bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incidence of the Flipped Classroom in the Physical Education Students’ Academic Performance in University Contexts
Authors: Hinojo-Lucena Francisco Javier , Mingorance-Estrada Ángel Custodio , Trujillo-Torres Juan Manuel , Aznar-Díaz Inmaculada , Cáceres Reche María Pilar
Published: April 2018

This research analyzed Physical Education students’ degree of academic performance with the incorporation of active methodologies, specifically flipped classroom mixed learning, restricted to evaluation periods in the months of June and September. The study focused on whether there are significant differences in this variable through the scores obtained. Through a simple random sampling, 131 students participated in this empiric-analytic research, using an ex-post-facto study with a retrospective design with quasi-control group. A robust test of averages comparison, multiple linear regressions and an evaluation of the relative importance of predictors was conducted. The results show how flipped classroom methodology linearly and positively influences academic performance and correlational motivation and support. As main conclusion, in a hybrid and digitalized learning context, the value of the consideration of active methodologies (flipped classroom) based on emerging pedagogies, allows improving students’ achievement and competence development, providing critical, significant, ubiquitous, transformational and especially motivating experiences.
Decomposition Analysis of Energy-Related CO2 Emissions and Decoupling Status in China’s Logistics Industry
Authors: Zhang Shiqing , Wang Jianwei , Zheng Wenlong
Published: April 2018

The logistics industry is one of the major fossil energy consumers and CO2 emitters in China, which plays an important role in achieving sustainable development as well as China’s emission reduction targets. To identify the key influencing factors regarding the logistics of CO2 reductions and ensure that the development of China’s logistics industry becomes less dependent on CO2 emissions, this paper built an extended log-mean Divisia index model (LMDI) to decompose the logistics of CO2 changes between 1985 and 2015. Then, we introduced a decoupling model that combined the decomposition results to analyze the decoupling state and identify the main factors that influenced the decoupling relationship. The results show the following. (1) The urbanization effect was the decisive factor in CO2 emissions increases, followed by structural adjustment effects, while technological progress effects played a major role in inhibiting CO2 emissions. Particularly, the energy structure showed great potential for CO2 emissions reduction in China. (2) Highways appeared to have dominant promoting roles in increasing CO2 emissions regarding transportation structure effects; highways and aviation proved to have the largest impact on CO2 emission reduction. (3) There has been an increase in the number of expansive negative decoupling states between 2005 and 2015, which implies that the development of the logistics industry has become more dependent on CO2 emissions. Finally, this paper puts forward some policy implications for CO2 emission reductions in China’s logistics industry.
Modeling the Multi-Period and Multi-Classification-Yard Location Problem in a Railway Network
Authors: Liu Siqi , Lin Boliang , Wang Jiaxi , Wu Jianping
Published: April 2018

Classification yards are crucial nodes of railway freight transportation network, which plays a vital role in car flow reclassification and new train formation. Generally, a modern yard covers an expanse of several square kilometers and costs billions of Chinese Yuan (CNY), i.e., hundreds of millions of dollars. The determination of location and size of classification yards in multiple periods is not only related to yard establishment or improvement cost, but also involved with train connection service (TCS) plan. This paper proposes a bi-level programming model for the multi-period and multi-classification-yard location (MML) problem. The upper-level is intended to find an optimal combinatorial investment strategy for candidate nodes throughout the planning horizon, and the lower-level aims to obtain a railcar reclassification plan with minimum operation cost on the basis of the strategy given by the upper-level. The model is constrained by budget, classification capacity, the number of available tracks, etc. A numerical study is then performed to evaluate the validity and effectiveness of the model.
Accurate Mass Measurements for Planetary Microlensing Events Using High Angular Resolution Observations
Authors: Beaulieu Jean-Philippe
Published: April 2018

The microlensing technique is a unique method to hunt for cold planets over a range of mass and separation, orbiting all varieties of host stars in the disk of our galaxy. It provides precise mass-ratio and projected separations in units of the Einstein ring radius. In order to obtain the physical parameters (mass, distance, orbital separation) of the system, it is necessary to combine the result of light curve modeling with lens mass-distance relations and/or perform a Bayesian analysis with a galactic model. A first mass-distance relation could be obtained from a constraint on the Einstein ring radius if the crossing time of the source over the caustic is measured. It could then be supplemented by secondary constraints such as parallax measurements, ideally by using coinciding ground and space-born observations. These are still subject to degeneracies, like the orbital motion of the lens. A third mass-distance relation can be obtained thanks to constraints on the lens luminosity using high angular resolution observations with 8 m class telescopes or the Hubble Space Telescope. The latter route, although quite inexpensive in telescope time is very effective. If we have to rely heavily on Bayesian analysis and limited constraints on mass-distance relations, the physical parameters are determined to 30–40% typically. In a handful of cases, ground-space parallax is a powerful route to get stronger constraint on masses. High angular resolution observations will be able to constrain the luminosity of the lenses in the majority of the cases, and in favorable circumstances it is possible to derive physical parameters to 10% or better. Moreover, these constraints will be obtained in most of the planets to be discovered by the Euclid and WFIRST satellites. We describe here the state-of-the-art approaches to measure lens masses and distances with an emphasis on high angular resolution observations. We will discuss the challenges, recent results and perspectives.
Water Footprints of Vegetable Crop Wastage along the Supply Chain in Gauteng, South Africa
Authors: Le Roux Betsie , Van der Laan Michael , Vahrmeijer Teunis , Annandale John G. , Bristow Keith L.
Published: April 2018

Food production in water-scarce countries like South Africa will become more challenging in the future because of the growing population and intensifying water shortages. Reducing food wastage is one way of addressing this challenge. The wastage of carrots, cabbage, beetroot, broccoli and lettuce, produced on the Steenkoppies Aquifer in Gauteng, South Africa, was estimated for each step along the supply chain from the farm to the consumer. Water footprints for these vegetables were used to determine the volume of water lost indirectly as a result of this wastage. Highest percentage wastage occurs at the packhouse level, which is consistent with published literature. Some crops like lettuce have higher average wastage percentages (38%) compared to other crops like broccoli (13%) and cabbage (14%), and wastage varied between seasons. Care should therefore be taken when applying general wastage values reported for vegetables. The classification of “waste” presented a challenge, because “wasted” vegetables are often used for other beneficial purposes, including livestock feed and composting. It was estimated that blue water lost on the Steenkoppies Aquifer due to vegetable crop wastage (4 Mm3 year−1) represented 25% of the estimated blue water volume that exceeded sustainable limits (17 Mm3 year−1).
On the Relationship between Aquatic Plant Stem Characteristics and Drag Force: Is a Modeling Application Possible?
Authors: Łoboda Anna Maria , Karpiński Mikołaj , Bialik Robert Józef
Published: April 2018

This paper presents a basic model that shows the relationship between the diameter of a stem and its flexural rigidity. The model was developed from experimental measurements of biomechanical traits (i.e., tensile and bending traits like maximum forces, stresses, moduli of elasticity, flexural rigidity, strain) of three freshwater macrophyte species (Elodea canadensis Michx., Potamogeton pectinatus L., and P. crispus L.), reflecting the seasonal changes in plant biomechanics throughout the vegetative season. These were obtained with the use of a bench-top testing machine in 2016 and 2017. The presented calculations are based on the ratio of drag-to-bending forces, in which the flexural rigidity plays a key role. The proposed model has the form EI = adb, and two approaches based on a regression analysis were applied to determine the parameters of the model—a and b. In the first method, the parameters were identified separately for each day of measurement, while in the second method, the coefficient b was calculated for all data from all days as a unified number for individual plants. The results suggest that coefficient b may provide information about the proportion of changes in drag forces depending on plant stiffness. The values of this coefficient were associated with the shape of the stem cross-section. The more circular the cross-section, the closer the value of the parameter was to 1. The parameter values were 1.60 for E. canadensis, 1.98 for P. pectinatus, and 2.46 for P. crispus. Moreover, this value also depended on the density of the cross-section structure. Most of the results showed that with an increase in stem diameter, the ratio between the drag and bending forces decreased, which led to fewer differences between these two forces. The model application may be introduced in many laboratory measurements of flow–biota interactions as well as in aquatic plant management applications. The implementation of these results in control methods for hydrophytes may help in mitigating floods caused by increases to a river channel’s resistance due to the occurrence of plants.
Impacts of Land Use Change and Summer Monsoon on Nutrients and Sediment Exports from an Agricultural Catchment
Authors: Kim Kiyong , Kim Bomchul , Eum Jaesung , Seo Bumsuk , Shope Christopher L. , Peiffer Stefan
Published: April 2018

Agricultural non-point source (NPS) pollution is a major concern for water quality management in the Soyang watershed in South Korea. Nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen), organic matter, and sediment exports in streams were estimated in an agricultural catchment (Haean catchment) for two years. The stream water samples were taken in dry and rainy seasons to evaluate the effect of monsoonal rainfall on pollutants exports. The influence of land use changes on NPS pollution was assessed by conducting a land use census and comparing the NPS characteristic exports. Total phosphorus (TP), suspended solids (SS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) increased dramatically in rainy seasons. Land uses were changed during the study period. Dry fields and rice paddies have decreased distinctively while orchard (apple, grape, and peach) and ginseng crops showed an increase within the catchment. The TP and SS loading decreased in the streams in 2010 compared to the loading in 2009 while the BOD and NO3− did not show distinct significant change. In this study, monsoonal driven rainfalls increased exports of agricultural NPS pollutants into streams. Land use change (mostly crop and paddy fields to orchards and ginseng fields) remarkably mitigated TP and SS exports into the streams.
Value-Added Products Derived from Waste Activated Sludge: A Biorefinery Perspective
Authors: Zhang Wei , Alvarez-Gaitan Juan Pablo , Dastyar Wafa , Saint Christopher P. , Zhao Ming , Short Michael D.
Published: April 2018

Substantial research has been carried out on sustainable waste activated sludge (WAS) management in the last decade. In addition to the traditional approach to reduce its production volume, considering WAS as a feedstock to produce bio-products such as amino acids, proteins, short chain fatty acids, enzymes, bio-pesticides, bio-plastics, bio-flocculants and bio-surfactants represents a key component in the transformation of wastewater treatment plants into biorefineries. The quality of these bio-products is a key factor with respect to the feasibility of non-conventional WAS-based production processes. This review provides a critical assessment of the production process routes of a wide range of value-added products from WAS, their current limitations, and recommendations for future research to help promote more sustainable management of this under-utilised and ever-growing waste stream.
Sustainable Urban Water Management under a Changing Climate: The Role of Spatial Planning
Authors: Hurlimann Anna , Wilson Elizabeth
Published: April 2018

The provision of a sustainable supply of water is an increasingly difficult task to achieve in many urban environments. This arises because of pressures related to population growth and increased per capita demand for water. Additionally, climate change is impacting the natural cycle of water in many locations, with a significant impact projected for the future. Many scholars advocate ‘sustainable urban water management’ (SUWM) as an approach that can address the root causes of these challenges. Yet the implementation of SUWM and adaptation to climate change in the urban water sector remains limited. This paper argues that spatial planning provides tools and processes that can facilitate the full implementation of SUWM goals, and adaptation to climate change. The potential of spatial planning to achieve SUWM, including sustainable urban water supply management through both supply and demand end initiatives, in light of climate change, is discussed. A framework is developed to consider a broad range of spatial planning interventions that can facilitate adaptation to climate change and SUWM concurrently. The paper provides information and tools to assist water planners achieve SUWM and a well-adapted water sector and urban environment, in an integrated, holistic and comprehensive manner, to meet future water supply needs. Achieving these goals will need collaborative activities across multiple built environment disciplines. Future research activities to advance these goals are outlined.
Stat3 Regulates Liver Progenitor Cell-Driven Liver Regeneration in Zebrafish
Authors: Khaliq Mehwish , Ko Sungjin , Liu Yinzi , Wang Hualin , Sun Yonghua , Solnica-Krezel Lila , Shin Donghun
Published: April 2018

After liver injury, regeneration manifests as either (1) hepatocytes proliferating to restore the lost hepatocyte mass or (2) if hepatocyte proliferation is compromised, biliary epithelial cells (BECs) dedifferentiating into liver progenitor cells (LPCs), which subsequently differentiate
into hepatocytes. Following pharmacogenetic ablation of hepatocytes in Tg(fabp10a:CFP-NTR) zebrafish, resulting in severe liver injury, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) and its target gene and negative regulator, socs3a, were upregulated in regenerating
livers. Using either Stat3 inhibitors, JSI-124 and S3I-201, or stat3 zebrafish mutants, we investigated the role of Stat3 in LPC-driven liver regeneration. Although Stat3 suppression reduced the size of regenerating livers, BEC dedifferentiation into LPCs was unaffected. However, regenerating
livers displayed a delay in LPC-to-hepatocyte differentiation and a significant reduction in the number of BECs. While no difference in cell death was detected, Stat3 inhibition significantly reduced LPC proliferation. Notably, stat3 mutants phenocopied the effects of Stat3 chemical
inhibitors, although the mutant phenotype was incompletely penetrant. Intriguingly, a subset of socs3a mutants also displayed a lower number of BECs in regenerating livers. We conclude that the Stat3/Socs3a pathway is necessary for the proper timing of LPC-to-hepatocyte differentiation and establishing the proper number of BECs during LPC-driven liver regeneration.
Ships Passing in the Night: Spectroscopic Analysis of Two Ultra-faint Satellites in the Constellation Carina*
†
‡
Authors: Li T. S. , Simon J. D. , Pace A. B. , Torrealba G. , Kuehn K. , Drlica-Wagner A. , Bechtol K. , Vivas A. K. , Marel R. P. van der , Wood M. , Yanny B. , Belokurov V. , Jethwa P. , Zucker D. B. , Lewis G. , Kron R. , Nidever D. L. , Sánchez-Conde M. A. , Ji A. P. , Conn B. C. , James D. J. , Martin N. F. , Martinez-Delgado D. , Noël N. E. D. ,   (MagLiteS Collaboration)
Published: April 2018

We present Magellan/IMACS, Anglo-Australian Telescope/AAOmega+2dF, and Very Large Telescope/GIRAFFE+FLAMES spectroscopy of the Carina II (Car II) and Carina III (Car III) dwarf galaxy candidates, recently discovered in the Magellanic Satellites Survey (MagLiteS). We identify 18 member stars in Car II, including two binaries with variable radial velocities and two RR Lyrae stars. The other 14 members have a mean heliocentric velocity

and a velocity dispersion of

. Assuming Car II is in dynamical equilibrium, we derive a total mass within the half-light radius of

, indicating a mass-to-light ratio of

/

. From equivalent width measurements of the calcium triplet lines of nine red giant branch (RGB) stars, we derive a mean metallicity of

with dispersion

. Considering both the kinematic and chemical properties, we conclude that Car II is a dark-matter-dominated dwarf galaxy. For Car III, we identify four member stars, from which we calculate a systemic velocity of

. The brightest RGB member of Car III has a metallicity of

. Due to the small size of the Car III spectroscopic sample, we cannot conclusively determine its nature. Although these two systems have the smallest known physical separation (

) among Local Group satellites, the large difference in their systemic velocities,

, indicates that they are unlikely to be a bound pair. One or both systems are likely associated with the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), and may remain LMC satellites today. No statistically significant excess of γ-ray emission is found at the locations of Car II and Car III in eight years of Fermi-LAT data.
Observation and Modeling of Chromospheric Evaporation in a Coronal Loop Related to Active Region Transient Brightening
Authors: Gupta G. R. , Sarkar Aveek , Tripathi Durgesh
Published: April 2018

Using the observations recorded by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory and the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) and the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer and X-Ray Telescope both on board Hinode, we present evidence of chromospheric evaporation in a coronal loop after the occurrence of two active region transient brightenings (ARTBs) at the two footpoints. The chromospheric evaporation started nearly simultaneously in all of the three hot channels of AIA 131, 94, and 335 Å and was observed to be temperature dependent, being fastest in the highest temperature channel. The whole loop became fully brightened following the ARTBs after ≈25 s in 131 Å, ≈40 s in 94 Å, and ≈6.5 minutes in 335 Å. The differential emission measurements at the two footpoints (i.e., of two ARTBs) and at the loop top suggest that the plasma attained a maximum temperature of ∼10 MK at all these locations. The spectroscopic observations from IRIS revealed the presence of redshifted emission of ∼20 km s−1 in cooler lines like C ii and Si iv during the ARTBs that was cotemporal with the evaporation flow at the footpoint of the loop. During the ARTBs, the line width of C ii and Si iv increased nearly by a factor of two during the peak emission. Moreover, enhancement in the line width preceded that in the Doppler shift, which again preceded enhancement in the intensity. The observed results were qualitatively reproduced by 1D hydrodynamic simulations, where energy was deposited at both of the footpoints of a monolithic coronal loop that mimicked the ARTBs identified in the observations.
Fast and Slow Precession of Gaseous Debris Disks around Planet-accreting White Dwarfs
Authors: Miranda Ryan , Rafikov Roman R.
Published: April 2018

Spectroscopic observations of some metal-rich white dwarfs (WDs), believed to be polluted by planetary material, reveal the presence of compact gaseous metallic disks orbiting them. The observed variability of asymmetric, double-peaked emission-line profiles in about half of such systems could be interpreted as the signature of precession of an eccentric gaseous debris disk. The variability timescales—from decades down to 1.4 year (recently inferred for the debris disk around HE 1349–2305)—are in rough agreement with the rate of general relativistic (GR) precession in the test-particle limit. However, it has not been demonstrated that this mechanism can drive such a fast, coherent precession of a radially extended (out to

1

R

⊙

) gaseous disk mediated by internal stresses (pressure). Here, we use the linear theory of eccentricity evolution in hydrodynamic disks to determine several key properties of eccentric modes in gaseous debris disks around WDs. We find a critical dependence of both the precession period and radial eccentricity distribution of the modes on the inner disk radius, r
in. For small inner radii,

r

in

≲
(
0.2
–
0.4
)

R

⊙

, the modes are GR-driven, with periods of ≈1–10 year. For

r

in

≳
(
0.2
–
0.4
)

R

⊙

, the modes are pressure dominated, with periods of ≈3–20 year. Correspondence between the variability periods and inferred inner radii of the observed disks is in general agreement with this trend. In particular, the short period of HE 1349–2305 is consistent with its small r
in. Circum-WD debris disks may thus serve as natural laboratories for studying the evolution of eccentric gaseous disks.
Areas of endemism of hummingbirds (Aves: Apodiformes: Trochilidae) in the Andean and Neotropical regions
Authors: Ouvernay Daiane , Ferreira Ildemar , Morrone Juan J.
Published: April 2018

Using track analysis and cladistic biogeography, we identified areas of endemism of hummingbirds in the Andean and Neotropical regions. Our results point out that the current areas of endemism of hummingbirds occur in the Andes, Guiana Shield, the Lesser Antilles, western Central and North America and the Chiapas Highlands. The cladistic biogeographic analysis suggests a hummingbird distribution shaped mainly by dispersal events.
Le pôle de compétitivité, un facilitateur d’apprentissage organisationnel
Authors: Taddei Jean-Claude , Noblet Jean-Pierre
Published: April 2018

Il est généralement admis que stratégie ne rime pas toujours avec PME, et encore moins avec TPE. Les auteurs sont nombreux à avoir démontré l’absence de stratégie, ou tout au moins son manque de formalisme dans les petites organisations. En 2005, le gouvernement français a créé les pôles de compétitivité regroupant les acteurs de l’économie, de la recherche et de la formation afin d’accompagner le développement et l’innovation des entreprises par filière. Mais comment faire travailler ensemble des entreprises dont le concept de planification stratégique est variable, voire absent dans un territoire économique qui va s’attacher à proposer des projets collectifs stratégiques. Ainsi, notre étude cherche à comprendre comment un pôle de compétitivité peut influencer les pratiques managériales des entreprises « situées » dans leur territoire, et en particulier, comment il peut faciliter les apprentissages mutuels. L’une des actions essentielles de la gouvernance du pôle auprès des PME revient à favoriser les coopérations sur des projets collectifs. En réduisant l’éloignement relationnel de PME qui hésitent à s’impliquer, le pôle de compétitivité contribue ainsi au rapprochement des entreprises du territoire. Nous souhaitons plus précisément comprendre comment un pôle de compétitivité facilite l’apprentissage stratégique et organisationnel des petites entreprises par leur mise en relation, et par les actions collectives auxquelles elles participeront, notamment en considérant le pôle comme un facilitateur d’apprentissage organisationnel dès lors qu’il joue le rôle d’inter-acteur, de leader, et de courtier de connaissances.
L’injustice perçue à l’égard de la tarification par le revenue management : une analyse de ses manifestations affectives
Authors: Méatchi Sourou , Camus Sandra
Published: April 2018

La tarification par le revenue management (TRM) 1 est devenue un levier de performance incontournable pour de nombreuses entreprises, en particulier dans les secteurs du tourisme. Cependant, il a été montré que cette politique tarifaire pouvait générer de l’injustice aux yeux des consommateurs. Cet article apporte un éclairage à la compréhension de l’injustice perçue, en particulier dans le contexte de la TRM. Grâce à une double analyse des données collectées par la technique des incidents critiques (trente-deux entretiens), cette recherche montre que les dimensions affectives occupent une place fondamentale dans le contenu de l’injustice perçue à l’égard de la TRM. Enfin, cette recherche permet aux entreprises pratiquant la TRM de mieux comprendre et réagir face au phénomène d’injustice perçue, relativement fréquent dans le secteur du tourisme.
Structuration profonde dans la région de Bir M’Chergua (Nord-Est de la Tunisie). Implications hydrogéologiques
Authors: Hamed Ferjani A. , Guellala R. , Amiri A. , Merzougui A. , Inoubli M. H.
Published: April 2018

[fr] La région de Bir M’Chergua sise à cinquante kilomètres de la capitale Tunis constitue un pôle économique important en Tunisie. Cependant la pénurie en eau résultante de la succession de nombreuses périodes de sécheresse a généré une notable dégradation de diverses activités industrielles, touristiques et agricoles dans cette région. L’exploitation des eaux souterraines peut pallier à cette situation mais elle nécessite une meilleure caractérisation des aquifères. Dans ce contexte, est réalisée la présente étude qui vise à apporter des précisions au schéma hydrogéologique de la région de Bir M’Chergua en déterminant la structuration profonde à partir de l’interprétation des données gravimétriques.
Des cartes d’anomalie résiduelle, de la dérivée verticale et du gradient horizontal total sont calculées à partir de l’anomalie de Bouguer pour identifier et délimiter les sources perturbatrices. La technique de déconvolution d’Euler est aussi appliquée pour estimer la profondeur de ces sources.
La carte structurale issue de l’interprétation gravimétrique permet de mettre en évidence des structures enfouies et des discontinuités de différentes directions et profondeurs qui peuvent influencer énormément la géométrie et le fonctionnement du système aquifère de Bir M’Chergua. En effet, la mise en évidence des accidents tectoniques profonds de plus de 1500 m aux alentours du Dôme du Jebel Oust permet d’expliquer l’origine et la forte salinité des eaux thermales dans ce secteur; les accidents ont favorisé une pénétration profonde des eaux de recharge ainsi que leur contact avec les terrains triasiques.
The Information and the Strategy Business
Authors: Jamil George Leal
Published: April 2018

In recent years we have witnessed a major transformation in society. We went from a society based on industry and transport to another based on information and knowledge. A major challenge for managers is to understand what the information is for formulation, definition, implementation, and control the strategy. The strategy for any organization can be set from the outside in. According to the schools of positioning, the offer of products will have to adapt to changes in the environment. Or from the inside out. According to the movement's schools, the organization influences the middle engaging with your innovative product offerings, since it has skills and capabilities that competitors don't have and that are difficult to imitate or buy. This chapter explores information and business strategies.
Nurturing a Geospatially Empowered Next Generation
Authors: Starkenburg Derek , Waigl Christine F. , Gens Rudiger
Published: April 2018

For new generations of citizens in all countries, a level of proficiency in geospatial concepts and skills will be required to realize the potential of professional and developmental opportunities. The teaching of geospatial skills links into traditional science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum objectives, community-wide concerns and initiatives, and global citizenship. Therefore, by the pre-university and undergraduate level, it is desirable for each student to have acquired such competencies. Free and open-source tools that are accessible and affordable in most areas of the world, along with data availability, offer an opportunity to support teaching such a curriculum. Here, core geospatial concepts are introduced, along with available data and tools. Then, using three scenarios, it is shown how the core concepts can be applied to different settings for educational purposes.
Keyword Search Mechanisms in Geo-Spatial Databases
Authors: Priya M.  , Kalpana R.
Published: April 2018

Most web and mobile applications are based on searching the location-based objects called spatial objects. In spatial database systems, searching such objects is a challenging task since it deals with geo-spatial capabilities. Sometimes, the spatial queries are associated with text information in order to obtain the most relevant answers nearest to the given location. Such queries are called spatial textual query. Conventional spatial indexes and text indexes are not suitable for resolving such queries. Since these indexes use various approaches to perform searching, they can cause performance degradation. Effective processing of the query mainly depends on the index structure, searching algorithms, and location-based ranking. This chapter reviews the different hybrid index structures and search mechanisms to extract the spatial objects, the different ranking model it supports, and the performance characteristics.
Role of Free and Open Source GIS in River Rejuvenation
Authors: Kundassery Smart , Babu C. A.
Published: April 2018

Rivers represent one of the sources of freshwater. The existence and survival of humanity is intricately connected with the availability of freshwater resources. It is valuable to provide comprehensive information of all water resources through online geo-visual interfaces. Specific web slices can be of use, such as the illustration of headwater sources along with details of streams of various orders and tributaries up to the point of merging with the sea downstream. Since the local self-government departments, Grama Panchayat, can play a crucial role, they too are eager to know the details of the drainage network flowing within each administration unit. The possibilities emerging out of integration of free and open source GIS is enormous and can eventually succeed in bringing forth a ray of hope to the forlorn riverine ecosystem.
Corporate Social Responsibility Communication Research
Authors: Tomaselli Gianpaolo , Garg Lalit , Gupta Vipul , Xuereb Peter A. , Buttigieg Sandra C.
Published: April 2018

This chapter provides a review of the current state of corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication research and a theoretical framework on related topics. The analysis covers a period of twenty years (from 1997 to 2016) and statistically maps the streams of research advances on CSR communication, identifying top academic journals in the field. Moreover, the authors focus on the importance of CSR communication for businesses, the different approaches to communication, and review the literature dealing with both digital and traditional tools adopted for CSR communication. A discussion on how today's businesses are aware of the importance of communicating CSR to their stakeholders and are implementing both digital and traditional tools in a complementary way for their CSR communication strategy follows; research gaps, limitations, and further directions conclude the chapter. Finally, this chapter provides some inputs about the relevance of this topic for digital business transformation.
Recommender Systems in Healthcare
Authors: Afolabi Adekunle Oluseyi , Toivanen Pekka
Published: April 2018

In this chapter the appropriateness of any recommender system in healthcare, which lies in its ability to provide capabilities for meeting the challenges of modern care giving, is examined. The impacts of over two decades of research in and implementation of recommender systems in healthcare are extensively examined in two consecutive periods: first to examine empirical results and practical implementations while the second focuses on validating the earlier findings and justifying the propositions made. Although the result indicates an optimistic progress and upward trend in both the research and implementation, there are compelling reasons to invest more efforts at harmonizing evaluation criteria and metrics. In addition, in order to appropriately, adequately, and effectively meet the challenges of modern care, the rapidly evolving trends, and changing technologies, a novel solution with potential for these capabilities is proposed: a solution to provide real-time recommendations and make them available for sharing among stakeholders in real time.
Challenges Facing Health Service Delivery in Developing Countries and Solution Approaches
Authors: Edoh Thierry O. C. , Pawar Pravin Amrut , Loko Laura Y.
Published: April 2018

This chapter describes a case study of the poor access to healthcare in the developing the countries with more focus on the rural areas and presents an adapted remote care delivery system approach for improving and increasing the access to healthcare services by overcoming certain cultural, social, financial, and linguistic barriers. The remote care delivery system integrates traditional practitioners because most people are more confident with the traditional medicine. The chapter presents the results of a practical on-site test of the proposed system. The test has shown the potentiality of the proposed system to improve the quality and effectiveness of healthcare and increase the accessibility of healthcare systems. The chapter also discusses the obstacles for applying standard telemedicine systems and e-health solutions in the developing world.
From Customer Relationship Management to Influencer Relationship Management
Authors: Greve Goetz , Schlüschen Andrea
Published: April 2018

In today's digitally fragmented and social-media-dominated world, traditional forms of advertising—driving awareness through push advertising—are becoming less effective, and more and more consumer brands are turning to influencers as important network intermediaries to leverage the power of word-of-mouth marketing. Influencers are individual consumers who maintain large numbers of followers that seek to interact with the influencers' unique content on a regular basis. To enable companies to systematically manage the relationships between brands and influencers, the concept of customer relationship management is being transferred to fit the new challenges. The four stages of the influencer life cycle are explained and possible KPIs listed in this chapter.
Introduction of Social Media Platforms and Social Media Analytics for Social CRM
Authors: Lee In
Published: April 2018

This chapter reviews customer relationship management, social media platforms, and social media analytics, and discusses how social media platforms and social media analytics are used to support social CRM. Social CRM emerged by integrating social media with customer relationship management. Social media offers companies an array of innovative ways to interact with their employees, customers, partners, and other stakeholders. As the user base of social media is growing rapidly, it is crucial for companies to understand their social media platforms, develop a plan to continually integrate social media with CRM, analyze social media data with social media analytics, and quickly respond to the needs of customers. To help CRM managers utilize social media analytics systematically, this chapter discusses various analytics methods and presents analytics processes for social media data.
Predicting Brand Loyalty by Measuring the Strength of Consumer Habit
Authors: Amoroso Donald L.
Published: April 2018

This chapter builds on existing loyalty literature and theories, includes impact of habit on continuous intention and loyalty, and makes recommendations to practitioners based on the findings. This research identifies the factors that will increase brand loyalty by consumers and examines the strength and effect of habit in predicting brand loyalty. Five regression models revealed that habit was the strongest factor among all constructs in predicting continuance intention and consumer loyalty to mobile wallet brands. Support was found for all of the hypothesized relationships for consumers using mobile apps. Although the direct effects of consumer attitudes were more or less constant, satisfaction became insignificant when habit is introduced in the model. As an independent variable with both consumer attitudes and satisfaction, habit significantly increases the explanatory power of continuance intention and loyalty. This chapter provides new insights into factors that influence loyalty in the context of mobile wallet applications.
A Semantic Approach to Evaluate Web Content of Government Websites
Authors: Thomas Manoj A. , Elnagar Samaa
Published: April 2018

Government agencies rely on websites to disseminate large volumes of information to the citizens. As public information changes over time due to changes in laws and regulations, maintaining currency and consistency of the web content becomes acutely important. Government agencies have to regularly evaluate the web content (WC) to ensure high quality of information available to the citizens, businesses, and public administrators. Currently there exists no standardized approach for monitoring and maintaining WC. In this chapter, the authors propose a WC ontology for the systematic and formal representation of the concepts and functions associated with the evaluation of web content on government websites. An ontology-based evaluation tool is proposed that can be used to improve the quality of web content and efficiency of the evaluation process. The ontological approach holds promising features and benefits including information sharing, reducing time and paperwork during evaluation, assuring more accurate results, and communicating evaluation results to knowledge engineers, public administrators, evaluators, and decision makers engaged in e-government initiatives.
Foundations' Civic Engagement With Stakeholders
Authors: Maxwell Sarah , Carboni Julia
Published: April 2018

Nonprofit organizations often adopt social media such as Facebook to encourage stakeholders to engage in the organizational mission. Calls to action via social media tend to reach subscribers who “like” or follow the organization via one-way communication. Researching effective approaches to dialogic communication, which asks followers to engage rather than observe, the authors focus on relationship management theory (RMT). RMT stresses organizational-stakeholder dynamic interactions. Using a quantitative modeling approach, the authors examine Facebook posts made by three different types of foundations (community, corporate, and independent) to determine how foundations call for stakeholder engagement. To date, few studies focus directly on types of posts and the response, or lack of response, to organizational messages via social media. Civic engagement requires action on the part of the stakeholder to address social problems. Defining participation and engagement varies by field and types of interaction. This research contributes to literature examining the “digital citizen.”
The eXtensible Business Reporting Language
Authors: Soverchia Michela , Fradeani Andrea
Published: April 2018

This chapter offers a theoretical analysis related to the eXtensible business reporting language (XBRL), a freely available computer language that has become the de facto standard for digital financial reporting. The aim is to deepen the role that XBRL could play within the public sector, which is partially different from its role in corporate reporting. Literature about that topic is lacking, and this research topic seems to be particularly relevant: considering the strong need for information transparency in government, strengthened by the financial crisis, XBRL could be a useful digital tool to push and improve governments' accountability and transparency. Finally, the authors briefly present the Italian case: after the experimental period conducted by the Court of Auditors from 2013 to 2015, and since the end of 2016, XBRL has been the mandatory format for submitting the financial statements of all public entities to the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance.
Motivational Factors and Barriers for Technology-Driven Governance
Authors: Dhamija Ankit , Dhamija Deepika
Published: April 2018

The world today is witnessing unprecedented changes in every walk of life. Most of these changes can be attributed to advancements in information and communication technologies (ICT). It is because of ICT only, the trade between various economies, the education, physical movement, and everything else that can be thought of, takes place. Governments of today have realized that in this digital era, traditional methods of remaining connected with its citizens are not going to be sufficient. Therefore, they must come up with innovative measures to find out ways of providing government services to citizens through digital means. When governments adopt ICT to achieve this, it is called e-governance. This chapter will touch upon what e-governance is all about, the state of e-governance, the successful e-governance implementations, and the barriers and constraints that prevent the adoption of an e-governance platform. The chapter has an Indian context due to the unprecedented change in India's economy and e-governance implementation.
Friending and Funding Through Facebook
Authors: Sihi Debika
Published: April 2018

Social media may be leveraged as a cost-effective way for nonprofit organizations (1) to share information and (2) as a platform for fundraising. This is especially true for regional nonprofit organizations which may have less dedicated resources for marketing and fundraising. This chapter has two main objectives. First, the impacts of regional nonprofit organizations' leadership and strategic emphasis on the use of social media for information transmission is examined. Insights are gained from leadership at 121 nonprofits and through analysis of 377 days of Facebook data for seven nonprofit organizations. The second objective of this work is to examine regional nonprofit organizations' use of social media for crowdfunding or raising donations through a network of social media followers. The Facebook pages of 647 regional nonprofits are examined, and insights are gained from key staff members at 10 organizations.
Sustainable Development and the Sustainability of Socioeconomic Systems
Authors: Olga Tikhomirova
Published: April 2018

The management of socioeconomic systems should be based on the universal laws of evolution and development. We need to discuss and create a framework for better understanding the theory of development, sustainability, and the sustainable development. To solve this problem, it is necessary to study several theoretical approaches from which we alter the terminology and some relevant methodological aspects. The contribution and implications of this research are to expand the existing theories of development in order to create the scientific basis for future studies. The study demonstrates the laws and tendencies of development and attempts to define the stage of development, shedding light on a new way to manage systems more effectively, helping to foresee future scenarios, and to prevent the negative circumstances the result from crises. Moreover, the proposed approach may facilitate focusing on the future and on innovation, instead of on vain attempts to preserve an imaginary stability.
Understanding the Whole From the Parts
Authors: West Daune
Published: April 2018

This chapter reports on an application of systems theory to a complex area of human endeavor, classical dressage. The area is well represented in a rich literature dating back to the time of Xenophon (c.380BC) and has many practitioners worldwide today. The author uses her interpretive systems perspective to explore classical dressage theory and practice and, throughout, uses examples from the classical equitation literature to support and illustrate the analysis presented. The chapter offers a description of classical dressage from considering its component parts and suggests that it concerns not only the “correct” and ethical training and riding of horses but, fundamentally, the personal development of the trainer/rider. The chapter concludes by (1) inspecting the relationship between classical and competition dressage and suggests that they contain important elements that are mutually exclusive and (2) considering the potential contribution of “systems” to the study of the human-horse relationship as complementary to the increasingly popular approach of equitation science.
Preparation and Characterization of Tb3+/Eu3+ Co-Doped Na2O-Al2O3-SiO2 Glass Ceramics
Authors: Meng Shuo , Li Jian Xin , Zhang Hong Bo , Zou Xiang Yu , Wei Qin Lei , Su Chun Hui
Published: April 2018

Tb3+/Eu3+co-doped sodium nepheline transparent glass ceramics with the weight percentage composition of 27Na2O-19Al2O3-23SiO2-13H3BO3-6TiO2-6ZrO2-3Tb4O7-3Eu2O3were prepared by melting crystallization method. The heat treatment system, crystal phase, micromorphology, transmittance and luminescent properties of the samples were tested and characterized by DSC, XRD, SEM, UV-Vis-NIR and fluorescence spectrometer, respectively. The results show that the optimum heat treatment condition of glass at 480°C nucleated 1h and 580°C grew 1h., the crystal phase was NaAlSiO4(35-0424), and the incorporation of rare earth ions did not affect the crystal phase. The transmittance of glass ceramics in the visible area can reach 78%. The effect of different Tb3+/Eu3+doping concentration on the luminescent properties of glass ceramic samples was discussed. It was found that there was a phenomenon of Tb3+to Eu3+energy transfer, and the luminescence effect was best when the percentage of mass of Tb3+/Eu3+was 1:1.
Improved Repeatability of Oscillatory Rheological Measurements for Polycarbosilane Melt
Authors: Wang Hong Yu , Huang Liu Ying , Cheng Xuan , Zhang Ying
Published: April 2018

Dynamic Time Sweep of Rotational Rheometer has been Used to Study the Variation in Rheological Properties of Polymers with Time. Polycarbosilane (PCS) is a Solid Oligomer at Room Temperature and Becomes Melt at its Softening Temperature. Bubbles are Unavoidably Produced by Gasification of Low Molecular Weight Part of PCS, which Significantly Disturbs the Subsequent Rheological Measurement. however, the Rheological Data of PCS Melt Cannot Be Repeated on Conventional Dynamic Time Sweep Test even after Reducing the Bubble. in this Work, a Series of Oscillatory Rheological Measurements were Carried out by Temperature Control to Improve the Data Reliability. the Axial Force Data of PCS Melt were Manually Recorded and Compared before and during the Test, which Reflected the Response of PCS Melt to Temperature Change. the Results Confirmed that the Shear Stress of PCS Melt was Readily Affected by Temperature Alteration. the Data Repeatability of the Rheological Test was Evidently Improved for PCS Melt with the Temperature Control.