bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlation of ATP Citrate Lyase and Acetyl CoA Levels with Trichothecene Production in Fusarium graminearum
Authors: Sakamoto Naoko , Tsuyuki Rie , Yoshinari Tomoya , Usuma Jermnak , Furukawa Tomohiro , Nagasawa Hiromichi , Sakuda Shohei
Published: November 2013

The correlation of ATP citrate lyase (ACL) and acetyl CoA levels with trichothecene production in Fusarium graminearum was investigated using an inhibitor (precocene II) and an enhancer (cobalt chloride) of trichothecene production by changing carbon sources in liquid medium. When precocene II (30 µM) was added to inhibit trichothecene production in a trichothecene high-production medium containing sucrose, ACL expression was reduced and ACL mRNA level as well as acetyl CoA amount in the fungal cells were reduced to the levels observed in a trichothecene trace-production medium containing glucose or fructose. The ACL mRNA level was greatly increased by addition of cobalt chloride in the trichothecene high-production medium, but not in the trichothecene trace-production medium. Levels were reduced to those level in the trichothecene trace-production medium by addition of precocene II (300 µM) together with cobalt chloride. These results suggest that ACL expression is activated in the presence of sucrose and that acetyl CoA produced by the increased ALC level may be used for trichothecene production in the fungus. These findings also suggest that sucrose is important for the action of cobalt chloride in activating trichothecene production and that precocene II may affect a step down-stream of the target of cobalt chloride.
Human Cytomegalovirus Manipulation of Latently Infected Cells
Authors: Sinclair John , Reeves Matthew
Published: November 2013

Primary infection with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) results in the establishment of a lifelong infection of the host which is aided by the ability of HCMV to undergo a latent infection. One site of HCMV latency in vivo is in haematopoietic progenitor cells, resident in the bone marrow, with genome carriage and reactivation being restricted to the cells of the myeloid lineage. Until recently, HCMV latency has been considered to be relatively quiescent with the virus being maintained essentially as a “silent partner” until conditions are met that trigger reactivation. However, advances in techniques to study global changes in gene expression have begun to show that HCMV latency is a highly active process which involves expression of specific latency-associated viral gene products which orchestrate major changes in the latently infected cell. These changes are argued to help maintain latent infection and to modulate the cellular environment to the benefit of latent virus. In this review, we will discuss these new findings and how they impact not only on our understanding of the biology of HCMV latency but also how they could provide tantalising glimpses into mechanisms that could become targets for the clearance of latent HCMV.
Prerequisite OCT4 Maintenance Potentiates the Neural Induction of Differentiating Human Embryonic Stem Cells and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Authors: Chen Sheng-Mei , Lee Maw-Sheng , Chang Chia-Yu , Lin Shinn-Zong , Cheng En-Hui , Liu Yung-Hsien , Pan Hong-Chuan , Lee Hsiu-Chin , Su Hong-Lin
Published: November 2013

Establishing an efficient differentiation procedure is prerequisite for the cell transplantation of pluripotent stem cells. Activating fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signals and inhibiting the activin/nodal pathway are both conserved principles to direct the neural induction (NI) of developing embryos and human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Wnt signal and OCT4 expression are critical for the hESC pluripotency; however, their roles in cell differentiation are largely unclear. We demonstrate that in the presence of FGF2 and activin inhibitor SB431542, applying a small-molecule Wnt agonist, BIO, efficiently and rapidly steers the NI of all our tested hESCs. A human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC), which is refractory for efficient neural conversion by FGF2, effectively differentiated to SOX1+ cells after the BIO/SB431542/FGF2 treatment. In addition, BIO promoted cell survival and transiently sustained OCT4 expression at the early NI stage with FGF2 and SB431542. Interestingly, at the late NI stage, the OCT4 level rapidly declined in the treated hESCs and consequently initiated the formation of neural rosettes with forebrain neuron characteristics. This study illustrates the distinct effects of Wnt activation on maintaining pluripotency and committing neural lineages at the early and late NI stages of hESCs and iPSCs, respectively.
A Study on Emotion Releasing Effect with Music and Color
Authors: Huang Chih-Fang , Liang Chih-Hsiang , Lin En-Ju
Published: November 2013

Music is considered a remedy for the body body, psychological therapy, and a mental release. During World War Two, health medical professionals held concerts to appease the wounded soldiers’ emotions and to initiate the research and discussion of music and emotion applied to various fields in academia. This chapter attempts to use the music emotion model as the media to introduce the possible emotional response during music listening via music structure, listener’s background, and surroundings, to do the research for human physical and psychological influence by automatic generated electronic sound, and to discuss the emotional releasie effect of music. This chapter also discusses various emotional responses derived by various colors applied to the music emotion model to break the limitation of the existing music forms and to develop the possible music color synesthesia applied to all aspects, in order to lay the foundation for next generation users.
Semantic Web Services-Based Knowledge Management Framework
Authors: Podgorelec Vili , Grašič Boštjan
Published: November 2013

In this chapter, a Semantic Web services-based knowledge management framework that enables holistic knowledge management in organizations is presented. As the economy is becoming one single global marketplace, where the best offer wins, organizations have to search for competitive advantage within themselves. With the growing awareness that key potentials of an organization lie within its people and their knowledge, efficient knowledge management is becoming one of key focuses in organizational activities. The proposed knowledge management framework is based on Semantic Web technologies and service-oriented architecture, supporting the operational business processes as well as knowledge-based management of services in service-oriented architecture.
Universality and Communicability in Computer Animation
Authors: Cipolla-Ficarra Francisco V. , Cipolla-Ficarra Miguel
Published: November 2013

The current chapter presents the results of the heuristic evaluation of the landscape and digital contexts in computer animations where there is a combination of 2D and 3D images. In addition, a series of strategies is presented to be followed at the moment of generating computer animations to cut down the production costs at the stage of inserting the digital characters in an environment and a context. Finally, the isotopyes are shown that exists in the landscape to reach universality and communicability of the message without resorting to the oral or written word.
Reality-Based 3D Modelling from Images and Laser Scans
Authors: Barazzetti Luigi , Scaioni Marco
Published: November 2013

Reality-based 3D modelling is the entire process of generating a digital 3D object from a set of images or range maps. The aim of this work is to report an image- and range-based production pipeline to reconstruct complex and detailed objects with a combination of digital reconstruction techniques coupled with GPS information and maps for correct georeferencing and scaling, in order (1) to exploit the intrinsic potential and advantages of each technique, (2) to compensate for the individual weaknesses of each method, and (3) to achieve more accurate and complete surveying, modelling, interpretation, and digital results. To demonstrate the reliability, precision, and robustness of the combined use of photogrammetric and computer vision techniques for reality-based 3D modelling, several real applications are illustrated and discussed. These include cultural heritage documentation and preservation along with architectural, geological, and structural applications.
Rough Set Analysis and Short-Medium Term Tourist Services Demand Forecasting
Authors: Celotto Emilio , Ellero Andrea , Ferretti Paola
Published: November 2013

Along with a growing interest in tourism research is the effort to establish innovative methodologies that are useful to guide the tourist operators and the policy makers in selecting forecasting techniques. Nevertheless, predicting tourist demand is still lacking at a microeconomic level, while it has become a flourishing theme of research uniquely at a macroeconomic level. The main goal is to analyze Italian tourists' behaviours on the basis of statistical surveys on households, life conditions, incomes, consumptions, travels, and vacation. This research is set in the framework of Rough Sets Theory, a Data Mining technique that can easily manage categorical variables. Hence, it is suitable for the exploitation of databases collecting sample surveys data. A large selection of variables from database Sinottica, containing information on social, cultural, and behavioural trends in Italy collected by means of a psychographic survey is provided by a leading market research organization, GfK Eurisko. By defining some decision rules, some interesting relations between consumer behaviours and their corresponding tourism choices are obtained.
Teaching Human–Computer Interaction in the Capital of Culture
Authors: Obal Damjan , Verber Domen
Published: November 2013

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is an essential field, yet so hard to describe. It encompasses so many disciplines from design to software engineering. Teaching HCI is an even bigger challenge, especially when it is only part of another course. Therefore, in this chapter a framework is proposed for teaching HCI based on the “double diamond” design methodology, coupled with a paradigm for experiential learning. This methodology is illustrated within a case study by students of Media Communication who participated in a course entitled Ubiquitous Systems for Media.
Home Automation by Brain-Computer Interface
Authors: Nieva Eduardo G. , Peralta María F. , Beltramone Diego A.
Published: November 2013

In the present work, the authors use the Brain Computer Interface technology to allow the dependent persons the utilization of the basic elements of their house, such as turning on and turning off lamps, rolling up and down a roller shutter, or switching on the heating system. For doing this, it is necessary to automate these devices and to centralize its managing in a platform, which constitutes a domotics system. In order to achieve this, the authors have used the MindWave NeuroSky ® commercial device. It is affordable, portable, and wireless, and senses and delivers the computer the electroencephalographic signals produced in the frontal lobe and the levels of attention, relaxation, and blinking to the computer. In order to determine the efficiency of the obtained signals a test software was designed, which verified the operation´s device with different persons. The authors conclude that the easiest way to control the attention levels is concentrating on a certain point, and the way to control the relaxation levels is by closing the eyes. As a second step, the authors develop a software that takes the signal from the EEG (Electro Encephalo Graphy) sensor, processes it, and sends signals via USB to an Arduino board, which is associated with electronics that complies the different tasks. The user chooses the action by managing the attention levels. When they are higher than a particular threshold value, the action is executed. In order to disable this action, the user must lower the threshold level and overcome it again. This is the simplest and fastest way to handle, but it brings several problems: if the user concentrates for any other reason and this signal exceeds the threshold, it causes the activation of an involuntary action. To solve this problem, the authors use a three variables combination that can become independent of each other thru training properly. These variables are attention, meditation, and blink. When you comply with the three simultaneous previously established conditions, the action is executed, and when they return to fulfill the conditions, the action is deactivated. The software also has the feature of personalizing its conditions, so it can be best for any user, even a novice one.
Generic Model of a Multi-Agent System to Assist Ubiquitous Learning
Authors: Durán Elena B. , Álvarez Margarita M. , Únzaga Silvina I.
Published: November 2013

Ubiquitous learning (u-learning) is a new educational paradigm that takes place in a ubiquitous computing environment and allows proper content for learning at convenient place and time, thus matching the student features and needs. The development of u-learning applications requires considering the user characteristics and necessities and the complex set with multiple ways of mobility, diverse mobile technology, diversity of carriers, and also the diversity of learning situations that might happen. The agent technology and the Semantic Web with ontologies offer efficient tools to manage this problem. On the other hand, the complexity inherent in this kind of application requires adequate strategies to manage the multiple components and interrelations. In this chapter, a model-based development approach is proposed to obtain a generic model of the system, and the architecture of it as a set of software agents.
Web Attacks and the ASCII Files
Authors: Cipolla-Ficarra Francisco V. , Quiroga Alejandra , Carré Jim
Published: November 2013

The chapter analyzes the destructive human factors exercised from the environment of the university training directly or indirectly related to the ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies). Through a first set of examples, the authors lay bare the early patterns of behavior of those professors from southern Europe belonging to departments or faculties of university training, languages and computer systems, software engineering, computer science and systems engineering, architecture and telecommunications, audiovisual, and fine arts. Finally, they present the results of a strategy to disguise attacks through a Website to advertise international events.
Economic and Other Determinants of Political Trust
Authors: DiPietro William
Published: November 2013

Political trust is important for the effective functioning of government. This chapter uses cross country regression analysis to see whether three different measures of economic performance matter for political trust. In this chapter, an economic approach to politics has been developed. The results lend support to the hypothesis that political trust is influenced by economic growth, the standard of living, and the appropriate use of government spending.
The Competitiveness of the European Union Tourism Industry
Authors: Nergiz Ebru , Celik Hilal
Published: November 2013

The competition is increasing in the tourism and hospitality industry worldwide, and the market is demanding higher levels of service, productivity, value, staff motivation, training, and improved customer relationships. Europe is without discussion the world’s most important tourism market. In this chapter, the competitiveness of the tourism industry in the European Union is examined. Firstly, competitiveness in the tourism industry and factors determining destination competitiveness are discussed. Secondly, key characteristics and competitiveness of the European Union tourism industry are analyzed. Then the tourism in Europe is investigated in eight key areas. Each of these key areas is examined through Eurostat statistics and reports. SWOT Analysis of the European Union Tourism Industry is carried out. Finally, the challenges that the outcomes of the SWOT Analysis bring out for the European Union tourism industry in order to enhance competitiveness are discussed.
Evaluating Gains of Friendly Policy Environment in India
Authors: Asogwa Benjamin Chijioke , Umeh Joseph Chinedu , Penda Simon Terhemba
Published: November 2013

The purpose of this chapter is to evaluate the gains of friendly policy environment in the cassava sub-sector among cassava farmers in Nigeria using farm-level data collected from randomly sampled 360 cassava farmers in Benue State. The study showed that the policy intervention, which opened up a lot of marketing opportunities for increased income in the cassava industry, encouraged the cassava farmers to diversify into value addition in their cassava business for increased income generation. It also encouraged increased adoption of improved processing machines/equipment at the farm level and increased accessibility to markets. Policies that would guarantee provision of adequate modern production resources to the cassava farmers are strongly advocated. Policies that would ensure that adequate farm and market information are made available to the rural farmers to make them abreast of current agricultural innovations and have access to much better market opportunities should be sufficiently reinforced.
A Model Proposal for Advertising Aestheticization
Authors: Yilmaz Recep , Taskiran Nurdan Oncel
Published: November 2013

Owing to aesthetic components that advertisement texts generally have, advertisements are sometimes perceived as a genre of art by some circles. The study is based upon a perspective presented by an interdisciplinary background, and it acknowledges a paradigm that advertising is not a genre of art; it obviously pursues commercial profits and within this context, exploits the created aesthetics in product. The main objective of the study, which focuses on advertising aesthetic fundamentally, is to build a scientific model formulating some levels of aestheticisation during its production process. Formulation in question has been reconstructed on theoretical and applied literature.
Significant Role of Religion in Influencing Consumer Behavior
Authors: Saeed Munazza
Published: November 2013

In a constantly changing and increasingly globalised world, religion still plays a significant role in influencing consumer behavior. The intent behind this study is to scrutinize the effect of normative factors on Muslim consumers’ apparel purchasing decisions. The survey was comprised of a sample of 500 Muslim consumers from the universities and shopping malls in Faisalabad city of Pakistan. Correlation was used to analyze the sample. The findings indicate that consumers in Faisalabad (Pakistan) area consider Islam their source of reference, and they prefer to wear clothing as commanded by Islamic Shriah. This study confirms that normative factors had a highly significant relationship with consumer buying behavior. The chapter’s interesting findings serve to remind organizations that they cannot neglect the element of religion in their marketing activities, particularly when operating in the vicinity of Islamic countries.
Digital Literacy and the Emergence of Technology-Based Curriculum Theories
Authors: Mallon Melissa N. , Gilstrap Donald L.
Published: November 2013

A shifting focus in education is resulting in more networked, technology-enhanced classrooms. Contemporary educators need to be aware of the skill sets students require to thrive in twenty-first century educational environments. This developmental and learner-centered approach, known as digital literacy, enables students to use technology to find, evaluate, organize, create, and communicate information. This chapter, therefore, proposes a theoretical framework for teaching digital literacy. The authors examine contemporary learning theories, including connectivism and chaos and complexity theories, in an effort to promote further discussion on the epistemological development of digital literacy. Taking into consideration advantages and barriers to promoting digital literacy in the classroom, the authors propose best practices for educators seeking to incorporate these competencies into their curricula.
Identifying the Applicable Nature of Social Media as Tools for Advancing Preservice Teachers’ Epistemologies
Authors: Grote-Garcia Stephanie , St. Clair Norman , Martinez Elda , St. Clair Bobbie Holmes
Published: November 2013

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss a qualitative study that explored the use of seven social-media venues in advancing the pedagogical reasoning of preservice teachers. For this study, pedagogical reasoning is broken into six phases as defined in Shulman’s (1987) Model of Pedagogical Reasoning and Action (i.e., comprehension, transformation, instruction, evaluation, reflection, and new comprehension). Shulman’s model provided the framework for the research tool – a checklist, titled by the researchers as the Checklist of Social Media and Epistemological Advancement (CSMEA). This tool assisted the researchers with examining social-media venues for opportunities to advance preservice teachers’ skills within the various phases of pedagogical reasoning. The social-media venues examined were Crocodoc Personal, Facebook, Pinterest, Poll Everywhere, Twitter, Weebly, and Youtube. This chapter provides an in-depth description of the study, explores the findings of the study, and discusses implications for the future.
Interweaving the Digital and Physical Worlds in Collaborative Project-Based Learning Experiences
Authors: Jordan Michelle E.
Published: November 2013

The purpose of this chapter is to help educators and educational scholars consider new possibilities for interweaving the digital and physical worlds in order to reconsider disciplinary and interdisciplinary learning across academic curricula. To explore how print and digital media may be interwoven to support children’s creation of physical artifacts in project-based learning environments, the author describes uses to which students in one fifth grade class put multimodal print and digital texts as they collaborated in small groups to design robots. The author identifies the range of textual resources used across phases of the engineering design task in order to examine the interplay between digital and print-based texts in the design and production of physical artifacts. Focusing on the role of digital texts in this project-based learning experience, episodes of collaborative talk illustrate student processes of consuming and producing texts.
Understanding Students’ Perspectives as Learners through Photovoice
Authors: Harris Teresa , Steyn Miemsie
Published: November 2013

In this chapter, the authors explore photography as a participatory research tool that facilitates the interactions of participants and researchers as co-researchers to effect change. They illustrate this discussion with a study examining the perspectives of teacher education students regarding teaching practices and institutional structures. Photography offered participants a way to document experiences, and it became a community-based methodology that elicited narratives from the “participant as photographer” and the community of investigators.
Information as Economic Good
Authors: Ponelis Shana
Published: November 2013

Information plays an important role in most economies, and in some economies constitutes the dominant sector where information is created, traded, sold, and brokered as a commodity or economic good. It is therefore important for all stakeholders to understand the unique nature of information as an economic good and the implications thereof on the creation, trading, selling, and brokering thereof, as well as the potential legal and ethical issues. The purpose of this chapter is to provide the reader with an overview of the origins of the information economy, information as an economic good, and the characteristics that distinguish it from other economic goods; the impact of these characteristics on the pricing and packaging of information goods as well as some of the legal and ethical issues that pertain to information systems are highlighted. The chapter concludes with possible future trends and research directions.
Improving the Business Value of IS
Authors: Chung Sunghun
Published: November 2013

This review surveys recent study on the business value of Information Systems (IS). The topics covered include theoretical and empirical evidence on the business value of IS, the productivity using Information Technology (IT), the firm value with IT, IT and firm boundaries, IT outsourcing, and supply chain with IT. This work critically reviews the growing literature on improving market performance through IS, discusses various perspectives, raises conceptual and empirical concerns, underscores challenges for further development of this literature, and provides directions for future research.
Unethical Information Security Behavior and Organizational Commitment
Authors: Takemura Toshihiko
Published: November 2013

In this chapter, the author investigates the relationships between unethical behaviors from the viewpoint of information security and organizational commitment by analyzing micro data collected from a survey the author conducted in March 2012. As a result, at first, it is found that heightening the degree of Organizational Commitment (OC) does not exclusively deter all unethical behaviors, but that at least OC deters the intention to access non-work-related Websites in the workplace. In addition, it is confirmed that the effects of OC toward the intention of the non-work-related Website access in the workplace according to the organizational attributes are different. In the organizations whose non-work-related Website access in the workplace is prohibited as a rule, heightening the degree of OC is able to reduce the respondents who access non-work-related Websites in their workplace. It is found that based on TPB and TRA, the attitude and risk assessment toward the intention of unethical behaviors have an influence on the behaviors.
The Information Technology Audit
Authors: Reavis David
Published: November 2013

As a critical component in almost every organization, Information Technology may provide services that allow the organization to function and in many cases allow the organization to achieve a competitive advantage. As technology costs and functionality rise, many organizations risk losing the perspective needed to ensure that their investment in technology is appropriate and well spent. This chapter discusses some auditing techniques that may help any organization to test their IT functions to make sure that the outcomes are appropriate given the costs of technology. After discussing the background of IT audits, several functional areas are discussed with example goals and suggestions for evaluating IT functions.
Accelerating Knowledge Adoption
Authors: Huang Hung-Chun , Davy Frederick Leslie , Shih Hsin-Yu , Fan Chwei-Jen
Published: November 2013

Learning faster is important in personal competitive advantage. However, to accelerate a group of people’s learning efficiency is more complicated than individual practice. Learning efficiency is highlighting research in information systems change management as well as knowledge management. In practice, knowledge is difficult to manage directly. On the other hand, managing knowledge behaviors can achieve knowledge management. A teamwork structure is a micro-social system and internal collaboration network. Therefore, different teamwork structures conduct different knowledge behaviors. Social influence theories provide an interpretation that different social proximity distinguish contagion effects. This study applies the social network perspective to explore the knowledge behaviors of computer software developers. Therefore, the finding of this study shows that controlling network redundancy can enhance knowledge diffusion efficiency. Furthermore, if team fails to manage knowledge diffusion, they will offset the timing of competitive advantage in technological upgrade. Based on this finding, this study suggests a new thinking for implementation of information systems, change management, and strategic planning.
Performance Implications and Fit of Knowledge Management Strategy and Strategic Information Technology Management
Authors: Chen Yue-Yang
Published: November 2013

Fit issues in the Information System (IS) field have become a justifiable area. A number of theoretical frameworks have proposed to develop the linkages between IS/IT (Information Technology) and a firm’s related strategies. However, while there has been much theorizing in the area, validated empirical studies for using fit perspective in KM (Knowledge Management) topics have been scarce. Therefore, this present study empirically examines the KM performance implications of fit between KM strategy with its Strategic IT Management (SITM). Valid respondents from 161 organizations in Taiwan completed the questionnaires. A structural equation-modeling tool with second order factor viewed fit was used to examine the research model. Drawing on a covariation perspective of fit, the result of this study show that KM performance is significantly resulted from the well fit between KM strategy and strategic IT management.
Assessment of Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) Techniques from Requirement View
Authors: Basahel Abdullah M
Published: November 2013

This study reviews Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) literature with a focus on the global dimension. The research evaluates SISP techniques against Information System (IS) strategic requirements. These techniques can be vital contributors in the IS Strategy (ISS) design process. Therefore, classification of the techniques of ISS planning is developed. Keeping in mind the global dimension, the planning team needs to identify how it can cluster the ISS requirements of an organisation. This may be achieved by analysing the benefits that can be obtained by IS for the organisation. The result of this research is the taxonomy of SISP techniques with a case study for X airlines. This classification can benefit the evaluation of ISS planning processes to support decision makers through the planning process.
Knowledge-Based Economic Growth from the Social Context of Information Technology
Authors: Yeo Benjamin
Published: November 2013

Information systems have been touted as a key driver of economic growth in the modern world. Countries and regions alike have leveraged these powerful technologies to boost economic growth. In today’s knowledge-driven economy, information technologies are applicable to many industries as they can be harnessed to increase productivity and production. However, the ability to use these technologies to facilitate economic growth goes beyond the technologies per se. In this chapter, the author argues that the social context influences a region’s ability to create knowledge-based economic growth. Using case studies of three regions, the author argues that upskilling and isomorphism are important facets in a region’s social context that warrant consideration. The results are applicable to policy-making and contribute to the literature on social informatics.
An Empirical Analysis of Innovation Success Factors Due to ICT Use in Japanese Firms
Authors: Idota Hiroki , Bunno Teruyuki , Tsuji Masatsugu
Published: November 2013

ICT (Information and Communication Technology) has now become one of the most important sources of innovation, and it contributes to share information on innovation within the firm as well as between firms. The former is referred to as ICT use inside the firm, while the latter as ICT use outside the firm. The objective of the chapter is to analyze how innovation is enhanced by two categories of ICT use based on a survey conducted with respect to 2,260 unlisted Japanese industrial companies in January 2010. This survey asked how ICT is used among respondents and the number of patent applications, which is used as a proxy of innovation. After defining the index of internal innovation capability, how ICT use promotes internal capability and innovation are analyzed using probit estimation. Moreover, the study focuses on open innovation, and these analyses are applied for firms practicing open innovation.
Innovation in Business Models of Banks in Europe
Authors: Liakeas Konstantinos , Constantelou Anastasia
Published: November 2013

Since the end of the 1990s, the introduction of Internet technology to the mainstream technologies used in businesses led to the expectation of pure Internet enterprises that might eliminate physical presence to one or more points in the value chain. A sequence of failures managed to resize those expectations and led most firms to just expose routine back end systems transactions through the Internet without a clear focus on relationship building or an integrated cross-channel sales approach. Despite the structural changes to the business level strategy that the Internet may have brought to firms in many industries, business practices in banking have not really evolved. This is because banks perceived Internet-based innovation as an investment opportunity that could raise spatial and temporal constraints much like ATMs had done in the past, without actually changing the value proposition of the business model or the strategic options of financial institutions. This chapter argues that the degree to which financial institutions have actually infused innovation into their traditional business model has been negligible and aims to set out a scene for the study of the evolution of strategy and business models of banks in the Internet era.
Reconstruction of Geometrical Structure of Claw of Mole Rat (Scaptochirus moschatus) and Finite Element Analysis of Claw against Soil
Authors: Ji Wen Feng , Tong Jin , Chen Dong Hui
Published: November 2013

Mole rat, a typical soil-burrowing animal, has high working efficiency during digging procedure, its claws are good biomimetic prototypes, and the geometrical structure of its claws and its movement type during digging can provide certain foundation for improving the design of the tillage implement. In this paper, based on the reverse engineering, the original data points of the claw was collected by a 3D laser scanner, then the accurate surface of the claw was created by using special software of reverse engineering on the premise of point-curve-surface method. The reconstructed CAD model was established in Pro/E software, and the model of interaction between the claws of mole rat and soil was obtained. The finite element method (FEM) was utilized to simulate the interaction of the claw against soil. The simulated results showed that the movement type of claw of mole rate during digging could get lower cutting resistance and bigger impact to soil.
Grasshopper [Chondracris rosea rosea (De Geer)] Incisors Cutting Edge Contour Data Extraction and Quantitative Analysis
Authors: Li Chang Ying , Jia Hong Lei , Zhang Zhi Hong , Wang Gang , Wang Hong Chang
Published: November 2013

Grasshopper [Chondracris rosea rosea (De Geer)] possesses sharp and serrated incisors that have an advantageous capacity for cutting crops including leaves and stalks. To quantitatively analyze the geometrical structures of the incisors cutting edge, MATLAB digital image processing and edge detection technology were used to obtain incisors outer margin 2-dimensional point cloud from incisors stereomicroscope photograph. Then, the least squares fitting method was used to fit the curves mathematical model and the outer margin curves of incisors which were segmented into five curves. The serrated outline of incisor was fitted and expressed by nine-order polynomial function. Furthermore, the second derivative and curvature of the outer edge curves were calculated. Finally, the geometrical characteristics of grasshopper incisors outer edge curves were analyzed and discussed. In conclusion, the special shaped incisor of grasshopper is a potential prototype that can be exploited to develop new cutting element to cut lignocellulosic biomass more efficiently. These results would be helpful for designing cutting elements on crop harvesting, biomass size reduction and other cutting machinery.
What is a Physicist Doing in the Jungle? Biomimetics of the Rainforest
Authors: Gebeshuber Ille C. , MacQueen Mark O.
Published: November 2013

This paper summarizes a TEDx Talk that the European physics professor Ille C. Gebeshuber, who has been living in South East Asia for nearly five years now, gave to a live audience of 800 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in July 2012. A similar talk is also given as an invited lecture at the 4thInternational Conference of Bionic Engineering in China in August 2013. The talk highlights the importance of news ways of doing science and of doing engineering that are needed to successfully address the major challenges humankind is currently facing, and how a generalistic approach synergistically combining Eastern and Western thinking might help in this respect. Biomimetics is stressed as an integrated, generalist way of learning from living nature, and as best practice example for developing new approaches that are based on understanding rather than learning by heart, with memory, reason and imagination as pillars, bridging fields of specialization and of education and thereby blending the knowledge of single isolated scientists and specialist scientist networks to a wisdom of the whole, powerful enough to help us successfully address our major problems.
Aerodynamic Force Test on Tethered Bamboo Beetle Otidognathus davidis fair
Authors: Li Wei , Ding Hai Chun , Ji Ai Hong , Dai Zhen Dong
Published: November 2013

nsects in nature have outstanding flight skills, and the research on their flight kinematics and dynamics can provide inspiration for the design of flapping-wing aircraft. An experiment was designed to study the mechanism and reveal the dynamics whenOtidognathus Davidis Fair(ODF) flies. In this paper, two flight parameters, including lift and thrust ofODF, were tested using the insect flight test system, whileODFwas under constraint on plexiglass. Experimental results showed that frequency of the wing was about, and the maximum of lift and thrust can reach 95mN and 300mN, respectively. With the increase of the weight, both of the peak values of lift and thrust change very little. Furthermore, their tendencies are of the same.
Design and Kinematics Analysis of a Bionic Mechanical Goat Hoof
Authors: Zhang Qun , Ding Xi Lun , Xu Kun , Chen Hao
Published: November 2013

Different ground environments call for corresponding foot mechanism design. As for unstructured terrain, through the analysis of goat hooves structure, a robot foot mechanism simulating the goat hooves is designed in our research. According to screw theory and generalized Kutzbach-Grübler mobility criterion, degree of freedom of the bionic goat hoof mechanism is calculated. Then forward kinematics is built based on mechanism geometry. Motion simulation is carried out to verify the algorithms of forward kinematics.
New Design, Kinematic and Static Force Modeling of a Bio-Inspired Leg Mechanism for Rough Terrain
Authors: Zhang Long , Ma Da Wei , Zhu Zhong Ling , Hu Jian
Published: November 2013

This paper presents an invertebrate leg-like mechanism, which is biologically inspired from invertebrate creatures such as crabs and insects. For the purpose that the leg mechanism could imitate the behavior of the invertebrate animal on rough terrain, it should have the same degree of freedom as the crabs or insects have. The novel leg mechanism consists of 3 joints which linkage has 5 degrees of freedom (DOFS), and mainly depends on a coxa joint driven by a parallel mechanism for the biomimetic motions. The parallel mechanism with 3 DOF is well designed and implemented with the excellent kinematical performances as invertebrate creatures. The mathematical model of the leg mechanism and the kinematical analysis are described, and static force performance characteristics are also discussed. The kinematical performances of the leg mechanism are analyzed by the numerical simulation conducted in biomimetic robots application. The simulation results show the performance of the proposed leg-like mechanism and verify that the leg can be used in the biomimetic robot which could exactly imitate limb motions.
Research on the Performance Influence of Partly Granulation Technology for Friction Materials
Authors: Ma Sheng Sheng , Liu Yu Cheng , Peng Jie , Chai Xing Wang , Wang Bao Gang , Zhuang Jian , Ma Yun Hai
Published: November 2013

This paper experimentally investigated the friction, wear performance, density, hardness and impact performance of pelletizing friction material. The research was used partly granulation process for prepare friction material. Experiments showed that: When the proportion of partly granulation friction material and powder was mixed with 2:1, the friction coefficient was better, which compared to 1:1 and 1:2. The friction coefficient of partly granulation friction material was higher than the powder friction material, and it also increase along with the temperature rise. The best friction material was made by diameter particle mixed the powder with 2:1, of which particle in diameter of 1-10mm. Without the particle diameter of 1-3mm, the friction material wear rate was lower than when the other diameter levels particle and powder were mixed with 2:1. The wear rate of the partly granulated friction material reduced by 10.9-39.47%, which compared to ungranulated friction material. Furthermore, the friction material that was the mixture of powder and particles, the impact strength will decrease following the increasing proportion. At the same range, the impact strength was relatively large when the particles and the powder was mixed with 1:2. The minimum impact strength was 0.0984J cm2 which the particle diameter was 8-10mm and the ratio was 2:1. The friction material density first increased and then decreased as the particle size increasing. The density whose granules and powders ratio was 1:2 was greater than the density between 1:1 and 2:1 at the same level. The minimum density,which occured in 8-10mm particle friction material, was 1.101659 g/cm3. The hardness of part of the granulated friction material increases as the particles size increases, but the range is limited. The hardness value is 102HRR of the maximum hardness of the friction material, which made with 8-10mms diameter particle and powder that ratio was 2:1, The minimum hardness is 80HRR. The friction material formed by mixing particles and the powder occurred rough surface and obvious porosity and a crack after the abrasion test. When the ration was 1:1 and 1:2, the surface scratched obviously, emerged cutting and furrows. The results showed that when Granules and powder mixed with 2:1, the worn surface of the sample is relatively flat. It also showed the main wear form of the friction material was abrasive wear and fatigue wear.
Prokaryotic Expression and Functional Characterization of the 19 kDa Protein in Balanus albicostatus Cement
Authors: Liang Chao , Li Yun Qiu , Hu Bi Ru , Wu Wen Jian
Published: November 2013

Barnacle is a unique sessile crustacean, which produces a multi-protein complex historically called barnacle cement to attach to diverse immersed materials permanently. The proteinaceous cement exhibits powerful adhesive property and special waterproof capability to cure at solid-liquid boundaries, which makes it ideal biomaterial for technical, medical and dental applications. It has been proved that a 19 kDa protein component, termed cp-19k in the cement plays a key role in surface coupling during underwater attachment. To verify whether the bacterial recombinant 19 kDa protein retains the adhesive ability, we cloned and sequenced the Bacp-19k gene in Balanus albicostatus. It encodes 173 amino acid residues, with seven biased ones, Thr, Lys, Gly, Ala, Val, Ser and Leu, comprising about 80% of the total. Two amino acid substitutions (F69L, I106L) were discovered in Bacp-19k due to the polymorphisms in barnacle cp-19ks, compared with the submitted one (GenBank: AB242295.1). Recombinant Bacp-19k was highly expressed in host strain Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) and purified by affinity chromatography. Adsorption of recombinant Bacp-19k to glass substrata was examined by Coomassie brilliant blue staining. Future study will reveal the relationship between specific structures and functions for molecular design of novel biomimetic underwater adhesives.
Application of Bionic Non-Smooth Theory in Solid Expandable Tubular Technology
Authors: Shi Bai Ru , Pei Xiao Han , Wei Song Bo , Li Tao , Li Yi Liang , Shao Tian Min
Published: November 2013

During the application of solid expandable tubular (SET) technology, the friction between expansion cone and tubular results in high expansion pressure, high operational risk, and severe abrasion of expansion cone over long distance operation. So far, traditional methods have not been able to effectively achieve the purpose of reducing the friction and improving the wear resistance of expansion cone. The bionic non-smooth surface has been studied and confirmed to have characters of reducing friction and wear, and these characteristics have been successfully applied in many fields. In this paper, the bionic non-smooth theory was applied on the surface of expansion cone, and bionic cone was fabricated by laser texturing and carbon based coating. The ground tests proved that the bionic surface treatment on the expansion cone could reduce the expansion pressure by 15% at least and improve the wear resistance.
Design and Analysis of the Bio-Inspired Rear Under-Run Protection Devices for Heavy Truck
Authors: Sun Bo Hua , Zhao Jian , Yang Zi , Ren Lu Quan , Zhu Bing
Published: November 2013

The rear under-run protection devices (RUPD) could prevent the entry of a small vehicle under rear side of the heavy truck, and decrease the injuries and deaths when the accident occurs. In this paper, a new concept of the mechanical design of heavy truck RUPD is presented based on the bio-inspired method, by analyzing the structure of a kind of sheep horn, which has good capacities of energy absorption and structural strength. Firstly, the space geometry characteristic of the sheep horn in macroscopic view was analyzed. Then the research was focused on its mechanical property, and the microstructure of the horn sample was observed by the scanning electron microscope (SEM). Based on the test results, the structure characteristic and force condition of the horn were discussed. A new RUPD structure was designed in both macro and micro levels using bionic principle. The superior mechanics performance of the sheep horn was transplanted into the new RUPD. Finally, the finite element model for the new RUPD, which is inspired from the sheep horn, was established and analyzed. Simulation results showed that the protection device had better strength characteristic and could effectively protect car occupants in under-run accidents. Therefore, with the remarkable strength performance and simple structure, the bionic RUPD shows the promise for practical application.