bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Demographic and microbial characteristics and drug resistance of childhood tuberculosis in Istanbul: analysis of 1,541 cases
Authors: Cakir Erkan , Erdem Ela , Ozlu Nagihan , Seber Engin , Gencer Serap , Kilicaslan Zeki
Published: March 2014

Introduction: Although tuberculosis (TB) is frequently seen in Turkey, there are limited studies on childhood TB. We aimed to describe clinical and laboratory findings, including drug resistance, of children with TB in Istanbul, Turkey. Methodology: The study included all children aged 0-14 years who were registered in public dispensaries between 2006 and 2010. Results: The study included 1,541 cases. Forty-four percent (n = 763) of the patients were male with a mean age of 8.86±4.19 years. Fifty-five percent of the patients had pulmonary TB, 39% had extrapulmonary TB, and 6% had both pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB. The most common extrapulmonary involvement sites were the pleura (n = 193), lymph nodes (n = 247), and central nervous system (n = 41). Forty-one percent of the patients were evaluated microbiologically and 35% of them were positive. For the total study group, 14% of them were positive. A drug susceptibility test was performed on 108 patients. Drug resistance to at least one drug was detected in 16% (n = 17), to isoniazid in 15% (n = 16), streptomycin in 12% (n = 12), rifampicin in 9% (n = 10), ethambutol in 7% (n = 8), and multi-drug resistance in 8% (n=9) of patients. Conclusions: This is the largest analysis on demographic features and drug resistance of childhood TB in Turkey. In Turkey, the rate of microbiological diagnosis is low, similar to rates worldwide. More microbiological studies and drug resistance tests should be done and annual changes should be followed with multi-center studies.
Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and influenza in children with respiratory infections in Alexandria, Egypt
Authors: Grassi Tiziana , Mancini Fabiola , Ciervo Alessandra , Vescio Maria Fenicia , Ghazal Abeer , Ashour Housam , Saleh Ezzeldin , El Zalabani Mahmoud , Donatelli Isabella , El Sawaf Gamal , Rezza Giovanni
Published: March 2014

Introduction: Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are the leading cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality worldwide. Information about etiological agents of ARI in developing countries is still limited. Methodology: Throat swabs collected from children hospitalized with ARI between December 2009 and May 2010 were investigated for Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and influenza viruses by molecular analyses. Results: This study conducted in Alexandria, Egypt, was designed to determine the prevalence of several microorganisms in 156 children hospitalized with ARI. Overall, samples from 76 individuals (49%) were found to be positive for at least one pathogen, and 10 of them were positive for two agents. C. pneumoniae was the most commonly detected agent, followed by M. pneumonia and H1N1 pandemic influenza virus. Positivity for C. pneumoniae was associated with colder months and mild disease of the upper respiratory tract such as laryngitis. Conclusions: Further studies are needed to identify other possible agents of ARI (e.g., RSV, adenoviruses, other bacterial infections) in this population and to better understand the causal role of atypical bacteria detected in respiratory samples.
Federalism and Identity: Reflections on the American Experience
Authors: Tarr G. Alan
Published: March 2014

Il y a deux cents ans, les Américains s’identifiaient en premier lieu aux États dans lesquels ils vivaient, alors qu’aujourd’hui, leur loyauté principale va aux États-Unis. Cet article analyse ce qui est à l’origine de ce transfert d’identité politique, et en étudie les effets sur le fédéralisme américain. Il identifie différents facteurs susceptibles de former une identité politique, s’intéresse à leur caractère opérationnel (ou non opérationnel) dans le cas des États-Unis, et conclut par une évaluation de ce qui fonde le fédéralisme américain contemporain.
What Constitutes the Political Power of Russia's Regions?
Authors: Heinemann-Grüder Andreas
Published: March 2014

La politisation des clivages régionaux et la mobilisation politique des intérêts régionaux dans la Fédération russe sont limitées par les pouvoirs excessifs de l’exécutif, la centralisation des compétences et l’absence de partis régionaux. La décentralisation et les réformes de libéralisation économique ont approfondi les disparités socio-économiques entre régions « russes » et ethniques de la fédération de Russie. Il existe en Russie quatre zones socio-économiques, qui correspondent plus ou moins aux préférences politiques dominantes : (1) les grandes villes avec agglomérations industrielles, aptes au changement ; (2) les villes de taille moyenne, qui sont mono-industrielles et plus sensibles aux crises ; (3) les petites villes et les zones rurales dans le Sud de la Russie, le Nord-Caucase, et les zones périphériques du Nord, qui pratiquent essentiellement une économie de subsistance ; (4) et les républiques ethniques du Sud dans lesquels on trouve de hauts niveaux de violence. Les formes de conflit dans le Nord-Caucase ont changé au fil du temps – du sécessionnisme ethno-nationaliste au djihad régional. Depuis 2011, on peut également voir un déplacement de la contestation sociale depuis le centre vers les régions. Ces manifestations concernent principalement les coûts croissants des services publics et des biens fondamentaux. L’accroissement des disparités socio-économiques pourrait réveiller les mouvements régionaux, en particulier dans un contexte de baisse des taux de croissance et de l’épuisement prévisible du modèle économique d’exploitation de gaz et du pétrole fondé sur une forte rentabilité.
Building a Federation within a Federation
Authors: Keil Soeren
Published: March 2014

La Bosnie-Herzégovine reste un des systèmes fédéraux les plus particuliers au monde. Tout d’abord, sa structure fédérale lui a été imposée au cours de la conférence de paix de Dayton en 1995. Depuis le système fédéral est resté fortement dépendant de l’intervention extérieure. Les seuls progrès réalisés l’ont été sous la pression étrangère. Cet article s’intéresse en particulier à l’une des deux entités bosniaques, à savoir la Fédération de Bosnie-Herzégovine, qui est elle-même constituée de dix cantons. L’article étudie comment cette construction juridique très particulière pourrait développer sa propre identité territoriale (ou fédérale). La conclusion met en avant comment la Fédération de Bosnie-Herzégovine reflète certains des problèmes fondamentaux de l’État fédéral de Bosnie, à savoir la surinstitutionnalisation, les rivalités ethniques, et le manque de consensus sur la nature et l’organisation des différentes unités territoriales à l’intérieur du pays.
Donations to Libraries
Authors: Sturges Paul
Published: March 2014

The donations of books and other materials to libraries in developing countries reveal the paradox that a gift can be more of a problem than a benefit. In the post-colonial period, well meaning organisations sent boxes of discarded books to libraries. Governments send book donations for propaganda purposes and religious organisations do likewise, with the Church of Scientology currently using its massive translating, publishing and distribution capacity for this purpose. Ways in which donations can be selected so as to serve the actual needs of recipients have been explored in recent years, with the charity Book Aid International being an outstanding example. The experience of libraries in the face of donations of all these types is discussed so as to point to some conclusions on the significance for international cooperation.
Globalization and Library and Information Science
Authors: Abdullahi Ismail
Published: March 2014

Globalization is a complex set of partly contradictory forces. Driven by technological and transportation and, as in the case of libraries, high and fast transfer of information, globalization has accelerated tremendously. There are those who think globalization affects the nation, especially the developing world. They feel that their culture is fragmented as Western values and ways of life are becoming dominant, and others think that globalization creates new opportunities for those who are left out of economically, culturally, and in trade. For the development of libraries, political stability and economic growth are essential resources. At the same time, we understand that libraries are part of cultural institutions. If as some think, globalization takes away certain powers from nation-states, are libraries able to develop and preserve the nation’s heritage in such environments? This chapter examines the ethical implication of globalization in the development of library and information science.
Library and Information Science Collaborations in the Philippines and Beyond
Authors: Fresnido Ana Maria B. , Yap Joseph M.
Published: March 2014

The development of library cooperation in the Philippines, particularly among academic, school, and special libraries, started in the early 1930s and was known under different names (Ladlad, 2003), such as resource sharing, partnership, consortium, linkage, library cooperation, and networking. Libraries usually come together in the form of consortia to supplement existing resources by providing access to information available in other libraries. Through cooperation, libraries are able to withstand the skyrocketing prices of information resources as well as budget cuts by means of consortium/cooperative purchasing. Likewise, library cooperation has proven to be an effective way of presenting smart solutions to common library problems/concerns through communities of practice. This chapter provides an overview of major library consortia in the Philippines. The compiled list is as exhaustive as possible. However, due to scarcity of sources, some active consortia may not have been included in the list. The information provided in this chapter was gathered mostly from published Websites. A comparative study, in terms of aims/objectives and activities being carried out by the different consortia, was also included and can be found at the end of this chapter.
International Satellite Communications to Support and Supplement Web-Based Information Exchange
Authors: Neelameghan A.
Published: March 2014

This chapter describes international collaborative programs to develop information exchange networks connecting the Pacific Island communities among themselves on the one hand and between them and the Pacific rim countries and the rest of the world on the other. It gives as an example the use of the PEACESAT (Pan-Pacific Education and Communications Experiments by Satellite) satellite network to “talk to” heads of libraries of several Pacific Islands to obtain quick approval of a plan for an Asia-Pacific regional development information network, before submitting the plan document to funding agencies/sponsors.1
Analogue and Digital Stereo-Photography
Authors: Ogram Geoff
Published: March 2014

The origins of stereoscopic imagery are discussed briefly, and a practical method of producing stereoscopic pairs of images with a single-lens camera is explained in this chapter. The history of stereoscopic cameras is summarised, and the models and formats listed. The various formats for 35 mm formats are discussed and the fundamental geometry reviewed. Instructions for the correct mounting of stereo pairs of images are given. Equipment for digital stereoscopic photography is discussed, with descriptions of available models and their control devices and associated software listed for each model. Specifically designed programs for stereo image processing are available.
Integral 3-D Imaging Techniques
Authors: Bjelkhagen Hans I.
Published: March 2014

In 1891 the optical physicist Gabriel Lippmann developed a method of reproducing colour in photography without dyes, instead using pure light from the solar spectrum. Later study took his interest into the research of three-dimensional imaging via a method of integral photography in which a fly's eye lens array is used to record images in complete three-dimensional fidelity. Other noteworthy workers in the field such as Ives, Burckhart & Doherty, Bonnet and Montabello followed up the principle, but today Lippmann is acknowledged as being a founding father of the micro-lens technique for three-dimensional imaging. Advances in micro-lens production has led to the easy availability of lenticular print and consumer electronic companies are eager to develop 3-D TV system that incorporates much Lippmann theory. This chapter offers a brief history of Gabriel Lippmann and his subsequent legacy.
The Reinvention of Holography
Authors: Fan Frank C. , Jiang C. C. , Choi Sam
Published: March 2014

In this chapter, the authors examine the concept of 3-D displays with sampled spatial spectra in discrete hoxels, reducing the redundancy present in digital holography, which prints each individual hogel. The underlying theory deals with the principles of 3-D imaging using the quantum model and 4-D (x,y,z,t) Fourier transforms. The image information is treated as a single spatial spectrum and its 3-D information recovered by digital vector treatment through hoxels. This enable the achievement of real-time communication in 3-D.
The Prime Illusion
Authors: Richardson Martin
Published: March 2014

This final chapter focuses on the potential of three-dimensional imaging. In particular the medium’s ability to record three-dimensional objects, as with the holograms made of John Harrison’s famous fourth timekeeper “H4” for the Royal Observatory, National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, and the strange case of Professor Günter von Hagen and his “BODY WORLDS: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies,” who seriously explored its potential but relinquished its further exploration due to negative public opinion of his exhibitions at that time. Holographic stereograms are also discussed, in particular their ability to capture animation, as detailed in Case Study Three: Holograms of David Bowie. The text also explores some future applications of wavefront reconstruction.
Is Religion Compatible with Media Entertainment?
Authors: Marchessault Guy
Published: March 2014

Is it possible to reconcile the spectacular approach of the media with the inner nature of the spiritual? Can one imagine the presence of religions within an ambience of entertainment? There always were tensions between religions and plays and games. Religions feared theatre, play, music, arts, dance, cards, and media, of course. Why are play and entertainment considered to be so dangerous? Would it be a better approach to discern true spiritual openings through play, and through media entertainment? In this chapter, the authors discuss the point of views of an historian, a film director, communication researchers, a philosopher, sociologists, and anthropologists, who offer a refined understanding of the capacity of playing to reveal the human search for meaning and spiritual journey. Play, and certainly media entertainment, can open humans to their own various potentialities, giving significance to their relation with the world and with other humans, and so with the sacredness. However, this can be done only if one respects the typical languages of the media made out of narratives and storytelling, which implies capacity of creativity in arts and rhetoric, combined with respect for ethical and spiritual dimensions of believers.
Cult Wars on the Internet
Authors: Palmer Susan
Published: March 2014

This chapter focuses on the impact of the Worldwide Web on the trajectories of new and controversial religious movements. The research data indicates that the use (misuse?) of the Internet has, paradoxically, facilitated the expansion of minority religions – and yet it has also undermined their quest for social legitimacy. The ways in which different interest groups in the “Cult Wars” (“anticult” organization, Christian “countercult” groups, ex-members support networks, second-generation members, teen chat rooms, and official Websites of NRMs) use the Internet are demonstrated – from evangelism, to “white-washing,” to whistle-blowing, to stigmatizing attacks. The unprecedented challenges to boundary maintenance in communal, utopian, or racialist religions posed by Internet communications are discussed, and the formation of virtual (“dis-embodied”) congregations described. The use of the Internet in the “cult wars,” by human rights and religious freedom activists, for the formation of new interest groups, and for the forging and wielding of new cyber-weapons in these sectarian struggles (e.g. hacking or blocking Websites, promoting conspiracy theories) is discussed, drawing on examples from the Falun Gong, Scientology, the International Raelian Movement, ISKCON, and others.
Capillitas
Authors: Finol José Enrique , Finol David Enrique
Published: March 2014

This chapter focuses on the analysis of a small religious and funerary culture practiced alongside Venezuelan roads, where many car accidents cause a great number of deaths every year. After a car accident has caused the death of a person, family members build a small cenotaph known in Venezuela as capillita, where a variety of ritual practices are developed. According to family members, the capillita has to be built at the exact location where the victim “took his last breath.” This small funerary culture is a vivid expression of rich and complex processes of religious syncretism that combines and integrates elements originally coming from Catholic, Jewish, and African-Venezuelan practices, along with popular agrarian myths and legends. Communication processes, sometimes among distant communities, located in different roads and highways, are based on family visits and religious meetings, where messages are exchanged face to face. But capillitas are not only funerary monuments where family members and neighbors come to communicate with the deceased, visit and bring candles, flowers, water, liquor, and food, they are also signs of warning to passersby and, particularly, to drivers who are usually blamed for car accidents.
Four Strategies for Remote Workforce Training, Development, and Certification
Authors: Gibson Robert
Published: March 2014

Companies and organizations are increasingly turning to remote-based teleworkers to fill vital positions. This is due to a variety of circumstances, including increasing difficulty in locating and attracting potential employees who possess the requisite skills required for positions, locating potential employees who reside in close geographic proximity to the corporate facilities, high costs associated with relocating employees across the country or globe, and high costs associated with supporting a large, localized workforce. Therefore, developing and supporting a strong remote workforce becomes a critical business strategy and an important component of the corporate Value Chain. Providing ongoing training, development, and credentialing for these remote teleworkers can be challenging for many companies – despite technological advancements in recent years. In response, many companies are increasingly taking it upon themselves to provide workforce education and certification – bypassing traditional education formats in favor of emerging models for training, development, and competency certification. Four strategies/models are proposed in this chapter for training and credentialing remote teleworkers, including utilization of Open Systems, which are gaining popularity in corporations such as Google, the Khan Academy, and Autodesk; Badging and Open Badging, which are commonly used in corporations such as Samsung, NASA, and Disney; Gamification and 3D Simulation Strategies, which are used in a variety of corporate training; and Learning Support Managers, which are used by companies such as Apple, Inc.
Bridging the Gap with Distance Education Students
Authors: Parlakkilic Alaattin
Published: March 2014

Presence, a sense of “being there,” is critical to the success of designing, teaching, and learning at a distance using both synchronous and asynchronous (blended) technologies. Until recently, presence has been defined and discussed in terms of behavioral or cognitive theory. Emotional aspects of presence have been largely ignored. A theory of presence must incorporate emotions and take into consideration their interaction with behavior and cognition. In order to create, convey, and/or experience a sense of presence, it is necessary to become familiar with and take into consideration the types, modes, determinants, and dimensions of presence. In addition, it is important to recognize that when others sense your existence, it may enhance your individual sense of presence and your differentiation of self and experience of self. Further, continuing to experience and practice with technologies, in groups and sharing with others, a sense of presence will most likely increase. Presence will also be affected by expectations based on prior experience; as expectations rise, it refines ways in which presence can be experienced. Throughout this process, trust and support are critical. The concept of presence has been conceptualized differently across various theoretical models. Different dimensions of the presence in the literature can be grouped in three main categories as (place) presence, social presence, and co-presence. Presence is explored in this chapter.
Methodological, Ethical, and Epistemological Challenges of Evaluating Academic Achievement and Course Completion in Distance Education
Authors: Perry S. Marshall , Caruso Janet
Published: March 2014

This chapter explores the various challenges of evaluating the quality of distance education programs and proposes methodologies for future research. The authors provide a framework for teaching within the context of distance education and discuss the existing literature surrounding the characteristics of students who engage in distance education, their academic achievement, and their rates of completion. Empirical studies in primary and higher education are examined. While some research supports the great promise of distance education, there are inherent methodological, ethical, and epistemological challenges in evaluating the quality of distance education. The chapter illuminates the need, promise, and challenge of conducting rigorous evaluations and concludes with suggestions to strengthen evaluation in the future.
Growing PEAS at the Duke Campus Farm
Authors: Cory-Watson Damon
Published: March 2014

This chapter explains a study designed to create a guide to aid the Duke Campus Farm (DCF) in developing an educational program on sustainable agriculture. Currently, many such education programs exist, but they are very different in their content, tools and approaches. Qualitative analysis of 58 syllabi from 30 post-secondary educational institutions was used to understand frequent practices in the field of sustainable agriculture education (SAE). The analysis showed consistency for 14 content areas that appeared in 93% to 26% of all syllabi, 10 tools that appeared in 93% to 14% of all syllabi, and 10 approaches that appeared in 86% to 7% of all syllabi. A gap in SAE was also discovered in that most educators use only one of the four phases of Experiential Learning (EL) theory when implementing EL. This information was then used to create an education program for the DCF. Studies such as this seem useful in compiling and codifying new innovations in education about sustainable development.
Big Data Analytics Demystified
Authors: Raj Pethuru
Published: March 2014

This chapter is mainly crafted in order to give a business-centric view of big data analytics. The readers can find the major application domains / use cases of big data analytics and the compelling needs and reasons for wholeheartedly embracing this new paradigm. The emerging use cases include the use of real-time data such as the sensor data to detect any abnormalities in plant and machinery and batch processing of sensor data collected over a period to conduct failure analysis of plant and machinery. The author describes the short-term as well as the long-term benefits and find and nullify all kinds of doubts and misgivings on this new idea, which has been pervading and penetrating into every tangible domain. The ultimate goal is to demystify this cutting-edge technology so that its acceptance and adoption levels go up significantly in the days to unfold.
Integrating Heterogeneous Data for Big Data Analysis
Authors: Millham Richard
Published: March 2014

Data is an integral part of most business-critical applications. As business data increases in volume and in variety due to technological, business, and other factors, managing this diverse volume of data becomes more difficult. A new paradigm, data virtualization, is used for data management. Although a lot of research has been conducted on developing techniques to accurately store huge amounts of data and to process this data with optimal resource utilization, research remains on how to handle divergent data from multiple data sources. In this chapter, the authors first look at the emerging problem of “big data” with a brief introduction to the emergence of data virtualization and at an existing system that implements data virtualization. Because data virtualization requires techniques to integrate data, the authors look at the problems of divergent data in terms of value, syntax, semantic, and structural differences. Some proposed methods to help resolve these differences are examined in order to enable the mapping of this divergent data into a homogeneous global schema that can more easily be used for big data analysis. Finally, some tools and industrial examples are given in order to demonstrate different approaches of heterogeneous data integration.
Significance of In-Memory Computing for Real-Time Big Data Analytics
Authors: Deka Ganesh Chandra
Published: March 2014

Cloud computing provides online access of users’ data anytime, anywhere, any application, and any device. Due to the slower read/write operation of conventional disk resident databases, they are incapable of meeting the real-time, Online Transaction Processing (OLTP) requirements of cloud-based application, specifically e-Commerce application. Since In-Memory database store the database in RAM, In-Memory databases drastically reduce the read/write times leading to high throughput of a cloud-based OLTP systems. This chapter discusses In-Memory real time analytics.
A Survey of Big Data Analytics Systems
Authors: Nirmala M. Baby
Published: March 2014

In this emerging era of analytics 3.0, where big data is the heart of talk in all sectors, achieving and extracting the full potential from this vast data is accomplished by many vendors through their new generation analytical processing systems. This chapter deals with a brief introduction of the categories of analytical processing system, followed by some prominent analytical platforms, appliances, frameworks, engines, fabrics, solutions, tools, and products of the big data vendors. Finally, it deals with big data analytics in the network, its security, WAN optimization tools, and techniques for cloud-based big data analytics.
Chaotic Walk in Simulated Annealing Search Space for Task Allocation in a Multiprocessing System
Authors: Ferens Ken , Cook Darcy , Kinsner Witold
Published: March 2014

This paper proposes the application of chaos in large search space problems, and suggests that this represents the next evolutionary step in the development of adaptive and intelligent systems towards cognitive machines and systems. Three different versions of chaotic simulated annealing (XSA) were applied to combinatorial optimization problems in multiprocessor task allocation. Chaotic walks in the solution space were taken to search for the global optimum or “good enough” task-to-processor allocation solutions. Chaotic variables were generated to set the number of perturbations made in each iteration of a XSA algorithm. In addition, parameters of a chaotic variable generator were adjusted to create different chaotic distributions with which to search the solution space. The results show that the convergence rate of the XSA algorithm is faster than simulated annealing when the solutions are far apart in the solution space. In particular, the XSA algorithms found simulated annealing’s best result on average about 4 times faster than simulated annealing.
GSM-Based Positioning Technique Using Relative Received Signal Strength
Authors: Abdel Meniem Mohamed H. , Hamad Ahmed M. , Shaaban Eman
Published: March 2014

Context-aware applications have been gaining huge interest in the last few years. With cell phones becoming ubiquitous computing devices, cell phone localization has become an important research problem. Database Correlation Method (DCM) is a positioning technology that based on a database of a premeasured location dependent variable such as Received Signal Strength (RSS). DCM has shown superior in terms of accuracy. Absolute RSS values received from a base station change with time, but the relative RSS (RRSS) values which refer to the relations of the RSS values between different base stations are more stable. This study proposes and implements a robust RRSS GSM-based technique for both positioning and traffic estimation. The study was tested and analyzed in Egypt roads using realistic data and Android smart phones. The performance evaluation showed good results. Mean positioning accuracy was about 29m in urban areas and velocity estimation was about 1 km/h in rural areas.
Students’ Use of Technology in Learning Course Material
Authors: Cole Michele T. , Swartz Louis B. , Shelley Daniel J.
Published: March 2014

This paper presents the results of a four-year study examining business students’ perceptions of academic integrity and the role of technology in e-learning. This study is an extension of previous research on academic integrity in the online environment (Cole, Shelley & Swartz, 2013; Cole & Swartz, 2013; Shelley, Cole & Swartz, 2010). Of the 553 students who participated in the study, more than a third did not believe that academic integrity applied equally online and in the classroom. Independent-samples t-tests showed statistically significant differences based on gender, but not by age group or level of study. There were 200 responses to what made the two learning environments different. Students pointed to the “real world” where accessing all available resources to solve a problem was the norm, suggesting that instructors should recognize that and adapt their expectations of what is and is not acceptable behavior in the courses they teach.
The Use of Virtual Worlds in Management Education: An Investigation of Current Practices in Second Life
Authors: Klein Amarolinda Zanela , Freitas Angilberto , Machado Lisiane , Junior José Carlos da Silva Freitas , Graziola Paulo Gaspar , Schlemmer Eliane
Published: March 2014

Frequently, research on management education does not take into account the role of Information Technology as a key resource to support teaching and learning processes. In this article, the authors explore the current applications of Three Dimensional Virtual Worlds (3DVW) for Management education. The authors researched the educational institutions subscribed to Second Life (SL) (http://secondlife.com/), as it is one of the most popular open 3DVW available worldwide. The results reveal that only 31% of the institutions that answered the authors’ questionnaire actually use SL in Management education. Regarding the acceptance of SL in Management education, one third of the 15 institutions using it claim that it has been well received and accepted both by students and lecturers/professors. These results lead to several questions for further research and development of practices concerning the use of 3DVW for Management education.
Do Open Educational Resources and Cloud Classroom Really Improve Students’ Learning?
Authors: Tsai Chia-Wen , Shen Pei-Di
Published: March 2014

More and more educational institutions are using educational technologies and online learning materials to help students achieve satisfactory learning effects. However, not all teachers are able to prepare and design digital learning materials for students. This research attempted to empirically demonstrate the effects of applying open educational resources (OERs) and a cloud classroom developed by Ming Chuan University, which comprises access to related software and online learning materials, to enhance students’ computer skills and also improve their scores on certification examinations. The researchers conducted an experiment that included 114 undergraduates from two class sections – the first section received OERs in a cloud classroom in addition to their traditional classroom instruction (OER group, n=61), and the other learned in the traditional classroom without OERs (non-OER group, n=53). The results show that students who received OERs had significantly higher grades than those without in the PowerPoint module; however, the difference is not statistically significant in the Excel module. The authors further discuss the implications and unexpected results in this paper.
Assessment of Information Provision Services of Libraries in the 21st Century in Some Selected Academic Libraries in Delta State
Authors: Ogbah Enovwor Laura
Published: March 2014

This study is an assessment of Information Provision Services of Libraries in the 21st century in some selected academic libraries in Delta State. A descriptive survey was adopted in carrying out the research. The questionnaire was the instrument for data collection of which 62 were retrieved. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that academic libraries should have Internet connectivity, librarians should be trained in the use of Information and Communication Technology amongst others that were itemized.
Applying CBR Over an AI Planner for Dynamic Web Service Composition
Authors: Henni Fouad , Atmani Baghdad
Published: March 2014

Web services have emerged as a major technology for deploying automated interactions between distributed and heterogeneous applications. The main advantage of Web services composition is the possibility of creating value-added services by combining existing ones to achieve customized tasks. How to combine these services efficiently into an arrangement that is both functionally sound and architecturally realizable is a very challenging topic that has founded a significant research area within computer science. A great deal of recent Web-related research has concentrated on dynamic Web service composition. Most of proposed models for dynamic composition use semantic descriptions of Web services through the construction of domain ontology. In this paper, we present our approach to dynamically produce composite services. It is based on the use of two Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques: Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) and AI planning. Our motivating scenario concerns a national system for the monitoring of childhood immunization.
Drying Modeling and Energy Consumption of Air Dried Sheet (ADS) Rubber by Solar and Biomass Energy
Authors: Pupakapanpong Choktawee , Tirawanichakul Supawan , Tirawanichakul Yutthana
Published: March 2014

This research aims were to evaluate drying kinetics model for describing evolution of moisture transfer of air dried sheet (ADS) rubber by using solar and biomass drying, multi-stages solar and biomass drying [2 stages (2S) and 3 stages (3S)] and conventional open-sun (OS) drying. The experiments were carried out under the conditions of ADS rubber drying with temperature of 30-60°C. Initial moisture contents of sample rubber were varied between 20 and 50% dry-basis. The final moisture content for each drying strategies was fixed at 1±0.05% dry-basis. The experimental drying results were mathematical simulated by 7 common non-linear empirical models. The results showed that fresh rubber sheets drying with OS technique took longer drying time than those of solar and biomass drying. And the simulated data using approximation of diffusion model was the best fitting to experimental data of rubber sheet. Effective diffusivity of ADS rubber was also determined using the 2nd Ficks law of diffusion and conclusion was that effectice diffusivity was dependent on drying temperature and was in order of 10-7 m2/s. With various drying strategies, the results showed that specific energy consumption of 3-stages ADS rubber drying had a relatively low compared to the other drying techniques.
Open Fault Characteristics and Simple Diagnosis Scheme in a Back-to-Back Converter for Wind Power Conversion
Authors: Kim Kyeong Hwa
Published: March 2014

Switch open fault characteristics and simple diagnosis scheme in a back-to-back converter are presented for a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) based variable-speed grid-connected wind power conversion. In the back-to-back converter, the failure in switching devices may occur either in a machine side converter (MSC) or in a grid side converter (GSC), which decreases the generator output power and degrades the stability in wind power generation system. To detect such a fault, the second-order harmonic components of the q-axis current are monitored in the MSC as well as in the GSC. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme, the comparative simulation results are presented.
An Optimized Design of Humanoid Robot Distributed Control System
Authors: Qiu Zhe , Zhang Lei , Tian Yang , Feng Xiao Kai , Zhang Sheng Yuan
Published: March 2014

A distributed control system applied to small humanoid robots is designed in this paper, using ARM embedded processor and modular function approaches. The system designs plenty of hardware circuits to promote operability of system and reduce difficulties in development. This design solves the problems of high cost, low scalability, weak autonomy of small humanoid robot control system, providing a reliable experimental platform for further study. The feasibility of this control system will be verified through walking experiment of biped robot.
Study on Control Strategy of the Hydro-Mechanical Variable Transmission
Authors: Yang Shu Jun , Pan Hui , Wang Wen Feng , Din Jian , Jiao Xiao Juan
Published: March 2014

The Hydro-mechanical variable transmission (HMT) is an infinitely variable and high efficient multi-power flow transmission, whose stepless speed ratio changing process includes speed ratio changing in range and power shift. In this paper, a HMT control strategy is proposed that includes four components: speed control strategy in range, power shift condition, power shift logics and power shift control strategies. The simulation results of the two-range HMT demonstrate that the proposed control strategy can stabilize the engine speed to the target operating area near the optimal speed and can satisfy demands of the vehicle acceleration, slide and brake.
The Deformation Behavior of Thermal Compression for ZK30 Magnesium Alloy
Authors: Chen Bao Dong , Guo Feng , Wen Jing
Published: March 2014

In order to improve the understanding deformation behaviors of thermal compressive of ZK30 magnesium alloy, carried out a series of thermal compressive tests with height reduction 60% of specimens were performed at deformation temperature range of 523-673 K, and strain rates range of 0.001-1 s−1 on Gleeble-1500 thermo-mechanical simulator. Based on an Arrhenius-type equation constructs a nonlinear flow model and its constitutive equation, are employed to study the deformation behavior and the relationship between deformation temperature, strain rate and flow stress. For higher deformation temperature and lower strain rate, the true stress-strain curves show a characteristic of dynamic recrystallization. With the increase of deformation temperature and the decrease of strain rate the flow stress decreases, also the dynamic recrystallization becomes easier.
Design and Application of IC Card Paid Water Wells Remote Monitoring System
Authors: Li Dong Jiang , Li Zhi Hong , Yu Jun Hao , Lou Xiao Yan
Published: March 2014

Nowadays, the short of water resource has been a problem. To make the use of water resource more effectively, especially the underground water, we designed the IC card paid water wells Remote Monitoring System. The system consists of 3 parts--water wells terminal control unit, the data transmission network and supervisory and trade center. The process includes hardware design and software design. The core point consists of the IC card reading and writing processes and RS485 multi-device communication using MODBUS protocol. After testing, the basic function is completed, and it will be in the future having broad prospects for development in many fields.
Monitoring Bicycle Riding Motion with Multiple Inertial Sensors
Authors: Lee Jae Hoon , Yano Takashige , Yamashita Tomoshi , Okamoto Shingo
Published: March 2014

This paper presents a novel sensory system for monitoring situations of riding bicycle. The proposed system can be used to measure and save in real-time not only the motion of bicycle rider but also the situation near the vehicle. Multiple inertial sensors being attached to human body are employed to measure the motion of the rider. Two laser scanners installed in the front of the bicycle and two cameras of wide view angle were used to detect the environmental change including pedestrians and static/dynamic objects. The system configuration was designed for the synchronization of multiple sensors according to the position information of the vehicle. Particularly, the human motion of riding bicycle is captured with the system and analyzed with the measurement data in this paper.
Joint Transmit Antenna Selection and Artificial Noise for Security in MIMO Wiretap Channels
Authors: Liang Tao , Zhang Ya Jun , Yuan Guo Bin , Guo Li
Published: March 2014

In this paper, We propose a effective method which joint transmit antenna selection (TAS) and artificial noise to promote communication security in MIMO wiretap channels. Firstly, based on TAS protocol, the transmitter selects one antenna (the max-antenna) that maximizes the instantaneous signal-noise-ratio (SNR) at the receiver. Secondly, the transmitter uses the max-antenna to transmit valid data, and simultaneously, uses the remaining antennas to transmit artificial noise which only affects the eavesdropper. Thirdly, The receiver and the eavesdropper employ maximal-ratio combining (MRC) to combine the received signals. We focus on the practical scenario where the transmitter does not have any channel state information (CSI) of the eavesdroppers channel. Our joint TAS and artificial noise scheme (TAS-AN) have low complexity, and can enhance the systems security. The numerical simulation results verify our analysis.
Study on the Formation of C3S Doped with SO3, BaO and MgO
Authors: Zhang Jie , Gong Chen Chen , Chen Xi , Huang Qing Liang , Wang Shou De , Lu Ling Chao
Published: March 2014

Specimens were prepared by burning mixtures containing CaCO3 and SiO2 in 3:1 stoichiometric ratio along with dopants at different temperatures. Formation of C3S doped with SO3, BaO and MgO was studied. The results show that the temperature of beginning formation for C3S is 1380°C in the system, and there exist both C3S and C2S. SO3, BaO and MgO can effectively stabilize the M1 and M3 type alites through substitution and interstitial imperfection, and make f-CaO content 8.68 wt% at 1450°C. C3S doped with minor elements appears in the shape of six-party plate with the mean size of 17~30μm.
Multi-Hierarchical Functional Directed Graph Modeling Method for Aircraft System Fault Diagnosis
Authors: Su Yan , Liu Peng Peng
Published: March 2014

In order to diagnosing new fault for hybrid system which is lack of experiential knowledge and historic knowledge, semi-quantitative fault diagnosis method based on graph theory and fuzzy theory combined with functional fault analysis (FFA) theories and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is studied. And a multi-hierarchical functional directed graph modeling method is proposed for aircraft system fault diagnosis. Nacelle Anti-Ice subsystem of an aero engine is taken as a specific application to present the detailed MHFDG modeling method. The proposed modeling method is suitable for fault diagnosis of newly developed hybrid system.
Coupled CFD/GNC Modeling for the Basic Finner Projectile with Closed Loop
Authors: Xi Ke , Yan Chao , Huang Yu , Wang Wen
Published: March 2014

The virtual flight simulation of the Basic Finner projectile has been investigated through coupling solving unsteady Navier-Stokes equations, rigid-body six degree-of-freedom motion equations, guidance, navigation and control law. The flow solver uses a finite-volume method based on structure grid with dual time stepping, the chimera method is used to simulate relative motions, the fourth-order Runger-Kutta method is used to solve the motion equations. A closed loop feedback control law with PID control is required for the elevator to attain the commanded deflection. The predictions show that the PID parameters for the controller must be correctly selected to obtain the proper response. Simulation results show that the virtual flight simulation platform that we developed is capable of solving the complicated unsteady flows with moving boundary, has a strong applicability to engineering application.
Manufacturing Technology Impact on Environmental Factors and Manufacturing Performance
Authors: Ismail Risyawati Mohd , Razak Razli Che , Lazim Halim Mad
Published: March 2014

The purpose of this study is to study the impact of manufacturing technology in facilitating lean manufacturers in achieving superior manufacturing performance while operating with by various challenges from external environment. The paper is based on a survey research done on lean manufacturers in Malaysia and their adoption of manufacturing technology to couple the implemented lean system in mitigating challenges. The challenges faced by lean manufacturing firms in many developing countries includes adopting the right technology, using it efficiently and continuously reviewing production technology in order to gain maximum output. Model from this empirical study is expected to contribute towards the enhancement of theory on contingency and its effect on performance. At theoretical level, the study results showed that of manufacturing technology mediate the relationship between environmental factors and performance of lean manufacturers.
Determination of Tricalcium Silicates Crystal Forms in Belite-Barium Calcium Sulphoaluminate Cement
Authors: Zhao Yan Ting , Chen Xi , Lu Ling Chao , Huang Yong Bo , Zhang Jie
Published: March 2014

Chemical method of extraction was adopted in the study, and aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide and sucrose (KOSH) was used to obtain the clinker rich in silicate phases (alite and belite) in order to get the crystal forms of tricalcium silicates (C3S) in the belite-barium calcium sulphoaluminate cement clinker. The crystal forms of C3S were finally determined by XRD (X-ray diffraction) spectrums through its characteristic windows of the diffraction spectrums. Results shows that, C3S exists in the innovative cement system mainly in the form of M1; C2.75B1.25A3 can completely dissolve in KOSH solution while its dissolution is inhibited in the cement system; after KOSH treatment, diffraction peaks of C4AF disappear totally and peaks of C3A has weakened to great extent; for the cement clinker, the clinker ground for 90min has the best extraction rate.