bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Facilitating Learning by Going Online
Authors: Barton Siew Mee
Published: February 2013

This chapter examines the impact of eLearning and Web 2.0 social media in a socially conservative environment in Indonesia that has nevertheless proven surprisingly adroit at change management. Web 2.0 social media has proven enormously popular in Indonesia but traditional Islamic schools (which are known in Java as pesantren but elsewhere in the Muslim world as madrasah) the focus of this study is often unable to access Web 2.0 or the Internet in general. Progressive non-national government organizations (NGOs) seek to remedy this situation by providing satellite broadband links to remote schools and this chapter examines one particular project. Despite the impoverished and conservative nature of their community, the leaders of this school have led their students in a surprisingly enthusiastic reception of eLearning technology, recognizing its great capacity to produce and enhance social networks and provide new opportunities for learning. Particular attention in this case study is given to factors relating to social capital, attitudes, and patterns of behavior in leadership and change management. A case study approach was chosen to enable a richer and more finely-grained analysis of the issues. The case study is based on semi-structured interviews and observations conducted over several years. This research shows that whilst the adoption and uptake of eLearning with emerging technologies is strongly shaped by cultural and social factors, it plays out in very different ways than might first have been expected.
E-Citizenship Skills Online
Authors: Alam Sultana Lubna , McLoughlin Catherine
Published: February 2013

With Web 2.0 technologies becoming increasingly integrated into all facets of higher education and society, it is vital to use the digital communicative tools and digital media so that students develop appropriate digital literacy and human-computer interaction (HCI) skills to enable them to become participatory citizens in our future society. In this case study, Web 2.0 tools and scenarios for learning are used in learning tasks to connect learners, share ideas, communicate, and co-create content within a university learning environment. The context for the study is social informatics – a composite class comprising 25-30 postgraduate and 3rd year undergraduate students within the Faculty of Information Sciences and Engineering.The study of social informatics examines the impact of technology upon social processes and learning. In order for students to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the topic, they engaged in range of tasks that enabled them to engage in collaborative dialogue and knowledge creation. In this case study, a Moodle mashup (the integration of information from different sources into one Website) is used to amalgamate information from the class and external sources such as blogs, wikis, and Twitter. The integration of HCI and Web 2.0 technologies into the learning process is examined, highlighting how social media tools can improve student engagement, collaboration, and digital literacy and e-citizenship skills.
A Study on a Problem-Based Learning Method Using Facebook at a Vocational School
Authors: Lou Shi-Jer , Lan Min-Yeuan , Yen Hsiu-Ling
Published: February 2013

This study used a single-group pre-test/post-test design for a quasi-experimental study to implement a 12-week teaching activity. The research tools included a learning achievement test, a learning attitude scale, a portfolio assessment scale, a response and observation record form on Facebook, and a teaching reflection log. Each tool helped to identify the effect of problem-based learning on students’ learning effectiveness and attitude. The following statistical methods were used to analyze quantitative data: descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), nonparametric tests, single sample t-tests, dependent sample t-tests, Pearson product moment correlations, and Kendall harmony coefficients. The research results are as follows: (1) the teaching model of problem-based Facebook learning has a significant effect on the learning effectiveness of some students and has a positive effect on learning attitude; (2) there is a significant difference in the effectiveness of problem-based Facebook learning among students with different Website hosting experiences and among those who used Facebook’s message function to varying degrees; (3) the problem-based Facebook learning has a significant impact on the effectiveness of the learning portfolios for students with different Website hosting experiences and message function utilization; (4) the problem-based Facebook learning method used for plant identification has a significant effect on the learning attitude of students; and (5) there is a significant positive correlation among the problem-based Facebook teaching of plant identification, students’ learning effectiveness, and learning attitude.
A Case Study of Designing Experiential Learning Activities in Virtual Worlds
Authors: Chou C. C. , Hart Rama Kaye
Published: February 2013

This chapter aims at examining, through a case study, student perceptions of interactive learning activities based on the experiential learning model in Second Life (SL). Undergraduate students in an Honors Program reflected on their learning experiences in a blended learning course that took place both in person and in SL for four weeks. Student reflections on two main learning tasks: discussion about assigned readings and SL field trips which include simulating and gaming, were recorded in weekly journals. Sixty journal entries were the data source for coding. Student experiences of the learning tasks are predominately positive with some challenges. Positive views include: excitement, enhanced confidence, motivation for learning, and increased knowledge. Challenges were mostly due to technical issues. Instructor interventions, including ground rules for online conversation and tech support, were important in minimizing barriers to student learning in virtual worlds.
Service Quality Evaluation Method for Community-Based Software Outsourcing Process
Authors: Liu Shu , Liu Ying , Jiang Huimin , Wang Zhongjie , Xu Xiaofei
Published: February 2013

Community-based software development is a promising model to help reduce the pressures such as development costs, human resources access, new market development, and building business competencies. But the big concern is how to ensure the quality of the outsourcing service. In this paper, a service quality evaluation method for community-based software outsourcing process has been proposed. A service quality indicator model with three layers and five dimensions is explained and applied to community-based software outsourcing service supported by Call-For-Implementation (CFI) platform. The calculation method for each quality indicator is demonstrated in detail. A prototype is developed to support the evaluation process and exhibit results of quality evaluation for the community-based software outsourcing based on CFI. This prototype not only measures and displays the status of service quality in real-time, but also provides history data to guide software outsourcing process management.
Customers as Innovators in Senior Service Markets
Authors: Hennala Lea , Melkas Helinä , Pekkarinen Satu
Published: February 2013

This study investigates aging customers as innovators in senior service markets by their innovation potential and characteristics as innovators in development of well-being services. The study focuses on an initiative to develop the service concept of a foundation providing homes for aging people in Finland. The participants generated ideas on housing and rehabilitation services. Organizations would benefit from engaging users in the improvement of their services. This study provides an example of how that could be put in to practice. The study complements the managerial discussion concerning customer involvement and combines research on user-driven innovation as well as business and service development. It is of interest to managers and other actors in various organizations’ service innovation activities, innovation researchers, and researchers in service science and various aspects of aging.
An IT Service Engineering and Management Framework (ITS-EMF)
Authors: Mora Manuel , O’Connor Rory , Raisinghani Mahesh S. , Macías-Luévano Jorge , Gelman Ovsei
Published: February 2013

There is a rich amount of literature on services from Information Technology (IT) (Management view) and IT System Engineering (ITSE) (Engineering view) domains. However, such a variety has produced disparate views. Furthermore, given that IT and ITSE service-based systems must be linked to business services (the User view), conceptual interrelationships are increased, causing yet more diversity. This paper identifies that this generates a lack of theoretical conceptual cohesion and leads to multiple practical confusions. To address these issues and to reduce such conceptual gaps, an IT Service Engineering and Management Framework (ITS-EMF) is proposed. ITS-EMF is generated by careful review and examination of the main conceptualizations on IT, ITSE and business services. The paper claims that ITS-EMF is useful for: (1) mapping services concepts from disparate IT literature, (2) reducing service conceptual confusion from the multiple available sources, and (3) providing conceptual links between service constructs used in business services and IT and ITSE services layers. It concludes with the implications, both academic and practical, for engineering and managing IT services in business organizations.
How IT-Enabled Services Can Help to Change our World
Authors: Meyer Kyrill
Published: February 2013

How natural resources are used in modern society is considered a high-priority topic within national and international political and social debate. Increases in energy efficiency, the use of renewable energy sources and emission control are important aspects of this subject that must be considered. A deeper understanding of existing infrastructure and the willingness to change on an individual and social level are needed, while determining factors like demographic change are taken into account. This paper introduces the energy-efficient city of tomorrow as a city of socio-technical networks that interact and are a basis for energy-related optimizations. Furthermore, the authors discuss the special role that IT-enabled services can play in understanding and changing those networks. To illustrate, the authors present a service as a case study that illustrates how services can provides relevant information and help to induce change.
Participative Typologies
Authors: Gonçalves Andrea de Oliveira , Gonçalves Rodrigo de Souza , Weffort Elionor Farah Jreige
Published: February 2013

This paper analyses the relationship between the so-called participative communities and their participants’ influence on local public health policies discussions through health councils in the cities of Porto Alegre, Brazil and Montevideo, Uruguay. Work was carried out through a qualitative comparison research (Sartori e Morlino, 1994), opting for a multiple-case study (Yin, 2003) and by using Likert (1967), Rifkin et al. (1989), and Demo (1996) as main theoretical references. Results achieved by the content analysis showed that the Health Council of Porto Alegre tends to present a larger level of community participation, i.e., the organization having an influence on local health policy discussions. As to the Health Council of Montevideo, the level of participation tends to be limited, i.e., the organization has little influence on local health policy discussions.
Regulating Patients’ Access to Healthcare Services
Authors: Reibling Nadine , Wendt Claus
Published: February 2013

Although some healthcare systems have introduced gatekeeping that forces patients to choose a general practitioner for a longer period, other systems rely on a free choice of doctors. This paper analyzes how these instruments affect differences in healthcare utilization in European countries. Using data from the first wave of the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement, the authors investigate how access regulations affect (1) the overall level of ambulatory healthcare usage, and (2) disparities in utilization among groups with different educational and income levels. The data show that access regulation affects patients’ decisions to see a doctor and reduces the extent of specialist healthcare used. Cost sharing could not be related to inequities among income groups; however, gatekeeping has favorable effects on reducing inequality, and the respective healthcare systems show lower levels of inequality among groups with different levels of education.
Salami Slicing a Role for Private Providers
Authors: Lister John
Published: February 2013

A distinctive model of privatisation is being rolled out in health care systems across Europe as the private sector seeks to recapture a larger share of the public and social health insurance budget for health care. The mechanism of this is “reforms” which break up centralised systems and scale down public provision, while opening up collective budgets for private providers. While such changes are being implemented at varying speeds in different countries, the restructuring since 1989 of a tax-funded health care system along market lines in England offers a case study of these “reforms” in action. The British coalition government elected in 2010 is pressing even faster for these changes in controversial new legislation.
Healthcare Providers in the English National Health Service
Authors: Allen Pauline , Bartlett Will , Pérotin Virginie , Matchaya Greenwell , Turner Simon , Zamora Bernarda
Published: February 2013

In recent years it has been noted that boundaries between public and private providers of many types of welfare have become blurred. This paper uses three dimensions of publicness to analyse this blurring of boundaries in relation to providers of healthcare in England. The authors find that, although most care is still funded and provided by the state, there are significant additional factors in respect of ownership and social control which indicate that many English healthcare providers are better understood as hybrids. Furthermore, the authors raise concerns about the possible deleterious effects of diminishing aspects of publicness on English healthcare. The most important of these is a decrease in accountability.
Earthquake and Fukushima Nuclear Crisis in 2011 with Gender View
Authors: Andô Yoiko
Published: February 2013

This article analyzes the Great East Japan Earthquake on the 11th of March in 2011 and Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Accident with particular emphasis on gender aspects. The distortions of Japanese society that existed well before this disaster turned out to have a major impact on this crisis. The current situation is that women are unable to fully participate in the processes of planning for rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction, and that their human rights are not being respected. What has society learned through this disaster is that problems that exist in normal times are exacerbated under the conditions of confusion and hardship that result from a disaster. After mapping the situation, the author proceeds to policy recommendations.
DV Laws in Japan
Authors: Fields Marjory D.
Published: February 2013

Japanese women initiated the international recognition of domestic violence as a human rights violation. Confronted with the denial of the prevalence and harm of domestic violence, Japanese women professionals and community leaders established the Domestic Violence Action and Research Group (“DVARG”) in 1992. They conducted a nationwide survey that documented the existence of domestic violence, the physical and emotional damage suffered by women, and the failure of police, Family Court mediators and judges, and social services to provide help to the victims. In 1993, DVARG members presented their survey report and conducted a workshop on domestic violence for the NGO forum at the United Nations World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna. In response to this presentation, the Vienna Human Rights Conference recognized for the first time that domestic violence is a human rights issue.
Cancer-Produced Metabolites of 5-Lipoxygenase Induce Tumor-Evoked Regulatory B Cells via Peroxisome Proliferator–Activated Receptor α
Authors: Wejksza Katarzyna , Lee-Chang Catalina , Bodogai Monica , Bonzo Jessica , Gonzalez Frank J. , Lehrmann Elin , Becker Kevin , Biragyn Arya
Published: February 2013

Breast cancer cells facilitate distant metastasis through the induction of immunosuppressive regulatory B cells, designated tBregs. We report in this study that, to do this, breast cancer cells produce metabolites of the 5-lipoxygenase pathway such as leukotriene B4 to activate the peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor α (PPARα) in B cells. Inactivation of leukotriene B4 signaling or genetic deficiency of PPARα in B cells blocks the generation of tBregs and thereby abrogates lung metastasis in mice with established breast cancer. Thus, in addition to eliciting fatty acid oxidation and metabolic signals, PPARα initiates programs required for differentiation of tBregs. We propose that PPARα in B cells and/or tumor 5-lipoxygenase pathways represents new targets for pharmacological control of tBreg-mediated cancer escape.
Ephrin-B–Dependent Thymic Epithelial Cell–Thymocyte Interactions Are Necessary for Correct T Cell Differentiation and Thymus Histology Organization: Relevance for Thymic Cortex Development
Authors: Cejalvo Teresa , Munoz Juan J. , Tobajas Esther , Fanlo Lucía , Alfaro David , García-Ceca Javier , Zapata Agustín
Published: February 2013

Previous analysis on the thymus of erythropoietin-producing hepatocyte kinases (Eph) B knockout mice and chimeras revealed that Eph-Eph receptor–interacting proteins (ephrins) are expressed both on T cells and thymic epithelial cells (TECs) and play a role in defining the thymus microenvironments. In the current study, we have used the Cre-LoxP system to selectively delete ephrin-B1 and/or ephrin-B2 in either thymocytes (EfnB1thy/thy, EfnB2thy/thy, and EfnB1thy/thyEfnB2thy/thy mice) or TECs (EfnB1tec/tec, EfnB2tec/tec, and EfnB1tec/tecEfnB2tec/tec mice) and determine the relevance of these Eph ligands in T cell differentiation and thymus histology. Our results indicate that ephrin-B1 and ephrin-B2 expressed on thymocytes play an autonomous role in T cell development and, expressed on TECs, their nonautonomous roles are partially overlapping. The effects of the lack of ephrin-B1 and/or ephrin-B2 on either thymocytes or TECs are more severe and specific on thymic epithelium, contribute to the cell intermingling necessary for thymus organization, and affect cortical TEC subpopulation phenotype and location. Moreover, ephrin-B1 and ephrin-B2 seem to be involved in the temporal appearance of distinct cortical TECs subsets defined by different Ly51 levels of expression on the ontogeny.
Anti–IFN-γ and Peptide-Tolerization Therapies Inhibit Acute Lung Injury Induced by Cross-Reactive Influenza A–Specific Memory T Cells
Authors: Wlodarczyk Myriam F. , Kraft Anke R. , Chen Hong D. , Kenney Laurie L. , Selin Liisa K.
Published: February 2013

Viral infections have variable outcomes, with severe disease occurring in only few individuals. We hypothesized that this variable outcome could correlate with the nature of responses made to previous microbes. To test this, mice were infected initially with influenza A virus (IAV) and in memory phase challenged with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), which we show in this study to have relatively minor cross-reactivity with IAV. The outcome in genetically identical mice varied from mild pneumonitis to severe acute lung injury with extensive pneumonia and bronchiolization, similar to that observed in patients who died of the 1918 H1N1 pandemic. Lesion expression did not correlate with virus titers. Instead, disease severity directly correlated with and was predicted by the frequency of IAV-PB1703– and IAV-PA224–specific responses, which cross-reacted with LCMV-GP34 and LCMV-GP276, respectively. Eradication or functional ablation of these pathogenic memory T cell populations, using mutant-viral strains, peptide-based tolerization strategies, or short-term anti–IFN-γ treatment, inhibited severe lesions such as bronchiolization from occurring. Heterologous immunity can shape outcome of infections and likely individual responses to vaccination, and can be manipulated to treat or prevent severe pathology.
Myeloma Is Characterized by Stage-Specific Alterations in DNA Methylation That Occur Early during Myelomagenesis
Authors: Heuck Christoph J. , Mehta Jayesh , Bhagat Tushar , Gundabolu Krishna , Yu Yiting , Khan Shahper , Chrysofakis Grigoris , Schinke Carolina , Tariman Joseph , Vickrey Eric , Pulliam Natalie , Nischal Sangeeta , Zhou Li , Bhattacharyya Sanchari , Meagher Richard , Hu Caroline , Maqbool Shahina , Suzuki Masako , Parekh Samir , Reu Frederic , Steidl Ulrich , Greally John , Verma Amit , Singhal Seema B.
Published: February 2013

Epigenetic changes play important roles in carcinogenesis and influence initial steps in neoplastic transformation by altering genome stability and regulating gene expression. To characterize epigenomic changes during the transformation of normal plasma cells to myeloma, we modified the HpaII tiny fragment enrichment by ligation–mediated PCR assay to work with small numbers of purified primary marrow plasma cells. The nano-HpaII tiny fragment enrichment by ligation–mediated PCR assay was used to analyze the methylome of CD138+ cells from 56 subjects representing premalignant (monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance), early, and advanced stages of myeloma, as well as healthy controls. Plasma cells from premalignant and early stages of myeloma were characterized by striking, widespread hypomethylation. Gene-specific hypermethylation was seen to occur in the advanced stages, and cell lines representative of relapsed cases were found to be sensitive to decitabine. Aberrant demethylation in monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance occurred primarily in CpG islands, whereas differentially methylated loci in cases of myeloma occurred predominantly outside of CpG islands and affected distinct sets of gene pathways, demonstrating qualitative epigenetic differences between premalignant and malignant stages. Examination of the methylation machinery revealed that the methyltransferase, DNMT3A, was aberrantly hypermethylated and underexpressed, but not mutated in myeloma. DNMT3A underexpression was also associated with adverse overall survival in a large cohort of patients, providing insights into genesis of hypomethylation in myeloma. These results demonstrate widespread, stage-specific epigenetic changes during myelomagenesis and suggest that early demethylation can be a potential contributor to genome instability seen in myeloma. We also identify DNMT3A expression as a novel prognostic biomarker and suggest that relapsed cases can be therapeutically targeted by hypomethylating agents.
Tissue-Derived Hedgehog Proteins Modulate Th Differentiation and Disease
Authors: Furmanski Anna L. , Saldana Jose Ignacio , Ono Masahiro , Sahni Hemant , Paschalidis Nikolaos , D’Acquisto Fulvio , Crompton Tessa
Published: February 2013

Genome-wide association studies of complex immune-mediated diseases have indicated that many genetic factors, each with individual low risk, contribute to overall disease. It is therefore timely and important to characterize how immune responses may be subtly modified by tissue context. In this article, we explore the role of tissue-derived molecules in influencing the function of T cells, which, owing to their migratory nature, come into contact with many different microenvironments through their lifespan. Hedgehog (Hh) proteins act as secreted morphogens, providing concentration-dependent positional and temporal cell-fate specification in solid tissues. Hh signaling is required for embryogenesis and is important in postnatal tissue renewal and in malignancy. However, the function of Hh in dynamic, fluid systems, such as in mammalian immunity, is largely unknown. In this article, we show that Hh-dependent transcription in T cells promoted Th2 transcriptional programs and differentiation, exacerbating allergic disease. Of interest, expression of Sonic Hh increased in lung epithelial cells following the induction of allergic disease, and lung T cells upregulated Hh target gene expression, indicating that T cells respond to locally secreted Hh ligands in vivo. We show that Il4, the key Th2 cytokine, is a novel transcriptional target of Hh signals in T cells, providing one mechanism for the role of Hh in Th differentiation. We propose that Hh, secreted from inflamed, remodeling, or malignant tissue, can modulate local T cell function. Our data present an unexpected and novel role for tissue-derived morphogens in the regulation of fluid immune responses, with implications for allergy and tumor responses, suggesting new uses for anti-Hh therapeutics.
Cutting Edge: Innate Memory CD8+ T Cells Are Distinct from Homeostatic Expanded CD8+ T Cells and Rapidly Respond to Primary Antigenic Stimuli
Authors: Huang Weishan , Hu Jianfang , August Avery
Published: February 2013

Innate memory phenotype (IMP) CD8+ T cells are nonconventional αβ T cells exhibiting features of innate immune cells and are significantly increased in the absence of ITK. Their developmental path and function are not clear. In this study, we show hematopoietic MHC class I (MHCI)-dependent generation of Ag-specific IMP CD8+ T cells using bone marrow chimeras. Wild-type bone marrow gives rise to IMP CD8+ T cells in MHCI−/− recipients, resembling those in Itk−/− mice, but distinct from those derived via homeostatic proliferation, and independent of recipient thymus. In contrast, MHCI−/− bone marrow does not lead to IMP CD8+ T cells in wild-type recipients. OTI IMP CD8+ T cells generated via this method exhibited enhanced early response to Ag without prior primary stimulation. Our findings suggest a method to generate Ag-specific “naive” CD8+ IMP T cells, as well as demonstrate that they are not homeostatic proliferation cells and can respond promptly in an Ag-specific fashion.
Investigating the significance of disaster information management
Authors: Mutasa Mukundi
Published: February 2013

Disaster information informs disaster risk management interventions. However, it is the systematic management of this key resource that has not yet been fully embraced. In some cases, information is still haphazardly collected, analysed, managed and disseminated. This paper, utilising mainly secondary literature sources, explores the importance of disaster information and its systematic management in disaster risk management programming. It presents challenges associated with information management in disaster situations and critiques the trend whereby the collection, management and dissemination of information are usually limited to disaster situations. This only serves to further marginalise post-disaster recovery processes, which are integral with regard to generating knowledge essential for the formulation of future disaster mitigation strategies. The paper concludes by arguing for the integration of disaster information management into current disaster risk management curriculum.
Exploring relationships between reading attitudes, reading ability and academic performance amongst primary teacher trainees in Swaziland
Authors: Lukhele Beatrice B.S.
Published: February 2013

In this research study, relationships between attitudes to reading, reading ability, vocabulary and academic performance were investigated. The data were gathered and triangulated from an attitude questionnaire, an author and magazine recognition test, as well as from reading comprehension and academic test performance of 84 first- and third-year students studying for a Primary Teacher’s Diploma at a College in Manzini, Swaziland. The results suggest that whilst there is no relationship between reading attitudes and reading ability, there is some relationship between reading ability and academic performance. The statistical analyses further indicate a relationship between reading and vocabulary ability of the participants. The findings have grave implications regarding attitudes to reading, reading ability and academic performance for a professional cadre that is expected to be influential in the academic lives of impressionable primary school children in an English as Second Language (ESL) context.
Interactive effects of vertical mixing, nutrients and ultraviolet radiation: in situ photosynthetic responses of phytoplankton from high mountain lakes in Southern Europe
Authors: Helbling E. W. , Carrillo P. , Medina-Sánchez J. M. , Durán C. , Herrera G. , Villar-Argaiz M. , Villafañe V. E.
Published: February 2013

Abstract. Global change, together with human activities, has resulted in increasing amounts of organic material (including nutrients) that water bodies receive. This input further attenuates the penetration of solar radiation, leading to the view that opaque lakes are more "protected" from solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) than clear ones. Vertical mixing, however, complicates this view as cells are exposed to fluctuating radiation regimes, for which the effects have, in general, been neglected. Furthermore, the combined impacts of mixing, together with those of UVR and nutrient inputs are virtually unknown. In this study, we carried out complex in situ experiments in three high mountain lakes of Spain (Lake Enol in the National Park Picos de Europa, Asturias, and lakes Las Yeguas and La Caldera in the National Park Sierra Nevada, Granada), used as model ecosystems to evaluate the joint impact of these climate change variables. The main goal of this study was to address the question of how short-term pulses of nutrient inputs, together with vertical mixing and increased UVR fluxes modify the photosynthetic responses of phytoplankton. The experimentation consisted in all possible combinations of the following treatments: (a) solar radiation: UVR + PAR (280–700 nm) versus PAR (photosynthetically active radiation) alone (400–700 nm); (b) nutrient addition (phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N)): ambient versus addition (P to reach to a final concentration of 30 μg P L−1, and N to reach N:P molar ratio of 31); and (c) mixing: mixed (one rotation from surface to 3 m depth (speed of 1 m 4 min−1, total of 10 cycles)) versus static. Our findings suggest that under ambient nutrient conditions there is a synergistic effect between vertical mixing and UVR, increasing phytoplankton photosynthetic inhibition and excretion of organic carbon (EOC) from opaque lakes as compared to algae that received constant mean irradiance within the epilimnion. The opposite occurs in clear lakes where antagonistic effects were determined, with mixing partially counteracting the negative effects of UVR. Nutrient input, mimicking atmospheric pulses from Saharan dust, reversed this effect and clear lakes became more inhibited during mixing, while opaque lakes benefited from the fluctuating irradiance regime. These climate change related scenarios of nutrient input and increased mixing, would not only affect photosynthesis and production in lakes, but might also further influence the microbial loop and trophic interactions via enhanced EOC under fluctuating UVR exposure.
Temporal and spatial variations of CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes at three differently managed grasslands
Authors: Imer D. , Merbold L. , Eugster W. , Buchmann N.
Published: February 2013

Abstract. A profound understanding of temporal and spatial variabilities of CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere is needed to reliably quantify these fluxes and to develop future mitigation strategies. For managed grassland ecosystems, temporal and spatial variabilities of these three greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes are due to environmental drivers as well as to fertilizer applications, grazing and cutting events. To assess how these affect GHG fluxes at Swiss grassland sites, we studied three sites along an altitudinal gradient that corresponds to a management gradient: from 400 m a.s.l. (intensively managed) to 1000 m a.s.l. (moderately intensive managed) to 2000 m a.s.l. (extensively managed). Temporal and spatial variabilities of GHG fluxes were quantified along small-scale transects of 16 static soil chambers at each site. We then established functional relationships between drivers and the observed fluxes on diel and annual time scales. Furthermore, spatial variabilities and their effect on representative site-specific mean chamber GHG fluxes were assessed using geostatistical semivariogram approaches. All three grasslands were N2O sources, with mean annual fluxes ranging from 0.15 to 1.28 nmol m−2 s−1. Contrastingly, all sites were net CH4 sinks, with uptake rates ranging from −0.56 to −0.15 nmol m−2 s−1. Mean annual respiration losses of CO2, as measured with opaque chambers, ranged from 5.2 to 6.5 μmol m−2 s−1. While the environmental drivers and their respective explanatory power for N2O emissions differed considerably among the three grasslands (adjusted r2 ranging from 0.19 to 0.42), CH4 and CO2 fluxes were much better constrained (adjusted r2 ranging from 0.41 to 0.83), in particular by soil water content and air temperature, respectively. Throughout the year, spatial heterogeneity was particularly high for N2O and CH4 fluxes. We found permanent hot spots for N2O emissions and CH4 uptake at the extensively managed site. Including these hot spots in calculating the mean chamber flux was essential to obtain a representative mean flux for this ecosystem. At the intensively managed grassland, management effects clearly dominated over effects of environmental drivers on N2O fluxes. For CO2 and CH4, the importance of management effects did depend on the status of the vegetation.
Combining criteria for delineating lahar- and flash-flood-prone hazard and risk zones for the city of Arequipa, Peru
Authors: Thouret J.-C. , Enjolras G. , Martelli K. , Santoni O. , Luque J. A. , Nagata M. , Arguedas A. , Macedo L.
Published: February 2013

Abstract. Arequipa, the second largest city in Peru, is exposed to many natural hazards, most notably earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, lahars (volcanic debris flows), and flash floods. Of these, lahars and flash floods, triggered by occasional torrential rainfall, pose the most frequently occurring hazards that can affect the city and its environs, in particular the areas containing low-income neighbourhoods. This paper presents and discusses criteria for delineating areas prone to flash flood and lahar hazards, which are localized along the usually dry (except for the rainy season) ravines and channels of the Río Chili and its tributaries that dissect the city. Our risk-evaluation study is based mostly on field surveys and mapping, but we also took into account quality and structural integrity of buildings, available socio-economic data, and information gained from interviews with risk-managers officials. In our evaluation of the vulnerability of various parts of the city, in addition to geological and physical parameters, we also took into account selected socio-economic parameters, such as the educational and poverty level of the population, unemployment figures, and population density. In addition, we utilized a criterion of the "isolation factor", based on distances to access emergency resources (hospitals, shelters or safety areas, and water) in each city block. By combining the hazard, vulnerability and exposure criteria, we produced detailed risk-zone maps at the city-block scale, covering the whole city of Arequipa and adjacent suburbs. Not surprisingly, these maps show that the areas at high risk coincide with blocks or districts with populations at low socio-economic levels. Inhabitants at greatest risk are the poor recent immigrants from rural areas who live in unauthorized settlements in the outskirts of the city in the upper parts of the valleys. Such settlements are highly exposed to natural hazards and have little access to vital resources. Our study provides good rationale for the risk zoning of the city, which in turn may be used as an educational tool for better understanding the potential effects of natural hazards and the exposure of the population residing in and around Arequipa. We hope that our work and the risk-zonation maps will provide the impetus and basis for risk-management authorities of the Municipality and the regional government of Arequipa to enforce existing regulations in building in hazardous zones and to adopt an effective long-term strategy to reduce risks from lahar, flash flood, and other natural hazards.
Energy of plate tectonics calculation and projection
Authors: Swedan N. H.
Published: February 2013

Abstract. Mathematics and observations suggest that the energy of the geological activities resulting from plate tectonics is equal to the latent heat of melting, calculated at mantle's pressure, of the new ocean crust created at midocean ridges following sea floor spreading. This energy varies with the temperature of ocean floor, which is correlated with surface temperature. The objective of this manuscript is to calculate the force that drives plate tectonics, estimate the energy released, verify the calculations based on experiments and observations, and project the increase of geological activities with surface temperature rise caused by climate change.
Optimal Controller Design of Legless Piezo Capsubot Movement
Authors: Farahani Alireza Ahangarani , Suratgar Amir Abolfazl , Talebi Heidar Ali
Published: February 2013

This paper presents an optimal control method based on control effort minimization for a legless piezo capsubot. The capsubot is an underactuated nonlinear dynamics system which is driven by an internal impact force and friction. Here, the motion mechanism of the capsubot is divided into two stages. In the first stage, the aim is to design an optimal controller minimizing energy consumption. In the second stage, optimization is not an objective and instead a four-step strategy for inner mass of the capsubot is proposed. Then, based on the proposed motion strategy, a trajectory profile is given. Using this trajectory profile, the capsubot moves in the desired direction. To evaluate the performance of the proposed control scheme, a comparative study has been performed by means of simulation. Simulation results show that the proposed approach is promising as compared to the Open-Loop Control (OLC) approach and Close-Loop control (CLC) approach which are widely used in the literature for control of capsubots.
Vision-Based Interfaces Applied to Assistive Robots
Authors: Perez Elisa , Soria Carlos , López Natalia M. , Nasisi Oscar , Mut Vicente
Published: February 2013

This paper presents two vision-based interfaces for disabled people to command a mobile robot for personal assistance. The developed interfaces can be subdivided according to the algorithm of image processing implemented for the detection and tracking of two different body regions. The first interface detects and tracks movements of the user's head, and these movements are transformed into linear and angular velocities in order to command a mobile robot. The second interface detects and tracks movements of the user's hand, and these movements are similarly transformed. In addition, this paper also presents the control laws for the robot. The experimental results demonstrate good performance and balance between complexity and feasibility for real-time applications.
Depth Adaptive Zooming Visual Servoing for a Robot with a Zooming Camera
Authors: Xin Jing , Chen Kemin , Bai Lei , Liu Ding , Zhang Jian
Published: February 2013

To solve the view visibility problem and keep the observed object in the field of view (FOV) during the visual servoing, a depth adaptive zooming visual servoing strategy for a manipulator robot with a zooming camera is proposed. Firstly, a zoom control mechanism is introduced into the robot visual servoing system. It can dynamically adjust the camera's field of view to keep all the feature points on the object in the field of view of the camera and get high object local resolution at the end of visual servoing. Secondly, an invariant visual servoing method is employed to control the robot to the desired position under the changing intrinsic parameters of the camera. Finally, a nonlinear depth adaptive estimation scheme in the invariant space using Lyapunov stability theory is proposed to estimate adaptively the depth of the image features on the object. Three kinds of robot 4DOF visual positioning simulation experiments are conducted. The simulation experiment results show that the proposed approach has higher positioning precision.
Model-Based Development and Simulation for Robotic Systems with SysML, Simulink and Simscape Profiles
Authors: Rahman Mohd Azizi Abdul , Mizukawa Makoto
Published: February 2013

In system-level design, it is difficult to achieve a system verification which fulfils the requirements of various stakeholders using only descriptive system models. Descriptive system models using SysML alone are insufficient for system behaviour verifications and engineers always use different simulation tools (e.g., the Mathworks Simulink or Modelica Dymola) to analyze systems behaviour. It is a good idea to combine descriptive and simulation models. This paper presents the development of a collaborative design framework which brings SysML, Simulink, and Simscape profiles within the domain of robotics. A conceptual design method is proposed to support execution models for simulation. In brief, the descriptive SysML system-level model is interpreted into the system-level simulation models (e.g., Simulink and Simscape). We then use a plugin-based model integration technique to keep both models in sync for automatic simulation. A simulation study is performed to evaluate the system. To illustrate the design of this system, we present a simulated closed-loop system.
Fuzzy vs Nonfuzzy in 2D Visual Servoing for Robot Manipulators
Authors: Bueno-López Maximiliano , Arteaga-Pérez Marco A.
Published: February 2013

In this paper we consider the tracking control problem of planar robots manipulators via visual servoing in the presence of parametric uncertainties associated with the robot dynamics and the camera parameters. An image–based visual servo control is developed using a Takagi–Sugeno (T–S) fuzzy model. The design includes an image coordinate velocity observer. To the best knowledge of the authors such a proposal remains hitherto unpublished. The new scheme is compared experimentally with two different non–fuzzy algorithms showing the good performance and advantages of the complete system.
Intelligent Control of Welding Gun Pose for Pipeline Welding Robot Based on Improved Radial Basis Function Network and Expert System
Authors: Tian Jingwen , Gao Meijuan , He Yonggang
Published: February 2013

Since the control system of the welding gun pose in whole-position welding is complicated and nonlinear, an intelligent control system of welding gun pose for a pipeline welding robot based on an improved radial basis function neural network (IRBFNN) and expert system (ES) is presented in this paper. The structure of the IRBFNN is constructed and the improved genetic algorithm is adopted to optimize the network structure. This control system makes full use of the characteristics of the IRBFNN and the ES. The ADXRS300 micro-mechanical gyro is used as the welding gun position sensor in this system. When the welding gun position is obtained, an appropriate pitch angle can be obtained through expert knowledge and the numeric reasoning capacity of the IRBFNN. ARM is used as the controller to drive the welding gun pitch angle step motor in order to adjust the pitch angle of the welding gun in real-time. The experiment results show that the intelligent control system of the welding gun pose using the IRBFNN and expert system is feasible and it enhances the welding quality. This system has wide prospects for application.
A Survey on Visual Perception for RoboCup MSL Soccer Robots
Authors: Li Xun , Lu Huimin , Xiong Dan , Zhang Hui , Zheng Zhiqiang
Published: February 2013

Visual perception is the most important method for providing information about the competition environment for RoboCup Middle Size League (MSL) soccer robots. The paper reviews the advancement of visual perception in RoboCup MSL soccer robots from several points of view including the design and calibration of the vision system, the visual object recognition, the estimation of the object's motion, robot visual self-localization and multi-robot cooperative sensing. The research progress we have achieved is also introduced in this review. The developing trends and the future research focuses on this problem are also discussed.
Que penser de l’embourgeoisement rural au Québec ? Visions différenciées d’acteurs locaux
Authors: Simard Myriam , Guimond Laurie
Published: February 2013

L’embourgeoisement rural, lié notamment à la migration de la ville vers la campagne d’urbains de classes sociales moyennes ou aisées, touche de plus en plus les milieux ruraux au Québec. Or, contrairement aux recherches foisonnantes sur le concept derural gentrificationau Royaume-Uni, ce phénomène n’a que peu retenu l’attention dans la production scientifique québécoise. Cet article propose donc d’explorer les représentations contrastées de divers acteurs locaux à propos de l’embourgeoisement et de ses incidences dans deux municipalités régionales de comté (MRC) : Brome-Missisquoi et Arthabaska. Il s’appuie sur les résultats d’entrevues réalisées auprès de quatre types d’acteurs : néo-ruraux, ruraux de longue date, dirigeants d’organismes locaux et régionaux, élus municipaux. Il montre la complexité de ce phénomène sur divers plans de la vie rurale, soit sociodémographique, économique, résidentiel, communautaire, culturel, environnemental et politique. Les résultats révèlent la nécessité de dépasser les seules représentations des « gentrifieurs », en l’enrichissant de celles d’autres acteurs concernés par l’embourgeoisement rural. Ils montrent l’importance de scruter les effets globaux de ce phénomène pour en arriver à une meilleure compréhension.
La classe moyenne se met en scène : la publicité des quotidiens montréalais comme discours de classe, 1920-1970
Authors: Couvrette Sébastien
Published: February 2013

Peu étudiées jusqu’à présent, les publicités des grands quotidiens d’information rendent compte de la complexité d’un phénomène majeur du 20esiècle : la formation et la définition de la classe moyenne. À partir de l’analyse de publicités parues dans deux quotidiens montréalais de 1920 à 1970, cet article met en évidence les caractéristiques identitaires et les aspirations attribuées à la classe moyenne dans le discours publicitaire. Dans les réclames, le modèle de la réussite sociale passe du mode de vie de la bourgeoisie, dans l’entre-deux-guerres, à celui du salarié de la banlieue aisée, dans l’après-guerre. Tout au long de la période étudiée, la classe moyenne se définit par la présence des femmes dans l’espace domestique et par celle des hommes dans l’espace public. En outre, certains annonceurs locaux mettent en place des stratégies de marketing tenant compte du contexte socioculturel montréalais.