bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Streamflow Using Projections of the 5th Assessment Report for the Bernam River Basin, Malaysia
Authors: Dlamini Nkululeko Simeon , Kamal Md Rowshon , Soom Mohd Amin Bin Mohd , Mohd Mohd Syazwan Faisal bin , Abdullah Ahmad Fikri Bin , Hin Lai Sai
Published: March 2017

Potential impacts of climate change on the streamflow of the Bernam River Basin in Malaysia are assessed using ten Global Climate Models (GCMs) under three Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP4.5, RCP6.0 and RCP8.5). A graphical user interface was developed that integrates all of the common procedures of assessing climate change impacts, to generate high resolution climate variables (e.g., rainfall, temperature, etc.) at the local scale from large-scale climate models. These are linked in one executable module to generate future climate sequences that can be used as inputs to various models, including hydrological and crop models. The generated outputs were used as inputs to the SWAT hydrological model to simulate the hydrological processes. The evaluation results indicated that the model performed well for the watershed with a monthly R2, Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) and Percent Bias (PBIAS) values of 0.67, 0.62 and −9.4 and 0.62, 0.61 and −4.2 for the calibration and validation periods, respectively. The multi-model projections show an increase in future temperature (tmax and tmin) in all respective scenarios, up to an average of 2.5 °C for under the worst-case scenario (RC8.5). Rainfall is also predicted to change with clear variations between the dry and wet season. Streamflow projections also followed rainfall pattern to a great extent with a distinct change between the dry and wet season possibly due to the increase in evapotranspiration in the watershed. In principle, the interface can be customized for the application to other watersheds by incorporating GCMs’ baseline data and their corresponding future data for those particular stations in the new watershed. Methodological limitations of the study are also discussed.
Quantitative Spatio-Temporal Characterization of Scour at the Base of a Cylinder
Authors: Bouratsis Pol , Diplas Panayiotis , Dancey Clinton L. , Apsilidis Nikolaos
Published: March 2017

The measurement of the morphologic characteristics of evolving sediment beds around hydraulic structures is crucial for the understanding of the physical processes that drive scour. Although there has been significant progress towards the experimental characterization of the flow field in setups with complex geometries, little has been done with respect to the quantitative investigation of dynamic sediment bed geometry, mainly due to the limited capabilities of conventional instrumentation. Here, a recently developed computer vision technique is applied to obtain high-resolution topographic measurements of the evolving bed at the base of a cylinder during clear water scour, without interrupting the experiment. The topographic data is processed to derive the morphologic characteristics of the bed such as the excavated volume and the slopes of the bed. Subsequently, the rates of scour and the bathymetry at multiple locations are statistically investigated. The results of this investigation are compared with existing flow measurements from previous studies to describe the physical processes that take place inside a developing scour hole. Two distinct temporal phases (initial and development) as well as three spatial regions (front, side and wake) are defined and expressions for the statistical modelling of the bed features are derived.
Pd- and Cu-catalyzed approaches in the syntheses of new cholane aminoanthraquinone pincer-like ligands
Authors: Lukashev Nikolay V , Grabovyi Gennadii A , Erzunov Dmitry A , Kazantsev Alexey V , Latyshev Gennadij V , Averin Alexei D , Beletskaya. Irina P
Published: March 2017

Cu- and Pd-catalyzed arylation of aminocholanes has been described for the first time. While this Cu-catalyzed protocol provides high yields in reactions of aminocholanes with iodoarenes, Pd catalysis was found to be preferable for the reactions of aminocholanes with dichloroanthraquinones. UV–vis titration of bis(cholanylamino)anthraquinones with a series of cations demonstrated their high binding affinity to Cu2+, Al3+, and Cr3+.
GBS‐Based Genomic Selection for Pea Grain Yield under Severe Terminal Drought
Authors: Annicchiarico Paolo , Nazzicari Nelson , Pecetti Luciano , Romani Massimo , Ferrari Barbara , Wei Yanling , Brummer E. Charles
Published: March 2017

Terminal drought is the main stress that limits pea (Pisum sativum L.) grain yield in Mediterranean‐climate regions. This study provides an unprecedented assessment of the predictive ability of genomic selection (GS) for grain yield under severe terminal drought using genotyping‐by‐sequencing (GBS) data. Additional aims were to assess the GS predictive ability for different GBS data quality filters and GS models, comparing intrapopulation with interpopulation GS predictive ability and to perform genome‐wide association (GWAS) studies. The yield and onset of flowering of 315 lines from three recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations issued by connected crosses between three elite cultivars were assessed under a field rainout shelter. We defined an adjusted yield, which is associated with intrinsic drought tolerance, as the yield deviation from the value expected as a function of onset of flowering (which correlated negatively with grain yield). Total polymorphic markers ranged from approximately 100 (minimum of eight reads per locus, maximum 10% genotype missing data) to over 7500 markers (minimum of four reads, maximum 50% missing rate). Best predictions were provided by Bayesian Lasso (BL) or ridge regression best linear unbiased prediction (rrBLUP), rather than support vector regression (SVR) models, with at least 400–500 markers. Intrapopulation GS predictive ability exceeded 0.5 for yield and onset of flowering in all populations and approached 0.4 for the adjusted yield of a population with high trait variation. Genomic selection was preferable to phenotypic selection in terms of predicted yield gains. Interpopulation GS predictive ability varied largely depending on the pair of populations. GWAS revealed extensive colocalization of markers associated with high yield and early flowering and suggested that they are concentrated in a few genomic regions.
Frequency‐domain analysis for pulse current sources in transient electromagnetic method
Authors: Zhu Xuegui , Fu Zhihong , Su Xiangfeng , Qin Shanqiang
Published: March 2017

The transient electromagnetic method has a wide range of depth of exploration in the ground. The transient‐electromagnetic‐method‐based shallow sounding is becoming popular in engineering geophysics such as grounding grid measurement, pipeline detection, and mine exploration. It is useful for shallow sounding to raise the transmitting frequency, improve the spectral resolution, and enhance the power of withstanding all kinds of near‐surface noise. Therefore, a well‐designed transmitter current waveform should not only induce more effective geoelectric information at a low energy cost but also prevent external interferences during transient electromagnetic method prospecting.

For this purpose, the frequency‐domain characteristics of single‐pulse waveforms and multi‐pulse sequences are analysed, on the basis of three fundamental waveforms—rectangular, triangular, and half‐sine shapes. The energy efficiency ratio, high‐frequency energy percentage, and frequency resolution are introduced to evaluate the performance of the transmitter current source, in a numerical or graphical manner. Furthermore, six window functions are used to modulate the rectangular pulse sequence. The analysis and simulation results prove that the pulse current source modulated by the Blackman window is advantageous in terms of energy efficiency, high‐frequency content, and frequency resolution. In addition, the Blackman modulating sequence has many blank frequency bands (also called identifiable bands) where the noise is completely exposed and easy to remove. This work is useful for the design, optimisation, and selection of transmitter current waveforms for different applications, especially for near‐surface geophysical prospecting.
Comparison between 2D and 3D ERT inversion for engineering site investigations – a case study from Oslo Harbour
Authors: Lysdahl Asgeir Kydland , Bazin Sara , Christensen Craig , Ahrens Sven , Günther Thomas , Pfaffhuber Andreas A.
Published: March 2017

Excavation and piling works related to seafront development in Oslo’s historic harbour area need to mitigate the risk of damaging buried archaeological objects. In the Bjørvika harbour in Oslo, Norway, electrical resistivity tomography was performed to detect structures with potential archaeological value. A 2.5 dataset consisting of four equally spaced parallel lines was collected, trimmed, and systematically processed with both 2D and 3D inversion routines. The results were in good agreement with known underground features, and for the present dataset, an iteratively reweighted least squares 2D inversion was clearly preferable over a 3D inversion. This conclusion is based on differences in model resolution, data processing costs, and the value of the final product for engineering decision‐making.
Muography sensitivity to hydrogeological rock density perturbation: roles of the absorption and scattering on the muon flux measurement reliability
Authors: Hivert Fanny , Roche Ignacio Lázaro , Decitre Jean‐Baptiste , Brunner Jürgen , Busto José , Gaffet Stéphane
Published: March 2017

Tomography using muons is a method to investigate the subsurface density. Muons are particles produced in the atmosphere, and their absorption depends on the quantity of matter they pass through, hence on the rock density and thickness. The Temporal Tomography of rock mass Density using Muons flux Measurement (T2DM2) project aims to characterise the spatial and temporal density variations of the first hundreds of metres of the subsurface. These variations can be induced by water transfer within the critical zone or other thermo‐hydro‐mechanical processes like fracturing. The imaging potential of muography and its application to hydrogeological processes are introduced. Numerical simulations are performed to estimate the significance of the muon flux fluctuations associated to rock density and composition variations for depths ranging from 60 to 1000 m. Particular attention is paid to muon scattering in rocks, which should be taken into account in order to achieve a good spatial and angular resolution.
Electromagnetic noise reduction in grounded electrical‐source airborne transient electromagnetic signal using a stationarywavelet‐based denoising algorithm
Authors: Li Dongsheng , Wang Yuan , Lin Jun , Yu Shengbao , Ji Yanju
Published: March 2017

The grounded electrical‐source airborne transient electromagnetic signal is significantly affected by electromagnetic noise (sferics and aircraft engine electromagnetic noise), leading to inferior image formation. We calculate the theoretical response of the grounded electrical‐source airborne transient electromagnetic system and propose a denoising algorithm based on the transient characters of the theoretical electromagnetic response and the measured noise. The proposed algorithm utilises multi‐resolution analysis via a stationary wavelet transform of the data. Primarily, the measured data are decomposed into detailed coefficients and approximated coefficients. Then, the logarithmic slope of the measured data and a threshold are calculated to identify the noise in the detailed coefficients; the corresponding detailed coefficients are processed to reduce the noise. Finally, the undisturbed data are reconstructed using inverse stationary wavelet transform. The algorithm is verified using synthetic signal and is applied for electromagnetic noise suppression in synthetic data and real data collected over the coastal areas in Yanwei Harbor, China. The results confirm that the denoising algorithm can effectively remove the electromagnetic noise from the grounded electrical‐source airborne transient electromagnetic signal. Moreover, the image formations clearly reveal the structure of the Huaiyin–Xiangshui fault zone.
Managing “Virtuality”
Authors: Morley Sandra , Cormican Kathryn , Coleman Maébh
Published: March 2017

A wealth of research is associated with virtual teams and collaboration technologies; however, no integrated model is available to guide decision-makers at large organisations in the strategic implementation and management of “virtuality.” Whilst collaboration through technology has become commonplace in modern teams, it is not yet clear if Enterprise 2.0 organisations have made changes to accommodate and support this new mode of work. In other words, managing “virtuality” requires supporting tools and research in order to maximise the benefits and diminish the challenges inherent in it. This chapter presents findings of research relating to managing “virtualtiy” that culminates in the development and evaluation of a management model that guides large organisations in implementing and managing virtual teams. The findings demonstrate that there are benefits associated with virtual teamwork; however, a structured approach is essential to realise and maximise such benefits. The authors uncover several critical success factors in managing virtual teams, and they also learned that the implementation of enabling technologies must be carefully planned to ensure successful adoption by the intended audience. This chapter provides practitioners with a structured approach to implementing and managing virtual teams in an Enterprise 2.0 environment. Essential conditions for success are identified, specific organisational level tasks are presented, a process to ensure the introduction of new technologies is documented, and the critical success factors to create and manage virtual teams are synthesised and presented.
Skill Building for Virtual Teams
Authors: Manzoor Amir
Published: March 2017

Advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are creating new opportunities for organizations to build and manage virtual teams. Such teams are composed of employees with unique skills, located a distance from each other, who must collaborate to accomplish important organizational tasks. As such, it is very important for organizations to identify and develop skills that critical for virtual teams to succeed. Participation in and management of virtual teams comes with its own unique challenges and opportunities. This chapter explores virtual teams, their benefits and challenges to organizations, and provide ways to ensure that virtual team members and leaders in their organizations have the skills, competencies and tools needed to succeed. Specific recommendations to improve skills of virtual teams are also provided.
Collaborative Technology and Dimensions of Team Cognition
Authors: Andres Hayward P.
Published: March 2017

The purpose of this study was to explore team cognition as a multidimensional activity comprised of team learning, team reflexivity, and team mental model during project teamwork. A laboratory experiment was conducted to examine the effects of two different modes of collaboration – face-to-face and technology-mediated collaboration on team cognition and its subsequent impact on task outcomes. Team cognition was represented as a second-order construct comprised of three first-order dimensions. A direct-observation rating scale used to derive measures of the first-order dimensions was shown to have strong psychometric properties. The partial least squares method was used to test a structural equation model where the second-order construct was presented as a mediator between collaboration mode and task outcomes (productivity and interaction quality). As hypothesized, team cognition significantly influenced productivity and interaction quality outcomes. Further, collaboration mode significantly improved team cognition through its specific effects on the team learning, team reflexivity, and team mental model development. The main contribution of the study lies in its finding that team cognition can be viewed as a hierarchical construct that accounts for distinct yet cognition-related behaviors. This finding offers an extension to current related research models and identifies behavioral indicators that can be monitored by project managers in developing prescriptive measures aimed at promoting project success.
Engaging Google Docs to Support Collaboration and Reflection in Online Teacher Education
Authors: Gillow-Wiles Henry , Niess Margaret L.
Published: March 2017

The purpose of this chapter is to describe the impact engaging collaborative software has on technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) development through collaboration and reflection. Situating teaching and learning in an online teacher education environment creates challenges for developing learning communities supporting reflection and collaboration. This cross case analysis reveals the impact of Google Docs to facilitate reflection and collaboration in an online integrated mathematics, science, and technology education graduate program has on developing in-service teachers' TPACK. Using a social metacognitive constructivist lens to focus the course design, this study collected student learning products, including essays, Blackboard forum transcripts, and Google Docs editing histories to understand how participants' TPACK thinking matured through their collaboration and reflections. Results suggest Google Docs provided a rich online environment where participants were able to engage in and reflect on a community that developed both individual and shared knowledge.
Online Learner Satisfaction and Collaborative Learning
Authors: Alkhalaf Salem , Nguyen Jeremy , Nguyen Anne , Drew Steve
Published: March 2017

Despite the considerable potential for e-learning to improve learning outcomes, particularly for female students and students who need to rely on distance learning, feedback from current users of e-learning systems in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) suggests a relatively low level of satisfaction. This study adopts a mixed-methods approach in investigating the underlying reasons for this situation. Results indicate that students are not unhappy with the information technology infrastructure or with other technical aspects. However, many students report a low level of interaction between them and their fellow students. When interactions do occur, students indicate overwhelmingly that they find such interactions useful. Together, these findings suggest that greater student interaction, which could be fostered through the use of collaborative learning, is likely to be both popular with students and beneficial to their learning outcomes.
Factors Influencing Acceptance and Use of ICT Innovations by Agribusinesses
Authors: Ibrahim Adamkolo Mohammed , Hassan Md. Salleh Hj. , Yusuf Sarina
Published: March 2017

This chapter proposes a modified conceptual framework for investigating the influence of cognitive, management characteristics and organizational size factors on information and communication technology (ICT) adoption by agribusinesses. Agro-based small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) often deal in commodities that have shorter shelf life. Given that, researchers often face challenges determining the appropriate conceptual framework to adopt, which yields results that proffer both practical and theoretical solutions to business problems, hence, it is imperative for agri-preneurs to harness technology for maximum profit and food security. The unified theory of use and acceptance of technology (UTAUT) model, which has four key predictors, was adopted with the integration of two external variables: SME Managerial Characteristics and SME Organizational Size. Factor analysis shows that five out of the six predictors loaded strongly. The study concludes that researchers in technology adoption should consider integrating organization and management quality variables into their research frameworks.
Eco-Certification and Transparency in Global Food Supply Chains
Authors: Karipidis Philippos , Tselempis Dimitrios , Tsironis Loukas K.
Published: March 2017

This chapter portrays the information flow for sustainability issues along the globalized food supply chain and explores the eco-certification decisions of farm businesses, viewing them as the first upstream chain participant. This examination is based on the literature to connect eco-certification with transparency and to portray traceability schemes for sustainability issues in food supply chains, followed by information technology-based systems and applications supporting traceability. The third section presents the eco-certification decisions at the supply chain level in four subsections. It first builds a theoretical framework regarding the downstream firms' sustainability-related decisions by offering conceptual definitions. Next the farm business decision logic is given, followed by the discrete choice model. The specialization of the model is presented in the third subsection, followed by the results, discussions, and implications for practitioners. Some conclusions and implications for future research are offered in the last section.
Social Marketing
Authors: Elghannam Ahmed , Mesías Francisco J.
Published: March 2017

Consumers purchase food from different sources, mainly via traditional/long chains where hypermarkets are the final link between producer and consumer. However, consumers are seeking direct relationships with producers. This, together with the increase of social media usage offer producers the potential to build short chains for promoting/selling their products. The aim of this work is to summarize the role that online short food supply chains could play as an opportunity for SMEs in the agri-food sector. Moreover, it highlights a new perspective based on social media as potential short supply chains. To this end, a thorough review of the literature has been carried out, together with an online survey where social networks as food marketing channels have being studied. The chapter concludes pondering about the different food products/sectors that could take advantage of the creation of short supply chains and of the wider use of social networks as marketing tools.
Stakeholder Agriculture
Authors: Antonaras Alexandros , Kostopoulos Alexandros
Published: March 2017

The shift in agricultural production and agribusiness may be a solution in reducing unemployment and particularly that of young people which is dramatically high in several European countries that are experiencing the negative consequences of the recent global financial crisis that led to a dramatic decline in their GDP per capita and has affected all sectors of economic activity, including agriculture. The overall scope of this chapter is to present an Agricultural Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation Framework that can lead to a new business model with social aspects, contribute to the economic growth and sustainability and hence combat the phenomenon of unemployment and poverty in rural areas that have been seriously affected by the recent financial crisis.
Risk Management in Agriculture
Authors: Hamada Youssef Mohamed
Published: March 2017

Risk has always been part of the business of agriculture. It's an industry built on the unpredictable forces of nature. What looks like a promising crop or herd can suddenly fall victim to the weather, insects or disease. Farmers are continually developing new ways to manage risk, from the use of hardier and higher yielding crop varieties and animal breeds to the application of new technologies on the farm to innovative marketing strategies. Smart agricultural policy has also evolved toward risk management programming that helps farmers deal with short-term income fluctuations as a result of risks largely outside their control. But the risks in agriculture today are greater and more complicated than ever before. International competition is fierce. Technological improvements are increasing world production and driving down real commodity prices. Public demand for higher food safety standards and better environmental practices requires new investments in the food system. Advances in science and technology are raising moral and ethical questions about the way food can and should be produced. At the same time, Smart agriculture itself has never been more diverse, ranging from specialty crops planted in small plots to grain farms covering thousands of hectares. In between being livestock operations of all sizes, greenhouses, organic farms and a growing number of agricultural businesses catering to unique consumer demands? It's an environment that is demanding new approaches to how business is conducted on the farm and consequently, how governments conduct agricultural policy.
Pragmatic Solutions to Cyber Security Threat in Indian Context
Authors: Mahapatra Cosmena
Published: March 2017

Recent attacks on Indian Bank customers have exposed the vulnerability of banking networks in India and the ignorance that prevails in the system. Unlike their foreign counterparts Indian banking networks are not aware of solutions easily available in market to counter cyber theft and cyber terrorism. SIEM or Security Information and Event Management is one such solution which could have easily negated these attacks. This chapter focuses on studying various cyber security mechanisms including SIEM for implementation of cyber defense effectively.
Exploring Cyber Security Vulnerabilities in the Age of IoT
Authors: Kohli Shruti
Published: March 2017

The modernization of rail control systems has resulted in an increasing reliance on digital technology and increased the potential for security breaches and cyber-attacks. Higher-level European Train Control System(ETCS) systems in particular depend on communications technologies to enable greater automation of railway operations, and this has made the protecting the integrity of infrastructure, rolling stock, staff and passengers against cyber-attacks ever more crucial. The growth in Internet of Things (IoT) technology has also increased the potential risks in this area, bringing with it the potential for huge numbers of low-cost sensing devices from smaller manufacturers to be installed and used dynamically in large infrastructure systems; systems that previously relied on closed networks and known asset identifiers for protection against cyber-attacks. This chapter demonstrates that how existing data resources that are readily available to the railways could be rapidly combined and mapped to physical assets. This work contributes for developing secure reusable scalable framework for enhancing cyber security of rail assets
An Approach towards Survey and Analysis of Cloud Robotics
Authors: Chowdhury Akash , Mukherjee Swastik , Banerjee Sourav
Published: March 2017

This chapter highlights the total structure and capabilities of robotic systems. This chapter then discusses the invocation of cloud technology in robotics technology empowering the whole system with higher processing power and bigger storage unit which was not possible earlier in the conventional robotic system being restricted in on-board manipulation. The flexibility of handling big data, ability to perform cloud computing, crowed sourcing and collaborative robot learning using the cloud robotics technology has been discussed briefly. This chapter describes concepts of Cloud Enabled Standalone Robotic System (CeSRS), Cloud Enabled Networked Robotic System (CeNRS), Cloud Robotic Networking System (CRNS), Standalone Robotic System (SRS), Common Networked Robotic (CNRS), Infrastructure As A Service (IAAS), Multi Robot System, R/R and R/C Network, ROS, Tele Operated Robotic System, Quality of Service (QoS), Virtual Machine (VM) and Cloud Datacenter. The existing applications of the cloud robotics technology are also described. However, the chapter focuses on the problems either inherited from the parent technology or appeared in the child technology. This chapter further recommends some solutions, new future directions and research aspects of the cloud robotics technology depending on the applications.
Cloud and Cyber Security through Crypt-Iris-Based Authentication Approach
Authors: Zafar Sherin
Published: March 2017

In today's world, wireless technology utilized by cloud and cyber technology has become an essential part of each and every user. Sensitivity, authentication and validation needs to be looked upon. Traditional technologies using simple encryption and password mechanisms cannot look upon the security constraints of today's cyber world; hence, some better authentication aspects like biometric security utilizing most strong feature like iris are exploited in this chapter to serve as specific secure tool.
Cyber Security Risks in Robotics
Authors: Priyadarshini Ishaani
Published: March 2017

With technology flourishing at a rapid rate, humans have been able to achieve considerable heights of success. Accomplishment of tasks nowadays is either a click away or a command away in most of the technological arenas. One such realm of technology is that of Robotics which has been there for almost a century and continues advancing day by day. The evolution of robotics has ranged from the basic remote controlled systems to humanoid robots. With applications as well as accuracy increasing for every new system implemented, security risks too have been making their way into the new invention. Since different robots have been created for different purposes in different fields like the defense, household, medical or the space, protecting systems against their exploitation is of utmost importance as these fields incorporate sensitive as well as intricate tasks. This chapter focuses on the security aspects of Robotics. The necessity of Cyber security in Robotics has been explored by taking different kinds of robots used in different fields. The current state of Robotics is vulnerable to many risks and several case studies have been highlighted to support the need of securing Robotics by identifying several risks to which it is vulnerable. Apart from that mitigation strategies have been discussed to secure the domain of Robotics. An attack comparison has been made for three robots in analyzing them against the vulnerabilities faced by them.
Aziz Nesin's “An Ass the Prime Vezier” as a Mirror of Inequality
Authors: Rzayev Hüseynağa , Hasanova Aygun
Published: March 2017

This paper's central concern is to study how and to what extent the language used by the representatives of different social groups in A. Nesin's story is not simply a mere means of communication but a system of existing conventions the nature of which has historically stemmed from the power relations and inequality in the life of the nation. A. Nesin's sensitivity about the highly distinctive styles applied by different characters prove the clearest cases of predictable correlations between features of language and social status of the language society members, which also updates the context, the organization of which depends not only on the character of interaction, but also on such components as who the communicants are, what social group members they represent, the circumstance they are communicating in, the objective of the discussion and other possible reasons which influence this or that model and manner of communication process.
The Roots of Evilness and Biblical Literature
Authors: Korstanje Maximiliano Emanuel
Published: March 2017

The revolt commanded by Lucifer in the heaven marked a start in the cosmology of Christianity. Although scholars agree the problem of evilness as one of the most vivid contradictions of Catholic Church, it is clear that God forgives its life. Unlike other traditions or mythologies where the Gods kill the dissidents or inflict unbearable torments, Judaism and Christianity continue the dialectic relations between goodness and evilness by the introduction of forgiveness. That way, these cosmologies neglect the possibility of dying, creating the desire to embrace the life. The riot of Lucifer exhibits our ancient panic to the offspring death.
Mustapha and Greville
Authors: Çakırtaş Önder
Published: March 2017

Whilst Jonathan Burton—deactivating or mincing matters with Said's Orientalism—coined the word ‘trafficking' for the repercussions of Eastern/Islamic/Ottomanic characterization of Western authors, Linda McJannet, on the other hand—backing Said's Orientalism—went into Bakhtin's ‘heteroglossia', and stressed the polyphonic representation of dramatic works through the word ‘pragmatic ambivalence', a characterization of English authors toward the Islamic politics. Both Burton and McJannet touched pre-eminently on the Renaissance writers to define their literariness. The present chapter aims to shed light on the historical background and dramatic representation regarding Mustapha's tragic death through majoring Anglo-Ottoman diplomacy and producing a base for Machiavellian point of view. The study is based on a dramatic work of an English Renaissance playwright, Fulke Greville, who adapted Prince Mustapha's death for the stage.
The Digital Politics of Pain
Authors: Cappelli Mary Louisa
Published: March 2017

After 9/11, the upsurge of the Internet and intensification of mass media has provided Afghans with access to a global information highway of new perspectives, narratives, ideas, and images. Global connectivity has likewise brought with it cultural challenges over meaning. Within these digital spaces, the politics of ideological warfare ensue for the battle of representation and signification, which are inevitably interlinked to questions of power and powerlessness. Within this digital space of ideological contestation, I explore the power of the Afghan Women's Writing Project and its ability to empower women to bear witness and share their geographies of pain. Moreover, I demonstrate how AWWP operates as a social media democratizing campaign meticulously employing Western feminist rhetoric to shape Afghan cultural and social systems and subvert opposing Islamic forces that attempt to undermine protections against women and principles of free market democracy.
An Analysis of the Relationship between Quality Factors and Customer Loyalty for Success of Firms in the Service Industry
Authors: Silvestri Cecilia
Published: March 2017

In recent years, literature has largely developed and analyzed the relationship between quality factors and customer loyalty. Quality and loyalty are different concepts: the quality is a dimension, the loyalty is a behavior. According to a traditional view the relationship between quality and loyalty in a competitive market is represented by a report in which the level of loyalty is directly related to the level of quality. This relationship is not, however, neither simple nor linear because the influence of other factors that go to make a significant impact on customer loyalty. Aim of this research is analyze the relationship between quality and customer loyalty in order to demonstrate as the quality is important for successful of firms. Knowing the reasons leading to customer loyalty represents one of the most important factors for the success of an enterprise.
Marketing of Tourism Industry
Authors: Dileep M. R. , Mathew Viju
Published: March 2017

Tourism, being dominated by services, has to generate tourist satisfaction which is inevitable in increasing the market share. Tourist, from the whole process of journey and engaging in various touristic activities, eventually gain an experience, often referred to as tourist/visitor experience in tourism literature. This is an eventual determinant in the tourist satisfaction and both are interrelated. Therefore, marketing is not just limited to employing certain measures and tools to attract tourists; rather it is a comprehensive approach to generate high quality tourist experience leading to customer delight as well. The inherent characteristics associated with tourism marketing make the discussion of 7 P's concept more relevant in the context of tourism, as a single composite industry and as individual industries involved in it. Against this background, an attempt has been undertaken to examine the role and relevance of marketing mix in order to enhance the competency of tourism services using various marketing mix elements.
Visual Criminology
Authors: Barclay Elaine M.
Published: March 2017

An understanding of crime data and analysis is central to any Criminology degree. Graduates need to know how and where to access a wide variety of secondary data sources, and understand how to read and critically evaluate crime statistics, crime maps, and quantitative research publications, and through assessment, know how to apply this learning to understanding crime rates within a community. This chapter reviews the various types of data and analysis that form a substantial part of content within a Bachelor of Criminology degree. Several types of assessment are described as examples of how to engage students in practical exercises to show them how data and analysis can provide fascinating insight into the social life of their own community.
Teaching Visualisation in the Age of Big Data
Authors: Chiera Belinda A. , Korolkiewicz Malgorzata W.
Published: March 2017

Technological advances have led to increasingly more data becoming available, a phenomenon known as Big Data. The volume of Big Data is to the order of zettabytes, offering the promise of valuable insights with visualisation the key to unlocking these insights, however the size and variety of Big Data poses significant challenges. The fundamental principles behind tried-and-tested methods for visualising data are still as relevant as ever, although the emphasis necessarily shifts to why visualisation is being attempted. This chapter outlines the use of graph semiotics to build data visualisations for exploration and decision-making and the formulation of elementary, intermediate- and overall-level analytical questions. The public scanner database Dominick's Finer Foods, consisting of approximately 98 million observations, is used as a demonstrative case study. Common Big Data analytic tools (SAS, R and Python) are used to produce visualisations and exemplars of student work are presented, based on the outlined visualisation approach.
Comparison of Graduates' and Academics' Perceptions of the Skills Required for Big Data Analysis
Authors: Puang-Ngern Busayasachee , Bilgin Ayse A. , Kyng Timothy J.
Published: March 2017

There is currently a shortage of graduates with the necessary skills for jobs in data analytics and “Big Data”. Recently many new university degrees have been created to address the skills gap, but they are mostly computer science based with little coverage of statistics. In this chapter, the perceptions of graduates and academics about the types of expertise and the types of software skills required for this field are documented based on two online surveys in Australia and New Zealand. The results showed that Statistical Analysis and Statistical Software Skills were the most necessary type of expertise required. Graduates in industry identified SQL as the most necessary software skill while academics teaching in relevant disciplines identified R programming as the most necessary software skill for Big Data analysis. The authors recommend multidisciplinary degrees where the appropriate combination of skills in statistics and computing can be provided for future graduates.
An Empirical Note on Health Information Digital Divide
Authors: Jha Ajeya , Pandey Jaya Rani
Published: March 2017

Availability of healthcare information on internet has made it possible for patients or their relatives to search for such information. This study was undertaken to find answers to such questions. In all 754 respondents participated in the survey. The variables selected from literature survey and exploratory study are Health Information Digital Divide, Income, Having E-mail id, access to internet, geographical location, Education, family-type, age and gender. As the data is categorical the significance of difference has been calculated using Chi-square test. Later discriminant analysis was conducted to predict patients who make online health information search and the ones who do not. The result show that Income, Having E-mail id, access to internet, geographical location, Education and gender are significant factors that determine the propensity of people for online healthcare search. Age and family-type, however, were found to have no impact on such a behavior. Using discriminant analysis 94.5 percent patients who make online health information search could be correctly predicted.
Cluster Approach for Entrepreneurship Development in India
Authors: Baporikar Neeta
Published: March 2017

Clusters are increasingly recognised as an important feature of modern economies. Their presence has become more pronounced in the global economy—not less, as was sometimes assumed. Complementary concepts such as the global value chain point out that strong clusters benefit from strong external linkages and are well positioned to take advantage of them. Although there is still less evidence on the role and impact of cluster approach for entrepreneurship development, the experience and the conceptual framework suggest otherwise. Clusters can enhance the rate of entrepreneurship development and there are different ways to raise economic benefits for entrepreneurs from existing clusters. More complex is the question of how economies can develop new clusters and aid entrepreneurship development. With acase based approach, so this paper discusses and deliberates on the cluster approach adopted for entrepreneurship development in India.
Macon, Celie, Patricia and Me
Authors: Lawrence Randee Lipson
Published: March 2017

This article offers a reflective analysis on how the author came to a deeper understanding of transformative learning while collaborating on a research project with Patricia Cranton from 2012-2014, resulting in A Novel Idea: Researching Transformative Learning in Fiction, published by Sense Publishers in 2015. They read six contemporary novels and then analyzed the transformative experiences of the main characters. They created imagined dialogues between the characters to explore emergent themes from the research. They further explored the themes through dialogues between the two of them. Through her work and relationship with Patricia Cranton, Randee had the opportunity to explore new and exciting ways to understand transformative learning and to contribute to the development of theory. This writing is her tribute to Patricia.
Transformative Learning
Authors: Chang Bo
Published: March 2017

Mezirow's (1978) transformative learning was influenced by Kuhn's (1962) paradigm and Freire's (1970) emancipatory learning. In this paper, the author provides readers a clear guide about the main components of transformative learning: Experience, critical reflection, and rational discourse. The author emphasizes that experience in transformative learning is not the ordinary, daily mundane experience, or the new experience added on top of our old experiences, but that experience which fundamentally conflicts with what our assumptions can explain. Transformative learning is to challenge or disturb the fixed assumptions. Through critical reflection, learners examine the origins of beliefs in their historical and biological context and take actions to change their pre-existing assumptions to better understand the current disoriented experience. Finally, the author provides recommendations about how to apply transformative learning in practice.
The Spiritual Disciplines as Practices of Transformation
Authors: Carr-Chellman Davin J. , Kroth Michael
Published: March 2017

Spiritual disciplines are practices of transformation intentionally pursued through the day-to-day actions of deeper living. The spiritual disciplines are conceptualized here in their relationship to profound learning. The authors contend that profound learners exhibit certain dispositions, such as curiosity, that facilitate continual growth. These dispositions, when developed, become practices, habits, or routines which result in continual exploration, skill development, growth in understanding and, over time, transformation of the individual. Spiritual disciplines, such as prayer, fasting, and worship, which move the individual toward the divine, are experienced in all the traditional religious traditions. This is an intentional process of personal transformation, evolving over time, and not contingent on serendipitous circumstance. Transformational learning within this framework is a process of individual conversion from shallowness toward becoming an ever deeper, more authentic person.
Transformative Learning
Authors: Nerstrom Norma
Published: March 2017

Events or experiences that have a transformative effect on people's lives can have an even greater impact if they are documented and disseminated through books, articles, or other forms of media. Whether one learns of such episodes through personal interaction or published sources, these personal stories enrich and inform one's own life, providing unique insights that help one to understand oneself and others. Scholars have studied transformative learning for 40 years, but Michael Kroth and Patricia Cranton, in their 2014 book Stories of Transformative Learning, expanded the world's understanding by focusing on firsthand accounts of this phenomenon. Using Kroth and Cranton's work as a backdrop, this article presents stories of adult learners who set out to earn graduate degrees but also discovered a renewed sense of themselves along the way. The stories shared here illustrate how learners' beliefs were constructed, challenged, and then transformed, enabling them to overcome prejudices, increase their self-confidence, and experience a new sense of personhood. The participants' transformative learning experiences were authenticated through interviews, writings, and artistic expressions. Notably, these stories were collected many years after the individuals featured had completed their programs, validating the claim that transformative learning has a long-term effect and that truly transformed people do not eventually revert to their prior ways of thinking and being. A brief literature review is also included.
The Historical and Contemporary Relevance of the Interconnectivity of Community, Community-Based Education, and Transformative Education
Authors: Rosser-Mims Dionne , Maloney James
Published: March 2017

This manuscript examines the past and present frameworks for conceptualizing community, community-based education, and their relationship to transformative education/learning. A case is made for the importance of community-based education providers serving as a mechanism for the engagement for such learning.
Social Media, Civic Engagement, and Local Governments
Authors: Romero Leocadia Díaz
Published: March 2017

Social media, if correctly used, enhance cultural, political, economic and social engagement. They also represent key communications tools for administrators to highlight the principles of openness and transparency. Nowadays Local Governments have as well a social media presence. The following contribution casts light on contemporary forms of democracy, deepening on concepts such as E-Government and E-Democracy. The paper describes as well how the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and Social Media can benefit governance, and promote good governance, focusing on some experiences launched at the local and municipal level. Finally, it offers an empirical approach of the use of ICTs by the Office of the Mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio.