bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La coopération antiterroriste transatlantique : succès techniques et interrogations politiques
Authors: Chouet Alain
Published: October 2016

De part et d’autre de l’Atlantique, les responsables politiques, les médias et les opinions publiques portent sur la coopération bilatérale franco-américaine de lutte contre le terrorisme un regard contrasté. Pour les professionnels de la sécurité, l’équation est cependant moins compliquée qu’il n’y paraît. Elle repose en effet sur la distinction essentielle entre « lutte anti-terroriste » et « contre-terrorisme », peu perceptible pour le grand public et les médias. La lutte anti-terroriste suppose que l’acte terroriste a été commis ou que les éléments matériels et humains nécessaires à sa perpétration sont réunis. Elle est donc du ressort de la police et de la justice. Le contre-terrorisme est une notion plus vaste qui recouvre l’ensemble des mesures visant à ce que le passage à l’action violente ne se matérialise pas. Il repose donc sur la capacité de décèlement précoce des services de renseignement et sur leur capacité de proposer au politique des contre-mesures qui peuvent relever du domaine diplomatique, économique, social, culturel ou politique. En ce qui concerne la lutte anti-terroriste, la coopération franco-américaine fonctionne bien, depuis bien avant le 11 septembre 2001. Le problème est tout autre en matière de contre-terrorisme. Une coopération en la matière ne repose pas seulement sur une synergie des capacités : elle suppose un consensus politique. Or, dans ce domaine, le divorce reste profond. Depuis les années Reagan, les services américains ont partout dans le monde joué la carte des mouvements islamistes sunnites pour contrer les influences soviétique et iranienne. La France a toujours été en profond désaccord avec cette stratégie. Après le 11 septembre, Washington a effectué un virage à 180˚, passant d’un extrême à l’autre. La « guerre globale contre la terreur » n’a pas permis de développer une logique cohérente de contre-terrorisme des deux côtés de l’Atlantique.
La révolution du renseignement
Authors: Denécé Éric
Published: October 2016

Depuis le début des années 1990, la disparition de l’ennemi soviétique, l’affirmation du terrorisme islamique, la révolution des technologies de l’information, les nouvelles exigences de transparence démocratique et le nouveau rapport au politique ont provoqué une véritable révolution du renseignement. Contexte, sujets d’intérêt, adversaires, modes d’action et délais de réaction ont été totalement bouleversés par rapport à ce qu’était le quotidien des services pendant la Guerre froide. Si les services modernes sont de plus en plus efficaces, ils ne couvrent paradoxalement qu’une proportion de plus en plus faible des besoins en informations des autorités, en raison de la diversité des enjeux internationaux et de l’explosion des nouvelles technologies de communication et de cryptage. En une décennie, ils ont perdu le monopole de l’information et doivent s’accommoder d’une concurrence nouvelle avec divers acteurs privés, avec lesquels il leur faut apprendre à coexister. Surtout, leur action doit dorénavant s’exercer avec une plus grande transparence et en rendant des comptes aux assemblées législatives, ce qui est une véritable révolution copernicienne.
La réforme perpétuelle du renseignement américain
Authors: Daninos Franck
Published: October 2016

Les attentats du 11 septembre ont entraîné une remise en cause sans précédent depuis le milieu des années 1940 de l’appareil de renseignement et de sécurité américain. La faillite semblait si importante, et les responsabilités si partagées, que l’idée d’une refonte globale s’est vite imposée dans un pays où les attentes à l’égard des services sont considérables. Ce sentiment s’est traduit par une vague de réformes visant à promouvoir l’intégration et le partage des informations entre la quinzaine d’agences qui forment la communauté du renseignement – cela, afin de mettre fin au cloisonnement et à la stricte division des tâches qui ont longtemps prévalu. Créé fin 2004, le poste de « directeur du renseignement national » devait en être le garant. Mais des barrières juridiques, politiques et idéologiques s’opposent toujours à ce que les pouvoirs de ce grand ordonnateur du renseignement soient en adéquation avec ses responsabilités.
Implications de la construction d’une “Homeland Defense“ en Europe, en matière d’intelligence économique
Authors: Murat Geoffroy
Published: October 2016

L’Intelligence Économique et Stratégique (IES) connaît depuis plusieurs années un engouement de plus en plus important. L’IES commence ainsi à s’institutionnaliser, comme l’illustre la création en France du poste de Haut Responsable à l’Intelligence Économique auprès du Premier ministre. Toutefois, les situations sont très diverses en Europe entre des pays où l’IES est ancrée culturellement dans les mentalités, comme en Allemagne et au Royaume-Uni, et des pays où il se révèle plus difficile d’intégrer cette démarche, comme en France. L’Europe fait également face à un dilemme. Pour affronter les politiques d’IES offensives des États-Unis, du Japon ou des pays émergents, l’Europe est dans l’obligation de s’organiser pour défendre ses champions industriels. Or, 75 % du commerce européen est un commerce infra-zone, ce qui suscite une forte concurrence entre les différentes entreprises européennes. Il s’avère donc très difficile d’organiser une politique d’IES comparable à celle des États-Unis, du fait de la spécificité de la construction européenne. Il est pourtant indispensable d’établir cette politique, du moins dans les secteurs déjà européanisés, comme celui de la haute technologie.
L’intelligence territoriale : l’information au service des élus locaux
Authors: Février Rémy
Published: October 2016

L’intelligence territoriale, initialement portée par quelques pionniers, a définitivement acquis sa légitimité à travers la mise en place de pôles de compétitivité. Il reste aujourd’hui à décliner ses principes directeurs et ses modes d’action au niveau des collectivités territoriales, au premier rang desquelles les communes : ces dernières, confrontées à la fois à un impératif économique devenu englobant, ainsi qu’à de nouvelles exigences sociétales, sont contraintes d’abandonner leur rôle traditionnel de facilitateurs économiques pour s’engager de plus en plus dans la valorisation harmonieuse de leurs territoires. L’objectif est d’autant plus complexe qu’il se double d’arbitrages récurrents entre économie et espace public ainsi qu’entre court et moyen terme. La mise en place d’une intelligence territoriale spécifiquement adaptée à la réalité communale et à ses enjeux constitue, dans cette optique, une opportunité décisive pour des élus locaux. La première étape de ce processus consiste en l’élaboration d’une véritable stratégie de collecte et de traitement de l’information conjuguant l’édification d’un processus structuré de veille juridique et sociétale avec la volonté de tirer parti de canaux informationnels existant mais négligés.
Married State Preceptorship Model: Crossing the State Line in New Graduate Nurse Transition to Practice
Authors: Figueroa Solimar , Gardner Julie , Irizarry Jose , Cohn Tanya
Published: October 2016

Background:

The transition to practice for new graduate nurses poses distinct challenges at the point of care. The complicated work environment necessitates a preceptorship model that maintains safety at all times.

Method:

This study used survey, focus groups, and interviews to assess the effects of the married state preceptorship model (MSPM) on the experiences and perceptions of the new nurses and preceptors in a hospital setting.

Results:

The result validated the original findings from the new nurses' survey, indicating all (
N
= 28, 100%) of the new nurses found the MSPM to be beneficial, promote safety, and lessen anxiety, and 27 (96%) thought it helped them to assume a full patient load. The preceptors' survey revealed that 29 (97%) of the preceptors thought the MSPM promoted safety, 30 (100%) thought it boosted confidence, and 30 (100%) believed it meet the needs of the new nurses.

Conclusion:

The study showed same thematic saturation on partnership, critical thinking, learning, and transition. The change in culture has been strengthened in the replicate study referring to their acclimatization in the unit through the MSPM.

J Contin Educ Nurs.
2016;47(11):511–517.
Kangaroo Care Education Effects on Nurses' Knowledge and Skills Confidence
Authors: Almutairi Wedad Matar , Ludington-Hoe Susan M.
Published: October 2016

Background:

Less than 20% of the 996 NICUs in the United States routinely practice kangaroo care, due in part to the inadequate knowledge and skills confidence of nurses. Continuing education improves knowledge and skills acquisition, but the effects of a kangaroo care certification course on nurses' knowledge and skills confidence are unknown.

Method:

A pretest–posttest quasi-experiment was conducted. The Kangaroo Care Knowledge and Skills Confidence Tool was administered to 68 RNs at a 2.5-day course about kangaroo care evidence and skills. Measures of central tendency, dispersion, and paired
t
tests were conducted on 57 questionnaires.

Results:

The nurses' characteristics were varied. The mean posttest Knowledge score (
M
= 88.54,
SD
= 6.13) was significantly higher than the pretest score (
M
= 78.7,
SD
= 8.30),
t
[54] = −9.1,
p
= .000), as was the posttest Skills Confidence score (pretest
M
= 32.06,
SD
= 3.49; posttest
M
= 26.80,
SD
= 5.22),
t
[53] = −8.459,
p
= .000
)
.

Conclusion:

The nurses' knowledge and skills confidence of kangaroo care improved following continuing education, suggesting a need for continuing education in this area.

J Contin Educ Nurs.
2016;47(11):518–524.
Percutaneous Acetabuloplasty for Metastatic Lesions to the Pelvis
Authors: Durfee Ryan A. , Sabo Scott A. , Letson G. Douglas , Binitie Odion , Cheong David
Published: October 2016

Metastatic lesions of the acetabulum can be painful and debilitating. First-line treatment is multimodal and consists of disease-specific chemotherapy, osteoclastic inhibitors, analgesics, and radiation therapy. When these therapies fail, surgical intervention usually is indicated and varies from regional defect stabilization to large periacetabular reconstructions that are demanding procedures with high rates of complications. Percutaneous cement augmentation (acetabuloplasty) of lesions in selected patients has been explored as a less invasive method of lesional control. This retrospective review included 11 patients with painful periacetabular lesions who underwent percutaneous acetabuloplasty using fluoroscopic guidance from 2007 to 2012, in addition to standard treatment with either radiation or chemotherapy, or a combination of both radiation and chemotherapy. Primary tumors included 4 multiple myeloma, 4 renal cell, and 3 breast malignancies. Mean procedure length was 58.4 minutes, and mean hospital stay was 1.4 days (range, 1–2 days). Mean blood loss was 33.4 mL, and there were no complications due to infection or cementation. Mean follow-up was 26.4 months (range, 3–36 months), with 2 patients dying from complications of underlying disease. All of the patients experienced pain relief following the procedure, with mean visual analog scale scores improving from 7.7 to 2.1 (
P
=.002). Postoperative Musculoskeletal Tumor Society and Oxford hip scores were obtained for 7 of 11 patients and demonstrated improvement. One patient underwent conversion to an acetabular reconstruction due to disease progression. This report demonstrates the effective use of a minimally invasive procedure to provide acute stability, pain relief, and good functional outcomes in patients with periacetabular metastatic lesions without pathologic fracture. [
Orthopedics.
2017; 40(1):e170–e175.]
Enhancing the Educational Environment for Diverse Nursing Students Through Mentoring and Shared Governance
Authors: Latham Christine L. , Singh Harsimran , Ringl Karen K.
Published: October 2016

Background:

A structured peer-mentoring program for diverse nursing students culminated in shared governance meetings between mentors and program coordinators to address mentees' concerns and issues.

Method:

After informed consent, mentees reviewed mentor profiles online and selected mentors. Baseline data were collected on ethnic identity, lifestyle, social support, and academic habits. Outcome data included mentors' self-reflective journal themes and student satisfaction surveys and focus group evaluation of the program.

Results:

Students reported weak scores in the areas of wellness, exercise, and stress management. Journaling revealed valuable information about challenges faced by mentees that could impair their success. Mentors' proactive suggestions to handle major mentee journal themes were shared with nursing school administrators using a shared governance approach.

Conclusion:

The mentoring program supported students and culminated in a shared governance process to discuss ways to address mentee challenges that might improve the educational environment for future students. [
J Nurs Educ
. 2016;55(11):605–614.]
Concept Maps in Nursing Education: A Historical Literature Review and Research Directions
Authors: Daley Barbara J. , Morgan Sarah , Black Sarah Beman
Published: October 2016

Background:

Although concept mapping was created in the early 1980s, research in nursing education first appeared in 1992. This literature review analyzes the impact of concept mapping in nursing education.

Method:

A total of 221 articles, books, and book chapters were reviewed on the topic of concept mapping in nursing education.

Results:

Results indicate that concept-mapping research progressed from the emergence state, to an expansion and adaptation stage, to an established stage.

Conclusion:

Nursing education could benefit from further research on applying concept map scoring formulas, using concept maps with simulation, developing knowledge models, and creating concept map–centered learning environments. [
J Nurs Educ.
2016;55(11):631–639.]
Simulation With Debriefing and Guided Reflective Journaling to Stimulate Critical Thinking in Prelicensure Baccalaureate Degree Nursing Students
Authors: Padden-Denmead Mary L. , Scaffidi Rose M. , Kerley Regina M. , Farside Amy Lee
Published: October 2016

Background:

Simulation and guided reflective journaling have been identified as effective teaching and learning methods to develop critical thinking (CT) and clinical reasoning skills in nursing students.

Method:

A descriptive correlational design was used to determine the relationship between CT and level of reflection using the Holistic Critical Thinking Skills Rubric (HCTSR) and the level of reflection on action assessment (LORAA), respectively, to evaluate 23 baccalaureate student-guided reflective journal entries after a simulation exercise with guided debriefing and after two subsequent clinical experiences.

Results:

A statistically significant positive relationship (
p
< .01) was found between mean HCTSR and LORAA scores on all three journal entries, but no relationship to CT during simulation or on standardized test scores. The results also indicated support for use of the guided reflection after significant learning experiences.

Conclusions:

The LORAA and the HCTSR are effective measures of level of reflection and CT to evaluate learning from simulation and clinical experiences. [
J Nurs Educ
. 2016;55(11):645–650.]
Peer Mentoring During Practicum to Reduce Anxiety in First-Semester Nursing Students
Authors: Walker Danielle , Verklan Terese
Published: October 2016

Background:

The clinical setting creates significant anxiety for students that can decrease their ability to learn.

Method:

This quasi-experimental study examined whether nursing students who participate in peer mentoring during their first clinical experience (
n
= 18) experienced less anxiety than those in traditional clinical experiences (
n
= 19). Anxiety was measured using the standardized State Trait Anxiety Index and the Clinical Experiences Anxiety Form (CEAF). Data were analyzed using descriptive and nonparametric statistics.

Results:

A significant decrease was demonstrated in clinical situation-specific anxiety, as measured by the CEAF, among students who were peer mentored as compared with students who were not.

Conclusion:

Peer mentoring shows promise as an effective strategy to reduce anxiety among novice nursing students. [
J Nurs Educ
. 2016;55(11):651–654.]
Persistent Corneal Edema Associated With Subconjunctival 5-fluorouracil in an Infant With Primary Congenital Glaucoma
Authors: Fu Gregory L. , Alexander Janet L. , Saeedi Osamah J.
Published: October 2016

A 3-month-old boy with primary congenital glaucoma developed a transient corneal endothelial opacity after needle bleb revision with adjunctive 5-fluorouracil. This case presents a rare toxicity that, although transient, is concerning due to the potential of amblyopia. The authors review prior cases of corneal opacity associated with 5-fluorouracil.

[
J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus
. 2016;53:e54–e57.]
Coral reef fish assemblages at Clipperton Atoll (Eastern Tropical Pacific) and their relationship with coral cover
Authors: Ricart Aurora M. , Rodríguez-Zaragoza Fabián A. , González-Salas Carlos , Ortiz Marco , Cupul-Magaña Amílcar L. , Adjeroud Mehdi
Published: October 2016

Clipperton Atoll, one of the most isolated coral reefs worldwide, is of great scientific interest due to its geomorphology and high levels of endemism. This study explored the reef fish assemblage structure of Clipperton Atoll and its relationship with live coral cover. Nine stations were sampled at three sites and three depths (6, 12 and 20 m) around the reef, measuring fish species richness and biomass and hermatypic coral cover (at genus level). We evaluated variation in species richness, biomass and diversity of fish assemblages among sites and depths, as well as the relationship between the entire fish assemblage composition and live coral cover. The results showed that species richness and biomass were similar among sites, but differed across depths, increasing with depth. In contrast, diversity differed among sites but not among depths. Multivariate analyses indicated that fish assemblage composition differed among sites and depths in relation to changes in cover of coral of the genera Pocillopora, Porites, Pavona and Leptoseris, which dominate at different depths. The results showed that fish species richness and diversity were low at Clipperton Atoll and that, in isolated coral reefs with a low habitat heterogeneity and low human disturbance, live coral cover has a significant influence on the spatial variation of the reef fish assemblages. This study highlights the importance of coral habitat structure in shaping coral reef fish assemblages.
Cryptic diversity in Mediterranean gastropods of the genus Aplus (Neogastropoda: Buccinidae)
Authors: Aissaoui Chrifa , Puillandre Nicolas , Bouchet Philippe , Fassio Giulia , Modica Maria Vittoria , Oliverio Marco
Published: October 2016

Northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean gastropods previously ascribed to the buccinid genus Pollia Gray, 1837 are more correctly classified in the genus Aplus de Gregorio, 1885. Using an integrative taxonomy approach combining molecular, morphological and geographic data, we revisit the limits of the extant species in the area, and propose a molecular phylogenetic hypothesis based on 66 specimens from various localities in the Mediterranean Sea, including type localities of some nominal taxa. We used a preliminary morphological inspection, followed by a DNA-barcoding approach to propose species hypotheses, subsequently consolidated using additional data (phylogenetic, geographic and refined morphological data). Seven species hypotheses were eventually retained within our molecularly assayed samples, versus three classical morphologically recognized species. Among these, three correspond to Aplus dorbignyi (Payreaudeau, 1826) with its hitherto unrecognized geographical cognates A. gaillardoti (Puton, 1856) (eastern Mediterranean) and Aplus nodulosus (Bivona Ant., 1832) (Sicily); two closely related, yet considerably divergent, lineages are treated as a single species under Aplus scaber (Locard, 1892); the classically admitted Aplus scacchianus (Philippi, 1844) is confirmed by molecular evidence; Mediterranean populations attributable to Aplus assimilis (Reeve, 1846) may represent either cryptic native populations or an ongoing invasion of the Mediterranean by what was hitherto considered to be a West African species; finally, specimens from the Strait of Gibraltar may represent an undescribed species, but we conservatively refrain from formally introducing it pending the analysis of more material, and it is compared with the similar Aplus campisii (Ardovini, 2014), recently described from Sicily and not assayed molecularly, and Aplus scaber.
Sign Language Video Processing for Text Detection in Hindi Language
Authors: Hiremath Rashmi B , Kagalkar Ramesh M
Published: October 2016

Sign language is a way of expressing yourself with your body language, where every bit of ones expressions, goals, or sentiments are conveyed by physical practices, for example, outward appearances, body stance, motions, eye movements, touch and the utilization of space. Non-verbal communication exists in both creatures and people, yet this article concentrates on elucidations of human non-verbal or sign language interpretation into Hindi textual expression. The proposed method of implementation utilizes the image processing methods and synthetic intelligence strategies to get the goal of sign video recognition. To carry out the proposed task implementation it uses image processing methods such as frame analysing based tracking, edge detection, wavelet transform, erosion, dilation, blur elimination, noise elimination, on training videos. It also uses elliptical Fourier descriptors called SIFT for shape feature extraction and most important part analysis for feature set optimization and reduction. For result analysis, this paper uses different category videos such as sign of weeks, months, relations etc. Database of extracted outcomes are compared with the video fed to the system as a input of the signer by a trained unclear inference system.
ICTs and Music in Special Learning Disabilities
Authors: Drigas Athanasios , Theodorou Paraskevi
Published: October 2016

Τhis study is a critical review of published scientific literature on the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Virtual Reality, multimedia, music and their applications in children with special learning difficulties.  Technology and music are two factors that are recognized as tools which ensure quality of life, success and access to knowledge and learning resources. In the following papers of the last decade (2006-2015) are proposed models of music therapy for students with special learning difficulties in a psycho educational setting. There are also defined future research perspectives concerning the applications of technology in this particular research field.
Low Noise EEG Amplifier Board for Low Cost Wearable BCI Devices
Authors: Ravim  , Suma K. V.
Published: October 2016

Designing a real-time BCI device requires an Electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition system and a signal processing system to process that acquired data. EEG acquisition boards available in market are expensive and they are required to be connected to computer for any processing work. Various low cost Digital Signal Processor (DSP) boards available in market come with internal Analog to Digital converters and peripheral interfaces. The idea is to design a low cost EEG amplifier board that can be used with these commercially available DSP boards. The analog data from EEG amplifier can be converted to digital data by DSP board and sent to computer via an interface for algorithm development and further control operations. EEG amplifiers are highly affected by noise from environment. Proper noise reduction techniques are implemented and simulated in circuit design. Each filter stage and noise reduction circuit is evaluated for a low noise design.
An Overview of Telemedicine Technologies for Healthcare Applications
Authors: Pandian P. S.
Published: October 2016

Medical care generally relies on the face-to-face encounter between patients and doctors. In places where face-to-face encounters are not possible, telemedicine technologies are relied upon to link patients to specialist doctors for consultation and to obtain opinion. The telemedicine technologies provide improved health care to the underprivileged in inaccessible areas at reduced cost. Telemedicine also improve quality of health care and more importantly reduce the isolation of specialists, nurses and allied health professionals. This review papers discusses the telemedicine technologies and its history, the communications technologies that are being used. The paper also covers the advantages and benefits of telemedicine. Also the recent advances that are going on in telemedicine in the areas of m-health, Wearable Physiological Monitoring System (WPMS), Wireless Body Area Networks (WBAN). Finally, the paper concludes with some of the drawbacks or issues of telemedicine technologies.
Diagnosis Rule Extraction from Patient Data for Chronic Kidney Disease Using Machine Learning
Authors: Serpen Alexander Arman
Published: October 2016

This research study employed a machine learning algorithm on actual patient data to extract decision making rules that can be used to diagnose chronic kidney disease. The patient data set entails a number of health-related attributes or indicators and contains 250 patients positive for chronic kidney disease. The C4.5 decision tree algorithm was applied to the patient data to formulate a set of diagnosis rules for chronic kidney disease. The C4.5 algorithm utilizing 3-fold cross validation achieved 98.25% prediction accuracy and thus correctly classified 393 instances and incorrectly classified 7 instances for a total patient count of 400. The extracted rule set highlighted the need to monitor serum creatinine levels in patients as the primary indicator for the presence of disease. Secondary indicators were pedal edema, hemoglobin, diabetes mellitus and specific gravity. The set of rules provides a preliminary screening tool towards conclusive diagnosis of the chronic kidney disease by nephrologists following timely referral by the primary care providers or decision-making algorithms.
Detection of Rarefaction of Capillaries and Avascular Region in Nailfold Capillary Images
Authors: Suma K. V.  , Rao Bheemsain
Published: October 2016

Reduction in the capillary density in the nailfold region is frequently observed in patients suffering from Hypertension (Feng J, 2010). Loss of capillaries results in avascular regions which have been well characterized in many diseases (Mariusz, 2009). Nailfold capillary images need to be pre-processed so that noise can be removed, background can be separated and the useful parameters may be computed using image processing algorithms. Smoothing filters such as Gaussian, Median and Adaptive Median filters are compared using Mean Squared Error and Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio. Otsu's thresholding is employed for segmentation. Connected Component Labeling algorithm is applied to calculate the number of capillaries per mm. This capillary density is used to identify rarefaction of capillaries and also the severity of rarefaction. Avascular region is detected by determining the distance between the peaks of the capillaries using Euclidian distance. Detection of rarefaction of capillaries and avascular regions can be used as a diagnostic tool for Hypertension and various other diseases.
A Soft Computing Approach for Data Routing in Hospital Area Networks (HAN)
Authors: Rakhee  , Srinivas M. B.
Published: October 2016

This paper proposes an alternative model to deliver vital signs of patients in a hospital indoor environment where a large number of patients exist and the traffic generated rapidly changes over time using Body Area Network (BAN). The methodology for finding an optimal path includes a meta-heuristic that combines ANT Colony Optimization (ACO). The authors propose an ACO based framework for monitoring data originating from a BAN to improve network life, energy and load balancing of the overall network. Since the traffic generated by BANs on the network changes with time, finding a shortest path is important for Hospital Area Network. In this paper, the authors implemented an ACO based method and have carried out simulations using OMNeT++ to prove that the proposed method can find a better solution than conventional methods.
Improved Traceable-Resistant Efficient Authentication Schemes for Wireless Networks
Authors: Dass Prajnamaya , Saha Pranay Kumar , Om Hari
Published: October 2016

Wireless technology is widely spread everywhere in the real world and has a biggest contribution to mankind. However, with the vitality of wireless architectures, security protocols are vulnerable to attackers outside the system, failure in wireless connectivity and machine failures. Protocols must be streamlined to combat with these abnormal conditions. In this paper, the authors provide a review of an existing protocol by Lee et al. They found that the protocol proposed by Lee et al., Enhanced two factor key exchange protocol in public wireless LANs is vulnerable to traceable attack. It is a serious type of attack where the attacker can target a particular user/client. To ensure security, the authors propose an improved scheme which anonymously provides secure authentication satisfying synchronization, untraceability of user and resists common attacks in a wireless network. As most of the real time security protocols use bio-metric based authentication schemes, they also propose a smartcard based secure authentication scheme for wireless networks. Their proposed schemes are proved safe under the formal security analysis of BAN logic. Both of their protocols are simulated using Automated Validation of Internet Security Protocols and Applications (AVISPA). The simulation of their protocols under On-the-Fly-Model-Checker (OFMC) and Constant Logic based Attack Searcher (CL-AtSe) models of AVISPA results in a SAFE state. The authors have compared their proposed schemes against some of the recently proposed wireless authentication schemes in terms of attack resistivity and operational cost. Experimental results elicit a significant improvement over the existing schemes with low cost. Proposed untraceable, synchronized schemes can be applied for authentication purposes in public wireless networks, client server authentication system etc. with effective cost.
A Secure Two-Factor Remote User Authentication and Session Key Agreement Scheme
Authors: Chandrakar Preeti , Om Hari
Published: October 2016

In this article, the authors have proposed a secure two-factor remote user authentication and session key agreement protocol. As they have shown in the presented scheme, is precise and secure according to both formal and informal security analysis. For formal security analysis, they have applied BAN (Burrows-Abadi-Needham) logic which certifies that the presented scheme provides the amenity of mutual authentication and session key agreement safely. The informal security verification has shown that the proposed scheme is more vigorous against various sort of cruel threats. Moreover, the authors have simulated the presented scheme using broadly accepted AVISPA tool, whose simulation results make sure that the protocol is not dangerous from active and passive attacks together with replay and man-in-the-middle attacks. In addition, the performance evaluation and the security comparison have revealed that the presented scheme gives strong security as well as better complexity in the context of smart card memory requirement, communication cost and computation cost.
Lightweight, ECC based RFID Authentication Scheme for WLAN
Authors: Kumar Amit , Om Hari
Published: October 2016

Wireless local area networks (WLANs), like IEEE 802.11, are right now very common in numerous outdoor or indoor environments for providing wireless communication among WiFi-enabled devices by accessing an Access Point (infrastructure mode) or through peer to peer connections (ad hoc mode). Authentication is one among the most primary research challenges for the realization of the envisioned mobile and wireless Internet. This is mainly due to the latency delay introduced during the authentication process, which are of major concern for real-time applications and media streaming application. In the same way, it is also crucial for WLANs to authenticate clients and build secure channels with them. In the historical researches, the traditional authentication mechanisms frequently adopted the names and passwords of clients as login authentication. However, these Single Factor Authentication mechanisms are proved to be defective. In virtue of enhancing security, recent researches on authentication are built on Two-Factor authentication schemes. In this paper, the authors proposed a two factor, lightweight RFID authentication scheme based on elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) for WLAN. The analytic comparison demonstrates the research not just reduces the expense of proposed authentication schemes, yet gives security similarly as smart card technology. In addition, the performance of the proposed authentication scheme will analyze in terms of computational cost, communications cost, and storage cost.
An Enhanced Approach of Face Detection using Bacteria Foraging Technique
Authors: Gupta Kapil Kumar , Beg Rizwan , Niranjan Jitendra Kumar
Published: October 2016

In this study, authors present an enhanced approach of face detection using bacteria foraging technique. This approach is based on chemotexis, reproduction and elimination and dispersal step. In this study the authors analysed face detection algorithm based on human skin color and fitting the ellipse as human face can be approximate by ellipse. Their approach for face detection requires no initial pre-processing of the image. A number of Bacteria agents with evolutionary behaviours are uniformly distributed in the 2-D image environment to search the skin-like pixels and locate each face-like region by evaluating the local color distribution. This approach has the advantage of very fast face detection by reducing pre-processing time of the image. This approach significantly improves face detection rate.
Static Shot based Keyframe Extraction for Multimedia Event Detection
Authors: Kaavya S. , Priya G. G. Lakshmi
Published: October 2016

Nowadays, processing of Multimedia information leads to high computational cost due its larger size especially for video processing. In order to reduce the size of the video and to save the user's time in spending their attention on whole video, video summarization is adopted. However, it can be performed using keyframe extraction from the video. To perform this task, a new simple keyframe extraction method is proposed using divide and conquer strategy in which, Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) based feature representation vector is extracted and the whole video is categorized into static and dynamic shots. The dynamic shot is further processed till it becomes static. A representative frame is extracted from every static shot and the redundant keyframes are removed using keyframe similarity matching measure. Experimental evaluation is carried out and the proposed work is compared with related existing work. The authors' method outperforms existing methods in terms of Precision (P), Recall (R), F-Score (F). Also, Fidelity measure is computed for proposed work which gives better result.
Entropy based Range Optimized Brightness Preserved Histogram-Equalization for Image Contrast Enhancement
Authors: Dhal Krishna Gopal , Sen Sankhadip , Sarkar Kaustav , Das Sanjoy
Published: October 2016

In this study the over-enhancement problem of traditional Histogram-Equalization (HE) has been removed to some extent by a variant of HE called Range Optimized Entropy based Bi-Histogram Equalization (ROEBHE). In ROEBHE image histogram has been thresholded into two sub-histograms i.e. histograms corresponding to background and foreground. The threshold is calculated by maximizing the sum of the entropy of these two sub-histograms. The range for equalization has been optimized by maximizing the Peak-Signal to Noise ratio (PSNR). The experimental results prove that ROEBHE has prevailed over existing methods and PSNR is a better range optimizer than Absolute Mean Brightness Error (AMBE).
Five Drivers of Eco-Innovation
Authors: Fernando Yudi , Xin Wah Wen , Gani Anisha Banu Dawood
Published: October 2016

Today, firms are faced with a number of environmental challenges such as pollution, scarcity of natural resources, global warming a growing demand for environmentally friendly products. Complexity of sustainability issues in operations management leads this study to determine a parsimonious model of eco-innovation. Most of the research findings have emphasized the effect of innovation on company's economic benefits. However, there are inadequate studies in respect to eco-innovation and its impact to business and environmental sustainability. This paper focuses on determinants of drivers of eco-innovation and its outcome on sustainable business performance. Content analysis is used in order to explain the phenomena of eco-innovation in operations management and categorize the determinants of drivers. The unit of analysis of this study is driver or factor of eco-innovation which are commonly found in entire articles reviewed. The scope of review encompassed articles published between the years 1994 to 2012. Results indicate that a parsimonious model of eco-innovation consists of five drivers. More comprehensive and robust findings could be obtained by testing this model and broadening the scope of study.
A Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem with Fuzzy Activity Times
Authors: Zoulfaghari Hossein , Nematian Javad , Nezhad Amir Abbas Kanani
Published: October 2016

This paper is about the Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem) RCPSP) which is one of the most important problems in last three decades and many researchers have paid attention to it and have reached useful results. In this paper, to cope with uncertainty issue, the RCPSP is studied under fuzzy environment where activity times are assumed to be fuzzy numbers. For this problem with fuzzy numbers as activity times, a linear mathematical programming model is presented. The objective function of the model is minimizing the completion time of project. Since the activity times are fuzzy numbers, finish time is also a fuzzy number. Hence, the model is transformed to a crisp multi-objective linear programming model. To illustrate the solution method, a numerical example is solved under both fuzzy and crisp environment and the results are compared. To prove the efficiency of the proposed method the results of the proposed solution method, some benchmark problems obtained from PSPLIB are utilized.
Multi-Fuzzy Complex Nilpotent Matrices
Authors: Dey Asit , Pal Madhumangal
Published: October 2016

In this paper, the concept of multi-fuzzy matrix (MFM), multi-fuzzy complex matrix (MFCM), generalized multi-fuzzy complex matrix (GMFCM), generalized multi-fuzzy complex nilpotent matrix (GMFCNM) are introduced and have shown that the set of GMFCMs form a distributive lattice. Some properties and characterizations for GMFCNMs are established and in particular, a necessary and sufficient condition for an n × n GMFCNM to have the nilpotent index n is given. Finally, the reduction of GMFCNMs over a distributive lattice are given with some properties.
PSK Method for Solving Type-1 and Type-3 Fuzzy Transportation Problems
Authors: Kumar P. Senthil
Published: October 2016

In conventional transportation problem (TP), supplies, demands and costs are always certain. In this paper, the author tried to categories the TP under the mixture of certain and uncertain environment and formulates the problem and utilizes the crisp numbers, triangular fuzzy numbers (TFNs) and trapezoidal fuzzy numbers (TrFNs) to solve the TP. The existing ranking procedure of Liou and Wang is used to transform the type-1 and type-3 fuzzy transportation problem (FTP) into a crisp one so that the conventional method may be applied to solve the TP. The solution procedure differs from TP to type-1 and type-3 FTP in allocation step only. Therefore, the new method called PSK method and new multiplication operation on TrFN is proposed to find the mixed optimal solution in terms of crisp numbers, TFNs and TrFNs. The main advantage of this method is computationally very simple, easy to understand and also the optimum objective value obtained by our method is physically meaningful. The effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated by means of a numerical example.
Deployment of Wireless Sensor Networks for Soil Macronutrients Measurements in Farms
Authors: Simbeye Daudi Samson
Published: October 2016

Farmers need accurate information about soil nutrient content if they are to apply the correct amount of fertilizer. Farmers who do not practice regular soil tests are facing numerous difficulties such a lack of accurate statistical information for soil and crop management, increased costs for fertilizers, and environmental degradation. However, traditional laboratory testing is costly and laborious, taking up to three weeks to complete. This study presents a technology which integrated various elements into a portable in-field device that measures soil macronutrients of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) and soil pH. Then it transmits the measured data wirelessly to remote base station for analysis, presentation and storage in real-time. Farmers can access the information from the base station server through their mobile phones. Firstly, the grower can use the test data to provide important indicators into the levels of nutrients in the soil which can be interpreted to stem over-use or under-use and efficiently manage their fertilizer application. Secondly, the system can decrease response time for the grower to implement alterations in the soil nutrient composition. And lastly, it can increase the awareness of precision agriculture, its benefits and usage amongst the average farmer. The results from this test provide important indicators into the levels of nutrients in the soil which can be interpreted to stem overuse or under-use. The grower can use the data compiled to efficiently manage their fertilizer application.
A New Educational Mobile Devices Platform for Social Inclusion in Tanzania
Authors: Mtenzi Fredrick Japhet
Published: October 2016

It is evident that advances in technology has led to improvement in societal wellbeing. In this paper we demonstrate how mobile phones are used in providing reliable and quality education to students in disadvantaged areas of Tanzania. The main contribution is on leveraging on the success that Tanzania has had on using mobile banking to the un-banked population. These lessons are adapted to the education sector, where clever/smart integration of existing disruptive technologies such as mobile phones and social networks are be used to provide access to high quality educational contents. Further, the paper shows how educational content can be localized/adopted with a view of empowering teachers and the educational needs of students. The central piece of the proposed system is the ability to add, share and reduce the amount of redundancy. Finally, the author reports on the implementation of the system in a community project in rural Tanzania.
Knowledge Management and Systematic Innovation Capability
Authors: Gloet Marianne , Samson Danny
Published: October 2016

This qualitative research examined the relationship between knowledge management (KM) and systematic innovation capability in 16 Australian manufacturing and service organizations that exhibited both successful innovation and robust KM practices. A review of the literature indicated a number of areas where KM enhances and supports innovation capability. Using a multiple cross-case analysis methodology and applying a framework of systematic innovation capability, in-depth interviews were conducted with managers of the case study organizations. The analysis of the data revealed the main contributions of KM to systematic and sustained forms of innovation. Areas in which KM could contribute more to sustained innovation capability are also discussed.
Digital City Projects
Authors: Rezende Denis Alcides
Published: October 2016

Offering full information and efficient public services is a permanent challenge for cities concerned with citizens' quality of life and effective municipal management. The objective of this study is to describe and assess the digital city projects in Chicago (USA) and Curitiba (Brazil), using information and public services offered to citizens by the website. The research methodology consisted of case studies covering the city hall, municipal departments, and other municipal entities. The results show advantages for the citizens who have free communal access to public services on the internet. Chicago offers its citizens 281 public services distributed in 256 subjects or themes and Curitiba 508 public services distributed in 26 subjects or themes. The conclusion reiterated the importance of the implemented projects. In both cities it resulted in benefits for citizens through access to information and public services offered by the internet.
Knowledge Cooperation Opportunities between Saudi Arabia and the BRICS
Authors: Alfantookh Abdulkader , Bakry Saad Haj
Published: October 2016

It has been emphasized that building global knowledge societies enhances the human capital and that this would lead to the promotion of peace and development for the benefit of the whole world. This paper introduces a knowledge assessment framework based on the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) knowledge society paradigm, and on available international indicators. The framework provides an index that consists of “28 indicators,” with “4 sub-indices”; and a criterion for comparing the measured values of the indicators and identifying prioritized knowledge cooperation opportunities. The framework is used to investigate these opportunities between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). It has been found that KSA enjoys high level of knowledge society enablement from which the BRICS can gain; while the BRICS enjoy high level of knowledge productivity from which KSA can gain. Bridging the gap between the two sides will be useful to both, and to building global knowledge societies.
Byzantine Fault-Tolerant Architecture in Cloud Data Management
Authors: AlZain Mohammed A. , Li Alice S. , Soh Ben , Masud Mehedi
Published: October 2016

One of the main challenges in cloud computing is to build a healthy and efficient storage for securely managing and preserving data. This means a cloud service provider needs to make sure that its clients' outsourced data are stored securely and, data queries and retrievals are executed correctly and privately. On the other hand, it may also mean businesses are willing to outsource their data to a third party only if they trust their data are not accessible and visible to the service provider and other non-authorized parties. However, one of the major obstacles faced here for ensuring data reliability and security is Byzantine faults. While Byzantine fault tolerance (BFT) has received growing attention from the academic research community, the research done is generally from the distributed computing point of view, and hence finds little practical use in cloud computing. To that end, the focus of this paper is to discuss how these faults can be tolerated with the authors' proposed conceptualization of Byzantine data faults and fault-tolerant architecture in cloud data management.