bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association of Hypertension and Smoking with Ischaemic Stroke
Authors: Kirtania K , Sultana N , Ahmed S , Khatun A
Published: February 2013

Hypertension is one of the most important modifiable risk factors for ischemic stroke. Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for atherosclerotic disease. There is a strong relationship between hypertension and cigarette smoking with ischaemic stroke. A case control study was undertaken to see the association of hypertension and cigarette smoking with ischaemic stroke. The study was done from January to December 2009 in the Department of Biochemistry, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka. A total of 60 subjects were selected as study population. Among them 30 were diagnosed case of ischaemic stroke and 30 were age-and sex-matched control subjects. It was found that 60% patients of case group and 20% respondents of control group were hypertensive and diffrence was significant. Study showed that 56.66% of cases and 53.33% of controls were smoker and the findings were insignificant. The mean duration of smoking was 27.41 ± 2.98 years in cases and 15.63 ± 2.85 years in controls which was significant. The study suggests that hypertension is significantly associated with ischaemic stroke and longer duration of smoking also associated with ischaemic stroke. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjmb.v3i1.13802 Bangladesh J Med Biochem 2010; 3(1): 16-18
Oyster Mushroom: Biochemical and Medicinal Prospects
Authors: Mowsurni FR , Chowdhury MBK
Published: February 2013

Mushroom possesses a vital portion of fungal kingdom creating a huge diversity. As a food major portion of these are unfit but as a whole these play an important role to maintain a sound health. Among them some are used as food and some as medicine. Many unknown mysterious components, very much needed for homeostasis of human body, are present in mushroom, which are now recognized as important area for biomedical researches. Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) is such a mushroom which is used both as food and medicine to ensure the fitness of body. It contains protein, carbohydrates, fat, fiber, water, different kinds of vitamins and minerals as well as secondary metabolites. Its statins are outstanding in decreasing the harmful plasma lipids and in reducing blood pressure thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The beta-glucan component of oyster stimulates the immune system of the body. This mushroom is also found to be effective and beneficial in diabetes, cancer, microbial infections and so on. However, there are many other life saving components in oyster mushroom whose nature, effectiveness and mode of actions are yet to be characterized and defined.These valuable unknown informations are now subjects of researches. Bangladesh, like other countries of the world is conducting such type of researches but still has to go a long way in this field. At this very moment, it can be said beyond any doubt that oyster mushroom is very good as an alternative food and as a medicine. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjmb.v3i1.13804 Bangladesh J Med Biochem 2010; 3(2): 23-28
Association of Serum Calcium and 24 Hours Urinary Excretion of Calcium in Patients of Preeclampsia
Authors: Khatun A , Kirtania K , Shima TZ , Ferdousi S , Shahnaz A , Yeasmin F , Sultana N
Published: February 2013

Preeclampsia is a leading cause of fetal growth retardation, infant morbidity, mortality and maternal death. Several biochemical changes occur during the course of the disease, among them serum total calcium and 24 hr urinary calcium excretion rate have drawn remarkable attention. A case control study was designed to see the association of serum calcium and 24 hours urinary excretion of calcium in patients of pre- eclampsia. The study was done from July 2008 to June 2009 in the Department of Biochemistry, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka. Total 60 subjects were selected as study population. Among them 30 were diagnosed case of preeclampsia and 30 were age- and sex-matched normal pregnant female healthy control. It was found that the mean measured serum calcium level in case group were 1.96 ±0.17 ( mean±SD ) mmol / l and that of control group were 2.34±0.12 (mean±SD) m mol/ l respectively. The mean 24 hr urinary calcium excretion level were 94.40 ±10.68mg/24 hr (mean±SD) in case group and that of control group were 154.35±66.68 (mean ±SD) mg / 24 hr respectively. The study suggests that low level of serum calcium and urinary excretion of calcium was associated with Pre-eclampsia. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjmb.v3i2.13813 Bangladesh J Med Biochem 2010; 3(2): 57-60
DARIAH(-DE): Digital Research Infrastructure for the Arts and Humanities — Concepts and Perspectives
Authors: Henrich Andreas , Gradl Tobias
Published: February 2013

DARIAH (Digital Research Infrastructure for the Arts and Humanities) is part of the European Strategy on Research Infrastructures. Among 38 projects originally on this roadmap, DARIAH is one of two projects addressing social sciences and humanities. According to its self-conception and its political mandate DARIAH has the mission to enhance and support digitally-enabled research across the humanities and arts. DARIAH aims to develop and maintain an infrastructure in support of ICT-based research practices. One main distinguishing aspect of DARIAH is that it is not focusing on one application domain but especially addresses the support of interdisciplinary research in the humanities and arts. The present paper first gives an overview on DARIAH as a whole and then focuses on the important aspect of technical, syntactic and semantic interoperability. Important aspects in this respect are metadata registries and crosswalk definitions allowing for meaningful cross-collection and inter-collection services and analysis.
Introduction to IASA-TC 05: Handling and Storage of Audio and Video Carriers
Authors: Schüller Dietrich
Published: February 2013

IASA-TC 05 on Handling and Storage of Audio and Video Carriers is the most recent of a series of standards issued by the Technical Committee of the International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives. Edited by Dietrich Schüller and Albrecht Häfner, this standard explains function, composition, and life expectancy of audiovisual carriers, from the early cylinders to hard disk drives and solid states memories, describes the influence of environmental parameters to the various carries and surveys recent recommendations on handling and storage. By these background explanations the document will go beyond a mere collection of rules as it assists archivists to responsibly adapt idealised standard prescriptions to the specific, often suboptimal conditions and circumstances of their archives. This introduction also provides a preview on most recent research and experiences that have led to new insights into some of the carrier deterioration phenomena, consequently leading to an adaptation of previously published recommendations.
Impact of Climate and Land Use Changes on Water and Food Security in Jordan: Implications for Transcending “The Tragedy of the Commons”
Authors: Al-Bakri Jawad , Salahat Mohammad , Suleiman Ayman , Suifan Marwan , Hamdan Mohammad , Khresat Saeb , Kandakji Tarek
Published: February 2013

This study investigates the impact of climate change and land use change on water resources and food security in Jordan. The country is dominated by arid climate with limited arable land and water resources, where the per capita share of water is less than 145 m3/year. The study focused on crop production and water resources under trends of anticipated climate change and population growth in the country. Remote sensing data were used to determine land use/cover changes and rates of urbanization, which took place at the cost of the cultivable land. Recession of irrigated areas led to lesser food production and food security. Outputs from crop production and water requirements models, in addition to regression analysis, were used to estimate the projected increase in agricultural water demand under the scenarios of increased air temperature and reduced rainfall by the years 2030 and 2050. Results indicated that problems of water scarcity and food insecurity would be exacerbated by climate change and increased population growth. To move from the tragedy of the commons towards transcendence, the study emphasized the need for adaptive measures to reduce the impacts of climate change on water resources and food security. The challenge, however, would remain the development and the efficient use of new water resources as a means for future sustainable development.
Electronic and transport properties of kinked graphene
Authors: Rasmussen Jesper Toft , Gunst Tue , Bøggild Peter , Jauho Antti-Pekka , Brandbyge Mads
Published: February 2013

Local curvature, or bending, of a graphene sheet is known to increase the chemical reactivity presenting an opportunity for templated chemical functionalisation. Using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT), we investigate the reaction barrier reduction for the adsorption of atomic hydrogen at linear bends in graphene. We find a significant barrier lowering (≈15%) for realistic radii of curvature (≈20 Å) and that adsorption along the linear bend leads to a stable linear kink. We compute the electronic transport properties of individual and multiple kink lines, and demonstrate how these act as efficient barriers for electron transport. In particular, two parallel kink lines form a graphene pseudo-nanoribbon structure with a semimetallic/semiconducting electronic structure closely related to the corresponding isolated ribbons; the ribbon band gap translates into a transport gap for electronic transport across the kink lines. We finally consider pseudo-ribbon-based heterostructures and propose that such structures present a novel approach for band gap engineering in nanostructured graphene.
Le monde des morts chez les jeunes
Authors: Julier-Costes Martin
Published: February 2013

Résumé Issu d’une recherche doctorale, cet article rend compte des relations entre des jeunes et leur ami décédé. En explorant les dimensions de l’accompagnement du mort dans son dernier voyage, la communication avec le mort et les différents signes du mort dans la réalité des vivants, l’auteur postule que les défunts sont des êtres sociaux à part entière qui jouent un rôle significatif dans le processus de deuil de jeunes confrontés à la mort d’un ami.
Corse, l'île des deuils impossibles
Authors: Loverini Marie-José
Published: February 2013

Résumé Sans doute parce que la Corse est une île, qu’elle ne possède pas de frontière mais seulement des limites, il arrive que certains mondes, pourtant réputés infranchissables, diffusent l’un vers l’autre – le cas pour l’ici et l’au-delà. Ce trait structural de la société insulaire tire ses racines du rapport que les Corses entretiennent avec leurs morts– un rapport en continu et non en rupture aussi bien lisible dans les pratiques que dans les rituels funéraires.
Comment l'assurance maladie opère sa mutation vers l'assurance santé
Authors: Négaret Patrick
Published: February 2013

Résumé Pour aider les gens à devenir acteurs de leur santé en modifiant leur alimentation et leur hygiène de vie, Patrick Négaret a expérimenté la démarche Santé Active, dont les résultats ont incité l’assurance maladie à l’étendre au plan national.
Comment Michelin a ouvert son innovation
Authors: Miraton Didier
Published: February 2013

Résumé Didier Miraton a ouvert la R&D de Michelin, auparavant caractérisée par le secret. Après avoir réuni trois mois en séminaire les soixante patrons de la R&D, il a fait diviser par deux les délais de conception et a favorisé les innovations de rupture.
Le nouveau paradigme écologique
Authors: Hörl Erich , Plas Guillaume
Published: February 2013

Résumé Notre rapport aux technologies médiatiques ne nous met pas tant en présence de nouveaux objets que de nouveaux environnements. C’est donc à partir d’une écologie générale qu’il nous faut tenter de comprendre les médias, nouveaux et anciens. Les réflexions de Félix Guattari, Gilbert Simondon, mais aussi l’agentivité environnementale de Mark Hansen ou la « struction » de Jean-Luc Nancy sont convoqués ici comme autant de pistes fécondes en direction d’une techno-écologie du sens.
Antimédiation
Authors: Thacker Eugene , Citton Yves
Published: February 2013

Résumé Cet article examine le concept de médiation à travers le contexte du genre de l’horreur surnaturelle, pour suggérer que celle-ci propose une théorie énigmatique des médias (« antimédiation ») dont la trace remonte en fait à la tradition de la théologie mystique.
Droit du commerce international et sécurité alimentaire
Authors: Jourdain-Fortier Clotilde , Loquin Éric
Published: February 2013

Résumé À la question de savoir si le droit du commerce international favorise l’insécurité alimentaire ou non, les réponses s’opposent. Les uns s’arc-boutent contre l’OMC et développent des arguments souverainistes qui prônent la fermeture des frontières afin de permettre aux États de pratiquer l’autosuffisance alimentaire. Les autres prêchent à l’excès les mérites du libre-échange, faisant presque oublier que les famines continuent de tuer quotidiennement malgré l’augmentation des flux de produits agricoles au plan mondial. Le rapport dialectique entre la souveraineté alimentaire et le libre-échange ne fournit pas actuellement de réponses adéquates. C’est au contraire dans une combinaison de chacune de ces thèses que pourraient être trouvées des réponses aux problèmes d’insécurité alimentaire. Le droit positif de l’OMC tente bien de réaliser un compromis par le biais de flexibilités qu’il offre aux États dans la mise en œuvre de leurs obligations commerciales, mais ce compromis reste insuffisant face aux conséquences du problème. Le temps est venu que le droit du commerce international apporte sa pierre à l’édification d’un monde plus juste au plan social. Certains outils existent, mais doivent être révisés, d’autres sont à imaginer.
Les règles du droit des investissements internationaux s'opposent-elles aux politiques de sécurité alimentaire ?
Authors: Manciaux Sébastien
Published: February 2013

Résumé Branche du droit des relations économiques internationales d’apparition récente, le droit des investissements constitue-t-il un obstacle aux politiques de sécurité alimentaire ? Pour répondre à cette question, la présente étude confronte les principales règles du droit des investissements à la composante de la sécurité alimentaire qui est la plus susceptible d’être affectée par ces règles, à savoir la production agricole. C’est d’abord la question de la propriété des terres agricoles qui est examinée au travers des règles gouvernant l’admission des investissements étrangers et leur expropriation. C’est ensuite au tour de la problématique de la régulation de l’exploitation des terres agricoles d’être soumis aux principales règles protégeant l’investisseur lors de la phase d’exploitation de son investissement : encadrement des obligations commerciales imposées aux investisseurs étrangers, normes de traitement de ces derniers et protection de leur investissement contre les expropriations indirectes. Il en ressort un résultat nuancé : une politique de sécurité alimentaire ne doit pas ignorer les règles du droit des investissements mais ces dernières n’interdisent pas qu’une telle politique puisse être développée.
Power and Performance Management of GPUs Based Cluster
Authors: Jararweh Yaser , Hariri Salim
Published: February 2013

Power consumption in GPUs based cluster became the major obstacle in the adoption of high productivity GPU accelerators in the high performance computing industry. The power consumed by GPU chips represent about 75% of the total GPU based cluster power consumption. This is due to the fact that the GPU cards are often configured at peak performance, and consequently, they will be active all the time. In this paper, the authors present a holistic power and performance management framework that reduces power consumption of the GPU based cluster and maintains the system performance within an acceptable predefined threshold. The framework dynamically scales the GPU cluster to adapt to the variation of incoming workload’s requirements and increase the idleness of the of GPU devices, allowing them to transition to low-power state. The proposed power and performance management framework in GPU cluster demonstrated 46.3% power savings for GPU workload while maintaining the cluster performance. The overhead of the proposed framework is insignificant on the normal application\system operations and services.
Internet vs. Matter
Authors: Yan Zheng , Liu Xiufeng
Published: February 2013

Internet is an emerging complex scientific concept that children have not yet systematically learned in schools but continuously experience in their daily lives. In contrast, matter is a classic complex scientific concept that children systematically study from elementary through high school in addition to continuous everyday experiences. In this study, with two independent samples of grades 4-12 students, the authors deliberately compared these two concepts to understand the effects of formal and informal learning experiences. Understandings of Internet and matter were measured and then converted into a same interval scale through Rasch modeling. Results show that the development of Internet understanding has a much lower rate than that matter and the development of Internet understanding shows more heterogeneous than that of matter. These findings suggest that formal learning helps increase the students’ understanding growth rate while reduce variation in understanding among students.
E-Signature Use in China
Authors: Liu Zhonghao
Published: February 2013

The Electronic Signature Law of the People’s Republic of China has been implemented for over seven years. However, a wide variety of legal problems exists. This paper analyzes four cases about e-signature use in China that covers four different areas: E-mail, short text message, E-banking, and online shopping. Various solutions to problems concerning e-signature use are also discussed.
Second-Order Constructs in Structural Equations
Authors: Khadraoui Manel , Gharbi Jamel-Eddine
Published: February 2013

Structural equations are extensively used in studies dealing with abstract variables. The authors can choose between first and higher-order constructs but some researchers omit to pursue a rigorous method. Therefore, it is important to know: when is the higher-order construct preferred to the first-order one? In this study, the authors have illustrated this procedure for perceived value and trust. They collected data with students, inviting them to navigate in a website and to fill-in a questionnaire. Results show the superiority of the second-order reflective model for perceived value and trust. The decision is taken relying on theoretical and empirical justifications. The authors have also proven the predictive ability of their variables by confirming their positive relationship with commitment. The latter predicts behavioral intentions. Second-order reflective constructs invite managers to pay attention to all the first-order factors because a negative perception of one of the factors contributes to the deterioration of the second-order construct.
On Being a Patient
Authors: Chatterjee Pranab
Published: February 2013

Published narratives on doctor-as-patient experiences show that physicians become more empathetic once they have gone through the process of being a patient. In this article, in response to a published doctor-as-patient narrative, the author enquires into the possible reason for such empathy-in-hindsight. The objectified and structured medical education system which puts little emphasis on soft skills, a rapidly evolving technological-diagnostic revolution that is distancing the patient from the doctor and lacunae in development of communication skills in doctors come up as probable reasons for this. Narratives of physician-patients provide good learning points, especially with respect to the lacunae in the teaching of empathy, communication and humanities in medicine.
Towards an Efficient Network Selection Technique Based on Differentiated Weight of Access Interface
Authors: Lahby Mohamed , Cherkaoui Leghris , Adib Abdellah
Published: February 2013

In this work, the authors have proposed a new technique for network selection decision. This technique combines two multi attribute decision making (MADM) methods. The analytic network process (ANP) method to find the differentiate weights of available networks by considering each criterion and the grey relational analysis (GRA) method to rank the alternatives. To show the effectiveness of our technique we have presented the simulation results of four traffic classes namely background, conversational, interactive and streaming.
Mac for Physical-Layer Network Coding in VANETs
Authors: Ndih Eugène David Ngangue , Cherkaoui Soumaya
Published: February 2013

In this paper, the authors present VPNC-MAC, a PNC-based MAC protocol for efficient and reliable periodic beacon broadcasts in VANETs. In addition to PNC-based scheduled transmissions, VPNC-MAC makes use of CSMA/CA to ensure fairness and flexibility with transmissions from CSMA-based nodes. VPNC-MAC consists of two phases: In the setup phase, a quasi-optimal mechanism of selecting a relay node is proposed to take into account both the position, and the remaining time the relay needs for delivering its current beacon. In the packet exchange phase, they define two priority modes to deal with the cohabitation of both the CSMA-based and the VPNC-based nodes, and also with unpredictable events such as emergency broadcasts. Contrary to the high-priority mode, the VPNC-based nodes AIFS in the low-priority mode is set such that the medium access is granted prior to CSMA-based nodes. Simulations results show that the global PRR in high-priority mode outperforms existing MAC.
D-Sight
Authors: Hayez Quantin , De Smet Yves , Bonney Jimmy
Published: February 2013

PROMETHEE and GAIA belong to the family of multi-criteria outranking methods. A key aspect of their successful application to real problems relies on the existence of user-friendly software implementing these approaches. Following PROMCALC and DECISION LAB 2000, D-Sight is the third generation of PROMETHEE and GAIA based applications. It offers multiple interactive and visual tools that help the decision maker to better understand and manage his multi-criteria problem. The aim of this paper is to provide a description of D-Sight by presenting its main characteristics. An illustrative case study about the outsourcing of IT infrastructure and application development is detailed.
No Silver Bullet
Authors: Zhang Nan , O’Neill Liam , Das Gautam , Cheng Xiuzhen , Huang Heng
Published: February 2013

In accordance with HIPAA regulations, patients’ personal information is typically removed or generalized prior to being released as public data files. However, it is not known if the standard method of de-identification is sufficient to prevent re-identification by an intruder. The authors conducted analytical processing to identify security vulnerabilities in the protocols to de-identify hospital data. Their techniques for discovering privacy leakage utilized three disclosure channels: (1) data inter-dependency, (2) biomedical domain knowledge, and (3) suppression algorithms and partial suppression results. One state’s inpatient discharge data set was used to represent the current practice of de-identification of health care data, where a systematic approach had been employed to suppress certain elements of the patient’s record. Of the 1,098 records for which the hospital ID was suppressed, the original hospital ID was recovered for 616 records, leading to a nullification rate of 56.1%. Utilizing domain knowledge based on the patient’s Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) code, the authors recovered the real age of 64 patients, the gender of 83 male patients and 713 female patients. They also successfully identified the ZIP code of 1,219 patients. The procedure used to de-identify hospital records was found to be inadequate to prevent disclosure of patient information. As the masking procedure described was found to be reversible, this increases the risk that an intruder could use this information to re-identify individual patients.
Performance of VoIP in Wired-Cum-Wireless Ethernet Network
Authors: Sarkar Nurul I. , Nisar Kashif
Published: February 2013

The Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a rapidly growing technology that enables transport of voice over data networks such as Ethernet Local Area Networks (LANs). This growth is due to the integration of voice and data traffic over the existing network infrastructure, low cost, and improved network management offered by the technology. This paper reports on the performance of VoIP traffic characteristics in a wired-cum-wireless Ethernet LAN. The effect of increasing the number of VoIP wireless clients, different voice codec schemes, and packet arrival distributions on system performance is investigated. Through various simulation experiments under realistic network scenarios, such as Small Office Home Office (SOHO) and campus networks, this paper provides an insight into the performance of VoIP over Ethernet LANs. Simulation results show that VoIP clients and voice codec schemes have significant effect on system performance. The authors preformed OPNET-based simulations to validate their experiments.
Semantic Clustering of Web Documents
Authors: Avanija J. , Ramar K.
Published: February 2013

With the massive growth and large volume of the web it is very difficult to recover results based on the user preferences. The next generation web architecture, semantic web reduces the burden of the user by performing search based on semantics instead of keywords. Even in the context of semantic technologies optimization problem occurs but rarely considered. In this paper document clustering is applied to recover relevant documents. The authors propose an ontology based clustering algorithm using semantic similarity measure and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), which is applied to the annotated documents for optimizing the result. The proposed method uses Jena API and GATE tool API and the documents can be recovered based on their annotation features and relations. A preliminary experiment comparing the proposed method with K-Means shows that the proposed method is feasible and performs better than K-Means.
Designing, Setting Up, and Facilitating a Knowledge Sharing Virtual Community of Practice, between Social Work Lecturers in the UK and India
Authors: Williams Isabel
Published: February 2013

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of a virtual Community of Practice (vCoP) which was developed between social work lecturers in two University settings – one in the UK and the other in India. The design and methodology draws on qualitative data collected from online discussions and semi-structured questionnaires arising from the involvement of twelve participants over a one year period. An Action Research method was adopted which allowed the shift of power from the designer to the participants over the year. This paper illustrates how a vCoP can be an ideal tool to aid communication and knowledge sharing between universities within an international context. It adds value by increasing the knowledge of participant lecturers to more than local perspectives and gives a greater understanding of social work from an international, cross-country, perspective. Although one of the limitations is that this is a small scale study, it does raise important considerations necessary for ensuring the success for vCoP’s and offers a model to aid successful online collaboration as well as important messages for those who are developing online courses and teaching within an international environment. It further gives insight into adopting Action Research as a research methodology that can be usefully used for online collaborative research.
A Semantic Based Approach for Knowledge Capitalization in Communities of Practice of E-Learning
Authors: Berkani Lamia , Chikh Azeddine
Published: February 2013

Communities of Practice of E-learning (CoPEs) are considered as a virtual framework for exchanging and sharing techno-pedagogic knowledge and know-how between actors of e-learning. However, after analyzing of knowledge management modalities in some CoPEs, the authors noticed that knowledge is often represented in a way that does not facilitate its access and reuse. Accordingly, this paper focuses on knowledge capitalization in CoPEs and proposes an ontology-based framework aiming to facilitate knowledge sharing and reuse. This framework is structured into three layers: (1) the ontology layer, (2) the semantic annotation layer, and (3) the asset layer. It provides respectively, a common vocabulary within a CoPE aiming to enable a shared understanding between its members, a semantic support to annotate its knowledge assets facilitating their retrieval and reuse, and a means of storage and indexing its different assets. The paper is illustrated with a case study related to a semantic adaptive wiki, a service proposed for a CoPE made up of a teaching staff in computer science at the USTHB University in Algeria.
The Globalization Competence Assessment Framework
Authors: Stén Tiia , Pawlowski Jan M. , Pirkkalainen Henri
Published: February 2013

The goal of this paper is to recommend suitable competence assessment instruments and methods for assessing globalization competence in the Information Systems domain. This is done by matching globalization competences with suitable competence assessment methods. The results of the analysis indicate that the most applicable competence assessment methods for assessing globalization competences in the Information Systems domain are written format assessments (especially essays), candidate self-reports, live interactions (especially group work), and computer simulations. The validity of the outcome is confirmed through a mixed method of document analysis and expert interviews by analyzing and evaluating the assessment methods of Finnish higher education courses in the Information Systems field. Finally, a preliminary comparison between Finnish and Japanese assessment methods is conducted.
A MapReduce Implementation of the Spreading Activation Algorithm for Processing Large Knowledge Bases Based on Semantic Networks
Authors: Lorenzo Jorge González , Gayo José Emilio Labra , Rodríguez José María Álvarez
Published: February 2013

The emerging Web of Data as part of the Semantic Web initiative and the sheer mass of information now available make it possible the deployment of new services and applications based on the reuse of existing vocabularies and datasets. A huge amount of this information is published by governments and organizations using semantic web languages and formats such as RDF, implicit graph structures developed using W3C standard languages: RDF-Schema or OWL, but new flexible programming models to process and exploit this data are required. In that sense the use of algorithms such as Spreading Activation is growing in order to find relevant and related information in this new data realm. Nevertheless the efficient exploration of the large knowledge bases has not yet been resolved and that is why new paradigms are emerging to boost the definitive deployment of the Web of Data. This cornerstone is being addressed applying new programming models such as MapReduce in combination with old-fashioned techniques of Document and Information Retrieval. In this paper an implementation of the Spreading Activation technique based on the MapReduce programming model and the problems of applying this paradigm to graph-based structures are introduced. Finally, a concrete experiment with real data is presented to illustrate the algorithm performance and scalability.
Advanced E-Learning Services for Teachers
Authors: Kamakari Anna , Drigas Athanasios
Published: February 2013

In Greece, the training system and education can be adapted to distance lifelong e-learning and the teachers, the society and the economy can be benefited via the introduction and training of in-service teachers in (a) the Video Conferencing (VC) technology and mode of distant training, granted that VC is put into a learning framework, and (b) Knowledge Management (KM) methodology, through lectures and seminars. Incidentally, VC technology and KM methodology can be integrated into in-service teacher distance lifelong training and development, and to this end, an example, a hybrid model, of the manner VC technology and KM methodology can be integrated into in-service teacher distance lifelong training and development, that is, a microteaching session via VC and KM, which is advisable for Greek teachers of all specialisations in Greece or abroad, is given.
Promoting Audiovisual Formats for Developing Teaching Digital Competences
Authors: Torres Eduardo Negrín , Martín-Gutiérrez Jorge , Meneses-Fernández M. Dolores
Published: February 2013

The introduction of audiovisual language on communicative models of modern society is an uprising constant which has made it the leading communicative method amongst new generations over overcoming written media. In this paper, the authors focus on how important is use of video tutorial in university teaching as an efficient and accessible resource in the teaching and learning processes. They may introduce the initiative developed by the La Laguna University called ‘ULLmedia Express yourself’ which combines teaching staff’s training work for the creation of video tutorials applied to teaching with the needed infrastructure for its production. This initiative seeks extension of video tutorial tool and its many aspects in university teaching without meaning additional costs for the institution, promoting ‘communicative closeness’ between teacher and students as well as creative and innovating spirit from teachers in their professional duties.
Using Geospatial Information Systems for Strategic Planning and Institutional Research for Higher Education Institutions
Authors: Valcik Nicolas A.
Published: February 2013

This article discusses the implementation and use of Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) at The University of Texas at Dallas in the Office of Strategic Planning and Analysis (OSPA). Many institutional research offices primarily focus on traditional statistical and analytical tools to provide data for assessing, developing, or modifying institutional policies. However, by adding an additional facet such as location, more in depth analysis can be provided on a wide array of research topics. The article focuses on how the Office of Strategic Planning and Analysis utilizes Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) for a wide array of tasks. GIS is used currently by the department for facility information, tracking logistics through the university, benchmarking and for operational information for the university. In addition GIS can be used for admissions and recruiting, alumni giving, emergency management as well as homeland security purposes. In this article the requirements for using GIS in an institutional research or strategic planning office is addressed as well as some pitfalls and advantages to using such applications to perform institutional research in addition to providing data that can be used for institutional operations.
A Multidisciplinary Survey on Service
Authors: Loutas Nikolaos , Tarabanis Konstantinos , Peristeras Vassilios
Published: February 2013

The rising importance of service for the global economy has resulted in a significant number of efforts to define and interpret its meaning. In this vein, this article identifies and organizes related literature following a holistic approach. The authors study service from different perspectives, both business-related and technical ones, e.g., marketing, operations management, and computer science. A total of 47 definitions of service are finally reviewed. They’ve found out: (1) How is service perceived and defined by different disciplines and (2) What are the common service species according to related literature. The authors observe that in the business realm service falls under either of the following two categories: service as a set of value-creating activities and service as a transformation. Due to ICT revolutionizing service provision, significant work has also been conducted in order to study technology-enabled services. The authors identified different types of technology-enabled services, namely e-services, SOA services and Web services. The main contribution of this article lies in the broadness, completeness and cross-disciplinarily of the literature covered, thus being able to stand as a reference source of knowledge for service analysts, engineers and practitioners.
Simulating a Contract Closeout Process
Authors: Capizzi Clayton Jerrett , Wilck Joseph , Li Xueping
Published: February 2013

Government defense contractors are burdened by contracts which have ended, but have not been finalized and closed. In order to keep good relations with organizations regulating government contracts, contractors have been forced to devise a strategy to address contract closeouts. Data was collected about a defense contractor’s contract closeout process, and a simulation model of the system was developed to aid in completing the contract closeout process. Using simulation software, the closeout process was successfully modeled under varying resource levels. The simulation model included true worker process times with integrated schedules, including holidays, over the expected period of performance. The simulation produced a realistic model which allows an organization to plan their resources to accomplish their contract closeout process under specified conditions and deadlines. The results are relevant to government (public sector) contracts as well as industrial (private sector) contracts where similar regulations are applicable.
Knowledge Sharing Portal Evaluation
Authors: Subramanian D. Venkata , Geetha Angelina , Raja Senthil
Published: February 2013

A knowledge management (KM) system plays a crucial role in every industry as well as in higher learning institutions. The purpose of this case study is to better understand the relationships between the knowledge seekers and expert’s feedback when evaluating, knowledge portals. One of the primary goals of this case study is to analyze the data collected from the database technology professionals (knowledge seekers), who access a series of database technology articles in the knowledge sharing portal to enhance their skills. This study also analyzes the data from the database technology experts, for validation, and performs the correlation between the evaluation results of knowledge providers and seekers. In addition, this paper tries to identify the correlation between the feedback data collected from knowledge seekers and providers. This study also describes an evaluation methodology involving both knowledge seekers and providers, with an emphasis on the key evaluation factors and supporting factors, as an effective approach to evaluate the knowledge sharing portal.
Value Creation of Platform Mediated Networks in the Mobile Industry
Authors: López-Berzosa David , Sánchez-González Gloria , Heredero Carmen De Pablos
Published: February 2013

This paper analyzes emerging models of governance in platform-mediated networks subject to winner-takes-all competition regimes. The results show how modularity, an important attribute in technological systems, plays an important role in competition dynamics. The study is applied to the mobile networks industry, a highly dynamic and technology intensive sector, ideally suited to conduct research on competition under strong network effects. Based on the information coming from an important firm in this sector, the paper finds that proprietary technological platforms require a large set of external contributors to ensure sustainable rates of development and innovation. The authors’ results also suggest that, contrary to established theory, firms may opt for proprietary platforms rather than shared governance models and, nonetheless, they are able to successfully compete against the established ones.
A Case of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia with Morphologic Multilineage Dysplastic Changes
Authors: Isono Setsuki , Saigo Katsuyasu , Nagata Keiko , Numata Keiko , Kojitani Toshiaki , Okamura Akiharu , Nishizawa Akihiko , Takata Masafumi , Takenokuchi Mariko , Tatsumi Eiji
Published: February 2013

Although reports of typical acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cases rarely mention dysplastic changes, this report concerns a rare case of APL with tri-lineage dysplastic changes resembling the characteristic features of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The patient, a 77-year-old Japanese male, was diagnosed as having pancytopenia with hematologic morphological abnormalities comprising micromegakaryocytes, neutrophils with hypo-granulation and negative peroxidase activity, and erythroblasts containing nuclei with abnormalities such as karyorrhexis. Although there is one report of a case of transformation of de novo MDS into APL and several reports of cases of therapy-related MDS transformed into APL, our patient had no history of cytopenia or of either chemo or radiation therapy. Our case can thus be considered to constitute a rare case of APL with dysplastic morphology.
Imaging in oral cancers
Authors: Arya Supreeta , Chaukar Devendra , Pai Prathamesh
Published: February 2013

Oral cavity squamous cell cancers form a significant percentage of the cancers seen in India. While clinical examination allows direct visualization, it cannot evaluate deep extension of disease. Cross-sectional imaging has become the cornerstone in the pretreatment evaluation of these cancers and provides accurate information about the extent and depth of disease that can help decide the appropriate management strategy and indicate prognosis. Early cancers are treated with a single modality, either surgery or radiotherapy while advanced cancers are offered a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Imaging can decide resectability, help plan the precise extent of resection, and indicate whether organ conservation therapy should be offered. Quality of life issues necessitate preservation of form and function and pretreatment imaging helps plan appropriate reconstruction and counsel patients regarding lifestyle changes. Oral cavity has several subsites and the focus of the review is squamous cancers of the gingivobuccal region, oral tongue and retromolar trigone as these are most frequently encountered in the subcontinent. References for this review were identified by searching Medline and PubMed databases. Only articles published in English language literature were selected. This review aims to familiarize the radiologist with the relevant anatomy of the oral cavity, discuss the specific issues that influence prognosis and management at the above subsites, the optimal imaging methods, the role of imaging in accurately staging these cancers and in influencing management. A checklist for reporting will emphasize the information to be conveyed by the radiologist.
Multimodality imaging of the orbit
Authors: Hande Pradipta C , Talwar Inder
Published: February 2013

The role of imaging is well established in the evaluation of orbital diseases. Ultrasonography, Computed tomography and Magnetic resonance imaging are complementary modalities, which allow direct visualization of regional anatomy, accurate localization and help to characterize lesions to make a reliable radiological diagnosis. The purpose of this pictorial essay is to highlight the imaging features of commonly encountered pathologies which involve the orbit.
Radio frequency identification technologies for livestock management and meat supply chain traceability
Authors: Barge P. , Gay P. , Merlino V. , Tortia C.
Published: February 2013

Barge, P., Gay, P., Merlino, V. and Tortia, C. 2013. Radio frequency identification technologies for livestock management and meat supply chain traceability. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 93: 23–33. Animal electronic identification could be exploited by farmers as an interesting opportunity to increase the efficiency of herd management and traceability. Although radio frequency identification (RFID) solutions for animal identification have already been envisaged, the integration of a RFID traceability system at farm level has to be carried out carefully, considering different aspects (farm type, number and species of animals, barn structure). The tag persistence on the animal after application, the tag-to-tag collisions in the case of many animals contemporarily present in the reading area of the same antenna and the barn layout play determinant roles in system reliability. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the RFID identification system performance and determine the best practice to apply these devices in livestock management. RFID systems were tested both in laboratory, on the farm and in slaughterhouses for the implementation of a traceability system with automatic animal data capture. For this purpose a complete system for animal identification and tracking, accomplishing regulatory compliance as well as supply chain management requirements, has been developed and is described in the paper. Results were encouraging for identification of calves both in farms and slaughterhouses, while in swine breeding, identification was critical for small piglets. In this case, the design of a RFID gate where tag-to-tag collisions are avoided should be envisaged.
Effects of calf- and yearling-fed beef production systems and growth promotants on production and profitability
Authors: López-Campos Óscar , Aalhus Jennifer L. , Okine Erasmus K. , Baron Vern S. , Basarab John A.
Published: February 2013

López-Campos, Ó., Aalhus, J. L., Okine, E. K., Baron, V. S. and Basarab, J. A. 2013. Effects of calf- and yearling-fed beef production systems and growth promotants on production and profitability. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 93: 171–184. In each of 2 yr, 112 spring-born steers were used to evaluate the effect of calf-fed vs. yearling-fed with and without growth implant and β-adrenergic agonist on production parameters and economic potential. Steers were grouped into: (1) non-implanted feeders harvested at 11–14 mo of age, (2) growth implanted feeders harvested at 11–14 mo of age, (3) non-implanted feeders harvested at 19–23 mo of age, and (4) growth implanted feeders harvested at 19–23 mo of age. Production data were collected and economic evaluation was performed. Calf-fed steers grew slower (1.21 vs. 1.99±0.07 kg d−1) and had a poorer feed conversion ratio [5.32 vs. 4.99±0.34 kg dry matter intake (DMI) kg−1 gain] during the feedlot dietary adjustment period than yearling-fed. Calf-fed steers were more efficient than yearling-fed during the first 76–83 d (5.16 vs. 7.33±0.11 kg DMI kg−1 gain) and latter 48–79 d (5.69 vs. 14.28±1.50 kg DMI kg−1 gain) of the finishing period. Implanted steers were more efficient than non-implanted during the dietary feedlot adjustment period (4.80 vs. 5.52±0.15 kg DMI kg−1 gain), and during the first 76–83 d (6.05 vs. 6.44±0.11 kg DMI kg−1 gain) and latter 48–79 d of the finishing period (9.29 vs. 10.69±1.50 kg DMI kg−1 gain). Implanted steers grew 11.4–19.6% faster than non-implanted throughout the finishing period, while yearling-fed grew 11.1–12.9% faster during the first 76–83 d, but 49.1–64.4% slower during the last 48–79 d of the finishing period compared with calf-fed. Quality grade was improved for non-implanted steers, with 43.6% of yearling-fed and 35.7% calf-fed steers grading AAA. Adjusted net return was best for calf-fed implanted ($17.52 head−1), followed by calf-fed non-implanted ($−41.92 head−1), yearling-fed implanted ($−73.77 head−1), and yearling-fed non-implanted ($−99.65 head−1) production strategies. The results of the present study suggest that reducing age at slaughter combined with growth implant can increase profit and reduce risk, but growth implants can negatively affect the carcass quality.