bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Provisioning Vehicular Services and Communications Based on a Bluetooth Sensor Network Deployment
Authors: De Cerio David , Valenzuela José
Published: May 2015

It is very common to rule out Bluetooth as a suitable technology for vehicular communications. The reasons behind this decision usually result from misconceptions such as accepting that Bluetooth has a short application range, or assuming its connection setup is not fast enough to allow communication which involves high speed moving nodes. This paper refutes those assertions and proposes the use of Bluetooth not only for Infrastructure-to-Vehicle (I2V) or Road-to-Vehicle (R2V) communications, but also for Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) or Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communications. This novel proposal is based on using the remote name request procedure of the standard, combined with an adjustment and optimization of the parameters present in the inquiry and page procedures. The proposed modifications reduce the information exchange delay, thus making Bluetooth a suitable technology for high-speed vehicle communications. The feasibility of the proposed scheme has been validated through experimental tests conducted in different scenarios: laboratory, a real highway and a racing test circuit. There, the communication system was installed in a vehicle circulating at speeds of up to 250 km/h, whereas autonomous devices were disseminated throughout the road path to communicate with the on board devices obtaining satisfying results.
Monoclonal Antibody Combinations that Present Synergistic Neutralizing Activity: A Platform for Next-Generation Anti-Toxin Drugs
Authors: Diamant Eran , Torgeman Amram , Ozeri Eyal , Zichel Ran
Published: May 2015

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) are among the fastest-growing therapeutics and are being developed for a broad range of indications, including the neutralization of toxins, bacteria and viruses. Nevertheless, MAbs potency is still relatively low when compared to conventional polyclonal Ab preparations. Moreover, the efficacy of an individual neutralizing MAb may significantly be hampered by the potential absence or modification of its target epitope in a mutant or subtype of the infectious agent. These limitations of individual neutralizing MAbs can be overcome by using oligoclonal combinations of several MAbs with different specificities to the target antigen. Studies conducted in our lab and by others show that such combined MAb preparation may present substantial synergy in its potency over the calculated additive potency of its individual MAb components. Moreover, oligoclonal preparation is expected to be better suited to compensating for reduced efficacy due to epitope variation. In this review, the synergistic neutralization properties of combined oligoclonal Ab preparations are described. The effect of Ab affinity, autologous Fc fraction, and targeting a critical number of epitopes, as well as the unexpected contribution of non-neutralizing clones to the synergistic neutralizing effect are presented and discussed.
Treatment of Gastrointestinal Sphincters Spasms with Botulinum Toxin A
Authors: Brisinda Giuseppe , Sivestrini Nicola , Bianco Giuseppe , Maria Giorgio
Published: May 2015

Botulinum toxin A inhibits neuromuscular transmission. It has become a drug with many indications. The range of clinical applications has grown to encompass several neurological and non-neurological conditions. One of the most recent achievements in the field is the observation that botulinum toxin A provides benefit in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Although toxin blocks cholinergic nerve endings in the autonomic nervous system, it has also been shown that it does not block non-adrenergic non-cholinergic responses mediated by nitric oxide. This has promoted further interest in using botulinum toxin A as a treatment for overactive smooth muscles and sphincters. The introduction of this therapy has made the treatment of several clinical conditions easier, in the outpatient setting, at a lower cost and without permanent complications. This review presents current data on the use of botulinum toxin A in the treatment of pathological conditions of the gastrointestinal tract.
Effects of Wheat Naturally Contaminated with Fusarium Mycotoxins on Growth Performance and Selected Health Indices of Red Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus × O. mossambicus)
Authors: Tola Siriporn , Bureau Dominique , Hooft Jamie , Beamish Frederick , Sulyok Michael , Krska Rudolf , Encarnação Pedro , Petkam Rakpong
Published: May 2015

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to examine effects of wheat naturally contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol, DON 41 mg·kg−1) on growth performance and selected health indices of red tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus × O. mossambicus; initial weight = 4.3 g/fish). Five experimental diets were formulated by replacement of clean wheat with naturally contaminated wheat resulting in graded levels of DON and zearalenone (ZEN) (Diet 1 0.07/0.01, Diet 2 0.31/0.09, Diet 3 0.50/0.21, Diet 4 0.92/0.37 and Diet 5 1.15/0.98 mg·kg−1). Groups of 50 fish were randomly allocated into each of 20 aquaria and fed to near-satiety for eight weeks. Growth rate, feed intake and feed efficiency of fish fed the experimental diets decreased linearly with increasing levels of Fusarium mycotoxins (p < 0.05). Although growth depression was associated with feeding diets naturally contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins, especially DON, no biochemical and histopathological parameters measured in blood and liver appeared affected by Fusarium mycotoxin concentrations of diets (p > 0.05). Though there was no clear evidence of overt DON toxicity to red tilapia, it is recommended that feed ingredients should be screened for Fusarium mycotoxin contamination to ensure optimal growth performance.
HCV Core Protein Uses Multiple Mechanisms to Induce Oxidative Stress in Human Hepatoma Huh7 Cells
Authors: Ivanov Alexander , Smirnova Olga , Petrushanko Irina , Ivanova Olga , Karpenko Inna , Alekseeva Ekaterina , Sominskaya Irina , Makarov Alexander , Bartosch Birke , Kochetkov Sergey , Isaguliants Maria
Published: May 2015

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is accompanied by the induction of oxidative stress, mediated by several virus proteins, the most prominent being the nucleocapsid protein (HCV core). Here, using the truncated forms of HCV core, we have delineated several mechanisms by which it induces the oxidative stress. The N-terminal 36 amino acids of HCV core induced TGFβ1-dependent expression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidases 1 and 4, both of which independently contributed to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The same fragment also induced the expression of cyclo-oxygenase 2, which, however, made no input into ROS production. Amino acids 37–191 of HCV core up-regulated the transcription of a ROS generating enzyme cytochrome P450 2E1. Furthermore, the same fragment induced the expression of endoplasmic reticulum oxidoreductin 1α. The latter triggered efflux of Ca2+ from ER to mitochondria via mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter, leading to generation of superoxide anions, and possibly also H2O2. Suppression of any of these pathways in cells expressing the full-length core protein led to a partial inhibition of ROS production. Thus, HCV core causes oxidative stress via several independent pathways, each mediated by a distinct region of the protein.
Evaluating the Effects of Mulch and Irrigation Amount on Soil Water Distribution and Root Zone Water Balance Using HYDRUS-2D
Authors: Han Ming , Zhao Chengyi , Feng Gary , Yan Yingyu , Sheng Yu
Published: May 2015

Water scarcity is the most critical constraint for sustainable cotton production in Xinjiang Province, northwest China. Drip irrigation under mulch is a major water-saving irrigation method that has been widely practiced for cotton production in Xinjiang. The performance of such an irrigation system should be evaluated for proper design and management. Therefore, a field experiment and a simulation study were conducted to (1) determine a modeling approach that can be applied to manage drip irrigation under mulch for cotton production in this region; and (2) examine the effects of irrigation amount and mulch on soil water distribution and root zone water balance components. In the experiment, four irrigation treatments were used: T1, 166.5 m3; T2, 140.4 m3; T3, 115.4 m3; and T4: 102.3 m3. The HYDRUS-2D model was calibrated, validated, and applied with the data obtained in this experiment. Soil water balance in the 0–70 cm soil profile was simulated. Results indicate that the observed soil water content and the simulated results obtained with HYDRUS-2D are in good agreement. The radius of the wetting pattern, root water uptake, and evaporation decreased as the amount of irrigation was reduced from T1 to T4, while a lot of stored soil water in the root zone was utilized and a huge amount of water was recharged from the layer below 70 cm to compensate for the decrease in irrigation amount. Mulch significantly reduced evaporation by 11.7 mm and increased root water uptake by 11.2 mm. Our simulation study suggests that this model can be applied to provide assistance in designing drip irrigation systems and developing irrigation strategies.
Tracing the Sources and Processes of Groundwater in an Alpine Glacierized Region in Southwest China: Evidence from Environmental Isotopes
Authors: Meng Yuchuan , Liu Guodong , Li Mingxi
Published: May 2015

The melting of alpine snow and glaciers is an important hydrologic process on Mount Gongga, China. The relevance of ice-snow melt to the groundwater recharge in the glacierized Hailuogou watershed is so far not well known. To better understand the origin of groundwater and the hydrological interactions between groundwater, meltwater, and precipitation in this region, 148 environmental isotopic data of water samples were analyzed for changes in isotopic composition. The results indicate that the groundwater contains a uniform isotopic signature, with δ18O values between −13.5‰ and −11.1‰ and δ2H values between −90‰ and −75‰. The mean stable isotopic composition of groundwater is heavier than that of ice-snow meltwater but lighter than that of precipitation. The effect of evaporation on the isotopic variation of groundwater is very limited and the seasonal isotope variations in precipitation are attenuated in groundwater. A model based on the δ18O results suggests that approximately 35% of the groundwater is derived from ice-snow meltwater sources. The study demonstrates that ice-snow meltwater is a substantial source of shallow groundwater in the alpine regions on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau.
Le rôle de l'usage de l'automobile dans la transformation des territoires (The role of car use in the transformation of territories)
Authors: Boulahbal Mouna
Published: May 2015

Mobility territories are considered here as sets of visited locations associated with groups of individuals. They may have different patterns than those of the settlement territories. Among other travel modes, private car has a specific role in the making up of these territories.

In small urban areas, visited locations scatter far beyond the limits of the settlement territories. In large urban areas, daily activity locations seem to be more attracted by the centre. However, in both situations, mobility territories expand over the period 1981-1993.

This expansion seems to be a generalized phenomenon : the scattering of visited locations is not only due to the scattering of home locations, as it concerns people living in urban areas centres as well. Concerning people living in urban areas centres, national transports surveys carried out in 1981 and 1993 show that the private car is either the only mechanized travel mode actually used (as there are no efficient public transports in small urban areas), or the one which is associated with the furthest destinations. In all urban areas, car use is growing and the territory associated with car use is the largest one among the territories associates with travel modes (walking, biking, public transports) ; it is also the most enlarging one during the period 1981-1993.
Le détroit du Pas-de-Calais : un espace frontalier terraqué ? (The Strait of Dover : a terraqué trans-border area ?)
Authors: Renard Jean-Pierre
Published: May 2015

Abstract. - We propose to study the Strait of Dover as a "terraqué" transborder area and not as a separated border or a crossing zone. After having justified this research position, we particularly analyse transborder cooperation documents between Kent and Nord-Pas-de-Calais because they are creating new spatial networks.
Généralisation cartographique et description des espaces urbains (Cartographic generalisation and description of urban areas)
Authors: Boffet Annabelle
Published: May 2015

Abstract. - The paper presents an implemented and tested method of multi-level information creation to describe the spatial organisation of urban spaces. The method aims at enriching data to make them tractable by automatic processes of cartographic generalisation. Data interpretation is formalised through creation and caractérisation of new database objets. Results of the method have been validated by comparaison with geographer/cartographer ones.
Le cadre chronologique et l'impact géomorphologique du Petit Âge Glaciaire au Spitsberg occidental (Chronological frame and geomorphological impact of the Little Ice Age in the Western Spitsbergen)
Authors: Vandercruyssen Olivier
Published: May 2015

Abstract. - Around 1890, glaciers from Spitsbergen have known a major advance corresponding to the final phase of the Little Ice Age. Locally it is considered as the most important Holocene neoglacial episode, with a strong geomorphological impact, that seems to have erased all the previous deposits. However, lichenometric studies based on Rhizocarpon geographicum species can help to sketch the glaciodynamic outlines of the King's Bay morainic systems back to 1100 BP.
La reconquête végétale des marges libérées des glaces depuis la fin du Petit Âge Glaciaire, Spitsberg (presqu'île de Brøgger) (Plant colonization of the melting ice margins since the end of the Little Ice Age)
Authors: Moreau Myrtille
Published: May 2015

Résumé. - Sous l'effet du réchauffement climatique, les marges libérées au front des glaciers arctiques sont reprises par la végétation. Ce phénomène est particulièrement marqué au Spitsberg où les fronts morainiques de deux glaciers sont étudiés. Une analyse par relevés botaniques systématiques permet de mettre en relation, depuis la fin du Petit Âge Glaciaire, les phases de retrait glaciaire et les stades successifs du processus de colonisation.
Le paysage et ses temporalités en Baie du Roi (Svalbard) Essais de problématisation et d'instrumentation (The landscape and its temporalities in the King's bay (Svalbard). Tries of problematisation and instrumentation)
Authors: Griselin Madeleine , Ormaux Serge
Published: May 2015

Abstract. - Through a photographical sampling made during the summer and the fall 1998 we present some methods of systematic analysis of the landscape in the King 's Bay and more particularly the temporal survey at different scales (hour, day, season, year). The technology of the information allow to restore to the landscape its temporal continuum and to access to the images by an interactive way.
Concurrence pour les usages de l'eau dans les pôles d'industrie lourde de l'Est du Venezuela (Competition for water use in the heavy industry poles of east Venezuela)
Authors: Pene-Annette Anne
Published: May 2015

Résumé. - Les pôles d'industrie lourde de l'est du Venezuela constituent des exemples illustrant la concurrence pour les usages de l 'eau. Dans une région où la ressource en eau est abondante, la croissance de Barcelona-Puerto la Cruz et de Ciudad Guayana est fondée sur le développement de l'industrie lourde. Celui-ci a été favorisé par l'énergie hydroélectrique, grosse consommatrice d'eau. Dans ce contexte, l'accès aux réseaux d'eau potable et d' assainissement dans ces villes dépend des priorités d'usage de l'eau et renforce une ségrégation socio-spatiale.
DBU-promoted carboxylative cyclization of o-hydroxy- and o-acetamidoacetophenone
Authors: Zhang Wen-Zhen , Liu Si , Lu Xiao-Bing
Published: May 2015

The carboxylative cyclization of o-hydroxy- and o-acetamidoacetophenone with carbon dioxide promoted by the organic base 1,8-diazabicycloundec-7-ene (DBU) is reported. This reaction provides convenient access to the biologically important compounds 4-hydroxy-2H-chromen-2-one and 4-hydroxy-2(1H)-quinolinone in moderate to good yields using carbon dioxide as the carboxylation reagent. An acyl migration from nitrogen to carbon is observed in the reaction of o-acetamidoacetophenone.
Age- and Gender-Specific Normative Information from Children Assessed with a Dichotic Words Test
Authors: Moncrieff Deborah
Published: May 2015

Background:The most widely used assessment in the clinical auditory processing disorder (APD) battery is the dichotic listening test. New tests with normative information are helpful for assessment and cross-check of results for reliable diagnosis.Purpose:The Dichotic
Words Test was developed for use in the clinical test battery for diagnosis of APD. The test stimuli were common single syllable words matched for average root-mean-square amplitude and each pair was temporally aligned at both onset and offset. The study was conducted to collect performance
results from typically developing children to create normative information for the test.Research Design:The study follows a cross-sectional design.Study Sample:Typically developing children (n = 416) between the ages of 5 and 12 yr were recruited from schools in the community.
There were 217 males and 199 females in the study sample. Only children who passed a hearing screening were eligible to participate.Data Collection and Analysis:Scores for each ear were recorded during administration of the first free recall version of the test. Ear advantages based
on results recorded for left and right ears were used to measure prevalence of right, left, and no ear advantages. Results for each listener's dominant and non-dominant ears and the absolute difference between them were put into the data analysis. Results were analyzed for normality and because
no results were normally distributed, all further analyses were done with nonparametric statistical tests. Normative data for dominant and non-dominant ear scores and ear advantages were determined at the 95% confidence interval through bootstrapping methods with 1,000 samples.Results:Children
were divided into four age groups based on results in their dominant ears. Females generally performed better than males and the prevalence of a right-ear advantage was ∼60% across all children tested. Normative lower-bound cut-off scores were established for males and females within each
age group for dominant and non-dominant ear scores. Normative upper-bound cut-off scores were established for males and females within each age group for ear advantage scores.Conclusions:Normative information specific to age group and gender will be useful in clinical assessment for
APD. Prevalence of left-ear advantage results in the sample may have been partly due to uncontrolled influences of voice-onset time in arranging the dichotic pairs.
Safe Handling of Engineered Nanomaterials: Turning Knowledge Into Practice
Authors:   RTI International, Grieger Khara , Sayes Christine , Chen Eric , Ensor David , Jayanty RKM
Published: May 2015

Protecting occupational health is one of the most important aspects of achieving the responsible development of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), especially because workers are often among the first to be potentially exposed to these novel materials. Paul Schulte and colleagues in 2014 were the first to provide specific criteria that organizations may use to help guide responsible nanotechnology development. With these criteria in mind, we evaluate how one research institute has responded to the challenge of handling ENMs in a responsible manner. This effort demonstrates the transition from theory to practice in a workplace setting. Using Schulte et al.’s criteria as a basis, we demonstrate the practical underpinnings of managing ENMs in a workplace setting including the ability to (1) anticipate, identify, and track ENMs in the workplace; (2) assess and communicate hazards and risks to workers; (3) manage occupational health risks; and (4) foster the safe development of nanotechnology and the realization of societal and commercial benefits. In addition, we note remaining challenges pertaining to handling of ENMs and identify four critical research needs to close these information gaps design.
TECHNOLOGIES IN CREATIVE ECONOMY AND CREATIVE SOCIETY
Authors: KAČERAUSKAS Tomas
Published: May 2015

The article deals with issues of technologies in the environment of creative economy and creative society, mostly focusing on the following topics: 1) invasion of technologies, which is accompanied by technical illiteracy or simplification of intellection presupposed by a certain technique (e.g. computers); 2) new technologies emerge in the environment dominated by consumption in order to boost consumption; 3) political, media and communication technologies are intertwined to the extent that allows us to speak about the technologized society; 4) technologies are inseparable from creative activities: on the one hand, development of technologies needs creativity, on the other hand, every branch of creative industries needs certain technologies; 5) technologic development is conditioned by their syncretism, i.e. their ability to serve the art (technē) of life and creative intentions; 6) in the creative society, happiness does not depend on constantly upgraded (i.e. consumed) technologies but is rather possible in spite of them; 7) unlimitedness is the greatest limitation of global technologies: unconnected with any existential region, they billow in the wind of ever newer technologies.
La pub nous fera-t-elle perdre foi en la justice ?
Authors: Léger Jean-Marie
Published: May 2015

L’exploitation publicitaire de représentations ou symboles religieux suscite inévitablement des polémiques, comme le montre la récente affaire Marithé et François Girbaud dont l’affiche publicitaire a été jugée comme «  outrageant un thème sacré  » et constitutive d’une injure aux sentiments religieux. La jurisprudence sur la question est hésitante et contradictoire. Dès lors, comment concilier liberté d’expression, respect des croyances et sécurité juridique ? Une approche méthodologique consistant à confronter les principes en présence, à l’aune notamment de la jurisprudence de la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme, apparaît nécessaire.
Esprit d’Arusha, es-tu là ? La démocratie burundaise au risque des élections de 2015
Authors: Hirschy Justine , Lafont Camille
Published: May 2015

Entre mai et août 2015 se tiendront au Burundi des élections générales, les troisièmes depuis la signature de l’accord d’Arusha pour la paix et la réconciliation en 2000. À la veille de ces scrutins, dont l’un des enjeux centraux est la pérennisation du processus démocratique amorcé il y a quinze ans, les tensions sont palpables. Si celles-ci se cristallisent aujourd’hui surtout autour de la légalité d’une troisième candidature du président Nkurunziza, elles s’inscrivent néanmoins dans un contexte préélectoral plus large et épineux, que cet article a pour ambition de mettre en lumière. Les fantômes du passé démocratique tourmenté du pays ainsi que les pratiques controversées du parti CNDD-FDD, installé depuis dix ans au pouvoir, hantent indéniablement les règles du jeu électoral qui s’ouvrira prochainement.
Les médias et la constitution d’un « monde de la gastronomie » (1870-1940)
Authors: Naulin Sidonie
Published: May 2015

La fin du xix e siècle et l’entre-deux-guerres constituent une période structurante dans l’histoire des médias gastronomiques français. Elle voit l’institutionnalisation d’un modèle d’analyse du monde gastronomique (le guide) et d’un type de discours particulier (la chronique nostalgique nationaliste) qui imprègnent durablement l’univers gastronomique. À partir de travaux historiques et sociologiques, cet article met au jour la manière dont le discours des médias gastronomiques a contribué à la structuration d’un « monde de la gastronomie ». Au début du xx e siècle, les guides, les revues et les rubriques gastronomiques nés à la fin du siècle précédent se multiplient et gagnent en visibilité. Bien que toujours réservée à une élite, la pratique gastronomique s’étend progressivement avec le développement du tourisme. Le discours gastronomique s’oriente alors vers la valorisation des gastronomies régionales. Il est à la fois une déclinaison d’un discours politique identitaire (régionalisme culturel) et un outil de diffusion du changement au service d’intérêts politico-économiques (régionalisme économique). Les médias gastronomiques se présentent donc comme un lieu central d’articulation entre valorisation culturelle et valorisation économique.
The Toddler Gait—Normal or Not
Authors: Merens Teri A.
Published: May 2015

The first birthday is a time of great joy and relief for most parents as they celebrate the emergence of a toddler from the tiny newborn handed to them after entering the world. Along with this transition comes new conquests and concerns, including the milestone of walking. When parents view the toddler’s ability to walk as delayed or abnormal, the pediatrician can be confronted with an anxious or confused parent. A thorough history with a detailed examination and reassurance will go a long way toward allaying parental fears and building trust. However, a sufficient understanding of the concerns most frequently voiced by parents and the ability to reassure them in an educated fashion is essential to the office clinician.

[
Pediatr Ann
. 2015;44(5):187–190.]
Could Cultural Sustainability Improve Organisational Sustainability in Cloud Environments?
Authors: Soliman Fawzy
Published: May 2015

This chapter provides an explorative analysis of cultural factors critical to the sustainable organisational developments within cloud environments. The chapter examines how businesses could improve their sustainability by creating sustainable cultures. The chapter debates sustainability issues such as the relationship between organizational culture and sustainable organisational developments. The chapter provides a list of key areas for creating a sustainable culture, for instance, the Change readiness assessment, Leadership and management support, Stakeholder involvement, and Education, as well as Communication. The chapter also discusses organizational culture and the close relationships between culture and sustainability. The chapter examines the relationships when creating sustainability culture and the key factors that will influence the change process.
Organisational Sustainability Role in Supply Chain Best Practices
Authors: Soliman Fawzy , Edmond Josiah
Published: May 2015

This chapter is targeted at identifying the relationship of supply chain best practices and organisational sustainability. Another objective of this chapter is to identify the definition of SC best practices and its level of adoption by SMEs. The findings of this research suggest a linear link between SC best practices and the benefits it has on firms; it also identified that the definition of SC best practice is endlessly evolutionary and sometimes circumstantially subjective. The research has moreover shown that the level of knowledge management plays a wider role on the effectiveness of SC best practices within a firm.
Design Challenges of Cloud Computing
Authors: Jouini Mouna , Rabai Latifa Ben Arfa
Published: May 2015

Cloud computing has recently emerged as a new paradigm of computing for hosting and delivering services over the Internet. It replaces computing as a personal commodity by computing as a public utility. It is attractive solution to business owners as it eliminates the requirement for users to plan ahead for provisioning, and allows enterprises to start from the small and increase resources only when there is a rise in service demand. However, despite the significant benefits, these technologies present many challenges including lack of security. The chapter presents an advanced survey focusing on cloud computing concept. It highlights its key concepts and presents a physical architecture of this environment. Finally, the chapter defines virtualization technology as a factor for cloud computing surge and discuses security issues that damage these systems. The aim of this chapter is to provide a better understanding of the design challenges of cloud computing.
IPCRESS
Authors: Gillam Lee , Notley Scott , Broome Simon , Garside Debbie
Published: May 2015

This paper provides an overview of the dual challenges involved in protecting intellectual property while distributing business information that will need to be readable/viewable at some point such that it can be acted upon by parties external to the organization. We describe the principles involved with developing such a system as a means to engender trust in such situations – as a deperimeterized supply chain likely acting through the Cloud – discuss the requirements for such a system, and demonstrate that such a system is feasible for written text by formulating the problem as one related to plagiarism detection. The core of the approach, developed previously, has been shown to be effective in finding similar content (precision: 0.88), and has some robustness to obfuscation, without needing to reveal the content being sought.
Heuristic Task Consolidation Techniques for Energy Efficient Cloud Computing
Authors: Kumar Dilip , Sahoo Bibhudatta , Mandal Tarni
Published: May 2015

The energy consumption in the cloud is proportional to the resource utilization and data centers are almost the world's highest consumers of electricity. The complexity of the resource allocation problem increases with the size of cloud infrastructure and becomes difficult to solve effectively. The exponential solution space for the resource allocation problem can be searched using heuristic techniques to obtain a sub-optimal solution at the acceptable time. This chapter presents the resource allocation problem in cloud computing as a linear programming problem, with the objective to minimize energy consumed in computation. This resource allocation problem has been treated using heuristic approaches. In particular, we have used two phase selection algorithm ‘FcfsRand', ‘FcfsRr', ‘FcfsMin', ‘FcfsMax', ‘MinMin', ‘MedianMin', ‘MaxMin', ‘MinMax', ‘MedianMax', and ‘MaxMax'. The simulation results indicate in the favor of MaxMax.
Spatial Adaptive Large Neighborhood Search for Wood Supply Chain Optimization
Authors: Scholz Johannes
Published: May 2015

A Supply Chain describes a system flow from the raw product to the final product that is delivered to a customer. Hence, the participating organizations, people and transport processes are part of a Supply Chain. The Wood Supply Chain denotes a special Supply Chain that describes the flow of timber. This work focuses on the logistic operations from timber production to the first processing step in a saw or paper mill, and seeks to optimize the Wood Supply Chain with Adaptive Large Neighborhood Search. By introducing spatial amendments to Adaptive Large Neighborhood Search it is capable of solving the spatial-temporal problem of Wood Supply Chain optimization. A comparison of the obtained results and initial results give evidence that the optimization approach with spatial amendments results in an increase of the objective function of the given problem.
Investigation of Student Learning Assistance through Online Academic Help-Seeking and a Mobile Application
Authors: Tsai Chia-Wen , Shen Pei-Di , Fan Ya-Ting
Published: May 2015

In order to enhance students' learning performance, this study adopted online academic help-seeking and a mobile application (APP) to investigate whether they could help to improve students' learning. An experiment was conducted in a course of ‘Applied Information Technology: Office Software' with 100 students as the subjects; students were interviewed, and data on learning effects was collected and analyzed. Facebook was used as the platform for online academic help-seeking for the students. In addition, the researchers designed an APP for the purpose of helping students to learn through content presented on their mobile phones. Based on the findings in this study, the online academic help-seeking is helpful in developing students' computing skills. However, contrary to expectations, the APP did not result in better development of students' computing skills in this study.
Motivators to Adopt Green Supply Chain Initiatives
Authors: Kohli Amarpreet S. , Hawkins Ellen
Published: May 2015

There are several factors that drive organizations to consider implementing green supply chain (GSC) initiatives. This paper refines an instrument to empirically test the significance of the following drivers for participation in GSC initiatives: Government Regulation, Buyer/Supply Chain Influence, Internal Readiness, Competitive Advantage, and Corporate Social Responsibility. Corporate Social Responsibility emerged as the most significant variable that effected the decision making of the organizations around green supply chain management practices. Surprisingly, Competitive Advantage, which has been found to be a significant contributor in prior research when studied in isolation, did not emerge as a significant factor in this study. The emergent high correlation between the Corporate Social Responsibility and Competitive Advantage could imply that the Competitive Advantage could be embedded within the Corporate Social Responsibility when agencies focus on greening their supply chains.
Competition, Oligopoly, Barriers and Searching Up New Markets
Authors: Novo-Corti Isabel , Barreiro-Gen María
Published: May 2015

This paper deals with the mobile technology as a new competitor in some hitherto quite closed markets. Particularly, digital photo camera market was until now widely focused into a few multinational firms, operating in international oligopolistic markets. The mobile smartphones technology leads to use the same device for quite different issues. The smartphones technology allows to use the same device for quite different issues. Although the purpose of most consumers when buying this kind of articles, is to use it for its main use, that is to say, for voice communication, step by step new applications and uses are being discovered as very useful. Even when mobile phone devices are not so good as the original devices for a particular use, they have a very important advantage: all in one, it means that if consumers are able to have several different uses with the same device, they probably choose this option than the “best quality” one provided for a lot of different devices, with much better results, because those better results are inevitably linked to the need of bearing several devices, which is not very comfortable. Moreover the “just in time” or “in situ” needs, can be covered for some devices which are not always in the hands of users. Then a new branch of competition linked more to immediacy than to the quality arises, particularly for youngest. This paper provides a theoretical based survey on market and competition theory, to understand some key points for explaining the smartphones success as a competitor in digital camera market. Results have shown that mobile cameras not only have started to compete with digital cameras unexpectedly, breaking established barriers in traditional oligopolies, but also they are one step ahead.
Territorial Intelligence and Export Performance of Maghreb SMEs
Authors: Tarek Bel Hadj , Zouhayer Mighri , Sami Aouadi
Published: May 2015

This paper aims to analyze the impact of the various devices of territorial intelligence on the export performance of SMEs based on their intensities of exports, in the specific case of the Maghreb SMEs. The originality of this paper lies in the lack of empirical studies in the subject of territorial intelligence in developing countries in general, and the Maghreb countries in particular, which is added the enhancement of the mediating effect of competitive intelligence of SMEs on the success of the territorial intelligence approach in terms of export performance.
An Investigation of the Application of New Media and Its Impact on Taiwan Health Communication
Authors: Hung Rose , Hsu Pi-Fang , Tsai Chia-Wen
Published: May 2015

Along with the rise of social networks and mobile media, health communication models also change with each passing day. Compared to traditional media, are the new media more effective to achieve the dissemination of health knowledge, or help people and patients to implement lifestyle adjustments? With the shift in modern lifestyles, social media have revolutionized health communication. The means and channels for health communication are now very diversified. In order to assess the influence of social media in health communication, this study analyzed the “1922 Prevention Expert”, a campaign launched by Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control. In this study, the researchers collected data through interviews and a survey to investigate the use and outcomes of social media in health communication and explores how to use social media well in health communication.
The Ubiquitous Semantic Web
Authors: Li Yuan-Fang , Pan Jeff Z. , Krishnaswamy Shonali , Hauswirth Manfred , Nguyen Hai H.
Published: May 2015

The Semantic Web represents an evolution of the World Wide Web towards one of entities and their relationships, rather than pages and links. Such a progression makes it possible to represent, integrate, query and reason about structured online data. Recent years have witnessed tremendous growth of mobile computing, represented by the widespread adoption of smart phones and tablets. The versatility of such smart devices and the capabilities of semantic technologies form a great foundation for a ubiquitous Semantic Web that will contribute to further realising the true potential of both disciplines. In this paper, the authors argue for values provided by the ubiquitous Semantic Web using a mobile service discovery scenario. They also provide a brief overview of state-of-the-art research in this emerging area. Finally, the authors conclude with a summary of challenges and important research problems.
Service Quality Dimensionality in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)
Authors: Priya B. Shanmuga , Jeyakumaran M.
Published: May 2015

High levels of stress in the academic environment is linked to a lack of clarity in academic role and a phenomenon of chronic overwork caused by changing HEI's structures and expectations. But there is a current positive trend of universities developing more and more wellbeing policies, which means impact of technology in higher education institutions learning environment. The major aim of this research paper is to identify the dimensions, which is the best predictor of overall service quality in higher educational institutions service sector. EduQUAL item in original form is not enough in the context of southern tamilnadu educational environment. A five dimension EduQUAL item including customer evaluation revealed reliable and valid results in one of the southern states of India i.e. Tamilnadu context. The researcher has used SPSS for analyzing the data and AMOS The significant coefficient is Assurance dimension and the remaining 6 predictors are non-significant. The non-significance variable exceeds 0.05, and do not contribute much to the regression model. This means that the Assurance dimension is the main predictor for overall satisfaction of students.
The confluence of ‘wisdom’ and ‘apocalyptic’ in 4QInstruction
Authors: Venter Pieter M.
Published: May 2015

A confluence of sapiential and apocalyptic thought is found in 4QInstruction. This article investigates this phenomenon in 4QInstruction by studying the two main genres used in the book, indicating the central role of the term raz nihyeh [the existing secret] in the book and presenting a cognitive analysis of this term in 4Q416 2 III. The thesis is proposed that anextended embodied, chronistic and spatial view of the world is found in this passage.Die samevloeiing van ‘wysheid’ en ‘apokaliptiese denke’ in 4Qinstruction. ’n Samevloeiing van wysheids- en apokaliptiese denke kom in 4QInstruction voor. Hierdie artikel ondersoek bogenoemde verskynsel in 4QInstruction deur die betudering van die twee hoofgenres wat in die boek voorkom. Dit dui die sentrale rol van die term raz niyeh [die geheim wat bestaan]in die boek aan en bied ’n kognitiewe analise van hierdie term in 4Q416 2 III. Dit word gestel dat ’n uitgebreide beliggaamde, kronistiese en ruimtelike beskouing van die wêreld in hierdie gedeelte voorkom.
The management of stress urinary incontinence: A case report
Authors: Reddy Preshani
Published: May 2015

Introduction: Conservative management is the first option for patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). However, successful management of women diagnosed with SUI is dependent on a proper assessment and a tailored treatment plan. This case report aims to show the effectiveness of physiotherapy management in a 42-year-old patient diagnosed with SUI.Patient presentation: The patient’s main complaints were involuntary loss of urine on coughing, sneezing and lifting of heavy objects, which started following the birth of her third child.Management and outcome: The patient was taught the ‘Knack’ manoeuvre and provided with a tailored pelvic floor exercise programme. Improvement was noted at the third visit and the patient no longer had involuntary episodes.Conclusion: This case report shows the successful outcome of conservative management in a patient with stress urinary incontinence.
The effects of prone and supine positions on the regional distribution of ventilation in infants and children using electrical impedance tomography
Authors: Lupton-Smith Alison , Argent Andrew , Rimensberger Peter , Morrow Brenda
Published: May 2015

Background: Positioning of ill children is often used to optimise ventilation–perfusion matching, thereby improving oxygenation. Objectives: To determine the effects of supine and prone positions, and different head positions, on the distribution of ventilation in healthy, spontaneously breathing infants and children between the ages of 6 months and 9 years.Methods: Electrical impedance tomography measurements were recorded from participants in supine and prone positions. Head positions included the head turned to the left and right in supine and prone positions, and in the midline in the supine position. Distribution of ventilation was described using end-expiratory–end-inspiratory relative impedance change.Results: A total of 56 participants (boys = 31 [55%]; girls = 25 [45%]) were studied. The dorsal lung was significantly better ventilated than the ventral lung (P < 0.001) in both body positions. The majority of participants (83%) had greater ventilation in the dorsal lung in both positions, whilst five participants (10%) demonstrated consistently better ventilation in the non-dependent lung in both positions. Head position had no effect on the distribution of ventilation.Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the distribution of ventilation in healthy, spontaneously breathing infants and children in supine and prone positions is not as straightforward as previously thought, with no clear reversal of the adult pattern evident.
Work-related thumb disorders in South African physiotherapists treating musculoskeletal conditions using manual therapy techniques
Authors: Jenkins Heather , Myezwa Hellen
Published: May 2015

Research question: What is the prevalence of and factors associated with work-related thumb problems (WRTP) in South African physiotherapists treating musculoskeletal conditions using manual therapy techniques?Design: A cross-sectional, descriptive study design was used and data were collected using two Internet-based questionnaires.Participants: The sample size calculated for the study was 284 using 95% confidence levels and a 5% margin of error. There were 395 participants that were included in the study. Outcome measures: The variables measured included demographic, employment, educational and occupational factors.Results: The lifetime prevalence of WRTP in the physiotherapists was 65.3%. The manual techniques that were significantly associated with WRTP in the respondents who reported thumb problems were all grades of transverse glides applied to the spine as well as grade II–IV unilateral and central posterior-anterior pressures to the spine. The factors that remained significantly associated with WRTP in all 395 respondents after regression analysis were the cervical treatment of up to six patients a day and hyperextension > 30° of the non-dominant interphalangeal (IP) joint of the thumb.Conclusion: This study confirms that a high percentage of physiotherapists using manual therapy techniques to treat musculoskeletal conditions are experiencing WRTP.Recommendations: The development of a valid and reliable WRTP screening tool is needed to aid in the identification of physiotherapists at risk and thus in the primary prevention of WRTP. A longitudinal study which follows newly qualified physiotherapists is recommended to investigate a possible cause-effect relationship and preventative strategies for WRTP in physiotherapists.
Kardiovaskulêregesondheidsrisiko onder universiteitstudente in Suid-Afrika
Authors: Du Toit Peet , Rudolph Elizabeth , Joubert Yvonne , Coetzee Nicoleen , Krüger Ernst , Ferreira Ronél , Nortje Evangeline , Fraser William
Published: May 2015

Traditionally, individuals’ abilities, interests and personality were assessed during career guidance and recruitment and selection processes; however, only a few studies focused on the actual health of second-year students, as entry-level employees for business in South Africa. The main research purpose was to determine the cardiovascular health of second-year university students’ (as young entry-level employees). The motivations for the study are two-fold: to determine the current cardiovascular health risk of students, and to educate the students about such risk. The study was a quantitative cross-sectional study to determine university students’ cardiovascular health. The sample used in this research study consisted of 162 university students in South Africa, between the ages of 18 and 25 years. The results indicated that 55.6% students had high blood pressure. Then 81.1% of the latter group of students were identified as prehypertensive, while 18.9% were considered as having stage-1 hypertension. Students exhibited elevated cardiac stress as well. Altogether 64.8% of all the participating students scored in the elevated range of the Cardiac Stress Index (CSI). Unfortunately, 61% of the students with elevated CSI readings also exhibited high blood pressure. Furthermore, of the latter group, 15.2% exhibited poor heart rate variability, as well as elevated heart rate and blood pressure. Therefore, nearly 10% of the total sample exhibited elevated cardiac stress, an elevated heart rate and high blood pressure levels. The implications of the results are that university students are unaware of their cardiovascular health and that it may have an effect on their careers. Career counsellors, industrial psychologists, educational psychologists, and human resource management practitioners may benefit from this information in their scope of practice to guide physiology students in their career. This practical approach also allows physiology students to determine their own cardiovascular health risks.