bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quality improvement by worker filtering and development in crowdsourcing
Authors: Ashikawa Masayuki , Kawamura Takahiro , Ohsuga Akihiko
Published: August 2016

Current crowdsourcing platforms provide an attractive solution for processing of high-volume tasks at low cost. However, problems of quality control remain a major concern. In the present work, we developed a private crowdsourcing system (PCSS) running in an intranetwork, which allows us to devise quality control methods. We introduce four worker selection methods and a grade-based training method. The four worker selection methods consist of preprocessing filtering, real-time filtering, post-processing filtering, and guess-processing filtering. In addition to a basic approach involving initial training or the use of gold-standard data, these methods include a novel approach, utilizing collaborative filtering techniques. We collected a large amount of vocabulary data for natural language processing (NLP), such as voice recognition and text to speech using PCSS. The quality control methods increased accuracy 32.4 points in collecting vocabulary tasks. We also implemented the grade-based training method to avoid claims of unfair dismissal and shrinkage of the market of crowdsourcing caused by excluding workers. This training method uses Bayesian networks to calculate correlations between tasks based on workers’ records, and then allocates learning tasks to the workers to raise the results of target tasks according to the correlations. In an experiment, the method automatically allocated learning tasks for target tasks, and after the training of the workers, we confirmed that the workers raised the accuracy of target task 10.77 points on average. Therefore, by combining the filtering methods and the training method, task requesters in microtask crowdsourcing can obtain higher-quality results without dismissing valuable workers.
An Overview on Corrosion-Resistant Coating Technologies in Biomass/Waste-to-Energy Plants in Recent Decades
Authors: Kawahara Yuuzou
Published: August 2016

Highly efficient electric power generation from biomass/waste fuels becomes an important worldwide issue to prevent global warming. In these plants, severe high-temperature corrosion and erosion-corrosion damage occur in boiler tubes influenced by HCl, SOx gases, and chlorides as contaminants in fuels. Coating technologies become important as a countermeasure for such damage, because of the easy maintenance, cost performance, and ease of application on various materials. In severe corrosive conditions of boilers, formation of dense, homogenous, and tough coating layers, as well as protective oxide layers of corrosion-resistant materials, are important. In the last 30 years, materials and coating processes applied in shop and on site have progressed based on many field observations and the consideration of deterioration mechanisms in order to maintain long lifetimes in the plants. Furthermore, new innovative coatings are now being developed by using advanced precise control, nanotechnologies, etc. This paper introduces recent trends of advanced coating developments and applications, such as weld-overlay, cladding, thermal spray coating, and slurry coating for biomass/waste boilers. Furthermore, the evaluation results of deterioration mechanisms and lifetime of coatings, and the future issue for innovative coatings, are presented.
Highly Excited States from a Time Independent Density Functional Method
Authors: Glushkov Vitaly , Levy Mel
Published: August 2016

A constrained optimized effective potential (COEP) methodology proposed earlier by us for singly low-lying excited states is extended to highly excited states having the same spatial and spin symmetry. Basic tenets of time independent density functional theory and its COEP implementation for excited states are briefly reviewed. The amended Kohn–Sham-like equations for excited state orbitals and their specific features for highly excited states are discussed. The accuracy of the method is demonstrated using exchange-only calculations for highly excited states of the He and Li atoms.
Mono- and Bimetalic Amidoboranes
Authors: Owarzany Rafał , Leszczyński Piotr , Fijalkowski Karol , Grochala Wojciech
Published: August 2016

In this review, we present an overview on metal amidoboranes, which have recently been considered as hydrogen storage materials for fueling of the low temperature fuel cells. We focus on amidoborane salts containing only metal cations and amidoborate anions. During the last decades, 19 new compounds from this group were described in the literature. We provide a summary of various physical and chemical properties of amidoborane compounds reported up to date.
Aftermath of Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak in British Columbia: Stand Dynamics, Management Response and Ecosystem Resilience
Authors: Dhar Amalesh , Parrott Lael , Hawkins Christopher
Published: August 2016

The mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) (MPB) has infested and killed millions of hectares of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm) forests in British Columbia, Canada, over the past decade. It is now spreading out of its native range into the Canadian boreal forest, with unknown social, economic and ecological consequences. This review explores the ramifications of the MPB epidemic with respect to mid-term timber supply, forest growth, structure and composition, vegetation diversity, forest fire, climate change, and ecosystem resilience. Research confirms that, in British Columbia, all of these variables are more significantly impacted when salvage logging is used as management response to the outbreak. We conclude that appropriate management in response to MPB is essential to ensuring ecologically resilient future forests and reliable mid-term timber supplies for affected human communities. We highlight knowledge gaps and avenues for research to advance our understanding in support of sustainable post-disturbance forest management policies in British Columbia and elsewhere.
Land-Use Conversion Changes the Multifractal Features of Particle-Size Distribution on the Loess Plateau of China
Authors: Sun Caili , Liu Guobin , Xue Sha
Published: August 2016

Analyzing the dynamics of soil particle-size distributions (PSDs), soil nutrients, and erodibility are very important for understanding the changes of soil structure and quality after long-term land-use conversion. We applied multifractal Rényi spectra (Dq) and singularity spectra (f(α)) to characterize PSDs 35 years after conversions from cropland to shrubland with Caragana microphylla (shrubland I), shrubland with Hippophae rhamnoides (shrubland II), forested land, and grassland on the Loess Plateau of China. Multifractal parameters (capacity dimension (D0), entropy dimension (D1), D1/D0, correlation dimension (D2), and Hölder exponent of order zero (α0)) were used to analyze the changes of PSDs. Dq and f(α) characterized the PSDs well and sensitively represented the changes in PSDs after conversion. All types of land-use conversion significantly improved the properties of the topsoil (0–10 cm), but the effect of shrubland I and even forested land decreased with depth. All types of land-use conversion significantly increased D1 and D2 in the topsoil, and D1 and D2 in the 10–50 cm layers of shrubland II, forested land, and grassland and D1 in the 50–100 cm layers of shrubland II were significantly higher relative to the control. Both D1 and D2 were positively correlated with the contents of soil nutrients and fine particles and were negatively correlated with soil erosion, indicating that D1 and D2 were potential indices for quantifying changes in soil properties and erosion. In conclusion, all types of land-use conversion significantly improved the conditions of the topsoil, but conversion from cropland to shrubland II, forested land, and grassland, especially shrubland II and grassland, were more effective for improving soil conditions in deeper layers.
1-(2-Hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)-3-phenyl-1,3-propanedione Induces G1 Cell Cycle Arrest and Autophagy in HeLa Cervical Cancer Cells
Authors: Tsai Jie-Heng , Hsu Li-Sung , Huang Hsiu-Chen , Lin Chih-Li , Pan Min-Hsiung , Hong Hui-Mei , Chen Wei-Jen
Published: August 2016

The natural agent, 1-(2-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)-3-phenyl-1,3-propanedione (HMDB), has been reported to have growth inhibitory effects on several human cancer cells. However, the role of HMDB in cervical cancer remains unclear. Herein, we found that HMDB dose- and time-dependently inhibited growth of HeLa cervical cancer cells, accompanied with G1 cell cycle arrest. HMDB decreased protein expression of cyclins D1/D3/E and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) 2/4/6 and reciprocally increased mRNA and protein levels of CDK inhibitors (p15, p16, p21, and p27), thereby leading to the accumulation of hypophosphorylated retinoblastoma (Rb) protein. HMDB also triggered the accumulation of acidic vesicles and formation of microtubule-associated protein-light chain 3 (LC3), followed by increased expression of LC3 and Beclin-1 and decreased expression of p62, suggesting that HMDB triggered autophagy in HeLa cells. Meanwhile, suppression of the expression of survivin and Bcl-2 implied that HMDB-induced autophagy is tightly linked to apoptosis. Exploring the action mechanism, HMDB induced autophagy via the modulation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and mTOR signaling pathway rather than the class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway. These results suggest that HMDB inhibits HeLa cell growth by eliciting a G1 arrest through modulation of G1 cell cycle regulators and by concomitantly inducing autophagy through the mediation of AMPK-mTOR and Akt-mTOR pathways, and may be a promising antitumor agent against cervical cancer.
Tissue Regeneration: A Silk Road
Authors: Jao Dave , Mou Xiaoyang , Hu Xiao
Published: August 2016

Silk proteins are natural biopolymers that have extensive structural possibilities for chemical and mechanical modifications to facilitate novel properties, functions, and applications in the biomedical field. The versatile processability of silk fibroins (SF) into different forms such as gels, films, foams, membranes, scaffolds, and nanofibers makes it appealing in a variety of applications that require mechanically superior, biocompatible, biodegradable, and functionalizable biomaterials. There is no doubt that nature is the world’s best biological engineer, with simple, exquisite but powerful designs that have inspired novel technologies. By understanding the surface interaction of silk materials with living cells, unique characteristics can be implemented through structural modifications, such as controllable wettability, high-strength adhesiveness, and reflectivity properties, suggesting its potential suitability for surgical, optical, and other biomedical applications. All of the interesting features of SF, such as tunable biodegradation, anti-bacterial properties, and mechanical properties combined with potential self-healing modifications, make it ideal for future tissue engineering applications. In this review, we first demonstrate the current understanding of the structures and mechanical properties of SF and the various functionalizations of SF matrices through chemical and physical manipulations. Then the diverse applications of SF architectures and scaffolds for different regenerative medicine will be discussed in detail, including their current applications in bone, eye, nerve, skin, tendon, ligament, and cartilage regeneration.
Compliance Study of Endovascular Stent Grafts Incorporated with Polyester and Polyurethane Graft Materials in both Stented and Unstented Zones
Authors: Guan Ying , Wang Lu , Lin Jing , King Martin
Published: August 2016

Compliance mismatch between stent graft and host artery may induce complications and blood flow disorders. However, few studies have been reported on stent graft compliance. This study aims to explore the deformation and compliance of stent graft in stented and unstented zones under three pressure ranges. Compliance of two stent grafts incorporated with polyurethane graft (nitinol-PU) and polyester graft (nitinol-PET) materials respectively were tested; the stents used in the two stent grafts were identical. For the circumferential deformation of the stent grafts under each pressure range, the nitinol-PET stent graft was uniform in both zones. The nitinol-PU stent graft was circumferentially uniform in the stented zone, however, it was nonuniform in the unstented zone. The compliance of the PU graft material was 15 times higher than that of the PET graft. No significant difference in compliance was observed between stented and unstented zones of the nitinol-PET stent graft regardless of the applied pressure range. However, for the nitinol-PU stent graft, compliance of the unstented PU region was approximately twice that of the stented region; thus, compliance along the length of the nitinol-PU stent graft was not constant and different from that of the nitinol-PET stent graft.
Integration of a Droplet-Based Microfluidic System and Silicon Nanoribbon FET Sensor
Authors: Afrasiabi Roodabeh , Soderberg Lovisa , Joensson Haakan , Björk Per , Andersson Svahn Helene , Linnros Jan
Published: August 2016

We present a novel microfluidic system that integrates droplet microfluidics with a silicon nanoribbon field-effect transistor (SiNR FET), and utilize this integrated system to sense differences in pH. The device allows for selective droplet transfer to a continuous water phase, actuated by dielectrophoresis, and subsequent detection of the pH level in the retrieved droplets by SiNR FETs on an electrical sensor chip. The integrated microfluidic system demonstrates a label-free detection method for droplet microfluidics, presenting an alternative to optical fluorescence detection. In this work, we were able to differentiate between droplet trains of one pH-unit difference. The pH-based detection method in our integrated system has the potential to be utilized in the detection of biochemical reactions that induce a pH-shift in the droplets.
Regional Estimation of Remotely Sensed Evapotranspiration Using the Surface Energy Balance-Advection (SEB-A) Method
Authors: Liu Suhua , Su Hongbo , Zhang Renhua , Tian Jing , Chen Shaohui , Wang Weizhen
Published: August 2016

Evapotranspiration (ET) is an essential part of the hydrological cycle and accurately estimating it plays a crucial role in water resource management. Surface energy balance (SEB) models are widely used to estimate regional ET with remote sensing. The presence of horizontal advection, however, perturbs the surface energy balance system and contributes to the uncertainty of energy influxes. Thus, it is vital to consider horizontal advection when applying SEB models to estimate ET. This study proposes an innovative and simplified approach, the surface energy balance-advection (SEB-A) method, which is based on the energy balance theory and also takes into account the horizontal advection to determine ET by remote sensing. The SEB-A method considers that the actual ET consists of two parts: the local ET that is regulated by the energy balance system and the exotic ET that arises from horizontal advection. To evaluate the SEB-A method, it was applied to the middle region of the Heihe River in China. Instantaneous ET for three days were acquired and assessed with ET measurements from eddy covariance (EC) systems. The results demonstrated that the ET estimates had a high accuracy, with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.713, a mean average error (MAE) of 39.3 W/m2 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 54.6 W/m2 between the estimates and corresponding measurements. Percent error was calculated to more rigorously assess the accuracy of these estimates, and it ranged from 0% to 35%, with over 80% of the locations within a 20% error. To better understand the SEB-A method, the relationship between the ET estimates and land use types was analyzed, and the results indicated that the ET estimates had spatial distributions that correlated with vegetation patterns and could well demonstrate the ET differences caused by different land use types. The sensitivity analysis suggested that the SEB-A method requested accurate estimation of the available energy, R n − G , but was less constrained with the difference between ground and air temperature, T 0 − T a – l o c .
Engaging Citizen Participation—A Result of Trusting Governmental Institutions and Politicians in the Portuguese Democracy
Authors: Carreira Vanda , Machado João , Vasconcelos Lia
Published: August 2016

Public participation is a mainstay of democracy. However, the ways in which it can be understood inevitably influence the achievement of the goals that preside over any public policy. Literature argues that the drawbacks of citizen participation are directly related to the level of trust in governmental institutions and in politicians. The present study was carried out on a sample of 250 individuals and aimed to (1) describe citizens’ opinions and trust in politicians and government institutions; and (2) demonstrate that healthy levels of citizen engagement in politics may be upheld as long as citizens trust their political institutions and leaders, through a case study of Portugal’s democratic system. The current study found no statistically significant association between political participation and the study participant’s perception that government representatives heard (p = 0.769) or considered (p = 0.810) their opinions. Similarities were found between the participants’ assessments of the quality of life brought about by the decisions of those in power and the levels of citizen participation around land planning and land management (p = 0.011). Also, citizen assessments of life quality were influenced by their understanding of political decisions (p = 0.014). Effective communication between citizens and politicians will allow both to better understand the aims of political policy. When citizens believe that politicians are honest, show moral leadership and demonstrate integrity, and that these values are upheld by public institutions, a common aspiration can be realized: improving the quality of life.
Piracy and the Politics of Social Media
Authors: Almqvist Martin
Published: August 2016

Since the 1990s, the understanding of how and where politics are made has changed radically. Scholars such as Ulrich Beck and Maria Bakardjieva have discussed how political agency is enacted outside of conventional party organizations, and political struggles increasingly focus on single issues. Over the past two decades, this transformation of politics has become common knowledge, not only in academic research but also in the general political discourse. Recently, the proliferation of digital activism and the political use of social media are often understood to enforce these tendencies. This article analyzes the Pirate Party in relation to these theories, relying on almost 30 interviews with active Pirate Party members from different parts of the world. The Pirate Party was initially formed in 2006, focusing on copyright, piracy, and digital privacy. Over the years, it has developed into a more general democracy movement, with an interest in a wider range of issues. This article analyzes how the party’s initial focus on information politics and social media connects to a wider range of political issues and to other social movements, such as Arab Spring protests and Occupy Wall Street. Finally, it discusses how this challenges the understanding of information politics as a single issue agenda.
Sediment-Water Exchange, Spatial Variations, and Ecological Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Songhua River, China
Authors: Cui Song , Fu Qiang , Li Tian-xiao , Ma Wan-li , Liu Dong , Wang Min
Published: August 2016

The sediment-water exchange, spatial variations, and ecological risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the water and sediment of the Songhua River, China, were investigated and assessed in this paper. The fugacity fraction (ff) was used to evaluate the sediment–water exchange of PAHs between the water and sediment. The results suggest that the values of ff decreased with an increasing number of PAH rings. The sediment acts as a secondary emission source for three- and four-ring PAHs, whereas five-ring PAHs were deposited in the sediment from the water. The high ff values of PAHs found in autumn suggest large releases of PAHs after abundant deposition in summer, and the lowest ff values of PAHs occurred in summer. The values were especially low for five- and six-ring PAHs, which exhibited considerable deposition from the water to the sediment. PAHs with low molecular weights showed strong variations, which were potentially caused by their active physical-chemical properties. Additionally, high molecular weight BaP displayed weak variations, increasing the potential risk in the sediment. The simplified qualitative method of Cwater/Csediment is useful for assessing variations in the sediment–water exchange. The relationships between Cwater/Csediment and ff were investigated by determining the Pearson correlation coefficients (R). The results exhibited a significant negative correlation, with R = −1.000 and P = 0.000 for Flu, R = −0.993 and P = 0.007 for Phe, R = −0.998 and P = 0.002 for FlA, and R = −0.971 and P = 0.029 for BaP. The coefficients of variation indicated that five-ring PAHs were more sensitive than three- and four-ring PAHs. Thus, these low-ring PAHs can be easily exchanged between the sediment and the water. Additionally, the ecological risk of PAHs to aquatic organisms in the Songhua River is relatively low.
Development of SSR markers for the genus Patellifolia (Chenopodiaceae)
Authors: Nachtigall Marion , Bülow Lorenz , Schubert Jörg , Frese Lothar
Published: August 2016

Premise of the study:

Microsatellite primers were developed to promote studies on the patterns of genetic diversity within Patellifolia patellaris (Chenopodiaceae) and the relationship between the three species of the genus Patellifolia.

Methods and Results:

The genomic sequence from P. procumbens was screened for simple sequence repeats (SSRs), and 3648 SSRs were identified. A subset of 53 SSR markers was validated, of which 25 proved to be polymorphic in the three species except for the P. webbiana–specific marker JKIPat16. The number of alleles ranged from 85 in P. patellaris, 187 in P. procumbens, and 202 in P. webbiana.

Conclusions:

The set of 25 new markers will facilitate studies of the relationships between the three Patellifolia species and of the spatial and temporal distribution of genetic diversity within the species.
Impact des évolutions démographiques sur l'épargne et les marchés financiers
Authors: d’Albis Hippolyte
Published: August 2016

Dans cet article, l'hypothèse d' asset meltdown , qui anticipe une forte baisse des prix des actifs causée par le passage à la retraite des cohortes nombreuses du baby boom est discutée. Dans un premier temps, la corrélation entre variables financières et démographiques est présentée, ainsi que les principaux arguments théoriques qui soutiennent l'hypothèse. Dans un second temps, il est démontré que ces arguments résistent difficilement à une analyse poussée. En particulier, les effets globaux du passage à la retraite des baby boomers sur l'épargne et les prix de marché laissent penser que l'épargne totale des ménages ne devrait pas diminuer dans les prochaines années et que le lien entre les variables démographiques et les prix de marché est difficile à établir. Si l'hypothèse d' asset meltdown ne semble pas robuste, la prise en compte des variables démographiques permet néanmoins de mieux comprendre les dynamiques des variables financières. Classification JEL : G10, J10.
Inégalité mondiale et inégalités nationales : niveaux et durées de vie
Authors: Bourguignon François
Published: August 2016

Cet article analyse l'évolution de l'inégalité mondiale des niveaux de vie individuels et aborde la question de savoir si la baisse de l'inégalité mondiale observée au cours des dernières décennies, largement imputable à la diminution des inégalités entre pays, pourrait être entravée à l'avenir par l'évolution inverse constatée au sein de nombreux pays. Cette double évolution de l'inégalité mondiale et des inégalités nationales dans le domaine des niveaux de vie est comparée à une autre dimension du bien-être, celle de la santé, telle qu'appréhendée par la durée de vie. Classification JEL : I30, J11, O15.
Vivre (très) vieux avec les moyens requis : quels produits viagers ?
Authors: Masson André
Published: August 2016

L'allongement de l'espérance de vie, notamment aux âges élevés, depuis le milieu des années 1970 fait que le risque de longévité s'accroît à nouveau, avec l'incertitude affectant les pensions futures et les coûts croissants associés à la santé âgée et à la dépendance. Cette évolution inédite milite pour le développement des produits viagers acquis au cours de la retraite (rente, viager, prêt viager), aujourd'hui peu diffusés. Les solutions proposées passent par des formes rénovées de ces produits – rente ou crédit adossé contractés sur une durée déterminée, « viager mutualisé » ou viage , prêt-viager ciblé sur la dépendance –, dont le développement serait encore stimulé par une réforme originale des droits de succession. L'intervention de l'État pour réguler ces marchés s'avère indispensable, elle passe notamment par une codification des tables de mortalité et une protection spécifique des catégories modestes. Classification JEL : D31, G22, J14, J18.
La reconstitution d’un souvenir de Thomas More
Authors: Susini Marie-Laure
Published: August 2016

Sur le modèle de la reconstitution d’un souvenir refoulé dans la pratique de la psychanalyse selon Freud, la reconstruction d’un épisode refoulé de l’enfance de Thomas More éclaire ce qui demeurait négligé et inexpliqué : les contradictions du grand personnage historique, et les paradoxes de son œuvre majeure, Utopie . On peut dès lors comprendre aussi, en raison, ce qui se pose comme une énigme : l’identique destin, à plus de trois siècles d’intervalle, de Thomas More et de Thomas Becket.
Work force retention: Role of work environment, organization commitment, supervisor support and training & development in ceramic sanitary ware industries in India
Authors: S Umamaheswari , Krishnan Jayasree
Published: August 2016

Purpose: Although retention of employees has become hot topic in this career turbulent era, practically no empirical research is carried out in the fast growing ceramic sector till now and this research fills the gap in the literature. The literatures surveys reported that organization commitment is an important determinant of retention and work environment, supervisor support and training and development are the most relevant antecedents increasing commitment towards organization. This paper examines the impact of the above factors over organization commitment and explores the effects of organization commitment on retention, and verifies the mediating effect of organization commitment on the relationship between proposed factors and retention.Design/methodology/approach: A survey was completed by 416 employees working in five ceramic sanitary ware factories located at different places in India. Questionnaire consisting of items adopted from previous researches were used to collect data. The selection of respondents was based on the simple random sampling.Findings: Findings reveals that organization commitment influences retention and all the above factors enhances it. Moreover organization commitment partially mediates the relationship between proposed factors and retention. However multiple regression analysis indicated that training and development did not have any notable   influence on retention.Limitations: This study was conducted in a particular country and also in a particular sector of manufacturing industry, which limits generalization .Possibility of bias towards their organization and assumption that respondents know about their organization are other limitations.Implications: This paper offers recommendations to HR(Human resource) managers that they should extend their support to work environment, supervisor support and training and development in order to generate better relationship with employees and to reduce their likelihood of leaving the company.Originality/value: This article makes significant contribution to most turnover prone Indian environment, highlighting the important factors to be given priority for employee’s retention.
Internet Gaming Disorder
Authors: Lehenbauer-Baum Mario , Fohringer Martina
Published: August 2016

Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) was introduced in the recent DSM-V as a condition needing more research. Therefore, this chapter contributes to this discussion by a summary of recent research findings and introduces an empirical study concerning differences between an engaged and a problematic use of games. We surveyed 577 participants (mean age 24.38 years; 77.1% male) from German speaking areas. We used a gaming addiction questionnaire and the Internet Addiction Scale (ISS-20). 93.7% are high-level player (level 85); 3.1% are addicted according to the ISS-20. We found 2 factors explaining “addiction” and “engagement”. Addicted players spend more time per week playing online with 31.31 hours/week compared to highly engaged players with 22.19 hours/week (p < .001), have higher scores in the Internet addiction scale (p < .001), and significantly lower scores in scales measuring the quality of life (p < .001). Therefore we conclude that items tapping euphoria and cognitive salience are of limited use when it comes to a classification of IGD.
The Games People Play
Authors: Virkar Shefali
Published: August 2016

The recent global diffusion of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) has dramatically raised expectations for technological change to support widespread global socio-economic progress and political reform. Against this backdrop, the chapter seeks to, through the use of a case study based in the Indian city of Bangalore, unravel the social, economic, and political dynamics shaping e-government projects used to reform public sector institutions, and to the further application of this knowledge as elements of game design used in the conception, development, and eventual implementation of associated software and hardware platforms. In particular, the work aims to determine whether the day-to-day use of the new digital technologies in the public sector leads eventually to radical transformations in administrative functioning, policymaking, and the body politic, or merely to modest, unspectacular political and bureaucratic reform and to the emergence of technology-based, obsessive-compulsive pathologies and maladjustive Internet-based behaviours amongst individuals in society.
Using a Multi-Tiered System of Support
Authors: Daniel Kimberly M. , Blackman Cheryl H. , Kardiasmenos Katrina S. , Lewis-Jack Ometha O.
Published: August 2016

In the K-12 setting, multi-tiered models have emerged over the past 10 years to address academic and behavioral student issues. Various models (e.g., Response to Intervention or Positive Behavioral Supports) have been developed using a multi-tiered framework in an effort to be proactive and reduce special education referrals. Key components in this framework include teacher training, universal screenings, early intervention, on-going assessment, and use of evidenced-based practice. A review of the recent literature did not yield any studies related to the application of a multi-tiered model at the post-secondary level. This chapter describes the design of a multi-tiered support model for use at the college level. This proposed model utilizes a peer tutoring/mentoring program and other college support services. It is designed to coordinate campus services and provide various levels of support for incoming students at Bowie State University, especially those with pre-existing learning, behavioral and mental health issues.
Augmenting Online Mental Health Support Services
Authors: Calvo Rafael A. , Hussain M. Sazzad , Milne David , Nordbo Kjartan , Hickie Ian , Danckwerts P.
Published: August 2016

The Internet allows mental health organisations to provide services to more people via new models of care. Amongst these, online support groups are becoming increasingly popular. This model of mental health service provision includes moderators who read posts, recognise those that need attention and provide support via online responses. However, as these groups become more popular they risk becoming more difficult to manage due to the sheer volume of posts. This challenge can be addressed through computational linguistics techniques. This chapter reports on work with a mental health organisation on three components to help scale up the number of people they can support. The design aims to go beyond helping end-users and explores how design can support the wellbeing of the moderators themselves. The design of the three components is discussed: 1) A triage component automatically detects posts that need a prompt response. 2) An intervention generator (IG) generates a draft response for the moderator to use, for example a positive psychology intervention. These two can help in the management of a discussion forum, supporting positive behaviours, not just dealing in situations of distress. 3) A component for synchronous support through an augmented chat system.
Comparing Online Personality of Americans and Chinese
Authors: Liu Xingyun , Zhu Tingshao
Published: August 2016

Internet is a newly invented product in recent tens of years and has a profound effect on personality. Here come the new concept-Online personality-in recent studies. In this review, we want to find what are the similarities and differences of online personality studies in China and USA, two representative countries of eastern and western cultures. Firstly, 349 articles were selected and divided into three main areas, such as online personality measurement, online personality and its related Internet behavior, online personality and problematic Internet usage respectively, to address the question. Second, the potential reasons of these similarities and differences are discussed and finally future research directions are proposed that more direct online personality measurement should be developed and culture differences should be taken into consideration while doing research of online personality in different countries.
Intellectual Disability in the Family Context
Authors: Bhargava Swarnima , Umrigar Daanesh Marazban
Published: August 2016

Literature with regard to parents with intellectual disability is scant. On one hand, parents with intellectual disability engage in the valued social role of raising children; on the other, their parenting attracts (typically negative) attention based on an expectation of their limited capacities to parent. Available research primarily addresses the question of whether or not individuals with intellectual disability can be adequate parents or reports on methods for improving their parenting skills. There has been relatively negligible work in the Indian context with regard to parents with intellectual disability. This paper attempts to review literature on the current data available about parents and parenting with intellectual disability in the Indian context concentrating on directions for future research.
Listening to Alzheimer's
Authors: Beard Renee L. , O'Connor Maureen K.
Published: August 2016

After outlining major trends in the literature base, highlighting the shortcomings, and suggesting future areas of study, this chapter calls for including more sociological analysis, namely attention to social location, in research on the individual's changing perspectives in Alzheimer's Disease (AD), or AD narratives. Rather than assuming that illness experiences can be universalized, variables such as race/ethnicity, marital status, class, gender, religiosity, and age as well as the roles of mass media and medicine, matter deeply in how AD is interpreted and experienced. This chapter proposes that psychosocial studies of the topic need to systematically explore at least five areas: 1) comprehensive illness narratives, including the potential positive aspects, 2) the role of sociodemographic variables, 3) the narrative transformations throughout the illness trajectory, 4) the bioethical implications of diagnosing individuals increasingly earlier, and 5) the impact of institutional forces like mass media and modern medicine on illness narratives.
T Cell Fates Zipped Up: How the Bach2 Basic Leucine Zipper Transcriptional Repressor Directs T Cell Differentiation and Function
Authors: Richer Martin J. , Lang Mark L. , Butler Noah S.
Published: August 2016

Recent data illustrate a key role for the transcriptional regulator bric-a-brac, tramtrack, and broad complex and cap’n’collar homology (Bach)2 in orchestrating T cell differentiation and function. Although Bach2 has a well-described role in B cell differentiation, emerging data show that Bach2 is a prototypical member of a novel class of transcription factors that regulates transcriptional activity in T cells at super-enhancers, or regions of high transcriptional activity. Accumulating data demonstrate specific roles for Bach2 in favoring regulatory T cell generation, restraining effector T cell differentiation, and potentiating memory T cell development. Evidence suggests that Bach2 regulates various facets of T cell function by repressing other key transcriptional regulators such as B lymphocyte–induced maturation protein 1. In this review, we examine our present understanding of the role of Bach2 in T cell function and highlight the growing evidence that this transcriptional repressor functions as a key regulator involved in maintenance of T cell quiescence, T cell subset differentiation, and memory T cell generation.
Contestation of ‘the holy places in the Zimbabwean Religious Landscape’: A study of the Johane Masowe Chishanu yeNyenyedzi Church’s sacred places
Authors: Musoni Phillip
Published: August 2016

Places that are regarded as holy are highly esteemed in most religious institutions. Such places are revered because they denote the converging points of human beings and the divine. The fundamental questions addressed in this study are: what makes a place holy? Do Christians share sacred places with other religious groups? The study theorises that the Johane Masowe Chishanu yeNyenyedzi Church has forcefully appropriated most of the African indigenous scared places such as hills, shades and dams for all-night prayers and water baptisms. The researcher has selected two indigenous religious shrines; Chivavarira hill and Gonawapotera pool of Chirumhanzu located in the Midlands Province of Zimbabwe. The two shrines are regarded by the indigenes as renowned and sacred. This study analyses and thereto seeks to decode deeper on what makes the Johane Masowe Chishanu yeNyenyedzi Church to enthusiastically appropriate most of the African indigenous shrines and, to some extent, turn them to be their shrines. It is this insight which makes the two shrines to be contested places, especially as perceived from both the indigenes and Christian perspectives. Therefore, this study is a contemporary issue that constitutes the focus of the present concerns. Accordingly, in order to archive the intended goal, this research study relies heavily on participant observation and interviews for data collection, since there is hardly documentation readily available about the Masowe yeNyenyedzi Church in Zimbabwe.
New insights on obtaining phytoplankton concentration and composition from in situ multispectral Chlorophyll fluorescence
Authors: Proctor Christopher W. , Roesler Collin S.
Published: August 2016

A three‐channel excitation (435 nm, 470 nm, and 532 nm) Chlorophyll fluorometer (695 nm emission) was calibrated and characterized to improve uncertainty in estimated in situ Chlorophyll concentrations. Protocols for reducing sensor‐related uncertainties as well as environmental‐related uncertainties were developed. Sensor calibrations were performed with thirteen monospecific cultures in the laboratory, grown under limiting and saturating irradiance, and sampled at different growth phases. Resulting uncertainties in the calibration slope induced by natural variations in the in vivo fluorescence per extracted Chlorophyll yield were quantified. Signal variations associated with the sensors (i.e., dark current configurations, drift, and stability) and the environment (i.e., temperature dependent dark currents and contamination by colored dissolved organic matter [CDOM] fluorescence) yielded errors in estimating in situ Chlorophyll concentration exceeding 100%. Calibration protocols and concurrent observations of in situ temperature and CDOM fluorescence eliminate these uncertainties. Depending upon excitation channel, biomass calibration slopes varied between 6‐ and 10‐fold between species and as a function of growth irradiance or growth phase. The largest source of slope variability was due to variations in accessory pigmentation, and thus the variance could be reduced among pigment‐based taxonomic lines. Fluorescence ratios were statistically distinct among the pigment‐based taxonomic groups, providing not only a means for approximating bulk taxonomic composition, but also for selecting the appropriate calibration slope to statistically improve the accuracy of in situ Chlorophyll concentration estimates. Application to 5 months of deployment in China Lake, Maine, USA reduced the error in estimating extracted Chlorophyll concentration from > 30% to < 6%.
“Gradual Entrainment Lake Inverter” (GELI): A novel device for experimental lake mixing
Authors: Read Jordan S. , Shade Ashley , Wu Chin H. , Gorzalski Alex , McMahon K. D.
Published: August 2016

A Gradual Entrainment Lake Inverter (GELI) designed to destroy thermal stratification was constructed and used to destratify a darkly stained humic lake. The GELI was developed to gain insight to the effects of altered lake‐mixing regimes, but has utility in other mixing applications. The GELI comprises an 8.25 m diameter rubber membrane with a tubular inflatable ring around its circumference that can be raised and lowered repeatedly through the water column using compressed air to control the buoyancy of the ring. Three mixing mechanisms for the GELIs were observed: (i) the increase of high‐frequency internal waves (ii), shear and circulation resulting from lateral exchange flows, and (iii) generation of turbulence via both surface spreading and a trailing wake. Field experiments of the GELI reset vertically stratified variables to a near‐homogeneous state. As the surface to bottom water column temperature differential changed from 19.2°C to 0.2°C, dissolved oxygen concentrations increased transiently from below detection to 2.8 mg L−1 in the hypolimnion and decreased from 7.0 to 3.2 mg L−1 in the epilimnion. Results demonstrate that the GELI is an efficient lake‐mixing device that can minimize gas exchange associated with traditional mixing methods, and the GELI is particularly useful when circumstances require nondisruption of this parameter. The GELI can also be useful in hydrodynamic studies as an internal wave generation device.
The organic complexation of iron and copper: an intercomparison of competitive ligand exchange‐adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry (CLE‐ACSV) techniques
Authors: Buck Kristen N. , Moffett James , Barbeau Katherine A. , Bundy Randelle M. , Kondo Yoshiko , Wu Jingfeng
Published: August 2016

Characterization of the speciation of iron and copper is an important objective of the GEOTRACES Science Plan. To incorporate speciation measurements into such a multinational program, standard practices must be adopted that allow data from multiple labs to be synthesized. Competitive ligand exchange‐adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry (CLE‐ACSV) is the primary technique employed for measuring metal‐binding ligands and determining metal speciation in seawater. The determination of concentrations and conditional stability constants of metal‐binding ligands is particularly challenging, as results can be influenced both by experimental conditions and interpretation of titration data. Here, we report an investigation between four laboratories to study the speciation of iron and copper using CLE‐ACSV. Samples were collected on the GEOTRACES II intercomparison cruise in the North Pacific Ocean in May 2009 at 30° N, 140° W. This intercomparison was carried out shipboard and included an assessment of the viability of sample preservation by freezing. Results showed that consensus values could be obtained between different labs, but that some existing practices were problematic and require further attention in future work. A series of recommendations emerged from this study that will be useful in implementing multi‐investigator programs like GEOTRACES.
Sensitivity model study of regional mercury dispersion in the atmosphere
Authors: Gencarelli Christian N. , Bieser Johannes , Carbone Francesco , De Simone Francesco , Hedgecock Ian M. , Matthias Volker , Travnikov Oleg , Yang Xin , Pirrone Nicola
Published: August 2016

Abstract. Atmospheric deposition is the most important pathway by which Hg reaches marine ecosystems, where it can be methylated and enter the base of food chain. The deposition, the transport and chemical interactions of atmospheric Hg has been simulated over Europe for the year 2013 in the framework of the Global Mercury Observation System (GMOS) project, performing 14 different model sensitivity tests using two high resolution three-dimensional Chemical Transport Models (CTMs), varying the anthropogenic emissions data sets, atmospheric Br input fields, the Hg oxidation schemes and the modelling domain boundary condition input. Sensitivity simulation results were compared with observations from 28 monitoring sites in Europe, to assess model performance and particularly to analyse the influence of anthropogenic emission speciation and the Hg0(g) atmospheric oxidation mechanism. The contribution of anthropogenic Hg emissions, their speciation and vertical distribution is crucial to the simulated concentration and deposition fields, as is also the choice of Hg0(g) oxidation pathway. The areas most sensitive to changes in Hg emission speciation and the emission vertical distribution are those near major sources, but also the Aegean and the Black Seas, the English Channel, the Skagerrak Strait and the North German coast. Considerable influence was found also evident over the Mediterranean, the North and Baltic Sea, some influence is seen over continental Europe, while this difference is least over the north-western part of the modelling domain, which includes the Norwegian Sea and Iceland. The Br oxidation pathway produces more HgII(g) in the lower model levels, but overall wet deposition is lower in comparison to the simulations which employ an O3/OH oxidation mechanism. The necessity to perform continuous measurements of speciated Hg, to investigate the local impacts of Hg emissions and deposition, as well as interactions dependent on land use and vegetation, forests, peat bogs etc. is highlighted in this study