bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Holistic Technique for an Arabic OCR System
Authors: Nashwan Farhan , Rashwan Mohsen , Al-Barhamtoshy Hassanin , Abdou Sherif , Moussa Abdullah
Published: December 2017

Analytical based approaches in Optical Character Recognition (OCR) systems can endure a significant amount of segmentation errors, especially when dealing with cursive languages such as the Arabic language with frequent overlapping between characters. Holistic based approaches that consider whole words as single units were introduced as an effective approach to avoid such segmentation errors. Still the main challenge for these approaches is their computation complexity, especially when dealing with large vocabulary applications. In this paper, we introduce a computationally efficient, holistic Arabic OCR system. A lexicon reduction approach based on clustering similar shaped words is used to reduce recognition time. Using global word level Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) based features in combination with local block based features, our proposed approach managed to generalize for new font sizes that were not included in the training data. Evaluation results for the approach using different test sets from modern and historical Arabic books are promising compared with state of art Arabic OCR systems.
Characterization of a Long-Lived Alginate Lyase Derived from Shewanella Species YH1
Authors: Yagi Hisashi , Isobe Natsuki , Itabashi Narumi , Fujise Asako , Ohshiro Takashi
Published: December 2017

Polysaccharides from seaweeds are widely used in various fields, including the food, biomedical material, cosmetic, and biofuel industries. Alginate, which is a major polysaccharide in brown algae, and the products of its degradation (oligosaccharides) have been used in stabilizers, thickeners, and gelling agents, especially in the food industry. Discovering novel alginate lyases with unique characteristics for the efficient production of oligosaccharides may be relevant for the food and pharmaceutical fields. In this study, we identified a unique alginate lyase derived from an alginate-utilizing bacterium, Shewanella species YH1. The recombinant enzyme (rAlgSV1-PL7) was produced in an Escherichia coli system and it was classified in the Polysaccharide Lyase family 7. The optimal temperature and pH for rAlgSV1-PL7 activity were around 45 °C and 8, respectively. Interestingly, we observed that rAlgSV1-PL7 retained over 80% of its enzyme activity after incubation at 30 °C for at least 20 days, indicating that rAlgSV1-PL7 is a long-lived enzyme. Moreover, the degradation of alginate by rAlgSV1-PL7 produced one to four sugars because of the broad substrate specificity of this enzyme. Our findings suggest that rAlgSV1-PL7 may represent a new commercially useful enzyme.
Design of a Compact Wireless Multi-Channel High Area-Efficient Stimulator with Arbitrary Channel Configuration
Authors: Zhang Yuwei , Luo Deng , Ou Ting , Yuan Zhangyi , Huang Heng , You Ling , Yue Yin , Zhang Milin , Li Dongmei , Li Guolin , Yuan Kexin , Wang Zhihua
Published: December 2017

This paper presents the design of a wireless, implantable, multi-channel, programmable stimulator with arbitrary channel combination. A novel channel management module using a switch array is presented, enabling arbitrary channel configuration with a silicon area reduction of 81%. The chip was fabricated in a 0.18- μ m Taiwan semiconductor manufacturing company (TSMC) high voltage (HV) complementary metal–oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. A stimulator system was realized using the proposed integrated circuit (IC). A wireless communication link was established between a specified Android-based graphical user interface (GUI) and the proposed device for control of the stimulation pattern and wireless battery charging. The size of the entire system occupies a volume of only 14 mm × 14 mm × 4 mm (without the battery). Experimental results demonstrated a successful independent configuration between different channels, as well as an arbitrary channel combination, as expected.
MetaGOmics: A Web-Based Tool for Peptide-Centric Functional and Taxonomic Analysis of Metaproteomics Data
Authors: Riffle Michael , May Damon , Timmins-Schiffman Emma , Mikan Molly , Jaschob Daniel , Noble William , Nunn Brook
Published: December 2017

Metaproteomics is the characterization of all proteins being expressed by a community of organisms in a complex biological sample at a single point in time. Applications of metaproteomics range from the comparative analysis of environmental samples (such as ocean water and soil) to microbiome data from multicellular organisms (such as the human gut). Metaproteomics research is often focused on the quantitative functional makeup of the metaproteome and which organisms are making those proteins. That is: What are the functions of the currently expressed proteins? How much of the metaproteome is associated with those functions? And, which microorganisms are expressing the proteins that perform those functions? However, traditional protein-centric functional analysis is greatly complicated by the large size, redundancy, and lack of biological annotations for the protein sequences in the database used to search the data. To help address these issues, we have developed an algorithm and web application (dubbed “MetaGOmics”) that automates the quantitative functional (using Gene Ontology) and taxonomic analysis of metaproteomics data and subsequent visualization of the results. MetaGOmics is designed to overcome the shortcomings of traditional proteomics analysis when used with metaproteomics data. It is easy to use, requires minimal input, and fully automates most steps of the analysis—including comparing the functional makeup between samples. MetaGOmics is freely available at https://www.yeastrc.org/metagomics/.
A Novel Multi-Approach Protocol for the Characterization of Occupational Exposure to Organic Dust—Swine Production Case Study
Authors: Viegas Carla , Faria Tiago , Monteiro Ana , Caetano Liliana , Carolino Elisabete , Quintal Gomes Anita , Viegas Susana
Published: December 2017

Swine production has been associated with health risks and workers’ symptoms. In Portugal, as in other countries, large-scale swine production involves several activities in the swine environment that require direct intervention, increasing workers’ exposure to organic dust. This study describes an updated protocol for the assessment of occupational exposure to organic dust, to unveil an accurate scenario regarding occupational and environmental risks for workers’ health. The particle size distribution was characterized regarding mass concentration in five different size ranges (PM0.5, PM1, PM2.5, PM5, PM10). Bioburden was assessed, by both active and passive sampling methods, in air, on surfaces, floor covering and feed samples, and analyzed through culture based-methods and qPCR. Smaller size range particles exhibited the highest counts, with indoor particles showing higher particle counts and mass concentration than outdoor particles. The limit values suggested for total bacteria load were surpassed in 35.7% (10 out of 28) of samples and for fungi in 65.5% (19 out of 29) of samples. Among Aspergillus genera, section Circumdati was the most prevalent (55%) on malt extract agar (MEA) and Versicolores the most identified (50%) on dichloran glycerol (DG18). The results document a wide characterization of occupational exposure to organic dust on swine farms, being useful for policies and stakeholders to act to improve workers’ safety. The methods of sampling and analysis employed were the most suitable considering the purpose of the study and should be adopted as a protocol to be followed in future exposure assessments in this occupational environment.
Effects of Cadmium Exposure on Age of Menarche and Menopause
Authors: Chen Xiao , Zhu Guoying , Jin Taiyi
Published: December 2017

Cadmium exposure can cause several adverse health effects. Animal studies have also shown that cadmium exposure can affect menarche or menopause. However, data is limited in humans. We conducted a retrospective study to assess whether cadmium exposure was associated with different ages of menarche and menopause in a Chinese population. A total of 429 women living in control (n = 137) and two cadmium-polluted areas (n = 292) were included in this study. A total of 223 and 206 subjects were included in the analysis for menarche and menopause, respectively. The median menarche age of population living in the heavily cadmium-polluted area was significantly younger than those in the control area (14.0 vs. 15.0, p < 0.01). Logistic regression showed that the odds ratio (OR) of early occurrence of menarche (<13 years) in the population living in the heavily polluted area and moderately polluted area was 3.7 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.5–9.7) and 1.3 (95% CI: 0.7–2.6) compared with control, respectively. No significant difference was observed in the age of menopause in the population of these three areas. In conclusion, our data indicated that cadmium exposure may cause early menarche.
Acid-catalyzed ring-opening reactions of a cyclopropanated 3-aza-2-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene with alcohols
Authors: Tait Katrina , Horvath Alysia , Blanchard Nicolas , Tam William
Published: December 2017

The acid-catalyzed ring-opening reactions of a cyclopropanated 3-aza-2-oxabicylic alkene using alcohol nucleophiles were investigated. Although this acid-catalyzed ring-opening reaction did not cleave the cyclopropane unit as planned, this represent the first examples of ring-openings of cyclopropanated 3-aza-2-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]alkenes that lead to the cleavage of the C–O bond instead of the N–O bond. Different acid catalysts were tested and it was found that pyridinium toluenesulfonate in methanol gave the best yields in the ring-opening reactions. The scope of the reaction was successfully expanded to include primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohol nucleophiles. Through X-ray crystallography, the stereochemistry of the product was determined which confirmed an SN2-like mechanism to form the ring-opened product.
The Lyα Reference Sample. VIII. Characterizing Lyα Scattering in Nearby Galaxies
Authors: Bridge Joanna S. , Hayes Matthew , Melinder Jens , Östlin Göran , Gronwall Caryl , Ciardullo Robin , Atek Hakim , Cannon John M. , Gronke Max , Guaita Lucia , Hagen Alex , Herenz Edmund Christian , Kunth Daniel , Laursen Peter , Mas-Hesse J. Miguel , Pardy Stephen A.
Published: December 2017

We examine the dust geometry and Lyα scattering in the galaxies of the Lyman Alpha Reference Sample (LARS), a set of 14 nearby (

) Lyα-emitting and starbursting systems with Hubble Space Telescope Lyα, Hα, and Hβ imaging. We find that the global dust properties determined by line ratios are consistent with other studies, with some of the LARS galaxies exhibiting clumpy dust media, while others of them show significantly lower Lyα emission compared to their Balmer decrement. With the LARS imaging, we present Lyα/Hα and Hα/Hβ maps with spatial resolutions as low as ∼40 pc, and use these data to show that in most galaxies, the dust geometry is best modeled by three distinct regions: a central core where dust acts as a screen, an annulus where dust is distributed in clumps, and an outer envelope where Lyα photons only scatter. We show that the dust that affects the escape of Lyα is more restricted to the galaxies’ central regions, while the larger Lyα halos are generated by scattering at large radii. We present an empirical modeling technique to quantify how much Lyα scatters in the halo, and find that this “characteristic” scattering distance correlates with the measured size of the Lyα halo. We note that there exists a slight anti-correlation between the scattering distance of Lyα and global dust properties.
Charge Exchange X-Ray Emission due to Highly Charged Ion Collisions with H, He, and H2: Line Ratios for Heliospheric and Interstellar Applications
Authors: Cumbee R. S. , Mullen P. D. , Lyons D. , Shelton R. L. , Fogle M. , Schultz D. R. , Stancil P. C.
Published: December 2017

The fundamental collisional process of charge exchange (CX) has been established as a primary source of X-ray emission from the heliosphere, planetary exospheres, and supernova remnants. In this process, X-ray emission results from the capture of an electron by a highly charged ion from a neutral atom or molecule, to form a highly excited, high-charge state ion. As the captured electron cascades down to the lowest energy level, photons are emitted, including X-rays. To provide reliable CX-induced X-ray spectral models to realistically simulate these environments, line ratios and spectra are computed using theoretical CX cross sections obtained with the multi-channel Landau-Zener, atomic-orbital close-coupling, molecular-orbital close-coupling, and classical trajectory Monte Carlo methods for various collisional velocities relevant to astrophysics. X-ray spectra were computed for collisions of bare and H-like C to Al ions with H, He, and H2 with results compared to available experimental data. Using these line ratios, XSPEC models of CX emission in the northeast rim of the Cygnus Loop supernova remnant and the heliosphere are shown as examples with ion velocity dependence.
Alternative Gravity Rotation Curves for the LITTLE THINGS Survey
Authors: O’Brien James G. , Chiarelli Thomas L. , Dentico Jeremy , Stulge Modestas , Stefanski Brian , Moss Robert , Chaykov Spasen
Published: December 2017

Galactic rotation curves have proven to be the testing ground for dark matter bounds in spiral galaxies of all morphologies. Dwarf galaxies serve as an increasingly interesting case of rotation curve dynamics due to their typically rising rotation curve as opposed to the flattening curve of large spirals. Dwarf galaxies usually vary in galactic structure and mostly terminate at small radial distances. This, coupled with the fact that Cold Dark Matter theories struggle with the universality of galactic rotation curves, allow for exclusive features of alternative gravitational models to be analyzed. Recently, The H i Nearby Galactic Survey (THINGS) has been extended to include a sample of 25 dwarf galaxies now known as the LITTLE THINGS Survey. Here, we show an application of alternative gravitational models to the LITTLE THINGS survey, specifically focusing on conformal gravity (CG) and Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND). In this work, we provide an analysis and discussion of the rotation curve predictions of each theory to the sample. Furthermore, we show how these two alternative gravitational models account for the recently observed universal trends in centripetal accelerations in spiral galaxies. This work highlights the similarities and differences of the predictions of the two theories in dwarf galaxies. The sample is not large or diverse enough to strongly favor a single theory, but we posit that both CG and MOND can provide an accurate description of the galactic dynamics in the LITTLE THINGS sample without the need for dark matter.
Carbon Monoxide Observations toward Star-forming Regions in the Outer Scutum–Centaurus Spiral Arm
Authors: Wenger Trey V. , Khan Asad A. , Ferraro Nicholas G. , Balser Dana S. , Armentrout W. P. , Anderson L. D. , Bania T. M.
Published: December 2017

The Outer Scutum–Centaurus arm (OSC) is the most distant molecular spiral arm known in the Milky Way. The OSC may be the very distant end of the well-known Scutum–Centaurus arm, which stretches from the end of the Galactic bar to the outer Galaxy. At this distance the OSC is seen in the first Galactic quadrant. The population of star formation tracers in the OSC remains largely uncharacterized. Extragalactic studies show a strong correlation between molecular gas and star formation, and carbon monoxide (CO) emission was recently discovered in the OSC. Here we use the Arizona Radio Observatory (ARO) 12

telescope to observe the 12CO J = 1–0 and 13CO J = 1–0 transitions toward 78 H ii region candidates chosen from the WISE Catalog of Galactic H ii Regions. These targets are spatially coincident with the Galactic longitude–latitude (

) OSC locus as defined by H i emission. We detect CO emission in ∼80% of our targets. In total, we detect 117 12CO and 40 13CO emission lines. About two-thirds of our targets have at least one emission line originating beyond the solar orbit. Most of the detections beyond the solar orbit are associated with the outer arm, but there are 17 12CO emission lines and 8 13CO emission lines with LSR velocities that are consistent with the velocities of the OSC. There is no apparent difference between the physical properties (e.g., molecular column density) of these OSC molecular clouds and non-OSC molecular clouds within our sample.
Photometry and Proper Motions of M, L, and T Dwarfs from the Pan-STARRS1 3π Survey
Authors: Best William M. J. , Magnier Eugene A. , Liu Michael C. , Aller Kimberly M. , Zhang Zhoujian , Burgett W. S. , Chambers K. C. , Draper P. , Flewelling H. , Kaiser N. , Kudritzki R.-P. , Metcalfe N. , Tonry J. L. , Wainscoat R. J. , Waters C.
Published: December 2017

We present a catalog of 9888 M, L and T dwarfs detected in the Pan-STARRS1 3π Survey (PS1), covering three-quarters of the sky. Our catalog contains nearly all known objects of spectral types L0–T2 in the PS1 field, with objects as early as M0 and as late as T9, and includes PS1, 2MASS, AllWISE, and Gaia DR1 photometry. We analyze the different types of photometry reported by PS1 and use two types in our catalog in order to maximize both depth and accuracy. Using parallaxes from the literature, we construct empirical SEDs for field ultracool dwarfs spanning 0.5–12 μm. We determine typical colors of M0–T9 dwarfs and highlight the distinctive colors of subdwarfs and young objects. We combine astrometry from PS1, 2MASS, and Gaia DR1 to calculate new proper motions for our catalog. We achieve a median precision of 2.9 mas yr−1, a factor of ≈3−10 improvement over previous large catalogs. Our catalog contains proper motions for 2405 M6–T9 dwarfs and includes the largest set of homogeneous proper motions for L and T dwarfs published to date, 406 objects for which there were no previous measurements, and 1176 objects for which we improve upon previous literature values. We analyze the kinematics of ultracool dwarfs in our catalog and find evidence that bluer but otherwise generic late-M and L field dwarfs (i.e., not subdwarfs) tend to have tangential velocities higher than those of typical field objects. With the public release of the PS1 data, this survey will continue to be an essential tool for characterizing the ultracool dwarf population.
Multidimensional Models of Type Ia Supernova Nebular Spectra: Strong Emission Lines from Stripped Companion Gas Rule Out Classic Single-degenerate Systems
Authors: Botyánszki János , Kasen Daniel , Plewa Tomasz
Published: December 2017

The classic single-degenerate model for the progenitors of Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) predicts that the supernova ejecta should be enriched with solar-like abundance material stripped from the companion star. Spectroscopic observations of normal SNe Ia at late times, however, have not resulted in definite detection of hydrogen. In this Letter, we study line formation in SNe Ia at nebular times using non-LTE spectral modeling. We present, for the first time, multidimensional radiative transfer calculations of SNe Ia with stripped material mixed in the ejecta core, based on hydrodynamical simulations of ejecta–companion interaction. We find that interaction models with main-sequence companions produce significant Hα emission at late times, ruling out these types of binaries being viable progenitors of SNe Ia. We also predict significant He i line emission at optical and near-infrared wavelengths for both hydrogen-rich or helium-rich material, providing an additional observational probe of stripped ejecta. We produce models with reduced stripped masses and find a more stringent mass limit of M
st ≲ 1 × 10−4
M
⊙ of stripped companion material for SN 2011fe.
Bright Merger-nova Emission Powered by Magnetic Wind from a Newborn Black Hole
Authors: Ma Shuai-Bing , Lei Wei-Hua , Gao He , Xie Wei , Chen Wei , Zhang Bing , Wang Ding-Xiong
Published: December 2017

Mergers of neutron star–neutron star (NS–NS) or neutron star–black hole (NS–BH) binaries are candidate sources of gravitational waves (GWs). At least a fraction of the merger remnants should be a stellar mass BH with sub-relativistic ejecta. A collimated jet is launched via the Blandford–Znajek mechanism from the central BH to trigger a short gamma-ray burst (sGRB). At the same time, a near-isotropic wind may be driven by the Blandford–Payne mechanism (BP). In previous work, additional energy injection to the ejecta from the BP mechanism was ignored, and radioactive decay has long been thought to be the main source of the kilonova energy. In this Letter, we propose that the wind driven by the BP mechanism from the newborn BH’s disk can heat up and push the ejecta during the prompt emission phase or even at late times when there is fall-back accretion. Such a BP-powered merger-nova could be bright in the optical band even for a low-luminosity sGRB. The detection of a GW merger event with a BH clearly identified as a remnant, accompanied by a bright merger-nova, would provide robust confirmation of our model.
Xi Jinping au cœur du XIX e Congrès : une ambition nationaliste « aux caractéristiques chinoises »
Authors: Danjou François
Published: December 2017

La XIX e édition du congrès du parti communiste chinois, « cœur battant » de la vie politique en Chine, s’est conclu par la victoire totale de Xi Jinping. La Chine entre dans une phase ambitieuse de nationalisme « aux caractéristiques chinoises ». Les défis que doit relever la Chine et son leader restent cependant nombreux, et l’issue de la lutte des systèmes qui se met en place entre la Chine et l’Occident reste incertaine.
La Chine dans la tourmente nucléaire nord-coréenne
Authors: Farghen Morgane
Published: December 2017

Pyongyang a effectué un sixième test nucléaire, en septembre, prétendument d’une bombe H, et enchaîné les tests de missiles y compris de portée intercontinentale, le tout sur fond de menaces plus véhémentes. Le régime nord-coréen, isolé et soumis à des sanctions sans précédent, refuse de dénucléariser et reste sourd aux injonctions internationales, répondant à la pression diplomatico-militaire par une surenchère dans la provocation. La Chine pourrait jouer un rôle décisif dans cette crise, elle en a les moyens, mais elle ne les utilise pas. La Chine se rêve en grande puissance globale, elle ambitionne d’imposer son modèle socialiste et libéral au reste du monde. Alors que rien ne semblait faire obstacle à ses desseins, le retour de la géopolitique en Asie sur fond de crise nucléaire nord-coréenne vient révéler au grand jour toute l’ambivalence de sa puissance et son impact sur la sécurité régionale, et au-delà.
La presse officielle chinoise à l’ère des nouveaux médias
Authors: He Qian
Published: December 2017

Les médias officiels chinois sont contraints par les réseaux sociaux à s’adapter et à jouer un jeu concurrentiel auquel ils ne sont pas habitués. Amenés par de nouvelles règles du jeu à descendre dans une arène qui n’est pas la leur, ils sont souvent distancés par des opérateurs privés. S’ils bénéficient des subventions de l’État pour affronter dans de bonnes conditions la concurrence, la nécessité d’être encadrée par les directives qui régissent l’action des médias officiels constitue un obstacle dans cette lutte acharnée pour séduire les internautes chinois. La notion de « nouvelles faussées » devient un enjeu pour les médias officiels pour reprendre l’avantage et restaurer leur autorité menacée.
1978 : au temps de l’amitié sino-japonaise
Authors: Esmein Jean
Published: December 2017

Jean Esmein nous propose, dans la perspective des trente ans de la signature du Traité de paix sino-japonais en 2018, de revenir sur les circonstances du raccommodement entre les deux puissances de l’Asie de l’Est alors même que depuis la fin des années 1980 leurs relations hésitantes sont passées dans les mains d’acteurs froids. Il nous donne des extraits traduits et résumés des mémoires de Sonoda Sunao, ministre des Affaires étrangères en 1978 (gouvernement Fukuda) qui avait reçu du Premier ministre mission de faire la paix. Il négociait avec Huang Hua, le ministre chinois des Affaires étrangères, mais il découvrait en s’entretenant avec Deng Xiaoping que la Chine voulait s’écarter de l’URSS et sonder le Japon sérieusement. Deng lui fit des confidences.
L’atlantisme est-il un anachronisme ? Le nécessaire débat sur l’avenir de la politique étrangère de la France
Authors: Courmont Barthélemy
Published: December 2017

L’arrivée au pouvoir d’Emmanuel Macron bouleverse profondément le paysage politique français. Elle annonce également une refonte du projet européen, chère au président de la République, et une tentative de réaffirmation d’une politique étrangère indépendante, qu’il a exprimée à plusieurs occasions. Dans un contexte international également marqué par un risque de retrait des États-Unis et un isolement du Royaume-Uni, mais aussi par l’émergence de nouveaux acteurs politico-stratégiques et d’enjeux sécuritaires globaux, l’atlantisme comme grille de lecture trouve-t-il encore sa pertinence dans son accompagnement de la politique étrangère française ? Plus que jamais, la question doit être posée, intégrer des éléments de réflexion libérés de tout dogme et être élargie au monde universitaire et aux think tanks .
Les images des villes brésiliennes dans les manuels scolaires de France et du Brésil : entre mythes et réalités
Authors: Ulhôa Leonardo Moreira
Published: December 2017

Ce texte procède d’un certain nombre de réflexions permettant de poser la problématique autour des particularités qui imprègnent les images des villes brésiliennes dans des manuels scolaires de géographie utilisés dans les établissements scolaires de France, mais aussi du Brésil. En fixant et ritualisant quelques modèles d’images photographiques – dites momifiées – les aspects particuliers sont généralisés en termes de réalité. Afin de connaître la réalité des villes brésiliennes, il est indispensable de montrer que les figures et les textes faisant partie de l'iconographie des manuels scolaires ne sont qu'une partie d'un tout. Sur ces bases, nous croyons que l'image ne peut pas être considérée comme une réduction précise de la réalité.
L'imaginaire utopique brésilien dans les pratiques festives européennes
Authors: Dozena Alessandro
Published: December 2017

En considérant l’imaginaire culturel brésilien présent dans les pratiques festives des villes européennes comme étant une tactique quotidienne révélant les capacités utopiques et inventives des participants, nous avons mené une réflexion sur la dimension territoriale de la culture brésilienne, illustrée par quelques pratiques culturelles festives spécifiques. Nous traitons notamment de la structuration de certains espaces festifs, comme le Samba-Festival (Coburg - Allemagne), le Lavage Madeleine (Paris - France) et le Carnaval de La Grande Motte (La Grande Motte - France). La notion d'utopie nous a permis de comprendre l'imaginaire culturel brésilien comme un potentiel d'action pour l'action, une condition au caractère ludique et transgressif pour la production d’une nouvelle conscience, conscience qui n’appartient pas toujours à une logique productiviste, mais parfois à une logique de l'imagination et de la sensibilité.
Potencialidades geoambientais e dinâmica das paisagens de bordas planálticas – o caso dos municípios de Mauá da Serra e Faxinal
Authors: Volkmer Susana , Fortes Edison
Published: December 2017

A área de estudo, que compreende os municípios de Faxinal e Mauá da Serra, apresenta um quadro de paisagens geodiversas, passíveis de cartografação e análise, a partir de princípios geossistêmicos. A resistência diferencial das litologias possibilitou formas variadas de relevo com formações superficiais inconsolidadas mais jovens, associadas a compartimentos de relevo. A exploração antropogênica dessas paisagens, ocorrida a partir da década de 1930, tem sido feita com base na exploração agropecuária, porém de forma diferenciada conforme as potencialidades e restrições de cada sistema de paisagem. Foram identificados e classificados três sistemas de paisagem (SPI, II e III), além de subunidades de paisagem associadas: SP Ia,b,c, d, SP IIa,b e SPIIIa,b,c. O Sistema de Paisagem I é o que apresenta as maiores potencialidades para uso e ocupação, decorrente de um modelo de exploração do território viabilizado pela fertilidade do solo e um relevo de baixa declividade. O Sistema de Paisagem II apresenta as maiores restrições para de uso e de ocupação, pois compreende as áreas mais declivosas e sujeitas a movimentos de massa. O Sistema de Paisagem III, a despeito de ser mais favorável a exploração, requer cuidados no uso e ocupação, devido às condições mais friáveis do solo, altamente favoráveis a erosão.
A cartografia do litoral paranaense
Authors: Rodrigues Monteiro Ricardo , Nagy André
Published: December 2017

Neste trabalho apresentamos a Cartografia de temas variados do litoral paranaense, predominantemente para o censo 2010 e na escala de todos os setores censitários. O método de representação cartográfica contemplou a utilização de software livre, principalmente o aplicativo Philcarto, para osmapas temáticos, Carte &Données, para osmapas de fluxo, Inkscape, para aedição das imagens exportadas do Philcarto, e GIMP, para aedição final das imagens. Os textos foram escritos com intuito de serem acessíveis a leitores especialistas e não especialistas. Procurou-se uma representação geral de temas tais como: a formação territorial e o crescimento populacional dos municípios do litoral, desde 1872, a demografia por faixas etárias e a projeção populacional para 2015, as faixas etárias e o sexo dos alunos matriculados na UFPR Litoral de 2008 a 2016, as matrículas na rede escolar e a distância-tempo dos deslocamentos para acesso às universidades, declividades e mapa dos setores urbanos e rurais conforme a classificação do IBGE, os domicílios particulares permanentes e os domicílios não ocupados de uso ocasional (segundas residências), as médias de habitantes por domicílio e as densidades populacionais e razão de sexo. Pretende-se com isso auxiliar as ações de planejamento por parte das instituições públicas e alimentar com dados e informação cartográfica as discussões no ensino, na pesquisa e na extensão em todas as escalas do ensino público e/ou privado local.
Espacialização e dinâmicas contemporâneas da agropecuária paranaense
Authors: Hauresko Cecília , Théry Hervé
Published: December 2017

A revolução tecnológica vem propiciando a intensificação da forma capitalista de produzir na agropecuária promovendo verdadeira reestruturação no setor. A partir disso, novos espaços agrícolas podem ser incorporados à produção e ao consumo globalizados, já outros permanecem no sistema tradicional. Nesse contexto, o trabalho busca compreender as particularidades da agricultura familiar e agricultura patronal, evidenciando estes diferentes padrões na produção agrícola, pecuária das distintas regiões do estado. Para isso, por meio da sistematização da base de dados do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística IBGE - Produção Agrícola e Pecuária Municipal dos anos de 2014 e 2015, do Censo Agropecuário de 2006 e da geração de cartogramas sobre o tema, identifica-se a organização territorial da agropecuária no Paraná. Os resultados mostram que é inegável que o território está dividido por regiões e lugares que se especializam, sustentados pela ciência, técnica e informação (com predominância de commodities). Por outro lado, em outras se resiste com as técnicas tradicionais na produção de alimentos. Essa desigualdade produz um cenário agropecuário conflituoso quanto ao uso e posse da terra.
Augmenting Research Competencies for Management Graduates
Authors: Baporikar Neeta
Published: December 2017

Research and research competencies are usually discussed in context. Research is recognised as an important facet of development both social and economic. In fact, the progress of mankind rests heavily on the velocity of research. But the term ‘research' and competencies to do research are mostly seen in context to science and arts discipline graduates more often and at the most fancifully in social sciences, but much lesser seen in context to management discipline. Hence, this aims to bring out the need to enhance research competencies with focus on management graduates. After all, if organizations have to become sustainable and be governed in a more ethical manner, there is need to shift the thinking from management education is only to create managers but to also thinkers and researchers who will be able to illuminate newer and better ways of organizational growth and thereby the societal development.
Student-Psychologists' and Conflictologists' Formation of Scientific Research Competence in the Process of Learning at the University
Authors: Semionova Elena , Samal Alena , Smirnova Natalia , Boika Maryna , Chaikovskaya Maryia
Published: December 2017

The current stage of society's development is a constant demand of future professionals in the field of psychology and conflictology of research skills in the relevant field. Psychologists and conflictologists, as practitioners, should be able to analyze the situation with which they are accessed by clients, to identify the reasons that led to this situation, to predict various variants of the development of the event under certain conditions and methods of correction, direct or indirect impact. Psychologist and conflictologist must also own the methodology of the research, know the main stages of the research, be able to plan, organize and carry out research in the social sphere, describe and visualize its results, without forgetting the ethics of the research. In this chapter is analyzed the structure students-psychologists' and conflictologists' scientific research competence, the content of its main component is described.
Formation of Invariants of Research Competence of Students
Authors: Iliazova Mariam
Published: December 2017

Professional competence is based on the invariant, which is a systemic and structural education that contains five interrelated components: axiological, motivational, individual-psychological, instrumental, conative. There is no universally accepted notion of “competence” and “competency”. There is no scientifically grounded definition of e invariant structure of competence of the subject of professional activity. The question remains of a productive pedagogical model containing a system of didactic conditions and modern pedagogical technologies that are adequate for the purpose of forming invariants of research competence of student. The basis for the development of such a model was the theory of contextual education by A. A. Verbitskiy. The basic unit of content here is the learning situation, which is a problematic nature. The system of such situations may be based on a situational and contextual approach to the formation of invariants of the research competency of student.
Research Competence for Development of Distance Education in Russian Universities
Authors: Krevskiy Igor G. , Bershadsky Aleksandr , Glotova Tatiana
Published: December 2017

The development of e-learning is one of the main trends of improving education. At the same time, e-learning has been developing for several decades, but due to the rapid development and changes in technology it claims to be unprecedented in the educational field. Currently, you can see two opposing tendencies of development of distance education in universities: extension of the scope of distance learning courses; the development of digitalization of traditional educational programs. Algorithms of these processes and especially the administration of training and change management as part of these processes are discussed in chapter.
Invariable Structure of Research Competence of Adult Learners in Skill Building Programs
Authors: Panarina Svetlana
Published: December 2017

Skill building programs are a necessary means of updating and building new competences in adult learning. Research competence is one of key components in the competence model of an adult graduate of skill building programs. It encompasses a number of elements: motivational, value-an-semantic, instrumental, individual-and-psychological and conative. Every invariant is presented as description of certain skills and abilities that are to be formed or developed while mastering a skill building program. It is necessary to note that a competence model whose integral part is research competence is an obligatory element of a particular skill building program, particularly its aim and result. That is why the author focused on analyzing the structure of research competence prior to developing the contents of the program itself.
Emotional Labor as a Reputation Management Technique in Service Organizations
Authors: Yürür Senay
Published: December 2017

This chapter discusses the issue of emotional labor as a reputation management technique. This technique, which is important for service organizations' reputations, concerns the organizational arrangements and individual processes affecting the ways in which employees exhibit expected behaviors toward their customers during service encounters. First, the chapter discusses the concept and theoretical background of reputation management. Then, it explores the concept, types, and dimensions of emotional labor by emphasizing the meaning and importance of emotional labor for service organizations. Finally, it examines the antecedents of emotional labor and the organizational and individual consequences it exposes. It is hoped that this chapter will guide service sector administrators in understanding the importance and management of emotional labor in terms of organizational reputations while also shedding light on the academic studies still needed in this field.
Use of Brand Heroes in Strategic Reputation Management
Authors: Bücker Joost , Ernste Kees
Published: December 2017

The last decade witnessed a renewal of historical approaches towards business management that emphasize the malleability of the past in order to serve the present. This chapter studies the use of heroes when organizations pursue strategic change, which the authors term hero-molding. The aim is to incorporate a postmodern approach towards the analysis of the representation of heroes within organizations. To explore the use of heroes, a framework of ways in which hero-molding could be established is developed and tested by the use of a longitudinal document analysis. Data showed that hero-molding is a practiced phenomena and is used to showcase continuity, despite of strategic change. Hero-molding could be achieved through the editing of the composition and/or the meaning of labels and by help of highlighting labels attached to the hero. This chapter contributes to the enrichment of the newly developed “uses of the past” approach by showing the malleability of the interpretation of prominent members of an organization in the wake of strategic change.
Issue Management in the Digital World
Authors: Tekin Kaan
Published: December 2017

In today's digital world, managing reputation can be quite tricky for corporate or brand names. Due to the complexity of the issue, this chapter presents a scope related with image management, issue management, and reputation management across digital environments. The passenger crisis of the United Airlines is analyzed as the case study. The mistakes made during and after the disruptive event, what could have done to prevent the situation from getting any worse, as well as the ways to turn the crisis into an opportunity are demonstrated throughout the chapter.
Corporate Reputation and Customer Loyalty in Social Media
Authors: Sayimer İdil , Küçüksaraç Banu
Published: December 2017

The chapter explores the relationship between online corporate reputation and customer loyalty through the Instagram posts of Turkish mommy bloggers, one of the significant online communities of organizations. Designed as an exploratory research, the chapter also investigates the components that constitute corporate reputation and how they affect customer loyalty according to bloggers. For this purpose, Instagram pages of Turkish mommy bloggers with the highest number of followers were analyzed by participant observation and content analysis methods. The main findings of the research show that the factors that constitute corporate reputation according to bloggers are product-service quality, emotional appeal, and social responsibility, respectively, while their customer loyalty is found at an attitudinal level, which supports word-of-mouth communication and loyalty intention.
Reputation Management in the Age of Big Data
Authors: Ibrahimzade Nubar
Published: December 2017

The objective of this chapter is to reveal the role of big data in establishing effective corporate communication. This will be further investigated by shedding light into how brands as well as corporations make use of big data to heighten their brand value and improve their reputation. Big data is used in various sectors ranging from banking, public sector, health, telecommunication, and marketing in order to increase productivity, minimize costs, and set future goals. Big data, actively used and experienced in the world and upon which many sample case studies have been conducted, is such a giant step in organizations that enables them to safeguard their future, increase profits, assess risks, and take calculated steps.
The Use of Second Screen Practices in Reputation Management
Authors: Atıcı Münire
Published: December 2017

This chapter shines a light for understanding consumer behavior on the way the consumer develops awareness of product placements in the television content, interest in products she noticed, desire to get one of these placed products, and finally intent to take an action to gather information about the product. Public relations, marketing, and sales experts can benefit from product placement if they truly analyze the consumers who are active at the second screen. Thus, brands with recent product placement know-how can successfully manage their reputation and sales related to interest of potential customers at the second screen.
Public Relations, Media Relations, and Reputation Management
Authors: Çağlak Engin
Published: December 2017

Reputation and trustworthiness are crucial values to acquire and sustain for every individual, institution, organization, and society. Reputation is neither a gift acquired from birth nor a feature that can be bought in exchange of money. In order for media to acquire reputation, mass media and employees must be respected. In this chapter, the use of media for reputation and the importance of credibility, authenticity, objectivity, and the like for media or journalism is analyzed through specific examples.
EcoMUVE
Authors: Metcalf Shari J. , Kamarainen Amy M. , Torres Eric , Grotzer Tina A. , Dede Chris
Published: December 2017

This chapter considers classroom strategies that have been shown to support student science learning and discusses the affordances of multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) as a platform to implement those strategies. EcoMUVE, a middle school curriculum for ecosystem science education, is presented as a case study to demonstrate the design of a MUVE-based curriculum that enhances science learning and engagement. The chapter concludes with a summary of research findings on student learning and engagement, and suggestions for consideration in implementing MUVE-based curricula in classrooms.
The Affordances of 3D Virtual Learning Environments
Authors: Matsui Hisae , Ahern Terence C.
Published: December 2017

The purpose of this chapter is to examine participants' perceived affordances of three-dimensional virtual learning environments (3D VLEs) in developing interpersonal emotional connections with their partners during the initial stage of the virtual exchange. To fulfill the purpose, two Japanese and two American students were paired and participated in sessions within two differently designed virtual environments using the same 3D virtual application. The results indicate that the participants tend to find avatars useful as a cue that helps in recalling previous conversations and in avoiding long silences. Additionally, the affordances of the 3D VLEs heightened the experience of co-presence. However, for non-native speakers, this experience also created increased anxiety. Finally, the results show the affordances affected the participants much more strongly during the first several sessions but were mitigated by other factors as the sessions continued.
Creating Contexts for Collaborative Learning in a 3D Virtual World for Distance Education
Authors: Mørch Anders I. , Caruso Valentina , Hartley Melissa D. , Ludlow Barbara L.
Published: December 2017

The purpose of this chapter is to explore the contexts that teachers can create to promote collaborative learning in 3D virtual learning environments. The authors report on the findings of a case study using the 3D virtual world Second Life in a preservice teacher distance education program. Two types of contexts are identified: social interaction (social context) and instructor's scaffolding (pedagogical context). The anonymity represented by avatars in the 3D environment allowed learners to engage in social interaction and practice collaboration skills. Scaffolding involved several stages: scaffold the students' learning of the new technology, plan the course structure, implement the procedures during the lesson, and facilitate transitions between activities. The study also identifies the potential for a third context (emotional context), as the participants—both the instructor and the students—report a need to express emotions in many situations, but the environment does not seamlessly support this mode of communication.
Multi-User Mixed Reality Environments for Distance Learning
Authors: Peña-Rios Anasol , Callaghan Victor , Gardner Michael
Published: December 2017

Technological innovation is changing every aspect of our lives and extending into education, where it is introducing profound changes to both the traditional classroom and online learning environments. This chapter explores the future of MUVEs, focusing particularly on immersive mixed reality learning environments and the challenges involved in the shift to multidimensional environments in education. It reviews the earlier developments in MUVEs and identifies a barrier to their deployment in science and engineering education: their inability to support physical collaborative laboratory work. The chapter then explains how advances in mixed-reality research may offer a solution to this problem through a case study of a cutting-edge example of such an approach, the BReal Lab, together with a summary of evaluation results gained from a trial involving students in 5 different countries. Finally, the chapter concludes by reflecting on the issues raised and speculates on possible future directions that work on mixed-reality MUVEs might take.
The Learners' Isle
Authors: Birenbaum Menucha , Gazit Elhanan
Published: December 2017

The multi-user virtual environment (MUVE) described in this chapter is aimed to promote learner agency and motivation by engaging students in authentic and challenging learning experiences aligned with educational goals to foster twenty-first century competencies. Principles of assessment for learning (AfL) and gamification will be integrated to design a MUVE governed by students. The students will engage in learning, assessment, and instruction-related activities. They will also initiate, manage, and monitor the activities. The relationship between The Learners' Isle virtual environment and the physical classroom environment will be complementary and reciprocal. The teacher (a digital immigrant) and the students (the digital natives) will be partners in the teaching-learning process. The design principles of The Learners' Isle, a scenario to illustrate blended learning, and its conceptualization through an activity theory framework will be presented. In addition, this chapter will discuss the educational context characteristics conducive to successful implementation of the MUVE.