bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enterprise Transformation Through Supporting Information Systems. The Case Of A Romanian Hotel Chain
Authors: Popescu Teodora , Achim Ioan Moise , Kadar Manuella
Published: August 2014

The present paper analyses and exemplifies the role of information systems in the processes of enterprise transformation, by presenting the case study of a hotel chain that elaborated a new integrated information system in order to increase efficiency of the room booking process. The theoretical literature will outline the main theories concerning enterprise transformation and its role in the knowledge-based society, and in particular, its importance in efficiency-driven economies, such as Romania’s. The case study will also describe the IS in terms of motivation, options, anticipated benefits, related risks, implementation costs and duration, assessment of investment. A detailed activity plan will be provided, as well as an analysis of resources involved. Of extreme relevance is the presentation of the expected social impact of the development project, which proves the multifacetedness of enterprise transformation, through its large outreach to all stakeholders, not only employees and customers, but the society at large.
Piif – Romanian Fluid Engineering Informatics Platform
Authors: Georgescu Andrei-Mugur , Anton Anton , Susan-Resiga Romeo
Published: August 2014

This paper presents the collaborative work that, the fluid mechanics, hydraulics or hydraulic machineries departments, from 6 Romanian universities, have put together in order to build up a web based platform to be used, by students as well as by teachers, in the study of fluid engineering. The different components of the platform are presented and discussions are made on the main problems that appeared in the creation process of the PiiF (PiiF stands for “Fluid Engineering Informatics Platform” which in Romanian is: “Platforma Informatica de Ingineria Fluidelor”) platform. Of course, adopted solutions to the problems are also explained thoroughly. We consider this project to be a good example on both: collaboration in engineering education and new innovative methods for engineering education.
What Determines The Migration Intentions Of University Students?
Authors: Haase Heiko , Lautenschläger Arndt
Published: August 2014

The paper aims at exploring determinants of the university students' intentions to stay within their university region. At this, we presume that students' career choice motivations are related to their professional intentions, which again, along with demographic characteristics, affect their migration decision. Our analysis is based on a cross-sectional study of 2,353 students from three different higher education institutions, two of them located in Germany and one in Namibia. Results indicate that in Germany migration matters because a considerable proportion of students intend to leave the university region after graduation. At this, we found that the students' geographical provenance exerts the most significant effect on the intention to stay. Moreover, certain professional intentions were directly and some career choice motivations were indirectly linked with the intention to remain at the university location. We present several conclusions and implications.
How Useful Can Be Data Mining For A Continuos Speech Therapist’s Education?
Authors: Danubianu Mirela , Danubianu Dragos Mircea
Published: August 2014

Speech therapy can be viewed as a business in logopaedic area that aims to offer services for correcting language. A proper treatment of speech impairments ensures improved efficiency of therapy, so, in order to do that, a therapist must continuously learn how to adjust its therapy methods to patient's characteristics. Using Information and Communication Technology in this area allowed collecting a lot of data regarding various aspects of treatment. These data can be used for a data mining process in order to find useful and usable patterns and models which help therapists to improve its specific education. Clustering, classification or association rules can provide unexpected information which help to complete therapist's knowledge and to adapt the therapy to patient's needs.
Corporate Social Responsibility In Germany And Other Countries
Authors: Katharina Hedderich
Published: August 2014

The issue of Corporate Social Responsibility in economy has its roots in the 1950s of the 20th century. Due to further development of globalization or the financial crisis, the discussion of this issue is more current than ever before. Nevertheless, the arrangement within single enterprises as well the perception, acceptance and behavior of the customers varies very strongly internationally. The aim of the paper is to identify how the phenomenon Corporate Social Responsibility represents itself, how it has changed and furthermore, in how far it has affected different economies and countries. The main aspects of the paper are investigation of this phenomenon from a customer view in Germany, as well as the comparison to other European nations, the Asian countries and the USA. At first, the development of the term Corporate Social Responsibility is revealed and defined in general. Accordingly, the establishment of Corporate Social Responsibility in USA, European and Asia is presented. Following, there are investigations from these countries regarding the consumer perception and behavior in relation to Corporate Social Responsibility. Finally, a German research project is presented, which has analyzed consumer perception and behavior in Germany. The work ends with a short conclusion. At that stage final results are still under development. The author will present them at the 5th ICEBE.
Sustainable Higher Education For The 21ST CENTURY
Authors: Stoiciu Andreea , Burdusel Eva-Nicoleta
Published: August 2014

The aim of the paper is to perform an analysis of the current state of Romanian higher education taking into account the changes, challenges and opportunities for a sustainable higher education system, and performing an integrative and anticipative approach to education. The relevance of the topic is supported by the endeavour of integrating Romanian education in the European higher education and the European research area. The paper shall clarify certain concepts: sustainability in higher education; formal vs. informal vs. non-formal education; degree vs competencies. and reach certain conclusions regarding graduates adaptability to labour market and society requirements.
Multimedia Tutorials, Used In Engineering Education
Authors: Borza Sorin , Rotaru Ionela Magdalena , Borza Iunia
Published: August 2014

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the benefits that they generate using multimedia tutorials in the process of education and especially higher education. One of the major objectives of the paper is to make a pertinent analysis that has a multimedia tutorial both classical and educational process at the distance. Another area in which the paper refers is the one related to research conducted in training on the web or WBC. The paper is the result of a long period that was studied the impact that it presents these types of tutors both in the educational process of education and living at a distance. The paper will present a concrete impact on groups of students use multimedia tutorials on learning process and the implications they will have in the future. This paper is based on research undertaken by the author for many years on the educational process and its results show both in writing and graphic methods, the advantages of this technology on how to teach the students and the impact of the multimedia tutorial to the teacher.
Computational Techniques In Management Of Engineering And Business Institutions
Authors: Cioca Marius , Cioranu Cosmin , Gîfu Daniela
Published: August 2014

This paper deals with computational techniques used in management engineering in order to support enterprise managers in the decision-making process. Thus, the paper presents an application, built with web technologies for extracting and interpreting information from various sources, enabling the user to analyze data both in text files and the data available on the Internet, results that greatly improves the decision-making process through an efficient and fast analysis of data which, due to large the volume growing exponentially can no longer be covered and analyzed “manually” by a human factor.
Facilitating Learning Using Modern E-Learning Tools In Technical Drawing And Infographics Teaching
Authors: Chiliban Bogdan , Căuneac Damaris , Chiliban Marius
Published: August 2014

Licence and Master’s Degree Programs generally use specific e-learning methods as a complementary training. The design of master’s degree academic curricula in e-learning system will involve the curricular development, the designing of the learning resources. The local Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu was making progresses during the last years and with the help of learning technology as well as the development and simulation of the instructive-educational web-based process solutions, the school will be offering a lot of facilities for the management and presentation of various types of educational content, such as multimedia interactive materials, simulations, and tests, covering a wide range of subjects. The present paper will propose a Technical Drawing and Infographics course and lesson after making out a case for using offline and online e-learning tools.
The Fibonacci Sequence: Nature’s Little Secret
Authors: Minarova Nikoletta
Published: August 2014

Fibonacci: a natural design, easy to recognise - yet difficult to understand. Why do flowers and plants grow in such a way? It comes down to nature's sequential secret…This paper discusses how and when the Fibonacci sequence occurs in flora.
Scope of management of emergencies in palliative care
Authors: Mohammed Amrallah A.
Published: August 2014

Patients receiving palliative care may deteriorate suddenly due to their illness or another acute medical or surgical problem. Management options depend on life expectancy, level of intervention needed, and an assessment of risks, benefits, side effects and likely outcome. Symptom control and supportive care may be the most appropriate management if the patient is dying. Treatment options are to be discussed with the patient and family; if possible, discussion and documentation of the patient’s wishes should be made in advance including those about resuscitation, hospital admission and transfer to an intensive care unit.
Crowdsourcing As A Method Of Obtaining Information
Authors: Przybylska Natalia
Published: August 2014

The aim of this article is to analyse and describe a new trend in obtaining information and solving problems, which is crowdsourcing. Contemporary enterprises face enormous challenges, which are connected with omnipresent changes occurring in the functioning of societies and economies all over the world. Crowdsourcing is a very complex and constantly evolving phenomenon. It is an open subject of multiple discussions in which, due to its multiple factors and variable applications, it is being differently defined. Growing usage of this phenomenon prompts scientists for undertaking research and analysis of this issue as it is strictly connected with dynamically changing attitudes of, not only, entrepreneurs, but also their surroundings. The prime driving force behind undertaking this subject is a fast development of technology, Web 2.0, or globalisation. The mechanism of crowdsourcing’s functioning has been known for ages; however, it was named as a tool for modern enterprises 10 years ago. During that short period of time crowdsourcing has gained the acceptance of a number of people all over the world. The challenge for the present research is, as well, to indicate advantages and underline the essence of proper managing of crowdsourcing in enterprises, what involves a number of aspects. The described solution is still gaining more and more proponents; however, planned inappropriately, may cause completely reversible effect than the desired one. In this article, descriptions of worldwide ventures, which apply crowdsourcing, in Poland as well, and the results of the newest research on the phenomenon were included.
The Resource Hazards Model for the Critical Infrastructure of the State Emergency Management Process
Authors: Ostrowska Teresa
Published: August 2014

This paper presents an investigation of the relevant factors related to the construction of a resource model which is designed to be useful in the management processes of the operation of critical infrastructure (CI) for state emergencies. The genesis of the research lay in the perceived need for effective protection of multidimensional CI methodologies, and it was influenced by the nature of the physical characteristics of the available resources. It was necessary to establish a clear structure and well defined objectives and to assess the functional and structural resources required, as well as the potential relational susceptibilities deriving from a number of possible threats and the possible seriousness of a specific range of incidents and their possible consequences. The interdependence of CI stocks is shown by the use of tables of resource classes. The dynamics of the interaction of CI resources are modeled by examining how using clusters of potential risks can at any given time create a class of compounds related to susceptibilities and threats to the resources. As a result, the model can be used to conduct multi-dimensional risk calculations for crisis management CI resource configurations.
Implementation of Business Intelligence in An IT Organization - The Concept of An Evaluation Model
Authors: Sitek Tomasz , Litka Michal
Published: August 2014

This paper presents the issue of assessing the validity and effectiveness of implementing a Business Intelligence system in an IT Support Organization. This entity provides IT services to external clients involving, in particular, the storage and processing of large amounts of data. The vast amount of realized projects and also incidents reported in connection with those projects prevented effective decisions from being made without the support of dedicated technologies. The authors present the problems encountered by the studied entity and describe the tool that was selected to improve the situation. The aim of this study is to measure and describe the key processes in the organization on the basis of prepared aggregated measures, first prior to the implementation of the BI system and then a year after its implementation. The evaluation model developed by the authors allowed the assessment of the key aspects of the company’s operation over 2 years. It thus helped decision makers to establish whether the decision to implement the Business Intelligence system was correct or not.
Application of A Line Ampacity Model and Its Use in Transmission Lines Operations
Authors: Šnajdr Jaroslav , Sedláček Jan , Vostracký Zdenek
Published: August 2014

A conductor thermal model related to CIGRE and IEEE solutions was developed and compared with measurements. Two pylons of a single line were equipped with weather monitoring stations and conductor temperature sensors based on Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) principle. Also a fiber optic distributed temperature sensing system was installed to provide additional data. Over 2.5 million data points were evaluated. Developed model deviation for more than 99 % of values proved to be ±1 °C for SAW sensor and ±3.5 °C for the fiber optic measurement. Several ampacity determination methods were described from a transmission grid operator’s point of view. Their features were compared in order to show at which planning period they could be useful. A new method for dynamic line rating determination was proposed. Although it reduces maximum ampacity gain, its advantage lies in minimizing measurement systems while retaining relatively stable value and low risk of temperature limit exceeding.
Estimating the Uncertainty of Tensile Strength Measurement for A Photocured Material Produced by Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Adamczak Stanisław , Bochnia Jerzy , Kaczmarska Bożena
Published: August 2014

The aim of this study was to estimate the measurement uncertainty for a material produced by additive manufacturing. The material investigated was FullCure 720 photocured resin, which was applied to fabricate tensile specimens with a Connex 350 3D printer based on PolyJet technology. The tensile strength of the specimens established through static tensile testing was used to determine the measurement uncertainty. There is a need for extensive research into the performance of model materials obtained via 3D printing as they have not been studied sufficiently like metal alloys or plastics, the most common structural materials. In this analysis, the measurement uncertainty was estimated using a larger number of samples than usual, i.e., thirty instead of typical ten. The results can be very useful to engineers who design models and finished products using this material. The investigations also show how wide the scatter of results is.
Experimental Research Regarding the Application of Electro-Flushing Method on Diesel Contaminated Soils
Authors: Streche Constantin , Badea Adrian , Istrate Irina A. , Cocârţă Diana M. , Apostol Tiberiu
Published: August 2014

In 2011, as a result of the inventory conducted at the national level, The Ministry Of Environment concluded that the largest number of contaminated sites with hydrocarbons are due to the petroleum products distribution (nearly 400 sites), followed by the hydrocarbons extraction (about 310 sites). So, soil contamination with liquid petroleum products resulting from many industrial activities became an important issue of environment protection. Unfortunately not all local governments have provided a list of contaminated sites, which means that there is a possibility to have a bigger problem at the national level. All these surfaces are in a continuous growth due to industrial and social development and that is why it is necessary to study and improve decontamination methods of contaminated sites in order to regain one of our most important resources - the soil. In this paper, the main results obtained during a research that aimed to study two different treatment methods of contaminated soil in a combined solution, are presented. The newly developed method is called electro-flushing. Results proved that combining the two nominated methods could be a viable solution for treating diesel polluted soil with better performances comparing with using them separately. Concerning the electrochemical treatment of diesel contaminated soils an efficiency of 35-40 % could be obtained after 28 days; while using the flushing method up to 15-20% efficiency could be reached. On the other hand, if we combine these two methods, we can reach remediation efficiency up to 50%. So, the main interesting results of the present research is given by the fact that combining two known remediation methods, better performances could be achieved.
Endosulfan Resistance Profile of Soil Bacteria and Potential Application of Resistant Strains in Bioremediation
Authors: Chandini P.K. , Jaysooryan K.K , Varghese Rinoy , Sreedharan K. , Smitha K. P.
Published: August 2014

In the present study, bacterial strains were isolated from the soils of Wayanad District, Kerala, India and the isolates were tested for their tolerance to endosulfan and potential in bioremediation technology. Pesticide contamination in the soils, soil physico-chemical characteristics and socio-economic impacts of pesticide application were also analyzed. 28 pesticide compounds in the soil samples were analyzed and the results revealed that there was no pesticide residues in the soils. As per the survey conducted the pesticide application is very high in the study area and the level of awareness among the farmers was very poor regarding the method of application and its socio-economic and ecological impacts. A total of 9 bacterial strains were isolated with 50μg/ml of endosulfan in the isolating media and the results showed that most of the bacterial strains were highly resistance to endosulfan. Out of the 9 strains isolated 6 were highly resistant to endosulfan (500- 700μg/ml) and the other 3 isolates showed the resistance of 250-500μg/ml. From the studied isolate, isolate 9 demonstrating prolific growth and high resistance was selected to check their capability to degrade endosulfan over time. Identification of the selected strain reveals that it belongs to the genus Bacillus. Results of endosulfan removal studies showed that with increase in time, the biomass of the bacterial strains increased. The complete disappearance of endosulfan from the spiked and inoculated broth during the first day of incubation (24 hour interval) was observed. While the control flask showed the presence of endosulfan during the experimental period. Pesticide resistant bacteria are widely distributed in the soils of selected study area and the tolerance varied between bacteria even though they were isolated from the soils of the same area. The selected Bacillus species carry the ability to degrade endosulfan at accelerated rates and it could be useful in framing a bioremediation strategy for pesticide contaminated soil and water environments
Identification of peptide and protein doping related drug compounds confiscated in Denmark between 2007-2013
Authors: Andersen Hartvig Rune , Bjerre Holm Niels , Weihe Dalsgaard Petur , Ask Reitzel Lotte , Breum Müller Irene , Linnet Kristian
Published: August 2014

We present an overview of protein and peptide compounds confiscated in Denmark from late 2007 till late 2013 together with a description of a newly developed HRAM-LC-MS method used for identification. As examples of identification, we present data for the peptides AOD-9604, [D-Ala2, Gln8, Ala15, Leu27]sermorelin and the protein follistatin. It was found that a method with minimum sample preparation could be implemented for all of the confiscated peptides and the protein somatropin. However, for the protein follistatin it was necessary to include trypsin digestion in the sample preparation, which considerably increases the overall analysis time.
An efficient DNA extraction method from bone and tooth samples by complete demineralization followed by the use of silica-based columns
Authors: Hasan Md Mahamud , Hossain Tania , Majumder Ashish Kumar , Momtaz Pilu , Sharmin Tarana , Sufian Abu , Akhteruzzaman Sharif
Published: August 2014

A highly efficient strategy for recovery of genomic DNA from bone and tooth samples is presented by complete demineralization of the bone pieces or intact tooth with high concentration of EDTA followed by spin column treatment without the need of mechanical grinding or cryogenic method for pulverizing the samples. The DNA yield was between 8 and 12 ng/?l from approximately 1 ?2 g of the starting material. Completed DNA profiles were obtained from of all the bones (52) and tooth (270) samples received from the unidentified victims from a recent building collapse, the Rana Plaza disaster in Dhaka, Bangladesh. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/dujbs.v23i2.20089 Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 23(2): 101-107, 2014
Performance of an organic fertilizer on the growth and yield of rice
Authors: Aziz MA , Hossain MS , Uddin MJ
Published: August 2014

A total of 9 treatments of Northern Jaibo?Sar (NJS) and Northern Bio Fertilizer (NBF) in combination with different proportions of soil test based fertilizer (SBF) together with a control was applied, Northern Shakti was used instead of NBF in Boro season. Maximum net benefit and marginal rate of return was obtained in case of T. Aman and Boro season from treatment T3. On the basis of results, it may be suggested that 50% reduction of chemical fertilizer on STB along with Northern Jaibo?Sar @ 500kg/ha may be a good combination of organic and inorganic fertilizer for sustaining soil fertility and increasing T. Aman and Boro rice. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/dujbs.v23i2.20097 Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 23(2): 173-178, 2014
Growth and yield of bari mung-5 (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) following TIBA application
Authors: Adam AMM Golam , Jahan Nargis
Published: August 2014

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of TIBA (0, 20, 50, 100, 150 mg/l) on the growth and yield attributes of BARI Mung?5 laid out in RBD. Plant height decreased due to TIBA treatments. Number of branches and leaves per plant were found to increase in all the treatments at all the ages of growth except at 7 DAS and the maximum number of branches and leaves were recorded due to 20 mg/l TIBA treatment. Dry matter per plant increased due to 20 mg/l TIBA in most cases and was significantly highest at harvest. All the yield contributing characters showed positive response to 20 mg/l TIBA treatment. Number of pods and seeds per plant and fresh and dry weights of pods significantly differed from all other treatments. Increase in yield per plant and yield per hectare following 20 mg/l TIBA was 22.60 and 22.80% over the control, respectively. The highest harvest index was also recorded from 20 mg/l TIBA followed by control. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/dujbs.v23i2.20098 Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 23(2): 179-185, 2014
ℓ1 Major Component Detection and Analysis (ℓ1 MCDA) in Three and Higher Dimensional Spaces
Authors: Deng Zhibin , Lavery John , Fang Shu-Cherng , Luo Jian
Published: August 2014

Based on the recent development of two dimensional ℓ1 major component detection and analysis (ℓ1 MCDA), we develop a scalable ℓ1 MCDA in the n-dimensional space to identify the major directions of star-shaped heavy-tailed statistical distributions with irregularly positioned “spokes” and “clutters”. In order to achieve robustness and efficiency, the proposed ℓ1 MCDA in n-dimensional space adopts a two-level median fit process in a local neighbor of a given direction in each iteration. Computational results indicate that in terms of accuracy ℓ1 MCDA is competitive with two well-known PCAs when there is only one major direction in the data, and ℓ1 MCDA can further determine multiple major directions of the n-dimensional data from superimposed Gaussians or heavy-tailed distributions without and with patterned artificial outliers. With the ability to recover complex spoke structures with heavy-tailed noise and clutter in the data, ℓ1 MCDA has potential to generate better semantics than other methods.
Wearable Wireless Cardiovascular Monitoring Using Textile-Based Nanosensor and Nanomaterial Systems
Authors: Shyamkumar Prashanth , Rai Pratyush , Oh Sechang , Ramasamy Mouli , Harbaugh Robert , Varadan Vijay
Published: August 2014

Wearable and ultraportable electronics coupled with pervasive computing are poised to revolutionize healthcare services delivery. The potential cost savings in both treatment, as well as preventive care are the focus of several research efforts across the globe. In this review, we describe the motivations behind wearable solutions to real-time cardiovascular monitoring from a perspective of current healthcare services, as well as from a systems design perspective. We identify areas where emerging research is underway, namely: nanotechnology in textile-based wearable monitors and healthcare solutions targeted towards smart devices, like smartphones and tablets.
Battery Sizing for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles in Beijing: A TCO Model Based Analysis
Authors: Hou Cong , Wang Hewu , Ouyang Minggao
Published: August 2014

This paper proposes a total cost of ownership (TCO) model for battery sizing of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). The proposed systematic TCO model innovatively integrates the Beijing driving database and optimal PHEV energy management strategies developed earlier. The TCO, including battery, fuel, electricity, and salvage costs, is calculated in yearly cash flows. The salvage cost, based on battery degradation model, is proposed for the first time. The results show that the optimal battery size for PHEVs in Beijing is 6–8 kWh. Several additional scenarios are also analyzed: (1) 10% increase in battery price or discount rate leads to an optimal battery size of 6 kWh, and 10% increase in fuel price shifts the optimal battery size to 8 kWh; (2) the longer and more dispersive daily range distribution in the U.S. increases the optimal battery size to 14 kWh; (3) the subsidy in China results in an optimal battery size of 13 kWh, while that in the U.S. results in 17 kWh, and a fuel savings rate based subsidy policy is innovatively proposed; (4) the optimal battery size with Li4Ti5O12 batteries is 2 kWh, but the TCO of Li4Ti5O12 batteries is higher than that of LiFePO4 batteries.
An Ecotoxicological Approach to Assess the Environmental Quality of Freshwater Basins: A Possible Implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive?
Authors: Roberta Bettinetti , Benedetta Ponti , Silvia Quadroni
Published: August 2014

Within the context of the Water Framework Directive, the need to identify new monitoring tools in support of the traditional chemical monitoring process is emerging. Chemical characterization by itself does not provide specific biological information about potential hazards to organisms, in particular when facing cocktails of contaminants. Therefore, ecotoxicity tests can represent a useful tool supporting the chemical information. In the present work, the value of ecotoxicity tests as an effect-based tool for monitoring freshwater and sediment quality of the south-western basin of Lake Como (Northern Italy) was evaluated, assessing the potential risk of pollutants. Results obtained from D. magna toxicity tests showed a temporal variation of toxic response in relation to the variability of organic micropollutant load characteristics of urban rivers. Sediment ecotoxicity test data showed the spatial variability of the sediments’ contamination within the lake, confirmed by chemical analysis of two classes of pollutants (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and polychlorobiphenyls (PCB)). The observed effects on organisms in laboratory tests caused by a mixture of almost unknown chemicals underline the importance of integrating effect-based tools into monitoring efforts.
ARCOMEM Crawling Architecture
Authors: Plachouras Vassilis , Carpentier Florent , Faheem Muhammad , Masanès Julien , Risse Thomas , Senellart Pierre , Siehndel Patrick , Stavrakas Yannis
Published: August 2014

The World Wide Web is the largest information repository available today. However, this information is very volatile and Web archiving is essential to preserve it for the future. Existing approaches to Web archiving are based on simple definitions of the scope of Web pages to crawl and are limited to basic interactions with Web servers. The aim of the ARCOMEM project is to overcome these limitations and to provide flexible, adaptive and intelligent content acquisition, relying on social media to create topical Web archives. In this article, we focus on ARCOMEM’s crawling architecture. We introduce the overall architecture and we describe its modules, such as the online analysis module, which computes a priority for the Web pages to be crawled, and the Application-Aware Helper which takes into account the type of Web sites and applications to extract structure from crawled content. We also describe a large-scale distributed crawler that has been developed, as well as the modifications we have implemented to adapt Heritrix, an open source crawler, to the needs of the project. Our experimental results from real crawls show that ARCOMEM’s crawling architecture is effective in acquiring focused information about a topic and leveraging the information from social media.
The Los Angeles County Community Disaster Resilience Project — A Community-Level, Public Health Initiative to Build Community Disaster Resilience
Authors: Eisenman David , Chandra Anita , Fogleman Stella , Magana Aizita , Hendricks Astrid , Wells Ken , Williams Malcolm , Tang Jennifer , Plough Alonzo
Published: August 2014

Public health officials need evidence-based methods for improving community disaster resilience and strategies for measuring results. This methods paper describes how one public health department is addressing this problem. This paper provides a detailed description of the theoretical rationale, intervention design and novel evaluation of the Los Angeles County Community Disaster Resilience Project (LACCDR), a public health program for increasing community disaster resilience. The LACCDR Project utilizes a pretest–posttest method with control group design. Sixteen communities in Los Angeles County were selected and randomly assigned to the experimental community resilience group or the comparison group. Community coalitions in the experimental group receive training from a public health nurse trained in community resilience in a toolkit developed for the project. The toolkit is grounded in theory and uses multiple components to address education, community engagement, community and individual self-sufficiency, and partnerships among community organizations and governmental agencies. The comparison communities receive training in traditional disaster preparedness topics of disaster supplies and emergency communication plans. Outcome indicators include longitudinal changes in inter-organizational linkages among community organizations, community member responses in table-top exercises, and changes in household level community resilience behaviors and attitudes. The LACCDR Project is a significant opportunity and effort to operationalize and meaningfully measure factors and strategies to increase community resilience. This paper is intended to provide public health and academic researchers with new tools to conduct their community resilience programs and evaluation research. Results are not yet available and will be presented in future reports.
Research on Chinese Life Cycle-Based Wind Power Plant Environmental Influence Prevention Measures
Authors: Wang Hanxi , Xu Jianling , Liu Yuanyuan , Zhang Tian
Published: August 2014

The environmental impact of wind power plants over their life cycle is divided into three stages: construction period, operation period and retired period. The impact is mainly reflected in ecological destruction, noise pollution, water pollution and the effect on bird migration. In response to these environmental effects, suggesting reasonable locations, reducing plant footprint, optimizing construction programs, shielding noise, preventing pollution of terrestrial ecosystems, implementing combined optical and acoustical early warning signals, making synthesized use of power generation equipment in the post-retired period and using other specific measures, including methods involving governance and protection efforts to reduce environmental pollution, can be performed to achieve sustainable development.
Low-Frequency High-Magnitude Mechanical Strain of Articular Chondrocytes Activates p38 MAPK and Induces Phenotypic Changes Associated with Osteoarthritis and Pain
Authors: Rosenzweig Derek , Quinn Thomas , Haglund Lisbet
Published: August 2014

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating joint disorder resulting from an incompletely understood combination of mechanical, biological, and biochemical processes. OA is often accompanied by inflammation and pain, whereby cytokines associated with chronic OA can up-regulate expression of neurotrophic factors such as nerve growth factor (NGF). Several studies suggest a role for cytokines and NGF in OA pain, however the effects of changing mechanical properties in OA tissue on chondrocyte metabolism remain unclear. Here, we used high-extension silicone rubber membranes to examine if high mechanical strain (HMS) of primary articular chondrocytes increases inflammatory gene expression and promotes neurotrophic factor release. HMS cultured chondrocytes displayed up-regulated NGF, TNFα and ADAMTS4 gene expression while decreasing TLR2 expression, as compared to static controls. HMS culture increased p38 MAPK activity compared to static controls. Conditioned medium from HMS dynamic cultures, but not static cultures, induced significant neurite sprouting in PC12 cells. The increased neurite sprouting was accompanied by consistent increases in PC12 cell death. Low-frequency high-magnitude mechanical strain of primary articular chondrocytes in vitro drives factor secretion associated with degenerative joint disease and joint pain. This study provides evidence for a direct link between cellular strain, secretory factors, neo-innervation, and pain in OA pathology.
Chitooligosaccharide-2,5-anhydro-D-mannonic Acid
Authors: Salim Emil , Ailincai Daniela , Trombotto Stéphane
Published: August 2014

Chitooligosaccharide with one 2,5-anhydro-D-mannofuranose unit at the reducing end (COSamf) was prepared by nitrous deamination of fully N-deacetylated chitosan. The oxidation of the amf-unit by chlorite sodium was achieved in high yield. The chemical structure of the targeted chitooligosaccharide-2,5-anhydro-D-mannonic acid with a degree of polymerization ~10 was fully characterized by NMR spectroscopy, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and size-exclusion chromatography. The success of this synthesis opens the way to a new generation of end-functionalized COS building blocks.
Material and Structural Performance Evaluations of Hwangtoh Admixtures and Recycled PET Fiber-Added Eco-Friendly Concrete for CO2 Emission Reduction
Authors: Koo Bon-Min , Kim Jang-Ho , Kim Sung-Bae , Mun Sungho
Published: August 2014

In order to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and produce an eco-friendly construction material, a type of concrete that uses a minimal amount of cement, yet still retains equivalent properties to ordinary cement concrete, has been developed and studied all over the world. Hwangtoh, a type of red clay broadly deposited around the world, has traditionally been considered an eco-friendly construction material, with bonus advantages of having health and cost benefits. Presently, Hwangtoh is not commonly used as a modern construction material due to properties such as low strength and high rates of shrinkage cracking. Recent studies, however, have shown that Hwangtoh can be used as a mineral admixture to improve the strength of concrete. In addition, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers recycled from PET bottle waste can be used to control shrinkage cracks in Hwangtoh concrete. Therefore, in this study, performance verification is conducted on newly developed Hwangtoh concrete mixed with short recycled PET fibers. The results show that Hwangtoh concrete has compressive strength, elastic modulus, and pH properties that are similar to these features in ordinary cement concrete. The properties of carbonation depth and creep strain of Hwangtoh concrete, however, are larger and smaller, respectively, than in ordinary cement concrete. According to flexural tests, reinforced concrete (RC) specimens cast with Hwangtoh admixtures (with and without PET fibers) possess similar or better capacities than ordinary RC specimens. The addition of PET fibers significantly improves the structural ductility of RC specimens under normal environmental conditions. However, the implementations of the concrete in aggressive environment must be carefully considered, since a previous study result indicates degradation of its durability performance in aggressive environments, such as seawater [1]. The results of this study validate the possibility of using eco-friendly Hwangtoh concrete reinforced with recycled PET fibers as a structural material for modern construction.
Recycling of Coal Fly Ash for the Fabrication of Porous Mullite/Alumina Composites
Authors: Kim Kyu , Yoon Seog , Park Hong
Published: August 2014

Coal fly ash with the addition of Al2O3 was recycled to produce mullite/alumina composites and the camphene-based freeze casting technique was processed to develop a controlled porous structure with improved mechanical strength. Many rod-shaped mullite crystals, formed by the mullitization of coal fly ash in the presence of enough silicate, melt. After sintering at 1300–1500 °C with the initial solid loadings of 30–50 wt.%, interconnected macro-sized pore channels with nearly circular-shaped cross-sections developed along the macroscopic solidification direction of camphene solvent used in freeze casting and a few micron-sized pores formed in the walls of the pore channels. The macro-pore size of the mullite/alumina composites was in the range 20–25 μm, 18–20 μm and 15–17 μm with reverse dependence on the sintering temperature at 30, 40 and 50 wt.% solid loading, respectively. By increasing initial solid loading and the sintering temperature, the sintered porosity was reduced from 79.8% to 31.2%, resulting in an increase in the compressive strength from 8.2 to 80.4 MPa.
Generation and Evaluation of a Genome-Scale Metabolic Network Model of Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942
Authors: Triana Julián , Montagud Arnau , Siurana Maria , Fuente David , Urchueguía Arantxa , Gamermann Daniel , Torres Javier , Tena Jose , De Córdoba Pedro , Urchueguía Javier
Published: August 2014

The reconstruction of genome-scale metabolic models and their applications represent a great advantage of systems biology. Through their use as metabolic flux simulation models, production of industrially-interesting metabolites can be predicted. Due to the growing number of studies of metabolic models driven by the increasing genomic sequencing projects, it is important to conceptualize steps of reconstruction and analysis. We have focused our work in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942, for which several analyses and insights are unveiled. A comprehensive approach has been used, which can be of interest to lead the process of manual curation and genome-scale metabolic analysis. The final model, iSyf715 includes 851 reactions and 838 metabolites. A biomass equation, which encompasses elementary building blocks to allow cell growth, is also included. The applicability of the model is finally demonstrated by simulating autotrophic growth conditions of Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942.
Structural Design and Experimental Analysis of a Piezoelectric Vibration Feeder with a Magnetic Spring
Authors: Tian Xiaochao , Yang Zhigang , Liu Yong , Shen Yanhu , Chen Song
Published: August 2014

A piezoelectric vibration feeder with a magnetic spring is discussed in this paper. The feeder can keep resonance frequency relatively stable under changing loading. Through the analysis on the working principle and magnetic spring stiffness characteristic of this feeder, the dynamic model was established and the relationship among system resonance frequency, loading and magnetic spring stiffness was obtained. The analysis showed that, as the loading changed, the magnetic spring stiffness changed accordingly, which maintained a trend of stability in the system resonance frequency. A prototype was made for the experiment, and the relationship among the loading, magnetic spring axial clearance and system resonance frequency was obtained. The result showed that, when the loading changes, the resonance frequency and feeding speed tended to be stable, which matched the theoretical analysis. Through comparison with a traditional vibration feeder, within nominal loading, this new feeder has more stable resonance frequency and feeding speed.
Allicin: Chemistry and Biological Properties
Authors: Borlinghaus Jan , Albrecht Frank , Gruhlke Martin , Nwachukwu Ifeanyi , Slusarenko Alan
Published: August 2014

Allicin (diallylthiosulfinate) is a defence molecule from garlic (Allium sativum L.) with a broad range of biological activities. Allicin is produced upon tissue damage from the non-proteinogenic amino acid alliin (S-allylcysteine sulfoxide) in a reaction that is catalyzed by the enzyme alliinase. Current understanding of the allicin biosynthetic pathway will be presented in this review. Being a thiosulfinate, allicin is a reactive sulfur species (RSS) and undergoes a redox-reaction with thiol groups in glutathione and proteins that is thought to be essential for its biological activity. Allicin is physiologically active in microbial, plant and mammalian cells. In a dose-dependent manner allicin can inhibit the proliferation of both bacteria and fungi or kill cells outright, including antibiotic-resistant strains like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Furthermore, in mammalian cell lines, including cancer cells, allicin induces cell-death and inhibits cell proliferation. In plants allicin inhibits seed germination and attenuates root-development. The majority of allicin’s effects are believed to be mediated via redox-dependent mechanisms. In sub-lethal concentrations, allicin has a variety of health-promoting properties, for example cholesterol- and blood pressure-lowering effects that are advantageous for the cardio-vascular system. Clearly, allicin has wide-ranging and interesting applications in medicine and (green) agriculture, hence the detailed discussion of its enormous potential in this review. Taken together, allicin is a fascinating biologically active compound whose properties are a direct consequence of the molecule’s chemistry.
Simultaneous Electrochemical Detection of Dopamine and Ascorbic Acid Using an Iron Oxide/Reduced Graphene Oxide Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode
Authors: Peik-See Teo , Pandikumar Alagarsamy , Nay-Ming Huang , Hong-Ngee Lim , Sulaiman Yusran
Published: August 2014

The fabrication of an electrochemical sensor based on an iron oxide/graphene modified glassy carbon electrode (Fe3O4/rGO/GCE) and its simultaneous detection of dopamine (DA) and ascorbic acid (AA) is described here. The Fe3O4/rGO nanocomposite was synthesized via a simple, one step in-situ wet chemical method and characterized by different techniques. The presence of Fe3O4 nanoparticles on the surface of rGO sheets was confirmed by FESEM and TEM images. The electrochemical behavior of Fe3O4/rGO/GCE towards electrocatalytic oxidation of DA was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) analysis. The electrochemical studies revealed that the Fe3O4/rGO/GCE dramatically increased the current response against the DA, due to the synergistic effect emerged between Fe3O4 and rGO. This implies that Fe3O4/rGO/GCE could exhibit excellent electrocatalytic activity and remarkable electron transfer kinetics towards the oxidation of DA. Moreover, the modified sensor electrode portrayed sensitivity and selectivity for simultaneous determination of AA and DA. The observed DPVs response linearly depends on AA and DA concentration in the range of 1–9 mM and 0.5–100 µM, with correlation coefficients of 0.995 and 0.996, respectively. The detection limit of (S/N = 3) was found to be 0.42 and 0.12 µM for AA and DA, respectively.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1)-Mediated Apoptosis: New Therapeutic Targets
Authors: Mbita Zukile , Hull Rodney , Dlamini Zodwa
Published: August 2014

HIV has posed a significant challenge due to the ability of the virus to both impair and evade the host’s immune system. One of the most important mechanisms it has employed to do so is the modulation of the host’s native apoptotic pathways and mechanisms. Viral proteins alter normal apoptotic signaling resulting in increased viral load and the formation of viral reservoirs which ultimately increase infectivity. Both the host’s pro- and anti-apoptotic responses are regulated by the interactions of viral proteins with cell surface receptors or apoptotic pathway components. This dynamic has led to the development of therapies aimed at altering the ability of the virus to modulate apoptotic pathways. These therapies are aimed at preventing or inhibiting viral infection, or treating viral associated pathologies. These drugs target both the viral proteins and the apoptotic pathways of the host. This review will examine the cell types targeted by HIV, the surface receptors exploited by the virus and the mechanisms whereby HIV encoded proteins influence the apoptotic pathways. The viral manipulation of the hosts’ cell type to evade the immune system, establish viral reservoirs and enhance viral proliferation will be reviewed. The pathologies associated with the ability of HIV to alter apoptotic signaling and the drugs and therapies currently under development that target the ability of apoptotic signaling within HIV infection will also be discussed.