorsque l’on désagrège les données, à l’échelle des villages, la situation apparaît très diversifiée, révélant, indépendamment du gradient bioclimatique nord-sud et, dans une moindre mesure, de la différenciation méridienne imposée par les vallées fossiles (dallols), des situations où la vulnérabilité des populations et des écosystèmes apparaît plus ou moins forte.
Surmonter la crise écologique par un projet spirituel d’ordre supérieur? À partir d’une lecture de Pierre Teilhard de Chardin et de Michel Serres
Authors: Brédif Hervé
Published: February 2014

La lecture comparée des ouvrages de Michel Serres et de Pierre Teilhard de Chardin permet de penser autrement la crise écologique, en la resituant dans l’évolution longue de la vie sur Terre. Si des différences certaines existent entre ces auteurs, une convergence essentielle se révèle : ils aboutissent à l’idée que l’humanité et la vie elle-même sont invitées à franchir un nouveau palier évolutif. Tout se passe comme si deux totalités, l’Humanité d’une part, la Terre-nature d’autre part, avaient désormais pour horizon commun et souhaitable l’instauration d’une relation authentiquement symbiotique. La réussite de ce qui s’apparente à un projet spirituel d’ordre supérieur n’est cependant pas acquise. Des conditions spécifiques sont requises. Serres met davantage l’accent sur le changement de relations entre le groupe humain et la Terre globale qu’appelle ce projet; il place ses espoirs dans l’établissement d’un contrat tacite entre ces deux entités, contrat fondé en sciences et dont le respect repose sur des éducateurs tiers-instruits. Pour Teilhard, l’enjeu se situe ailleurs : il importe que chaque être humain conserve le goût de poursuivre l’aventure, ce qui suppose qu’il soit convaincu que le processus ne se développera pas à ses dépens et pour le seul profit de quelques élus, de l’espèce ou de ce qui pourrait lui succéder. Les deux penseurs se rejoignent encore dans l’idée qu’une issue positive à la crise actuelle doit privilégier le projet d’ordre supérieur et ses bénéfices potentiels plutôt que la peur ou la menace d’une catastrophe imminente.
Science-Base Research for Advanced Interoperability
Authors: Goranson H. T. , Cardier Beth
Published: February 2014

Studies show that enterprises are severely constrained by their management structures, and that those constraints become more vexing as information technologies are adopted. This is more true as “interoperability engineering” advances; the enterprise is capable of doing simple, ordinary things better, but the form of the enterprise becomes less adaptive, less agile as external firms are integrated in using lowest common denominator standards. The net result is that we are worse off now because of the constraints of integration decisions. A radical advance is required, one based on breakthroughs in the underlying science used by enterprise engineers. This chapter indicates one advanced form of enterprise that current research could make possible and uses it to illustrate desired enterprise engineering tools. It then suggests an agenda for fundamental research to support those goals.
Managing Human Resource Management through Empowerment Policy
Authors: Ntumva Mabebe , Itika Josephat
Published: February 2014

Since 1990s, local government reforms in Tanzania have emphasized empowerment at all levels as part of decentralisation by devolution. The major objective was to give more power where it should belong. One of the areas was human resource empowerment to take proactive roles in decision-making and day-to-day management of local authorities. The chapter draws data from a cross-sectional case study covering a sample of 103 out of 206 employees working in Mvomero district council to determine employees’ perceptions on the existence of structural aspects of empowerment in the organisation. By using frequencies and Chi square tests, the chapter concludes that the general perception is weak, and indeed, there is significant difference between theory and practice.
Applying Service Quality Metrics for E–Urban Governance
Authors: Srivastava Anurag Kumar
Published: February 2014

The local government constitutes the core area of governance with which most of the citizens remain connected. In India the institution of local governance has a long history of existence, but it is interesting to see how these institutions can continue to deliver qualitative services when the problems have added up multifold. The ephemeral tendencies and myopic vision of authorities and elected representatives coupled with public apathy and disillusionment has further deteriorated the interactional processes among the stakeholders and has affected the service delivery outcomes. This chapter explores this crucial underpinning and throws a light on the intricacies of municipal governance by analyzing the role of e-Governance in the municipal service delivery. The empirical data collected is analyzed to see the dependency between the variables. Even though the results are obtained from the moderate sample limited to Lucknow, results predict certain trends having larger applicability, especially in the developing countries. The chapter analyses the application of service quality parameters with the help of e- governance in urban institutions.
Kautilya on Selection, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Project
Authors: Sihag Balbir S.
Published: February 2014

Kautilya wrote The Arthashastra during the fourth century BCE. It is a manual on how to provide freedom from wants and freedom from fear to every citizen. He understood that provision of human security was possible only if projects were selected properly. He recommended projects that maximized the creation of wealth and prevented damages from calamities, such as floods, famines, and fire, but keeping in view the complementarity of projects. He suggested a balanced growth approach to prevent possible bottlenecks. A bureaucratic set-up was designed to hold someone responsible to implement the project and be accountable. Contingency planning was to be undertaken in case the project did not turn out to be as expected. Evaluation of the project afterwards was considered equally important: if the project was successful, what factors contributed to its success, and if it failed, what factors were behind its failure. This chapter explores the modern implications of The Arthashastra.
Overcoming Organizational Obstacles and Driving Change
Authors: Murphy Jenni , Keck Anna
Published: February 2014

Social media channels are tools for communication, not new communication in and of themselves. Like any form of external communication, social media is ineffective without a strategy and plan. In 2009, the College of Professional Education (CPE) at State University North began an arduous process to gain support and resources for the organizational use of social media. The case history highlights the various mechanisms, projects, and models CPE experienced during the evolution of the Social Media Team and the “Year of Social Media” initiative. Using Kotter's 8-Step Change Model, the activities are discussed across 4 stages. This approach resulted in 32 segments of evaluation – 4 stages of development and 8 steps of change. The case history and analysis specifically focus on the organizational changes that occurred in order to enable organizational usage of social media for student engagement, advocacy, and marketing. The study does not focus on the actual use of social media tools or the impact on student engagement, advocacy, and marketing. The analysis sheds light on the experiences of change with a process model applied retroactively and provides a synopsis of lessons learned.
Social Media as Technologies for Asynchronous Formal Writing and Synchronous Paragraph Writing in the South African Higher Education Contex
Authors: Chaka Chaka
Published: February 2014

This chapter reports on a study—conducted in 2011—that employed two social media networks, Facebook and MXit, as educational tools at one university in South Africa. MXit is a South African-based social networking application. The study involved a cohort of second year Bachelor of Education in English undergraduate students at this university as its participants. The latter were required to utilize Facebook and MXit to engage in both asynchronous formal writing and synchronous paragraph writing, respectively. All this took place outside participants’ tutorial class schedule. In this study, participants were able to produce asynchronous formal writing samples in varying degrees using Facebook. Similarly, they were also able to produce synchronous written paragraphs using MXit even though some paragraphs displayed a high degree of linguistic textisms. Other affordances that these two social media technologies offered the participants in this study are: anytime, any day, and anywhere asynchronous and synchronous learning; asynchronous and synchronous feedback; virtual incidental learning; socially situated online learning; and Presence Awareness Learning (PAL). In conclusion, the study suggests that there are further affordances that these two social media technologies can offer higher education. These are: supplemental teaching and learning; cloud storage for teaching and learning materials (in the case of Facebook); virtual platforms for revision; digital platforms for micro-teaching and micro-learning (in respect of MXit); and value-added platforms for just-in-time mobile teaching and learning.
Human Oral Bioavailability Prediction of Four Kinds of Drugs
Authors: Yan Aixia , Wang Zhi , Li Jiaxuan , Meng Meng
Published: February 2014

In the development of drugs intended for oral use, good drug absorption and appropriate drug delivery are very important. Now the predictions for drug absorption and oral bioavailability follow similar approach: calculate molecular descriptors for molecules and build the prediction models. This approach works well for the prediction of compounds which cross a cell membrane from a region of high concentration to one of low concentration, but it does not work very well for the prediction of oral bioavailability, which represents the percentage of an oral dose which is able to produce a pharmacological activity. The models for bioavailability had limited predictability because there are a variety of pharmacokinetic factors influencing human oral bioavailability. Recent study has shown that good quantitative relationship could be obtained for subsets of drugs, such as those that have similar structure or the same pharmacological activity, or those that exhibit similar absorption and metabolism mechanisms. In this work, using MLR (Multiple Linear Regression) and SVM (Support Vector Machine), quantitative bioavailability prediction models were built for four kinds of drugs, which are Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors or Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonists, Calcium Channel Blockers, Sodium and Potassium Channels Blockers and Quinolone Antimicrobial Agents. Explorations into subsets of compounds were performed and reliable prediction models were built for these four kinds of drugs. This work represents an exploration in predicting human oral bioavailability and could be used in other dataset of compounds with the same pharmacological activity.
Protein Interactions for Functional Genomics
Authors: Minguez Pablo , Dopazo Joaquin
Published: February 2014

Here the authors review the state of the art in the use of protein-protein interactions (ppis) within the context of the interpretation of genomic experiments. They report the available resources and methodologies used to create a curated compilation of ppis introducing a novel approach to filter interactions. Special attention is paid in the complexity of the topology of the networks formed by proteins (nodes) and pairwise interactions (edges). These networks can be studied using graph theory and a brief introduction to the characterization of biological networks and definitions of the more used network parameters is also given. Also a report on the available resources to perform different modes of functional profiling using ppi data is provided along with a discussion on the approaches that have typically been applied into this context. They also introduce a novel methodology for the evaluation of networks and some examples of its application.
Harnessing the Complexity of Innovation
Authors: Jörg Ton , Hughes Stephanie Akkaoui
Published: February 2014

The concept of innovation is hard to define and, consequently, difficult to put into practice. It is argued that the actual complexity of innovation is too much taken for granted. In this article the focus is on analyzing the very complexity of innovation, its dynamics and potential for practice. Innovation is taken as linked to creativity, by the processes of learning, thinking and knowing. Henceforth the complex dynamics of innovation is a time-related process. The ensemble of two partners and their interaction is the basic dynamic unit for innovation. Modeling this unit within the new framework of complexity shows innovation to be a (self-) generative kind of process, depending on the context with its conditions. These may be called “the conditions of possibility for innovation”. These conditions, which are closely linked to facilitating the quality of interaction and relationships between the partners in interaction, within a community of interaction, may be shown to unravel innovation as a nonlinear generative process with potential nonlinear effects over time. Innovation is shown to be a complex process at both the individual and the collective level. The complexity perspective taken here shows the new way of thinking in complexity about the complex nature of innovation. Organizing complexity is the key for generating potential nonlinear effects of learning, thinking and knowing as emergent effects, thriving on human interaction. So, innovation is thriving on complexity, which, in turn, is thriving on interaction within generative relationships in communities of interaction. To describe how complexity may be ‘at work’ in organizations, and to organize it in a more successful way, a different framing of complexity and a corresponding new language of complexity is urgently needed, to turn complexity into effective complexity within complex organizations.
A New Approach to Forecasting Container Throughput of Guangzhou Port with Domain Knowledge
Authors: Huang Anqiang , Wang Shouyang , Zhang Xun
Published: February 2014

Although judgmental models are widely applied in practice to alleviate the limitation of statistical models ignoring domain knowledge, they are still suffering from many kinds of biases and inconsistencies inherent in subjective judgments. Moreover, most of the prior studies are often concentrated on making judgmental adjustments to statistical projections and ignore incorporating domain knowledge in other forecasting steps. This paper proposes a framework under which domain knowledge are integrated with the whole forecasting process and a new forecasting method is developed. The new method is applied to forecasting the container throughput of Guangzhou Port, one of the most important ports of China. In order to test the effectiveness of the new method, the authors compare its performance with that of the ARIMAX model. The results show that the new method significantly outperforms the ARIMAX model.
Hacker Culture and the FLOSS Innovation
Authors: Lin Yu-Wei
Published: February 2014

This article aims to contribute to our understanding of the free/libre open source software (FLOSS) innovation and how it is shaped by and also shapes various perceptions on and practices of hacker culture. Unlike existing literature that usually normalises, radicalises, marginalises, or criminalises hacker culture, the author confronts such deterministic views that ignore the contingency and heterogeneity of hacker culture, which evolve over time in correspondence with different settings where diverse actors locate. The author argues that hacker culture has been continuously defined and redefined, situated and resituated with the ongoing development and growing implementation of FLOSS. The story on the development of EMACSen (plural form of EMACS—Editing MACroS) illustrates the consequence when different interpretations and practices of hacker culture clash. The author concludes that stepping away from a fixed and rigid typology of hackers will allow people to view the FLOSS innovation from a more ecological view. This will also help people to value and embrace different contributions from diverse actors including end-users and minority groups.
Open Source Web Portals
Authors: Braganholo Vanessa P. , Miranda Bernardo , Mattoso Marta
Published: February 2014

Open source software is required to be widely available to the user community. To help developers fulfill this requirement, Web portals provide a way to make open source projects public so that the user community has access to their source code, can contribute to their development, and can interact with the developer team. However, choosing a Web portal is not an easy task. There are several options available, each of them offering a set of tools and features to its users. The goal of this article is to analyze a set of existing Web portals (SourceForge.net, Apache, Tigris, ObjectWeb, and Savannah) in the hopes that this will help users to choose a hosting site for their projects.
Preconditions for the Management of Invention-Innovation Diffusion Process
Authors: Zenko Zdenka , Mulej Matjaz
Published: February 2014

This paper contributes to improvement of innovation management. An idea to be developed into an innovation needs a successfully managed whole invention-innovation-diffusion process. Innovation management remains a complex process. Managers with their specialist´s narrow viewpoint can hardly be holistic enough. The difference in knowledge, educational level and specialization among entrepreneurs in SME and researchers in institutions contributes to the difficult cooperation among them. With dialectical systems theory the most important viewpoints can be selected and with the law of requisite holism the innovation management process can become manageable and successful. To support diffusion of inventions their cooperation should be based on ethics of interdependence. Inventions become innovations when purchased and used in social systems as a result of IIDP. Many crises were identified after 2008 and socially responsibly behaving management could be one of the possible solutions.
Cooperation Protocol Design Method for Repository-Based Multi-Agent Applications
Authors: Wei Wenpeng , Takahashi Hideyuki , Uchiya Takahiro , Kinoshita Tetsuo
Published: February 2014

This paper proposes a cooperation protocol design method for repository-based multi-agent systems. The proposal aims to improve the efficiency of multi-agent system development by introducing reusable protocol templates. To achieve the decoupling of protocol templates and application domain processes, original protocol template representations are proposed. Moreover, a graphical design tool with automatic implementation functions of proposed protocol templates is developed to reduce the development cost of multi-agent systems. To validate the functionality and feasibility of the proposal, two disparate multi-agent based applications are developed using the proposed design method. The comparison with the reference implementation shows that applying proposal in practical application development reduces approximately 50% coding work.
An Essential Role for Medullary Thymic Epithelial Cells during the Intrathymic Development of Invariant NKT Cells
Authors: White Andrea J. , Jenkinson William E. , Cowan Jennifer E. , Parnell Sonia M. , Bacon Andrea , Jones Nick D. , Jenkinson Eric J. , Anderson Graham
Published: February 2014

In the thymus, interactions with both cortical and medullary microenvironments regulate the development of self-tolerant conventional CD4+ and CD8+ αβT cells expressing a wide range of αβTCR specificities. Additionally, the cortex is also required for the development of invariant NKT (iNKT) cells, a specialized subset of T cells that expresses a restricted αβTCR repertoire and is linked to the regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. Although the role of the cortex in this process is to enable recognition of CD1d molecules expressed by CD4+CD8+ thymocyte precursors, the requirements for additional thymus microenvironments during iNKT cell development are unknown. In this study, we reveal a role for medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) during iNKT cell development in the mouse thymus. This requirement for mTECs correlates with their expression of genes required for IL-15 trans-presentation, and we show that soluble IL-15/IL-15Rα complexes restore iNKT cell development in the absence of mTECs. Furthermore, mTEC development is abnormal in iNKT cell–deficient mice, and early stages in iNKT cell development trigger receptor activator for NF-κB ligand–mediated mTEC development. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that intrathymic iNKT cell development requires stepwise interactions with both the cortex and the medulla, emphasizing the importance of thymus compartmentalization in the generation of both diverse and invariant αβT cells. Moreover, the identification of a novel requirement for iNKT cells in thymus medulla development further highlights the role of both innate and adaptive immune cells in thymus medulla formation.
Evaluating Gene Set Enrichment Analysis via a Hybrid Data Model
Authors: Hua Jianping , Bittner Michael L. , Dougherty Edward R.
Published: February 2014

Gene set enrichment analysis (GSA) methods have been widely adopted by biological labs to analyze data and generate hypotheses for validation. Most of the existing comparison studies focus on whether the existing GSA methods can produce accurate P-values; however, practitioners are often more concerned with the correct gene-set ranking generated by the methods. The ranking performance is closely related to two critical goals associated with GSA methods: the ability to reveal biological themes and ensuring reproducibility, especially for small-sample studies. We have conducted a comprehensive simulation study focusing on the ranking performance of seven representative GSA methods. We overcome the limitation on the availability of real data sets by creating hybrid data models from existing large data sets. To build the data model, we pick a master gene from the data set to form the ground truth and artificially generate the phenotype labels. Multiple hybrid data models can be constructed from one data set and multiple data sets of smaller sizes can be generated by resampling the original data set. This approach enables us to generate a large batch of data sets to check the ranking performance of GSA methods. Our simulation study reveals that for the proposed data model, the Q2 type GSA methods have in general better performance than other GSA methods and the global test has the most robust results. The properties of a data set play a critical role in the performance. For the data sets with highly connected genes, all GSA methods suffer significantly in performance.
On normal subgroups of compact groups
Authors: Nikolov Nikolay , Segal Dan
Published: February 2014

Among compact Hausdorff groups

G

whose maximal profinite quotient is finitely generated, we characterize those that possess a proper dense normal subgroup. We also prove that the abstract commutator subgroup

[H, G]

is closed for every closed normal subgroup

H

of

G

.
Familiarity and decision making: The unclear role of noise in accept/reject decisions
Authors: Miao Chun‐Hui , Sandford Jeremy
Published: February 2014

A decision maker (DM) observes a noisy signal of the quality of a project before deciding to accept or reject the project. We show (i) as the amount of noise increases, the minimum signal required for acceptance may either increase or decrease, and may be nonmonotonic. (ii) Consequently, the average quality of accepted projects may either increase or decrease in the amount of noise. (iii) The effect of increased noise on decisions depends in a straightforward way on which kind of mistake leaves the DM worse off, a rejection of a good project or an acceptance of a bad project.