bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Teacher Gender on Girls’ Performance on Programming Tasks in Early Elementary School
Authors: Sullivan Amanda , Umashi Bers Marina
Published: July 2018

Aim/Purpose: The goal of this paper is to examine whether having female robotics teachers positively impacts girls’ performance on programming and robotics tasks

Background: Women continue to be underrepresented in the technical STEM fields such as engineering and computer science. New programs and initiatives are needed to engage girls in STEM beginning in early childhood. The goal of this work is to explore the impact of teacher gender on young children’s mastery of programming concepts after completing an introductory robotics program.

Methodology: A sample of N=105 children from six classrooms (2 Kindergarten, 2 first grade, and 2 second grade classes) from a public school in Somerville, Massachusetts, participated in this research. Children were taught the same robotics curriculum by either an all-male or all-female teaching team. Upon completion of the curriculum, they completed programming knowledge assessments called Solve-Its. Comparisons between the performance of boys and girls in each of the teaching groups were made.

Findings: This paper provides preliminary evidence that having a female instructor may positively impact girls’ performance on certain programming tasks and reduce the number of gender differences between boys and girls in their mastery of programming concepts.

Recommendations for Practitioners: Practitioners should expose children to STEM role-models from a variety of backgrounds, genders, ethnicities, and experiences.

Future Research: Researchers should conduct future studies with larger samples of teachers in order to replicate the findings here. Additionally, future research should focus on collecting data from teachers in the form of interviews and surveys in order to find out more about gender-based differences in teaching style and mentorship and the impact of this on girls' interest and performance in STEM.
Mean grey water savings through trade of agricultural and industrial commodities (1996-2005)
Authors: Archambault Gabin
Published: July 2018

The national water saving of a country as a result of trade in a certain commodity is calculated as the net import volume of this commodity times the water footprint of the commodity per commodity unit in the country considered. A negative sign means a net national water loss instead of a saving. Here, grey water savings through the trade of industrial and agricultural products are considered.

Annual estimations are given for the period 1996-2005, in million cubic meter per year. In the table, data are also disaggregated per commodities: crop products, animal products, and industrial products.

Methodology and results can be found here: http://temp.waterfootprint.org/Reports/Report50-NationalWaterFootprints-Vol1.pdf

For more information, visit the Water Footprint Network: http://temp.waterfootprint.org/?page=files/WaterStat

Agriculture
Cost
Use/Reuse
Percentage of municipal water coming from interbasin transfers
Authors: Meyer Chloé
Published: July 2018

This layer shows the percentage of water sourced from watershed(s) outside the watershed within which a given city resides. On average, cities secure 43% of their water supply via intebasin transfers.

Note that if a city gets a small fraction of its water from surface water, there will be calculated values for this metric, but it is not particularly meaningful for a city's water risk or opportunity profile.

For more information, access the Urban Water Blueprint report here: http://www.iwa-network.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Urban-Water-Blueprint-Report.pdf

You can also visit the Urban Water Blueprint website here: http://water.nature.org/waterblueprint/#/intro=true

Abstraction
Drinking water
Supply
Şeker mısırda kardeş ve ikinci koçanın koparılmasının taze/körpe koçanın verimine ve bazı özelliklerine etkisi
Authors: KARA Burhan , GÜL Hülya , DİZLEK Halef
Published: July 2018

Çalışma,
şeker mısırda kardeş ve ikinci koçanın koparılmasının taze koçan verim ve özelliklerine
etkisi ile koparılan kardeşlerde bulunan ikinci koçanın körpe mısır olarak
değerlendirme olanaklarını araştırmak amacıyla yürütülmüştür. Denemeler 2014 ve
2015 yıllarında “BATEM TATLI” şeker mısır çeşidi kullanılarak tesadüf blokları
deneme desenine göre üç tekerrürlü olarak Isparta’da kurulmuştur. Kardeşler ve
ikinci koçanlar körpe mısır olarak koçan püskülü çıkışından itibaren 3. günde,
taze tüketim olarak ise süt olum devresin sonunda hasat edilmiştir. Taze ve
körpe koçan verim ve özelliklerine kardeş ve ikinci koçan koparmanın etkisi her
iki yılda da istatistiksel olarak önemli olmuş, en uzun koçan boyu (2014’de
18.1 cm, 2015’de 17.5 cm), en kalın koçan çapı (2014’de 37.3 mm, 2015’de 34.2
mm) ve koçan ağırlığı (2014’de 206.7 g, 2015’de 194.2 g) kardeş ve ikinci koçan
koparılan uygulamada ölçülmüştür. En yüksek taze koçan sayısı (2014’de 7798.5
adet da-1, 2015’de 7672.7 adet da-1) ve verimi (2014’de
132.4 kg da-1, 2015’de 123.6 kg da-1) kontrol
uygulamasında belirlenmiştir. En düşük taze koçan değerleri uygulamalara göre
değişmiştir. Uygulamalar arasında körpe koçan verim ve özellikleri (körpe koçan
sayısı dışında) her iki yılda da istatistiksel olarak önemli olmamıştır. En
yüksek körpe koçan sayısı (2014’de 8136.7 adet da-1 ve 2015’de
8025.6 adet da-1) kontrol uygulamasında sayılmıştır. Sonuç olarak,
kardeş ve koparılan ikinci koçanların birinci koçan boyutlarına azda olsa
pozitif katkı yaptığı, elde edilen koçanların körpe mısır olarak
değerlendirebileceği söylenebilir.
Peramalan Produksi Kelapa Sawit (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) di Perkebunan Sei Air Hitam berdasarkan Kajian Faktor Agroekologi
Authors: Irfanda Munandar , Santosa Edi
Published: July 2018

Kegiatan magang dilakukan di Sei Air Hitam Estate, Rokan Hulu, Riau, pada Februari sampai Mei 2012. Tujuan dari kegiatan ini adalah untuk menentukan hubungan karakter agronomi dan agroekologi dengan peramalan produksi kelapa sawit. Kegiatan magang terdiri dari beberapa pekerjaan yaitu sebagai karyawan harian lepas selama tiga minggu, sebagai pendamping mandor selama tiga minggu, dan sebagai pendamping asisten selama enam minggu. Pengamatan khusus dilakukan sebagai kegiatan tambahan misalnya mengevaluasi karakter agronomi dan agroekologi yang mempengaruhi produksi kelapa sawit. Hasil dari uji t-parsial mengindikasikan bahwa terdapat tujuh variabel yang mempengaruhi produksi kelapa sawit pada α=1% dan α=5% yaitu umur tanaman, aplikasi pemupukan, kelembaban udara, kecepatan angin, hari hujan, curah hujan, dan defisit air. Hasil analisis regresi menunjukkan bahwa terdapat enam model persamaan yang dapat digunakan untuk meramalkan produksi kelapa sawit di Sumatera.
Pertumbuhan Beberapa Jenis Sirih (Piper spp.) pada Berbagai Intensitas Naungan
Authors: Rahmawati Ain Nur , Kurniawati Ani
Published: July 2018

Percobaan ini dilakukan untuk mengetahui pengaruh naungan terhadap pertumbuhan beberapa jenis sirih yang dilaksanakan di Kebun Percobaan Leuwikopo, Institut Pertanian Bogor pada bulan Juli–Oktober 2014. Percobaan menggunakan rancangan petak tersarang, dua faktor dan empat ulangan. Petak utama yaitu persen naungan yang terdiri dari 4 taraf (0%, 25%, 55%, dan 75%) dan anak petaknya adalah lima jenis sirih yaitu sirih merah, sirih wulung, sirih hijau, sirih golden, dan sirih hitam. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan naungan berpengaruh terhadap pertumbuhan sirih. Berdasarkan produksi relatif terhadap kontrol kelima jenis sirih tersebut dapat dikelompokkan menjadi jenis tanaman yang menyukai terhadap naungan. Pertumbuhan lima jenis sirih terbaik terdapat pada taraf naungan 75%.
Pertumbuhan dan Produksi Kacang Bogor (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdcourt) pada Beberapa Jarak Tanam dan Frekuensi Pembumbunan
Authors: Rahmawati Aulia , Purnamawati Heni , Kusumo Yudiwanti W. E.
Published: July 2018

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendapatkan jarak tanam yang optimal dan frekuensi pembumbunan yang tepat untuk mendapatkan hasil panen terbaik. Penelitian ini menggunakan rancangan kelompok lengkap teracak (RKLT) faktorial dengan dua faktor dan tiga ulangan. Faktor pertama adalah jarak tanam yang terdiri atas enam taraf, yaitu 40 cm x 25 cm, 50 cm x 25 cm, 60 cm x 25 cm, 40 cm x 40 cm, 50 cm x 50 cm, dan 60 cm x 60 cm. Faktor kedua adalah frekuensi pembumbunan yang terdiri dari dua taraf yaitu dua kali pembumbunan dan tiga kali pembumbunan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan jarak tanam berpengaruh nyata terhadap peubah jumlah daun, lebar kanopi, indeks luas daun (ILD), bobot brangkasan kering per tanaman, bobot polong basah per tanaman, bobot polong kering per tanaman, bobot biji per tanaman, jumlah polong bernas per tanaman, jumlah tanaman yang dipanen, bobot polong basah petak, bobot polong kering petak, dan bobot biji petak, sedangkan frekuensi pembumbunan hanya berpengaruh pada bobot brangkasan kering per tanaman. Jarak tanam 60 cm x 25 cm dan 40 cm x 40 cm memberikan hasil panen terbaik dan sesuai digunakan dalam budidaya kacang bogor.
Pengelolaan Lahan Gambut di Perkebunan Kelapa Sawit di Riau
Authors: Saragih Jastri Mey , Hariyadi .
Published: July 2018

Pengelolaan tata air dan pemadatan tanah merupakan syarat awal pengelolaan lahan gambut di perkebunan kelapa sawit. Kegiatan dilaksanakan di Riau dengan tujuan umum mengetahui dan mengikuti praktek perusahaan dalam mengelola lahan gambut untuk tanaman kelapa sawit, serta dengan tujuan khusus mempelajari sistem pengelolaan tata air perkebunan. Kegiatan dilaksanakan selama 4 bulan mulai Februari – Juni 2013. Pada umumnya sasaran ketinggian air di Perkebunan adalah 25 – 50 cm di bawah permukaan tanah. Sistem drainase terdiri atas kanal utama, kanal cabang, kanal cabang baru, kanal kolektor, parit kolektor, parit tengah, dan field drain. Upaya-upaya untuk mempertahankan ketinggian air antara lain membuat water zoning, memasang piezzometer, pintu air, over flow gate, pintu air parit tengah, pembuatan emergency gate, pemasangan spillway, perawatan kanal, dan pembuatan peta dan SOP sistem pengelolaan tata air. Analisis regresi linier sederhana dilakukan untuk menduga pengaruh curah hujan terhadap ketinggian air. Kajian menunjukkan bahwa curah hujan berpengaruh nyata (P value = 0.014) terhadap ketinggian air. Kenaikan 1 % curah hujan akan menaikkan ketinggian air 0.06893% di bawah permukaan tanah. Analisis regresi linier berganda dilakukan untuk menduga pengaruh curah hujan dan ketinggian air terhadap produksi. Kajian menunjukkan curah hujan dan ketinggian air tidak berpengaruh nyata terhadap produksi.
Pengusangan Cepat Fisik serta Penyimpanan Benih Koro Pedang (Canavalia ensiformis (L.) DC.) Menggunakan Ruang Simpan dan Kemasan Berbeda
Authors: Rahmawati Naning Emilia , Suharsi Tatiek Kartika , Surahman Memen
Published: July 2018

Kondisi lingkungan simpan (suhu dan RH) dan jenis kemasan merupakan faktor penting yang mempengaruhi daya simpan benih. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh pengusangan cepat secara fisik terhadap viabilitas dan vigor benih koro pedang serta mendapatkan ruang simpan dan jenis kemasan yang tepat untuk mempertahankan viabilitas dan vigor benih koro pedang selama penyimpanan. Penelitian terdiri atas 2 percobaan. Percobaan I menggunakan Rancangan Kelompok Lengkap Teracak dengan lama penderaan fisik sebagai faktornya, yang terdiri atas 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, dan 180 menit. Percobaan II menggunakan rancangan percobaan tersarang dengan 2 faktor. Faktor pertama berupa ruang simpan yang terdiri atas ruang suhu kamar dan ruang ber-AC. Faktor kedua jenis kemasan yang terdiri atas 3 taraf yaitu karung plastik, jerigen plastik, dan plastik polypropylene. Hasil percobaan I menunjukkan bahwa penderaan fisik dengan suhu dan RH tinggi efektif menurunkan viabilitas dan vigor benih serta meningkatkan kadar air benih koro pedang. Hasil Percobaan II menunjukkan bahwa penyimpanan benih koro pedang pada ruang suhu kamar menghasilkan kadar air, viabilitas, dan vigor benih lebih tinggi dibandingkan penyimpanan pada ruang ber-AC. Penyimpanan benih koro pedang dengan karung plastik menghasilkan kadar air, viabilitas, dan vigor
Respon Pertumbuhan Bibit Karet (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.) terhadap Pemberian Inokulan Cendawan Mikoriza Arbuskula dan Pemupukan Fosfor
Authors: Hulu Versi Putra Jaya , Supijatno .
Published: July 2018

Peningkatan produksi dan kualitas tanaman karet harus dilakukan dengan teknik pembibitan yang baik. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mempelajari pengaruh inokulan Cendawan Mikoriza Arbuskula dan dosis pupuk P terhadap pertumbuhan bibit stum mata tidur karet (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg). Penelitian ini dilaksanakan di Kebun Percobaan Cikabayan mulai bulan Mei sampai Agustus 2014. Rancangan Percobaan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah rancangan kelompok lengkap teracak yang disusun secara faktorial dengan dua faktor dan tiga ulangan. Faktor pertama adalah dosis pemberian inokulan cendawan mikoriza arbuskula yaitu tanpa inokulan mikoriza, dosis 10 g per tanaman, dan dosis 20 g per tanaman. Faktor kedua adalah dosis pemberian pupuk fosfor yang terdiri dari empat perlakuan yaitu pemupukan SP-36 (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 kali dosis rekomendasi, yaitu pemberian 3.88 g per tanaman pada bulan ke-1 dan 7.76 g per tanaman pada bulan ke-3). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pemberian inokulan Cendawan Mikoriza Arbuskula tidak berpengaruh nyata terhadap panjang tunas, diameter tunas, jumlah tangkai daun, jumlah akar, akar terpanjang, bobot basah dan bobot kering akar dan tajuk. Pemupukan P berpengaruh nyata terhadap panjang tunas, serta bobot basah dan bobot kering akar dengan pola respon linear. Interaksi dengan kombinasi terbaik adalah pemberian 0.5 dosis rekomendasi SP-36 dan inokulan CMA 20 g per tanaman.
ANÁLISE DAS RELAÇÕES DE LONGO PRAZO NO SETOR SUCROENERGÉTICO: UMA ABORDAGEM UTILIZANDO COINTEGRAÇÃO E CAUSALIDADE DE GRANGER
Authors: Almeida Paulo Roberto Vieira de , Figueiredo Reginaldo Santana , Fonseca Adelaida Pallavicini , Xavier Alexandre , Souza Marina Ester
Published: July 2018

O objetivo desse artigo foi analisar a luz dos testes de co-integração se existe relacionamento de longo prazo entre os preços do etanol e do açúcar no Brasil. A cultura da cana de açúcar é extremamente importante para economia nacional, e gera alguns dos principais produtos ligados a alimentação e fonte energética. O mercado do etanol historicamente depende de seis fatores principais, sendo eles: relação oferta e demanda; valor praticado nas bombas dos postos; preço da gasolina; mix de produção das usinas; taxa de crescimento do Ciclo Otto e tamanho da safra de cana de açúcar. Neste sentido, buscou-se uma aplicação dos testes de co-integração para analisar se no longo prazo os preços do etanol e açúcar apresentam relações de equilíbrio. Os resultados apontaram que as séries de dados são co-integradas, o preço do etanol apresentou ser um bom previsor para o preço do açúcar, e a velocidade do ajuste -0.455308 indica um ajuste de aproximadamente dois meses.
SISTEMAS DE COMUNICAÇÃO E A TEORIA DOS SISTEMAS SOCIAIS: UMA LEITURA DE NIKLAS LUHMANN
Authors: De Souza Ivan Clementino
Published: July 2018

A partir da leitura das aulas proferidas por Luhmann no curso de 1992 na Universidade de Bielefeld, intitulado como Introdução à Teoria dos Sistemas, propomos uma reflexão sobre a relevância da comunicação ou dos Sistemas de Comunicação para a Teoria dos Sistemas Sociais. É um ensaio que propõe uma breve análise sobre o que representa para Luhmann os Sistemas Parcias de Comunicação e sua função dentro da concepção de Sistema Total.
DA RELATIVIZAÇÃO DA PRESUNÇÃO DE VULNERABILIDADE NO CRIME DE ESTUPRO DE VULNERÁVEL E OS PRINCÍPIOS APLICADOS
Authors: FERREIRA MARCUS VINÍCIUS , CALAÇA HELDER LINCOLN
Published: July 2018

O presente artigo científico tem como principal objetivo analisar a possibilidade de relativização da presunção de vulnerabilidade da vítima maior de 12 e menor de 14 anos de idade, prevista no art. 217-A do Código Penal vigente, utilizando-se como método de estudo pesquisa doutrinária e jurisprudencial, bem como analisar as particularidades do caso concreto, com intuito de evitar a responsabilidade penal objetiva, em face dos princípios consagrados na Constituição Federal de 1988, bem como no Processo Penal.
ANTIGENIC AND PROTECTIVE PROPERTIES OF EXPERIMENTAL ASSOCIATED VIRUS VACCINE AGAINST SHEEP POX AND GOAT POX
Authors: Konstantinov A. V. , Starov S. K. , Diev V. I. , Moroz N. V. , Kurnenkova E. V. , Basova D. К. , Kononov А. V. , Fedoseyev K. Yu.
Published: July 2018

Studies have been carried on antigenic and protective activity of the experimental associated vaccine containing, in the field vaccination dose, antigens of the attenuated ARRIAH strain of the sheep pox virus and ARRIAH 2003 strain of the goat pox virus in the ratio of 4.24 and 4.24 lg TCD50/cm3, 4.18 and 4.37 lg TCD50/cm3and 4.37 and 4.18 lg TCD50/cm3respectively, as well as monovalent vaccines with the infectious activity of these strains with a titer of 4.5 lg TCD50/cm3. Administration of the associated virus vaccine did not adversely affect the physiological state of the animals and was accompanied by the formation of viral neutralizing antibodies in protective titres that did not differ from antibody titers in the blood of sheep and goats during monovalent immunization. High levels of virus neutralizing antibodies in the range of (3.50 ± 0.50)–(4.05 ± 0.22) and (3.58 ± 0.08)–(4.00 ± 0.29) log2respectively were determined in the blood serum of all sheep and goats vaccinated with associated vaccines. The antigenic activity of the associated vaccines for goats and sheep is almost identical. There were no negative effects on the antigenic activity of different ratios of attenuated strains of the sheep pox and goat pox virus in the inoculation dose. All sheep immunized with the monovalent vaccine against sheep and goat pox and associated virus vaccines, resisted the disease when challenged with a virulent sheep pox virus “Afghanistan” strain. Three sheep vaccinated with a monovalent vaccine against goat pox demonstrated a large local reaction, one sheep was diagnosed with generalized form of sheep pox.
DYNAMICS OF HAEMATOLOGICAL AND FUNCTIONAL PARAMETERS OF PEKIN DUCK BLOOD DURING ADMINISTRATION OF ORGANIC SELENIUM PREPARATION
Authors: Anisimova Ye. O. , Pronin V. V. , Kletikova L. V. , Yakimenko N. N.
Published: July 2018

Age-related dynamics of hematological and functional parameters of Pekin duck blood during administration of organic selenium preparation DAFS-25k (at a 1.3 mg/kg dose) was presented. In order to study morphological parameters from the age of one day old to 120 days old blood was collected from axillary vein of birds prior to feeding each 15 days in the morning. To assess hematological parameters RBC and WBC count was performed, hemoglobin contents and hematocrit value were determined and color index of blood was calculated. The experiment demonstrated gradual increase in these parameters in the experimental and control groups. Birds from the experimental group demonstrated higher parameters than those of the control group. It was determined that hemoglobin contents was 9.86% higher in the experimental group in comparison with the control group due to selenium administration. The blood color index in this group was also higher (р ≤ 0.05). Biochemical blood analysis included the following parameters: total protein, albumin, uric acid, glucose, calcium, phosphorus, ALT and AST transaminase. The test results showed that during all age periods total protein and albumin contents in ducks of the experimental group exceeded those of the control group. The selenium-containing preparation had a positive influence on the carbohydrate metabolism ensuring high level of metabolic processes in birds, contributed to optimal calcium to phosphorus ratio which positively influenced mineral metabolism and development of the locomotor system. Obtained AST and ALT values in both groups are not beyond reference values which indirectly confirms absence of toxic effect on ducks’ organism if selenium is administered at the specified doses. It was determined that DAFS-25k has not affected hematological and functional parameters of Pekin duck blood and it contributed to mineral metabolism correction, reduction of stress factor effect within critical periods of development and improvement of the excretory system function.
CLONING OF GENES ENCODING TRANSMEMBRANE PROTEINS AND PROTEINS RESPONSIBLE FOR AFRICAN SWINE FEVER VIRUS VIRULENCE
Authors: Mazloum Ali , Zinyakov N. G. , Igolkin A. S. , Vlasova N. N.
Published: July 2018

Results of cloning X69R, A179L, E248R, I215L and DP96R genes of ASF virus Krasnodar 07/17 isolate and analysis of their nucleotide sequences are presented. Obtained clones were added to the previously constructed clone library comprising clones of 8 genes of Krasnodar 06/12 isolate. Clones containing X69R, A179L, E248R, I215L and DP96R genes of ASF virus Krasnodar 07/17 isolate will be used for recombinant protein obtaining and testing for their effect on in vitro virus reproduction and their role in the virus infectivity, level of clinical manifestations and virulence. Prokaryotic vector, pJET1.2/ blunt, was used. Thus, the clone library available at the FGBI “ARRIAH” Reference Laboratory for African swine fever was supplemented by pJET1.2-X69R, pJET1.2-A179L, pJET1.2-E248R, pJET1.2-I215L and pJET1.2-DP96R plasmid constructions containing 5 genes of ASF virus Krasnodar 07/17 isolate. Proportion of cloned virus genes was 3.01% of Krasnodar 07/17 isolate genome, hence, total amount of the clone library has reached 7.82%.
Web 2.0 and Participatory Governance
Authors: Towbin Peter
Published: July 2018

By integrating a Geographic Information System (GIS) into a web portal, we allow a multi-way dialog between Hong Kong's citizens and planning officials.  Alternative development plans for Lantau (Hong Kong's largest island) can be analyzed through interactive maps, which allow citizens to compare and comment on specific geo-referenced features.   Lantau Island's extensive nature reserves, which offer protected nesting grounds for numerous bird species and other ecological and recreational services, are being weighed against extensive economic development.  This experiment in open governance within China will also serve as a laboratory to study qualitative differences in citizen learning, between online dialog and face-to-face group deliberation.  Our experiments will explore resolutions to a classical economic paradox from social choice theory, and point to potential improvements in contemporary efforts to bring open and responsive government through information technology.
Process Support for Increasing Participation in eParticipation
Authors: Maier Edith , Reimer Ulrich
Published: July 2018

The lack of user acceptance of e-participation initiatives has been attributed to several factors, among them lack of motivation, poor transparency of process and lack of traceability of contributions. These deficits cannot be overcome by compliance with usability and accessibility guidelines. To increase user participation it is suggested to align such initiatives with the requirements of civil society groups who are more successful in mobilising public engagement and less with government requests. To enable and empower such groups to set up and maintain e-participation initiatives, a functional navigator for guiding users in configuring a platform as well as process support components are required. The latter focus on the transitions between different phases. The paper outlines how such an approach can be implemented to achieve a transparent circular flow of information and opinion between citizens and policy-makers in a collaborative environment which supports formal and informal political actors to work in partnership.
E-Voting and the Creation of Trust for the Socially Marginalized Citizens in Brazil
Authors: Rodrigues Filho Jose
Published: July 2018

Abstract: Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have been implemented in a quite intensive way in both developed and developing countries. In the discourse of the New Public Management (NPM), the principal role of ICT is to improve the delivery of public services to citizens and the distrust of public administration. In responding to distrust and the challenges facing the simplistic technological determinism discourse of ICTs in general and ICT for development in particular, building on areas of trust associated with economic development seems to have been emphasized. On the other hand, despite the influence of institutions in the design and use of ICTs as a compelling enabler of change mentioned in the theory of social shaping and the ideas of citizens’ orientation, where technological artifacts are social constructions, it seems to be evident that these institutions can reinforce the same technological determinism and trust. In this paper an attempt is made to show that the use of a technology like e-voting in Brazil has not contributed to improve political participation and the delivery of public services, despite the attempt to promote and create trust in e-voting. With a more critical view of trust, an attempt is made to show how institutions and technology are enmeshed in a structure of vested interests in the public sector in such a way that a fabricated trust is created smoothly.
E-democracy remixed: Learning from the BBC's Action Network and the shift from a static commons to a participatory multiplex
Authors: Hermida Alfred
Published: July 2018

This paper examines a five-year initiative by the UK's public service broadcaster, the BBC, to reinvigorate civic engagement at a time of declining public participation in politics. The Action Network project, originally called iCan, ran from 2003 to 2008 and was one of the most high profile and ambitious attempts by a public service broadcaster to foster eParticipation through an online civic commons. This study analyzes Action Network within the context of conceptualizations of the Internet as a networked, distributed and participatory environment and the shift towards what scholars describe as a networked public sphere. It suggests that the project did not have the impact anticipated as it was borne out of a paternalistic broadcast legacy, out of step with the trend towards distributed and collaborative discourse online that reassesses the notion that the public is simply a resource to be managed. This paper argues that the BBC experience provides lessons in how the media, and specifically public service broadcasters, can contribute towards greater political participation and democratic dialogue through the Internet by adopting Web 2.0 approaches that enable citizens to engage on different levels and at different times, depending on contexts.
The disempowering Goverati: e-Aristocrats or the Delusion of e-Democracy
Authors: Peña-López Ismael
Published: July 2018

When disaffection on political parties and politicians is pervasive, most argue whether it could be possible, thanks to the Internet – and Information and Communication Technologies in general – forget the mainstream political system and let the citizenry express their own opinion, debate in virtual agorae and vote their representatives and policy choices directly. In other words, the claim is whether the actual intermediaries can be replaced by citizen networks or, in the limit, just be overridden.Our aim in the following lines is to (1) explain that some dire (socioeconomic) changes are actually taking place,(2) why these socioeconomic changes are taking place and (3) infer, from this, what conditions shall take place in the future for (4) another wave of changes to happen that could eventually a much acclaimed new (e-)democracy. In a last section, we will discuss that despite lack of data, the trend seems to be just in the direction of the impoverishment of democracy, partly due to the weakening of political institutions.
Disruption and empowerment. Embedding citizens at the heart of democracy.
Authors: Williamson Andy
Published: July 2018

This paper describes a changing landscape of society and politics. Firstly it briefly situates current practices and methods of democratic engagement and representation within a recent historical framework. It then describes mediating factors relating to democracy, the media and civil society and contextualises these within the broader neoliberal shift from citizen to consumer. The paper then identifies some key transformational agendas in the modus operandi of citizen to government exchange that hint at a return to more civic-focused responsibility, the emergence of issues-based politics and discusses the transformative role that digital media can play in this. All of this pre-supposes that citizens have both the ability and opportunity to engage in democratic practices so, finally, the paper describes a transformative model for citizen-driven, issues-based democracy that might connect with the systems of power in a more effective and democratic way by harnessing digital media and by building on local skills, knowledge, ideas and partnerships.
Social Networking on Climate Change
Authors: Molinari Francesco
Published: July 2018

This paper reports on the deployment of a multilingual Social Networking Platform in three Regions of Europe (Catalonia, Poitou-Charentes and Tuscany), in the context of an EU-funded Preparatory Action on eParticipation dealing with the issue of climate change and energy policy making at the level of the European Parliament. The US (“Obama”) approach and a novel (“European”) usage of social networks in political online discourses are compared. A recommendation to policy makers is that social networking can be useful whenever the topics under discussion are limited in scope, but also wide in implications, so that they require moving forward from “one-off” and “ad-hoc” participation experiments, towards the permanent coverage of “mission critical” Public Administration functions.
On the fabrication of sausages, or of Open Government and Private Data
Authors: Sloot Bart van der
Published: July 2018

Governments have become increasingly open and transparent over the last few years. Originally, this trend was largely based on the desire to give citizens access to governmental information, so that state policies and regulatory practices could be controlled and debated. The right to access of governmental data was directly linked with democratic values such as autonomous citizenship, public debate and control on governmental power. In the beginning of this century, emphasis has shifted to a new ground for requiring transparency, namely the re-use of public sector information. Re-use of governmental data by third parties is mostly executed by market parties with commercial interests. The principles of open government in general and based on re-use specifically may come into conflict with two rights, relating to intellectual property and to privacy. This article analyses the tension between open government policies and the protection of personal information from a legal perspective. Finally, it assesses whether and if so, how the two principles can be reconciled.
YouTubers as satirists: Humour and remix in online video
Authors: Silva Patrícia Dias da , Garcia José Luís
Published: July 2018

This article aims to discuss the role humour plays in politics, particularly in a media environment overflowing with user-generated video. We start with a genealogy of political satire, from classical to Internet times, followed by a general description of “the Hitler meme,” a series of videos on YouTube featuring footage from the film Der Untergang and nonsensical subtitles. Amid video-games, celebrities, and the Internet itself, politicians and politics are the target of twenty-first century caricatures. By analysing these videos we hope to elucidate how the manipulation of images is  embedded in everyday practices and may be of political consequence, namely by deflating politicians' constructed media image. The realm of image, at the centre of the Internet's technological culture, is connected with decisive aspects of today's social structure of knowledge and play. It is timely to understand which part of “playing” is in fact an expressive practice with political significance.
Protests against #delhigangrape on Twitter: Analyzing India’s Arab Spring
Authors: Ahmed Saifuddin , Jaidka Kokil
Published: July 2018

This study offers a comprehensive approach towards analyzing and explaining the role of Twitter in shaping and facilitating social movements especially during protests. It presents automatic and manual analyses of the tweet themes, usage characteristics and major Twitter users during a public outcry against a gangrape incident in Delhi, the capital city of India. Our results identified Twitter as an important channel for the diffusion of ideas and news among a vast set of adopters in defiance of geographical boundaries. Results of the content analyses highlight the prominent use of social media resources in disseminating information on Twitter, and the remarkable role of Twitter users as citizen journalists during the days of the protest. Results of the social network analysis suggest that major role players on Twitter were the offline protest leaders.
Re-Designing Open Data 2.0
Authors: Peled Alon
Published: July 2018

Since 2009, eighty-one countries subscribed to President Obama’s Open Government program including its dominant Open Data (OD) component. Do Open Data 2.0 plans address the problems detected during the first generation of this program (2010-2012)? If not, how can these plans be improved? The article is a review of the main lines of criticism of the original OD program based on lessons learned worldwide. OD1.0 suffered from bad design, flawed execution, and adverse consequences. Open Data 2.0 plans fail to address the critical flaws of the first Open Data program. The analysis of OD1.0 reveals two primary lessons for converting OD2.0 into a more focused and effective openness program: OD2.0 architects must consider agencies’ data release strategies, and avoid creating a transparency “policy bubble”. Numerous countries followed the path of the original American Open Data program; therefore, the future of this program will have an impact on bureaucracies worldwide.
Safe Online e-Services Building Legitimacy for E-government. A Case Study of Public E-services in Education in Sweden.
Authors: Gustafsson Mariana , Elin Wihlborg
Published: July 2018

There is an increased use of public e-services integrating citizens into public administration through electronic interfaces. On-line interaction among public organizations and citizens is one core relation in e-government that hereby becomes embedded into daily practices. A safe entry into e-governmental systems is essential for security and trust in the e-governmental systems and schools as well as public services in general. This paper addresses how electronic identification has been used for access to public e-services in schools in a Swedish municipality. This paper draws on a case study of use of ICT platforms in education administration in order to study the implementation of secure login process and factors that may have implications upon trust in-and legitimacy of public e-services at local e-government level. Besides describing the implementation process and analyzing security and organizational arrangements connected to the use of the platform, the paper address the argument that secure identification tools are essential for increased use of e-services and lead to greater legitimacy of the public (e)services. The analysis focuses on information security, organization set-up and potential development of the platforms, contributing with empirical findings and conceptual applications. A key finding was that the organization of identification and access to public e-services seemed highly dependent of the organizational structure of the public schools. The more general implication of the findings was that safe and well organized identification systems that were considered as trustworthy and useful among citizens were essential for increased use of the services and legitimate public e-services in general.
Editorial 5(2)
Authors: Edelmann Noella , Parycek Peter
Published: July 2018

Second issue of the international, peer-reviewed Open Access eJournal of eDemocracy and Open Government (JeDEM)
Investigating the Roots of Open Data’s Social Impact
Authors: Meng Amanda
Published: July 2018

It is a challenging and urgent task to innovate democracy. Open data policy and Information Communication Technologies offer promising tools to enhance participation in democratic procedures. To better understand this expected outcome, the Open Data Barometer conducted a cross-national study measuring readiness, implementation, and impact of open data. The barometer reveals puzzling inconsistencies. Countries scoring high in readiness and implementation do not consistently demonstrate high scores of impact. Furthermore, impact is elusive in most countries. Investigating what preconditions allow societies to realize impact can help inform policy makers, technologists, and civil society leaders on best practices to implement open data tools and policy. This paper looks specifically at the social impact of open data, described as marginalized groups having greater access and participation in government decision making. Using a most similar systems design and fuzzy logic, I evaluate the relationship between civil society and open data’s social impact in eight Latin American countries. Results indicate that societies rich in political capital experience greater social impact of open data.
Open Data Within governmental Organisations: Effects, Benefits and Challenges of the Implementation Process
Authors: Hartog Martijn , Mulder Bert , Spée Bart , Visser Ed , Gribnau Antoine
Published: July 2018

This article describes the growth of open government, open data and the means for transparency and accountability but aims to reflect on the bottlenecks and actual practicallity of opening data to the public domain by two governmental bodies. The Municiaplity of The Hague and The Province of South-Holland of The Netherlands are part of 2 research programmes called ‘Government of the Future’, which main goals are to explore and establish knowledge on societal innovation by new applications and possibilities of long term effects of ICT’s in the public sector. Part of these programmes are themes as transparecny and open data, which are  viewed form the somewhat pragmatic and operational side of its applicability. The paper shows the development within the governmental bodies and captivates the ‘readiness’ for open data.
Comparison of Approaches to Publication of Open Government Data in Two Czech Public Sector Bodies
Authors: Kučera Jan , Chlapek Dušan
Published: July 2018

This case study compares approaches to publication of Open Government Data in two Czech public sector bodies: the Czech Telecommunication Office (CTO) and the Czech Trade Inspection Authority (CTIA). The top-down approach applied by the CTO is compared to the bottom-up approach applied by the CTIA. Results achieved by these two public sector bodies are described and the case study is concluded with the lessons learned.
Open Data Strategies and Experiences to Improve Sharing and Publication of Public Sector Information
Authors: Gutiérrez Medina Laura María
Published: July 2018

The Canary Islands receive 10 million tourists every year. Tourism represents a key sector for economic development in the Canaries. This work presents the benefits of open data usages in the tourism sector both in municipalities and in the island government. These public institutions have valuable information that should be shared with other institutions: 600 hotels and apartments, 10,000 bars and restaurants, and more than 15,000 retail businesses. This article describes an open data project to validate and to publish such data across multiple administrations. The main benefits for the public sector are the improvement of the data quality and the interoperability between different administrations.
A Platform for Closing the Open Data Feedback Loop Based on Web2.0 Functionality
Authors: Alexopoulos Charalampos , Loukis Euripidis , Charalabidis Yannis
Published: July 2018

One essential element of open data ecosystems concerns their development through feedback loops, discussions and dynamic supplier and user interactions. These user-centric features communicate the users’ needs to the open data community as well to the public sector bodies responsible for data publication. Addressing these needs by the corresponding public sector bodies or even by utilising the power of the community as ENGAGE supports will actually accelerate innovation. However, these elements appear barely to be part of existing open data practices. We conducted a survey which showed that most professional open data users did not know at least one open data infrastructure that enabled five specific types of discussion and feedback mechanisms. The survey showed that much can still be done to improve feedback and discussion on open data infrastructures. In this paper we discuss an open data platform which has started to contribute to filling this gap and present a usage scenario explaining the sequence of the underlined functionality. The discussed ENGAGE open data infrastructure combines functionalities to close the feedback loop and to return information to public authorities for better open data use and publication as well as establishing communication channels between stakeholders. This may effectively lead to the stimulation and facilitation of value generation from open data, as such functionality position the user at the centre of the open data publication process.
From Toddler to Teen: Growth of an Open Data Ecosystem – A longitudinal analysis of Open Data developments in the UK
Authors: Heimstädt Maximilian , Saunderson Fredric , Heath Tom
Published: July 2018

In this paper, we conceptualize Open Data ecosystems by analysing the major stakeholders in the UK. The conceptualization is based on a review of popular Open Data definitions and business ecosystem theories, which we applied to qualitative empirical data. Our work is informed by a combination of discourse analysis and a content analysis of in-depth interviews, undertaken during the summer of 2013. Drawing on the UK as a best practice example, we examine a set of structural business ecosystem properties: circular flow of resources, sustainability, demand that encourages supply, and dependence developing between suppliers, intermediaries, and users. We identify that gaps and shortcomings remain. Most prominently, demand is not yet fully encouraging supply and actors have yet to experience fully mutual interdependence.
Isotype Visualizations. A Chance for Participation & Civic Education
Authors: Mayr Eva , Schreder Günther
Published: July 2018

In the 1920s, Otto Neurath proposed a method for pictorial statistics called “Isotype”. The Isotype pictorial statistics were intended to educate the broad public and enable them to participate in society. This method is reviewed with respect to its relevance and potential for information visualization nowadays. Though some aspects are outdated, the basic approach has still potential for information visualization and civic education. Possible new media applications are presented and their impact for civic education and participation is discussed.
Internet Voting for Expatriates: The Swiss Case
Authors: Germann Micha , Serdült Uwe
Published: July 2018

In 2008 the first Swiss canton introduced internet voting for expatriates, thus initiating the second phase in Switzerland’s piecemeal i-voting roll-out. More cantons soon followed, and as of this writing expatriates from 12 out of the 26 cantons can vote online. This paper focuses on the second phase involving expatriates. We address three questions at the core of the internet voting research agenda. First, the popularity question: to what extent do expatriates make use of the new online channel? Second, the ‘who’ question: what is the profile of the typical expatriate i-voter? Finally, the turnout question: did the extension of internet voting to the expatriates have an effect on electoral mobilization? Our findings indicate that the online channel is very popular among expatriates, both if compared to other trials in Switzerland itself and internationally. On the other hand, known patterns regarding the profile of i-voters and the effect on mobilization seem to be also replicated in the expatriate trials. Expatriate i-voters tend to be young, male, and there is some evidence of an upper-class bias. Thus, usage of the online channel seems driven by the digital divide also among expatriates. Moreover, we find some evidence that i-voting did not affect electoral mobilization, similarly to trials involving residents.
The Arts of the Possible. Information Visualization in the Field of Politics.
Authors: Windhager Florian , Smuc Michael
Published: July 2018

Information visualization offers multiple methods to make sense of complex data by graphic representations. Complementing verbal representations, they show rich potential to support cognition and communication in numerous areas of application, including the field of political communication and education. Yet – despite a strong increase in options with regard to accessibility of data, tools, and methods – no conceptual framework or discussion is organizing these emerging visual vocabularies and their possible recombinations up to now. Against this background, we want to discuss the layout principles of existing visualization methods and align them within a coherent framework to allow for a multimodal navigation of modern news and information spaces. On that basis, accompanying ways and means to minimize well-known barriers in the public and political communication realm are taken into consideration.
Individualized and Depoliticized: A Study of Chinese Blogosphere in Singapore
Authors: Soon Carol , Sim Jui Liang
Published: July 2018

Research on new media such as blogs examines users’ motivations and gratifications, and how individuals and organizations use them for political participation. In Singapore, political blogs have attracted much public scrutiny due to the bloggers’ online and offline challenges of official discourse. While previous research has established the political significance of these blogs, extant scholarship is limited to blogs written in the English language. Little is known about blogs maintained by the Chinese community, the largest ethnic group in multi-racial Singapore. This study is a first to examine this community and the space they inhabit online. Through web crawling, we identified 201 Chinese-language blogs and through content analysis, we analyzed if Chinese bloggers contributed to public debates and used their blogs for civic engagement. Their content, motivations for blogging in the language, hyperlinking practices and use of badges indicated that Chinese bloggers in Singapore do not use blogs for political participation and mobilization, but are individualized and a-politicized. We discuss possible reasons and implications in this paper.
Online Deliberation Between the Weak and Strong Public Sphere
Authors: Oblak črnič Tanja , Amon Prodnik Jernej
Published: July 2018

The paper challenges the theoretical assumptions of deliberative communication in online contexts of two empirical case studies in the Slovenian Web sphere: a governmental portal Predlagamvladi.si (I proposetothegovernment.si) and a citizen portal Danesjenovdan.si (Todayisanewday.si). A common denominator of both portals, which were developed for online gathering of public proposals directly from the citizens, is in the combination of public dialogue and polling, the former preceding the latter, the whole process resulting in a final decision regarding the proposal. However, a more detailed analysis and comparison of both portals help to explain also the crucial differences between the institutional or strong public sphere on the one hand and the civic or weak public spheres on the other, which consequently limit the deliberation potentials in the digital context.