bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect on Torque and Thrust of the Pointed Tip Shape of a Wind Turbine Blade
Authors: Lee Kyoungsoo , Roy Shrabanti , Huque Ziaul , Kommalapati Raghava , Han SangEul
Published: January 2017

This paper presents the effect of the tip shape of a wind turbine blade on aerodynamic forces, including the effects of separation, transition and stall. A National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Phase-VI wind turbine blade was used, in which the shape of the tip was modified to a pointed tip. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were employed for the analysis and the results were compared with the original NREL blade CFD and experimental data using ANSYS CFX (Ansys Inc., Delaware, PA, USA). To predict the separation and separation-induced transition on both near wall and far away, the shear-stress-transport (SST) Gamma-Theta turbulent model was used. The stall onset of a 20° angle of attack and its effects were also analyzed and presented. The value of torque with the pointed tip blade was found to be 3%–8% higher than the original NREL blade showing the benefit of the pointed tip. Normal force coefficient is lower at the tip for the pointed tip blade, which results in lower deformation of the blade. It was found that the pointed-tip blade is more efficient in terms of generating torque than the original NREL Phase-VI blade in the dynamic stall region of 10–15 m/s wind speeds.
Perceptions of E-Cigarettes among Black Youth in California
Authors: Hess Catherine , Antin Tamar , Annechino Rachelle , Hunt Geoffrey
Published: January 2017

Research suggests that Black youth are less likely to use e-cigarettes than their white counterparts, yet little is known as to why. We examined perceptions of e-cigarettes among Black young adults (ages 18–25) to explore the meanings these youth ascribe to e-cigarettes and the role that identity plays in how these devices are viewed. Analysis of in-depth interviews with 36 Black smokers and non-smokers in the San Francisco Bay Area suggests that Black youth perceive e-cigarettes as serving distinct, yet overlapping roles: a utilitarian function, in that they are recognized as legitimate smoking cessation tools, and a social function, insofar as they serve to mark social identity, specifically a social identity from which our participants disassociated. Participants described e-cigarette users in highly racialized and classed terms and generally expressed disinterest in using e-cigarettes, due in part perhaps to the fact that use of these devices would signal alignment with a middle class, hipster identity. This analysis is discussed within a highly charged political and public health debate about the benefits and harms associated with e-cigarette use.
Meta-Prediction of the Effect of Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Polymorphisms and Air Pollution on Alzheimer’s Disease Risk
Authors: Wu Suh-Mian , Chen Zhao-Feng , Young Lufei , Shiao S.
Published: January 2017

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a significant public health issue. AD has been linked with methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism, but the findings have been inconsistent. The purpose of this meta-predictive analysis is to examine the associations between MTHFR polymorphisms and epigenetic factors, including air pollution, with AD risk using big data analytics approaches. Methods and Results: Forty-three studies (44 groups) were identified by searching various databases. MTHFR C677T TT and CT genotypes had significant associations with AD risk in all racial populations (RR = 1.13, p = 0.0047; and RR = 1.12, p < 0.0001 respectively). Meta-predictive analysis showed significant increases of percentages of MTHFR C677T polymorphism with increased air pollution levels in both AD case group and control group (p = 0.0021–0.0457); with higher percentages of TT and CT genotypes in the AD case group than that in the control group with increased air pollution levels. Conclusions: The impact of MTHFR C677T polymorphism on susceptibility to AD was modified by level of air pollution. Future studies are needed to further examine the effects of gene-environment interactions including air pollution on AD risk for world populations.
The Impact of Heat Waves on Occurrence and Severity of Construction Accidents
Authors: Rameezdeen Rameez , Elmualim Abbas
Published: January 2017

The impact of heat stress on human health has been extensively studied. Similarly, researchers have investigated the impact of heat stress on workers’ health and safety. However, very little work has been done on the impact of heat stress on occupational accidents and their severity, particularly in South Australian construction. Construction workers are at high risk of injury due to heat stress as they often work outdoors, undertake hard manual work, and are often project based and sub-contracted. Little is known on how heat waves could impact on construction accidents and their severity. In order to provide more evidence for the currently limited number of empirical investigations on the impact of heat stress on accidents, this study analysed 29,438 compensation claims reported during 2002–2013 within the construction industry of South Australia. Claims reported during 29 heat waves in Adelaide were compared with control periods to elicit differences in the number of accidents reported and their severity. The results revealed that worker characteristics, type of work, work environment, and agency of accident mainly govern the severity. It is recommended that the implementation of adequate preventative measures in small-sized companies and civil engineering sites, targeting mainly old age workers could be a priority for Work, Health and Safety (WHS) policies.
Exploiting Process-Related Advantages of Selective Laser Melting for the Production of High-Manganese Steel
Authors: Haase Christian , Bültmann Jan , Hof Jan , Ziegler Stephan , Bremen Sebastian , Hinke Christian , Schwedt Alexander , Prahl Ulrich , Bleck Wolfgang
Published: January 2017

Metal additive manufacturing has strongly gained scientific and industrial importance during the last decades due to the geometrical flexibility and increased reliability of parts, as well as reduced equipment costs. Within the field of metal additive manufacturing methods, selective laser melting (SLM) is an eligible technique for the production of fully dense bulk material with complex geometry. In the current study, we addressed the application of SLM for processing a high-manganese TRansformation-/TWinning-Induced Plasticity (TRIP/TWIP) steel. The solidification behavior was analyzed by careful characterization of the as-built microstructure and element distribution using optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In addition, the deformation behavior was studied using uniaxial tensile testing and SEM. Comparison with conventionally produced TRIP/TWIP steel revealed that elemental segregation, which is normally very pronounced in high-manganese steels and requires energy-intensive post processing, is reduced due to the high cooling rates during SLM. Also, the very fast cooling promoted ε- and α’-martensite formation prior to deformation. The superior strength and pronounced anisotropy of the SLM-produced material was correlated with the microstructure based on the process-specific characteristics.
Properties of Resistance Spot-Welded TWIP Steels
Authors: Kazdal Zeytin Havva , Ertek Emre Hayriye , Kaçar Ramazan
Published: January 2017

High manganese TWIP (twinning-induced plasticity) steels are particularly attractive for automotive applications because of their exceptional properties of strength combined with an excellent ductility. However, the microstructure and properties of TWIP steels are affected by excessive thermal cycles, such as welding and heat treatment. This paper deals with characterization and understanding the effect of welding current and time on the mechanical properties and microstructure of the resistance spot welded TWIP steel. For this purpose, weld nugget diameter was evaluated and the hardness, tensile shear strength of the weldment, and failure mode of samples were also determined. It has been found that the tensile shear strength of the samples increased with increasing welding current and welding time without expulsion, which reduces the strength of the weldment. Tensile shear samples failed by a partial interfacial fracture mode for low-heat input welds. The pullout fractures were observed with a sufficient heat input without expulsion.
Estimating Biomass of Native Grass Grown under Complex Management Treatments Using WorldView-3 Spectral Derivatives
Authors: Sibanda Mbulisi , Mutanga Onisimo , Rouget Mathieu , Kumar Lalit
Published: January 2017

The ability of texture models and red-edge to facilitate the detection of subtle structural vegetation traits could aid in discriminating and mapping grass quantity, a challenge that has been longstanding in the management of grasslands in southern Africa. Subsequently, this work sought to explore the robustness of integrating texture metrics and red-edge in predicting the above-ground biomass of grass growing under different levels of mowing and burning in grassland management treatments. Based on the sparse partial least squares regression algorithm, the results of this study showed that red-edge vegetation indices improved above-ground grass biomass from a root mean square error of perdition (RMSEP) of 0.83 kg/m2 to an RMSEP of 0.55 kg/m2. Texture models further improved the accuracy of grass biomass estimation to an RMSEP of 0.35 kg/m2. The combination of texture models and red-edge derivatives (red-edge-derived vegetation indices) resulted in an optimal prediction accuracy of RMSEP 0.2 kg/m2 across all grassland management treatments. These results illustrate the prospect of combining texture metrics with the red-edge in predicting grass biomass across complex grassland management treatments. This offers the detailed spatial information required for grassland policy-making and sustainable grassland management in data-scarce regions such as southern Africa.
First Results of a Tandem Terrestrial-Unmanned Aerial mapKITE System with Kinematic Ground Control Points for Corridor Mapping
Authors: Molina Pere , Blázquez Marta , Cucci Davide , Colomina Ismael
Published: January 2017

In this article, we report about the first results of the mapKITE system, a tandem terrestrial-aerial concept for geodata acquisition and processing, obtained in corridor mapping missions. The system combines an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) and a Terrestrial Mobile Mapping System (TMMS) operated in a singular way: real-time waypoints are computed from the TMMS platform and sent to the UAS in a follow-me scheme. This approach leads to a simultaneous acquisition of aerial-plus-ground geodata and, moreover, opens the door to an advanced post-processing approach for sensor orientation. The current contribution focuses on analysing the impact of the new, dynamic Kinematic Ground Control Points (KGCPs), which arise inherently from the mapKITE paradigm, as an alternative to conventional, costly Ground Control Points (GCPs). In the frame of a mapKITE campaign carried out in June 2016, we present results entailing sensor orientation and calibration accuracy assessment through ground check points, and precision and correlation analysis of self-calibration parameters’ estimation. Conclusions indicate that the mapKITE concept eliminates the need for GCPs when using only KGCPs plus a couple of GCPs at each corridor end, achieving check point horizontal accuracy of μ E , N ≈ 1.7 px (3.4 cm) and μ h ≈ 4.3 px (8.6 cm). Since obtained from a simplified version of the system, these preliminary results are encouraging from a future perspective.
Food Production and Consumption: City Regions between Localism, Agricultural Land Displacement, and Economic Competitiveness
Authors: Monaco Federica , Zasada Ingo , Wascher Dirk , Glavan Matjaž , Pintar Marina , Schmutz Ulrich , Mazzocchi Chiara , Corsi Stefano , Sali Guido
Published: January 2017

In the wider debate on urban resilience and metabolism, food-related aspects have gained increasing importance. At the same time, urban agro-food systems in city regions are facing major challenges with regard to often limited domestic supplies, resource-intensive producer–consumer relationships, and the competition for low-price products via global food chains. In this sense, novel methods for coupling local and global processes are required to better understand the underlying mechanisms between the above factors. Exploring the relationship between food supply and demand, this study presents a set of suitable fact-finding tools that are introduced and applied in a comparative study of five European city regions. The methodological framework, by introducing and combining economic-based indexes, aims at overcoming limits and gaps identified by means of a literature review. The model will explicitly address the main features of the regional agro-food systems by managing information on the capacities and opportunities of local agriculture to adequately respond to food demand, as well as by providing insights on the interconnections among localism, global competitiveness of agricultural sectors, and land use change.
Barriers to self-management of chronic pain in primary care: a qualitative focus group study
Authors: Gordon Katy , Rice Helen , Allcock Nick , Bell Pamela , Dunbar Martin , Gilbert Steve , Wallace Heather
Published: January 2017

Background

Supported self-management is a recommended intervention for chronic pain. Effective self-management should enable an individual to reduce the impact of pain on their everyday life. Clinical guidelines suggest primary care services have a role to play in supporting self-management of chronic pain.

Aim

To examine the opinions of primary care healthcare professionals (HCPs) and people with chronic pain and their carers, in order to identify possible barriers to the facilitation and adoption of self-management.

Design and setting

A qualitative study using focus groups in locations throughout Scotland.

Method

Eighteen focus groups were held with patients and HCPs. Fifty-four patients, nine carers, and 38 HCPs attended the groups.

Results

Four categories of barriers were found. 1) Patient–HCP consultation: some patients felt a discussion about self-management came too late or not at all. Communication and building positive relations were sometimes challenging. 2) Patient experience: the emotional impact of pain was difficult and patients often felt unsupported by HCPs. 3) Limited treatment options: some participants felt there was a tendency for overmedicalisation. 4) Organisational constraints: short appointment times, long waiting lists, and a compartmentalised NHS created challenges.

Conclusion

This study illustrates some of the barriers faced by HCPs and patients in the facilitation and adoption of self-management of chronic pain. If self-management is to be an important approach to chronic pain, primary care services need to be designed to address the barriers identified.
Philippe Vandermaelen, the Mercator of young Belgium
Authors: Silvestre Marguerite
Published: January 2017

This article presents the conclusions of a book published concomitantly by the Bibliothèque royale de Belgique: Philippe Vandermaelen, Mercator de la jeune Belgique. Histoire de l’Établissement géographique de Bruxelles et de son fondateur. This publication is the result of twenty-five years of research in the Maps & Plans section, the depository of the exceptional cartographic and documentary collection from the Établissement géographique de Bruxelles. The article and work it refers to present the life of the visionary geographer in a chronological journey centred on his cartographic production (methodology, collaborations, surveys, levelling, commercial management, etc.), ending with a passing of the baton to the Dépôt de la Guerre, the future Institut géographique national. It also opens the doors to Vandermaelen’s different institutional creations in a cross-cutting approach: the documentation centre, the natural history gallery, the lithography school and the École Normale, the museum of ethnography, and the organisation of scientific expeditions.
La toponymie populaire urbaine hier et aujourd’hui
Authors: Steffens Sven
Published: January 2017

Molenbeek-Saint-Jean est un village des environs de Bruxelles qui, depuis 1800, s’est progressivement urbanisé, jusqu’à faire partie intégrante de la capitale. La toponymie, en étudiant les noms et surnoms donnés par les habitants à leurs lieux de vie nous en montre les mutations : urbanisation, industrialisation, déclin économique, migrations et évolution de l’emploi des langues. C’est toute l’histoire d’une région qui se déroule sous nos yeux au travers des perceptions et mentalités, avec les ambitions et fiertés de ses habitants, les tensions entre populations et l’évolution des réalités sociales.
Le Plan de Développement International de Bruxelles (PDI)
Authors: Decroly Jean-Michel , Van Criekingen Mathieu
Published: January 2017

L’adoption, fin 2007, d’un Plan de Développement International (PDI) par le gouvernement régional marque une transition significative dans les politiques urbaines à Bruxelles. Ce texte cherche à mettre en évidence les options essentielles du PDI et en propose une critique. A nos yeux, le PDI signale essentiellement la formalisation d’une stratégie, relativement neuve à Bruxelles, misant sur la valorisation de portions importantes du territoire régional aux fins de développements immobiliers privés à caractère spéculatif et censés fonctionner comme nouveaux leviers de « revitalisation » urbaine. Le PDI bruxellois s’inscrit en cela dans une tendance lourde à la généralisation de politiques urbaines d’inspiration néolibérale, centrées sur l’encouragement du réinvestissement des villes centrales et qui ne prennent pas la mesure de leurs effets d’approfondissement des divisions sociales et spatiales de la ville.
The Brussels International Development Plan (IDP)
Authors: Decroly Jean-Michel , Van Criekingen Mathieu
Published: January 2017

The adoption of an International Development Plan (IDP) by the regional government at the end of 2007 marks a significant transition in urban policies in Brussels. This text seeks to highlight the essential options of the IDP and presents a critical analysis of it. In our view, the IDP indicates essentially the formalisation of a relatively new strategy in Brussels, aimed at the development of significant portions of the regional territory for the purposes of private real estate developments of a speculative character which are supposed to function as new levers in urban “revitalisation”. As such, the Brussels IDP is in keeping with a serious tendency towards the widespread use of urban policies of neoliberal inspiration, which encourage the rehabilitation of city centres without taking into account the effects they have on intensifying the city’s social and spatial divisions.
De richtschema’s, en daarna?
Authors: Delmotte Florence , Hubert Michel , Tulkens Francois
Published: January 2017

Uitgedacht binnen het kader van het Gewestelijk Ontwikkelingsplan (GewOP) van 2002, werd het richtschema voorgesteld als het bevoorrechte middel voor de ontwikkeling van de “hefboomgebieden”. Het werd zo drager van een drievoudige belofte: betere coördinatie van de publieke actie, efficiënte publiek-private samenwerking (PPS) en echte, democratische participatie. Het werd voor de eerste keer in de praktijk gebracht tijdens de vorige gewestelij-ke legislatuur. De werkwijze wordt hier geëvalueerd op basis van een empirische studie van verschillende cases, waaronder het emblematische Rijksadministratief Centrum, en van een namiddag van uitwisseling en reflectie rond de resultaten van dit instrument.Volgens de auteurs doen de administratieve complexiteit, de divergentie tussen de belangen van de publieke en van de private sector en de moeilijkheid om echte bewonersparticipatie in te richten, de efficiëntie van een middel dat geen enkele dwingende waarde heeft, geweld aan. Maar ze blijven niet bij deze vaststelling van (gedeeltelijke) mislukking. Ze pleiten helemaal niet voor het verlaten van het bestudeerde instrument, maar schetsen integendeel pistes die de verbetering ervan zouden moeten mogelijk maken. Als het middel “richtschema” in de juiste richting gaat, roept het inderdaad op tot andere vooruitgang naar een beheer van de stedenbouw dat democratischer, efficiënter, respectvol voor het algemeen belang en drager van toekomst voor de stad is.
De schoolinschrijvingen in Brussel regelen
Authors: Cantillon Estelle
Published: January 2017

Met dit artikel wil de auteur een bijdrage leveren tot de reflectie over het schoolinschrijvingsbeleid dat het best aangepast is aan de behoeften van het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest. Daartoe wordt in eerste instantie het huidige debat over de schoolinschrijvingen in zijn juiste context geplaatst door een onderscheid te maken tussen, enerzijds, de beleidsdoelstellingen die nagestreefd worden en, anderzijds, de procedure die gevolgd wordt om die doelstellingen te verwezenlijken. Die twee aspecten kunnen immers los van elkaar geanalyseerd worden. In tweede instantie beschrijft de auteur de specifieke uitdagingen voor Brussel op het vlak van het inschrijvingsbeleid. Daarna worden twee scenario’s met mogelijke doelstellingen en een mogelijke hiërarchisering ervan voorgesteld. Vervolgens stelt de auteur een procedure voor om die doelstellingen zo goed mogelijk te verwezenlijken. Het is de bedoeling om voort te bouwen op het huidige debat en rekening te houden met de specifieke uitdagingen voor Brussel om de noodzakelijke beleidskeuzes en de praktische aspecten van de tenuitvoerlegging te verduidelijken.
Who benefits from home ownership support policies in Brussels?
Authors: Romainville Alice
Published: January 2017

The ownership support policies implemented by the Brussels Region are intended for certain categories of household and target certain neighbourhoods in the centre of the first ring. Via the different measures which have been established, the Region channels private investment towards certain working-class neighbourhoods to which it would like to attract private developers and a more well-to-do population.The analysis shows that the tools intended for “middle-income” households are used mainly in the central neighbourhoods, in particular along the canal, whereas the measures intended for the most disadvantaged households cause migrations from the central areas towards the western part of the Region. Ownership support has enabled a significant improvement in the situation of many households, but until now has only been relatively successful. Locally, the population movements it causes may, however, have a considerable social impact, all the more so since part of the targeted neighbourhoods have already experienced gentrification phenomena and high rent increases.
Dépensières, les communes bruxelloises ?
Authors: Verdonck Magali , Taymans Michèle , Van Droogenbroeck Nathalie
Published: January 2017

Les communes bruxelloises sont souvent pointées du doigt comme source de gabegie financière et comme nécessitant d’urgentes réformes. Le présent article tente d’objectiver la question du gaspillage relatif des communes bruxelloises en s’appuyant sur un exercice de comparaison des finances des 19 communes bruxelloises avec celles des communes des quatre autres grandes entités urbaines belges : Anvers, Charleroi, Gand et Liège. La méthodologie adoptée ne permet pas d’affirmer que les services des communes bruxelloises ne pourraient être fournis plus efficacement. Elle nous permet par contre d’affirmer que, dans le cas où les communes bruxelloises seraient dispendieuses, elles ne le seraient en tout cas pas plus que celles des autres entités étudiées, surtout si l’on tient compte du fait que les autres communes peuvent se décharger d’une partie de leurs compétences sur les provinces ou de plus nombreuses intercommunales. L’exercice comparatif ne peut pointer aucun secteur de compétence locale où des manquements significatifs seraient observés, mis à part le secteur Santé et Hygiène qui mérite une analyse plus fouillée. Ce sont au contraire les contraintes de gestion auxquelles sont soumises les communes bruxelloises qui apparaissent clairement.
Understanding Toxicity of Nanomaterials in Biological Systems
Authors: Wani Irshad Ahmad , Ahmad Tokeer
Published: January 2017

Nanotechnology is a growing applied science having considerable global socioeconomic value. Nanoscale materials are casting their impact on almost all industries and all areas of society. A wide range of engineered nanoscale products has emerged with widespread applications in fields such as energy, medicine, electronics, plastics, energy and aerospace etc. While the market for nanotechnology products will have grown over one trillion US dollars by 2015, the presence of these material is likely to increase leading to increasing likelihood of exposure. The direct use of nanomaterials in humans for medical and cosmetic purposes dictates vigorous safety assessment of toxicity. Therefore this book chapter provides the detailed toxicity assessment of various types of nanomaterials.
Citizen Journalism on Facebook and the Challenges of Media Regulation in Zimbabwe
Authors: Sabao Collen , Chingwaramusee Vimbai Rejoice
Published: January 2017

The chapter discusses the rise of citizen journalism, examining the manners in which such form of journalistic practice impacts media regulatory frameworks and journalistic ethics in Zimbabwe, specifically looking at the Baba Jukwa Facebook wall. It discusses the nature of reporting in citizen journalism and the challenges these pose on media regulating laws and journalistic ethics. Over the last decade, social networking websites and other social forums have exploded in popularity in the whole world, Zimbabwe included. These social networking sites have become quite central as alternative news media, breaking stories before the mainstream official media does. The impact that such social networks have on contemporary society as public spheres - platforms for group social interactions and news outlets should not be undermined because of how they allow people to interact freely and to (re)construct their desired realities in the face of the gag of stringent media laws.
Deferring Citizens' “Right to Know” in an Information Age
Authors: Heuva William Edward
Published: January 2017

Namibia is one of the emerging democracies that have not yet enacted the Access to Information legislation. While the country has guaranteed freedom of expression and media in its constitution, it has not provided for Access to Information as a constitutional right. This chapter seeks to examine Namibia's reluctance to adopt an Access to Information legislation. It interrogates views that locate the omission of this fundamental human right in the country's constitutional (legal) and policy frameworks. It underscores the failure by Namibia to reverse the information black-out suffered under the Apartheid dispensation. The chapter starts with a theoretical/philosophical rationale for the right to know to elicit an understanding of this discourse and its relevance to emerging democracies, such as Namibia. It then examines attempts by state and civil society to introduce the legislation in the country. Predicted on praxis, the chapter in conclusion provides some suggestions that may help resolving the impasse in adopting the Access to Information legislation in the county.
Gender, Process, and Praxis
Authors: Burns Jim , Green Colin
Published: January 2017

The authors establish an analytical framework comprising the socio-historical and ideological formation(s) and re-formation(s) of hegemonic masculinities as part of a system of governmentality. They use hegemonic masculinity and heteropatriarchal settler colonialism as lenses through which to understand and critique the historically gendered, classed, racialized, and sexualized assumptions that underlie education discourses based on conservative modernization through analysis of the historic relationship between education and the military, particularly gaming technology as curricular and pedagogical tools for recruiting and transmitting military values and skills. They finally urge that the “hidden curriculum” underpinning the power and practices of the education-industrial complex be made more visible, stronger curricular counter-narratives asserted, and they seek to uncover spaces of disruption and possibility, cognizant of the constraints that arise from the totalizing nature of conservative modernization in education and schooling.
Interactive Art Applications (I-Apps) in the Development of Younger Learners' Creative Thinking
Authors: Stavridi Sylvia Vincent
Published: January 2017

Interactive art-based application is an informal approach to new creative learning methods, in which younger students are visually stimulated, and actively engaged to discover nature and grasp the original concept of core content areas in academic disciplines, such as science, mathematics and geometry from a broad perspective. This chapter tries to explore the means to further young children's creative thinking in today's techno-scientific world. But much of the analysis holds more generally for the intersection between visual art and interactive aesthetics, and how the exploration of visual art forms shapes new ways for primary school students to reform their creative practice to effectively interact in an increasingly smart setting. The chapter then concludes with a focus on the attribution of aesthetic value in integrating digital technologies with human ideas as an interactive tool to infuse immersive visual thinking into children's fun learning apps.
Application of E-Government Principles in Anti-Corruption Framework
Authors: Neupane Arjun , Soar Jeffrey , Vaidya Kishor , Aryal Sunil
Published: January 2017

The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) plays a significant role in the economic, technological and social progression of a country. Corruption in government agencies and institutions is a serious problem in many countries in the world, especially in under-developed and developing countries. The use of ICT tools such as e-governance can help to reduce corruption. In this chapter, the authors discussed the application of e-government principles to mitigate corruption. Based on the available literature, this study identified some potential elements of e-government, which are currently practised around the world and how they are interrelated to fight against corruption. Finally, the authors present an evidence-based e-government anti-corruption framework.
Dynamics of the E-Procurement Process and Key Implementation Issues in India
Authors: Kumar Manoj
Published: January 2017

The advent of the Internet as a business systems platform has been a catalyst for major changes in the operation and status of organizational procurement. Early e-procurement literature forecast significant improvements in procurement costs, an improving status of the purchasing function, and changes to the structure of supply markets. Our study seeks to evaluate the validity of these forecasts through the development of a structural model of the ‘e-procurement effect'. This model is intended to define the dynamics of the e-procurement process in an organization and provide a foundation for a research stream into the transformational effect of e-procurement deployment. The chapter presents the evaluation of e-procurement implementation and operation from an eighteen-month study of e-procurement deployment across nine Indian public sector organizations. The chapter explores five key themes in e-procurement, namely system specification, implementation management, changes to organizational characteristics, changes in total acquisition costs, and changes to governance structures. Our analysis suggests that the proposed structural model of the e-procurement effect is broadly applicable and that many of the previous claimed benefits in the literature can be realized. We also contend that an important variable for the success of e-procurement adoption is to address the internal service quality attributes of e-procurement processes, a topic which offers significant scope for future research.
Development of Metacognition in Higher Education
Authors: Alias Maizam , Sulaiman Nor Lisa
Published: January 2017

Metacognition promotes critical and creative thinking, enabling an individual to generate more options to problem solutions, better judgments and decision makings. It is thus, the key success factor for dealing with academic, career and life challenges. Although it can be improved through teaching, explicit teaching of metacognition is not prevalent in higher education as it is often assumed that metacognition is already acquired through previous educational experiences. This assumption may be true for some but lacking in others as both knowledge disseminators (teachers) and recipients (learners) are unable to access and assess their own thinking processes to optimize their thinking efficiency. As a consequence, there are learners in higher education who do not develop their full potential. The aim of this paper is to discuss the concepts in metacognition and strategies that can be adopted to promote the development of metacognition among higher education learners.
Susceptibility to Miltefosine in Brazilian Clinical Isolates of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis
Authors: Espada Caroline R. , Ribeiro-Dias Fatima , Dorta Miriam L. , Pereira Ledice Inácia de Araújo , Carvalho Edgar M. de , Machado Paulo R. , Schriefer Albert , Yokoyama-Yasunaka Jenicer K. U. , Coelho Adriano C. , Uliana Silvia R. B.
Published: January 2017

Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis is the main causative species of tegumentary leishmaniasis in Brazil. In this study, we evaluated the susceptibility of 16 clinical isolates of L. (V.) braziliensis from different regions of Brazil to miltefosine in vitro. Half-maximal inhibitory concentrations of miltefosine varied from 22.9 to 144.2 μM against promastigotes and from 0.3 to 4.2 μM against intracellular amastigotes. No significant differences were found between isolates of different geographical origins. A clear correlation between the EC50 against promastigotes and amastigotes within each isolate was found. These findings contribute to the evaluation of miltefosine's potential and limitations for the treatment of tegumentary leishmaniasis in Brazil.
Upscaling instantaneous to daily evapotranspiration using modelled daily shortwave radiation for remote sensing applications: an artificial neural network approach
Authors: Wandera Loise , Mallick Kaniska , Kiely Gerard , Roupsard Olivier , Peichl Matthias , Magliulo Vincenzo
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Upscaling instantaneous evapotranspiration retrieved at any specific time-of-day (ETi) to daily evapotranspiration (ETd) is a key challenge in mapping regional ET using polar orbiting sensors. Various studies have unanimously cited the shortwave incoming radiation (RS) to be the most robust reference variable explaining the ratio between ETd and ETi. This study aims to contribute in ETi upscaling for global studies using the ratio between daily and instantaneous incoming shortwave radiation (RSd ∕ RSi) as a factor for converting ETi to ETd.This paper proposes an artificial neural network (ANN) machine-learning algorithm first to predict RSd from RSi followed by using the RSd ∕ RSi ratio to convert ETi to ETd across different terrestrial ecosystems. Using RSi and RSd observations from multiple sub-networks of the FLUXNET database spread across different climates and biomes (to represent inputs that would typically be obtainable from remote sensors during the overpass time) in conjunction with some astronomical variables (e.g. solar zenith angle, day length, exoatmospheric shortwave radiation), we developed the ANN model for reproducing RSd and further used it to upscale ETi to ETd. The efficiency of the ANN is evaluated for different morning and afternoon times of day, under varying sky conditions, and also at different geographic locations. RS-based upscaled ETd produced a significant linear relation (R2 =  0.65 to 0.69), low bias (−0.31 to −0.56 MJ m−2 d−1; approx. 4 %), and good agreement (RMSE 1.55 to 1.86 MJ m−2 d−1; approx. 10 %) with the observed ETd, although a systematic overestimation of ETd was also noted under persistent cloudy sky conditions. Inclusion of soil moisture and rainfall information in ANN training reduced the systematic overestimation tendency in predominantly overcast days. An intercomparison with existing upscaling method at daily, 8-day, monthly, and yearly temporal resolution revealed a robust performance of the ANN-driven RS-based ETi upscaling method and was found to produce lowest RMSE under cloudy conditions. Sensitivity analysis revealed variable sensitivity of the method to biome selection and high ETd prediction errors in forest ecosystems are primarily associated with greater rainfall and cloudiness. The overall methodology appears to be promising and has substantial potential for upscaling ETi to ETd for field and regional-scale evapotranspiration mapping studies using polar orbiting satellites.
Physically based distributed hydrological model calibration based on a short period of streamflow data: case studies in four Chinese basins
Authors: Sun Wenchao , Wang Yuanyuan , Wang Guoqiang , Cui Xingqi , Yu Jingshan , Zuo Depeng , Xu Zongxue
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Physically based distributed hydrological models are widely used for hydrological simulations in various environments. As with conceptual models, they are limited in data-sparse basins by the lack of streamflow data for calibration. Short periods of observational data (less than 1 year) may be obtained from fragmentary historical records of previously existing gauging stations or from temporary gauging during field surveys, which might be of value for model calibration. However, unlike lumped conceptual models, such an approach has not been explored sufficiently for physically based distributed models. This study explored how the use of limited continuous daily streamflow data might support the application of a physically based distributed model in data-sparse basins. The influence of the length of the observation period on the calibration of the widely applied soil and water assessment tool model was evaluated in four Chinese basins with differing climatic and geophysical characteristics. The evaluations were conducted by comparing calibrations based on short periods of data with calibrations based on data from a 3-year period, which were treated as benchmark calibrations of the four basins, respectively. To ensure the differences in the model simulations solely come from differences in the calibration data, the generalized likelihood uncertainty analysis scheme was employed for the automatic calibration and uncertainty analysis. In the four basins, contrary to the common understanding of the need for observations over a period of several years, data records with lengths of less than 1 year were shown to calibrate the model effectively, i.e., performances similar to the benchmark calibrations were achieved. The models of the wet Jinjiang and Donghe basins could be effectively calibrated using a shorter data record (1 month), compared with the dry Heihe and upstream Yalongjiang basins (6 months). Even though the four basins are very different, when using 1-year or 6-month (covering a whole dry season or rainy season) data, the results show that data from wet seasons and wet years are generally more reliable than data from dry seasons and dry years, especially for the two dry basins. The results demonstrated that this idea could be a promising approach to the problem of calibration of physically based distributed hydrological models in data-sparse basins, and findings from the discussion in this study are valuable for assessing the effectiveness of short-period data for model calibration in real-world applications.
The playful newsroom: Iterating and reiterating the news and its publics
Authors: Foxman Maxwell
Published: January 2017

The crisis in the journalism industry, intensified with the popularization of the World Wide Web, warrants radical rethinking of the professional identity of journalists and their role in society. This paper first suggests replacing the Habermasian public sphere with Dutch historian Johan Huizinga’s magic circle of play to describe the relationship between the press and its audience. Within this new model, the writer configures the rules and boundaries in which the reader is free to respond and subvert, an interplay that increasingly shapes both current news production and expectations of the public. This paper then explores play and playful attitudes in newsroom practices and output through semi-structured interviews with journalists, game designers and educators. The “Game Team” at the news and entertainment Web site BuzzFeed acts as a primary case study of a group of journalists who make a variety of playful products — from full-fledged games to interactives — which they iterate and improve over time, in response to readers’ feedback.
Viewing patterns: Information and media infrastructures - Editors' introduction
Authors: Lischer-Katz Zack , Trammell Aaron
Published: January 2017

In this introduction to a special edited issue of First Monday on viewing patterns, we argue that information, iteration and incarnation are useful paths to understanding emergent media infrastructures. Here we explain the connection of this collection’s essays in the context of these overarching themes. As our media infrastructure — which encompasses social media, data archives, participatory media, and mobile media — takes on a structuring agency in the spheres of politics, journalism, and entertainment, we must contend with the changing shape of these media infrastructures as dominant forces of power-knowledge.
Studying the materiality of media archives in the age of digitization: Forensics, infrastructures and ecologies
Authors: Lischer-Katz Zack
Published: January 2017

Discourses on the immateriality of digital information have given way to a radical rethinking of digital materiality within information studies, cinema and media studies, and other related fields. This rethinking occurs as media archives are increasingly converting their collections into digital form, stored less and less on shelves in climate-controlled vaults, and instead stored and accessed through data servers. This newfound complexity and potential for the media archive to become “black boxed,” call for a critical approach to media archives that takes into account these new realities and their material entanglements at multiple scales of analysis. Newfound scholarly interest in multiple scales of materiality, from the micro (computer code, transmission protocols, etc.) to the macro (large, sociotechnical infrastructures) may offer new directions for rethinking the nature of media archives in the age of digitization. This paper reviews the literature on these recent trends and identifies three intertwined research approaches for analyzing emergent phenomena related to the digitization of media archives: Critical forensic, institutional/infrastructural, and global/ecological perspectives. These approaches help to extend postmodern conceptualizations of the archive by showing how the archive as infrastructure is bound up in unfolding political, ecological and epistemological struggles.
A MOVIE BY ... Appropriation, authorship, and the ecologies of the moving image
Authors: Goldsmith Leo
Published: January 2017

This essay positions two works of experimental moving-image appropriation art — Bruce Conner’s seminal 1958 found-footage film A MOVIE and a recent ‘remake” by the artist and filmmaker Jen Proctor — as models for a hybrid artistic-scholarly form of materialist media theory through which to examine the ways in which media are produced and circulate. The essay argues that both Conner’s and Proctor’s respective works deploy strategies of appropriation and remix not simply as a form for playful commentary upon contemporary media objects and texts, but crucially as an implicit theoretical framework through which to articulate and expose, on the one hand, the media infrastructures in which the works were made and, on the other, the artists’ own labor within these infrastructures.
Just one more: How journalists frame binge watching
Authors: Pierce-Grove Ri
Published: January 2017

“Binge watching” is a term associated with multiple practices of serial narrative consumption afforded by digital infrastructures. This paper tracks the normalization of the term “binge watching” in the press. I look at the archives of the New York Times, Atlantic, Wall Street Journal, Daily News, New York Post, Slate, and the criticism of several prominent journalists from the 1980s to 2016 to trace the phrase and its evolving social relevance. I find that for journalists, the episode, not the hour is the fundamental unit of the “binge watch”. Journalists participated in the construction of “binge watching” as an all-consuming experience that takes place at the expense of daily life. At the same time, they contradicted this construction by using the term to represent practices of serial media consumption that fit seamlessly within existing patterns of work and leisure.
"This FEELS SO REAL!" Sense and sexuality in ASMR videos
Authors: Waldron Emma Leigh
Published: January 2017

This paper explores the intimate performances in “personal attention” ASMR YouTube videos. ASMR — which stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response — is a term coined by the community of Internet users who experience a particular tingling sensation in response to certain auditory, visual, or haptic stimuli. The sensation often originates in the scalp and travels down the spine and is reported to be immensely pleasurable, as well as relaxing. “ASMRtists” now flood YouTube with a steady stream of high definition videos designed to trigger this sensation for viewer-listeners, often through role-play scenarios that incorporate genre-specific techniques to simulate a personalized, intimate, and sensual encounter with the ASMRtist. This essay draws on affect and performance studies to conduct an analysis of these YouTube videos — using specific examples from the ASMRtist Olivia Kissper as case studies — in order to explore how media infrastructures produce the incarnation of sexuality through the process of mediated intimacy. Ultimately, it works towards a radical redefinition of sexuality that is more centered on affect than on bodily gestures, and suggests that through this lens the consumption of ASMR videos can be seen as a sexual practice and the configuration of ASMRtist, viewer-listener, and digital technology can be seen as a sexual relation.
Cheating and resisting empire in the age of interactive media
Authors: Trammell Aaron
Published: January 2017

The aim of this paper is to show how cheating at computer games can help to reveal the media infrastructures from which they distract. Scholarship in game studies has generally focused on understanding games as objects with representational, mechanical, and narrative qualities or understanding players as subjects with unique and relatable desires. In both cases, the game-object is granted an aura of sorts. It is either scrutinized for what it represents, or it is analyzed as the object of player desire. Within this space, the potential for learning about the deeply personal and embodied technicity of play is lost. Cheating helps to show how conversations about games are deeply relevant to our everyday social, political, and cultural lives. Moreover, it helps to reveal what we might be distracted from when caught up in the ecstatic feedback-loop of gameplay.