Consolidation of a wsn and minimax method to rapidly neutralise intruders in strategic installations

Due to the sensitive international situation caused by still-recent terrorist attacks, there is a common need to protect the safety of large spaces such as government buildings, airports and power stations. To address this problem, developments in several research fields, such as video and cognitive audio, decision support systems, human interface, computer architecture, communications networks and communications security, should be integrated with the goal of achieving advanced security systems capable of checking all of the specified requirements and spanning the gap that presently exists in the current market. This paper describes the implementation of a decision system for crisis management in infrastructural building security. Specifically, it describes the implementation of a decision system in the management of building intrusions. The positions of the unidentified persons are reported with the help of a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN). The goal is to achieve an intelligent system capable of making the best decision in real time in order to quickly neutralise one or more intruders who threaten strategic installations. It is assumed that the intruders’ behaviour is inferred through sequences of sensors’ activations and their fusion. This article presents a general approach to selecting the optimum operation from the available neutralisation strategies based on a Minimax algorithm. The distances among different scenario elements will be used to measure the risk of the scene, so a path planning technique will be integrated in order to attain a good performance. Different actions to be executed over the elements of the scene such as moving a guard, blocking a door or turning on an alarm will be used to neutralise the crisis. This set of actions executed to stop the crisis is known as the neutralisation strategy. Finally, the system has been tested in simulations of real situations, and the results have been evaluated according to the final state of the intruders. In 86.5% of the cases, the system achieved the capture of the intruders, and in 59.25% of the cases, they were intercepted before they reached their objective.

DIVERGÊNCIAS E CONVERGÊNCIAS ENTRE A COMUNICAÇÃO PRIMÁRIA E A COMUNICAÇÃO SECUNDÁRIA NA DIVULGAÇÃO DO CÂNCER DE MAMA

Este estudo investiga as convergências e as divergências na comunicação primária e na comunicação secundária do câncer de mama. Nós usamos um esquema interpretativo fornecido pela Análise de Enquadramento, Agenda Setting, Teoria do Aprendizado Social, Difusão de Inovações, Semiótica e conceito de Novidade na Ciência e no Jornalismo, para argumentar que cientistas e jornalistas comunicam as novidades da Ciência de modos diversos. Também tivemos como uma proposta secundária traçar um panorama histórico da Comunicação da Saúde, e sua evolução, considerando que a Comunicação empreendeu um esforço para legitimar um espaço de encontro com a Saúde, afirmando uma área de aplicação de teorias, princípios e técnicas comunicacionais, com o objetivo preciso de difundir e compartilhar informação, conhecimentos e práticas que contribuam para melhorar os sistemas de saúde e o bem-estar das populações. Através da análise dos dados de periódicos científicos e jornalísticos que divulgam o câncer de mama, nós encontramos apoio significante para nossas predições. As implicações destas diferenças entre a comunicação primária (interpares) e a comunicação secundária (público leigo) para a comunicação da saúde são discutidas, às vezes apresentando-se como convergências, às vezes como divergências. Quando bem esclarecidas e compreendidas, fazem avançar a Comunicação da Saúde, obtendo resultados positivos no bem-estar das populações, considerando que a origem das doen ças está, fundamentalmente, onde se entrelaçam o biológico e o social.(AU)

DIVERGÊNCIAS E CONVERGÊNCIAS ENTRE A COMUNICAÇÃO PRIMÁRIA E A COMUNICAÇÃO SECUNDÁRIA NA DIVULGAÇÃO DO CÂNCER DE MAMA

Este estudo investiga as convergências e as divergências na comunicação primária e na comunicação secundária do câncer de mama. Nós usamos um esquema interpretativo fornecido pela Análise de Enquadramento, Agenda Setting, Teoria do Aprendizado Social, Difusão de Inovações, Semiótica e conceito de Novidade na Ciência e no Jornalismo, para argumentar que cientistas e jornalistas comunicam as novidades da Ciência de modos diversos. Também tivemos como uma proposta secundária traçar um panorama histórico da Comunicação da Saúde, e sua evolução, considerando que a Comunicação empreendeu um esforço para legitimar um espaço de encontro com a Saúde, afirmando uma área de aplicação de teorias, princípios e técnicas comunicacionais, com o objetivo preciso de difundir e compartilhar informação, conhecimentos e práticas que contribuam para melhorar os sistemas de saúde e o bem-estar das populações. Através da análise dos dados de periódicos científicos e jornalísticos que divulgam o câncer de mama, nós encontramos apoio significante para nossas predições. As implicações destas diferenças entre a comunicação primária (interpares) e a comunicação secundária (público leigo) para a comunicação da saúde são discutidas, às vezes apresentando-se como convergências, às vezes como divergências. Quando bem esclarecidas e compreendidas, fazem avançar a Comunicação da Saúde, obtendo resultados positivos no bem-estar das populações, considerando que a origem das doen ças está, fundamentalmente, onde se entrelaçam o biológico e o social.(AU)

Intermediate hosts of Toxoplasma gondii and food safety:epidemiology, genetics and parasite survival in meat-producing animals in Italy

Toxoplasma gondii is a coccidian parasite with a global distribution. The definitive host is the cat (and other felids). All warm-blooded animals can act as intermediate hosts, including humans. Sexual reproduction (gametogony) takes place in the final host and oocysts are released in the environment, where they then sporulate to become infective. In intermediate hosts the cycle is extra-intestinal and results in the formation of tachyzoites and bradyzoites. Tachyzoites represent the invasive and proliferative stage and on entering a cell it multiplies asexually by endodyogeny. Bradyzoites within tissue cysts are the latent form. T. gondii is a food-borne parasite causing toxoplasmosis, which can occur in both animals and humans. Infection in humans is asymptomatic in more than 80% of cases in Europe and North-America. In the remaining cases patients present fever, cervical lymphadenopathy and other non-specific clinical signs. Nevertheless, toxoplasmosis is life threatening if it occurs in immunocompromised subjects. The main organs involved are brain (toxoplasmic encephalitis), heart (myocarditis), lungs (pulmonary toxoplasmosis), eyes, pancreas and parasite can be isolated from these tissues. Another aspect is congenital toxoplasmosis that may occur in pregnant women and the severity of the consequences depends on the stage of pregnancy when maternal infection occurs. Acute toxoplasmosis in developing foetuses may result in blindness, deformation, mental retardation or even death. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), in recent reports on zoonoses, highlighted that an increasing numbers of animals resulted infected with T. gondii in EU (reported by the European Member States for pigs, sheep, goats, hunted wild boar and hunted deer, in 2011 and 2012). In addition, high prevalence values have been detected in cats, cattle and dogs, as well as several other animal species, indicating the wide distribution of the parasite among different animal and wildlife species. The main route of transmission is consumption of food and water contaminated with sporulated oocysts. However, infection through the ingestion of meat contaminated with tissue cysts is frequent. Finally, although less frequent, other food products contaminated with tachyzoites such as milk, may also pose a risk. The importance of this parasite as a risk for human health was recently highlighted by EFSA’s opinion on modernization of meat inspection, where Toxoplasma gondii was identified as a relevant hazard to be addressed in revised meat inspection systems for pigs, sheep, goats, farmed wild boar and farmed deer (Call for proposals -GP/EFSA/BIOHAZ/2013/01). The risk of infection is more highly associated to animals reared outside, also in free-range or organic farms, where biohazard measure are less strict than in large scale, industrial farms. Here, animals are kept under strict biosecurity measures, including barriers, which inhibit access by cats, thus making soil contamination by oocysts nearly impossible. A growing demand by the consumer for organic products, coming from free-range livestock, in respect of animal-welfare, and the desire for the best quality of derived products, have all led to an increase in the farming of free-range animals. The risk of Toxoplasma gondii infection increases when animals have access to environment and the absence of data in Italy, together with need for in depth study of both the prevalence and genotypes of Toxoplasma gondii present in our country were the main reasons for the development of this thesis project. A total of 152 animals have been analyzed, including 21 free-range pigs (Suino Nero race), 24 transhumant Cornigliese sheep, 77 free-range chickens and 21 wild animals. Serology (on meat juice) and identification of T. gondii DNA through PCR was performed on all samples, except for wild animals (no serology). An in-vitro test was also applied with the aim to find an alternative and valid method to bioassay, actually the gold standard. Meat samples were digested and seeded onto Vero cells, checked every day and a RT-PCR protocol was used to determine an eventual increase in the amount of DNA, demonstrating the viability of the parasite. Several samples were alos genetically characterized using a PCR-RFLP protocol to define the major genotypes diffused in the geographical area studied. Within the context of a project promoted by Istituto Zooprofilattico of Pavia and Brescia (Italy), experimentally infected pigs were also analyzed. One of the aims was to verify if the production process of cured “Prosciutto di Parma” is able to kill the parasite. Our contribution included the digestion and seeding of homogenates on Vero cells and applying the Elisa test on meat juice. This thesis project has highlighted widespread diffusion of T. gondii in the geographical area taken into account. Pigs, sheep, chickens and wild animals showed high prevalence of infection. The data obtained with serology were 95.2%, 70.8%, 36.4%, respectively, indicating the spread of the parasite among numerous animal species. For wild animals, the average value of parasite infection determined through PCR was 44.8%. Meat juice serology appears to be a very useful, rapid and sensitive method for screening carcasses at slaughterhouse and for marketing “Toxo-free” meat. The results obtained on fresh pork meat (derived from experimentally infected pigs) before (on serum) and after (on meat juice) slaughter showed a good concordance. The free-range farming put in evidence a marked risk for meat-producing animals and as a consequence also for the consumer. Genotyping revealed the diffusion of Type-II and in a lower percentage of Type-III. In pigs is predominant the Type-II profile, while in wildlife is more diffused a Type-III and mixed profiles (mainly Type-II/III). The mixed genotypes (Type-II/III) could be explained by the presence of mixed infections. Free-range farming and the contact with wildlife could facilitate the spread of the parasite and the generation of new and atypical strains, with unknown consequences on human health. The curing process employed in this study appears to produce hams that do not pose a serious concern to human health and therefore could be marketed and consumed without significant health risk. Little is known about the diffusion and genotypes of T. gondii in wild animals; further studies on the way in which new and mixed genotypes may be introduced into the domestic cycle should be very interesting, also with the use of NGS techniques, more rapid and sensitive than PCR-RFLP. Furthermore wildlife can become a valuable indicator of environmental contamination with T. gondii oocysts. Other future perspectives regarding pigs include the expansion of the number of free-range animals and farms and for Cornigliese sheep the evaluation of other food products as raw milk and cheeses. It should be interesting to proceed with the validation of an ELISA test for infection in chickens, using both serum and meat juice on a larger number of animals and the same should be done also for wildlife (at the moment no ELISA tests are available and MAT is the reference method for them). Results related to Parma ham do not suggest a concerning risk for consumers. However, further studies are needed to complete the risk assessment and the analysis of other products cured using technological processes other than those investigated in the present study. For example, it could be interesting to analyze products such as salami, produced with pig meat all over the Italian country, with very different recipes, also in domestic and rural contexts, characterized by a very short period of curing (1 to 6 months). Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most diffuse food-borne parasites globally. Public health safety, improved animal production and protection of endangered livestock species are all important goals of research into reliable diagnostic tools for this infection. Future studies into the epidemiology, parasite survival and genotypes of T. gondii in meat producing animals should continue to be a research priority.

Social risk factors in Spanish youth and their impact on self-concept construction

This paper presents evidence from a psychosocial framework about the relationship among youth, work, and identity construction. The aims of this research were twofold. The first one was to analyze the working conditions of Spanish youth and their impact on individuals' biographies. The second one was to examine the effect of labor-related variables on construction / change of identity elements in Spanish youth. For this purpose, two research techniques were used: the Delphi method (103 experts sample from several entities and organizations closely related to our topic) and deep interviews (15 interviews with youths classified according to their relationship with the work market). Copyright 2007 by The Spanish Journal of Psychology.

Chemical and isotopic compositions of hydrothermal manifestations and minerals from the Broken Spur hydrothermal field

A representative collection of hydrothermal manifestations was sampled practically from all hydrothermal mounds of the Broken Spur hydrothermal vent field with use of the Mir manned submersibles during three cruises of R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh. Mineral associations characteristic for different morphological types of sulfide ores from hydrothermal pipes, plates, and diffusers are assessed. Particular attention is paid to distribution of minor elements and their distribution patterns determined by mineralogical zonation. Measured isotopic composition of sulfur in sulfide minerals varies from 0.4 to 5.2 per mil that indicates their similarity with ores from the Snake Pit vent field and is related to dilution of hot ore-bearing solutions by seawater and reduction of water sulfate ions to H2S with heavy isotopic composition.

History of the expedition under the command of Captains Lewis and Clarke, to the sources of the Missouri ... : performed during the years 1804, 1805, 1806, by order of the government of the United States /

The chapter on natural history (1st edition, v. 2, chapter 7) is in this edition transferred to the appendix. In this appendix the Estimate of the western Indians is given under the heading: "Enumeration of Indian nations and their places of general residence."

History of the expedition under the command of Captains Lewis and Clarke, to the sources of the Missouri : thence across the Rockey Mountains, and down the river Columbia to the Pacific Ocean ; performed during the years 1804, 1805, 1806, by order of the government of the United States /

The chapter on natural history (1st edition, v. 2, chapter 7) is in this edition transferred to the appendix. In this appendix the Estimate of the western Indians is given under the heading: "Enumeration of Indian nations and their places of general residence".

A guide to classical learning, or, Polymetis abridged ... : being a work necessary not only for classical instruction, but for all those who wish to have a true taste for the beauties of poetry, sculpture and painting /

Plate engraved by P. Fourdrinier.

Adult siblings' perceptions of family life and loss: A pilot case study

The death of a child with a disability presents unique challenges for individual family members. Whereas parents have received much attention in terms of their needs and challenges, siblings have received less attention. Growing up with a child with a disability who subsequently dies has a profound impact. This paper used in-depth interviews to illuminate the experiences and perceptions of siblings in one family in which a child with cerebral palsy died. The 5 siblings were interviewed about their experiences of family life and their methods of coping during the terminal phases of illness and after their sister's death. Their views on friendships, growing up, vocational choices, their sister's contribution to their lives, and their adjustment to her death are illustrated. Implications for health professionals working with siblings and families are drawn in terms of adult siblings' coping responses and their need for mutual support.

Water quality in the Great Barrier Reef region: responses of mangrove, seagrass and macroalgal communities

Marine plants colonise several interconnected ecosystems in the Great Barrier Reef region including tidal wetlands, seagrass meadows and coral reefs. Water quality in some coastal areas is declining from human activities. Losses of mangrove and other tidal wetland communities are mostly the result of reclamation for coastal development of estuaries, e.g. for residential use, port infrastructure or marina development, and result in river bank destabilisation, deterioration of water clarity and loss of key coastal marine habitat. Coastal seagrass meadows are characterized by small ephemeral species. They are disturbed by increased turbidity after extreme flood events, but generally recover. There is no evidence of an overall seagrass decline or expansion. High nutrient and substrate availability and low grazing pressure on nearshore reefs have lead to changed benthic communities with high macroalgal abundance. Conservation and management of GBR macrophytes and their ecosystems is hampered by scarce ecological knowledge across macrophyte community types. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DIVERGÊNCIAS E CONVERGÊNCIAS ENTRE A COMUNICAÇÃO PRIMÁRIA E A COMUNICAÇÃO SECUNDÁRIA NA DIVULGAÇÃO DO CÂNCER DE MAMA

Este estudo investiga as convergências e as divergências na comunicação primária e na comunicação secundária do câncer de mama. Nós usamos um esquema interpretativo fornecido pela Análise de Enquadramento, Agenda Setting, Teoria do Aprendizado Social, Difusão de Inovações, Semiótica e conceito de Novidade na Ciência e no Jornalismo, para argumentar que cientistas e jornalistas comunicam as novidades da Ciência de modos diversos. Também tivemos como uma proposta secundária traçar um panorama histórico da Comunicação da Saúde, e sua evolução, considerando que a Comunicação empreendeu um esforço para legitimar um espaço de encontro com a Saúde, afirmando uma área de aplicação de teorias, princípios e técnicas comunicacionais, com o objetivo preciso de difundir e compartilhar informação, conhecimentos e práticas que contribuam para melhorar os sistemas de saúde e o bem-estar das populações. Através da análise dos dados de periódicos científicos e jornalísticos que divulgam o câncer de mama, nós encontramos apoio significante para nossas predições. As implicações destas diferenças entre a comunicação primária (interpares) e a comunicação secundária (público leigo) para a comunicação da saúde são discutidas, às vezes apresentando-se como convergências, às vezes como divergências. Quando bem esclarecidas e compreendidas, fazem avançar a Comunicação da Saúde, obtendo resultados positivos no bem-estar das populações, considerando que a origem das doen ças está, fundamentalmente, onde se entrelaçam o biológico e o social.(AU)

The effects of varying forms and degrees of government intervention upon the effective competitiveness of UK small businesses

This doctoral thesis responds to the need for greater understanding of small businesses and their inherent unique problem-types. Integral to the investigation is the theme that for governments to effectively influence small business, a sound understanding of the factors they are seeking to influence is essential. Moreover, the study, in its recognition of the many shortcomings in management research and, in particular that the research methods and approaches adopted often fail to give adequate understanding of issues under study, attempts to develop an innovative and creative research approach. The aim thus being to produce, not only advances in small business management knowledge from the standpoints of government policy makers and `lq recipient small business, but also insights into future potential research method for the continued development of that knowledge. The origins of the methodology lay in the non-acceptance of traditional philosophical positions in epistemology and ontology, with a philosophical standpoint of internal realism underpinning the research. Internal realism presents the basis for the potential co-existence of qualitative and quantitative research strategy and underlines the crucial contributory role of research method in provision of ultimate factual status of the assertions of research findings. The concept of epistemological bootstrapping is thus used to develop a `lq partial research framework to foothold case study research, thereby avoiding limitations of objectivism and brute inductivism. The major insights and issues highlighted by the `lq bootstrap, guide the researcher around the participant case studies. A novel attempt at contextualist (linked multi-level and processual) analysis was attempted in the major in-depth case study, with two further cases playing a support role and contributing to a balanced emphasis of empirical research within the context of time constraints inherent within part-time research.

A családi fészekben élő fiatal felnőttek és fogyasztói döntéseik (In the family nest living young adults and their consumer decisions)

Fiatal felnőttek nagyarányú jelenléte a szülői háztartásokban nemcsak Magyarországon és Európában jellemző, de a fejlett ipari országokban általánosan megfigyelhető jelenség. Az Európai Unióban élő 18–34 év közötti fiatalok 46%-a él együtt legalább egyik szülőjével, a magyar fiatalok esetében hasonló az arány. A fiatalok kitolódó felnőtté válása azt is jelenti, hogy a szülők egyre későbbi időponttól kezdve rendelkeznek szabadabban idejükkel és anyagi forrásaikkal, a fiatal felnőttek döntései pedig részben szüleik részvételével történik. Jelen cikk arra keresi a választ, hogy a szülői fészekben élő vagy a szüleiktől részben függő fiatalok milyen döntési mintákkal rendelkeznek, illetve vásárlási döntéseikben mennyire önállóak. A kérdés vizsgálatát a szülői háztól függő egyetemista fiatalok körében végzett kérdőíves megkérdezés segítségével a szerzők elemezték, és arra is lehetőségük volt, hogy a családtagok által írt rövid esszék segítségével a kérdést több oldalról vizsgálják meg. Eredményeik szerint a szülői háztól függő fiatal felnőttek önálló döntésre képes, sok esetben szakértő fogyasztók, döntéseik önállóságát azonban a termékkategória, a családdal való kapcsolattartás gyakorisága, a családforma és a nemi szerepek is befolyásolják. ____ High ratio of adult children is still living in their parents’ home. This is a significant phenomenon that can be observed in Hungary and throughout Europe, while influences living trends globally. In the EU, 46% of youth between 18-34 years live with at least one of their parents and this same statistic holds true in the case of Hungary. This postponement of adulthood allows parents to enjoy more free time and have higher disposable income from later in life. The young adults, however, in the household make their consumer decisions under parental control. The purpose of this study is to explore the decisionmaking styles of young adults and their independence from their parents in shopping-related decision-making through a literature review and primary study. The survey focused on university students who are dependent on their parental home and short essays were also collected from family members of the target group in order to gain a more complex view on this phenomenon. According to the results the following conclusion can be made: young adults living in their parents’ home are competent consumers with individual decisions, in addition, they are consumer experts within the family in many cases. However, their independent shopping-related decision-making is influenced by product category, frequency of connection to the family home, family form and also sex role orientations.

A marketingeszközök és –tevékenységek részvényesi értékre gyakorolt hatása (The effect of marketing assets and activities on shareholder value)

A vállalati marketing pénzügyi teljesítményre, különösen részvényesi értékre gyakorolt hatásának kimutatása mind fontosabbá válik a marketingráfordítások nagyságának növekedésével, valamint annak felismerésével, hogy a részvényesek számára vevői érték nélkül nem lehet hosszú távon értéket biztosítani, azonban kedvező piaci eredményekkel sem feltétlenül valósul meg a pénzügyi teljesítmény növekedése. A szerzők tanulmányukban a marketingeszközök és -tevékenységek részvényesi értékre gyakorolt hatását vizsgálják, rámutatnak arra, hogy milyen módon befolyásolhatják a részvényeseket megillető szabad pénzáramot, a tulajdonosi megtérülést, a stratégiai tervezési időhorizontot és a végértéket. A marketing néhány lehetséges negatív hatását is kiemelik. Ezt követően felvázolják a marketingjellegű beruházások reálopciós karakterisztikáit, valamint játékelméleti összefüggéseit dinamikusan változó környezetben. ________ Proving the effect of corporate marketing on financial performance, especially on shareholder value, becomes more and more important as marketing expenditures increase. Furthermore by the recognition that for shareholders without customer value it is not possible to provide value in the long run, however, neither good market results can assure the growth of financial performance. In this paper the authors examine the effect of marketing assets and activities on shareholder value, they point out how these can influence free cash flow to equity, shareholder return, strategic planning time period and terminal value. They emphasize also some possible negative effects of marketing. The authors outline the real optional characteristics of marketing investments and their game theoretical relations in dynamic environment.