bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microorganisms in soils with elevated heavy metal concentrations in southern Serbia
Authors: Stajkovic-Srbinovic Olivera , Buntic Aneta , Rasulic Natasa , Kuzmanovic Djordje , Dinic Zoran , Delic Dusica , Mrvic Vesna
Published: July 2018

Soil chemical properties and total heavy metal concentrations (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Fe and Mn) and their relationships with some soil microbiological characteristics (such as soil respiration and numbers of specific groups of microorganisms) were evaluated in agricultural soils in southern Serbia. In 42% of samples, slightly elevated concentrations of As, Ni and/or Pb were detected, with the highest values of 43.4, 64.4 and 184.1 mg/kg, respectively. No significant differences were observed in soil microbiological characteristics between soil samples with elevated heavy metals and heavy metals below the maximum allowed concentrations (MAC). There was no negative correlation between any of the heavy metals and any microbiological characteristics, except the total number of fungi and the concentration of Ni (r=-394). Positive correlations between most of the heavy metals and the number of Azotobacter were obtained. Correlation analysis and stepwise multiple regression analyses indicated that the chemical properties of the soil are the factors that affected the number of microorganisms the most. The content of CaCO3 significantly contributed to variations in soil respiration (39%), the total number of microorganisms was affected the most by humus (53%), oligonitrophiles by the total N content (49%), while the numbers of actinomycetes and fungi were affected by the pH (48% and 58% of the variation).
The Effect of National Culture on the Relationship between IFRS Adoption and the Cost of Equity Capital
Authors: Góis Alan Diógenes , de Lima Gerlando Augusto Sampaio Franco , de Sousa Nádia Alves , Malacrida Mara Jane Contrera
Published: July 2018

In this study we evaluated the effect of national culture on the relationship between IFRS adoption and the cost of equity capital in 2,692 large firms from 31 countries, covering the period 2002–2007. National culture was proxied by six dimensions: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism, masculinity, long-term orientation, and indulgence. IFRS reduced the cost of equity capital when national culture was not included in the regression, and when power distance was included. Cost of equity capital was low in countries with high levels of uncertainty avoidance and indulgence. Our main finding is that the cost of equity capital tends to be low in countries with IFRS and long-term orientation. The fact that IFRS-related benefits (such as improved information quality and reduced cost of equity capital) may be compromised by components of national culture should be taken into account by investors and analysts in their forecasts and investment decisions.
Validation of 111In-Exendin SPECT for the Determination of the β-Cell Mass in BioBreeding Diabetes-Prone Rats
Authors: Brom Maarten , Joosten Lieke , Frielink Cathelijne , Peeters Hanneke , Bos Desirée , van Zanten Monica , Boerman Otto , Gotthardt Martin
Published: July 2018

The changes in β-cell mass (BCM) during the development and progression of diabetes could potentially be measured by radionuclide imaging using radiolabeled exendin. In this study, we investigated the potential of 111In-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid–exendin-3 (111In-exendin) in a rat model that closely mimics the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in humans: BioBreeding diabetes-prone (BBDP) rats. BBDP rats of 4–18 weeks of age were injected intravenously with 111In-exendin, and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images were acquired. The accumulation of the radiotracer was measured as well as the BCM and grade of insulitis by histology. 111In-exendin accumulated specifically in the islets, resulting in a linear correlation with the BCM (%) (Pearson r = 0.89, P < 0.0001, and r = 0.64 for SPECT). Insulitis did not have an influence on this correlation. These results indicate that 111In-exendin is a promising tracer to determine the BCM during the development of T1D, irrespective of the degree of insulitis.
Posible respuesta tomista a la ley de Hume y a la pregunta abierta de Moore
Authors: Trujillo Werner Augusto
Published: July 2018

Este artículo se refiere a la doctrina práctica de Aquino sobre dos dificultades filosóficas que subyacen en gran parte del debate ético contemporáneo. Una es la Is-ought thesis de Hume y la otra es su consecuencia radical la Open-question argument de Moore. Estas paradojas éticas parecen tener sus raíces en un scepticismo epistemológico y en una antropología deficiente. La posible respuesta a ellas se puede encontrar en que: a) Tomás de Aquino defiende la esencial racionalidad y unidad del ser humano; b) La ley natural tomista es una consecuencia natural del ser racional; c) La razón humana es esencialmente teórica y práctica al mismotiempo. El intelecto humano de Aquino naturalmente realiza tres operaciones principales: 1º) Aprehender las nociones inteligidas y universales ens, verum y bonum. 2º) Formular los primeros principios teóricos y prácticos. 3º) Ordenar que se haga el bien inteligido y universal y se evite lo contrario. Por estas razones,la respuesta filosófica de Aquino a ambas dificultades no es exclusivamente ética, sino que abarca armónicamente la ontología, antropología y epistemología. La ética de Tomás de Aquino es fundamentalmente diferente de las éticas que califican las acciones como buenas o por mero consenso social (contractualismo) o simplemente calculando sus consecuencias (consecuencialismo).
Aletheia
Authors: Martínez Rocío
Published: July 2018

Este trabajo ha sido seleccionado para la V Olimpiada de Filosofía que organiza FICUM en la modalidad de secundaria y bachillerato, para promocionar la filosofía entre los jóvenes.
El engaño de la verdad
Authors: Marijuán Rodríguez Adriana
Published: July 2018

Este trabajo ha sido seleccionado para la V Olimpiada de Filosofía queorganiza FICUM en la modalidad de secundaria y bachillerato, para promocionar la filosofía entre los jóvenes.
Gutenberg 2018. Cómo se forjó la cultura del diseño
Authors: Costa Joan
Published: July 2018

Con motivo del 550 aniversario de la muerte de J. Gutenberg, como referente clave de la cultura occidental y el progreso, se presenta esta reseña que analiza su trayectoria desde la aproximación a la técnica de la imprenta tipográfica que revolucionó nuestra sociedad. En este sentido, se analizan la evolución del término diseño a partir del griego, se presenta el carácter multidisciplinar del libro impreso y su condición de obra múltiple, y se fundamenta y defiende el término global grafismo como la disciplina que abarca todo el ámbito del Dibujo (figurativo, geométrico, abstracto), de la Escritura (el código del alfabeto latino) y del Esquema (la geometría de lo invisible).
Diseño social colaborativo para la creación de un programa de capacitación en Producción Audiovisual y Diseño Gráfico para jóvenes sordos
Authors: Lozada Mariana
Published: July 2018

Este documento se presenta como una propuesta de reflexión sobre la aplicación del Diseño Participativo, tomando como referente la experiencia de uno de los proyectos de Servicio Comunitario a cargo de la Carrera de Diseño Gráfico de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, en el que se desarrolló una propuesta de enseñanza de Producción Audiovisual y Diseño Gráfico para jóvenes sordos de la Unidad Educativa Fe y Alegría Santo Domingo, en Ecuador.Su objetivo está ligado a comprender la importancia del trabajo del diseño con una participación más cercana de y hacia los grupos beneficiarios, considerando la necesidad de establecer una propia metodología de diseño participativo para ser aplicada en proyectos posteriores.
Network meta-analysis of studies comparing closure devices for femoral access after percutaneous coronary intervention
Authors: Iannaccone Mario , Saint-Hilary Gaëlle , Menardi Davide , Vadalà Paolo , Bernardi Alessandro , Bianco Matteo , Montefusco Antonio , Omedè Pierluigi , D’Amico Salvatore , Piazza Fabio , Scacciatella Paolo , D’Amico Maurizio , Moretti Claudio , Biondi-Zoccai Giuseppe , Gasparini Mauro , Gaita Fiorenzo , D’Ascenzo Fabrizio
Published: July 2018

Introduction

Different devices have been released for closure of femoral vascular access after coronary angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention, whereas evidence about their efficacy and safety when compared with manual compression or head to head is lacking, especially across different diameters of sheaths, age and sex.

Results

A total of 30 studies were included in the analysis. Manual compression was evaluated as the control group in all of the included studies (5620 patients), Angioseal in 15 studies (17–29) (1812 patients), Exoseal in two studies (30–31) (1773 patients), Perclose in six (29, 32–37) (849 patients), Vasoseal in eight (36, 38–43) (699 patients), DUETT in one study (44) (392 patients), StarClose in two studies (23, 45) (334 patients), Techstar in two studies (37, 46) (252 patients) and extravascular staple in one study (47) (242 patients). At network meta-analysis, all the devices resulted as not superior to manual compression to reduce all vascular complications, and these results did not vary at metaregression for age, sex and diameter of sheaths. Manual compression significantly increased time to hemostasis when compared with Femoseal (5.72; 1.91–19.10), Vasoseal (5.11; 2.32–11.33), Perclose (3.46; 1.70–7.06), Angioseal (14.95; 7.84–28.57) and Techstar (9.78; 1.81–53.65), while was similar to StarClose, DUETT and Exoseal.

Conclusion

Different vascular devices for closure of femoral access did not results superior to manual compression to reduce complications, whereas offered a shorted time to hemostasis. StarClose was the device with the highest probability to perform best in terms of complication, whereas Angioseal was superior in terms of reduction of time to hemostasis.
Activity of spore-crystal mixtures of new Bacillus thuringiensis strains against Dendrolimus pini (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) and Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Authors: Konecka Edyta , Kaznowski Adam , Stachowiak Małgorzata , Maciąg Mirosław
Published: July 2018

We estimated the usefulness of spore-crystals preparations of the two B. thuringiensis isolates, MPU B9 and MPU B54, for reducing the number of pests. The potential insecticidal toxicities of B. thuringiensis isolates were assessed by the analysis of the genes coding for crystalline proteins. The activities of spore-crystals preparations were determined against Dendrolimus pini L. (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) and compared with the toxicity of spores and crystals of B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD-1 from commercial biopesticide Foray. Although the analysis of crystalline toxin gene profiles indicated potentially higher activities of MPU B9 and MPU B54 crystals against the pests than that of HD-1, the toxicities of isolate and HD-1 preparations against D. pini caterpillars were similar. The LC50 amounted to 3.42×104 spores and crystals for HD-1, 3.36×104 for MPU B9 and 3.5×104 for MPU B54. Additionally, the toxicity of the MPU B54 preparation was evaluated against Spodoptera exigua (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The LC50 was 4.5×105 spores and crystals of MPU B54, and 2.69×106 spores and crystals of HD-1. The LC50 of the MPU B54 preparation against S. exigua was approximately six-fold higher than that of HD-1. However, due to the very wide fiducidal limits for LC50 values, which for both preparations overlap to a large extent, the toxicity of the preparations should be considered the same. The varied profiles of crystalline toxin genes and important toxicity of spore-crystal mixtures of isolates against S. exigua and D. pini indicate the effectiveness of the mixtures against pests and make the strains an alternative for HD-1 for reducing the number of insects.
Acute Coronary Syndrome Following Long-Term Erlotinib Treatment
Authors: Panciu Traian Constantin , Masgras Bianca , Ciuca Catrinel , Ciomag Raluca , Mihăilescu Anca , Gurghean Adriana
Published: July 2018

Introduction. The treatment of neoplasia has advanced due to targeted molecular therapies. Erlotinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that acts by blocking epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), is used to treat advanced or metastatic chemotherapy-resistant non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC).

Erlotinib is a safe and well tolerated medication. Although the most common adverse effects are cutaneous or gastrointestinal, its cardiotoxicity is an important topic in the treatment and follow-up of neoplastic patients.

Clinical case. A 76-year-old male patient with 40 Pack Year history of smoking that has quitted 20 years ago, was admitted in 2009 for night sweats, dry cough and weight loss. He is diagnosed with lung cancer in the right upper lobe (T4N2M1), with the histopathological diagnosis of clear cell adenocarcinoma. The patient performs radiotherapy and chemotherapy with 6 series of Gemcitabine and Cisplatin with partial response, followed by Erlotinib treatment with favorable progression with regression of tumor size.

In December 2017, he presents recurrent episodes of atypical angina lasting about 2 weeks. The electrocardiographic examination reveals ST segment elevation, with tall T waves and Q waves are present in the lower branches, associated with the increase of myocardial necrosis enzymes. Echocardiography highlights inferior hypokinesia with left ventricle ejection rate estimated at 45%. The patient has a favorable evolution during admission without recurrence of pain. Coronary angiography is performed at distance with evidence of vascular atherosclerotic lesions and the installation of active pharmacodynamic stents.

Discussions. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors may be the cause of acute coronary events both by affecting myocardiocytes following EGFR inhibition, but also by increasing atheromatic plaque instability and by prolonging theQT segment.

In conclusion a systemic cardiologic assessment of Erlotinib-treated patients may be recommended throughout the course of therapy.
Thermal and electrical properties of polyimide/PANI nanofiber composites prepared via in situ polymerization
Authors: Kareem Aseel A.
Published: July 2018

Polyimide/polyaniline nanofiber composites were prepared by in situ polymerization with various weight percentages of polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), proved the successful preparation of PANI nanofiber composite films. In addition, thermal stability of PI/PANI nanofiber composites was superior relative to PI, having 10 % gravimetric loss in the range of 623 °C to 671 °C and glass transition temperature of 289 °C to 297 °C. Furthermore, the values of the loss tangent tanδ and AC conductivity σAC of the nanocomposite films were notably higher than those of pure polyimide. The addition of 5 wt.% to 15 wt.% PANI nanofiber filler enhanced the activation energy of PI composites from 0.37 eV to 0.34 eV.
PMSM Servo-Drive Fed by SiC MOSFETs Based VSI
Authors: Tarczewski Tomasz , Skiwski Michal , Grzesiak Lech M. , Zieliński Marek
Published: July 2018

The article presents modern PMSM servo-drive with SiC MOSFETs power devices and microprocessor with ARM Cortex core. The high switching frequency is obtained due to the application of high efficient power switching components and powerful microprocessor. It allows to achieve good dynamical properties of current control loop, proper disturbance compensation and silent operation of servo-drive. Experimental tests results obtained for two different control schemes (i.e., cascade control structure and state feedback position control) are presented.
STRATEGI PENGEMBANGAN PRODUK KAIN TENUN IKAT SINTANG
Authors: Nurcahyani Lisyawati
Published: July 2018

enun ikat Sintang is one of the traditional products whose existence is threatened with extinction. The purpose of this study explains how Sintang communityâ€™s strategies and local governments respond to these threats through policy and cooperation in the development of weaving products. This study used library method and field observations. Interviews were conducted with artisans, private organizations (NGO) and local governments. The results of this study were variety of efforts such as the development of human resources artisans, provision of raw materials, product diversification, the provision of the means of production and marketing. In order for this strategy to work well it needed the intervention of authorities and institution such as non-governmental organizations such and the local government. Despite efforts towards the developmen had been done, the problems still remain especially in the supply of raw materials on natural resources in the forest as well as marketing as the effect of high production costs that make the Ikat weaving more expensive.Â AbstrakTenun Ikat Sintang merupakan salah satu produk tradisional yang keberadaannya terancam punah. Tujuan penelitian ini menjelaskan bagaimana strategi masyarakat Sintang dan pemerintah daerah merespon ancaman ini melalui kebijakan dan kerja sama dalam pengembangan produk tenun ikat. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kualitatif dengan melakukan wawancara dan pengamatan di lapangan serta didukung dengan studi kepustakaan. Subyek penelitian adalah para perajin, lembaga swadaya masyarakat, dan Pemerintah Daerah. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa strategi yang dilakukan berjalan dengan baik dan diperlukan keterlibatan pihak lain seperti yayasan dan Pemerintah Daerah. Walaupun pengembangan telah dilakukan, masih ada hambatan yang belum terselesaikan terutama dalam penyediaan bahan baku dari tumbuh-tumbuhan alam yang ada di hutan dan dalam bidang pemasaran yang disebabkan tingginya biaya produksi sehingga membuat harga tenun ikat menjadi mahal.Â Â Â
Representation in the EU and beyond: one of a kind or not so unique after all?
Authors: Vileyn Matthias
Published: July 2018

In federal polities citizens have multiple public identities: they are addressed as members of the federal polity and as members of a sub-federal polity. Consequently, citizens are represented at the federal level through two channels of democratic representation: federal representation and sub-federal representation. Although this is a crucial element in the set-up of a federal system, the existing literature on representation hardly touches upon this and hence we introduce an approach to systematically compare these channels of representation. In this paper we conceptualize and operationalize the new concepts and apply our approach to democratic representation in 13 federal polities, including the EU, EU member states and non-EU member states. Our analysis shows that the EU has the highest degree of sub-federal representation (i.e. representation of the member states), but also shows that the EU stands not alone among federal polities. Belgium, Canada and Switzerland are clearly characterized by a high level of sub-federal representation as well, while countries such as the US and Australia are much more based upon federal representation. We also show that the variance between the countries can be understood by looking at the systemic features of the states.
The Profile of Local Political Elite and Strategy Prioritisation at the Local Level in ECE Countries. Case Studies: Tecuci (Romania), Českà Lípa (the Czech Republic), Oleśnica (Poland) and Gyula (Hungary)
Authors: Marin Roxana
Published: July 2018

The paper constitutes an attempt at examining the outlook and strategies of the local political elites in ECE countries. Specifically, the inquiry employs four elite groups in four towns, demographically similar and in developmental strategies: Tecuci (Galați county, Romania), Česká Lípa (Liberec region, the Czech Republic), Oleśnica (Lower Silesia voievodship, Poland), and Gyula (Békés county, Hungary), through the prism of the members of the Municipal Councils, for identifying and analyzing (a) the values, (b) the interactions with other groups, networks of power at local level, and (c) the priorities of the local elites. The level of decentralization specific for each of the four countries is employed as the major explanatory trajectory for the differences encountered; subsidiarily, the explanation focuses also on legacies of the ancien régime, experienced locally. Three models of local leadership in ECE are proposed: “predominantly elitistic”, “democratic elitist”, and “predominantly democratic”, with the prospects of verifying their validity and pertinence in similar cases throughout the region.
The Demise of Universality: Federal Financing for Post-Secondary Education in Canada
Authors: Weaver Paul
Published: July 2018

This paper has two central objectives. Generally, its purpose is to trace the trajectory of the fiscal relationships that exist between Canada’s two orders of government. In particular, the main focus is on the linkages financing post-secondary education. Towards that end, the paper is structured on a broad canvas in the following manner. First, the concept of federalism is examined, which establishes the theoretical context underpinning the intergovernmental relationships in Canada. Next, the different types of transfers between the federal and provincial government that finance post-secondary education are investigated arguing that the imprecision of these arrangements obscures lines of accountability for post-secondary education as outlined in the constitution. And third, the implications of these arrangements for the provision of educational services are traced in order to suggest that recent developments in the funding regimes are the product of changing federal policy preferences that favour economic efficiency over social cohesion. Overall then, this paper suggests that although post-secondary education is an area of provincial jurisdiction, the fiscal arrangements that finance this area of social policy have altered the nature of its delivery. As such, recent changes to the fundingregimes represent a shift in policy orientation from one previously based on a pan-Canadian universality to a policy more oriented towards individuals and their ability.
Global Governance Initiative. A Critique of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)
Authors: Schell-Keer Laura
Published: July 2018

Governance has become the new buzz word in both economic and political science, particularly in terms of what governance means for the international arena. However, it is also a term that is confusing to many. What does it mean to speak about “governance”? Does it refer to the coordination of sectors of the economy, corporate governance, policy networks, “good governance” as a reform objective promoted by the IMF and the World Bank, public management, or public-private partnerships?
THE POLITICS OF REVENUE ALLOCATION AND RESOURCE CONTROL IN NIGERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR FEDERAL STABILITY
Authors: Ojo Emmanuel O.
Published: July 2018

No doubt, one of the perennial problems which has not only defied all past attempts at permanent solution, but has also evoked high emotions on the part of all concerned is the issue of equitable revenue allocation in Nigeria. Thus, the thrust of this paper is an in-depth analysis of the politics of revenue allocation cum resource control. The paper takes a cursory look at virtually all previous attempts at arriving at equitable formula. The paper however, infers that in a deeply plural and divided society like Nigeria a polity that ‘robs Peter to pay Paul’ may eventually be both counter-productive and dysfunctional. The clarion call however is a federal system with fiscal policy that can imbue in the citizenry sense of justice, equity and fairness visà-vis revenue allocation. To do otherwise according to the findings of this paper is to jeopardize all efforts at national cohesion and integration.
MUNICIPAL DECENTRALISATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA: Preserving a Multi-Ethnic State?
Authors: Lyon Aisling
Published: July 2018

Ten years on from signing the Ohrid Framework Agreement, is the Republic of Macedonia’s peace process, of which municipal decentralisation is a primary component, broadly benefitting all communities equally? To what extent is municipal decentralisation and minority protection mechanisms administered at the local level preserving Macedonian society’s multiethnic character, or has the country taken a step closer towards the development of a binational state? There were definitely ‘winners’ as a result of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, but were there also ‘losers’, and who are they? The decentralisation process in Macedonia has widely been regarded as a success story by regional and international actors alike. It is frequently considered a suitable model of ethnic conflict management that can be replicated in other regional contexts, such as for Serbs living in neighbouring Kosovo. Decentralisation sought to offer limited autonomy to Macedonia’s ethnic communities, in particular the ethnic Albanians. By increasing the number of competencies administered at the municipal level, the reforms aimed to provide local, culturally diverse communities greater control over the management of their own affairs. This paper seeks to apprise the minority rights protection mechanisms contained in the 2001 Ohrid Framework Agreement, particularly those at the municipal level, along with implementation of the wider of decentralisation reforms. The paper will also consider the claim that the protection mechanisms envisaged in Ohrid and the process of decentralisation to date has not benefitted all Macedonia’s ethnic communities equally. Instead, it has reinforced steps towards bi-nationalism at the expense of genuine multiculturalism.
HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF FEDERAL FINANCES IN INDIA
Authors: Kumar K. Gopa
Published: July 2018

The paper confirms that the provisions of fiscal federalism laid out in the IndianConstitution are connected to the legacy of the British rule in India. Applying historicalanalysis the author divides the period from the starting of British imperial administration inIndia to the enactment of Indian Constitution into five different phases on the basis of theevolution of Centre-Province financial relations. The principles of fiscal federalism in Indiagradually evolved from highly centralized fiscal governance during the initial period of theBritish rule until being manifested in the Constitution. Various parliamentary enactments,executive directions, committees and commissions as well as individual interventioncontributed to this transformation. The paper further lays out the unique features of theIndian Constitution such as mutually exclusive tax domains and various mechanismsaddressing fiscal imbalances due to the Government of India Act of 1935 enacted by theBritish Parliament. It concludes that while British authorities designed the system of fiscaladministration in India after their preferences, the makers of the Indian Constitution preferredto retain the same provisions with minor variations in the Constitution of independent India.
A New Zealand National Outreach Program – Inspiring Young Girls in Humanitarian Engineering
Authors: Goodyer Jane , Soysa Ishani B.
Published: July 2018

The representation of women in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and professions fall far short of their representation in other various disciplines. Finding ways to increase underrepresented populations in STEM fields continues to be a major initiative in education. Outreach programs that demonstrate the social benefits of engineering are an effective way to engage students’ interest and enhance their understanding of the theory and practice of science and engineering. This paper describes the design of an outreach program that provided a learning experience on the nature of engineering (via community service activities) to school girls aged 10 to 13 years in New Zealand. The objective of the program was to raise aspirations of young girls to pursue a career in engineering, by demonstrating the social benefits of engineering and thus develop enthusiasm for STEM subjects applied in the context of humanitarian engineering. The strategies for improving similar outreach programs and the lessons learned are also discussed.
Finding Sustainable Solutions to the Digital Divide in Semi-Urban Honduras
Authors: Saboe Daniel John , Sarlo Rodrigo
Published: July 2018

Throughout the developing world, unequal levels of access to technology have created a social gap called the digital divide; a considerable disparity in technological opportunities that reinforces social and economic division. Concerned with this development, a five person student research team from the University of Virginia was assembled in order to investigate the technological gaps in poor, semi-urban areas of Honduras and to implement a cost-effective, sustainable way to address them. The team used a flexible engineering-based approach to gather and analyze information about community, government, and economic factors relevant to the project, documenting its methodology along the way. The results of the investigation were then tested through the installation of a computer lab for a local school in the community of Las Brisas de la Libertad, in the district of Yoro, Honduras. This paper documents this installation process and describes in detail the considerations needed for its successful and sustainable implementation including community interests, political instability, hardware options, and weather. By analyzing these aspects from their respective advantages and disadvantages, it hopes to serve as a guide for future engineering-oriented service-learning endeavors in international settings.
International Service Learning Design Projects: Educating Tomorrow's Engineers, Serving the Global Community, and Helping to Meet ABET Criterion
Authors: Budny Dan , Gradoville Robert Thomas
Published: July 2018

International service-learning projects are an effective educational tool for universities striving to meet the ABET engineering criterion, while also providing transformational experiences to their students and a service to needy populations in the world.  This paper discusses the benefits of international service-learning projects for students, the international community, and the university.  The year-long process of development and piloting of the first international humanitarian engineering service-learning project within the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh is presented.  Also, the ABET engineering criterion are then discussed, with specific attention to the criterion that are harder to address with traditional engineering education.  This pilot project was a collaboration between the senior design course, a local chapter of Engineers Without Borders, and various domestic and international entities.  The benefits of international service learning projects are discussed, in the hopes of catalyzing development of similar projects in the future.
Creating Inclusive Classrooms Using Postcolonial and Culturally Relevant Literacy
Authors: Sandhu Gurjit
Published: July 2018

This article provides an interesting look at how a group of South Asian Canadian young women take up issues of identity, identities, and identification as they interact with texts by racialized Canadian authors. When texts written by Canadian authors who also define themselves as belonging to ethnic minority groups (such as Dionne Brand, Wayson Choy, Joy Kogawa, Rohinton Mistry, and Shyam Selvadurai) are seen by Canadian high school students as novelty items, boring reads, or books which incite shame or embarrassment, it is critical that we as educators reconsider our role and influence on the reading experiences of students. To bring marginalized, racialized, and silenced Canadian stories into the centre of our literacy teaching demands responsible and purposeful disruption of familiar teaching methods, privileged curricula, and normalized learning structures. Through research with South Asian Canadian adolescent girls, it became evident that culturally relevant curricula and culturally responsive teaching were key to their engagement, inclusion and development of identity.
Identity Politics: the Mixed-race American Indian Experience
Authors: Montgomery Michelle
Published: July 2018

This paper builds a Critical Race Theory approach to consider how mixed-race American Indian college students conform to, or resist, dominant black/non-black ideology.Current research on multiracials in the U.S. lacks the perspectives of mixed-race American Indians on the heightened disputes of “Indianness,” tribal enrollment, and tribal self-determination. Also under-explored is how mixed-race American Indian persons perceive themselves in racial terms, how they wish to be perceived, and how economic and historical perspectives inform their choices about racial self-identification.This paper provides an overview of the identity politics of mixed-race American Indians at a tribal college and highlights the need for tribal colleges to embrace a growing mixed-race population through self-determination education policies.
A Framework for MOOC Content Generation
Authors: Ongvisatepaiboon Kanmanus , Chan Jonathan H.
Published: July 2018

Abstract – Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) is becoming increasingly popular. There are different forms of MOOC and many online courses created by various institutions around the world. The traditional methods of generating high quality MOOC content tend to be timeconsuming and are not easy for the lecturers to engage in natural interaction with the content. This paper presents a framework and proposes the use of the Chroma-Keying technique that would enable the lecturers to see the outcome in real-time and the use of simple hand gestures to control changing of slides.
Insecure Identities. The Approval of a Biometric ID Card in Mexico
Authors: Vélez Alejandro
Published: July 2018

Former Mexican President, Felipe Calderón, signed a decree to implement a compulsory ID with biometric traits for all the Mexican population. At first sight it seems like a good policy because Mexico has suffered a lot of problems with identification, but if we analyze the policy we  find it to be full of problems and contradictions, particularly because of the corrupt nature of Mexican politics.
If You See Something, Say Something: Lateral Surveillance and the Uses of Responsibility
Authors: Reeves Joshua
Published: July 2018

The US Department of Homeland Security’s new “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign displays a renewed drive to redistribute surveillance responsibilities to the public. Using this campaign as its point of departure, this article examines the relationship between conditions of sovereign governance and public lateral surveillance campaigns. As the police and other sovereign institutions have receded from their traditional public responsibilities, many surveillance functions have been assumed by the lay population via neighborhood watch and other community-based programs. Comparing this development with the policing functions of lateral surveillance during the Norman Conquest, this article provides a historically grounded analysis of the potential for this responsibilization to fracture the social by transforming communal bonds into technologies of surveillance power.
Disciplinary Power, the Oligopticon and Rhizomatic Surveillance in Elite Sports Academies
Authors: Manley Andrew , Palmer Catherine , Roderick Martin
Published: July 2018

This article aims to apply a post-panoptic view of surveillance within the context of elite sport. Latour’s (2005) ‘oligopticon’ and Deleuze and Guttari’s (2003) ‘rhizomatic’ notion of surveillance networks are adopted to question the relevance and significance of Foucault’s (1979) conceptualisation of surveillance within an elite sports academy setting. A contemporary representation of bio-politics (Rose 1999, 2001) is further utilised to discern the mode of governance and control effective within such institutions. In so doing, this article seeks to understand the evolving methods of surveillance technology and governance and how they are situated within the setting of a contemporary institution. Such considerations aim to provoke a line of questioning surrounding the normalisation of intrusive surveillance practices and their impact upon identity construction and an authentic sense of self.
Networked Privacy
Authors: Boyd Danah
Published: July 2018

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Surveillance, Repression and the Welfare State: Aspects of Continuity and Discontinuity in post-Fascist Italy
Authors: Fonio Chiara , Agnoletto Stefano
Published: July 2018

This paper seeks to explore political, cultural, legal and socio-economic legacies of the Fascist regime (1922-1943) in Italy. With the fall of the regime, in fact, the overall surveillance apparatus did not fade away. Former fascists were not purged from political and cultural life and very few were found guilty. The transition to democracy was thus marked by a substantial continuity of men and institutions (Della Porta and Reiter 2004) due to the active involvement of ex-OVRA (Organization of Vigilance and Repression of Anti-Fascism) officers in public institutions (Author 2011). It comes as no surprise that forms of pervasive non-technological social control continued for more than twenty years after the fall of the duce.   Moreover, police state surveillance was combined with a meaningful continuity in other areas. For instance, the welfare state immediately after World War II was actually based upon the model built during Fascism. The “Fascist Social State” (Silei, 2000) had a corporative and authoritarian inspiration and was a strategy of social control and a tool to create consensus. In the 1950s and 1960s the institutional features of the Italian social security system remained fundamentally unchanged (Giorgi, 2009; Silei, 2000): an excess of bureaucracy and discretionary power; a system based on specific categories of people needing assistance and not on a more universal approach. The Italian post-fascist experience is a paradigmatic case-study that allows us to deal with ambiguities of the welfare state experience, described either as a tool of social control or as a vector of social justice.   This paper is an attempt to analyze “social control strategies” in post-Fascist Italy with a focus both on aspects of continuity and on crucial socio-political discontinuities that are often overlooked in the literature.
Gaming the Quantified Self
Authors: Whitson Jennifer R.
Published: July 2018

﻿﻿﻿By their nature, digital games facilitate surveillance. They allow for the compilation of statistics, internal states, and rules to be recorded, thus hiding many of the internal workings from the players and making the games much more complex. This digitization makes it much easier to collect player data and metrics, and then, as a process of function creep, to use this data in new and innovative ways, such as improving the user experience, or subtly shaping users' in-game desires and behaviours. Increasingly, these practices have moved from non-game spaces into social networking sites and spaces of play.The "gamification" movement is benefiting from the increasing sophistication of such metrics. Gamification combines the playful design and feedback mechanisms from games with users' social profiles (e.g. Facebook, twitter, and LinkedIn) in non-game applications explicitly geared to drive behavioural change (e.g. weight loss, workplace productivity, educational tools, and consumer loyalty). As critics point out, gamified applications rely on the points, leaderboards, and badges often seen in games, but are not games in themselves (Deterding 2010; Bogost 2011). Advocates of the gamification movement - including Al Gore in a recent Games for Change keynote - argue that this monitoring and feedback makes difficult tasks more playful and enjoyable (McGonigal 2011; Gore 2011). However, the marketing and political discourse of using games to change behaviour in positive ways is quite different from messy actualities rooted in advertising, consumption, and intrusive user monitoring. The current potentials to ‘gamify’ life have incited debate on whether the spread of these points based systems heralds playful utopias or dystopic surveillant societies run by corporations and advertisers. This paper highlights the rise of gamification and the implications for surveillance studies. In particular, it focuses on describing the increasingly intrusive monitoring practices are propagated under the banner of fun and play.
“(Self-)Surveillance, Anti-Doping, and Health in Non-Elite Road Running”
Authors: Henning April D
Published: July 2018

This article explores disciplining effects of current anti-doping surveillance systems on the health consequences of non-elites’ daily behaviors and habits. As they are left out of direct anti-doping testing and enforcement, it is tempting to argue non-elites are unaffected by anti-doping efforts focused on the elite level of their sport.  However, it is because they are not subject to anti-doping surveillance systems nor forced to comply with anti-doping regulations that non-elites are implicated within the wider arena of disciplinary power that envelops both elite and non-elite athletes and anti-doping agencies (Foucault 1979). Drawing on data from 28 interviews with non-elite runners I argue these runners do conform to the rules and norms of their sport as far as they understand them, but their knowledge of banned substances is inadequate and many non-elite runners have only a superficial and sometimes incorrect understanding of doping.  Many view doping and its associated health risks as a problem only of elite running, as well as a problem limited to only a handful of widely publicized performance enhancing drugs or doping methods.  As a result of these misunderstandings non-elite runners are vulnerable to negative health effects of over the counter (OTC) medications and nutritional supplements, which they view as “safe” and part of normal training as a result of the current elite surveillance model of anti-doping.  The recent death of a non-elite marathon runner linked to use of the unregulated energy supplement DMAA demonstrates, questionable products are used by runners who may not be fully aware of the risks of use.
Surveillance by the Australian Media, and Its Regulation
Authors: Clarke Roger
Published: July 2018

The print and broadcast media make extensive use of surveillance in order to gather information for publication. It is vital to democracy that they do so. A proportion of the media's surveillance practices are, however, excessive and abusive of individuals' needs and reasonable expectations. An examination of Australian law shows that it provides almost no recourse against these excesses and abuses. Substantial change is necessary to create a regulatory environment in which balance is achieved.
On Just Surveillance
Authors: Hosein Gus
Published: July 2018

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Challenging ‘Just Surveillance Theory’: A Response to Kevin Macnish’s ‘Just Surveillance? Towards a Normative Theory of Surveillance’
Authors: Stoddart Eric
Published: July 2018

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Conditions under which Surveillance may be Ethically Justifiable—Remarks on Kevin Macnish’s proposed normative theory of surveillance
Authors: Palm Elin
Published: July 2018

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Gaming Privacy: a Canadian case study of a children’s co-created privacy literacy game
Authors: Raynes-Goldie Kate , Allen Matthew
Published: July 2018

This paper reports the process and outcomes of the design of a game that educates children about management of privacy online. Using a participatory action research process, children worked with the researchers to develop and play a game which simulates certain aspects of online privacy management and allows for scaffolded experiential learning in a safe environment. The game allows children to develop autonomous skills and understandings, not only for more effective learning but also because it is only through autonomy that children can develop a sense of self which is necessary for understanding what it means to be private. The paper shows that children have quite sophisticated understandings of privacy, compared with some adult perceptions, and that these understandings include awareness of the risks posed by commercial organisations seeking to gather personal data from them. The paper shows how engaging children as research and design participants can lead to more successful approaches in the development of privacy literacy.
Playdates with Big Brother: Playfully Repurposing Surveillance Cameras to Build Communities
Authors: Robbins Holly , Isbister Katherine
Published: July 2018

This paper examines the process of repurposing “Big Brother” surveillance cameras as a public utility. The authors set out to create a large scale game with two principal objectives: first, to challenge the conventional and unequal relationship in the design and deployment of surveillance technology; and second, to test surveillance cameras’ ability to reconfigure social relations in public spaces so as to encourage collaboration among strangers. The system uses motion sensed in surveillance video feeds towards completing a shared goal in a game context. This paper describes two major design iterations and installations of the authors’ game system and assesses the strengths and failings of both in pursuit of the stated social aims.
Watching Us Play: Postures and Platforms of Live Streaming
Authors: Walker Austin
Published: July 2018

In this article, Austin Walker discusses streaming, the practice of broadcasting the gameplay footage. Providing a brief analysis of the range of streaming practices, Walker argues that streaming represents a sea change in how players share and collaborate, adding new sorts of social interactivity to an experience that was, for so long, solitary. Live streaming’s novelty grants it special status as a practice still in formation, making it especially useful in analyzing how late capitalism identifies and appropriates fresh cultural activity--doing so in this case through the development of an infrastructure that supports and encourages voluntary self-surveillance. While there are resistive elements of live-streaming, such as allowing new voices access to broadcast capabilities, streaming also represents socialized labour. Walker separates streaming into two stances: the active streaming posture, where streamers voluntarily choose to broadcast their play, and the passive streaming posture, where streaming is automatically incorporated into the hardware and/or software of the gaming platform and players are unable to opt in or out.
Child Location Tracking in the US and the UK: Same Technology, Different Social Implications
Authors: Oostveen Anne-Marie , Vasalou Asimina , Van den Besselaar Peter , Brown Ian
Published: July 2018

Real-time location tracking of individualshas become relatively easy with the widespread availability of commercial wearable devices that use geographical positioning information to provide location-based services. One application of this technology is to allow parents to monitor the location of their children. This paper investigates child location tracking technology in the US and the UK and compares its privacy implications. Although overall the price levels and the technical capabilities are the same, we find that the features of the technology are different depending on the social context. This can be attributed to national regulations and law that shape how a technology can be used. These laws and regulations, influenced by cultural frameworks, values, and morality, differ considerably between the countries. Clarifying the expected impacts of technology on the lives of users and other stakeholders in terms of these contextual factors will help to inform public debate about technical possibilities and societal needs.