bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Análise de gamificação em redes sociais gamificadas
Authors: Arnold Rafael , Ferrari Barbosa Débora Nice , Ricardo Dos Santos Paulo , João Mossmann Me.
Published: July 2017

O objetivo deste trabalho é avaliar os elementos de gamificação a partir de um modelo de análise de gamificação aplicado a redes sociais gamificadas. Após a análise e compilação dos elementos descritos no modelo, tratou-se de organizar a análise a partir do método utilizado, resultando em cinco categorias. Foram analisados os elementos de gamificação de duas redes sociais educativas e comparadas à Rede Teia, utilizada na AMO em atividades de reforço escolar com crianças e adolescentes que estão em situação de vulnerabilidade social devido ao tratamento oncológico. Pôde-se observar, a partir da análise, a necessidade de aplicar mais elementos de gamificação à Teia para atingir os objetivos de socializar e construir o conhecimento e promover a interação entre os seus usuários na resolução dos problemas apresentados pelos jogos conectados.
The localization of primary efferent sympathetic neurons innervating the porcine thymus – a retrograde tracing study
Authors: Kulik Paweł , Zacharko-Siembida Anna , Arciszewski Marcin B.
Published: July 2017

The autonomic nervous system is a sophisticated and independent structure composed of two antagonistic (opposing) divisions (sympathetic and parasympathetic) that control many vital functions including: homeostasis maintenance, heart rate, blood circulation, secretion, etc. Thymus is one of the most important primary lymphoid organs playing a role in the developing of a juvenile’s immune system mainly by maturation, development, and migration of T-cells (T lymphocytes). In the last decades, several studies identifying sources of the thymic autonomic supply have been undertaken in humans and several laboratory rodents but not in higher mammals such as the pig. Therefore, in the present work, retrograde tracing technique of Fast Blue and DiI was used to investigate the sources of sympathetic efferent supply to the porcine thymus. After Fast Blue injection into the right lobe of the thymus, the presence of Fast Blue-positive neurons was found in the unilateral cranial cervical ganglion (82.8 ± 3.0% of total Fast Blue-positive neurons) as well as in the middle cervical ganglion (17.2 ± 3.0%). Injection of DiI resulted in the presence of retrograde tracer in neurons of the cranial cervical ganglion (80.4 ± 2.3% of total amount of DiI-labelled neurons), the middle cervical ganglion (18.4 ± 1.9%), and the cervicothoracic ganglion (1.2 ± 0.8%). The present report provides the first data describing in details the localization of primary efferent sympathetic neurons innervating the porcine thymus.
Changes in haematological indices following local application of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein after tenotomy in rabbits
Authors: Pecin Marko , Lipar Marija , Smolec Ozren , Pirkic Boris , Musulin Andrija , Kos Josip
Published: July 2017

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is the most important cytokine in the inflammation cascade activation in all tissues and is present in acute and chronic phases of inflammation. By blocking IL-1 binding to target cells, numerous inflammation processes are prevented. The use of autologous conditioned serum rich with IL-1 receptor antagonist protein (IL-1Ra) is a novel treatment method of tendon inflammation in domestic animals and humans. Injections of autologous conditioned serum (ACS) have demonstrated clinical efficacy and safety in animal models and humans in the treatment of osteoarthritis, disc prolapse and muscles and tendons injuries with low side effect. Neutropaenia, reduced white blood cell count, and infections or local irritations are described as side effects of IL-1 antagonist use in humans. Therefore, a study of blood changes in rabbits after local administration of IL-1Ra in the Achilles tendon tissue after iatrogenic inflammation was conducted. Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein was used to prevent and reduce tendon inflammation after longitudinal tenotomy. The study was done on 26 white Californian rabbits, divided into two equal groups consisting of 13 animals each; the experimental interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein (irap) group, and the control group. In the irap group, autologous serum rich with IL-1Ra was used (Orthokine®vet irap, Alfa-Arthro, Croatia). Differences between two groups were considered significant as changes in the blood for certain blood elements atP< 0.01. ThePvalue wasP= 0.0153 for the white blood cells,P= 0.00153 for neutrophils,P= 0.00017 and for platelets. In the control group, an increased platelet count was noticed in 70% of blood samples and a decreased neutrophil count was found in all of the irap group samples at the end of the study in comparison to the initial blood count prior to application.
Discretionary Accruals in Italian Private Firms and Non-Linear Bank Loan Granting
Authors: Mafrolla Elisabetta , Nobili Viola
Published: July 2017

This paper investigates whether and at what extent private firms reduce the quality of their accruals in order to signal a better portrait to the bank and obtain new or larger bank loans. We measure earnings discretionary accruals of a sample of Italian private firms, testing whether new and larger bank loans are associated with a higher (lower) quality of earnings in borrowers' financial reporting. We study bank loan levels and changes and how they impact discretionary accruals and found that, surprisingly, private firms' discretionary accruals are systematically positively affected by an increase in bank loans, although they are negatively affected by the credit worthiness rating assigned to the borrowers. We find that the monitoring role of the banking system with regard to the adoption of discretionary accruals is effective only when the loan is very large. This paper may have implications for policy-makers as it contributes to the understanding of the shortcomings of the banking regulatory system. This is an extremely relevant issue since the excessive amount of non-performing loans held by Italian banks recently threatened the stability of the European Banking Union as a whole.
La consapevolezza come fattore significativo per le relazioni interpersonali. Un contributo di ricerca
Authors: Millor Chiara , De Bartolo Paola , Toro Maria Beatrice
Published: July 2017

Nel corso degli ultimi anni la Mindfulness ha permesso a moltissime persone di ritrovare uno stato di benessere a livello psico-fisico, aiutandole, attraverso pratiche per coltivare la consapevolezza, ad allontanare lo stress e a favorire un'accettazione del momento presente con gratitudine e non giudizio.Nel presente studio le autrici hanno cercato di comprendere il ruolo svolto dalla consapevolezza nella promozione delle relazioni interpersonali, vista la grande importanza che la relazionalità ha nella nostra vita fin dalla nascita.I risultati raggiunti da questo studio hanno mostrato che il tipo di attenzione aperta e recettiva sostenuta dalla meditazione di consapevolezza ci permette di migliorare nel relazionarci con gli altri.Ciò diventa possibile grazie alla promozione di atteggiamenti di gentilezza, empatia, compassione, apertura del cuore e gratitudine che ci rendono più sensibili verso l'altro.La pratica della consapevolezza ci permette di avvicinarci agli altri con reale curiosità in modo da conoscerli meglio, liberandoci dalle eccessive paure o avversioni che troppo spesso ci rendono drastici o precipitosi nell'emettere giudizi.Parole chiave: Mindfulness, consapevolezza, relazioni, attenzione, emozioni.
Greisen – Zatsepin – Kuzmin effect: top-down and bottom-up view
Authors: Panasyuk M I
Published: July 2017

In 1966, Greisen and independently Zatsepin and Kuzmin published evidence for the existence of a relic (GZK) cutoff in the proton energy spectrum in ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) above 5 × 1019 eV. Half a century of experimental ground-based UHECR research has resulted in a large amount of data on energy spectra, anisotropy, and mass composition. The first space experiment to measure UHECRs was launched in 2016. In this paper, we discuss the results and prospects of experimental UHECR research in light of the proposed theoretical model of the GZK cutoff.
Analysis of the Patrimonial Conservation of a Quito Suburb without Altering Its Commercial Structure by Means of a Centrality Measure for Urban Networks
Authors: Agryzkov Taras , Oliver José , Tortosa Leandro , Vicent José
Published: July 2017

In about 1940, Quito’s urban planning department contemplated the creation of a new suburb called Villaflora following the garden city model: homes in connection with nature but also near services. In Villaflora we do not find monumental elements that characterize patrimonial architecture; the value of Villaflora’s patrimony is in its urban model characterized by some architectonic elements. However, Villaflora is valuable because it is the result of a unique urban model. Over the years, the suburb has suffered profound degradation from the point of view of its patrimonial conservation. Hence, we propose an urban intervention in the suburb that contemplates the restoration of some important elements in the urban layout, without altering the commercial structure of the same. To accomplish this task we perform a study of the heritage conservation of each of the buildings of the suburb, as well as a study of the commercial activity that is developed in the suburb in order to determine those areas with the highest commercial activity and as a consequence, a greater presence of people in the streets and public spaces.
Synthesis and In Vitro Antimycobacterial and Antibacterial Activity of 8-OMe Ciprofloxacin-Hydrozone/Azole Hybrids
Authors: Xu Zhi , Zhang Shu , Feng Lian-Shun , Li Xiao-Ning , Huang Guo-Cheng , Chai Yun , Lv Zao-Sheng , Guo Hui-Yuan , Liu Ming-Liang
Published: July 2017

A series of novel 8-OMe ciprofloxacin (CPFX)-hydrazone/azole hybrids were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their in vitro biological activities. Our results reveal that all of the hydrozone-containing hybrids (except for 7) show potency against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) H37Rv (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC): <0.5 μM), which is better than the parent drug CPFX, and comparable to moxifloxacin and isoniazid, some of the tested Gram-positive strains (MIC: 0.06–4 μg/mL), and most Gram-negative strains (MIC: ≤0.03–4 μg/mL).
Livelihood after Relocation—Evidences of Guchchagram Project in Bangladesh
Authors: Mallick Bishawjit , Sultana Zakia
Published: July 2017

Due to climate change and its consequences to islands and coastal countries, the relocation of the people living in those vulnerable places has received a lot of attention from policy makers as well as academicians. There have been similar kinds of programs running in Bangladesh since the country’s independence in 1971, and people who are landless or victimized due to river bank erosion, cyclones, or floods have been relocated under the umbrella program called ‘Guchchagram’, i.e., cluster villages. Different ruling parties had used different names for the project due to the financial nature of the project, but none of them have significantly differed from the overall goals and objectives of relocated settlements and the betterment of the landless and extreme event victims. Particularly, this study asks how and to what extent the livelihood of relocated households has changed, and what the potentials and constraints of the relocated settlements are. Based on an empirical study at four Guchchagrams of Gopalganj Sadar Upazila, the study shows that there is a significant improvement in the livelihood conditions of the migrated people, but the locational disadvantages and access to agricultural production, the local employment market, and some of the targeted objectives of the project have not achieved. To some extent, the rehabilitated families have similar risks as they had before; however, available agricultural lands and proper allocation can reduce such livelihood risks.
Genotypic Regulation of Aflatoxin Accumulation but Not Aspergillus Fungal Growth upon Post-Harvest Infection of Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Seeds
Authors: Korani Walid , Chu Ye , Holbrook Corley , Clevenger Josh , Ozias-Akins Peggy
Published: July 2017

Aflatoxin contamination is a major economic and food safety concern for the peanut industry that largely could be mitigated by genetic resistance. To screen peanut for aflatoxin resistance, ten genotypes were infected with a green fluorescent protein (GFP)—expressing Aspergillus flavus strain. Percentages of fungal infected area and fungal GFP signal intensity were documented by visual ratings every 8 h for 72 h after inoculation. Significant genotypic differences in fungal growth rates were documented by repeated measures and area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) analyses. SICIA (Seed Infection Coverage and Intensity Analyzer), an image processing software, was developed to digitize fungal GFP signals. Data from SICIA image analysis confirmed visual rating results validating its utility for quantifying fungal growth. Among the tested peanut genotypes, NC 3033 and GT-C20 supported the lowest and highest fungal growth on the surface of peanut seeds, respectively. Although differential fungal growth was observed on the surface of peanut seeds, total fungal growth in the seeds was not significantly different across genotypes based on a fluorometric GFP assay. Significant differences in aflatoxin B levels were detected across peanut genotypes. ICG 1471 had the lowest aflatoxin level whereas Florida-07 had the highest. Two-year aflatoxin tests under simulated late-season drought also showed that ICG 1471 had reduced aflatoxin production under pre-harvest field conditions. These results suggest that all peanut genotypes support A. flavus fungal growth yet differentially influence aflatoxin production.
Accurate Distances to Important Spiral Galaxies: M63, M74, NGC 1291, NGC 4559, NGC 4625, and NGC 5398*
Authors: McQuinn Kristen. B. W. , Skillman Evan D. , Dolphin Andrew E. , Berg Danielle , Kennicutt Robert
Published: July 2017

Accurate distances are fundamental for interpreting various measured properties of galaxies. Surprisingly, many of the best-studied spiral galaxies in the Local Volume have distance uncertainties that are much larger than can be achieved with modern observation techniques. Using Hubble Space Telescopeoptical imaging, we use the tip of the red giant branch method to measure the distances to six galaxies that are included in the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey program and its offspring surveys. The sample includes M63, M74, NGC 1291, NGC 4559, NGC 4625, and NGC 5398. We compare our results with distances reported to these galaxies based on a variety of methods. Depending on the technique, there can be a wide range in published distances, particularly from the Tully–Fisher relation. In addition, differences between the planetary nebular luminosity function and surface brightness fluctuation techniques can vary between galaxies, suggesting inaccuracies that cannot be explained by systematics in the calibrations. Our distances improve upon previous results, as we use a well-calibrated, stable distance indicator, precision photometry in an optimally selected field of view, and a Bayesian maximum likelihood technique that reduces measurement uncertainties.
Characteristics of Solar Energetic Ions as a Function of Longitude
Authors: Cohen C. M. S. , Mason G. M. , Mewaldt R. A.
Published: July 2017

Since the 2006 launch of STEREO, multi-spacecraft studies have yielded several surprising results regarding the spread of solar energetic particles (SEPs) within the inner heliosphere. We have investigated the role of energy and ridigity, using ACE and STEREO 10 MeV n−1 oxygen data to identify 41 large SEP events observed by two or three spacecraft. We calculated fluence spectra from ∼0.1 to >10 MeV n−1 for H, He, O, and Fe for each event at the observing spacecraft (including SOHO and GOES). The particle fluences at 0.3, 1, and 10 MeV n−1 were examined as a function of the distance between the associated solar flare longitude and the spacecraft magnetic footpoints at the Sun to determine the longitudinal spread of particles and study how the distribution centers and widths depend on energy and charge-to-mass (Q/M) for the first time. On average, the three-spacecraft event distributions were centered at 22 ± 4° west of the flare site and were 43 ± 1° wide, though there was substantial variability, while the fit to the aggregate of the two-spacecraft event fluences yielded significantly wider distributions at 0.3 and 1 MeV n−1. The widths derived from both the three- and two-spacecraft events show an energy dependence with distributions narrowing with increasing energy, consistent with lower energy ions experiencing more field line co-rotation, or being accelerated over a larger portion of the CME-driven shock or for longer times as the shock expands. Surprisingly, no clear evidence was found for a Q/M dependence to the widths or centers suggesting that rigidity-related processes are not the dominant means of spreading particles in longitude.
The FMOS-COSMOS Survey of Star-forming Galaxies at Z ∼ 1.6. V: Properties of Dark Matter Halos Containing Hα Emitting Galaxies
Authors: Kashino Daichi , More Surhud , Silverman John D. , Daddi Emanuele , Renzini Alvio , Sanders David B. , Rodighiero Giulia , Puglisi Annagrazia , Kajisawa Masaru , Valentino Francesco , Kartaltepe Jeyhan S. , Fèvre Olivier Le , Nagao Tohru , Arimoto Nobuo , Sugiyama Naoshi
Published: July 2017

We study the properties of dark matter halos that contain star-forming galaxies at 1.43 ≤ z ≤ 1.74, using the FMOS-COSMOS survey. The sample consists of 516 objects with a detection of the Hα emission line, which represent the star forming population at this epoch, having a stellar mass range of 109.57 ≤ M
*/M
⊙ ≲ 1011.4 and a star-formation rate range of 15 ≲ SFR/(M
⊙ yr−1) ≲ 600. We measure the projected two-point correlation function while carefully taking into account observational biases, and find a significant clustering amplitude at scales of 0.04–10 h
−1 cMpc, with a correlation length

and a bias

. We interpret our clustering measurement using a halo occupation distribution model. The sample galaxies appear to reside in halos with mass

on average, which will likely become present-day halos of mass M
h (z = 0) ∼ 2 × 1013
h
−1
M
⊙, equivalent to the typical halo mass scale of galaxy groups. We then confirm the decline of the stellar-to-halo mass ratio at M
h < 1012
M
⊙, finding M
*/M
h ≈ 5 × 10−3 at M
h = 7. 5 × 1011
M
⊙, which is lower by a factor of 2–4 than those measured at higher masses (M
h ∼ 1012–13
M
⊙). Finally, we use our results to illustrate the future capabilities of Subaru’s Prime-Focus Spectrograph, a next-generation instrument that will provide strong constraints on the galaxy-formation scenario by obtaining precise measurements of galaxy clustering at z > 1.
Research on Teaching Method of Mold Course Based on CAD/CAE/CAM Technology
Authors: Li Xueyi , Ding Shuhui , Wei Junying , Wang Quanwei
Published: July 2017

The teaching of the traditional mold courses focus on the illustration of theoretical knowledge. Therefore, associating the design, evaluation, and manufacture links as a whole is difficult. Students cannot shape system knowledge, thereby making the study difficult. In addition, traditional teaching cannot meet the current enterprise needs of talents who have mold CAD/CAE/CAM technology. This study presents a teaching method that applies CAD/CAE/CAM technology to mold teaching. First, the positive effects of these technologies on the mold design and manufacturing process are introduced. Thereafter, lamp cover is used as an example to establish a series of computer-aided teaching development processes using existing software for mold design, mold flow analysis, and machining simulation. Lastly, survey results demonstrate that the effects of the proposed teaching method are better than the traditional method. Moreover, students and enterprises are substantially recognized in this teaching method.
A Comparative Study of Financing Innovation Capacity for Romanian SMEs in a Global Economy
Authors: Oncioiu Ionica , Duca Ioana , Postole Mirela Anca , Ciobanasu Marilena
Published: July 2017

The increasing economic importance of technology, information, business processes and human capital has been notified and considered. Small businesses are more affected than the large and very large ones in terms of innovation. The object of our analysis will focus on local analytical developments of the performance indicators resulting from the development of innovative capacity so as to achieve an economic and financial profile of several representative regions. The results of this study show that innovative Romanian SMEs will determine the achievement of competitive performance in domestic and international markets, as their fundamentals concerning the nature of products, knowledge, information and communication means used are experiencing a rapid development. Coherent and effective settlement of the innovation problems the SME sector is facing, starting with the causes that generate them, is conditioned by the operation in key areas which determine their functionality and performance.
Micro-Finance and Poverty in India
Authors: Ganguly Shromona
Published: July 2017

During the last decade, microfinance has been recognised as one of the most important and innovative ways to address the financial needs of the poor. Despite being an issue with considerable policy implications, there are very few studies which empirically examine the impact of microfinance on poverty in the case of India. Analysing the formal and informal segments of financial system of India, the present paper provides an impact evaluation study of microfinance in India. The study is done on three dimensions of microfinance: 1) client outreach, 2) financial health, and 3) poverty reduction. The impact evaluation study is done following a unique methodology different from the widely used microfinance poverty penetration index. The paper incorporates impact of other relevant economic variables like infrastructure and banking sector development on poverty in the analysis, hitherto overlooked in literature. The result presented in the paper shows that the impact of microfinance on poverty alleviation in Indian states, when controlled for other variables, is not significant.
Measuring Country Risk
Authors: San-Martín-Albizuri Nerea , Rodríguez-Castellanos Arturo
Published: July 2017

The concept of “country risk” has once again come under the spotlight. Globalization, the shock-waves of the subprime crisis, manifested in sovereign and private debt crises, and the fear to a “contagion” of risk between market participants are, among others, the reasons that make topical this form of risk. The aim of this chapter is to offer an overview of the factors that influence country risk, and an analysis of the methods most commonly used to measure it, with a discussion of their pros and cons. The conclusion is that none of those methods have offered satisfactory results. In this regard, the authors propose a change in the way to analyze country risk. Rather than attempting to predict debt crises, it is necessary to identify the sources of risk, and accept uncertainty as a feature of the current environment.
Using Screen Capture Feedback to Establish Social Presence and Increase Student Engagement
Authors: Stannard Russell , Mann Steve
Published: July 2017

The quality of feedback in HE (higher education) generates an enormous amount of interest and debate amongst the educational community and interested parties, with continual reference being made to the supposed poor quality of feedback in the National Student Surveys (NSS 2013). Indeed, students report that this is one area of their student experience which they are least satisfied with (e.g. HEFCE 2005.The innovation we outline is based around the use of screen capture (SC) technology to provide feedback. It offers a way of providing more personalised feedback and building a stronger sense of social presence between tutor and student, thereby improving the quality of feedback provision. We believe that SC feedback provides more detailed feedback and is more natural in its delivery. If used well, SC feedback can provide more engagement and dialogue between the tutor and student, SC feedback has certainly been well received by both students and educators in a variety of HE contexts (e.g., Chen 2012) and this case study will contribute further to the discussion.
Using YouTube and WeChat to Promote Communicative and Intercultural Competence in Japanese and Mandarin
Authors: Carter Beverly-Anne , He Min , Kawasaki Tsubura
Published: July 2017

Web 2.0 technologies are omnipresent in the lives of the digital natives who are the majority of learners in the language centre's non-specialist programme. However, there is no automatic transfer from personal to pedagogical use especially when linguistic and intercultural competence is also at play. The Japanese and Chinese teachers, who are the chapter's co-authors see technology as an affordance and thus necessary for developing their students' proficiency. The chapter examines learners' perspectives on the technology used and whether it facilitates the degree of engagement intended.
Learning English With Texting on Social Media
Authors: Shiau Hong-Chi , Xiang Catherine Hua
Published: July 2017

Social media has induced substantial growth of various cultural contacts, resulting in a great variation of uses in English. In light of the popularity of new social media, contacts of people from different cultures have been changed from predominant face-to-face encounters to instantaneous communication. This case study examines how Taiwanese students relate their ESL learning experiences to the use of social media and how their uses help transform these ESL students' gender/ethnic identities during study abroad. Adopting an ethnographic research approach, the results suggest some barriers and challenges those ESL students face during the time abroad, both linguistically but also in terms of intercultural friendship. Pedagogical implications and recommendations are made on how to more effectively using social media in developing linguistic and intercultural competence in the context of study abroad.
Video Summaries of Academic Texts
Authors: Stepanek Libor , Arriaga Constanza Guillermina
Published: July 2017

This chapter introduces a case study on the use of video summaries in a university setting. It presents a practical insight into a simple, yet complex and versatile activity that aims at improving the language and communication skills of students in authentic intercultural academic situations. This activity has been developed, implemented and used in language courses at Masaryk University (MU), Brno, Czech Republic, and Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS), Bahía Blanca, Argentina, since February 2014. Students undertaking language courses at MU and UNS write texts and record video summaries outside of class. They then reflect and discuss linguistic, cultural and organisational topics in class or online discussion forums. The activity consists of a set of interconnected tasks that improve students' understanding of similarities and differences between written and spoken styles, encourage their learning autonomy and enhance the authenticity of their language development.
Digging Anthropology Mine for Marketing Gold
Authors: Sudarsan Sudio
Published: July 2017

Marketing, born out of industrial organization economics, has borrowed myriad concepts and frameworks from neoclassical economics since its inception, as much as it has acquired theories and methods from psychology and sociology. The theories in marketing depend heavily on these disciplines and their relevance in decoding the “consumer” who occupies the center point of all marketing thoughts has only increased over the years. This paper contends that cultural anthropological theories and practices have more sincere and serious implications in the pursuit of unmasking consumer's desires, wants, and needs that marketers ought to pay more attention. Distilling various motifs of twentieth-century anthropological thought, the author argues how culture is paramount in reflecting the realities of consumption.
Developing Marketing Strategy on Social Networks
Authors: Milović Boris
Published: July 2017

Social networks have proven to be very convenient and effective medium for the spreading of marketing messages, advertising, branding and promotion of products and services. Social networks offer companies, nonprofit organizations, political parties etc. sending certain messages for free. In addition, they allow companies access to a wide range of characteristics of their users. Developing appropriate, the winning strategy for marketing in social media is a comprehensive, time-intensive process therefore it is important to know to manage their content. Social networks transform certain classical approaches to marketing. They provide creative and relatively easy way to increase public awareness of the company and its products, and facilitate obtaining feedback and decision making. These are sources of different information about users and groups that they've joined. The success itself of marketing performance on a social network depends on the readiness and training of organizations to perform on them.
Diffusion of Innovation and Role of Opinion Leaders
Authors: Silveira Dayane Gabriele Alves
Published: July 2017

The purposes of this study were: (1) examine the literature about innovation diffusion; (2) conduct a literature review on the innovation-decision process; (3) identify factors affecting the success of an innovation; (4) to determine a new strategy for diffusion of innovation. A structured search of the internet was undertaken to identify and appraise direct relationship between opinion leaders and diffusion of innovation. Models for describing the pattern of the diffusion processes for innovations are used by researchers. The present study went beyond the global structure of network to understand the actual position of the actors within the innovation networks. To do this, a strategy was needed that went to understand from the macro to the micro level, and then returned to the macro level to explain the structure of the authorship in innovation networks.
A Semiotic Approach Through Print Advertisements
Authors: Patel Neha Chirag , Bhutiani Supriya Rahul
Published: July 2017

The advent of globalization has brought about innumerable changes in the Indian society. Advertisements reflect the changing society. In the said context, the authors have studied the print advertisements related to male grooming products in India over a twenty-five-year period by using the Multimodal Discourse Analysis and the framework of Roland Barthes semiotics study. The current study encompassed two prime purposes – the first being that of identifying and understanding the important codes of visual image in the male grooming sector; and the second being to discern the changes (if any) hitherto in the Indian culture. The findings from the present study reinforced the view that advertisements do mirror the changes in the society and hence the emergence of the Indian metrosexual men.
Maritime Piracy in Southeast Asia
Authors: Morabito Giacomo , D'Aleo Vittorio , Di Fatta Davide , Musotto Roberto , Vesperi Walter
Published: July 2017

The costs of the Southeast Asia maritime piracy to the global economy are largely underestimated regarding the issue of the fight against piracy. In particular, the region suffers from severe negative socio-economic impacts due to over-fishing, and the reduction and collapse of the fisheries have led to a widespread loss of income and employment. The attacks on fishers take place regularly in most Southeast Asian countries. Also, in many cases, the pirates are the fishers themselves, and they attack fishers of other nationalities. All those attacks have a serious negative impact on food security in the region by damaging fishing industry and threatening artisanal fishers who risk losing their entire income. Given the fact that large parts of Southeast Asia's fish populations are overfished, fishers have less possibility to avoid areas prone to pirate attacks.
Retrospective of Economic and Trade Policies Focused on Agricultural Development
Authors: Aliyev Khatai , Gasimov Ilkin
Published: July 2017

The importance of the agricultural sector in the economy of Azerbaijan is high. This sector has always been at the center of economic reforms by the government. This chapter overviews economic and trade policies of the government focused on the development of agricultural production since 1991. Authors carry out analysis of policy changes during separate development stages. The research output presents agricultural policy before the oil boom as mainly devoted to achieving structural transformation from centrally planned economy to the market environment. Within the oil boom period, the government provided substantial fiscal and technical support to the agricultural sector as well as applied tax incentives to farmers but did not pay attention to the transformation from family farming to medium and large-scale production. However, fiscal and macroeconomic challenges of post-oil boom period forced the government to focus on increasing efficiency of the subsidies and incentives and implementation of further agricultural reforms.
The Potential of Traditional Leafy Vegetables for Improving Food Security in Africa
Authors: Dube Praxedis , Heijman Wim J. M. , Ihle Rico , Ochieng Justus
Published: July 2017

Feeding the quickly growing population in Africa remains a global challenge. As the demand for food increases, climate change, on the other hand, poses more challenges to agricultural productivity, implying that the provision of sufficient quantities and qualities of food is threatened. Traditional leafy vegetables (TLVs) in Africa are resilient to adverse weather conditions and are naturally rich in nutrients including vitamins A & C, iron, protein and other micronutrients. The objective of this chapter is to assess the potential of TLVs improving food security in Africa. TLVs represent a robust local source of food, their consumption is crucial in complementing Africa's diet with micronutrients. TLVs have therefore the potential to play a major role in improving food security and facilitating food sovereignty. Research on seeds, developing seed systems, coupled by preparing and processing methods to TLV products like cakes or flour is needed to increase their consumption, particularly among the young, elite and urban dwellers.
Food Safety From Consumer Perspective
Authors: Domazet Ivana , Djokić Nenad
Published: July 2017

Consumer perception is one of the aspects from which food safety can be considered. This view of food safety, named in the literature as subjective safety, does not necessarily correspond to objective food safety and is also considered as not being easily influenced by education of consumers. Having that in mind, the first goal of this chapter is to examine different approaches to food safety and the results of previous research dealing with consumer perspective of food safety. Besides giving broad literature review of the topic, the goal of this chapter is to implement Consumer confidence in food safety scale in Serbian consumer research. The validity, reliability, and one-dimensionality of this scale, which consists of optimism and pessimism (two dimensions of confidence), are tested and determinants of different rating on it are examined. The research from 2016 includes 300 participants in the main survey. Finally, starting from profiling consumers with different levels of general confidence in food safety, managerial recommendations are provided.
IoT Architecture and Protocols in 5G Environment
Authors: Mostafa Ahmed Mahmoud
Published: July 2017

The Internet of Things (IoT) is defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and IoT European Research Cluster (IERC) as a dynamic global network infrastructure with self-configuring capabilities based on standard and interoperable communication protocols where physical and virtual “things” have identities, physical attributes and virtual personalities, use intelligent interfaces and are seamlessly integrated into the information network. Many of the applications and use cases that drive the requirements and capabilities of 5G are about end-to-end communication between devices. This chapter describes the enabling technologies for the Internet of Things, the IoT architecture, the network and communication infrastructure for IoT, and the importance of scalability for 5G based IoT systems. Also, naming and addressing issues in IoT is presented along with an overview of the existing data exchange protocols that can be applied to IoT based systems.
Graph Tools for Social Network Analysis
Authors: Akhtar Nadeem , Ahamad Mohd Vasim
Published: July 2017

A social network can be defined as a complex graph, which is a collection of nodes connected via edges. Nodes represent individual actors or people in the network, whereas edges define relationships among those actors. Most popular social networks are Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. To analyze these social networks, one needs specialized tools for analysis. This chapter presents a comparative study of such tools based on the general graph aspects as well as the social network mining aspects. While considering the general graph aspects, this chapter presents a comparative study of four social network analysis tools—NetworkX, Gephi, Pajek, and IGraph—based on the platform, execution time, graph types, algorithm complexity, input file format, and graph features. On the basis of the social network mining aspects, the chapter provides a comparative study on five specialized tools—Weka, NetMiner 4, RapidMiner, KNIME, and R—with respect to the supported mining tasks, main functionality, acceptable input formats, output formats, and platform used.
Working and Organizing as Social Problems
Authors: Kuhn Timothy
Published: July 2017

Typical renderings of the domain of organizational communication focus on topics, perspectives, and persons. These perspectives encourage an attention to the boundaries surrounding the field, but have little to offer questions about the relevance of the field's work to pressing social problems. Consequently, I explore how we might enhance our scholarship's capability to engage with important social problems. I start with a discussion of problems encountered in working and organizing under contemporary capitalism, and then consider how novel conceptions of organization and communication can generate novel questions into, and insights about, these problems. Specifically, I argue for the relevance of attending to the “gig economy” and the precarity associated with it, and highlight the value of a relational ontology of communication as a vehicle for heurism and engagement with social problems.
Dynamics of Entrepreneurship Education
Authors: Loi Michela
Published: July 2017

Drawing upon an extracurricular university course on entrepreneurship, this work explores the dynamics among human and social capital and four learning outcomes: entrepreneurial intentions, perceived behavioral control, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and startup activities. Following a longitudinal perspective, the study examined those dynamics in a sample of 66 students. Findings reveal that the influence of human capital decreased by the end of the course, yet played a fundamental role in improving intention and startup activities at the beginning of the course. A different pattern emerged for social capital (e.g., having friends who work as entrepreneurs), which maintained its relevance in enhancing perceived behavioral control, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and startup activities after the course. Such results support the equalizer function of entrepreneurship education with respect to human capital, as well as underscore the paramount role of peers in sustaining the development of an entrepreneurial mindset.
Critical Success Factors of Innovation and Creativity for Global Entrepreneurs
Authors: Lasrado Flevy
Published: July 2017

Innovation, is a subject of considerable interest for entrepreneurs. They share a keen interest in learning how to foster innovation and creativity in ways that help firms to create increasing amounts of wealth. Research on innovation and creativity has increased ever since they were considered to be the key to building a competitive advantage. In fact, it is a challenge for organizations to sustain innovation. In this chapter, we explore the factors that entrepreneurs should address to channel innovation in their organizations. Entrepreneurship, on the other hand, requires the funneling and implementation of creative ideas, leading to innovation. This chapter is particularly relevant to global managers seeking to identify inhibitors of creativity and business innovation and how to combat the roadblocks and create a sustainable innovation environment. The chapter discusses the three essential components that must be considered to spur innovation. We highlight the best practices associated with these factors through a case study of three organizations.
Culture Dimensions Supporting Subgroup Entrepreneurs in Nigerian Business Environment
Authors: Iguisi Osarumwense
Published: July 2017

This study examined the effect of cultural value perspectives of entrepreneurs from three subgroups of Ibo, Hausa and Yoruba in Nigeria. The results of this study are interpreted within the cultural context of the study. A major research question was whether the results of this study can help illicit information on cultural differences and similarities among the subgroups. The results show Ibos displaying more power orientation, Yorubas displaying high uncertainty, the Hausas at ease with uncertainty. On starting one's own business, experience and lack of alternatives do have a great influence on the subgroup respondents, while desire for creativity, independence and power were factors that motivated the subgroup entrepreneurs involved in the study. Lack of training, cash flows and bad planning were identified as the top three factors contributing to business failures. Family was found to be the most important life-related value factor highly shared by the respondents.
“Let Me Show You”
Authors: Buckner Melody Jo
Published: July 2017

Criticism has been prevalent around the academic rigor of coursework within study abroad programs. Stakeholders of the study abroad experience are taking a closer look at student learning outcomes from these programs. This critique suggests that more attention be given to the development of innovative and meaningful assessment practices being implemented into these programs in order for students to demonstrate their learning outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the affordances of digital storytelling as a response to this critique. The focus of this study was to implement a digital storytelling assignment in four summer study abroad programs led by university faculty. Over the course of four summers (2011 – 2014), digital storytelling was implemented to help students reflect upon what they learned and through this reflective process demonstrate the knowledge they gained. This article discusses the findings of digital storytelling as a reflective assessment practice in study abroad programs.
Mobile Technology and Learning
Authors: Deaton Benjamin , Herron Josh , Deaton Cynthia C. M.
Published: July 2017

With an awareness of the unique characteristics of an increasingly mobile world and referencing socio-material mobile learning frameworks, this chapter will provide an overview of the initial stages and growth of mobile learning. The authors also discuss university initiatives to support mobile learning, and examine the implications of mobile technologies for teaching and learning. Additionally, the chapter will introduce a case study detailing the Mobile Learning Innovation at Anderson University (SC) and highlight its impact on the teaching and learning culture on its campus.
Cognitive Investment Into the Interaction Society
Authors: Ellington Linda Marie
Published: July 2017

There is a cascade of interest in the topic of interactive time and space. and it might may be useful to align our cognitive investment that contributes to the operational goals of our thinking, our beliefs, and reactions to the phase of co-evolution of the human with the interaction society. If we want to build a rich understanding of how our mental assets influence involvement into this unique society, we need to be able to make a case for the crucial role of framing how the digital intergalactic transforms individuals and society. The mode of interactions may not be instruments of cognitive evolution, but the how of weaving together different perspectives of human development and engagement with cutting-edge interaction technology may be a significant player in the new cyborg society order.
Anomalous Event Detection Methodologies for Surveillance Application
Authors: Rao T. J. Narendra , Girish G N , Tahiliani Mohit P. , Rajan Jeny
Published: July 2017

Automatic visual surveillance systems serve as in-place threat detection devices being able to detect and recognize anomalous activities which otherwise would lead to potentially harmful situations, and alert the concerned authorities to take appropriate counter actions. However, development of an efficient visual surveillance system is quite challenging. Designing an unusual activity detection mechanism which is accurate and real-time is the primary challenge. Review of literature carried out led to the inference that there are some attributes which are essential for a successful unusual event detection mechanism for surveillance application. The desired approach must detect genuine anomalies in real-world scenarios with acceptable accuracy, should adapt to changing environments and, should require less computational time and memory. In this chapter, an attempt has been made to provide an insight into some of the prominent approaches employed by researchers to solve these issues with a hope that it will benefit researchers towards developing a better surveillance system.
Block-Based Motion Estimation
Authors: Arora Shaifali Madan , Khanna Kavita
Published: July 2017

Recent years have witnessed a great technological evolution in video display and capturing technologies leading to the development of new standards of video coding including MPEG-X, H.26X and HEVC. The cost of computations, storage and high bandwidth requirements makes a video data expensive in terms of transmission and storage. This makes video compression absolutely necessary prior to its transmission in order to accommodate for different transmission media's capabilities. Digital video compression technologies therefore have become an important part of the way we create, present, communicate and use visual information. The main aim behind a video compression system is to eliminate the redundancies from a raw video signal. The tradeoff involved in the process of video compression is between the speed, quality and resource utilization. The current chapter explores the techniques, challenges, issues and problems in video compression in detail along with the major advancements in the field.