bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Processing-in-Memory Architecture Programming Paradigm for Wireless Internet-of-Things Applications
Authors: Yang Xu , Hou Yumin , He Hu
Published: January 2019

The widespread applications of the wireless Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the leading factors in the emerging of Big Data. Huge amounts of data need to be transferred and processed. The bandwidth and latency of data transfers have posed a new challenge for traditional computing systems. Under Big Data application scenarios, the movement of large scales of data would influence performance, power efficiency, and reliability, which are the three fundamental attributes of a computing system. Thus, changes in the computing paradigm are demanding. Processing-in- Memory (PIM), aiming at placing computation as close as possible to memory, has become of great interest to academia as well as industries. In this work, we propose a programming paradigm for PIM architecture that is suitable for wireless IoT applications. A data-transferring mechanism and middleware architecture are presented. We present our methods and experiences on simulation-platform design, as well as FPGA demo design, for PIM architecture. Typical applications in IoT, such as multimedia and MapReduce programs, are used as demonstration of our method’s validity and efficiency. The programs could successfully run on the simulation platform built based on Gem5 and on the FPGA demo. Results show that our method could largely reduce power consumption and execution time for those programs, which is very beneficial in IoT applications.
Strain-Independent Temperature Measurements with Surface-Glued Polarization-Maintaining Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor Elements
Authors: Hopf Barbara , Fischer Bennet , Bosselmann Thomas , Koch Alexander W. , Roths Johannes
Published: January 2019

A novel technique for strain and temperature decoupling with surface-glued fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) is presented and applied for strain-independent temperature measurements in a temperature range between −30 °C and 110 °C with uncertainties below 4 °C over the entire measurement range. The influence of temperature-dependent glue-induced transversal forces on the fiber sensor could be eliminated with a sensor element consisting of two FBGs in identical polarization-maintaining fibers that were spliced perpendicular to each other. After aligning and gluing the sensor element with its optical axes parallel and perpendicular to the specimen, the averaged Bragg wavelength shifts of both FBGs were proven to be independent of the glue’s influence and therefore independent of any change in the material characteristics of the glue, such as aging or creeping behavior. For the first time, this methodology enables temperature measurements with surface-attached bare FBGs independently of arbitrary longitudinal and glue-induced strains. This is of great value for all applications that rely on a fully glued sensor design, e.g., in applications with high electromagnetic fields, on rotating parts, or in vacuum for space applications.
Robust Single-Sample Face Recognition by Sparsity-Driven Sub-Dictionary Learning Using Deep Features
Authors: Cuculo Vittorio , D’Amelio Alessandro , Grossi Giuliano , Lanzarotti Raffaella , Lin Jianyi
Published: January 2019

Face recognition using a single reference image per subject is challenging, above all when referring to a large gallery of subjects. Furthermore, the problem hardness seriously increases when the images are acquired in unconstrained conditions. In this paper we address the challenging Single Sample Per Person (SSPP) problem considering large datasets of images acquired in the wild, thus possibly featuring illumination, pose, face expression, partial occlusions, and low-resolution hurdles. The proposed technique alternates a sparse dictionary learning technique based on the method of optimal direction and the iterative ℓ 0 -norm minimization algorithm called k-LiMapS. It works on robust deep-learned features, provided that the image variability is extended by standard augmentation techniques. Experiments show the effectiveness of our method against the hardness introduced above: first, we report extensive experiments on the unconstrained LFW dataset when referring to large galleries up to 1680 subjects; second, we present experiments on very low-resolution test images up to 8 × 8 pixels; third, tests on the AR dataset are analyzed against specific disguises such as partial occlusions, facial expressions, and illumination problems. In all the three scenarios our method outperforms the state-of-the-art approaches adopting similar configurations.
Correction: Niederleithinger, E., et al. Processing Ultrasonic Data by Coda Wave Interferometry to Monitor Load Tests of Concrete Beams. Sensors 2018, 18, 1971
Authors: Niederleithinger Ernst , Wang Xin , Herbrand Martin , Müller Matthias
Published: January 2019

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...]
3D Printed Modular Immunofiltration Columns for Frequency Mixing-Based Multiplex Magnetic Immunodetection
Authors: Achtsnicht Stefan , Tödter Julia , Niehues Julia , Telöken Matthias , Offenhäusser Andreas , Krause Hans-Joachim , Schröper Florian
Published: January 2019

For performing point-of-care molecular diagnostics, magnetic immunoassays constitute a promising alternative to established enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) because they are fast, robust and sensitive. Simultaneous detection of multiple biomolecular targets from one body fluid sample is desired. The aim of this work is to show that multiplex magnetic immunodetection based on magnetic frequency mixing by means of modular immunofiltration columns prepared for different targets is feasible. By calculations of the magnetic response signal, the required spacing between the modules was determined. Immunofiltration columns were manufactured by 3D printing and antibody immobilization was performed in a batch approach. It was shown experimentally that two different target molecules in a sample solution could be individually detected in a single assaying step with magnetic measurements of the corresponding immobilization filters. The arrangement order of the filters and of a negative control did not influence the results. Thus, a simple and reliable approach to multi-target magnetic immunodetection was demonstrated.
LOADng-IoT: An Enhanced Routing Protocol for Internet of Things Applications over Low Power Networks
Authors: Sobral José V. V. , Rodrigues Joel J. P. C. , Rabêlo Ricardo A. L. , Saleem Kashif , Furtado Vasco
Published: January 2019

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging paradigm that proposes the connection of objects to exchange information in order to reach a common objective. In IoT networks, it is expected that the nodes will exchange data between each other and with external Internet services. However, due to deployment costs, not all the network devices are able to communicate with the Internet directly. Thus, other network nodes should use Internet-connected nodes as a gateway to forward messages to Internet services. Considering the fact that main routing protocols for low-power networks are not able to reach suitable performance in the displayed IoT environment, this work presents an enhancement to the Lightweight On-demand Ad hoc Distance-vector Routing Protocol—Next Generation (LOADng) for IoT scenarios. The proposal, named LOADng-IoT, is based on three improvements that will allow the nodes to find Internet-connected nodes autonomously and dynamically, decreasing the control message overhead required for the route construction, and reducing the loss of data messages directed to the Internet. Based on the performed assessment study, which considered several number of nodes in dense, sparse, and mobility scenarios, the proposed approach is able to present significant results in metrics related to quality-of-service, reliability, and energy efficiency.
Open Innovation in Crowdfunding Context: Diversity, Knowledge, and Networks
Authors: Chu Chien-Chi , Cheng Ya-Fang , Tsai Fu-Sheng , Tsai Sang-Bing , Lu Kun-Hwa
Published: January 2019

Open innovation is an essential phenomenon in the crowdfunding context. This conceptual piece tends to offer an integrative discussion of three important mechanisms upon which stakeholders of a crowdfunding platform conduct open innovation and value co-creation in crowdfunding sites. These mechanisms include: diversity, knowing, and networking. We argued that: 1. diverse demographic attributes facilitate multiple-party value co-creation; 2. knowledge of platform stakeholders improves quality of ideas; 3. networking positively impacts on open innovation performance. With such discussions, a theoretical foundation for future research is built and more research issues are stimulated.
An Effective National Evaluation System of Schools for Sustainable Development: A Comparative European Analysis
Authors: Cassano Raffaella , Costa Valentina , Fornasari Tommaso
Published: January 2019

An international context of increasing attention to the quality of educational systems in school establishments is becoming more important to develop a governance that is compatible with the principles of sound and prudent management, inspired by effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainable development, in the long run. The article initially investigates the evolution of national evaluation system of schools as an important tool for management and for school quality improvement. The analysis is carried out on the 43 education systems belonging to the Eurydice Network in the period July–September 2018. Mainly, we have noticed a wide diffusion of evaluation and self-evaluation mechanisms and therefore the development of a school management culture to improve the quality of the system and students’ performance. Subsequently, we aim to verify whether it is possible to identify a linear relationship between the assessment indicator expressed by the international statistical surveys on student performance and the overall quality of the school system. In this regard, the research data on the evolution of the national evaluation system and the statistical data of the OECD-PISA surveys are cross-referenced. Briefly, results on student performance show that the assessment of the quality improvement of the school system cannot be based exclusively on pupils’ performance. However, there is a generalized evolution in the adoption of national evaluation systems, confirming that the managerial culture in European schools is growing. As a further future study, the research will observe the above reflections taking into account the evolution of student performance results for the three-year period of 2015–2018 (OECD-PISA 2018 will be published in December 2019), considering a substantial evolution of national evaluation systems in schools during this three-years period.
Performance-Based Evaluation of a Double-Deck Tunnel and Design Optimization
Authors: Kang Kyung-Nam , Lee Sang-Hyun , Song Ki-Il , Liu Lang , Motamedi Shervin
Published: January 2019

The double-deck tunnel is well known as smart infrastructure because multiple sections can be used for various purposes. Although the stability of a double-deck tunnel is mainly governed by the intermediate slab, the effect of various governing factors on tunnel structural stability has not been fully investigated. In this study, performance-based evaluation method for a double-deck tunnel is suggested as a three-dimensional matrix considering the life cycle of a double-deck tunnel. Moreover, a customized software for design and maintenance of a double-deck tunnel is developed. A structural analysis solver based on a beam–spring model for a double-deck tunnel was embedded in this code. The effects of connection type as well as depth of tunnel, ground stiffness and traffic load on structural behavior of tunnel were investigated. From the analysis, it was found that the connection type between segment lining and intermediate slab significantly affects the behavior of segment lining: simply connected condition causes lesser stress and moment than fully fixed condition. The deeper the tunnel depth, the greater the member force of segment lining. In addition, as both the tunnel depth and the ground stiffness increase, the influence of connection type on the structural stability of the double-deck tunnel becomes insignificant.
Social Project Culture: A New Project Management Culture to Promote the Sustainable Development of Organizations
Authors: Wang Hailing , Bai Libiao , Huang Ning , Du Qiang , Zhang Tingting
Published: January 2019

With economic development and globalization, more organizations have been cooperating with foreign enterprises, which brings not only opportunities but also management difficulties and competitions with organizations. Organizations must improve their management and adapt to changing market conditions and the requirements and needs of its customers to maintain and strengthen its position in the market. Management by Project (MBP) uses technical methods of modern project management (PM) to manage various tasks and activities that are considered as projects. It is an effective way to solve management problems and improve management levels and enterprise competitiveness. However, few small and medium-sized enterprises apply MBP in their operation and management processes. Therefore, this paper presents a new idea to promote the application of MBP and the formation of a PM culture within society. In this paper, we searched a major database using the systematic literature review method and analyzed the articles directly or indirectly linked to our paper to obtain literature supporting the views of this article. First, this paper presents a new kind of management culture from the social aspect, termed as Social Project Culture (SPC), which can promote sustainable development and improve the management level and efficiency of organizations by promoting MBP application across society. Second, by analyzing the SPC definition, its three functions, i.e., project management behavior, management and risk control capacity, and international competitiveness, are provided. Then, to help organizations apply this method, an evolutionary path is proposed, including the creation stage, formative stage, mature stage, and heritage stage. Finally, to ensure the continued optimization of SPC, four safeguard measures in terms of theory, institution, behavior, and ideology are proposed.
Stabilization Policies and Technological Shocks: Towards a Sustainable Economic Growth Path
Authors: Bongers Anelí , Díaz-Roldán Carmen
Published: January 2019

The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent to which traditional economic policies can be oriented by sound practices. It is becoming widely accepted that sustainable economic growth (and not only economic growth) is the final target of economic policies, but some economic policies are applied just looking to the short-run without taking in account the long-run perspective. Our aim is to show how a sustainable economic policy-making would be possible, making compatible the stabilization of the economy in the short-run with a sustainable economic growth in the long-run. We confront the design of economic policies with the 17 goals of the 2030 Agenda. We argue that all sustainable development goals can be attained by the design and implementation of sustainable economic policies. Finally, to illustrate this point, we will conduct a simulation exercise to show under which combinations of demand policies technological shocks would promote a path of sustainable growth. Our results will provide a reference framework for a sustainable economic policy-making.
Structural Relationships among Antecedents to Perceived Value of Ecotourism for Sichuan Giant Pandas in China
Authors: Cui Xijing , Lee Gyehee , Lee Seung Jea , Kim Taegoo Terry
Published: January 2019

The purpose of this study is to investigate causal relationships among interpretation satisfaction, environmental attitudes, place attachment, destination loyalty, and perceived value of ecotourism for tourists visiting the Chengdu Panda Base (CPB) in China. An online and an on-site field survey were administered to respondents aged 50 years old and older who use the Internet relatively little. A total of 243 questionnaires were collected and analyzed. The results drawn from the structural model indicate that, first, the satisfaction level regarding the interpretation service positively affects the balance of nature and place attachment (place dependence and place identity) of tourists. Second, as tourists hold higher regard for the balance of nature and stronger place attachment to a tourist site, they tend to hold a stronger destination loyalty; conversely, anthropocentrism correlates negatively with destination loyalty. Lastly, the results show that the more destination loyalty tourists had, the more highly they valued ecotourism in the CPB, which in turn increased the amount of money they were willing to pay to enjoy the CPB, indicating that destination loyalty positively affects tourists’ perceived value of ecotourism.
Reasons in Favor of a Hubble-Lemaître-Slipher’s (HLS) Law
Authors: Elizalde Emilio
Published: January 2019

Based on historical facts, revisited from a present-day perspective, and on the documented opinions of the scientists involved in the discovery themselves, strong arguments are given in favor of a proposal to add prominent astronomer Vesto Slipher to the suggested addition of Georges Lemaître’s name to Hubble’s law on the expansion of the universe and thus eventually call it the Hubble–Lemaître–Slipher (HLS) law.
Probabilistic Linguistic Aggregation Operators Based on Einstein t-Norm and t-Conorm and Their Application in Multi-Criteria Group Decision Making
Authors: Agbodah Kobina , Darko Adjei Peter
Published: January 2019

One of the major problems of varied knowledge-based systems has to do with aggregation and fusion. Pang’s probabilistic linguistic term sets denotes aggregation of fuzzy information and it has attracted tremendous interest from researchers recently. The purpose of this article is to deal investigating methods of information aggregation under the probabilistic linguistic environment. In this situation we defined certain Einstein operational laws on probabilistic linguistic term elements (PLTESs) based on Einstein product and Einstein sum. Consequently, we develop some probabilistic linguistic aggregation operators, notably the probabilistic linguistic Einstein average (PLEA) operators, probabilistic linguistic Einstein geometric (PLEG) operators, weighted probabilistic linguistic Einstein average (WPLEA) operators, weighted probabilistic linguistic Einstein geometric (WPLEG) operators. These operators extend the weighted averaging operator and the weighted geometric operator for the purpose of aggregating probabilistic linguistic terms values respectively. Einstein t-norm and Einstein t-conorm constitute effective aggregation tools and they allow input arguments to reinforce each other downwardly and upwardly respectively. We then generate various properties of these operators. With the aid of the WPLEA and WPLEG, we originate the approaches for the application of multiple attribute group decision making (MAGDM) with the probabilistic linguistic term sets (PLTSs). Lastly, we apply an illustrative example to elucidate our proposed methods and also validate their potentials.
Multivalued Fixed Point Results in Dislocated b-Metric Spaces with Application to the System of Nonlinear Integral Equations
Authors: Rasham Tahair , Shoaib Abdullah , Hussain Nawab , Alamri Badriah A. S. , Arshad Muhammad
Published: January 2019

The purpose of this paper is to find out fixed point results for a pair of semi α * -dominated multivalued mappings fulfilling a generalized locally F-dominated multivalued contractive condition on a closed ball in complete dislocated b-metric space. Some new fixed point results with graphic contractions on closed ball for a pair of multi graph dominated mappings on dislocated b-metric space have been established. An application to the existence of unique common solution of a system of integral equations is presented. 2010 Mathematics Subject Classification: 46Txx, 47H04, 47H10; 54H25.
Comparative Analysis of Microcystin Prevalence in Michigan Lakes by Online Concentration LC/MS/MS and ELISA
Authors: Birbeck Johnna A. , Westrick Judy A. , O’Neill Grace M. , Spies Brian , Szlag David C.
Published: January 2019

Fast and reliable workflows are needed to quantitate microcystins (MCs), a ubiquitous class of hepatotoxic cyanotoxins, so that the impact of human and environmental exposure is assessed quickly and minimized. Our goal was to develop a high-throughput online concentration liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) workflow to quantitate the 12 commercially available MCs and nodularin in surface and drinking waters. The method run time was 8.5 min with detection limits in the low ng/L range and minimum reporting levels between 5 and 10 ng/L. This workflow was benchmarked by determining the prevalence of MCs and comparing the Adda-ELISA quantitation to our new workflow from 122 samples representing 31 waterbodies throughout Michigan. The frequency of MC occurrence was MC-LA > LR > RR > D-Asp3-LR > YR > HilR > WR > D-Asp3-RR > HtyR > LY = LW = LF, while MC-RR had the highest concentrations. MCs were detected in 33 samples and 13 of these samples had more than 20% of their total MC concentration from MCs not present in US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) Method 544. Furthermore, seasonal deviations between the LC/MS/MS and Adda-ELISA data suggest Adda-ELISA cross-reacts with MC degradation products. This workflow provides less than 24-h turnaround for quantification and also identified key differences between LC/MS/MS and ELISA quantitation that should be investigated further.
Antibody Responses to Bovine Alphaherpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) in Passively Immunized Calves
Authors: Petrini Stefano , Iscaro Carmen , Righi Cecilia
Published: January 2019

To date, in countries where infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) is widespread, its control is associated with deleted marker vaccines. These products lack one or more genes responsible for the synthesis of glycoproteins or enzymes. In Europe, the most widely used marker vaccine is one in which glycoprotein E (gE−) is deleted, and it is marketed in a killed or modified-live form. Using this type of immunization, it is possible to differentiate vaccinated animals (gE−) from those infected or injected with non-deleted (gE+) products using diagnostic tests specific for gE. The disadvantage of using modified-live gE-products is that they may remain latent in immunized animals and be reactivated or excreted following an immunosuppressive stimulus. For this reason, in the last few years, a new marker vaccine became commercially available containing a double deletion related to genes coding for gE and the synthesis of the thymidine-kinase (tk) enzyme, the latter being associated with the reduction of the neurotropism, latency, and reactivation of the vaccine virus. Intramuscularly and intranasally administered marker products induce a humoral immune response; however, the mother-to-calf antibody kinetics after vaccination with marker vaccines is poorly understood. This review discusses several published articles on this topic.
Application of a Fuzzy Two-Stage Chance Constrained Stochastic Programming Model for Optimization of the Ecological Services Value of the Interconnected River System Network Project in the Western Jilin Province, China
Authors: Cai Baofeng , Meng Chong , Wang Xian’en , Li Yu
Published: January 2019

Incremental ecological service value is an important assessment indicator for ecosystem restoration projects, such as the interconnected river system network project in western Jilin Province, China. In this paper, a fuzzy two-stage chance-constrained stochastic programming (FTSCCP) model is proposed for the optimization of regional incremental ecological service value through adjustments to the original water diversions and ecological water supplement schemes for ecosystem restoration under different management requirements and scenarios. The proposed method can effectively address uncertainties such as fuzzy parameters, probability distributions, and random variables in optimizing processes simultaneously. The results reveal that, under the requirement of meeting the original plan, a decrease in restoration scale would mainly appear under low-flow scenarios, and for the other scenarios, the original plan would be fully realized with an increase in flood utilization and a decrease in normal water supplementation. For the requirement of maximizing the incremental ecological service value, the adjustments would mainly be increases in water supplementation for reed wetlands and marsh wetlands and decreases in water surface area, including fish ponds and crab ponds. The ecological service values would be 11,256.79 million CNY (Chinese Yuan), 16,465.11 million CNY and 17,639.59 million CNY under low-, normal- and high-flow scenarios, respectively, with increases of 3.2%, 6.9% and 14.5% compared to the values based on the requirement of meeting the original plan. The results would be helpful for guiding regional ecosystem restoration and water resource management in the western Jilin Province.
Surface plasmon resonance enhancement of photoluminescence intensity and bioimaging application of gold nanorod@CdSe/ZnS quantum dots
Authors: Hu Siyi , Ren Yu , Wang Yue , Li Jinhua , Qu Junle , Liu Liwei , Ma Hanbin , Tang Yuguo
Published: January 2019

Biological applications of core/shell near-infrared quantum dots (QDs) have attracted broad interest due to their unique optical and chemical properties. Additionally, the use of multifunctional nanomaterials with near-infrared QDs and plasmonic functional nanoparticles are promising for applications in electronics, bioimaging, energy, and environmental-related studies. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate how to construct a multifunctional nanoparticle comprised of CdSe/ZnS QDs and gold nanorods (GNRs) where the GNRs were applied to enhance the photoluminescence (PL) of the CdSe/ZnS QDs. In particular, we have obtained the scattering PL spectrum of a single CdSe/ZnS QD and GNR@CdSe/ZnS nanoparticle and comparison results show that the CdSe/ZnS QDs have an apparent PL enhancement of four-times after binding with GNRs. In addition, in vitro experimental results show that the biostability of the GNR@CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles can be improved by using folic acid. A bioimaging study has also been performed where GNR@CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles were used as an optical process for MCF-7 breast cancer cells.
Enhanced Mixing in Magnetized Fingering Convection, and Implications for Red Giant Branch Stars
Authors: Harrington Peter Z. , Garaud Pascale
Published: January 2019

Double-diffusive convection has been well studied in geophysical contexts, but detailed investigations of the regimes characteristic of stellar or planetary interiors have only recently become feasible. As most astrophysical fluids are electrically conducting, it is possible that magnetic fields play a role in either enhancing or suppressing double-diffusive convection, but to date there have been no numerical investigations of such possibilities. Here we study the effects of a vertical background magnetic field (aligned with the gravitational axis) on the linear stability and nonlinear saturation of fingering (thermohaline) convection, through a combination of theoretical work and direct numerical simulations. We find that a vertical magnetic field rigidifies the fingers along the vertical direction, which has the remarkable effect of enhancing vertical mixing. We propose a simple analytical model for mixing by magnetized fingering convection, and argue that magnetic effects may help explain discrepancies between theoretical and observed mixing rates in low-mass red giant branch stars. Other implications of our findings are also discussed.
The Carabidae (Coleoptera) of Shada Al-A’Ala Nature Reserve, Southwestern Saudi Arabia, with description of a new species of Paussinae
Authors: Abdel-Dayem Mahmoud S. , Elgharbawy Ali A. , Rasool Iftekhar , Nagel Peter , Aldhafer Hathal M.
Published: January 2019

We report the Carabidae collected at the Shada Al-A’Ala Nature Reserve (SANR) in Baha Province in southwestern Saudi Arabia during 2013–2015. In total, 62 carabid species and subspecies representing 39 genera, 17 tribes, and 10 subfamilies were identified, including one new species, Paussusminutulus Nagel & Rasool, sp. n, four new country records, and 24 species that are new provincial records for Baha. The carabid fauna was dominated by the Lebiini with 19 species. A high number of species were rarely collected (34 species) in comparison to the more abundant and common species (9 species). The highest number of species (52 species) was collected during autumn. The carabids of SANR are represented by a large component of Afrotropical faunal elements (28.1%) and smaller numbers of Oriental species (3.5%) and endemic taxa (5.3%). In comparison to Garf Raydah Nature Reserve in Asir Province, also in southwestern Saudi Arabia, SANR had an equal number of carabids sharing 64.5% of the species but with lower number of endemic elements. Our study can serve as a component for implementing a conservation plan for SANR using carabid beetles as sentinel taxa. These research results may support future ecological studies on SNAR carabids.
Planning and Creating Effective Scientific Posters
Authors: Keely Beth R
Published: January 2019

ABSTRACT

Most nursing conferences are using poster sessions as a means to communicate innovative nursing practices and current research findings. This strategy is an effective form of presenting information in an interactive approach. This article presents guidelines for designing and conducting a successful poster presentation.
Increasing the Linguistic Competence of the Nurse With Limited English Proficiency
Authors: Guttman Minerva S
Published: January 2019

ABSTRACT

Teaching linguistic competence to nursing students educated in the United States but whose families are recent immigrants is a difficult task for nurse educators. Although students may easily learn the mechanics of a new language, the cultural differences must also be addressed. In the face of the current nursing shortage, it is critically important that strategies to improve linguistic competence be incorporated into curricular efforts. This article describes integrated skills reinforcement as one academic strategy to improve reading, speaking, listening, and writing skills. Suggestions are made for incorporating and evaluating these techniques.
Critical Thinking in Nursing: An Integrated Review
Authors: Brunt Barbara A
Published: January 2019

ABSTRACT

Critical thinking skills are essential to function in today's complex health care environment and to ensure continuing competence for the future. This article provides a review of various definitions and research studies related to critical thinking. Educators and researchers need to clearly define critical thinking, because there has been wide variation in definitions and descriptions of critical thinking. Research studies have shown inconsistent findings, and many have used a one-group pretest-posttest design over a single course or during the length of a nursing program. Studies have not shown an association between critical thinking and competence; rigorous research studies are needed to understand the process of critical thinking.
Engaging the Body and Mind With the Spirit of Learning to Promote Critical Thinking
Authors: Trapp Patricia
Published: January 2019

ABSTRACT

Adult learners want to know the benefits of paying attention to continuing education and how it can improve the care they provide. Linking the body and mind with the spirit of learning can improve the likelihood of meeting both the staff's needs and the educator's goals in learning. Applying these brain-based strategies can engage the learner, focus attention, and increase the involvement of the professional level staff. These can be applied in a variety of different formats. Examples are provided for self-directed learning formats, which can be a versatile and cost-effective way to communicate continuing education to the learner.
Strategies for Active Learning in Online Continuing Education
Authors: Phillips Janet M
Published: January 2019

ABSTRACT

Online continuing education and staff development is on the rise as the benefits of access, convenience, and quality learning are continuing to take shape. Strategies to enhance learning call for learner participation that is self-directed and independent, thus changing the educator's role from expert to coach and facilitator. Good planning of active learning strategies promotes optimal learning whether the learning content is presented in a course or a just-in-time short module. Active learning strategies can be used to enhance online learning during all phases of the teaching-learning process and can accommodate a variety of learning styles. Feedback from peers, educators, and technology greatly influences learner satisfaction and must be harnessed to provide effective learning experiences. Outcomes of active learning can be assessed online and implemented conveniently and successfully from the initiation of the course or module planning to the end of the evaluation process. Online learning has become accessible and convenient and allows the educator to track learner participation. The future of online education will continue to grow, and using active learning strategies will ensure that quality learning will occur, appealing to a wide variety of learning needs.
It's Time There Was an App for That Too
Authors: Han Kyungsik , Shih Patrick C. , Bellotti Victoria , Carroll John M.
Published: January 2019

Timebanking refers to community-based volunteering in which participants provide and receive services in exchange for time credits. Although timebanking takes advantage of web technologies, the lack of flexibility in managing web-based timebanking transactions and the difficulty of attracting younger adults whose contributions would be highly valuable to the community still remain as major challenges. The authors' design research attempts to address these issues by leveraging the unique affordances of smartphones and their attractiveness to young adults. In this paper, the authors introduce a timebanking smartphone application and present a 5-week user study with 32 young adults. The results highlight the potential of timebanking for young population with an application that facilitates access to communications and transaction-management activities, and strengthens social connection and the sense of community attachment. The authors in particular present new affordances of smartphone technology on timebanking, including (1) transaction time reduction, (2) location and time-sensitive timebanking activity support, and (3) real-time coordination. The authors discuss design challenges and opportunities of smartphone-based timebanking.
Internet Use and Violent Extremism
Authors: Pressman D. Elaine , Ivan Cristina
Published: January 2019

This chapter introduces a new approach to the risk assessment for violent extremism that is focused on cyber-related behaviour and content. The Violent Extremist Risk Assessment (VERA-2) protocol, used internationally, is augmented by an optional cyber-focused risk indicator protocol referred to as CYBERA. The risk indicators of CYBERA are elaborated and the application of CYBERA, conjointly with the VERA-2 risk assessment protocol, is described. The combined use of the two tools provides (1) a robust and cyber-focused risk assessment intended to provide early warning indicators of violent extremist action, (2) provides consistency and reliability in risk and threat assessments, (3) determines risk trajectories of individuals, and (4) assists intelligence and law enforcement analysts in their national security investigations. The tools are also relevant for use by psychologists, psychiatrists, communication analysts and provide relevant information that supports Terrorism Prevention Programs (TPP) and countering violent extremism (CVE) initiatives.
Digital Wellness
Authors: Royal Chadwick , Wasik Suzan , Horne Robert , Dames Levette S. , Newsome Gwen
Published: January 2019

Are you addicted to your phone? Using the term “addiction” when discussing activities involving technologies is a metaphor. It is intended to portray behaviors that are similar to what is experienced during a drug addiction (Essig, 2012), but it is not an actual addiction. Granted, the metaphor is successful because it relates the experience of being “out of control”. It is proposed that counselors and educators approach problematic behavior from more of a perspective of “wellness” and healthy behaviors - as opposed to approaching it from an addiction model or concept. Digital Wellness is the optimum state of health and well-being that each individual using technology is capable of achieving. The purpose of this chapter is to present the Digital Wellness Model (Royal, 2014) and provide recommendations for how the model can be implemented by users of technology. Specific strategies for promoting digital wellness are shared.
Mobile Embedded System
Authors: Teh Pei-Lee , Ling Huo-Chong , Cheong Soon-Nyean , Ahmed Pervaiz K.
Published: January 2019

The use of smartphone is pervasive. With device pocketability driving user engagement throughout the day, it is highly probable that smartphones will replace daily items (e.g., keys and credit cards) that people now carry around. The idea presented here is a significant step in this direction. This chapter details the authors' design and development of a smartphone access control system using Near Field Communication (NFC) Encrypted Steganography Graphical Password (ESGP). The primary objective is to leverage the technical capability of NFC-enabled smartphones in developing a two-factor authentication system connecting physical resources (i.e., premises) and virtual resources (i.e., password knowledge). This involves a novel integration of token-based, graphical-password authentication, cryptography and steganography. The second objective is to evaluate users' behavior intention to use the system. New insights for researchers and business world interested in the unified solutions for NFC-compatible smartphone, access control and mobile security are provided.
Supporting Students' Mental Health and Academic Success Through Mobile App and IoT
Authors: Baras Karolina , Soares Luísa , Lucas Carla Vale , Oliveira Filipa , Paulo Norberto Pinto , Barros Regina
Published: January 2019

Smartphones have become devices of choice for running studies on health and well-being, especially among young people. When entering college, students often face many challenges, such as adaptation to new situations, establish new interpersonal relationships, heavier workload and shorter deadlines, teamwork assignments and others. In this paper, the results of four studies examining students' well-being and mental health as well as student's perception of challenges and obstacles they face during their academic journey are presented. In addition, a mobile application that acts as a complement to a successful tutoring project implemented at the authors' University is proposed. The application allows students to keep their schedules and deadlines in one place while incorporating virtual tutor features. By using both, the events from the student's calendar and his or her mood indicators, the application sends notifications accordingly. These notifications encompass motivational phrases, time management guidelines, as well as relaxation tips.
“Nothing Crueler Than High School Students”
Authors: Rosewarne Lauren
Published: January 2019

The Internet as a fearful place is a theme apparent in numerous film and television presentations whereby fears and anxieties about new technology are exploited and new ethical challenges are mounted. The idea that the Internet can make a person, particularly a young person, vulnerable has much traction on screen: in the context of bullying, narratives frequently demonstrate that while it was once restricted to the parameters of school—the school grounds and the school day—the Internet enables such behavior to happen at any time and for it to occur repeatedly with an infinite audience. Anybody with Internet access—be it via their laptop or smartphone—can be bullied; equally, anyone with access to such technology can become the bully. Revictimization is the starting point for this discussion and is a key factor in distinguishing cyberbullying from the schoolyard terror of the pre–Web era. The public nature of many online attacks means that victims experience abuse in an ongoing fashion in turn, exacerbating and prolonging the trauma. Other themes explored include the flexibility of roles: whereas in schoolyard bullying the victim is frequently the weaker kid preyed upon by someone older and stronger; online the weaker kid can effortlessly become the bully themselves in a world where physical brawn is less important than computer prowess. Age and gender are also examined, along with emerging social concerns such as slut-shaming and revenge porn. These themes are each explored to expose the ways film and television depict social concerns exacerbated by new technology.
Life-Value of Young Smartphone Users
Authors: Lin Chin-Tsai , Wang Sih-Wun , Lee Chuan , Chen Yi-Hsueh
Published: January 2019

In recent years, Smartphone users are increasing rapidly. Moreover, Smartphone users' age occupies from young to old. In the past, studies focus on Smartphone users generally targets the office workers rather than younger users. Yet, previous studies do not talk about the income and life-value of younger users. Therefore, the significant value of this study is different compare to older research. In this research, it will use qualitative study to discuss the importance of Smartphone for younger users and to find out the facts how Smartphone interacts with their meaning of life. The result indicates six results at the end of this research paper, there are sharing, group identity, recording, relation, function, and time.
A Cross-Cultural Study of Smartphone Adoption in Uzbekistan and South Korea
Authors: Sanakulov Nodir , Karjaluoto Heikki
Published: January 2019

Smartphone technology has changed how mobile phones are perceived and used in daily life. In 2015, global smartphone sales reached 1.4 billion units, representing an increase of 14.4 percent from 2014. Despite this popularity, penetration rates vary significantly across countries, with a global median of 43%. The main purpose of this research is to examine smartphone adoption in Uzbekistan and South Korea based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and to categorize constructs according to the Kano model. The findings indicate significant differences between South Korea and Uzbekistan in terms of technology adoption as a whole and perception of UTAUT constructs.
An Empirical Investigation of Smartphone Adoption in Pakistan
Authors: Ikram Mohsin , Khan Sarah S. , Jeong Bong-Keun
Published: January 2019

Smartphone use has proliferated globally. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding the fast adoption of the technology at individual level, specifically for personal use. Technology adoption varies across geographic regions, and smartphone adoption is no exception. This article investigates smartphone adoption in Pakistan, which is one of the fastest growing smartphone markets. With the help from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the authors build a research model by looking at the unique characteristics of the smartphone technology and Pakistan's market. The research model is empirically tested among 289 smartphone users. The results show perceived smartphone usefulness and the ease of use contributing significantly towards users' intention to adopt smartphone. Also, smartphone design, availability of smartphone applications, and social norms increases the smartphone use. However, technical difficulty in smartphone use negatively affects its adoption. The authors also discuss the implications and future research.
Factors for Resistance to the Use of Mobile Banking
Authors: Neves da Rocha Juliana Yamaguchi , Martins Valéria Farinazzo
Published: January 2019

In spite of the great potential for the development of mobile banking in Brazil, since the banking index reaches more than half of the population and the number of internet users is even higher, this potential is not evenly distributed among the age groups in the country. Taking into account the tendency to resist new technologies as one ages, this chapter aimed to identify the factors that lead the Brazilian population aged 45 years or over to use the internet and, within this spectrum, identify the barriers to the adoption of mobile banking technology. A questionnaire was applied and 113 responses were analyzed and categorized between functional and psychological aspects in these barriers. This chapter presents the results of this research.
Being Online in Emerging Adulthood
Authors: Benvenuti Martina , Mazzoni Elvis , Piobbico Gioele
Published: January 2019

Internet revolutionized our lifestyle. New generation devices like smartphones and tablets allow us to be always connected: the web represents a significant part of our days. These epochal changes bring with them questions about the potentialities and the risks of web 2.0. This chapter introduces a research whose purpose is to investigate the relationships between Online and Offline lives in Emerging Adulthood. Starting by the concept of functional organ (Leont'ev, 1972) and inverse instrumentality (Ekbia & Nardi, 2012), the goal of the study is to go beyond the research on web addiction, and start to explore a model able to predict why some emerging adults have their life empowered by the web and while others get trapped in the problematic use.
Beware!
Authors: Hai-Jew Shalin
Published: January 2019

Cautionary tales are structured stories that describe protagonists who are faced with critical decisions and often take wrong turns and suffer for it, sometimes irretrievably; these tales warn people of dangers. In cybersecurity communications, cautionary tales are an integral part of the strategic messaging. This chapter explores the uses of multimodal cautionary tales in strategic cybersecurity communications, in a convenience sampling of the following: mass-scale search terms, academic and mass media text sets, social imagery, related tags networks, and social video. This work identifies their strengths and weaknesses in suggesting methods for promoting personal cybersecurity safety. Some suggestions for higher efficacy in cybersecurity cautionary tales are suggested, in light of the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Cyber Attacks, Contributing Factors, and Tackling Strategies
Authors: Bordoff Samantha , Chen Quan , Yan Zheng
Published: January 2019

This article describes how as access to the Internet has increased, cybersecurity has become important, with businesses and the government spending much time and resources to combat cyber attacks. The purpose of this article was to review the existing literature related to cybersecurity. Specifically, the review synthesizes the empirical research in (1) various types of cyber attacks, (2) contributing factors related to cybersecurity behavior, and (3) strategi to improve cybersecurity behavior. The most developed line of research in this area has been focusing on the strategies to improve cybersecurity behavior, showing a questionable trend of quickly creating solutions before fully conceptualizing the problem.