bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La construction de la société et les conceptions sur l'éducation. Visions comparées en Allemagne, en France et aux États-Unis dans les années 1900
Authors: Tröhler Daniel
Published: August 2013

Si le social, comme discipline, émerge à la suite de l’Indépendance américaine et de la Révolution française, il prend des sens divers selon les théories politiques, révolutionnaires ou contre-révolutionnaires. Pour identifier le rôle donné à l’éducation, l’auteur étudie les constructions religieuses puis culturelles de la question sociale et l’émergence des sciences sociales et de la sociologie en tant que réaction intellectuelle face à elles. Il examine successivement les dénominations, des exemples de construction culturelle (par les Églises nationales protestantes allemandes, la République française, les évangélistes sociaux aux États-Unis) avant d’étudier la réaction intellectuelle que constitue l’émergence de la sociologie et des sciences sociales. Puis, il aborde l’éducation comme objet de théorisation du travail social en comparant l’Allemagne, la France et les États-Unis pour analyser les tentations du social à l’égard des sciences de l’éducation qui, liées aux ambitions nationales, essaient de donner du sens à sa construction culturelle. La convergence entre théories éducatives, sociologie et milieux populaires signe la faible capacité des recherches universitaires à s’émanciper des idéologies nationales. Une façon de le faire serait de mesurer l’impact des paradigmes sociologiques sur la construction de la réalité, donc accepter la question de la légitimité des sciences sociales et de leur environnement idéologique un siècle après leur naissance.
Transgression et “convivenza” démocratique : une analyse de la politique italienne en matière de scolarité et de discours d'intégration
Authors: Kowalczyk Jamie A.
Published: August 2013

L’article interroge les débats contemporains en Italie autour de la notion de “convivenza” –coexistence ou cohabitation– démocratique. Il examine les fondements théoriques de cette politique destinée à maintenir l’harmonie sociale et la façon dont la participation citoyenne, dans le discours politique sur l’éducation, dessine les contours et les limites de la notion d’intégration. Alors qu’un étudiant né sur le sol italien et vivant en Italie n’a pas la nationalité italienne, distinguer entre étudiant intégré et non intégré implique de délimiter des catégories pour identifier qui est intégré ou non. Selon la lecture qu’on en fait, la participation démocratique citoyenne d’un étudiant intégré peut être vue comme celle d’un individu non intégré. Mesurer le succès du processus de transformation de l’étudiant non intégré renforce la ligne de partage pour rendre visible le comportement de l’étudiant intégré. Considérer ces limites de la thèse culturelle nationale d’avant l’arrivée des immigrants comme stables et immuables laisse peu d’espace à d’autres pratiques démocratiques, telles la contestation, voire la transformation de ce qui est pris comme norme et valeurs établies.
Guerre froide, paix chaude et systèmes de raisonnement sur la jeunesse
Authors: Lesko Nancy
Published: August 2013

L’article examine les systèmes de raisonnement sur la jeunesse, en théorie et dans les pratiques éducatives, aux États-Unis pendant la guerre froide des années 1950 et 1960 et la “paix chaude” de 1990 à nos jours. La période de la guerre froide s’est concentrée sur l’éducation d’adolescents indépendants qui ne devaient pas succomber à la conformité du fascisme ou du socialisme. Une théorie de l’identité a permis de cimenter la jeunesse rebelle comme une vérité et de créer des sujets psychopolitiques souverains qui atteindraient la maturité par l’intermédiaire de pratiques éducatives démocratisantes. Pendant la paix chaude, le cerveau des adolescents et les neurosciences ont défié la théorie de l’adolescent rebelle et de l’identité. Le déséquilibre biologique à l’adolescence, entre l’éveil socio-émotionnel et la capacité de contrôle cognitif, est posé comme postulat, accompagné de préoccupations par rapport à la prise et à la gestion des risques. Les chercheurs en neurosciences recommandent de retarder l’âge du vote, de la conduite automobile et d’autres responsabilités, et les programmes scolaires se concentrent sur les performances réalisées lors de tests normalisés. Ces développements suggèrent les rationalités d’un imaginaire actuariel impliquant la révision des pratiques éducatives.
La question sociale revisitée. La configuration de la dimension sociale dans l'espace éducatif européen
Authors: Petersson Kenneth , Olsson Ulf , Krejsler John B.
Published: August 2013

La fabrication de la question sociale est problématisée ici dans deux discours historiques sur l’intégration sociale : le discours philanthropique et celui de l’Espace Européen de l’Enseignement Supérieur (EEES). De quelle manière et sous quelles circonstances, la relation entre les sujets inclus et exclus et la société se reproduit-elle et fonctionne-t-elle d’une époque à une autre ? La méthode généalogique utilisée est inspirée de la notion de gouvernementalité de Foucault. Dans le discours contemporain, des technologies d’espoir et de peur de l’avenir sont en jeu : certains groupes sociaux sont créés pour représenter les menaces vis-à-vis de l’espoir d’avenir et l’éducation est construite comme une technologie cruciale pour la bonne inclusion de ces mêmes groupes. La comparaison avec les mécanismes éducatifs de la philanthropie montre que ce n’est pas nouveau. La société européenne au début du XIX e  siècle craignait une population ayant perdu son orientation religieuse, égarée dans un ordre social prédestiné. La crainte dans l’Europe contemporaine est d’être laissée en arrière dans la course mondiale pour la société de la connaissance la plus éminente et durable.
Les fictions de la transcendance et la fabrication des valeurs dans l'éducation musicale aux États-Unis
Authors: Gustafson Ruth I.
Published: August 2013

L’article examine l’enseignement public de la musique aux États-Unis et montre la fabrication d’une transcendance musicale qui crée des notions de mérite social et d’abjection, la relation étant inextricable entre la Musique, l’École et la Nation. À travers une mise en perspective historique –considérant l’enseignement musical comme le produit de la discipline Musique et des inquiétudes sociales– utilisant les métaphores de l’alchimie et du rhizome (Deleuze & Guattari 1987), l’auteur saisit la relation complexe entre la musique et le classement des types humains. Le programme de musique distingue citoyen digne et citoyen abject alors même que cette division produit des aspirations à renverser les limites sociales. Ainsi, au XX e  siècle, inciter la population à écouter de la musique classique a permis de réévaluer les cultures régionales américaines ; développer stratégiquement l’idée de transcendance musicale dans les negro-spirituals des Afro-Américains a servi au Mouvement des droits civiques à améliorer l’égalité sociale. À chaque fois, le programme de musique est analysé comme une alchimie où les inquiétudes sociales contingentes et les idéaux esthétiques permettent de reconnaître le digne citoyen. Si ce processus alchimique cristallise les valeurs qui disqualifient certains groupes sociaux, une redistribution rhizomique des ressources matérielles et symboliques émerge aussi du programme scolaire dont la double action exprime des exclusions sociales et active les ambitions de groupes marginalisés.
L'introduction de la construction de sens dans l'implantation de politiques en éducation : apports et pistes de recherche
Authors: Dulude Éliane , Spillane James P.
Published: August 2013

L’article présente un cadre de références théorique et empirique fondé sur des constats émanant du champ de la construction de sens et se divisant en deux grandes tendances : les approches sociocognitives et sociologiques. Les auteurs tentent ainsi d’explorer une dimension clé du processus de mise en œuvre : la construction de sens par les acteurs scolaires lors de réformes en éducation. Dans le corpus littéraire nord-américain, le cadre théorique de la construction de sens a permis plusieurs contributions importantes à l’étude du changement et de l’implantation des politiques éducatives. Certains auteurs ont pu démontrer les différentes manières dont les chefs d’établissement et les enseignants construisent du sens autour d’une politique expliquant les variations locales du changement ou de l’implantation des politiques (Spillane 2001, 2002, Coburn 2001, 2005). Elles illustrent, en particulier, que les enjeux locaux vont bien au-delà d’une résistance aux changements.
La musique autrement ? Les “musiciens intervenants” entre travail social et création artistique
Authors: Lebon Francis
Published: August 2013

Les musiciens intervenants constituent un segment professionnel méconnu, à mi-chemin entre création musicale et éducation des enfants. Proche de l’animation dans les années 1970, la définition officielle du métier s’appuie à présent sur le Diplôme universitaire de musicien intervenant (Dumi), créé en 1984, et sur une littérature qui, critiquant l’enseignement traditionnel de la musique, prône des méthodes d’éducation collective et inventive fondées sur le jeu rythmique, vocal et corporel. Alors que les musiciens intervenants sont relativement invisibles, leur revendication de créativité artistique et pédagogique est-elle un atout professionnel ? L’inflation du culturel et l’accroissement de la division du travail en éducation musicale (ces agents spécialisés dans l’éveil en sont l’expression) contribuent-ils à diversifier la figure de l’artiste ?
La revendication éthique des établissements de l'enseignement catholique sur le marché des prépas. Une enquête dans l'académie de Nantes
Authors: Houdeville Gérald
Published: August 2013

Un tiers des classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles (CPGE) de l’académie de Nantes sont hébergées dans des établissements de l’enseignement secondaire privé sous contrat catholique. L’article s’interroge sur la manière dont les personnels de ces établissements (chefs d’établissement, responsables des études, enseignants) appréhendent ce type de formation. La rencontre entre enseignement catholique et classes prépas ne va pas de soi : si celui-ci est historiquement très présent sur ce territoire, les CPGE privées y souffrent d’un déficit de crédibilité (taux de passage et bacheliers plus faibles que dans le public) et les principes de sélection, de compétition, etc., sont souvent décriés par ceux qui y enseignent ou en sont responsables. Ce secteur est confronté à la construction d’une légitimité dans la tension entre les exigences d’authentiques CPGE et la volonté affichée d’en faire “des prépas pas comme les autres”.
WARMING EFFICACY OF REGIONAL HEATING WITH DIFFERENT SKIN THICKNESS OF THE BODY
Authors: Bau Jian-Guo , Kao Tsair , Chen Hsin-Chieh , Chen Pei-Jing , Li Nien-Ting , Li Chen-Liang , Hung Chih-Jen
Published: August 2013

Many active external warming devices have been developed for medical treatment of perioperative hypothermia. Previous efficacy assessments for warming systems have generally compared different devices. This study compares the warming efficacy of regional heating at different sites of the body, and its relation to the thickness of subcutaneous adipose tissue. A total of 13 participants (men, 19–21 years) participated in 3 study groups, in each of which a resistive heating pad was placed on 1 of 3 sites of the body: the upper back, the lower back, and the abdomen. All participants were placed in a cold room with an ambient temperature adjusted to 21 ± 1°C to simulate an operating theater. Skin temperature distributions around the body, skin temperatures beneath the heating pad, and verbal analog score (VAS) values were recorded before and after warming. The subcutaneous adipose thickness of each site was measured using a skinfold technique. Subjective VAS values and body skin temperatures around the designated sensor areas revealed that warming efficacies varied depending on where the heating pad was placed. Efficacy was lowest when the heating pad was placed on the abdomen, where subcutaneous adipose was thickest. The VAS of the abdomen was significantly lower than that obtained from either the lower back or the upper back (p < 0.05). These results suggest that the warming efficacies of regional heating could vary with subcutaneous adipose thickness. The influence of the subcutaneous adipose layer on heat transfer warrants further investigation for warming applications.
NOVEL DOSAGE FORM TARGETING VAGINAL ADMINISTRATION
Authors: Shih Ming-Kuang , Chao Yu-Chou , Sheu Ying-Line
Published: August 2013

Currently, treatments for vaginal infections are mostly given orally or subcutaneously. However, because of extensive first-pass metabolism, the exposure of unchanged drug to the vaginal mucosa (i.e. bioavailability) after oral or subcutaneous dosing may be as low as 2.92%. Meanwhile, ointments for external application may result in pain or hypersensitivity. To address these problems, we proposed a novel composite dosage form consisting of polyurethane (PU) foam and aquagel impregnated therewithin. The PU/aquagel dosage form was shaped into a circular pad having diameter of about 5 cm, which made it suitable for being inserted into the vagina (average diameter 3 cm) thereby acting directly on cells within the inflamed lesion. We had successfully developed hydrophilic PU foam with an excellent water retention rate of about 1674%, which may retain 6.5-fold water as compared to convention PU foam. The hydrophilic PU foam comprised inter-connected cells which allowed the continuous flow of the aquagel along the struts, thereby allowing the aquagel to reach the peripheral of the PU foam and directly contact the lesion site. In this way, it is possible to deliver active compounds dispersed within the aquagel to the lesion site without enzymatic degradation. The active compounds would biologically adhere to the vaginal mucosa, thereby providing a fast-releasing yet sustained treatment. We investigated the relationship between the viscosity of the aquagel and the gel retention rate of the hydrophilic PU foam. Several over-the-counter medications for treating vaginal infections were dispersed in the aquagel, and in vitro transmembrane penetration analysis was conducted to elucidate the transmembrane delivery rate thereof. The O/W gel containing acyclovir exhibited a bioavailability of 60.7% at 26 h after the treatment, which is 19.4-fold compared to that of the orally administered acyclovir. This finding suggested that the novel dosage foam may reduce the concentration of active compounds, thereby reducing their cytotoxicity to normal cells.
APPLICATIONS OF FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSES-BASED TAGUCHI METHODS FOR SUBSIDENCE PROBLEM OF VERTEBRAL BODY CAGES USED IN CERVICAL SPINE
Authors: Lu Long-Ming , Chao Ching-Kong , Hsu Ching-Chi , Hsu Wen-Hsien , Lin Jinn
Published: August 2013

The vertebral body cage has been widely used in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion to provide better stability and fusion rate. However, subsidence of a body cage into the vertebral body may cause severe problems. In this study, three-dimensional finite element models of C4-C6 were constructed and developed to simulate the situations of pre-subsidence and post-subsidence. The Taguchi method was used to obtain the optimal design parameters of the vertebral body cage to increase the subsidence resistance. The results showed that the optimum combination for a situation of pre-subsidence was gear ring, inner diameter of 4 mm, spike's height of 0.5 mm, twelve spikes, spike's oblique of 00, spike's upper width of 0.3 mm, spike's upper length of 0.85 mm, and spike's lower area of 1.2 × 0.85 mm2. For a situation of post-subsidence, the optimum combination was circular ring, inner diameter of 4 mm, spike's height of 2 mm, twelve spikes, spike's oblique of 00, spike's upper width of 0.3 mm, spike's upper length of 0.85 mm and spike's lower area of 1.2 × 0.85 mm2. Besides, subsidence is also affected by other variables including bone graft, bone mineral density, endplate preparation and implant material. Those variables were investigated and the results showed that the higher BMD, larger endplate preparation and less stiffness of implant material could reduce the risk of subsidence. The Taguchi method has an efficient reduction of time and cost of experiment and could determine the optimum combinations to enhance the ability to resist the subsidence.
SIMULTANEOUS HEARTBEAT AND RESPIRATION MONITORING USING PPG AND RIIV ON A SMARTPHONE DEVICE
Authors: Lin Yue-Der , Ho Hu-Ying , Tsai Ching-Che , Wang Shih-Fan , Lin Kang-Ping , Chang Hen-Hong
Published: August 2013

Photoplethysmography (PPG) is a technique based on photonics related to the volumetric changes in blood vessels during circulation. PPG has been widely applied in monitoring respiration, hypervolemia and other circulatory diseases. The smartphone becomes more popular nowadays. As the smartphone is usually equipped with light-emitting diode (LED) and camera, the imaging function in smartphone is proposed for PPG signal detection. An algorithm termed as the autoregressive (AR) decomposition is presented to extract the respiratory rate and pulse rate of the subject buried in the PPG measurement. The extracted information is verified by those derived from commercial equipments and the derived results agree well. The proposed algorithm is not complex and can be implemented in a smartphone as an application program. For its convenience in usage, the proposed strategy may be potential in telemedicine, preventive medicine and home care usage.
LASER PROJECTION SYSTEM TO LOCALIZE ACUPOINTS ON FACE USING 3D HEAD MODEL
Authors: Yan Yong-Gang , Ouyang Jian-Fei , Ma Xiang , Han Qiang
Published: August 2013

Clinical studies of acupuncture and moxibustion often are disapproved by international academic circles due to research methods and randomized controlled trials (RCT). Accurately localizing acupoints is a key issue in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapy research. The objective of this study was to systematically propose an effective method to localize the acupoints on the head accurately and to track the points automatically with the movement of the body within a defined range using a laser projection system that comprises laser pointers, a control system, charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras, and a computer. A 3D head model, on which all acupoints were clearly marked and the coordinates of the points were extracted, was constructed previously using point clouds by a 3D scanner based on structured light. Then, a uniform coordinate system was established, in which correlations of model, CCD and body were described. Under signals from the point of the model, the beam emitted from each laser pointer was individually guided towards the head, pointing at the corresponding site on the head. The spot was captured by CCD to identify the localization of the acupoint. To test the validity of the proposed technique, the experiments were carried out. The experimental results show that the central points of the spots can be nearly in coincidence with the points localized directly in an experienced TCM expert, and the errors are within 3.1 mm. The results indicate also that the localization accuracy and the repeatability of acupoints are high disregarding the movement of the head. The work lays a research foundation for RCT in clinical studies of acupuncture and moxibustion.
A FRAMEWORK FOR CONTENT-BASED HUMAN BRAIN MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGES RETRIEVAL USING SALIENCY MAP
Authors: Tarjoman Mana , Fatemizadeh Emad , Badie Kambiz
Published: August 2013

Content-based image retrieval (CBIR) makes use of low-level image features, such as color, texture and shape, to index images with minimal human interaction. Considering the gap between low-level image features and the high-level semantic concepts in the CBIR, we proposed an image retrieval system for brain magnetic resonance images based on saliency map. The saliency map of an image contains important image regions which are visually more conspicuous by virtue of their contrast with respect to surrounding regions. First, the proposed approach exploits the ant colony optimization (ACO) technique to measure the image's saliency through ants' movements on the image. The textural features are then calculated from the saliency map of the images. The image indexing is done with an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), which can categorize the magnetic resonance images as normal or tumoral. In online image retrieval, a query image is introduced to the system and the system will return the relevant images. The experimental result shows the accuracy of 98.67% for the image retrieval in our proposed system and improves the retrieval efficiency in compare with the classical CBIR systems.
A Generic, Cloud-Based Representation for Supply Chains (SC’s)
Authors: Akyuz Goknur Arzu , Rehan Mohammad
Published: August 2013

As a very recent IT paradigm, Cloud Computing is gaining momentum and receiving more and more interest in literature. With various characteristics such as offering flexibility, cost reductions, platform independence and on-demand service, cloud approach opens up tremendous opportunities from Supply Chain (SC) perspective. However, extant literature reveals that adoption and assimilation of the technology is not mature in SC domain and cloud-based modelling initiatives are only recent. To fill this gap, this study discusses the opportunities of cloud computing from SC perspective and proposes a generic representation based on cloud philosophy. The proposed representation is conceptual, flexible and customizable, utilizing and highlighting the cloud benefits in a multi-partner setting. Therefore, this article is an answer to the research questions: “what are the opportunities of cloud philosophy for SC domain?” and “how can supply chains be represented generically based on cloud technology in multi-actor environment?”. Contribution of this study lies in comprehensive treatment of cloud computing and supply chain intersection as well as the generic representation.
A Comparative Cost Analysis of on Premises IT Infrastructure and Cloud-Based Email Services in an Indian Business School
Authors: Chauhan Sumedha , Raman Aparna , Singh N.P.
Published: August 2013

Cloud computing as a disruptive technology has given a chance to explore computing as a utility. The pay as you go model provides a flexible model to optimize cost. For different needs, cloud computing offers different models and services to balance the cost, time and resources. Faster communication is the need of each academic institute today to facilitate a good learning environment in a shorter and effective time frame. Email as a medium of communication gives a pace and substance to academic needs, especially in business schools. This paper aims to present a comparative analysis of the costs (on premises vs. cloud) for email implementation. Google apps for education have been considered for cloud based email service. Results show that the net present value (NPV) of cost for on premises infrastructure is more than NPV of cost for cloud based email service. This suggests cloud based email service is a cost effective solution for Indian B-schools to adopt.
New Media Cloud Computing
Authors: Sasikala P.
Published: August 2013

New Media is a generic term for the many different forms of electronic communication that are made possible through the use of computer technology. New media refers to on-demand access to content anytime, anywhere, on any digital device, as well as interactive user feedback, creative participation and community formation around the media content. Another important promise of new media is the “democratization” of the creation, publishing, distribution and consumption of media content along with real-time generation of new and user created content. Cloud computing, is a style of computing where scalable and elastic IT-related capabilities are provided as shared assorted services (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, DaaS). It is metered by use, to customers using internet technologies built on top of diverse technologies like virtualisation, distributed computing, utility computing, and more recently networking, web infrastructure and providing on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources. It represents a paradigm shift in how we think about our data, the role of our computing devices and on managing computing resources. Being an emerging service technology with promising novel and valuable capabilities it attracts industrial research community with main focus on standardisation and customised implementation in every segment of society. To meet out the ever growing popularity of the inevitable new media applications and services over the Internet and the way it overpowers mobile devices, there is a strong demand for cloud integration. This paper outlines the concepts of new media cloud computing and addresses the problem of handling exponential growth of online data. It presents a novel framework for New Media Cloud Computing. A preliminary simulation of the work on the proposed architecture shows that there is increase in the quality of computations done, despite the demand of constant updating of resources in New Media environment.
What Does the Concept of Ambidexterity Mean in the Current Military Planning Process and Organization Construction?
Authors: Huhtinen Aki-Mauri
Published: August 2013

How do organizations survive in the face of change? This is a key question for Western military organizations after the Iraq War and its consequences. All human crises are manmade because of we are human beings. The spreading of individual risk also increases systemic risk. The root cause of the problem is what has been termed “rational irrationality” – behavior that, on the individual level, is perfectly reasonable but that, when aggregated in a complex system, produces calamity (Alpaslan & Mitroff, 2010, xvii). From the perspective of organizational adaptation and learning, March (1991) argues that a significant number of competencies needs to be learnt and unlearnt during each and every process of change. According to Birkinshaw and Gibson (2011, 2004), in many sports, ambidexterity is a competitive advantage. Footballers are encouraged to use both left and right foot; left-handed batsmen have a slight advantage against right handed bowlers; the southpaw boxer presents a rarely encountered challenge to a boxer with an orthodox stance; some ambidextrous tennis players even use both hands, separately, to play strokes during a rally. And while some individuals are naturally two-handed or two-footed, many work hard to gain an advantage by practising until they master ambidexterity. The challenge for public security and safety organizations is that with terrorism and changes brought on by cyber-security they are faced with their greatest challenge since the end of World War Two. Not only are the structures and operating procedures undergoing change but also attitudes and values are pressed on by a changing society. Rational black and white thinking no longer functions when immigrants, various ethnic backgrounds, social media and the operating mechanisms and values of market economy force their way into the training grounds of military bases and battlefields. This article examines the usefulness of the concept of ambidexterity as part of the Comprehensive Approach planning and decision-making process adopted by Western military organizations.
The Social Spiders in the Clustering of Texts
Authors: Hamou Reda Mohamed , Amine Abdelmalek , Lokbani Ahmed Chaouki
Published: August 2013

In this paper the authors experiment and test a new biomimetic approach based on social spiders to solve a combinatorial problem ie the automatic classification of texts because a very large data stream flows and particularly on the web. Representation of textual data was performed by a method independent of the language ie n-gram characters and words because there is currently no method of learning that can directly represent unstructured data (text). To validate the classification, the authors used a measure of evaluation based on recall and precision (F-measure). During the experiment, the authors found a powerful visualization tool in social spiders that they exploit to make visual classification.
Usage of Fuzzy, Rough, and Soft Set Approach in Association Rule Mining
Authors: Dash Satya Ranjan , Dehuri Satchidananda , Sahoo Uma kant
Published: August 2013

This paper is two folded. In first fold, the authors have illustrated the interplay among fuzzy, rough, and soft set theory and their way of handling vagueness. In second fold, the authors have studied their individual strengths to discover association rules. The performance of these three approaches in discovering comprehensible rules are presented.
A New Evolution Mechanism Model for B2B E-Commerce Network
Authors: Tian Zhihong , Zhang Zhenji , Guan Xiaolan
Published: August 2013

To study the structure and evolution mechanism of B2B e-commerce network, the authors propose a network with several layers description of B2B e-commerce market. The empirical analysis from Alibaba.com shows that degree distribution of the network structure follows power-law. Based on modified BA (Barabasi-Albert) model, a new model is proposed, adding layers, fitness parameters, and more reasonable growth mechanism. The model reveals that, the structure of the network is stable, and the average path length and clustering coefficient are small. The authors also find that the impact of parameters is not decisive, and the emergence of scale-free nature depends on the mechanism itself.
An Efficient Hybrid Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm for Customer Segmentation in Mobile E-commerce
Authors: Deng Xiaoyi
Published: August 2013

Customer segmentation can enable company administrators to establish good customer relations and refine their marketing strategies to match customer expectations. To achieve optimal segmentation, a hybrid Artificial Bee Colony algorithm (ABC) is proposed to classify customers in mobile e-commerce environment, which is named KP-ABC. KP-ABC is based on three famous algorithms: the K-means, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and ABC. The author first applied five clustering algorithms to a mobile customer segmentation problem using data collected from a well established chain restaurant which has operations throughout Japan. The results from the clustering were compared to the existing company customer segmentation data for verifications. Based on the initial analysis, special characteristics from those three algorithms were extracted and modified in our KP-ABC method which performed extremely well with mobile e-commerce applications. The result shows that KP-ABC is at least 2% higher than that of other three algorithms.
Dynamic Pricing Strategies Between Online and Off-Line Retailers Based on Switching Costs
Authors: Guo Yanhong
Published: August 2013

With the development of e-commerce, online purchasing has made competitions among retailers fiercer than ever. Access on the internet influences traditional purchasing access inevitably. In this paper, the author uses Hotelling model to simulate the dynamic pricing process between online retailers and off-line retailers by the two steps game model. It gives a straightforward demonstration of the dynamic game process and results between the two retailers--online and off-line. Via the solutions of the model, it is revealed that the preference between online purchase and off-line purchase, as well as switching costs, have a direct impact on pricing strategy of retailers. This paper makes a clear and close analysis of the impact, holding that with the existence of long-term profit, competitors will choose to lower the price to win over consumers.
Secure Community Trust Stores for Peer-to-Peer e-Commerce Applications Using Cloud Services
Authors: Fauzi Ahmad H. , Taylor Hamish
Published: August 2013

P2P e-commerce applications have lower operational costs and inherently more scalable than conventional client-server online trading. Community Trust Stores (CTS) provide reliable and secure storage services for peers involved in P2P e-trading by storing trust data for the peers. Freely available cloud services can host the Community Trust Store and provide 24/7 availability to participating trading peers avoiding the need to pay for commercial trusted third party services. However, the community store must provide a certain level of assurance and support suitable security measures in order to support e-trading within the P2P application. It must also support community management of the store including jointly signed trading contract. The Community Trust Stores also stores reputation report and trading outcomes as future reference for others. New membership for P2P e-commerce group must be sponsored by current members.
Relationships between Micro-Enterprises and Web Developers
Authors: McQueen Robert J. , Daud Nordiana
Published: August 2013

This study investigates the relationship between a micro-enterprise wishing to develop an e-commerce capability, and the Web developer they have chosen to deliver that function. The major challenge of this relationship is how they can work together in achieving good website and business outcomes. Employing a multiple case study approach and thematic analysis, interviews were held with micro enterprise owners and their respective Web developer business partners. Four overarching theme areas were uncovered. Effective communication and a positive relationship resulting in the satisfaction of each party were found to be essential for developing successful websites for micro-enterprises. This study contributes new insights into micro-enterprise and Web developer efforts to develop e-commerce capability, and contributes to better understanding of this relationship for both practitioners and researchers.
Crafting Requirements for Mobile and Pervasive Emergency Response based on Privacy and Security by Design Principles
Authors: Weber Stefan G. , Gustiené Prima
Published: August 2013

According to fundamental principles of the Privacy by Design approach, the consultation of privacy issues should be embedded into analysis and design of information systems, from the early stages of system planning to implementation. In this article, the authors extend this perspective towards Privacy and Security by Design. Exemplary focusing on mobile and pervasive emergency response, as a specific area of the emergency management domain, this article conveys how the early requirements elicitation can be supported by a semantically integrated conceptual modeling method. Presenting the results of the exemplary executed elicitation processes, it contributes a concrete set of security and privacy requirements for mobile and pervasive emergency response settings. By also taking into account conflicting security goals, this article provides a substantial grounding for the development and deployment of multilaterally secure pervasive ICT that effectively supports emergency management during and in the aftermath of critical response missions.
Emergency Response in Rural Areas
Authors: Pilemalm Sofie , Stenberg Rebecca , Granberg Tobias Andersson
Published: August 2013

In this study, security and safety in rural parts of Sweden are investigated. New ways of organizing for efficient response can be found in the extended collaboration between societal sectors and in the utilization of local social capital. New categories of first responders and their requirements are identified and technical and non-technical solutions as support are proposed. The solutions include e.g. mobile applications and a technical infrastructure making it possible for volunteers to obtain information about events requiring emergency response. Emergency management in rural areas shows several similarities to large-scale crises, e.g. in terms of insufficient infrastructure available and the need to use local resources in the immediate aftermath of the event. Therefore, the results of the study can be transferable to large-scale crises.
STAR-TRANS Modeling Language
Authors: Zisiadis Dimitris , Thanos George , Kopsidas Spyros , Leventakis George
Published: August 2013

Transportation networks are open and accessible, by design, and thus vulnerable to malicious attacks. Transportation networks are integral parts of larger systems, where individual transportation networks form a network-of-networks within a defined geographical region. A security incident on an asset can propagate to new security incidents in interconnected assets of the same or different networks, resulting in cascading failures in the overall network-of-networks. The present work introduces the STAR-TRANS Modeling Language (STML) and provides a reference implementation case. STML is a feature-rich, domain specific, high-level modeling language, capable of expressing the concepts and processes of the Strategic Risk Assessment and Contingency Planning in Interconnected Transportation Networks (STAR- TRANS) framework. STAR-TRANS is a comprehensive transportation security risk assessment framework for assessing related risks that provides cohered contingency management procedures for interconnected, interdependent and heterogeneous transport networks. STML has been used to produce the STAR-TRANS Impact Assessment Tool.
Model “PROLOG” for Countermeasures Efficacy Assessment and its Calculation Algorithm Verification on the Base of the Chazhma Bay Accident Data
Authors: Bogatov S. , Kiselev A.
Published: August 2013

Methodical approaches are presented that is used in computational model “PROLOG”. This model is intended to assess radiological situation and counter measures efficacy after short term releases. Basic local Gaussian dispersion algorithm is supplemented with modules for plume rise, dry deposition velocities, building and complex terrain influence etc. The modules are intended to provide a compromise between simplicity, shortage of initial data and adequacy of the model in case of real accident. Approaches to dose and countermeasures efficiency assessments are presented as well. Plume rise, complex terrain and pollutant polydispersity modeling approaches were tested on the base of comparison of calculation and experimental results of doze rate and Co-60 surface contamination measured after Chazhma bay accident in 1985.
End User Computing
Authors: Panko Raymond R. , Port Daniel N.
Published: August 2013

End user computing (EUC) is like dark matter in physics. EUC is enormous in quantity and importance yet has been largely invisible to corporate IT departments, information systems (IS) researchers, and corporate management. EUC applications, especially spreadsheet applications, are also “dark” in the sense that they pose a number of overlooked risks for organizations, including errors, privacy violations, trade secret extrusions, and compliance violations. On the positive side, EUC applications are also like the dark energy of physics. They are supporting critical gains in decision making, computing by scientists and engineers, operational systems, and other important processes in every corner of the firm. It is time to stop ignoring end user computing in general and spreadsheets in particular. The purpose of this paper is to document to the extent possible today then importance of end user computing relative to the concerns of corporate IT departments and IS researchers.
A Composite Framework for Behavioral Compliance with Information Security Policies
Authors: Aurigemma Salvatore
Published: August 2013

To combat potential security threats, organizations rely upon information security policies to guide employee actions. Unfortunately, employee violations of such policies are common and costly enough that users are often considered the weakest link in information security. This paper presents a composite theoretical framework for understanding employee behavioral compliance with organizational information security policies. Building off of the theory of planned behavior, a composite model is presented that incorporates the strengths of previous studies while minimizing theoretical gaps present in other behavioral compliance models. In building the framework, related operational constructs are examined and normalized to allow better comparison of past studies and help focus future research efforts.
Involving End Users to Mitigate Risk in IS Development Projects
Authors: Amrit Chintan , van Hillegersberg Jos , van Diest Bart
Published: August 2013

In this paper the authors aim to gain insight into the relationship between user participation modes and project risk factors, and then they constructed a model that can be used to determine how user participation can be successfully applied in ISD projects with a given set of risk factors. The authors performed an in-depth literature review, which aims to clarify the concept of user participation as part of risk management. They then report on the results of a case study in Cap Gemini where we conduct an exploratory research of the application of user participation in practice. For this exploratory research, a quantitative and qualitative research method was designed in the form of a survey and interviews. Through the results from their case study, the authors gained insight into the relationship between user participation and IS project risk and also determine how user participation can be used to mitigate such risk.
Reduced T-Dependent Humoral Immunity in CD20-Deficient Mice
Authors: Morsy Deyaa El Deen , Sanyal Ratna , Zaiss Anne K. , Deo Rucha , Muruve Dan A. , Deans Julie P.
Published: August 2013

CD20 is a tetraspanning membrane protein expressed on B lymphocytes. CD20 deficiency in both mice and humans has recently been shown to have deleterious effects on Ab responses to T-independent Ags; however, no effect on T-dependent immunity has been reported. In this study, we used a Cd20−/− mouse line to evaluate Ab responses to adeno-associated virus and SRBCs. The neutralizing Ab response to adeno-associated virus was significantly reduced by CD20 deficiency; both primary (IgM) and secondary (IgG1 and IgG2b) responses to SRBC were also reduced in Cd20−/− mice, and this was associated with a reduction in the number of germinal center B cells. A successful humoral response requires the integration of intracellular signaling networks that critically rely on calcium mobilization. In this article, we confirm that BCR-mediated calcium mobilization is reduced in Cd20−/− murine B cells after BCR stimulation in vitro, and further show that the reduction is due to an effect on calcium influx rather than calcium release from intracellular stores. Calcium-dependent upregulation of CD69 was impaired in CD20-deficient B cells, as was upregulation of CD86. Altogether, this study demonstrates a role for CD20 in B cell activation and T-dependent humoral immunity.
Human CD1c+ Myeloid Dendritic Cells Acquire a High Level of Retinoic Acid–Producing Capacity in Response to Vitamin D3
Authors: Sato Takayuki , Kitawaki Toshio , Fujita Haruyuki , Iwata Makoto , Iyoda Tomonori , Inaba Kayo , Ohteki Toshiaki , Hasegawa Suguru , Kawada Kenji , Sakai Yoshiharu , Ikeuchi Hiroki , Nakase Hiroshi , Niwa Akira , Takaori-Kondo Akifumi , Kadowaki Norimitsu
Published: August 2013

All-trans-retinoic acid (RA) plays a critical role in maintaining immune homeostasis. Mouse intestinal CD103+ dendritic cells (DCs) produce a high level of RA by highly expressing retinal dehydrogenase (RALDH)2, an enzyme that converts retinal to RA, and induce gut-homing T cells. However, it has not been identified which subset of human DCs produce a high level of RA. In this study, we show that CD1c+ blood myeloid DCs (mDCs) but not CD141high mDCs or plasmacytoid DCs exhibited a high level of RALDH2 mRNA and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity in an RA- and p38-dependent manner when stimulated with 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VD3) in the presence of GM-CSF. The ALDH activity was abrogated by TLR ligands or TNF. CD103− rather than CD103+ human mesenteric lymph node mDCs gained ALDH activity in response to VD3. Furthermore, unlike in humans, mouse conventional DCs in the spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes gained ALDH activity in response to GM-CSF alone. RALDH2high CD1c+ mDCs stimulated naive CD4+ T cells to express gut-homing molecules and to produce Th2 cytokines in an RA-dependent manner. This study suggests that CD1c+ mDCs are a major human DC subset that produces RA in response to VD3 in the steady state. The “vitamin D – CD1c+ mDC – RA” axis may constitute an important immune component for maintaining tissue homeostasis in humans.
IL-7 Modulates In Vitro and In Vivo Human Memory T Regulatory Cell Functions through the CD39/ATP Axis
Authors: Younas Mehwish , Hue Sophie , Lacabaratz Christine , Guguin Aurélie , Wiedemann Aurélie , Surenaud Mathieu , Beq Stéphanie , Croughs Thérèse , Lelièvre Jean-Daniel , Lévy Yves
Published: August 2013

The heterogeneity of human regulatory T cells (Tregs) may explain the discrepancies between studies on Tregs in physiology and pathology. Contrasting effects of IL-7 on the expansion and survival of human Tregs were reported. Therefore, we investigated the effects of IL-7 on the phenotype and function of well-characterized populations of human Tregs. We show that IL-7 signals via the CD127 receptor on naive, memory, and activated memory Tregs sorted from the blood of healthy donors, but it does not affect their proliferation. In contrast, IL-7 affects their suppressive capacities differently. This effect was modest on naive Tregs but was dramatic (90%) on memory Tregs. We provide evidence that IL-7 exerts a synergistic effect through downmodulation of the ectoenzyme CD39, which converts ATP to ADP/AMP, and an increase in ATP receptor P2X7. Both effects lead to an increase in the ATP-mediated effect, tipping the balance to favor Th17 conversion. Using an IL-7 therapeutic study, we show that IL-7 exerts the same effects in vitro and in vivo in HIV-infected individuals. Globally, our data show that IL-7 negatively regulates Tregs and contributes to increase the number of tools that may affect Treg function in pathology.
Human SAP Is a Novel Peptidoglycan Recognition Protein That Induces Complement-Independent Phagocytosis of Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: An Jang-Hyun , Kurokawa Kenji , Jung Dong-Jun , Kim Min-Jung , Kim Chan-Hee , Fujimoto Yukari , Fukase Koichi , Coggeshall K. Mark , Lee Bok Luel
Published: August 2013

The human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus is responsible for many community-acquired and hospital-associated infections and is associated with high mortality. Concern over the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains has renewed interest in the elucidation of host mechanisms that defend against S. aureus infection. We recently demonstrated that human serum mannose-binding lectin binds to S. aureus wall teichoic acid (WTA), a cell wall glycopolymer—a discovery that prompted further screening to identify additional serum proteins that recognize S. aureus cell wall components. In this report, we incubated human serum with 10 different S. aureus mutants and determined that serum amyloid P component (SAP) bound specifically to a WTA-deficient S. aureus ΔtagO mutant, but not to tagO-complemented, WTA-expressing cells. Biochemical characterization revealed that SAP recognizes bacterial peptidoglycan as a ligand and that WTA inhibits this interaction. Although SAP binding to peptidoglycan was not observed to induce complement activation, SAP-bound ΔtagO cells were phagocytosed by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes in an FcγR-dependent manner. These results indicate that SAP functions as a host defense factor, similar to other peptidoglycan recognition proteins and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain–like receptors.