bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La diversité des motivations des employés publics. Recherche exploratoire dans un contexte post-bureaucratique en Suisse
Authors: Emery Yves
Published: July 2012

Résumé Durant les dernières décennies, la recherche portant sur la motivation des fonctionnaires a été dominée par deux courants théoriques : l’approche dite des choix rationnels, et celle portant sur la motivation au service public. Dans l’environnement post-bureaucratique actuel, cette vision simplifiée, qui reflète aussi dans une certaine mesure la dichotomie « public-privé », ne reflète plus de manière adéquate la complexité et l’hétérogénéité des motivations des agents publics. Basée sur des données empiriques qualitatives et quantitatives, une typologie originale des motivations dans l’univers post-bureaucratique est développée et testée dans plusieurs organisations publiques suisses. Elle révèle des facteurs de motivations qui combinent de manière originale des éléments classiques de la bureaucratie avec d’autres sources de motivation caractéristiques de formes modernes d’administration publique.
État et gouvernance des forêts au Québec
Authors: Amedzro St-Hilaire Walter , Chiasson Guy
Published: July 2012

Résumé La gouvernance des forêts publiques au Québec connaît actuellement une période de transition caractérisée par l’intégration progressive de nouvelles lignes directrices dans les pratiques de gestion des forêts publiques. La réforme des politiques qui en résulte, reconsidère les places de l’industrie forestière et de l’État dans la gestion des forêts publiques, prônant entre autres, une responsabilisation plus soutenue de l’État dans la gestion et une régionalisation des prises de décisions. La présente publication décrit l’adaptation qui se fait au sein des structures internes de l’État dans le cadre de l’adoption du régime forestier et met en lumière les principaux changements ayant affectés la dynamique structurelle en matière de gestion des forêts publiques québécoises. Aussi, l’appareil de gestion y est étendu sur deux niveaux interdépendants : provincial et régional. Leur adaptation se fait selon l’impact et les enjeux que soulève la réforme, par divers moyens allant de l’ajustement des processus de fonctionnement à une restructuration administrative complète.
Significant Visual Increase Following Infectious Keratitis After Collagen Cross-linking
Authors: Hafezi Farhad
Published: July 2012

PURPOSE:

To report a patient who developed a left paracentral stromal scar due to infectious keratitis that occurred after corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) for progressive keratoconus. The flattening effect of the scar led to an increase in visual acuity.

METHODS:

The corneal scar and flattening effect on the anterior corneal curvature were assessed by slit-lamp photography, high-resolution Scheimpflug imaging, and corneal confocal microscopy.

RESULTS:

Three days after CXL, a corneal bacterial infection occurred in the left cornea and was treated with local antibiotics that led to a paracentral scar. Twenty-one days after CXL, a flattening of the anterior curvature of >11.00 diopters was observed. As a consequence, corrected distance visual acuity improved by five lines.

CONCLUSIONS:

Corneal remodeling may lead to a homogenization of the anterior corneal surface and an increase in visual acuity. Remodeling may not only occur spontaneously following CXL, but also following an event that results in focal corneal scarring, such as corneal infection. In a highly irregular keratoconic cornea, the benefit of the flattening effect of a scar may outweigh the increase in aberrations and light scatter.
New Asymmetric Centration Strategy Combining Pupil and Corneal Vertex Information for Ablation Procedures in Refractive Surgery: Theoretical Background
Authors: Arba Mosquera Samuel , Ewering Tobias
Published: July 2012

PURPOSE:

To describe a method for centering ablation profiles considering pupil center and corneal vertex information simultaneously.

METHODS:

Novel ablation profiles were developed to cover the pupil aperture while respecting the corneal vertex as the optical axis of the ablation (asymmetric offset [AO]). The approach has been extended to combine higher order aberrations (HOA) referred to the pupil center (line-of-sight) with manifest refraction values referred to the corneal vertex (visual axis). The shapes and sizes of ablation profiles planned with AO were compared with the shapes and sizes of “classic” ablation profiles (with symmetric offset and without [no] offset, respectively).

RESULTS:

The introduction of asymmetric offset leads to an asymmetric ablation profile that is virtually the same depth as no offset ablation profiles (symmetric offset profiles ablate deeper), with the same diameter as no offset ablation profiles (smaller than symmetric offset ablations). The ablation volume of AO profiles lies between the ablation volumes of no offset and symmetric offset ablation profiles. When combined with HOAs, AO ablation profiles affect specific HOA terms. Asymmetric offset spherical components affect HOA coma components, and AO astigmatic components affect HOA trefoil components.

CONCLUSIONS:

Asymmetric offset ablation profiles provide a simple method to combine pupil and corneal vertex information for ablation procedures in refractive surgery with the optical axis of the ablation lying on the visual axis and the edges of the optical zone being concentric to the pupil boundaries. Further clinical studies must be performed to support the theoretical results.
Comparison of the Visual Outcomes and OPD-Scan Results of AMO Tecnis Toric and Alcon Acrysof IQ Toric Intraocular Lenses
Authors: Ferreira Tiago B. , Almeida Ana
Published: July 2012

PURPOSE:

To compare the visual outcomes and wavefront analyses of patients who underwent cataract surgery with the implantation of a Tecnis toric intraocular lens (IOL) (Abbott Medical Optics) with those patients who received an Acrysof IQ toric IOL (Alcon Laboratories Inc).

METHODS:

The study included 40 eyes from 26 patients with regular corneal astigmatism between 1.00 and 3.00 diopters (D) who were undergoing phacoemulsification with implantation of a toric IOL. Patients were randomized into two groups (20 eyes in each group): one group received the Tecnis toric IOL (Tecnis group) and one group received the Acrysof IQ toric IOL (Acrysof group). Over a 2-month follow-up period, the main outcome measures were uncorrected (UDVA) and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), spherical equivalent refraction, residual astigmatism, rotational stability of the IOL, and higher order aberrations, measured with a dynamic retinoscopy aberrometer.

RESULTS:

At 2-month follow-up, UDVA, CDVA, spherical equivalent refraction, and residual astigmatism showed no statistically significant between-group differences (
P
=.834,
P
=.178,
P
=.447, and
P
=.166, respectively). No eye had IOL rotation >10°. The toric IOL axis misalignment was similar in both groups (3.15°±2.62° in the Tecnis group and 3.25°±2.04° in the Acrysof group,
P
=.265). No statistically significant between-group differences were noted for all ocular aberrometry values, except for spherical aberration, which was higher in the Acrysof group (
P
=.029).

CONCLUSIONS:

Both studied IOLs promoted good postoperative UDVA, CDVA, and refractive results. Rotational stability was excellent for both IOLs. Postoperative spherical aberration was higher for the Acrysof toric IOL; however, this difference did not seem to affect overall visual quality.
Comparison of IOL Power Calculation and Refractive Outcome After Laser Refractive Cataract Surgery With a Femtosecond Laser Versus Conventional Phacoemulsification
Authors: Filkorn Tamás , Kovács Illés , Takács Ágnes , Horváth Éva , Knorz Michael C. , Nagy Zoltán Z.
Published: July 2012

PURPOSE:

To compare intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation and refractive outcome between patients who underwent laser refractive cataract surgery with a femtosecond laser and those with conventional cataract surgery.

METHODS:

In this prospective study, 77 eyes from 77 patients underwent laser refractive cataract surgery (laser group; Alcon LenSx femtosecond laser), and conventional cataract surgery with phacoemulsification was performed in 57 eyes from 57 patients (conventional group). Biometry was done with optical low coherence reflectometry (Lenstar LS900, Haag-Streit AG), and IOL calculation was performed with third-generation IOL formulas (SRK/T, Hoffer Q, and Holladay). The refractive outcome was analyzed using the mean absolute error (MAE; difference between predicted and achieved postoperative spherical equivalent refraction), and multivariable regression analysis was performed to compare the two groups.

RESULTS:

No significant differences were found between age, axial length, keratometry, and preoperative corrected visual acuity in the laser and conventional groups (
P
>.05; Mann-Whitney U test). At least 6 weeks after surgery, MAE was significantly lower in the laser group (0.38±0.28 diopters [D]) than in the conventional group (0.50±0.38 D) (
P
=.04). The difference was the greatest in short (axial length <22.0 mm, 0.43±0.41 vs 0.63±0.48) and long (axial length >26.0 mm, 0.33±0.24 vs 0.63±0.42) eyes.

CONCLUSIONS:

Laser refractive cataract surgery with a femtosecond laser resulted in a significantly better predictability of IOL power calculation than conventional phacoemulsification surgery. This difference is possibly due to a more precise capsulorrhexis, resulting in a more stable IOL position.
Change in Diabetic Panretinal Photocoagulation Incidence
Authors: Feman Stephen S. , Chen Jiajing , Burroughs Thomas E.
Published: July 2012

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

Diabetic blindness occurs most often among working-age people. Panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) can prevent this outcome. Administrative data examined changes in PRP incidence rates.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

Anonymous data from the “claims submitted” files of an insurer with nationwide representation was used. This health insurance was a job benefit, and the sample included 6,085,750 U.S. employees and their dependents. Those who received PRP for diabetic retinopathy were compared to all others with diabetes mellitus. Although some enrollees had more than one PRP procedure, each procedure was considered a unique event. The rate change was evaluated by chi-square tests with post hoc tests for pair-wise comparisons.

RESULTS:

A total of 14,856 PRP procedures were performed. An incidence rate reduction from 0.95% to 0.67% (chi-square = 243.6818,
P
< .0001) was found within the study interval.

CONCLUSION:

The incidence of PRP was reduced in this sample of U.S. workers and their dependents.
Graded Subthreshold Transpupillary Thermotherapy for Chronic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy
Authors: Manayath George J. , Narendran Venkatapathy , Arora Saurabh , Morris Rodney J. , Saravanan Veerappan R. , Shah Parag K.
Published: July 2012

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

To study the safety and efficacy of “graded” subthreshold transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT), a novel treatment protocol for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) and an alternative to photodynamic therapy (PDT).

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

This retrospective pilot study included 10 eyes with chronic CSC that underwent TTT with 810-nm continuous diode laser treatment using a subthreshold power (60% reduced from threshold) for 60 seconds. Treatment was repeated at 20% increase in power from the baseline if submacular fluid persisted on optical coherence tomography (OCT) after 1 month (graded fashion).

RESULTS:

The mean chronic CSC duration was 20.3 ± 8.3 months. Eight eyes (80%) showed resolution of CSC on OCT. Mean number of TTT sittings required was 1.5. Although 5 eyes (50%) had 3 or more lines of improvement in Snellen visual acuity, 3 eyes (30%) had up to 2 lines of improvement. None of the patients developed macular burn or scar.

CONCLUSION:

The safety enhanced graded subthreshold TTT was beneficial in patients with chronic CSC.
Multifocal Visual Evoked Potentials for Early Glaucoma Detection
Authors: Weizer Jennifer S. , Musch David C. , Niziol Leslie M. , Khan Naheed W.
Published: July 2012

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

To compare multifocal visual evoked potentials (mfVEP) with other detection methods in early open-angle glaucoma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

Ten patients with suspected glaucoma and 5 with early open-angle glaucoma underwent mfVEP, standard automated perimetry (SAP), short-wave automated perimetry, frequency-doubling technology perimetry, and nerve fiber layer optical coherence tomography. Nineteen healthy control subjects underwent mfVEP and SAP for comparison. Comparisons between groups involving continuous variables were made using independent
t
tests; for categorical variables, Fisher’s exact test was used.

RESULTS:

Monocular mfVEP cluster defects were associated with an increased SAP pattern standard deviation (
P
= .0195). Visual fields that showed interocular mfVEP cluster defects were more likely to also show superior quadrant nerve fiber layer thinning by OCT (
P
= .0152).

CONCLUSION:

Multifocal visual evoked potential cluster defects are associated with a functional and an anatomic measure that both relate to glaucomatous optic neuropathy.
Moorfields Technique of Donor Cornea Mounting for Femtosecond-Assisted Keratoplasty: Use of Viscoelastic in the Artificial Anterior Chamber
Authors: Iovieno Alfonso , Chowdhury Vivek , Stevens Julian D. , Maurino Vincenzo
Published: July 2012

Appropriate mounting and cutting of the donor sclero-corneal cap is often cumbersome during femtosecond laser-assisted keratoplasty. The authors describe a technique for donor cornea femtosecond laser cutting using ophthalmic viscoelastic devices. The donor sclero-corneal cap is mounted on the artificial anterior chamber using a dispersive ophthalmic viscoelastic device instead of saline solution. The chances of artificial anterior chamber pressure loss, inadequate applanation, and fluid leaks are consistently reduced with the use of dispersive ophthalmic viscoelastic devices. The speed of donor femtosecond laser cutting is increased. The viscosity and elasticity of dispersive ophthalmic viscoelastic devices greatly assist the procedure with regard to ease of applanation, corneal endothelium protection, and decreased distortion of the applanated cornea.
Visual and Anatomic Outcomes of Vitrectomy With Temporary Keratoprosthesis or Endoscopy in Ocular Trauma With Opaque Cornea
Authors: Chun Dal W. , Colyer Marcus H. , Wroblewski Keith J.
Published: July 2012

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

To examine the outcomes of vitrectomy in ocular trauma with opaque cornea.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

This retrospective study included 17 eyes of 16 patients who underwent vitrectomy with temporary keratoprosthesis or endoscopy at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC, from March 2003 to October 2010.

RESULTS:

A temporary keratoprosthesis was used in 8 eyes (47%) and endoscopy in 9 eyes (53%). Overall, the number of eyes with visual acuity of 20/200 or better improved from 0 at baseline to 5 (29%) at 6 months. The number of eyes with retinal detachment also improved from 10 (59%) at baseline to 3 (18%) at 6 months.

CONCLUSION:

Vitrectomy may be safely performed in ocular trauma with opaque cornea using a temporary keratoprosthesis or endoscopy with comparable outcomes. Endoscopy allows earlier diagnosis and treatment of occult pathology and requires less time and fewer procedures to implement than the temporary keratoprosthesis.
Delayed-Onset Endophthalmitis Associated With Ex-PRESS Mini Glaucoma Shunt
®
Authors: Ahmed Yasir , Pathengay Avinash , Flynn Harry W. , Isom Ryan
Published: July 2012

The authors describe a 92-year-old man who developed delayed-onset endophthalmitis secondary to
Bacillus
sp. in his left eye 3 years after placement of an Ex-PRESS mini glaucoma shunt (Optonol Ltd., Neve Ilan, Israel). Seidel testing was positive over the Ex-PRESS mini glaucoma shunt. The patient underwent vitreous tap followed by intravitreal injections of vancomycin (1 mg/0.1 mL), ceftazadime (2.25 mg/0.1 mL), and dexamethasone (0.4 mg/0.1 mL), along with subconjunctival injection of vancomycin and tobramycin. The last recorded visual acuity was 3/200 in the left eye. With a 1-month follow-up, this case illustrates successful treatment with a vitreous tap and injection of intravitreal antibiotics. Vitrectomy and removal of the Ex-PRESS mini glaucoma shunt were not performed.
The Effects of Nd:YAG Laser Posterior Capsulotomy on Macular Thickness, Intraocular Pressure, and Visual Acuity
Authors: Ari Seyhmus , Cingü Abdullah Kürsat , Sahin Alparslan , Çinar Yasin , Çaça Ihsan
Published: July 2012

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate how different energy levels of Nd:YAG laser posterior capsulotomy affect best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), and macular thickness of patients with posterior capsule opacification.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

Thirty eyes of 30 patients with posterior capsule opacification following phacoemulsification were enrolled in the study. Patients were classified according to total energy used during Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy (⩽ 80 mJ = group I, > 80 mJ = group II).

RESULTS:

Mean total energy levels were 58 ± 18 mJ (range: 14 to 80 mJ) in group I and 117 ± 36 mJ (range: 84 to 200 mJ) in group II. BCVA at 1 week preoperatively and 1 and 3 months postoperatively was significantly better compared to preoperative BCVA in both groups (
P
< .001). In group I, IOP increased 1 week postoperatively (
P
= .007) and declined to preoperative levels at 1 month. In group II, IOP increased 1 week postoperatively (
P
= .001) and did not return to preoperative levels during 3 months of follow-up (
P
= .04). Both groups had increased macular thickness compared to preoperative levels, but group II measurements were significantly higher 1 week and 1 month postoperatively compared to group I (
P
= .004 and .03, respectively).

CONCLUSION:

Increased IOP and macular thickness are inevitable after Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy, but the severity and duration are less when a total energy level less than 80 mJ is used.
Submerged macrophyte biomass distribution in the shallow saline lake Fuente de Piedra (Spain) as function of environmental variables
Authors: Conde-Álvarez Rafael M. , Bañares-España Elena , Nieto-Caldera José M. , Flores-Moya Antonio , Figueroa Félix L.
Published: July 2012

Aquatic macrophyte biomass, diaspore bank distribution and their relationship to spatial variability of depth, nutrients (nitrite, nitrate, ammonium and soluble reactive phosphorus) as well as sediment granulometry in an athalassohaline lake have been studied during one wet hydrological year. The results indicate that species growing in the lake show different spatial distribution patterns throughout the lake. Indirect gradient analysis (canonical analysis) results showed a first axis defined as a function of Ulva flexuosa Wulfen biomass which is, in turn, positively correlated with interstitial ammonium and Soluble Reactive Phosphorus (SRP). The second axis was mainly established due to Lamprothamnium papulosum (Wallr.) J. Groves biomass which correlated positively to depth and negatively to interstitial ammonium and SRP. These results revealed a NESW eutrophic gradient allowing the U. Flexuosa biomass proliferation. This phenomenon could increase the shadow effect over the rest of the macrophytes inhabiting this shallow lake. Moreover, the eutrophic harmful effect on the macrophyte physiology and over the diaspore bank could have important consequences in the survival of such important populations. The results reported in this study show the need for studies as the base to select sampling points for monitoring this wetland.
Impact de l’alteration sur le bilan chimique des diatexites du Massif de l’Edough (Annaba, NE Algérien)
Authors: Hadj-Zobir Soraya
Published: July 2012

[fr] La zone d’étude, constituée de diatexites, est située sur le flanc NE du massif de l’Edough (région de Annaba/ Algérie). Le massif, qui est l’un des plus arrosé d’Algérie (entre 750 et 1200 mm/an), se caractérise par un climat de type méditerranéen. Les diatexites montrent un faciès pétrographique et métamorphique homogène. Les minéraux primaires dominants sont le quartz, le feldspath potassique, l’oligoclase et la biotite alors que ceux d’altération sont représentés par des minéraux néoformés tels que la kaolinite, l’illite, la montmorillonite et dans une moindre mesure la séricite. A l’opposé de la minéralogie, la chimie des diatexites est hétérogène. Les analyses chimiques du matériel prélevé, du sommet vers la base des roches étudiées, révèlent une évolution progressive dans la composition chimique en terme de gains et pertes en Ca, Na, K, Mg, et en éléments traces. Les valeurs de l‘index d’altération chimique CIA varient de 62,79 à 68,32. Celles de l’index de météorisation (CIW) varient de 63,92 à 70,79 et les valeurs de l’index de fraîcheur (IFRAIS) de 76,15 à 46,35. Ces résultats, plus des pertes au feu élevées (P.F > 2%), ainsi qu'un rapport Rb/Sr >1 (en moyenne 1.74) montrent que la distribution des éléments chimiques est entièrement contrôlée par la météorisation et que les diatexites ont subi une altération de type bisiallitisation de longue durée, dominée par le lessivage de la roche primaire.
ICT in the UAE Educational Setting
Authors: Ibrahim Ahmed
Published: July 2012

This chapter is meant to investigate the current educational situation in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates to: a) discuss the impact of technology integration and the precise roles ICT plays in fostering learning, b) explore the most various problems and challenges teachers face in implementing ICT in teaching, and c) shed light on the role of educational leaders in enhancing teaching and learning through integrating ICT. This research-based chapter tackles the above-mentioned issues relying on the previous studies in the same field (literature review) and conducting a qualitative and a quantitative study- using surveys and interviews-to gather authentic data to assess the current situation of ICT in Abu Dhabi Emirate.
ICT for Educational Excellence in Jordan
Authors: Abuhmaid Atef
Published: July 2012

This chapter discusses the Jordanian Ministry of Education’s reliance on both the local private sector (public-private partnership) and foreign aids in order to accelerate its integration of ICT to meet the needs and demands of the knowledge-based economy. The discussion sheds light on strings attached to the role played by the Ministry of Education, as the central educational authority, in the diffusion of ICT across the education system. Understandably, in the Jordanian context, likewise other countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, the education system has to deal with a great deal of complexities in which, internal and external issues can impede reform efforts. Partnership with local and international partners might be needed in the Jordanian context in order to initiate reform especially the large-scale and costly ones. ICT-related reform initiatives are expensive and require expertise in various areas which might justify seeking external assistance by the educational system. However, external involvement can impact the integrity of the educational reform when it is left with inadequate coordination and efforts in order to keep them in line with national interests and agendas. Furthermore, the impact of these issues can be severer when they are not taken into account during the planning stage of the reform. Thus, this chapter discusses major issues arose when international partners and the local private sector were involved in ICT-based education initiatives in Jordan.
ICT Integration in Post-Secondary English Teaching and Learning
Authors: Gitsaki Christina , Alabbad Abbad
Published: July 2012

The positive effects of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) have been widely acknowledged in the body of literature. While the majority of studies concern the use of CALL in the West, there is a dearth of research on the use of CALL in the Middle East and in particular in the Arabian Gulf where the English language plays a prominent role and being able to speak English is the passport to attending higher education and gaining employment. This chapter documents two case studies in higher education institutions in the Gulf, one in Saudi Arabia and one in the United Arab Emirates. The studies show how the use of CALL positively affected Arab students’ language skills and their attitudes towards learning English with technology, paving the way for further research in the Arabian higher education context, where the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for teaching and learning is gaining ground at a fast pace.
Enhancing Education in the UAE through Blended Learning
Authors: Tamim Rana
Published: July 2012

The advent of technology has changed the landscape in post-secondary academic institutions and technology-enhanced university courses are becoming the norm. While Distance Education was previously restricted to traditional correspondence having limited options for student interaction with the instructor and no interaction with other learners, technology’s progression changed the context drastically. One of the emerging delivery modes is blended learning which combines the advantages of technology enhanced face-to-face instruction and electronic supported learning. The chapter offers a general overview of the influence of technological development on the post-secondary Distance Education sector and presents the advantages of the blended learning approach. Insights are offered from a UAE e-learning University case study while discussing implications for university professors and faculty members pertinent to instructional design and course delivery.
A Low-Cost Learning Object Repository for Egyptian Teachers
Authors: Sadik Alaa
Published: July 2012

Within the last five years, governments and education authorities worldwide have developed and implemented approaches to facilitate access to a wide range of quality digital resources and reduce the costs of production. This chapter reports on a study which invited school teachers and university academics in Egypt, as a developing and Arabic-speaking country, to cooperate in establishing a learning object repository to store, locate, and share quality learning objects for class teaching and e-learning programs. The proposed solution is originally a vendor hosted web-based groupware, file management, and sharing system that meets the basic criteria of instructional learning object repositories called eStudio. Motivators and inhibitors to using the repository, factors that determine locating, using, and sharing learning objects within the repository and their qualities are assessed to help in developing repositories that demonstrate an understanding of the existing needs and the work practices of Egyptian teachers and other user groups.
Phases in Ontology Building Methodologies
Authors: Badr Kamal Badr Abdalla , Badr Afaf Badr Abdalla , Ahmad Mohammad Nazir
Published: July 2012

Although there are several established methodologies in the ontological engineering field, many researchers tend to only loosely couple their ontology development with these methodologies, because the maturity of the methodologies has been questioned. In this chapter, the authors pay special attention to the ontology development process with a particular focus on analyzing the phases proposed by these methodologies with the objective of creating and proposing suitable phases for building ontology, covering the drawbacks of the existing methodologies for building ontology, while at the same time benefiting from the advantages included in them. Since ontology is becoming increasingly important for supporting a diversity of activities of knowledge management processes, in general, and for enterprise systems in particular, it is important to understand the existing work and how researchers develop their ontologies. Within this context, the authors analyze three ontologies that have been developed in the area of enterprise systems and knowledge management to see the conformance of each ontology development with respect to the proposed phases. As a result, they find that the three developed ontologies reflect the lack of standard and general methodological guidelines, which in turn leads to the production of a not well-informed ontology, hindrance to reuse, and extensive and time-consuming work in the development process.
Knowledge Management Processes Supported by Ontology Technologies
Authors: Pomares-Quimbaya Alexandra , Torres-Moreno Miguel Eduardo
Published: July 2012

Although ontologies have been used in a considerable number of knowledge management projects, in most of them their application has been limited to the definition of a common organizational language. This chapter offers an alternative view on the use of ontologies, supporting all of the knowledge management processes, including generation, acquisition, transference, and integration of knowledge. The focus of this chapter is on presenting how ontologies can be included in knowledge management systems to promote availability of knowledge, knowledge evolution, automatic and semi-automatic knowledge extraction, and integration of heterogeneous sources of information. Each one of these characteristics is supported by ontology technologies including the processes required to engineer and manage an ontology, such as: querying, mapping, and evolution. Finally, the architecture of a proposed knowledge management system that uses ontologies to improve its processes is presented.
Supporting Domain Ontology through a Metamodel
Authors: Othman Siti Hajar
Published: July 2012

A metamodel is a model that has the ability to create the languages of many domain models. Domain models are conceptual models of a domain under study and contain all the entities, attributes, relationships, and constraints of the domain. As the artifact of a metamodeling technique, a metamodel could generalize most of the concepts used in existing domain models by unifying the views and structuring the language of the domain. In relation to ontology, the creation of a metamodel could assist in understanding, structuring, and analyzing the ontology. Other than its potential to engineer new ontology and re-engineer existing ontology, a metamodel can also be used to facilitate communication among communities regarding the ontology. The authors present how a metamodel can structure and manage knowledge of a domain it models. Through the Disaster Management Metamodel, they create a language for the disaster management domain.
SEMblog
Authors: Kassim Azleena Mohd , Cheah Yu-N
Published: July 2012

Information Technology (IT) is often employed to put knowledge management policies into operation. However, many of these tools require human intervention when it comes to deciding how the knowledge is to be managed. The Sematic Web may be an answer to this issue, but many Sematic Web tools are not readily available for the regular IT user. Another problem that arises is that typical efforts to apply or reuse knowledge via a search mechanism do not necessarily link to other pages that are relevant. Blogging systems appear to address some of these challenges but the browsing experience can be further enhanced by providing links to other relevant posts. In this chapter, the authors present a semantic blogging tool called SEMblog to identify, organize, and reuse knowledge based on the Sematic Web and ontologies. The SEMblog methodology brings together technologies such as Natural Language Processing (NLP), Sematic Web representations, and the ubiquity of the blogging environment to produce a more intuitive way to manage knowledge, especially in the areas of knowledge identification, organization, and reuse. Based on detailed comparisons with other similar systems, the uniqueness of SEMblog lies in its ability to automatically generate keywords and semantic links.
Design and Implementation of Product Structure Ontology
Authors: Mohammad Nadhiya N. , Amin Ismail M. , Othman Razib M. , Asmuni Hishammuddin , Hassan Rohayanti , Kasim Shahreen
Published: July 2012

Knowledge Management consists of processes to capture, share, and effectively use knowledge. Knowledge capture means the process of development and creation of the knowledge, and formalization is an example of direct knowledge capture. Knowledge formalization refers to knowledge representation that is concerned with how to formally think and represent the domain of discourse, and ontologies are now in widespread use as a means of formalizing domain knowledge. Currently, several works using ontologies have been done to formalize knowledge in the manufacturing domain. However, these ontologies have not been shared, and the detail of the implementation of the ontology has not been explained clearly, and as such, the ontology cannot be reused and extended, making several tasks in developing ontologies, i.e., design, performance, annotating works, and applying the ontology, challenging. Therefore, the goal of this study is to formalize knowledge in the manufacturing requirements domain to standardize the engineering terms and analyze the usage of shared terms between products, enabling the ontology to be reused and extended. An ontology named as Product Structure Ontology (PSO) has been developed in order to standardize the engineering terms. PSO is represented by terms in manufacturing engineering, which relate to the product structure. These terms are structured as a hierarchical Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) and have three main categories of knowledge, namely “product-specific knowledge,” “industry-specific knowledge,” and “generic term.” PSO annotation has been developed in order to analyze the usage of shared terms between products. The PSO terms and engineering product are related to each other to solve the problems of heterogeneity. The PSO development framework and artifact has been shared to enable the ontology to be reused and extended. The framework was designed based on Noy and McGuiness’s methodology and has been modified based on application requirements. Four artifacts have been developed and shared, which are website, browser, database, and documentation. The PSO website is a central platform to provide information about PSO. The PSO browser provides interface to represent the PSO and annotation and allows users to use the PSO tree to query the database. The PSO database contains PSO data in MySQL form and PSO documentation gives general information about ontology category, annotation, evidence code, and database guide.
On the Relationship between Ontology-Based and Holistic Representations in a Knowledge Management System
Authors: Melzer Sylvia
Published: July 2012

This chapter presents a way for systematically combining ontology-based and holistic-based content descriptions in the context of knowledge management in order to increase recall while maintaining precision.
How to Implement Multidisciplinary Work Processes in the Oil Industry
Authors: Rosendahl Tom , Egir Asbjørn , Rolland Erik
Published: July 2012

This chapter explores possibilities for using Concurrent Design at Statoil, seeking to understand how they should proceed in implementing this kind of work, and consider potential pitfalls of using this method. The authors offer ideas that can minimize the time required to implement the multi-disciplinary approach of Concurrent Design. Few companies have the requisite knowledge and skills required to implement this method effectively. Concurrent Design requires preparation and dedication to planning and implementation, along with adequate resources. It requires numerous changes in the organization’s and in the employees’ mindsets. Top management, department heads, project managers, and employees must adapt and change their work processes.
Promoting Onshore Planners’ Ability to Address Offshore Safety Hazards
Authors: Skjerve Ann Britt , Rindahl Grete , Sarshar Sizarta , Braseth Alf Ove
Published: July 2012

With new generations of Integrated Operation, the number of offshore staff may be reduced and more tasks allocated to onshore staff. As a consequence, onshore planners may increasingly be required to address safety hazards when planning for task performance offshore. The chapter addresses the question of how onshore planners’ ability to address offshore safety hazards during planning of maintenance and modification tasks can be promoted by use of visualization technology. The study was performed using the IO Maintenance and Modification Planner. Eight domain experts participated in the study, performing in all thirteen scenarios of 30-40 minutes duration. Data was obtained from system logs, participant interviews, questionnaires, and expert judgments. The outcome of the study suggested that visualisation of planned jobs on a geographical representation of the decks at the installation, in combination with indications of associated safety hazards, served to promote onshore planners ability to address offshore safety hazards.
Integrated Operations in Petrobras
Authors: Lima Claudio Benevenuto de Campos , Gomes José Adilson Tenório
Published: July 2012

Known as an integrated energy company that operates in all segments of the oil industry, Petrobras has a broad management experience and uses a multidisciplinary approach, which applies to different areas. Recently, the impressive discoveries of the Pre-Salt reserves have created an exciting scenario in multiple aspects. Petrobras expects to produce more than 5 million bpd of oil by 2020, out of which only 1 million will come from Pre-Salt. This leads to an approach that will require scalable and sustainable solutions that take into account the better understanding of how people, processes, technology, and governance issues are connected and managed (Hendserson, J. et al., in this book). Considering past experiences and the complexity of the new oil and gas production scenario, Petrobras is preparing an even greater leap in its upstream operation and maintenance management systems – a corporate initiative called GIOp (acronym for Integrated Operations Management, in Portuguese) is being implemented. This chapter describes the implementation of GIOp in all upstream operational units of Petrobras in Brazil, considering the main organizational aspects, the methodology to develop a portfolio of opportunities, the scalability of the solutions, and the initial experience in Pre-Salt production.
The Introduction of a Hand-Held Platform in an Engineering and Fabrication Company
Authors: Hepsø Irene Lorentzen , Rindal Anders , Waldal Kristian
Published: July 2012

Fabricom is currently looking for ways to improve their collaborative capabilities. They have assessed hand-held devices as means to increase efficiency and availability throughout the organization. This chapter focuses on the organization Fabricom, and seeks to uncover which capabilities lie within the hand-held devices, and what kind of effects the implementation of such devices could have on Fabricom’s work processes. Through an abductive approach, based on observations, semi-structured interviews and document analysis, the authors focus their attention on the work-flow and communication practices in Fabricom. These findings are viewed in light of structuration and practice theory, supported by aspects from actor-network theory. Findings lead to the notion that the implementation of a hand-held platform in Fabricom can contribute positively to the interaction within the organization. The digital work process is capable of providing access to real-time data and real-time communication throughout the organization. This may contribute to a closer interaction between the divisions, and provide a better basis for problem solving and task performance.
Adaptive Advisory Systems for Oil and Gas Operations
Authors: Al-Kinani Andreas , Cakir Nihal , Baumgartner Theresa , Stundner Michael
Published: July 2012

This chapter describes a framework that captures knowledge in an organization and applies it in daily operations. Knowledge capturing is one of the biggest upcoming challenges to oil and gas organizations as operations become more remote, more challenging, and many experts are leaving the oil and gas industry. A methodology is described to capture the knowledge of experts centrally and apply it throughout all operations in the organization. Due to the fact that an asset team is facing different constraints and challenges throughout the lifetime of a field, the system needs to gather experience from decisions and learn together with the asset team. Technologies that are flexible enough to process uncertainties are discussed as well as the effect on people, processes, and organization.
Knowledge Markets and Collective Learning
Authors: Bremdal Bernt , Korsvold Torbjørn
Published: July 2012

In this chapter, the authors argue that “Knowledge Markets” might be used as a term to describe how individuals can be engaged in a democratic process where their competence, background, and personal information resources are mobilized in full in a broad and non-biased process. The contribution of each individual is aggregated and averaged in a way the authors believe will yield more accurate results, personal involvement, and learning than traditional approaches to group efforts. Recent work on crowdsourcing (Surowiecki, 2004) highlights the strength of a collection of individuals over traditional organizational entities. This contribution will extend these principles to fit into an organizational setting. The chapter discusses how knowledge markets can create an arena for change. Moreover, it shows that if certain principles are observed desired effects could be achieved for relatively limited groups. The authors extend this to propose theories about collective learning and performance improvement. They further describe how the principles defined can help to meet some fundamental challenges related to petroleum activities such as drilling. The authors think that the Knowledge Market approach can serve as a model for designing IO arenas to increase collaboration, to improve shared problem solving, and make collective learning more effective. In all kinds of operations performance improvement is strongly related to learning. It is a cognitive ability that must be exercised and maintained through motivation, discipline, and other stimuli. Collective learning applies to the effort whereby a group of people detect threats or opportunities and learns how to take early advantage of this in order to assure change.
The Terms of Interaction and Concurrent Learning in the Definition of Integrated Operations
Authors: Steiro Trygve J. , Torgersen Glenn- Egil
Published: July 2012

This chapter introduces a new definition of Integrated Operations (IO) adapted to the oil industry. This definition focuses on interaction. Such an approach is necessary to emphasize learning processes in the organization’s various echelons. It is an important assumption for the success of IO as a flexible and complex organization. The term “Interaction” is elaborated with special emphasis on “Concurrent Learning.” Such an approach ensure reflection during the process leading up - the way forward - to the target and the development of a more fundamental organizational philosophy rather than just focusing on the result. It will create a more robust “integration” between technology, people, and organizations so that a higher capability in integrated operations can be achieved.
Liquidity Management in the Large Value Payment Systems
Authors: Arciero Luca , Picillo Cristina
Published: July 2012

With the advent of Large Value Interbank Fund Transfer Systems operating on an RTGS basis, the bank liquidity management problem has become a crucial issue in payment system analysis for its interrelations with the key monetary policy variables, namely, the short-term interbank interest rate. The analysis of the RTGS system is far from being a trivial task due—mostly—to the complexity and the endogeneity. These stem from the multiplicity of heterogeneous participants (complexity) usually joining a system, whose decisions produce a spillover effect on the rest of the system, which prevents any participant from solving its liquidity demand problem in isolation (endogeneity). Agent Based Models seem to present a few advantages in analysing the payment system in comparison to microfounded ones, as well as to standard simulations: behavioural rules can be assigned to a multiplicity of banks defining the lending or borrowing timing as well as the liquidity sources. Therefore, Agent Based Modelling seems to represent an additional instrument by which to analyse the connection between the payment system and the functioning of one of the most important liquidity sources, the interbank money market.
Improving Long-Term Financial Risk Forecasts using High-Frequency Data and Scaling Laws
Authors: Ng Wing Lon
Published: July 2012

This chapter uses the abundance of high frequency data to estimate scaling law models and then apply appropriately scaled measures to provide long-term market risk forecasts. The objective is to analyse extreme price movements from tick-by-tick real-time data to trace the footprints of traders that eventually form the overall movement of market prices (price coastline) and potential bubbles. The framework is applied to empirical limit order book data from the London Stock Exchange. The sample period ranges from June 2007 to June 2008 and covers the start of the subprime crisis that later escalated into the economic crisis. After extracting the scaling exponent and checking its robustness with bootstrap simulations, the authors investigate longer term price movements in more detail, making use of the scale invariance property of the scaling law. In particular, they provide financial risk forecasts for a testing period and compare these with the popular Value-at-Risk and expected tail loss measures, showing the outperformance of the scaling law approach. Finally, a set of simulations are run to explore which scaling exponent is more likely to trigger market turbulence.
Optimal Patent Design
Authors: Brabazon Anthony
Published: July 2012

Patents provide a patentee with a degree of monopoly power over a region of product space. The “breadth” and “duration” of patents are policy choices. Increasing patent breadth and duration will ceteris paribus increase the rent, which an individual inventor could earn from a commercially successful invention. However, the precise nature of the relationship between patent policy and the rate of societal technical advance, which is stimulated by a given patent design, is not well understood. In this chapter, the authors novelly investigate this issue using an agent-based modeling approach. The simulation results obtained raise questions about the real utility of patent policy in promoting technological advance and suggest that other policy instruments are actually more important.
Gereformeerde mistiek en die neerslag daarvan in piëtistiese ego-tekste van manlike gelowiges in die Suid-Afrikaanse pionierslewe
Authors: Raath Andries W.G.
Published: July 2012

Reformed mysticism and the culmination thereof in pietistic ego-texts of male believers in the South African pioneer life on the frontier. The manifestation of Reformed mysticism in the pioneering communities of the South African interior was not limited to women-believers only. Although less frequent, Reformed mysticism contained in the pietistic ego-texts of male-believers also surfaced in early pioneering communities of South Africa. This essay considers the mystical ego-text of Francois Retief (1773–1838), the brother of Piet Retief who was massacred with other Voortrekkers by the Zulu king Dingaan in February 1838. Francois Retief’s ego-text reflects typical elements of Jesus-centred bridal mysticism. Although it does not contain the radical features of bridal mysticism prevalent among women-believers on the frontier, it reflects intense levels of spiritual consciousness associated with the energetic levels of faith among Reformed believers under dire circumstances on the frontier.