Mobile phone and e-government in Turkey:practices and technological choices at the cross-road

Enhanced data services through mobile phones are expected to be soon fully transactional and embedded within future mobile consumption practices. While private services will surely continue to take the lead, others such as government and NGOs will become more prominent m-players. It is not yet sure which form of technological standards will take the lead including enhance SMS based operations or Internet based specifically developed mobile phone applications. With the introduction of interactive transactions via mobile phones, currently untapped segment of the populations (without computers) have the potential to be accessed. Our research, as a reflection of the current market situation in an emerging country context, in the case of mobile phones analyzes the current needs or emergence of dependencies regarding the use of m/e-government services from the perspective of municipality officers. We contend that more research is needed to understand current preparatory bottlenecks and front loading activities to be able to encourage future intention to use e-government services through mobile phone technologies. This study highlights and interprets the current emerging practices and praxis for consuming m-government services within government.

Development of performance models for co-operative information systems in an organisational context

The thesis reports of a study into the effect upon organisations of co-operative information systems (CIS) incorporating flexible communications, group support and group working technologies. A review of the literature leads to the development of a model of effect based upon co-operative business tasks. CIS have the potential to change how co-operative business tasks are carried out and their principal effect (or performance) may therefore be evaluated by determining to what extent they are being employed to perform these tasks. A significant feature of CIS use identified is the extent to which they may be designed to fulfil particular tasks, or by contrast, may be applied creatively by users in an emergent fashion to perform tasks. A research instrument is developed using a survey questionnaire to elicit users judgements of the extent to which a CIS is employed to fulfil a range of co-operative tasks. This research instrument is applied to a longitudinal study of Novell GroupWise introduction at Northamptonshire County Council during which qualitative as well as quantitative data were gathered. A method of analysis of questionnaire results using principles from fuzzy mathematics and artificial intelligence is developed and demonstrated. Conclusions from the longitudinal study include the importance of early experiences in setting patterns for use for CIS, the persistence of patterns of use over time and the dominance of designed usage of the technology over emergent use.

Efeito agudo do exercício físico associado a praxias ideomotoras sobre as concentrações séricas de cortisol e memória declarativa em indivíduos com idade entre 51 e 74 anos

Introduction: Several modifications are identified as aging, causing more or less limitation imposed by over the years. Among these, one can highlight the different degrees of cognitive decline, particularly memory that can involve the daily activities and the subject functionality. Studies have shown an association between levels of serum cortisol and stress imposed by the exercise on this. However, there are few studies that references the performance on cognitive aspects of declarative memory and cortisol on the exercise in the water with automatic and práxicos movements and moderate. Objective: Check the effect based on the acute physical exercise and práxicos automatic movements on the performance of visual declarative memory and in serum cortisol in subjects aged between 51 and 74 years. Materials and Methods: It builds a survey characterized as cross with a first sample of 32 physically active subjects aged between 51 and 74 years, divided into two exercise groups (March of Automatic Group - MAG and the March of Praxis Group - MPG). We used a probabilistic and random sampling for sample selection. Used the MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination) to check the general cognitive status, visual acuity test - optotypes chart "E" Rasquin and was even used the declarative visual memory test proposed by Nitrini and collaborators (1994), applying before motor stimulation and immediately after, and the day of blood collection with 2 ml for analysis of cortisol hormone. The normality and homogeneity were verified from the Shapiro-Wilk and Levene tests. Thus we adopted a descriptive statistics to characterize the sample. The Split-Plot ANOVA was used along with the paired t-test to verify the identified differences. We adopted a significance level of p <0.05. Results: It was observed that the groups (MAG and MPG) and the anthropometric variables, perceived exertion, education, cognitive assessment and visual acuity showed no significant differences (p > 0.05), showing that the groups are homogeneous, with variables and similar means. After the stimulation session, lasting 30 min, it was observed that the amount of hits for Δ of declarative memory questionnaire visual images increased, presenting significant for both groups (MAG, p < 0.001; MPG, p = 0.042). The same was observed for cortisol concentration with a reduction in the levels immediately after the stimulus (MAG and MPG, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The results showed that the exercises proposed in its acute effect provide significantly memories of gains and also showed a reduction in cortisol levels.

Trajectory prediction uncertainty modelling for Air Traffic Management

The anticipated growth of air traffic worldwide requires enhanced Air Traffic Management (ATM) technologies and procedures to increase the system capacity, efficiency, and resilience, while reducing environmental impact and maintaining operational safety. To deal with these challenges, new automation and information exchange capabilities are being developed through different modernisation initiatives toward a new global operational concept called Trajectory Based Operations (TBO), in which aircraft trajectory information becomes the cornerstone of advanced ATM applications. This transformation will lead to higher levels of system complexity requiring enhanced Decision Support Tools (DST) to aid humans in the decision making processes. These will rely on accurate predicted aircraft trajectories, provided by advanced Trajectory Predictors (TP). The trajectory prediction process is subject to stochastic effects that introduce uncertainty into the predictions. Regardless of the assumptions that define the aircraft motion model underpinning the TP, deviations between predicted and actual trajectories are unavoidable. This thesis proposes an innovative method to characterise the uncertainty associated with a trajectory prediction based on the mathematical theory of Polynomial Chaos Expansions (PCE). Assuming univariate PCEs of the trajectory prediction inputs, the method describes how to generate multivariate PCEs of the prediction outputs that quantify their associated uncertainty. Arbitrary PCE (aPCE) was chosen because it allows a higher degree of flexibility to model input uncertainty. The obtained polynomial description can be used in subsequent prediction sensitivity analyses thanks to the relationship between polynomial coefficients and Sobol indices. The Sobol indices enable ranking the input parameters according to their influence on trajectory prediction uncertainty. The applicability of the aPCE-based uncertainty quantification detailed herein is analysed through a study case. This study case represents a typical aircraft trajectory prediction problem in ATM, in which uncertain parameters regarding aircraft performance, aircraft intent description, weather forecast, and initial conditions are considered simultaneously. Numerical results are compared to those obtained from a Monte Carlo simulation, demonstrating the advantages of the proposed method. The thesis includes two examples of DSTs (Demand and Capacity Balancing tool, and Arrival Manager) to illustrate the potential benefits of exploiting the proposed uncertainty quantification method.

Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance como Agente de Mudança

O século XXI introduziu profundas mudanças no espaço onde a atuação militar se desenvolve. Esta mutação, que agora inclui o domínio físico e cognitivo na ação militar, impõe a adoção de novos conceitos de operação e estruturas organizacionais mais ágeis, de forma a fazerem face a um ambiente altamente volátil, imprevisível e complexo. Tal contexto torna as organizações, hoje mais do que nunca, dependentes de informação (e dos sistemas que as geram), e no âmbito das organizações militares, uma capacidade em particular assume, na atualidade, uma preponderância fulcral para o sucesso destas, que se designa por Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR). Considerando a complexidade de sistemas, processos e pessoas que envolvem toda esta capacidade, torna-se relevante estudar como a Força Aérea Portuguesa (FAP) está a acomodar este conceito no interior da sua estrutura, uma vez que a sua adaptação requer uma organização da era da informação, onde o trabalho em rede assume particular destaque. A presente investigação analisa formas de estruturas organizacionais contemporâneas e cruza-as com as recomendações da Organização do Tratado do Atlântico Norte (também designada por Aliança), comparando-as posteriormente com a atualidade da FAP. No final, são efetuadas propostas tangíveis, que podem potenciar as capacidades existentes, de onde se destaca a criação de uma matriz de análise quanto à eficiência organizacional, uma nova forma de organização das capacidades residentes no que ao ISR concerne, bem como o modo de potenciar o trabalho em rede com base nos meios existentes. Abstract: The 21st century has caused profound changes in the areas where military action takes place. This mutation, which now includes the physical and cognitive domain in military action, requires the adoption of new concepts of operation and more agile organizational structures in order to cope with a highly volatile, unpredictable and complex environment. Thus, more than ever, this makes the present organizations dependent of information (and the systems that generate them), in the case of military organizations, a particular capability undertakes today a strong impact on the success of military organizations. It is known as Intelligence, Surveillance& Reconnaissance (ISR). Taking into account the complexity of systems, processes and people involving all this capability, it is relevant to study how the Portuguese Air Force (PAF) is accommodating this concept within its structure, since the adaptation requires an organization adapted to the information era, where networking is particularly prominent. This research aims to analyze contemporary forms of organizational structures and cross them with the recommendations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (also known as Alliance), later comparing them with today's PAF. At the end of this investigation, some tangible proposals are made which can enhance existing capabilities: we can highlight the creation of an analysis matrix for organizational efficiency, a new form of organization of the resident capabilities in the ISR concerns, as well as the way of enhancing networking, based on existing means.

Diseño de material didáctico con técnica pop up como material educativo de la fauna endémica de las islas Galápagos

El presente proyecto nace del interés de ampliar y transmitir conocimientos referentes a las Islas Galápagos, sus características, su historia, sus especies únicas y milenarias, de una manera innovadora, divertida y tridimensional para así apostar simbólicamente a nuestro planeta, es que interesarse por aquello que tenemos a la altura de nuestro sentidos para conocerlo, respetarlo y, todavía mejor, protegerlo, es la base del cambio. Uno de los aspectos principales del proyecto es la ilustración de cada una de las especies endémicas de las Islas que parte desde su forma básica, el bocetaje, siendo el punto de partida para la obtención de una variedad de paisajes, especies y complementos. En el proceso de diseño se aplica la técnica de los libros móviles, esta técnica que junto a la ingeniería del papel produce el efecto tridimensional que conjuntamente con el previo estudio de temas fundamentales sobre ilustración, color, tipografía y diseño editorial enfocado a lo largo del proyecto al público objetivo permiten plasmar de manera conjunta, correcta y coherente cada uno de los conocimientos que buscamos transmitir en el libro , facilitando así al lector el disfrute de esta actividad, su formación integral y la ampliación de sus conocimientos, generando una relación armónica entre la actividad , el conocimiento y el mundo que los rodea.

Contaminants of emerging concern in drinking water: assessment of the effectiveness of removal by drinking water treatments and possible risks to human health

Contaminants of emerging concern are increasingly detected in the water cycle, with endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) receiving attention due to their potential to cause adverse health effects even at low concentrations. Although the EU has recently introduced some EDCs into drinking water legislation, most drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) are not designed to remove EDCs, making their detection and removal in DWTPs an important challenge. The aim of this doctoral project was to investigate hormones and phenolic compounds as suspected EDCs in drinking waters across the Romagna area (Italy). The main objectives were to assess the occurrence of considered contaminants in source and drinking water from three DWTPs, characterize the effectiveness of removal by different water treatment processes, and evaluate the potential biological impact on drinking water and human health. Specifically, a complementary approach of target chemical analysis and effect-based methods was adopted to explore drinking water quality, treatment efficacy, and biological potential. This study found that nonylphenol (NP) was prevalent in all samples, followed by BPA. Sporadic contamination of hormones was found only in source waters. Although the measured EDC concentrations in drinking water did not exceed threshold guideline values, the potential role of DWTPs as an additional source of EDC contamination should be considered. Significant increases in BPA and NP levels were observed during water treatment steps, which were also reflected in estrogenic and mutagenic responses in water samples after the ultrafiltration. This highlights the need to monitor water quality during various treatment processes to improve the efficiency of DWTPs. Biological assessments on finished water did not reveal any bioactivity, except for few treated water samples that exhibited estrogenic responses. Overall, the data emphasize the high quality of produced drinking water and the value of applying integrated chemical analysis and in vitro bioassays for water quality assessment.

Effect of Video Camera-Based Remote Roadway Condition Monitoring on Snow Removal-Related Maintenance Operations. 2014

Remote monitoring through the use of cameras is widely utilized for traffic operation, but has not been utilized widely for roadway maintenance operations. The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has implemented a new remote monitoring system, referred to as a Cloud-enabled Remote Video Streaming (CRVS) camera system for snow removal-related maintenance operations in the winter. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of the CRVS camera system in snow removal-related maintenance operations. This study was conducted in two parts: opinion surveys of maintenance station supervisors and an analysis on snow removal-related maintenance costs. The responses to the opinion surveys mostly displayed positive reviews of the use of the CRVS cameras. On a scale of 1 (least effective) to 5 (most effective), the average overall effectiveness given by the station supervisors was 4.3. An expedition trip for this study was defined as a trip that was made to just check the roadways if snow-removal was necessary. The average of the responses received from surveys was calculated to be a 33 percent reduction in expedition trips. For the second part of this study, an analysis was performed on the snow removal-related maintenance cost data provided by UDOT to see if the installation of a CRVS camera had an effect in reducing expedition trips. This expedition cost comparison was performed for 10 sets of maintenance stations within Utah. It was difficult to make any definitive inferences from the comparison of expedition costs over the years for which precipitation and expedition cost data were available; hence a statistical analysis was performed using the Mixed Model ANOVA. This analysis resulted in an average of 14 percent higher ratio of expedition costs at maintenance stations with a CRVS camera before the installation of the camera compared to the ratio of expedition costs after the installation of the camera. This difference was not proven to be statistically significant at the 95 percent confident level, but indicated that the installation of CRVS cameras was on the average helpful in reducing expedition costs and may be considered practically significant. It is recommended that more detailed and consistent maintenance cost records be prepared for accurate analysis of cost records for this type of study in the future.

Longitudinal dispersion in spiral wound RO modules and its effect on the performance of batch mode RO operations

Operation of reverse osmosis (RO) in cyclic batch mode can in principle provide both high energy efficiency and high recovery. However, one factor that causes the performance to be less than ideal is longitudinal dispersion in the RO module. At the end of the batch pressurisation phase it is necessary to purge and then refill the module. During the purge and refill phases, dispersion causes undesirable mixing of concentrated brine with less concentrated feed water, therefore increasing the salt concentration and energy usage in the subsequent pressurisation phase of the cycle. In this study, we quantify the significance of dispersion through theory and experiment. We provide an analysis that relates the energy efficiency of the batch operation to the amount of dispersion. With the help of a model based on the analysis by Taylor, dispersion is quantified according to flow rate. The model is confirmed by experiments with two types of proprietary spiral wound RO modules, using sodium chloride (NaCl) solutions of concentration 1000 to 20,000 ppm. In practice the typical energy usage increases by 4% to 5.5% compared to the ideal case of zero dispersion.

Effect of wind on operating cost based cruise speed reduction for delay absorption

En route speed reduction can be used for air traffic flow management (ATFM), e.g., delaying aircraft while airborne or realizing metering at an arrival fix. In previous publications, the authors identified the flight conditions that maximize the airborne delay without incurring extra fuel consumption with respect to the nominal (not delayed) flight. In this paper, the effect of wind on this strategy is studied, and the sensitivity to wind forecast errors is also assessed. A case study done in Chicago O’Hare airport (ORD) is presented, showing that wind has a significant effect on the airborne delay that can be realized and that, in some cases, even tailwinds might lead to an increase in the maximum amount of airborne delay. The values of airborne delay are representative enough to suggest that this speed reduction technique might be useful in a real operational scenario. Moreover, the speed reduction strategy is more robust than nominal operations against fuel consumption in the presence of wind forecast uncertainties.

The Effect Of Poly(methyl Methacrylate) Surface Treatments On The Adhesion Of Silicone-based Resilient Denture Liners.

Different surface treatment protocols of poly(methyl methacrylate) have been proposed to improve the adhesion of silicone-based resilient denture liners to poly(methyl methacrylate) surfaces. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of different poly(methyl methacrylate) surface treatments on the adhesion of silicone-based resilient denture liners. Poly(methyl methacrylate) specimens were prepared and divided into 4 treatment groups: no treatment (control), methyl methacrylate for 180 seconds, acetone for 30 seconds, and ethyl acetate for 60 seconds. Poly(methyl methacrylate) disks (30.0 × 5.0 mm; n = 10) were evaluated regarding surface roughness and surface free energy. To evaluate tensile bond strength, the resilient material was applied between 2 treated poly(methyl methacrylate) bars (60.0 × 5.0 × 5.0 mm; n = 20 for each group) to form a 2-mm-thick layer. Data were analyzed by 1-way ANOVA and the Tukey honestly significant difference tests (α = .05). A Pearson correlation test verified the influence of surface properties on tensile bond strength. Failure type was assessed, and the poly(methyl methacrylate) surface treatment modifications were visualized with scanning electron microscopy. The surface roughness was increased (P < .05) by methyl methacrylate treatment. For the acetone and ethyl acetate groups, the surface free energy decreased (P < .05). The tensile bond strength was higher for the methyl methacrylate and ethyl acetate groups (P < .05). No correlation was found regarding surface properties and tensile bond strength. Specimens treated with acetone and methyl methacrylate presented a cleaner surface, whereas the ethyl acetate treatment produced a porous topography. The methyl methacrylate and ethyl acetate surface treatment protocols improved the adhesion of a silicone-based resilient denture liner to poly(methyl methacrylate).

Effect Of 4-(n,n-dimethylamino)phenethyl Alcohol On Degree Of Conversion And Cytotoxicity Of Photo-polymerized Cq-based Resin Composites.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the degree of conversion (DC) and the cytotoxicity of photo-cured experimental resin composites containing 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)phenethyl alcohol (DMPOH) combined to the camphorquinone (CQ) compared with ethylamine benzoate (EDAB). The resin composites were mechanically blended using 35 wt% of an organic matrix and 65 wt% of filler loading. To this matrix was added 0.2 wt% of CQ and 0.2 wt% of one of the reducing agents tested. 5x1 mm samples (n=5) were previously submitted to DC measurement and then pre-immersed in complete culture medium without 10% (v/v) bovine serum for 1 h or 24 h at 37 °C in a humidifier incubator with 5% CO2 and 95% humidity to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of experimental resin composites using the MTT assay on immortalized human keratinocytes cells. As a result of absence of normal distribution, the statistical analysis was performed using the nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis to evaluate the cytotoxicity and one-way analysis of variance to evaluate the DC. For multiple comparisons, cytotoxicity statistical analyses were submitted to Student-Newman-Keuls and DC analysis to Tukey's HSD post-hoc test (=0.05). No significant differences were found between the DC of DMPOH (49.9%) and EDAB (50.7%). 1 h outcomes showed no significant difference of the cell viability between EDAB (99.26%), DMPOH (94.85%) and the control group (100%). After 24 h no significant difference were found between EDAB (48.44%) and DMPOH (38.06%), but significant difference was found compared with the control group (p>0.05). DMPOH presented similar DC and cytotoxicity compared with EDAB when associated with CQ.

Triboelectric Effect As A New Strategy For Sealing And Controlling The Flow In Paper-based Devices.

We reported here for the first time that triboelectric charges on PET sheets can be used to seal and control the flow rate in paper-based devices. The proposed method exhibits simplicity and low cost, provides reversible sealing and minimizes the effect of sample evaporation.

Effect of eugenol-based endodontic sealer on the adhesion of intraradicular posts cemented after different periods

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated in vitro the influence of an eugenol-based sealer (EndoFill) on the retention of stainless steel prefabricated posts cemented with zinc phosphate and resin-based (Panavia F) cements after different periods of root canal obturation, using the pull-out test. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty upper canines were decoronated and the roots were embedded in resin blocks. The specimens were distributed into 3 groups, according to the period elapsed between canal obturation and post cementation: Group I - immediately; Group II - 72 h and Group III - 4 months. The groups were subdivided according to the type of cement used for post cementation: A - zinc phosphate and B - Panavia F. Following the experimental periods, specimens were subjected to pullout test in an Instron machine with application of tensile force at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min until post dislodgement. The maximum forces required for post removal were recorded (kN) and means were subjected to statistical analysis by 2-way ANOVA and Tukey-Kramer test (α=0.001) RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences (p<0.01) between the posts cemented with zinc phosphate cement (0.2112 kN) and Panavia F (0.0501 kN). However, no statistically significant differences (p>0.05) were found between the three post cementation periods, regardless of the cement. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that the eugenol-based sealer influenced the tensile strength of the posts cemented with the resin cement, but had no influence on the time waited between root canal obturation and post space preparation/post cementation.

Effect of fructans-based fat replacer on chemical composition, starch digestibility and sensory acceptability of corn snacks

To develop a convenience healthy food snack the partially hydrogenated vegetable fat, used as the flavour fixative agent, was replaced by a non-fat-flavouring solution enriched with inulin and oligofructose. The effects of this replacement on chemical composition, in vitro rate of starch digestion and sensory acceptability were assessed. The new snack presented low-fat levels (0.1 per cent) and around a sevenfold increase in dietary fibre (15.3 per cent of dietary fibre, being 13.3 per cent of fructans) when compared with the traditional ones. The enrichment with fructans reduced the predicted Glycaemic Index by 25 per cent, thus indicating that this dietary fibre contributes effectively towards delaying the in vitro glycaemic response. Fructans-enriched snack presented overall acceptability score (6.6 ± 1.7) similar to the traditional one, flavoured with fatty fixative agent (7.4 ± 1.4). The healthy low-fat fibre-enriched snack produced presented the high sensory acceptability typical for this food product type