bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Web-Based Intelligent Educational Laboratory System for Forecasting Chaotic Time Series
Authors: Kose Utku , Arslan Ahmet
Published: September 2014

In the context of Chaos Theory and its applications, forecasting time series of a chaotic system is an attractive work area for the current literature. Many different approaches and the related scientific studies have been introduced and done by researchers since the inception of this working area. Newer studies are also performed in order to provide more effective and efficient approaches and improve the related literature in this way. On the other hand, it is another important research point to ensure effective educational approaches for teaching Chaos Theory and chaotic systems within the associated courses. In this sense, this chapter introduces a Web-based, intelligent, educational laboratory system for forecasting chaotic time series. Briefly, the system aims to enable students to experience their own learning process over the Web by using a simple interface. The laboratory system employs an Artificial Intelligence-based approach including a Single Multiplicative Neuron System trained by Intelligent Water Drops Algorithm in order to forecast time series of chaotic systems. It is possible to adjust parameters of the related Artificial Intelligence techniques, so it may possible for students to have some knowledge about Artificial Intelligence and intelligent systems.
For an Intelligent E-Learning
Authors: Kose Utku
Published: September 2014

During a typical e-learning process, there are many different factors that should be taken into consideration to keep the stability of the process or improve the process to get more effective results. Nowadays, employing Artificial Intelligence-based approaches is one of the most popular ways to improve the process and obtain the desired objectives rapidly. In this sense, there are many different kinds of scientific works in order to improve the related literature. However, ensuring control among the performed Artificial Intelligence-based e-learning process is a critical point because there is sometimes a misunderstanding about employing intelligent e-learning process that running intelligent educational tools or materials does not always mean the related e-learning process will improve greatly. In order to ensure that there should be some managerial procedures focused on some aspects of the process, this chapter aims to introduce a managerial model that can be used for especially Artificial Intelligence-supported e-learning content flow in order to improve the educational process. The suggested model is usable for the educational institutions, which focus on especially Artificial Intelligence-oriented e-learning solutions, research works, and educational activities.
Ideas on the Future of Intelligent Web-Based E-Learning
Authors: Kose Utku
Published: September 2014

With the outstanding improvements in technology, the number of e-learning applications has increased greatly. This increment is associated with awareness levels of educational institutions on the related improvements and the power of communication and computer technologies to ensure effective and efficient teaching and learning experiences for teachers and students. Consequently, there is a technological flow that changes the standards of e-learning processes and provides better ways to obtain desired educational objectives. When we consider today's widely used technological factors, Web-based e-learning approaches have a special role in directing the educational standards. Improvements among m-learning applications and the popularity of the Artificial Intelligence usage for educational works have given great momentum to this orientation. In this sense, this chapter provides some ideas on the future of intelligent Web-based e-learning applications by thinking on the current status of the literature. As it is known, current trends in developing Artificial Intelligence-supported e-learning tools continue to shape the future of e-learning. Therefore, it is an important approach to focus on the future. The author thinks that the chapter will be a brief but effective enough reference for similar works, which focus on the future of Artificial Intelligence-supported distance education and e-learning.
A Rich Environment for Active Learning (REAL)
Authors: Robinson Heather , Phillips Alana S. , Sheffield Anneliese , Moore Michelle
Published: September 2014

Online teaching is considerably different from face-to-face teaching. With the continued growth of online teaching, all teachers should be prepared to teach an online course. Since the overarching difference between face-to-face and online instruction is communication, it is imperative for online instruction to be delivered using a social constructivist model to make up for the lack of social interaction in the classroom. Delivering instruction using the Rich Environment for Active Learning (REAL) model has the potential to remove communication barriers and draw more students into the social aspect of instruction, and therefore truly engage them as lifelong learners. The REAL model is explored in this chapter.
Cultivating Community in Online and Blended Learning Environments
Authors: Smith Tracy W. , Maiden III Emory
Published: September 2014

The popularity of social media networking sites like Facebook and Twitter demonstrates how communities can develop and flourish in virtual spaces. How can higher education institutions and instructors leverage the power of community to enhance student learning without compromising the rigor that is foundational to the academy? Building on the scholarly literature and their own experiences teaching and providing faculty development in online and blended learning environments, the authors provide a rationale for cultivating community in online environments as well as provide descriptive cases of instructors who have effectively used a learning management system to cultivate vibrant learning communities in online and hybrid courses. They also offer multiple faculty development models for helping faculty develop a social, teaching, and cognitive presence in online environments.
Blended for Student Engagement and Retention
Authors: Munene Ishmael I. , Darby Flower , Doherty John
Published: September 2014

Facetiously described as the “third generation” of distance learning, blended learning is now the new kid on the block in the deployment of technology to support teaching and learning. Its versatility as a pedagogical strategy for creating learner-centered instruction lies in the capacity to exploit the potentials of both the traditional face-to-face instruction and online learning modality in order to provide students with multiple pathways of learning. Yet, developing a blended course to take advantage of these duo capabilities is a monumental challenge for faculty. This chapter presents an analysis of approaches and models employed by faculty at Northern Arizona University to develop and deliver two blended courses as part of the institution's strategy of using technology to enhance undergraduate student engagement and retention. The analysis shows that a multimodal approach that infuses technologies and media and a proactive institutional policy in favor of blended learning, coupled with strategic faculty development, provides the best pathway to developing robust blended courses that are truly learner-centered.
Learning through Web-Based Authoring Tools
Authors: Lee Tony , Lim Doo Hun
Published: September 2014

The Web-based authoring tools are great additions to online education and training programs. This chapter provides a portrait of roles and impacts of Web-based authoring tools in online learning environments. With all the unique functions and options that are available in Web-based authoring tools, it is not required for instructors and trainers to be Web development experts to create quality online learning instructions that meet the needs of the multi-generational learners (i.e., traditionalist, baby boomer, generation X, and generation Y). In addition, the Web-based authoring tools enable instructors and trainers to create media-rich learning instructions and transform dry Web content into engaging and exciting learning content. Besides recreating and transforming Web content, Web-based authoring tools also play an important role in expanding learners' attention spans and their readiness to learn.
Teacher Development, Support, and Training with Mobile Technologies
Authors: Wilson Nance S. , Zygouris-Coe Vassiliki (Vicky) I. , Cardullo Victoria M.
Published: September 2014

Preparing teachers to integrate iPads into the classroom requires designing professional development that supports teacher knowledge development as well as the development of a teacher as metacognitive. In this chapter, the authors describe training and support that builds teachers' development of a Metacognitive Technological Pedagogical Framework (M-TPACK) for integrating iPads. The professional development emphasizes the metacognitive teacher with positive dispositions towards technology integration as a key factor in ensuring that teachers implement knowledge of content, technology, pedagogy, and students. Finally, this chapter presents authentic and relevant examples for teacher development with mobile technologies.
Using Mobile Technology for Student Teaching Observations of Special Education Candidates
Authors: Harrower Josh , Rodríguez Cathi Draper
Published: September 2014

Student teacher supervision has been an important part of teacher preparation almost since the inception of teacher education programs. The goal of this type of supervision is to strengthen the skills of the pre-service teacher. Providing this type of observation can be difficult for teacher preparation programs and university faculty. Many factors, including large numbers of students in teacher education programs and student placements in remote schools, contribute to this. In order to make the most effective use of faculty and pre-service teacher time, other options for providing this support need to be explored. The rapidly developing field of mobile technology (e.g., iPads, iPhones, Smart Phones) can be used to facilitate student teaching observations. This chapter discusses how teacher preparation programs can implement candidate field supervision using video conferencing via mobile technology to increase the ability to conduct observations in schools and in a more efficient manner. It also explores the security of video conferencing applications and the issues related to using video conferencing in special education classrooms, where student confidentiality is heightened.
Framing Mobile Learning
Authors: Hosler Kim A.
Published: September 2014

The purpose of this chapter is to introduce faculty and instructors, and those interested in using mobile technologies to support teaching and learning, to the Framework for the Rationale Analysis of Mobile Education (FRAME; Koole, 2009). This chapter discusses how mobile or handheld devices can be used to promote inquiry-based learning and constructivist and authentic pedagogies. Additionally, the chapter discusses Koole's (2009) FRAME model as a scaffold for guiding “the development of learning materials, and the design of teaching and learning strategies for mobile education” (p. 25). Lastly, the FRAME model is used to guide the implementation of an inquiry-based instructional unit incorporating mobile or handheld devices.
An Efficient Evolutionary Algorithm for Strict Strong Graph Coloring Problem
Authors: Bensouyad Meriem , Guidoum Nousseiba , Saïdouni Djamel-Eddine
Published: September 2014

A very promising approach for combinatorial optimization is evolutionary algorithms. As an application, this paper deals with the strict strong graph coloring problem defined by Haddad and Kheddouci (2009) where the authors have proposed an exact polynomial time algorithm for trees. The aim of this paper is to introduce a new evolutionary algorithm for solving this problem for general graphs. It combines an original crossover and a powerful correction operator. Experiments of this new approach are carried out on large Dimacs Challenge benchmark graphs. Results show very competitive with and even better than those of state of the art algorithms. To the best of the author's knowledge, it is the first time that an evolutionary algorithm is proposed to solve the strict strong graph coloring problem.
Statistical Discriminability Estimation for Pattern Classification Based on Neural Incremental Attribute Learning
Authors: Wang Ting , Guan Sheng-Uei , Puthusserypady Sadasivan , Wong Prudence W. H.
Published: September 2014

Feature ordering is a significant data preprocessing method in Incremental Attribute Learning (IAL), a novel machine learning approach which gradually trains features according to a given order. Previous research has shown that, similar to feature selection, feature ordering is also important based on each feature's discrimination ability, and should be sorted in a descending order of their discrimination ability. However, such an ordering is crucial for the performance of IAL. As the number of feature dimensions in IAL is increasing, feature discrimination ability also should be calculated in the corresponding incremental way. Based on Single Discriminability (SD), where only the feature discrimination ability is computed, a new filter statistical feature discrimination ability predictive metric, called the Accumulative Discriminability (AD), is designed for the dynamical feature discrimination ability estimation. Moreover, a criterion that summarizes all the produced values of AD is employed with a GA (Genetic Algorithm)-based approach to obtain the optimum feature ordering for classification problems based on neural networks by means of IAL. Compared with the feature ordering obtained by other approaches, the method proposed in this paper exhibits better performance in the final classification results. Such a phenomenon indicates that, (i) the feature discrimination ability should be incrementally estimated in IAL, and (ii) the feature ordering derived by AD and its corresponding approaches are applicable with IAL.
Intrusion Detection Using Fuzzy Meta-Heuristic Approaches
Authors: Bahamida Bachir , Boughaci Dalila
Published: September 2014

Due to a growing number of intrusion events, organizations are increasingly implementing various intrusion detection systems that classify network traffic data as normal or anomaly. In this paper, three intrusion detection systems based fuzzy meta-heuristics are proposed. The first one is a fuzzy stochastic local search (FSLS). The second one is a fuzzy tabu search (FTS) and the third one is a fuzzy deferential evolution (FDE). These classifiers are built on a knowledge base modelled as a fuzzy rule “if-then”. The main purpose of these methods is to get the highest quality solutions by optimizing the fuzzy rules generation. The proposed classifiers FSLS, FTS and FDE are tested on the benchmark KDD'99 intrusion dataset and compared with some well-known existing techniques for intrusion detection. The results show the efficiency of the proposed approaches in the intrusion detection field.
To Flip Or Not To Flip? That's Not The Question
Authors: Egbert Joy , Herman David , Chang Aichia
Published: September 2014

Although the literature on flipped instruction to date appears to be relatively atheoretical, the benefits listed in the flipped literature fit well with theories of optimal learning environments (e.g., Egbert, Hanson-Smith, & Chao, 2007) and student engagement (Lin, 2012, and others). This conceptual paper links flipped instruction to these two models and then briefly describes an ESL teacher education course that involves U.S. pre-service teachers learning Chinese online as part of a flipped classroom. The paper concludes by suggesting how flipped instruction might work in other CALL contexts and related issues.
Business English Vocabulary Learning With Mobile Phone
Authors: Zhang Haisen , Song Wei , Huang Ronghuai
Published: September 2014

The purpose of this study was to explore whether the use of mobile technology could better enhance students' business English vocabulary learning than the employment of traditional print material. A group of sophomores (N=43) from a Chinese university in North China were randomly assigned to two groups: the experimental group (N=23), who worked on a given list of business vocabulary via SMS, and the control group (N=20), who studied the same list of vocabulary via paper print material. The results of the posttest reveal that the experimental group did significantly better than the control group. However, the results of the delayed test show that the two groups were not significantly different from each other in term of vocabulary retention rates. The study concludes that a blended use of mobile technology such as SMS and paper print material could better give rise to students' business English vocabulary learning. The limitations and suggestions for future research are also discussed.
Brand Equity Effects on Bidding Strategies in an Online Environment
Authors: Bozman Carl S. , McPherson Matthew Q. , Friesner Daniel , Teng Ching-I
Published: September 2014

Internet auction bidders seldom have all the information resources upon which they have learned to comfortably rely. This raises the possibility that internet auction participants depend more on brand related knowledge and employ bidding strategies consistent with heightened valuations of brand related information. This study empirically examines how differences in brand equity affect consumer online auction behavior on eBay. Branded products with objective values (certified coins) are examined for differences in bidding behavior across auctions. The results indicate auction participants employ incremental bidding strategies for preferred brands that have higher prices except when those brands were for coins of the highest quality. Auctions that had sellers who were not power sellers or which did not take Paypal are more prone to attract late or last minute bidders.
Prior Negative Experience, Online Privacy Concerns and Intent to Disclose Personal Information in Chinese Social Media
Authors: Yang Hongwei “Chris”
Published: September 2014

A paper survey of 489 Chinese college students was conducted in spring, 2012 to test a conceptual model of online information disclosure in social media. It shows that young Chinese SNS users' prior negative experience of online disclosure significantly increased their online privacy concerns and their perceived risk. Their online privacy concerns undermined their trust of online companies, marketers and laws to protect privacy and elevated their perceived risk. Their trust strongly predicted their intent to disclose the lifestyle and sensitive information. Their online privacy concerns only inhibited them from disclosing sensitive information in social media. However, their prior negative experience did not directly predict their intent of self-disclosure on SNS. Implications for academia and industry are discussed.
The Emerging Application Ecosystems
Authors: Hyrynsalmi Sami , Suominen Arho , Mäkilä Tuomas , Knuutila Timo
Published: September 2014

Emerging mobile application ecosystems have had a clear effect on the software business. Apple App Store and Google Play have gathered both existing large software companies and new start-ups. In creating a healthy ecosystem, the role of the software developer is significant. In practice, the ecosystems' ability to entice developers to create software products to the ecosystem can be argued to be a major factor driving the competitiveness of the ecosystem. This article empirically investigates Google Play, by gathering the data of 350,000 applications from the marketplace. With the dataset, common assumptions linked to the marketplace are studied. The results show that the direct software sale is a practical revenue model only for a few while offering a trial and paid version of the application seems to improve the revenue. The impact of the number of applications in the marketplace is questioned.
Panel Supply Chain Collaboration Using a Web-Based Decision Support System to Improve Product Quality and On-Time Delivery
Authors: Chang Ping-Yu
Published: September 2014

To address rapid change in the environment, enterprises increase their competitiveness through supply chain collaboration to efficiently allocate resources. However, supply chain collaboration usually fails because information is usually confidential, and many resources have to be devoted to leverage different business ideas and information systems. Although many studies have discussed strategies of supply chain collaboration, only a few of the strategies can be implemented in practice. Therefore, this research builds an information exchange platform to permit production and inventory information to be shared and analyzed online to ensure on-time delivery. This platform is implemented in a panel manufacturing company to establish the usefulness of the strategies and the constructed system. After implementing the system, on-time delivery increases 10% and quality increases more than 2%. This result demonstrates the usefulness of the proposed system in practice and strengthens the value of this research.
Designing Collaborative Activities to Promote Understanding and Problem-Solving
Authors: Hall Barbara M.
Published: September 2014

There are a vast number of studies that examine narrowly focused aspects of collaborative activities. However, rare is the research that synthesizes the findings of these studies and suggests an overall picture of well-designed collaborative activities. Toward this end, this manuscript discusses the characteristics of collaboration related to communication, structure, group composition, and grounding. The design of a collaborative activity should allow for certain types of conversations, feedback, and questions. The structure of a collaborative activity should consider tasks, scripts, and roles. Group size and ability grouping are flexible based on the analyses conducted at the beginning of the design process. The social space should afford grounding by not only allowing for social interaction, but also by stimulating such interaction.
E-Planning and Public Participation
Authors: Aitken Mhairi
Published: September 2014

The challenging nature of public participation in planning has been well-documented and there are frequent observations that this does not go far enough. Accordingly, since the turn of the century attention has turned to the ways in which public participation might be strengthened and improved through e-participation methods. This article aims to explore the extent to which e-planning methods address the long-standing challenges of traditional participation approaches. The article discusses some key themes within the planning theory literature relating to public participation and focusses on two important challenges which are summarised as: 1) Whose voices are heard within participatory processes, and how can less articulate voices be supported? And 2) Who controls participatory processes and to what extent, and in what ways can power be devolved to public participants? Developments in e-planning go some way to addressing these challenges; for example in opening up new channels for public participation and removing barriers to participation. However, e-planning certainly does not represent a panacea and requires critical reflection to ensure that it does not aggravate, rather than alleviate, these problems. For example, reliance on ICTs may risk leading to new inequalities in access to planning systems. Furthermore, questions relating to who participates, and who controls participation in planning processes remain relevant and pressing.
Challenges and Prospects of ICT Use in Agricultural Marketing
Authors: Getnet Endalew , Kedir Adem , Yousuf Jemal
Published: September 2014

Up-to-date market information on prices for commodities, inputs and consumer trends can improve farmers' livelihoods substantially and have a dramatic impact on their negotiating positions. Information on new marketing opportunities and the market prices of farm inputs and outputs is fundamental to an efficient and productive agricultural economy. The main focus of this study was on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) use on agricultural marketing. Use of ICT (mobile phone, radio and television) and factors affecting ICT use in agricultural marketing in Eastern Hararghe were the objectives of this study. Random sample of 210 producers were selected from six purposively selected kebeles from Haramaya, Kersa and Metta woredas based on their production potential. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression model were used for analyzing the data and 63.8% were ICT users while 36.2% were not. The model result indicated that age, year of education, information seeking behavior and participation in trainings were significant determinants of ICT use. Network availability in the area, construction of electric line and infrastructures, network coverage throughout the country, affordable cost of simcard with free air time were opportunities for mobile phone use. Construction of electric line and infrastructures, wide area coverage of the frequency were opportunities for radio and television use. Alternative power source (battery) and expansion of Frequency Modulation (FM) stations were other opportunities for radio use. Interruption of network and electricity, language problem, absence of organized source of information are some challenges to use ICT. Adult education and trainings are useful to promote the awareness of producers; establishing basic infrastructures and services including electricity is basic requirement for ICT utilization. For the effective use of ICT, local languages needs to be used and trainings about how to use ICT also need to be provided.
Public and Private Healthcare in Slovenia in Relation to Choice and Accessibility of Services
Authors: Kavčič Matic , Pahor Majda
Published: September 2014

This article starts with background information on the Slovenian healthcare system and the description of the evolutionary process and privatisation reforms that bring a mix of public and private healthcare services. The authors' aim is to conceptualise existing modes of public and private healthcare provision and discuss possible implications for user choice and accessibility of services. A descriptive and exploratory case study approach was employed. Literature and document analysis was complemented by secondary data and semi-structured interviews. The results demonstrate four modes of healthcare services in relation to public-private delivery. The ‘public non-profit' type refers to publicly financed and delivered services. The ‘private within public' type addresses services provided within and by the public sector for patients who pay out-of-pocket. The ‘private for public' type deals with services provided by private entities with concessions. The ‘private for-profit' type refers to completely private provision (without concession) of self-pay services. The strengths and weaknesses of each mode with respect to choice, space-time accessibility, financial accessibility and quality of services are critically discussed. The results of the study show that private healthcare services significantly complement and compete with public sector. In addition, there is a risk that uncontrolled mixing of public and private modes of practice may bring about unethical behaviour and corruption.
Learning CSR for Sustainable Corporate Advantage
Authors: Kakabadse Andrew P. , Kakabadse Nada K. , Lee-Davies Linda
Published: September 2014

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become a strategic and operational reality of the business and academic world. Not that the principles of CSR are always respected or that its practice is consistently applied. Bearing in mind the multi-faceted nature of both CSR and the corporate environment, as well as the paradox of what is taught in Higher Education and what is practised within its own walls, this paper provides a learning cyclical pathway to sustainable CSR implementation and progress review. As well as highlighting the role that Higher Education has to play, the paper emphasises that in order to embed CSR within the corporate environment, questions need to be raised concerning on-going CSR improvement in order to both protect and engage a wide range of stakeholders towards sustainable corporate advantage.
Public Libraries and the Right to the [Smart] City
Authors: Blewitt John
Published: September 2014

The future of public libraries has been threatened by funding cuts and new digital technologies which have led many people to question their traditional role and purpose. However, freedom of information, ready access to knowledge and information literacy in all its digital and analog guises are more important than ever. Thus, public libraries remain significant spaces and places where people can socially interact and learn. In many countries public libraries are reinventing themselves and part of this process has been the redesign of library services and the design and construction of new library building and facilities that articulate the values, purpose and role of what has been termed ‘the next library'. Following discussion of new library developments in London, Birmingham and Worcester in the UK, Aarhus in Denmark and Helsinki in Finland, the article concludes that public libraries are now both social and media spaces as well as being important physical places that can help city dwellers decide what type of urban world they want to see.
Lessons Learnt from the Socio-Technical Design of Social TV Services with Elderly
Authors: Alaoui Malek , Lewkowicz Myriam
Published: September 2014

Encouraging elderly people to stay at home as long as possible is associated with a higher risk of social isolation. Nowadays, aging well at home cannot be reduced to the management of physical and cognitive frailties and technologies should also tackle the quality of life of the elderly by fostering their social interactions. However, designing appropriate services and ensuring their adoption remain open questions, to which we try to provide answers at the methodological and instrumental levels. The authors present here a Living Lab approach to design communication services for elderly people at home. They illustrate this approach by describing their participation in a European project aiming at developing and evaluating Social TV services and they conclude with recommendations for the successful socio-technical design of services that foster the social engagement of elderly people.
Artifacts at Work
Authors: Winman Thomas
Published: September 2014

This study focuses on nursing students' internships and how the students are handling the tension created by expectations and dilemmas when using medical records (MRs) in practice. The overall aim of this study is to develop knowledge about what is required by nursing students in order to coordinate and sustain knowledge through the use of MRs. The theoretical approach to learning that has been adopted implies that learning takes place in social activities, and empirically this means that the study of learning and professional knowledge is a matter of studying activities where, for example, technologies are put into practical use, where experience and knowledge are brought to life. The data consists of observations of five nursing students during their second year in nursing school, interviews and ten video-recordings from shift reports. The result shows that nursing students regularly use MRs as a source of information and that they are struggling with transforming that information into action-oriented knowledge. The conclusion is that information systems such as MRs need to be understood and defined by teachers as materials and devices created or adapted to solving practical problems, and should be treated thereafter. Providers of education need to take into account the different types of intellectual or practical knowledge that professionals like nurses are expected to have, where the use of technology cannot be separated from, but need to be integrated into other aspects of knowledge.
Toward an Agent Framework that Assists the Individuals with Mild Memory Impairment
Authors: Huang Hung-Hsuan , Matsushita Hiroki , Kawagoe Kyoji , Yasuda Kiyoshi
Published: September 2014

With the increasing average life expectancy of world population, there are more and more dementia patients and the need of assistive technology emerges. According to the literature, the progress of cognitive impairment can be suppressed to be slower if the patients are constantly in calm mood. An effective way is suggested by keeping them in social relationship with the others. This paper presents a project with the goal of developing a framework for supporting dementia patients. This project features a conversational agent that can serve as a companion for dementia patients. Currently it has limited conversational ability but can generate back channel feedbacks, such as head nods and verbal acknowledgment, on the basis of acoustic information in the user's speech. In order to compensate the companionship of the agent and the ability to assist the user's memory, we are developing a memory vest which is equipped with portable devices including an Android smartphone, two IC audio recorders, and a digital video recorder to log the daily life of the patient. The gathered activity history database can then be used to enrich the dialogue ability of the agent and for helping the user to recall his / her own memory.
Childhood environment as a predictor of perceived health status in late life
Authors: Shah Sejal B. , Barsky Arthur J. , Vaillant George , Waldinger Robert J.
Published: September 2014

Prior studies have shown that perceived health status is a consistent and reliable predictor of morbidity and mortality. Because perceived health status and objective health are not highly correlated, we sought to identify additional factors that shape self-perceptions of health. Research suggests that childhood experience is an important predictor of health in adulthood, but most studies are retrospective. Using data from a 70-year prospective study of psychosocial development, we examined the quality of childhood environment as a predictor of perceived health in late life. This study utilizes questionnaire data from a longitudinal study of adult development to examine predictors of perceived health across seven decades. Participants were members of the Study of Adult Development, a longitudinal study of men followed for seven decades beginning in late adolescence. Childhood environment characteristics were assessed during home visits and interviews with respondents’ parents at entry into the study. At ages 63, 73, and 78, current health status was measured by an internist not affiliated with the Study, and perceived health was assessed via self-report questionnaires. Linear regression analyses were conducted to examine childhood environment as a predictor of perceived health status at these 3 time points while controlling for concurrent objective health and young adult neuroticism. Childhood environment predicted perceived health at all 3 time points. This study supports the hypothesis that the quality of childhood environment makes a unique contribution above and beyond personality traits and objective health status to perceptions of health in late life.
The Heidelberg Catechism: A 16th century quest for unity
Authors: Dreyer Wim A.
Published: September 2014

In this contribution the view is presented that the Heidelberg Catechism should be regarded as an attempt to promote unity between 16th century reformers and churches in the Palatinate. This, to some extent, determined the content of the Catechism resulting in some controversial issues receiving less attention. This in turn not only made the Catechism acceptable to a wide spectrum of Reformed Christianity, but also resulted in a creative and unique contribution to Reformed theology, almost a ‘third option’. It was soon used in different Reformed territories as a confession and acclaimed for its clarity in formulating the basic Reformed faith. Today the Heidelberg Catechism is regarded as one of the most ‘ecumenical’ documents of the 16th century. As such, it still promotes unity amongst many Reformed churches, including those in South Africa.
Connections Between Metric Characterizations of Superreflexivity and the Radon–Nikodým Property for Dual Banach Spaces
Authors: Ostrovskii Mikhail I.
Published: September 2014

Johnson and Schechtman (2009) characterized superreflexivity in terms of finite diamond graphs. The present author characterized the Radon–Nikodým property (RNP) for dual spaces in terms of the infinite diamond. This paper is devoted to further study of relations between metric characterizations of superreflexivity and the RNP for dual spaces. The main result is that finite subsets of any setMwhose embeddability characterizes the RNP for dual spaces, characterize superreflexivity. It is also observed that the converse statement does not hold and thatM=l2is a counterexample.
Comparison of the predictions of two road dust emission models with the measurements of a mobile van
Authors: Kauhaniemi M. , Stojiljkovic A. , Pirjola L. , Karppinen A. , Härkönen J. , Kupiainen K. , Kangas L. , Aarnio M. A. , Omstedt G. , Denby B. R. , Kukkonen J.
Published: September 2014

Abstract. The predictions of two road dust suspension emission models were compared with the on-site mobile measurements of suspension emission factors. Such a quantitative comparison has not previously been reported in the reviewed literature. The models used were the Nordic collaboration model NORTRIP (NOn-exhaust Road TRaffic Induced Particle emissions) and the Swedish–Finnish FORE model (Forecasting Of Road dust Emissions). These models describe particulate matter generated by the wear of road surface due to traction control methods and processes that control the suspension of road dust particles into the air. An experimental measurement campaign was conducted using a mobile laboratory called SNIFFER, along two selected road segments in central Helsinki in 2007 and 2008. The suspended PM10 concentration was measured behind the left rear tyre and the street background PM10 concentration in front of the van. Both models reproduced the measured seasonal variation of suspension emission factors fairly well during both years at both measurement sites. However, both models substantially under-predicted the measured emission values. The article illustrates the challenges in conducting road suspension measurements in densely trafficked urban conditions, and the numerous requirements for input data that are needed for accurately applying road suspension emission models.
Use of a global model to understand speciated atmospheric mercury observations at five high-elevation sites
Authors: Weiss-Penzias P. , Amos H. M. , Selin N. E. , Sexauer Gustin M. , Jaffe D. A. , Obrist D. , Sheu G.-R. , Giang A.
Published: September 2014

Abstract. Atmospheric mercury (Hg) measurements using the Tekran® analytical system from 5 high-elevation sites (1400–3200 m elevation), one in Asia and 4 in the western US, were compiled over multiple seasons and years, and these data were compared with the global model GEOS-Chem. Mercury data consisted of gaseous elemental Hg (GEM) and "reactive Hg" (RM) which is a combination of the gaseous oxidized (GOM) and particulate bound (< 2.5 μm) (PBM) fractions as measured by the Tekran® system. We used a subset of the observations by defining a "free tropospheric" (FT) dataset by screening using measured water vapor mixing ratios. The oxidation scheme used by the GEOS-Chem model was varied between the standard run with Br oxidation and an alternative run with OH-O3 oxidation. We used this model-measurement comparison to help interpret the spatio-temporal trends in, and relationships among the Hg species and ancillary parameters and to better understand the sources and fate of atmospheric RM. The most salient feature of the data across sites, seen more in the summer relative to the spring, was that RM was negatively correlated with GEM and water vapor mixing ratios (WV) and positively correlated with ozone (O3) both in the standard model and for most of the observations, indicating that RM was formed in dry upper altitude air from the photo-oxidation of GEM. Overall, however, the comparison between observed mercury species (GEM and RM) and those from the standard model showed a relatively weak relationship demonstrating the need to strengthen our understanding of fundamental chemistry and measurement artifacts. An improved correlation between the observations and the model was seen when the model was run with the OH-O3 oxidation scheme instead of the Br oxidation scheme. This simulation produced higher concentrations of RM and lower concentrations of GEM, especially at the desert sites in northwestern Nevada, which raises the possibility that OH as an oxidant via the HgBr+OH pathway could be more important in the summer at desert sites, compared to the mountaintop sites at Storm Peak and Mount Bachelor.
Assessment of small-scale integrated water vapour variability during HOPE
Authors: Steinke S. , Eikenberg S. , Löhnert U. , Dick G. , Klocke D. , Di Girolamo P. , Crewell S.
Published: September 2014

Abstract. The spatio-temporal variability of integrated water vapour (IWV) on small-scales of less than 10 km and hours is assessed with data from the two months of the High Definition Clouds and Precipitation for advancing Climate Prediction (HD(CP)2) Observational Prototype Experiment (HOPE). The statistical intercomparison of the unique set of observations during HOPE (microwave radiometer (MWR), Global Positioning System (GPS), sunphotometer, radiosondes, Raman Lidar, infrared and near infrared Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the satellites Aqua and Terra) measuring close together reveals a good agreement in terms of standard deviation (≤ 1 kg m−2) and correlation coefficient (≥ 0.98). The exception is MODIS, which appears to suffer from insufficient cloud filtering. For a case study during HOPE featuring a typical boundary layer development, the IWV variability in time and space on scales of less than 10 km and less than 1 h is investigated in detail. For this purpose, the measurements are complemented by simulations with the novel ICOsahedral Non-hydrostatic modelling framework (ICON) which for this study has a horizontal resolution of 156 m. These runs show that differences in space of 3–4 km or time of 10–15 min induce IWV variabilities in the order of 4 kg m−2. This model finding is confirmed by observed time series from two MWRs approximately 3 km apart with a comparable temporal resolution of a few seconds. Standard deviations of IWV derived from MWR measurements reveal a high variability (> 1 kg m−2) even at very short time scales of a few minutes. These cannot be captured by the temporally lower resolved instruments and by operational numerical weather prediction models such as COSMO-DE (an application of the Consortium for Small-scale Modelling covering Germany) of Deutscher Wetterdienst, which is included in the comparison. However, for time scales larger than 1 h, a sampling resolution of 15 min is sufficient to capture the mean standard deviation of IWV. The present study shows that instrument sampling plays a major role when climatological information, in particular the mean diurnal cycle of IWV, is determined.
Single-particle characterization of ice-nucleating particles and ice particle residuals sampled by three different techniques
Authors: Worringen A. , Kandler K. , Benker N. , Dirsch T. , Weinbruch S. , Mertes S. , Schenk L. , Kästner U. , Frank F. , Nillius B. , Bundke U. , Rose D. , Curtius J. , Kupiszewski P. , Weingartner E. , Schneider J. , Schmidt S. , Ebert M.
Published: September 2014

Abstract. In the present work, three different techniques are used to separate ice-nucleating particles (INP) and ice particle residuals (IPR) from non-ice-active particles: the Ice Selective Inlet (ISI) and the Ice Counterflow Virtual Impactor (Ice-CVI), which sample ice particles from mixed phase clouds and allow for the analysis of the residuals, as well as the combination of the Fast Ice Nucleus Chamber (FINCH) and the Ice Nuclei Pumped Virtual Impactor (IN-PCVI), which provides ice-activating conditions to aerosol particles and extracts the activated ones for analysis. The collected particles were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis to determine their size, chemical composition and mixing state. Samples were taken during January/February 2013 at the High Alpine Research Station Jungfraujoch. All INP/IPR-separating techniques had considerable abundances (median 20–70%) of contamination artifacts (ISI: Si-O spheres, probably calibration aerosol; Ice-CVI: Al-O particles; FINCH + IN-PCVI: steel particles). Also, potential measurement artifacts (soluble material) occurred (median abundance < 20%). After removal of the contamination particles, silicates and Ca-rich particles, carbonaceous material and metal oxides were the major INP/IPR particle types separated by all three techniques. Minor types include soot and Pb-bearing particles. Sea-salt and sulfates were identified by all three methods as INP/IPR. Lead was identified in less than 10% of the INP/IPR. It was mainly present as an internal mixture with other particle types, but also external lead-rich particles were found. Most samples showed a maximum of the INP/IPR size distribution at 400 nm geometric diameter. In a few cases, a second super-micron maximum was identified. Soot/carbonaceous material and metal oxides were present mainly in the submicron range. ISI and FINCH yielded silicates and Ca-rich particles mainly with diameters above 1 μm, while the Ice-CVI also sampled many submicron particles. Probably owing to the different meteorological conditions, the INP/IPR composition was highly variable on a sample to sample basis. Thus, some part of the discrepancies between the different techniques may result from the (unavoidable) non-parallel sampling. The observed differences of the particles group abundances as well as the mixing state of INP/IPR point to the need of further studies to better understand the influence of the separating techniques on the INP/IPR chemical composition.
CCN activation of fumed silica aerosols mixed with soluble pollutants
Authors: Dalirian M. , Keskinen H. , Ahlm L. , Ylisirniö A. , Romakkaniemi S. , Laaksonen A. , Virtanen A. , Riipinen I.
Published: September 2014

Abstract. Particle-water interactions of completely soluble or insoluble particles are fairly well understood but less is known of aerosols consisting of mixtures of soluble and insoluble components. In this study, laboratory measurements were performed to investigate cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity of silica particles coated with ammonium sulphate (a salt), sucrose (a sugar) and bovine serum albumin known as BSA (a protein). In addition, the agglomerated structure of the silica particles was investigated by estimating the surface equivalent diameter based on measurements with a Differential Mobility Analyzer (DMA) and an Aerosol Particle Mass Analyzer (APM). By using the surface equivalent diameter the non-sphericity of the particles containing silica was accounted for when estimating CCN activation. Furthermore, characterizing critical supersaturations of particles consisting of pure soluble on insoluble compounds using existing frameworks showed that the CCN activation of single component particles was in good agreement with Köhler and adsorption theory based models when the agglomerated structure was accounted for. For mixed particles the CCN activation was governed by the soluble components, and the soluble fraction varied considerably with particle size for our wet-generated aerosols. Our results confirm the hypothesis that knowing the soluble fraction is the key parameter needed for describing the CCN activation of mixed aerosols, and highlight the importance of controlled coating techniques for acquiring a detailed understanding of the CCN activation of atmospheric insoluble particles mixed with soluble pollutants.