bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Ecological and Human Health Risks of Heavy Metal Contamination in Agriculture Soils Disturbed by Pipeline Construction
Authors: Shi Peng , Xiao Jun , Wang Yafeng , Chen Liding
Published: February 2014

The construction of large-scale infrastructures such as nature gas/oil pipelines involves extensive disturbance to regional ecosystems. Few studies have documented the soil degradation and heavy metal contamination caused by pipeline construction. In this study, chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) levels were evaluated using Index of Geo-accumulation (Igeo) and Potential Ecological Risk Index (RI) values, and human health risk assessments were used to elucidate the level and spatial variation of heavy metal pollution risks. The results showed that the impact zone of pipeline installation on soil heavy metal contamination was restricted to pipeline right-of-way (RoW), which had higher Igeo of Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb than that of 20 m and 50 m. RI showed a declining tendency in different zones as follows: trench > working zone > piling area > 20 m > 50 m. Pipeline RoW resulted in higher human health risks than that of 20 m and 50 m, and children were more susceptible to non-carcinogenic hazard risk. Cluster analysis showed that Cu, Ni, Pb and Cd had similar sources, drawing attention to the anthropogenic activity. The findings in this study should help better understand the type, degree, scope and sources of heavy metal pollution from pipeline construction to reduce pollutant emissions, and are helpful in providing a scientific basis for future risk management.
Financial Stability Board: Mandate and Implementation of Its Systemic Risks Standards
Authors: Weber Rolf , Staiger Dominic
Published: February 2014

The aim of this essay is to provide an overview of the Financial Stability Board’s (FSB) mandate and tools to safeguard financial stability and reduce systemic risks based on the methodological perspective of a legal analysis. It examines some of the recommendations that the FSB has published, with the aim of enhancing financial stability. In the second part of the paper, the complex problems that arise from implementing soft law recommendations, and the discretion granted to regulatory authorities, are discussed.
Multilineage Potential Research of Bovine Amniotic Fluid Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Gao Yuhua , Zhu Zhiqiang , Zhao Yuhua , Hua Jinlian , Ma Yuehui , Guan Weijun
Published: February 2014

The use of amnion and amniotic fluid (AF) are abundant sources of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that can be harvested at low cost and do not pose ethical conflicts. In human and veterinary research, stem cells derived from these tissues are promising candidates for disease treatment, specifically for their plasticity, their reduced immunogenicity, and high anti-inflammatory potential. This work aimed to obtain and characterize bovine amniotic fluid mesenchymal stem cells (AFMSC). The bovine AF from the amniotic cavity of pregnant gilts in the early stages of gestation (3- and 4-m-old bovine embryos) was collected. AFMSCs exhibit a fibroblastic-like morphology only starting from the fourth passage, being heterogeneous during the primary culture. Immunofluorescence results showed that AFMSCs were positive for β-integrin, CD44, CD73 and CD166, but negative for CD34, CD45. Meanwhile, AFMSCs expressed ES cell markers, such as Oct4, and when appropriately induced, are capable of differentiating into ectodermal and mesodermal lineages. This study reinforces the emerging importance of these cells as ideal tools in veterinary medicine; future studies aimed at a deeper evaluation of their immunological properties will allow a better understanding of their role in cellular therapy.
Killing Me Softly—Future Challenges in Apoptosis Research
Authors: Westhoff Mike-Andrew , Brühl Oliver , Nonnenmacher Lisa , Karpel-Massler Georg , Debatin Klaus-Michael
Published: March 2014

The induction of apoptosis, a highly regulated and clearly defined mode of cell dying, is a vital tenet of modern cancer therapy. In this review we focus on three aspects of apoptosis research which we believe are the most crucial and most exciting areas currently investigated and that will need to be better understood in order to enhance the efficacy of therapeutic measures. First, we discuss which target to select for cancer therapy and argue that not the cancer cell as such, but its interaction with the microenvironment is a more promising and genetically stable site of attack. Second, the complexity of combination therapy is elucidated using the PI3-K-mediated signaling network as a specific example. Here we show that the current clinical approach to sensitize malignancies to apoptosis by maximal, prolonged inhibition of so-called survival pathways can actually be counter productive. Third, we propose that under certain conditions which will need to be clearly defined in future, chronification of a tumor might be preferable to the attempt at a cure. Finally, we discuss further problems with utilizing apoptosis induction in cancer therapy and propose a novel potential therapeutic approach that combines the previously discussed features.
Inhibition of Acetylcholinesterase Modulates NMDA Receptor Antagonist Mediated Alterations in the Developing Brain
Authors: Bendix Ivo , Serdar Meray , Herz Josephine , Von Haefen Clarissa , Nasser Fatme , Rohrer Benjamin , Endesfelder Stefanie , Felderhoff-Mueser Ursula , Spies Claudia , Sifringer Marco
Published: March 2014

Exposure to N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists has been demonstrated to induce neurodegeneration in newborn rats. However, in clinical practice the use of NMDA receptor antagonists as anesthetics and sedatives cannot always be avoided. The present study investigated the effect of the indirect cholinergic agonist physostigmine on neurotrophin expression and the extracellular matrix during NMDA receptor antagonist induced injury to the immature rat brain. The aim was to investigate matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 activity, as well as expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-2 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) after co-administration of the non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist MK801 (dizocilpine) and the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor physostigmine. The AChE inhibitor physostigmine ameliorated the MK801-induced reduction of BDNF mRNA and protein levels, reduced MK801-triggered MMP-2 activity and prevented decreased TIMP-2 mRNA expression. Our results indicate that AChE inhibition may prevent newborn rats from MK801-mediated brain damage by enhancing neurotrophin-associated signaling pathways and by modulating the extracellular matrix.
Role of A20 in cIAP-2 Protection against Tumor Necrosis Factor α (TNF-α)-Mediated Apoptosis in Endothelial Cells
Authors: Guo Shuzhen , Messmer-Blust Angela , Wu Jiaping , Song Xiaoxiao , Philbrick Melissa , Shie Jue-Lon , Rana Jamal , Li Jian
Published: March 2014

Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) influences endothelial cell viability by altering the regulatory molecules involved in induction or suppression of apoptosis. However, the underlying mechanisms are still not completely understood. In this study, we demonstrated that A20 (also known as TNFAIP3, tumor necrosis factor α-induced protein 3, and an anti-apoptotic protein) regulates the inhibitor of apoptosis protein-2 (cIAP-2) expression upon TNF-α induction in endothelial cells. Inhibition of A20 expression by its siRNA resulted in attenuating expression of TNF-α-induced cIAP-2, yet not cIAP-1 or XIAP. A20-induced cIAP-2 expression can be blocked by the inhibition of phosphatidyl inositol-3 kinase (PI3-K), but not nuclear factor (NF)-κB, while concomitantly increasing the number of endothelial apoptotic cells and caspase 3 activation. Moreover, TNF-α-mediated induction of apoptosis was enhanced by A20 inhibition, which could be rescued by cIAP-2. Taken together, these results identify A20 as a cytoprotective factor involved in cIAP-2 inhibitory pathway of TNF-α-induced apoptosis. This is consistent with the idea that endothelial cell viability is dependent on interactions between inducers and suppressors of apoptosis, susceptible to modulation by TNF-α.
Astragalus membranaceus Improves Exercise Performance and Ameliorates Exercise-Induced Fatigue in Trained Mice
Authors: Yeh Tzu-Shao , Chuang Hsiao-Li , Huang Wen-Ching , Chen Yi-Ming , Huang Chi-Chang , Hsu Mei-Chich
Published: March 2014

Astragalus membranaceus (AM) is a popular “Qi-tonifying” herb with a long history of use as a Traditional Chinese Medicine with multiple biological functions. However, evidence for the effects of AM on exercise performance and physical fatigue is limited. We evaluated the potential beneficial effects of AM on ergogenic and anti-fatigue functions following physiological challenge. Male ICR strain mice were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 10 per group) for treatment: (1) sedentary control and vehicle treatment (vehicle control); (2) exercise training with vehicle treatment (exercise control); and (3) exercise training with AM treatment at 0.615 g/kg/day (Ex-AM1) or (4) 3.075 g/kg/day (Ex-AM5). Both the vehicle and AM were orally administered for 6 weeks. Exercise performance and anti-fatigue function were evaluated by forelimb grip strength, exhaustive swimming time, and levels of serum lactate, ammonia, glucose, and creatine kinase after 15-min swimming exercise. Exercise training combined with AM supplementation increased endurance exercise capacity and increased hepatic and muscle glycogen content. AM reduced exercise-induced accumulation of the byproducts blood lactate and ammonia with acute exercise challenge. Moreover, we found no deleterious effects from AM treatment. Therefore, AM supplementation improved exercise performance and had anti-fatigue effects in mice. It may be an effective ergogenic aid in exercise training.
Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1A1: Friend or Foe to Female Metabolism?
Authors: Petrosino Jennifer , DiSilvestro David , Ziouzenkova Ouliana
Published: March 2014

In this review, we summarize recent advances in understanding vitamin A-dependent regulation of sex-specific differences in metabolic diseases, inflammation, and certain cancers. We focus on the characterization of the aldehyde dehydrogenase-1 family of enzymes (ALDH1A1, ALDH1A2, ALDH1A3) that catalyze conversion of retinaldehyde to retinoic acid. Additionally, we propose a “horizontal transfer of signaling” from estrogen to retinoids through the action of ALDH1A1. Although estrogen does not directly influence expression of Aldh1a1, it has the ability to suppress Aldh1a2 and Aldh1a3, thereby establishing a female-specific mechanism for retinoic acid generation in target tissues. ALDH1A1 regulates adipogenesis, abdominal fat formation, glucose tolerance, and suppression of thermogenesis in adipocytes; in B cells, ALDH1A1 plays a protective role by inducing oncogene suppressors Rara and Pparg. Considering the conflicting responses of Aldh1a1 in a multitude of physiological processes, only tissue-specific regulation of Aldh1a1 can result in therapeutic effects. We have shown through successful implantation of tissue-specific Aldh1a1−/− preadipocytes that thermogenesis can be induced in wild-type adipose tissues to resolve diet-induced visceral obesity in females. We will briefly discuss the emerging role of ALDH1A1 in multiple myeloma, the regulation of reproduction, and immune responses, and conclude by discussing the role of ALDH1A1 in future therapeutic applications.
Increases in Plasma Lutein through Supplementation Are Correlated with Increases in Physical Activity and Reductions in Sedentary Time in Older Adults
Authors: Thomson Rebecca , Coates Alison , Howe Peter , Bryan Janet , Matsumoto Megumi , Buckley Jonathan
Published: March 2014

Cross-sectional studies have reported positive relationships between serum lutein concentrations and higher physical activity levels. The purpose of the study was to determine whether increasing plasma lutein levels increases physical activity. Forty-four older adults (BMI, 25.3 ± 2.6 kg/m2; age, 68.8 ± 6.4 year) not meeting Australian physical activity guidelines (150 min/week of moderate to vigorous activity) were randomized to consume capsules containing 21 mg of lutein or placebo with 250 mL of full-cream milk per day for 4 weeks and encouraged to increase physical activity. Physical activity was assessed by self-report, pedometry and accelerometry (daily activity counts and sedentary time). Exercise self-efficacy was assessed by questionnaire. Thirty-nine participants competed the study (Lutein = 19, Placebo = 20). Lutein increased plasma lutein concentrations compared with placebo (p < 0.001). Absolute and percentage changes in plasma lutein were inversely associated with absolute (r = −0.36, p = 0.03) and percentage changes (r = −0.39, p = 0.02) in sedentary time. Percentage change in plasma lutein was positively associated with the percentage change in average daily activity counts (r = 0.36, p = 0.03). Exercise self-efficacy did not change (p = 0.16). Lutein increased plasma lutein, which was associated with increased physical activity and reduced sedentary time in older adults. Larger trials should evaluate whether Lutein can provide health benefits over the longer term.
From Clichés to Mysticism: Evolution of Religious Motives in Turkish Cinema
Authors: Önal Hülya
Published: March 2014

As an art form, an academic discipline and an ideological instrument that finds a place in cultural studies and social sciences, film plays a significant role both in the creation and as a reflection of the culture in which it is produced and sustained. Within the relationship between religion and the cinema in the Turkish context, religion has ironically become an ideological discourse contrasting with the Islamic attitude prohibiting human depiction. This paper seeks to examine the transformation of both religious and secularist clichés and stereotypes in the Turkish cinema, by means of ideological and sociological critiques of some sample films.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Religions in 2013
Authors: Religions Editorial Office
Published: March 2014

The editors of Religions would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following reviewers forassessing manuscripts in 2013. [...]
GIS and Urban Mining
Authors: Zhu Xuan
Published: March 2014

Geographical information systems (GIS) are a kind of location intelligence technology that supports systematic collection, integration, analysis and sharing of spatial data. They provide an effective tool for characterising and visualising geographical distributions of recyclable resources or materials dispersed across urban environments in what may be described as “urban mines”. As logistics can be a key barrier to recycling, GIS are critical for capturing and analysing location intelligence about the distribution and values of recyclable resources and associated collection systems to effectively empower and inform the policy makers and the broader community with comprehensive, accurate and accessible information. This paper reviews the functionality of modern GIS, discusses the potential role of GIS in urban mining studies, and describes how GIS can be used to measure, report, analyse and visualise the spatial or geographical characteristics of dispersed stocks of recyclable waste and their collection and recovery systems. Such information can then be used to model material flows and assess the social and environmental impacts of urban mining. Issues and challenges in the use of GIS for urban mining are also to be addressed.
A Harsh Environment-Oriented Wireless Passive Temperature Sensor Realized by LTCC Technology
Authors: Tan Qiulin , Luo Tao , Xiong Jijun , Kang Hao , Ji Xiaxia , Zhang Yang , Yang Mingliang , Wang Xiaolong , Xue Chenyang , Liu Jun , Zhang Wendong
Published: March 2014

To meet measurement needs in harsh environments, such as high temperature and rotating applications, a wireless passive Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC) temperature sensor based on ferroelectric dielectric material is presented in this paper. As a LC circuit which consists of electrically connected temperature sensitive capacitor and invariable planar spiral inductor, the sensor has its resonant frequency shift with the variation in temperature. Within near-filed coupling distance, the variation in resonant frequency of the sensor can be detected contactlessly by extracting the impedance parameters of an external antenna. Ferroelectric ceramic, which has temperature sensitive permittivity, is used as the dielectric. The fabrication process of the sensor, which differs from conventional LTCC technology, is described in detail. The sensor is tested three times from room temperature to 700 °C, and considerable repeatability and sensitivity are shown, thus the feasibility of high performance wireless passive temperature sensor realized by LTCC technology is demonstrated.
A Survey on Model Based Approaches for 2D and 3D Visual Human Pose Recovery
Authors: Perez-Sala Xavier , Escalera Sergio , Angulo Cecilio , Gonzàlez Jordi
Published: March 2014

Human Pose Recovery has been studied in the field of Computer Vision for the last 40 years. Several approaches have been reported, and significant improvements have been obtained in both data representation and model design. However, the problem of Human Pose Recovery in uncontrolled environments is far from being solved. In this paper, we define a general taxonomy to group model based approaches for Human Pose Recovery, which is composed of five main modules: appearance, viewpoint, spatial relations, temporal consistence, and behavior. Subsequently, a methodological comparison is performed following the proposed taxonomy, evaluating current SoA approaches in the aforementioned five group categories. As a result of this comparison, we discuss the main advantages and drawbacks of the reviewed literature.
Isolation and Identification of Feline Herpesvirus Type 1 from a South China Tiger in China
Authors: Sun Heting , Li Yuanguo , Jiao Weiyi , Liu Cunfa , Liu Xiujuan , Wang Haijun , Hua Fuyou , Dong Jianxiu , Fan Shengtao , Yu Zhijun , Gao Yuwei , Xia Xianzhu
Published: February 2014

In 2012, an FHV-1-like virus was isolated from a tiger that presented with clinical signs of sialorrhea, sneezing and purulent rhinorrhea. Isolation was performed with the FK81 cell line, and the virus was identified by PCR, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the phylogenetic analysis of the partial thymidine kinase (TK) and glycoprotein B (gB) genes. A total of 253 bp of the TK gene and 566 bp of the gB gene were amplified from the trachea of the tiger by PCR/RT-PCR method. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the isolate belonged to the same cluster with other FHV-1 strains obtained from GenBank. Herpes-like viruses with an envelope and diameters of approximately 200 nm were observed in the culture supernatants of FK81 cells inoculated with samples from the tiger. The FHV-1 infection was confirmed by an animal challenge experiment in a cat model. Our finding extends the host range of FHV-1 and has implications for FHV-1 infection and South China tiger conservation.
Feuille de route de l’indépendance tibétaine
Authors: Lixiong Wang
Published: February 2014

Wang Lixiong publie «Feuille de route de l’indépendance tibétaine » sur la Toile en novembre 2008, après une accalmie relative des tensions de la révolte tibétaine du printemps 2008, et une fois les jeux Olympiques terminés(1). Il expose sa nouvelle interprétation de la question tibétaine, une approche analytique, inédite chez lui auparavant, mûrie à la lueur des événements récents. Il propose une vision novatrice de la crise tibétaine, de ses origines profondes et, finalement, de son évolution vers l’indépendance tibétaine. «Feuille de route » se compose de trois parties : 1) Ligne de démarcation : les événements de mars, 2) Le dilemme du régime impérial, 3) Comment le Tibet se dirige vers l’indépendance. La première partie a été traduite en anglais par Lingxi Kong, et largement diffusée sur le net(2). C’est pourquoi il a été décidé de traduire en français la deuxième partie qui est sans doute la plus pertinente pour comprendre la réflexion de l’auteur. Il élabore une analyse de la nature des institutions bureaucratiques et montre les apories du système. Afin de donner une vue d’ensemble de son long texte, un court résumé de la première partie précèdera la traduction. La troisième partie, non traduite ici, présente la vision de l’auteur des différents scénarios pour aboutir à l’indépendance qui selon lui ne pourra se faire qu’au prix d’une grande violence et d’effusions de sang. Au moment où cette traduction est achevée, le 13 juin 2009, TibetInfoNet annonce l’arrivée de Wang Lixiong à Dharamsala pour une visite de deux mois organisée par l’Association des écrivains tibétains(3). Note de la traductrice.
La Chine face à la crise
Authors: Niquet Valérie
Published: February 2014

Cet article pose la question de la capacité de la Chine à sortir de l’actuelle crise économique mondiale sans remettre en cause les politiques engagées ni menacer la stabilité sociale. Dans quelle mesure la situation économique et la crainte des troubles sociaux obligeront-elles Pékin à recourir au nationalisme et à adopter des positions internationales dures, tant sur le plan politique qu’économique ?
L'impact du massacre du 4 juin sur le mouvement démocratique
Authors: Béja Jean-Philippe , Goldman Merle
Published: February 2014

Le mouvement pour la démocratie réprimé dans le sang par l’armée le 4 juin 1989 a été précédé par de nombreux mouvements de critiques animés par des intellectuels. Le massacre a privé les démocrates de leurs protecteurs au sein du Parti, et les a contraints à changer de stratégie. Dans l’incapacité d’organiser des manifestations à grande échelle, les dissidents ont choisi de lancer des pétitions pour réclamer le respect des droits de l’homme et le renversement du verdict sur le 4 juin. Ils ont été rejoints par les Mères de Tiananmen, un groupe qui, au fil des ans, est devenu une composante importante du mouvement pour la démocratie.
Améliorer le niveau des croyants. La notion de suzhi et la production d’un protestantisme d’élite
Authors: Cao Nanlai
Published: February 2014

Cet article aborde la question de l’évolution du protestantisme dans la Chine urbaine contemporaine à travers l’étude du discours chrétien sur le suzhi (“ niveau” ou “ qualité” des croyants), notion qui recouvre à la fois des dimensions culturelle, sociale, éducative et morale. Il s’agira de montrer, en mettant en regard la notion de suzhi et la formation de l’identité et du sujet dans la communauté protestante chinoise, que la dévotion des protestants aujourd’hui ne s’explique pas d’abord par la recherche de spiritualité dans un système politique caractérisé par le pouvoir de l''État. Elle est aussi et surtout motivée par un désir et des pratiques liés à la construction de soi chez des individus imprégnés de valeurs néolibérales et évoluant dans un contexte de développement rapide de l’économie de marché. On montrera également que le protestantisme chinois a connu une augmentation de ses effectifs, mais qu’il s’est aussi transformé, ce qui contredit les représentations unidimensionnelles de la religiosité chrétienne à l’ère postmaoïste.
Lijiao : le retour en Chine continentale de cérémonies en l’honneur de Confucius
Authors: Thoraval Joël , Billioud Sébastien
Published: February 2014

Cet article entend soulever la question des relations entre les dimensions religieuse et politique du «renouveau confucéen » en Chine contemporaine. Il centre son examen sur le rituel et, plus précisément, sur les cérémonies en l’honneur de Confucius qui ont lieu chaque année à la fin du mois de septembre dans la ville de Qufu (province du Shandong). Après une mise en perspective de la longue histoire de ce culte, il présente une description très factuelle des manifestations du «Festival Confucius » de septembre 2007 afin d’en restituer les multiples dimensions. C’est à partir de ce tableau que peuvent être analysés les multiples usages faits aujourd’hui de la figure du Sage. Plus largement, la question qui se trouve ici posée est celle de la possibilité d’un nouveau ritualisme postmaoïste, dans un espace où s’opposent et s’accordent à la fois un État soucieux d’une nouvelle légitimité et un ensemble de mouvements plus ou moins autonomes, se réclamant d’un «confucianisme populaire » (minjian rujia).
Zirconoarylation of alkynes through p-chloranil-promoted reductive elimination of arylzirconates
Authors: Yan Xiaoyu , Chen Chao , Xi Chanjuan
Published: February 2014

A novel method for the zirconoarylation of alkynes was developed. TCQ-promoted reductive elimination of arylzirconate [LiCp2ZrAr(RC≡CR)], which was prepared by the reaction of zirconocene–alkyne complexes with aryllithium compounds, afforded trisubstituted alkenylzirconocenes. This reaction can afford multi-substituted olefins with high stereoselectivity.
Marketing in an Interactive World
Authors: Sasser Sheila , Kilgour Mark , Hollebeek Linda D.
Published: March 2014

The focus of this chapter is to address emerging trends, opportunities, and key challenges facing managers in their communication processes in an increasingly interactive social media environment. A review of the current social media literature and two qualitative research studies provide insights into the changing nature of the communications process in social media, as opposed to more traditional, communications environments. These insights are drawn together to provide a number of managerial implications for social media marketers.
Effects of Consumers’ Social Media Participation on Consumer Behavior
Authors: Kumar Ashish , Bezawada Ram
Published: March 2014

Technological advancements have shaped and reshaped the marketing landscape from time to time. The digital revolution in particular has given rise to a new digital era that has changed this marketing landscape, perhaps permanently. One of the core technologies involved in defining this digital era is the Internet. The Internet has not only empowered the people by creating and disseminating information like never before but also has affected the way we conduct our businesses. Various business usages of the Internet in search engines, email, mobile, and social media have given rise to new ways of conducting marketing activities such as affiliate marketing, display advertisement, email marketing, search marketing, and social media marketing among others. The significance and the relevance of online social media marketing have made this particular digital channel a topical subject of the digital era. The effects of social media have been felt in influencing both seller and buyer behaviors. However, the focus of this chapter is to address two important aspects of consumer behaviors in an online digital social media environment. First, the authors propose a conceptual framework of consumers’ social media participation. Second, the chapter discusses how this participation affects consumers’ behaviors including their purchases. Finally, the authors present a few econometric challenges associated with modeling consumers’ social media participation and quantifying its impact on their behaviors.
Social Media Marketing In Emerging Economies
Authors: Bakshi Madhupa , Mishra Prashant
Published: March 2014

Nearly 30 million Indians who are online are members of social networking sites and popular surveys report that about two-thirds of them spend time daily on these social networking sites. More importantly, Indians spend more time on social media than they do using personal email. This has immense implications for a country which has been dubbed as one of the largest emerging markets and has multinationals vying to set up shop. This scenario in India is unique as Internet penetration piggybacks on the telecom boom, boosting online retail and advertising opportunities. Therefore savvy marketers will want to jump on this bandwagon. This chapter looks at the unique situation in India in context of the growth of social media usage and tries to find developed world theoretical models as to how companies are coping with this new phenomenon. The results indicate that the companies are eager to interact with their target groups in social media; however, few have found the path to full leverage the return on investments made on a social media presence. Much of their efforts remain confined to branding and therefore better metrics need to be developed for better analytics.
Integrating Social Media and Traditional CRM
Authors: Yoon Kanghyun , Sims Jeanetta D.
Published: March 2014

In recent years, marketers have paid lots of attention to a new field called social CRM, created from the combination of social media and traditional customer relationship management (CRM) practices. In the past, traditional CRM practices have mainly focused on the task of valuing individual customers’ profitability through relationship management over time as the proxy of creating the firm’s value. Shifting away from this trend, firms have recently attempted to promote customer engagement into the value creation process as the core of CRM strategy. This chapter proposes conceptual guidelines for the success of social CRM practices, while considering the development of personalized customer engagement programs with social media depending on customer status over the life cycle.
From Mainframe to Cloud
Authors: Radenković Božidar , Kočović Petar
Published: March 2014

The adoption of cloud computing accelerated significantly over the past few years, and this trend will remain. As cloud-computing technologies and vendors mature, more educational institutions will adopt the Internet-based computing style. Organizations will use cloud computing to reduce the cost of e-mail, IT infrastructure, data centers and storage, and business applications. Cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. This cloud model promotes availability and is composed of five essential characteristics, three service models, and four deployment models. The absence of a clear definition of cloud computing is slowing the adoption of cloud computing by needlessly increasing user apprehension and obscuring the cloud's benefits. Organizations need to understand cloud computing before they can realize its benefits and avoid its risks. This chapter clears up confusion about the cloud by defining cloud computing and its characteristics, architectural model, benefits, and shortcomings. This chapter provides the definition of the concept of cloud computing and cloud computing as a service. Subsequently, it explores the characteristics of different types of clouds, as well as the security aspect of this technology. Major trends of cloud computing, such as social computing, context-aware computing, and pattern based strategy, are described. In a conclusion, the authors provide an overview of future use of cloud computing.
Student Relationship Management Using Social Clouds
Authors: Vulić Marko , Petrović Pavle , Kovačević Ivanka , Živanović Vanjica Ratković
Published: March 2014

A new vision of higher education systems, in which the student is the central subject of the teaching process, opens up new learning opportunities that include customization of teaching methods to the students’ needs, and new modes of communication both between teachers and students and among students themselves. The main subject of this chapter is the implementation and improvement of the Student Relationship Management (SRM) concept as a cloud service in an e-education system by using social media. The experimental part of the chapter presents the design and implementation of an e-education model based on cloud computing. The proposed model is implemented at the Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Belgrade, by using the existing cloud computing infrastructure of the Laboratory for E-Business.
Encouraging Teamwork, Web 2.0, and Social Networking Elements in Distance Learning
Authors: Ivanović Mirjana , Budimac Zoran , Putnik Zoran , Komlenov Živana
Published: March 2014

At the Department of Mathematics and Informatics, Faculty of Science, University of Novi Sad, elements of Web 2.0 have been used in teaching for several years. In particular, this is emphasized in encouragement of teamwork, through usage of Wiki technology within several courses. Initially, those courses were created as a part of a large international project that recommended the use of teamwork. Over the years, additional elements of Web 2.0 were introduced, while employment and utilization of teamwork was largely enhanced and suitably organized. In this chapter, the authors share their experiences with such work, starting from introductory methods of enhancing the chosen learning management system, Moodle, with the mentioned activities, up to looking beyond their simple application and extracting additional value for courses.
Practicing Soft Skills in Software Engineering
Authors: Sedelmaier Yvonne , Landes Dieter
Published: March 2014

Software Engineering requires a specific profile of technical expertise combined with context-sensitive soft skills. Therefore, university education in software engineering should foster both technical knowledge and soft skills. Students should be enabled to cope with complex situations in real life by applying and combining their theoretical knowledge with team and communication competencies. In this chapter, the authors report findings from a software engineering project course. They argue that project work is a suitable approach to foster soft skills. To that end, the authors provide justification from a pedagogical point of view, setting project-based learning into relation to action-orientated didactics. As teaching goals, they focus on experiencing a complete development project from end to end, following a software process model that needs to be adapted to the specific situation, self-determined planning and acting, including the organization of the project, teamwork and team communication, and self-reflection on individual roles and contributions, and on the performance of the project team as a whole. In order to achieve these goals, the authors form teams of bachelor students, which are headed by one master student each. It turned out that a clear separation of roles is inevitable within the team, but also with respect to instructors. Self-reflection processes concerning the team roles and the individual competencies are explicitly stimulated and cumulate in individual self-reports and post-mortem analysis sessions. The authors share findings of how well the approaches have worked and outline some ideas to improve things.
Teaching Software Engineering through a Collaborative Game
Authors: Monsalve Elizabeth Suescún , Pereira Allan Ximenes , Werneck Vera Maria B.
Published: March 2014

This chapter addresses the application of computer games and simulations in order to explore reality in many educational areas. The Games-Based Learning (GBL) can improve the teaching and learning experience by training future professionals in real life scenarios and activities that enable them to apply problem-solving strategies by putting into use the correct technique stemming from their own skills. For that reason, GBL has been used in software engineering teaching. At Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, the authors have developed SimulES-W (Simulation in Software Engineering), a tool for teaching software engineering. SimulES-W is a collaborative software board game that simulates a software engineering process in which the player performs different roles such as software engineer, technical coordinator, project manager, and quality controller. The players can deal with budget, software engineer employment and dismissal, and construction of different software artifacts. The objective of this chapter is to describe the approach to teaching software engineering using SimulES-W and demonstrate how pedagogical methodology is applied in this teaching approach to improve software engineering education. The teaching experience and future improvements are also discussed.
Bridging the Academia-Industry Gap in Software Engineering
Authors: MacKellar Bonnie K. , Sabin Mihaela , Tucker Allen B.
Published: March 2014

Too often, computer science programs offer a software engineering course that emphasizes concepts, principles, and practical techniques, but fails to engage students in real-world software experiences. The authors have developed an approach to teaching undergraduate software engineering courses that integrates client-oriented project development and open source development practice. They call this approach the Client-Oriented Open Source Software (CO-FOSS) model. The advantages of this approach are that students are involved directly with a client, nonprofits gain a useful software application, and the project is available as open source for other students or organizations to extend and adapt. This chapter describes the motivation, elaborates the approach, and presents the results in substantial detail. The process is agile and the development framework is transferrable to other one-semester software engineering courses in a wide range of institutions.
Applying Online Learning in Software Engineering Education
Authors: Al-Khanjari Zuhoor Abdullah Salim
Published: March 2014

Software Engineering education involves two learning aspects: (1) teaching theoretical material and (2) conducting the practical labs. Currently, Software Engineering education faces a challenge, which comes from the new learning opportunities afforded by the Web technologies. Delivering a Software Engineering curriculum by online distance learning requires innovative and flexible approaches to present and manage the theoretical and practical learning materials. E-Learning could support Software Engineering education through utilizing special e-Learning concepts, techniques, and tools. E-Learning could also change the mode of teaching from knowledge-as-transmission to knowledge-as-construction. This is called “Software Engineering e-Learning.” This chapter provides a review on Software Engineering education and e-Learning technology. It explores the need to adopt a Software Engineering e-Learning model to help the facilitators/instructors prepare and manage the online Software Engineering courses. This chapter also addresses how e-Learning environment could simplify the application of the constructivist learning model towards Software Engineering education.
Online Tutoring Roles
Authors: Pandolfini Valeria
Published: March 2014

The chapter presents a case study of a training course involving Italian early-secondary school teachers, which focuses on online tutors’ activities and roles. After a brief literature review, it relates the topic to the national e-learning training context, clarifying the tutors’ expected tasks within the evaluated teachers’ professional training experience. The aim is to analyze the roles played by tutors in the 2.0 learning environment, exploring when, how and why they used synchronous and asynchronous communicative tools and educational resources available on the e-learning platform, as well the kind of support they provided to learners and the relationship they established with them during the training path. The research describes a complex set of online competences and skills which are required of tutors, stressing the key role of the human factor in supporting learners, and identifies factors for improving the design of an effective online tutoring model for adult learners.
Three Degrees of Separation
Authors: Starr-Glass David
Published: March 2014

Mentoring connects an experienced mentor with a less experienced mentee to increase the likelihood that the mentee’s goals will be accomplished through the mentor’s provision of support, knowledge, and judgment. Central to mentoring is the relational bond between participants. This chapter considers the relational implications when mentoring participants are separated by distance, culture, and task. Specifically, it examines the mentoring program of an American college with students in the Czech Republic, where distanced mentoring supports the completion of an undergraduate dissertation. The chapter reviews the various “distances” encountered and their impact on the mentoring relationship. The main thrust of the chapter is to consider changes in the underlying dynamics of mentoring when it moves to a distanced experience. The effectiveness of mentoring depends on recognizing, adjusting, and strengthening these dynamics. Based on this theoretical framework, and the author’s extensive distance mentoring practice, actionable strategies are presented for strengthening relational bonds and improving e-mentoring effectiveness.
The Use of the Socratic Teaching Method in E-Learning 2.0 Settings
Authors: Pange Apostolia
Published: March 2014

The aim of this chapter is to outline the use of the Socratic Teaching Method (STM) in e-Learning 2.0 practice. The research included in this chapter is intended as an introductory handout in order to help educators, learners and course designers to identify the advantages and pitfalls of using this teaching method in e-Learning 2.0 applications. More precisely, this chapter gives the writer’s perspective regarding some very interesting issues, such as: a) the range of subjects that could be taught using the STM teaching practice, b) the educators’ additional skills needed in order to apply STM to their online teaching, and c) whether the STM is an adequate learning approach in order to assure learners’ mastery of a subject.
Best Practices of Distance Dissertation Mentorship through Social Presence
Authors: Shen Libi , Chen Irene Linlin
Published: March 2014

This chapter explores online instructors’ distance dissertation mentorship through social presence. Eight dissertation chairs were invited to answer in-depth interview questions in this case study. The theories and definitions of social presence, the effectiveness of social presence in online courses, and the strategies to improve social presence in online settings were reviewed. Major findings of this study reveal the critical role of social presence in dissertation mentoring, successful strategies to improve social presence in online dissertation courses, teachers’ limited use of social media, emoticons, and University Mobile 3.0, the need for synchronous virtual interaction in online dissertation classes, and teachers’ challenges of online dissertation mentorship. Finally, the study recommends future research directions.
Mentoring for Work Based Learning
Authors: O’Brien Emma , Hamburg Ileana
Published: March 2014

Technology, particularly in the past decade, has significantly changed they way people communicate, interact, share information and learn. It offers a place independant of time and location to reach expertise and individuals that would have been impossible to otherwise attain. On a personal level, through the use of Web 2.0, individuals freely exchange knowledge and information. However at a professional level, particularly within companies, individuals are slower to use these tools to learn, share and acquire knowledge, byintegrating these techologies with a mentoring programme it can encourage their use in the free exchange of information and knowledge. Although mentoring has been widely used throughout history it does not come without its limitations. This chapter explores the use of mentoring in the context of informal learning within organisations. It examines use of Web 2.0 tools to support mentoring in companies and its ability to overcome some of the weaknesses in traditional approaches to mentoring. Furthermore the chapter explores the use of problem based learning in aligning learning outcomes in a mentoring programme and the use of technology to support this. The chapter gives an overview of three research projects which have been conducted into the use of technology mediated mentoring for informal learning within companies.
Exploring the Impact of Team based Reward on Project Performance in Outsourced System Development
Authors: Parolia Neeraj , Klein Gary , Jiang James J.
Published: March 2014

Outsourcing system development to international information technology vendors working in project teams can notably facilitate the successful implementation of client information system development (ISD) projects. Reward structures in such culturally different environments, however, are not well defined or understood. The authors examined the effects of team performance based reward structures on ISD project performance. A total of 194 responses were solicited, obtained, and analyzed. The results indicated that reward based on team performance can improve the level of task cohesion which in turn facilitates increased information utilization. Both task cohesion and information utilization enhance project performance. Directions for management practice and future research are discussed.
A Mobile Agent Based Approach for Business Processes Automation
Authors: López-Mellado Ernesto , Flores-Badillo Marina
Published: March 2014

The paper addresses specification and development of large and complex management systems for business process based on a multi agent systems approach. A methodology for obtaining workflow specifications is presented; it is based on conceiving the management system as a mobile agent system in which mobile agents guide the workflow processes within the organization. The specification includes the work environment, the agent behavior, the process plans, the tasks, the resources, and the interaction protocols. The obtained descriptions are modular and hierarchal leading to clear and compact structuring of the distributed software. The design methodology includes a guideline for Java based coding. Finally, key issues for extending the agent based method to address inter-organizational workflow management are overviewed.
Muhkam Algorithmic Models of Real World Processes for Intelligent Technologies
Authors: Adi Tom , Ewell O.K. , Vogel Tim , Payton Kim , Hippchen Jeannine L.
Published: March 2014

This paper significantly revises and expands a chapter in a handbook of research on synthetic emotions published in 2009. The authors extend the scope beyond emotions to all real world processes. The authors use a new adaptive method to create, improve, and correct algorithmic models (models in the form of algorithms) of emotional, learning, communication, memory, perception, biological, physiological, social, legal, and spiritual processes. The models are constructed from the sound symbolism that is indicated by the usage of the Arabic names of these processes in so-called muhkam text passages. These muhkam models have been validated by successful large-scale software implementations and by clinical emotions research. Naturally, models in the form of algorithms are easy to implement in intelligent technologies. These models also lend themselves to integration and interoperability because they share a small set of seven general concepts and their symmetrical combinations.