bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distribution of Organic Matter in the Particle Size Fractions of Lateritic Soil (Plinthosol)
Authors: Brogowski Zygmunt , Kwasowski Wojciech
Published: February 2013

The distribution of organic matter in the genetic horizons of lateritic soil within a 100-cm profile to the basaltic parent rock is almost except for horizon Ap. Assuming that the sum of organic matter in 100 cm of the soil profile is 100%, 25.7% of these compounds occur in horizon Ap, whereas in the remaining horizons this value varies within 18-19.2%. In all size fractions, except the clay fraction in diameter of <0.002 mm, the content of organic matter decreases to a certain depth, and increases again in the deepest horizon located directly on the solid basaltic rock. The clay fraction displays an opposite trend; the content of organic matter in them increases with depth. In the horizon at the depth of 60-80 cm, the clay fraction <0.002 mm accumulates half of the total sum of organic compounds of all the remaining fractions. Such distribution of organic matter in soil and among its particle size probably results from the character of the basaltic weathered debris, as well as climate and vegetation covering the studied area.
The Stock of Organic Carbon in Forest Soils in Phytocenosis of the Continental Mixed Coniferous Forest in Kampinos National Park
Authors: Kondras Marek , Czępińska-Kamińska Danuta , Sienicka Paulina , Otręba Anna , Torzewski Karol , Oktaba Lidia
Published: February 2013

In this study physical and chemical analyses of soils were conducted in four areas of the habitat fresh mixed coniferous forest typical of the Kampinos National Park (20% forest area KPN). An attempt was made to evaluate the stock of organic carbon in every genetic horizon and the whole profiles of selected soils, and one counted the indicator ITGL (FSTI - Forest Soil Trophizm Index). In the examined soils, the particle size distributions, the content and ability to store organic carbon was analyzed as well as the amount of total nitrogen, C:N ratio, soil reaction and sorption properties. The highest content and stock of organic carbon was noted in the Brunic Arenosol (Distric) Postagricultural. In the investigated soils, the reserve of the organic carbon is accumulated in almost equal proportional shares, dividing soil into horizontal organic and mineral parts.
Morphology of the intervertebral foramen: a direct relation with low back pain
Authors: Iliescu Madalina , Bordei P. , Albina Sandica , Ionescu C.
Published: February 2013

Low back pain is today a remarkably serious problem, not only in terms of health, but also socially and populationally, and it is, in most developed countries, a leading cause of disability. By its morphological features, the intervertebral foramen turns out to be the key in trying to manage the pathology of lumbar spinal region. We evaluated morphometrically the lumbar intervertebral foramen on 70 isolated lumbar vertebrae and 11 spinal blocks; the latter were sectioned to obtain easy access to components and dimensional values able to provide additional results, considered statistically and compared with literature. The results, presented in tables and graphics, are discussed in relation with actual literature.
Medical causes of acute kidney injury- clinical and therapeutic aspects in constanta county
Authors: Tuta Liliana , Stanigut Alina , Campineanu B.
Published: February 2013

Introduction. Acute kidney injury represents an important clinical syndrome within nephrology, approximately 5% of hospitalised patients being affected. Establishing a diagnosis for acute kidney injury can be challenging and requires many steps. A complete and correct diagnosis is essential for appropriate therapy and, ultimately, the patient’s prognosis.

Methods. An objective of this study is to determine the presentation of certain characteristics for the diagnosis of acute kidney injury. It is also intended to show the therapeutic methods undertaken for patients presenting with acute kidney injury, as well as evolution under therapy.

Results. The most common causes of acute kidney injury were medical causes and within that category, cardiovascular diseases were the most common etiological factor (18%). Nephropathies represented a minority, with acute pyelonephritis, responsible for 5% of medical causes, and acute glomerulonephritis accounting for 6%. Hemodialysis was initiated only in 15% of patients. The rest of the patients were treated conservatively and responded favourably to this therapeutic approach. The etiological factors that had the greatest number of patients requiring hemodialysis were Rifampicin administration and leptospirosis (~20% each).

Conclusions. The clinical characteristics of acute kidney injury are variable and are usually specific to the etiology of the disease. The most common causes were cardiovascular diseases (18%). The therapeutic approach was rather conservative. Hemodialysis was instituted only in 15% of the patients. Almost 5% of all patients evolved to chronic kidney disease in a variable period of time, and the overall mortality was 18%, mainly due to infections and cardiovascular complications.
Effects of School Racial Composition on K–12 Mathematics Outcomes
Authors: Mickelson Roslyn Arlin , Bottia Martha Cecilia , Lambert Richard
Published: February 2013

Recently published social science research suggests that students attending schools with concentrations of disadvantaged racial minority populations achieve less academic progress than their otherwise comparable counterparts in more racially balanced or integrated schools, but to date no meta-analysis has estimated the effect size of school racial composition on mathematics outcomes. This metaregression analysis reviewed the social science literature published in the past 20 years on the relationship between mathematics outcomes and the racial composition of the K–12 schools students attend. The authors employed a two-level hierarchical linear model to analyze the 25 primary studies with 98 regression effects. Results indicate that school racial isolation has a small statistically significant negative effect on overall building-level mathematics outcomes. This relationship is moderated by the size of the sample in the study and by the way the independent variable was operationalized. Although it is small, the effect size is substantively meaningful. The effects are stronger in secondary compared to elementary grades, and racial gaps widen as students age. The emergence and widening of the race gaps as students move through the grades suggest that the association of racial segregation with mathematics performance compounds over time. Implications for educational policy and future research are discussed.
Reid's Account of Judgment and Missing Fourth Kind of Conception
Authors: Wilson Aaron
Published: February 2013

According to Thomas Reid, every act of mind is accompanied by a conception of its object. For instance, he holds that the thing one conceives in an act of perception is always an individual thing that exists, and that the thing one conceives in an act of judgment is the thing expressed by the proposition judged. However, Reid never is clear about what kind of thing is expressed by a proposition; neither is it clear from the existing literature on Reid. What he says about judgments, propositions, and general conceptions together suggests four distinct candidates. But I will argue that each of these candidates either fails to have sufficient textual support, or leads to absurd conclusions (such as that we conceive semi-existent things). In conclusion, I argue that while Reid does not offer an account of the kind of conception accompanying judgments, his writings leave the matter open.
The Humean Approach to Moral Diversity
Authors: Collier Mark
Published: February 2013

In ‘A Dialogue’, Hume offers an important reply to the moral skeptic. Skeptics traditionally point to instances of moral diversity in support of the claim that our core values are fixed by enculturation. Hume argues that the skeptic exaggerates the amount of variation in moral codes, however, and fails to adopt an indulgent stance toward attitudes different from ours. Hume proposes a charitable interpretation of moral disagreement, moreover, which traces it back to shared principles of human nature. Contemporary philosophers attempt to locate examples of moral variability that cannot be accommodated in this way. But they are no more successful than their predecessors. Moral skeptics have not found a single case of moral diversity that is resistant to the Humean strategy.
Selective Induction of Cancer Cell Death by Targeted Granzyme B
Authors: Oberoi Pranav , Jabulowsky Robert , Wels Winfried
Published: February 2013

The potential utility of immunotoxins for cancer therapy has convincingly been demonstrated in clinical studies. Nevertheless, the high immunogenicity of their bacterial toxin domain represents a critical limitation, and has prompted the evaluation of cell-death inducing proteins of human origin as a basis for less immunogenic immunotoxin-like molecules. In this review, we focus on the current status and future prospects of targeted fusion proteins for cancer therapy that employ granzyme B (GrB) from cytotoxic lymphocytes as a cytotoxic moiety. Naturally, this serine protease plays a critical role in the immune defense by inducing apoptotic target cell death upon cleavage of intracellular substrates. Advances in understanding of the structure and function of GrB enabled the generation of chimeric fusion proteins that carry a heterologous cell binding domain for recognition of tumor-associated cell surface antigens. These hybrid molecules display high selectivity for cancer cells, with cell killing activities similar to that of corresponding recombinant toxins. Recent findings have helped to understand and circumvent intrinsic cell binding of GrB and susceptibility of the enzyme to inhibition by serpins. This now allows the rational design of optimized GrB derivatives that avoid sequestration by binding to non-target tissues, limit off-target effects, and overcome resistance mechanisms in tumor cells.
What do We Know about Neonatal Cognition?
Authors: Streri Arlette , De Hevia Maria , Izard Véronique , Coubart Aurélie
Published: February 2013

Research on neonatal cognition has developed very recently in comparison with the long history of research on child behavior. The last sixty years of research have provided a great amount of evidence for infants’ numerous cognitive abilities. However, only little of this research concerns newborn infants. What do we know about neonatal cognition? Using a variety of paradigms, researchers became able to probe for what newborns know. Amongst these results, we can distinguish several levels of cognitive abilities. First, at the perceptual or sensory level, newborns are able to process information coming from the social world and the physical objects through all their senses. They are able to discriminate between object shapes and between faces; that is, they are able to detect invariants, remember and recognize them. Second, newborns are able to abstract information, to compare different inputs and to match them across different sensory modalities. We will argue that these two levels can be considered high-level cognitive abilities: they constitute the foundations of human cognition. Furthermore, while some perceptual competencies can stem from the fetal period, many of these perceptual and cognitive abilities cannot be a consequence of the environment surrounding the newborn before birth.
Quantum Models of Classical World
Authors: Hájíček Petr
Published: February 2013

This paper is a review of our recent work on three notorious problems of non-relativistic quantum mechanics: realist interpretation, quantum theory of classical properties, and the problem of quantum measurement. A considerable progress has been achieved, based on four distinct new ideas. First, objective properties are associated with states rather than with values of observables. Second, all classical properties are selected properties of certain high entropy quantum states of macroscopic systems. Third, registration of a quantum system is strongly disturbed by systems of the same type in the environment. Fourth, detectors must be distinguished from ancillas and the states of registered systems are partially dissipated and lost in the detectors. The paper has two aims: a clear explanation of all new results and a coherent and contradiction-free account of the whole quantum mechanics including all necessary changes of its current textbook version.
On Classical Ideal Gases
Authors: Arnaud Jacques , Chusseau Laurent , Philippe Fabrice
Published: February 2013

We show that the thermodynamics of ideal gases may be derived solely from the Democritean concept of corpuscles moving in vacuum plus a principle of simplicity, namely that these laws are independent of the laws of motion, aside from the law of energy conservation. Only a single corpuscle in contact with a heat bath submitted to a z and t-invariant force is considered. Most of the end results are known but the method appears to be novel. The mathematics being elementary, the present paper should facilitate the understanding of the ideal gas law and of classical thermodynamics even though not-usually-taught concepts are being introduced.
Naringin Improves Diet-Induced Cardiovascular Dysfunction and Obesity in High Carbohydrate, High Fat Diet-Fed Rats
Authors: Alam Md. , Kauter Kathleen , Brown Lindsay
Published: February 2013

Obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension and fatty liver, together termed metabolic syndrome, are key risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Chronic feeding of a diet high in saturated fats and simple sugars, such as fructose and glucose, induces these changes in rats. Naturally occurring compounds could be a cost-effective intervention to reverse these changes. Flavonoids are ubiquitous secondary plant metabolites; naringin gives the bitter taste to grapefruit. This study has evaluated the effect of naringin on diet-induced obesity and cardiovascular dysfunction in high carbohydrate, high fat-fed rats. These rats developed increased body weight, glucose intolerance, increased plasma lipid concentrations, hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy and fibrosis, liver inflammation and steatosis with compromised mitochondrial respiratory chain activity. Dietary supplementation with naringin (approximately 100 mg/kg/day) improved glucose intolerance and liver mitochondrial dysfunction, lowered plasma lipid concentrations and improved the structure and function of the heart and liver without decreasing total body weight. Naringin normalised systolic blood pressure and improved vascular dysfunction and ventricular diastolic dysfunction in high carbohydrate, high fat-fed rats. These beneficial effects of naringin may be mediated by reduced inflammatory cell infiltration, reduced oxidative stress, lowered plasma lipid concentrations and improved liver mitochondrial function in rats.
Virtual Estimator for Piecewise Linear Systems Based on Observability Analysis
Authors: Morales-Morales Cornelio , Adam-Medina Manuel , Cervantes Ilse , Vela-Valdés Luis , Beltrán Carlos
Published: February 2013

This article proposes a virtual sensor for piecewise linear systems based on observability analysis that is in function of a commutation law related with the system’s outpu. This virtual sensor is also known as a state estimator. Besides, it presents a detector of active mode when the commutation sequences of each linear subsystem are arbitrary and unknown. For the previous, this article proposes a set of virtual estimators that discern the commutation paths of the system and allow estimating their output. In this work a methodology in order to test the observability for piecewise linear systems with discrete time is proposed. An academic example is presented to show the obtained results.
Contactless Impedance Sensors and Their Application to Flow Measurements
Authors: Opekar František , Tůma Petr , Štulík Karel
Published: February 2013

The paper provides a critical discussion of the present state of the theory of high-frequency impedance sensors (now mostly called contactless impedance or conductivity sensors), the principal approaches employed in designing impedance flow-through cells and their operational parameters. In addition to characterization of traditional types of impedance sensors, the article is concerned with the use of less common sensors, such as cells with wire electrodes or planar cells. There is a detailed discussion of the effect of the individual operational parameters (width and shape of the electrodes, detection gap, frequency and amplitude of the input signal) on the response of the detector. The most important problems to be resolved in coupling these devices with flow-through measurements in the liquid phase are also discussed. Examples are given of cell designs for continuous flow and flow-injection analyses and of detection systems for miniaturized liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis. New directions for the use of these sensors in molecular biology and chemical reactors and some directions for future development are outlined.
High-resolution dynamic atomic force microscopy in liquids with different feedback architectures
Authors: Melcher John , Martínez-Martín David , Jaafar Miriam , Gómez-Herrero Julio , Raman Arvind
Published: February 2013

The recent achievement of atomic resolution with dynamic atomic force microscopy (dAFM) [Fukuma et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 2005, 87, 034101], where quality factors of the oscillating probe are inherently low, challenges some accepted beliefs concerning sensitivity and resolution in dAFM imaging modes. Through analysis and experiment we study the performance metrics for high-resolution imaging with dAFM in liquid media with amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM) and drive-amplitude modulation (DAM) imaging modes. We find that while the quality factors of dAFM probes may deviate by several orders of magnitude between vacuum and liquid media, their sensitivity to tip–sample forces can be remarkable similar. Furthermore, the reduction in noncontact forces and quality factors in liquids diminishes the role of feedback control in achieving high-resolution images. The theoretical findings are supported by atomic-resolution images of mica in water acquired with AM, FM and DAM under similar operating conditions.
Zanthoxoaporphines A–C: Three new larvicidal dibenzo[de,g]quinolin-7-one alkaloids from Zanthoxylum paracanthum (Rutaceae)
Authors: Samita Fidelis N , Sandjo Louis P , Ndiege Isaiah O , Hassanali Ahmed , Lwande Wilber
Published: February 2013

The bioassay-guided purification of Zanthoxylum paracanthum (Rutaceae) extracts led to the isolation of three new alkaloids, namely 1-hydroxy-10-methoxy-7H-dibenzo[de,g]quinolin-7-one (zanthoxoaporphine A, 2), 1-hydroxy-7H-dibenzo[de,g]quinolin-7-one (zanthoxoaporphine B, 3) and 1,8-dihydroxy-9-methoxy-7H-dibenzo[de,g]quinolin-7-one (zanthoxaporphine C, 4), and a known lignan identified as sesamin (1). Isolation and purification of the constituent compounds was achieved through conventional chromatographic methods. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were determined on the basis of UV, IR, NMR and MS data, and confirmed by comparison with those reported in the literature. The larvicidal activity of some of the isolated compounds was investigated by using third-instar Anopheles gambiae larvae.
Pain Medication Management in Nursing Homes and Nursing Scope of Practice
Authors: Corazzini Kirsten N. , Mueller Christine , Anderson Ruth A. , Day Lisa , Hunt-McKinney Selina , Porter Kristie
Published: February 2013

Inadequate pain medication management is pervasive in nursing homes (NHs). Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) deliver the majority of licensed nursing care, but LPNs are neither trained nor licensed to provide comprehensive pain assessment and medication management. In this study, we describe how pain medication management occurs in NHs by exploring LPNs’ management approaches, while considering scope-of-practice differences between RNs and LPNs. Using comparative case studies of 10 NHs in North Carolina and Minnesota, we found practice variations in pain detection, assessment, and medication administration. Differences clustered in three areas: (a) the extent to which RNs and LPNs connected formally and informally to provide pain care, (b) the degree to which RNs and LPNs were considered interchangeable with one another, and (c) the RN-to-LPN ratio. Results highlight quality issues and suggest ways to improve pain medication management in NHs.
Characterizing Caregiver-Mediated Medication Management in Patients with Memory Loss
Authors: Erlen Judith A. , Lingler Jennifer , Sereika Susan M. , Tamres Lisa K. , Happ Mary Beth , Tang Fengyan
Published: February 2013

Increasingly, family members are assisting with the complex task of medication management when patients are experiencing cognitive decline. To date, limited published research addresses caregiver-mediated medication management of patients with impaired cognition. Thus, the purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics and correlates of caregiver-mediated medication management in community-dwelling patients with memory loss. We used baseline data from the 91 patient-caregiver dyads participating in a randomized controlled trial designed to assist caregivers of patients with memory loss with medication management. The patient’s level of cognitive impairment was not related to medication errors; however, the number of medications that patients were prescribed and taking was related to medication errors. Important factors to consider when discussing medication management with caregivers of patients with memory loss include the caregiver’s age, cognitive ability, and depressive symptoms, as well as the caregiver’s perception of the impact of the patient’s behavioral problems.
Using Social Media as a Concept and Tool for Teaching Marketing Information Systems
Authors: Tsiakis Theodosios
Published: February 2013

Teachers use social media in order to have instant, comfortable and effective way to communicate and transact with students. Online classrooms also are becoming more and more social. So why not use these methods that are already in wide use as a teaching tool? Social media began as an entertainment tool, then became a marketing phenomenon, and now is seen as a new pedagogical tool. The Marketing Information System course aims in offering students (the tomorrow marketers) an in-depth view and understanding of information systems that support an effective way the marketing activities. MIS is the process of connecting people, processes, and technology. The use of ICT has changed the way marketing decisions are made. On the one hand, using information technologies supports achievement of a current marketing strategy while on the other hand these technologies set new marketing rules, and social media is the technology that represents a unique way of transmitting information in all directions. So with one concept (social media), we can achieve multiple benefits. This chapter (1) provides a literature review (overview) of the current use and benefits of Web 2.0 or so-called social media tools in the support of teaching or pedagogical process, (2) offers a systematic way of understanding and conceptualizing online social media as a teaching tool, and (3) suggests the framework in which social media tools can be applied and used in the Marketing Information System (MkIS) course both as part in the course structure and as a mean to teach MkIS.
The Use of New Web-Based Technologies in Strategies of Teaching Gender Studies
Authors: Manolache Madalina , Patrut Monica
Published: February 2013

One of the defining traits of our existence as users of the Internet is convergence. This feature is a widespread common good within each level of online participation. Nowadays, we are obliged to perform communicative acts in a more transparent manner than in the Web 1.0. age, and the content itself allows for a higher degree of self-awareness. This is also the case of the learning media. We are offered more intuitive devices which reshape our mindset and forward us towards different mainframes of our innate intelligence, reshaping us into highly educated citizens. Nonetheless, technology is not the only construct with a pervasive character. Gender mainstreaming also claims a front place, either as an explaining factor for policy failures, economic deficits or social fractures. As such, it is our purpose within this chapter to outline the use of new web-based technologies in the new Web 2.0 pedagogical environment, with an emphasis on Web 2.0 teaching strategies in the case of gender studies.
Integrating Social Media and Traditional Media within the Academic Environment
Authors: Bute Swati Jaywant Rao
Published: February 2013

With the advancement of technology, new modes of communication have emerged and are being used in the field of academics. Traditional media played a pivotal role in spreading knowledge in all sections of societies in the world. Traditional media proved to be a powerful tool in the process of making learning and teaching more effective, interesting, and simple to insure everyone benefits to the maximum. Social media are newly-emerged communication networks which are in use not only for sharing information but also for education, knowledge transfer, and for building a global community of academicians. Different tools of social media are in use in different streams of education. Over the years, it has been realized that both traditional and social media have much potential and use in education at all three levels e.g. primary, secondary, and higher education. But, the integration of traditional and social media still has a long way to go in terms of acceptance. This chapter highlights some major points related to changing academic environment, with the use of technology in classes, students vs. teachers’ perspectives on learning and teaching, academics, and use of media – Traditional vs. New media in classes and integrating traditional and social media within the academic environment.
Personalization of Learning Environments in a Post-Industrial Class
Authors: Levin Ilya , Kojukhov Andrei
Published: February 2013

The chapter deals with trends of educational processes and learning environments in post-industrial society. A historicist approach is used for this purpose. This approach is based on two theoretical recourses: analysis of historical forms of acquiring knowledge and analysis of historical forms of educational processes. The authors show that the contemporary educational process is greatly affected by two innovative phenomena: social media and personal identity online (PIO). They consider socialization and personalization as two unique entities having opposite characteristics of the post-industrial educational process. Based on such a dialectic approach to the educational process, they define the concept “Personal Ubiquitous Educational Environment”. The authors report the preliminary results of research on a teachers’ training course conducted on the basis of such an environment. The research focuses on clarifying both innovative components of contemporary educational processes: social media and PIO.
Students’ Publishing Projects and their Impact on Teaching and Learning
Authors: Hofhues Sandra , Heudorfer Anna
Published: February 2013

In this chapter it is assumed that students have only limited interest in reading and writing academic texts. After a brief introduction to the problem, the impact of academic reading and writing skills is shown. Furthermore, the authors want to emphasize how these literacies can support students’ development, pedagogically speaking, by using action-based projects. The University of Augsburg provides examples for publishing projects in which students can participate. The examples demonstrate the positive effects of students’ participation in such projects on the development of media literacies, especially in the areas of text comprehension and writing. Finally, prospects for student-publishing projects at universities are identified as well as the challenges associated with cross-media development, social software and Web 2.0 (Mayrberger, 2012).
Online Anxiety
Authors: Mathew David
Published: February 2013

This chapter argues that as educators moving into a Web 2.0 world, we are likely to experience anxiety, which is an important part of the educational process (as it is for our learners). It is also a response to a perception of an older and worn out version of the internet. Anxiety has implications for the design of Web 2.0 educational materials. Web 2.0 is more than a tool for the beginnings of the future of education: it is also, in and of itself, the beginnings of the future of education. Web 2.0 is about learning from the learner, and this chapter asks: What role does the educator play in his/her own developmental learning of the tools of the trade? How does this inform his/her preparations for the learners’ experiences? The chapter also argues that in addition to online educational environments owning their own systems of localized logic and systems of internal rules, they are also sentient systems.
Cyberbullying
Authors: Aricak Osman Tolga , Tanrikulu Taskin , Siyahhan Sinem , Kinay Hüseyin
Published: February 2013

Twenty years ago, who would have thought that children as young as twelve would own a cell phone, or people would check their e-mails and Facebook several times in a given day? Things have changed a lot over the last several years. The information and communication technologies made access to information easier and allowed people to communicate with long-distant family and friends instantly. Despite these positive changes, the advances in information and communication technologies also introduced problems that are unique to information age. In this paper, the authors review one of these problems, namely cyberbullying, which affects school age children. Many studies reported significant number of children late elementary through high school experiencing cyberbullying—the use of electronic means to harass others—through cell phones and the Internet. The authors discuss the nature of cyberbullying and why it became a problem among youth. They conclude this chapter with suggestions for parents and future research.
Barriers to Emerging Technology and Social Media Integration in Higher Education
Authors: Adi Ana , Scotte Christina Gasser
Published: February 2013

With technological innovation and social media infiltrating every field of activity, it was only a matter of time until universities and faculty would need to embrace the technological challenge. This chapter offers three case studies of social media training delivery in universities and researcher centres in the UK, USA, and Bahrain. These case studies cover the use of emerging technologies in higher education research, teaching and policy, and associated first- and second-order barriers to their implementation. Results and impact of the training sessions, including questions asked and feedback provided by participants are also discussed. The chapter emphasizes the increasing interest in training in emerging technologies for educators and affiliated university staff, but also highlights the challenges faced when promoting tools and platforms not supported by either the IT infrastructure of the universities or the policies in place.
Making the Most of Informal and Situated Learning Opportunities through Mobile Learning
Authors: Camacho Mar
Published: February 2013

Mobility and networking are two important emerging issues that affect educational practices nowadays. Learners and teachers are continuously involved in ubiquitous relationships with other people on the Internet, swapping information and sharing knowledge and skills. However, in the Mobile Learning area, a great deal of emphasis has been placed on mobile technologies and the transfer of content, whereas the potential to support community building processes and collaboration through their integration within social networks has tended to be underemphasized. With the advent of Mobile Learning, a certain growth in its practice and research has been activated by technological innovation and progress. Mobile technologies offer potentiality for the exploitation of contextual learning and have unbound learners and technologies out of the limitation of classrooms at the time that enhance collaborative processes in informal contexts. The emergence of mobile gadgets has democratized the access to technology, changed the concept of user-generated content, and allowed learners and technologies to experiment with technologies outside the classroom, although it has posed challenges to educational stakeholders on how to match the nature of their practice for both life and learning with those traits that educators would like to heighten.
Ecotourism for Community Development
Authors: Bansal S. P. , Kumar Jaswinder
Published: February 2013

Ecotourism is sustainable tourism, which is based on the ecological principle and sustainable development theory. There is emergent need of capacity building for local people for ecotourism in the villages of Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP). Ecotourism involves local community for the conservation of the area’s ecology and biodiversity, in return, provides economic incentives to the community. This paper studies the ecotourism perspective from the point of view of major stakeholders of ecotourism, i.e., local communities, tourists, ecotourism operators, and government officials in Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) of Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh. This study determines the various issues related to ecotourism and these stakeholders’ opinions about these issues. A lack of knowledge and awareness exists in the local community about ecotourism and its benefits, while the other stakeholders have strong opinions for various ecotourism statements. An ANOVA test is conducted followed by a Scheffe test to the different groups of stakeholders. The paper gives some suggestions to increase ecotourism awareness, capacity building for ecotourism for the local community, and community participation for the development of ecotourism in GHNP.
Sustainable Tourism Development in India
Authors: Dhiman Mohinder C. , Dubey Arvind Kumar
Published: February 2013

The issues surrounding the understanding and practice of sustainability in tourism are becoming increasingly important to both academicians and tourism planners. For more than two decades the attainment of sustainable development and the protection of touristic assets have been at the forefront of central policy issues in global tourism development. Recently, it has been argued that collaborative and associative forms of governance among tourism stakeholders are growing in importance in the drive for sustainable tourism development. Despite the increasing number of debates on the role of stakeholders in tourism, they are not well supported by empirical studies and how such stakeholders can contribute to the sustainable development of tourism. This study investigates various sustainable tourism development dimensions among tourism stakeholders and whether these dimensions depend on the demographic characteristics of stakeholders. By employing factor analysis, the study reveals that there is a set of sustainable tourism development parameters that is most common. The results also indicate that there is a significant difference among the tourism stakeholders in terms of perceived sustainable tourism development dimensions in India.
Sustainable Development of Pilgrimage Tourism in Jammu Region
Authors: Chauhan Vinay
Published: February 2013

Tourism is a socio-economic activity and has evolved into one of the largest and fastest growing industries of the world. While the economic benefits of tourism are well known, the research evidence indicates that the benefits of tourism are rarely equitably distributed among the key stakeholders. In this context, sustainable tourism development (STD) as a long-term approach development aims to balance social and economic objectives with environmentally sound management. The sustainable development as a strategic tool requires a process of planning and management that brings together a series of interests and stakeholders’ concerns in the form of planning and development. Therefore, keeping in view the importance and relevance of stakeholder cooperation for sustainable tourism development, and the residents being the key stakeholders, this research examines the rural residents’ attitudes towards the impacts of the pilgrimage tourism. The results of the research points out that the sustainable development is important for responding to the current problems as caused by tourism development, as well as to address the needs of future generations.
Community Based Eco Cultural Heritage Tourism for Sustainable Development in the Asian Region
Authors: Moli G. Poyya
Published: February 2013

Tourism has emerged as one of the world’s largest industries and a fast growing economic sector. The Asian region attracts a growing number of quality-conscious tourists as it is endowed with a rich bio-cultural/heritage diversity. However, the diversity and integrity of many Asian tourist destinations have been severely eroded or irreversibly damaged due to ill-conceived, poorly planned, and under-regulated mass tourism and other human activities, increasing the conflicts between conservation and local livelihoods. Fortunately, the newly emerging community-based eco-cultural heritage tourism (CBECHT) can be effectively used in the region for achieving the objectives of sustainable development by integrating pro-poor tourism approaches. Such approaches are strongly promoted and supported by several international organizations as well as Local Agenda 21. This article provides a broad conceptual framework for this approach and evaluates the potentials and constraints for evolving and implementing such strategies in the region with their policy/planning implications.
Option Value Embedded on the Brazilian Flex and Sustainable Vehicles
Authors: Camargo Alceu S. , Yu Abraham S. O. , Nascimento Paulo Tromboni de S. , Belinetti Jose Vidal , Marques José J. , Morilhas Leandro J.
Published: February 2013

The Brazilian auto industry has changed significantly since 2003 by the introduction of the flexible fuel vehicles that can run with any mix of gasoline or sugarcane ethanol. Sugarcane ethanol is a well-known renewable fuel and an efficient alternative to fossil fuel due to its high energy yield and its great sustainable potential for fixing carbon dioxide. Consumers see great opportunity in acquiring a flex fuel vehicle, because car owners can select the fuel by considering its relative price and sustainable profile. This study applies the real options methodology to capture the worth of owning and operating a Brazilian flex fuel vehicle, regarding the relative prices of the two fuels. The more uncertain the relative prices of fuels the more valuable the option value embedded in Brazilian flex fuel vehicles becomes. The authors develop sensitivity analyses regarding different scenarios on Brazilian fuel markets and discuss their impacts.
A Hybrid Style of E-Learning in MBA Education Across Borders
Authors: Benton Caroline , Magnier-Watanabe Rémy , Herrig Harald , Aba Olivier
Published: February 2013

This paper outlines a real-life example of a course taught jointly by the MBA-IB program at the University of Tsukuba in Tokyo, Japan and the Master in Management program (ESC) at the Grenoble Ecole de Management in Grenoble, France using a hybrid style of e-learning that was aimed at increasing communication and collaboration among instructors and students. The qualitative analysis of this experience found that the variables that most significantly affected the development and outcome of the course were the unique goals, resources and student profiles of each university, the blending of synchronous and asynchronous instruction, the exchange of instructors to promote face-to-face instruction, and the use of a didactic and experiential approach to cross-cultural learning. Such cross-cultural course connecting distant groups working together toward the resolution of a common problem can become a stepping stone toward the promotion of sustainable development.
Strategic Environmental Assessment as a Tool to Develop Power in Transboundary Water Basin Settings
Authors: Granit Jakob J. , King R. Michael , Noël Raymond
Published: February 2013

This paper proposes a generic consultative process for undertaking Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA) in a transboundary river basin context to bring up front environmental and social issues of major development programs into the transboundary planning, project development and investment finance processes. The paper demonstrates through an analysis of two case studies from the Nile Basin in East and North Africa how an SEA approach with a focus on hydropower development is a transparent pre-investment tool that allows for consensus building in support of transboundary and regional strategic decision making and integration. Further, it demonstrates how an SEA can guide public and private sector investors seeking to develop the power sector in general and hydropower options in particular by allowing for a first level understanding of challenges and opportunities of power development and the development scenarios preferred by riparian governments.
Measuring the Impact of Tools on the Leanness of E-Procurement Processes
Authors: Leistner Carina Nicole
Published: February 2013

The concept of lean thinking is—despite its prominence as waste reducer and value creator—still mainly applied to the manufacturing environment. Whilst investigations on applicability to the service industry are advancing fast, little has been distributed for the area of procurement. This development is opposed by trends of increasing degree of outsourcing and related high portions of procurement of up to 60% of a company’s total value creation. The mismatch in terms of lack of strategic attention on lean procurement on the one hand and the responsibility of this function for the majority of a company’s value creation on the other, combined with the simultaneous trend of establishing “miracle cures” in the form of e-procurement gave rise to the interest in determining the stake of buy-side systems in the leanness of procurement processes. For this purpose, a case study approach was adopted focusing on the central questions of what lean means for procurement, which measures could portray leanness in this instance, how the stake of buy-side systems can be reflected in the performance indicators with separate consideration of repetitive processes in operational and strategic purchasing, in order to finally attribute a clear enabler role to IT for achieving leanness in operational procurement. This finding has been reached by the means of an objective research approach, relying on quantitative methods such as KPI measurement for data collection and regression analysis for the interpretation of correlation between the variables. As such, this chapter has not only a high value for practitioners by providing a baseline for benchmarking lean performance of e-procurement, by supporting system investment decisions, or by simply facilitating decisions on adapting existing IT solutions. It also proves as enrichment to the existing theoretical body of knowledge filling into the aforesaid gaps of lean procurement and putting—at least for procurement processes—an end to the discussion as to whether ERP systems and lean thinking are reconcilable or not.
A Hybrid E-Auction/Negotiation Model as a Tool for 4PL to Improve the Transport Provider Selection Process
Authors: Papadopoulou Eleni Maria , Kelemis Athanasios
Published: February 2013

The evolution of e-business has enabled the development of e-marketplaces facilitating the transactions among existing and potential supply chain members on an integrated platform. E-auctions are already considered a critical process for the selection of transport providers, but have not yet been systematically integrated in the 4PL concept. Specifically, a 4PL provider must add value to the e-auction process by assessing, in prior, the capabilities of potential transport providers through an e-negotiation process in order to justify its administrative role. The aim of this chapter is to present a hybrid e-auction-negotiation model, managed by a 4PL provider aiming to improve the transport provider selection process.
ERP Implementation Service Supply Chain
Authors: Lin Yong , Zhou Zhenkun , Zhou Li , Ma Shihua
Published: February 2013

ERP system plays a critical role in gaining competitive advantages; however, the implementation of the ERP system is a critical success factor but a difficult process to both the software providers and the buyers of the ERP system. Designing and delivering the implementation services becomes a key challenge to the ERP suppliers. This chapter applies modular logic into service design in order to reduce complexity and increase the service variety and quality, and develop a conceptual structure of service supply chain for delivering ERP implementation services.
Using Presentation Capture in Counselor Education Programs
Authors: Gibson Robert , Miller Ann
Published: February 2013

Emporia State University recently implemented a web-based presentation capture application for use in both a graduate and undergraduate counselor education program. Presentation capture, sometimes referred to as course capture or lecture capture, is most often used in traditional classrooms to record lectures by faculty for playback and review by students following class. However, in this educational scenario the students record sessions with assigned clients from the Emporia, Kansas community that are later played back by the faculty for review and evaluation – most often in a classroom environment where all the students gather to review and discuss the client recordings. The faculty critique the interview techniques, interview questions, and client engagement with the students as part of their training, research, and coursework. One of the unique needs of this approach is that the recordings conform to Health Insurance Privacy and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements and thus can only be replayed outside the counseling facility using an encrypted Virtual Private Network (VPN) access. Although this is a very small academic program at a modest-sized university, an empirical research study was conducted to gauge the effectiveness of capturing client sessions using a presentation capture application. Results from that study indicate that both students and faculty found the software and hardware to be very easy to use, and believed it significantly enhanced the quality of the counseling program.
Video Capture for Grading
Authors: Vincelette Elizabeth J.
Published: February 2013

This chapter addresses students’ preference for screencast assessment over traditional paper or digital text-based comments. Screencast assessment allows for asynchronous audio and visual commenting on student papers using screencast software. A pilot study using a qualitative approach has indicated that students prefer screencast assessment because of its multimodality and its ability to make the instructor’s thought process while grading transparent. Multimodality involves multisensory and multimedia approaches, which can broaden student understanding of teacher feedback. The screencast, because of its multimodality, enhances students’ understanding of the instructor’s thought process and reasoning. Because of the suggestion that students prefer this sort of feedback, the pilot study warrants a larger scale project in order to investigate the student preference for this feedback and whether the method leads to improvement in student performance.