bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of HIV among Tuberculosis Out Patient Attendees
Authors: Thiruvalluvan E , Shenbagavalli R , Mohana M
Published: April 2010

Background : An estimated 2.47 million (2.0-3.1 million) people were living with HIV/AIDS in India by the end of 2006. Among those HIV infected individuals, TB was the commonest opportunistic infection and leading cause of mortality. HIV infection makes a person susceptible to both pulmonary and extra pulmonary forms of TB. Various studies have documented the occurrence of TB from 46 to 65 percent. However, provision of HIV screening services for Tuberculosis out patient attendees is limited at present. Aims : To study feasibility of counseling for HIV screening and document the prevalence of HIV among TB out patient attendees. Methods : This prospective explorative study included persons who sought TB screening at TB unit, Madurai from Jan 2003- Feb 2004. An interview schedule was developed to obtain information on socio-demographic profi le, risk behavior profi le and test results. Information collected includes socio-demographic profile, risk behavior profi le and reaction to test results. Univariata and bivariate analyses were performed using Epi-info 6.04 (CDC, Atlanta, GA, July 1996). Chi-square test, student "t" test and one way ANOVA tests were performed to establish statistical signifi cance between dependent and independent variables Results : This study has found 57.66% chest symptomatic attending TB out patient ward were HIV positive. An analysis of risk profile versus positive results showed that 47(n=75) and 48(n=90) who admitted and denied high-risk behavior respectively, found to be positive to HIV screening test. Conclusion : The researchers suggest that HIV counseling and testing services can be offered to all chest symptomatic attending TB out patient ward. This structural change will make HIV screening more effective and benefi cial to patient community by ensuring early detection HIV infection. DOI: 10.3126/saarctb.v6i1.3060 SAARC J. Tuber. Lung Dis. HIV/AIDS 2009 VI (1) 16-24
Differential Centrifugation of Peanut and Soybean Protein Concentrates as Influenced by Preparation Technique and Heat Treatment1
Authors: Schmidt R. H. , Ahmed E. M.
Published: April 2010

Protein extracts prepared from defatted Florunner peanuts and Cobb soybeans were dried by spray-, freeze- and drum-drying techniques. Differential centrifugation was performed on 1.0% protein dispersions at 2,000 and 40,000 x g for 20 min at 24°C and at 200,000 × g for 1 hr at 15°C Lowest supernatant protein content under all centrifugation conditions studied was observed in drum-dried protein preparations. Increased centrifugal force from 2,000 to 40,000 × g only slightly affected supernatant protein in freeze-dried and spray-dried oilseed preparations and did not affect drum-dried preparations. Heat treatment (70°C for 30 min) of the protein dispersions increased supernatant protein (2,000 and 40,000 × g) for spray-and drum-dried peanut, and for all soy protein preparations. Heat treatment only slightly affected ultracentrifuge supernatant protein. Sepharose 6B gel filtration indicated four major fractions in spray- and freeze-dried peanut preparations and three major fractions in spray- and freeze-dried soy protein preparations.
Colonization and Biochemical Changes in Peanut Seeds Infected with Aspergillus flavus1
Authors: Deshpande A. S. , Pancholy S. K.
Published: April 2010

Seeds from three commercially grown peanut cultivars and two “resistant” genotypes had varying degrees of resistance to colonization by the storage fungus, Aspergillus flavus. Peanut genotypes PI337409 and PI337394F had significantly higher resistance to colonization than other tested cultivars. Some of the biochemical changes in peanuts resulting from A. flavus infestation included: Reduction of oil and protein content, rapid increase in free fatty acids and changes in the amino acid composition.
Palatability of Ground Beef Patties Containing Peanut Meal, Structured Soy Protein, and Mechanically Processed Beef
Authors: Cross H. R. , Nichols J. E.
Published: April 2010

Ground beef patties containing, varying levels of peanut meal, structured soy protein fiber, and mechanically processed beef were formulated. A trained sensory panel evaluated patties for differences in tenderness, juiciness, and cohesiveness. Tenderness was also evaluated with the Universal Instron Testing Machine. Addition to MPB of PM alone increased the tenderness and cohesiveness of ground beef patties but did not affect juiciness. Addition of SPF decreased tenderness and juiciness but did not affect the cohesiveness of ground beef patties. Formulations containing SPF had less cooking loss than formulations without SPF.
Effect of Two Strains of Peanut Mottle Virus on Fatty Acids, Amino Acids, and Protein of Six Peanut Lines1,2
Authors: Hovis Allan R. , Young Clyde T. , Kuhn Cedric W.
Published: April 2010

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cultivars (Starr and Florunner) and four peanut introductions (PI 261945, 261946, 261973, and 261980) were each separately inoculated with a mild strain (M2) and with the necrosis strain (N) of peanut mottle virus. The effects of these viral strains on the chemical composition of peanut seed were evaluated. The chemical characteristics varied with the type of viral infection. The greatest effect was on fatty acids and the least on the total amino acids. In general, peanuts infected with the necrosis strain showed: (1) a decrease in the percentages of stearic and oleic acids, while linoleic, arachidic, behenic, and lignoceric acids increased, (2) increases in the levels of the free amino acids glycine, alanine, isoleucine, histidine, lysine, and arginine, and (3) the total amino acids exhibited a slight decrease in aspartic acid and a slight increase in methionine. Peanuts infected with the mild strain generallly showed: (1) a slight increase in linoleic acid, (2) little effect on the free amino acids, and (3) a small increase in tyrosine and a slight decrease in serine and aspartic acid for the total amino acids. No treatment effect was noted on protein content.
Effect of Moist Heat Treatment on Sensory Qualities of Peanut Kernels
Authors: Beuchat L. R. , Koehler P. E.
Published: April 2010

Shelled Florunner cv. peanut kernels adjusted to 12 to 13% moisture were subjected to heat treatments at 60, 90, and 120° C for periods of 1 and 2 hr. Kernels were then dried, oil-roasted, and examined for sensory qualities. Moistened, heated kernels were also inoculated with an aflatoxigenic strain of Aspergillus flavus and analyzed for free fatty acid (FFA) and aflatoxin contents at weekly intervals over a 6-week period of incubation at 30°C. Treatment of moist kernels at 60°C for 1 or 2 hr caused the FFA content to increase from 1.2% (unheated) to 2.2%, whereas treatment at 90 and 120°C for the same periods of time resulted in FFA contents ranging from 10.3 to 13.2%. After 6 weeks, the FFA content of all inoculated and control samples ranged from 11.5 to 14.5%. Sensory panel evaluations of uninoculated, roasted kernels indicated that moist heat treatment at 60°C did not significantly (P ≤ 0.05) alter organoleptic characteristics; treatment at 90°C for 2 hr resulted in significantly lower scores for texture and flavor, whereas treatment at 120°C resulted in a general decrease in all sensory qualities. Kernels heated prior to inoculation with A. flavus did not appear to support growth as well as did unheated kernels early in the 6-week test period.
Inheritance of a Necrotic-etch Leaf Disease in Peanuts1
Authors: Hammons Ray O.
Published: April 2010

Little is known about the genetic control of diseases of the cultivated peanut, Arachis hypogaea L., and data on qualitatively inherited foliar maladies are rare. This paper reports the mode of inheritance of a disease of unknown cause. A necrotic-etch leaf condition, first observed in 1962, lacks distinctiveness or uniformity of affected areas, but is easily distinguished from foliar diseases caused by known pathogens. Affected plants breed true for the disorder. Attempts to isolate a causal agent have been unsuccessful.

Necrotic-etch leaf is inherited as a qualitatively controlled recessive trait. F1 plants are normal. F2 data for 3338 plants (3155 normal: 183 necrotic) in 44 progenies from 5 cross combinations gave good fits to the digenic 15:1 model, indicating duplicate, unlinked loci.

Gene symbols Ne1 ne1 Ne2 ne2 are proposed.
Free and Total Amino Acid Composition of Maturing Seed from Six Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Cultivars
Authors: Basha S. M. M. , Cherry J. P. , Young C. T.
Published: April 2010

Maturing seeds of six peanut cultivars (Arachis hypogaea L.) varying in protein content at maturity showed differences in rate of change of dry weight, crude protein, and free and total amino acids. Seeds of the high-protein cultivars increased in dry weight and deposited protein at a more rapid rate between immature and low intermediate stages of maturation than did those of the low- and intermediate-protein cultivars. Free amino acid content in seeds classified as low-intermediate maturity from all cultivars was significantly less than was that of those at the immature stage. The greatest change was in seed of the high-protein group. The rate of change of content of selected free amino acids among seed was different for the three groups of cultivars. Similar observations were noted as the content of select total amino acids increased in maturing seeds. Variations in quantities of free amino acids in immature seeds and differences in the rate at which they are incorporated into proteins of seeds from various cultivars suggest that there is genetic variability in the mechanism for synthesis of selected proteins. These differences also indicate the potential for the development of peanut cultivars having seed with nutritionally desirable protein.
Effect of Location and Time of Harvest on Free Amino Acid and Free Sugar Contents of Florigiant Peanuts1
Authors: Oupadissakoon Chintana , Young Clyde T. , Giesbrecht Francis G. , Perry Astor
Published: April 2010

Peanuts, Arachis hypogaea L., Florigiant cv., were grown in North Carolina counties, Northampton, Bertie, Chowan, Halifax, Hertford and Nash in order to determine the influence of locations and harvest dates on the individual free amino acids, free sugars, total sugars, arginine maturity index, and calcium. The peanuts were harvested at weekly intervals up to eight times, starting 125–130 days after planting. Location effects were significant for many precursors of typical roasted peanut flavor (aspartic acid, glutamic acid, peptide, and phenylalanine) and sugars (fructose, glucose, and sucrose). Locations did not significantly influence the atypicl roasted flavor precursors (tyrosine, lysine, and arginine). Changes in free amino acid and free sugar contents during the peanut harvesting period gave both linear and quadratic trends. Both free amino acid and sugar contents decreased after the early harvest times, followed by a flattening out near optimum harvesting period, and eventually increased during the late harvests. At optimum harvesting time, roasted flavor precursors were predominant among free amino acids comprising 64% of the total. Sucrose, a source of sugar reactants, constituted 86% of the total sugars.
Adaptability of the Arginine Maturity Index Method To Virginia Type Peanuts in North Carolina1
Authors: Fincher Patricia G. , Young Clyde T. , Wynne Johnny C. , Perry Astor
Published: April 2010

The Arginine Maturity Index (AMI)- method for estimation of optimum maturity and highest quality of peanuts was evaluated in a two-year research station study (1977 and 1978) of large-seeded Virginia type peanuts grown in North Carolina. A one year study was conducted on farms in seven North Carolina counties in 1978. Samples were collected weekly from both the research station and farms and analyzed for arginine by the modified Sakaguchi reaction. Maximum yield corresponded to minimum AMI values for each cultivar in 1977 and for the NC 5 cultivar in 1978 in the research station study. Prediction curves were derived from each cultivar for each year using a quadratic polyonomial equation. Large differences in AMI data existed between 1977 and 1978 and between cultivars in 1978 at early harvest dates; however, near minimum AMI values, all six curves appear to be similar. AMI and yield data obtained from individual county farms fluctuated throughout the growing season. Generally, higher AMI values were observed for Virginia type than have been reported for Spanish type peanuts. Using the prediction curve derived in Georgia, and subtracting one week, predicted digging dates were within 4 days of the date of maximum dollar return per ha in five of the seven counties. Based on previous experience, the farm data of six counties (with the exception of Nash), was used to derive a tentative optimum harvest prediction equation for North Carolina.
Neurogenic stunned myocardium after acute hydrocephalus
Authors: Johnson Jeremiah , Ragheb John , Garg Ruchira , Patten William , Sandberg David I. , Bhatia Sanjiv
Published: April 2010

Neurogenic stunned myocardium (NSM) is a syndrome of cardiac stunning after a neurological insult. It is commonly observed after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage but is increasingly being reported after other neurological events. The underlying mechanism of NSM is believed to be a hypothalamic-mediated sympathetic surge causing weakened cardiac contractility and even direct cardiac myocyte damage. The authors report 2 cases of NSM in pediatric patients after acute hydrocephalus. Both patients experienced severe cardiac dysfunction in the acute phase but ultimately had a good neurological outcome and a full cardiac recovery. The identification, treatment, and outcome in 2 rare pediatric cases of NSM are discussed, and the history of the brain-cardiac connection is reviewed.
Diffuse villous hyperplasia of the choroid plexus and its surgical management
Authors: Cataltepe Oguz , Liptzin Deborah , Jolley Lindsey , Smith Thomas W.
Published: April 2010

Diffuse villous hyperplasia of the choroid plexus (DVHCP) is a very rare cause of hydrocephalus in children. Only 12 cases of DVHCP have been reported in the literature. In this report the authors describe a new case of a patient with DVHCP who was diagnosed prenatally with hydrocephalus. In a comprehensive literature review and discussion, the authors also discuss radiological and histological characteristics of the reported cases, treatment approaches, and surgical modalities that have been used in the treatment of these patients.
Decompression of Chiari malformation with and without duraplasty: morbidity versus recurrence
Authors: Mutchnick Ian S. , Janjua Rashid M. , Moeller Karen , Moriarty Thomas M.
Published: April 2010

Object

The optimal surgical management of Chiari malformation (CM) is evolving. Evidence continues to accrue that supports decompression without duraplasty as an effective treatment to achieve symptomatic relief and anatomical decompression. The risks and benefits of this less invasive operation need to be weighed against decompression with duraplasty.

Methods

The authors performed a retrospective review of all CM decompressions from 2003 to 2007. All operations were performed by a single surgeon at a single institution. Data were analyzed for outcome, postoperative morbidity, and recurrence.

Results

Of 121 unique patients, 56 underwent posterior fossa decompressions without duraplasty (PFD) and 64 patients underwent posterior fossa decompressions with duraplasty (PFDD). Of the 56 PFD patients, 7 (12.5%) needed a subsequent PFDD for symptomatic recurrence. Of the 64 patients who underwent a PFDD, 2 (3.1%) needed a repeated PFDD for symptomatic recurrence. Patients treated with PFDD had an average operative time of 201 minutes in contrast to 127 minutes for those who underwent PFD (p = 0.0001). Patients treated with PFDD had average hospital stays of 4.0 days, whereas that for patients treated with PFD was 2.7 days (p = 0.0001). While in the hospital, patients treated with PFDD used low-grade narcotics, intravenous narcotics, muscle relaxants, and antiemetic medications at statistically significant differing rates.

Conclusions

While PFD was associated with a higher rate of recurrent symptoms requiring repeated decompression, this may be justified by the significantly lower morbidity rate. Clearer delineation of the trade-off between morbidity and recurrence may be used to help patients and their families make decisions regarding care.
Biomarkers of the Metabolic Syndrome and Breast Cancer Prognosis
Authors: Zhu Qiu-Li , Xu Wang-Hong , Tao Meng-Hua
Published: April 2010

In spite of its public health importance, our understanding of the mechanisms of breast carcinogenesis and progress is still evolving. The metabolic syndrome (MS) is a constellation of biochemical abnormalities including visceral adiposity, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia and high blood pressure. The components of the MS have all been related to late-stage disease and even to a poor prognosis of breast cancer through multiple interacting mechanisms. In this review, we aim to present a summary of recent advances in the understanding of the contribution of the MS to breast cancer with the emphasis on the role of biomarkers of the MS in the prognosis of breast cancer.
Season of Birth and Risk for Adult Onset Glioma
Authors: Efird Jimmy T.
Published: April 2010

Adult onset glioma is a rare cancer which occurs more frequently in Caucasians than African Americans, and in men than women. The etiology of this disease is largely unknown. Exposure to ionizing radiation is the only well established environmental risk factor, and this factor explains only a small percentage of cases. Several recent studies have reported an association between season of birth and glioma risk. This paper reviews the plausibility of evidence focusing on the seasonal interrelation of farming, allergies, viruses, vitamin D, diet, birth weight, and handedness. To date, a convincing explanation for the occurrence of adult gliomas decades after a seasonal exposure at birth remains elusive.
Halogenated Indole Alkaloids from Marine Invertebrates
Authors: Pauletti Patrícia Mendonça , Cintra Lucas Silva , Braguine Caio Guedes , Filho Ademar Alves da Silva , Silva Márcio Luís Andrade e , Cunha Wilson Roberto , Januário Ana Helena
Published: April 2010

This review discusses the isolation, structural elucidation, and biological activities of halogenated indole alkaloids obtained from marine invertebrates. Meridianins and related compounds (variolins, psammopemmins, and aplicyanins), as well as aplysinopsins and leptoclinidamines, are focused on. A compilation of the 13C-NMR spectral data of these selected natural indole alkaloids is also provided.
Automated Synthesis of a 96 Product-Sized Library of Triazole Derivatives Using a Solid Phase Supported Copper Catalyst
Authors: Jlalia Ibtissem , Beauvineau Claire , Beauvière Sophie , Önen Esra , Aufort Marie , Beauvineau Aymeric , Khaba Eihab , Herscovici Jean , Meganem Faouzi , Girard Christian
Published: April 2010

This article deal with the parallel synthesis of a 96 product-sized library using a polymer-based copper catalyst that we developed which can be easily separated from the products by simple filtration. This gave us the opportunity to use this catalyst in an automated chemical synthesis station (Chemspeed ASW-2000). Studies and results about the preparation of the catalyst, its use in different solvent systems, its recycling capabilities and its scope and limitations in the synthesis of this library will be addressed. The synthesis of the triazole library and the very good results obtained will finally be discussed.
Strategies for Developing Sensitive and Automated LC-MS/MS Assays of a Pharmaceutical Compound and Its Metabolite from Whole Blood Matrix
Authors: Xu Raymond N. , Polzin Jill , Kranz Michelle , Vaca Phillip , Metchkarova Maria , Rieser Matthew J. , El-Shourbagy Tawakol A.
Published: April 2010

When compared with biological samples in other matrices (plasma, urine, etc.) that are typically seen in bioanalytical applications, whole blood samples present unique challenges in method development, because of the viscous nature of blood and complexity of its constituents. In this article, we have developed and validated a series of quantitative bioanalytical methods for the determination of a pharmaceutical compound, Compound A, and its phosphate metabolite from whole blood matrices using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. All methods employed a simple protein precipitation procedure that was automated in 96-well format. The methods were subjected to vigorous tests in precision, accuracy, matrix effect, reproducibility, and robustness. Monolithic chromatography was used to improve sample throughput in one of the methods. The results also demonstrated that proper sample preparation procedures, such as sample transfer and lysing of blood cells prior to the extraction, are key to reproducible results for pharmacokinetic parameter determination.
Forecasting Areas Vulnerable to Forest Conversion in the Tam Dao National Park Region, Vietnam
Authors: Khoi Duong Dang , Murayama Yuji
Published: April 2010

Tam Dao National Park (TDNP) is a remaining primary forest that supports some of the highest levels of biodiversity in Vietnam. Forest conversion due to illegal logging and agricultural expansion is a major problem that is hampering biodiversity conservation efforts in the TDNP region. Yet, areas vulnerable to forest conversion are unknown. In this paper, we predicted areas vulnerable to forest changes in the TDNP region using multi-temporal remote sensing data and a multi-layer perceptron neural network (MLPNN) with a Markov chain model (MLPNN-M). The MLPNN-M model predicted increasing pressure in the remaining primary forest within the park as well as on the secondary forest in the surrounding areas. The primary forest is predicted to decrease from 18.03% in 2007 to 15.10% in 2014 and 12.66% in 2021. Our results can be used to prioritize locations for future biodiversity conservation and forest management efforts. The combined use of remote sensing and spatial modeling techniques provides an effective tool for monitoring the remaining forests in the TDNP region.
Monitoring of Water Content in Building Materials Using a Wireless Passive Sensor
Authors: Stojanović Goran , Radovanović Milan , Malešev Mirjana , Radonjanin Vlastimir
Published: April 2010

This paper describes an innovative design of a wireless, passive LC sensor and its application for monitoring of water content in building materials. The sensor was embedded in test material samples so that the internal water content of the samples could be measured with an antenna by tracking the changes in the sensor’s resonant frequency. Since the dielectric constant of water was much higher compared with that of the test samples, the presence of water in the samples increased the capacitance of the LC circuit, thus decreasing the sensor’s resonant frequency. The sensor is made up of a printed circuit board in one metal layer and water content has been determined for clay brick and autoclaved aerated concrete block, both widely used construction materials. Measurements were conducted at room temperature using a HP-4194A Impedance/Gain-Phase Analyzer instrument.
Untraceable Mobile Node Authentication in WSN
Authors: Han Kyusuk , Kim Kwangjo , Shon Taeshik
Published: April 2010

Mobility of sensor node in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) brings security issues such as re-authentication and tracing the node movement. However, current security researches on WSN are insufficient to support such environments since their designs only considered the static environments. In this paper, we propose the efficient node authentication and key exchange protocol that reduces the overhead in node re-authentication and also provides untraceability of mobile nodes. Compared with previous protocols, our protocol has only a third of communication and computational overhead. We expect our protocol to be the efficient solution that increases the lifetime of sensor network.
Measurement Uncertainty Estimation in Amperometric Sensors: A Tutorial Review
Authors: Helm Irja , Jalukse Lauri , Leito Ivo
Published: April 2010

This tutorial focuses on measurement uncertainty estimation in amperometric sensors (both for liquid and gas-phase measurements). The main uncertainty sources are reviewed and their contributions are discussed with relation to the principles of operation of the sensors, measurement conditions and properties of the measured samples. The discussion is illustrated by case studies based on the two major approaches for uncertainty evaluation–the ISO GUM modeling approach and the Nordtest approach. This tutorial is expected to be of interest to workers in different fields of science who use measurements with amperometric sensors and need to evaluate the uncertainty of the obtained results but are new to the concept of measurement uncertainty. The tutorial is also expected to be educative in order to make measurement results more accurate.
Common Criteria Related Security Design Patterns—Validation on the Intelligent Sensor Example Designed for Mine Environment
Authors: Bialas Andrzej
Published: April 2010

The paper discusses the security issues of intelligent sensors that are able to measure and process data and communicate with other information technology (IT) devices or systems. Such sensors are often used in high risk applications. To improve their robustness, the sensor systems should be developed in a restricted way to provide them with assurance. One of assurance creation methodologies is Common Criteria (ISO/IEC 15408), used for IT products and systems. The contribution of the paper is a Common Criteria compliant and pattern-based method for the intelligent sensors security development. The paper concisely presents this method and its evaluation for the sensor detecting methane in a mine, focusing on the security problem of the intelligent sensor definition and solution. The aim of the validation is to evaluate and improve the introduced method.
Report of a European Working Group on Late Presentation with HIV Infection: Recommendations and Regional Variation
Authors: Antinori Andrea , Johnson Margaret , Moreno Santiago , Yazdanpanah Yazdan , Rockstroh Jürgen K
Published: April 2010

Here, we present recommendations relevant to the diagnosis and management of late presentation with HIV infection, divided for convenience into four topic areas: the definition and epidemiology of late presentation, the medical and societal consequences of late presentation, earlier testing for HIV infection and the management of late presentation.
Management of Late-presenting Patients with HIV Infection
Authors: Rockstroh Jürgen K , Gatell Jose , Landman Roland , Antinori Andrea
Published: April 2010

Managing patients who present late with HIV infection is challenging. All late-presenting patients should have an individual treatment plan that encompasses both anti-retroviral therapy and, where necessary, treatment for opportunistic diseases. Timely initiation of treatment in late presenters is crucial but the optimal time to start therapy depends on many individual factors, including the presence of opportunistic infection and potential drug–drug interactions. Primary drug resistance is an important contributor to poor clinical outcomes in HIV; resistance profiling before treatment initiation is therefore recommended. The choice of initial HIV treatment should reflect patient characteristics, the results of resistance testing and the complexity of concomitant disease.
A Technology Commitment Model of Post-Adoption Behavior
Authors: Wang Y. Ken , Datta Pratim
Published: April 2010

Every year, individuals and organizations end up adopting (licensing) many competing software products. Yet, over time, much of the adopted software remains unused because users forgo the use of one software product for another adopted alternative. Although much research in the IS field has examined initial IS adoption, less is known about such post-adoption behavior. This article argues that a sense of “technology commitment” to one technology over other adopted alternatives is key to sustained post-adoption use intentions. By forwarding a technology commitment model, this article investigates the antecedents of technology commitment and its consequent effects on IS continuance. In the model, the article also examines how technological inertia moderates IS continuance intentions. Gathering empirical evidence from IS continuance intentions related to Webmail services, findings from the study offer interesting insights into the mechanics of continuance.
Geographic Disparities in Cancer Survival and Access to Care
Authors: Gordinier Mary E. , Hanchette Carol L.
Published: April 2010

From 1995-2005, ovarian cancer accounted for 2.7% of new cancer cases diagnosed among women in Kentucky and was responsible for 4.7% of female cancer deaths in the state. The five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer is 45% for all stages combined. Multiple studies document a survival advantage for women with gynecologic malignancies when treated by a gynecologic oncologist. The authors used Kentucky Cancer Registry data for the years 1995-2005, geocoded to 5-digit ZIP code, to examine the hypothesis that ovarian cancer survival is higher among patients receiving treatment in areas where gynecologic oncologists practice. Their hypothesis was confirmed. A secondary goal of the study was to identify geographic areas of the state with lower overall access to care. Contrary to the expected pattern of low access to care in the Appalachian region of the state, their analysis indicated that access to successful treatment is a greater issue in the western portion of Kentucky.
"What's Your Problem?" ANT Reflections on a Research Project Studying Girls Enrolment in Information Technology Subjects in Postcompulsory Education
Authors: Rowan Leonie , Bigum Chris
Published: April 2010

Despite more than 30 years of gender reform in schools, the percentages of girls enrolled in information technology subjects in the post-compulsory years of education has remained persistently low: often under 25%. This article investigates data collected during an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant project (2005-2007) focused on identifying the reasons for this under-representation, and ways in which the situation could be changed. The article looks beyond the official recommendations of the project to explore how the research experience and the data combine to raise important questions about the limits of research in this area. The authors discuss the difference between the researchers’ perception of the problem under consideration, and the participants’ perception of the same issue. They use the resources of actor-network to highlight the gaps, tensions and contradictions within the data and to ask key questions about the extent to which the enrolment of girls in IT is indeed “a problem”.
An Actor-Network Analysis of a Case of Development and Implementation of IT Strategy
Authors: Iyamu Tiko , Tatnall Arthur
Published: April 2010

Increasingly, many organizations are highly dependent on support from Information Technology (IT). Even though Carr has controversially argued that IT does not matter, there seems to be prima facie evidence that even the most ambitious business vision still needs IT to enable it. As such, there has been much focus and emphasis on technologies, and less attention on non-technical components in the development and implementation of IT strategy. This study is focused on the connection between the technical and nontechnical, including the relationships between actors in the development and implementation of IT strategy. This article describes how Actor-Network Theory (ANT) was employed to investigate the impact of non-technical factors on the development and implementation of IT strategy in an organization. ANT was used as it can provide a useful perspective on the importance of relationships between both human and non-human actors. Another example: design and implementation of a B-B web portal, is offered for comparison.
Having a Say Voices for all the Actors in ANT Research?
Authors: Kennan Mary Anne , Cecez-Kecmanovic Dubravka , Underwood Jim
Published: April 2010

This article explores issues associated with giving non-human actors a voice of their own in actor-network theory based research. What issues arise in doing so? Does doing so increase understanding of the issue to hand, bring to life and make more accessible and interesting the stories of these actors? Or does this anthropomorphism detract from the issues at hand? The authors discuss these broader issues and then present findings from an ANT field study which investigated the implementation of institutional repositories and their relations with the spread of open access to scholarly publishing. This paper experiments with allowing some of the non-human actors to speak for themselves. The authors conclude with a discussion which opens the debate: does giving voice to non-human actors bring them to life and make them better understood as intimately entangled with each other and human actors in the socio-material practices of the everyday? And what are the challenges in doing so?
Testbed Implementation of a Pollution Monitoring System Using Wireless Sensor Network for the Protection of Public Spaces
Authors: Roy Siuli , D Anurag , Bandyopadhyay Somprakash
Published: April 2010

Air pollution is an important environmental issue that has a direct effect on human health and ecological balance. Factories, power plants, vehicles, windblown dust and wildfires are some of the contributors of to pollution. Reasonable simulation tools exist for evaluating large scale sensor networks, ; however, they fail to capture significant details of node operation or practical aspects of wireless communication. Real life testbeds, capture the realism and bring out important aspects for further research. In this paper, we present an implementation of a wireless sensor network testbed for automatic and real-time monitoring of environmental pollution for the protection of public spaces. The paper describes the physical setup, the sensor node hardware and software architecture for “anytime, anywhere” monitoring and management of pollution data through a single, Web-based graphical user interface. The paper presents practical issues in the integration of sensors, actual power consumption rates and develops a practical hierarchical routing methodology.
A GPS Based Deterministic Channel Allocation for Cellular Network in Mobile Computing
Authors: Khanbary Lutfi Mohammed Omer , Vidyarthi Deo Prakash
Published: April 2010

The scarcity of the radio channel is the main bottleneck toward maintaining the quality of service (QoS) in a mobile cellular network. As channel allocation schemes become more complex and computationally demanding, alternative computational models that include knowledge-based algorithms and provide the means for faster processing are becoming a topic of research interest. An efficient deterministic technique, capable of handling channel allocation problems, is introduced as an alternative. The proposed model utilizes the Global Positioning System (GPS) data for tracing the hosts’ likely movements within and across the cells and allocates the channels to the mobile devices accordingly. The allocation of the channels to the mobile hosts is deterministic in the sense that the decision of the channel allocation is based on the realistic data received from the GPS about the hosts’ movements. The performance of the proposed technique has been evaluated by conducting the simulation experiments for the two parameters—call blocking and handoff failures. Also, a comparison of the proposed model with an earlier model has been carried out to estimate the effectiveness of the proposed technique. Experimental results reveal that the proposed technique performs better and is more realistic as well.
Application of Triplet Notation and Dynamic Programming to Single-Line, Multi-Product Dairy Production Scheduling
Authors: Miori Virginia M. , Segulin Brian
Published: April 2010

The application of optimal methods for production scheduling in the dairy industry has been limited. Within supply chain terminology, dairy production was generally considered a push process but with advancements in automation, the industry is slowly transforming to a pull process. In this paper, the authors present triplet notation applied to the production scheduling of a single production line used for milk, juice, and carnival drinks. Once production and cleaning cycles are characterized as triplets, the problem is formulated. Lagrange relaxation is applied and the final solution is generated using dynamic programming.
Towards Private-Public Research Partnerships Combining Rigor and Relevance in DWH/BI Research
Authors: Cleven Anne , Winter Robert , Wortmann Felix
Published: April 2010

Business intelligence (BI) and data warehousing (DWH) research represent two increasingly popular, but still emerging fields in the information systems (IS) academic discipline. As such, they raise two substantial questions: Firstly, “how rigorous, i.e., fundamental, constituent, and explanatory, is DWH BI research?” and, secondly, “how relevant, i.e., useful and purposeful, is this research to practitioners?” In this article, the authors uphold the position that relevance and rigor are by no means dichotomous, but two sides of the same coin. Naturally, this requires well-defined approaches and guidelines—for scholarship in general and DWH/BI research in particular. Therefore, this paper proposes the competence center (CC) approach—a private-public partnership between academia and practice. The authors illustrate how the CC approach can be applied within the field of DWH/BI and suggest that a close link between research and practice supports both enhancing relevance to practice and strengthening rigor of research.
Modified Gabor Wavelets for Image Decomposition and Perfect Reconstruction
Authors: Fazel-Rezai Reza , Kinsner Witold
Published: April 2010

This article presents a scheme for image decomposition and perfect reconstruction based on Gabor wavelets. Gabor functions have been used extensively in areas related to the human visual system due to their localization in space and bandlimited properties. However, since the standard two-sided Gabor functions are not orthogonal and lead to nearly singular Gabor matrices, they have been used in the decomposition, feature extraction, and tracking of images rather than in image reconstruction. In an attempt to reduce the singularity of the Gabor matrix and produce reliable image reconstruction, in this article, the authors used single-sided Gabor functions. Their experiments revealed that the modified Gabor functions can accomplish perfect reconstruction.
The Ontological Stance for a Manufacturing Scenario
Authors: Gruninger Michael
Published: April 2010

The semantic integration of software systems can be supported through a shared understanding of the terminology in their respective ontologies. In practice, however, the author is faced with the additional challenge that few applications have an explicitly axiomatized ontology. To address this challenge, we adopt the Ontological Stance, in which we can model a software application as if it were an inference system with an axiomatized ontology, and use this ontology to predict the set of sentences that the inference system determines to be entailed or satisfiable. This chapter gives an overview of a deployment of the Process Specification Language (PSL) Ontology as the interchange ontology for the semantic integration of three manufacturing software applications currently being used in industry -- a process modeller, a process planner, and a scheduler.
Pillars of Ontology Treatment in the Medical Domain
Authors: Sonntag Daniel , Wennerberg Pinar , Buitelaar Paul , Zillner Sonja
Published: April 2010

In this chapter the authors describe the three pillars of ontology treatment in the medical domain in a comprehensive case study within the large-scale THESEUS MEDICO project. MEDICO addresses the need for advanced semantic technologies in medical image and patient data search. The objective is to enable a seamless integration of medical images and different user applications by providing direct access to image semantics. Semantic image retrieval should provide the basis for the help in clinical decision support and computer aided diagnosis. During the course of lymphoma diagnosis and continual treatment, image data is produced several times using different image modalities. After semantic annotation, the images need to be integrated with medical (textual) data repositories and ontologies. They build upon the three pillars of knowledge engineering, ontology mediation and alignment, and ontology population and learning to achieve the objectives of the MEDICO project.
Semantic Synchronization in B2B Transactions
Authors: Fengel Janina , Paulheim Heiko , Rebstock Michael
Published: April 2010

Despite the development of e-business standards, the integration of business processes and business information systems is still a non-trivial issue if business partners use different e-business standards for formatting and describing information to be processed. Since those standards can be understood as ontologies, ontological engineering technologies can be applied for processing, especially ontology matching for reconciling them. However, as e-business standards tend to be rather large-scale ontologies, scalability is a crucial requirement. To serve this demand, we present our ORBI Ontology Mediator. It is linked with our Malasco system for partition-based ontology matching with currently available matching systems, which so far do not scale well, if at all. In our case study we show how to provide dynamic semantic synchronization between business partners using different e-business standards without initial ramp-up effort, based on ontological mapping technology combined with interactive user participation.
The Factors Driving Continuance Online Shopping in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Al-Maghrabi Talal , Dennis Charles
Published: April 2010

This study proposes a revised technology acceptance model that integrates expectation confirmation theory to measure regional differences with regard to continuance online shopping intentions in Saudi Arabia. Perceived usefulness, enjoyment, and subjective norms are determinants of online shopping continuance in Saudi Arabia. Women in the eastern, western, and central region groups are equivalent. The structural weights are also largely equivalent, but the regression path from perceived usefulness to enjoyment is not invariant between female shoppers in the eastern and western regions or in the eastern and central regions. This research moves beyond online shopping intentions and includes factors affecting online shopping continuance. The research model explains 60% of the intention to continue shopping online. Furthermore, this research suggests that online strategies cannot ignore the influence of either direct or indirect regional differences on continuance intentions; the model can be generalized across Saudi Arabia.
Medical Images Authentication through Repetitive Index Modulation Based Watermarking
Authors: Li Chang-Tsun , Li Yue
Published: April 2010

In this work we propose a Repetitive Index Modulation (RIM) based digital watermarking scheme for authentication and integrity verification of medical images. Exploiting the fact that many types of medical images have significant background areas and medically meaningful Regions Of Interest (ROI), which represent the actual contents of the images, the scheme uses the contents of the ROI to create a content-dependent watermark and embeds the watermark in the background areas. Therefore when any pixel of the ROI is attacked, the watermark embedded in the background areas will be different from the watermark calculated according to the attacked contents, thus raising alarm that the image in question is inauthentic. Because the creation of the watermark is content-dependent and the watermark is only embedded in the background areas, the proposed scheme can actually protect the content/ROI without distorting it.
Template Protection and Renewability for Dynamic Time Warping Based Biometric Signature Verification
Authors: Maiorana Emanuele , Campisi Patrizio , Neri Alessandro
Published: April 2010

In this article, the authors propose a protected on-line signature based biometric authentication system, where the original signature templates are protected by transforming them in a non-invertible way. Recovering the original biometrics from the stored data is thus computationally as hard as random guessing them. The transformed templates are compared employing a Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) matching strategy. The reported experimental results, evaluated on the public MCYT signature database, show that the achievable recognition rates are only slightly affected by the proposed protection scheme, which is able to guarantee the desired security and renewability for the considered biometrics.
Web-Based Child Pornography
Authors: Steel Chad M.S.
Published: April 2010

While the supply of child pornography through the World Wide Web has been frequently speculated upon, the demand has not adequately been explored. Quantification and qualification of the demand provides forensic examiners a behavioral basis for determining the sophistication of individual seeking child pornography. Additionally, the research assists an examiner in searching for and presenting the evidence of child pornography browsing. The overall search engine demand for child pornography is bounded as being between .19 and .49%, depending on the inclusion of ambiguous phrases, with the top search for child pornography being “lolita bbs”. Unlike peer-to-peer networks, however, the top child pornography related query ranks only as the 198th most popular query overall. The queries on search engines appear to be decreasing as well, and the techniques employed are becoming less reliant direct links to content.
Image Forensics Using Generalised Benford's Law for Improving Image Authentication Detection Rates in Semi-Fragile Watermarking
Authors: Zhao Xi , Ho Anthony T. S. , Shi Yun Q.
Published: April 2010

In the past few years, semi-fragile watermarking has become increasingly important to verify the content of images and localise the tampered areas, while tolerating some non-malicious manipulations. In the literature, the majority of semi-fragile algorithms have applied a predetermined threshold to tolerate errors caused by JPEG compression. However, this predetermined threshold is typically fixed and cannot be easily adapted to different amounts of errors caused by unknown JPEG compression at different quality factors (QFs). In this paper, the authors analyse the relationship between QF and threshold, and propose the use of generalised Benford’s Law as an image forensics technique for semi-fragile watermarking. The results show an overall average QF correct detection rate of approximately 99%, when 5%, 20% and 30% of the pixels are subjected to image content tampering and compression using different QFs (ranging from 95 to 65). In addition, the authors applied different image enhancement techniques to these test images. The proposed image forensics method can adaptively adjust the threshold for images based on the estimated QF, improving accuracy rates in authenticating and localising the tampered regions for semi-fragile watermarking.