bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The UNITE Database for Molecular Identification and for Communicating Fungal Species
Authors: Kõljalg Urmas , Abarenkov Kessy , Nilsson R. Henrik , Larsson Karl-Henrik , Taylor Andy F.S.
Published: June 2019

UNITE (https://unite.ut.ee; Nilsson et al. 2018) is an international community of scientists and citizen scientists established in 2001. The ambition of UNITE is to develop: 1) datasets and tools for robust and reproducible molecular identification; 2) Persistent Identifiers based system for the communicating fungal species. Datasets of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, form the basis for UNITE. The current version includes nearly 1 million public fungal ITS sequences. Datasets are curated and annotated by community members. During the past 15 years, they made more than 275 000 improvements. In the complete absence of Latin names for species, UNITE offers a unique system where species hypotheses (SH) are provided with Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs). The current version 8 of UNITE offers more than 800 000 DOI-based SHs. One such SH DOI page is shown in Fig. 1. These DOI identifiers are also incorporated into the taxonomic backbone, making communication of taxa seamless in both directions. DOI identifiers of species hypotheses are also used by GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) in order to publish high-throughput sequencing taxon occurrence data in their data portal.

UNITE serves as a data provider for a range of metabarcoding software pipelines and regularly exchanges data with all major fungal sequence databases and other community resources.

Recent improvements include ITS-based species hypotheses for all eukaryotes and aggregation of full-length, high-quality ITS sequences generated by the PacBio Sequel system (https://www.pacb.com/products-and-services/sequel-system) from diverse material samples.
Virtual Laboratories for Biodiversity Modelling: An Australian perspective
Authors: Richmond Sarah , Huijbers Chantal
Published: June 2019

Recent technologies have enabled consistent and continuous collection of ecological data at high resolutions across large spatial scales. The challenge remains, however, to bring these data together and expose them to methods and tools to analyse the interaction between biodiversity and the environment. These challenges are mostly associated with the accessibility, visibility and interoperability of data, and the technical computation needed to interpret the data. Australia has invested in digital research infrastructures through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).

Here we present two platforms that provide easy access to global biodiversity, climate and environmental datasets integrated with a suite of analytical tools and linked to high-performance cloud computing infrastructure. The Biodiversity and Climate Change Virtual Laboratory (BCCVL) is a point-and-click online platform for modelling species responses to environmental conditions, which provides an easy introduction into the scientific concepts of models without the need for the user to understand the underlying code. For ecologists who write their own modelling scripts, we have developed ecocloud: a new online environment that provides access to data connected with command-line analysis tools like RStudio and Jupyter Notebooks as well as a virtual desktop environment using Australia’s national cloud computing infrastructure. ecocloud is built through collaborations among key facilities within the ecosciences domain, establishing a collective long-term vision of creating an ecosystem of infrastructure that provides the capability to enable reliable prediction of future environmental outcomes. Underpinning these tools is an innovative training program, ecoEd, which provides cohesive training and skill development to enhance the translation of Australia’s digital research infrastructures to the ecoscience community by educating and upskilling the next generation of environmental scientists and managers. Both of these platforms are built using a best-practice microservice model that allows for complete flexibility, scalability and stability in a cloud environment.

Both the BCCVL and ecocloud are open-source developments and provide opportunities for interoperability with other platforms (e.g. Atlas of Living Austalia). In Australia, the same technical infrastructure is also used for a platform for the humanities and social science domain, indicating that the underlying technologies are not domain specific. We therefore welcome collaborations with other organisations to further develop these platforms for the wider bio- and ecoinformatics community.

This presentation will showcase the tools, services, and underpinning infrastructure alongside our training and engagement framework as an exemplar in building platforms for next generation biodiversity science.
Your Digitisation Project is Funded… Now What?
Authors: Cole Heather
Published: June 2019

When the reality of successful funding for your digitisation project sets in and it is time to start spending, there are countless decisions that need to be made. Equipment needs to be purchased, staff need to be hired and protocols need to be developed. In 2014, the biological collections of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada received funding (Government of Canada Budget 2016) for digitisation of their accessions, which include roughly 18–19 million preserved plant, insect and fungal specimens, as well as living fungal cultures and germplasm. Goals include the creation of virtual collections and digital inventories as well as specimen imaging and data capture. Now half-way through the funded project, the logistical opportunities and challenges associated with the digitisation of these diverse collections will be presented including short-term and long-term solutions, digitisation workflows and some lessons learned.
Generating Masks for Image Segmentation in Digitized Herbarium Specimens
Authors: White Alexander , Dikow Rebecca , Baugh Makinnon , Jenkins Abby , Frandsen Paul
Published: June 2019

Digitized herbarium images contain complex information unrelated to the shape and color of the specimens represented within them. This information can contribute a substantial amount of noise if one is to use the image as a proxy for pattern, shape, or color of the specimen. Image segmentation, whereby the specimen material is partitioned from the background (e.g., herbarium sheet, label, color ramp), offers one possible solution, yet training data for image segmentation of herbarium specimens is nonexistent. We present a pipeline for generating training data for image segmentation tasks along with a novel dataset of highly resolved image masks segmenting plant material from background noise. This dataset can be used to train neural networks to segment plant material in herbarium sheets more generally, and our method is applicable to other museum data sources where masking may be useful for quantitative analysis of patterns and shapes
Where do Functional Traits Come From? The role of theory and models
Authors: Kearney Michael , McGeoch Melodie , Chown Steven
Published: June 2019

There is a growing focus on species’ traits in ecology, including initiatives to integrate trait data into biodiversity databases. This focus is motivated in part by a need to develop better predictive capacity for how species respond to environmental change. In this context, one is interested in functional traits – i.e. those with a defined link to environmental variability. This leads immediately to the questions of which traits to prioritise and how to characterise them. Here we argue that this can be achieved with greatest clarity by letting traits be defined by the equations of theoretical models that link individuals to their environments, i.e. mechanistic niche models. We illustrate this approach using the biophysical equations of heat and water exchange, and the metabolic equations of ontogentic growth. From this we derive a schema for a functional trait database that provides a high level of generality and consistency across taxa, and hooks into integrated predictive modelling frameworks. We argue that functional trait attribution at levels above the individual are unhelpful, but discuss how inferences can be made from individual-level functional trait data to populations and species.
Potential distribution and habitat connectivity of Crotalus triseriatus in Central Mexico
Authors: Sunny Armando , Gandarilla-Aizpuro Fabiola J. , Monroy-Vilchis Octavio , Zarco-Gonzalez Martha M.
Published: June 2019

The dusky rattlesnake,Crotalustriseriatus, used to be very abundant in many parts of the highlands of central Mexico, but with the increasing human population and associated activities, the rattlesnake habitats and populations have suffered drastic reductions and fragmentation. At the moment, the most important habitat features, associated with the presence ofC.triseriatus, the current potential distribution and the landscape connectivity amongst the populations of the State of Mexico and Mexico City, are unknown. Therefore, we used the maximum entropy modelling software (MAXENT) to analyse the current potential distribution and most important habitat features, associated with the presence of the species. The variables with the highest contribution to the model were: proportion ofAbiesforest, minimum temperature of coldest month, maximum temperature of the warmest month, proportion ofPinusforest and annual precipitation. Furthermore, we found connectivity corridors only within mountain chains. Our results highlight the necessity for conserving the patches ofAbiesforest and preserving the populations ofC.triseriatusand the connectivity of the landscape.
New cerebrovascular agent with hypotensive activity
Authors: Kim Galina A. , Gan’shina Tamara S. , Kurza Elena V. , Kurdyumov Ilya N. , Maslennikov Denis V. , Mirzoian Ruben S.
Published: June 2019

Introduction: In cerebrovascular disorders, special attention is paid to a hypertensive cerebrovascular crisis, which combines a vascular injury of the brain and hypertension. The paper studies the cerebrovascular properties of the calcium channel blocker of S-Amlodipine nicotinate antihypertensive agent.

Materials and methods: Tests were performed on 96 nonlinear male rats, measuring local blood flow in the cerebral cortex in 36 awake animals, using a laser Doppler flowmeter. Cerebral circulation was recorded in the animals when modeling ischemic and hemorrhagic brain injuries.

Results and discussion: S-Amlodipine nicotinate (0.1 mg/kg i/v) shows a pronounced cerebrovascular activity in the models of ischemic and hemorrhagic injuries of the brain. In terms of the vasodilating effect in ischemic brain injury, the drug is comparable to mexidol, nimodipine, picamilon, but is superior to nimodipine and picamilon in terms of duration of action, and in the model of hemorrhagic stroke, S-Amlodipine nicotinate is superior to nimodipine and is comparable to picamilon and mexidol. The analysis of the mechanism of action of the agent revealed the participation of GABA A-receptors in the implementation of cerebrovascular properties of the agent.

Conclusion: Significant cerebrovascular activity of S-Amlodipine nicotinate (0.1 mg/kg i/v) antihypertensive agent was revealed. The presence of GABAergic mechanism on cerebral blood flow in the agent action along with blockade of slow calcium channels ensures its high efficacy in treatment of both ischemic and hemorrhagic brain injuries
Piracetam potentiates neuronal and behavioral effects of ketamine
Authors: Abramets Igor I. , Kuznetsov Yuriy V. , Evdokimov Dmitriy V. , Zaika Tamara O.
Published: June 2019

Introduction: Ketamine has a fast, but short-term antidepressant effect. To support the therapeutic effect, repeated administrations of the drug are needed, which causes cognitive disorders. The drugs with cerebroprotective action can potentially intensify the main and weaken the side effects of drugs.
Materials and methods: The impact of ketamine (5 and 20 μM), piracetam (100 μM), and their combinations on the synaptic transmission was studied on hippocampal slices in the CA1 area of rat hippocampus by means of electrophysiological methods. In behavioral experiments were aimed at studying an impact of the used drugs on the predictors which mark depressant behavior of rats: the duration of immobilization in a forced swimming test and preference for the consumption of sucrose solution (comparably with water). The behavioral experiments were performed on intact rats and rats with behavioral depression induced by chronic swimming stress.
Results and discussion: Ketamine (5 and 20 μM) potentiates synaptic transmission in the radial layer of the CA1 hippocampal area. At a smaller concentration, ketamine potentiates synaptic transmission only due to the postsynaptic action, and at a greater concentration – with help of post- and presynaptic action. Piracetam (100 µM), like ketamine at a concentration of 5 μM stimulated synaptic transmission, but to a lesser degree. Ketamine at a concentration 5 μM under combined effect with piracetam induced the same effect as that at a concentration of 20 μM without piracetam, only due to a postsynaptic action. Ketamine at doses of 5 and 20 mg/kg one hour after a single systemic administration resulted in the reduced immobilization duration, but not predictors of preference for consuming a sweet solution; piracetam at a dose of 100 mg/kg under these conditions had no impact on the parameters of the rats’ behavior. The studied behavior parameters in cases of behavioral depression also changed after a single administration of ketamine at the doses of 5 and 20 mg/kg. Piracetam significantly stimulated an antidepressant action of ketamine under these circumstances.
Conclusion: Piracetam potentiates a ketamine-induced enhancement of the synaptic transmission at the radial layer of the CA1 hippocampal area when investigating at the brain slices. Piracetam stimulates an antidepressant action of a single dose of ketamine in cases of behavioral depression, though it has no antidepressant effect when administered at a single dose.
Mechanism of neuroprotective effect of mGluR4 agonists
Authors: Avdeeva Natalia V. , Sidorova Svetlana A. , Gudyrev Oleg S. , Osipova Olga A. , Golubev Ivan V.
Published: June 2019

Introduction: This review of literature is to demonstrate a role of group III metabotropic glutamate receptors in maintaining the level of extracellular glutamate in ischemic stroke and neurodegenerative diseases.

Metabotropic glutamate receptors: mGluRs are classified into three groups. It is suggested that the activation of mGluR4 may have a neuroprotective effect.

Role of excitotoxicity in the development and severity of various brain diseases: An increase in the concentrationьof intracellular Ca2+ is the result of excessive accumulation of glutamate in the extracellular space. And a death of nerve cells occurs after a sequence of biochemical reactions, which was called excitotoxicity. It is followed by an imbalance

between glutamatergic excitation and GABA-ergic inhibition. As a result of untimely activation of the inhibitory mechanisms, the accumulation of extracellular glutamate, and consequently the death of neurons, continues, which leads to more severe manifestations of the cerebral ischemia.

Role of modulation of mGluRs activity in neuroprotection: The literature describes a large number of studies proving that inhibition of hyperactive glutamatergic transmission has a neuroprotective effect. The most likely mechanisms

of neuroprotection are inhibition of glutamate production in the substantia nigra, which in turn protects against glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity, and the reduction of the inflammatory effects.

Anti-inflammatory effect of mGluR4 agonists in the mechanism of neuroprotective action: The astroglial component may contribute to the protective action of mGluR4 modulators, since astrocytes and microglia have mGluR4.

Conclusion: mGluR4 agonists have the neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects.
Military Students' Strengths and Challenges Based on Their Military Experiences: An Integrative Review
Authors: Cox Catherine Wilson
Published: June 2019

Background:

Civilian nursing programs educate 100% of undergraduate military nursing students, yet many faculty are unaware of the challenges these students may encounter when they transition to the civilian classroom. The primary purpose of this integrative review was to ascertain the factors that challenge and/or facilitate a military student's transition to the civilian nursing classroom. A second purpose was to present recommendations so educators can become culturally competent to work with this unique student population.

Method:

Whittemore's and Knafl's five-step integrative review method (e.g., problem identification, literature search, data evaluation, data analysis, and presentation) was used to critically analyze and synthesize the literature regarding military students.

Results:

More than 70 articles were included in the final sample. They were framed by the interaction of the eight categories identified in Jeffreys' Nursing Universal Retention and Success model.

Conclusion:

Recommendations are offered based on the review of the literature.[J Nurs Educ.2019;58(7):392–400.]
El asunto Audinot en la prensa absolutista: tergiversación de la información y manipulación de la opinión pública a principios del siglo XIX
Authors: Bañón Pardo Alejandro
Published: June 2019

L'affaire Audinot est une fausse conspiration républicaine, probablement inventée par la faction absolutiste pour attaquer la Régence, diffamer d'éminents politiciens libéraux et prouver l'ancienne hypothèse absolutiste qui défendait l'alliance entre Napoléon et les libéraux espagnols. Cet article montre comment la presse réactionnaire a diffusé et utilisé entre février et avril 1814 l'information judiciaire de l'affaire à des fins politiques, en donnant pour vrai le témoignage d'un aventurier, en déformant l'information, en inventant des nouvelles pour renforcer la crédibilité du complot présumé et en exaltant l'opinion publique par la surestimation de la question, qui a même fait l'objet de discussions au Parlement espagnol.
Un efímero periódico a principios de la Guerra de la Independencia: las Efemérides del ciudadano español (16 de noviembre – 30 de noviembre de 1808) de Pedro María de Olive
Authors: Cavaillon Giomi Joan
Published: June 2019

Cet article, qui présente et analyse les Efemérides del ciudadano español, éphémère périodique (16 de novembre - 30 de novembre de 1808), publié par Pedro María de Olive durant la Guerre d’Indépendance, permet de mettre en évidence les idées politiques, peu connues jusqu’à présent, de ce célèbre journaliste et homme de Lettres dans une Espagne en temps de crise.
El Amigo de la Religión: el servil por la Constitución
Authors: Dufour Gérard
Published: June 2019

Le rôle du clergé (avec l’énorme influence que leur donnaient la prédication et la confession) fut capital en matière de formation de l’opinion publique pendant le Trienio liberal. Aussi absolutistes et libéraux mirent tout en œuvre pour convaincre ces intermédiaires culturels privilégiés qu’étaient les prêtres d’embrasser leur cause et leur fournir des arguments décisifs pour convaincre les fidèles. C’est ainsi qu’apparurent des périodiques qui leur étaient spécialement destinés, comme El Amigo de la Religión auquel nous consacrons cet article. Après avoir examiné les conditions de sa création y la façon dont fut diffusée cette revue, on y analyse la manière toute particulière avec laquelle on utilisa le texte constitutionnel pour paralyser l’action des libéraux et comment un autre périodique de Barcelone, El verdadero amigo de la Religión tenta de faire pièce à son influence.
Le Négoce des Lieux saints
Authors: Pétriat Philippe
Published: June 2019

L’Arabie avant le pétrole, l'Arabie avant d'être Saoudite, c'est l'Arabie animée par les grands marchands et le négoce international dont Djedda, port du pèlerinage à La Mecque, fut longtemps l'un des principaux centres. Ce livre retrace l'histoire d'une Arabie méconnue à travers le parcours de familles négociantes établies à Djedda dont le poids économique, des Bā Nāja aux Bin Lādin, a profondément marqué le royaume saoudien. Entre 1850 et 1950, ces négociants originaires du Hadramaout ont adapté leurs stratégies économiques et leurs réseaux commerciaux au Hedjaz, en mer Rouge et dans l'océan indien, à une série de bouleversements : la mondialisation et le développement de l'économie marchande avant le pétrole, les changements de régimes politiques et le passage de l'Empire ottoman aux frontières actuelles de la péninsule Arabique.

À travers l'histoire familiale de ces grands marchands et de l'économie de Djedda, ce livre propose une histoire élargie de l'Arabie contemporaine, du règne des sultans ottomans à celui des Saoud, et de la mer Rouge à l'océan Indien.
La bataille d'Alésia
Authors: Le Gall Joël
Published: June 2019

Auteur de deux ouvrages fondamentaux (Alésia. Textes littéraires antiques, textes médiévaux. Dijon, 1973 ; Alésia. Archéologie et histoire. Paris, 1963), il présente sur le sujet une synthèse rigoureuse, simple et dépouillée, nourrie par une longue expérience des textes antiques et de l'archéologie de terrain.

Le développement est construit de façon à faire sentir, à chaque étape de l'événement historique, quelles pouvaient être les réactions des acteurs, les chefs comme les hommes de troupe.
ERP User Perceptions and Service Delivery Challenges
Authors: Kirongo Amos Chege , Huka Guyo Sarr
Published: June 2019

This chapter introduces the service delivery challenges experienced by users of enterprise resource planning systems (ERP) by discussing the user perceptions. The authors administered questionnaires to users of ERP systems and user perception of ERPs was found to affect them in service delivery. Software complexity, software usability, and user resistance were found out as challenges contributing the challenge of service delivery. Attribution theory, diffusion of innovation theory, and compatibility maturity model are discussed; existing theories are discussed in the chapter. Findings are outlined and conclusion made based on the questionnaires addressed to the respondents.
Evaluating the Usability Maturity of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems
Authors: Omieno Kelvin Kabeti
Published: June 2019

The enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is a complex and comprehensive software that integrates various enterprise functions and resources. Although ERP systems have been depicted as a solution in many organizations, there are many negative reports on ERP success, benefits, and effect on user performance. Previous research noted that there is a lack of knowledge and awareness of ERP systems and their overall value to ERP organizations. ERP systems have been widely studied during the past decade; yet they often fail to deliver the intended benefits originally expected. One notable reason for their failures is the lack of understanding in user requirements. There are many studies conducted to propose software quality models with their quality characteristics. However, there is currently no dedicated software quality model that can describe usability maturity and involve new features of ERP systems. This chapter proposes a framework for evaluating the usability maturity as a quality attribute of ERP systems.
Enterprise Resource Planning System Implementation in Higher Education Institutions
Authors: Wanjau Stephen Kahara
Published: June 2019

The world over, higher education institutions have resorted to the use of ERP system to automate operations on a standardized platform in line with their strategic plans. This is because ERP system supports a “do-it-all” approach to organizational management in addition to education managers' quest to improve quality of service to their students and the need to meet regional as well as global standards. In most institutions, operational areas such as student admission, finance, procurement, examination management, staffing, and alumni management can now be done through the ERP system. This chapter examines the issues associated with implementation of ERP system in higher education institutions. After studying this chapter, you should be able to: appreciate the various strategies for ERP system implementation, identify the factors leading to successful implementation of ERP system in higher education institutions, distinguish between the different models for successful ERP system implementation, and understand the metrics for measuring success rate of ERP system implementation.
Social Enterprise Marketing Communication
Authors: Bhengu Nonkululeko , Chiweshe Nigel
Published: June 2019

The purpose of this chapter is to examine marketing communication tools used by Pietermaritzburg social enterprises to reach their stakeholders. In discussing the marketing activities used by social enterprises it focuses on the use of marketing communication tools of social enterprises in terms of attracting potential stakeholders. For many social enterprises, the use of marketing may be limited to the products and services they offer, the way they approach fundraising and public relations, and how they develop the way they communicate to raise awareness of and change attitudes to various problems. Social enterprises do not have a larger view of using marketing to influence behaviors that benefit individuals and communities.
Information Processing in Research Paper Recommender System Classes
Authors: Maake Benard M. , Ojo Sunday O. , Zuva Tranos
Published: June 2019

Research-related publications and articles have flooded the internet, and researchers are in the quest of getting better tools and technologies to improve the recommendation of relevant research papers. Ever since the introduction of research paper recommender systems, more than 400 research paper recommendation related articles have been so far published. These articles describe the numerous tools, methodologies, and technologies used in recommending research papers, further highlighting issues that need the attention of the research community. Few operational research paper recommender systems have been developed though. The main objective of this review paper is to summaries the state-of-the-art research paper recommender systems classification categories. Findings and concepts on data access and manipulations in the field of research paper recommendation will be highlighted, summarized, and disseminated. This chapter will be centered on reviewing articles in the field of research paper recommender systems published from the early 1990s until 2017.
Institutional Repositories in Africa
Authors: Yusuf Felicia O. , Ifijeh Goodluck , Owolabi Sola
Published: June 2019

The emergence of open access has opened a world of opportunities for academic and research institutions. One of such opportunities is the establishment of institutional repositories (IRs). This chapter examined the emergence and creation of IRs and trends in Africa. It noted that the development of IRs in most African countries is still at the infancy stage. The chapter highlighted the important role of libraries in the management of IRs. The Chapter also identified and discussed important issues and challenges of IRs in Africa. The identified challenges include lack of awareness, lack of required funding to establish and manage IRs, lack of Information and communication technology infrastructure, among others. It concluded that the establishment of IRs is a compulsory venture for institutions of higher learning in Africa.
Implementing the European Union Renewable Energy Policy Targets in Bulgaria
Authors: Ruseva Tatyana B. , Petrova Maria A.
Published: June 2019

As a member of the European Union (EU), Bulgaria has been implementing the EU's policy targets designed to increase the share of renewable energy (RE) use in gross final energy consumption by 2020. The target for Bulgaria, set at 16%, was accomplished eight years earlier than mandated, in 2012. The result of rapid but poorly regulated growth in renewables—seemingly a success story—illustrates the potential pitfalls of RE policy implementation. Having met its target, Bulgaria undertook a series of restrictive policy measures that undermined short-term RE growth, increased regulatory uncertainty and market stagnation. The objective of this chapter is to understand the factors that shaped these unintended policy measures and outcomes. Drawing on key informant interviews, the chapter presents a case study of renewable energy policy implementation in a multi-level governance system and illustrates the boomerang effects associated with top-down policy implementation.
Hybrid Electric Energy Storage and Its Dynamic Performance
Authors: Bukhari Syed Abid Ali Shah , Cao Wenping , Chen Xiangping , Jandan Fayyaz , Goswami Debjani
Published: June 2019

This chapter concerns energy storage technologies. It firstly outlines two popular storage technologies, batteries and supercapacitors, while their working principles are revealed. The key issues of these two technologies, such as costs, key types, capacities, etc., are also discussed. Afterwards, a hybrid electrical energy storage (HEES) system consisting of both technologies are demonstrated where the electrical circuit is illustrated. The design of the system aims to demonstrate different characteristics of these two technologies via their charging and discharging process. A test rig is explained in detail while other components, including a load bank, an inverter, a data acquisition subsystem (both the hardware and the software) are also clarified. The experimental results are illustrated and analyzed thereafter. Also, this chapter presents several other promising technologies where their key features, pros and cons, and core applications are pointedly reviewed. The concerned storage technologies include photovoltaic (PV) systems, pumped hydro-energy storage (PHES), superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES), gas, and other alternatives sources. The authors provide the readers with a brief insight of various energy storage technologies and the inspiration of developing a low-cost, accessible energy storage system for the reader's own purposes.
Barriers to a STEM Career
Authors: Amato Luanne M.
Published: June 2019

Inequality of gender representation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers continues, despite the narrowing of the gender achievement gap. This chapter showcases original qualitative research that provides clearer insights into origins and effects of math anxiety as the reason females are less likely to choose (STEM) majors and related careers. The role of instruction methodology of the academic organization in perpetuating marginalization practices limits women's STEM achievement. The stage environment fit (SEF) theoretical model probes the relationship of the policies and procedures of the academic organization to the likelihood of female adult-student success in higher education. The American Statistical Association's (ASA) funding of the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education Report (GAISE) mandates reforms for mathematics instruction among the information about new research opportunities and the current state of STEM education in the United States.
Consequences of Inequality and Exclusion on the Culture of Higher Education Institutions
Authors: Carr-Winston Melodie A.
Published: June 2019

This chapter explores counseling research emphasizing depression, anxiety, and behavioral changes due to microaggressions. Other consequences discussed include academic stress and a lack of career advancement resulting from feelings of isolation, sense of belonging, low self-esteem, lower grades (students), and fewer opportunities for career advancement (faculty). Additional investigations include the role of exclusionary institutional policies and practices on minority faculty and student experiences. Additional discussions include same-race mentoring along with how microaggressions and the resulting consequences influence the culture of higher education institutions. In conclusion, best practices and practical applications recommend how to approach equity and inclusion in higher education.
Education and Rural America
Authors: Cernik Joseph Albert
Published: June 2019

Rural America has a number of problems that cannot be addressed by simply thinking in abstract and superficial liberal versus conservative terms. Rural schools need high-speed internet, and oftentimes telecommunication companies have little interest in bringing high-speed internet to rural areas since the potential for profits are not there. In addition, Medicaid is important to rural schools since the funds from this program can go a long way toward helping students in rural schools stay in school and graduate. While it is often heard that “self-reliance” reflects the views of rural America, government programs (both federal and state) are needed. As high-speed internet goes through technological changes, many rural areas, specifically rural schools, will be further left behind, which increases the need for government help.
Transformation and Social Justice in South African Higher Education
Authors: Ntombela Sithabile , Setlhodi Itumeleng I.
Published: June 2019

There are inequalities at all levels of the South African education system, and these are more visible in higher education, which, until recently, was inaccessible to most people. Levelling the turf and bringing about true transformation in higher education institutions requires redress of past inequalities and catering for all students who seek admission. To increase participation levels by students from varied backgrounds and achieve justice, it is essential for higher education institutions, particularly those offering open distance e-learning, to devise plans towards tackling challenges confronting students and possible ways to overcome them. This chapter discusses the purpose of higher education in offering support to students in the context of massification. It also explores the manner in which higher education institutions model transformation, how they bring about equity and redress to overcome challenges and to pursue justice. Lastly, it concludes with possible considerations for these institutions to tackle inequalities and attain social justice for their students.
Capabilities-Based Transformative Online Learning Pedagogy for Social Justice
Authors: Mbati Lydia Sophia
Published: June 2019

This chapter presents pedagogical approaches for online learning with a focus on pedagogies that support interaction and active learning amongst diverse student populations. Understanding the challenges that feed social inequality are broad and complex nexus challenges, the various aspects and activities that go into learning design are discussed from the perspective of fostering equal representation and social justice in the online learning environment. While this chapter provides possible angles that may be employed to facilitate learning in a diverse student population, empirical studies need to be undertaken to test the efficacy of the approaches suggested.
Perpetuating Social Injustice Through Neglecting the Voices of the Non-Unionized Teachers
Authors: Khumalo Shuti Steph
Published: June 2019

The democratic dispensation elevated teacher trade unionism to unparalleled and unprecedented levels in the South African education system. The education laws of South Africa recognize teacher unions which meet the South African labor-related requirements. The three powerful teacher unions that recognize and represent thousands of teachers are the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU), the National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa (NAPTOSA), and the Suid Afrikaanse Onderwysersunie (SAOU). These recognized teacher unions represent their members in decision making processes and not teachers who are non-union members. This chapter is based on an in-depth evaluation of extant literature, and further, it is interpretive in approach and employs social justice as the theoretical and conceptual framework.
Parental/Guardian Subsidization of Extra Tuition and the Marginalization of the Poor in Zimbabwe
Authors: Makwerere David , Dube Donwell
Published: June 2019

This chapter focused on the issues of social exclusion in the education sector in Zimbabwe. The primary focus was on the primary and secondary school education systems in the country. Using the lenses of the social exclusion concepts, the chapter looked at how the inequalities are informed by a chain of historical developments including colonialism, the effects of the Structural Adjustment Programmes of the 1990s, and the effects of the Fast Track Land Reform Programme, as well as the Indigenization and Economic Empowerment acts. The chapter submits that the children in urban high-density areas, farming, and rural areas are victims of structural inequalities that have led to social exclusion in the education sector. There is the need for the Government of Zimbabwe to address these inequalities as a matter of urgency.
Digital Course Redesign to Increase Student Engagement and Success
Authors: Farmer Errick D. , Kincey Sundra D. , Wiltsher Cheree Y. , Kobelo Doreen C.
Published: June 2019

Quite often the question for many college professors is “How do you capture the attention of today's student and keep them engaged?” Traditional teaching methods remain important and should not be abandoned. However, with the ever-expanding use of technology in the classroom, faculty members must consider course redesign to increase students' investment in and connection with course material. This chapter will discuss the role of faculty in developing strategies and techniques used to redesign courses and how the use of digital technologies can positively influence student engagement and success.
Establishing Digital Agency in the Internet of Things (IoT)
Authors: Blankenship Rebecca J.
Published: June 2019

The concept of identity development itself is complex and difficult to define. Identity can be perceived as both an explicit (known to others) and implicit (known to the self) perception. The notion of identity development is multifaceted and is necessarily transmutable according to the interactive socio-contextual plane. Accordingly, the purpose of this chapter is to suggest two models that can be used in tandem to explain how faculty negotiated identity transformation from face-to-face to virtual learning environments (VLE) through digital agentic transformations within the framework of a digital learning fellowship initiative. Using the Johari Window of Personal Identity in tandem with Hall, Loucks, and Rutherford's Levels of Use filtered through a sociocultural theoretic lens, it is suggested that faculty perception of the virtual and non-virtual self can experience significant and sustained pedagogic agentic change according to the type of sociocultural interactions situated within and external to a VLE.
Intentional Use of Digital Technology in Graduate Epidemiology Education
Authors: Baker Charlotte
Published: June 2019

Public health education is continuously changing. Several papers have been written on the need to update epidemiology education in public health to match the needs of the “real world” as well as keep up with the digital age, yet few papers have been published on how to make this happen. Utilizing a blended learning framework, a graduate-level course was revised to improve student learning and teaching practice. By considering and implementing various pedagogical practices and tools, students learned more, were able to utilize this information in class and in other settings, and were able to take more control of their learning. Improvements were made to teaching practice, specifically by being more student-centered and providing better planned integration of technology for the advantage of the student and instructor. Using well-designed pedagogical tools and spending the time to plan out the course methodology based on expectations at the conclusion is a best practice that should be used by instructors in various fields but especially those in public health.
Clinical Topics in Social Media
Authors: Joseph Jessica J. , Florea Diana
Published: June 2019

The overall objective of the proposed chapter is to increase the reader's understanding of the role that social media plays in self-disclosing information about ourselves in the development of friendships and identity, as well as explore these themes in a clinical context. As such, readers will gain knowledge regarding the relations between self-disclosing on social media sites and the ensuing friendship and identity development that occurs, the extension of the research findings to clinical populations, and the questions that still remain unanswered. This information may be useful for the advancement of research, policy development, mental health programs, parenting, and education.
Stress, Coping, and Social Media Use
Authors: Demirtepe-Saygili Dilek
Published: June 2019

Social media has become a part of people's lives and many psychological processes are suggested to be related with social media use. This chapter examines social media use from a stress and coping perspective. Social media can be a stressor for users with the content of posts they see, with a fear of negative evaluation, as an unhealthy attachment to social media accounts, and as a result of cyberbullying. Social media use can also be a problem-focused coping as a source of information, an emotion-focused coping as a distraction, and a source of social support. Lastly, it can be a predictor or a part of well-being as well as a moderator or mediator between coping and well-being. After elaborating on social media use as a part of the coping process, implications for research and practice are discussed. The key points from a coping viewpoint are specified for users, parents, teachers, and professionals. While problematic use of social media can be part of dysfunctional coping and a worse well-being, healthy use can help individuals deal with stresses and lead to a better well-being.
Digitalization Strategies in the New World Order
Authors: Çapraz Burak
Published: June 2019

Digitalization in organizational context enforces organizations to define their own strategies. In this sense, organizations make their choices from a variety of digitalization strategies from IT strategy to digital orchestration strategy. Organizational digitalization, their digitalization capabilities, and transformations that they have experienced define their routes in the digitalization process. Thus, the purpose of this chapter is to present digitalization strategy choices mentioned in the business management literature through examples.
A Framework Development Effort for Using Online Communities in an Open Innovation Understanding
Authors: Zincir Oya
Published: June 2019

This chapter brings online communities, open innovation, and Industry 4.0 concepts together to build a framework for using online communities in an open innovation understanding in Industry 4.0 context. While online community and open innovation field of studies are being studied for a period of time, Industry 4.0 is rather a new topic which needs further understanding. Literature lacks studies that suggest a framework, especially integrating cloud-based design manufacturing and social product development concepts which are related to Industry 4.0. This study tries to fill in this gap by explaining how online open innovation communities can be created in Industry 4.0 context, what is needed for user participation, motivation, interaction, and what concepts that a company can use to build a collaborative culture and innovative outcomes.
Social Media as a Communication Channel
Authors: Yurder Yigit , Akdol Buket
Published: June 2019

In digital world, people spend most of their time on social media. Social media has gone beyond being just an online communication platform. It has become a channel that users prefer to other online platforms, such as websites, blogs, forums to get information about various businesses, events, and individuals. With Industry 4.0, all devices are connected to online platform, smart devices get more place in daily life. Instead of accessing information through individual applications, consumers prefer to obtain information from the company's social media pages and/or the company's internal and external customers' shared content. The purpose of the chapter is to indicate the importance of social media use, for organizations to interact effectively with all stakeholders, and to explain the benefits of social media usage of organizations in terms of different functions with examples from best cases and results of empirical researches.
An International Perspective
Authors: Younes Shima
Published: June 2019

Historically, Palestinian girls and women have faced many obstacles that barred them from sport, which has had negative consequences. This chapter is intended to address the empowerment of girls and women and to help them to achieve gender equity in sport in Palestine. The author focuses first on the cultural and religious obstacles that girls and women face in sport in Palestine. Second, the author discusses occupation practices and discrimination Palestinians girls and women have faced in sport. Finally, the author concludes with recommendations on how to use education and policy to achieve gender equity in sport in Palestine. These recommendations could also be applied to help Muslim women and girls to engage more in sport worldwide.
Disability as a Social Justice Imperative
Authors: Moore Adam
Published: June 2019

Educators in the United States have the legal obligation to ensure that students with disabilities are given equitable access to an education. Under the Individuals with Education Act (2004), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (1973), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990), individuals with disabilities cannot be discriminated against based on their disability and must be provided the same educational opportunities as their non-disabled counterparts. While most teacher preparation programs as well as educators in higher education are knowledgeable of these laws, there is a striking absence of learning about the historical implication of segregation, abuse, and maltreatment of individuals with disabilities that led to these laws being enacted. Most teacher preparation programs do not teach future educators about the history regarding disability rights and the social construct of disability. This chapter will present the major theoretical and historical movements in the disability rights movement, as well as the practical implications for educators today.
Leading With Life
Authors: Ellis Marjorie Kathleen
Published: June 2019

Personal narratives are an important part of promoting social justice in pedagogy. Incorporating social justice using narratives follow several prominent pedagogical concepts. Assimilating each as a component of a larger pedagogical strategy lends to greater overall attainment of both social justice goals and personal involvement in the learning process.
Consumer Behavior
Authors: Vargas-Hernández José G. , Guzmán Jovanna Nathalie Cervantes , Vázquez-Ávila Guillermo
Published: June 2019

The objective of this chapter is to develop a model of the behavior of the ecological consumer in order to know the motivations that influence the decision to purchase organic products in citizens from 25 to 45 years of Mexico. The methodology used in the research is qualitative. It was carried out through the non-experimental design, and with respect to the data collection tool, in-depth interviews were carried out. The results obtained with respect to the factors that influence the purchase decision of the products are accepted the general hypothesis. One of the limitations that the study faced was a limited literature regarding studies related to it in the case of Mexico.