bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fouling of low-pressure membranes during drinking water treatment: effect of NOM components and biofiltration pretreatment
Authors: Rahman I. , Ndiongue S. , Jin X. , Van Dyke M. I. , Anderson W. B. , Huck P. M.
Published: June 2014

Fouling is a major challenge for low-pressure membrane drinking water treatment systems. Previous research has demonstrated that under the right conditions, biofiltration is an effective method to reduce fouling of low-pressure polymeric membranes. This study provides additional insight into the effect of biofiltration as a pretreatment for fouling reduction by using river water with different raw water quality characteristics than has been examined in previous studies. Two parallel pilot-scale dual media (sand/anthracite) biological filters were operated continuously over a period of 14 months. Liquid chromatography–organic carbon detection analysis confirmed that the parallel biofilters performed similarly with both averaging on 21% biopolymer removal. Raw and treated water biopolymer concentrations were correlated, with increased absolute removals occurring at higher raw water concentrations. Ultrafiltration (UF) membrane fouling experiments showed substantial improvement in performance following biofiltration pretreatment by reducing hydraulically irreversible and reversible fouling rates by 14–68% and 8–55%, respectively. The results also reaffirm the importance of biopolymers at concentrations as low as ∼0.1 mg/L on irreversible and reversible UF membrane fouling and a minimal impact of humic substances.
Novel method of stabilizing water pretreatment for reverse osmosis desalination
Authors: Orestov Yevhen , Mitchenko Tetiana
Published: June 2014

The preparation of functionalized filter media (FFM), its ability to release active antiscalant substances and its application for water treatment in water heating processes and as a pretreatment in reverse osmosis (RO) desalination were investigated in this study. FFM is a novel method of stabilizing water pretreatment designed to be free of the disadvantages of conventional methods of water scaling potential reduction which require expensive equipment, produce significant amounts of waste, have high reagent consumption or are strongly dependent on water composition. FFM was derived from anion exchange resin modified with phosphonate and polymer scale inhibitors. In order to choose the most suitable anion exchange resin for preparation of FFM, different types of resins were tested for sorption of phosphonate compounds. The effect of the anionic composition of water and the effect of the polymer inhibitor on the rate of phosphonate release were investigated. Finally, FFM was tested as a scaling reduction water treatment for a water heating process with heating coils and as a pretreatment before reaching the RO unit. In both cases the results obtained show great promise for the functionalized material in antiscaling water pretreatment.
Selected trace element concentrations in ambient air and in horse chestnut leaves in Belgrade
Authors: Deljanin I. , Antanasijevic D. , Urosevic Anicic , Tomasevic M. , Sekulic Z. , Peric-Grujic A. , Ristic M.
Published: June 2014

In this study, airborne particulates (PM10) and leaves of horse chestnut were
collected at selected urban sites in Belgrade, Serbia, in years 2006, 2009
and 2012. All samples were analysed for trace element concentrations of As,
Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb. It has been shown that, during the study period, the
differences among PM10 mass trace element concentrations were not
considerable, and that the measured mass and trace elements concentrations
were below the Serbian and EU legislation limits. Highest values of trace
element concentrations in leaves were observed in year 2012, with the
exception of Pb. Lead concentration had a decreasing trend during the whole
studied period, in both PM10 and tree leaves. Since leaded gasoline was
banned in 2011, a possible reason could be an increasing number of vehicles
using unleaded kind along the previous years. Although trace elements in
horse chestnut leaves were accumulated only during summer season, horse
chestnut leaves showed good response to changes in trace element atmospheric
concentrations. However, seasonal variability was evident in trace element
source apportionment due to the lack of stationary heating system influence.
The Principal Component Analysis showed that during the studied period, one
of the major sources of the measured elements was fossil fuel combustion.
Two Generalized Common Fixed Point Theorems Involving Compatibility and Property E.A.
Authors: Phaneendra T. , Prasad V. S. R.
Published: June 2014

We prove two generalizations: the first to Das and Naik’s theorem for a pair of compatible maps without continuity; and the next as an extension of our first result to three self-maps on a metric space X without compatibility, under a stronger contraction type inequality and restricting the completeness of X to its subspace. The latter is a significant generalization of a recent result of Pant et al.
On the Canonical Connection for Smooth Envelopes
Authors: Moreno Giovanni
Published: June 2014

A notion known as smooth envelope, or superposition closure, appears naturally in several approaches to generalized smooth manifolds, which were proposed in the last decades. Such an operation is indispensable in order to perform differential calculus. A derivation of the enveloping algebra can be restricted to the original one, but it is a delicate question if the the viceversa can be done as well. In a physical language, this would correspond to the existence of a canonical connection. In this paper, we show an example of an algebra which always possesses such a connection.
Critical Case Stochastic Phylogenetic Tree Model via the Laplace Transform
Authors: Bartoszek Krzysztof , Krzeminski Michał
Published: June 2014

Birth-and-death models are now a common mathematical tool to describe branching patterns observed in real-world phylogenetic trees. Liggett and Schinazi (2009) is one such example. The authors propose a simple birth-and-death model that is compatible with phylogenetic trees of both influenza and HIV, depending on the birth rate parameter. An interesting special case of this model is the critical case where the birth rate equals the death rate. This is a non-trivial situation and to study its asymptotic behaviour we employed the Laplace transform. With this, we correct the proof of Liggett and Schinazi (2009) in the critical case.
On Some Consequences of the Functional Generalization of the Parallelogram Identity
Authors: Maczyński Maciej J.
Published: June 2014

The aim of this paper is to unify the partial results, which up to now, have been dispersed in various publications in order to show the importance of the functional form of parallelogram identity in mathematics and physics. We study vector spaces admitting a real non-negative functional which satisfies an identity analogous to the parallelogram identity in normed vector spaces. We show that this generalized parallelogram identity also implies an equality analogous to the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality. We study the consequences of this identity in real and complex vector spaces, in generalized Riesz spaces and in abelian groups. We give a physical interpretation to these results. For vector spaces of observables and states, we show that the parallelogram identity implies an inequality analogous to Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle (HUP), and we show that we can obtain the standard structure of quantum mechanics from the parallelogram identity, without assuming from the beginning the HUP. The role of complex numbers in quantum mechanics is discussed.
Teachers Without Borders
Authors: Bastian Kevin C. , Henry Gary T.
Published: June 2014

Many states have responded to teacher shortages by granting certification to individuals traditionally prepared out-of-state; now, out-of-state prepared teachers comprise a sizable percentage of the teacher workforce in many states. We know little about these teachers, and therefore, in the present study, we estimate the effectiveness of out-of-state prepared teachers in North Carolina elementary schools. We find that out-of-state prepared teachers are significantly less effective than in-state prepared and alternative entry teachers; however, there is a substantial overlap in the distributions of effectiveness across groups. Upon testing hypotheses to explain these findings, results indicate that differences in human capital help explain out-of-state prepared teachers’ underperformance and suggest the utility of research evidence to inform state policy and local hiring decisions.
Chancellor Hegemony: Party Politics and the Bundestag Party System after the 2013 Federal Election
Authors: Lees Charles
Published: June 2014

The eighteenth Bundestag elections of 22 September 2013 brought important changes to the Bundestag party system, some of which are contingent but others of which are more systemic and profound. The narrow failure of the FDP to scale the electoral threshold has had an impact on coalition negotiations and the improvement in the overall vote share for the CDU/CSU and the SPD, for the first time since the 1960s represents a significant, if probably only temporary, concentration of the German party system in the Bundestag. More systemically, the election saw a continuation of the ongoing redistribution of voting power in the Bundestag in favor of the catch-all parties as formateurs. The article also discusses how the increased importance of the potential formateuer parties has gone hand-in-hand with a greater focus on the individual leading candidates, and concludes that this is particularly good news for the CDU/CSU, given the political qualities of Angela Merkel and the failure of the SPD to find and support a leading candidate that can match her political acumen.
European Integration and Party Competition in German Federal Elections
Authors: Weldon Steven , Schmitt Hermann
Published: June 2014

Europe has been hit by a global financial crisis, and so has Germany. This crisis is associated, among European Union citizens, with the degree of support for European integration: those who are skeptical about the Euro and the debt crises in parts of the Eurozone tend also to be skeptical about European integration more generally. Our main question in this article is whether the pledges of political parties (as issued in their election manifestos) can add to our understanding of electoral choices in Germany. Relating German election results to the German data provided by the Comparative Manifesto Project MRG/CMP/MARPOR research tradition, our expectation is that political parties' European pledges have been irrelevant for the vote over half a century. Now that the European Union is rapidly moving in its postfunctional phase, the election of 2013 is expected to mark a turning point in that regard.
The Politics of the Eurozone Crisis: Two Puzzles behind the German Consensus
Authors: Jacoby Wade
Published: June 2014

This article offers a corrective to the notion that German ordoliberal ideology is the key to understanding German policy behavior during the Eurocrisis and, by extension, to the contours of the electoral debate in fall 2013. First, it shows that ordoliberal thought underdetermines policy choices. That is, different actors clearly influenced by ordoliberal thinking and often stressing different aspects of the broader ordoliberal cannon are arguing for more or less diametrically opposed policy solutions. Second, the article provides evidence that this deep divide inside the ordoliberal policy community has contributed additional incentives to the tentative and inconclusive policy choices of the government throughout much of the Eurocrisis. Third, the article extends the analysis of this very cautious policymaking into the campaign phase and the subsequent coalition agreement. It explains why the two major German parties—including an SPD with a much thinner attachment than the CDU to ordoliberalism—sought to play down the Eurocrisis in their campaigns and in their subsequent coalition agreement. One implication is the low probability of German policy change despite ideological differences.
Fiber energy efficiency Part I: Extended entropy model
Authors: Karlström Anders , Eriksson Karin
Published: June 2014

This is the first in a series of papers presenting the development of a comprehensive multiscale model with focus on fiber energy efficiency in thermo mechanical pulp processes. The fiber energy efficiency is related to the defibration and fibrillation work obtained when fibers and fiber bundles interact with the refining bars. The fiber energy efficiency differs from the total refining energy efficiency which includes the thermodynamical work as well. Extracting defibration and fibrillation work along the radius in the refining zone gives information valuable for fiber development studies.Models for this process must handle physical variables as well as machine specific parameters at different scales. To span the material and energy balances, spatial measurements from the refining zone must be available. In this paper, measurements of temperature profile and plate gaps from a full-scale CD-refiner are considered as model inputs together with a number of process variables. This enables the distributed consistency in the refining zone as well as the split of the total work between the flat zone and the CD-zone to be derived. As the temperature profile and the plate gap are available in the flat zone and the CD-zone at different process conditions it is also shown that the distributed pulp dynamic viscosity can be obtained. This is normally unknown in refining processes but certainly useful for all fluid dynamic models describing the bar-to-fiber interactions. Finally, it is shown that the inclusion of the machine parameters will be vital to get good estimates of the refining conditions and especially the split between the thermodynamical work and the defibration/fibrillation work.
The influence of process waters on optical properties during storage of hydrogen-peroxide bleached Norway spruce mechanical pulp
Authors: Enberg Sofia , Rundlöf Mats , Paulsson Magnus , Axelsson Patrik , Eriksen Øyvind , Engstrand Per
Published: June 2014

To evaluate the causes behind the formation of colour in mill systems, the effect of different process waters on the optical properties of hydrogenperoxide bleached Norway spruce mechanical pulp during storage was studied. The influence of process water type, temperature, time, pulp consistency and pH was evaluated over the visible range of wavelengths. The darkening was more pronounced when pulp was stored in process waters compared to in distilled water. Increased temperature and prolonged storage times increased the darkening as expected, whereas a higher storage consistency gave less darkening than a lower storage consistency (15% compared to 5%). The pH value that gave the lowest brightness reduction and a minimum in Δk460 was found to be 5.5-6.0. Storage of pulp in white water from the paper machine resulted in a broad shoulder in the k spectra indicating colour formation related to the particles in this water. Part of this shoulder in absorption spectra was related to added dyes, but the increase in absorption with time is likely to be caused by some other colour formation. The colour measured as a*, b* showed that the storage changed the colour of the pulp towards red and yellow, and initially more towards red.
Soil Erosion, Climate Change and Global Food Security: Challenges and Strategies
Authors: Rhodes Christopher J.
Published: June 2014

An overview is presented of the determined degree of global land degradation (principally occurring through soil erosion), with some consideration of its possible impact on global food security. Most determinations of the extent of land degradation (e.g. GLASOD) have been made on the basis of “expert judgement” and perceptions, as opposed to direct measurements of this multifactorial phenomenon. More recently, remote sensing measurements have been made which indicate that while some regions of the Earth are “browning” others are “greening”. The latter effect is thought to be due to fertilisation of the growth of biomass by increasing levels of atmospheric CO2, and indeed the total amount of global biomass was observed to increase by 3.8% during the years 1981–2003. Nonetheless, 24% of the Earth's surface had occasioned some degree of degradation in the same time period. It appears that while long-term trends in NDVI (normalised difference vegetation index) derivatives are only broad indicators of land degradation, taken as a proxy, the NDVI/NPP (net primary productivity) trend is able to yield a benchmark that is globally consistent and to illuminate regions in which biologically significant changes are occurring. Thus, attention may be directed to where investigation and action at the ground level is required, i.e. to potential “hot spots” of land degradation and/or erosion. The severity of land degradation through soil erosion, and an according catastrophic threat to the survival of humanity may in part have been overstated, although the rising human population will impose inexorable demands for what the soil can provide. However, the present system of industrialised agriculture would not be possible without plentiful provisions of cheap crude oil and natural gas to supply fuels, pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers. It is only on the basis of these inputs that it has been possible for the human population to rise above 7 billion. Hence, if the cheap oil and gas supply fails, global agriculture fails too, with obvious consequences. Accordingly, on grounds of stabilising the climate, preserving the environment, and ensuring the robustness of the global food supply, maintaining and building good soil, in particular improving its SOM content and hence its structure, is highly desirable. Those regions of the world that are significantly degraded are unlikely to support a massive population increase (e.g. Africa, whose population is predicted to grow from its present 1.1 billion to 4.2 billion by 2100), in which case a die-off or mass migration might be expected, if population control is not included explicitly in future plans to achieve food security.
A Study of the Abrasion of Squeegees Used in Screen Printing and Its Effect on Performance with Application in Printed Electronics
Authors: Phillips Christopher , Beynon David , Hamblyn Simon , Davies Glyn , Gethin David , Claypole Timothy
Published: June 2014

This article presents a novel method for accelerated wear of squeegees used in screen printing and describes the development of mechanical tests which allow more in-depth measurement of squeegee properties. In this study, squeegees were abraded on the screen press so that they could be used for subsequent print tests to evaluate the effect of wear on the printed product. Squeegee wear was found to vary between different squeegee types and caused increases in ink transfer and wider printed features. In production this will lead to greater ink consumption, cost per unit and a likelihood of product failure. This also has consequences for the production of functional layers, etc., used in the construction of printed electronics. While more wear generally gave greater increases in ink deposition, the effect of wear differed, depending on the squeegee. There was a correlation between the angle of the squeegee wear and ink film thickness from a worn squeegee. An ability to resist flexing gave a high wear angle and presented a sharper edge at the squeegee/screen interface thus mitigating the effect of wear. There was also a good correlation between resistance to flexing and ink film thickness for unworn squeegees, which was more effective than a comparison based on Shore A hardness. Squeegee indentation at different force levels gave more information than a standard Shore A hardness test and the apparatus used was able to reliably measure reductions in surface hardness due to solvent absorption. Increases in ink deposition gave lower resistance in printed silver lines; however, the correlation between the amount of ink deposited and the resistance, remained the same for all levels of wear, suggesting that the wear regime designed for this study did not induce detrimental print defects such as line breakages.
Engaging with Peri-Urban Woodlands in England: The Contribution to People’s Health and Well-Being and Implications for Future Management
Authors: O'Brien Liz , Morris Jake , Stewart Amy
Published: June 2014

In this paper we engage with debates concerning people and their contact with the natural environment as part of everyday life drawing on Irwin’s ideas of co-construction and Gibson’s theory of affordances. We focus on peri-urban woodlands in England as important places where people can interact with nature for health and well-being. Qualitative data were collected in situ via walks in the woods, focus group discussions and photo elicitation, with a sample of 49 people. These methods provide rich data on the wide range of meanings associated with woodlands that can have a perceived impact on people’s health and well-being. The findings link to contemporary debates about health, well-being and ecosystem services. We explore the inter-play between attributes of the physical environment and the range of facilities provided to enable access, social interactions and the benefits people attribute to their woodland experiences. We conclude that peri-urban woodlands can clearly contribute to self-reported health and well-being in multiple ways, and that organized activities can be important for those who face barriers to accessing woodlands. A strong message emerging from the research is the opportunity afforded by woodlands for social connections with others, as well as the provision of a range of sensory benefits and opportunities to observe and enjoy seasonal change in woodlands. Mental restoration via connection with nature also emerged as important, confirming previous research.
Theoretical Estimation of Thermal Effects in Drilling of Woven Carbon Fiber Composite
Authors: Díaz-Álvarez José , Olmedo Alvaro , Santiuste Carlos , Miguélez María
Published: June 2014

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRPs) composites are extensively used in structural applications due to their attractive properties. Although the components are usually made near net shape, machining processes are needed to achieve dimensional tolerance and assembly requirements. Drilling is a common operation required for further mechanical joining of the components. CFRPs are vulnerable to processing induced damage; mainly delamination, fiber pull-out, and thermal degradation, drilling induced defects being one of the main causes of component rejection during manufacturing processes. Despite the importance of analyzing thermal phenomena involved in the machining of composites, only few authors have focused their attention on this problem, most of them using an experimental approach. The temperature at the workpiece could affect surface quality of the component and its measurement during processing is difficult. The estimation of the amount of heat generated during drilling is important; however, numerical modeling of drilling processes involves a high computational cost. This paper presents a combined approach to thermal analysis of composite drilling, using both an analytical estimation of heat generated during drilling and numerical modeling for heat propagation. Promising results for indirect detection of risk of thermal damage, through the measurement of thrust force and cutting torque, are obtained.
A Comparative Study of the Adsorption of Methylene Blue onto Synthesized Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron-Bamboo and Manganese-Bamboo Composites
Authors: Shaibu Solomon , Adekola Folahan , Adegoke Halimat , Ayanda Olushola
Published: June 2014

In this study, bamboo impregnated with nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) and nanoscale manganese (nMn) were prepared by the aqueous phase borohydride reduction method and characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and PIXE analysis. The synthesized nMn-bamboo and nZVI-bamboo composites were subsequently applied to the sorption of methylene blue (MB) dye from aqueous solution. The adsorption of MB dye was investigated under various experimental conditions such as pH, contact time, initial concentration of MB dye and adsorbent dosage. The results showed that the synthesized nZVI-bamboo composite was more effective than nMn-bamboo composite in terms of higher MB dye adsorption capacity of 322.5 mg/g compared to 263.5 mg/g of nMn-bamboo composite. At a concentration of 140 mg/L MB dye, 0.02 g of nZVI-bamboo and nMn-bamboo composites resulted in 79.6% and 78.3% removal, respectively, at 165 rpm, contact time of 120 min and at a solution pH of 7.6. The equilibrium data was best represented by Freundlich isotherm model and the pseudo-second order kinetic model better explained the kinetic data for both nZVI-bamboo and nMn-bamboo composites.
Assessment of MODIS, MERIS, GEOV1 FPAR Products over Northern China with Ground Measured Data and by Analyzing Residential Effect in Mixed Pixel
Authors: Yang Fei , Ren Hongyan , Li Xiaoyu , Hu Maogui , Yang Yaping
Published: June 2014

Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FPAR) is a critical parameter in land surface energy balance and climate modeling. Several global FPAR products are available, but these still require considerable assessment and validation due to low spatial resolution. Three major FPAR products that have covered China and provided continuous time series data—MODIS, MERIS and GEOV1—were assessed from 2006–2010. Based on the ground measurement data, the accuracies of these three FPAR products were directly validated for maize and winter wheat over northern China. This investigation also assessed the consistencies among the three FPAR products, and analyzed the residential area in mixed pixels effect on the FPAR products accuracy, at each of the main growth stages of maize and winter wheat. The GEOV1 FPAR product was found to be the most accurate with regression R2 values of 0.818 and 0.655 for ground measured maize and winter wheat FPAR. The maize FPAR data were generally more accurate than the winter wheat FPAR data. The MODIS, MERIS and GEOV1 products all indicated that FPAR variations among the growth stages differed from year to year. The scattered residential areas in mixed pixels were found to significantly affect the FPAR data uncertainties, and these were also analyzed in detail. The effect of residential area percentage in mixed pixels on FPAR values differed for different crops, and this was not necessarily in accordance with the FPAR product accuracy. For the mixed pixels, a quadratic polynomial was able to fit the residential area and FPAR data reasonably well with R2 values higher than 0.9 for most relationships. Quadratic polynomial fitting may provide a simple and convenient method to assess and reduce the residential area effect on FPAR in the mixed pixels.
Smartphone-Based Hearing Screening in Noisy Environments
Authors: Na Youngmin , Joo Hyo , Yang Hyejin , Kang Soojin , Hong Sung , Woo Jihwan
Published: June 2014

It is important and recommended to detect hearing loss as soon as possible. If it is found early, proper treatment may help improve hearing and reduce the negative consequences of hearing loss. In this study, we developed smartphone-based hearing screening methods that can ubiquitously test hearing. However, environmental noise generally results in the loss of ear sensitivity, which causes a hearing threshold shift (HTS). To overcome this limitation in the hearing screening location, we developed a correction algorithm to reduce the HTS effect. A built-in microphone and headphone were calibrated to provide the standard units of measure. The HTSs in the presence of either white or babble noise were systematically investigated to determine the mean HTS as a function of noise level. When the hearing screening application runs, the smartphone automatically measures the environmental noise and provides the HTS value to correct the hearing threshold. A comparison to pure tone audiometry shows that this hearing screening method in the presence of noise could closely estimate the hearing threshold. We expect that the proposed ubiquitous hearing test method could be used as a simple hearing screening tool and could alert the user if they suffer from hearing loss.
Defect Profile Estimation from Magnetic Flux Leakage Signal via Efficient Managing Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Han Wenhua , Xu Jun , Wang Ping , Tian Guiyun
Published: June 2014

In this paper, efficient managing particle swarm optimization (EMPSO) for high dimension problem is proposed to estimate defect profile from magnetic flux leakage (MFL) signal. In the proposed EMPSO, in order to strengthen exchange of information among particles, particle pair model was built. For more efficient searching when facing different landscapes of problems, velocity updating scheme including three velocity updating models was also proposed. In addition, for more chances to search optimum solution out, automatic particle selection for re-initialization was implemented. The optimization results of six benchmark functions show EMPSO performs well when optimizing 100-D problems. The defect simulation results demonstrate that the inversing technique based on EMPSO outperforms the one based on self-learning particle swarm optimizer (SLPSO), and the estimated profiles are still close to the desired profiles with the presence of low noise in MFL signal. The results estimated from real MFL signal by EMPSO-based inversing technique also indicate that the algorithm is capable of providing an accurate solution of the defect profile with real signal. Both the simulation results and experiment results show the computing time of the EMPSO-based inversing technique is reduced by 20%–30% than that of the SLPSO-based inversing technique.
Use of Pollutant Load Regression Models with Various Sampling Frequencies for Annual Load Estimation
Authors: Park Youn , Engel Bernie
Published: June 2014

Water quality data are collected by various sampling frequencies, and the data may not be collected at a high frequency nor over the range of streamflow conditions. Therefore, regression models are used to estimate pollutant data for days on which water quality data were not measured. Pollutant load regression models were evaluated with six sampling frequencies for daily nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment data. Annual pollutant load estimates exhibited various behaviors by sampling frequency and also by the regression model used. Several distinct sampling frequency features were observed in the study. The first was that more frequent sampling did not necessarily lead to more accurate and precise annual pollutant load estimates. The second was that use of water quality data collected from storm events improved both accuracy and precision in annual pollutant load estimates for all water quality parameters. The third was that the pollutant regression model automatically selected by LOADEST did not necessarily lead to more accurate and precise annual pollutant load estimates. The fourth was that pollutant regression models displayed different behaviors for different water quality parameters in annual pollutant load estimation.
Size distribution and monthly variation of ovarian development for the female blue swimmer crab, Portunus pelagicus in Beibu Gulf, off south China
Authors: Liu Zhijun , Wu Xugan , Wang Wei , Yan Binlun , Cheng Yongxu
Published: June 2014

The present study was conducted to investigate the size distribution and seasonality variation of ovarian development for females of the blue swimmer crab, Portunus pelagicus, from Beibu Gulf, China. The results show that, based on pubertal moult, gonadosomatic index (GSI), morphology and histological configurations, the ovarian development cycle of P. pelagicus can be divided into five stages; Stage I, dominated by oogonia with some previtellogenic oocytes and endogenous vitellogeic oocytes; Stage II, dominated by endogenous vitellogenic oocytes with some previtellogeic oocytes and oogonia; Stage III, dominated by exogenous vitellogeic oocytes; Stage IV, of nearly mature oocytes; and Stage V, of mature oocytes with fully ripened ovary. GSI increased significantly during the ovarian development (P < 0.05), while the hepatosomatic index (HSI) appeared to decrease. Thus, a significant negative correlation was found between GSI and HSI (P < 0.01). The smallest carapace width of a mature female and that at which 50% of females reach maturity were 79.2 mm and 108.2 mm, respectively. The carapace width and body weight of the dominant size class ranged between 86 and 115 mm and 40 and 120 g, respectively. Furthermore, the highest GSI of female P. pelagicus was found in March, while the peak of ovigerous females was found in April.
Abundance and behavioural ecology of the blenny Ophioblennius trinitatis (Teleostei: Blenniidae) at an oceanic archipelago of Brazil (Atlantic)
Authors: Medeiros Paulo R. , Rada Danilo P. , Rosa Ricardo S.
Published: June 2014

Local patterns of fish density, microhabitat use, feeding behaviour, bite rate, territory area and agonistic interactions were recorded for Ophioblennius trinitatis at an oceanic archipelago (southwestern Atlantic). Rugosity, number of crevices and benthic diversity positively predicted the distribution of O. trinitatis. Turf algae was the preferred food item at all sites, but given its high availability inside and outside territory boundaries, it did not seem to be a limiting factor on the density of this blenny, as opposed to substrate heterogeneity. Bite rate was higher in the afternoon and for smaller individuals (juveniles). Territory size showed local variation and, although larger territories may be an effect of density-dependent conditions (more available space in low-density areas), we propose that individuals expand territories to compensate for residing in areas of lower quality (i.e. of low structural complexity). Larger individuals defended larger territories and residents responded differently to intruders, with higher rates of agonistic interactions towards potential competitors. Higher agonistic rates were also observed in larger territories and at low-complexity sites.
Levantine Intermediate Water characteristics: an astounding general misunderstanding! (addendum)
Authors: Millot Claude
Published: June 2014

Discussions following the publication of “Levantine Intermediate Water characteristics: an astounding general misunderstanding!” (Millot 2013a) confirmed that this warm salty (similar results with cool fresh) intermediate water was generally thought to be characterized, even after significant mixing, by a homogeneous core (i.e. a dσ/dz minimum) while we think it could be characterized by a dσ/dz maximum. Additional computations specify our feelings and suggest that only such a hypothetical dσ/dz maximum can provide information about the characteristics of these intermediate waters, in this case only the local immersion of the core, since the associated s depends essentially on the σ values of all the surrounding waters encountered upstream, while the Θ and S maxima evolve continuously. Because we are convinced that such studies have a global importance and deserve much more interest than they have received up to now, we hope that these additional computations and data analyses will motivate really theoretical studies that could be easily checked with a consequent data set available all over the Mediterranean Sea in particular.
Piloting Online Submission and Online Assessment with GradeMark
Authors: Ambler Trudy , Breyer Yvonne , Young Sherman
Published: June 2014

Online technologies are becoming ubiquitous in higher education and present both challenges and opportunities for those involved in learning and teaching. This chapter reports on the research-enhanced implementation of Electronic Assessment Management (EAM) within one faculty of a university in Sydney, Australia. This research was conducted as a qualitative case study. Questionnaires were used to investigate staff and student experiences of EAM, and the researcher's reflective practice made it possible to capture important details of the implementation process mediated through the researchers as participants. The research found enormous potential in EAM implementation for cultural transformation in learning and teaching. The authors argue that the move to EAM is now a viable option for universities. The combination of a rapidly evolving higher education landscape, evidence from exploring both staff and student experiences of engaging with EAM, and the benefits which the transition offers for the professional development of academics make the use of EAM essential for reasons of both pedagogy and efficiency.
The Inherent Difficulties and Complexities of Voting Electronically
Authors: Zissis Dimitrios , Lekkas Dimitrios
Published: June 2014

Countries worldwide have been conducting trials and holding pilots to evaluate the benefits and detriments of introducing electronic voting; while some have successfully implemented state of the art voting solutions, others have decided to abandon such attempts altogether. Across the field, one can see a multitude of different approaches, revealing the wide diversification of political cultures, legal regulations, social requirements, and contexts, within which this technology must be deployed. The approaches adopted can thus seem to be contradictory or indeed diametrically opposed. The purpose of this chapter is thus twofold. Firstly, it attempts to provide an introduction to the field of electronic voting while reviewing the most recent advances and related literature. Secondly, it attempts to evaluate under a perspicacious vision the level of maturity of the technology.
Voting over the Internet on an Insecure Platform
Authors: Haenni Rolf , Koenig Reto E.
Published: June 2014

Voters using their insecure personal devices for casting votes cause a critical but still largely unsolved problem in Internet voting. This chapter addresses this problem by introducing a trusted voting device, which can be used in combination with various cryptographic voting protocols. It's an answer to one of the main assumptions, on which these protocols are based, namely that voters can reliably perform various cryptographic computations. We suggest that all critical cryptographic computations are performed on the voting device, but we restrict its user interface to the simple task of allowing voters to confirm their votes before casting the ballot. The ballots themselves are prepared beforehand on the voter's insecure platform using its rich user interface. To provide privacy even in the presence of strong malware, the voting device receives its information from the voter's insecure platform in form of matrix barcodes. The unidirectionality of such an optical communication channel disallows the insecure platform to learn the voter's actual choice. To verify the correct functioning of the voting device, it can be challenged with test ballots that are indistinguishable from real ones.
A Synthesis of Vote Verification Methods in Electronic Voting Systems
Authors: Al-Shammari Ali Fawzi Najm , Villafiorita Adolfo
Published: June 2014

A large amount of research has been conducted to improve public verifiability of e-voting systems. One of the challenges is ensuring that different and apparently contradicting requirements are met: anonymity and representation, vote secrecy and verifiability. System robustness from attacks adds further complexity. This chapter summarizes some of the known vote verification techniques and highlights the pros and cons of each technique. Also, it reviews how different verification technologies cover different phases of the voting process and evaluates how these techniques satisfy the e-voting requirements.
From Initial Idea to Piecemeal Implementation
Authors: Mendez Fernando , Serdült Uwe
Published: June 2014

The formal genesis of e-voting in Switzerland can be traced back to a series of motions deposited by parliamentarians in 2000. At the time the Swiss were not alone in trying to roll out e-voting programmes in the early 2000s. Indeed, a large number of European countries were pursuing similar e-voting policy agendas. A decade later very few countries can be said to have implemented e-voting. One of these, Estonia, has fully generalised e-voting as a mode of participation for a range of electoral contests. While much has been written about the Estonian case, less is known about the Helvetic route to implementing e-voting. In this chapter, the authors analyse the piecemeal approach to implementing e-voting in the Swiss case. The fact that the Helvetic route to implementing e-voting involved three competing systems offers a comparative anchor for examining the sustainability of each system. It is in this sense that Switzerland offers a useful political laboratory for analysing the problems of modernising elections in the digital era and provides insights that may be generalisable to other cases.
Software Vulnerabilities in the Brazilian Voting Machine
Authors: Aranha Diego F. , Karam Marcelo M. , de Miranda André , Scarel Felipe B.
Published: June 2014

This chapter presents a security analysis of the Brazilian voting machine software based on the experience of the authors while participating of the 2nd Public Security Tests of the Electronic Voting System organized by the Superior Electoral Court (SEC), the national electoral authority. During the event, vulnerabilities in the software were detected and explored to allow recovery of the ballots in the order they were cast. The authors present scenarios where these vulnerabilities allow electoral fraud and suggestions to restore the security of the affected mechanisms. Additionally, other flaws in the software and its development process are discussed in detail.
Socially Networking the Past
Authors: Manderino Michael , Ripley Lisa Hoelscher
Published: June 2014

This chapter describes a historical inquiry project that used a social networking site (www.ning.com) to engage students in writing both traditionally and multimodally about the 1960's. Students were provided basic demographic information about a fictional individual living in the 1960's and then were instructed to build a social networking profile as they conducted inquiry of the 1960's over the course of eight weeks. Data were drawn from screen capture videos and semi-structured interviews (n=8) as well as online artifacts (n=185) that high school students generated to construct a profile page akin to Facebook for the project. This project demonstrated how student writing in a history class was mediated by the social networking task and the variety of multimodal texts that they could use to represent their historical inquiry.
An Argument for a Multimodal, Online System to Support English Learners' Writing Development
Authors: Kleifgen Jo Anne , Kinzer Charles K. , Hoffman Daniel L. , Gorski Kristin , Kim Jean , Lira Andrea , Ronan Briana
Published: June 2014

This chapter describes a technology-centered intervention project to demonstrate the benefits of a multimodal, Web-based platform, STEPS to Literacy, for teaching academic writing to Latina/o adolescent learners of English. After laying out a theoretical and empirical rationale, the authors provide details about the design features and instructional approach that support student writing. Next, an example is given of the use of STEPS in the classroom, in which eighth-grade students with the teacher's guidance analyze multimodal documents, take notes, and write an essay for a unit on the Civil Rights Movement. A summary of the benefits of such an online system for academic writing development is outlined, and a set of points for teachers to consider for planning and implementation in the classroom concludes the chapter.
Supporting the Development of Writing Abstraction with Technology
Authors: Oliver Kevin M. , Pritchard Ruie J.
Published: June 2014

This chapter overviews the concept of writing abstraction as conceptualized by Moffett (1992a) as two progressions writers must learn to negotiate. In the first progression on audience, students learn to make verbalizations to the self, then write informally to peers who understand the student's language, then formally to distant others who require more abstract or culturally accepted conventions. In the second progression on topic, students learn to write about sensory stimuli experienced, then to retell past experiences, and finally to propose more abstract generalizations and theory. To help students develop the capacity for writing across these continua, the authors recommend emerging communication tools and networks for accessing and writing to increasingly distant others, as well as emerging Web 2.0, multimedia, and research tools for capturing and writing about experiences or conceptualizing generalizations and theory. The chapter closes by noting future research directions in writing across audience and multiple modes with digital tools.
Translating Traditional Writing Process Tools to Digital Ones
Authors: Franklin Keri R. , Gibson Kathy
Published: June 2014

This chapter offers user-friendly free applications to help teachers incorporate digital writing tools in their classrooms. The authors encourage a collaborative and inquiry-driven environment to help teachers implement new digital tools that can motivate students and develop 21st century writers. The authors use the NCTE's Definition of 21st Century Literacies (2013) to discuss digital writing tools. The authors offer a framework for scaffolding the introduction of these applications in K-12 classrooms and in professional development and align traditional writing process tools to digital writing tools.
Real World Writing with Digital Prompts
Authors: Atkins Amy , Braunwart Amy , Klare Amanda , Runge Sara
Published: June 2014

Students are entering 21st century classrooms with widely varying technological aptitudes. Almost no student is technologically illiterate and many are more adept digitally than their teachers. Teachers must learn to utilize technology to inspire and support learning. Utilizing different digital tools will allow teachers to differentiate learning to meet the needs of all students in their classrooms while continuing to teach the curricula prescribed by their districts and state agencies. This chapter examines the use of digital technologies in the 21st century classroom to enhance writing skills. Several technologies are highlighted with examples of how they were integrated in the classroom as well further extensions of the activities.
Scaffolding Pre-Service English Teachers to Teach Secondary Students How to Utilize Digital Tools When Composing
Authors: Guise Megan , Benko Susanna L.
Published: June 2014

The use of digital tools in the composing process and the development of 21st century literacies are becoming more important in order to equip students with the skills needed for college and career readiness. As new technologies continue to emerge and shape daily life, it is important for teachers and students to envision how these digital tools can be used to enhance communication, particularly writing. The authors share effective strategies for helping pre-service teachers to become more comfortable – as writers – with certain digital tools and to critically evaluate the benefits and limitations of these digital tools. In addition, the authors present a unit of instruction that scaffolds pre-service teachers to develop their own writing instruction and assignment for secondary students, which require secondary students to utilize digital tools throughout the composing process. The authors argue for working towards greater inclusion of technology in the English classroom.