bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knowledge Creation, Growth, and Transfer within Industrial Networks of Practices
Authors: Biggiero Lucio , Basevi Mario
Published: January 2016

In this chapter we test the hypothesis that uneven links distributions and uneven absorptive capacity between an industrial cluster members provide some kind of competitive advantages. Through an agent-based model has been built and calibrated on real data taken from an aerospace industrial cluster, that hypothesis is contrasted against the normal, the uniform, and the U-shaped distribution. The focus of the model is on knowledge variables, agents' learning capacities, and structural variables, like firms size and proximity. Physical production is not considered, excepted for its degree of complexity, which determines also the degree of knowledge complexity. This work shows that, actually, the best performance in terms of cluster knowledge creation, growth and diffusion is obtained when firms connectedness and absorptive capacity are distributed in a scale-free way. More generally, the more unbalanced are these two variables (especially absorptive capacity), the better is knowledge performance. These results are rather robust, and obtained while keeping all other variables very balanced at the beginning of each simulation.
Governance in NHS Foundation Trusts
Authors: Nesbitt Robert , Kotb Amr
Published: January 2016

NHS Foundation Trusts (FTs) came into existence in 2004 as part of a suite of system reforms that reintroduced a healthcare market in England. Over the last decade over half of the 265 English NHS Trusts have made the transition to FT status and to a new form of corporate governance that is accountable to locally elected governors. Whilst research into the governance arrangements for these new entities has explored several theoretical frameworks, no model has satisfactorily explained the rationale for the adoption of a commercial governance code underpinned by a democratic accountability process. In this chapter, the authors draw on insights of FT company secretaries, through a series of semi-structured interviews and questionnaires, to explore alternative governance models and to make recommendations that might improve the functioning of elected governors within FTs.
Plan for Prevention of Risks of Corruption and Related Infractions
Authors: Pinho Marisa , Santos Carlos
Published: January 2016

This chapter presents the results of the application of the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis methodology, within the scope of the Organisational Risk Management Plan, in the Municipal Division of Contract Works and Concessions of Oliveira de Azeméis City Council of the metropolitan area of Porto located in the north of Portugal with an area of approximately 164 Km2 and a few more than 20,000 inhabitants. The application of this methodology establishes a bridge between risk management and the Plan for Prevention of Risks of Corruption and Related Infractions, describing the application of this methodology and referring how the levels of severity, occurrence and detection of a specific failure, which are essential in the implementation process. Once the application of this methodology is understood, an example of its implementation for the management of risk in the contract works service of the Municipality of Oliveira de Azeméis is also provided.
Using Second Life® for Situated and Active Learning in Teacher Education
Authors: Ludlow Barbara L. , Hartley Melissa D.
Published: January 2016

Preservice and inservice special education teachers used Second Life® as the educational platform in online courses in a graduate level distance education program. Faculty designed the virtual learning experiences to facilitate situated and active learning through the creation of a virtual campus and course-specific learning activities. The purpose of this chapter is to describe how instructors designed environments and activities to optimize learning in a three-dimensional virtual immersive environment, to report students' responses to learning in the virtual world, and to discuss the implications of virtual simulations for teacher education.
Augmented Reality as an Emerging Application in Tourism Marketing Education
Authors: Hassan Azizul , Jung Timothy
Published: January 2016

Augmented Reality (AR) as an advanced format of Virtual Reality (VR) becomes widely available in numerous appliances, mainly in mobile devices like Smartphones or wearable devices. As the prospective benefits of this technology are said to be immense, tourism marketing education is believed to experience a comprehensive application of AR in coming years. At present, AR technologies are in use in many academic disciplines including medicine, geography, information technology, computer aided entertainment and many more. Out of all of the recently developed technological advancements, those can be termed as ‘Innovations', augmented reality can be considered as a key innovation. As coined, due to easier operational capacities, AR is becoming more popular and better fitting in tourism marketing education systems. This chapter outlines the use of AR, termed as an ‘Innovation' as per the ‘Diffusion of Innovations' theory of Rogers (1962), to meet tourism marketing education demands. The chapter critically examines relevant cross-country cases to support the arguments made above.
Augmented Reality
Authors: Uluyol Çelebi , Şahin Sami
Published: January 2016

Augmented Reality (AR) is an emerging technology that bridges the gap between the computer-generated digital information and the reality in real time. Despite the use of AR in numerous disciplines such as architecture, e-learning system, entertainment, medicine, engineering, and e-commerce, it has also potential implications in education. Therefore, in this study, augmented reality use in education is considered in all aspects. After the advantages and disadvantages of AR use in education is explained detailed, the phases of augmented reality book development are discussed. As a result, researchers should work on experimental studies to investigate how AR applications can be applied in educational settings in the future.
Integrating Technological Innovations to Enhance the Teaching-Learning Process
Authors: Estes Judi Simmons , Dailey-Hebert Amber , Choi Dong Hwa
Published: January 2016

Virtual reality is one of the latest technologies to be integrated into the teaching-learning process and it holds significant potential to enhance instructional processes and impact student learning. Historically, technology integration for instruction has been initiated primarily within institutions of higher education, while K-12 integration has been gradual to become part of mainstream education. Likewise, as teachers play a pivotal role in the process of technology integration, it is imperative to train teachers not only in computer literacy, but also in the requisite technological knowledge and skills needed to use technology in instruction. Furthermore, such training should be accompanied by support for teachers in developing a pedagogy and self-efficacy for technology integration. Self-efficacy can also serve as a foundation of motivation for teachers to keep abreast of new technologies and to determine how and when to use such emergent tools to enhance instruction.
Strategic Planning for Cloud Computing Adoption in STEM Education
Authors: Weber Alan S.
Published: January 2016

This chapter describes effective strategic analysis and implementation methods for the adoption of cloud computing services (infrastructure, platforms, and software) in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. The benefits of cloud computing, including lower costs, scalability and virtualization capabilities, have been recognized and adopted by major educational, governmental and research institutions internationally during the last five years. However, the term ‘cloud computing' was only recently clarified in 2011 in the NIST's standard definition published by Mell and Grance (2012) as “a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.” Despite the increasing clarity in defining cloud computing, the deployment models can be complex, encompassing hybrid, public, community and private cloud frameworks, all with varying levels of privacy, security, and trust. Data format, integrity, and portability as well as geographical server location represent additional factors that educational institutions must weigh when they consider adopting a cloud solution for their educational needs. The chapter provides advice on how to strategically plan for the use of cloud computing services and how to identify, weigh and assess the various factors in decision-making. Just as with e-learning when it was found at the end of the 1990s that purely online technological approaches were not as effective as pedagogical models (blended learning) which took into account human factors such as student motivation, teacher training, technological illiteracy, etc., the author suggests that a holistic technology adoption process that includes needs assessment and stakeholder engagement will be the most successful.
Support for Cloud-Based Mobile Learning
Authors: Verma Kritika , Dubey Sonal , Rizvi M. A.
Published: January 2016

Cloud based mobile learning (m-learning) is emerging as one of the most important branches of cloud computing, and is still in its infancy. These days, there are two emerging archetypes in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for learning. The first one is the anytime, anywhere, on-the-move, to be called the mobility archetype, and the second one is the cloud computing. Both archetypes are radically transforming the way we learn, communicate, access, and utilize information resources, and connect with peers and colleagues, thus affecting all aspects of education. This chapter delivers an introduction of the evolution of cloud based m-learning, benefits and characteristics of cloud based m-learning. It also canvasses the current scenario of m-learning utilizing the cloud, various challenges for implementing the m-learning system on the cloud. It further confers technologies used for cloud based m-learning. It also considers a brief look at methods for creating m-learning content and experiences, suggested by various researchers and concluded with the future aspects of the cloud based m-learning.
Cloud Computing
Authors: Paul Prantosh Kr.
Published: January 2016

Cloud is, in today's age, one of the important and valuable names not only in computing but also in all most all the fields of science, technology and engineering and even in several branches of humanities and social science—the reason behind this is its ultimate benefit of virtualization and elasticity of IT products. This is actually a type of virtualization; here computing is geared up with the wonderful virtual platform which provides a remote accessibility of hardware, software, IT resources, as well as application packages. Interestingly, ‘Cloud' also supports the green agenda of the organization and society. There are so many subjects and domains gaining or injecting the cloud benefit to their services. The information field and domain is more close to the computing and information technology, but it has another core agenda of information activities, which include collection, selection, organization, processing, management, and dissemination of information; here, cloud plays a potential and healthy role.
Nephron Algorithm Optimization
Authors: Behmanesh Reza
Published: January 2016

A new Meta heuristic algorithm inspired of the biologic nephron performance for optimization of objective functions in Np-hard problems is introduced. The complexity of the problems increases with their size, and hence their solution space increases exponentially. Despite of designing the several search techniques with balanced exploration and exploitation in order to solve such as these problems, there are some drawbacks to make suitable adjustment between exploring and exploiting in performance of the Meta heuristic algorithms. The proposed algorithm in this paper can adjust between intensification and diversification strategies intrinsically, to make efficient optimization technique. For testing Nephron algorithm optimization (NAO), the traveling salesman problem (TSP) is provided as a solution in various sizes. Results indicate that NAO provides robust optimal solutions.
A Game Theoretic Method for Resource Allocation in Scientific Cloud
Authors: Nezarat Amin , Dastghaibifard Gh
Published: January 2016

Due to the widespread use of cloud services, the need for proper and dynamic distribution will redouble the resources. One of the most complex problems in cloud environments is resource allocation such that on one hand the resource provider should obtain maximum utilization and on the other hand users want to lease best resources based on his time and budget constraints. Many studies which presented new methods for solving this NP-complete problem have used heuristic algorithm. Based on economic aspects of cloud environments, using market oriented model for solving allocation problem can decrease the complexity and converge it to the best solution in minimum time. In this paper a method has been proposed based on auction theory that it has used a non-cooperative game theory mechanism in an incomplete information environment. This game try to select best bidder for selling resource to it. At the end of the paper, the proposed algorithm was experienced in cloudsim and the simulated results showed that the authors' suggested model converge to the best response at Nash equilibrium point.
The Unified Model for Acceptance and Use of Health Information on Online Social Networks
Authors: Boontarig Waransanang , Papasratorn Borworn , Chutimaskul Wichian
Published: January 2016

Online social networks provide a novel opportunity to improve public health through effective health information dissemination. Developing a dissemination strategy, however, requires an understanding of individuals' beliefs and attitudes about using both the technology and information. Previous research has focused primarily on either technology adoption or information adoption behaviors. This study aims to bridge the gap by developing a unified model of acceptance and use of information technology for predicting intention to use health information through online social networks. Empirical results show that Performance Expectancy, Facilitating Conditions, Perceived Emotional Value, Trust, Relevance, Accuracy, Understandability, and Source Credibility influence the adoption behavior. Also, individuals tend to accept health information regardless of their attitudes toward the communication channel.
Integrated Smart TV-Based Personal e-Health System
Authors: Raffaeli Laura , Spinsante Susanna , Gambi Ennio
Published: January 2016

This paper discusses the design and experimental implementation of an integrated system for the delivery of health related services, based on different technologies and devices. The idea is to create a unique point of access for the user, towards both a cloud-based remote service for the consultation of medical reports, and a personal local service that allows to collect and display data from biomedical sensors, to manage user's reminders for medicines, and to monitor the patient's dietary habits. The proposed system employs suitable technologies to simplify the user interaction, such as Near Field Communications enabled devices, and a smart TV equipment. By this way, it is possible to effectively deliver telehealth services also to users who may be less familiar with technological equipments, such as older adults, or people living in rural communities. The experimental implementation proves the feasibility of the proposed service, and the possibility to gain users' adherence and compliance, through proper design criteria.
Optimization of Queuing Theory Based on Vague Environment
Authors: González-López Verónica Andrea , Gholizadeh Ramin , Shirazi Aliakbar M.
Published: January 2016

Waiting lines or queues are commonly occurred both in everyday life and in a variety of business and industrial situations. The various arrival rates, service rates and processing times of jobs/tasks usually assumed are exact. However, the real world is complex and the complexity is due to the uncertainty. The queuing theory by using vague environment is described in this paper. To illustrate, the approach analytical results for M/M/1/8 and M/M/s/8 systems are presented. It optimizes queuing models such that the arrival rate and service rate are vague numbers. This paper results a new approach for queuing models in the vague environment that it can be more effective than deterministic queuing models. A numerical example is illustrated to check the validity of the proposed method.
Intuitionistic Fuzzy Distance Based TOPSIS Method and Application to MADM
Authors: Nan Jiangxia , Wang Ting , An Jingjing
Published: January 2016

In this paper, an intuitionistic fuzzy (IF) distance measure between two triangular intuitionistic fuzzy numbers (TIFNs) is developed. The metric properties of the proposed IF distance measure are also studied. Then, based on this IF distance, an extended TOPSIS is developed to solve multi-attribute decision making (MADM) problems with the ratings of alternatives on attributes of TIFNs. In this methodology, the IF distances between each alternative and the TIFN positive ideal-solution are calculated as well as the TIFN negative ideal-solution. Then the relative closeness degrees obtained of each alternative to the TIFN positive ideal solution are TIFNs. Based on the ranking methods of TIFNs the alternatives are ranked. A numerical example is examined to the validity and practicability of the method proposed in this paper.
Towards a New Multicriteria Decision Support Method Using Fuzzy Measures and the Choquet Integral
Authors: Alnafie Emdjed , Hamdadou Djamila , Bouamrane Karim
Published: January 2016

In literature, there is a large panoply of multicriteria analysis methods (MCAM), each one is characterized by the nature of its input data, the way to edit its outputs and the operations used to perform calculations especially the performances aggregation. Aggregation is the operation consisting in grouping several quantities in a unique value in order to facilitate the manipulation and the interpretation of the original values. MCAM are classified according to the type of aggregation that they perform, so we can distinguish total, partial and local aggregation. Each MCAM has advantages and suffers from some limits. In this paper, the authors proposed a new multicriteria analysis method (AMFI) dedicated to solve ranking decision support problems. AMFI is based on the use of fuzzy measures and Choquet integral to represent interactions between criteria and improve the coherence of the results. The authors proceeded to a series of experimentations allowing highlighting theoretical elements of the proposed method and they performed sensitivity analysis to test its robustness.
Digital Game based Learning for Undergraduate Calculus Education
Authors: Lee Yu-Hao , Dunbar Norah , Kornelson Keri , Wilson Scott N. , Ralston Ryan , Savic Milos , Stewart Sepideh , Lennox Emily , Thompson William , Elizondo Javier
Published: January 2016

This study has two goals: First, to investigate the effectiveness of using a digital game to teach undergraduate-level calculus in terms of improving task immersion, sense of control, calculation skills, and conceptual understanding. Second, to investigate how feedback and visual manipulation can facilitate conceptual understanding of calculus. 132 undergraduate students participated in a controlled lab experiment and were randomly assigned to either a game-playing condition, a practice quiz condition, or a no-treatment control condition. The authors collected survey data and behavioral-tracking data recorded by the server during gameplay. The results showed that students who played the digital game reported highest task immersion but not sense of control. Students in the game condition also performed significantly better in conceptual understanding compared to students who solved a practice quiz and the control group. Gameplay behavioral-tracking data was used to examine the effects of visual manipulation and feedback on conceptual understanding.
A Distributed Computing Algorithm for Deployment of Mobile Robotic Agents with Limited Sensing Ranges
Authors: Wang Jing , Smith Christopher I.
Published: January 2016

In this paper, the authors present a distributed computing algorithm for an application of deploying a group of mobile robotic agents in a convex region. Each agent can be treated as an embedded system with its own sensors and actuators. Under the assumption that agents have limited sensing capabilities, the distributed computing algorithm is designed to make agents cover the convex region so that each member's individual region, the space around them, is optimized. Each agent must accommodate its kinematic constraints and can only exchange information locally based on the range of the sensors equipped. The proposed algorithm utilizes Voronoi partitions to create individual subregions and directs each member toward the centroid of their subregion. The Voronoi partitions are updated with each iteration of the algorithm. Simulation results are provided to validate the proposed algorithm.
Towards Virtual Reality Crisis Simulation as a Tool for Usability Testing of Crisis Related Interactive Systems
Authors: Rother Kristian , Karl Inga , Nestler Simon
Published: January 2016

Usability testing is expensive in some domains due to the resource requirements that go hand in hand with taking a complex context of use into account. Crisis-related research is one such domain, typically requiring the reenactment of an extensive crisis scenario. To lessen the resource requirements and provide a more flexible setup geared towards testing, crisis scenarios can be reconstructed as virtual reality simulations. This paper outlines the development of an initial prototype of such a simulation following the design science method. The prototype is used to test if injecting an item that will be tested into the simulation affects the realism of the virtual reality crisis simulation. The realism was measured in a within-subject experiment and equivalence tests showed that injecting a representation of a simple app had no significant influence on the realism of the simulation.
Addressing Team Dynamics in Virtual Teams
Authors: Stowell Frank , Cooray Shavindrie
Published: January 2016

Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) is providing businesses with the means of assembling virtual teams comprising of members in diverse locations. However research shows that virtual team dynamics are different from face to face dynamics. Recent research adds force to the view that conflicts are more prevalent within virtual teams since participants are less likely to change their initial points of view when discussions are held virtually. This insight has implications for IS development since many IS are developed by virtual project teams. It is relevant to systems analysis since according to systems thinkers the process should include a discussion about alternative points of view leading to a group level shared view of the situation under analysis. If recent research is taken into account then conflict resolution in virtual teams is difficult which raises doubts about whether a group level view of a situation can be reached during systems analysis. In this paper, the authors strive to identify challenges associated with the application of soft methods in synchronous virtual teams since a review of literature shows that soft methods have not been used previously in synchronous virtual teams. The authors also explore if concerns about conflicts in synchronous virtual teams can be overcome through the use of soft systems methods.
Fostering Collaborative Learning with Mobile Web 2.0 in Semi-Formal Settings
Authors: Mwanza-Simwami Daisy
Published: January 2016

Mobile Web 2.0 technologies such as: mobile apps, social networking sites and video sharing sites have become essential drivers for shaping daily activities and meeting learning needs in various settings. However, very few studies link mobile Web 2.0 to supporting collaborative learning in real-life problem solving activities in semi-formal contexts. A study of collaborative learning and mobile Web 2.0 usage practices in real-life problem solving activities was carried out with 18 participants recruited from a local faith based community club. Research data was gathered through observational studies, open-ended questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and by logging content captured on mobile devices. Data analysis examined learner demographics, social interactions and artefacts produced in activities. Results indicate that the choice and use of mobile Web 2.0 to support collaborative learning in semi-formal settings is based on the ways in which technological functions effectively support and enhance established social relations and practices.
Mehr Iran Bank's Performance Evaluation Using EFQM Excellence Model
Authors: Abdolshah Mohammad , Moghimi Mostafa , Azin Mariam , Najafian Pourya
Published: January 2016

The role of assessment systems in organizational excellence today is well-known in the business world. Performance assessment in organizations to identify strengths and weaknesses to make optimal use of resources has special significance. The changing needs of customers and stakeholders, competition, constant changes in laws and regulations, and reliance on traditional methods will not result in enhanced performance within global hypercompetition. Therefore, it has become necessary to employ models which possess the ability to evaluate organizations' present situation for strategic planning. In this regard, the EFQM Model is known as one of the most comprehensive performance evaluation tools. This study uses a descriptive-analytical survey method to evaluate Mehr Iran Bank's performance based on the EFQM Model. Research instruments in this survey include a personal details questionnaire and a special questionnaire. The SPSS software and the Kolmogrov-Smirnov test have been used to analyze data and check the normality of the variables, respectively.
Cultural Indoctrination in Global Hypercompetition
Authors: Christiansen Bryan
Published: January 2016

This article examines the potential influence of cultural indoctrination (CI) on international management and corporate performance today in an era of global hypercompetition. The specific organizational function targeted in this work is international human resource management (IHRM). As organizations are confronted with the need to engage with stakeholders from a variety of different cultural backgrounds, the need to understand the ways in which cultural imperatives play into individual and collective performances becomes increasingly important. Based on an encompassing literature review, this article examines the following seven factors which should be included in CI: Child Development, Cultural Institutionalization, Cultural Intelligence, Social Learning Theory, Religion, Social Capital, and Values Orientation Theory (VOT). It is from these factors that a conceptual framework is developed for potential future application in IHRM theory and practice.
Evaluation of Kernel Based Atanassov's Intuitionistic Fuzzy Clustering for Network Forensics and Intrusion Detection
Authors: Panwar Anupam
Published: January 2016

Malware or virus is one of the most significant security threats in Internet. There are mainly two types of successful (partially) solutions available. One is anti-virus and other is backlisting. This kind of detection generally depends on the existing malware or virus signature database. Cyber-criminals bypass defenses by generating variants of their malware program. Traditional approach has limitations such as unable to detect zero day threats or generate so many false alerts et al. To overcome these difficulties, a system is built based on Atanassov's intuitionistic fuzzy set (AIFS) theory based clustering method that takes care of these problems in a robust way. It not only raises an alert for new kind of malware but also decreases the number of false alerts. This is done by giving it decision-making intelligence. There is not much work done in the field of network forensics using AIFS theory. Some clustering techniques are used in these fields but those have limitations like accuracy, performance or difficulty to cluster noisy data. This method clusters the malwares/viruses with high accuracy on the basis of severity. Experiments are performed on several pcap files with malware traffic to assess the performance and accuracy of the method and results are compared with different clustering algorithms.
Metamorphic Relations Based Test Oracles for Image Processing Applications
Authors: Jameel Tahir , Lin Mengxiang , Chao Liu
Published: January 2016

Evaluation of output images carrying visual semantics is a challenging task which is carried out by domain experts through visual inspection. Automatic test oracle is required to augment the test oracle problem and to eliminate the manual efforts. Metamorphic testing is an effective technique to alleviate these problems. In this paper, the authors have demonstrated that how inherent properties of implementation under test can be used to generate an automatic test oracle for image processing applications. Metamorphic testing is a general technique in which follow-up test cases are generated using a transformation function and the anticipated output is evaluated. They have used some general metamorphic relations and also designed some algorithm specific metamorphic relations for morphological image operations. Selection of metamorphic relations is the most important step and the authors have analyzed relative effectiveness of different metamorphic relations using mutation analysis. The results show metamorphic testing is a very effective technique to automate output images evaluation and to alleviate oracle problem.
Energy-Efficient Computing Solutions for Internet of Things with ZigBee Reconfigurable Devices
Authors: Chmaj Grzegorz , Selvaraj Henry
Published: January 2016

Nowadays we are witnessing a trend with significantly increasing number of networked and computing-capable devices being integrated into everyday environment. This trend is expected to continue. With computing devices available as logic structures, they might use each other's processing capabilities to achieve a given goal. In this paper, the authors propose an architectural solution to perform the processing of tasks using a distributed structure of Internet of Things devices. They also include ZigBee devices that are not connected to the Internet, but participate with the processing swarm using local network. This significantly extends the flexibility and potential of the IoT structure, while being still not a well-researched area. Unlike many high-level realizations for IoT processing, the authors present a realization operating on the communications, computing and near protocol level that achieves energy consumption efficiency. They also include the reconfigurability of IoT devices. The authors' work is suitable to be the base for higher-level realizations, especially for systems with devices operating on battery power. At the same time, the architecture presented in this paper uses minimal centralization, moving maximum responsibilities to regular devices. The proposed realizations are described using linear programming models and their high efficiency is evaluated.
Using DRAM as Cache for Non-Volatile Main Memory Swapping
Authors: Kawata Hirotaka , Nakagawa Gaku , Oikawa Shuichi
Published: January 2016

The performance of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets has been rapidly improving in recent years. However, these improvements have been seriously affecting power consumption. One of the greatest challenges is to achieve efficient power management for battery-equipped mobile devices. To solve this problem, the authors focus on the emerging non-volatile memory (NVM), which has been receiving increasing attention in recent years. Since its performance is comparable with that of DRAM, it is possible to replace the main memory with NVM, thereby reducing power consumption. However, the price and capacity of NVM are problematic. Therefore, the authors provide a large memory space without performance degradation by combining NVM with other memory devices. In this study, they propose a design for non-volatile main memory systems that use DRAM as a swap space. This enables both high performance and energy efficient memory management through dynamic power management in NVM and DRAM.
The Role of OSS in Development of Software Industry in Developing Countries with Weak Intellectual Property Rights
Authors: Dastranj Nasrin , Ghazinoory Sepehr , Saghafi Fatemeh , Rashidirad Mona
Published: January 2016

One of the areas of significant importance in the growth of Information Technology (IT) in the world is the issue of open source software. The movement of open source software has led to considerable advancement and transformation in the world's IT industry. It is considered as one of the hotly-debated issues today. In Iran, open source software has recently received remarkable attention due to its many advantages. In this study, the problems of software industry in Iran, the opportunities created by using open source software, and the impacts and advantages of producing local open source operating system have been addressed through semi-structured interviews with the producers of local operating system and experts of open source software. Solving security problems, attending international markets, creating the spirit of cooperation and team work and flourishing the software business are some of the main impacts of producing open source software in Iran.
Online Learning Readiness
Authors: Hung Min-Ling
Published: January 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine whether online students' course-related readiness would undergo changes between midterm exams and final exams, and which student-readiness factors might predict students' willingness to take an online course again. The analysis used survey data from 217 students enrolled in an online course that was presented three times over three consecutive semesters. The results of this study were as follows: (1) an increase in communication self-efficacy and a decrease in learner control and in motivation for learning from middle of the semester to the end of the semester; (2) communication self-efficacy and learning motivation were statistically significant predictors of the students' willingness to take future online courses.
Loss of Peripheral Protection in Pancreatic Islets by Proteolysis-Driven Impairment of VTCN1 (B7-H4) Presentation Is Associated with the Development of Autoimmune Diabetes
Authors: Radichev Ilian A. , Maneva-Radicheva Lilia V. , Amatya Christina , Salehi Maryam , Parker Camille , Ellefson Jacob , Burn Paul , Savinov Alexei Y.
Published: January 2016

Ag-specific activation of T cells is an essential process in the control of effector immune responses. Defects in T cell activation, particularly in the costimulation step, have been associated with many autoimmune conditions, including type 1 diabetes (T1D). Recently, we demonstrated that the phenotype of impaired negative costimulation, due to reduced levels of V-set domain–containing T cell activation inhibitor 1 (VTCN1) protein on APCs, is shared between diabetes-susceptible NOD mice and human T1D patients. In this study, we show that a similar process takes place in the target organ, as both α and β cells within pancreatic islets gradually lose their VTCN1 protein during autoimmune diabetes development despite upregulation of the VTCN1 gene. Diminishment of functional islet cells’ VTCN1 is caused by the active proteolysis by metalloproteinase N-arginine dibasic convertase 1 (NRD1) and leads to the significant induction of proliferation and cytokine production by diabetogenic T cells. Inhibition of NRD1 activity, alternatively, stabilizes VTCN1 and dulls the anti-islet T cell responses. Therefore, we suggest a general endogenous mechanism of defective VTCN1 negative costimulation, which affects both lymphoid and peripheral target tissues during T1D progression and results in aggressive anti-islet T cell responses. This mechanism is tied to upregulation of NRD1 expression and likely acts in two synergistic proteolytic modes: cell-intrinsic intracellular and cell-extrinsic systemic. Our results highlight an importance of VTCN1 stabilization on cell surfaces for the restoration of altered balance of immune control during T1D.
γδ T Cells Protect the Liver and Lungs of Mice from Autoimmunity Induced by Scurfy Lymphocytes
Authors: Ujiie Hideyuki , Shevach Ethan M.
Published: January 2016

γδ T cells have been shown to have immunoregulatory functions in several experimental autoimmune models. A mutation of the Foxp3 gene leads to the absence of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and a fatal systemic autoimmune disease in scurfy mice. Transfer of scurfy lymphocytes to RAG deficient (RAG−/−) recipients reproduces the inflammatory phenotype of the scurfy donor, including hepatitis and pneumonitis. In this study, we show that TCRα−/− recipients, which lack αβ T cells but have γδ T cells and B cells, are significantly protected from the hepatitis and pneumonitis, but not the dermatitis, induced by adoptive transfer of scurfy lymphocytes. Cotransfer of γδ T cells, but not B cells, prevented hepatitis and pneumonitis in RAG−/− recipients of scurfy lymphocytes. γδ T cells in the TCRα−/− recipients of scurfy cells markedly expanded and expressed a highly activated (CD62LloCD44hi) phenotype. The activated γδ T cells expressed high levels of CD39 and NKG2D on their cell surface. A high frequency of scurfy T cells in TCRα−/− recipients produced IL-10, suggesting that γδ T cells may enhance suppressor cytokine production from scurfy T cells in TCRα−/− recipients. This study indicates that γδ T cells may contribute to the maintenance of immunological homeostasis by suppressing autoreactive T cells in liver and lung.
Phosphatidylinositol 4-Phosphate 5-Kinase β Controls Recruitment of Lipid Rafts into the Immunological Synapse
Authors: Kallikourdis Marinos , Trovato Anna Elisa , Roselli Giuliana , Muscolini Michela , Porciello Nicla , Tuosto Loretta , Viola Antonella
Published: January 2016

Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-biphosphate (PIP2) is critical for T lymphocyte activation serving as a substrate for the generation of second messengers and the remodeling of actin cytoskeleton necessary for the clustering of lipid rafts, TCR, and costimulatory receptors toward the T:APC interface. Spatiotemporal analysis of PIP2 synthesis in T lymphocytes suggested that distinct isoforms of the main PIP2-generating enzyme, phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinase (PIP5K), play a differential role on the basis of their distinct localization. In this study, we analyze the contribution of PIP5Kβ to T cell activation and show that CD28 induces the recruitment of PIP5Kβ to the immunological synapse, where it regulates filamin A and lipid raft accumulation, as well as T cell activation, in a nonredundant manner. Finally, we found that Vav1 and the C-terminal 83 aa of PIP5Kβ are pivotal for the PIP5Kβ regulatory functions in response to CD28 stimulation.
Inducible Expression of CXCL1 within the Central Nervous System Amplifies Viral-Induced Demyelination
Authors: Marro Brett S. , Grist Jonathan J. , Lane Thomas E.
Published: January 2016

The functional role of the ELR+ chemokine CXCL1 in host defense and disease following infection of the CNS with the neurotropic JHM strain of mouse hepatitis virus (JHMV) was examined. Mice in which expression of CXCL1 is under the control of a tetracycline-inducible promoter active within glial fibrillary acidic protein–positive cells were generated and this allowed for selectively increasing CNS expression of CXCL1 in response to JHMV infection and evaluating the effects on neuroinflammation, control of viral replication, and demyelination. Inducible expression of CNS-derived CXCL1 resulted in increased levels of CXCL1 protein within the serum, brain, and spinal cord that correlated with increased frequency of Ly6G+CD11b+ neutrophils present within the CNS. Elevated levels of CXCL1 did not influence the generation of virus-specific T cells, and there was no difference in control of JHMV replication compared with control mice, indicating that T cell infiltration into the CNS is CXCL1-independent. Sustained CXCL1 expression within the CNS resulted in increased mortality that correlated with elevated neutrophil infiltration, diminished numbers of mature oligodendrocytes, and an increase in the severity of demyelination. Neutrophil ablation in CXCL1-transgenic mice reduced the severity of demyelination in mice, arguing for a role for these cells in white matter damage. Collectively, these findings illustrate that sustained CXCL1 expression amplifies the severity of white matter damage and that neutrophils can contribute to this process in a model of viral-induced neurologic disease.
Kras Is Critical for B Cell Lymphopoiesis
Authors: Chen Yuhong , Zheng Yongwei , You Xiaona , Yu Mei , Fu Guoping , Su Xinlin , Zhou Fen , Zhu Wen , Wu Zhihong , Zhang Jing , Wen Renren , Wang Demin
Published: January 2016

The three major Ras members, Kras, Hras, and Nras, are highly homologous and individual Ras genes can have distinct biological functions. Embryonic lethality of Kras-deficient mice precludes study of the biological functions of this Ras family member. In this study, we generated and examined mice with hematopoietic-specific deletion of Kras and bone marrow (BM) chimeric mice with B cell–specific targeted deletion of Kras. Hematopoietic-specific deletion of Kras impaired early B cell development at the pre–B cell stage and late B cell maturation, resulting in the reduction of BM pre–, immature, and mature B cells and peripheral follicular, marginal zone, and B1 mature B cells. In contrast, Kras deficiency did not affect T cell development. Studies of BM chimeric mice with B cell–specific deletion of Kras demonstrated that Kras deficiency intrinsically impaired B cell development. Kras deficiency reduced BCR-induced B cell proliferation and survival. Furthermore, Kras deficiency specifically impaired pre–BCR- and BCR-induced activation of the Raf-1/MEK/ERK pathway in pre–B and mature B cells, respectively. Thus, Kras is the unique Ras family member that plays a critical role in early B cell development and late B cell maturation through controlling the Raf-1/MEK/ERK pathway.
Vaccine Induction of Lymph Node–Resident Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Env-Specific T Follicular Helper Cells in Rhesus Macaques
Authors: Vargas-Inchaustegui Diego A. , Demers Andrew , Shaw Julia M. , Kang Guobin , Ball David , Tuero Iskra , Musich Thomas , Mohanram Venkatramanan , Demberg Thorsten , Karpova Tatiana S. , Li Qingsheng , Robert-Guroff Marjorie
Published: January 2016

Measurement of Ag-specific T follicular helper (TFH) cell activity in rhesus macaques has not previously been reported. Given that rhesus macaques are the animal model of choice for evaluating protective efficacy of HIV/SIV vaccine candidates and that TFH cells play a pivotal role in aiding B cell maturation, quantifying vaccine induction of HIV/SIV-specific TFH cells would greatly benefit vaccine development. In this study, we quantified SIV Env-specific IL-21–producing TFH cells for the first time, to our knowledge, in a nonhuman primate vaccine study. Macaques were primed twice mucosally with adenovirus 5 host range mutant recombinants encoding SIV Env, Rev, Gag, and Nef followed by two i.m. boosts with monomeric SIV gp120 or oligomeric SIV gp140 proteins. At 2 wk after the second protein boost, we obtained lymph node biopsy specimens and quantified the frequency of total and SIV Env-specific IL-21+ TFH cells and total germinal center B cells, the size and number of germinal centers, and the frequency of SIV-specific Ab-secreting cells in B cell zones. Multiple correlation analyses established the importance of TFH for development of B cell responses in systemic and mucosally localized compartments, including blood, bone marrow, and rectum. Our results suggest that the SIV-specific TFH cells, initially induced by replicating adenovirus-recombinant priming, are long lived. The multiple correlations of SIV Env-specific TFH cells with systemic and mucosal SIV-specific B cell responses indicate that this cell population should be further investigated in HIV vaccine development as a novel correlate of immunity.
Old and new oral anticoagulants for secondary stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation
Authors: Sacquegna Tommaso , Zaniboni Anna , Rubboli Andrea , Procaccianti Gaetano , Crisci Michela , Maioli Fabiola , Arnone Giorgia , Di Pasquale Giuseppe
Published: January 2016

Vitamin K antagonists, such as warfarin, used in oral anticoagulation therapy currently represent the standard drugs for the primary and secondary prevention of stroke in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF), with a relative risk reduction close to 70%. Newer oral anticoagulants, such as direct thrombin inhibitors (i.e., dabigatran) and direct factor Xa inhibitors (i.e., apixaban and rivaroxaban) have been recently compared with warfarin in large randomized trials for stroke prevention in AF. The new oral anticoagulants showed, compared with warfarin, no statistically significant difference in the rate of stroke or systemic embolism in secondary prevention (patients with previous transient ischemic attack or stroke) subgroups. With regard to safety, the risk of intracranial bleeding was reduced with new anticoagulants compared with warfarin. Indirect treatment comparisons of clinical trials on secondary prevention cohorts showed no significant difference in efficacy among apixaban, rivaroxaban, and dabigatran; but dabigatran 110 mg was associated with less intracranial bleedings than rivaroxaban.