bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cerdà/Barcelona/Eixample
Authors: Sardà Jordi Ferran
Published: February 2018

Barcelona's Eixample presently covers an area of 3x9 km. It contains 800 blocks, with their corresponding chamfered corners—and 20,000 totally built lots. It gives shelter to 300,000 inhabitants and an equal number of jobs. Furthermore, it is an immense forest of 50,000 trees—most of them planted along its 250 km of streets. It coincides almost exactly with the proposal conceived in 1859 by Ildefonso Cerdà, which today is still consolidating the city's most dynamic limits. What is the reason for the success of this plan? Perhaps the flexibility of a just norm over 150 years has helped identify Barcelona, as well as granting it the reputation as a well-planned and rational city. This is the most prominent value of the Cerdà Plan. Its ability of permanency in assuming changes of use, ordinances, an increase of its building potential, a succession of styles, construction processes, and ways of life mean practical success of a theoretical project, a view shared by experts and citizens.
Urban Fronts in Murattiano Neighbourhood of Bari
Authors: Maiorano Anna Christiana
Published: February 2018

Developing a project for the city for a specific urban context means building, first of all, a reliable system of knowledge, easy to read and understand, and being able to inspire other actions aimed at protecting, transforming, and promoting. It is on this complex data system that the chapter questions its nature and consistency and, specifically, the display that this system offers. The definition of the image of the city in its current configuration distinguishes the work of investigation on neighborhood or Borgo Murattiano of the city of Bari and is presented as a search for identity of the places, visible in the drawing of the facades of the blocks in their linear sequence.
The Orthogonal Urban Matrix of the Towns in Vojvodina, Northern Serbia
Authors: Djukic Aleksandra , Stupar Aleksandra , Antonic Branislav M.
Published: February 2018

The subject of the chapter is the transformation of the urban matrix in the Northern Serbian province of Vojvodina. Being placed at the crossroads of important trans-European corridors, this territory in Southern Pannonia has always been exposed to various influences and shifts of power, which have left a significant mark on their urban matrix. The most prominent period was certainly Habsburgs' rule in Southern Pannonia in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, which radically reshaped inherited organic medieval-oriental matrix into planned, orthogonal regulation. This, Habsburg legacy has influenced the urban development of these towns until today. The aim of this chapter is to present the outcome of Habsburg urban regulation and accompanied orthogonal imprint in four towns, selected as case studies. The previous periods, as well as the recent challenges, are also considered. In the conclusion, the uniqueness and identity of these towns is discussed, regarding the morphing and transformations of their urban patterns during the selected periods.
New Designing Codes for Urban Infrastructures
Authors: Angelucci Filippo , Di Girolamo Claudia , Zazzero Ester
Published: February 2018

This chapter develops the issue of establishing new transdisciplinary codes for the design of urban infrastructure of a grid city. In the networked and systemic vision of a grid city, it is necessary to find a direct connection between three levels of the infrastructural design process that today are separated: the urban design level, the grid design level, and the technical design level. The chapter explores innovative horizons to implement a new multilevel and integrated design code to shift the contemporary urban infrastructural project toward a much more complex system to generate multiple dimensions of urban quality: a system with which to promote the coexistence of different aspects: the infrastructural network design to achieve metabolic interactions between nature, resources, and communities; the technological-environmental interface design to enable multiple connections between spaces, buildings, and users; the grid design to activate physical and immaterial relationships between collective and private dimensions.
Technology and Urban Structure
Authors: Bagnato Vincenzo Paolo
Published: February 2018

In the last decades, the concept of cultural landscape, in its physical and social dimension, has been stoked by the contribution of a new interpretation of “technology,” understood as an innovative approach in the definition of new relationships between information, sustainability, and public space. It is a perspective that follows the changing cultural references of urban society, wondering which is the relationship between embodiment and location, between technological innovation and urban structure and how the digital and information revolution could influence and define the characteristics of urban aesthetics in the contemporary city. This chapter offers a key for reading these topics, starting from the analysis of the grid city's ontological space, its image between morphology and technology, between streets/buildings and infrastructure/landscapes, and finally, defining new ethical and dialogical interpretative approaches on sustainability and urban development, trying to find out the potentialities of the grid cities as complex public space systems.
Implications of Accountability Through the Prospect of Integrated Reporting Adoption in the Public Sector
Authors: Nistor Cristina Silvia , Oprisor Tudor , Crisan Andrei Razvan
Published: February 2018

The main purpose of this chapter is to analyze the way in which the concept of accountability is addressed in the context of integrated reporting (focusing on the ongoing adoption process in the public sector). Starting from the theoretical underpinnings involving public stewardship, the authors ground their research endeavor on arguments from the literature which set public accountability at the core of a holistic form of reporting (such as integrated reporting) and investigate the theoretical implications and connections on the constituting elements of the respective reporting system. From a normative perspective, the chapter provides a conceptual analysis, using existing frameworks and guidelines, to reveal how public accountability is delineated and inferred in reporting practice. Ultimately, using content analysis, the authors conduct an exploratory study on early adopters of integrated reporting in the public sector and assess the extent to which reporting entities actually address specific issues connected to public accountability.
Performance Indicators and Accountability in Portuguese Public Universities
Authors: Ferreira Augusta da Conceição Santos , Santos Carlos , Azevedo Graça Maria do Carmo , Gonçalves Judite , da Silva Oliveira Jonas
Published: February 2018

The public sector in Portugal has undergone major reforms, coercing institutions of higher education into greater transparency in accountability and performance indicators. The purpose of this chapter is to evaluate the level of disclosure of performance indicators by the Higher Education Institutions in Portuguese Public Universities, with a special emphasis on the obligatory nature and to evaluate if there are factors that influence the level of disclosure. This study was based on the content analysis of the management or activity reports of the 13 Portuguese public universities to calculate de level of disclosure, and used the quantitative analysis based on the Least-squares regression on the investigation of factors that influence the level of disclosure. According to the data obtained, it can be concluded that Portuguese Public Universities discloses performance indicators imposed by law and voluntarily, and it was verified that the level of disclosure is influenced by the variables dimension, financing from other sources of funding and the ranking of web of universities.
The Role of Annual Reports in Ensuring Accountability
Authors: Demirbas Tolga
Published: February 2018

Regional development agencies (RDAs) are governance-based institutions that aim to help a specific region to socioeconomically develop by ensuring cooperation among the public sector, the private sector, and nongovernmental organizations within that specific geographical region. In Turkey, which was not able to eliminate the regional differences via centralized policies, development agencies (DAs) were established as “the new-type organizations of public management” in the early 2000s. Taking part in regional development that is a vital area and not having a usual organization have increased the expectations from these agencies. Today, there is a great pressure on DAs concerning their accountability. The best way to understand the level of accountability of DAs that have an approximately 10-year history is to analyze the annual reports they have to announce to the public. This chapter carries out a content analysis on disclosure items in the annual reports of 25 DAs in Turkey and examines their level of accountability to their stakeholders.
KBUD as an Alternative Approach for the Development of Cairo's Informal Settlements
Authors: Abayazeed Ahmed Hassan
Published: February 2018

This chapter investigates the opportunities and challenges related to KBUD found in Cairo's informal settlements. Also, it explores the ability of KBUD approach in dealing with the development of such settlements instead of the adopted approaches which failed in approaching the economic aspect within these communities. The chapter provides insights on the important role KBUD could play not only in the economic growth of richer and more prestigious contexts but also in poor communities which have a lot of hidden potentials. Accordingly, the chapter investigates Cairo's informal settlements, the policies and approaches used and applied, and the related defects and shortcomings. Then, it explores the theoretical framework of KBUD. Following this, opportunities and challenges related to KBUD in Cairo's informal settlements are discussed. By the end, the chapter sheds light on some points and concludes with recommendations for readapting KBUD approach when developing Cairo's informal settlements.
Kuwait Urban App
Authors: Gurney III Robert H. , Alomaim Anas , Al-Bader Jawaher
Published: February 2018

Through an investigation of social media and contemporary smart phone applications, the urban landscape of Kuwait is analyzed to propose a method for knowledge-based urban development (KBUD). Historically speaking, urban planning and design have been dominated by a formalized methodology that seeks to reinforce existing power structures. The promise of KBUD is a more balanced approach towards development, considering economic, social, environmental, and cultural factors. The chapter suggests an up-to-date method of research that consists of three overlapping stages, starting with collecting big data through cellphone software applications, followed by a set of interviews with several entities and ending with a method of behavioral mapping and space syntax. This cross-referenced research process encapsulates the multifaceted approach of KBUD that would produce a complex adaptive system and an underlying framework to help understand the non-linear interactions between the local populations in Kuwait.
Knowledge-Based Urban Design in the Architectural Academic Field
Authors: Abusaada Hisham , Elshater Abeer
Published: February 2018

This chapter focuses on the theory of knowledge-based urban design as a tool for intellectual literacy in architecture schools. It explores the extent of the current knowledge effects in the educational process by knowing the experience gained by the students during the current learning plans, as opposed to what the urban designer should know. The dilemma is what could happen if the experts in the relevant disciplines of urban design do not accept such a paradigm shift or even recognize that there is intellectual illiteracy in a particular discipline and closely relevant fields by discussing some features of intellectual illiteracy in the academe of some developing countries. These features could provide a ground for accepting this theory. Furthermore, the chapter helps to present what can reduce the alleged intellectual illiteracy. In conclusion, this chapter provides an experimental attempt to explore the relationship between illiteracy of thought and mental ability among professionals in the field of urban design to raise their intellectual and cognitive competence.
Personalization With Digital Technology
Authors: Zheng Robert Z.
Published: February 2018

How to personalize learners' learning with digital technology so that learners derive optimal experiences in learning is a key question facing learning scientists, cognitive psychologists, teachers, and professional instructional designers. One of the challenges surrounding personalization and digital technology is how to promote learners' cognitive processes at a deeper level so that they become optimally engaged in critical and creative thinking, making inferences in learning, transferring knowledge to new learning situations, and constructing new knowledge during innovative learning process. This chapter examines the literature relating to deep cognitive processes and the idiosyncratic features of digital technology that support learners' deep cognitive processes in learning. Guidelines pertaining to personalization with digital technology in regard to deep cognitive processing are proposed, followed by the discussions on future research with a focus on verifying the theoretical constructs proposed in the guidelines.
How Immersive Virtual Environments Foster Self-Regulated Learning
Authors: Jiang Yang , Clarke-Midura Jody , Baker Ryan S. , Paquette Luc , Keller Bryan
Published: February 2018

Over the past decade, immersive virtual environments have been increasingly used to facilitate students' learning of complex scientific topics. The non-linearity and open-endedness of these environments create learning opportunities for students but can also impose challenges in terms of extraneous cognitive load and greater requirements for self-regulated learning (SRL). SRL is crucial for academic success in various educational settings. This chapter explores how the immersive virtual assessments (IVAs), an immersive virtual environment designed to assess middle school students' science inquiry skills, fostered SRL. The analyses combining educational data mining techniques with multilevel analysis indicated that students developed self-regulatory behaviors and strategies as they used IVAs. Experience with IVAs prepared students to adopt more efficient note-taking and note-reviewing strategies. Students also learned to exploit more available sources of information by taking and reviewing notes on them in order to either solve inquiry problems or to monitor their solutions.
Using Computerized Formative Testing to Support Personalized Learning in Higher Education
Authors: Gierl Mark , Bulut Okan , Zhang Xinxin
Published: February 2018

Computerized testing provides many benefits to support formative assessment in higher education. However, the advent of computerized formative testing has raised daunting new challenges, particularly in the areas of item development and test construction. Large numbers of items are required because they are continuously administered to students. Automatic item generation is a relatively new but rapidly evolving assessment technology that may be used to address this challenge. Once the items are generated, tests must be assembled that measure the same content areas with the same difficulty level using different sets of items. Automated test assembly is an assessment technology that may be used to address this challenge. To date, the use of automated methods for item development and test construction has been limited. The purpose of this chapter is to address these limitations by describing and illustrating how recent advances in the technology of assessment can be used to permit computerized formative testing to promote personalized learning.
EduLabs
Authors: Oliveira Ana , Pombo Lúcia
Published: February 2018

In the last few years, several projects that promote the integration of digital technologies in educational contexts have been implemented. However, its benefits and contributions for the improvement of teaching and learning process are not consensual. This chapter aims to present some results about the learning impact of new technologies-integration project, recently implemented in the Portuguese educational context. The EduLabs project is a pilot project, purposing the construction of educational ecosystems through the integrated and pedagogical use of technologies and the implementation of innovative teaching strategies. This chapter also presents a framework to support the implementation of educational projects integrating digital technologies. This framework was defined according to the principles and results of the EduLabs project, aiming to promote a smart and personalized learning.
College Students' Perceptions on the Role of Digital Technology and Personalized Learning
Authors: Zheng Robert Z. , Dreon Oliver , Wang Yiqing , Wang Shuo
Published: February 2018

This chapter examines college students' perceptions on personalized learning with digital technology. Five hundred and five college students were recruited from American and Chinese institutions of higher education. Participants were given a survey questionnaire on digital technology and personalized digital learning. Using factor analysis, three conceptual constructs were perceived by college students as critical to personalized digital learning. In addition to the critical factors identified, the results also revealed significant relationships between the variables of demographic and computer experience and the constructs perceived by college students. These findings can inform the design and implementation of personalized digital learning in higher education. Recommendations for future research include focusing on the verification of the constructs in both theoretical and practical fields.
Developing a Personalized, Educational Gaming Experience for Young Chinese DLI Learners
Authors: Poole Frederick J. , Franco Joana , Clarke-Midura Jody
Published: February 2018

In this chapter, a design-based approach was used to investigate the effectiveness of a story-driven game designed to improve elementary Chinese dual language immersion (DLI) learners reading strategies by fostering self-regulated learning. To facilitate reading comprehension and increase vocabulary development, learners are empowered with an in-game notebook which allows them look up and review new vocabulary words. The authors argue that game design features such as the in-game notebook and meaningful in-game choices have the potential to not only motivate learners to persist in reading a second language, but also provide them with the tools needed to regulate and promote their own vocabulary learning. Data were collected from Chinese DLI elementary students who played this game individually with a researcher. These data include log data, screen capture video of gameplay, and post-gameplay interviews. In the findings, successes and failures of the current game design are presented and suggestions for future designs aimed at supporting young Chinese DLI learners are provided.
Enabling and Integrating Technology With Personalized Learning
Authors: Rao T. Venkat Narayana , Sankoju Chandana , Sultana S. Tabassum
Published: February 2018

Personalized learning refers to a variety of instructional methods, academic support strategies, and educational programs that are proposed to address specific interests and learning needs of the students. The key goal of integrating technology with personalized learning is to have students progress from high school to college or a career. But currently, most of the students leave high school without the knowledge and technical skills that they need for success in further education and workplace. In order to improve K-12 education (i.e., kindergarten [K] and the 1st through the 12th grade) fundamental and systemic changes in middle and high school education are required. Integration of technology can help the students to improve knowledge, advance skills, and to gain the competencies to work well in the society and workforce. This chapter focuses on applicability of technology, implementation, and feasibility issues that play a key role in personalized learning.
Semantic Priming in Monolingual Russian and Bilingual Russian (L1)-English (L2) Speakers in a Single Word Naming Task
Authors: Volkovyskaya Evgenia , Raman Ilhan , Baluch Bahman
Published: February 2018

Identifying and exploring factors that influence bilingual language processing has been the topic of much psycholinguistic research. Semantic priming is typically used to examine semantic processing and refers to the phenomenon in which semantically related items (doctor-nurse) are processed faster and more accurately than semantically unrelated items (doctor-butter). The aim of the chapter is to address two key questions: 1) how the two languages of a bilingual are organised or stored and 2) how the two languages are processed. A review of the literature shows that there are currently no theoretical frameworks that explain Russian monolingual or Russian (L1)-English (L2) bilingual storage or processing. Monolingual Russian speakers and bilingual Russian (L1)-English (L2) speaking university students were asked to name target words under related or unrelated conditions. The results show that the magnitude of the semantic priming effect was determined by L2 proficiency. The implications for these findings is discussed within the current bilingual theoretical models.
Teaching English in Culturally Diverse Classrooms
Authors: Presadă Diana , Badea Mihaela
Published: February 2018

The focus of the present chapter is on various problems related to teaching non-native speakers of English belonging to different cultural backgrounds, as well as on the solutions that instructors and curriculum makers can adopt in order to improve students' language performance. The chapter shows that the teaching strategies used during the English classes taught to international students are of great importance for the instructional process and problems related to cultural differences, students' learning behaviors that may be different from the instructors' expectations, and other aspects that may hinder the instructional process in general.
Orientation in an IEP as Alignment With Core Value Systems
Authors: Ashe Jessica Jones
Published: February 2018

In this chapter, a comprehensive orientation system for international tertiary students in a new country is presented. Student-run activities (facilitated by expert institutional staff) align teenagers with societal norms, institutional expectations, and personal value systems. This orientation prevents learning inhibitors, leaving students' minds unburdened with navigation of structures new to them (i.e., finance, health, immigration, and administration). Nondomestic students enacting conflict resolution, plagiarism prevention, proper police interaction, and etiquette (among others) is requisite for institutions of higher education in any country.
International Students and Academic Libraries
Authors: Blummer Barbara , Kenton Jeffrey M.
Published: February 2018

Ethnic, racial, and gender diversity remains a feature of the demographic composition of students in higher education. Diversity on college campuses exposes students to new perspectives, research opportunities, and pedagogy practices. International students studying in academic institutions contribute to the ethnic diversity in universities, and this chapter examines their interactions with librarians and libraries. Librarians' understanding of international students' library use can foster the development of appropriate training opportunities, program initiatives, and outreach efforts for these individuals. It can also identify the necessary staff skills for successful interactions between librarians and international students and facilitate their use of library resources and services. To this end, the authors present a literature review of international students and academic libraries.
3XE
Authors: Rynska Elzbieta Dagny
Published: February 2018

For designers proceeding with work in accordance with nZEB, management strategy means that participants of different disciplines have to accept that surrounding environment parameters are in constant interaction with design. This further points out the necessity to understand the correlations taking place between local and existing environments, when buildings should be fitted out with systems working in interaction between the local and general biosphere parameters. Hence, within the construction business, such development means integrated proceedings in all design phases and construction sphere itself, integration of the artificial systems allowing for the buildings function and parameters characteristic to the local surroundings. This condition also applies to nZEB buildings, except that the parameters are more limited to passive and active solutions used for achieving effective energy choices, while maintaining required user comfort parameters and environmental balance. This chapter is dedicated to management procedures for nZEB investments from a Polish perspective.
Improving the Energy Quality and Indoor Environmental Quality in Retrofit Buildings
Authors: Rucińska Joanna
Published: February 2018

Energy requirements are variously specified in different countries. In many cases, different technology is applied. For this reason, improving the energy quality and indoor environmental quality in retrofit buildings requires a detailed study case. Modification of the building structure and technical systems is not sufficient. Therefore, it is necessary to change the behavior of inhabitants and create uniform zones in terms of usage. Preparation of the modernization of building requires elaboration of a detailed concept. Taking all aspects into account is not easy; that is why, in modernized buildings, the design phase often requires more work, time, and nonstandard solutions.
It's the Speciesism, Stupid!
Authors: Brügger Paula
Published: February 2018

In a time of intense instrumentalization of life, nature becomes a mere factory from which natural resources are withdrawn. This system is causing immense social, ethical and environmental impacts, and livestock raising is at the core of these problems. The concept of speciesism – a prejudice concerning nonhuman animals, analogous to racism and sexism – is paramount in this realm. This chapter analyses the role of the mass media in perpetuating speciesist values and the urgent need for a paradigm shift. A genuine concern about the future of the planet and nonhuman animals involves questioning our speciesism and our narrow instrumental and economic paradigms.
What Is More Important
Authors: Bogueva Diana , Marinova Dora
Published: February 2018

The unnecessary question what a man is without his masculinity, is deeply ingrained into the socially established norms of strength, power, virility and machoism. Although the traditional male masculinity stereotype and its association with meat consumption are still undisputable for many “real” men, there is indication about a shift toward a new modern evolutionary masculinity which reflects more sustainability values. The chapter explores this based on a survey of Sydney men. It reveals the influence of new factors, such as environmental, health and animal welfare concerns, which shape the concept of the masculine. Meat-eating men will experience increasing pressure to defend their traditional masculinity. The Sydney study also explores the factors likely to influence Australian men to replace a meat-centred diet with more plant-based alternatives.
The Social Marketing Campaign by Greenpeace Mediterranean Against Broiler Chicken Consumption
Authors: Özdemir B. Pınar
Published: February 2018

Turkey's first encounter with social marketing began in the 1960s from which time the field has been dominated by public institutions, although during the 1990s non-governmental organisations started running some social marketing campaigns. This chapter analyses Turkey's first campaign concerning animal products for human consumption called “We Don't Swallow!” which was undertaken by an environmental non-governmental organisation (NGO) called Greenpeace Mediterranean. The campaign is analysed in terms of the basic concepts of social marketing (problem definition, objectives, exchange, competition, audience segmentation and marketing mix). An attempt is made to establish an understanding of how a NGO sought to affect its target audience's behaviour in relation to the origin of the meat they consumed. The chapter considers how “brand attack” works as a social marketing strategy and explores the possibilities that new communication technologies offer for social marketing.
The Role of the Ideology of Animal Welfare in the Consumption and Marketing of Animal-Origin Products
Authors: Pendergrast Nick , McGrath Sarah
Published: February 2018

This chapter investigates the dominance of the animal welfare ideology and the role it plays in the widespread consumption of animal-origin products. Animal welfare ideology promotes the humane use and slaughter of non-human animals. This chapter includes a literature review on the dominance of the animal welfare perspective. It also analyses how this ideology is reflected and promoted in the marketing of animal-origin products. This is done by exploring the packaging and advertising of the company Harvey Fresh as well as the role of the accreditation of the government-funded non-profit organisation the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) in Australia. Their marketing and accreditation are linked to the dominance of the animal welfare perspective and the widespread consumption of animal-origin products.
Insights Into Chinese Diets
Authors: Khan Jashim , Rundle-Thiele Sharyn , Rivers Gary James
Published: February 2018

The rise in demand for beef in China is occurring at a time when red meat consumption is being discouraged by leading health authorities globally. Social marketing starts by understanding individuals and the social and built environment that they are a part of to gain actionable insights which can be used in policy and program action to change behaviours for the better. This chapter aims to understand why Chinese individuals consume red meat. Through ethnographic and systematic analysis of twenty-three selected users' postings over a six-month period on Meishi and Chinese Food Safety electronic message boards (“netnography”), an understanding is developed why affluent Chinese consumers buy imported beef products from international groceries. Acknowledging that obesity is a complex multi-factorial issue, environmental and social norms are considered to ensure a broader view is taken. Recommendations for social marketing are made.
Meat Marketing Dissonance
Authors: Hill Erin , Raphaely Talia
Published: February 2018

This chapter discusses a South African supermarket's print advertisement promoting meat consumption for a national public holiday. Meat consumption is portrayed as symbolic of and necessary for cultural belonging, participation and celebration. It is used to maximise profits by maintaining the distance between consumers and the realities of the power and violence perpetrated against the sentient life from which the “culturally” commodified meat product is sourced. National Heritage Day celebrates the demise of South Africa's history of domination, exploitation and discrimination and its bright present and future. The case study however illustrates that the marketing of meat as a cultural commodity reinforces hegemonic control and is contrary to what Heritage Day represents. It indicates a dangerous dissonance that encourages and endorses domination and violence against animals. Whilst the case study focuses on South Africa, hegemonic influence through visual commodification and marketing of meat is apparent in most western societies.
New Meat Without Livestock
Authors: Schmidinger Kurt , Bogueva Diana , Marinova Dora
Published: February 2018

This chapter summarizes the global problems associated with livestock production and meat consumption and shows solution strategies through replacing animal products with plant-based alternatives. The positive effects of plant-based alternatives on human health and the environment are reviewed together with approaches for reducing world hunger. Psychological strategies for nutritional transitions towards more sustainable consumption patterns and criteria for market success of meat alternatives are presented. This is followed by an overview of meat alternatives – from soy1, lupine or wheat based, to bleeding burgers and artificial intelligence concepts. Marketing strategies and best practice policy suggestions complete the chapter.
SpaceWire
Authors: Baklezos Anargyros T. , Capsalis Christos N.
Published: February 2018

SpaceWire is a point-to-point bit shipping protocol for high-speed data communication links and networks providing equipment compatibility and seamless component reusability. It has found great application in many space missions reducing the development cost, offering architectural flexibility and improving reliability. This chapter delves into the standard describing the SpaceWire, focusing on the lower levels that play a key role in the electromagnetic behavior of the system and concern cable assemblies, shielding, bonding, and grounding. Findings regarding emissions affecting spacecraft components are presented as well as other EMC issues that have an impact on the system performance. Recent developments and upcoming updates to the standard are also presented and discussed.
The Real Virtuality of Metaverses
Authors: Schlemmer Eliane , Backes Luciana
Published: February 2018

This chapter approaches the Real Virtuality theme that appears in the construction processes of Digital Virtual World in 3D in Metaverses. The authors present and discuss subtopics like “Virtuality and Reality: Virtual Reality Experiences and Real Virtuality Experiences in Immersive Learning,” “The Simultaneousness of Worlds: From the Digital Virtual Space of Coexistence to the Space of Hybrid and Multimodal Coexistence,” “The Culture of Real Virtuality.” The chapter concludes that it is possible to understand that i-Learning, through the Real Virtuality Experiences and Virtual Reality Experiences, may represent an effective possibility to subjects' education nowadays. In this context, the authors believe it is fundamental to (re) think Education for the current generation, the prospect of a Network Society, a Cultural Hybridism and Multimodality.
Towards Virtual Reality Crisis Simulation as a Tool for Usability Testing of Crisis Related Interactive Systems
Authors: Rother Kristian , Karl Inga , Nestler Simon
Published: February 2018

Usability testing is expensive in some domains due to the resource requirements that go hand in hand with taking a complex context of use into account. Crisis-related research is one such domain, typically requiring the reenactment of an extensive crisis scenario. To lessen the resource requirements and provide a more flexible setup geared towards testing, crisis scenarios can be reconstructed as virtual reality simulations. This paper outlines the development of an initial prototype of such a simulation following the design science method. The prototype is used to test if injecting an item that will be tested into the simulation affects the realism of the virtual reality crisis simulation. The realism was measured in a within-subject experiment and equivalence tests showed that injecting a representation of a simple app had no significant influence on the realism of the simulation.
Augmented Reality Game in the Hybrid Urban Environment
Authors: Mesárošová Alena , Hernández Manuel Ferrer
Published: February 2018

In this article the authors will present the uniqueness of the Augmented Reality game technology within the context of the process of hybridization of contemporaneous city and its derivative changes in the relationship between citizen and city. The authors will review the Augmented Reality game by approaching it from the different focuses. They will discuss the themes like aesthetics, gamification, gamespace classification and mobile application development challenges related to the Augmented Reality games. The own project ARecycleNOID, the Augmented Reality art game in the hybrid urban space will be presented and analyzed in the terms of the creation of the experimental urban interactive environment. A new form of game experiences the city.
Serious Games and Gamified Tools for Psychological Intervention
Authors: Diaz-Orueta Unai
Published: February 2018

Mobile technologies and technological advances in behavioral assessment have found their way in common healthcare practices. However, there are still few studies about videogame-based interventions to support concrete psychological treatments. While the market for self-help mobile apps is continuously increasing, in most cases, they are a mere digitalization of texts contained in self-help books and do not take advantage of the interactive and playful potential of devices on which they are offered. Nevertheless, a number of health games have been developed for children and adults for a variety of therapeutic purposes. The current chapter provides an overview of the state-of-the-art serious games currently available as psychological interventions across popular delivery formats (virtual reality environments, online and PC videogames). Where available, evidence about their efficacy is reported. These serious games have the potential to complement traditional psychological interventions and improve psychological wellbeing for people of all ages.
Know Your World Better
Authors: G. Srinivasa K. , Jagannath Satvik , Nidhi Aakash
Published: February 2018

Mobile devices are changing the way people live. Users have everything on their fingertips and to support them, there are scores of application which add to the usability and comfort. “Know your world better” is an Augmented Reality application developed for Android. This application helps the user to find friends and locate places in close proximity. In this paper we talk about an application that describes a method of augmenting Point of Interests (POI's) on a mobile device. User has to move his phone pointing in a direction of his choice and POI's if any are shown in real time. The user's interest with respect to the environment is inferred from speech or by selecting from the choices; this data is used for information retrieval from the cloud. The result of context-sensitive information retrieval is augmented onto the view of the mobile and provides speech output.
Augmented Reality in Informal Learning Settings
Authors: Poitras Eric G. , Harley Jason M. , Compeau Timothy , Kee Kevin , Lajoie Susanne P.
Published: February 2018

Cultural heritage sites and museums are faced with an important challenge – how best to balance the needs of engaging visitors in meaningful and entertaining experiences, while at the same time exploiting the affordances of exhibits for instructional purposes. In this chapter, we examine the use of augmented reality in the context of informal learning environments, and how this type of technology can be used as a means to enhance learning about history. The research case studies are reviewed in terms of the use of historical locations, experience mechanics, narrative/plot, and role-playing (the later two representing game-based elements) in the design guidelines of instructional activities and applications (Dunleavy & Dede, 2014). In doing so, we critique the theoretical, methodological, and instructional underpinnings of studies that evaluate augmented reality applications and draw several recommendations for future research in this field.
Mobile Augmented Reality Applications in Education
Authors: Sural Irfan
Published: February 2018

The evolution and broad ownership of mobile devices has led to an increased interest to integrate the benefits of mobile learning and augmented reality applications. New possibilities for teaching and learning provided by augmented reality have been increasingly recognized by educational researchers. Mobile augmented reality can provide rich contextual learning for individuals. Currently virtual reality and augmented reality applications are used for training in fields as diverse as trades, military, entertainment, education and health. This chapter will explore different dimensions of mobile augmented reality and exemplify their potential for education. Therefore, how mobile augmented realty applies to education and training domain, and the potential impact on the future of education will be explained. Current status, opportunities and challenges of mobile augmented reality in education, mobile augmented reality applications will be included.
On the (Virtual) Road
Authors: Poole Robert Matthew
Published: February 2018

In the US, travel writing and the travel novel have historically held important positions in the literary landscape –not only as self-help guides and conveyances for empirical information but also as vehicles for satire, social commentary and analyses of the human condition. John Steinbeck, Jack Kerouac and William Least Heat-Moon are just a few of the important 20th century authors who have made insightful use of this genre. Today, increasingly realistic virtual reality environments have been sculpted, imbued with creative content and populated with both artificial agents and real avatars on a scale that can be measured in hundreds of virtual square miles. In some cases, the content is thematic and designed; in others it has grown up spontaneously through the individual contributions and creativity of users and small groups. It is this spontaneous blossoming of art, culture and ideas sprawling across increasingly spacious and interconnected virtual landscapes that presents us with the opportunity to continue the tradition of the epic travel story across new virtual territory.
Psychedelic Trance on the Web
Authors: Simão Emília , Tenreiro de Magalhães Sérgio , Malheiro da Silva Armando
Published: February 2018

This chapter proposes an approach about Psychedelic Trance tribe behaviours and manifestations in digital environments, and cyber ritual dynamics beyond the virtual parties in Second Life. Many spatial communities are simultaneously digital communities, and both became complements and extensions of one another. Psychedelic Trance movements and manifestations have been happening through all kinds of physical spaces, now also extended to digital spaces. Psytrance neo-nomads are now techno-nomads, moving to, from, and through the web, redefining themselves, their practices and their gatherings. In this scenario, Psychedelic Trance branches emerges everywhere, especially in social networks and three-dimensional immersive environments like Second Life. This digital migration is not only making the tribe growing, is also enhancing boundaries and increasing the individual and collective consciousness of its members. Nevertheless, even if the Trancers became simultaneously physical and virtual natives, the digital parties do not seems to replace their outside experiences.
Towards a Mobile Augmented Reality System for Emergency Management
Authors: Croatti Angelo , Ricci Alessandro , Viroli Mirko
Published: February 2018

The impressive development of wearable computing and augmented/mixed reality technologies that has been occurring in recent years allows for devising ICT systems that can bring a disruptive innovation in how emergency medical operations take place. In this paper the authors describe first explorations in that direction, represented by a distributed collaborative system called SAFE (Smart Augmented Field for Emergency) for teams of rescuers and operators involved in a rescue mission. SAFE is based on the integration of wearable computing and augmented reality technologies with intelligent agents and multi-agent systems.
Virtual Reality Enhanced Robotic Systems for Disability Rehabilitation
Authors: Wei Wei
Published: February 2018

This chapter mainly introduced the virtual reality as many benefits of robots involved in disability rehabilitation. According to the vision feedback and force feedback, the therapist can adjust his operation. Virtual reality technology can provide repeated practice, performance feedback and motivation techniques for rehabilitation training. Patients can learn motor skills in a virtual environment, and then transfer the skills to the real world. It is hopeful to achieve satisfactory outcome in the field of rehabilitation in the future. VR is mainly used for the upper-limb rehabilitation robot system in this article. The objective of robotic systems for disability rehabilitation are explored to divide the whole rehabilitation training process into three parts, earliest rehabilitation training, medium-term rehabilitation training and late rehabilitation training, respectively. Accordingly, brain-computer training modes, the master-slave training modes and the electromyogram (EMG) signals training modes are developed to be used in rehabilitation training to help stroke patients with hemiplegia to restore the motor function of upper limb. Aimed at the rehabilitation goal, three generations of VR rehabilitation system has designed. The first generation of VR rehabilitation system includes haptic device (PHANTOM Omni), an advanced inertial sensor (MTx) and a computer. The impaired hand grip the stylus of haptic device, the intact hand can control the impaired hand's motion based on the virtual reality scene. The second generation of the VR rehabilitation system is the exoskeleton robots structure. Two virtual upper limbs are portrayed in the virtual environment, simulated the impaired hand and the intact hand, respectively. The third generation is a novel VR-based upper limb rehabilitation robot system. In the system, the realization of virtual reality environment is implemented, which can potentially motivate patients to exercise for longer periods of time. Not only virtual images but also position and force information are sent to the doctors. The development of this system can be a promising approach for further research in the field of tele-rehabilitation science.
Collaboration of Rehabilitation Robot With Virtual Reality Development Engine
Authors: Patil Yogendra , Siqueira Guilherme Galdino , Brandao Iara , Hu Fei
Published: February 2018

Stroke rehabilitation techniques have gathered an immense attention due to the addition of virtual reality environment for rehabilitation purposes. Current techniques involve ideas such as imitating various stroke rehabilitation exercises in virtual world. This makes rehabilitation process more attractive as compared to conventional methods and motivates the patient to continue the therapy. However, most of the virtual reality based stroke rehabilitation studies focus on patient performing sedentary rehabilitation exercises. In this chapter, we introduce our virtual reality based post stroke rehabilitation system that allows a post stroke patient to perform dynamic exercises. With the introduction of our system, we hope to increase post stroke patient's ability to perform their daily routine exercises independently. Our discussion in this chapter is mainly centered around collaboration of rehabilitation system with virtual reality software. We also detail the design process of our modern user interface for collecting useful data during rehabilitation. A simple experiment is carried out to validate the visibility of our system.