bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Analytico-Philosophical Discourse to the Pragmatic Approach to Digital Communication in Nigeria
Authors: Balogun Oladele Abiodun
Published: May 2010

The wave of the current unprecedented advancements in Information and Communication Technology, which spread in Nigeria, nay Africa is becoming unfathomable has some linguistic implications worthy of philosophical appraisal. The chapter discusses how the new digital milieu is changing human understanding and use of language in social and formal discourse. Contrary to the popular assumptions that the digital communication feat is holistically advantageous, the chapter argues that the advent of digital communication in Nigeria has occasioned unconsciously, more linguistic and social problems on the psyche of Nigerians. Through a careful survey of the style of sending text messages and mails via mobile phones and the Internet, the chapter establishes that Nigerians adopt pragmatic approach, which defies any respect for grammatical and linguistic rules in digital communication. Though, this ideological basis, the chapter argues, might hold some immediate communication effects for the senders and recipients; in spite of these supposed benefits, the chapter argues that the pragmatic approach to digital communication in Nigeria is inadequate. Thus, a case is made in the chapter for a more resonant underlying philosophy of language, which will guide digital communication in contemporary Nigeria.
The YouTubification of Politics, Impoliteness and Polarization
Authors: Blitvich Pilar Garcés-Conejos
Published: May 2010

This aim of this chapter is to relate deindividuation to impoliteness and impoliteness to polarization. To that effect, sequences extracted from the comments section to videoclips posted on YouTube and related to the 2008 US primaries and presidential elections were subjected to a quantitative and a qualitative analysis. The analysis sought to confirm the hypothesis that polarization, within this context, would be related to an increase in positive impoliteness strategies. Also, this chapter raises important questions regarding the applicability of current theories of impoliteness to the study of polyloguic, intergroup communication as most of their tenets were developed to tackle dyadic, interpersonal communication. Impoliteness is seen as multifunctional within the context analyzed and, contrary to general belief, it is argued that it can be also constitutive, rather than just disruptive, of communal life.
A Corpus-Based Approach to Teaching English in Abstracts
Authors: Cava Amelia AMaria
Published: May 2010

In the academic field abstract is the first genre that students need to become familiar with. Abstracts have been investigated on structure and language by Swales (1990), Bhatia (1993, 1997), dos Santos (1996), Cremmins (1982) and Day (1989) or by international organizations such as ISO and ANSI. Every academic journal presents its personal guidelines on how to write abstracts properly but generally, undergraduate students do not have a clear idea about how to write them. The main purpose of the present research study is to analyze the language used by authors with a pedagogical intent. The investigation is a corpus-based analysis setting out to highlight certain lexico-grammatical features specifically related to the ‘research-process language’. The data are drawn from a corpus of 6 years of three international journals: The International Journal of Primatology, Mathematics and Computers in Simulation and Proteins: Structure, Function, and Bioinformatics.
Traditional and Virtual in Nigerian Oral English Pedagogy
Authors: Soneye Taiwo
Published: May 2010

This study examines the emerging phenomena in Nigerian oral English pedagogy in the light of recent developments in Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) worldwide. It compares learners’ sensitivity to the long established traditional classroom learning and the recently established internet-based (virtual) learning through a questionnaire methodology. Findings reveal that the influence of internet browsing and electronic dictionary-sourcing on oral English learners in Nigeria is becoming pronounced and the learning methodology preferred. The widespread American spelling pattern acquired through the aforementioned means is impacting learners’ performance as sound-spelling compliant English words enjoyed 75% patronage despite previous traditional classroom culture. The study suggests that oral English teachers embrace new and integrative teaching methodologies for the teaching and assessment of learners in line with recent technological developments.
Students' Evaluation of a MOODLE Resource in the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria
Authors: Fola-Adebayo Titi
Published: May 2010

This chapter presents an exploratory study on students’ evaluation of a MOODLE teaching and learning resource (the Wiki in this case) in the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. 85 students (11 female and 74 male) were guided in the use of a wiki website for language learning in a context of English for Academic Purposes (EAP). Data on their opinions on the resource was collected through questionnaires and feedback on the wiki. T-test was employed in data analysis and the results revealed that in spite of the challenges encountered in using the website, the students’ attitude towards using it was positive as they were enthused about using the novel approach for research and learning purposes. The results also indicated that there was no significant difference between the opinions of male and female respondents. Challenges associated with the use of the resource are highlighted and recommendations presented.
New Media and Cultural Identity in the Global Society
Authors: Chen Guo-Ming , Zhang Kai
Published: May 2010

New media has been the main force accelerating the development of globalizing society in the last two decades. With its digital, convergent, interactive, hypertextual, and virtual nature, new media has brought human interaction and society to a highly interconnected and complex level. The rapid transformation of human society due to the impact of the convergence of new media and globalization directly influences the construction and development of cultural identity. The emergence of new media and globalization not only breaks through the limit of the traditional time and space, but also may challenge the meaning of cultural identity. The purpose of this chapter is to unravel the intricate relationships between new media, globalization, and cultural identity through the process of definition, interpretation, and critical analysis.
Sustainable Transport Infrastructure
Authors: Dur Fatih , Yigitcanlar Tan , Bunker Jonathan
Published: May 2010

Many economic, social and environmental sustainability problems associated with typical urban transportation systems have revealed the importance of three domains of action: vehicle, infrastructure and user. These domains need to be carefully reconsidered in search of a sustainable urban development path. Although intelligent transportation systems have contributed substantially to enhancing efficiency, safety and comfort of travel, questions related to users’ behaviors and preferences, which stimulate considerable environmental effects, still needed to be further examined. In this chapter, options for smart urban transportation infrastructure development and the technological means for achieving broader goals of sustainable communities and urban development are explored.
Integrating Regional and Infrastructure Planning
Authors: Regan Michael , Bajracharya Bhishna
Published: May 2010

Economic and social infrastructure provision presents a conundrum for urban planners, especially in high growth regional economies experiencing strong population growth, increasing demand for infrastructure services and limits to the state’s capacity to sustain long-term investment strategies. This chapter considers the South East Queensland (SEQ) regional economy and the policy decisions taken in recent years to embed and integrate both regional planning and regional infrastructure investment strategies through statutory SEQ Regional Plan and SEQ Infrastructure Plans and Programs. This case study examines the benefits from this integrated approach, as well as the challenges facing the region. Some of the benefits of the integrated approach include land use transport integration, strategic approach to infrastructure provision, alignment of infrastructure planning with budgetary processes, and greater certainty for investments in the regional economy. The challenges for integrated planning are also numerous, and include: ensuing close co-operation between three levels of government and private sector, reconciling long term infrastructure planning with short term political imperatives, managing future uncertainty and financing future investments in land use and infrastructure.
Balanced Assessment of Flexible e-Learning versus Face-to-Face Campus Delivery Courses at an Australian University
Authors: Strang Kenneth David
Published: May 2010

This case study reminded researchers of the value in using formal methodologies to gain an objective balanced perspective of actual practice. By using models and survey instruments that gathered objective input from key stakeholders in the higher education market, several of the true underlying factors were revealed. The key instrument used in the case study allowed us to objectively measure if flexible e-learning was at least as effective as campus delivery mode. More so, the assessment was not just performance and not just student satisfaction – instead the outcomes assessed included six factors that were linked to Australian university accreditation: Industry focus, resources/content materials, critical thinking activities, teaching quality, student satisfaction, and student performance (including completion). One of the most interesting aspects of the case study was that we are seeing history in the making to some degree in that as a result of the 2008 global economic crises, the international student market is changing which will force universities to change what and how they offer higher education in the future. More countries (and their populations) in the world are seeking a credible university higher education and they do not always want to travel to holiday destinations to obtain that… the world economic model is changing, continuing to increase the demand for education, yet changing how that product/service must be delivered. Successful higher education institutions around the world are already showing the followers how to do that. This case study provides some ideas and benchmarks for becoming more competitive in higher education, and while the model was developed and used in Australia, likely it can be applied elsewhere since the majority of students feeding into this model and research were international.
Using Portable DVD Players to Deliver Interactive Simulations for Training Health Care Workers in Kenya
Authors: Hannum Wallace
Published: May 2010

This chapter reports on a project in Kenya that explored the feasibility of using interactive simulations delivered by portable DVD players as a technology-based learning solution for providing continuing education to nurses by taking the instruction directly to the workplace of the nurses rather than by removing them from their villages and clinics to transport them to the capital city for training. Technology-based learning using simulations holds great promise as an alternative or supplement to traditional classroom-based training in low-resource settings. This study demonstrates that technology has the potential to deliver learner-centered interactive video simulations that provide consistent content and uniform learning experiences that produced significant learning gains in complex content and had high acceptance from participants.
Perspectives on the Influences of Social Capital upon Internet Usage of Rural Guatemalan Teachers
Authors: Tedford Douglas
Published: May 2010

The Fundación Rigoberta Menchú Tum and the researcher collaborated to identify the influences of bonding, bridging and linking social capital upon teacher Internet usage in the rural Guatemalan town of San Lucas Toliman. The Participatory Rural Appraisal was employed to draw upon community perspectives for identifying the study problem, designing interview questions, and evaluating data, with the researcher in the role of facilitator. Of 34 teachers invited to participate in online coursework free of charge, only 5 completed it. Among them, 20 were interviewed by a native Spanish speaker, and 42 local community educators synthesized interview responses into recommendations for improving local engagement of teachers in online learning. Bonding and bridging social capital influences of family, friends, technology experts and school administrators were shown to levy significant positive and negative effects upon teacher decisions to use the Internet in a region challenged by inadequate buying power, and limited telecommunications infrastructure.
Educational Simulations
Authors: Guralnick David A. , Levy Christine
Published: May 2010

Learn-by-doing simulations can provide tremendously effective learning. This chapter examines previous and current work in the area of educational simulations and looks ahead toward several potential futures in the field. The chapter includes a number of simulation-based success stories and case studies from past years, along with a discussion of why they worked as well as what could have been done better. It also describes approaches to ensure that a simulation is educationally effective while still being engaging and even entertaining. In addition, the chapter includes a design and development process that can be followed in order to maximize the educational value and usability of a simulation.
Women, Men and Programming
Authors: Boivie Inger
Published: May 2010

This chapter explores aspects of the gendering of computer science and IT, related to epistemological issues of what computing is and what type of knowledge counts. The c is based upon an interview study of how students and professionals in the field of computer science, perceive programming in a broad sense. Much of the earlier research on the under-representation of women in IT education and the IT industry has tended to focus on factors and aspects where women and men differ in their relation to IT and computers. Inspired by feminist research, it is suggested that developing an understanding of the problem of gender and IT requires a more complex analysis than a dualistic focus on differences between men and women. This chapter analyzes interviews with a range of Swedish male and female students and professionals from the field, in relation to gender with respect to metaphors of programming, inclusion and exclusion, the notion of beautiful code, understandings of masculinity and programming, and the idea of dedication.
New Gender Relations in the Transforming IT-Industry of Malaysia
Authors: Mellström Ulf
Published: May 2010

This chapter investigates how and why computer science in Malaysia is dominated by women. Drawing on recent critical interventions in gender and technology studies the paper aims at opening up for more culturally situated analyses of the gendering of technology or the technology of gendering with the Malaysian case exemplifying the core of the argument. The paper argues along four different strands of critical thought: (1) A critique of the ‘black-boxing’ of gender in gender and technology studies; (2) A critique of the Anglo-centric bias of gender and technology studies advocating more of context sensitivity and focus on the cultural embeddedness of gender and technology relations; (3) In line with that, also paying more attention to spatial practices and body politics in regard to race, class, and gender in gender and technology relations; 4. A critique of ‘western’ positional notions of gender configurations and opening up for more fluid constructions of gender identity including the many crossovers between relational and positional definitions of femininity and masculinity.
Textual Expectations, (Dis)Embodiment, and Social Presence in CMC
Authors: Leiter Deborah , Dowd John
Published: May 2010

This chapter adds depth to current theoretical approaches to the idea of social presence in computer-mediated communication by integrating ideas from deconstructionism, subaltern studies, phenomenological/dialogic approaches, and media ecology with current CMC perspectives on the (dis)embodied nature of CMC communication. The relation of the physical to online social environments naturally raises the question of the ways these environments inherit heteroglossic social expectations from other communication/media genres, especially from written media and from face-to-face conversational interactions. Ultimately, these inheritances, together with their ethical considerations, show that a variety of perspectives, even those that seem to be conflicting, simply serve to illuminate various aspects of the CMC environment and the ethical ramifications thereof.
Self and Identity in Personal Blogs
Authors: Gong Wengao
Published: May 2010

This chapter describes how American bloggers and Chinese bloggers from similar age and gender groups represent themselves and their identities linguistically in their blogs and explores whether and to what extent the differences in terms of the blogging language and culture affect these representations. The author adopts a corpus-based approach and focuses on the description and the comparison of the orthographic features and semantic domain preference as revealed in the blog entries. By conducting a cross-linguistic and cross-cultural comparison between American bloggers and Chinese bloggers, the author finds that bloggers’ linguistic practice is closely related to their developmental stage of life, their gender, and the cultural environment they are immersed in. Meanwhile, bloggers’ linguistic practice is also constrained by the internal system of the language they use for blogging.
Complicating Communication in Computer Mediate Environments
Authors: Cottrill Brittany
Published: May 2010

Building on the research produced by early and current computers and writing scholars, this chapter will look at the results of an analysis of both virtual- and classroom-based texts produced by nine first-year writers, five from composition I and four from composition II courses at a mid-sized, Midwestern, public university. The research included in this chapter explores the results of how blogging affected student writing in the first-year writing classroom. Specifically, this chapter focuses on the results of this study in relation to the explicit and implicit textual signals and how these textual signals complicate communication in computer mediated environments.
Blended learning communities
Authors: Annese S. , Traetta M. , Spadaro P. F.
Published: May 2010

Blended learning communities are defined by specific learning and psychosocial processes based on the multilayered sense of belonging of the group’s members, related to the merging of both virtual and real interactive contexts. This chapter focuses on the psychosocial dynamics of blended communities, in order to identify some specific participation strategies and identity dynamics, which both vary with the double interactive context. We used a qualitative variant of Social Network Analysis to analyse the interactions of two blended student communities, identifying various participation trajectories and identity positionings of the group members. The results revealed that the blending of two communication contexts generates different psychosocial dynamics from those activated by the same community in a wholly on- or offline context. The combination of interactive environments results in participation strategies in which members can choose distinctive trajectories, shaping their original identity positionings.
Blurring Boundaries with Computer-Mediated Communication
Authors: Hales Kayla D. , Troutman Stephanie
Published: May 2010

The authors survey the landscape of CMC and education by relating it to increasingly popular hybrid course structures. This chapter maps findings associated with academic learning and subjective knowledge in a graduate course assignment: the “electronic palimpsest”. This became a vehicle for the exploration of embodiment, identity, and virtual learning. Within the electronic palimpsest these themes were sustained, complicated, and evaluated from multiple standpoints, as demonstrated through content analysis of postings. Ultimately, this case study contributes to and supports the belief that case-specific accounts of alternative CMC projects are highly valuable in providing future directions for the requisite evolution of technologies associated with hybrid learning. The electronic palimpsest challenges typical assumptions of learning communities, as well as assessments and outcomes of learning in virtual environments. This study promotes possibilities for different pedagogical approaches to the question: what is the relationship between knowledge production and the development of learning communities?
The Good, The Bad, and The Player
Authors: Švelch Jaroslav
Published: May 2010

In this chapter, the authors create a theoretical model to analyze the challenges inherent in the implementation of moral choices in single-player avatar-based video game. Based on previous research in moral psychology and game studies, the authors investigate the relationship between the player’s moral emotions and the events she causes to happen in the fictional world of a video game. The authors find that there are two factors that govern the identification with the moral content of the game’s fiction: the implementation of moral agency into the game, of which they identify two basic scenarios (fixed justice and accumulation of deeds), and the style of gameplay the player chooses to follow. The authors give numerous examples from interviews, on-line discussions and gaming press of instances when players feel moral emotions about im(moral) actions they have taken in a video game.
Reality from Fantasy
Authors: Balzac Stephen R.
Published: May 2010

A major difficulty with teaching ethics is that it is relatively easy for participants to state the “right” thing to do when they have no personal stake in the outcome. One way of dealing with this problem is to teach ethics through engrossing, immersive, predictive scenario games in which players are forced to deal with ethical issues as they arise, where they have a personal stake in the outcome, and where there is not always a clear right answer. Predictive scenario games are a form of serious live-action roleplaying in which participants take on the roles of people involved in complex situations. In these games, knowledge of the game world is distributed among the players through overlapping and conflicting goals, and in which ethical dilemmas emerge naturally, without fanfare, much as they would in the real world. There is a high level of tension between cooperation and competition among the players. This structure creates the opportunity for players to experience the consequences of their own judgment in realistic, ethically fraught situations, to receive feedback, and to engage in constructive discussion, within a relatively short time period.
Effective Use of ICT for Inclusive Learning of Young Children with Reading and Writing Difficulties
Authors: Tweddell Levinsen Karin
Published: May 2010

This case presents the three-year research and development IT Folder Project (PIF), which has been aimed at facilitating the inclusion of young children with potential reading and writing difficulties in normal classes. The research focuses on everyday practice in schools and produces knowledge that gradually qualifies and consolidates a sustainable implementation strategy for the municipality involved regarding ICT as a change agent for inclusion. The children with potential difficulties are identified though tests and the adults and the classes involved “accompany” the children into the project. Thus, the adults involved are not necessarily passionate about ICT; they are representative of the average Danish schoolteacher. The case presents the first year and a half of the project and the initial results regarding the quality of the children’s inclusion process along with modifications of the screening tests and organizational changes in the municipality and the local schools based on these results.
Ecologies of Learning
Authors: Krug Don , Arntzen Jenny
Published: May 2010

In this chapter the authors present research that investigated the formation of ICT ecologies of learning in a Canadian teacher education program. The growth and development of ICT in Canada has placed tremendous responsibility on educators to be informed about not only acquiring ICT skills and knowledge (ICT literacies) but, more importantly, to understand the consequences of emerging social, technological, economic, and political ICT issues that hinder and/or enhance student learning, health, and knowledge. The authors’ research project looked critically at Canadian educational contexts and how teacher candidates (TCs) are prepared to use ICT when entering the teaching profession. The authors highlight how a group of eight teacher candidate researchers (TCRs) engaged in efficacious learning.
Audio-Visual Case Methodology for Teaching Business in Virtual Campus
Authors: Ivern Xavier M.Triadó , Chueca Pilar Aparicio , Jaría Natalia , Elasri Amal
Published: May 2010

Henry Brubaker is a visual case used in different subjects in the area of business organization to delve into the subject of design and implementation of organizational structures. The projection to the students has been conducted by using different methodologies. The authors have already proven that the audiovisual case methodology is substantially related to the increases of student motivation not only to attend the lesson, but also to study the subject. It is not significant, moreover, that there is also a strong evidence for a positive correlation between the audiovisual case methodology used and improvements in the learning process. Likewise, the observations that the authors have collected so far suggest that this way of teaching fosters a better understanding of the theoretical concepts explained in the classroom.
Technology-Assisted Reading
Authors: van Wyk Gerda , Louw Arno
Published: May 2010

This chapter presents the findings of a comparison between two different computer reading programmes with the aim of compiling a minimum set of requirements for such a programme in a third world educational environment. It further examines the challenges, benefits and limitations of implementing technology assisted reading on a wide scale. The results of this study are used to formulate strategies to best obtain results in reading difficulties. Consequently, reading difficulties are a world- wide problem and therefore require new and innovative ideas to be effectively addressed. Moreover, reading difficulties do not exist in isolation, and should be addressed in small groups with a holistic approach to ensure the best chance of successfully addressing the problem. The facilitator – learner ratio is important to ensure individual attention to learners. The flexibility and adaptability of the software are therefore important aspects during software implementation. When deciding on effective reading software, the applicability of assistive technology as part of an intervention strategy in reading difficulties should be considered as the most important aspect.
High Expression of the Ectonucleotidase CD39 on T Cells from the Inflamed Site Identifies Two Distinct Populations, One Regulatory and One Memory T Cell Population
Authors: Moncrieffe Halima , Nistala Kiran , Kamhieh Yasmine , Evans Jamie , Eddaoudi Ayad , Eaton Simon , Wedderburn Lucy R.
Published: May 2010

The ectonucleotidase CD39 has recently been described as being highly expressed on regulatory Foxp3+ CD4 T cells. Through hydrolysis of proinflammatory extracellular ATP, CD39 activity represents a newly described mechanism of regulatory T cell action. We report a novel population of human CD4 T cells that express CD39 yet are Foxp3 negative. These cells produce the proinflammatory cytokines IFN-γ and IL-17 and fail to suppress proliferation; however, they still have high ATP hydrolysis activity. In the inflammatory site in human juvenile idiopathic arthritis, the CD39+Foxp3− population is greatly increased compared with peripheral blood of patients or healthy controls. We also show that cells expressing the AMPase CD73 are less frequent in the joint than in blood. To our knowledge, this is the first study to describe and characterize CD39 function on CD4 T cells from the target site in a human autoinflammatory condition. Our data suggest that in human CD4+ T cells from the inflamed site, CD39 can be highly expressed on two populations, one regulatory and the other of a memory phenotype.
“Default” Generation of Neonatal Regulatory T Cells
Authors: Wang Guohua , Miyahara Yoshihiro , Guo Zhiyong , Khattar Mithun , Stepkowski Stanislaw M. , Chen Wenhao
Published: May 2010

CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells were shown to control all aspects of immune responses. How these Treg cells develop is not fully defined, especially in neonates during development of the immune system. We studied the induction of Treg cells from neonatal T cells with various TCR stimulatory conditions, because TCR stimulation is required for Treg cell generation. Independent of the types of TCR stimulus and without the addition of exogenous TGF-β, up to 70% of neonatal CD4+Foxp3− T cells became CD4+Foxp3+ Treg cells, whereas generally <10% of adult CD4+Foxp3− T cells became CD4+Foxp3+ Treg cells under the same conditions. These neonatal Treg cells exert suppressive function and display relatively stable Foxp3 expression. Importantly, this ability of Treg cell generation gradually diminishes within 2 wk of birth. Consistent with in vitro findings, the in vivo i.p. injection of anti-CD3 mAb to stimulate T cells also resulted in a >3-fold increase in Treg cells in neonates but not in adults. Furthermore, neonatal or adult Foxp3− T cells were adoptively transferred into Rag1−/− mice. Twelve days later, the frequency of CD4+Foxp3+ T cells converted from neonatal cells was 6-fold higher than that converted from adult cells. Taken together, neonatal CD4+ T cells have an intrinsic “default” mechanism to become Treg cells in response to TCR stimulations. This finding provides intriguing implications about neonatal immunity, Treg cell generation, and tolerance establishment early in life.
TGF-β Induces IL-9 Production from Human Th17 Cells
Authors: Beriou Gaëlle , Bradshaw Elizabeth M. , Lozano Ester , Costantino Cristina M. , Hastings William D. , Orban Tihamer , Elyaman Wassim , Khoury Samia J. , Kuchroo Vijay K. , Baecher-Allan Clare , Hafler David A.
Published: May 2010

The secretion of IL-9, initially recognized as a Th2 cytokine, was recently attributed to a novel CD4 T cell subset termed Th9 in the murine system. However, IL-9 can also be secreted by mouse Th17 cells and may mediate aspects of the proinflammatory activities of Th17 cells. Here we report that IL-9 is secreted by human naive CD4 T cells in response to differentiation by Th9 (TGF-β and IL-4) or Th17 polarizing conditions. Yet, these differentiated naive cells did not coexpress IL-17 and IL-9, unless they were repeatedly stimulated under Th17 differentiation-inducing conditions. In contrast to the naive cells, memory CD4 T cells were induced to secrete IL-9 by simply providing TGF-β during stimulation, as neither IL-4 nor proinflammatory cytokines were required. Furthermore, the addition of TGF-β to the Th17-inducing cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-21, IL-23) that induce memory cells to secrete IL-17, resulted in the marked coexpression of IL-9 in IL-17 producing memory cells. The proinflammatory cytokine mediating TGF-β–dependent coexpression of IL-9 and IL-17 was identified to be IL-1β. Moreover, circulating monocytes were potent costimulators of IL-9 production by Th17 cells via their capacity to secrete IL-1β. Finally, to determine whether IL-9/IL-17 coproducing CD4 cells were altered in an inflammatory condition, we examined patients with autoimmune diabetes and demonstrated that these subjects exhibit a higher frequency of memory CD4 cells with the capacity to transition into IL-9+IL-17+ cells. These data demonstrate the presence of IL-17+IL-9+ CD4 cells induced by IL-1β that may play a role in human autoimmune disease.
Organizational Learning in Housing Sector Nongovernmental Development Organizations: Recommendations for Enhancing Development Effectiveness
Authors: Zimbrick Anna
Published: May 2010

Despite sizable investment over the last forty years to improve housing conditions and quality of life in substandard settlements, success has been elusive. Meeting the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goal of achieving significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020 seems unlikely given recent projections. The 2006 report of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme indicates that nearly one billion people live in slums, with that number predicted to double by 2030. Given the current debate on U.S. foreign assistance reform and serious questions about the effectiveness of development aid, it is more important than ever to candidly examine initiatives to improve slums and the lives of slum dwellers and to grapple with the question of why existing funding levels and good intentions have not resulted in the hoped-for improvements in the lives of the world’s most poor. The U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Department of State and other donors of official U.S. foreign aid channel significant development assistance through nongovernmental development organizations (NGDO). NGDOs that choose to accept government funds are impacted by U.S. development policy, and the effectiveness of U.S. development assistance is deeply impacted by the quality of NGDOs’ work. Given the reality that housing interventions have grossly inadequately addressed the housing crisis in developing countries, the ability of NGDOs to learn from the past and adapt their approach for the future is of pressing importance to meet the need for adequate housing and to meet other global challenges. This paper examines factors that hinder the ability of NGDOs working on slum issues to learn from the past, especially those related to NGDO success at organizational learning. Key lessons learned are examined and recommendations are proposed to enhance the ability of NGDOs to learn and thus better serve the needs of their focus population.
HPV Vaccination Program for Sixth-Grade Girls in Washington, D.C.: A Cost-Benefit Analysis
Authors: Snyder Sarah
Published: May 2010

This cost-benefit analysis studies the most significant costs and benefits of the new requirement in Washington, D.C. that all parents of sixth-grade girls certify that their children are vaccinated against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Thelargest costs are the economic cost of purchasing the vaccine and the costs of administration to providers, which total just over $2.1 million per year. Additional costs that cannot be easily monetized but are included conceptually include the potential for adverse events and opportunity costs of providers and parents. The largest potential for benefits from this policy relate to the two diseases prevented by the vaccine: genital warts and cervical cancer. By quantifying the cost of treatment for both diseases and estimating the economic value of lives lost, this analysis estimates the benefits to be nearly $1.5 million yearly. Thus, the economic analysis finds this policy inefficient, since benefits greatly outweigh costs in all but one scenario of sensitivity analysis. The analysis also identifies the limitations of this study and of cost-benefit analysis generally, and cautions against the sole use of cost-benefit analysis, especially for health policy decisions.
Grading Education: Getting Accountability Right
Authors: Hinze-Pifer Rebecca
Published: May 2010

No abstract available.
Bacterivory by heterotrophic nanoflagellates and bacterial production in sediments of a freshwater littoral system
Authors: Starink Mathieu , Bär‐Gilissen Marie‐José , Bak Rolf P. M. , Cappenberg Thomas E.
Published: May 2010

We made simultaneous measurements of benthic bacterial production, using [3H]thymidine assays, and bacterivory by benthic heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNAN), using fluorescently labeled bacteria. Sediment samples were collected at two stations in a eutrophic freshwater littoral in different seasons. Bacterial production ranged from 19.7 to 263.0 × 109 bacteria dm‐3 h‐1, with the highest values measured in summer. HNAN grazing rates (3.8–64.2 bacteria flagellate‐1 h‐1) varied significantly with season and station, and rates were correlated with flagellate biovolume. At both stations, there were large discrepancies between bacterial production and HNAN grazing. The estimated bacterivory ranged from 0.4 to 5.2% of bacterial production. The minor impact of HNAN as grazers on bacteria during summer months was caused by high bacterial production and low HNAN abundances. During winter, bacterial production decreased, whereas HNAN abundance increased. However, due to the low grazing rate of these relatively small flagellates, the total HNAN community still consumed only an insignificant amount of the bacterial production. The results of our measurements show that bacterivory by HNAN cannot account for the fate of bacterial production in the littoral studied.
Marine scavenging: The relative importance of mass transfer and reaction rates
Authors: Jannasch Hans W. , Honeyman Bruce D. , Murray James W.
Published: May 2010

We present an analysis of factors regulating the scavenging rate of trace elements and nutrients by settling particles in the ocean. The overall process limiting marine scavenging rates is determined by comparing the relative kinetics of dissolved phase mass transfer and particle‐associated sorption rates. Measured scavenging and uptake rates of a variety of marine particle types are then compared to theoretically calculated mass transfer rate constants.

Our calculations show that for most marine environments, sorption rates arc much slower than external mass transfer of dissolved species. External mass transfer is therefore not the limiting process. Particle‐associated processes such as adsorption, intraparticle reactions, and particle repackaging must control the overall scavenging rates observed in the ocean.
Growth, iron requirements, and siderophore production in iron‐limited Synechococcus PCC 72
Authors: Wilhelm Steven W. , Maxwell Denis P. , Trick Charles G.
Published: May 2010

We have investigated the changes associated with growth over a range of iron availabilities in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus PCC 7002. This cyanobacterium compensates for growth‐limiting levels of iron availability by decreasing its maximum growth rate, cellular pigment levels, and apparent iron requirements. This organism also releases extracellular siderophores, which facilitate the acquisition of iron that was previously biologically unavailable from the extracellular environment. Our results suggest a possible ferrisiderophore receptor role for components of the outer membrane and periplasmic space. The resulting change in cellular physiology and activation of a siderophore‐mediated iron transport system allows Synechococcus FCC 7002 to re‐establish a growth rate comparable to that of cells grown in iron‐replete conditions. The utilization of iron from a previously unavailable pool by this cyanobacterium demonstrates that Synechococcus PCC 7002 has a high‐affinity iron transport system.
Vertical eddy diffusion calculated by the flux gradient method: Significance of sediment‐water heat exchange
Authors: Benoit Gaboury , Hemond Harold F.
Published: May 2010

Periodically measured temperature profiles were used to calculate vertical eddy diffusivities by the heat flux gradient method in the stratified portion of a dimictic New England lake. Loss of heat from the water column to sediments, a term commonly neglected, was explicitly calculated with a simple numerical model. This term dominated the heat budget of the stratified lake and would have caused large errors in calculated eddy diffusivities had it been ignored. Heat exchange with sediments should be considered when thermal flux gradient analysis is used to calculate eddy diffusion coefficients for lakes with combined metalimnetic plus hypolimnetic thicknesses up to ~15 m.
Utilization of subsurface food resources for zooplankton reproduction: Implications for diel vertical migration theory
Authors: Williamson Craig E. , Sanders Robert W. , Moeller Robert E. , Stutzman Paul L.>
Published: May 2010

The water columns of lakes and oceans provide a diverse habitat gradient in which light, temperature, food, and predation risk all change with depth. Many planktonic organisms exhibit diel vertical migrations (DVM) in response to daily oscillations in many of these variables. DVM theory often assumes that surface waters are more food‐rich than deeper, subsurface layers and proceeds to try to explain why zooplankton migrate out of these beneficial surface layers during the day. Here, we test the assumption that food is best in surface waters by feeding two common crustacean zooplankton with natural epilimnetic and metalimnetic food assemblages from a eutrophic lake and examining their egg production rates. Both Diaptomus and Daphnia showed greater reproductive rates in the metalimnetic water and significant food limitation in the epilimnetic water. Mass‐specific ingestion rates were approximately three times higher in the metalimnion than in the epilimnion. In spite of the poorer food in the surface waters, these two crustaceans migrated into the epilimnion at night. These observations are contrary to the assumption that food is best in the surface water, and a review of the literature suggests that food frequently is not best in surface waters. The upward migrations at night are best explained by the warmer temperatures and reduced predation risk in the surface waters at night.
Seasonal and spatial variations in heterotrophic nanoflagellate and bacteria abundances in sediments of a freshwater littoral zone
Authors: Starink Mathieu , Bär‐Gilissen Marie‐José , Bak Rolf P. M. , Cappenberg Thomas E.
Published: May 2010

We studied seasonal variation in heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNAN) and bacterial densities at different depths in the sediment of two freshwater littoral stations. Station 1 was in a reed bed of Phragmites australis; station 2 was outside the reed zone in open water. Benthic HNAN abundances ranged from 0.7 × 103 to 167.9 × 103 cells cm−3, with small cells (<5 µm) being the most abundant. Bacterial densities were high, ranging from 1.5 to 16.4 × 109 cells cm−3 sediment. HNAN and bacterial densities showed significant time, depth, and station effects. At station 1, the bacterial standing stock increased during the course of the observation period, probably because of an increase in macrophyte biom ass. At station 2, bacterial densities in the upper 0.5 cm of the sediment fluctuated little and without a clear seasonal pattern. In the top layer of both stations, HNAN densities were high in winter and lower in midsummer and early autumn. Density ratios between bacteria and HNAN were very high in this layer, ranging from 22.4 × 103 to 2.0 × 106 bacteria HNAN−1. Contrary to our expectations, these ratios suggest that the impact of benthic HNAN on the bacterial dynamics is minimal in this littoral zone. We hypothesize that throughout the year, a limited access to bacteria prevented HNAN from reaching high abundances. Seasonal HNAN density fluctuations probably were caused by epi‐meiobenthos grazing on HNAN in summer and earl y autumn.
Elevated temperatures and ultraviolet radiation cause oxidative stress and inhibit photosynthesis in ymbiotic dinoflagellates
Authors: Lesser Michael P.
Published: May 2010

Elevated temperatures and solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation have been implicated as causes for the loss of symbiotic algae in corals and other invertebrates with photoautotrophic symbionts (i.e. bleaching). Significantly higher cellular concentrations of superoxide radicals and hydrogen peroxide are observed when cultures of Symbiodinium bermudense are exposed to elevated temperatures with and without exposure to UV radiation. This increase in oxidative stress is accompanied by a reduction in the quantum yield of fluorescence for photosystem 2 and protein‐specific activities of the carboxylating enzyme, Rubisco. An increase in antioxidant enzyme activities is unable to protect these cells from oxidative stress during exposure to UV radiation and elevated temperatures (31°C). The addition of exogenous scavengers of active oxygen, however, improves photosynthetic performance, but not to pre‐exposure rates in zooxanthellae exposed to both elevated temperature and UV radiation, confirming a role for oxidative stress in the inhibition of photosynthesis by UV radiation and elevated temperatures. After exposure of zooxanthellae to UV radiation and elevated temperatures, an action spectrum for the inhibition of photosynthesis shows significantly greater wavelength‐dependent effects of UV radiation between 290 and 375 nm than for zooxanthellae exposed to UV radiation alone.
Fine‐scale field measurement of benthic flow environments inhabited by stream invertebrates
Authors: Hart David D. , Clark Brian D. , Jasentuliyana Amal
Published: May 2010

We used hot‐film anemometry to quantify fine‐scale spatial and temporal flow variations near the surfaces of stones inhabited by suspension‐feeding larval blackflies (Simulium vittatum). We focused especially on within‐stone patterns of covariation between patchy microdistributions of larvae and local spatial variations in current speed. Current speeds were sampled at 256 Hz for heights between 1 and 10 mm above the bed. Profiles of current speed exhibited complex shapes, and boundary‐layer thicknesses ranged from <1 to >5 mm. Average current speeds measured 2 mm above the bed (the approximate height of larval feeding appendages) ranged between 7 and 59 cm s−1. Current speeds measured 10 mm above the bed were very poor predictors of speeds measured at the 2‐mm height. Larval abundance exhibited a significant positive relationship to current speed at 2‐mm height, and within‐stone variations in speed explained ~59% of the variation in abundance. Time series of current speed exhibited marked fine‐scale temporal heterogeneity, fluctuating by as much as 80 cm s−1 in <0.1 s. Maximum accelerations sometimes exceeded 1 × 104 cm s−2, which suggests that the forces tending to dislodge benthic organisms from the bed may be greater than previous estimates based on assumptions of steady flow. Observed levels of turbulence were greater than predicted from traditional boundary‐layer theory. We suggest that much of the turbulence evident on individual stones is not produced by local shear but is inherited from upstream roughness elements that cause flow separation.