bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identifying Ontological Modifications to the Resource-Event-Agent (REA) Enterprise Ontology Using a Bunge-Wand-Weber Ontological Evaluation
Authors: Tegarden David P. , Schaupp Ludwig Christian , Dull Richard B.
Published: February 2013

A Bunge-Wand-Weber (BWW) ontological evaluation was performed to evaluate the REA enterprise ontology for appropriateness as a basis for today's enterprise systems. A BWW ontological evaluation emphasizes two criteria (completeness and clarity) and two independent mappings (representation and interpretation). The results of the evaluation confirm that the majority of the REA constructs correspond with a subset of the BWW constructs. Based on the results of this study, there are recommended modifications to the REA enterprise ontology including extensions associated with state, event, and system related constructs, as well as other clarifications.
Effects of intratesticular injection of bupivacaine and epidural administration of morphine in dogs undergoing castration
Authors: Perez Tania E. , Grubb Tamara L. , Greene Stephen A. , Meyer Shona , Valdez Nicole , Bingman Janel , Farnsworth Raelynn
Published: February 2013

Objective—To determine the intraoperative and postoperative analgesic efficacy of intratesticular or epidural injection of analgesics for dogs undergoing castration.

Design—Randomized controlled trial.

Animals—51 healthy male dogs.

Procedures—Dogs were assigned to a control group that received analgesics systemically (hydromorphone [0.1 mg/kg {0.045 mg/lb}, IM] and carprofen [4.4 mg/kg {2.0 mg/lb}, SC]; n = 17), an epidural treatment group that received analgesics systemically and morphine (0.1 mg/kg) epidurally (17), or an intratesticular treatment group that received analgesics systemically and bupivacaine (0.5 mg/kg [0.23 mg/lb]/testis) intratesticularly (17). Dogs were anesthetized and castrated by veterinary students. Responses to surgical stimulation were monitored intraoperatively, and treatments were administered as required. Pain scores were assigned via a modified Glasgow composite pain scale after surgery. Serum cortisol concentrations were determined at various times. Rescue analgesia included fentanyl (intraoperatively) and hydromorphone (postoperatively).

Results—Compared with control dogs, dogs in the intratesticular bupivacaine and epidural morphine treatment groups received significantly fewer doses of fentanyl intraoperatively (11, 1, and 5 doses, respectively) and hydromorphone postoperatively (14, 7, and 3 doses, respectively) and had significantly lower postoperative pain scores (mean ± SEM score at first assessment time, 71 ± 0.5, 4.8 ± 0.2, and 4.5 ± 0.4, respectively). At 15 minutes after removal of the testes, serum cortisol concentrations were significantly higher than they were immediately prior to surgery for all groups and values for the intratesticular bupivacaine treatment group were significantly lower versus the other 2 groups.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Intratesticular or epidural injection of analgesics improved perioperative analgesia for dogs undergoing castration.
Assessment of the prevalence and clinical features of cryptogenic epilepsy in dogs: 45 cases (2003–2011)
Authors: Schwartz Malte , Muñana Karen R. , Nettifee-Osborne Julie
Published: February 2013

Objective—To determine the prevalence and clinical features of cryptogenic epilepsy among dogs.

Design—Retrospective case series.

Animals—214 client-owned dogs with onset of epileptic seizures at ≥ 7 years of age.

Procedures—A diagnostic imaging database was searched for dogs with symptomatic or cryptogenic epilepsy. Signalment, seizure history, and diagnostic information were recorded. Information regarding seizure frequency, administration of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), owners' perceptions regarding quality of life, survival times, and causes of death for dogs with cryptogenic epilepsy was obtained via questionnaire. Variables were compared among dogs grouped according to diagnosis and age.

Results—45 (21%) dogs had a diagnosis of cryptogenic epilepsy, and 169 (79%) had symptomatic epilepsy. In dogs 7 to 9 years and ≥ 10 years of age at the time of seizure onset, 31 of 106 (29%) and 14 of 108 (13%), respectively, had a diagnosis of cryptogenic epilepsy. At last follow-up, most (40 [89%]) dogs with cryptogenic epilepsy were receiving ≥ 1 AED. Thirty-one of 37 (84%) dogs typically had ≤ 1 seizure/mo following hospital discharge. Death was confirmed in 20 (44%) dogs with cryptogenic epilepsy and was related to seizures or AEDs in 7 Median survival time from onset of seizures was 52 months for all dogs with cryptogenic epilepsy. Median quality-of-life score (scale, 1 [poor] to 10 [excellent]) indicated by 34 owners of dogs with cryptogenic epilepsy was 10 before diagnosis and initiation of AED treatment and 8 afterward.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Cryptogenic epilepsy was diagnosed in a substantial proportion of dogs with an onset of epileptic seizures at ≥ 7 years of age. Seizure control was considered acceptable in most dogs.
Musielak-Orlicz-Hardy Spaces Associated with Operators Satisfying Reinforced Off-Diagonal Estimates
Authors: Bui The Anh , Cao Jun , Ky Luong Dang , Yang Dachun , Yang Sibei
Published: February 2013

Let X be a metric space with doubling measure and L a one-to-one operator of type ω having a bounded H∞ -functional calculus in L2(X) satisfying the reinforced (pL; qL) off-diagonal estimates on balls, where pL ∊ [1; 2) and qL ∊ (2;∞]. Let φ : X × [0;∞) → [0;∞) be a function such that φ (x;·) is an Orlicz function, φ(·;t) ∊ A∞(X) (the class of uniformly Muckenhoupt weights), its uniformly critical upper type index l(φ) ∊ (0;1] and φ(·; t) satisfies the uniformly reverse Hölder inequality of order (qL/l(φ))′, where (qL/l(φ))′ denotes the conjugate exponent of qL/l(φ). In this paper, the authors introduce a Musielak-Orlicz-Hardy space Hφ;L(X), via the Lusin-area function associated with L, and establish its molecular characterization. In particular, when L is nonnegative self-adjoint and satisfies the Davies-Gaffney estimates, the atomic characterization of Hφ,L(X) is also obtained. Furthermore, a sufficient condition for the equivalence between Hφ,L(ℝn) and the classical Musielak-Orlicz-Hardy space Hv(ℝn) is given. Moreover, for the Musielak-Orlicz-Hardy space Hφ,L(ℝn) associated with the second order elliptic operator in divergence form on ℝn or the Schrödinger operator L := −Δ + V with 0 ≤ V ∊ L1loc(ℝn), the authors further obtain its several equivalent characterizations in terms of various non-tangential and radial maximal functions; finally, the authors show that the Riesz transform ∇L−1/2 is bounded from Hφ,L(ℝn) to the Musielak-Orlicz space Lφ(ℝn) when i(φ) ∊ (0; 1], from Hφ,L(ℝn) to Hφ(ℝn) when i(φ) ∊ (

; 1], and from Hφ,L(ℝn) to the weak Musielak-Orlicz-Hardy space WHφ(ℝn) when i(φ)=

is attainable and φ(·; t) ∊ A1(X), where i(φ) denotes the uniformly critical lower type index of φ
E-learning - evaluation of a diagnostic decision support system in undergraduate medical training
Authors: Berggren Michel , Nilsson Gunnar , Kronvall Göran , Josephson Anna
Published: February 2013

Background
Enhanced diagnostic reasoning by medical students has a positive effect on learning diagnostic procedures. Decision support systems (DSS) are intended to support this process in the clinical phase of medical education. The aim was to explore both the use and usefulness of such a system, as well as adjustments needed for an optimal implementation in undergraduate medical training.
Methods
Using a dispersive implementation strategy, fourth-year medical students (n=130) were given access to a DSS (DXplain) during the two-semester course in internal medicine. The students were asked to participate in an internet-based questionnaire survey at the end.
Results
A majority (61.8%) of the users found the system more or less useful, 41.8% found it relatively easy to use, and a majority (54.9%) would like to have future access to the system. However, the usage was limited, and several issues needed for an optimal implementation were found related to interface, logic, usefulness, accessibility and motivation.
Conclusions
The DXplain system were more or less useful and relatively easy to use in undergraduate medical training, and the usage was limited using an dispersive implementation. An optimal implementation needs to be stricter including taking several aspects of usefulness into account, and a pronounced integration in theoretical and clinical phases of the education is needed to take advantage of its full potential in undergraduate medical training.
MRI evaluation of tibial tunnel wall cortical bone formation after platelet-rich plasma applied during anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
Authors: Rupreht Mitja , Vogrin Matjaž , Hussein Mohsen
Published: February 2013

Background. After anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, formation of cortical sclerotic bone encircling the femoral and tibial tunnel is a part of intratunnel graft healing. During the physiological cascades of soft tissue healing and bone growth, cellular and hormonal factors play an important role. The purpose of this study was to noninvasively but quantitatively assess the effect of intraoperatively applied platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on the formation of cortical bone encircling the tibial tunnel.

Patients and methods. In fifty patients, standard arthroscopic ACL reconstructions were performed. The PRP group (n = 25) received a local application of PRP while the control group (n = 25) did not receive PRP. The proximal tibial tunnel was examined by MRI in the paraxial plane where the portion of the tibial tunnel wall circumference consisting of sclerotic cortical bone was assessed with testing occurring at one, two and a half and six months after surgery. Results. At one month after surgery, differences between the groups in the amount of cortical sclerotic bone encircling the tunnel were not significant (p = 0.928). At two and a half months, the sclerotic portion of the tunnel wall in the PRP group (36.2%) was significantly larger than in the control (22.5%) group (p = 0.004). At six months, the portion of sclerotic bone in the PRP group (67.1%) was also significantly larger than in the control (53.5%) group (p = 0.003).

Conclusions. Enhanced cortical bone formation encircling the tibial tunnel at 2.5 and 6 months after ACL graft reconstruction results from locally applied platelet-rich plasma.
Financial and Tax Management in Small and Medium Sized Industrial Enterprises
Authors: Bestvinová Viera , Homokyová Mária , Horváthová Martina
Published: February 2013

Target of this paper was to evaluate the importance of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Slovakia and to determine the application of financial and tax management in this type of enterprises. The results of our findings confirm that SMEs have an important role in Slovakia, and also that especially small businesses have little or no experience with the application of financial and tax management. Therefore the paper contains recommendations for financial and tax management of SMEs.
Information Quality, Its Dimension and the Basic Criteria for Assessing Information Quality
Authors: alá Jana , Černá Ľubica
Published: February 2013

Poor quality of information in modern organizations depends on many aspects. As such the size and nature of the information, human factors, organizational culture, experience and skills as a manager and other team members, technology, but also the quality of inputs including, but not least, include data quality. Applying methodology of quality control help organizations create effective management of its information. The method of quality information control depends on all those aspects. The importance of the organization should be given to dispose of an optimum amount of information in the required quality and especially to share this information. Quality information is the key to the success of the project management, but also in many other areas. Understanding the mechanics of control information management and class is essential, but it is experience that distinguishes successful information quality managers.
Sustainable Ergonomic Program – Basic Condition for Implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility
Authors: Marková Petra , Beňo Rastislav , Hatiar Karol
Published: February 2013

Gradually increasing pressure on companies to start to behave socially responsible is a response to social, environmental and economic requirements. The society faces a period of changes that have occurred since the beginning of the crisis and revealing weaknesses in the economy. We become witnesses of rapid changes and challenges posed by globalization, lack of resources, demographic structure and innovation. Objective necessity becomes a corporate social responsibility (CSR) already at the companies’ level, which is supported by the approach of the EU institutions and the Slovak Republic. One of the possible appliance through which we can contribute to the sustainability of CSR are sustainable ergonomic programs. When we want to talk about sustainable ergonomic program is important to focus on three key areas. The first area is the Impact of technic and technology to employees at work, the second area is the Importance and impact of socially responsible HR in ergonomics and last area is the Creation of the work environment in relation to environmental sustainability. Ergonomic programs sustainability requires to apply appropriate methods for evaluation of their cost benefit and health effect.
Using of CBA Method for Evaluation of the Investments in the Link with Social Responsible Business
Authors: Mrvová Ľubica , Vaňová Jaromíra
Published: February 2013

The paper presents knowledge from the area of economic efficiency assessment of the environmental investments, in the link with environmental management with context of social responsible business and their mutual connection, on the base of CBA method. CBA method creates basis for the software CBA1.1, which was created for the needs of business practise for the small and medium enterprises in the Slovak Republic.
The Marketing Audit as a Method of the Evaluation of the Marketing Plan
Authors: Vaňa Kamil , Černá Ľubica
Published: February 2013

The growing complexity of the current market environment needs a more systematic evaluation process of the organizational marketing performance to deal with the dynamic market. This paper deals with marketing audit as a comprehensive assessment of all angles of marketing operation in an organization and also deals with systematic evaluation of plans, objectives, strategies, activities and organizational structure as well as marketing staff.
Effective Tools for Conflict Resolution in Multicultural Teams in Industrial Enterprises
Authors: Videnová Veronika , Beluský Martin , Cagáňová Dagmar , Čambál Miloš
Published: February 2013

The aim of this paper is to highlight the issue of resolving conflicts within multicultural teams in industrial enterprises. The authors build upon the concept of multiculturalism which seeks for possible ways to enable different cultures to coexist and the means of communication between them. In the introduction, the authors explain the importance of increased attention and interest in the area of multiculturalism. Industrial enterprises nowadays are increasingly aware of this issue as they become more open to different cultures and they are confronted with intensive international migration and previously isolated societies become more pluralistic. As a result of these processes, individuals are more frequently in contact with members of different cultures.
A Multicultural Competencies Approach to Developing Human Capital Management
Authors: Woolliscroft Paul , Cagáňová Dagmar , Čambál Miloš , Šefčíková Miriam , Kamenova Joana Valery
Published: February 2013

The globalisation phenomenon has been prevalent since the last decade of 20th century and remains a significant factor influencing both organisations and individuals today. Within a globalised business environment the effective management of multicultural aspects and differences has become imperative to ensure success. It is increasingly evident there is a need to develop a clear understanding of multicultural competencies in order to fully develop a strategic approach to human capital management (HCM). The adoption of a strategic approach is necessary to ensure a focus on the issues critical to success and competitive advantage including multicultural management, professional skills and knowledge management. This paper aims to identify the importance of intercultural management and the impact of globalisation upon international business.
Respecting Stakeholders and Their Engagement to Decision Making – The Way of Successful Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy
Authors: Drieniková Katarína , Sakál Peter
Published: February 2013

Current world situation characterized by constant dynamic development and changes in all spheres enforced us to view the business not only as a profit creator but as creator of added value to the society. The paper deals with the stakeholders as the integral part of corporate social responsibility (CSR) concept. It mentions the topic of stakeholder theory and stakeholder management in consideration of sustainable development and sustainable competitiveness of business. Within the paper are mentioned outputs of pilot research carried on among Slovak companies focusing on stakeholders and decision making within responsible business.
Sustainable Corporate Social Responsibility - An Alternative for a Paradigm Change of Business in the 21St Century
Authors: Hrdinová Gabriela , Sakál Peter
Published: February 2013

The critical system analysis of the current status of all areas of human activity on the planet Earth (in Europe and the Slovak Republic) convinces us, that this development is unsustainable. Many prominent personalities of scientific, cultural, social and political life stated that our planet Earth and mankind with it, and all that man has created during its existence is only one step finds itself on the brink of disaster and it will turn against man. Many theoretical concepts, based on the historical development and experience notes that this status is natural and inevitable. However, we hold a different opinion. If the man is team, that is declared, it must show (now at the turning point) themselves and future generations, that it thinks with its existence on planet Earth seriously and responsibly. Given by the current global crisis and also our belief that the fundamental problem of humanity is unfair creation and distribution of wealth on planet Earth, we maintain opinion for changing the paradigm of thinking in this area. As the only alternative for solving this problem we see in the application of the concept of sustainable corporate social responsibility. The article presents our idea.
High-level Coaches’ Perceptions of their Professional Knowledge, Skills, and Characteristics
Authors: Blumenstein Boris , Orbach Iris , Bar-Eli Michael , Dreshman Raya , Weinstein Yitzhak
Published: February 2013

The purpose of this study was threefold: (a) to describe the different types of knowledge, skills, and individual characteristics of highlevel coaches from individual and team sports, as perceived by the coaches themselves; (b) to assess the similarities and differences between high-level individual and team coaches; and (c) to reflect on possible ways to improve the educational coaching programs for individual and team sports. Thirty-five high-level coaches from individual and team sports completed a questionnaire consisting of three parts: Knowledge, skills, and individual characteristics. Results revealed differences and similarities between team sport coaches (TSC) and individual sport coaches (ISC) in each of the three questionnaire components. It is recommended that coaches’ educational programs consider the research findings between ISCs and TSCs in their efforts to improve coaches’ knowledge and skills.
Parental Responses to Professional Behaviors in Coaching and Teaching
Authors: Murray Melissa A. , Bodey Kimberly J. , Schoenstedt Linda J. , Dieffenbach Kristen
Published: February 2013

While many believe there is a societal role in the development of personal morals and ethics, the outcome is still an individualized approach for navigating the complex world in which we live. Forsyth (1980) offers one such theoretical perspective in which he posits that one’s ethical behaviors are a reflection of one’s moral philosophy. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of one’s moral philosophy on perceptions of professional behaviors in the teaching and coaching setting. Specifically, researchers were interested in (a) differences in parents’ perceptions of professional behavior given the principal actor in the situation (i.e., teacher or coach) and (b) differences in parents’ perceptions of professional behavior given their individual moral philosophy (i.e., Situationist, Absolutist, Exceptionist, and Subjectivist). Participants in the study (N = 210) were asked to complete the Ethics Position Questionnaire and respond to a series of ethically toned situations reflecting either the coaching or teaching environment. Results indicate few differences exist in parental perceptions of professional behaviors in the teaching and coaching setting. However, one’s moral philosophy did influence responses on two of the scenarios (racial stereotyping and the use of harsh language). Results support the need for further research on professional behaviors and contextualized morals in the sport setting, specifically to better understand the moral lens through which parents perceive the behaviors of coaches and teachers. Results also support the need for a model of coaching education similar to that of teacher education
Practice Variability and Training Design: Strategies of Elite Horizontal Jump Coaches
Authors: Wu Will F. W. , Porter Jared M. , Partridge Julie A. , Young Michael A. , Newman Nick
Published: February 2013

Schmidt’s Schema Theory (1975) predicts that successful motor skill learning and performance are largely determined by the amount of movement variability the performer experiences during practice. This prediction has been consistently validated through a vast amount of research. Within a training environment, practice variability can be integrated by creating variation within the movements of an action, the physical context in which the action takes place, and the situation in which the action is performed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree to which elite long jump coaches institute practice variability within their training design to enhance toe-board accuracy. Participants completed an open-ended survey inquiring about their knowledge and strategies to improve toe-board accuracy. Seventy-eight percent of the coaches reported they were aware of research on toe-board accuracy and reported using a variety of strategies. With respect to practice variability, coaches used “measured run” techniques that change the approach distance to the toe-board. Coaches did not report varying movements of the long jump action or situations in which the action occurs. The results suggest that elite long jump coaches stress the importance of toe-board accuracy but do not maximize the use of practice variability for training toe-board accuracy.
Public Responses to Violence in Quebec Junior Hockey: An Unobtrusive Analysis of the Patrice Cormier-Mikael Tam Incident
Authors: Fogel Curtis A.
Published: February 2013

While much is known about how players perceive violence in Canadian sport, little research has been conducted on public perceptions of this violence. This paper provides a preliminary enquiry into how the public perceives acts of excessive violence in Canadian ice hockey through an unobtrusive analysis of 923 responses posted electronically on an internet site following a media article pertaining to a single violent act. The online media article describes an incident involving a Quebec Junior Hockey League (QJHL) player, Patrice Cormier, elbowing an opposing player, Mikael Tam, in the head causing physical injuries. Using open coding, the responses to this article are analyzed.
A current absence of neonaticide in Norway
Authors: Ottesen Vibeke
Published: February 2013

The present study is the first attempt to explore the rate, characteristics and legal reactions to neonaticide in Norway during the years 1990 – 2009. Potential incidents of neonaticide were identified through the national homicide index held by the National Criminal Investigation Service and the national police registers for all recorded crime in Norway held by the National Police Computing and Material Services. The study uncovers that no clear incident of neonaticide has been recorded in the respective registers during the study’s time period. There was however recorded one case of a discarded stillborn and one case of an abandoned neonate that died through exposure. The paper discusses whether the study’s findings are congruent with an evolutionary psychological understanding of filicide and current knowledge of risk factors and rates for neonaticide.
Perfect Simple in Wallachia and Transylvania: A Typological Approach
Authors: Chitez Mădălina
Published: February 2013

The focus of the article is the dialectal-typological analysis of Perfect Simple/PS (Ro. ‘perfectul simplu’) in Romanian dialects, i.e. Bobiceşti/Olt/Wallachia and Almaş/Arad/Transylvania. Paralleled by the main literature-based characteristics of the tense, the data do not only emphasize the surprisingly preponderant distribution of PS in Transylvania but they also reveal the key status of the Perfect Simple as part of the Romanian dialect use as well as its typologically relevant double status (Standard Romanian versus dialect use). The comparison between the ‘general purpose’ Latin-to- Romance PS evolution and the ‘Balkansprachbund’ Greek-Aorist characteristics ends with commentaries on the double perspective of Romanian: Wallachian (generally reflected in Standard Romanian) manifests Balkan-oriented phenomena and Transylvanian preserves Latin/Romance-oriented features.
Route 66 and No End: Further Fortunes of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 66
Authors: Pfister Manfred
Published: February 2013

At the SHINE-conference in Murcia in 1999 I claimed that sonnet 66 has been largely disregarded by Anglo-American critics whereas, in continental Europe, it has been frequently used as a medium of protest in crucial political situations. In the light of more recent findings I will revise this claim and draw attention to English poets and novelists from the Romantic period to Modernism reworking or working with the sonnet with a political thrust
Conquered Landscape in the American West
Authors: Chirica Irina
Published: February 2013

The paper traces the history of “conquered landscape” back to the original European colonists and the Puritans. We discuss the contribution of Thomas Jefferson as an architect of Western expansion through the purchase of the Louisiana territory and the mapping of future policy regarding the settling of Western territory. We cover the major moments in the settling of the West and their historic significance. We discuss Frederick Jackson Turner’s concept of the West as “a succession of frontiers” versus revisionist historian Patricia Nelson Limerick’s concept of conquest and conquered territory. The second part of the paper deals with the Native American view of the land, with reference to Paula Gunn Allen’s ideas and Leslie Marmon Silko’s novels Ceremony and Almanac of the Dead. Silko juxtaposes two different kinds of space, Native American versus federal space. The Native American and Anglo-American views of nature are contrasted and explained, with the discussion of aspects of native removal, reterritorialization and misrepresentation.
Memories from the Margins: Stories and Images of Urban Homelessness
Authors: Miller Cynthia J.
Published: February 2013

Among any city’s most wounded bodies and minds are the homeless - individuals who live on the streets, without any formal claim to place. For many of these individuals, the vessels of historical memory are not museums, or classrooms, or library archives, but parks, alleyways, and subway stations. As the numbers of homeless individuals increase dramatically each year, their social, physical, and psychological trauma increasingly characterizes urban life, even as their experiences fall to the margins of the city’s history and future. In response, this paper explores the merging of homeless histories with public history, through two interlocking projects carried out in Boston, Massachusetts - “Histories and Homelessness,” a community-based life-writing project, and “Images from the Streets,” a disposable-camera photography project - outreach and education projects, in which all participants are among the unsheltered homeless who spend their nights on heating grates, under highways, and in ATM kiosks. Together, these projects begin to map and make visible the landscape and memories of homelessness, as they are written and photographed by its inhabitants, and firmly situate these histories within the wider community. Recovering the personal and interpretive histories of homeless individuals, so intimately tied to “place,” creates a powerful strategy for expanding the history of the community to include voices and visions often excluded or left at the margins.
Meddling with the Muddling Rushdie Affair
Authors: Bădulescu Dana
Published: February 2013

The “Rushdie affair” is one of the most far-reaching book events of the late 20
Racial Violence in William Faulkner’s Dry September and Harper Lee’s to Kill a Mockingbird
Authors: Milică Iulia Andreea
Published: February 2013

With its history of slavery and racial conflict, war and defeat, segregation and lynching, the South is defined by violence and aggression on a personal and community level. This experience defined Southern identity and shaped its literature to mirror the sense of frustration, guilt and shame bursting from the heart of seemingly peaceful, ordered and decent communities. Though some authors tend to see violence as a necessary transgression that will, eventually, through painful sacrifice, lay the foundation of a renewed world, others regard it as a trap or a vicious circle which does not allow the South to grow out of the illusion of a glorious past and accept present changes. William Faulkner’ short story
“Neatly Severing The Body From The Head:” Female Abjection In Margaret Atwood’S The Edible Woman
Authors: Kriebernegg Ulla
Published: February 2013

In Margaret Atwood’s fiction and poetry, wounded female bodies are a frequently used metaphor for the central characters’ severe identity crises. Atwood’s female protagonists or lyric personae fight marginalization and victimization and often struggle to position themselves in patriarchal society. In order to maintain the illusion of a stable identity, the characters often disavow parts of themselves and surrender to a subversive memory that plays all sorts of tricks on them. However, these “abject” aspects (J. Kristeva, Powers of Horror) cannot be repressed and keep returning, threatening the women’s only seemingly unified selves: In Surfacing, for example, the protagonist suffers from emotional numbness after an abortion. In The Edible Woman, the protagonist’s crisis results in severe eating disorders and in Cat’s Eye and The Robber Bride the central characters’ conflicts are externalized and projected onto haunting ghost-like trickster figures.

In this paper, I will look at various representations of “wounded bodies and wounded minds” in samples of Margaret Atwood’s The Edible Woman, focusing on the intersection of memory and identity and analyzing the strategies for healing that Margaret Atwood offers.
Towards self-clocked gated OCDMA receiver
Authors: Idris S. , Osadola T. , Glesk I.
Published: February 2013

A novel incoherent OCDMA receiver with incorporated all-optical clock recovery for self-synchronization of a time gate for the multi access interferences (MAI) suppression and minimizing the effect of data time jitter in incoherent OCDMA system was successfully developed and demonstrated. The solution was implemented and tested in a multiuser environment in an out of the laboratory OCDMA testbed with two-dimensional wavelength-hopping time-spreading coding scheme and OC-48 (2.5 Gbp/s) data rate. The self-clocked all-optical time gate uses SOA-based fibre ring laser optical clock, recovered all-optically from the received OCDMA traffic to control its switching window for cleaning the autocorrelation peak from the surrounding MAI. A wider eye opening was achieved when the all-optically recovered clock from received data was used for synchronization if compared to a static approach with the RF clock being generated by a RF synthesizer. Clean eye diagram was also achieved when recovered clock is used to drive time gating.
Inequality and Emancipation : An Educational Approach
Authors: Gross Stefan
Published: February 2013

Emancipation has lost its charisma. In the 1960s, the term had been one of the saviour-concepts in the educational debate on social inequality and the political function of pedagogy in Western countries. Nowadays, as the discussion is still ongoing, the word is rarely in use. Overloaded with political enmeshments and a plurality of meanings, emancipation seems to be nothing more than a nearly forgotten relict of an ancient time. How could this rise and fall happen? The present essay is tracing the colourful history of emancipation in various contexts, recapitulating its pedagogical importance in the 1960s and discovering how the pillars have kept their primary function, although the word is not in use any longer.
University - Industry Relations: A Thrust for Transformation of Knowledge and Economic Acceleration
Authors: Lamichhane Shreeram , Sharma Tanka Nath
Published: February 2013

The complex theory calls for probing a given context in a holistic manner because the isolationist approach is less likely to produce authentic knowledge of the reality. It is also important to perceive the nature of connectivities in all spheres of human existence. Once we put motion in our lives essentially we need to act with the understanding that there exist robust connections between human existence and numerous existence-related variables. This article attempts to dig out the inexorable connection between university and industry. Neither of these two constituents accumulates energy if left to function in isolation. Rather a mutual reinforcement between them is most likely to stimulate a powerful flow of synergy which will empower both of them to enjoy a win-win situation. To this end, a sharing modality between university and industry is what this article attempts to focus on.
Assessment of Tire Noise on Concrete Pavement in California Highways
Authors: Kohler Erwin , Harvey John , Motumah Linus
Published: February 2013

A 2-year initial study, recently completed in California, measured and compared tire–pavement noise levels with the onboard sound intensity method on existing concrete pavements. The study included 120 pavement subsections at 47 sites; most sections were measured twice in the 2 years. The surfaces encountered were classified into five texture categories: burlap drag, diamond ground, diamond grooved, longitudinally broomed, and longitudinally tined. The experiment was not balanced for age, traffic level, or climate region. The surfaces were further categorized as having new, aged, or worn-out texture. The differences within and between surface types were assessed for spectral content and overall sound intensity. The results revealed a large overlap in the onboard sound intensity levels between texture types. The quietest sections overall were measured on diamond ground surfaces. However, on the basis of the average noise level of the evaluated sections of each texture type, the longitudinally broomed surfaces as a group were the quietest, although they were represented by a small sample in the experiment. The study indicated that the sound intensity of concrete pavements in California ranged from about 99 to about 107 dB(A). The measured onboard sound intensity levels included the effects of joint slap, faulting, and sealant, if present, in addition to the texture.
Household-Level Global Positioning System Travel Data to Measure Regional Traffic Congestion
Authors: Bachman William , Oliveira Marcelo , Xu Jing , Sabina Erik
Published: February 2013

Regional performance metrics for traffic congestion typically rely on facility-based measurements and forecasted regional impacts. Global Positioning System (GPS) travel data from household travel surveys or panel studies can provide an alternative source of performance data that characterize the specific experiences of households in the region. Such data can also supplement regional performance data for congestion management programs and can be directly related to the experiences of the region's residents and the development of livability and mobility standards. GPS travel data from the 2010 Front Range Counts Travel Survey were used to generate vehicle travel performance metrics in the Denver, Colorado, area. At the regional and household levels, statistics regarding travel time index, number of stops, and overall delay were calculated. This new approach is compared with standard congestion measurement practice to highlight advantages and disadvantages. This supplemental household approach provides planners and policy makers with insights that can guide mitigation strategies and investment plans.
Multisensor Data Integration and Fusion in Traffic Operations and Management
Authors: Bachmann Chris , Abdulhai Baher , Roorda Matthew J. , Moshiri Behzad
Published: February 2013

Widespread technological development and deployment have created an abundance of data sources for traffic monitoring. A database that integrates data from all these technologies would maximize coverage of the network, given the available data. Sometimes, however, there are multiple independent measurements of the current traffic conditions for a particular portion of the network. In these cases, a variety of data fusion techniques can be used to achieve better estimates while helping to overcome information overload. This paper discusses several techniques for fusing data from competitive sensor configurations, describes the analytical foundation of these techniques, and interprets how each technique might be used most appropriately. In addition, these data fusion techniques are implemented and compared relative to their ability to accurately and reliably estimate traffic speeds. A real-world case study in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, demonstrates that estimates from data fusion techniques that pull loop detector data and probe vehicle data from an integrated database are more accurate and reliable than estimates based on individual data sources. Consequently, these data fusion–based estimates can be taken with greater certainty and confidence.
Average Travel Time Estimations for Urban Routes that Consider Exit Turning Movements
Authors: Bhaskar Ashish , Chung Edward , Dumont André-Gilles
Published: February 2013

This paper presents a methodology for real-time estimation of exit movement–specific average travel time on urban routes by integrating real-time cumulative plots, probe vehicles, and historic cumulative plots. Two approaches, component based and extreme based, are discussed for route travel time estimation. The methodology is tested with simulation and is validated with real data from Lucerne, Switzerland, that demonstrate its potential for accurate estimation. Both approaches provide similar results. The component-based approach is more reliable, with a greater chance of obtaining a probe vehicle in each interval, although additional data from each component is required. The extreme-based approach is simple and requires only data from upstream and downstream of the route, but the chances of obtaining a probe that traverses the entire route might be low. The performance of the methodology is also compared with a probe-only method. The proposed methodology requires only a few probes for accurate estimation; the probe-only method requires significantly more probes.
Probabilistic Fusion of Vehicle Features for Reidentification and Travel Time Estimation Using Video Image Data
Authors: Sumalee Agachai , Wang Jiankai , Jedwanna Krit , Suwansawat Suchatvee
Published: February 2013

This paper proposes a probabilistic vehicle reidentification algorithm for estimating travel time using the image data provided by traffic surveillance cameras. Each vehicle is characterized by its color, type, and length, which are extracted from the video record using image processing techniques. A data fusion rule is introduced to combine these three features to generate a probabilistic measure for a reidentification (matching) decision. The vehicle-matching problem is then reformulated as a combinatorial problem and solved by a minimum-weight bipartite matching method. To reduce the computational time, the algorithm uses the potential availability of historic travel time data to define a potential time window for vehicle reidentification. This probabilistic approach does not require vehicle sequential information and hence allows vehicle reidentification across multiple lanes. The algorithm is tested on a 5-km section of the expressway system in Bangkok, Thailand. The travel time estimation result is also compared with the directly observed data.
Bluetooth Sensor Data and Ground Truth Testing of Reported Travel Times
Authors: Aliari Yashar , Haghani Ali
Published: February 2013

Travel time information is a valuable statistic in transportation systems. This information supports a wide body of decision makers, from passengers seeking to minimize trip times to authorities who rely on these data for monitoring and planning purposes as well as for emergency responses. Collecting accurate travel time information is a pivotal task. In recent years, the I-95 Corridor Coalition has provided extensive real-time travel information for several freeway segments and arterials surrounding I-95 on the East Coast under the Coalition's Vehicle Probe Project. As a partner to this collaborative effort, the University of Maryland has been responsible for data verification and validation. This process involves comparing reported speeds with observations recorded by Bluetooth sensors to evaluate the accuracy of the reported data. This paper discusses the comparison method specified in the project documentation and explores some alternative approaches and their merits and limitations.
Side-Fire Lidar-Based Vehicle Classification
Authors: Lee Ho , Coifman Benjamin
Published: February 2013

Vehicle classification data are used for numerous transportation applications. Most of the classification data come from permanent in-pavement sensors or temporary sensors mounted on the pavement. This study developed a lidar-based classification system that used data from sensors mounted in a side-fire configuration next to the road. The classification system first distinguished between vehicle returns and nonvehicle returns, and then clustered the vehicle returns into individual vehicles. An algorithm examined each vehicle cluster to check for any evidence of partial occlusion from another vehicle. Several measurements were taken from each nonoccluded cluster to classify the vehicle into one of six classes: motorcycle, passenger vehicle, passenger vehicle pulling a trailer, single-unit truck, single-unit truck pulling a trailer, and multiunit truck. The algorithm was evaluated at six locations under various traffic conditions. When compared with concurrent video ground truth data for more than 27,000 vehicles on a per vehicle basis, 11% of the vehicles were suspected of being partially occluded. The algorithm correctly classified more than 99.5% of the remaining nonoccluded vehicles. This research uncovered emerging challenges that likely applied to most classification systems: differentiating commuter cars from motorcycles. Occlusions were inevitable in this proof of concept study because the lidar sensors were mounted roughly 6 ft above the road, well below the tops of many vehicles. Ultimately a combination of a higher vantage point and shape information will greatly reduce the effects of occlusions.
Evaluation of Thermal Image Video Sensors for Stop Bar Detection at Signalized Intersections
Authors: Grossman Jay , Hainen Alexander M. , Remias Stephen M. , Bullock Darcy M.
Published: February 2013

Thermal image sensors for stop bar presence detection have recently been introduced to the traffic industry as an alternative to cameras sensitive only to the visual spectrum. This new detection technology, from two manufacturers, was evaluated side by side with a video detection system. Inductive loops were used for a comparison to identify discrepancies that warranted the manual establishment of ground truth of the video images. The video camera and two thermal sensors operated simultaneously over a 24-h period, and discrepancies in the loop versus thermal or video detection calls were validated from recorded video. No missed call events longer than 10 s were observed, and only a modest number of false calls were made by the test systems. The bias in activation and termination times was also evaluated during day and night operation for each system. The study found that the median time difference in activating a detection zone was about 1 s when the day and night operations of the detection system were compared with a video camera. This finding is consistent with past studies that reported nighttime detection challenges related to headlight projections. However, the thermal cameras had virtually no change in median activation times when day and nighttime operations were compared. This encouraging finding suggests that integrating cameras sensitive to the infrared spectrum holds considerable promise for improving the quality of nighttime video detection.
Deterioration Models for Life-Cycle Cost Analysis of Bridge Decks in Nebraska
Authors: Hatami Afshin , Morcous George
Published: February 2013

Deterioration models are vital to life-cycle cost assessments of bridges. Maintenance and user costs depend on bridge conditions, which vary across the period of analysis. The quality of LCC-based decisions depends on the accuracy and efficiency of the deterioration models used to predict the remaining service life of highway bridges. In Nebraska, the national average deterioration rates are used to predict the condition of bridge components. These rates do not represent the actual performance of bridges in Nebraska, however. The Nebraska Department of Roads therefore sponsored a research project to develop deterioration models specific to Nebraska's bridges, which used condition data collected from 1998 to 2010. In this paper, deterministic and stochastic deterioration models for bridge decks in Nebraska are presented. These models reflect the impact of parameters that govern deterioration, which include average daily traffic, average daily truck traffic, wearing surface type, highway district, and deck protection. The deterioration models developed indicated that the deck deterioration rate in Nebraska was lower than the national average and that it depended on traffic volume and highway district. Also, the service life of decks with epoxy-coated reinforcement was longer than that of decks with black reinforcement.