A Computer-Aided Decision Support System for Making Locational Decisions, 1990

This report is the product of a first-year research project in the University Transportation Centers Program. This project was carried out by an interdisciplinary research team at The University of Iowa's Public Policy Center. The project developed a computerized system to support decisions on locating facilities that serve rural areas while minimizing transportation costs. The system integrates transportation databases with algorithms that specify efficient locations and allocate demand efficiently to service regions; the results of these algorithms are used interactively by decision makers. The authors developed documentation for the system so that others could apply it to estimate the transportation and route requirements of alternative locations and identify locations that meet certain criteria with the least cost. The system was developed and tested on two transportation-related problems in Iowa, and this report uses these applications to illustrate how the system can be used.

A Systematic Review of Entrepreneurship Education Literature in Nigeria: Where is the Focus of Research?

Purpose- Entrepreneurship education (EEd) plays a crucial role in the development of entrepreneurs and the enhancement of entrepreneurial activities in every economy. This paper examined what Higher education Institutions (HEIs) do in learning and teaching of entrepreneurship in general and how entrepreneurship development takes place in Nigerian HEIs. The outcome from this study will enable a deeper understanding on what HEIs do EEd, with more exposure as to what the areas and focus of research is in the Nigerian context. Design/methodology/approach- The study adopted a systematic literature review approach- drawing from a computerized search of five selected data bases, using predetermined key words by the researchers. Findings: The main finding of this paper is that, related concepts like skills, intention, drive and attitude have been use in expounding discussions on the outcome of EEd, but very little has been written on entrepreneurial mind-set (EMS), of which other studies have suggested that it’s a crucial point in the journey of an entrepreneurs (Reed & Stoltz, 2011; Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), 2012; Neneh, 2012). Furthermore, learning and teaching of entrepreneurship in Nigerian HEIs seems to be more on creating awareness (about entrepreneurship) than actual preparation for entrepreneurship (For entrepreneurship). Research limitations/implications- The paper is limited since it is based on a review of literature from a selected databases- covering a specific time span. This potentially excludes other studies outside this time span. A more comprehensive overview of these contributions would benefit from employing tools such as Google Scholar, for an overview of the sub–domains online. Originality/value – There are limited studies that focus on the issue of entrepreneurial mind-set in entrepreneurship education in Africa, specifically Nigeria. This paper and its focus in particular, have laid down pioneering ground work for research on entrepreneurial mind-set development in Nigerian entrepreneurship education.

Computer-based tools for assessing micro-longitudinal patterns of cognitive function in older adults

Patterns of cognitive change over micro-longitudinal timescales (i.e., ranging from hours to days) are associated with a wide range of age-related health and functional outcomes. However, practical issues with conducting high-frequency assessments make investigations of micro-longitudinal cognition costly and burdensome to run. One way of addressing this is to develop cognitive assessments that can be performed by older adults, in their own homes, without a researcher being present. Here, we address the question of whether reliable and valid cognitive data can be collected over micro-longitudinal timescales using unsupervised cognitive tests.In study 1, 48 older adults completed two touchscreen cognitive tests, on three occasions, in controlled conditions, alongside a battery of standard tests of cognitive functions. In study 2, 40 older adults completed the same two computerized tasks on multiple occasions, over three separate week-long periods, in their own homes, without a researcher present. Here, the tasks were incorporated into a wider touchscreen system (Novel Assessment of Nutrition and Ageing (NANA)) developed to assess multiple domains of health and behavior. Standard tests of cognitive function were also administered prior to participants using the NANA system.Performance on the two “NANA” cognitive tasks showed convergent validity with, and similar levels of reliability to, the standard cognitive battery in both studies. Completion and accuracy rates were also very high. These results show that reliable and valid cognitive data can be collected from older adults using unsupervised computerized tests, thus affording new opportunities for the investigation of cognitive function.

Synchronous primary malignant tumors of the breast, caecum and sigma. Case report

We present the case of a patient with a double adenocarcinoma of the right colon and sigma associated with a bilateral infiltrating ductal breast carcinoma. Sigma and caecum bowel cancers were diagnosed at colonoscopy, with computerized tomography staging, while breast cancer was found with screening mammography. Following right hemicolectomy , sigmoidectomy and bilateral mastectomy the histology confirmed the presence of colonic adenocarcinoma and infiltrating and in situ lobular cancer. This case report reviews the treatment of synchronous neoplasia.

A percepção dos bibliotecários quanto ao sistema de administração de bibliotecas Argo: um estudo de caso na Universidade Federal do Rio Grande

O presente trabalho possuiu como tema um estudo a respeito da percepção dos bibliotecários do Sistema de Bibliotecas (SIB) da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG) quanto ao Sistema de Administração de Bibliotecas (ARGO). Convém dizer que na atualidade falar dos sistemas informatizados é buscar caminhos para um suporte melhor a informação e ampliar o acesso para os usuários. Assim, o objetivo geral deste trabalho foi investigar a percepção dos bibliotecários quanto ao sistema de administração de bibliotecas ARGO. Sendo os objetivos específicos identificar os bibliotecários que atuam junto ao sistema; conhecer a opinião dos pesquisados sobre o sistema utilizado; refletir, a luz da literatura sobre os resultados da pesquisa; e apresentar a direção do SIB os resultados, de modo a colaborar com o Sistema. Foi utilizado como metodologia uma pesquisa exploratória, quali-quantitativa e também um estudo de caso. Entre os principais resultados se destaca que o sistema não possui os atributos necessários para um bom funcionamento. Nas considerações se observou que durante um tempo o ARGO atendeu as necessidades da instituição, mas devido ao grande crescimento da universidade e do volume de trabalho, ele deixou a desejar.

Ventilação e prescrições urbanísticas: uma aplicação simulada no bairro de Petrópolis em Natal/RN

The present work studies the natural ventilation and its relationship with the urban standards, which establishes the form of occupation and use of the land in our cities. The method simulates the application of the urban standards of the City Master Plan over the last three years. The simulation takes place in the District of Petrópolis, in the city of Natal , Brazil and analyses the effects of the standards of natural ventilation. The formulated hypothesis states that the reductions in the urban spaces between buildings rises up the vertical profile of ventilation, reducing, therefore, the velocity of the wind at the lower levels of the buildings. To develop the study, occupation models were built, using computerized, three-dimensional models. These occupation models were analyzed using the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) code. The conclusion is that the more we reduce the urban space between buildings, the more we reduce the wind speed in constructed areas, increasing, therefore, the possibility to generate heat islands