bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ICT Leap-frogging Enabled by Cloud Computing for Emerging Economies: A Case Study on Streamlining India's Grain Supply Chains
Authors: Tsao Jacob , Venkatsubramanyan Shailaja , Parikh Shrikant , Sarkar Prasenjit
Published: September 2012

Cloud computing enables use of computing without user-side hardware, software and associated financial and knowledge requirements, except for the needs of a simple 'web-terminal' and access to the internet. Emerging economies can fully capitalize on this to start a 'revolution' and leap-frog developed nations by skipping completely the several major computing architectures gone through in developed nations. An analogy is the leap-frogging, that has taken place with wireless telephony. We briefly introduce our research into streamlining India’s grain supply chains and then discuss in detail on how cloud computing can play a pivotal role. Although the focus is on the portion of the supply chains between wholesalers and consumers, we also discuss how cloud computing can streamline the entire supply chains and how it offers leap-frogging opportunities for the entire society. The proposed use of web-terminals for accessing the cloud for all computing needs is new, and we point out several high-impact research subjects. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/icter.v4i2.4675 International Journal on Advances in ICT for Emerging Regions 2011 04 (02) : 37 – 51
Mobile Phones and the Development of Social Capital among Small Malaysian Retailers
Authors: Julsrud Tom E
Published: September 2012

In much literature on social capital, it has been a widely held assertion that networks of informal relations are beneficial for the development of local regions as well as larger nations. In the last decade mobile communication tools have rapidly saturated several markets in Asia, promising to contribute positively to social capital development. This might have important implications for small businesses that in many cases have limited access to PCs. Yet, very few studies have managed to conduct empirical studies of how mobile phones actually are used among small enterprises, and how this affects on the way they handle their business relations. This paper discusses about an in-depth study of small Malaysian retailer’s use of mobile phones to build up and sustain their business related connections. Based on qualitative interviews and tracking of their mobile calls /messages we found that the mobile phone was mainly used to support stronger ties in their networks. The boundaries between family, friends and business relations are highly blurred and friends and families are the main communication partner for the mobile use. The mobile phone is also extensively used to coordinate business internal tasks during the day and in-between face-to-face meetings with suppliers. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/icter.v4i3.4676 International Journal on Advances in ICT for Emerging Regions 2011 04 (03) :26 – 38
Communication training for centre-based carers of children with severe or profound disabilities in the Western Cape, South Africa
Authors: Geiger Martha
Published: September 2012

The purpose of this paper is to provide a preliminary, qualitative review of an approach to training centre-based carers in supporting basic communication development and providing communication opportunities for the children with severe and profound disabilities in their care. In South Africa, these children are often the most neglected in terms of planning and providing appropriate interventions. For those with severe communication disabilities, an additional lack is in the area of the basic human right to meaningful interactions and communication. Sustainable strategies to provide opportunities for basic communication development of these children are urgently sought. Several effective international and local parent training programmes have been developed, but the urgent need remains to train centre-based carers who are taking care of groups of diversely disabled children in severely under-resourced settings. Non-profit organisations (NPOs) have been exploring practical centre-based approaches to skills sharing in physical rehabilitation, activities for daily living, feeding and support for basic communication development. As a freelance speech therapist contracted by four NPOs to implement hands-on training in basic communication for centre-based carers of non-verbal children, the author describes a training approach that evolved over three years, in collaboration with the carers and centre managements. Implications for training (for speech therapists and for community-based rehabilitation workers) and for further research are identified.
The use and origin of the (Old and) New Testament as Christianity’s canon
Authors: Van Aarde Andries G.
Published: September 2012

This article explained the valuation of Christian believers with regard to the Christian Bible a ‘Holy Scripture’. In the article the notion ‘Scriptural authority’ was connected with an understanding of both the origin and use of the Christian canon. The article described the origin of the Bible in light of the supposition that the Bible functions as (1) book of theology, as well as (2) book of believers and as (3) book of the church. The article consisted of references to the role of the Old Testament and the New Testament canonical collections and the role of ecclesial synodal decisions. It also obtained a graphical overview of the history and dates of the New Testament writings as a canonical list. The article concluded with a reflection on the relevance for the use and authority of the Bible, seen from the perspective of the use and origin of the Bible as Christianity’s canon.
Differential Formulation of Discontinuous Galerkin and Related Methods for the Navier-Stokes Equations
Authors: Gao Haiyang , Wang Z. J. , Huynh H. T.
Published: September 2012

A new approach to high-order accuracy for the numerical solution of conservation laws introduced by Huynh and extended to simplexes by Wang and Gao is renamed CPR (correction procedure or collocation penalty via reconstruction). The CPR approach employs the differential form of the equation and accounts for the jumps in flux values at the cell boundaries by a correction procedure. In addition to being simple and economical, it unifies several existing methods including discontinuous Galerkin, staggered grid, spectral volume, and spectral difference. To discretize the dif-fusion terms, we use the BR2 (Bassi and Rebay), interior penalty, compact DG (CDG), and I-continuous approaches. The first three of these approaches, originally derived using the integral formulation, were recast here in the CPR framework, whereas the I-continuous scheme, originally derived for a quadrilateral mesh, was extended to a triangular mesh. Fourier stability and accuracy analyses for these schemes on quadrilateral and triangular meshes are carried out. Finally, results for the Navier-Stokes equations are shown to compare the various schemes as well as to demonstrate the capability of the CPR approach.
Wave Propagation Across Acoustic/Biot’s Media: A Finite-Difference Method
Authors: Chiavassa Guillaume , Lombard Bruno
Published: September 2012

Numerical methods are developed to simulate the wave propagation in heterogeneous 2D fluid/poroelastic media. Wave propagation is described by the usual acoustics equations (in the fluid medium) and by the low-frequency Biot’s equations (in the porous medium). Interface conditions are introduced to model various hydraulic contacts between the two media: open pores, sealed pores, and imperfect pores. Well-posedness of the initial-boundary value problem is proven. Cartesian grid numerical methods previously developed in porous heterogeneous media are adapted to the present context: a fourth-order ADER scheme with Strang splitting for time- marching; a space-time mesh-refinement to capture the slow compressional wave predicted by Biot’s theory; and an immersed interface method to discretize the interface conditions and to introduce a subcell resolution. Numerical experiments and comparisons with exact solutions are proposed for the three types of interface conditions, demonstrating the accuracy of the approach.
Measuring the Spontaneous Curvature of Bilayer Membranes by Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Authors: Wang Han , Hu Dan , Zhang Pingwen
Published: September 2012

We propose a mathematically rigorous method to measure the spontaneous curvature of a bilayer membrane by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, which provides description of the molecular mechanisms that cause the spontaneous curvature. As a main result, for the membrane setup investigated, the spontaneous curvature is proved to be a constant plus twice the mean curvature of the membrane in its tensionless ground state. The spontaneous curvature due to the built-in transbilayer asymmetry of the membrane in terms of lipid shape is studied by the proposed method. A linear dependence of the spontaneous curvature with respect to the head-bead diameter difference and the lipid mixing ratio is discovered. The consistency with the theoretical results provides evidence supporting the validity of our method.
Efficient Sampling in Event-Driven Algorithms for Reaction-Diffusion Processes
Authors: Bani-Hashemian Mohammad Hossein , Hellander Stefan , Lötstedt Per
Published: September 2012

In event-driven algorithms for simulation of diffusing, colliding, and reacting particles, new positions and events are sampled from the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of a probability distribution. The distribution is sampled frequently and it is important for the efficiency of the algorithm that the sampling is fast. The CDF is known analytically or computed numerically. Analytical formulas are sometimes rather complicated making them difficult to evaluate. The CDF may be stored in a table for interpolation or computed directly when it is needed. Different alternatives are compared for chemically reacting molecules moving by Brownian diffusion in two and three dimensions. The best strategy depends on the dimension of the problem, the length of the time interval, the density of the particles, and the number of different reactions.
Development of an Explicit Symplectic Scheme that Optimizes the Dispersion-Relation Equation of the Maxwell’s Equations
Authors: Sheu Tony W. H. , Liang L. Y. , Li J. H.
Published: September 2012

In this paper an explicit finite-difference time-domain scheme for solving the Maxwell’s equations in non-staggered grids is presented. The proposed scheme for solving the Faraday’s and Ampere’s equations in a theoretical manner is aimed to preserve discrete zero-divergence for the electric and magnetic fields. The inherent local conservation laws in Maxwell’s equations are also preserved discretely all the time using the explicit second-order accurate symplectic partitioned Runge-Kutta scheme. The remaining spatial derivative terms in the semi-discretized Faraday’s and Ampere’s equations are then discretized to provide an accurate mathematical dispersion relation equation that governs the numerical angular frequency and the wavenumbers in two space dimensions. To achieve the goal of getting the best dispersive characteristics, we propose a fourth-order accurate space centered scheme which minimizes the difference between the exact and numerical dispersion relation equations. Through the computational exercises, the proposed dual-preserving solver is computationally demonstrated to be efficient for use to predict the long-term accurate Maxwell’s solutions.
High-Order Interpolation Algorithms for Charge Conservation in Particle-in-Cell Simulations
Authors: Yu Jinqing , Jin Xiaolin , Zhou Weimin , Li Bin , Gu Yuqiu
Published: September 2012

High-order interpolation algorithms for charge conservation in Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations are presented. The methods are valid for the case that a particle trajectory is a zigzag line. The second-order and third-order algorithms which can be applied to any even-order and odd-order are discussed in this paper, respectively. Several test simulations are performed to demonstrate their validity in two-dimensional PIC code. Compared with the simulation results of one-order, high-order algorithms have advantages in computation precision and enlarging the grid scales which reduces the CPU time.
The Convex Relaxation Method on Deconvolution Model withMultiplicative Noise
Authors: Huang Yumei , Ng Michael , Zeng Tieyong
Published: September 2012

In this paper, we consider variational approaches to handle the multiplicative noise removal and deblurring problem. Based on rather reasonable physical blurring-noisy assumptions, we derive a new variational model for this issue. After the study of the basic properties, we propose to approximate it by a convex relaxation model which is a balance between the previous non-convex model and a convex model. The relaxed model is solved by an alternating minimization approach. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method.
Impact of a Hygiene Curriculum and the Installation of Simple Handwashing and Drinking Water Stations in Rural Kenyan Primary Schools on Student Health and Hygiene Practices
Authors: Patel Minal K. , Harris Julie R. , Juliao Patricia , Nygren Benjamin , Were Vincent , Kola Steve , Sadumah Ibrahim , Faith Sitnah Hamidah , Otieno Ronald , Obure Alfredo , Hoekstra Robert M. , Quick Robert
Published: September 2012

School-based hygiene and water treatment programs increase student knowledge, improve hygiene, and decrease absenteeism, however health impact studies of these programs are lacking. We collected baseline information from students in 42 schools in Kenya. We then instituted a curriculum on safe water and hand hygiene and installed water stations in half (“intervention schools”). One year later, we implemented the intervention in remaining schools. Through biweekly student household visits and two annual surveys, we compared the effect of the intervention on hygiene practices and reported student illness. We saw improvement in proper handwashing techniques after the school program was introduced. We observed a decrease in the median percentage of students with acute respiratory illness among those exposed to the program; no decrease in acute diarrhea was seen. Students in this school program exhibited sustained improvement in hygiene knowledge and a decreased risk of respiratory infections after the intervention.
Cytokine Factors Present in Dengue Patient Sera Induces Alterations of Junctional Proteins in Human Endothelial Cells
Authors: Appanna Ramapraba , Wang Seok Mui , Ponnampalavanar Sasheela A. , Lum Lucy Chai See , Sekaran Shamala Devi
Published: September 2012

Plasma leakage in severe dengue has been postulated to be associated with skewed cytokine immune responses. In this study, the association of cytokines with vascular permeability in dengue patients was investigated. Human serum samples collected from 48 persons (13 with dengue fever, 29 with dengue hemorrhagic fever, and 6 healthy) were subjected to cytokines analysis by using Luminex Multiplex Technology. Selected serum samples from patients with dengue hemorrhagic fever sera and recombinant human cytokines were then tested for roles on inducing vascular permeability by treatment of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Confocal immunofluorescence staining indicated morphologic alteration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells treated with serum samples from patients with dengue hemorrhagic fever compared with serum samples from healthy persons. The findings suggest that cytokines produced during dengue hemorrhagic infections could induce alterations in the vascular endothelium, which may play a fundamental role in the pathophysiology of dengue.
Use of Fecal Occult Blood Tests as Epidemiologic Indicators of Morbidity Associated with Intestinal Schistosomiasis during Preventive Chemotherapy in Young Children
Authors: Betson Martha , Sousa-Figueiredo José Carlos , Kabatereine Narcis B. , Stothard J. Russell
Published: September 2012

There is a need for field-applicable markers to assess morbidity associated with intestinal schistosomiasis, especially in the context of preventive chemotherapy in young children. We investigated whether fecal occult blood (FOB) point-of-care tests could be used to assess intestinal pathology over a 12-month period in a cohort of 382 children (< 5 years of age). We found a strong association between egg-patent schistosomiasis and FOB at baseline (odds ratio [OR] = 3.1, P < 0.0001), 6 months (OR = 3.4, P < 0.0001), and 12 months (OR = 3.5, P < 0.0001), despite repeated chemotherapy. There were tendencies for prevalence of FOB to decrease in children who became egg negative and increase in those who became egg positive. Our results demonstrate overt disease in children less than five years of age. We therefore propose that FOB is useful for assessing dynamics of intestinal morbidity in young children at the community level and monitoring changes in morbidity after mass chemotherapy.
Congenital Transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in Non-Endemic Areas: Evaluation of a Screening Program in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Barcelona, Spain
Authors: Otero Susana , Sulleiro Elena , Molina Israel , Espiau Maria , Suy Anna , Martín-Nalda Andrea , Figueras Concepción
Published: September 2012

The impact of Chagas disease is no longer restricted to endemic areas. The aim of this study is to evaluate a 2-year period of a vertical transmission screening program of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in a tertiary care hospital in Barcelona (Spain). Two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (recombinant and crude antigen) were performed in parallel to pregnant women at risk of T. cruzi infection. Discordant results were confirmed by a third diagnostic test. In the case of a positive result, the newborn was tested at birth and after 8 months of life. A total of 1,473 women met the inclusion criteria for the screening program with a resulting seroprevalence for T. cruzi of 3.5% (2.2–5.2% 95% confidence interval [95% CI]). One case of congenital infection was identified. Screening programs for vertically transmitted T. cruzi acute infection are beneficial in non-endemic areas for early detection and treatment of acute infection.
Epidemic Distribution and Variation of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax Malaria in Hainan, China during 1995–2008
Authors: Xiao Dan , Long Yong , Wang Shanqing , Wu Kejian , Xu Dezhong , Li Haitao , Wang Guangze , Yan Yongping
Published: September 2012

Hainan Province is the main area threatened by malaria in China. However, the epidemiologic patterns of malaria in this region are not yet defined. In this study, we determined the spatio-temporal distribution and variation of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax malaria in Hainan during 1995–2008 by using wavelet and cluster quantitative approaches. The results indicated a decreasing secular trend and obvious seasonal fluctuation of malaria in Hainan. In addition, the characteristic annual peak of malaria could not be detected after 2005. The southcentral region of Hainan has remained an area of relatively high malaria risk, but the incidence of P. falciparum malaria increased significantly in the southeast and southwest regions during 2002–2008. These findings identify epidemic patterns of malaria in Hainan, and are applicable for designing an effective and dynamic public health campaign to combat malaria in this region.
The Association of Beliefs About Heredity with Preventive and Interpersonal Behaviors in Communities Affected by Podoconiosis in Rural Ethiopia
Authors: Ayode Desta , McBride Colleen M. , de Heer Hendrik , Watanabe Emi , Gebreyesus Tsega , Tadele Getnet , Tora Abebayehu , Davey Gail
Published: September 2012

Little is known about how beliefs about heredity as a cause of health conditions might influence preventive and interpersonal behaviors among those individuals with low genetic and health literacy. We explored causal beliefs about podoconiosis, a neglected tropical disease (NTD) endemic in Ethiopia. Podoconiosis clusters in families but can be prevented if individuals at genetically high risk wear shoes consistently. Adults (N = 242) from four rural Ethiopian communities participated in qualitative assessments of beliefs about the causes of podoconiosis. Heredity was commonly mentioned, with heredity being perceived as (1) the sole cause of podoconiosis, (2) not a causal factor, or (3) one of multiple causes. These beliefs influenced the perceived controllability of podoconiosis and in turn, whether individuals endorsed preventive and interpersonal stigmatizing behaviors. Culturally informed education programs that increase the perceived controllability of stigmatized hereditary health conditions like podoconiosis have promise for increasing preventive behaviors and reducing interpersonal stigma.
Prevalence and Genetic Characterization of Powassan Virus Strains Infecting Ixodes scapularis in Connecticut
Authors: Anderson John F. , Armstrong Philip M.
Published: September 2012

A total of 30 Powassan virus (POWV) isolates from Ixodes scapularis collected from Bridgeport and North Branford, CT in 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2012 and one earlier isolate from Ixodes cookei collected in Old Lyme, CT in 1978 were characterized by phylogenetic analysis of their envelope gene sequences. Powassan virus sequences segregated into two major groups termed the deer tick virus (DTV) and Powassan (POW) lineages. The lineage from I. cookei was POW. The remaining viruses from I. scapularis grouped with the DTV lineage. Powassan viruses from Bridgeport were nearly identical and clustered with a virus strain from a human in New York. Viruses from North Branford were homogeneous and grouped with viruses from Massachusetts, northwestern Connecticut, and Ontario. These findings suggest that POWV was independently introduced into these geographical locations in Connecticut and maintained focally in their respective environments. An improved method of isolation of POWV in vitro is described.
An Analysis of Post–Secondary Agricultural Education Students’ Choice to Teach
Authors: Lawver Rebecca G. , Torres Robert M.
Published: September 2012

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe factors that influence senior agricultural education students’ choice to become a secondary agricultural education teacher. The study focused on the extent to which students’ beliefs and attitude about teaching influenced their intent to select teaching secondary agricultural education as a career. An adaptation of the FIT–Choice® Scale instrument was distributed to senior students enrolled at post–secondary institutions within a nine state area that prepare secondary agriculture teachers. One–hundred forty–five students completed the instrument. Overall, negligible to low relationships were found between students’ beliefs about teaching and gender, perceived agriculture experience compared to peers, years enrolled in school–based agricultural education courses, years of FFA membership, participation in SAE, and years of 4–H membership. Negligible to low relationships were found between students’ attitude toward teaching gender, perceived agriculture experience compared to peers, years enrolled in school–based agricultural education courses, years of FFA membership, participation in SAE, and years of 4–H membership. A moderate relationship was found between students’ participation in high school agricultural education courses and their intent to teach agricultural education. Additionally, negligible to low relationships were found with the remaining student characteristics and intent to teach.
Trends Affecting Ohio State University Extension in the 21st Century and the Implications for Human Capital
Authors: Cochran Graham R. , Ferrari Theresa M. , Chen Claire Yueh–Ti
Published: September 2012

Research with a diverse array of organizations in the public and private sectors has documented a common set of trends affecting organizations and their human capital in the 21st century. Similar trends have been identified as important for Extension organizations and the Cooperative Extension System. It is important to determine if such trends identified over the past 20 years remain current, or if new trends have emerged. Moreover, trends and their implications need to be described in sufficient detail to serve as a basis for action. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe current trends affecting Ohio State University Extension and the implications of those trends for the work of Extension professionals. The study was designed as action research with a series of highly participatory approaches to engage employees in defining, refining, and validating a list of trends and their implications. Mixed methods were used with an emphasis on qualitative approaches. The findings from this study consist of five trends and seven implications for Extension work, which are identified and described.
Agricultural Education Early Field Experience Through the Lens of the EFE Model
Authors: Smalley Scott W. , Retallick Michael S.
Published: September 2012

The purpose of this national study was to describe agricultural teacher education early field experience (EFE) practices using the EFE model. The population for this study was all agricultural education teacher preparation programs (N = 83) listed in the AAAE Directory of University Faculty in Agricultural Education. Data were collected via an online survey sent to a single point of contact (i.e., the agricultural teacher education coordinator) at each institution. For this study, EFE was defined as all field experiences that occur prior to student teaching; the experiences could be offered within or outside of the agricultural education curriculum. Programs required a minimum number of contact hours and a minimum number of lessons to be taught while in the field. The most common forms of assessment were the university supervisor’s review of documents, cooperating teacher signatures, reflective writing, and student journaling. This study has implications for agricultural teacher education programs that are planning to evaluate or revamp their current EFE programs. Developing consistency across programs will provide a better experience for all students involved in agricultural education EFE
Teachers’ Use of Agricultural Laboratories in Secondary Agricultural Education
Authors: Shoulders Catherine W. , Myers Brian E.
Published: September 2012

Trends in the agriculture industry require students to have the ability to solve problems associated with scientific content. Agricultural laboratories are considered a main component of secondary agricultural education, and are well suited to provide students with opportunities to develop problem–solving skills through experiential learning. This study serves to examine the current availability and use of agricultural laboratories in secondary agricultural education, as well as their relationship to teacher perceptions regarding student learning, preparation requirements, and barriers to their use. Findings indicate that while many facilities are available and frequently used during instruction, teacher perceptions of student learning, preparation requirements, and barriers vary by facility.
A Multi–State Factor–Analytic and Psychometric Meta–Analysis of Agricultural Mechanics Laboratory Management Competencies
Authors: McKim Billy R. , Saucier P. Ryan
Published: September 2012

For more than 20 years, the 50 agricultural mechanics laboratory management competencies identified by Johnson and Schumacher in 1989 have served as the basis for numerous needs assessments of secondary agriculture teachers. This study reevaluated Johnson and Schumacher’s instrument, as modified by Saucier, Schumacher, Funkenbusch, Terry, and Johnson (2008), to reduce the number of competencies and update the constructs of agricultural mechanics laboratory management competencies through factor–analytic and psychometric analyses. Five–hundred and three in–service secondary agriculture teachers from six states, surveyed between the spring of 2008 and the spring of 2010, served as the population for this study. As a result, the 70 agricultural mechanics laboratory management competencies included in the instrument modified by Saucier et al. (2008) were reduced to 33 competencies, in eight constructs. A further outcome was reflected in the psychometric evaluation of the eight constructs, which resulted in acceptable internal consistency reliabilities that ranged from .82 to .96. Multi–state benchmarks for agricultural mechanics laboratory management abilities of secondary agriculture teachers were also proposed. The results further indicated that the revised constructs were appropriate to assess agricultural mechanics laboratory management competencies across Huberman’s (1989) five teacher career stages.
Identifying Concerns of Preservice and In–service Teachers in Agricultural Education
Authors: Stair Kristin S. , Warner Wendy J. , Moore Gary E.
Published: September 2012

Teacher educators have the task of identifying skills most needed by pre–service teachers and in–service teachers. The purpose of this study was to describe teacher concerns over different stages of teacher development. A three–part instrument consisting of a teacher concerns statement, a Likert–type scale of concerns and demographic data was given to three groups. The groups consisted of early career teacher education students (N = 40), advanced teacher education students (N = 15), and teachers who had completed their first year of teaching and were just beginning their second year (N = 22). The results of this study indicate concern levels do change over time and there is a distinct shift in both the level and type of concerns across these three groups. This shift may allow for agricultural education courses and in–service programming to be more uniquely designed to address the specific needs and concerns of our educational clientele.
Adjusting the Passing Scores for Gearing Up for Safety: Production Agriculture Safety Training for Youth Curriculum Test Instruments
Authors: Hoover William Brian , French Brian F. , Field William E. , Tormoehlen Roger L.
Published: September 2012

Minimum passing scores for the Gearing Up for Safety: Production Agriculture Safety Training for Youth curriculum (Gearing Up for Safety) were set in 2006 with widely used and established procedures by efforts of subject matter experts (French, Breidenbach et al., 2007; French, Field, and Tormoehlen, 2006, 2007). While providing a research–based curriculum designed to assist in identifying youth who are ready to operate agricultural tractors and machinery, the Gearing Up for Safety curriculum also meets current requirements of the Agricultural Hazardous Occupation Orders (AgHOs) (Ortega, 2003). However, no work has been conducted to re–examine if the evaluative scores are appropriate or if adjustments should be made after field administration of the tests. The purpose of this study was to examine the appropriateness of those passing scores utilizing a compromise or adjustment method (Beuk, 1984). Although the group of experts rejected the recommendations for adjusting passing scores, the panel and researchers were able to review the empirical performance of the three test instruments as a curriculum package for the first time since the Gearing Up for Safety curriculum was developed over a decade ago. Passing standards, established from previous research, were also strengthened through research and re–evaluation (French, Field, et al., 2006, 2007).
Preservice Agricultural Education Teachers’ Mathematics Ability
Authors: Stripling Christopher T. , Roberts T. Grady
Published: September 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine the mathematics ability of the nation’s preservice agricultural education teachers. Based on the results of this study, preservice teachers were not proficient in solving agricultural mathematics problems, and agricultural teacher education programs require basic and intermediate mathematics as their minimum mathematics coursework requirements. Furthermore, preservice teachers that completed an advanced mathematics course in high school and/or college obtained higher mathematics ability scores. However, a small percentage completed an advanced mathematics course. In addition, preservice teachers that received an A in their highest completed college mathematics course also obtained higher mathematics ability scores. Moreover, 39% of the variance in mathematics ability was explained by completion of an advanced mathematics course in college, a grade of an A in highest level of mathematics completed in college, and being a preservice teacher at University 7, 8, and 9. Based on the data collected in this study, the nation’s teacher education programs may need to further evaluate their mathematics coursework requirements.
Entry–level Technical Skills that Teachers Expected Students to Learn through Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs): A Modified Delphi Study
Authors: Ramsey Jon W. , Edwards M. Craig
Published: September 2012

Supervised experiences are designed to provide opportunities for the hands–on learning of skills and practices that lead to successful personal growth and future employment in an agricultural career (Talbert, Vaughn, Croom, & Lee, 2007). In the Annual Report for Agricultural Education (2005–2006), it was stated that 91% of the respondents (i.e., students) indicated they did not have an SAE. This finding was not surprising entirely because some scholars and practitioners of agricultural education have reported empirically and anecdotally that the SAE component of the model was perhaps losing ground in many agricultural education programs (Dyer & Osborne, 1995; Wilson & Moore, 2006). The decline in delivery of this component of the model has implications regarding agricultural education’s role in the preparation of students for entry–level jobs in the agricultural industry. This study used a modified Delphi technique to coalesce the views of an expert panel of agricultural education teachers on the role of SAEs in preparing students for entry–level careers in the agricultural industry. In some instances, the learning experiences being taught in secondary agricultural education may not be congruent with today’s agricultural industry standards. This incongruence may be contributing to the decline in students who participate actively in SAEs.
Developing an Instrument to Examine Master Gardeners’ Participation Motives
Authors: Strong Robert , Harder Amy
Published: September 2012

Nonformal education is learner–centered and provides knowledge in a practical manner to participants. Master Gardener is a nonformal extension horticultural program that includes extensive requirements to earn certification. The purpose of this study was to examine the Mergener Education Participation Scale (M–EPS) to evaluate adult motivations to participate in the Florida Master Gardener program. Participants were selected using stratified random sampling and the Tailored Design Method was employed for data collection with a mail survey. The response rate was 86.79% (N = 530). Through principal component analysis, the reliabilities of the new factors were higher than the reliabilities of the factors associated with the M–EPS. Reliabilities of the new factors were: Other’s Perceptions .93, Vary Routine .91, Community Service .90, Socialization .87, Learning .84, and Professional Enhancement .82. Researchers should employ the constructs identified by this study to assess adult motives to participate in other Florida Master Gardener programs.
Social Media in Education: The Relationship Between Past Use and Current Perceptions
Authors: Settle Quisto , Telg Ricky , Baker Lauri M. , Irani Tracy , Rhoades Emily , Rutherford Tracy
Published: September 2012

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between prior use of social media in education and the perception of social media use in education and for future careers. College agriculture students and instructors were surveyed to address the objectives. The descriptive measures showed that instructors had more positive perceptions of social media than students, though neither group was in favor of social media in education in general. Prior use of social media in education was positively correlated with more positive perceptions of social media in education, with the relationship being stronger for instructors than students. The results indicate prior use could be a prerequisite for improving perceptions of social media in education. It was recommended instructors be aware of the discrepant views of social media in education that students hold when introducing social media into classes to help navigate potential conflicts as effectively as possible. Instructors should also be aware that the relationship between prior use and perceptions of social media is not as strong between different social media types. Further research is needed to better understand the direction of the relationship between prior use and perceptions. Experimental or quasi-experimental designs could address this area of research.
Perceptions of Florida Secondary School Principals toward Agricultural Education
Authors: Smith Adrienne Gentry , Myers Brian E.
Published: September 2012

In American public schools, the bulk of financial decisions have been left up to local boards of education, local school superintendents, and individual school principals. Traditionally, principals have been considered the utmost leader in their schools. Agricultural education has been linked to student achievement in a variety of ways. The National Council for Agricultural Education’s Strategic Plan for Agricultural Education included a “call to increase the number of quality agricultural education programs” around the nation. Currently, there are no data on how Florida decision makers perceive agricultural education programs and how their perceptions align with the values of principals. Additionally, the relative lack of growth in FFA Chapters around the country and in Florida is concerning. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of secondary agricultural education programs held by Florida secondary school principals. The results of this study found that Florida secondary school principals have positive perceptions of agricultural education programs. Additionally, the presence of a local secondary agricultural education program influences the perceptions of Florida secondary school principals. Demographics had many influences on the perceptions of Florida secondary school principals. A key finding was the influence of student achievement on funding decisions of principals.
Seasonal and annual variation of carbon dioxide surface fluxes in Helsinki, Finland, in 2006–2010
Authors: Järvi L. , Nordbo A. , Junninen H. , Riikonen A. , Moilanen J. , Nikinmaa E. , Vesala T.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. Five years of carbon dioxide exchange measured with the eddy covariance technique at the world's northernmost urban flux station SMEAR III located in Helsinki, Finland, were analyzed. The long-term measurements and high-latitude location enabled us to examine the seasonal and annual variations of CO2 exchange, and to identify different factors controlling the measured exchange. Online traffic counts and soil respiration measurements were utilized in the study. Furthermore, the advantage of the station is that the complex surrounding area enables us to distinguish three different surface cover areas that can be evaluated separately. We also tested different methods (artificial neural networks and median diurnal cycles) to fill gaps in CO2 flux time series and examined their effect on annual emission estimates. The measured fluxes were highly dependent on the prevailing wind direction with the highest fluxes downwind from a large road and lowest downwind from the area of high fraction of vegetation cover. On an annual level, the area of the road emitted 3500 g C m−2 whereas the area of high fraction of vegetation cover emitted only 870 g C m−2 showing the effect of surface cover to be large in urban areas. Seasonal differences in the CO2 exchange downwind from the road were mainly caused by reduced traffic rates in summer, whereas in other directions seasonality was more determined by vegetation activity. Differences between the gap filling methods were small, but slightly better (0.6 μmol m−2 s−1 smaller RMSE) results were obtained when the artificial neural network with traffic counts was used instead of the one without traffic network and method based on median diurnal cycles. The measurement site was a net carbon source with average annual emissions of 1760 g C m−2, with a biased error of 6.1 g C m−2 caused by the gap filling. The annual value varied 16% between the different years.
The global 3-D distribution of tropospheric aerosols as characterized by CALIOP
Authors: Winker D. M. , Tackett J. L. , Getzewich B. J. , Liu Z. , Vaughan M. A. , Rogers R. R.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. The CALIOP lidar, carried on the CALIPSO satellite, has been acquiring global atmospheric profiles since June 2006. This dataset now offers the opportunity to characterize the global 3-D distribution of aerosol as well as seasonal and interannual variations, and confront aerosol models with observations in a way that has not been possible before. With that goal in mind, a monthly global gridded dataset of daytime and nighttime aerosol extinction profiles has been constructed. Averaged aerosol profiles for cloud-free and all-sky conditions are reported separately. This 6-yr dataset characterizes the global 3-dimensional distribution of tropospheric aerosol. Vertical distributions are seen to vary with season, as both source strengths and transport mechanisms vary. In most regions, clear-sky and all-sky mean aerosol profiles are found to be quite similar, implying a lack of correlation between high semi-transparent cloud and aerosol in the lower troposphere. An initial evaluation of the accuracy of the aerosol extinction profiles is presented. Detection limitations and the representivity of aerosol profiles in the upper troposphere are of particular concern. While results are preliminary, we present evidence that the monthly-mean gridded CALIOP aerosol profiles are representative for aerosol extinction greater than about 0.001 km−1 and up to an altitude of 4–6 km in most cases. The work described here forms an initial global 3-D aerosol climatology which hopefully will be extended and improved over time.
Anthropogenic, biomass burning, and volcanic emissions of black carbon, organic carbon, and SO2 from 1980 to 2010 for hindcast model experiments
Authors: Diehl T. , Heil A. , Chin M. , Pan X. , Streets D. , Schultz M. , Kinne S.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. Two historical emission inventories of black carbon (BC), primary organic carbon (OC), and SO2 emissions from land-based anthropogenic sources, ocean-going vessels, air traffic, biomass burning, and volcanoes are presented and discussed for the period 1980–2010. These gridded inventories are provided to the internationally coordinated AeroCom Phase II multi-model hindcast experiments. The horizontal resolution is 0.5°×0.5° and 1.0°×1.0°, while the temporal resolution varies from daily for volcanoes to monthly for biomass burning and aircraft emissions, and annual averages for land-based and ship emissions. One inventory is based on inter-annually varying activity rates of land-based anthropogenic emissions and shows strong variability within a decade, while the other one is derived from interpolation between decadal endpoints and thus exhibits linear trends within a decade. Both datasets capture the major trends of decreasing anthropogenic emissions over the USA and Western Europe since 1980, a sharp decrease around 1990 over Eastern Europe and the former USSR, and a steep increase after 2000 over East and South Asia. The inventory differences for the combined anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions in the year 2005 are 34% for BC, 46% for OC, and 13% for SO2. They vary strongly depending on species, year and region, from about 10% to 40% in most cases, but in some cases the inventories differ by 100% or more. Differences in emissions from wild-land fires are caused only by different choices of the emission factors for years after 1996 which vary by a factor of about 1 to 2 for OC depending on region, and by a combination of emission factors and the amount of dry mass burned for years up to 1996. Volcanic SO2 emissions, which are only provided in one inventory, include emissions from explosive, effusive, and quiescent degassing events for 1167 volcanoes.
A statistical approach to quantify uncertainty in carbon monoxide measurements at the Izaña global GAW station: 2008–2011
Authors: Gomez-Pelaez A. J. , Ramos R. , Gomez-Trueba V. , Novelli P. C. , Campo-Hernandez R.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. Atmospheric CO in-situ measurements are carried out at the Izaña (Tenerife) global GAW mountain station using a RGA (Reduction Gas Analyser). In-situ measurements at Izaña are representative of the subtropical North-East Atlantic free troposphere, specially during the night period. We present the measurement system configuration, the response function, the calibration scheme, the data processing, the Izaña's 2008–2011 CO nocturnal time series, and the mean diurnal cycle by months. We have developed a rigorous uncertainty analysis for carbon monoxide measurements carried out at the Izaña station which could be applied to other GAW stations. We determine the combined standard uncertainty from four components of the measurement: uncertainty of the WMO standard gases interpolated over the range of measurement, the uncertainty that takes into account the agreement between the standard gases and the response function used, the uncertainty due to the repeatability of the injections, and the propagated uncertainty related to the response function parameters uncertainties (which also takes into account the covariance between the parameters). The mean value of the combined standard uncertainty decreased significantly after March 2009, from 2.37 nmol mol−1 to 1.66 nmol mol−1, due to improvements in the measurement system. A fifth type of uncertainty we call representation uncertainty is considered when some of the data necessary to compute exactly the mean are absent. Any computed mean has also a propagated uncertainty arising from the uncertainties of the data used to compute the mean. The law of propagation depends on the type of uncertainty component (random or systematic). In-situ hourly means are compared with simultaneous and collocated NOAA flask samples. The uncertainty in the differences is determined and whether these are significant. For 2009–2011, only 24.5% of the differences are significant, and 68% of the differences are between −2.39 and 2.5 nmol mol−1. Total and annual mean differences are computed using conventional expressions but also expressions with weights based on the minimum variance method. The annual mean differences for 2009–2011 are well within the ±2 nmol mol−1 compatibility goal of GAW.
Aerosol absorption retrieval at ultraviolet wavelengths in a complex environment
Authors: Kazadzis S. , Kouremeti N. , Amiridis V. , Arola A. , Gerasopoulos E.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. We have combined sun and sky radiance measurements from a CIMEL sun-photometer and total and diffuse UV irradiance measurements with a multi-filter rotating shadow-band radiometer (UVMFR), in order to calculate aerosol absorption properties (single scattering albedo) in the UV range, for a 10 month period in Athens, Greece. The aerosol extinction optical thickness measured by the CIMEL instrument has been used for the inter-calibration of the UVMFR. The measurements from both instruments were used as input to a radiative transfer model and the single scattering albedo (SSA) for 368 nm and 332 nm has been calculated. The SSA values at these wavelengths, together with synchronous SSA, CIMEL-derived, retrievals at 440 nm, show a mean of 0.88, 0.86 and 0.80, with lowest values (higher absorption) towards lower wavelengths. In addition, noticeable diurnal variations of the SSA in all wavelengths are revealed, with amplitudes in the order of 0.05. Higher SSA wavelength dependence is found for cases of lower Ångström exponents and also an SSA decrease with decreasing extinction optical depth, suggesting an effect of the different aerosol composition.