bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rhinitis has an Association with Asthma in School Children
Authors: Higuchi Osamu , Adachi Yuichi , Itazawa Toshiko , Ito Yasunori , Yoshida Koichi , Ohya Yukihiro , Odajima Hiroshi , Akasawa Akira , Miyawaki Toshio
Published: February 2013

Background

A relevant relationship exists between the upper and lower airway, indicating the concept of a unified airway. This study aimed to evaluate whether rhinitis has an association with asthma in children.

Methods

A cross-sectional nationwide survey was performed among children 6–7, 13–14, and 16–17 years old, using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Children (ISAAC) questionnaire in Japan. According to the responses to the ISAAC core questions, a child who had experienced nasal symptoms in the past 12 months in the absence of a cold was defined as having current rhinitis.

Results

After excluding 11,475 children because of incomplete data, 136,506 children were analyzed. Even after adjusting for demographics, sex, and obesity, children with current rhinitis were more likely to have asthma (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 3.10 [95% CI, 2.92–3.30] in children aged 6–7 years; OR, 3.76 [95% CI, 3.45–4.10] in children aged 13–14 years; and OR, 3.59 [95% CI, 3.33–3.88] in children aged 16–17 years). Children whose daily activities were more impaired by rhinitis symptoms had a significantly higher prevalence of severe asthma. The adjusted ORs for severe asthma among asthmatic children whose daily activities were severely impaired by rhinitis symptoms were 3.66 (95% CI, 2.29–5.85) in children aged 6–7 years, 2.55 (95% CI, 1.64–3.96) in children aged 13–14 years, and 1.87 (95% CI, 1.24–2.82) in children aged 16–17 years compared with asthmatic children whose daily activities were not impaired at all.

Conclusion

There was a close association between rhinitis and asthma in young children to adolescents. Asthma should be examined in children with rhinitis symptoms.
Adenoidal Hypertrophy and Allergic Rhinitis: Is There an Inverse Relationship?
Authors: Ameli Franco , Brocchetti Fabio , Tosca Maria Angela , Signori Alessio , Ciprandi Giorgio
Published: February 2013

Background

Nasal obstruction is a very common symptom in children. The main causes are allergic rhinitis (AR) and adenoidal hypertrophy (AH); the possible correlation between AR and AH has been investigated by few studies, mainly conducted using radiographic craniometry. This study aimed at investigating this topic by nasal endoscopy.

Methods

There were 205 children (134 boys; mean age, 6.7 years age range, 4–12 years) studied. Clinical visit, nasal endoscopy, and skin-prick test were performed in all patients. Anterior nasal obstruction was graded using the Friedmann's classification. Adenoid size was graded using the Parikh's classification. Perception of symptoms by children was also assessed using the visual analog scale.

Results

Ninety-two children (44.9%) had complete nasal obstruction and 28 children (13.7%) had choanae invasion. There was a negative significant correlation (r = –0.41; p < 0.001) between nose obstruction severity and volume of adenoids. Decreased probability of greater adenoid volume was associated with increased severity of nose obstruction (odds ratio [OR] = 0.13) and in patients with allergy compared with nonallergic patients (OR = 0.31).

Conclusion

This real-life study shows that large adenoids may be associated with absence of allergy, whereas large turbinates may be associated with small adenoids.
Christine Ceci, Kristín Björnsdóttír & Mary Ellen Purkis (eds.) (2011). Perspectives on Care at Home for Older People. New York: Routledge, 194 pp. ISBN 978 0 415 89590 3 (hardback)
Authors: Formosa Marvin
Published: February 2013

Not Available.
Improved follow-up of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Dießl S. , Verburg F. , Biko J. , Schryen B. , Reiners C. , Buck A. , Hänscheid H.
Published: February 2013

Aim: Physicians typically are unaware of the radioiodine uptake (RIU) detection limit (LoD) on scintigrams of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) patients. We evaluated a novel method to determine LoD as a quantitative upper limit for RIU in negative scans and as a value to contextualize faint visible uptake. Patients, methods: To test whether LoD is related to physicians’ ratings, RIU and LoD were calculated from scintigraphic count statistics for 120 static planar neck scans and were compared with the ratings of five nuclear medicine specialists blinded to patient/ scan characteristics regarding visible cervical uptake. Scans were acquired on days 1 (d1) and 2 (d2) post-administration of 298 ± 30 MBq iodine-131 in 60 consecutive DTC patients after recombinant human thyrotropin (rhTSH) or thyroid hormone withdrawal (THW) (n = 30 each). Results: Indicating good inter-observer agreement, ≥ 4 readers concurred regarding 56 (93.3%) [54 (90.0%)] d1[d2] scans. Seventeen scans from 12 patients received ≥ 3 positive votes; in 15 (88.2%), RIU exceeded LoD. RIU assessed from regions-of-interest over former thyroid beds in scans with ≤ 2 positive votes was typically below the LoD (99/103 scans, 96.1%). In 48 patients with ≤ 2 positive votes in both scans, LoD was a median 0.0094% (0.0050%) in d1(d2) images and was significantly lower (p < 0.01) on early or late scans in 22 euthyroid rhTSH patients versus 26 hypo thyroid THW patients. Conclusion: LoD data obtained by the proposed method closely reflect nuclear medicine specialists’ scan ratings and provide comparators in serial scintigrams, improving diagnostic 131I imaging accuracy in differentiated thyroid carcinoma.
Caryolene-forming carbocation rearrangements
Authors: Nguyen Quynh Nhu N , Tantillo Dean J
Published: February 2013

Density functional theory calculations on mechanisms of the formation of caryolene, a putative biosynthetic precursor to caryol-1(11)-en-10-ol, reveal two mechanisms for caryolene formation: one involves a base-catalyzed deprotonation/reprotonation sequence and tertiary carbocation minimum, whereas the other (with a higher energy barrier) involves intramolecular proton transfer and the generation of a secondary carbocation minimum and a hydrogen-bridged minimum. Both mechanisms are predicted to involve concerted suprafacial/suprafacial [2 + 2] cycloadditions, whose asynchronicity allows them to avoid the constraints of orbital symmetry.
Commerce, culture et compétition
Authors: Rahusen Henriette , Blandin Xavier
Published: February 2013

Dans la première moitié du XVII e siècle, le développement de Nantes en tant que grand centre économique sur la côte Atlantique coïncida avec l’arrivée de nombreux commerçants étrangers. L’intérêt des Hollandais pour Nantes se portait sur les exportations lucratives de vin, cognac, céréales et sel. Mais la ville portuaire servait également d’un pôle de transport stratégique en période de guerre, lorsque l’embargo des Espagnols interdirent tout échange direct entre la République hollandaise et la péninsule ibérique. La proéminence de la communauté hollandaise de Nantes lors de cette période invite à un examen approfondi de la vie des expatriés hollandais, et met en lumière différents niveaux de coopération, de compétition voire de conflit avéré entre les Français et les visiteurs hollandais.
"Computer Engineering Online" using the novel eLearning 3.0 platform Wiki-Learnia
Authors: Waßmann Ingolf , Tavangarian Djamshid
Published: February 2013

To counter the growing lack of experts in the IT sector, and to give at the same time a possibility for lifelong learning, a consortium of north German universities has initiated the project â??Computer Engineering Onlineâ??. The goal is to develop an online study program for computer engineering in 2013. Referred to the blended learning strategy, the bigger part of the Bachelorâ??s program is offered by an online portal. Here, the open source platform ILIAS is used which is optimized for the use in academic environments. Due to other qualifications of the target group, the Masterâ??s program is realized by a further education mechanism embedded in a completely novel eLearning 3.0 platform called â??Wiki-Learniaâ? which combines formal and informal learning.
Evaluating Campus Safety Messages at 99 Public Universities in 2010
Authors: Barbrey John W.
Published: February 2013

In 2009, the U.S. Department of Education published an Action Guide for Emergency Management at Institutions of Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education, 2009). In 2006, the Virginia State Crime Commission issued a prescient “Final Report: Study on Campus Safety (HJR 122)” regarding Virginia’s colleges and universities (Virginia State Crime Commission, 2006). Gray (2009) provided results from a “Columbine 10-Year Anniversary Survey”, which reviewed recent campus safety improvements of 435 K-12 and university respondents. From the three documents, prescribed campus safety activities were identified that could be consistently found in the stated programs and policies on university websites. Of these activities, 18 separate criteria upon which a university’s online emergency preparedness/safety/security messages could be evaluated through content analysis were conceptualized (coding: 1= school has criterion, 0= does not), to estimate the quality of the overall preparedness message of each institution in the small sample (n = 99) of universities, representing all 50 states in 2010.
Mining Geospatial Knowledge on the Social Web
Authors: Intagorn Suradej , Lerman Kristina
Published: February 2013

Up-to-date geospatial information can help crisis management community to coordinate its response. In addition to data that is created and curated by experts, there is an abundance of user-generated, user-curated data on Social Web sites such as Flickr, Twitter, and Google Earth. User-generated data and metadata can be used to harvest knowledge, including geospatial knowledge that will help solve real-world problems including information discovery, geospatial information integration and data management. This paper proposes a method for acquiring geospatial knowledge in the form of places and relations between them from the user-generated data and metadata on the Social Web. The key to acquiring geospatial knowledge from social metadata is the ability to accurately represent places. The authors describe a simple, efficient algorithm for finding a non-convex boundary of a region from a sample of points from that region. Used within a procedure that learns part-of relations between places from real-world data extracted from the social photo-sharing site Flickr, the proposed algorithm leads to more precise relations than the earlier method and helps uncover knowledge not contained in expert-curated geospatial knowledge bases.
RimSim Response Hospital Evacuation
Authors: Campbell Bruce , Weaver Chris
Published: February 2013

To aid emergency response teams in training and planning for potential community-wide emergency crises, two coordinated research teams centered in King County, Washington have developed software-based tools to provide cognitive aids for improved planning and training for emergency response scenarios. After reporting the results previously of using the tools in pilot studies of increasing complexity, the implementation teams have been searching out community-wide emergency response teams working on emergency response plans that might benefit from use of the tools. In this paper, the authors describe the tools, the application of them to a countywide hospital evacuation scenario, and the evaluation of their value to emergency responders for improving situation awareness and insight generation.
Analyzing Growth Trends of Reusable Software Components
Authors: Kaur Kuljit
Published: February 2013

Reusable software components are the software modules that can be (re)used across a number of applications in a particular domain. Component users prefer to use those components which can be adapted easily for their changing requirements. So components have to evolve continuously in order to attract users. This chapter focuses on the evolutionary aspects of software components. It mentions various techniques for monitoring software evolution. It uses metrics based analysis as the technique to show software evolution of 15 reusable components from the point of view of their size, complexity, and functionality. The evolution analysis is motivated by laws of software evolution which suggest that as software ages, it increases in size and complexity (unless it is managed) and it has to offer increased functionality to please its users. The findings of the study indicate that the size of the software components (in this data set) grows at a linear rate, and complexity is well managed. However, increase in functionality is sub linear for almost all the components. It remains almost constant for some of them.
Aspect-Oriented Recommender Systems
Authors: Bedi Punam , Agarwal Sumit Kr
Published: February 2013

Recommender systems are widely used intelligent applications which assist users in a decision-making process to choose one item amongst a potentially overwhelming set of alternative products or services. Recommender systems use the opinions of members of a community to help individuals in that community by identifying information most likely to be interesting to them or relevant to their needs. Recommender systems have various core design crosscutting issues such as: user preference learning, security, mobility, visualization, interaction etc that are required to be handled properly in order to implement an efficient, good quality and maintainable recommender system. Implementation of these crosscutting design issues of the recommender systems using conventional agent-oriented approach creates the problem of code scattering and code tangling. An Aspect-Oriented Recommender System is a multi agent system that handles core design issues of the recommender system in a better modular way by using the concepts of aspect oriented programming, which in turn improves the system reusability, maintainability, and removes the scattering and tangling problems from the recommender system.
Data Mining Techniques for Software Quality Prediction
Authors: Mishra Bharavi , Shukla K. K.
Published: February 2013

In the present time, software plays a vital role in business, governance, and society in general, so a continuous improvement of software productivity and quality such as reliability, robustness, etc. is an important goal of software engineering. During software development, a large amount of data is produced, such as software attribute repositories and program execution trace, which may help in future development and project management activities. Effective software development needs quantification, measurement, and modelling of previous software artefacts. The development of large and complex software systems is a formidable challenge which requires some additional activities to support software development and project management processes. In this scenario, data mining can provide a helpful hand in the software development process. This chapter discusses the application of data mining in software engineering and includes static and dynamic defect detection, clone detection, maintenance, etc. It provides a way to understand the software artifacts and processes to assist in software engineering tasks.
Towards Test-Driven and Architecture Model-Based Security and Resilience Engineering
Authors: Saidane Ayda , Guelfi Nicolas
Published: February 2013

The quality of software systems depends strongly on their architecture. For this reason, taking into account non-functional requirements at architecture level is crucial for the success of the software development process. Early architecture model validation facilitates the detection and correction of design errors. In this research, the authors are interested in security critical systems, which require a reliable validation process. So far, they are missing security-testing approaches providing an appropriate compromise between software quality and development cost while satisfying certification and audit procedures requirements through automated and documented validation activities. In this chapter, the authors propose a novel test-driven and architecture model-based security engineering approach for resilient systems. It consists of a test-driven security modeling framework and a test based validation approach. The assessment of the security requirement satisfaction is based on the test traces analysis. Throughout this study, the authors illustrate the approach using a client server architecture case study.
Usability Engineering Methods and Tools
Authors: Kaur Amandeep
Published: February 2013

Usability engineering is a field that focus on the human-computer interaction and exclusively in making the GUI’s with high usability. A Usability Engineer validates the usability of an interface and recommending methods to improve its purview. This chapter elaborates various techniques to improve usability of websites: software graphical user interfaces (GUIs). It includes details on assessing and making recommendations to improve usability than it does on design, though Usability Engineers may still engage in design to some extent, particularly design of wire-frames or other prototypes. They conduct usability evaluations of existing or proposed user-interfaces and their findings are fed back to the designer.
Case Study
Authors: Kaur Daljit , Kaur Parminder
Published: February 2013

This chapter is an effort to develop secure web applications based on known vulnerabilities. It has been seen that in the rapid race of developing web applications in minimum time and budget, security is given the least importance, and a consequence of which is that web applications are developed and hosted with a number of vulnerabilities in them. In this race, one thing is constant that attackers take advantage of weaknesses existing in technology for financial gain and theft of intellectual property. In this proposed method of secure web development, most common vulnerabilities and their occurrence in development process is discussed. Mapping vulnerabilities to the actions needed to take during development process may help developers to understand vulnerability and avoid vulnerabilities in application.
A Neurorobotics Approach to Investigating Word Learning Behaviors
Authors: Veale Richard
Published: February 2013

This chapter presents two examples of how neurorobotics is being used to further understanding of word learning in the human infant. The chapter begins by presenting an example of how neurorobotics has been used to explore the synchrony constraint of word-referent association in young infants. The chapter then demonstrates the application of neurorobotics to free looking behavior, another important basic behavior with repercussions in how infants map visual stimuli to auditory stimuli. Neurorobotics complements other approaches by validating proposed mechanisms, by linking behavior to neural implementation, and by bringing to light very specific questions that would otherwise remain unasked. Neurorobotics requires rigorous implementation of the target behaviors at many vertical levels, from the level of individual neurons up to the level of aggregate measures, such as net looking time. By implementing these in a real-world robot, it is possible to identify discontinuities in our understanding of how parts of the system function. The approach is thus informative for empiricists (both neurally and behaviorally), but it is also pragmatically useful, since it results in functional robotic systems performing human-like behavior.
Pedagogical Frameworks of E-Reader Technologies in Education
Authors: Wilson Nance , Zygouris-Coe Vassiliki I. , Cardullo Victoria M. , Fong Jennifer L.
Published: February 2013

E-readers are changing the nature of learning in our classrooms and the nature of classroom instruction. E-readers create a learning environment that prepares students to live in a world where technology is ever-changing and learning is constantly evolving. In this chapter, the authors introduce a pedagogical framework for teaching using e-readers. The complexity of developing and implementing a pedagogical framework using the ever-changing technology of e-readers requires a teacher who is metacognitive. This model emphasizes the metacognitive teacher, putting dispositions at the center of the framework. The metacognitive teacher is informed by her content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, technological knowledge, and knowledge of students.
Aligning iPad Applications with Evidence-Based Practices in Inclusive and Special Education
Authors: Cumming Therese , Rodríguez Cathi Draper , Strnadová Iva
Published: February 2013

Special educators globally are adopting mobile technologies such as the iPad for use in classrooms for everything from textbook replacement to assistive technology. Despite the devices’ large potential for individualizing teaching, learning, and communication, these are relatively new technologies, and the evidence base to support their use as teaching and learning tools in special education is scarce. This chapter discusses a theoretical framework and several methods that can be used to support the use of iPads to assist students with disabilities. It also details the potential uses of iPads and their corresponding applications for students in special education.
Professional Development with and for Emerging Technologies
Authors: Hanewald Ria
Published: February 2013

This chapter provides a case study of professional development for a cohort of Asian languages teachers in Australia who undertook training with new technologies during 2011. While the use of emerging technologies requires a learning curve in terms of technical skill, the pedagogical understanding and affordance of those teaching and learning platforms have to be equally acquired. The group of 41 teachers of Chinese (Mandarin), Indonesian, and Japanese participated in three interwoven yet distinct components: exploration and integration of new technology devices and applications, familiarization with the pedagogical affordances of new media in the classroom, and acquaintance with action research as a tool for teacher professional development. Findings indicate that the chosen combination was a successful mixture to improve their professional practice while integrating innovative approaches into classroom practices that were not only effective in the immediate term but also sustainable over the longer term.
The Changing Roles of Faculty and Students when Mobile Devices Enter the Higher Education Classroom
Authors: Franklin Teresa , Sun Yanyan , Yinger Nick , Anderson Jeffrey , Geist Eugene
Published: February 2013

Mobile devices pose a challenge for most faculty members in higher education as they view the device as disruptive and in competition with the work to be completed in the classroom. The goal of this chapter is to examine the implementation of HTC tablet devices and the changing roles of the faculty instructor and learners when using this device in an undergraduate business management course in a business college and a graduate course in early childhood in a college of education in a large Midwestern university. The chapter describes the classroom setting, instructor and student perspectives of the implementation, and the use of the tablet both in class and out of class as well as the barriers associated with tablet use when embedded in a higher education course.
Reliability Allocation Problem in Series-Parallel Systems
Authors: Yalaoui Alice , Belmecheri Farah , Châtelet Eric , Yalaoui Farouk
Published: February 2013

Reliability optimization is an important step in industrial systems design. In order to develop a reliable system, designers may introduce different redundant technologies with the same functionality in parallel. In this paper, each technology is assumed to be composed of series components. The obtained configuration belongs to the series-parallel systems. The presented tool is for the design or the improvement of such systems, in order to minimize the system cost with a reliability constraint. The aim is to find the reliability to allocate to each component in order to minimize the total cost, such that the global system reliability verifies a minimal level constraint. This problem is known to be NP-hard. In this paper, a metaheuristic approach, based on the Ant Colony Optimization technics (ACO), is used in order to improve an existing approach. The experimental results, based on randomly generated instances, outperform the one of previous method dedicated to this problem.
LZW Encoding in Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Suwannik Worasait
Published: February 2013

To solve a problem using Genetic Algorithms (GAs), a solution must be encoded into a binary string. The length of the binary string represents the size of the problem. As the length of the binary string increases, the size of the search space also increases at an exponential rate. To reduce the search space, one approach is to use a compressed encoding chromosome. This paper presents a genetic algorithm, called LZWGA, that uses compressed chromosomes. An LZWGA chromosome must be decompressed using an LZW decompression algorithm before its fitness can be evaluated. By using compressed encoding, the search space is reduced dramatically. For one-million-bit problem, the search space of the original problem is 21000000 or about 9.90x10301029 points. When using a compressed encoding, the search space was reduced to 8.37x10166717 points. LZWGA can solve one-million-bit OneMax, RoyalRoad, and Trap functions.
Potential molecular targets for Ewing′s sarcoma therapy
Authors: Jully Babu , Rajkumar Thangarajan
Published: February 2013

Ewing′s sarcoma (ES) is a highly malignant tumor of children and young adults. Modern therapy for Ewing′s sarcoma combines high-dose chemotherapy for systemic control of disease, with advanced surgical and/or radiation therapeutic approaches for local control. Despite optimal management, the cure rate for localized disease is only approximately 70%, whereas the cure rate for metastatic disease at presentation is less than 30%. Patients who experience long-term disease-free survival are at risk for significant side-effects of therapy, including infertility, limb dysfunction and an increased risk for second malignancies. The identification of new targets for innovative therapeutic approaches is, therefore, strongly needed for its treatment. Many new pharmaceutical agents have been tested in early phases of clinical trials in ES patients who have recurrent disease. While some agents led to partial response or stable disease, the percentages of drugs eliciting responses or causing an overall effect have been minimal. Furthermore, of the new pharmaceuticals being introduced to clinical practice, the most effective agents also have dose-limiting toxicities. Novel approaches are needed to minimize non-specific toxicity, both for patients with recurrence and at diagnosis. This report presents an overview of the potential molecular targets in ES and highlights the possibility that they may serve as therapeutic targets for the disease. Although additional investigations are required before most of these approaches can be assessed in the clinic, they provide a great deal of hope for patients with Ewing′s sarcoma.
Consensus meeting and update on existing guidelines for management of cervical cancer with special emphasis on the practice in developing countries, including India: The expert panel at the 8 th annual women′s cancer initiative Tata Memorial Hospital Conference 2010-11
Authors: Mahantshetty Umesh , Krishnatry Rahul , Kumar Saurabha , Engineer Reena , Maheshwari Amita , Kerkar Rajendra , Gupta Sudeep , Ghosh Jaya , Deodhar Kedar , Thakur Meenakshi , Shrivastava Shyam K
Published: February 2013

Background: Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers seen in developing countries, especially in India. Recent years have seen many new developments in various modalities used in the management of cervical cancer. Although it is important to remain abreast with these advancements, the availability of resources and challenges in practices across the country cannot be ignored. Materials and Methods: This is a conference update aiming at reviewing all major advancements with their due merit, which can influence the evidence in daily practice of treatment for cervical cancer in the developing nations. Pre-formulated guidelines questions developed by the scientific committee were discussed and voted by national and international faculty as well as delegates in the light of current evidence and available resources in developing countries for practice. Results: The results of these discussions and voting were compiled and are presented as guidelines for practice. Conclusion: These recommendations are aimed to help centers in developing countries to deliver and improve best care with available recourses to cervical cancer patients.
Tocilizumab: An Updated Review of Its Use in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Its Application for Other Immune-Mediated Diseases
Authors: Tanaka Toshio , Ogata Atsushi , Narazaki Masashi
Published: February 2013

Interleukin-6 (IL-6), produced by a variety of cells, is a typical cytokine featuring redundancy and pleiotropic activity. IL-6 is promptly and transiently synthesized in response to infections or injuries, and participates in host defense by inducing immune responses, hematopoiesis, and acute-phase reactions. However, since its abnormal persistent production of mostly unknown etiology plays an important pathological role in the development of various immune-mediated diseases, a humanized anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody, tocilizumab, was developed and is now used as an innovative biologic for rheumatoid arthritis in more than 90 countries. Several factors strongly suggest that a IL-6 blockade strategy may have a broad application for the treatment of various immune-mediated diseases. These factors include favorable results of pilot or case studies with off-label use of tocilizumab, pathological analyses of the contribution of IL-6 to the development of immune-mediated diseases, and the potential capability of tocilizumab to both repair an imbalance of effector T cell subsets and to suppress pathologic autoantibody production. However, clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab for these diseases are essential. Furthermore, clarification of the cell source of IL-6 production and of the mechanisms through which dysregulated continuous IL-6 synthesis is induced constitutes an important issue for future studies into the pathogenesis of diseases.
Stratospheric and tropospheric SSU/MSU temperature trends and compared to reanalyses and IPCC CMIP5 simulations in 1979–2005
Authors: Powell A. M. , Xu J. , Zou C.-Z. , Zhao L.
Published: February 2013

Abstract. Using the satellite temperature measurements from the Stratospheric Sounding Units (SSU) and Microwave Sounding Units (MSU including the advanced microwave sounding unit, AMSU) since 1979, the trends and uncertainties in the fifth Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) model simulations from the middle troposphere to the upper stratosphere (5–50 km) have been explored. The temperature trend discrepancies between the new generation reanalyses are investigated. Both the temporal character of the global mean temperature and the regional spatial pattern of the temperature trends are discussed. The results show that the CMIP5 model simulations reproduced common stratospheric cooling and tropospheric warming features although a significant discrepancy among the selected models was observed. For the temporal variation of the global mean temperature, the CMIP5 simulations reproduce the volcanic signal and were highly consistent with the SSU measurements in the upper stratosphere. In contrast, the CFSR and MERRA reanalyses (excluding ERA-I) exhibit a different result from the CMIP5 simulations. For the spatial variation of the temperature trends, the CMIP5 simulations displayed a different latitudinal-longitudinal pattern from SSU/MSU measurements in all six layers from the middle troposphere to the upper stratosphere. The CFSR reanalysis shows a good spatial correlation with satellite observations in the troposphere but poor spatial correlation in the stratosphere. The ERA-I and MERRA reanalyses have good spatial correlation in the upper stratosphere and an even better spatial correlation in the troposphere. Generally, the CMIP5 simulations significantly underestimated the stratospheric cooling in the tropics and substantially overestimated the cooling over the Antarctic in the MSU observations. The largest trend spread among the seven CMIP5 simulations is seen in both the south- and north-polar regions in the stratosphere and troposphere. The tropospheric spread values are generally smaller than the stratospheric spread values.
Flexible joints in structural and multibody dynamics
Authors: Bauchau O. A. , Han S.
Published: February 2013

Abstract. Flexible joints, sometimes called bushing elements or force elements, are found in all structural and multibody dynamics codes. In their simplest form, flexible joints simply consist of sets of three linear and three torsional springs placed between two nodes of the model. For infinitesimal deformations, the selection of the lumped spring constants is an easy task, which can be based on a numerical simulation of the joint or on experimental measurements. If the joint undergoes finite deformations, identification of its stiffness characteristics is not so simple, specially if the joint is itself a complex system. When finite deformations occur, the definition of deformation measures becomes a critical issue. This paper proposes a family of tensorial deformation measures suitable for elastic bodies of finite dimension. These families are generated by two parameters that can be used to modify the constitutive behavior of the joint, while maintaining the tensorial nature of the deformation measures. Numerical results demonstrate the objectivity of the deformations measures, a feature that is not shared by the deformations measures presently used in the literature. The impact of the choice of the two parameters on the constitutive behavior of the flexible joint is also investigated.
International corporate blogging practices and effects
Authors: König Nils
Published: February 2013

This study assesses international corporate blogging practices and their effects on the popularity of corporate blogs in terms of comments received and incoming links. Building on the blogging practices framework by Schmidt (2007b), a theoretical model is developed incorporating cause–and–effects relationships for blog characteristics and their impact, as well as international differences. The five Hypotheses are tested using a sample of 20 German, 10 Russian and 77 U.S. corporate blogs. The results of stepwise regression analyses confirmed most hypotheses regarding effects of blog diversity, blog authenticity, blog usability, blog sophistication and networking efforts. The theoretical and practical implications of this are discussed.
Community Matters: Successful Entrepreneurship in Remote Rural US Locations
Authors: Besser Terry L. , Miller Nancy J.
Published: February 2013

Entrepreneurs in remote rural towns face unique challenges. These towns have fewer people, with less income, making fewer purchases. Businesses also have problems associated with long distances and isolation. However, these general circumstances cannot explain the variation in success among rural entrepreneurs. Due to the tendency in previous studies to aggregate data on rural businesses, the situation of entrepreneurs in remote rural US communities is understudied. The purpose of this study is to examine the correlates of successful entrepreneurs in these remote areas. The findings indicate that entrepreneurs who start businesses to provide income and flexibility for their family have more perceived success than those motivated by a desire for great wealth and the wish to challenge themselves. Entrepreneurs in high bridging social capital towns were also more successful. Community bridging social capital may enhance entrepreneurs' success by helping to retain and attract skilled labour, reducing costs, providing access to capital and engendering resident customer loyalty.
Towards the Digital National Library: The Estonian Approach
Authors: Andresoo Janne
Published: February 2013

In the article the Director General of the National Library of Estonia describes the development of the Library as a centre of expertise for the creation and preservation of collections of digital materials within the framework of the European Digital Library. The legal deposit of digital and other non-print materials is seen as an essential precondition for the preservation of the nation's cultural heritage and the article examines the history of legal deposit legislation in Estonia, leading to the inclusion of online publications from 2001. With the technical and other resources available to the Library, it was necessary to employ selectivity in the archiving of online publications and the principles governing the selection are described. The digital archive DIGAR has developed into a flexible archive system covering all the digital objects managed by the National Library and is intended to become a central digital archive for all Estonian libraries. An important priority for the Library is to develop a unified information portal ensuring the compatibility of all e-collections and e-services, offering users integrated access to the Library's resources.
Equality of Radial and Edge Plastic Work Rate for Plates Collapsing in Pseudo-Conical Mode
Authors: Wong Ee Hua
Published: February 2013

An analytical proof has been developed which demonstrates the equality of radial and edge plastic work rate in an arbitrarily shaped plate that is collapsing in pseudo-conical mode. This new-found equality relation eliminates the need to compute the radial plastic work rate, substantially reducing the effort required to compute the upper-bound plastic collapse load using the yield-line theory.
Prediction of the Heat Rejection from Uniform Annular Fins by the Finite-Difference Method with a Reduced System of Algebraic Equations
Authors: Campo Antonio
Published: February 2013

An ordinary differential equation of second order with variable coefficients, called the modified Bessel equation of zero order, governs the radial temperature variation along annular fins of uniform thickness and constant properties. This educational paper addresses a simplistic finite-difference procedure for solving this kind of Bessel equation relying on a reduced system of algebraic equations. Approximate temperature distributions and heat transfer rates have been obtained by hand and also with a symbolic algebra software, such as Maple V or Mathematica on a personal computer. Students of heat transfer courses may benefit from this alternative computational procedure that seeks to circumvent the use and operations with Bessel functions and still produce numerical results of good quality. Rudimentary knowledge of numerical techniques is the only mathematical background that students need to have in order to implement the computational scheme.
Computer-Aided Analysis of Hydraulic Pumps
Authors: Moukalled F. , Honein A.
Published: February 2013

This paper describes PUMPS, a microcomputer-based, interactive, and menu-driven software package for use as an educational tool by mechanical engineering students in investigating and understanding hydraulic pumps. The package is written in the Pascal computer language and runs on any IBM PC, or compatible. The program can handle problems related to radial, mixed, or axial flow hydraulic pumps by solving for any unknown variable through a complete set of equations covering all pump installation. Model-prototype problems can also be tackled through similarity laws. Furthermore, the graphical utilities of the package allow the user to display diagrammatic sketches of the pump, to employ some recommended charts, to draw velocity triangles, and to plot pump and pipeline characteristic curves. The most important feature of the program, however, is its ability to plot the variation of any variable versus any other one. Through this option, the package guides the student in understanding the effects of varying design parameters on the overall performance of the machine. Finally, some special features that are important in making the package user-friendly and encouraging-to-use are also available, and the comprehensive example problem provided demonstrates the capabilities of the package as an instructional tool.
On the Use of Spreadsheets in Heat Conduction Analysis
Authors: Mokheimer Esmail M. A. , Antar Mohamed A.
Published: February 2013

Detailed methodology and different techniques for simply utilizing the widely available and user friendly spreadsheet programs in heat conduction analysis are presented. Evaluation of analytical and numerical solution of heat conduction problems via spreadsheets is investigated. Detailed techniques of obtaining spreadsheet numerical solutions for one- and two-dimensional steady and transient heat conduction problems are introduced. A new technique of marching the transient numerical solution with time, in a single layer spreadsheet, for one- and two-dimensional heat conduction is explained. Creating macros that automate the spreadsheet processes, particularly calculations, is detailed. Utilization of the powerful graphical facility that is built in the spreadsheets to graphically represent the obtained solutions is outlined.
Interactive Web-Based Manual for Laboratory Classes in Dynamics
Authors: Lee H. P.
Published: February 2013

The world-wide-web has been used extensively for putting up details of the organization of a laboratory subject as well as the related handout in HTML or PDF format and relevant software and programs. The existing application is thus confined to the transmission of information. The present paper describes an interactive web-based manual for laboratory work related to the subject of Dynamics. The students could have a better understanding of the experiment before the class by the inclusion of digital pictures of actual setup or video clip on the use of certain equipment. During the class, Java Applets are used to perform the laborious or repeated calculations as well as the finding and plotting of the least square line. Students can therefore spend more time on the analysis and discussion of results with the instructors or teaching assistant in the class.
A Computer Assisted Approach to Compressible, Variable Area Duct Flow
Authors: Öuzalp A. Alper
Published: February 2013

This paper presents a formal description of ‘GAS-DYN', a microcomputer-based, interactive, menu-driven, visual software package, developed to make investigations on steady and transient operations of isentropic and non-isentropic (shock) flow regimes in variable area ducts. Both the subroutines performing the computations and the interfaces for visual communication are constituted in Visual Basic. The aim of this study is to provide mechanical engineering students with all that is necessary to study variable area duct flow and to enable flexible operation opportunity within the courseware and its software environment. Using the program means that not only the property changes in the flow can be calculated and displayed in tabulated, graphical and documental form, but also by performing projects with different geometries, fluids and inlet and back conditions, design of experimental set-ups can be supported. Lastly, input and output menus, various run types and graphical representation capabilities of the package are demonstrated by two instructive example projects.
Determination of Coefficient of Friction from Oscillations under Coulomb Friction Damping
Authors: Venkatachalam R.
Published: February 2013

The oscillations of a vibrating system in the presence of Coulomb friction damping is well known. In this paper, an attempt is made to use this concept, to measure the coefficient of friction. For this purpose, a simple pendulum, whose hinge is not free from Coulomb friction, is considered. An experimental set-up is designed and fabricated. Experiments are performed with different materials and the coefficients of friction are determined. Satisfactory results are obtained. The work described here may be incorporated as a laboratory experiment in applied mechanics.
Illustration of the Use of an Instructional Version of a Thermodynamic Cycle Simulation for a Commercial Automotive Spark-Ignition Engine
Authors: Caton Jerald A.
Published: February 2013

The development and use of an instructional version of a thermodynamic engine cycle simulation for classroom use is described. This simulation is based on well-established features, but which are not necessarily the most advanced. The major simplification of this instructional simulation is the use of constant specific heat capacities as opposed to the use of variable composition and properties. The cycle simulation was developed with an elementary set of conventional sub-model components. To account for the unsteady flow dynamics, an empirical adjustment factor was used. With the exception of this empirical adjustment factor, all of the constants associated with the sub-models are used as suggested by the original publications. Students, therefore, are readily able to develop and use this simulation.

This paper then demonstrates the usefulness of such a basic simulation in describing the overall performance of a commercial automotive spark-ignition engine for a range of engine speeds and operating conditions. A modern, four-valve per cylinder, two-camshaft engine was selected for this study. Although the cycle simulation was based on elementary conventional features, a number of important engine characteristics were correctly obtained. These included the overall performance for engine speeds up to 7000 rpm, and details such as the time (crank angle) of peak pressure for optimum performance.
Comparison between Traditional and Web-Based Interactive Manuals for Laboratory-Based Subjects
Authors: Lee H. P.
Published: February 2013

This paper presents the salient features of web-based interactive manuals for laboratory-based subjects and compares them with traditional laboratory manuals. The manuals utilize the latest developments in web applications, JAVA programming and pre-designed spreadsheets with the objective of reducing the time taken for students to perform the mundane and laborious calculations and plotting of graphs. The students can therefore utilize the time in the laboratories on the analysis and discussion of results besides performing the actual experiments. Moreover, the web-based interactive manuals incorporate virtual experiments, digital pictures, animated GIF files and quick movies to familiarize the students with the experimental set-up before performing the physical experiments. The proposed approach is applicable for laboratory-based subjects, which are not amenable to be converted completely to virtual laboratories.
Coping with Curvilinear Coordinates in Solid Mechanics
Authors: Paavola J. , Salonen E.-M.
Published: February 2013

The method of local Cartesian coordinates introduced in the first of a series of three articles on curvilinear coordinates is applied in this second article to some problems of solid mechanics. Additionally, the principle of virtual work is combined with the geometry and the kinematics produced by the method of local Cartesian coordinates to generate appropriate equilibrium equations.
Teaching Computational Fluid Dynamics Using Spreadsheets
Authors: Tabor G.
Published: February 2013

The use of spreadsheet programs in teaching the numerical aspects of computational fluid dynamics is explored. Spreadsheets allow the student to investigate important features of numerical algorithms without having to invest the time required to code in a traditional programming language. Thus they represent a short cut to the experiential part of the learning cycle. Four examples are presented with detailed methodology and learning outcomes, including solutions to the basic partial differential equations for fluid flow and iterative techniques for matrix inversion.