bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Solving Equations is All about Balance
Authors: Magruder Robin , Mohr-Schroeder Margaret
Published: October 2013

Virtual manipulatives provide benefits to students as they encounter the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics content and practice standards. The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives provides an abundant supply of virtual manipulatives for all K-12 grades and mathematics content areas. Specifically, in this chapter, the authors explore the use of Algebra Balance Scale manipulatives in a middle school mathematics classroom. Using virtual manipulatives increases understanding of the equal sign, algebraic symbols, and increases procedural and conceptual knowledge. In this chapter, the authors demonstrate how using virtual manipulatives helped middle school students to meet grade level content standards for solving equations in one variable. Additionally, practice standards, such as making sense of problems and persevering to solve them, modeling with mathematics, and using tools strategically through the use of virtual manipulatives are addressed. They conclude by considering practical issues related to incorporating virtual manipulatives in mathematics classrooms.
Should Traditional Classrooms Have Formal Facebook Groups?
Authors: Hart Mark
Published: October 2013

As students, teachers, and school professionals work to determine boundaries between the classroom and social media, often implementation choices are being made between the lines of school technology policies. In response to formal barriers, many students are taking it upon themselves to make their own social media sites, such as Facebook, to supplement their classroom learning. In this study, a class Facebook page encompassing five sections of an AP United States History course at Ida Baker High School was captured for an entire school year, and the results were recorded and coded to show how students used the page. Whether to consider Facebook as a viable official tool for the school ultimately becomes the decision of the District’s Technology Officer, the Principal, the Department Chair, and the teachers. To help guide this decision, a survey was conducted to determine the participants’ perception of the online tool. Ultimately, this case examines whether one school should embrace this widely used, free tool to accompany traditional classes or continue with more formal software to supplement the classroom.
Evaluating Games in Classrooms
Authors: Wallner Günter , Kriglstein Simone , Biba Johannes
Published: October 2013

Educational games have gained wide acceptance over the years and have found their way into many classrooms. Numerous evaluations of such games have been published, but mostly evaluations were carried out in controlled environments, with a small sample size or over a short period of time. However, the particular context where playing takes place has been established as a critical factor for game-based learning. Moreover, educational games are often considered as black box, measuring only input and output variables but neglecting the intermediate process. Many researchers have therefore argued that evaluations of educational games have to go beyond testing the learning outcomes only and should also show how and why it works. In this chapter the authors describe the evaluation of the game DOGeometry, which was carried out in a classroom environment over a four month period. They report the development process, the design of the evaluation, results, challenges, and problems faced.
Embedded Librarianship
Authors: Hamilton Buffy J.
Published: October 2013

This case study chronicles the learning experiences of 10th grade Honors Literature/Composition students who participated in a 2009-10 learning initiative, Media 21, at Creekview High School. This program, spearheaded by school librarian Buffy Hamilton and English teacher Susan Lester, provided students a learning environment facilitated by both Hamilton and Lester in which Hamilton was “embedded” as an instructor. Media 21, rooted in connectivism, inquiry, and participatory literacy, emphasized students creating their own research “dashboards” and portals, the creation of personal learning networks to help students engage in their learning experiences, and to evaluate a diverse offering of information sources more critically.
Teaching Basic Software Engineering to Senior High School Students
Authors: Köhler Barbara , Gluchow Michaela , Brügge Bernd
Published: October 2013

Software Engineering (SE) is an increasingly important topic as software projects increase in size, budget, and duration. The authors suggest starting teaching SE already to high school students instead of waiting until their freshman year at university. This chapter shows the principles the authors used for creating such courses. First, the authors explain which software lifecycle model the authors use, why, and how it needs to be tailored for students with very little development experience. Second, the authors discuss the educational models the authors apply to increase motivation and counter the inert knowledge problem often observed in lectures. The authors mainly focus on goal-based scenarios and scaffolding, two constructivist design methods. Finally, the authors present a case study of one course they conducted in fall 2011 with eleven high school students between ages 16 and 18.
Cloud Computing and Its Application to Information Centre
Authors: Alam Nihal , Karmakar Ranjan
Published: October 2013

Information and communication technologies are developing very fast and providing us opportunities due to their benefits such as reduced cost, anytime, anywhere availability, as well as its elasticity and flexibility. Cloud computing is one of the newly emerged models for technology that provide us the facility of central remoting of servers to maintain data, software, and application through the use of the Internet. Nowadays it is widely applicable in many areas such as libraries, information centres, in-house, applications and digital library services. Our chapter will focus mainly on: Models of cloud computing, types of cloud suitable for information centres, application of cloud computing with examples, opportunity and risk in developing cloud services, and impact of cloud computing to information centres.
A Cloud-Oriented Reference Architecture to Digital Library Systems
Authors: Palanivel K. , Kuppuswami S.
Published: October 2013

Cloud computing is an emerging computing model which has evolved as a result of the maturity of underlying prerequisite technologies. There are differences in perspective as to when a set of underlying technologies becomes a “cloud” model. In order to categorize cloud computing services, and to expect some level of consistent characteristics to be associated with the services, cloud adopters need a consistent frame of reference. The Cloud Computing Reference Architecture (CCRA) defines a standard reference architecture and consistent frame of reference for comparing cloud services from different service providers when selecting and deploying cloud services to support their mission requirements. Cloud computing offers information retrieval systems, particularly digital libraries and search engines, a wide variety of options for growth and reduction of maintenance needs and encourages efficient resource use. These features are particularly attractive for digital libraries, repositories, and search engines. The dynamic and elastic provisioning features of a cloud infrastructure allow rapid growth in collection size and support a larger user base, while reducing management issues. Hence, the objective of this chapter is to investigate and design reference architecture to Digital Library Systems using cloud computing with scalability in mind. The proposed reference architecture is called as CORADLS. This architecture accelerates the rate at which library users can get easy, efficient, faster and reliable services in the digital environment. Here, the end user does not have to worry about the resource or disk space in cloud computing.
A Randomized Cloud Library Security Environment
Authors: Krishna A. V. N.
Published: October 2013

Cloud computing is leading the technology development of today’s communication scenario. This is because of its cost-efficiency and flexibility. In Cloud computing vast amounts of data are stored in varied and distributed environments, and security to data is of prime concern. RSA or Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) provides a secure means of message transmission among communicating hosts using Diffie Hellman Key Exchange algorithm or ElGamal algorithm. By having key lengths of 160 bits, the ECC algorithm provides sufficient strength against crypto analysis and its performance can be compared with standard algorithms like RSA with a bit length of 1024 bits. In the present work, the plain text is converted to cipher text using RSA or ECC algorithms. As the proposed model is intended to be used in Cloud environment, a probabilistic mathematical model is also used. While the data is being retrieved from the servers, a query is being used which uses the mathematical model to search for the data which is still in encryption form. Final decryption takes place only at user’s site by using the private keys. Thus the security model provides the fundamental security services like Authentication, Security, and Confidentiality to the transmitted message and also provides sufficient strength against crypto analysis in Cloud environment.
Cloud Libraries
Authors: Yuvaraj Mayank
Published: October 2013

On-demand computing power at modest cost, tied with faster Internet accessibility in the Cloud has offered the future of Cloud libraries. This chapter presents a snapshot of what is happening in the arena of Cloud libraries. It presents the features, its promises, components that drive a Cloud library, users and the services, infrastructure, information sources, and retrieval strategies in the Cloud. Further, it presents a Cloud strategic planning model for its realization in libraries. Whereas a lot of work has been done on the technical aspects and implications in health and medical services, there is lack of focus on the implication of Cloud computing in a library setting. This chapter is a self-conscious attempt in filling some of the gaps.
Service Innovation in Information Business
Authors: Kohda Youji
Published: October 2013

This chapter discusses the structural shift toward service industry that has been occurring in the information business industry in Japan. Fujitsu is one of the major information business companies in Japan, and its “Field Innovation” is explained as an example of the structural shift. Not only does it describe the case, but it also explains why Fujitsu could begin it. Fujitsu’s Field Innovation is a novel consulting service to help customers start their own service innovation in their respective fields. Specially trained “Field Innovators” carry out the mission, and the method they follow is described as field innovation cycles. In addition, a video tool of rapid ethnography is described for the service innovation’s practitioners, which will contribute to reducing the cycle time and cost required to execute the field innovation cycles.
Achieving Objective Values for Customers in Enterprise IT Solution Services
Authors: Nishioka Yukiko , Kosaka Michitaka
Published: October 2013

In this chapter, the authors discuss real business cases of IT solution services in the information industry. The concepts of two “service values” are introduced (i.e., “objective value” and “functional value,” which should be co-created by customer and service providers). The authors introduce the role of a “design office” to support this co-creation activity and propose the method of MUSE for designing successful IT solution services. Two cases of actual IT solution processes are analyzed from the viewpoint of service to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed concept.
Interaction Strategy in Co-Creation
Authors: Ardianto Eka
Published: October 2013

There are many perspectives in co-creation, such as experience, involvement, engagement, participation, partnership, and collaboration. The co-creation phenomenon appearing in a bus transportation services and its community in Indonesia is interaction. Through literature review, interaction strategy in co-creation is still unexplainable; therefore, this chapter elaborates interaction strategy between service provider and its consumer community in co-creation. Through factor analysis, it is identified that there are four dimensions of interaction strategy in co-creation: 1) interactions in which the company receives more benefit; 2) interactions in which both the company and community as well society receive benefits; 3) interactions in which the community receives more benefit; 4) interactions in which both the company and community explore each other’s competence. Furthermore, implications for managers are discussed.
The Theoretical Model of the New Economics of Migration of Medical Doctors
Authors: Boboc Cristina , Zouag Nada , Driouchi Ahmed
Published: October 2013

The focus of this chapter is on the selection of the theoretical model to be used to capture the main features related to the migration decisions of medical doctors in the selected groups of countries (ECE, MENA, and EU). The selected model is consequently submitted to empirical tests, and this is shown in the following chapters of this section.
Data Transfer and Storage in Cloud Computing
Authors: Shen Yushi , Li Yale , Wu Ling , Liu Shaofeng , Wen Qian
Published: October 2013

When network bandwidth is no longer a bottleneck for Internet applications, we still face the challenges of how to utilize the bandwidth in full when transferring data. This might sound straightforward, but it is far from being easy or straightforward. Lots of work has been done to improve the utilization of abundant network bandwidth, while maintaining the same reliability, efficiency, and fairness of slow protocols, like TCP. In this chapter, the authors introduce the background of emerging bandwidth-intensive applications, related works that are in place to solve these issues, and their limitations to make the challenges clear to the readers. Similar challenges also present for large-scale data preservation.
Responsibility In-Focus
Authors: Dasgupta Sabyasachi
Published: October 2013

The term “Corporate Social Responsibility” has gained lot of momentum in the last few decades. Several scholars have tried to deconstruct what it actually means and the kind of responsibility corporate organizations have. Carroll’s pyramidal model has made significant contribution to the debate by categorizing corporate social responsibility into four broad dimensions: Economic, Legal, Ethical and Philanthropic. While several scholars have emphasized these four dimensions in different perspectives, the debate seems to remain persistent. This paper looks into different dimensions of corporate social responsibility and tries to deconstruct its primary motive. Through the scanning of literatures available on the definitions of corporate social responsibility concept, this paper tries to understand the focus of such an attempt. It then takes the help of qualitative in-depth interview methodology to understand what the corporate managers in India across sectors feel about corporate social responsibility. This leads to convergence of literature review and in-depth interview findings benefiting both academic and corporate world. The findings suggest that although companies seem to accomplish such responsibility for societal purposes, the ultimate objective is an economically viable model which leads to the sustainability of a corporate organization. A model is suggested based on the above findings.
Postgraduate Students’ Perceived E-Learning Acceptance
Authors: Yatigammana M. R. K. N. , Johar Md. Gapar Md. , Gunawardhana Chandra
Published: October 2013

E-learning is a method of delivering knowledge using information technology and electronic media for the remote users. The advantages of e-learning method can be fully achieved with the postgraduate studies as majority of the postgraduate students are engaged in learning while they are working and also geographically dispersed due to the family and work life thus physically appearing for the lecture sessions are difficult to them. This paper attempts to develop a framework to measure the postgraduate students’ perceived technology acceptance by developing a modified version of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) which replaces perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use in the original model of TAM with relative advantage and complexity and incorporate other variables of trialability, observability, compatibility, psychological wellbeing and social influence of the students. The developed model is validated using 30 postgraduate students from Sri Lanka and thus this model can be used in future researchers to measure the perceived e-learning acceptance of postgraduate students.
Hierarchical Multi-Agent Plans Using Model-Based Petri Net
Authors: Brahimi Said , Maamri Ramdane , Sahnoun Zaidi
Published: September 2013

Agents evolving in complex and dynamic multi-agent systems need to plan their tasks and to adapt their behavior in order to react to unpredictable events. Therefore they must have plans that remain subject to continual updating, even during its execution. Although this property is important in dynamic environments, it is difficult to have a trade-off between the convergence towards the goal to be reached and the reaction to unanticipated events. To cope with this issue, it is needed to have a model allowing to represent plans less sensitive to execution contexts, and to support flexible execution. This paper aims to provide an adequate plan representation, by taking advantage of hierarchical plans and extensions to Petri net. The authors extend the Petri net to take into account the different abstraction levels of plans and the resources required by tasks. To cope with the interdependence of tasks, the authors include in the model, a synchronization mechanism between concurrent transitions. The proposed model can be used to reason on abstract levels of plans and to analyze, in a dynamic way, situations in which the execution of the plan can be performed in any ways, in some ways, or cannot be performed.
A Data Processing Method for Human Motion Estimation to Reduce Network and Sensor Node Loads
Authors: Imai Shintaro , Miyamoto Mariko , Cai Mingrui , Arai Yoshikazu , Inomata Toshimitsu
Published: September 2013

Systems for estimating human motion using acceleration sensors present the following two problems: 1) advanced analysis and processing of sensor data are difficult because of resource limitations of sensor nodes; and 2) such analyses and processes burden the network because numerous sensor data are sent to the network. The authors’ proposed method described herein for sensor data analysis and processing uses a host computer located near sensor nodes (neighborhood host). This method is intended to achieve a good balance between reduction of the network load and advanced sensor data analysis and processing. Moreover, this method incorporates reduction of the load to sensor nodes. To evaluate their method, the authors implement two prototype systems that use different machine learning methods. The authors conduct some experiments using these prototype systems. The experimentally obtained results demonstrate that the proposed method can resolve two problems.
Outage at UAA
Authors: Hoanca Bogdan , Fitzgerald David
Published: October 2013

With redundant hardware, it is rare that a disk failure results in downtime at the system level. System failures do sometimes occur, typically as a sequence of very rare events that leads to a catastrophic failure. This case describes how a combination of hardware and firmware failures, along with human error, led to the failure of a redundant disk storage unit, which in turn affected several enterprise systems at a major public university. Subsequently, a small number of conservative and seemingly “good” decisions in the process of restoring the system from backups led to negative outcomes, primarily additional downtime over the course of several days. The case illustrates how even well-considered and conservative decisions may seem flawed in hindsight. An important lesson from the case is that it is difficult to justify to management the provision of sufficient backup resources to prevent very low-probability failure events.
Technology Adoption in Troubled Times
Authors: Drum Dawna , Becker D’Arcy , Fish Matthew
Published: October 2013

Timely Technologies Corp. (TT) is a $200+ million revenue company that has not yet emerged from the great recession of 2008. Once a $750 million revenue company with nearly 5,000 employees (including over 100 IT professionals), the company has been forced to cut its workforce to just over 2,000 employees. Reductions have included all administrative functions, some production capacity and its IT department. Throughout a long series of quarterly losses, the company has constantly been challenged to weigh accounting and other information needs against costs of gathering that information as it identifies the most efficient cost reductions. This case explains how basic economic factors have impacted the company’s choices with regard to IT and its access to accounting and other operating data.
Axial penile rigidity influences patient and partner satisfaction after penile prosthesis implantation
Authors: Al Ansari Abdulla , Talib Raidh A. , Canguven Onder , Shamsodini Ahmad
Published: September 2013

Introduction: Penile prosthesis implantation is one of the treatment choices that is kept for patients who were not satisfied with other treatments. Although penile prosthesis satisfaction rates are higher, there are some dissatisfied patients. The patients’ reasons are mostly shortness and softness of implanted prosthesis. It was previously demonstrated that penile axial rigidity of more than 500 grams is enough for successful vaginal intromission. To our knowledge, there is no study comparing axial rigidity of penile prosthesis and satisfaction. Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine whether axial rigidity of penile prosthesis had impact on patient and partner satisfaction. Materials and Methods: We enrolled one hundred patients who were implanted penile prosthesis before to evaluate their penile axial rigidity. We used Rigidometry (by using the digital inflection rigidometer) to assess the minimal axial pressure to bend the implanted penis. Results: We demonstrated that mean axial pressure to bend the implanted penis was 984.8 ± 268.7 grams. Overall satisfaction score with the penile prosthesis implant was 4.55 and 4.49 (out of 5) in patients and partners, respectively. In total, seven men were unsatisfied with their implant and reported a mean satisfaction score of 0.6 ± 0.48 (out of 5). All prostheses types showed good and more than 500 grams axial rigidity. The patients with Ambicor type, which were buckled at about 710.5 grams, showed worse satisfaction rates in comparison to other prostheses in two patients. Digital inflection rigidometer results of other penile prosthesis types in unsatisfied patient were 842.0, 872.0, 887.0 and 920 g. in CX700, Titan, Genesis and Titan OTR, respectively. Conclusion: We demonstrated that dissatisfaction rate was highest in Ambicor prosthesis implanted patients. Additionally, patients with 3-piece penile prosthesis were more satisfied than 2-piece or malleable ones, interestingly, although some cases had lower axial rigidity results.
Violencia en la televisión. ¿Desagradable, interesante, o morbosa?
Authors: Fernández Villanueva Concepción , Revilla Castro Juan Carlos , González Hernández Rafael , Lozano Maneiro Blanca
Published: October 2013

Aunque hay gran cantidad de estudios sobre los efectos de la violencia en televisión, son escasos los que indagan sobre el porqué del interés o rechazo que despierta. El objetivo de esta investigación es explicitar el discurso acerca del interés o desinterés de los espectadores por la violencia, sus razones, criterios morales, condicionantes. Metodología. Se analizan 16 grupos de discusión realizados en Madrid y segmentados por sexo, edad y nivel educativo Resultados. Se aprecia que los discursos de los espectadores varían del rechazo de la violencia al morbo, pasando por intolerancia, desinterés y autodefensa. Las modalidades ficción o realidad de las emisiones hacen variar estas posiciones de los espectadores. Conclusiones. El discurso de los espectadores desmiente el estereotipo de la atracción generalizada por la violencia. El supuesto atractivo emocional por la violencia es dotado de sentido y de dimensiones de aprendizaje, autoconocimiento y reflexión ética.
Comparing the Methodologies in ASTM G198 Using Combined Hygrothermal-Corrosion Modeling
Authors: Zelinka Samuel L.
Published: October 2013

ASTM G198, “Standard test method for determining the relative corrosion performance of driven fasteners in contact with treated wood,” was accepted by consensus and published in 2011. The method has two different exposure conditions for determining fastener corrosion performance in treated wood. The first method places the wood and embedded fasteners in a chamber at 95% relative humidity (RH), 32°C, for 120 days. The second method involves a cyclic fog, with 48 h of fog followed by 72 h of dry for 120 days. The corrosion rate of embedded metals is an extremely sensitive function of the wood moisture content. While the wood moisture content is well defined, and fixed, in the constant RH test, the moisture content fluctuates and there are moisture gradients in the cyclic fog test. As a result, the fasteners in the cyclic fog test experience non-uniform and constantly changing conditions, which may be more or less challenging than the steady-state test. This paper presents the results from a combined hygrothermal/corrosion model to explore how the moisture content and temperature at the fastener interface differs between these two methods and shows how these differences in moisture content affect corrosion.
Teachers' Use of Experiential Learning Strategies in Agricultural Laboratories
Authors: Shoulders Catherine W. , Myers Brian E.
Published: October 2013

Experiential learning in agricultural laboratories has been a foundational component of secondary agricultural education. While inclusion of the four stages of the experiential learning cycle can enhance student learning in laboratory settings to help students reach various goals related to scientific literacy and higher-level thinking, agricultural laboratories have traditionally been sites of psychomotor skill development. This exploratory study used a nonexperimental survey design to assess NAAE members’ use of the stages of Kolb’s experiential learning cycle (1984) during lessons involving agricultural laboratories. Results indicated that respondents incorporated concrete experience activities and those associated with grasping information more frequently and for longer durations than they included active experimentation activities or those associated with transforming information. Further, over half of the respondents reported designing lessons in laboratory settings that engaged students in fewer than all four stages of the experiential learning cycle. Recommendations include further study in order to gain a more holistic understanding of how experiential learning is used in agricultural laboratories.
The Effect of Vee Maps and Laboratory on High- and Low-Order Content-Knowledge Achievement in Agriscience Education
Authors: Thoron Andrew C. , Rubenstein Eric D.
Published: October 2013

Instruction in the laboratory is essential to the success of a total agricultural education program. The development of students’ critical thinking, argumentation skills, technical skills, reasoning ability, and engagement are all found within the agriscience laboratory. Yet, utilizing the laboratory setting to its maximum potential is challenging for the instructor. The development of sound research-based assess- ment tools that enhance high-order thinking and are easily incorporated are needed in secondary agriscience education. This quasi-experimental study investigated the effect of two formative assessment tools on student high- and low-order content knowledge achievement. The Vee map was compared to the standard laboratory report in six different secondary schools across the state of Illinois. Utilizing student pretest score as a covariate, there was a statistically significant difference between groups on the high- order thinking posttest. Further, the study indicated that nine weeks later students who utilized the Vee map retained more low- and high-order knowledge than those who utilized the standard laboratory re- port. This study recommends the use of the Vee map as an effective formative assessment tool that should be utilized in agriscience education.
Application of nonlinear autoregressive moving average exogenous input models to geospace: advances in understanding and space weather forecasts
Authors: Boynton R. J. , Balikhin M. A. , Billings S. A. , Amariutei O. A.
Published: September 2013

Abstract. The nonlinear autoregressive moving average with exogenous inputs (NARMAX) system identification technique is applied to various aspects of the magnetospheres dynamics. It is shown, from an example system, how the inputs to a system can be found from the error reduction ratio (ERR) analysis, a key concept of the NARMAX approach. The application of the NARMAX approach to the Dst (disturbance storm time) index and the electron fluxes at geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) are reviewed, revealing new insight into the physics of the system. The review of studies into the Dst index illustrate how the NARMAX approach is able to find a coupling function for the Dst index from data, which was then analytically justified from first principles. While the review of the electron flux demonstrates how NARMAX is able to reveal new insight into the physics of the acceleration and loss processes within the radiation belt.
QSPR STUDY OF RHEOLOGICAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF CHLOROPRENE RUBBER ACCELERATORS
Authors: Todeschini Roberto , Consonni Viviana , Ballabio Davide , Mauri Andrea , Cassotti Matteo , Lee Stuart , West Andrew , Cartlidge David
Published: September 2013

In this preliminary study, mathematical models based on Quantitative Structure Property Relationships (QSPR) were applied in order to analyze how molecular structure of chloroprene rubber accelerators relates to their rheological and mechanical properties. QSPR models were developed in order to disclose which structural features mainly affect the mechanism of vulcanization. In such a way QSPR can help in a faster and more parsimonious design of new chloroprene rubber curative molecules. Regression mathematical models were calibrated on two rheological properties (scorch time and optimum cure time) and three mechanical properties (modulus 100%, hardness, and elongation at break). Models were calculated using experimental values of 14 accelerators belonging to diverse chemical classes and validated by means of different strategies. All the derived models gave a good degree of fitting (R2 values ranging from 84.5 to 98.7) and a satisfactory predictive power. Moreover, some hypotheses on the correlations between specific structural features and the analyzed rheological and mechanical properties were drawn. Owing to the relatively small set of accelerators used to calibrate the models, these hypotheses should be further investigated and proved.
QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE BRANCHING ARCHITECTURE OF EPDM WITH HIGH CONTENT OF 5-VINYL-2-NORBORNENE AS THIRD MONOMER
Authors: Dullaert Konraad , van Doremaele Gerard , van Duin Martin , Dikland Herman
Published: September 2013

The branching architecture of high-molecular-weight EPDM polymers with high amounts of 5-vinyl-2-norbornene (VNB) as a third monomer, produced using recently developed Keltan ACE™ technology, was assessed by means of the dilution rheology method proposed by Crosby et al.1 and compared with conventional Ziegler–Natta EPDM grades. First, the dilution rheology results were converted into a single convenient parameter, called the dilution slope. Next, by combining the dilution rheology results with gel permeation chromatography data and assuming trifunctional branching points, we calculated the volume fraction of the branched polymer, the average molecular weight between branching points, and the branching density. It is shown that the high-VNB polymers studied contained a significantly higher amount of branch-on-branch structures.
Determination of Catechins and Caffeine in Camillia sinensis Raw Materials, Extracts, and Dietary Supplements by HPLC-UV: Single-Laboratory Validation
Authors: Roman Mark C , Hildreth Jana , Bannister Silvia
Published: September 2013

A rapid method has been developed to quantify seven catechins and caffeine in green tea (Camillia sinensis) raw material and powdered extract, and dietary supplements containing green tea extract. The method utilizes RP HPLC with a phenyl-based stationary phase and gradient elution. Detection is by UV absorbance. The total run time, including column re-equilibration, is 13 min. Single-laboratory validation (SLV) has been performed on the method to determine the repeatability, accuracy, selectivity, LOD, LOQ, ruggedness, and linearity for (+)-catechin, (–)-epicatechin, (–)-epicatechin gallate, (–)-epigallocatechin, (–)-gallocatechin gallate, (–)-epigallocatechin gallate, and (+)-gallocatechin, as well as caffeine. Repeatability precision and recovery results met AOAC guidelines for SLV studies for all catechins and caffeine down to a level of approximately 20 mg/g. Finished products containing high concentrations of minerals require the use of EDTA to prevent decomposition of the catechins.
Determination of Free Sulfites (SO3–2) in Dried Fruits Processed with Sulfur Dioxide by Ion Chromatography through Anion Exchange Column and Conductivity Detection
Authors: Liao Benjamin S , Sram Jacqueline C , Files Darin J
Published: September 2013

A simple and effective anion ion chromatography (IC) method with anion exchange column and conductivity detector has been developed to determine free sulfites (SO3–2) in dried fruits processed with sulfur dioxide. No oxidation agent, such as hydrogen peroxide, is used to convert sulfites to sulfates for IC analysis. In addition, no stabilizing agent, such as formaldehyde, fructose or EDTA, is required during the sample extraction. This method uses aqueous 0.2 N NaOH as the solvent for standard preparation and sample extraction. The sulfites, either prepared from standard sodium sulfite powder or extracted from food samples, are presumed to be unbound SO3–2 in aqueous 0.2 N NaOH (pH > 13), because the bound sulfites in the sample matrix are released at pH > 10. In this study, sulfites in the standard solutions were stable at room temperature (i.e., 15–25°C) for up to 12 days. The lowest standard of the linear calibration curve is set at 1.59 μg/mL SO3–2 (equivalent to 6.36 μg/g sample with no dilution) for analysis of processed dried fruits that would contain high levels (>1000 μg/g) of sulfites. As a consequence, this method typically requires significant dilution of the sample extract. Samples are prepared with a simple procedure of sample compositing, extraction with aqueous 0.2 N NaOH, centrifugation, dilution as needed, and filtration prior to IC. The sulfites in these sample extracts are stable at room temperature for up to 20 h. Using anion IC, the sulfites are eluted under isocratic conditions with 10 mM aqueous sodium carbonate solution as the mobile phase passing through an anion exchange column. The sulfites are easily separated, with an analysis run time of 18 min, regardless of the dried fruit matrix. Recoveries from samples spiked with sodium sulfites were demonstrated to be between 81 and 105% for five different fruit matrixes (apricot, golden grape, white peach, fig, and mango). Overall, this method is simple to perform and effective for the determination of high levels of sulfites in dried fruits.
Evaluation of the Culture Method NIHSJ-02 Alternative to ISO 10272-1:2006 for the Detection of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in Chicken: Collaborative Study
Authors: Momose Yoshika , Okada Yumiko , Asakura Hiroshi , Ekawa Tomoya , Masuda Kazuya , Matsuoka Hideaki , Yokoyama Keiko , Kai Akemi , Saito Shioko , Hiramatsu Reiji , Taguchi Masumi , Ishimura Katsuyuki , Tominaga Kiyoshi , Yahiro Shunsuke , Fujita Masahiro , Igimi Shizunobu ,   Collaborators:, Aikawa K , Asai N , Furukawa M , Harada S , Inoguchi Y , Itoh F , Konno T , Matsumoto M , Saito R , Sato M , Wada T , Yamaguchi K , Yoshida A
Published: September 2013

For the surveillance of the prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in raw chicken products in Japan, a qualitative method, National Institute of Health Sciences Japan (NIHSJ)-02, was developed as an alternative to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 10272-1:2006. In the NIHSJ-02 culture method, the enrichment step is carried out in a reduced volume of Preston broth at 42 ± 1°C to reduce cost and space, and to prevent the overgrowth of background bacteria. To evaluate the performance of NIHSJ-02, a collaborative study was conducted, and the results obtained by NIHSJ-02 were compared with those obtained using the reference method, ISO 10272-1:2006. Fifteen laboratories participated; each examined 48 minced chicken samples consisting of test samples uninoculated, inoculated with C. jejuni at a low or high level, and inoculated with C. coli at a low level. The average probabilities of detection by NIHSJ-02 across laboratories were 0.033, 0.222, 0.678, and 0.267 in samples uninoculated, inoculated with C. jejuni at a low and high level, and with C. coli at a low level, respectively. Those by ISO 10272-1:2006 were 0.051, 0.128, 0.551, and 0.090. Significantly higher probabilities of detection were determined by NIHSJ-02 compared to ISO 10272-1:2006, except for uninoculated samples. On the other hand, significantly lower frequency of occurrence of background bacteria was observed by NIHSJ-02 (43.1%) compared with ISO 10272-1:2006 (92.6%). NIHSJ-02 showed better performance than ISO 10272-1:2006 with regard to the selective detection of C. jejuni and C. coli in chicken.
Decoupling Hypothesis and the Financial Crisis
Authors: Wyrobek Joanna , Stańczyk Zbigniew
Published: October 2013

The purpose of this paper was to present the decoupling hypothesis which says that the performance of emerging economies becomes relatively independent of the changes in advanced economies, and to empirically verify this hypothesis. The Christiano-Fitzgerald band-pass filter and spectral analyses have been applied to examine the hypothesis. On the basis of obtained results, comparing the deviations of GDPs from their long-term trend, it seems that the synchronization of cycles between emerging and advanced economies was already high before the crisis. The last global crisis, especially if time shifts between the countries are taken into account, even increased the synchronization of the economies. Therefore, this paper presents evidence against the decoupling hypothesis, and at the same time it raises doubts whether the high GDP growth rates in emerging economies can be sustainable in the presence of the slow-down in the advanced economies. The paper analyzes the situation from the Poland’s point of view as the country which is on the verge of joining the ERM2 system and adopting the euro (synchronization divagations are important for this decision) and because Poland is a good example of an emerging economy.
Nestin Expression in End-Stage Disease in Dystrophin-Deficient Heart: Implications for Regeneration From Endogenous Cardiac Stem Cells
Authors: Berry Suzanne E. , Andruszkiewicz Peter , Chun Ju Lan , Hong Jun
Published: September 2013

Nestin+ cardiac stem cells differentiate into striated cells following myocardial infarct. Transplantation of exogenous stem cells into myocardium of a murine model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) increased proliferation of endogenous nestin+ stem cells and resulted in the appearance of nestin+ striated cells. This correlated with, and may be responsible for, prevention of dilated cardiomyopathy. We examined nestin+ stem cells in the myocardium of dystrophin/utrophin-deficient (mdx/utrn−/−) mice, a model for DMD. We found that 92% of nestin+ interstitial cells expressed Flk-1, a marker present on cardiac progenitor cells that differentiate into the cardiac lineage, and that a subset expressed Sca-1, present on adult cardiac cells that become cardiomyocytes. Nestin+ interstitial cells maintained expression of Flk-1 but lost Sca-1 expression with age and were present in lower numbers in dystrophin-deficient heart than in wild-type heart. Unexpectedly, large clusters of nestin+ striated cells ranging in size from 20 to 250 cells and extending up to 500 μm were present in mdx/utrn−/− heart near the end stage of disease. These cells were also present in dystrophin-deficient mdx/utrn+/− and mdx heart but not wild-type heart. Nestin+ striated cells expressed cardiac troponin I, desmin, and Connexin 43 and correlated with proinflammatory CD68+ macrophages. Elongated nestin+ interstitial cells with striations were observed that did not express Flk-1 or the late cardiac marker cardiac troponin I but strongly expressed the early cardiac marker desmin. Nestin was also detected in endothelial and smooth muscle cells. These data indicate that new cardiomyocytes form in dystrophic heart, and nestin+ interstitial cells may generate them in addition to other cells of the cardiac lineage.
Protestant Restructuring in the Canadian City: Church and Mission in the Industrial Working-Class District of Griffintown, Montreal
Authors: Trigger Rosalyn
Published: September 2013

Increasing social and spatial segregation along class lines in nineteenth-century Montreal brought about a restructuring of the city’s Protestant churches. This paper compares the strategies adopted by Anglicans and Presbyterians as they attempted to reorganize and improve their provision of church accommodation in the industrial working-class suburb of Griffintown between 1860 and the turn of the century. It demonstrates that while denominational responses to the changes taking place were strikingly similar in many respects, class differences within the working classes nevertheless resulted in a complex array of churches and missions, each catering to a slightly different niche within the community. It is argued Griffintown’s places of worship not only came to reflect the transformation of class relations that emerged with industrialization but also created opportunities for the negotiation of these new relations within the religious sphere.
Le déclin de la maison de fond de cour à Montréal, 1880–1920
Authors: Carey Luc
Published: September 2013

La maison de fond de cour montréalaise est une habitation ouvrière typique des quartiers pauvres, associée à la révolution industrielle. Construite dans la cour arrière, elle est cachée de la rue par un autre bâtiment situé à Vavant du lot. Il s’agit principalement d’un duplex ou d’un quadruplex de deux étages à toit plat, adossé au fond du lot et relié à la rue par une porte cocher e. Le nombre de maisons de fond de cour augmente jusqu’à la fin du XIXe siècle, puis diminue jusqu’à la disparition presque complète du phénomène vers 1980. Plusieurs facteurs expliquent ce déclin : l’amélioration progressive des conditions de vie et l’exode urbain, la diminution de la taille des lots, l’expansion du centreville et la réglementation municipale. Considérées autrefois comme des taudis, cibles de farouches campagnes de démolition au XXe siècle, les maisons de fond de cour sont depuis quelques années rénovées par une population aisée désireuse de vivre en toute tranquillité à proximité du centre-ville.
When Ghosts Hovered: Community and Crisis in a Company Town, Britannia Beach, British Columbia, 1957-1965
Authors: Rollwagen Katharine
Published: September 2013

This article compares two shutdowns in the copper-mining town of Britannia Beach, British Columbia, It explores the extent to which community was a "sufficiently empowering myth" to unite residents against their employers’ respective closure attempts. During a 1958 shutdown triggered by plummeting copper prices, divisive notions of community, coupled with loyalty to long-time employer Britannia Mining and Smelting Company, produced despair rather than resistance among residents. Most left Britannia to find other work, and few returned when the mine reopened ten months later. Conversely, when the town’s future was again at risk during a labour dispute in 1964, workers reacted with stiff resistance. When the new owner, the Anaconda Company, threatened to close the mine, striking employees mounted a united campaign and called for support from across Canada to keep the mine open. When the dispute was settled seven months later, the union claimed victory over an American corporate giant. This commuter workforce with loose social ties had successfully used notions of local and national community to foster militancy against their employer. The case of Britannia demonstrates how community can both restrain and rouse workers and town residents, shaping their diverse reactions to deindustrialization.
Industrial Sunrise? The Chrysler Bailout, the State, and the Re-industrialization of the Canadian Automotive Sector, 1975-1986
Authors: Anastakis Dimitry
Published: September 2013

After 1980 deindustrialization was the prevailing condition in the North American automotive industry—but not in Canada. Much of that difference was due to an aggressive federal intervention that demanded investment and production from foreign automakers. Using Chrysler as a case study, the paper asserts that state policies such as the 1980 bailout and the 1965 Canada-U.S. Auto Pact actually led to a re-industrialization of the Canadian sector. The paper challenges older dependency theories that assume deindustrialization, and recent work that focuses upon worker activism, as the reason that Canada’s industrial heartland did not rust.
From Summer Cottage Colony to Metropolitan Suburb: Toronto’s Beach District, 1889-1929
Authors: Luka Nik
Published: September 2013

Over four decades beginning in the 1890s, the east-end Toronto district now known as "The Beach" was transformed from a summer second-home setting into a metropolitan suburb dominated by the middle classes (occupationally defined). Using a systematic random sample drawn from the municipal property tax assessment rolls for the study area at six intervals from 1889 to 1929, along with narrative examples and illustrative analyses of growth and change in urban form, this paper examines three compelling aspects of this transformation. First and foremost, this district is a fine example of pre-Second World War suburban growth: slow, piecemeal, and inconsistent in pattern and form, as now reflected in its eclectic built form and fine-grained mix of housing types. "The Beach" is also a place-based example of how metropolitan social geographies were being sorted out from within by user groups early in the twentieth century. Without becoming exclusively or solely a middle-class district, the Beach came to be dominated by the middle classes—typifying the "weave of small patterns" that characterized the social fabric of the early North American metropolis. Finally, the term cottage colony is used quite deliberately, for it appears that the Beach’s role as a summer leisure destination was instrumental in spurring its transformation into a middle-class suburb, imbuing it with particular qualities that enhanced (or ensured) its desirability. In effect, this district’s "summer cottage" period was a telling prelude to its emergence as a markedly middle-class district in Toronto of the 1920s and later.