bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
INFERENCE OF EDGE REPLACEMENT GRAPH GRAMMARS
Authors: KUKLUK JACEK P. , HOLDER LAWRENCE B. , COOK DIANE J.
Published: June 2008

We describe an algorithm and experiments for inference of edge replacement graph grammars. This method generates candidate recursive graph grammar productions based on isomorphic subgraphs which overlap by two nodes. If there is no edge between the two overlapping nodes, the method generates a recursive graph grammar production with a virtual edge. We guide the search for the graph grammar based on the size of the grammar and the portion of the graph described by the grammar. We show experiments where we generate graphs from known graph grammars, use our method to infer the grammar from the generated graphs, and then measure the error between the original and inferred grammars. Experiments show that the method performs well on several types of grammars, and specifically that error decreases with increased numbers of unique labels in the graph.
Measuring the Contribution of Intangibles to Productivity Growth: A Disaggregate Analysis of Japanese Firms
Authors: Ramirez Pablo Gonzalo , Hachiya Toyohiko
Published: June 2008

In this study we examined Japanese firm-level data to test whether increments in intangible assets will leads to differences in productivity growth. Our results show that the marginal contribution of inputs varies a greatly among sectors, industries and depending on firm's size. Therefore, marginal increments in intangibles investments are not always associated with productivity growth suggesting that when intangibles exceed a threshold, additional investments could be inefficient. We conclude that among intangibles, firm-specific organizational capital and advertising are two of the critical factors in determining the productivity growth.
Competition and Survival of Stock Exchanges: Lessons from Canada
Authors: Carpentier Cécile , L'Her Jean-François , Suret Jean-Marc
Published: June 2008

We analyze the competition between two developed stock exchanges. Their development rests mainly on their capacity to attract securities and trades. The US market is attracting a growing number of Canadian companies and is capturing a growing portion of their traded value. This slide of trading toward the US market is a huge challenge for Canadian policy makers while the efforts to compete with the US market seem to be having only limited effects. We analyze the implications of this situation for policy makers in Asia-Pacific where several markets and financial centers are attempting to emerge.
The Impact of Non-Performing Loans on Bank's Operating Efficiency for Taiwan Banking Industry
Authors: Liang Chiung-Ju , Yao Ming-Li , Hwang Dar-Yeh , Wu Wei-Hsiung
Published: June 2008

The DEA model is applied to analyze the operational efficiency of Taiwan's publicly-listed banks to reveal the influence of the rising non-performing loan ratio (NPLR) on Taiwan's banking industry. After taking into account the NPLR and the different classifications of banks, the respective performances of different types of banks exhibit the following variations and characteristics: the originally more-efficient new private banks significantly fell behind the old public banks in terms of efficiency scores after the NPLR was included. The old private banks' operational efficiency fell behind that of the other banks at all times. The productivity of all new private banks exceeded that of the other banks.
ON LOCAL ENTROPY OF RANDOM TRANSFORMATIONS
Authors: ZHU YUJUN
Published: June 2008

In this paper, Brin–Katok's local entropy formula is established for random transformations.
MEASURE EVOLUTION FOR "STOCHASTIC FLOWS"
Authors: WANG BIN , XIANG KAI-NAN
Published: June 2008

In this paper we study how σ-finite measures on ℝdevolve under a class of "stochastic flows" associated to stochastic differential equations with (resp. without) jumps in ℝd. First we show the related measure evolution processes are càdlàg (resp. continuous), strongly Markovian and weakly Fellerian. Then we extend the existing results on incompressibility in Harris [8] and Kunita [14], and prove strong Markov property of the process describing how compact subsets evolve under incompressible "stochastic flows" under a certain condition.
WEAK SOLUTIONS OF SEMILINEAR PDEs WITH OBSTACLE(S) IN SOBOLEV SPACES AND THEIR PROBABILISTIC INTERPRETATION VIA THE RFBSDEs AND DRFBSDEs
Authors: OUKNINE YOUSSEF , NDIAYE DJIBRIL
Published: June 2008

We prove the existence and uniqueness of the solution of a semilinear PDEs with obstacle(s) under Lipschitz condition. We give a probabilistic interpretation of the solution in Sobolev spaces using reflected forward–backward stochastic differential equations, doubly reflected forward–backward stochastic differential equations and the penalization method.
MULTIVALUED STOCHASTIC PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS VIA BACKWARD DOUBLY STOCHASTIC DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
Authors: BOUFOUSSI B. , MRHARDY N.
Published: June 2008

In this paper, we establish by means of Yosida approximation, the existence and uniqueness of the solution of a backward doubly stochastic differential equation whose coefficient contains the subdifferential of a convex function. We will use this result to prove the existence of stochastic viscosity solution for some multivalued parabolic stochastic partial differential equation.
ANTICIPATING MULTIDIMENSIONAL STOCHASTIC DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS WITH REFLECTIONS
Authors: LIANG ZONGXIA
Published: June 2008

In this paper, the strong solutions of multidimensional stochastic differential equations with reflecting boundary and with a non-adapted initial random variable are established. The key is to obtain some substitution formula for Stratonovich integrals via a uniform convergence of the corresponding Riemann sums and to prove continuity of functionals of the strong solutions. The results extend the work [8] of Lions and Sznitman with a non-adapted initial random variable.
MODELING THE GROUND STATE GEOMETRY AND ESTIMATING THE CHARGE TRANSFER TRANSITION ENERGY OF THE TOLUENE–ICl MOLECULAR COMPLEX BY AB INITIO AND DFT METHODS
Authors: TIWARY AMIT S. , SENGUPTA PARTHA SARATHI , MUKHERJEE ASOK K.
Published: June 2008

Out of several plausible isomeric structures of the toluene–ICl charge transfer (CT) complex, the most feasible one was determined by a detailed ab initio and DFT study at the HF, B3LYP, and mPW1PW91 levels using 6-31++G(d, p) basis set. Potential energy surface scans were performed with six possible structures ( I and Cl facing the o-, m-, and p-carbon atoms of toluene separately); the structures at the local minima of the surfaces were subjected to frequency calculation and the ones having no negative frequency were accepted as the real structure in the ground state. These structures were then subjected to full optimization. It was observed that the I – Cl bond, with its I atom oriented toward the aromatic ring, stands vertically above a C -atom at the ortho or para positions, being inclined at about 9° to the line perpendicular to the aromatic ring. Complexation increases the I – Cl bond length. After correction for basis set superposition error through a counterpoise calculation, we conclude from the binding energy that the preferred structure is the one with ICl above the ortho C atom. The calculated binding energy closely matches the experimental free energy of complexation. The electronic CT transition energy (hν CT ) with this structure in the ground state was calculated in vacuo by the restricted configuration interaction singlets method and in carbontetrachloride medium by the time dependent density functional theory method under the polarizable continuum model. The value of hν CT obtained from the ground-to-excited state transition electric dipole moments of the complex, is close to (somewhat underestimated) the reported experimental value.
AN AB INITIO STUDY ON THE STRUCTURE–CYTOTOXICITY RELATIONSHIP OF TERPENOID LACTONES BASED ON THE MICHAEL REACTION BETWEEN THEIR PHARMACOPHORES AND L-CYSTEINE-METHYLESTER-1
Authors: ZHANG ZHI QIANG , CHOW RAYMOND KWOK KEI , ZHOU HONG WEI , LI JIE LIANG , CHEUNG HON-YEUNG
Published: June 2008

The cytotoxic effects of terpenoid lactones are attributed to the alkylation of biological nucleophiles, especially sulfhydryl groups in proteins, by the α,β-unsaturated carbonyl moiety of lactones through Michael reaction. Therefore, the cytotoxicity could be reflected by the reactivity of the pharmacophores. In this work, the Michael reaction between 12 α,β-unsaturated-carbonyl-containing small species, i.e. 10 analogues of the alpha methylene gamma butyrolactone moiety of andrographolide, one cyclopentenone, and one methylene–pentanolide, and L-cysteine-methylester-1 were investigated by ab initio methods to mimic the alkylation of proteins by terpenoid lactones. The trend in the calculated reaction free energies of the small species is qualitatively in accordance with the reported cytotoxicity of corresponding terpenoid lactones.
QUANTUM CHEMISTRY STUDY ON THE CLEAVAGE OF METHANOL CATALYZED BY HYDROXYL ZnO
Authors: LI LAI-CAI , WANG YI-WEI , WANG XIN , TIAN AN-MIN , WONG NING-BEW
Published: June 2008

The reaction mechanism of the decomposition of the methanol catalyzed by hydroxyl ZnO has been investigated by density function theory (DFT). The geometries of reactants, intermediates, transition states, and products on both doublet and quartet potential energy surfaces (PESs) have been fully optimized at the B3LYP/6-31G* level. The calculated results show that the reaction is slightly endothermic by 5.3 kJ/mol, which is in good accordance with the previous experiment. The energies and structures of the crossing points (CPs) between two PESs have been determined. The CP appears after the formation of transition states. The two theoretical models chosen to study the reaction mechanism were compared and discussed.
A NEW GENERATION OF INTERMEDIATES AT AB INITIO AND DFT LEVELS: ALLYLIC CARBENONITRENES, C=(X)C–NX=H, CH3, COOH, F, OH, OCH3, CF3, CN, AND NH2
Authors: KASSAEE M. Z. , MUSAVI S. M. , JALALIMANESH N.
Published: June 2008

Linkages between vinylidene (= C :) and nitrenes (- N :), through methyne and its derivatives (CX), give allylic carbenonitrenes, C =(X) C – N , as a new brand of reactive intermediates, with conceivable singlet, triplet, or quintet ground states ( X=H , 1, X = CH 3, 2, X = COOH , 3, X = F , 4, X = OH , 5, X X= OMe , 6, X X= CF 3, 7, X X= CN , 8, and X X= NH 2, 9). High-spin quintet (5 A ″) ground states are found for 1 and 2 at eight ab initio and DFT levels of theory. At the same levels, triplet (3 A ″) ground states prevail for 3–8. Low-spin singlet (1 A ') input structures of 1, 2, and 4–9 cyclize spontaneously through optimization to their corresponding aromatic X-azacyclopropenylidenes, with multiplicities irrelevant to allylic carbenonitrenes. Researchers may aim for generating 3–8 with triplet states, or even 1 and/or 2 with quintet states, but we do not recommend going for generation of 9 with any multiplicity, and/or formation of 1–8 with singlet states.
THE HYDROLYSIS MECHANISM OF THE ANTICANCER AGENT trans-DICHLORO(AMMINE)(QUINOLINE)PLATINUM COMPLEX: A THEORETICAL STUDY
Authors: YUAN QINGHUI , ZHOU LIXIN , GAO YAN
Published: June 2008

Hydrolysis of trans-dichloro(ammine)(quinoline)platinum, a novel potential anticancer drug, is believed to be the key activation step before the drug reaches its intracellular target DNA. To obtain an accurate hydrolysis mechanism for this nonclassical class of square-planar Pt (II) complex, five different models were used at the experimental temperature with the solvent effect B3LYP/PCM using hybrid density functional theory. The stationary points on the potential energy surfaces for the first and second hydrolysis steps, proceeding via a five-coordinate trigonal-bipyramidal (TBP)-like structure of transition state, were fully optimized and characterized. The most remarkable structural variations in the hydrolysis process were found to occur in the equatorial plane of the TBP-like structures of the intermediates and transition states. It was found that the explicit solvent effect originating from the inclusion of extra water molecules into the system is significantly stronger than those arising from the bulk aqueous medium, especially for the first aquation step, which emphasizes the use of appropriate models for these types of problems. The results give detailed energy profiles for the mechanism of hydrolysis of trans-dichloro(ammine)(quinoline)platinum, which may assist in understanding the reaction mechanism of the drug with DNA target and in the design of novel platinum-based anticancer drugs with trans geometries.
MOLECULAR FACE — A NOVEL MOLECULAR MODEL SHOWING BOTH MOLECULAR SPATIAL CONTOUR AND FRONTIER ELECTRON DENSITY
Authors: ZHAO DONG-XIA , YANG ZHONG-ZHI
Published: June 2008

The spatial knowledge is the first one of all information about an object. Molecular shape and size, molecular van der Waals surface and/or solvent-accessible surface etc. have been widely studied and applied. This paper is to show that a molecular face (MF) for a molecule may be defined uniquely and intrinsically via the molecular intrinsic characteristic contours (MICC) with coding the molecular electron density (ED) as the fourth dimension. The significant feature of an MF provides both molecular spatial appearance and its frontier electron density, being an intuitive picture as a molecular fingerprint or face. With simple examples, the physical significance of an MF is then demonstrated.
CEO SUCCESSION, HONING, AND ENTERPRISING: A PROMISING WAY TO ACHIEVE SMALL BUSINESS PERFORMANCE?
Authors: WESTERBERG MATS , WINCENT JOAKIM
Published: June 2008

This study examines CEO succession in small firms and the impact of CEO honing and enterprising competence on firm performance within a contingency framework. In a study of 162 small firms, we hypothesize that a newly appointed CEO will bring entrepreneurship to its small firms, but the results do not support this. Instead, the results indicate that a new CEO tends to introduce honing in the firm. Only CEO market enterprising had a direct relation to better performance. However, we find several instances of moderation effects attributable to strategic competence, environmental uncertainty, and the nature of tasks in the company.
ENTREPRENEURIAL DIMENSIONS IN TRANSITIONAL ECONOMIES: A REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE AND THE CASE OF KYRGYZSTAN
Authors: YALCIN SERKAN , KAPU HUSNU
Published: June 2008

The process of starting and surviving a new venture is always a challenge, and this is aggravated by unfavorable conditions especially prevalent in less affluent, developing, and transitional economies. This study reviews and integrates the literature on different entrepreneurial dimensions in transitional economies and provides a case analysis, Kyrgyzstan. The review of the entrepreneurial motivations dimension indicated four major motives behind starting a new venture, and an examination of the entrepreneurial problems dimension underlined common problems prevalent in different transitional economies. Findings of the Kyrgyz case indicated that the entrepreneurial motives of local entrepreneurs are of the extrinsic type and related to push factors; difficulty with finding capital, existence of red tape, and high labor turnover rate are major entrepreneurial problems. There are favorable entrepreneurial opportunities in general, but exploitation of these is contingent on appropriate support. Based on the literature review and synthesis as well as the case study, transitional economies need more competitive, liberal, and transparent business environments to be supported by more developed financial systems and a more efficient labor force. Further, two future research areas on transitional economies are suggested and an update on Kyrgyzstan is included.
THE INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL DIMENSIONS OF DUCATI'S TURNAROUND: EXPLORING KNOWLEDGE ASSETS GROUNDING A CHANGE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
Authors: SCHIUMA GIOVANNI , LERRO ANTONIO , SANITATE DAMIANO
Published: June 2008

Despite the growing awareness of the importance of researching core strategic resources and capabilities for supporting organisational change, the work that has been done to the date has rarely examined and taken into account the relevance of Intellectual Capital (IC) for the success of a company's strategic turnaround program. Moreover, little attention has been given on what encompasses IC and how it can be conceptualised and interpreted in a change management perspective.

Through an extensive review of the literature on IC and along with a case study of the Ducati Motor Holding — one of the leading world brands in the sportive motorcycles manufacturing — this paper aims to bridge this gap first of all by identifying which are the key-knowledge assets involved in a turnaround program, and then focusing on the impact IC has on turnaround actions.

Findings highlight important implications both for theory and practice, and reveal interesting relationships that suggest further effort should be placed on the development of a knowledge base-view of company's turnaround and on the analysis of the dynamics that links knowledge assets and successful change management programs.
SUPPLIER LED NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS IMPROVEMENT IN THE UK FAST MOVING CONSUMER GOODS INDUSTRY
Authors: FRANCIS MARK , DORRINGTON PETER , HINES PETER
Published: June 2008

Little has been written about new product and packaging development processes within the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry. While often taking on the status of apocryphical folklore, branded FMCG product development failure rates as high as 90%–95% have appeared in the popular and consultancy press. However, no rigorous study has addressed the commercial success/failure rates of private-label products in this context; an area in which the leading UK supermarket (grocery) retailers are acknowledged to excel. Using a case study-based approach that involved ASDA and six of its leading private-label suppliers, this paper details empirical findings of the operational and commercial performance of the focal ASDA NPD (new product development) process, along with initial insights into the key determinants of this performance. It also produces the first description of the origin, composition and operation of a Supplier Association within the UK FMCG industry and details the new NPD process mapping method and tool that was developed to conduct this study.
EFFECTS OF PRODUCT INNOVATION AND ORGANISATIONAL CAPABILITIES ON COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: EVIDENCE FROM UK SMALL AND MEDIUM MANUFACTURING ENTERPRISES
Authors: SIQUEIRA ANA CRISTINA O. , COSH ANDY D.
Published: June 2008

We investigate the extent to which product innovation moderates the relationship between capabilities and competitive advantage among small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Using resource-based and capabilities theories, we examine capabilities as organisational routines, focusing on job rotation and multi-skilling. We examine competitive advantage by using logistic regression to assess the probability of top performance in productivity relative to most other firms in the same industry. Considering the path-dependence in developing capabilities and innovation, we use a longitudinal sample of 300 UK manufacturing SMEs in traditional and high-technology industries to evaluate the effects of innovating and using capabilities continuously over time. The results suggest that firms using job rotation or multi-skilling and introducing product innovations consistently from 2002 through 2004 are more likely to be top performers in 2004. The findings support a theoretical model according to which the association between capabilities and competitive advantage is moderated by innovation.
Sentiment analysis in multiple languages
Authors: Abbasi Ahmed , Chen Hsinchun , Salem Arab
Published: June 2008

The Internet is frequently used as a medium for exchange of information and opinions, as well as propaganda dissemination. In this study the use of sentiment analysis methodologies is proposed for classification of Web forum opinions in multiple languages. The utility of stylistic and syntactic features is evaluated for sentiment classification of English and Arabic content. Specific feature extraction components are integrated to account for the linguistic characteristics of Arabic. The entropy weighted genetic algorithm (EWGA) is also developed, which is a hybridized genetic algorithm that incorporates the information-gain heuristic for feature selection. EWGA is designed to improve performance and get a better assessment of key features. The proposed features and techniques are evaluated on a benchmark movie review dataset and U.S. and Middle Eastern Web forum postings. The experimental results using EWGA with SVM indicate high performance levels, with accuracies of over 91% on the benchmark dataset as well as the U.S. and Middle Eastern forums. Stylistic features significantly enhanced performance across all testbeds while EWGA also outperformed other feature selection methods, indicating the utility of these features and techniques for document-level classification of sentiments.
Interpreting TF-IDF term weights as making relevance decisions
Authors: Wu Ho Chung , Luk Robert Wing Pong , Wong Kam Fai , Kwok Kui Lam
Published: June 2008

A novel probabilistic retrieval model is presented. It forms a basis to interpret the TF-IDF term weights as making relevance decisions. It simulates the local relevance decision-making for every location of a document, and combines all of these “local” relevance decisions as the “document-wide” relevance decision for the document. The significance of interpreting TF-IDF in this way is the potential to: (1) establish a unifying perspective about information retrieval as relevance decision-making; and (2) develop advanced TF-IDF-related term weights for future elaborate retrieval models. Our novel retrieval model is simplified to a basic ranking formula that directly corresponds to the TF-IDF term weights. In general, we show that the term-frequency factor of the ranking formula can be rendered into different term-frequency factors of existing retrieval systems. In the basic ranking formula, the remaining quantity - log
p
(r¯|
t
∈
d
) is interpreted as the probability of randomly picking a nonrelevant usage (denoted by r¯) of term
t
. Mathematically, we show that this quantity can be approximated by the inverse document-frequency (IDF). Empirically, we show that this quantity is related to IDF, using four reference TREC ad hoc retrieval data collections.
The art and business of revitalizing a 50-year-old science and technology magazine
Authors: Delman Scott E.
Published: June 2008

By the time you flip to this page you will have noticed there is something dramatically different with
Communications of the ACM.
Emerging MarketsIndia's role in the globalization of IT
Authors: Aggarwal Alok
Published: June 2008

Tracing the exponential growth of the Indian IT industry.
Image CrisisInspiring a new generation of computer scientists
Authors: Rashid Rick
Published: June 2008

Consider what you can do to encourage young people to pursue technology-related career paths.
XML fever
Authors: Wilde Erik , Glushko Robert J.
Published: June 2008

Don't let delusions about XML develop into a virulent strain of XML fever.
Flash storage memory
Authors: Leventhal Adam
Published: June 2008

Can flash memory become the foundation for a new tier in the storage hierarchy?
Web science
Authors: Hendler James , Shadbolt Nigel , Hall Wendy , Berners-Lee Tim , Weitzner Daniel
Published: June 2008

The Web must be studied as an entity in its own right to ensure it keeps flourishing and prevent unanticipated social effects.
The revolution inside the box
Authors: Oskin Mark
Published: June 2008

How changes in computer architecture are about to impact everyone in the IT business.
Transactional memory
Authors: Larus James , Kozyrakis Christos
Published: June 2008

Is TM the answer for improving parallel programming?
Anton, a special-purpose machine for molecular dynamics simulation
Authors: Shaw David E. , Deneroff Martin M. , Dror Ron O. , Kuskin Jeffrey S. , Larson Richard H. , Salmon John K. , Young Cliff , Batson Brannon , Bowers Kevin J. , Chao Jack C. , Eastwood Michael P. , Gagliardo Joseph , Grossman J. P. , Ho C. Richard , Ierardi Douglas J. , Kolossváry István , Klepeis John L. , Layman Timothy , McLeavey Christine , Moraes Mark A. , Mueller Rolf , Priest Edward C. , Shan Yibing , Spengler Jochen , Theobald Michael , Towles Brian , Wang Stanley C.
Published: June 2008

The ability to perform long, accurate molecular dynamics (MD) simulations involving proteins and other biological macro-molecules could in principle provide answers to some of the most important currently outstanding questions in the fields of biology, chemistry, and medicine. A wide range of biologically interesting phenomena, however, occur over timescales on the order of a millisecond---several orders of magnitude beyond the duration of the longest current MD simulations.

We describe a massively parallel machine called Anton, which should be capable of executing millisecond-scale classical MD simulations of such biomolecular systems. The machine, which is scheduled for completion by the end of 2008, is based on 512 identical MD-specific ASICs that interact in a tightly coupled manner using a specialized highspeed communication network. Anton has been designed to use both novel parallel algorithms and special-purpose logic to dramatically accelerate those calculations that dominate the time required for a typical MD simulation. The remainder of the simulation algorithm is executed by a programmable portion of each chip that achieves a substantial degree of parallelism while preserving the flexibility necessary to accommodate anticipated advances in physical models and simulation methods.
Up and coming SIGWEB supported conferences
Authors: Lunn Darren
Published: June 2008

SIGWEB supports several specialized conferences, short courses, and workshops, as well as the Annual Hypertext Conference. SIGWEB sponsored conferences focus on timely topics in applied and computational hypertext and Web disciplines and provide a place for members and the en- tire applied Hypermedia and Web community to exchange ideas and to meet with and expand their network of colleagues. In this article, we provide a brief overview of SIGWEB sponsored conferences, in addition to events that are in co-operation with SIGWEB.
Advertising and recruiting
Authors: Walker Henry M.
Published: June 2008

Much is said these days regarding low enrollments in computer science, reports indicate significant difficulties in recruiting women and other underrepresented groups to the field, and many studies discuss difficulties with the public image of computing. Clearly many deep societal and cultural issues underlie much of the problem, and many organizations (including ACM, ACM-W, CSTA, and SIGCSE) are considering ways to address these systemic issues.
Online courses: North Carolina business and IT courses
Authors: Gal-Ezer Judith
Published: June 2008

Deborah Seehorn, of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction aroused my curiosity and interest when I met her a few months ago at one of the CSTA (The Computer Science Teachers Association) board committee meetings.
Take your daughters (and sons) to work
Authors: Popyack Jeffrey
Published: June 2008

Greetings! And no, with that title I am hardly advocating any sort of child abandonment. Rather, I am musing figuratively about the relationship between recruiting students and influencing our own children's directions in life. What do they learn when they see us at work? Will envisioning themselves in our positions make them want to follow suit? Better yet, how many friends of theirs can we bear to bring with them? And of course, will any of them want to stay?
The Monash Museum of Computing History
Authors: Ainsworth A. Barbara , Sheard Judithe , Avram Chris
Published: June 2008

The Monash Museum of Computing History, Monash University preserves the artifacts and the experiences of fifty years of computing education and research at one of Australia's top ten universities. In this first part of a two part paper, we describe the purpose, the development and the planned future for the museum. In Part Two, we will describe the collection and current display.
Computing and higher education in Peru
Authors: Alvarez Marco A. , Baiocchi José , Sang José Antonio Pow
Published: June 2008

In Peru, the computing discipline as an academic field has been neglected during decades deriving in a low-quality higher education system and consequently shaping an academic community with modest participation within scientific production around the world. At the undergraduate level, universities have not adopted international standards or curricula recommendations that could contribute to improve the quality of computing and related engineering programs. Considering this context, the present document aims to present an overview of the current situation followed by suggestions toward the empowering of the field following international well-adopted practices and respecting local characteristics.
Issues in the instantiation of template classes
Authors: Spiegel Daniel S. , Frye Lisa M. , Day Linda L.
Published: June 2008

Teaching students to incorporate template classes into their C++ projects is an important concept in object-oriented programming. The most efficient implementation method for template classes is dependent on several factors. Two significant factors are different integrated development environments with differing requirements, and incongruous philosophies among instructors. Herein, several template class instantiation methods under Gnu compilers will be discussed, along with their pros and cons.
Objects first using Alice to introduce object constructs in CS1
Authors: Lorenzen Torben , Sattar Abdul
Published: June 2008

Java has become the programming language of choice for the first computer programming course in most of the computer science programs in the country. However, Java is a true objected-oriented language and requires instructors to introduce object-oriented constructs (classes, objects and methods) early in the course. This poses a problem for both students (who find the introduction to objects to be very dry and abstract) and instructors (who attempt to enliven this material). In this paper, the authors describe how Alice is used to introduce the essential concepts of object-oriented programming in the beginning of a CS1 Java course.
A visual proof for an average case of list searching
Authors: Sher David B.
Published: June 2008

This paper describes how the more mathematical topics in the data structures curriculum can be illustrated with visual proofs. This frees students from difficult algebraic manipulation. Visual proofs are provided for the average case of searching for a unique item in a list and for searching for an item which occurs independently (and not necessarily uniquely) in the list with a known probability.
Analysis of fault models for student use
Authors: Masuck Carol , Alves-Foss Jim , Oman Paul
Published: June 2008

Computer science educators have long been concerned over the difficulty with which some students learn to write computer programs; especially the wide disparity in students' abilities to locate and fix faults in the programs they write. We hypothesized that requiring students to categorize faults (as the faults are encountered) would help them better understand the faults and, in turn, improve their corrections and speed up the programming process. This paper analyzes five fault categorization models, with an eye towards application by novice programmers, and provides experimental evidence showing that simple fault categorization can aid students' programming abilities.
Pair programming in CS1
Authors: Jacobson Norman , Schaefer Suzanne K.
Published: June 2008

In academic year 2005-06, the Bren School considered incorporating pair programming into CS1, primarily because of reports it increased students' satisfaction with the course and improved their performance in it. Though not denying its benefits, objectors asserted that certain obstacles doomed pair programming to failure and so was not worth undertaking. We refuted some of these assertions sufficiently to proceed with pair programming in CS1; evidence from that offering allowed us to refute the remainder (as does evidence from subsequent ones). We contend our findings apply to programming classes generally and will help convince objectors that pair programming is worth attempting.
A survey of evidence for test-driven development in academia
Authors: Desai Chetan , Janzen David , Savage Kyle
Published: June 2008

University professors traditionally struggle to incorporate software testing into their course curriculum. Worries include double-grading for correctness of both source and test code and finding time to teach testing as a topic. Test-driven development (TDD) has been suggested as a possible solution to improve student software testing skills and to realize the benefits of testing. According to most existing studies, TDD improves software quality and student productivity. This paper surveys the current state of TDD experiments conducted exclusively at universities. Similar surveys compare experiments in both the classroom and industry, but none have focused strictly on academia.
Refining educational content through a closed-loop FLOW approach
Authors: Poe David , Hansen Christine , McGowan Kellie , Singh Gautam
Published: June 2008

This paper describes the implementation of a system, called Foundational Learning Objects Workbench (FLOW), which is intended to be used by instructors to educate their students in the major principles of multidisciplinary fields at a variety of grade levels. FLOW functions by dividing the major topics in a field into modules. These modules cover a wide variety of topics and may be inserted into different courses, providing students with a basic understanding of the field in question. FLOW also possesses methods for assessing both students and the modules.
Real women don't write programs
Authors: Edmondson Carol
Published: June 2008

Some universities are concerned about low levels of female enrolment in their computer science courses. This paper takes a humorous approach to this serious problem. The paper examines some of the barriers to female participation in computer science courses, especially in courses which involve programming. The paper then makes some suggestions for increasing female participation in computer science courses.
Creating synergy between usability courses and open source software projects
Authors: Hepting Daryl H. , Peng Lijuan , Maciag Timothy J. , Gerhard David , Maguire Brien
Published: June 2008

In this paper, we discuss our experience in offering a usability course with projects taken from an active open source software development project. We describe what was done in the class inside the larger context of the usability of open source software. We conclude with an invitation for others to adopt this model and use it for their own purposes.
Geographic information systems
Authors: Zhang Wendy , Beaubouef Theresa
Published: June 2008

This paper discusses the development and delivery of an upper level computer science elective course in geographic information systems (GIS). GIS applications span numerous and diverse fields, but it is computer science that holds the key to the understanding and development of the underlying spatial database and programming for custom applications. Here the authors discuss the benefits and challenges of a GIS course for students, faculty, and researchers.
Assessing the research and education quality of the top Brazilian Computer Science graduate programs
Authors: Laender Alberto H. F. , de Lucena Carlos J. P. , Maldonado José Carlos , de Souza e Silva Edmundo , Ziviani Nivio
Published: June 2008

This article reports about a study conducted to assess the quality of the top Brazilian Computer Science graduate programs. The study is based on data from DBLP and considers the scientific production of these programs in the triennial 2004--2006. A comparison of the scientific production of the Brazilian programs against that of reputable programs in North America and Europe indicates that the former compares well with these programs, both in terms of publication rate and number of graduates. The study also shows that the Brazilian programs follow international publication ratios of more than two conference papers per journal article. These results are a clear indication that the Computer Science field has reached maturity in Brazil.
Next-Generation DNA Sequencing Methods
Authors: Mardis Elaine R.
Published: June 2008

Recent scientific discoveries that resulted from the application of next-generation DNA sequencing technologies highlight the striking impact of these massively parallel platforms on genetics. These new methods have expanded previously focused readouts from a variety of DNA preparation protocols to a genome-wide scale and have fine-tuned their resolution to single base precision. The sequencing of RNA also has transitioned and now includes full-length cDNA analyses, serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE)-based methods, and noncoding RNA discovery. Next-generation sequencing has also enabled novel applications such as the sequencing of ancient DNA samples, and has substantially widened the scope of metagenomic analysis of environmentally derived samples. Taken together, an astounding potential exists for these technologies to bring enormous change in genetic and biological research and to enhance our fundamental biological knowledge.
Disassociation between the effects of amino acids and insulin on signaling, ubiquitin ligases, and protein turnover in human muscle
Authors: Greenhaff P. L. , Karagounis L. G. , Peirce N. , Simpson E. J. , Hazell M. , Layfield R. , Wackerhage H. , Smith K. , Atherton P. , Selby A. , Rennie M. J.
Published: June 2008

We determined the effects of intravenous infusion of amino acids (AA) at serum insulin of 5, 30, 72, and 167 mU/l on anabolic signaling, expression of ubiquitin-proteasome components, and protein turnover in muscles of healthy young men. Tripling AA availability at 5 mU/l insulin doubled incorporation of [1-13C]leucine [i.e., muscle protein synthesis (MPS), P < 0.01] without affecting the rate of leg protein breakdown (LPB; appearance of d5-phenylalanine). While keeping AA availability constant, increasing insulin to 30 mU/l halved LPB ( P < 0.05) without further inhibition at higher doses, whereas rates of MPS were identical to that at 5 mU/l insulin. The phosphorylation of PKB Ser473 and p70S6k Thr389 increased concomitantly with insulin, but whereas raising insulin to 30 mU/l increased the phosphorylation of mTOR Ser2448, 4E-BP1 Thr37/46, or GSK3β Ser9 and decreased that of eEF2 Thr56, higher insulin doses to 72 and 167 mU/l did not augment these latter responses. MAFbx and proteasome C2 subunit proteins declined as insulin increased, with MuRF-1 expression largely unchanged. Thus increasing AA and insulin availability causes changes in anabolic signaling and amounts of enzymes of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, which cannot be easily reconciled with observed effects on MPS or LPB.
Border Figure Detection Using a Phase Oscillator Network with Dynamical Coupling
Authors: Monteiro L. H. A. , Gonzalez I. , Piqueira J. R. C.
Published: June 2008

Oscillator networks have been developed in order to perform specific tasks
related to image processing. Here we analytically investigate the existence of synchronism in a pair of phase oscillators that are short‐range dynamically coupled. Then, we use these analytical results to design a network able of detecting border
of black‐and‐white figures. Each unit composing this network is a pair of such
phase oscillators and is assigned to a pixel in the image. The couplings among
the units forming the network are also dynamical. Border detection emerges from
the network activity.
Diagnosis of Female Diverticula Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Porten Sima , Kielb Stephanie
Published: June 2008

We investigate the ability of physical exam to diagnose urethral diverticula with or without magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and exclusive of invasive modalities. A retrospective chart review of all women undergoing urethral diverticulectomy at our institution since 1999 was performed. We identified 28 female patients with a mean age at diagnosis of 42.6 years (range 18–66). Common presenting symptoms included dyspareunia, urgency, and frequency. Physical exam revealed a suspected urethral diverticulum in 26 (92.9%) patients, which was confirmed postoperatively in 17 of the 20 (85%) women who underwent surgical resection. Noninvasive imaging modalities (MRI or CT) were available for review in 20 (71%) cases and made the correct diagnosis of urethral diverticulum (presence or absence) in 19 (95%) patients. In those patients with symptoms of stress or urge incontinence (11, 39%), voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) was performed. Urethral diverticula are often easily diagnosed on physical exam. MRI can be a useful adjunct for defining diverticular extent in surgical planning, especially for proximal and complex diverticula, and should be the modality of choice if clinical suspicion is high based on patient symptoms and physical exam.
Built‐in Test Enabled Diagnosis and Tuning of RF Transmitter Systems
Authors: Natarajan Vishwanath , Senguttuvan Rajarajan , Sen Shreyas , Chatterjee Abhjit
Published: June 2008

Built‐In RF test is a challenging problem due to the need to measure the values of complex test specifications on‐chip with the precision of external RF test equipment. BIT techniques are necessary for guiding system adaptation during field operation. Prior research has demonstrated that embedded RF sensors can generate significant information about RF circuit performance. In this paper, we propose a test methodology that enables efficient BIT and BIT‐enabled tuning of RF systems. A test generation approach is developed that co‐optimizes the applied test stimulus, the type of embedded sensors, and the system response capture mechanisms for maximal accuracy of the BIT procedure. This BIT technique is also used to perform diagnostic testing of the transmitter. The information gathered from diagnosis is used to tune the transmitter for improved performance. Simulation results demonstrate that BIT‐assisted diagnosis and tuning can be performed with good accuracy using the proposed methodology.
Weighted Composition Operators on Some Weighted Spaces in the Unit Ball
Authors: Fu Xiaohong , Zhu Xiangling
Published: June 2008

Let 𝔹n be the unit ball of ℂn, H(𝔹n) the space of all holomorphic functions in 𝔹n. Let u𝞊H(𝔹n) and α be a holomorphic self‐map of 𝔹n. For f𝞊H(𝔹n), the weigthed composition operator uCα is defined by (uCαf)(z) = u(z)f(α(z)), z𝞊𝔹n. The boundedness and compactness of the weighted composition operator
on some weighted spaces on the unit ball are studied in this paper.
Distributed Control of the Generalized Korteweg‐de Vries‐Burgers Equation
Authors: Smaoui Nejib , Al-Jamal Rasha H.
Published: June 2008

The paper deals with the distributed control of the generalized Kortweg‐de Vries‐Burgers equation (GKdVB) subject to periodic boundary conditions via the Karhunen‐Loève (K‐L) Galerkin method. The decomposition procedure of the K‐L method is presented to illustrate the use of this method in analyzing the numerical simulations data which represent the solutions to the GKdVB equation. The K‐L Galerkin projection is used as a model reduction technique for nonlinear systems to derive a system
of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) that mimics the dynamics of the GKdVB equation. The data coefficients derived from the ODE system are then used to approximate the solutions of the GKdVB equation. Finally, three state feedback linearization control schemes with the objective of enhancing the stability of the GKdVB equation are proposed. Simulations of the controlled system are given to illustrate the developed theory.
The Playing Session: Enhanced Playability for Mobile Gamers in Massive Metaverses
Authors: Cacciaguerra S. , D′Angelo G.
Published: June 2008

Internet ubiquity and the success of mobile gaming devices are increasing the interest in wireless access to virtual environments. Mainly due to the mobility factor and wireless medium features, traditional gaming architectures are not enough to guarantee good levels of playability and fairness to mobile gamers. We suggest a new mechanism, called playing session, capable of controlling communications between mobile devices and the game infrastructure. In case of network failures, a mimicking mechanism is in charge of playing, until the communication channel is restored. The goal is to reproduce, with an adequate level of mimesis, the user behavior. According to this approach, it will be possible to enhance the overall playability of Internet games without requiring any modification to the existing communication infrastructure.
Optimal Airport Surface Traffic Planning Using Mixed-Integer Linear Programming
Authors: Roling P. C. , Visser H. G.
Published: June 2008

We describe an ongoing research effort pertaining to the development of a surface traffic automation system that will help controllers to better coordinate surface traffic movements related to arrival and departure traffic. More specifically, we describe the concept for a taxi-planning support tool that aims to optimize the routing and scheduling of airport surface traffic in such a way as to deconflict the taxi plans while optimizing delay, total taxi-time, or some other airport efficiency metric. Certain input parameters related to resource demand, such as the expected landing times and the expected pushback times, are rather difficult to predict accurately. Due to uncertainty in the input data driving the taxi-planning process, the taxi-planning tool is designed such that it produces solutions that are robust to uncertainty. The taxi-planning concept presented herein, which is based on mixed-integer linear programming, is designed such that it is able to adapt to perturbations in these input conditions, as well as to account for failure in the actual execution of surface trajectories. The capabilities of the tool are illustrated in a simple hypothetical airport.
Deterministic Safety Technology for RBMK Reactors
Authors: D'Auria F. , Soloviev S. , Mazzini D. , Sollima C.
Published: June 2008

The present paper deals with the description of the technical activities conducted within the TACIS Project R2.03/97, 2 EC Contract no. 30303, related to RBMK. The project activities are focused toward the setting-up of a chain of computational tools suitable for the analysis of transients expected in the RBMK nuclear power plant (NPP). The accident leading to the rupture of one pressure channel, with fuel melting or high temperature damage, creep and brittle failure of the pressure tube and of graphite bricks with possibility of rupture propagation, constitutes the reference scenario for the project. However, a series of expected scenarios has been selected to prove the capability of the individual codes or chains of code in simulating the envisaged phenomenology. The paper summarizes the activities performed at NIKIET in Moscow and at University of Pisa (UNIPI) in Pisa. A top-down approach is pursued in structuring the executive summary that includes the following sections: (i) the safety needed for the RBMK NPP, (ii) the roadmap, (iii) the adopted computational tools, (iv) key findings, (v) Emphasis is given to the multiple pressure tube rupture (MPTR) issue and the individual channel monitoring (ICM) proposal.