bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Particle Acceleration and Synchrotron Self-Compton Emission in Blazar Jets. I. An Application to Quiescent Emission
Authors: Zheng Y. G. , Kang S. J. , Yang C. Y. , Bai J. M.
Published: February 2019

There are still some important unanswered questions about the detailed particle acceleration and escape occurring during quiescent epochs. As a result, the particle distribution that is adopted in the blazar quiescent spectral model has numerous unconstrained shapes. To help remedy this problem, we introduce an analytical particle transport model to reproduce the quiescent broadband spectral energy distribution of blazars. In this model, the exact electron distribution is solved from a generalized transport equation that contains the terms describing the first-order and second-order Fermi acceleration, the escape of particles due to both advection and spatial diffusion, and energy losses due to synchrotron emission and inverse-Compton scattering of an assumed soft photon field. We suggest that advection is a significant escape mechanism in blazar jets. We find that in our model, the advection process tends to harden the particle distribution, which enhances the high-energy components of the resulting synchrotron and synchrotron self-Compton spectra from the jets. Our model is able to roughly reproduce the observed spectra of the extreme BL Lac object 1ES 0414+009 with reasonable assumptions about the physical parameters.
Anchor Point of Electron Acceleration around Dipolarization Fronts in Space Plasmas
Authors: Liu C. M. , Fu H. S.
Published: February 2019

An anchor point, which is an energy threshold above which electrons are accelerated and below which electrons are decelerated, has recently been reported within the dipolarizing flux bundles behind dipolarization fronts (DFs) both in observations and simulations. However, what determines this point and how it is formed remain unclear. In this study, we investigate for the first time the formation of this point and the relation between this point and the plasma properties by considering a large amount of DF events measured by Cluster. We find a good correlation between this anchor point and the plasma-sheet density and temperature. We notice that such a point appears primarily in the DF events associated with strong whistlers, suggesting that it is formed due to wave-particle interactions near DFs. Quantitatively, we establish a model for the anchor point,

eV, where N and T are the normalized plasma-sheet density and temperature, respectively. With this model, we can predict the electron acceleration features behind DFs, by monitoring plasma properties in the plasma sheet. Such a model can be crucial for understanding electron acceleration regions elsewhere in space, such as reconnection diffusion region and collisionless shocks.
Surgical Management for Olecranon Fractures in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Koziarz Alex , Woolnough Taylor , Oitment Colby , Nath Siddharth , Johal Herman
Published: February 2019

Olecranon fractures are common upper-extremity fractures amenable to various surgical techniques. The authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate surgical management strategies for olecranon fractures in adult patients. Two investigators independently screened articles from records obtained from MEDLINE, Embase, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library databases. The authors compared tension-band wiring (TBW) with plate fixation (PF) for the outcomes of complications and hardware removal. Subgroup analyses were conducted comparing randomized controlled trials with observational studies for each outcome. In addition, the authors evaluated novel fixation techniques other than TBW and PF. Twenty-four studies were included in the systematic review and 10 studies were included in the meta-analysis of TBW vs PF. Compared with TBW (n=270), patients who underwent PF (n=369) had a significantly lower complication rate (relative risk, 0.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.36–0.64;
P
<.01;
I
2
=16%). Plate fixation (41 of 332) also had less hardware removal compared with TBW (79 of 236; relative risk, 0.36; 95% confidence interval, 0.25–0.50;
P
<.01;
I
2
=0%). Subgroup analyses showed no difference when comparing randomized controlled trials with observational studies for the outcomes of complication rate (
P
=.45) and hardware removal (
P
=.54). Qualitative analysis revealed novel methods of olecranon fixation: a modified cable pin system, tension banding through 2 cannulated screws, olecranon memory connector fixation, and cancellous screw TBW. This meta-analysis revealed significantly lower complication and hardware removal rates for PF compared with TBW. Several novel methods of olecranon fixation may represent viable alternatives. [
Orthopedics
. 2019; 42(2):75–82.]
Diagnostic accuracy of the Smoothed Cepstral Peak Prominence (CPPS) in the detection of dysphonia in the Spanish language
Authors: Delgado-Hernández Jonathan , León-Gómez Nieves , Jiménez-Álvarez Alejandra
Published: February 2019

The smoothed cepstral peak prominence (CPPS) is an acoustic measure that can be calculated in both sustained vowels and continuous speech. The goal of this work is to find out the diagnostic accuracy of CPPS in the detection of dysphonia in Spanish.
In this study 136 subjects with dysphonia and 47 healthy subjects participated. For each subject a sustained vowel and the reading of three phonetically balanced sentences were recorded. The CPPS was calculated with Praat using its default configuration (configuration 1), and also with the one used in the calculation of the Acoustic Voice Quality Index (configuration 2). Five experts perceptively assessed the voice of the subjects in the sample by means of the GRABS scale.
The CPPS has a great power of discrimination between the normal and the pathological voice, whether it is calculated from the sustained vowel /a/ (AROC[config. 1] = 0.863 and AROC[config. 2] = 0.841) or whether it is calculated from the sentences (AROC[config. 1] = 0.884 and AROC[config. 2] = 0.866).
The results confirm that CPPS is a valid acoustic measurement to detect dysphonia in the Spanish language.
Developing BacaBicara: An Indonesian Lipreading System as an Independent Communication Learning for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing
Authors: Muljono Muljono , Saraswati Galuh Wilujeng , Winarsih Nurul Anisa Sri , Rokhman Nur , Supriyanto Catur , Pujiono Pujiono
Published: February 2019

Deaf and hard-of-hearing people have limitations in communication, espe-cially on aspects of language, intelligence, and social adjustment. To com-municate, deaf people use sign language or lipreading. For normal people, it is very difficult to use sign language. They have to memorize many hand signs. Therefore, lipreading is a necessary for communication between nor-mal and deaf people. In Indonesia, there is still few education media for deaf people to learn lipreading. To overcome this challenge, we develop a lipread-ing educational media to help deaf and hard-of-hearing to learn Bahasa In-donesia, called BacaBicara. User-Centered Design (UCD) is implemented to design the application and to analyze the constraints and conceptual models for the needs of users. This conceptual model uses the picture, lipreading video, text, and sign language to help the users understand the contents. The High fidelity prototype was implemented for evaluating usability testing. Based on the evaluation of the application, the results show that the proto-type matches the usability goals and the user experience.
Analysis of an Intelligent Graphical Tutoring System using the Internet of Things (IoT) to Develop the Competency of Embedded Systems
Authors: Chalermdit Jiragorn , Nilsook Prachyanun , Wannapiroon Panita
Published: February 2019

The objectives of this research are to analyse and assess an intelligent graphical tutoring system using the internet of things (IoT) to develop the efficiency of embedded systems. The research findings suggest that an intelligent system is composed of six modules: 1) student, 2) graphical tutoring, 3) expert, 4) knowledge, 5) evaluation and 6) user interface. The result of a composition assessment performed by experts indicates that the overall results are at a high level. The system suitability scored the highest level which can be applied to real life situations.
Emotional Cognitive Assessment and Enhancement for Mentally Disabled People
Authors: Abou El-Seoud Samir , Ahmed Samaa A.
Published: February 2019

Autism spectrum syndrome well known as autism. Autism was delivered within the 1920s century especially in 1944. Autism is described as a development disease that influences the social abilities, nonverbal communication or what's called body language. Human beings with Autism and Asperger’s syndrome tends to have high IQ however very low EQ[1]. In addition, person who suffers autism has a tendency to have a specific habitual, aggressive reaction while converting this habitual. The Proposed concept is to develop an algorithm/method for growing emotional intelligence. The goal of the proposed concept is to assist human beings with Autism and Asperger’s syndrome that tends to have under common EI to approach normality [2]. The program will use the high IQ of the person to increase his/her EQ. To achieve this it is intended to develop program that refuse any miss behavior, or inappropriate mind-set. The advanced application acts like human, who will no longer accept to be treated in a particular manner. To enhance ones EI, people with autism ought to be taught on: �€¢ A way to cope with people in a manner they would accept.  �€¢ The way to apprehend his/her emotion and accept it. �€¢ The way to express their feelings.  The goal of the evolved program is to help autism users be given human beings and be selves ordinary. The program ought to teach person how to make buddies in the real existence.
Suborbital Spaceflight
Authors: Fuchs Gerold F. L.
Published: February 2019

One of the major historical milestones of spaceflight, suborbital flights played a vital role in the development of technologies and procedures for the operation of spacecraft. Today suborbital flights still play an important part in scientific and commercial fields, and in this chapter, the basic terms and values will be defined and also explained in the historical context. Small launching system for scientific applications called sounding rockets have a significant importance due to an unbeatable flexibility and cost effectiveness and the new and emerging field of commercial human flights to the edge of space is growing as an economically sound business model for private participants. Either of them will be detailed in the appropriate sub-chapters, followed by an outlook on the future possibilities of suborbital flights.
The International Space Station
Authors: Germann Sarah Katharina
Published: February 2019

The International Space Station is certainly one of the most astounding achievements of humankind in space. Especially from a legal point of view, the creation of the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) and its sub-instruments specifically for the ISS was a major success: the IGA was the first grand-scale multi-national legally binding space-related treaty drafted, ratified, and implemented by the major space faring nations since the drafting of the five UN Space Treaties roughly 20 years before. And still today, the legal framework of the ISS is a stand-alone legal system which can serve as model for other missions, as it refines and develops in an innovative way the rules laid out in the five UN Space Treaties and at the same time manages to coordinate and organize management, utilization, and financing between all the partners. This chapter intends to shed light on the complex legal system governing the ISS and to point out the novelties of the IGA-Structure in comparison with the conventional body of international space law.
On-Orbit Servicing and Active Debris Removal
Authors: Losekamm Martin J.
Published: February 2019

This chapter introduces the challenge of space debris and the concepts of on-orbit servicing and active debris removal. The evolution of the debris population is put into a historical perspective, observation and modelling methods are described, and internationally agreed mitigation strategies are briefly introduced. Proposed mission types and the required technologies for servicing and removal activities are detailed and their challenges explained. Where applicable, past, current, and proposed activities are summarized to illustrate the concepts.
Using Excel and Excel VBA for Preliminary Analysis in Big Data Research
Authors: Blayney Paul John , Sun Zhaohao
Published: February 2019

Can big data research be effectively conducted using spreadsheet software (i.e., Microsoft Excel)? While a definitive response might be closer to “no” rather than “yes,” this question cannot be unequivocally answered. As spreadsheet scholars, the authors' inclination is to answer in the positive. To this regard, the chapter looks at how Excel can be used in conjunction with other software and analytical techniques in big data research. This chapter also argues where and how to use spreadsheet software to conduct big data research. A focal argument of this chapter is that the key behind big data driven research is data cleansing and big data driven small data analysis. The proposed approach in this chapter might facilitate the research and development of intelligent big data analytics, big data analytics, and business intelligence.
The Impact of Creating a Business Intelligence Platform on Higher Education
Authors: Kamel Sherif H. , Megahed Iman , Atteya Heba
Published: February 2019

In today's ever-changing global environment, the higher education industry is facing many diversified and evolving challenges and its landscape is becoming more competitive, dynamic, and complex. To proactively operate in such a changing and complicated environment, innovation, creativity, information, and knowledge represent key competitive edges that need to be introduced, cultivated, and managed effectively. The American University in Cairo (AUC) is a leading institution of higher education in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region that recognized early on the power of knowledge and the need for a paradigm shift in management that capitalizes on innovative information and communication technologies. Accordingly, the university embarked on an ambitious journey as the first higher education institution in Egypt to build a state-of-the-art business intelligence (BI) platform that would support proactive, informed decision-making as a distinctive and sustainable competitive advantage.
Big Data Utilization, Benefits, and Challenges for Smart City Implementation
Authors: Vyas Sonali , Bhargava Deepshikha
Published: February 2019

With the rapid advancement of technology, everything is transforming into smarter versions. The term smart city means a technologically strengthened and advanced version of the city. Smart cities utilize digital information and techniques for improving services like performance, quality, etc. Big data technology and methods are utilized for handling the vast volume, high velocity and wide variety of data related to cities. This chapter discusses the big data utilization for making smart cities and also throws light on various applications where efficient analysis of services can be carried out using Big Data techniques. The main objective of this chapter will be to provide knowledge of big data implementation for the smart city and its services. This chapter will also investigate various prospects, benefits, and challenges of absorbing big data utilization for smart cities. It will also discuss some case studies related to big data applications for smart city services. It will also propose some open issues related to big data implementation for the smart city.
Big Data and the Internet of Things
Authors: Pingo Zablon , Narayan Bhuva
Published: February 2019

The privacy construct is an important aspect of internet of things (IoT) technologies as it is projected that over 20 billion IoT devices will be in use by 2022. Among other things, IoT produces big data and many industries are leveraging this data for predictive analytics to aid decision making in health, education, business, and other areas. Despite benefits in some areas, privacy issues have persisted in relation to the use of the data produced by many consumer products. The practices surrounding IoT and Big Data by service providers and third parties are associated with a negative impact to individuals. To protect consumers' privacy, a wide range of approaches to informational privacy protections exist. However, individuals are increasingly required to actively respond to control and manage their informational privacy rather than rely on any protection mechanisms. This chapter highlights privacy issues across consumers' use of IoT and identifies existing responses to enhance privacy awareness as a way of enabling IoT users to protect their privacy.
Disaster Management Using Internet of Things
Authors: Sharma Meghna , Kaur Jagdeep
Published: February 2019

The problem of hazard detection and the robotic exploration of the hazardous environment is the need of the of the hour due to the continuous increase of the hazardous gases owing to the industry proliferation and modernization of the infrastructure. It includes radiological materials and toxic gases with long term harmful effects. The definition of a hazardous environment and extracting the parameters for the same is itself a complicated task. The chapter proposes the alarming solution to warn about the level of hazardous effects for a particular environment area. The need of the hour is to build complete systems that can autosense the hazardous environment even in low visibility environment and raise an alarm. The combination of IoT and machine learning can be best used for getting the real-time data and using the real-time data for analyzing the accurate current hazardous level as well as prediction of future hazards by reading the parameters for detection and also selecting the useful parameters from them.
Tools and Platforms for Developing IoT Systems
Authors: Giray Görkem
Published: February 2019

The internet of things (IoT) transforms the world in many ways. It combines many types of hardware and software with a variety of communication technologies to enable the development of innovative applications. A typical IoT system consists of IoT device, IoT gateway, IoT platform, and IoT application. Developing these elements and delivering an IoT system for fulfilling business requirements encompasses many activities to be executed and is not straightforward. To expedite these activities, some major vendors provide software development kits (SDK), integrated development environments (IDE), and utility tools for developing software to be executed on IoT devices/gateways. Moreover, these vendors utilize their cloud platforms to provide fundamental services, such as data storage, analytics, stream processing, for developing IoT systems. These vendors also developed IoT specific cloud-based services, such as connectivity and device management, to support IoT system development. This chapter presents an overview of tools and platforms provided by five major vendors.
Role of Big Data in Internet of Things Networks
Authors: Saravanan Vijayalakshmi , Hussain Fatima , Kshirasagar Naik
Published: February 2019

With recent advancement in cyber-physical systems and technological revolutions, internet of things is the focus of research in industry as well as in academia. IoT is not only a research and technological revolution but in fact a revolution in our daily life. It is considered a new era of smart lifestyle and has a deep impact on everyday errands. Its applications include but are not limited to smart home, smart transportation, smart health, smart security, and smart surveillance. A large number of devices connected in all these application networks generates an enormous amount of data. This leads to problems in data storage, efficient data processing, and intelligent data analytics. In this chapter, the authors discuss the role of big data and related challenges in IoT networks and various data analytics platforms, used for the IoT domain. In addition to this, they present and discuss the architectural model of big data in IoT along with various future research challenges. Afterward, they discuss smart health and smart transportation as a case study to supplement the presented architectural model.
Big Data Analytics and Internet of Things in Industrial Internet in Former Soviet Union Countries
Authors: Mkrttchian Vardan , Gamidullaeva Leyla Ayvarovna , Panasenko Svetlana , Sargsyan Arman
Published: February 2019

The purpose of this chapter is to explore the integration of three new concepts—big data, internet of things, and internet signs—in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Further, the concept of big data is analyzed. The internet of things is analyzed. Information on semiotics is given, and it reduces to the notion of internet signs. Context concepts and the contribution of big data, internet of things, and internet of signs to contextual simplification are analyzed. The chapter briefly outlines some potential applications of the integration of these three concepts. The chapter briefly discusses the contribution of the study and gives some extensions. These applications included continuous monitoring of accounting data, continuous verification and validation, and use of big data, location information, and other data, for example, to control fraudsters in the countries of the former Soviet Union.
Advantages and Challenges of Using OERs in Teaching Less Commonly Taught Languages
Authors: Preradovic Nives Mikelic , Posavec Kristina
Published: February 2019

This chapter attempts to draw conclusions about the extent and modality of corpora use in teaching less commonly taught languages, based on the teachers' experience with their foreign language students, their use of corpora and corpus tools to prepare teaching materials, and based on their use of the corpora in the direct teaching process. The advantages and challenges of using OERs in teaching less commonly taught languages across different language learning levels discussed in this chapter are the result of detailed analysis of the preferences and needs of teachers at Croaticum (Centre for Croatian as a second and foreign language – CFL at the University of Zagreb), which is considered the largest and central institution for teaching CFL. The results are also based on the analysis of existing Croatian language corpora and the literature about these corpora.
Independent E-Learning
Authors: McKain Danielle
Published: February 2019

Recent advances in technology provide the opportunity for independent e-learning virtually anytime and anywhere. Although technology offers options that can meet the needs of most learners, distractions, and motivation to learn are concerns. This chapter will provide a brief history of independent e-learning and Khan Academy, as well as research on motivation to learn and gamification. In addition, Khan Academy case studies and other independent learning resources will be discussed along with advantages and disadvantages of use. The increase in free e-learning resources that are available for classroom and personal use is changing the world of education and learning. Future research recommendations are also presented.
Students' Formal and Informal Information Sources
Authors: Raith Corinna Petra
Published: February 2019

Based on an explorative interview study, this chapter reports on students' usage behavior concerning formal and informal information sources for academic (learning) purposes. In this regard, a variety of information sources was reported, ranging from scholarly materials to applications based on user-generated content like Wikipedia, Facebook, YouTube, blogs, forums, and question-and-answer sites. The findings showed that students' acceptance of information sources varied with an increase in the academic age: the more experienced students were, the more focused their choice of information sources was. Bachelor students utilized diverse sources, while doctoral and PhD students mainly concentrated on scholarly materials and news articles, but used Wikipedia, YouTube, and blogs as well. Regarding such informal sources, bachelor students mainly consulted these for learning purposes, while doctoral/PhD students primarily utilized them for checking up/acquiring information and their preparation work. The results are preliminary in their nature and are to be validated in further research.
Entrepreneurial Intentions of Management Students
Authors: Viana Adriana Backx Noronha , Carvalho Luísa Cagica , Cândido Ricardo Batista
Published: February 2019

Entrepreneurship has long been the subject of study, however, only after the 20th century, with the support of researchers in the behavioral sciences, personal characteristics that precede the intention to undertake begin to be investigated. Currently, entrepreneurship is seen by governments as an important instrument for job retention, the development of innovations and economic growth, and resultg in studies that relate education to entrepreneurship with the entrepreneurial intention. However, the results of these studies are inconclusive, especially in different cultural contexts. This chapter aims to understand the effects of entrepreneurial education on the entrepreneurial intentions of these students. This research uses a methodology developed in a distance course in Brazil with some adaptations in the scale. This study was applied in a management course supplied by an e-learning Portuguese University. The results suggest that the construct information was the main influence on the entrepreneurial intention in the future.
How to Apply the Flipped Classroom in Economics to Improve Student Satisfaction and Results
Authors: Prieto-Ballester Jorge M. , Pérez-Calderón Esteban , Milanés-Montero Patricia
Published: February 2019

This chapter contains the design of the application of the “Flipped Classroom” methodology to a subject of the University in the area of economics and that have an important practical load in order to improve student outcomes and motivation. A subject with an important practical load is chosen because they need a higher level of work in the activities, which is often not available due to the dedication that is made to the explanation of the different concepts. This chapter includes the justification for the need to apply new teaching techniques adapted to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and the suitability of the “Flipped Classroom” methodology with the aim of improving the motivation and results of the students.
Entrepreneurship Education With Preservice Teachers
Authors: Fonseca Lina
Published: February 2019

The theme of entrepreneurship has been pointed out a few years ago, by international institutions, as being essential to be integrated into the school, to empower future citizens to become agents of change and improvement of living conditions in their communities. Widely understood as the ability to turn ideas into action, their integration must be done early in school and requires a change in the learning environment. This should focus on the student who has been given an essential and active role in learning. The development of entrepreneurial skills, called soft skills, slow to develop and essential to every citizen, should be done as soon as possible. This chapter aims to disseminate a methodology of entrepreneurial education applied to children from 3 to 12 years old and exemplify with projects developed in kindergarten contexts.
Does Entrepreneurship and Innovative Education Matter to Increase Employability Skills?
Authors: Pereira Elisabeth T. , Villas-Boas Madalena , Rebelo Cátia C.
Published: February 2019

The present study proposes a framework of key skills to improve the HEIs current curricula through entrepreneurship and innovative education. The approach is based on a questionnaire applied to key stakeholders, students (from economics, business and engineering subject field of studies) and academics, from five European countries. The results allow to identify the graduates' skills shortages and the best covered skills in current curricula. Those skills are in accordance with the 21st century skills and constitute the foundation of the proposed framework that suggests that this mix of skills should be integrated and implemented into the curricula degrees of HEIs, through a group of innovative and entrepreneurship education initiatives to promote graduates' employability.
Leading Digital Transformation in Higher Education
Authors: Miller Christine Elizabeth
Published: February 2019

The pace of innovation continues to accelerate. Students expect campuses to keep pace with the technology they use in their daily lives, and the technology they will likely need to use when they enter the workforce as graduates. Students and their families now pay more of the costs associated with earning a degree, and they want to have a voice in campus planning and decision making. Higher education technology leaders will need to help their campuses shift from incremental adoption of disparate technologies to digital transformation. Digital transformation includes adopting innovative technologies to transform mission critical activities and optimizing related processes and data with the objective of increasing customer satisfaction and providing an excellent end user experience. To guide digital transformation, technology leaders in higher education need a toolkit to build buy-in and facilitate cultural transformation on their campuses.
“Solve the Big Problems”
Authors: Thompson Kelvin , Jowallah Rohan , Cavanagh Thomas B.
Published: February 2019

Blended learning remains at the top of higher education/technology issues lists despite having been in practice on college and university campuses for 20 years. However, a review of blended learning research literature suggests that innovation in blended learning models has been lacking. This chapter positions innovation in blended learning as a leadership challenge, not merely for the niche concerns of learning technology professionals but as a strategy to fulfill the higher education mission of student success. The chapter authors assert that, while blended learning's very flexibility often curtails its systemic implementation, when undertaken as an institutional leadership challenge, new configurations of blended learning implemented through cross-institutional partnerships hold great promise.
Innovation Through Diversity and Inclusion
Authors: Kutch Brenna Deanne Miaira , Kutch Juliana Sayumi Miaira
Published: February 2019

IT leadership involves technology, but it is mostly about people. This chapter discusses how organizational diversity has a critical impact on innovation and the role of leaders to create an environment where everybody feels a sense of belonging and where all kinds of people can flourish through safety, awareness, hiring, mindsets, and listening. Leaders are sometimes unsure how to achieve a more inclusive culture. This chapter provides research, definitions, details, and actionable recommendations for change so that leaders can create an organization where diverse employees can thrive and innovate for the benefit of the university and its community.
Higher Education Technology Administrators as Relational Leaders
Authors: Britton Todd , Hyatt Laura
Published: February 2019

This chapter focused on the key relational leadership practices that are significant to higher education technology leaders now and in the future. The methods employed were a literature review of over 200 publications derived from peer reviewed as well as publicly accessible documents which detailed responsibilities such as job descriptions and position announcements culled from higher education institutions where the titles ranged from technology administrator to vice president of information technology. The analysis showed connections between higher education technology administrators and relational leadership and revealed five central practices. The results of this research benefit higher education technology administrators and the institutions they serve.
The Use of Emerging Technology Exploration Projects to Guide Instructional Innovation
Authors: Cole Andrew W. , Weber Nicole L.
Published: February 2019

Purposing emerging technologies for instructional innovation in higher education provides a multitude of challenges for students, instructors, and administrators. Educational leaders, researchers, practitioners, and other stakeholders in higher education often struggle with implementing processes to evaluate technology-based instructional innovation. This chapter details the development, facilitation, and evaluation of projects exploring emerging technologies in order to guide instructional innovation and provide solutions to common teaching and learning challenges. The purpose of these emerging technology exploration projects (ETEPs) is to guide college instructors interested in effectively using emerging technology in their teaching. To that end, this chapter also details opportunities and challenges, as well as potential solutions to these challenges, related to exploring and evaluating instructional innovation through these ETEPs.
An Overview of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), Pedagogies, and Distance Education
Authors: Yaakob Mohd Faiz Mohd , Zalli Mohd Muslim Md
Published: February 2019

This chapter discussed an overview of massive open online courses (MOOC) pedagogies and distance education in Malaysia. Meanwhile, topics such as MOOC in Malaysia, distance education, theory, and concept and other sub-topics are discussed. Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are the instructed course with the various number of students using the internet. Indeed, MOOCs are not a new tool to educational modules outline and strategy. At the end of this chapter, effective teaching strategies are proposed.
Pedagogical Orientation in the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Authors: Yusuf Byabazaire , Nur Abdul Hamid Busthami
Published: February 2019

Redesigning higher education is one of the most widely discussed topics among educators, parents, and other community stakeholders. This is due to the current developments in digital technologies and onset of the fourth industrial revolution which is set to alter the way people live and work. This chapter suggests the implementation of the flipped classroom model as an appropriate approach for equipping students with creative abilities, problem solving skills, thinking skills, and lifelong learning skills. Eight in-service teachers pursuing a postgraduate course on a part-time basis participated in a qualitative study. The study was conducted using asynchronous virtual focus group dialogue sessions. The study addressed three main questions: 1) why they adopted a flipped classroom model, 2) how they implemented it, and 3) what fourth industrial revolution skills were developed using this model. On the whole, this approach created an active and collaborative environment which enabled students to demonstrate their creativity and problem solving skills needed for future careers.
Edmodo in an Institute of Teacher Education
Authors: Loo Quinie Ong Kooi , Dass Kathleen
Published: February 2019

Edmodo is a free online learning platform for teachers to communicate and collaborate with students. It is a digital communication tool that has been designed to work across a range of devices, suitable for blended learning. To maximize learning and meet the challenges of the current digitalized classroom, supplemental blended learning was adopted in an English literature course in an institute of teacher education in Kedah, Malaysia. This chapter describes how Edmodo was used to manage blended learning, with the focus on online activities created in posts, small groups, assignment tool, and polling tool. The activities were planned based on the five ingredients on blended learning by Carman. The result of a poll done in Edmodo showed 74% of the students agreed that they were able to explicate Shakespeare after attending the course, and 81% opined that the course was effectively organized in Edmodo. Based on the positive feedback, Edmodo is recommended for subsequent blended learning courses.
The Future of Product Design Education Industry 4.0
Authors: Loy Jennifer , Novak James I.
Published: February 2019

When a society is undergoing transformational change, it is a challenge for all involved to step outside their immediate context sufficiently to evaluate its implications. In the current digital revolution driving Industry 4.0, the pace of change is rapid, and its scale and complexity can inhibit a proactive, rather than reactive, response. Yet if it were possible to return to the first industrial revolution, armed with twenty-first century knowledge and historical perspective, planning for a healthy society and the future of work could have been very different. This chapter aims to support educational leadership in the development of proactive strategies to respond to the challenges and opportunities of Industry 4.0 to inform the future of work, industry, and society. This is framed through the lens of product design, with its unique position at the nexus of engineering and the humanities, and directly tied to changes affecting manufacturing in the fourth industrial revolution.
Alternatives to the Traditional Doctoral Dissertation
Authors: Berg Gary
Published: February 2019

In response to increased criticism of the utility of the traditional doctoral dissertation, some institutions have incorporated additional options for students such as articles, portfolios, and industry-specific projects. This trend towards allowing alternatives for doctoral students coincides with the rise internationally of what are variously called professional, applied, or practitioner doctorates in various disciplines. The goal of this review of the relevant research literature and policy documents is to understand the evolution of professional doctoral degrees, and how rigor and quality are evaluated specifically with non-dissertation capstone projects. Findings suggest that universities, accrediting agencies, and professional associations recognize a need for new standards for alternatives to the traditional dissertation in order to make such options rigorous and relevant for the students.
WT-MO Algorithm
Authors: Monteiro Ana Carolina Borges , Iano Yuzo , França Reinaldo Padilha , Razmjooy Navid
Published: February 2019

Visual examination of blood smears is an essential tool for analysis, prevention, and remediation of several types of maladies. The interest of computer-aided decision has been acknowledged in many medicinal instances (e.g., automatic ways and means are being explored to spot, classify, and measure visual items in hematological cytology [HC]). This chapter proposes an entirely automated blood smear diagnosis system for hemograms, which can lessen the time spent to scrutinize a slide. The present framework relies on morphological operations (MOs) and soft segmentation by means of the watershed transform (WT). Experiments demonstrate the method efficacy to count white blood cells (WBCs) and red blood cells (RBCs). Some considerations about implementations, design advice and possible variants, as well as improvements are discussed. The future of automated medical analysis is contemplated.
Identification of Agricultural Crop Residues Using Non-Destructive Methods
Authors: Kateris Dimitrios , Gravalos Ioannis , Gialamas Theodoros
Published: February 2019

Biomass is a bulky and inhomogeneous material, making it difficult to transport and store. In order to solve this problem, it has been found that the most common way to overcome the limitation of the biomass bulk density is to increase it with fine shredding. This chapter investigated the ability to identify specific operation conditions in a prototype biomass shredder by developing and utilizing non-destructive testing and artificial intelligence techniques. In order to demonstrate the performance of proposed methods, three different case studies investigated the different operation conditions from the vibration signals acquired through the ball bearings of the biomass shredder. The results showed that the two classifiers can provide reliable results using as inputs statistical features in time and frequency domain. These statistical features can be used with success for identify different operating condition. The combination of the statistical features with the appropriate classifiers gives a powerful tool for the agricultural biomass shredder condition monitoring.
Intelligent Farming With Surveillance Agribot
Authors: Singh Tripty , Vinod Dasari Naga
Published: February 2019

This chapter endeavors to execute the rural cultivating robot which can move naturally, instinctually, automatically to furrow, seeding, and water system in shut field. This examination additionally adds to upgrade usefulness of agri-bot in the field for spying. The agri-robot is outfitted with a camera and sends the information to pc through wi-fi arrange. The robot has furrowing cutting edges and servo engine for dispersing the seeds and water system into the field. It works with ultrasonic sensor and IR sensor. Ultrasonic sensor is for dodging deterrents in the field; IR sensor is for detecting felid limit. Arduino controller goes about as heart and cerebrum of the framework; it makes quick, precise, self-governing development. This exploration includes an agri-bot that utilization Wi-Fi 802.11G alongside TCP/IP convention. IP address and video are gotten in workstation for further handling. This examination means to decrease human endeavors and give a clever guide to the farmers.
The New Paths of Fundamental Rights in the 21st Century
Authors: Pacheco Fátima Monteiro , Alves Dora Resende
Published: February 2019

The protection of fundamental rights is one of the essential elements of European identity. Thus, knowledge of the law is crucial for the realization and guarantee of fundamental rights: knowing the law must be the first of the fundamental rights that assist us. Despite the abundance of declarative texts, the lack of identification and visibility and the lack of knowledge about the gracious and contentious ways, continue to be barriers to the full affirmation of those rights. The authors present a review on the legal structure of this novel space in which we move: a common space without borders, a space of democracy, an area of freedom, security, and multiculturality. Elencare which rights to citizens and how to access them intends to give shape to a future portal of enlightenment. The approach will be tripartised by the portuguese constitutional system, the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Union.
Impact of Social Networks in the Exercise of Citizenship in Portugal
Authors: Rosário Cátia , Lorga da Silva Ana
Published: February 2019

In a society where access and presence in social networks is common to most of the population, it is essential to follow this form of access and sharing information, especially when it comes to publicizing the rights and duties of citizens. In this sense, the chapter focused on the analysis of the profile of Portuguese citizens that uses social networks to support the different themes that make up the concept of citizenship. Likewise, the results obtained allow to state that although most respondents do not use social networks to follow and/or support institutions, movements, or organizations associated with the exercise of citizenship, there is room for such. That is, the results suggest that it is possible to promote the exercise of citizenship through social networks in Portugal.
Problems Relating to the Right to Information in Turkey
Authors: Aydin Omur
Published: February 2019

Traditionally, public administration has always preferred to work behind closed doors. However, the concept of participatory democracy, which developed especially after the 1950s, encouraged citizens to participate more in the decision-making mechanisms of the state. Turkey experiences many problems in exercising the right to information, which was enacted in 2003, arising from the administration's attitudes and behaviors and also from the legislation. Foremost among these are the fact that citizens have not been made sufficiently aware of this right and that the administration is reluctant to share information. An analysis of the data and statistics in Turkey shows a rising trend in the exercise of this right by citizens between 2004-2015. However, considering the size of Turkey's population, the rate can still be deemed low. Post-2015 figures show a radical decline in citizens' exercising of the right to information. This situation may be explained by the painful process that Turkey experienced from 2015 onwards and the state of emergency implementations that followed.
Corruption and Human Development Index
Authors: Gomes Olívia Maria Cardoso , Barros Mara Karinne Lopes Veriato
Published: February 2019

Corruption is a human phenomenon that covers the whole world. It is a fact that public corruption gains more prominence than private corruption, because the state has the duty of accountability in a transparent way to taxpayers. As a result of this, the authors focus on the analysis of public corruption, which involves agents and public resources of the state. Therefore, this study has the main objective to verify if there is a relationship between IPC corruption (corruption perception index) and HDI (human development index), which posits the hypothesis that the greater the corruption, the lower the HDI indexes. In addition to the CPI and HDI variables, they also analyze the GDP of the countries in a secondary way. The global data analyzed indicate a high correlation between greater corruption and a lower index of human development, which may suggest problems of accountability.
Eye Movement Pre-Algebra and Visual Semantic Algebra
Authors: Iurato Giuseppe
Published: February 2019

This article proposes a new denotational mathematics entity, i.e., the eye movement pre-algebra (EMpA), which may be considered as a pre-algebraic structure in a certain sense generating, according to universal algebra, Husserlian phenomenological theory and structuralism, another basic algebraic structure of denotational mathematics, said to be visual semantic algebra (VSA).
Retinal Blood Vessel Extraction From Fundus Images Using Improved Otsu Method
Authors: Dash Jyotiprava , Bhoi Nilamani
Published: February 2019

In the present time, the identification of blood vessels is a basic task for diagnosis of various eye abnormalities. So, this article offers an instinctive approach for identification of blood vessels in ophthalmoscope images. This approach includes three different phases: pre-processing, vessel extraction and post-processing for getting a final vessel segmentation outcome. In the presented method, formerly log transformation and contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization are used for the enhancement of retinal images. The enhanced image is then filtered using a morphological opening operation and subsequently the optic disk is removed. The second phase includes the application of the improved Otsu method on the pre-processed image for the identification of blood vessels. Lastly, the resultant vessel-segmented image is obtained by using the morphological cleaning operation. The proposed method is fast, time efficient, and gives consistent accuracy for all retinal images. It is more robust and easier to implement compared to other traditional methods. The performance of the presented method is evaluated using ten different mathematical measures. It achieves average sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 0.710, 0.982 and 0.956 for the digital retinal images for vessel extraction (DRIVE) database, 0.738, 0.982 and 0.954 for the structure analysis of the retina (STARE) database and 0.737, 0.964 and 0.949 for the child heart and health study in England (CHASE_DB1) database. The presented method also performs better in segmenting thin vessels by giving average accuracies of 0.964, 0.954 and 0.965 for DRIVE, STARE and CHASE_DB1 databases respectively.