bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exposure to Therapy of Older Patients With Trauma and Factors That Influence Provision of Therapy
Authors: Resnick Barbara , Wells Chris L. , Brotemarkle Becky A. , Payne Allison K.
Published: September 2013

Background

Rehabilitation as soon as possible after trauma decreases sedentary behavior, deconditioning, length of stay, and risk of rehospitalization.

Objective

The study objectives were to describe exposure of older patients with trauma to rehabilitation and to explore factors associated with the number and initiation of therapy sessions.

Design

This was a retrospective study of data from electronic medical records.

Methods

Randomly selected older patients with trauma were described with regard to demographics, trauma diagnoses, comorbidities, preadmission function, and exposure to therapy. Regression analyses explored factors associated with number of therapy sessions and days until therapy was ordered and completed.

Results

Records for 137 patients were randomly selected from records for 1,387 eligible patients who had trauma and were admitted over a 2-year period to a level I trauma center. The 137 patients received 303 therapy sessions. The sample included 63 men (46%) and 74 women (54%) who were 78 (SD=10) years of age; most patients were white (n=115 [84%]). All patients had orders for therapy, although 3 patients (2%) were never seen. An increase in comorbidities was associated with an increase in therapy sessions, a decrease in the number of days until an order was written, but an increase in the number of days from admission to evaluation. Injury severity was associated with a decrease in the number of days from admission to an order being written. A postponed or canceled therapy session was associated with increases in the number of days from admission to evaluation and in the number of days from an order being written to evaluation.

Limitations

This study was a retrospective review of a small sample with subjective measures and several dichotomous variables.

Conclusions

Increased injury severity, increased numbers of comorbidities, and postponed or canceled therapy sessions were associated with decreased time from admission to therapy orders, increased time from admission and orders to evaluation, and increased number of therapy sessions.
Editorial Vol.10(1)
Authors: Editor The
Published: September 2013

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jfl.v10i1.8597
Can Policy Learning be Catalyzed? Ban Chautari Experiment in Nepal's Forestry Sector
Authors: Ojha Hemant R , Paudel Naya S , Khatri Dil B , BK Dipak
Published: September 2013

Over the past several years, technocratic approaches to forest policy have been challenged and more collaborative processes have been advocated. While these shifts have offered significant space for citizen engagement at local level – such as through community based forest management in Nepal’s case – these have not taken roots at higher levels of policy making, especially at the level of formulating or revising legislations, or setting up a protected area. In this paper we critically review a collaborative experiment on catalyzing deliberative policy learning process in Nepal’s forest sector. We examine how and to what extent such experimentation could overcome seven identified challenges to forest policy deliberation in Nepal. The experiment, which we named as Ban Chautari, involved three key strategies – conducting diagnostic research, empowering local communities to articulate their voices in deliberative forums, and then acting collaboratively across diverse institutional groups. Our examination of the Ban Chautari process focused around three research questions: a) How can policy learning be catalyzed?; b) How can actors with differentiated capacity and resources collaborate in the policy process?; and c) How can research processes be re-organized so as to contribute effectively to constantly shifting policy agendas and rapidly changing contexts? The experience of Ban Chautari has some good news to share with the wider public policy research community that conditions for collaborative policy learning is possible. And at the same time, it has generated evidence that warns the advocates of participatory and collaborative policy processes on the more subtle, and fundamental challenges that surround any attempts to foster collaborative learning. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jfl.v10i1.8598 Journal of Forestry and Livelihood Vol.10(1) 2012 1-27
Corpo-bureaucratizing Community Forest: Commercialization and Increased Financial Transaction in Community Forestry User Groups in Nepal
Authors: Paudel Dinesh , Khatri Dil Bahadur , Paudel Govinda
Published: September 2013

Based on the analysis of financial transactions and decision making procedures in Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs) in Nepal, this paper argues that community forestry is adapting techno-bureaucratic and corporate culture, replacing indigenous ways of community governance and by placing market elements into existing hierarchies and power asymmetries of local communities. It also argues that the trend of commercialization in community forestry has increased not because of the rational economic decisions made not on the basis of increased demands and surplus supply but because of a combination of economic and non-economic factors that create conditions necessary for commercialization as the next possible step in community-managed resources. In doing so this paper attempts to understand the dynamics, mechanisms and extent of CFUGs’ financial transactions through conceptualizing links of community forestry with extra-local economic forces, and also provides alternative ways of managing community resources for increased pro-poor outcomes. This study is based on in-depth analyses of national and district databases of CFUG funds, and ethnographic studies of 8 selected CFUGs from different parts of the country.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jfl.v9i1.8587 Journal of Forestry and Livelihood Vol.9(1) 2010 1-15
Prospects of Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration: Implications for Nepal’s Mountain Agriculture
Authors: Dahal Ngamindra , Bajracharya Roshan M
Published: September 2013

Agricultural land is one of the major sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission, which results in an increase of the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. The conversion of biomass rich land like forests to agricultural land results in the release of carbon into the atmosphere. Once the CO2 enters into the atmosphere, it remains as a potent greenhouse gas for decades unless it is absorbed by plants through photosynthesis. Therefore, there is a need for abating CO2 emissions by enhancing carbon sequestration. Soils store twice as much carbon than vegetation and two thirds more than the atmosphere, and thus can store a significant quantity of CO2. Unsustainable farming leads to land degradation and the release of soil organic carbon (SOC). SOC may return directly to the atmosphere from the soil when organic material decays through decomposition or burning. SOC is important not only to maintain and enrich soil nutrients, but also in preventing the release of carbon in the forms of CO2 and Methane (CH4) into the atmosphere. Mountain agricultural land is sensitive to extreme weather events, such as heavy precipitation or long periods of drought. Such extreme events can trigger high soil erosion leading to losses of SOC. Hence, enhancing and conserving SOC is important for reducing soil erosion and the emission of greenhouse gases from lands, and to maintain a high moisture holding capacity of the soils. In many parts of Nepal, farmers have adopted various soil management practices in an effort to preserve fertile soils, which in many cases contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jfl.v9i1.8593 Journal of Forestry and Livelihood Vol.9(1) 2010 45-56
Developing Choropleth Maps of Parameter Results for Quantile Regression
Authors: Cromley Robert G. , Hanink Dean M. , Lin Jie
Published: September 2013

Local regression methods can provide specific information about individual observations (places) in spatial analysis that is often useful in understanding non-stationary covariate relationships. Geographically weighted regression (GWR) is one widely used local regression model whose parameter estimates are mapped as continuous or discrete surfaces. A less frequently used local regression method used in spatial analysis is quantile regression (QR). One drawback to the use of QR is its restricted visualization possibilities; currently, regression parameter summaries for QR are visualized only as line graphs that plot parameter estimates against quantile levels. This article presents a method that also permits the spatial display of these values in a choropleth map so that QR can be added to the cartographic repertoire of exploratory data models.
Assessment of the rate of spinal motor axon regeneration by choline acetyltransferase immunohistochemistry following sciatic nerve crush injury in mice
Authors: Yuan Qiuju , Su Huanxing , Chiu Kin , Lin Zhi-Xiu , Wu Wutian
Published: September 2013

Object

The purpose of this study was to examine whether choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) staining can be used for assessing the rate of motor neuron regeneration at an early phase of axon outgrowth.

Methods

The authors developed a new sciatic nerve crush model in adult mice. In this model, in addition to performing a sciatic nerve crush injury, the authors excised the ipsilateral lumbar L3–6 dorsal root ganglion (DRG), which resulted in degeneration of the sensory fibers entering into the sciatic nerve. Crushed nerve sections obtained at Day 3 or Day 7 postinjury were analyzed by means of immunostaining.

Results

The immunostaining showed that ChAT, a motor axon–specific antigen, was totally co-localized with growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43), which is expressed in regenerating nerves and transported into growth cones.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that measuring the length of motor axon outgrowth by ChAT immunostaining is reliable. ChAT staining provides a more convenient method for evaluating the rate of motor axon outgrowth in a mixed nerve.
Selective amygdalohippocampectomy versus anterior temporal lobectomy in the management of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy: a meta-analysis of comparative studies
Authors: Hu Wen-Han , Zhang Chao , Zhang Kai , Meng Fan-Gang , Chen Ning , Zhang Jian-Guo
Published: September 2013

Object

Whether selective amygdalohippocampectomy (SelAH) has similar seizure outcomes and better neuropsychological outcomes compared with anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL) is a matter of debate. The aim of this study was to compare the 2 types of surgery with respect to seizure outcomes and changes in IQ scores.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched for relevant studies published between January 1990 and September 2012. Studies comparing SelAH and ATL with respect to seizure and intelligence outcomes were included. Two reviewers assessed the quality of the included studies and independently extracted the data. Odds ratios and standardized mean deviations with 95% confidence intervals were used to compare pooled proportions of freedom from seizures and changes in IQ scores between the SelAH and ATL groups.

Results

Three prospective and 10 retrospective studies were identified involving 745 and 766 patients who underwent SelAH and ATL, respectively. The meta-analysis demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in the odds of seizure freedom for patients who underwent SelAH compared with those who underwent ATL (OR 0.65 [95% CI 0.51–0.82], p = 0.0005). The differences between the changes in all IQ scores after the 2 types of surgery were not statistically significant, regardless of the side of resection.

Conclusions

Selective amygdalohippocampectomy statistically reduced the odds of being seizure free compared with ATL, but the clinical significance of this reduction needs to be further validated by well-designed randomized trials. Selective amygdalohippocampectomy did not have better outcomes than ATL with respect to intelligence.
Low-dose intravenous heparin infusion in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a preliminary assessment
Authors: Simard J. Marc , Aldrich E. Francois , Schreibman David , James Robert F. , Polifka Adam , Beaty Narlin
Published: September 2013

Object

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) predisposes to delayed neurological deficits, including stroke and cognitive and neuropsychological abnormalities. Heparin is a pleiotropic drug that antagonizes many of the pathophysiological mechanisms implicated in secondary brain injury after aSAH.

Methods

The authors performed a retrospective analysis in 86 consecutive patients with Fisher Grade 3 aSAH due to rupture of a supratentorial aneurysm who presented within 36 hours and were treated by surgical clipping within 48 hours of their ictus. Forty-three patients were managed postoperatively with a low-dose intravenous heparin infusion (Maryland low-dose intravenous heparin infusion protocol: 8 U/kg/hr progressing over 36 hours to 10 U/kg/hr) beginning 12 hours after surgery and continuing until Day 14 after the ictus. Forty-three control patients received conventional subcutaneous heparin twice daily as deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis.

Results

Patients in the 2 groups were balanced in terms of baseline characteristics. In the heparin group, activated partial thromboplastin times were normal to mildly elevated; no clinically significant hemorrhages or instances of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia or deep vein thrombosis were encountered. In the control group, the incidence of clinical vasospasm requiring rescue therapy (induced hypertension, selective intraarterial verapamil, and angioplasty) was 20 (47%) of 43 patients, and 9 (21%) of 43 patients experienced a delayed infarct on CT scanning. In the heparin group, the incidence of clinical vasospasm requiring rescue therapy was 9% (4 of 43, p = 0.0002), and no patient suffered a delayed infarct (p = 0.003).

Conclusions

In patients with Fisher Grade 3 aSAH whose aneurysm is secured, postprocedure use of a low-dose intravenous heparin infusion may be safe and beneficial.
Magnetic resonance imaging validation of pituitary gland compression and distortion by typical sellar pathology
Authors: Cho Charles H. , Barkhoudarian Garni , Hsu Liangge , Bi Wenya Linda , Zamani Amir A. , Laws Edward R.
Published: September 2013

Object

Identification of the normal pituitary gland is an important component of presurgical planning, defining many aspects of the surgical approach and facilitating normal gland preservation. Magnetic resonance imaging is a proven imaging modality for optimal soft-tissue contrast discrimination in the brain. This study is designed to validate the accuracy of localization of the normal pituitary gland with MRI in a cohort of surgical patients with pituitary mass lesions, and to evaluate for correlation between presurgical pituitary hormone values and pituitary gland characteristics on neuroimaging.

Methods

Fifty-eight consecutive patients with pituitary mass lesions were included in the study. Anterior pituitary hormone levels were measured preoperatively in all patients. Video recordings from the endoscopic or microscopic surgical procedures were available for evaluation in 47 cases. Intraoperative identification of the normal gland was possible in 43 of 58 cases. Retrospective MR images were reviewed in a blinded fashion for the 43 cases, emphasizing the position of the normal gland and the extent of compression and displacement by the lesion.

Results

There was excellent agreement between imaging and surgery in 84% of the cases for normal gland localization, and in 70% for compression or noncompression of the normal gland. There was no consistent correlation between preoperative pituitary dysfunction and pituitary gland localization on imaging, gland identification during surgery, or pituitary gland compression.

Conclusions

Magnetic resonance imaging proved to be accurate in identifying the normal gland in patients with pituitary mass lesions, and was useful for preoperative surgical planning.
Spinal extradural arteriovenous fistulas
Authors: Huang Wendy , Gross Bradley A. , Du Rose
Published: September 2013

Object

Our understanding of spinal extradural arteriovenous fistulas (eAVFs) is relatively limited. In this study the authors aimed to provide the demographics, natural history, and treatment results of these rare lesions.

Methods

The authors performed a pooled analysis of data in the PubMed database through December 2012. Individualized patient data were extracted to elucidate demographic, clinical, and angioarchitectural features of spinal eAVFs as well as outcomes following different treatment strategies.

Results

Information on 101 patients was extracted from 63 eligible studies. The mean patient age was 45.9 years, and there was no significant overall sex predilection. Only 3% of the lesions were incidental, whereas 10% occurred in patients who had presented with hemorrhage. None of the 64 patients with at least 1 month of untreated follow-up sustained a hemorrhage over a total of 83.8 patient-years. Patients with lumbosacral eAVFs were significantly older (mean age 58.7 years, p < 0.0001), were significantly more often male (70% male, p = 0.02), had significantly worse presenting Aminoff-Logue motor and bladder scores (p = 0.0008 and < 0.0001, respectively), and had the greatest prevalence of lesions with intradural venous drainage (62% of cases, p < 0.0001). Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (30% of cases, p < 0.0001) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (9% of cases, p = 0.06) were associated with and exclusively found in patients with cervical eAVFs. The overall complete obliteration rate was 91%. After a mean follow-up of 1.7 years, the clinical condition was improved in 89% of patients, the same in 9%, and worse in 2%. Obliteration rates and outcome at follow-up did not significantly differ between surgical and endovascular treatment modalities.

Conclusions

Spinal eAVFs are rare lesions with a low risk of hemorrhage; they cause neurological morbidity as a result of mass effect and/or venous hypertension. Their treatment is associated with a high rate of complete obliteration and improvement in preoperative symptoms.
Trees Versus Lives: Reckoning Military Success and the Ecological Effects of Chemical Defoliation During the Vietnam War
Authors: Oatsvall Neil S.
Published: September 2013

During the Vietnam War, the United States military declared war not just on Vietnamese peoples, but also on nature itself. Operation Ranch Hand served as the U.S. military's answer to the Vietnamese Communist appropriation of the natural world into their war plans, as U.S. planes dumped nearly twenty million gallons of chemical herbicides on Vietnamese fields and forests. Examining and comparing the military and ecological effects of Ranch Hand, this essay assesses the military success of chemical defoliation by looking at military appraisals and early U.S. scientific studies of defoliated areas. Planners expected defoliation to provide a distinct military advantage and frequently made claims that they were trading trees for lives - environmental destruction ostensibly saved the lives of U.S. servicemen. Instead, defoliation's military effects proved very ambiguous and the use of defoliants should be considered a failure in some ways. In trying to characterise defoliation as either a military success or failure, the essay also questions what it means for a piece of technology to succeed or fail and ultimately concludes that the answer to that question depends on the goals for its use, not the technology itself.
The Royal Natal National Park, Kwazulu-Natal: Mountaineering, Tourism and Nature Conservation in South Africa's First National Park c.1896 to c.1947
Authors: Carruthers Jane
Published: September 2013

The Royal Natal National Park (RNNP) has been overlooked in the history of nature conservation and the origins of national parks in South Africa. It is the purpose of this article to unearth the history of this area as the country's first, formal, national park and to introduce it into mainstream national park literature and into the broader sweep of the region's environmental history. The material discussed here raises questions about why certain natural features, such as wildlife, attained national importance and generated tourism interest, while others - such as mountains and outdoor recreational facilities - did not develop or retain a similarly high profile in South Africa. In addition, by focussing on the Drakensberg protected area in KwaZulu-Natal, a fresh biography of a South African national park is presented which, it is hoped, will enrich the overall South African historiography around landscape, the natural environment and nature conservation values.
‘‘I don’t think I would be where I am right now’’. Pupil perspectives on using mobile devices for learning
Authors: Walker Ros
Published: September 2013

Are pupils in the United Kingdom using mobile devices to help their learning? If so, what are they using and why? This article is based on research carried out by questionnaire, observation and pupil interviews at two English academies. One of the academies provides mobile devices for the pupils, and the other bans the use of mobile devices. The extent to which pupils are using their mobile devices to help their learning and which features they find useful for their schoolwork were examined. Pupils were also asked about some of the common barriers to using a mobile device in school: bullying, cheating and disruption. Results show that pupils at both schools do use their mobile devices for learning, with significantly more use at the school which allows mobile devices. However, usage is also significant in the school which currently bans devices. Pupils use their mobile devices for a wide range of activities, and the way in which pupils use their devices raises important questions for schools considering the adoption of mobile technology for teaching and learning. This article argues that schools should be actively encouraging pupils to make use of mobile devices.Keywords: mobile learning; pupil voice; mobile phones; e-safety; pupil engagement(Published: 6 September 2013)Citation: Research in Learning Technology 2013, 21: 22116 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v21i0.22116
Caïnis-Caïneus et l'occupation humaine de la plaine orientale de Thessalie
Authors: Decourt Jean-Claude
Published: September 2013

Caïnis, fille d'Élatos, fut métamorphosée par la volonté de Poséidon en un homme invulnérable, Caïneus. Coupable d'impiété, celui-ci fut enseveli vivant par les Centaures sous une accumulation de pins du Pélion. Le mythe a inspiré de nombreux écrivains dans l'Antiquité ; il a suscité aussi à l'époque moderne de nombreuses tentatives d'interprétation. Le présent article cherche à montrer que ce mythe proprement thessalien peut nous apprendre beaucoup sur les origines du peuplement et sur la géographie historique de cette région.
Texte, interprétation et spectacle dans les Choéphores d'Eschyle : v. 712 sq. et v. 675 (sens de αὐτόφορτος)
Authors: Jouanna Jacques
Published: September 2013

New interpretation of the sense of αύτόφορτος at ν. 675 of the Choephorai. Consequences for the establishment of the text at v. 713 (it is possible to accept the text of the manuscript) and for the staging (Orestes and Pylades may be accompanied by servants).
Gouverneurs et édifices dans les épigrammes de Smyrne au Bas-Empire
Authors: Feissel Denis
Published: September 2013

Plusieurs épigrammes de Y Anthologie grecque sur des monuments de Smyrne font mention de proconsuls d'Asie du Bas-Empire. En particulier, le phare de Smyrne fut restauré successivement par les proconsuls Ambrosios (AP IX, 671) et Asclépios (à reconnaître en AP IX, 673 et 675, au lieu du dieu Asclépios et des Asclépiades). Tous deux sont aussi connus par des inscriptions d'Éphèse, respectivement au ive et au Ve siècle. D'autre part, AP IX, 673 se présente comme une dédicace à Hippolytè. Le nom de la reine des Amazones (à reconnaître aussi en XVI, 44) constituait apparemment un substitut poétique du nom de Smyrne.
Hermès dans les Dionysiaques de Nonnos de Panopolis
Authors: Fayant Marie-Christine
Published: September 2013

L'étude attentive des passages consacrés à Hermès (interventions dans le récit, mentions par d'autres personnages) dans les Dionysiaques de Nonnos de Panopolis fait apparaître une image du dieu très composite, faite d'emprunts à des traditions diverses, anciennes ou récentes, courantes ou rares. Si cette image complexe ne permet guère de saisir les convictions philosophiques ou religieuses du poète, elle apparaît en revanche comme une manifestation de la poikilia qui définit son art poétique.
Oldest fruits of the grape family (Vitaceae) from the Late Cretaceous Deccan Cherts of India
Authors: Manchester Steven R. , Kapgate Dashrath K. , Wen Jun
Published: September 2013

• Premise of the study: Despite the inferred Cretaceous origin of the Vitaceae, fossils of the grape family are relatively young, with the oldest previously known examples limited to the Paleocene of Europe and North America. New fossil evidence indicates that the family was already present in India in the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian), about 10‐15 million years before the tectonic collision of India with Eurasia.

• Methods: Fruits and seeds were investigated by serial sections and peels of chert from the Deccan Intertrappean beds of central India, and compared anatomically with those of extant genera.

• Key results: Indovitis chitaleyae gen. et sp. n. is described based on immature fruits bearing four to six seeds, and isolated mature seeds. The seeds possess paired ventral infolds and a dorsal chalaza, features diagnostic of the order Vitales. Characters of chalaza shape, infold morphology, and seed coat anatomy place I. chitaleyae within Vitaceae and favor a phylogenetic position either sister to the Vitis‐Ampelocissus clade or sister to the Ampelopsis‐Clematicissus‐Rhoicissus clade.

• Conclusions: Presence of the oldest known vitaceous fossils in the latest Cretaceous of India indicates a previously undocumented Gondwanan history and a possible southern hemisphere origin for the Vitales. An “out‐of‐India” scenario might explain the relatively sudden appearance of diverse Vitaceae in the Late Paleocene and Early Eocene of the Northern Hemisphere.
The effect of Mistral (a strong NW wind) episodes on the occurrence and abundance of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) in the trap fishery of Sardinia (W Mediterranean)
Authors: Addis Piero , Secci Marco , Cau Angelo
Published: September 2013

From April to June Atlantic bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus, migrate along the western Sardinian coastline in a southward direction, where they are intercepted by the trap fishery. Fishermen claim that Mistral episodes facilitate the entry of tuna schools towards the traps, thus increasing capture rates. To test the fishermen’s hypothesis we conducted underwater visual counts of tuna in the trap chambers and analysed these data under the effect of wind. The results indicate a “stair-step” pattern in the abundance of tuna, demonstrating that major increases in abundance are associated with the Mistral. The second analytical approach involved a longer time scale to test whether higher Mistral occurrences corresponded to periods when higher captures were recorded. Using a linear regression model we found a significant correlation (p < 0.01) between catches and the wind speed class ≤ 15 knots. We hypothesize that the wind-driven current may produce favourable conditions for tuna migration and could play a significant role in enabling fish to save energy. It was also noted that the wind speed class > 15 knots seemed to have a negative effect on captures. This pattern may be caused by wind-induced advection of coastal waters generating a physical boundary that may have had a deterrent effect on tuna schools.
The Pilgrimage of a Tibetan Yogin in Bhutan in the Late Nineteenth Century
Authors: Havnevik Hanna
Published: September 2013

This article discusses the crazy yogin Thrulshig Kunsang Thongdrol Dorje’s (1862-1922) pilgrimage to the Bumthang valley in Bhutan around 1881-1882. The previous reincarnation of the crazy yogin was the late Thrulshig Ngawang Chokyi Lodro (1923-2011). Although the crazy Thrulshig became recognized as the throne-holder of a monastery near Yamdrok Lake, he spent much of his life wandering across southern and central Tibet, alone or with his disciples, several of whom were female tantric practitioners. The narrative of Thrulshig’s pilgrimage documents the close relation between southern Tibet and central Bhutan, and the article discusses not only Thrulshig’s religious activities, but also the patronage he received from Bhutan’s royal dynasty. Through Thrulshig’s spiritual guidance to members of the Wangchuk family, we get a glimpse into Bhutanese religio-political power struggles and the strategic agency of an influential Bhutanese woman, Pema Chokyi, the mother of Ugyen Wangchuk, who became Bhutan’s first king in 1907. The article is based on the life story (rnam thar) of Thrulshig, written by his disciple Ngawang Tenzin Norbu (1867-1940), the head of Dza Rongphu monastery at the foot of Mt. Everest.
Régulation de l’accès aux parcours et évolution des systèmes pastoraux en Mongolie
Authors: Devienne Sophie
Published: September 2013

Cet article effectue la synthèse d’analyses-diagnostics de systèmes pastoraux réalisés dans différentes régions de Mongolie. L’approche comparative permet de montrer que les changements intervenus depuis la décollectivisation menacent la durabilité des systèmes pastoraux : l’absence de régulation de l’accès aux parcours rend possible un accroissement rapide des effectifs d’animaux et les inégalités d’accès aux parcours d’hiver viennent s’ajouter aux disparités économiques et sociales entre éleveurs. La mise en place d’une action collective pour une gestion concertée des parcours semble possible, mais à la seule condition que les éleveurs en aient les moyens et y aient intérêt, ce qui suppose des conditions économiques plus favorables que pourraient encourager les pouvoirs publics.
Politiques pastorales et transformations de l’élevage des yaks sur le plateau tibétain : l’intégration au marché peut-elle apporter une solution à la dégradation continue de la steppe ?
Authors: Dreyfus Fabrice
Published: September 2013

The Western Region, a new area for development in China, faces tremendous environmental, economic and social challenges. During the last six decades, a succession of policies has transformed the production systems and had a profound impact on the environment of the region, and has resulted in a huge diversity of local situations. Yak breeding on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has been chosen to illustrate this diversity and the different perspectives that emerging markets are opening to this very fragile pastoral area. Based on documentation, field inquiries carried out in herders’families and interviews with consumers in supermarkets in major cities, the article analyses the evolution of yak livestock production systems. In the discussion of the results, cooperation between stakeholders appears to be indispensible for building sustainable development. However, asymmetries between actors limites the extent of participation, a situation that threatens the sustainability of the current development trends.
An ethnography of life and changes among Tibetan nomads of Minyag Dora Karmo, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province
Authors: Tan Gillian
Published: September 2013

This article describes the pastoral movements and material culture of a community of nomads in Eastern Tibet (Kham) and how they negotiate changes brought about not only by national government policies and international development plans, but also by a local lama.
Une première approche sur la transmission du chant diphonique en Mongolie
Authors: Curtet Johanni
Published: September 2013

Transmis par l’oralité de génération en génération dans les provinces de l’Altaï, l’enseignement du chant diphonique mongol (höömij) est aussi entré dans les milieux urbains et la sphère institutionnelle de l’université dans les années 1990. Face aux changements sociaux rapides que la Mongolie a connus en moins d’un siècle, d’importantes transformations ont été apportées au chant diphonique. À travers trois générations, les pratiques de transmission du höömij ont évolué et des enjeux identitaires se sont progressivement installés entre les chanteurs de höömij, mais aussi dans le monde politique. La transmission du chant diphonique n’est plus la même lorsque l’on passe du local au global ni quand le höömij fait l’objet d’une inscription sur la liste représentative du Patrimoine Culturel Immatériel de l’Unesco.
Transformation of high altitude livestock-keeping in China’s mountainous western periphery
Authors: Kreutzmann Hermann
Published: September 2013

High Asia has experienced a number of societal transformations in recent years that have significantly affected the livelihoods of pastoralists and combined mountain farmers. In the first place, changes have occurred in the management practices and the relationship between state institutions and pastoralists. A closer look reveals that significant transformations prevail in all locations concerned. In the context of the PR of China, cases from Tibet and Xinjiang are presented in order to highlight the effects of most recent resettlement schemes that follow a rationale of environmental protection and modernisation in order to stop degradation and to contribute to poverty alleviation among pastoralists. After collectivisation these are the most effective interventions in the pastoral sector and will significantly change animal husbandry and pastoral livelihoods in High Asia.
From Object Recognition to Object Localization
Authors: Kouskouridas Rigas , Gasteratos Antonios
Published: September 2013

Recognizing objects in a scene is a fundamental task in image understanding. The recent advances in robotics and related technologies have placed more challenges and stricter requirements to this issue. In such applications, robots must be equipped with a sense of location and direction with a view to the efficient accomplishment of navigation or demanding pick and place tasks. In addition, spatial information is required in surveillance processes where recognized targets are located in the working space of the robot. Furthermore, accurate perception of depth is mandatory in driver assistance applications. This chapter presents several recently proposed methods capable of first recognizing objects and then providing their spatial information in cluttered environments.
Support Vector Machine Based Mobile Robot Motion Control and Obstacle Avoidance
Authors: Jiang Lihua , Deng Mingcong
Published: September 2013

Considering the noise effect during the navigation of a two wheeled mobile robot, SVM and LS-SVM based control schemes are discussed under the measured information with uncertainty, and in the different environments. The noise effect is defined as uncertainty in the measured data. One of them focuses on using a potential function and constructing a plane surface for avoiding the local minima in the static environments, where the controller is based on Lyapunov function candidate. Another one addresses to use a potential function and to define a new detouring virtual force for escaping from the local minima in the dynamic environments. Stability of the control system can be guaranteed. However, the motion control of the mobile robot would be affected by the noise effect. The SVM and LS-SVM for function estimation are used for estimating the parameter in the proposed controllers. With the estimated parameter, the noise effect during the navigation of the mobile robot can be reduced.
A Framework for Prototyping of Autonomous Multi-Robot Systems for Search, Rescue, and Reconnaissance
Authors: Dogru Sedat , Topal Sebahattin , Erkmen Aydan M. , Erkmen Ismet
Published: September 2013

Robots consistently help humans in dangerous and complex tasks by providing information about, and executing tasks in disaster areas that are highly unstructured, uncertain, possibly hostile, and sometimes not reachable to humans directly. Prototyping autonomous multi-robot systems in disaster scenarios both as hardware platforms and software can provide foundational infrastructure in comparing performance of different methodologies developed for search, rescue, monitoring and reconnaissance. In this chapter, the authors discuss prototyping modules of heterogeneous multi-robot networks and their design characteristics for two different scenarios, namely Search and Rescue in unstructured complex environments, and connectivity maintenance in Sycophant Wireless Sensor Networks which are static ecto-parasitic clandestine sensor networks mounted incognito on mobile agents using only the agent’s mobility without intervention, and are cooperating with sparse mobile robot sensor networks.
Educational Robotics Theories and Practice
Authors: Eguchi Amy
Published: September 2013

Educational robotics is a growing field with “the potential to significantly impact the nature of engineering and science education at all levels, from K-12 to graduate school” (Mataric, 2004, para. 1). It has become one of the most popular activities in K-12 settings in recent years. Educational robotics is a unique learning tool that creates a learning environment that attracts and keeps students interested and motivated with fun, hands-on, learning experiences. Many educators might ask; “What is educational robotics?” and “What does it do, and what is it for?” The purpose of this chapter is to present the foundation of educational robotics, from its background, pedagogical theories relating to educational robotics, learning experiences that educational robotics can provide, to tips for how to do it right. It aims to provide guidance on implementing educational robotics for K-12 educators in their educational settings.
A Human Affect Recognition System for Socially Interactive Robots
Authors: McColl Derek , Nejat Goldie
Published: September 2013

This chapter presents a real-time robust affect classification methodology for socially interactive robots engaging in one-on-one human-robot-interactions (HRI). The methodology is based on identifying a person’s body language in order to determine how accessible he/she is to a robot during the interactions. Static human body poses are determined by first identifying individual body parts and then utilizing an indirect 3D human body model that is invariant to different body shapes and sizes. The authors implemented and tested their technique using two different sensory systems in social HRI scenarios to motivate its robustness for the proposed application. In particular, the experiments consisted of integrating the proposed body language recognition and affect classification methodology with imaging-based sensory systems onto the human-like socially interactive robot Brian 2.0 in order for the robot to recognize affective body language during one-on-one interactions.
Distributed Multi-Robot Localization
Authors: Panzieri Stefano , Pascucci Federica , Sciavicco Lorenzo , Setola Roberto
Published: September 2013

In this chapter, the design of a completely decentralized and distributed multi-robot localization algorithm is presented. The issue is approached using an Interlaced Extended Kalman Filter (IEKF) algorithm. The proposed solution allows the dynamic correction of the position computed by any single robot through information shared during the random rendezvous of robots. The agents are supposed to carry short-range antennas to enable data communication when they have a “visual” contact. The information exchange is limited to the pose variables and the associated covariance matrix. The algorithm combines the robustness of a full-state EKF with the effortlessness of its interlaced implementation. The proposed unsupervised method provides great flexibility by using exteroceptive sensors, even if it does not guarantee the same position estimate accuracy for each agent. However, it can be effective in case of connectivity loss among team robots. Moreover, it does not need synchronization between agents.
Static and Dynamic Multi-Robot Coverage with Grammatical Evolution Guided by Reinforcement and Semantic Rules
Authors: Mingo Jack Mario , Aler Ricardo , Maravall Darío , de Lope Javier
Published: September 2013

In recent years there has been an increasing interest in the application of robot teams to solve some kind of problems. Although there are several environments and tasks where a team of robots can deliver better results than a single robot, one of the most active attention focus is concerned with solving coverage problems, either static or dynamic, mainly in unknown environments. The authors propose a method in this work to solve these problems in simulation by means of grammatical evolution of high-level controllers. Evolutionary algorithms have been successfully applied in many applications, but better results can be achieved when evolution and learning are combined in some way. This work uses one of this hybrid algorithms called Grammatical Evolution guided by Reinforcement but the authors enhance it by adding semantic rules in the grammatical production rules. This way, they can build automatic high-level controllers in fewer generations and the solutions found are more readable as well. Additionally, a study about the influence of the number of members implied in the evolutionary process is addressed.
How Ants Can Efficiently Solve the Generalized Watchman Route Problem
Authors: Paduch Paweł , Sapiecha Krzysztof
Published: September 2013

This paper presents a new algorithm for solving the generalized watchman problem. It is the problem of mobile robot operators that must find the shortest route for the robot to see the whole area with many obstructions. The algorithm adapts the well-known ant algorithm to the new problem. An experiment where the algorithm is applied to an area containing more than 10 obstructions is described. It proves that efficiency and accuracy of the algorithm are high.
Distributed Task Allocation in Swarms of Robots
Authors: Jevtić Aleksandar , Andina Diego , Jamshidi Mo
Published: September 2013

This chapter introduces a swarm intelligence-inspired approach for target allocation in large teams of autonomous robots. For this purpose, the Distributed Bees Algorithm (DBA) was proposed and developed by the authors. The algorithm allows decentralized decision-making by the robots based on the locally available information, which is an inherent feature of animal swarms in nature. The algorithm’s performance was validated on physical robots. Moreover, a swarm simulator was developed to test the scalability of larger swarms in terms of number of robots and number of targets in the robot arena. Finally, improved target allocation in terms of deployment cost efficiency, measured as the average distance traveled by the robots, was achieved through optimization of the DBA’s control parameters by means of a genetic algorithm.
Needle Insertion Force Modeling using Genetic Programming Polynomial Higher Order Neural Network
Authors: Fallahnezhad Mehdi , Yousefi Hashem
Published: September 2013

Precise insertion of a medical needle as an end-effecter of a robotic or computer-aided system into biological tissue is an important issue and should be considered in different operations, such as brain biopsy, prostate brachytherapy, and percutaneous therapies. Proper understanding of the whole procedure leads to a better performance by an operator or system. In this chapter, the authors use a 0.98 mm diameter needle with a real-time recording of force, displacement, and velocity of needle through biological tissue during in-vitro insertions. Using constant velocity experiments from 5 mm/min up to 300 mm/min, the data set for the force-displacement graph of insertion was gathered. Tissue deformation with a small puncture and a constant velocity penetration are the two first phases in the needle insertion process. Direct effects of different parameters and their correlations during the process is being modeled using a polynomial neural network. The authors develop different networks in 2nd and 3rd order to model the two first phases of insertion separately. Modeling accuracies were 98% and 86% in phase 1 and 2, respectively.
A Mechatronic Description of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle for Dam Inspection
Authors: Batista Ítalo Jáder Loiola , Varela Antonio Themoteo , Andrade Edicarla Pereira , Azevedo José Victor Cavalcante , Garcia Tiago Lessa , Henrique da Silva Daniel , Neto Epitácio Kleber Franco , Alexandria Auzuir Ripardo , Araújo André Luiz Carneiro
Published: September 2013

Driven by the rising demand for underwater operations concerning dam structure monitoring, Hydropower Plant (HPP), reservoir, and lake ecosystem inspection, and mining and oil exploration, underwater robotics applications are increasing rapidly. The increase in exploration, prospecting, monitoring, and security in lakes, rivers, and the sea in commercial applications has led large companies and research centers to invest underwater vehicle development. The purpose of this work is to present the design of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), focusing efforts on dimensioning structural elements and machinery and elaborating the sensory part, which includes navigation sensors and environmental conditions sensors. The integration of these sensors in an intelligent platform provides a satisfactory control of the vehicle, allowing the movement of the submarine on the three spatial axes. Because of the satisfactory fast response of the sensors, one can determine the acceleration and inclination as well as the attitude in relation to the trajectory instantaneously taken. This vehicle will be able to monitor the physical integrity of dams, making acquisition and storage of environmental parameters such as temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and conductivity, as well as document images of the biota from reservoir lake HPPs, with minimal cost, high availability, and low dependence on a skilled workforce to operate it.
Agile Wheeled Mobile Robots for Service in Natural Environment
Authors: Fauroux Jean-Christophe , Bouzgarrou Belhassen-Chedli , Bouton Nicolas , Vaslin Philippe , Lenain Roland , Chapelle Frédéric
Published: September 2013

Although the wheeled locomotion proved to be very efficient on smooth grounds, it still encounters great difficulties in natural environments, where the ground is subject to wide variations in term of geometry (irregular surface, presence of obstacles...) and material properties (cohesion, grip condition...). This chapter presents recent developments and original systems that improve the capacities of wheeled mobile service robots on natural ground. First is considered the case of low speed motion. Section 2 presents recent results on reconfigurable suspensions that have two states and can decrease lateral friction and energy consumption during turns for skid-steering vehicles. Section 3 presents an original hybrid kinematics that combines wheels with an articulated frame for creating a mobile-wheeled robot with high obstacle-climbing capacities, using only one supplemental actuator. Other advances deal with high-speed motion. Section 4 describes a new device dedicated to vehicle dynamic stability, which improves lateral stability on fast mobile robots during turns and contributes to rollover prevention. Finally, Section 5 introduces innovative suspensions with two DOF for fast obstacle crossing. They damp vertical shocks, such as ordinary suspensions, but also horizontal ones, contributing to tip-over prevention on irregular grounds that feature many steep obstacles.