bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CD47 Promotes Human Glioblastoma Invasion Through Activation of the PI3K/Akt Pathway
Authors: Liu Xuejian , Wu Xia , Wang Yanming , Li Yuhua , Chen Xiangli , Yang Wenchuan , Jiang Lihua
Published: January 2018

Cluster of differentiation 47 (CD47) overexpression is common in various malignancies. This study investigated whether CD47 promotes human glioblastoma invasion and, if so, the underlying mechanisms involved. CD47 expression was found to be stronger in tissues of patients with glioblastoma
and in various cancer cell lines than in normal controls. CD47 downregulation via siRNA suppressed invasion in vitro, whereas CD47 overexpression through plasmid transfection exerted the opposite effect. However, overexpression or knocking down of CD47 had no effect on cell proliferation.
Moreover, CD47 expression was related to Akt phosphorylation at the cellular molecular level. Suppression of Akt with a specific inhibitor impaired the invasion ability of CD47-overexpressing cells, indicating that stimulation of the PI3K/Akt pathway served as the downstream regulator of CD47-triggered
invasion. These results suggest that CD47 might be a useful predictor of poor prognosis and metastasis and a potential target for treating glioblastomas.
Orbital Mass as First Presentation of Metastatic p16-Positive Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Corbett J. , Wilke D. , Trites J. , Lamond N.
Published: January 2018

We describe a case in which a 67-year-old man was diagnosed with a metastatic recurrence of p16-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma after presenting with a medial orbital mass in the region of the nasolacrimal apparatus. A review of the literature revealed that metastasis to the orbit from any malignancy is an uncommon occurrence, and no cases of p16-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma have previously been reported. Our case highlights the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion during surveillance visits with such patients.
Combined scanning probe electronic and thermal characterization of an indium arsenide nanowire
Authors: Wagner Tino , Menges Fabian , Riel Heike , Gotsmann Bernd , Stemmer Andreas
Published: January 2018

As electronic devices are downsized, physical processes at the interface to electrodes may dominate and limit device performance. A crucial step towards device optimization is being able to separate such contact effects from intrinsic device properties. Likewise, an increased local temperature due to Joule heating at contacts and the formation of hot spots may put limits on device integration. Therefore, being able to observe profiles of both electronic and thermal device properties at the nanoscale is important. Here, we show measurements by scanning thermal and Kelvin probe force microscopy of the same 60 nm diameter indium arsenide nanowire in operation. The observed temperature along the wire is substantially elevated near the contacts and deviates from the bell-shaped temperature profile one would expect from homogeneous heating. Voltage profiles acquired by Kelvin probe force microscopy not only allow us to determine the electrical nanowire conductivity, but also to identify and quantify sizable and non-linear contact resistances at the buried nanowire–electrode interfaces. Complementing these data with thermal measurements, we obtain a device model further permitting separate extraction of the local thermal nanowire and interface conductivities.
Transmission with Cardan Joint Parametre Influence to Centrifugal Pump Characteristics
Authors: Bogdevičius Paulius , Prentkovskis Olegas , Bogdevičius Marijonas
Published: January 2018

Transmission with cardan joints and non­linear gearbox elements generates vibrations caused by spinning motion of transmission. This affects the pressure and productivity of centrifugal pump. The momentum of centrifugal pump in turn affects dynamic characteristics of transmission. In order to find the effect of transmission elements on centrifugal pump we investigate transmission composed of asynchronous electrical engine, gear box, cardan joint and Ziegler Ultra centrifugal pump. We create mathematical models of transmission and centrifugal pumps and investigate how the dynamic effects of transmission influence productivity centrifugal pump. This model can be applied to study the transmission parameters, effect of intake and outflow parameters on productivity of centrifugal pump and presence of cavitation. The paper includes results and conclusions of mathematical model.
Moddeling of Negative Ambient Air Temperature Effect to Frost Depth of Lithuania Railroads Construction
Authors: Navikas Deividas , Sivilevičius Henrikas
Published: January 2018

This article presents results of the modelling of temperature regimes of railway construction layers in application of the SV HEAT software. To get modelling results, were used coldest winter results during 50 years. Temperature changes in railway construction layers were modelled pursuant to the data of the Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service of March 1986–November 1987 in Vilnius region and the conducted field experimental studies. Ambient air temperature, moisture content in layers were assessed. Physical – mechanical and thermodynamic properties of the materials used to install railway construction layers were identified in the laboratory. Moisture content and temperature in construction layers were measured using sensors installed in the experimental field stand (DRETM II) set up in Slovakia. According to experimental stand results and ambient air temperature data, were modelled temperature dynamics in railway construction layers. Modelling results have shown that using Slovakia national projecting and assessment documents, Lithuania railways construction protective layer should be projected thicker. Using ambient air temperature of coldest winter during 50 years results, got frost depth was 2 m, all railway construction layers frosted.
An Analysis of Integrated Project Delivery Method in Inplementation of Public Projects
Authors: Aukštikalnis Justas , Migilinskas Darius
Published: January 2018

More and more project development companies in the world and Lithuania are trying to create higher quality projects, more accurate calculations, save time and do not exceed budget of the construction. Using IPD (Integrated Project Delivery) and BIM (Building Information Modeling) methods together projects delivery processes become faster and better quality. All of this allows efficient delivery of the projects and also to save time, project budget, because during construction period to correct mistakes and to make new decisions costs a lot and most importantly it has a direct impact on project deadlines. Therefore, this article will be about traditional projects and integrated project delivery methodology, where real projects will be analyzed in both methods. At the end the evaluation of twelve projects implementation for further investor decision.
Psychosomatique et analyse transactionnelle
Authors: Frohme Gabriele , Vaquié-Quazza Dominique
Published: January 2018

Dans cet article, j’aimerais montrer comment les maladies psychosomatiques peuvent être traitées par l’analyse transactionnelle. Au fil de mes 25 années d’expérience professionnelle en tant que psychothérapeute et naturopathe, je me suis de plus en plus concentrée sur le traitement des maladies psychosomatiques. Beaucoup de mes patients sont arrivés à mon cabinet pour des problèmes somatiques ou psychiques après un long et douloureux parcours de consultations auprès d’un grand nombre de médecins. En tant que psychothérapeute et naturopathe agréée, j’interviens dans mon travail à partir d’une approche globale.
La créativité des professionnels à l’épreuve du transgénérationnel dans les institutions
Authors: Corre Cécile , Bittolo Christophe
Published: January 2018

Comment penser les notions de transmission inter- et transgénérationnelle en institution… pour pouvoir en repérer les effets positifs et négatifs sur la créativité des professionnels ? Qu’est-ce qui, dans une institution, favorise ou au contraire fait obstacle à la créativité d’une équipe dans la mise en œuvre de ses dispositifs de travail ? Ce texte se propose d’explorer comment des aspects transgénérationnels anti-créatifs concourent à la formation d’incorporats institutionnels : deux formes de rigidification sont distinguées, l’une dans le rapport à la théorie et/ou dans les échanges au sein de l’équipe et l’autre dans les dispositifs. Ces obstacles à la créativité sont mis en lien avec une problématique transgénérationnelle présente dans les fondations et avec la transmission d’un trauma non élaboré. Les auteurs interrogent, pour conclure, les qualités potentielles d’un espace d’élaboration de ces obstacles transgénérationnels.
Processus et non-processus dans un groupe Photolangage®
Authors: Lo Piccolo Giuseppe
Published: January 2018

Cet article se situe dans le champ d’étude sur les groupes à médiation thérapeutique d’inspiration analytique et se propose de traiter la question importante des conséquences dans un groupe du dysfonctionnement du cadre sur les processus psychiques et thérapeutiques attendus. Que se passe-t-il lorsque le déroulement d’un groupe à médiation thérapeutique – son cadre, ses règles – est modifié, ajusté, transformé, voire détourné ou perverti ? Que se passe-t-il lorsque le non-processus se « déguise » en processus ou devient lui-même processus ? À partir de l’analyse d’une impasse concernant un groupe à médiation Photolangage® en milieu institutionnel, la présente contribution aborde la question de l’impact de ces variations imprévues du dispositif et des perturbations conséquentes dans les fonctions contenante et conteneur , fondamentales pour le bon déroulement du groupe et du processus thérapeutique.
À propos de quelques enjeux cliniques dans la consultation thérapeutique avec des parents stériles adoptants... et leur enfant
Authors: Boutinaud Jérôme
Published: January 2018

L’article propose une réflexion clinique à partir de l’expérience de la consultation thérapeutique auprès de parents adoptifs et de leur enfant. Se fondant sur deux récits de ces rencontres, l’auteur remet en question le sens de la rupture de chacun de ces suivis en s’interrogeant sur ce qui a pu dans son positionnement participer à leur échec. L’analyse du contretransfert montre ici que plusieurs enjeux fantasmatiques liés non seulement à l’adoption mais aussi à la stérilité des parents ont pu contribuer à provoquer ces effets et à fragiliser l’alliance thérapeutique : il apparaît dès lors que le clinicien doit se méfier des projections et fantasmes qui peuvent le traverser, ces derniers pouvant avoir trait à sa propre curiosité sexuelle vis-à-vis de la sexualité de ces parents, à la tentation d’évaluer de façon toute-puissante leurs compétences en termes de parentalité, voire de leur prêter des intentions latentes malveillantes au cœur de la procédure d’adoption...
A Framework to Improve Performance of E-Commerce Websites
Authors: Sreedhar G.
Published: January 2018

The growth of the world wide web has made business functions fast and easier. E-commerce has provided cost effective ways of doing business. E-commerce websites have the advantage of reaching a large number of customers regardless of distance and time limitations. The advantage of e-commerce over traditional businesses is faster speed and lower expenses for both businessmen and customers. The main objective of the chapter is to provide an efficient framework to analyse the performance of e-commerce websites and suggest the factors that need to be incorporated in e-commerce websites for better business intelligence. The purpose of business intelligence is to support better business decision making. In this chapter, a detailed description of business intelligence enables the web developer and end user to know the insights of e-commerce web applications. The methodology is comprehensive and it elaborates all aspects of the performance of a website.
Botnet Threats to E-Commerce Web Applications and Their Detection
Authors: Rahman Rizwan Ur , Tomar Deepak Singh
Published: January 2018

Security issues in e-commerce web applications are still exploratory, and in spite of an increase in e-commerce application research and development, lots of security challenges remain unanswered. Botnets are the most malicious threats to web applications, especially the e-commerce applications. Botnet is a network of BOTs. It executes automated scripts to launch different types of attack on web applications. Botnets are typically controlled by one or more hackers known as Bot masters and are exploited for different types of attacks including Dos (denial of service), DDos (distributed denial of service), phishing, spreading of malware, adware, Spyware, identity fraud, and logic bombs. The aim of this chapter is to scrutinize to what degree botnets can cause a threat to e-commerce security. In the first section, an adequate overview of botnets in the context of e-commerce security is presented in order to provide the reader with an understanding of the background for the remaining sections.
Search Optimization to Select an Item Across E-Commerce Platforms
Authors: M. Sridevi , R. Rajeshwara Rao , M. Varaprasad Rao
Published: January 2018

E-commerce is a transaction of buying or selling online. These sites have made life simpler by delivering products to your doorstep. The entire idea of e-commerce is to save the user's time while purchasing goods. This massive expansion of e-commerce gave rise to many applications for the user to choose to buy from. Therefore, people now spend more time comparing the prices of products on various applications before purchasing. This price comparison turned out to be a tedious task for users. With many applications available in the market, it is difficult for the user to navigate between apps to compare specifications like cost, life time, on-time delivery, customer satisfaction, etc. of products or items. So, this chapter explores the “Quick Compare” search, a solution for this hassle that provides instantaneous recommendations based on the end user's input. An android application is developed for this problem and it focuses on efficiency and interoperability.
E-Commerce and Its Software
Authors: Rai Rebika , Chettri Prashant , Chettri Lekhika
Published: January 2018

Today we are moving into an era of “intangible” business processes, where business communication and transactions can be conducted anywhere, anytime, and with a simple click of a mouse. With the speedy amplification and expansion of technology, information systems have become a normal component of our everyday life. The phenomenal growth of the internet has led to the emergence of a great number of new technologies and one of the most important ones is the ability to conduct business over the internet. E-commerce is currently changing the way business is conducted by assisting business progressions and transactions with very few organizations debating whether or not to participate in it. E-commerce software is the engine behind the scenes of an online store, making it possible to easily manage inventory, add or remove products, calculate taxes, and everything else required to manage a website and fulfill orders.
Applications of Social Graphs
Authors: Rao Bapuji , Mishra Sasmita , Mishra Sarojananda
Published: January 2018

The chapter focuses on the applications of three social graphs, namely author, email, and telephone. The important application of author graph is the real network communications among the authors publishing research papers. The authors have proposed an algorithm to extract sub-graphs of authors. Individual email sending is more frequently within a group rather than group sending. Such group entities can be detected and analyzed further for knowledge discovery. For this, the authors have proposed an algorithm for extraction of strong and weak communicator's sub-graph. The telephone graph with multiple distinct types of connectivity information can be derived as layers and considered an important application. Therefore, the information retrieval can be represented as multi-layer graphs. Each layer has its own set of edges over the same underlying nodes of base-layer. Therefore, the edges of different layers typically are related but unique in behavior. For this, the authors have proposed an algorithm for representation of telephone graph as a multi-layer graph.
Factors Affecting Towards Green Purchase Behavior Among Young Consumers in India
Authors: Sharma Nagendra Kumar , Kushwaha Gyaneshwar Singh
Published: January 2018

The objective of the chapter is to examine the factors that are essential for the green purchase behavior among the young consumers in India. The study consists of 343 young respondents, who were surveyed with the help of structured measurement instrument. The sample has been analyzed with the help of exploratory factor analysis and linear regression analysis. It was found in the study that the awareness towards the green product, attitude towards eco-labeling, and satisfaction via green products are significantly and positively linked to the green purchase behavior, whereas the attitude towards green pricing and ecologically concerned consumers are not associated with the green purchase behavior.
Health Determinants
Authors: Drăgoi Mihaela Cristina
Published: January 2018

The starting point of this chapter is the Lalonde health model, which takes into account the influence of non-medical factors upon human health. As it turns out, health services contribute to good health to a lesser extent than human behavior and genetic background. Since lifestyle choices and behavior prove to affect human health significantly – both as improvement or deterioration – nutrition habits determine some of the most severe illnesses that health care systems must deal with, also augmenting the burden of disease. This chapter aims at emphasizing the impact of nutrition on individual and societal health using a varied range of indicators regarding food consumption habits among various populations of the EU Member States within the wider context of economic development (GDP/capita, Actual Individual Consumption, access to basic utilities – drinkable water and sewage systems, standards of living etc.).
Nutrigenomics and Nutrigenetics and the Medicinal Values of Vegetables and Fruits
Authors: Ebomoyi E. William
Published: January 2018

Since the accomplishment of the human genome sequencing project by March 25, 2003, nutritionists, biochemists, and modern genome epidemiologists became involved in genome-based nutritional research studies. In fact, the completion of a high-quality, comprehensive sequencing of the human genome derived from the discovery of the double-helical structure of the DNA became a landmark event that has influenced several realms of academic research disciplines and their applications to maximize public health and minimize harm to health care consumers.
Strategic Approaches to Food Security in Developing Countries
Authors: Ramdwar Marcus N.A. , Siew Narendra
Published: January 2018

As the world's population increases, the issue of food security presents a serious challenge. Currently, food security is reliant on a very narrow range of cultivated plant species and is also limited to traditional animal husbandry practices. The use of edible wild plants can be considered to support food security efforts. Such plants have shown to be more resilient compared to traditionally cultivated crops and also have superior nutritional attributes. The issue of protein food security can be addressed through production improvements for local or indigenous chickens, livestock production systems and wildlife to some extent. Food security in developing countries would increasingly become more dependent on widening the biodiversity from which food is selected and utilized and insects, like wild plants, provide another such opportunity. Contemporary reproductive technologies such as lactation induction, embryo transfer and artificial insemination among others can bolster food security efforts in developing countries. Improvements in forage species as well as processing technologies to improve nutritional value of low quality forages can improve overall animal nutrition. Irrespective of the concerns related to genetically modified organisms (GMOs), these sources of food could be beneficial globally. The formation of farmers' groups can be a strategic approach to food security in resource poor developing countries for the purposes of collective action and resource sharing. Sustainable food security requires the integration of several multi-dimensional approaches into a holistic management model to achieve the food security objectives in many developing nations.
Antimicrobial Edible Films and Coatings for Fruits and Vegetables
Authors: Poonia Amrita
Published: January 2018

Non-degradable packaging materials are doing much damage to the environment. So the interest has been developed in biodegradable films and coatings these days. Use of edible films and coatings is eco-friendly technology used for enhancing the shelf life of the fruits and vegetables. The use of antimicrobial compounds in edible coatings of proteins, starch, cellulose derivatives, chitosan, alginate, fruit puree, and egg albumin has been successfully added to the edible films and coatings. This chapter focuses on the development of edible films and coatings with antimicrobial activity, effect of these coatings on the target microorganisms, the influence of these antimicrobial agents on mechanical & barrier properties and application of antimicrobial edible coatings on the quality of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Accepting a New Nano-Tech-Based Technology in the Fruit Storage Industry
Authors: Omrani Azad , Vallaster Christine
Published: January 2018

Nanotechnology is increasingly being employed in the areas of food production and packaging. While there exists considerable research that analyses consumer trust and perception of nanotechnology use in the food sector, the B2B sector has widely been neglected. This research project analyzes the influence of perceived quality and psychological factors in adopting a new nano-based technology that increases storage life of fruits and vegetables. The research context is Iran and neighboring countries. The results show that customer acceptance of using nanotechnology is influenced by both quality dimensions (performance, features, reliability, conformance, durability, serviceability, aesthetics, perceived quality) and psychological dimensions such as perceived risk and trust. The research also reveals individual differences in accepting nano-technology, depending on the function held by the employee. The authors interpret the results from a culture perspective.
Functional Properties of Camel Milk
Authors: Alhaj Omar Amin
Published: January 2018

This chapter focuses on the potential health benefits of camel milk including angiotension I-converting enzyme-inhibitory, anti-cancer and antioxidant activities, antidiabetic, antimicrobial and hypoallergenicity effects. The bioactivity of oligosaccharide, conjugated linoleic acid and D-amino acid in camel milk is provided. The proposed mechanisms behind these bioactive components and potential health claims are explained. This chapter also describes camel milk composition, nutritional value, production and population. The current available information in the literature on camel milk is not abundant. More research is needed to give better understanding on functional properties of camel milk.
Sustainable Parking Planning for Smart Growth of Metropolitan Cities
Authors: Ercoskun Ozge Yalciner , Akunal Ebru Vesile Ocalir
Published: January 2018

This chapter identifies main problems of parking planning in demand-oriented conventional paradigm. Parking planning principles and cost-effective programs in supply-oriented sustainable paradigm are presented in the chapter listing many economic, social and environmental benefits. The chapter describes various parking strategies for developing a sustainable parking plan for smart growth of metropolitan cities, including cases of Istanbul and Vienna. A critical perspective is drawn for the parking planning policies for these city cases. Parking is recognized as an important factor influencing accessibility. Parking planning, parking policies and pricing play a critical role in local government decision making.
Bikeability Audit in Urban Road Environment
Authors: Galanis Athanasios , Papanikolaou Anestis , Eliou Nikolaos
Published: January 2018

Promotion of cycling can improve the sustainability level of a city or an urban area. This study presents a methodology that audits the bikeability level of the urban road environment across three selected routes in the city of Volos, Greece. This methodology is a useful toolkit in order to evaluate and improve the bikeability level of the urban road environment and also evaluate existing bikeways. Four suitably trained auditors rode their bikes and evaluated the bikeability level using an audit tool in order to audit specific features that influence bicycling suitability across the road segments and intersections of the selected routes. Furthermore, the auditors graded specific features of the road environment in order to set a bikeability score for each tested route. Finally, this study concludes that the bikeability level of the selected routes was moderate and certain actions are necessary in order to be improved.
Hazmat Transport Safety and Alternative Transport Modes
Authors: Zamparini Luca , Reniers Genserik , Ziolkowski Michael
Published: January 2018

This paper analyzes 21 years of data related to unintentional hazardous materials (hazmat) releases on air, marine, and rail transportation modes reported in the United States (U.S.) -- although their origins and destinations may be outside the U.S. The authors' analysis reveals thousands of cases have occurred and their impacts vary by mode. These impacts include material losses, carrier damages, property damages, response costs, and remediation and clean-up costs. There appears to be some reduction in the frequency of incidents and accidents as regulations have been promulgated, although the authors cannot attribute causation. They review suggests that enhanced regulations and attentiveness have probably led to better reporting of hazmat occurrences. Moreover, developing and maintaining safer processes and designing safer products, containers, and systems can play an important role in minimizing hazmat releases.
A Comparative Analysis of Various Methods of Gas, Crude Oil and Oil Derivatives Transportation
Authors: Tudorica Daniela
Published: January 2018

This paper contains a comparative analysis of the various methods used for gas, crude oil and oil gaseous and liquid derivatives. The analysis is made in terms of quality, efficiency and safety criteria. Historical and statistical data is provided in order to support the conclusions of the paper: transportation via pipeline is the most efficient and safe method for the transportation of such products.
Transport Costs in a Shrinking World
Authors: Schliephake Konrad Heinz
Published: January 2018

Logistics is about reducing costs in freight transport and removing virtual (rather than physical) obstacles in the event. Reports dwell on the quest for efficiency and show ways to remove bottlenecks and costs. The reduction of these costs was instrumental to an ever increasing exchange notably of finished goods between the countries of the World. The cost elements of transportation de-pend on the nature of the goods to be transported as well as the topography, the distance to overcome and the modal choice. But day-to-day reality seems to paint a totally different picture to the economic analyst. Does it still make sense to apply or even study the theories of the classical and neo-classical transportation geography which allocate the spheres of production and of consumption according to costs in space. This paper dwells on two diverging opinions. The combination of two sets of models, one coming out of the classic methodologies and one from modern marketing concepts, leads to an explanative approach which reconciles both model builders and empirical analysts.
The Evolution of Logistics Hubs and a Conceptual Framework for Logistics Hubs Location Decisions
Authors: Erol Serpil , Duyguvar Aykut Süreyya
Published: January 2018

Hubs are special centers that used for switching, transferring and handling freight or passengers in transportation systems. The hub location problem deals with locating hub facilities and allocating demand nodes to hubs in order to route the traffic between origin–destination pairs. Aiming at minimizing the total costs, maximizing utilization of transporters, maximizing the service level, etc., the flow between O–D pairs is dispatched through some selected intermediate logistics centers (called hub nodes) and links connecting the hubs. In this work, a conceptual framework is proposed for hub location decision problem in transportation networks since the previous reviews are out of date. Several models, methods and decision tools are evaluated. Also future trends are added to represent a new point of view for global scale. Since the models and solution approaches are complicated, it is not practical to catch optimum results, and some relevant algorithms will be represented to solve hub models in this chapter.
A BPR Approach for E-Governance in Public Transportation
Authors: Bharti Ajay Kumar , Dwivedi Sanjay K.
Published: January 2018

Information is one of the important entities to affect the decision making, therefore effective and efficient management of information in bureaucratic, strategic planning and decision making will affect the governance process. e-Governance is a panacea for all the problems in government or public sector, public transportation is not the exception too. The public transportation sector has to manage the information, resources, people and process in an effective and efficient manner using information and communication technology to provide effective and efficient services to their commuters. In this paper we discusses about the need of BPR in public transportation, their steps for implementation followed by recommendations and its expected benefits. The paper also elaborates our analytical and foresight based strategic model for e-Governance in the public transportation sector in India. Based on the case study and the issues in the public transportation a set of recommendations for service delivery in the public transportation sector. Following these recommendations sector will be able to deliver integrated and quality services to their citizens of India using National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) service delivery model.
High Speed Rail in Canada
Authors: Balakrishnan Jaydeep , Zhu Tianyuan , Wallis Peter
Published: January 2018

High Speed Rail (HSR) is gaining popularity around the world for a variety of reasons. However, North America lags behind and in particular Canada, where there is no HSR. There has been discussion of implementing HSR in Canada since the 1970s in two possible corridors (one in central Canada and the other in Alberta). In this chapter, the feasibility studies that have been done on both corridors are discussed. In this respect, the focus is on the recent studies, from different sources including the Alberta Legislature, Ontario and Quebec Governments, consulting companies, and a non-profit transportation institute. The factors that influence the viability of HSR are discussed and reference is made to HSR implementations in other countries that could inform the development of HSR in Canada. On a positive note, it appears that the Ontario government plans to move ahead with HSR in part of the central Canadian corridor.
A System Dynamics Approach in Understanding the Mode Choice
Authors: Bajracharya Arun
Published: January 2018

While there is a general agreement that the use of public transportation should be encouraged, it has also been reported that the willingness and tendency to use the public transportation is dominated by the propensity of private car use. Consequently, the persistent increase in the modal share of private car has been a matter of concern in the context of growing cities. This research starts with the understanding that the entire state of the modal share in a city would be the collective reflection of the mode choice behaviour of individuals who populate the large population mass in the city. A causal feedback loop model is developed to study the individual mode choice behaviour in the context of a city. The model is then translated into a system dynamics simulation model. The context of Dubai has been considered in order to operationalise the simulation model. The simulation experiments revealed that it would be challenging to motivate individuals in using the public transportation in the city where private car has already been a dominant mode. It is also found that the very desire of individuals to own and use private car is one of the key points that should be addressed properly if the mode choice is to be influenced.
Evolution of Subway Network Systems, Subway Accessibility, and Change of Urban Landscape
Authors: Song Yena , Kim Hyun
Published: January 2018

The subway is one of the major passenger transport systems in Seoul, Korea. Over the last 30 years, the subway system has interacted with urban land use. This study aims to describe the subway system evolution and reveal the causal relations with land rent and population distributions in conjunction with the evolution of the subway system. Extensive and rapid expansion of subway networks have increased subway accessibility in all regional areas over time and have simultaneously strengthened the status of Central Business Districts (CBDs). These facts indirectly imply a possible strong association amongst land rent, population, and subway accessibility. To reveal these relationships, the Granger-causality test in vector auto-regression form is employed. The results confirm the hypothesis of a causal relationship, the influence of the subway accessibility to the land rent in nearby CBD areas. However, inverse causality also exists between these two variables, implying a more complex relationship. In contrast, population variables have a comparably weak causal relationship with subway accessibility in the spatial context of the subway system in Seoul.
The Influence of the Top Management Characteristics on the Success of the Enterprise Information System
Authors: Alkhuraiji Abdullah Ibrahim
Published: January 2018

The purpose of this chapter is to investigate the effect of top management characteristics on the overall success of enterprise information systems. It aims to offer an in-depth understanding of the necessary characteristics required for the implementation of an enterprise resources planning system. It applies a case study methodology of two contradictory government organizations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: one with successful implementation and the other with a complete failure. The results expose various characteristics such as those related to business leadership and abilities and technological cognition and awareness. The results can be developed into a strategy to enhance awareness as well as top management participation.
Managing IT to Innovate and Strategize in the Higher Education Sector
Authors: Bhattacharya Prithvi Jyoti
Published: January 2018

The current dynamic business landscape has compelled all organizations worldwide to innovate and strategize continually to remain competitive and achieve an edge in the market. Information technology has often made lofty promises to assist such endeavors. This chapter explores the management of large, integrated, and packaged software suites collectively called enterprise systems (ES) to enable innovation and strategic decision making in organizations. In particular, this chapter explains how a globally renowned and highly ranked university manages its enterprise-systems-based IT platform to offer new services, develop new processes, and make astute strategic decisions – all in an attempt to retain and improve its position in the global higher education market.
A Survey on Prediction Using Big Data Analytics
Authors: Supriya M. , Deepa A.J.
Published: January 2018

This article describes how nowadays, the growth of big data in bio-medical and healthcare community services is increasing rapidly. The early detection of diseases and patient care are analyzed with the help of accurate analysis of medical data includes diagnosed patients' details. The analysis of accuracy rate is considerably reduced when the quality of medical data is unclear since every part of the body has unique characteristics of certain regional diseases that may suppress the prediction of diseases. This article reviews the detailed survey of different prediction methods developed for analyzing the accuracy rate of disease affected patients in 2015-2016 mainly focuses on choosing the efficient predictions based on the quality of medical data not only provides the overall view of prediction methods but also gives the idea of big data analytics in medical data further discusses the methods, techniques used and the pros and cons of prediction methods.
The Making of a Successful Analytics Master Degree Program
Authors: Cheong Michelle LF
Published: January 2018

Singapore Management University's School of Information Systems is a young school within a young and small university in Asia. Being young and small, establishing a successful analytics master degree program required extensive landscape research, assessment of its own strengths and weaknesses, having a committed team, and having a clear vision to meet the ever-changing needs of the industry. The Master of IT in Business (Analytics) program, established since 2011, has grown from an annual intake of 16 to 128 students in six years. This article attempts to describe the design process, challenges faced, decisions made, and the key actions taken, which resulted in an extremely successful analytics master program. The experiences and lessons drawn can become valuable references for other universities who are also planning to launch analytics master degree programs. The article also summarizes the 11 key takeaways which can be used as a strategic guideline.
Predictive Skill Based Call Routing Using Multi-Label Classification Techniques
Authors: Kalakbandi Vinay Kumar , Kondareddy Sankara Prasad
Published: January 2018

This article is in the context of a call centre whose agents possess a heterogeneous skillset. The significant challenge for such a call centre would be skills based call routing: to match an inbound customer call to a call centre agent possessing the relevant skillset. This article will present an alternative to the usual Interactive Voice Recording (IVR) menu based approach to skill based call routing. This article will also make use of a multi-label classification techniques to predict the purpose of the customer call in advance and route it to the appropriate call centre agent without the customer's intervention. This hassle-free call routing technique produces efficient interactions and helps enhance customer experience, resulting in higher customer satisfaction and better cross-sell opportunities.
Cognitive Visualization of Popular Regions Discovered From Geo-Tagged Social Media Data
Authors: Wang Yunzhe , Baciu George , Li Chenhui
Published: January 2018

This article focuses on the cognitive exploration of photo sharing data which contain information about the location where the photo was taken and potentially some description about the photo. Therefore, the features of photo-spots can be deduced. Spots with similar features constitute a region of cognitive interest. The objective is to identify these regions and allow users to explore into regions of interest by cognitive understanding of their features. The authors propose an approach that makes use of semantic analysis, data clustering, and cognitive visualization. In this article, the authors introduce the design of an interactive visualization interface which projects photo sharing data to cognitive social activity map components. The contributions are two-fold. First, the authors put forward a novel social-media data classification method. Second, the authors suggest a new method to explore social activity maps by discovering regions of cognitive interest. Experiments are performed on the Flickr dataset.
Governance in Smart Cities: A Comparison of Practitioners' Perceptions and Prior Research
Authors: Bolívar Manuel Pedro Rodríguez
Published: January 2018

Many of the challenges to be faced by smart cities surpass the capacities, capabilities, and reaches of their traditional institutions and their classical processes of governing, and therefore new and innovative forms of governance are needed to meet these challenges. According to the network governance literature, governance models in public administrations can be categorized through the identification and analysis of some main dimensions that govern in the way of managing the city by governments. Based on prior research and on the perception of city practitioners in European smart cities, this paper seeks to analyze the relevance of main dimensions of governance models in smart cities as well as to identify differences among prior research and perceptions of practitioners regarding these dimensions. Results could shed some light regarding new future research on efficient patterns of governance models within smart cities.
A Semantic Approach to Deploying Product-Service Systems
Authors: Buchmann Robert Andrei , Karagiannis Dimitris
Published: January 2018

Conceptual modeling is commonly employed for two classes of goals: (1) as input for run-time functionality (e.g., code generation) and (2) as support for design-time analysis (e.g., in business process management). An inherent trade-off manifests between such goals, as different levels of abstraction and semantic detail is needed. This has led to a multitude of modeling languages that are conceptually redundant (i.e., they share significant parts of their metamodels) and a dilemma of selecting the most adequate language for each goal. This article advocates the substitution of the selection dilemma with an approach where the modeling method is agilely tailored for the semantic variability required to cover both run-time and design-time concerns. The semantic space enabled by such a method is exposed to model-driven systems as RDF knowledge graphs, whereas the method evolution is managed with the Agile Modeling Method Engineering framework. The argument is grounded in the application area of Product-Service Systems, illustrated by a project-based modeling method.
Automotive Metallurgical Joining
Authors:   Metals Technical Committee
Published: January 2018

This report is an abbreviated summary of metallurgical joining by welding, brazing, and soldering. It is generally intended to reflect current usage in the automotive industry; however, it does include some of the more recently developed processes. More comprehensive coverage of materials, processing details, and equipment required may be found in the Welding Handbook, Soldering Manual, and other publications of the American Welding Society and the American Society for Testing and Materials. AWS Automotive Welding Committee publications on Recommended Practices are particularly recommended for the design or product engineer.

This report is not intended to cover mechanical joining such as rivets or screw fasteners, or chemical joining processes such as adhesive joining.
Questioning the group-based approach to social equality in the post-apartheid South Africa
Authors: Egbai Uti Ojah
Published: January 2018

In this paper, I investigate whether the pursuit of group-based social equality should constitute a political goal or not. I explain that social equality refers to the mechanism for horizontal presentation of opportunities to individuals in a given society to express their abilities. It could also mean the right to vie, contest, compete or take advantage of certain opportunities or even to the freedom to pursue or obtain certain opportunities among free citizens in any society. I argue that the position of the mainstream European South African population seems to be that this should be an individual-based exercise since the sectional policy of apartheid has been disestablished. However, the majority of native South Africans appear to hold that since the post-apartheid South African society is heavily lopsided that the pursuit of social equality, especially by the natives who experience great economic disadvantage as a political goal, should be group-based in order to address comprehensively the social and economic ills of apartheid. This groupbased approach is challenged by European South Africans who argue that it introduces another form of inequality that places them at a disadvantage. I will analyze the arguments on both sides and attempt to justify the group-based approach in the light of the post-apartheid peculiar circumstances of native South Africans.Keywords: social equality, political goal, individual, group, South African society, apartheid
Effect of Testing Temperature on Sulfide Stress Cracking of Low Alloy Steel
Authors: Kobayashi Kenji , Omura Tomohiko , Ueda Masakatsu
Published: January 2018

In this study, effects of environmental temperature on susceptibility to sulfide stress cracking (SSC)—a type of hydrogen embrittlement (HE) occurring in sour environments—of low alloy steels were investigated from the perspective of hydrogen entry, absorption, and accumulation. SSC susceptibility was evaluated using a double cantilever beam (DCB) test and a four-point bend (4PB) test in sour environments at several testing temperatures. 4PB test specimens included notched and un-notched specimens to investigate influences of stress concentration and local stress. In the case of evaluation methods using specimens with high-stress concentration area, a decrease in testing temperature from room temperature to 4°C significantly increased SSC susceptibility. Hydrogen entry and absorption behaviors were also evaluated at several testing temperatures using a hydrogen permeation test. The hydrogen concentration at the plastic deformed area increased remarkably with decreasing testing temperature. It is considered that the influence of testing temperature is due to hydrogen concentration at the stress concentration area with plastic deformation. In a low temperature condition, the degree of hydrogen accumulation at the crack tip areas of a DCB specimen or crack initiation site of a 4PB specimen could be higher than that in a higher temperature condition. When steels are applied to low temperature conditions with H2S, a prior material evaluation reproducing both environmental temperature and actual stress condition is needed.