bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Negotiating Meaning
Authors: Gonçalves Fernando Abreu , Figueiredo José
Published: September 2010

Using an ANT approach based on Programs of Action the authors explore the description of innovation cases to discover internal referents that conveys their meaning. This paper revisits some old and well known histories like the application of ecography to obstetrics and gynaecology and the making and evolution of the computer mouse. Finally, the authors change from these localized cases of innovation to other histories on a more global frame, that is, the cases of two firms, one in the semi conductor industry, and the other in the mould for plastics industry. These descriptions are used as a way to research on the building of an ANT view for engineering innovations and wonder at the ability in which Actor-Network Theory (ANT) adapts and conciliates micro and macro worlds.
Improving Direction-Giving Through Utilization of an RFID-Enabled Kiosk
Authors: Luse Andy , Mennecke Brian , Townsend Anthony M.
Published: September 2010

This paper presents an RFID-enabled module for an electronic kiosk physical user interface which provides personalized information retrieval. The system builds on research in direction-giving by streamlining the process of the direction-giving phase and minimizing the introduction and closure phases, thereby providing the user with a quicker transaction for personalized information. The RFID technology also provides potential for greater security and privacy for the user of the kiosk system as compared to traditional magnetic strip methods. The developed RFID-enabled system is built on top of a current production informational kiosk utilized for a building directory, which was used for initial testing and evaluation.
Sensor Networks in Pervasive Healthcare Computing
Authors: Tafa Zhilbert
Published: September 2010

Advances in wireless sensor networking (WSN) have opened up new opportunities in distributed informatics. Pervasive healthcare, based on WSN, is an emerging technology area with great potential of future applicability. Small size devices capable of sensing, computing and communicating, enable pervasive platforms; while opening up the large number of technical, medical, social and ethical questions and challenges. Though mostly focused on technical issues, this chapter also addresses some non-technical aspects implied by the technology implementation in medicine. It presents the general philosophy of the pervasive computing and technical design space of wireless sensor networks, mostly highlighting: the energy conservation, communication aspects, security, and software implementation. The state of the art in ubiquitous healthcare, challenges, open questions, as well as the non-technical aspects of the systems implementation are also presented here. As such, this chapter intends to give an insight on most important WSN-based pervasive computing issues, the multidisciplinary application-driven design of these systems, and their position in healthcare pervasive computing.
Becoming an Authentic Community College Teacher
Authors: Cranton Patricia
Published: September 2010

In this paper, a study of how adult vocational educators develop authenticity in their teaching within a Canadian community college context is presented. Six participants from different disciplines, five of whom were relatively new teachers, and one of whom had considerable experience, were interviewed three times over two years. With the assistance of the participants, narratives were constructed for each educator. Three categories of issues—personal issues (such as confidence), college system issues (policies and procedures), and educational system issues (government mandated curriculum)—were identified as influencing the development of authenticity. Implications for teacher preparation and professional development within the college environment are discussed.
Rethinking the Right Teaching Methods that Work for Online Learners
Authors: Wang Viktor , Kania-Gosche Beth
Published: September 2010

This article addresses the phenomenon of why andragogical instructional approaches should work for online learners in the 21st century. As some senior faculty members and institutional administrators are reluctant to embrace education delivered via web 2.0 technologies, this article reveals discussions that will change these misconceptions. This article prompts readers to rethink their instructional strategies that will work well for online learners in particular. Even for face to face courses, instructors should incorporate an online component, as the principles of adult learning lend themselves well to an online environment.
A Spatio-Temporal Cache Replacement Policy for Location Dependent Data in Mobile Environments
Authors: Jane.F Mary Magdalene , Nadarajan R. , Safar Maytham
Published: September 2010

Data caching in mobile clients is an important technique to enhance data availability and improve data access time. Due to cache size limitations, cache replacement policies are used to find a suitable subset of items for eviction from the cache. In this paper, the authors study the issues of cache replacement for location-dependent data under a geometric location model and propose a new cache replacement policy RAAR (Re-entry probability, Area of valid scope, Age, Rate of Access) by taking into account the spatial and temporal parameters. Mobile queries experience a popularity drift where the item loses its popularity after the user exhausts the corresponding service, thus calling for a scenario in which once popular documents quickly become cold (small active sets). The experimental evaluations using synthetic datasets for regular and small active sets show that this replacement policy is effective in improving the system performance in terms of the cache hit ratio of mobile clients.
Scalable P2P Video Streaming
Authors: Alhaisoni Majed , Ghanbari Mohammed , Liotta Antonio
Published: September 2010

P2P networks are a technology able to deliver real time and video-on-demand services over IP networks. Layered video coding techniques are being introduced due to their ability to deliver streams at different scales (temporal, spatial and SNR) that solve the heterogeneity problem. This eases transmission in the case of limited bandwidth, as the devices can pick and decode the minimum bit rate base layer. Existing work examines layered video in client-server scenarios. In contrast, this paper analyzes scalable coding H.264/SVC over P2P networks based on an SNR-temporal Codec. Due to the interdependency between the different SVC layers, issues of reliability and quality of experience arise unless proper measures are taken to protect the base layer. The authors explore the effectiveness of a combination of P2P strategies, for example, hybrid P2P architecture, P2P locality, and P2P redundancy, to assess the viability and benefits of scalable video coding over P2P. The resulting performance is compared with a state-of-the-art P2P TV platform.
Enterprise Information System and Data Mining
Authors: Lawrence Kenneth D. , Pai Dinesh R. , Klimberg Ronald , Lawrence Sheila M.
Published: September 2010

The advent of information technology and the consequent proliferation of information systems have lead to generation of vast amounts of data, both within the organization and across its supply chain. Enterprise information systems (EIS) have added to organizational complexity, and at the same time, created opportunities for enhancing its competitive advantage by utilizing this data for business intelligence purposes. Various data mining tools have been used to gain a competitive edge through these large data bases. In this paper, the authors discuss EIS-aided business intelligence and data mining as applicable to organizational functions, such as supply chain management (SCM), marketing, and customer relationship management (CRM) in the context of EIS.
Historical Data Analysis through Data Mining From an Outsourcing Perspective
Authors: Vleugel Arjen , Spruit Marco , van Daal Anton
Published: September 2010

The process of historical data analysis through data mining has proven valuable for the industrial environment. There are many models available that describe the in-house process of data mining. However, many companies either do not have in-house skills or do not wish to invest in performing in-house data mining. This paper investigates the applicability of two well-established data mining process models in an outsourcing context. The authors observe that both models cannot properly accommodate several key aspects in this context; therefore, this paper proposes the Three-phases method, which consists of data retrieval, data mining and results implementation within an organization. Each element is presented as a visual method fragment, and the model is validated through expert interviews and an extensive case study at a large Dutch staffing company. Both validation techniques substantiate the authors’ claim that the Three-phases model accurately describes the data mining process from an outsourcing perspective.
Logical Connections of Statements at the Ontological Level
Authors: Cao Cungen , Sui Yuefei , Sun Yu
Published: September 2010

In the classical formal logics, the negation can only be applied to formulas, not to terms and predicates. In (frame-based) knowledge representation, an ontology contains descriptions of individuals, concepts and slots, that is statements about individuals, concepts and slots. The negation can be applied to slots, concepts and statements, so that the logical implication should be considered for all possible combinations of individuals, concepts, slots and statements. In this regard, the logical implication at the ontological level is different from that at the logical level. This paper attempts to give such logical implications between individuals, concepts, slots, statements and their negations.
Media Richness Theory and the Intention to Use Online Stores
Authors: Brunelle Eric
Published: September 2010

Although media richness theory has received considerable empirical support in explaining individual channel use and could provide important insights into the explanation of e-consumer behavior, no studies have validated this theory in explaining consumers’ intentions to use online stores. Therefore, the objective of this study was to empirically test media richness theory in explaining consumers’ intentions to use online stores in their purchase process. An online survey was carried out and data from 749 consumers was collected and analyzed using structural equation models. The results open up a new way of explaining consumers’ intentions to use online stores, as they provide empirical support for media richness theory in a commercial context and link it with the theory of planned behavior.
Do Managerial Strategies Influence Service Behaviours?
Authors: Ackfeldt Anna-Lena , Malhotra Neeru
Published: September 2010

Based on a review of the extant literature, a conceptual framework for analyzing the associations between managerial strategies (internal communications, empowerment, supportive leadership and professional development), employee job attitudes (organizational commitment and job satisfaction) and prosocial service behaviours (PSBs) is developed. The authors explore the relevance of the proposed conceptual model and testable propositions regarding the associations between managerial strategies, employee attitudes and PSBs by conducting in-depth interviews of FLEs in a travel service organization. Based on the findings of the in-depth interviews, the relationships between managerial strategies, job attitudes and PSBs in the conceptual framework are largely supported.
A Mathematical Analysis of a Disaster Management Data-Grid Push Service
Authors: Bessis Nik , Brown Antony , Asimakopoulou Eleana
Published: September 2010

Much work is under way within the Grid technology community on issues associated with the development of services fostering the integration and exploitation of multiple autonomous, distributed data sources through a seamless and flexible virtualized interface. These developments involve fluid and dynamic, ad hoc based interactions between dispersed service providers and consumers. However, several obstacles arise in the design and implementation of such services. In this article, the authors examine a notable obstacle, namely how to keep service consumers informed of relevant changes about data committed in multiple and distributed service provider levels, and most importantly, when these changes can affect others’ well-being. To achieve this, the authors use aggregated case scenarios to demonstrate the need for a data-Grid push service in a disaster management situation. In this regard, the article describes in detail the service architecture, as well as its mathematical analysis for keeping interested stakeholders informed automatically about relevant and critical data changes.
System Architecture for 3GPP-LTE Modem using a Programmable Baseband Processor
Authors: Wu Di , Eilert Johan , Asghar Rizwan , Liu Dake , Nilsson Anders , Tell Eric , Alfredsson Eric
Published: September 2010

The evolution of third generation mobile communications toward high-speed packet access and long-term evolution is ongoing and will substantially increase the throughput with higher spectral efficiency. This paper presents the system architecture of an LTE modem based on a programmable baseband processor. The architecture includes a baseband processor that handles processing time and frequency synchronization, IFFT/FFT (up to 2048-p), channel estimation and subcarrier de-mapping. The throughput and latency requirements of a Category four User Equipment (CAT4 UE) is met by adding a MIMO symbol detector and a parallel Turbo decoder supporting H-ARQ, which brings both low silicon cost and enough flexibility to support other wireless standards. The complexity demonstrated by the modem shows the practicality and advantage of using programmable baseband processors for a single-chip LTE solution.
Personal Storage Grid Architecture
Authors: Lim Mian-Guan , Wu Sining , Simon Tomasz , Rashid Md , Helian Na
Published: September 2010

On-demand cloud applications like online email accounts and online virtual disk space are becoming widely available in various forms. In cloud applications, one can see the importance of underlying resources, such as disk space, that is available to the end-user but not easily accessible. In the authors’ study, a modern file system developed in linux is proposed, which enables consuming of cloud applications and making the underlying disk space resource available to the end-user. This system is developed as a web service to support cross operation system support. A free online mail account was used to demonstrate this solution, and an IMAP protocol to communicate with remote data spaces was used so that this method can mount onto any email system that supports IMAP. The authors’ definition of infinite storage as the user is able to mount file systems as a single logical drive.
Design of SOA Based Framework for Collaborative Cloud Computing in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Patel S. V. , Pandey Kamlendu
Published: September 2010

WSN deployments are growing at a fast rate; however, current WSN architectures and setup do not promote the sharing of data on an inter-WSN basis. Cloud computing has emerged as a promising area to deal with participatory and collaborative data and services, and is envisaged that collaborative cloud computing WSN could be a viable solution for sharing data and services for WSN applications. In this paper, SOA based architecture has been proposed to support collaborating cloud computing in WSN. The architecture consists of layered service stack that has management, information, presentation and communication layers with all required services and repositories. Interactions between WSN, subscribers and other cloud are also presented as sequence diagrams. The proposed framework serves the cloud subscribers with wide range of queries on the data of multiple WSNs through suitable interface to solve large scale problems.
An Evaluation of Use of Multimedia Case Studies to Improve an Introduction to Information Technology Course
Authors: Sankar Chetan S. , Clayton Howard
Published: September 2010

For college graduates to be successful in today’s global economy there has been an increasing demand for them to possess business knowledge as well as technical knowledge. To meet the demand, curriculum designers have sought to integrate new technologies, applications, data, and business functions into classrooms so that non-information technology (IT) majors can realize the benefits of IT. This paper discusses the results of research conducted on the use of multimedia case studies to address the curriculum designers’ challenge. The authors have found that students, who are taught using multimedia case studies, perceived a comparatively greater improvement in their higher-order cognitive skills, ease of learning, team working skills, attitude toward information technology, and self-efficacy. This suggests a need for further research into adopting such instructional materials for teaching non-IT majors and for developing other innovative instructional materials.
Technology Integration and Urban Schools
Authors: Kidd Terry T. , Keengwe Jared
Published: September 2010

With the call for educational reform in American public schools, various school districts have embarked on the process of reforming classroom instructional practices through technology to enhance quality education and student learning. This article explores the implications for educational technology practices within the context of urban schools. Additionally, this article highlights the need for administrators, policy makers and other educational stakeholders to reflect on effective ways to eliminate inequities and the gaps that exist between high and low Social Economic Status (SES) schools and teachers related to practices, resources, training, and professional development.
Changing Attitudes Toward Women IT Managers
Authors: Hackbarth Gary , Dow Kevin E. , Wang Hongmei , Johnson W. Roy
Published: September 2010

Essentialism and social constructionism theories have long explained the difficulties women experience as they aspire to higher managerial positions or enter science and technology fields. In the 1970s, the Women as Managers Scale (WAMS) sought to determine the extent to which males perceived females as being different from their social group. Given efforts to encourage women to consider IT careers and changes in public law and education that have occurred since the early 1970s, this study revisited the WAMS to compare current attitudes of young people toward women as managers. The results suggest that through the intangible individual differences of women, perspective, overtime, via training, by awareness, and with their greater participation in the workplace, there has been gradual improvement in the perception of women as managers by men in the science and technology fields.
GIS and GPS Applications in Emerging Economies
Authors: Zhou Bin , Hsu Jeffrey , Wang Yawei
Published: September 2010

The rapid development of Geographic Information System (GIS) and Global Position System (GPS) has attracted the attention of both business practitioners and academic researchers. GIS and GPS technologies, through providing optimized schedules, routings, and guidance, are especially important and helpful in transportation and logistics businesses. Though GIS and GPS technologies have been witnessed in many business sectors in developed countries, wide application of these technologies is still in its preliminary phase in companies in developing nations. In this paper, the authors present a study on the application of an integrated intelligent system that consists of GIS, GPS and related technologies to optimize logistic distribution of perishable products in urban environments. Through investigating GIS and GPS usage in a medium-sized logistics company in the unique settings of emerging economies, this paper addresses how these technologies enhance the management of businesses and analyze the interaction of GIS/GPS implementation and several key characteristics of the logistic distribution context by identifying major benefits, challenges, and limitations associated with the use of GIS and GPS.
Supply Chain Dispute Resolution
Authors: Wolf Frank , Pickler Lee
Published: September 2010

This paper examines how supply chain conflicts across domestic and international jurisdictions arise and become resolved given that conventional conflict resolution tribunals cannot effectively settle fast enough to serve the needs of supply chain partners. Observations from the field should guide practitioners, and in combination with information technology, may lead to best practice rules in dispute resolution. For this study, the Delphi Method was selected, in which a panel of 14 experts participated in three rounds of successive surveys over a one-year period. Survey data was collected by mail as well as via telephone conversations and interviews, while under the Delphi method, the content of the second questionnaire was derived from the responses of the first questionnaire. All participants were supply chain experts in the United States from eight different industrial sectors, and none of the participants interacted with one another. End results show that supply chain’s relationships are very private trade arrangements and that disputes arise, predictably, from common performance criteria such as quality, timely delivery and payment issues.
Marketing and Reputation in the Services Sector
Authors: De Jager Johan , Soontiens Werner
Published: September 2010

Over the past few decades the tertiary sector has developed from a predominantly inward focussed industry serving public interest to an internationalised and commercially competitive industry. Resulting from this fundamental change is a drive to better understand the most prominent dimensions that impact on internationalisation, more particularly, the expectations and experiences of students. Although some of these can be argued to be country specific, and thus differentiate between markets, others are universal and impact on the overall industry. One of the latter is a pressure to consider and treat students as clients introducing all the dynamics of service delivery and management. The primary objective of this paper is to identify the most important variables related to marketing and reputation issues when selecting a university in South-Africa and compare the same for Singapore students. This study revealed that the most important consideration for the South African sample, regarding marketing and reputation related variables when choosing an institution of higher education, is the academic reputation of the institution, while the marketing activities were regarded as priority by the Singaporean sample.
Data Mining in Nonprofit Organizations, Government Agencies, and Other Institutions
Authors: Wang Zhongxian , Yan Ruiliang , Chen Qiyang , Xing Ruben
Published: September 2010

Data mining involves searching through databases for potentially useful information, such as knowledge rules, patterns, regularities, and other trends hidden in the data. Today, data mining is more widely used than ever before, not only by businesses who seek profits but also by nonprofit organizations, government agencies, private groups and other institutions in the public sector. In this paper, the authors summarize and classify the applications of data mining in the public sector into the following possible categories: improving service or performance; helping customer relations management; analyzing scientific and research information; managing human resources; improving emergency management; detecting fraud, waste, and abuse; detecting criminal activities; and detecting terrorist activities.
Pervasive Computing in the Supermarket
Authors: Black Darren , Clemmensen Nils Jakob , Skov Mikael B.
Published: September 2010

Shopping in the real world is becoming an increasingly interactive experience as stores integrate various technologies to support shoppers. Based on an empirical study of supermarket shoppers, the authors designed a mobile context-aware system called the Context-Aware Shopping Trolley (CAST). The purpose of CAST is to support shopping in supermarkets through context-awareness and acquiring user attention, thus, the authors’ interactive trolley guides and directs shoppers in the handling and finding of groceries. An empirical evaluation showed that shoppers using CAST behaved differently than shoppers using a traditional trolley. Specifically, shoppers using CAST exhibited a more uniform pattern of product collection and found products more easily while travelling a shorter distance. As such, the study finds that CAST supported the supermarket shopping activity.
A Grasp with Path-Relinking for the Workover Rig Scheduling Problem
Authors: Pacheco Alexandre Venturin Faccin , Ribeiro Glaydston Mattos , Mauri Geraldo Regis
Published: September 2010

Onshore oil wells depend on special services like cleaning, reinstatement and stimulation. These services, which are performed by a short number of workover rigs, are important to keep oil production as optimum as possible. Consequently, scheduling must be determined, where several factors interfere, such as production, service to be performed on each well, and time windows for each service. When a well needs service, its production is interrupted. In this regard, the workover rig scheduling problem consists of finding the best sequence of wells, which minimizes the production loss associated with the wells waiting for maintenance. In this paper, the authors present a Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure (GRASP) with Path-Relinking (PR) to solve this problem. Computational results are obtained from real problems of a Brazilian oil field.
An Improved Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm for the Object Recognition Problem in Complex Digital Images Using Template Matching
Authors: Chidambaram Chidambaram , Lopes Heitor Silvério
Published: September 2010

In this paper, the authors present an improved Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm (ABC) for the object recognition problem in complex digital images. The ABC is a new metaheuristics approach inspired by the collective foraging behavior of honey bee swarms. The objective is to find a pattern or reference image (template) of an object somewhere in a target landscape scene that may contain noise and changes in brightness and contrast. First, several search strategies were tested to find the most appropriate. Next, many experiments were done using complex digital grayscale and color images. Results are analyzed and compared with other algorithms through Pareto plots and graphs that show that the improved ABC was more efficient than the original ABC.
A Unified Classification Ecosystem for Auctions
Authors: Emiris Dimitrios M. , Marentakis Charis A.
Published: September 2010

Auctions have known considerable and continuous growth during the last decades due to their interesting properties in price formation when the value of goods traded is not known or varies. The systematic research in the area of auctions has advanced considerably since William Vickrey’s seminal paper on 1961. Although earlier research has been based mainly on Microeconomics and Games Theory, recent advances extended relevant research in Operational Research and Information Technology. Today, auctions and their applications form a challenging topic not only for economists but for operational researchers, marketers, logisticians and management engineers as well. This paper provides an overview of recent literature in auction theory, focusing on contemporary auction techniques and proposes an Auctions Classification Ecosystem (ACE) that encompasses previous works and new developments in the area. The proposed unified classification approach encompasses auction features and mechanism design parameters in a single scheme. This scheme facilitates the understanding of auction characteristics and supports auction practitioners in designing the appropriate format depending on the application requirements.
Implementing ERP Systems Globally
Authors: Hawking Paul
Published: September 2010

Recently, improved communication technology has seen the growth in a convergence of global corporate activities, and in an effort to improve their global operations, many companies are implementing global information systems. One such system, in particular, is the Enterprise Resource Planning system. In this regard, however, companies are faced with a number of complexities when implementing these systems in a single country. Due to this intricacy, considerable research has been conducted on the critical success factors associated with ERP implementations.
Katana
Authors: Bratus Sergey , Oakley James , Ramaswamy Ashwin , Smith Sean W. , Locasto Michael E.
Published: September 2010

The mechanics of hot patching (the process of upgrading a program while it executes) remain understudied, even though it offers capabilities that act as practical benefits for both consumer and mission-critical systems. A reliable hot patching procedure would serve particularly well by reducing the downtime necessary for critical functionality or security upgrades. However, hot patching also carries the risk—real or perceived—of leaving the system in an inconsistent state, which leads many owners to forgo its benefits as too risky; for systems where availability is critical, this decision may result in leaving systems un-patched and vulnerable. In this paper, the authors present a novel method for hot patching ELF binaries that supports synchronized global data and code updates, and reasoning about the results of applying the hot patch. In this regard, the Patch Object format was developed to encode patches as a special type of ELF re-locatable object file. The authors then built a tool, Katana, which automatically creates these patch objects as a by-product of the standard source build process. Katana also allows an end-user to apply the Patch Objects to a running process.
Geographic Information Networks in American Indian Governments and Communities
Authors: Palmer Mark H. , Hanney Jack
Published: September 2010

This article describes advantages and disadvantages of federal government centralized geographic information networks and decentralized peer-to-peer geographic information networks as they pertain to North American Indian tribal governments and communities. Geographic information systems (GIS) are used by indigenous groups for natural resource management, land claims, water rights, and cultural revitalization activities on a global-scale. North American groups use GIS for the same reasons, but questions regarding culturally appropriate GIS, cross-cultural understandings of geographic knowledge, and cultural assimilation through Western digital technologies have been raised by scholars. Two network models are germane to American Indian government operations and community organizations. The first is a prescriptive top-down network emanating from federal government agencies. Federal agencies are responsible for the diffusion of nationwide GIS programs throughout indigenous communities in the United States. A second, potentially more inclusive model is a decentralized peer-to-peer network in which all nodes are responsible for the success of the network.
Networking Identities
Authors: Simour Lhoussain
Published: September 2010

Electronic connections allow the individual to be at various global sites while sitting in front of his or her computer. By being electronically connected, one’s participation in virtual worlds raises important questions about the nature of our communities and problematizes our identities. This paper examines how experiences in virtual interactions affect people’s real lives and what impact computer mediated communication has on the formation of a virtual community and its relation to individuals’ identities. Virtual communities stimulate experiences that redefine the basic concepts and contexts that have characterized the essence of human societies. They offer new contexts for rethinking the concept of identity and provide a new space for exploring the extent to which participation in computer mediated interaction modifies the subject in terms of identity, leading to a reconstruction and a reconstitution of self.
Temporal and vertical variations of aerosol physical and chemical properties over West Africa: AMMA aircraft campaign in summer 2006
Authors: Matsuki A. , Quennehen B. , Schwarzenboeck A. , Crumeyrolle S. , Venzac H. , Laj P. , Gomes L.
Published: September 2010

Abstract. While the Sahelian belt in West Africa stretches in the border between the global hot-spots of mineral dust and biomass burning aerosols, the presence of West African Monsoon is expected to create significant vertical and temporal variations in the regional aerosol properties through transport and mixing of particles from various sources (mineral dust, biomass burning, sulfates, sea salt). In order to improve our understanding of the evolution of the aerosol-cloud system over such region across the onset of the summer monsoon, the French ATR-42 research aircraft was deployed in Niamey, Niger (13°30' N, 02°05' E) in summer 2006, during the three special observation periods (SOPs) of the African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis (AMMA) project. These three SOPs covered both dry and wet periods before and after the onset of the Western African Monsoon. State of the art physico-chemical aerosol measurements on the ATR-42 showed a notable seasonal transition in averaged number size distributions where (i) the Aitken mode is dominating over the accumulation mode during the dry season preceding the monsoon arrival and (ii) the accumulation mode increasingly gained importance after the onset of the West African monsoon and even dominated the Aitken mode after the monsoon had fully developed. The parameters for the mean log-normal distributions observed in respective layers characterized by the different wind regimes (monsoon layer, SAL, free troposphere) are presented, together with the major particle compositions found in the accumulation mode particles. Thereby, results of this study should facilitate radiative transfer calculations, validation of satellite remote sensors, and detailed transport modeling by partners within and outside the AMMA community. Extended analysis of the chemical composition of single aerosol particles by a transmission electron microscope (TEM) coupled to an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX) revealed dominance of mineral dust (aluminosilicate) even in the submicron particle size range during the dry period, gradually replaced by prevailing biomass burning and sulfate particles, after the onset of the monsoon period. The spatial and temporal evolution from SOP1 to SOP2a1 and SOP2a2 of the particle physical and chemical properties and associated aerosol hygroscopic properties are remarkably consistent.
Building an integrated modeling framework for assessing land-use change and its consequences for areal water balance in mountainous Southwest China
Authors: Wahren A. , Berkhoff K. , Herrmann S. , Feger K.-H.
Published: September 2010

Abstract. The opening up of China's industry towards market orientation has a distinct impact on natural resources as well as on social structures. The example of rubber introduction in Yunnan province (SW China) shows the mutual interdependencies between economy, natural resources, and social structures. We assess the impacts of rubber introduction and possible development paths in the study area. An integrated modeling framework (NabanFrame) is developed for the catchment of the Naban River (size 270 km2), a tributary to the Mekong River. NabanFrame comprises an agro-economic, ecological, and social model. Altogether they interact with a land-use change model via defined interfaces. Effects on the water cycle are considered by additionally integrating the spatially distributed rainfall-runoff and water balance model AKWA-M® in the model framework. Therefore, a reasonable parameterization is needed to assess the land-use changes on areal water fluxes. The authors conclude that the chosen hydrological model is able to assess the impacts of land conversion (from forest to rubber plantations) on catchment hydrology and address further adaptations to be implemented in the hydrological model.
Groundwater and nutrient discharge through karstic coastal springs (Castelló, Spain)
Authors: Garcia-Solsona E. , Garcia-Orellana J. , Masqué P. , Rodellas V. , Mejías M. , Ballesteros B. , Domínguez J. A.
Published: September 2010

Abstract. Discharge of groundwater and associated chemical compounds into coastal karstic regions, which are abundant in the Mediterranean basin, is envisaged to be significant. In this study, we evaluate the groundwater discharge and its nutrient load to the open karstic site of Badum (Castelló, East Spain). Salinity profiles evidenced that groundwater discharge from coastal brackish springs causes a buoyant fresher layer, as identified with thermal infrared images. Chemical tracers (radium isotopes, dissolved inorganic silicate and seawater major elements) have been used to determine a brackish groundwater proportion in coastal waters of 36% in October 2006 and 44% in June 2007. Based on a radium-derived residence time of 2.7 days in October 2006 and 2.0 days in June 2007, total SGD fluxes have been estimated in 71 500 and 187 000 m3 d−1, respectively, with fresh-SGD contributions representing 71% and 85%. The calculated SGD-associated nutrient fluxes, most likely of natural origin, were 1500 and 8300 μmol m−2 d−1 of DIN and 19 and 40 μmol m−2 d−1 of DIP in October 2006 and June 2007, respectively. These inputs may actually lead to or enhance P limitation, thereby altering the structure of biological communities in the area.
GIS and statistical analysis for landslide susceptibility mapping in the Daunia area, Italy
Authors: Mancini F. , Ceppi C. , Ritrovato G.
Published: September 2010

Abstract. This study focuses on landslide susceptibility mapping in the Daunia area (Apulian Apennines, Italy) and achieves this by using a multivariate statistical method and data processing in a Geographical Information System (GIS). The Logistic Regression (hereafter LR) method was chosen to produce a susceptibility map over an area of 130 000 ha where small settlements are historically threatened by landslide phenomena. By means of LR analysis, the tendency to landslide occurrences was, therefore, assessed by relating a landslide inventory (dependent variable) to a series of causal factors (independent variables) which were managed in the GIS, while the statistical analyses were performed by means of the SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software. The LR analysis produced a reliable susceptibility map of the investigated area and the probability level of landslide occurrence was ranked in four classes. The overall performance achieved by the LR analysis was assessed by local comparison between the expected susceptibility and an independent dataset extrapolated from the landslide inventory. Of the samples classified as susceptible to landslide occurrences, 85% correspond to areas where landslide phenomena have actually occurred. In addition, the consideration of the regression coefficients provided by the analysis demonstrated that a major role is played by the "land cover" and "lithology" causal factors in determining the occurrence and distribution of landslide phenomena in the Apulian Apennines.
Label‐Free Imaging and Temporal Signature in Phenotypic Cellular Assays: A New Approach to High‐Content Screening
Authors: Martin Julio
Published: September 2010

Some drug targets are not amenable to screening because of the lack of a practical or validated biological assay. Likewise, some screening assays may not be predictive of compound activity in a more disease‐relevant scenario, or assay development may demand excessive allocation of resources (i.e., time, money or personnel) with limited knowledge of the actual tractability of the target. Label‐free methodologies, implemented in microtiter plate format, may help address these issues and complement, simplify, or facilitate assays. Label‐free biosensors, based on grating resonance or electrical impedance, are versatile platforms for detecting phenotypic changes in both engineered and native cells. Their non‐invasive nature allows for the kinetic monitoring of multiple real‐time cellular responses to external stimuli, as well as for the use of successive pharmacological challenges. The temporal signature recorded for a particular stimulus is characteristic of the cell type and the signaling pathway activated upon binding of a ligand to its receptor. Cellular label‐free technology is an important technical advance in the study of functional pharmacological selectivity. Described in this overview are some of the hurdles encountered in modern drug discovery and the ways in which label‐free technologies can be used to overcome these obstacles. Curr. Protoc. Pharmacol. 50:9.13.1‐9.13.13. © 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Static Biofilm Cultures of Gram‐Positive Pathogens Grown in a Microtiter Format Used for Anti‐Biofilm Drug Discovery
Authors: Kwasny Steven M. , Opperman Timothy J.
Published: September 2010

An in vitro assay is presented for culturing staphylococcal biofilms and biofilms of nonmotile Gram‐positive bacteria under static conditions in microtiter assay plates, and for the quantification of biofilm growth, using a simple staining procedure that measures amounts of bacterial cells and extracellular matrix. This basic assay can be adapted readily to study several aspects of biofilm formation, for high‐throughput screening to identify small molecule inhibitors of biofilm formation or biofilm‐defective mutants, and for quantifying the anti‐biofilm activity of biofilm inhibitors. Curr. Protoc. Pharmacol. 50:13A.8.1‐13A.8.23. © 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Hierarchical Hollow Co9S8 Microspheres: Solvothermal Synthesis, Magnetic, Electrochemical, and Electrocatalytic Properties
Authors: Zhou Yu‐Xue , Yao Hong‐Bin , Wang Yi , Liu Hui‐Li , Gao Min‐Rui , Shen Pei‐Kang , Yu Shu‐Hong
Published: September 2010

A simple solvothermal route in a binary solution of triethylenetetramine (TETA) and deionized water (DIW) has been used to synthesize hierarchical hollow Co9S8 microspheres with high surface area (80.38 m2 g−1). An appropriate volume ratio of TETA:DIW has been found to be essential for the formation of hollow Co9S8 microspheres. The magnetic study indicated that the Co9S8 hollow microspheres are paramagnetic at high temperature and antiferromagnetic at low temperature. The oxygen reduction reaction experiments demonstrated that the onset potential of the Co9S8 sample is 0.88 V, which is comparable to the value predicted for Co9S8 (0.74 V) from the theoretical simulation. The discharge capability of Co9S8 hollow microspheres as cathode materials for lithium ion batteries and their electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) have been studied.
Electronic and Optical Properties in the Solid‐State Molecular Assemblies of Anion‐Responsive Pyrrole‐Based π‐Conjugated Systems
Authors: Maeda Hiromitsu , Bando Yuya , Haketa Yohei , Honsho Yoshihito , Seki Shu , Nakajima Hiromi , Tohnai Norimitsu
Published: September 2010

On the basis of the chemistry in solution, the solid‐state structures and the corresponding electronic and optical properties of dipyrrolyldiketone boron complexes as π‐conjugated acyclic anion receptors have been investigated. Solid‐state assemblies of the receptors exhibit anion‐dependent properties that are in sharp contrast to those in the solution state. Anion complexation, along with structural differences in the pyrrole subunits such as a benzo‐fused pyrrole, plays an essential role not only in the formation of the assembled modes but also in determining electronic and optical properties, as well as the charge‐carrier mobilities. In addition, by anion complexation, inclusion of the counter cations into the crystals has also been found to be one of the essential factors to determine the properties.
ChemInform Abstract: Synthesis, Structure, and Physical Properties of a Novel Quaternary Niobium Telluride, Nb2FeCu0.35Te4.
Authors: LI J. , MCCULLEY F. , DIOSZEGHY M. J. , CHEN S. C. , RAMANUJACHARY K. V. , GREENBLATT M.
Published: September 2010

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
ChemInform Abstract: Electron Transfer. Part 121. Oxidations by Rhodium‐Bound Superoxide.
Authors: GHOSH S. P. , GHOSH M. C. , GOULD E. S.
Published: September 2010

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
ChemInform Abstract: Reaction of Sodium Cyclotriphosphate and Diphosphate with Elemental Silicon.
Authors: SINYAEV V. A. , TOKSEITOVA G. A.
Published: September 2010

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
ChemInform Abstract: Synthesis and X‐Ray Crystal Structure Characterization of Zn2(HPO4)3. times.H3NCH2CH2NH3.
Authors: SONG T. , XU J. , ZHAO Y. , YUE Y. , XU Y. , XU R. , HU N. , WEI G. , JIA H.
Published: September 2010

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
ChemInform Abstract: YSr5Ni3O8 ‐ A New Nickel(I) Oxide with a Defect Sr2CuO3 Structure.
Authors: JAMES M. , ATTFIELD J. P.
Published: September 2010

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
ChemInform Abstract: Structure of 3(5)‐Methyl‐4‐nitropyrazole in the Solid State: Tautomerism, Crystallography and the Problem of Desmotropy.
Authors: FOCES‐FOCES C. , LLAMAS‐SAIZ A. L. , CLARAMUNT R. M. , LOPEZ C. , ELGUERO J.
Published: September 2010

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
ChemInform Abstract: Enantioselective Addition of Alkyllithium Reagents to Aldehydes Induced by Chiral Lithium Alkoxides.
Authors: YE M. , LOGARAJ S. , JACKMAN L. M. , HILLEGASS K. , HIRSH K. A. , BOLLINGER A. M. , GROSZ A. L. , MANI V.
Published: September 2010

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
ChemInform Abstract: Asymmetric Synthesis. Part 38. Stereocontrolled Synthesis of α‐ Substituted 2‐Furfurylamines via Chiral Intermediates.
Authors: LIU SH. , MI A. , WU L. , JIANG Y.
Published: September 2010

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 100 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.