bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advancing Active Learning with Adult Learners
Authors: McFadden Cheryl
Published: August 2013

A yearlong journey resulted in a professor developing and implementing a course using a new emergent theory of adult learning that builds upon the concept of andragogy, the art and science of helping adults learn. This model is referred to as ACES: Accessing student content knowledge, Creating student-centered goals, Engaging students in real-life learning experiences, and Soliciting feedback using non-traditional methods. This case study is about the development and implementation of this process and its success. The study demonstrates how adult learners prefer to be active participants in the learning process.
K-20 Education and Globalization
Authors: Hope John K.
Published: August 2013

The stance taken in this chapter is that globalization has become pervasive in every country, and K-20 education can no longer be separated from its influence. The challenge for all educators is to acknowledge both positive and negative influences of globalization on K-20 education, attempt to neutralise the negative influences and optimise any of the benefits of globalization for improved student learning. Looking to the future, globally inspired developments in information and communication technology will increase the likelihood of the influence of globalization on K-20 education becoming even more profound.
The Travel Machine
Authors: Marcus Aaron
Published: August 2013

Travel and tourism is a booming sector of the 21st century world economy. Despite numerous positive trends, numerous critics deplore some developments in this industry. In an era of increasing leisure tourism or “part-time leisure tourism” tacked on to business trips, coming into contact with other cultures risks fading into the background. Therefore, the Travel Machine project of 2012 researched, analyzed, designed, and evaluated effective ways to foster a shift from leisure to cultural tourism by changing people’s travel behavior in the short- and in the long-term. The main objective is to persuade and motivate people, especially travelers aged up to 50 years, those from higher to average economic and educational demographics, to open themselves up more intensely towards the local population and culture of a destination, and to make out of their trip a deeper, personally enriching, and educational experience. For this objective, a well-designed mobile phone application prototype, the Travel Machine, was conceived by the author’s firm, combining information design/visualization and persuasion design. This chapter explains the development of the Travel Machine’s user interface, information design, information visualization, and persuasion design.
Research on Mobile HCI
Authors: Schleicher Robert , Westermann Tilo , Weiss Benjamin , Wechsung Ina , Möller Sebastian
Published: August 2013

This chapter addresses the issue of context-dependency in research on mobile human computer interaction (HCI) with an emphasis on large-scale field studies. Based on a general framework that includes all the factors relevant for Quality of Experience (QoE), the authors first show how context affects basic processes on the side of the user as well the system or device. Then the authors describe three own studies where they aimed to account for context in app usage. The first tried to do so by offering an app for a very specific usage situation (commenting soccer world cup games), the second groups related applications of one domain (on-campus service for students) in an app-in-app bundle. The third example illustrates how evaluation of one single app across various contexts can be achieved in a classic field trial. Based on the authors’ experiences, they provide recommendations what to consider when planning a study and finally point out future directions of research.
Mobile Internet in Portugal
Authors: Damásio Manuel José , Henriques Sara , Teixeira-Botelho Inês , Dias Patrícia
Published: August 2013

In contemporary society, Internet services and phones are blending into a mobile device frequently called smartphone. As a consequence, mobile Internet is having an exponential growth and new practices of mobile social networking and mobile communication are emerging, as these devices make it easier to maintain networks of relationships. Resulting from this convergence, contemporary mobile user experience also contributes to the blending of local and global through the permanent dynamic articulation of communication and coordination. This chapter deals with the emerging adoption drivers of mobile Internet and the behaviors of use that characterized it, highlighting the importance of mobility for online activities and the industry’s and user’s perspective of this technology adoption, patterns of use, motivating factors, and type of activities performed online. The authors’ main hypotheses argue that the nature of social interactions allowed by m-Internet is a key adoption driver and that, as consequence, social activities are integrative and relevant parts of m-Internet service. Moreover, The authors discuss that the type of access has an influence on the type of activities undertaken online, arguing that mobile access facilitates interaction and participation and supports more collective-based activities.
Perception of Journalistic Content Printed on Paper and on an iPad Case Study
Authors: Pérez Antonio Sanjuán , Cantarero Teresa Nozal , Neira Ana González
Published: August 2013

The introduction of digital tablets and the reduction in their price has meant that the newspaper publishing market has had to adapt itself to a new medium with a heretofore unseen different concept of design and use that is a hybrid between print content and a Web page. The aim of this comparative study is to investigate the reading experience of users in two different media: the print version of a newspaper and a rich PDF version of that newspaper distributed on the iPad. The study aims to contribute to the developing digital news industry with relevant findings regarding the features of current news applications. The study focuses on La Voz de Galicia, a regional daily newspaper with a circulation of more than one hundred thousand copies per day. In this study, we draw conclusions regarding the level of interactivity and multimedia content that the sample group demands from newspaper-related tablet applications, the difference in perception of the journalistic content based on whether the medium is paper or the iPad and the intent to purchase the product. This information is particularly relevant given that it has been obtained from future adults who within a few years will be in a context in which the trend in paid journalistic consumption will decrease while the penetration of tablets in the market will increase.
Collaborative Participation in Personalized Health through Mobile Diaries
Authors: Arslan Pelin
Published: August 2013

Mobile and social media tools offer new opportunities for a more user centered, socially connected, and economically sustainable healthcare systems. A major focus of this chapter is to understand how to bring users to involve in their own everyday health management through mobile narratives, and new media as social platforms to incite social interaction in promoting healthier lifestyles. More in detail, the study discusses the utility of geo-located video diaries and social network, where the social interaction on the web and user-recorded video diaries create awareness and help subjects to self-reflect on their activities and aim to think for a health behavior change. The chapter experiences a focus project Locast Health Diary aims to provide a helpful set of tools for teen’s risk at obesity to record their socio- psychological environment and everyday health routines through participatory workshops and evaluate the use of health diary tools for confronting obesity problems.
Gestural Interaction with Mobile Devices Based on Magnetic Field
Authors: Ali Yüksel Kamer
Published: August 2013

The theory of around device interaction (ADI) has recently gained a lot of attention in the field of human computer interaction (HCI). As an alternative to the classic data entry methods, such as keypads and touch screens, ADI founds a 3D user interface that extends to the peripheral area of a device. In this chapter, the authors introduce a revolutionary interaction framework that is based on the idea of ADI. The proposed method constitutes a touchless data entry system that is based on the interaction between the magnetic fields around a device and a properly shaped magnet. The magnetic field that surrounds the device is generated by a magnetic sensor (compass) that is embedded in the new generation of mobile phones such as Apple’s iPhone 3GS and 4G, and Google’s Nexus one. The user movements of the properly shaped magnet in front of the device, then, deforms the sensor’s original magnetic field pattern whereby we can constitute a new means of communication between the user and the device. Thus, the magnetic field encompassing the device plays the role of a communication channel and encodes the hand-movement patterns of the user into temporal changes of the sensor’s magnetic field. In the back-end of the communication, an engine samples the momentary status of the field during a trial and recognizes the user’s pattern by matching it against some pre-recorded templates. The proposed method has been tested in a variety of applications such as handwriting recognition, user authentication, gesture recognition, and some entertainment applications. The experimental results show that the proposed interface not only elevates the convenience of user-device interactions, but also shows very promising accuracies in a wide range of applications requiring user interactions.
Public Use of Mobile Media on College Campuses1
Authors: Chen Yi-Fan
Published: August 2013

Mobile media users are found to make public spaces their own private territories. They use mobile media to bridge their personal relationships and isolate the unwanted interactions or sounds in the public. A triangulation research method is used to understand how mobile media has been used in public between 2005 and 2009 on American college campuses. Results show that mobile media users change public spaces into their private spaces by the use of their mobile media. The heavier mobile media dependency students have, the more uses their mobile media in public space. This is more true for females than males in this study.
Structuring an Emergent and Transdisciplinary Online Curriculum
Authors: Hai-Jew Shalin
Published: August 2013

Subject domains are in constant transition as new research and analysis reveal fresh insights, and occasionally, there may be paradigm shifts or new conceptual models. Transdisciplinary approaches may be understood as such a shift, with new approaches for conceptualization, analysis, and problem solving via recombinations of domain fields. Such transitory paradigm-shifting moments remove the usual touchpoints on which a curriculum is structured. There are often few or none of the accepted sequential developmental phases with identified concepts and learning outcomes in book chapters, thematic structures, and historical or chronological ordering. An emergent curriculum requires a different instructional design approach than those that have assumed curricular pre-structures. Based on a year-and-a-half One Health course build, this chapter offers some insights on the processes of defining and developing an emergent curriculum.
Listening and Learning through ICT with Digital Kids
Authors: Forbes Dianne
Published: August 2013

The following case reports on the involvement of children in online discussion with student teachers within initial teacher education in New Zealand. The focus is on listening to children, with wider implications for listening as a professional capability extending beyond the teaching profession. In this case, student teachers and pupils communicated online, exchanging ideas, debating, and engaging in co-construction of understandings around the place of Information and Communication Technologies in teaching and learning. The case explores the interaction and social dynamics observed and mutual learning experienced, with links to theoretical perspectives including constructivist and democratic pedagogies. Implications for improved practice are considered. It is argued that there is a need to explicitly teach listening skills and to encourage professionals in training to listen to clients. It is argued that the online environment is an excellent training ground for developing effective listening skills as it lends itself to reflective practice and to meta-listening awareness.
A Case Study of Online MBA Courses
Authors: Magjuka Richard J. , Liu Xiaojing
Published: August 2013

This chapter presents a case study that examines the perceptions of online students and instructors regarding their their experiences in a reputable online MBA program. The findings indicate that both the instructors and students exhibited a high level of satisfaction with their online experiences in the program and positive attitude toward online learning in general. This study also explores the in-depth views of the online participants on several key components of online business education, including online learning facilitation and interaction, virtual teamwork, and Case-Based Learning (CBL). The issues and challenges identified in the study indicate a need for the instructors and students to receive more guidance and support, technologically and pedagogically, in order to create a more engaging and fruitful online learning environment.
A Case Study of a Distance Degree Program in Vietnam
Authors: Fägersten Kristy Beers
Published: August 2013

The English Department at Högskolan Dalarna, Sweden, participates in a distance-learning program with the Faculty of Education at Vietnam National University. Students who enroll in this program are teachers of English at secondary or tertiary institutions, and will study half time for two years to complete a Master’s degree in English Linguistics. The distance program, adapted specifically to accommodate the Vietnamese students in terms of cultural differences as well as inexperience with distance methodology, is characterized by three design features: testing, technical training, and fostering a community of learners. The design of the courses also reflects a learner-centered approach that addresses common problem areas in distance education by promoting interactivity. Central to the overall program is the maintenance of different channels of communication, reflecting an effort to support the students academically and socially, both as individuals and members of a learning community. In this way, the effects of physical and cultural distances are minimized.
Semantic Interoperability on the Internet of Things
Authors: Kotis Konstantinos , Katasonov Artem
Published: August 2013

Internet of Things should be able to integrate an extremely large amount of distributed and heterogeneous entities. To tackle heterogeneity, these entities will need to be consistently and formally represented and managed (registered, aligned, composed and queried) trough suitable abstraction technologies. Two distinct types of these entities are a) sensing/actuating devices that observe some features of interest or act on some other entities (call it ‘smart entities’), and b) applications that utilize the data sensed from or sent to the smart entities (call it ‘control entities’). The aim of this paper is to present the Semantic Smart Gateway Framework for supporting semantic interoperability between these types of heterogeneous IoT entities. More specifically, the paper describes an ontology as the key technology for the abstraction and semantic registration of these entities, towards supporting their automated deployment. The paper also described the alignment of IoT entities and of their exchanged messages. More important, the paper presents a use case scenario and a proof-of-concept implementation.
Liquefaction Hazard Mapping of Lucknow
Authors: Kumar Abhishek , Anbazhagan P. , Sitharam T. G.
Published: August 2013

Even though the size of the earthquake is moderate, presence of soft soil near the surface can cause devastating damage due to local site and induced effects like liquefaction. Evidence of liquefaction due to past Indian earthquakes was highlighted in many Paleo-seismic studies, particularly in the Himalayan region. The objective of this paper is subsurface characterization of part Indo-Gangetic Basin (IGB) and estimation of liquefaction hazards for the possible surface ground motions based on the region seismic study. Drilling of boreholes and measurement of standard penetration N values are carried out at selected locations for subsurface characterization. Possibility of liquefaction for soil deposits are assessed by comparing the grain size distribution curves obtained from laboratory tests with the range of grain size distribution curves of potentially liquefiable soils. The minimum factor of safety values has been identified for each location and presented in the form of maps showing FOS against liquefaction for average and maximum amplified peak ground acceleration (PGA) values. These maps have highlighted that the northern, western and central parts of Lucknow fall under very critical to critical for liquefaction while southern parts shows moderate to low critical area.
The Telematics Infrastructure
Authors: Zwicker Manuel , Seitz Juergen , Wickramasinghe Nilmini
Published: August 2013

Today all OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries are faced with the challenge of escalating healthcare costs. Most are agreed that e-health appears to offer a solution and thus we are witnessing the design, development and implementation of various e-health solutions. This is also true in Germany where the current focus is on the new e-health card concept. It is anticipated that the introduction of this e-health card will totally change the current healthcare system within Germany, primarily because it offers several new functions. Some of these functions are mandatory, while other functions are optional. Such an initiative however, brings with it several advantages and disadvantages. A particularly sensitive aspect here concerns data protection and data security. To address this consideration, the development of a new telematics infrastructure is critical and in some respects the backbone for the e-health card. Thus, the following provides an assessment of the telematics infrastructure behind the German e-health card.
Empirical Evaluation of Test Driven Modeling
Authors: Zugal Stefan , Haisjackl Cornelia , Pinggera Jakob , Weber Barbara
Published: August 2013

Declarative approaches to process modeling are regarded well suited for highly volatile environments as they provide a high degree of flexibility. However, problems in understanding and maintaining declarative process models impede their usage. To compensate for these shortcomings, Test Driven Modeling (TDM) has been proposed. This paper reports on an empirical investigation in which TDM is viewed from two different angles. First, the impact of TDM on communication is explored in a case study. Results indicate that domain experts are inclined to use test cases for communicating with the model builder (system analyst) and prefer them over the process model. The second part of the investigation, a controlled experiment, investigates the impact of TDM on process model maintenance. Data gathered in this experiment indicates that the adoption of test cases significantly lowers cognitive load and increases the perceived quality of changes.
Testing the Biobehavioral Family Model in Understanding the Eating Problems of Adolescent Girls.
Authors: Park Ji Young , Baek Su Yon , Kim Hee Soon , Lim Jung Ha , Kim Tae Hyung
Published: August 2013

PURPOSE: This study was done to test a hypothesized model, the Biobehavioral Family Model (BBFM), on the relationship of family emotional climate, security of parent-child relationship, depression symptoms and eating problems in adolescent girls, to further understanding of eating problems in this population.METHODS: With a convenience sample of 647 girls, aged 15 to 18, a self-report survey was conducted which included the Korean form of the Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26) to assess eating problems.RESULTS: The estimated results of the structural equation modeling indicated a good fit of data to the hypothesized model proposing that family emotional climate and security of parent-child relationship were associated with the risk of eating problems by way of depression symptoms. That is, negative family emotional climate and insecure parent-child relationship increased the risk of eating problems indirectly by way of depression symptoms.CONCLUSION: The findings are consistent with the BBFM, which suggests a psychobiologic influence of specific family processes on children's stress-sensitive physical disease activity by way of depression symptoms. Therefore, the applicability of the BBFM for understanding adolescent girls' eating problems is supported. The psychobiologic pathways from depression to eating pathology should be addressed in future studies.
On the origin of death: Paul and Augustine meet Charles Darwin
Authors: Spangenberg Izak J.J.
Published: August 2013

Ever since the 4th century, Christian theologians have linked Romans 5:12–21 with Genesis 2–3. Augustine (354–430), one of the Latin fathers of the Church, propagated the idea of ‘original sin’ according to his reading of these chapters. This idea eventually became a fixed doctrine in Western Christianity and a large number of Christians still believe and proclaim that humans would have lived for ever but for the misconduct of Adam and Eve. They also proclaim that Jesus, through his obedience, death and resurrection, re-established God’s original creation plan. Death was conquered and eternal life can be inherited by all who believe in Jesus as saviour and second Adam. However, since both the introduction of the theory of evolution into biology and the paradigm shift in biblical studies (at the end of the 19th century), the view that death was to be linked to ‘original sin’ came under severe criticism. This article argues that Romans 5:12–21 and Genesis 2–3 do not support the idea of ‘original sin’ and that death is a normal part of life on earth, as argued by evolutionary biologists and proclaimed by many Old Testament texts.
Exploring recruitment and selection trends in the Eastern Cape
Authors: Louw Gerrit J.
Published: August 2013

Orientation: The recruitment, selection and development of suitable candidates are crucial strategic functions to ensure the competitiveness of corporate and public sector organisations. Research purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine whether targeted organisations have a clear recruitment and selection policy by means of a preliminary exploratory study. In addition to this, the objective was the need to establish the various techniques or methods in use to recruit and select candidates for vacant posts. Motivation for the study: To develop a better understanding of the trends in the application of recruitment and selection methods within the Eastern Cape. Research design, approach and method: This study has a non-experimental design. Methodological processes followed a qualitative and quantitative mixed approach. Structured interviews were used to collect data followed by a descriptive statistical analysis, summary and interpretation of results. Main findings: Whereas newspaper advertising and recruitment agencies are the most popular recruitment methods, the application blank and interviews were mostly preferred for selection purposes. Although assessment centres and psychological assessments were also regarded as popular selection methods, assessment centres were; however, the most prominent selection method to follow of the above two mentioned selection methods. Practical/managerial implications: The research findings could provide corporate leaders and their human resource functionaries with a theoretical pointer relative to recruitment and selection trends within the Province which could guide more effective skills attraction and selection decisions. Contribution/value-add: The study provided valuable strategic information to improve on organisational competiveness via effective recruitment and selection processes. In addition, training and educational programmes could eventually fill the needs and gaps identified in organisational functioning and professional service delivery.
NGRIP CH4 concentration from 120 to 10 kyr before present and its relation to a δ15N temperature reconstruction from the same ice core
Authors: Baumgartner M. , Kindler P. , Eicher O. , Floch G. , Schilt A. , Schwander J. , Spahni R. , Capron E. , Chappellaz J. , Leuenberger M. , Fischer H. , Stocker T. F.
Published: August 2013

Abstract. During the last glacial cycle, Greenland temperature showed many rapid temperature variations, the so called Dansgaard-Oeschger (DO) events. The past atmospheric methane concentration closely followed these temperature variations, which implies that the warmings recorded in Greenland were probably hemispheric in extent. Here we substantially extend and complete the North Greenland Ice Core Project (NGRIP) methane record from Termination 1 back to the end of the last interglacial period with a mean time resolution of 54 yr. We relate the amplitudes of the methane increases associated with DO events to the amplitudes of the NGRIP temperature increases derived from stable nitrogen isotope (δ15N) measurements, which have been performed along the same ice core. We find the sensitivity to oscillate between 5 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) per °C and 18 ppbv °C−1 with the approximate frequency of the precessional cycle. A remarkably high sensitivity of 25.5 ppbv °C−1 is reached during Termination 1. Analysis of the timing of the fast methane and temperature increases reveals significant lags of the methane increases relative to NGRIP temperature for the DO events 5, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 19, and 20. We further show that the relative interpolar concentration difference of methane is 4.6 ± 0.7% between the DO events 18 and 19 and 4.4 ± 0.8% between the DO events 19 to 20, which is in the same order as in the stadials before and after DO event 2 around the Last Glacial Maximum.
Editorial: The publication of geoscientific model developments v1.0
Authors:   GMD Executive Editors
Published: August 2013

Abstract. In 2008, the first volume of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) journal Geoscientific Model Development (GMD) was published. GMD was founded because we perceived there to be a need for a space to publish comprehensive descriptions of numerical models in the geosciences. The journal is now well established, with the submission rate increasing over time. However, there are several aspects of model publication that we believe could be further improved. In this editorial we assess the lessons learned over the first few years of the journal's life, and describe some changes to GMD's editorial policy, which will ensure that the models and model developments are published in such a way that they are of maximum value to the community. These changes to editorial policy mostly focus on improving the rigour of the review process through a stricter requirement for access to the materials necessary to test the behaviour of the models. Throughout this editorial, "must" means that the stated actions are required, and the paper cannot be published without them; "strongly encouraged" means that we encourage the action, but papers can still be published if the criteria are not met; "may" means that the action may be carried out by the authors or referees, if they so wish. We have reviewed and rationalised the manuscript types into five new categories. For all papers which are primarily based on a specific numerical model, the changes are as follows: – The paper must be accompanied by the code, or means of accessing the code, for the purpose of peer-review. If the code is normally distributed in a way which could compromise the anonymity of the referees, then the code must be made available to the editor. The referee/editor is not required to review the code in any way, but they may do so if they so wish. – All papers must include a section at the end of the paper entitled "Code availability". In this section, instructions for obtaining the code (e.g. from a supplement, or from a website) should be included; alternatively, contact information should be given where the code can be obtained on request, or the reasons why the code is not available should be clearly stated. – We strongly encourage authors to upload any user manuals associated with the code. – For models where this is practicable, we strongly encourage referees to compile the code, and run test cases supplied by the authors where appropriate. – For models which have been previously described in the "grey" literature (e.g. as internal institutional documents), we strongly encourage authors to include this grey literature as a supplement, when this is allowed by the original authors. – All papers must include a model name and version number (or other unique identifier) in the title. It is our perception that, since Geoscientific Model Development (GMD) was founded, it has become increasingly common to see model descriptions published in other more traditional journals, so we hope that our insights may be of general value to the wider geoscientific community.
The COsmic-ray Soil Moisture Interaction Code (COSMIC) for use in data assimilation
Authors: Shuttleworth J. , Rosolem R. , Zreda M. , Franz T.
Published: August 2013

Abstract. Soil moisture status in land surface models (LSMs) can be updated by assimilating cosmic-ray neutron intensity measured in air above the surface. This requires a fast and accurate model to calculate the neutron intensity from the profiles of soil moisture modeled by the LSM. The existing Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended (MCNPX) model is sufficiently accurate but too slow to be practical in the context of data assimilation. Consequently an alternative and efficient model is needed which can be calibrated accurately to reproduce the calculations made by MCNPX and used to substitute for MCNPX during data assimilation. This paper describes the construction and calibration of such a model, COsmic-ray Soil Moisture Interaction Code (COSMIC), which is simple, physically based and analytic, and which, because it runs at least 50 000 times faster than MCNPX, is appropriate in data assimilation applications. The model includes simple descriptions of (a) degradation of the incoming high-energy neutron flux with soil depth, (b) creation of fast neutrons at each depth in the soil, and (c) scattering of the resulting fast neutrons before they reach the soil surface, all of which processes may have parameterized dependency on the chemistry and moisture content of the soil. The site-to-site variability in the parameters used in COSMIC is explored for 42 sample sites in the COsmic-ray Soil Moisture Observing System (COSMOS), and the comparative performance of COSMIC relative to MCNPX when applied to represent interactions between cosmic-ray neutrons and moist soil is explored. At an example site in Arizona, fast-neutron counts calculated by COSMIC from the average soil moisture profile given by an independent network of point measurements in the COSMOS probe footprint are similar to the fast-neutron intensity measured by the COSMOS probe. It was demonstrated that, when used within a data assimilation framework to assimilate COSMOS probe counts into the Noah land surface model at the Santa Rita Experimental Range field site, the calibrated COSMIC model provided an effective mechanism for translating model-calculated soil moisture profiles into aboveground fast-neutron count when applied with two radically different approaches used to remove the bias between data and model.
Factors Affecting Commercialisation of Indigenous Chickens in Swaziland
Authors: Siyaya Bongani  J. Joconia , Masuku Micah Bheki
Published: August 2013

About 90% of rural households in Swaziland keep indigenous chickens and the government of Swaziland, through the Ministry of Agriculture, implemented a commercialisation programme for indigenous chickens between 2008 and 2009 as a move towards ensuring food security and income generation. The purpose of the study was to conduct an analysis of the factors affecting the commercialising indigenous chickens in Swaziland. Specifically the study sought to; estimate sales rate, identify factors affecting sales rate and further identify constraints to commercialisation of indigenous chickens. The study used a descriptive quantitative design. Using a stratified random sample 147 indigenous poultry farmers were sampled from a population 729 farmers who trained on commercialisation of indigenous chickens in the four regions of Swaziland. Data were collected by the use of personal interviews with the aid of a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics such as means, mode and frequencies were used to estimate sales rate and analyse constraints to commercialisation, whilst a Tobit regression analysis was used to analyse factors affecting commercialisation of indigenous chickens. The results indicated a Pseudo–R2 of 0.88 implying that 88% of the variation in the model was due to the explanatory variables. Prices of alternative products, quantity of chickens sold, quantity of chickens consumed significantly (p< 0.01) affected sales rate. Supplementary feed also significantly (p< 0.10) affected the rate to commercialise. The results further indicate that farmers were constrained by: high disease outbreak; lack of fencing and housing; high feed costs; lack of markets; low productivity; lack of credit access; poor growth and maturity and low market prices. It is recommended that farmers organize themselves into cooperatives or associations to take advantage of discounts when purchasing feed.
Does Design Contribute to Ease of Use: An Exploratory Study of Web Facets in The Result Pages of Two Search Engines
Authors: Milonas Elizabeth
Published: August 2013

An exploratory study was conduced to examine the design aspects of Web facets found in the search result pages of two search engines: Exalead and Excite. The goal of the study was to determine if Web facet design could contribute to perceived ease of use. This study builds upon findings from an earlier study (Milonas, 2010) in which the results indicated that users perceived the Web facets evident in the search result pages of the Exalead search engine easier to use than those found in Excite. The researcher surmised that the design of these Web facets might have contributed to the difference in perceived ease of use. The relationship between design and user perception in determining the ease of use of Web facets within these two search engines is explored. In the first component of the study, an expert inspection of the various design aspects of the search result pages of Exalead and Excite was conducted.  In the second part of the study, five participants conducted an experiment using the Web facets found in the search result pages of the two search engines. Findings of both the expert inspection and the usability evaluation showed that there does not seem to be a significant difference in the design of Web facets within the two search engines. The findings seem to indicate that design of Web facets is not a contributory factor in terms of Web facet ease of use.
A quick assessment tool for human‐directed aggression in pet dogs
Authors: Klausz Barbara , Kis Anna , Persa Eszter , Miklósi Ádám , Gácsi Márta
Published: August 2013

Many test series have been developed to assess dog temperament and aggressive behavior, but most of them have been criticized for their relatively low predictive validity or being too long, stressful, and/or problematic to carry out. We aimed to develop a short and effective series of tests that corresponds with (a) the dog's bite history, and (b) owner evaluation of the dog's aggressive tendencies. Seventy‐three pet dogs were divided into three groups by their biting history; non‐biter, bit once, and multiple biter. All dogs were exposed to a short test series modeling five real‐life situations: friendly greeting, take away bone, threatening approach, tug‐of‐war, and roll over. We found strong correlations between the in‐test behavior and owner reports of dogs' aggressive tendencies towards strangers; however, the test results did not mirror the reported owner‐directed aggressive tendencies. Three test situations (friendly greeting, take‐away bone, threatening approach) proved to be effective in evoking specific behavioral differences according to dog biting history. Non‐biters differed from biters, and there were also specific differences related to aggression and fear between the two biter groups. When a subsample of dogs was retested, the test revealed consistent results over time. We suggest that our test is adequate for a quick, general assessment of human‐directed aggression in dogs, particularly to evaluate their tendency for aggressive behaviors towards strangers. Identifying important behavioral indicators of aggressive tendencies, this test can serve as a useful tool to study the genetic or neural correlates of human‐directed aggression in dogs. Aggr. Behav. 40:178–188, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Remediation of DDTs‐Contaminated Sediments through Retrievable Activated Carbon Fiber Felt
Authors: Jia Lingyun , Xu Li , Gao Bo , Gao Huipeng
Published: August 2013

Addition of adsorbent to the sediments has become an effective way for in situ treatment of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) contaminated sediments in recent years. However, once the adsorbents are added to the sediments, they are difficult to be retrieved, and potential risks of POPs are still existed. In this study, we proposed a new method that used activated carbon fiber felt (ACFF) to remediate POPs‐contaminated sediments with the advantage of retrievability. As an example of POPs remediation, three sediments were spiked with p,p′‐dichlordiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDT), o,p′‐DDT, p,p′‐dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, and p,p′‐dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane, and were allowed to age for 7, 28, or 100 days before viscose‐based ACFF was added to the spiked aqueous slurry in batch experiments. The effects of ACFF on DDTs removal efficiency in these sediments were examined. It was found that ACFF could efficiently remove DDTs released from the sediments. The DDTs removal efficiency of ACFF was influenced by the initial spiking concentrations, hydrophobicity of DDTs, aging times of the contaminated sediments, and organic carbon contents of the sediments. Moreover, the removal efficiency of ACFF was enhanced by increasing the amount of ACFF, as well as by sequential replacement of ACFF. The use of retrievable ACFF could potentially be an effective method for in situ remediation of sediments contaminated with POPs.
Effect of Compaction Degree on Solidification Characteristics of Pb‐Contaminated Soil Treated by Cement
Authors: Xue Qiang , Li Jiang‐shan , Liu Lei
Published: August 2013

Compaction is a necessary step after the solidification/stabilization of contaminated soil. This study analyzed the effect of compaction degree on the solidification characteristics of Pb‐contaminated soil. Batch tests were conducted to measure the permeability coefficient, unconfined compressive strength, Pb leaching concentration, and micromorphology of the solidified bodies compacted at different degrees (from 0.90 to 1.00 at an interval of 0.02). The permeability coefficient of the solidified bodies decreased with the increase in penetration time and compaction degree (from 1.80 × 10−6 to 1.19 × 10−7 cm/s). With an increase in compaction degree, the unconfined compressive strength of the solidified bodies increased from 2.20 to 4.90 MPa. In addition, failure strain decreased first and then increased before and after the compaction degree reached approximately 0.95. Pb in soil was effectively stabilized by cement because the leaching concentration of Pb in all the samples was <2.5 mg/L. The leaching concentration of Pb increased first and then decreased before and after the compaction degree reached approximately 0.96, but pH values of lixivium decreased first and then increased. Compaction degree and the hydration products jointly determined the pore distribution and microscopic morphology of the solidified bodies, which comprised intra‐particle, inter‐particle, and intra‐aggregate pores. The hydration products in the solidified bodies mainly consisted of ettringite and C–S–H. Low compaction degree was found to be beneficial for the formation of hydration products, the content and distribution of which jointly determined the leaching concentration of Pb.
Fractal slice model analysis for effective thermal conductivity and temperature distribution of porous crystal layer via layer crystallization
Authors: Jiang Xiaobin , Wang Jingkang , He Gaohong
Published: August 2013

A fractal slice model was established based on the reported model to predict the effective thermal conductivity of a porous crystal layer via layer crystallization. The temperature distribution of the crystal layer was obtained by the fractal slice method. The simulation results agreed with the experimental data better than the other theoretical models. The results were helpful to enhance the thermal transport by mitigating the thermal resistance effectively.
Numerical optimization of thermal field in CdTe crystal growth by travelling heater method
Authors: Stelian C.
Published: August 2013

Cadmium telluride (CdTe) and his compounds play a leading role in X‐ray and γ‐ray detector technology. One of the most used methods for growing these crystals is the travelling heater method (THM). The ingots obtained by using this technique show excellent composition uniformity, but the structural quality is affected by the presence of large grains which appear because of large curvatures of the solid‐liquid interface during the solidification process. This numerical work investigate the thermal field and melt convection in CdTe processing by THM in order to elucidate the mechanism of growing these crystals. The influence of the furnace geometry on the interface shape and temperature gradient in liquid is analyzed for samples with small (1 cm) and large (5 cm) diameters. The computations include flow effects on thermal field in the melted zone. The thermal conditions are optimized for THM growth of CdTe crystals at high solidification temperatures. A new multi‐zone furnace configuration for growing crystals of large diameter and flattened interface is proposed in this work.
Low cost measurement system for broadcast power amplifiers
Authors: Silveira Daniel Discini , de Souza Lima José , Silveira Maurício
Published: August 2013

For the fast prototyping, production, and delivery of commercial radio frequency products/systems, accurate and reliable test systems are necessary. These systems are usually product customized and thus expensive solutions, capable of performing all necessary measurements for a specific product. The purpose of this paper is to present a flexible cost‐effective test solution, capable of realizing all necessary measurement on a high output power amplifier system greater than 500 W, and to generate essential reports. These reports allow the system operator to (i) perform an analysis and a statistical comparison among various products, assuring that the quality is the same for all products; and (ii) retain products that present a performance poorer than other similar products, without a rigorous technical analysis, thus increasing efficiency in factory assembly line. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Exosomes carrying mycobacterial antigens can protect mice against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection
Authors: Cheng Yong , Schorey Jeffery S.
Published: August 2013

Approximately 2 billion people are infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the etiological agent of tuberculosis (TB), and an estimated 1.5 million individuals die annually from TB. Presently, Mycobacterium bovis BCG remains the only licensed TB vaccine; however, previous studies suggest its protective efficacy wanes over time and fails in preventing pulmonary TB. Therefore, a safe and effective vaccine is urgently required to replace BCG or boost BCG immunizations. Our previous studies revealed that mycobacterial proteins are released via exosomes from macrophages infected with M. tuberculosis or pulsed with M. tuberculosis culture filtrate proteins (CFP). In the present study, exosomes purified from macrophages treated with M. tuberculosis CFP were found to induce antigen‐specific IFN‐γ and IL‐2‐expressing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. In exosome‐vaccinated mice, there was a similar TH1 immune response but a more limited TH2 response compared to BCG‐vaccinated mice. Using a low‐dose M. tuberculosis mouse aerosol infection model, exosomes from CFP‐treated macrophages were found to both prime a protective immune response as well as boost prior BCG immunization. The protection was equal to or superior to BCG. In conclusion, our findings suggest that exosomes might serve as a novel cell‐free vaccine against an M. tuberculosis infection.
Ruthenium Sensitizers with 2,2′‐Bipyrimidine or a 5,5′‐Disubstituted 2,2′‐Bipyrimidine Ligand: Synthesis, Photo‐ and Electrochemical Properties, and Application to Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells
Authors: Ozawa Hironobu , Kawaguchi Hiroki , Okuyama Yu , Arakawa Hironori
Published: August 2013

Novel ruthenium sensitizers with 2,2′‐bipyrimidine (TUS‐26) or a 2,2′‐bipyrimidine derivative bearing two 5‐hexyl‐2,2′‐bithiophene units at the 5,5′‐positions (TUS‐27) have been synthesized for application in dye‐sensitized solar cells. TUS‐27 shows a strong absorption at around 460 nm, mainly attributed to a π–π* transition in the 5,5′‐disubstituted 2,2′‐bipyrimidine ligand, and an onset wavelength of the absorption spectrum that is redshifted by about 50 nm relative to those of structurally analogous sensitizers (cis‐[Ru(dcbpy)(bpy)(NCS)2] and N719). The energy level of the LUMO of TUS‐27 is relatively close to that of the conduction band of TiO2. Dye‐sensitized solar cells containing TUS‐26 and TUS‐27 showed much poorer performances than those containing cis‐[Ru(dcbpy)(bpy)(NCS)2] and N719, even though an electrolyte containing no 4‐tert‐butylpyridine was used to adjust the energy of the conduction band of TiO2. The results of DFT calculations indicated that both unfavorable populations of LUMO and LUMO+1, and the lower energy level of LUMO+1, contribute to the much poorer solar cell performances of the TUS sensitizers. In addition, photovoltaic measurements also suggested that enhancement of backward electron transfer from the conduction band of TiO2 to the one‐electron‐oxidized form of the dye or to I3– in the electrolyte is another reason for the inferior performances of the TUS sensitizers.
In situ experiment on retrofit of school buildings by adding sandwich columns to partition brick walls
Authors: Chung Lap‐Loi , Yang Yao‐Sheng , Lien Kuan‐Hua , Wu Lai‐Yun
Published: August 2013

Many significantly strong earthquakes have occurred over the years in Taiwan, which have caused tremendous damage to primary and middle school buildings; the 921 Chi‐Chi earthquake was particularly devastating. According to statistics, 786 schools (1,958 classrooms) were damaged on September 21, 1999 during this earthquake event. The devastation showed that a lack of seismic performance is a common problem for existing school buildings in Taiwan. Therefore, the retrofit of existing school buildings has become an urgent issue in the prevention of possible damage in the future. The retrofit technique of adding sandwich columns to partition brick walls is proposed in this paper, and the feasibility of the proposed method was verified by in situ pushover tests of two real school buildings, one without and one with retrofit. The experimental and analytical results show that the sandwich column itself contributes significantly to the seismic capacity of the examined school building. Moreover, the analytical results yielded conservative capacity curves when compared with the experimental results. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.