bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Survival among children diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the United States, by race and age, 2001 to 2009: Findings from the CONCORD‐2 study
Authors: Tai Eric W. , Ward Kevin C. , Bonaventure Audrey , Siegel David A. , Coleman Michel P.
Published: December 2017

BACKGROUND

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood malignancy. This report describes the survival of children with ALL in the United States using the most comprehensive and up‐to‐date cancer registry data.

METHODS

Data from 37 state cancer registries that cover approximately 80% of the US population were used. Age‐standardized survival up to 5 years was estimated for children aged 0‐14 years who were diagnosed with ALL during 2 periods (2001‐2003 and 2004‐2009).

RESULTS

In total, 17,500 children with ALL were included. The pooled age‐standardized net survival estimates for all US registries combined were 95% at 1 year, 90% at 3 years, and 86% at 5 years for children diagnosed during 2001‐2003, and 96%, 91%, and 88%, respectively, for those diagnosed during 2004‐2009. Black children who were diagnosed during 2001‐2003 had lower 5‐year survival (84%) than white children (87%) and had less improvement in survival by 2004‐2009. For those diagnosed during 2004‐2009, the 1‐year and 5‐year survival estimates were 96% and 89%, respectively, for white children and 96% and 84%, respectively, for black children. During 2004‐2009, survival was highest among children aged 1 to 4 years (95%) and lowest among children aged <1 year (60%).

CONCLUSIONS

The current results indicate that overall net survival from childhood ALL in the United States is high, but disparities by race still exist, especially beyond the first year after diagnosis. Clinical and public health strategies are needed to improve health care access, clinical trial enrollment, treatment, and survivorship care for children with ALL. Cancer 2017;123:5178‐89. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Colon cancer survival in the United States by race and stage (2001‐2009): Findings from the CONCORD‐2 study
Authors: White Arica , Joseph Djenaba , Rim Sun Hee , Johnson Christopher J. , Coleman Michel P. , Allemani Claudia
Published: December 2017

BACKGROUND

In the first CONCORD study (2008), 5‐year survival for patients diagnosed with colon cancer between 1990 and 1994 in the United States was among the highest in the world (60%), but there were large racial disparities in most participating states. The CONCORD‐2 study (2015) enabled the examination of survival trends between 1995 and 2009 for US states by race and stage.

METHODS

The authors analyzed data from 37 state population‐based cancer registries, covering approximately 80% of the US population, for patients who were diagnosed with colon cancer between 2001 and 2009 and were followed through 2009. Survival up to 5 years was corrected for background mortality (net survival) using state‐specific and race‐specific life tables and age‐standardized using the International Cancer Survival Standard weights. Survival is presented by race (all, black, white), stage, state, and calendar period (2001‐2003 and 2004‐2009) to account for changes in methods used to collect stage.

RESULTS

Five‐year net survival increased by 0.9%, from 63.7% between 2001 and 2003 to 64.6% between 2004 and 2009. More black than white patients were diagnosed with distant‐stage disease between 2001 and 2003 (21.5% vs 17.2%) and between 2004 and 2009 (23.3% vs 18.8%). Survival improved for both blacks and whites, but 5‐year net survival was 9‐10% lower for blacks than for whites both between 2001 and 2003 (54.7% vs 64.5%) and between 2004 and 2009 (56.6% vs 65.4%). The absolute difference between blacks and whites decreased by only 1% during the decade.

CONCLUSIONS

Five‐year net survival from colon cancer increased slightly over time. Survival among blacks diagnosed between 2004 and 2009 had still not reached the level of that among whites diagnosed between 1990 and 1994, some 15 to 20 years earlier. These findings suggest a need for more targeted efforts to improve screening and to ensure timely, appropriate treatment, especially for blacks, to reduce this large and persistent disparity in survival. Cancer 2017;123:5014‐36. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Development of a Lens‐less Mid‐Infrared Laser Head for the Optical Fiber Tip Oscillation to Apply to Therapeutic Treatment
Authors: OMORI SHIGERU
Published: December 2017

Mid‐infrared lasers having the wavelength of the vicinity of 3 μm are considered as effective for the treatment of biomedical tissue because of the strong absorption to water. The drawback of 3 μm laser is the difficulty to propagate the silica optical fiber. We have reported the optical fiber tip oscillation laser that has a Er,Cr:YAGG laser crystal and coupling lenses on the tip of a silica fiber outputs 2.8 μm laser pumped by laser diode. In this paper, we demonstrated a lens‐less laser head for the optical fiber tip oscillation. By using the silica optical fiber having a core diameter of 105 μm and a numerical aperture of 0.12, the average output power of 1.0 W was achieved from the lens‐less laser head during a squire wave modulation for suppressing heat generation.
Why Gateway‐Course Improvement Should Matter to Academic Discipline Associations and What They Can Do to Address the Issues
Authors: Brookins Julia , Swafford Emily
Published: December 2017

Academic faculty members often maintain strong identities based on the primary discipline of their graduate training and teaching. While teaching cultures differ across fields, disciplinary associations like the American Historical Association have been active in supporting student‐centered curricular work.
Intentionally Linking Gateway‐Course Transformation Efforts with Guided Pathways
Authors: Rife Martine Courant , Conner Christine
Published: December 2017

Offered as a case study, this chapter shows how Lansing Community College intentionally combined efforts to redesign eight high‐risk courses with efforts to create clearer guided curricular pathways for the college's students.
A service concept and tools to improve maternal and newborn health in Nigeria and Uganda
Authors: Salgado Mariana , Wendland Melanie , Rodriguez Damaris , Bohren Meghan A. , Oladapo Olufemi T. , Ojelade Olubunmi A. , Mugerwa Kidza , Fawole Bukola
Published: December 2017

Objective

The “Better Outcomes in Labor Difficulty” (BOLD) project used a service design process to design a set of tools to improve quality of care during childbirth by strengthening linkages between communities and health facilities in Nigeria and Uganda. This paper describes the Passport to Safer Birth concept and the tools developed as a result.

Methods

Service design methods were used to identify facilitators and barriers to quality care, and to develop human‐centered solutions. The service design process had three phases: Research for Design, Concept Design, and Detail Design, undertaken in eight hospitals and catchment communities.

Results

The service concept “Better Beginnings” comprises three tools. The “Pregnancy Purse” provides educational information to women throughout pregnancy. The “Birth Board” is a visual communication tool that presents the labor and childbirth process. The “Family Pass” is a set of wearable passes for the woman and her supporter to facilitate communication of care preferences.

Conclusion

The Better Beginnings service concept and tools form the basis for the promotion of access to information and knowledge acquisition, and could improve communication between the healthcare provider, the woman, and her family during childbirth.
Factors Affecting the Use of Information Technology in Thai Agricultural Cooperatives: A Work in Progress
Authors: Chieochan O. , Lindley D. , Dunn T.
Published: December 2017

This paper describes work in progress studying factors affecting the use of information technology in Thai agricultural cooperatives. Factors in the internal and external environment of organizations are considered. Factors from the internal environment are divided into 2 groups: characteristics of managers of Thai agricultural cooperatives (i.e. attitude towards adoption of IT, IT knowledge, and innovation), and organizational characteristics (i.e. business size, organizational structure, and organizational culture). General factors from the external environment are political, economic, social, and infrastructure. Methodology and its development are also described.
Effects of Learning Styles on Undergraduates’ Attitudes, Navigational Patterns, and Use of Navigational Tools in Hypermedia‐Based Learning
Authors: Sam Hong Kian , Ling Chan Kun
Published: December 2017

This study aimed to identify undergraduates’ learning style, their attitudes towards hypermedia‐based learning (HBL), their navigational pattern and the navigational tools used during HBL sessions, and the differences in the above processes based on their learning styles. A questionnaire was used to collect data on their attitudes towards HBL. Kolb learning style inventory was used to determine the learning styles of the undergraduates. Observations and self‐reports were used to determine navigational pattern and navigational tools utilized in HBL. Subjects consisted of 15 undergraduates taking a social psychology course in the Cognitive Science Program at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. Subjects were required to navigate HBL social psychology web site http://www.trinity.edu/∼mkearl/socpsy.html. Findings indicated that all the subjects have positive attitudes towards HBL regardless of their learning styles. Diverger and assimilator learning styles subjects was “prudent” navigator, while converger and accommodator learning style subjects were “daring” navigator. Two main navigational tools used were the hyperlinks and back buttons and this pattern were the same regardless of the subjects learning style.
A Champion in Our Midst: Lessons Learned from the Impacts of NGOs’ Use of the Internet
Authors: McConnell Scott
Published: December 2017

Research investigating the use of Email and the World Wide Web in the South has focused solely on the users of the technology, ignoring the ability of those without connectivity to benefit from the outputs of their stakeholders’ Internet use. This paper examines the findings of an evaluation into the efficiency and effectiveness with which Internet‐equipped non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) were able to use the technology as a tool to assist their unconnected stakeholders, or those stakeholders which do not have connectivity but who are in a position to receive information which their supporting NGOs have acquired through the use of the Internet. Focusing primarily section dealing with the impacts of NGOs’ Internet use on their community stakeholders, the paper presents evidence to indicate that NGOs are sharing information acquired on the Internet with their unconnected community stakeholders, and cites specific examples from two of the three NGOs examined in this study. The paper also finds that the difference between those organizations which demonstrated a tendency to share Internet‐acquired information with their stakeholders and those which did not is two‐fold: those organizations which shared the information with their unconnected community stakeholders not only have both email and WWW access, but they also have experienced leaders in information technology (IT) to assist them in the integration of the technology into their programs. The findings of these three case studies illuminates the fact that without the presence of an Internet Champion, or staff who appreciate the value that ICTs can offer to organizations and their unconnected community stakeholders, such technologies – and the potential they hold for rural development throughout the world – will never be able to live up to the expectations which society has created for them.
Benefits of IT‐Based Decision‐Making in Developing Countries
Authors: Splettstoesser Dietrich , Kimaro Fred
Published: December 2017

Despite the irritatingly slow progress of economic and social development in the world's least developed countries (LDCs), a gentle but nevertheless dramatic change has begun to dawn in their institutional decision‐making: the increasing use of IT‐based decision support systems. This paper, based on a study in one of the poorest African countries, demonstrates that decision support systems (DSS), which are increasingly though still insufficiently used, have already generated some benefits for the utilising organisations. If such systems would be integrated with group support systems (GSS), additional benefits can be expected.
Query Processing Techniques in Data Warehousing Using Cost Model
Authors: Wah Teh Ying , A. B. Zaitun
Published: December 2017

In this paper, we first introduce the readers to four current query processing techniques that are used in Data Warehousing queries. This is followed by a description of a cost model that we have adopted and later to be used when we compare the performance of the different query processing techniques. The performance of these query processing techniques are compared using a disk I/O. Finally, we propose a recommendation for Database Management Systems (DBMSs) to select the most cost‐effective query processing techniques based on the cost model.
The Internet, Global Healthcare Management Systems, and Sustainable Development: Future Scenarios
Authors: Séror Ann
Published: December 2017

Telecommunications technologies and the Internet offer a revolution in management of global healthcare systems and sustainable development. This paper explores emergent telecommunications infrastructures and their consequences for the future of healthcare management using a scenario methodology. A world systems view from evolutionary economics provides a unique perspective on sustainable development. System performance on the dimensions of universal access, equitable resource allocation and consumer participation are evaluated in light of ideological, political and cultural considerations of governance. Alternative scenarios vary according to market dynamics led by healthcare institutions (push) or by consumer demand (pull), and according to system control mechanisms that may be technologically embedded, institutional or behavioural. The scenario analysis suggests that telecommunications technologies and the Internet may contribute significantly to improve global healthcare system performance, to manage ideological diversity and to reduce the wide inequities that separate the industrialized nations from the developing world.
Effectiveness of Graphical Components in Web Site E‐commerce Application – A Cultural Perspective
Authors: Kang Kyeong‐Soon , Corbitt Brian
Published: December 2017

This paper aims to explore cultural issues that are likely influence business information systems and their graphical components in electronic commerce applications on web sites. Studying the cultural relativism of user interface design in implementing web‐based electronic commerce will provide guidelines for the global use of electronic business tools. The paper summarises recent work on implementation issues for the improvement of information system usage in a variety of system environments and web interface design issues, which should be designed to suit users on a global level. This paper attempts to illustrate requirements for graphical components and key issues in the globalized e‐commerce web site development. This paper also discusses examples of effective popular customer‐web site interfaces currently in use.
Potential Impact of Cultural Differences on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Projects
Authors: Skok Walter , Döringer Hartmut
Published: December 2017

Over the last ten years, there has been a dramatic growth in the acquisition of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, where the market leader is the German company, SAP AG. However, more recently, there has been an increase in reported ERP failures, suggesting that the implementation issues are not just technical, but encompass wider behavioural factors.

This conceptual paper examines the role of culture in the implementation of process‐oriented ERP systems, and reports on the formulation of a research project to examine the relevance of macro and micro‐level cultural issues in the successful operation of such systems.

The paper suggests that some of the reported ERP problems may be attributed to the difficulties that staff operating in an Anglo‐Saxon culture may experience with a process rather than function‐oriented working environment.
Propeller Heads – Handle with Care: Improving the IT‐Business Relationship through Cultural Awareness
Authors: Cormack Sandra , Cater‐Steel Aileen , Nord Jeretta Horn , Nord G. Daryl
Published: December 2017

For organisations to fully exploit information technology and remain successful in today's competitive global economy, it is necessary for everyone to work well together. The absence of an effective relationship between business and IT professionals can limit the successful use of IT in organisations and can also be a drain on the productivity and competitiveness of organisations. An effective relationship therefore needs to be established between the two disparate groups of business and IT. This study explores the IT business relationship from a cultural perspective, and from interviews conducted in two Australian organisations provides insights into the IT culture and the effects of this culture on the IT‐business relationship.
Bridging the Digital Divide, the Future of Localisation
Authors: Hall Patrick A.V.
Published: December 2017

Software localisation is reviewed within its economic context, where making computers work in many languages is not economically worth while. This is challenged by looking for different approaches to current practice, seeking to exploit recent developments in both software technology and language engineering. Localisation is seen as just another form of customisation within a software product line, and the translation of the text and help messages is seen as an application of natural language generation where abstract knowledge models are built into the software and switching languages means switching generators. To serve the needs of illiterate peoples the use of speech is considered, not as a front end to writing, but as a medium that replaces writing and avoids many of the problems of localisation.
Adopting Modern Information Technology in the South Pacific: A Process of Development, Preservation or Underdevelopment of the Culture?
Authors: Olutimayin Jide
Published: December 2017

This study aims at investigating the extent to which Information Technology (IT) has affected the cultures of small nations, taking the South Pacific region as a study point. Against the background that the educational systems of the Pacific nations have not produced an efficient and effective curriculum with which to cope with the challenges of highly sophisticated technological applications, the study also examines the cultural challenges of adopting IT in the South Pacific to see if and how IT can be integrated into the cultures of the region for maximum benefits of the two entities. The study finds that culture and information technology would appear to be competing for the position of importance and/or power in human consideration, and this judgement reflects our attitudes towards each of them. Overall, culture and technology in the South Pacific, as in the rest of the world, need to function together, and should be prepared to accept one another as partners‐in‐progress.
IT‐enabled Services as Development Drivers in Low‐Income Countries: The Case of Fiji
Authors: Davis Charles H. , McMaster Jim , Nowak Jan
Published: December 2017

This paper examines the options available to a developing country, Fiji, for participating in the exploding international trade in IT‐enabled business services. A rapidly‐growing portion of this trade takes place when firms from developed countries purchase services from providers located in low‐income countries or place remote service delivery facilities in such locations. The paper describes the segments of IT‐enabled business services in terms of their skill‐intensity and the value they add, and discusses current trends in the international trade in business services, with particular emphasis on North‐South service outsourcing. The paper identifies conditions that low‐income countries must create in order to develop entry‐level IT‐enabled service delivery capability and then analyses Fiji's potential to develop or attract such services delivery capability. Policy options to facilitate the development of an indigenous IT‐enabled service industry in Fiji are proposed.
Individual and Technological Factors Affecting Perceived Ease of Use of Web‐based Learning Technologies in a Developing Country
Authors: Brown Irwin T. J.
Published: December 2017

Perceived ease of use has been shown to be an important factor in studies of information technology acceptance, with Internet and World Wide Web adoption being no exception. Many previous studies have looked at the perceived ease of use of technologies in a working or commercial environment in developed countries. This study therefore aimed to extend knowledge by examining perceived ease of use of web‐based technologies in a learning environment, rather than a working one, and in a developing country as opposed to a developed country. Through a survey of 78 first year South African University students with little prior experience of Internet technologies, it was found that the individual characteristics of self‐efficacy and computer anxiety significantly influenced perceived ease of use, as did the web site characteristics, ease of finding and ease of understanding. It was furthermore confirmed that in a developing country context, perceived usefulness might not predict adoption, thus amplifying the role of perceived ease of use as the main predictor of both usage and perceived usefulness.
UNCTAD and E‐Commerce Success
Authors: Jennex Murray E.
Published: December 2017

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's E‐Commerce and Development Report 2002 provides a great deal of information on e‐commerce from a variety of countries. The purpose of the report is to influence the expansion of e‐commerce in small to medium sized companies in developing countries. Unfortunately, the data provided does not support many developing countries and does not address e‐commerce infrastructure critical success factors.
Rural Development with ICTs in Nepal: Integrating National Policy with Grassroots Resourcefulness
Authors: Harris Roger , Jacquemin Alain , Ponthagunta Subra , Sah Jaysingh , Shrestha Deepak
Published: December 2017

Two rural ICT telecentre projects are under way in Nepal. One small‐scale project focuses on a few communities participating in a social mobilisation programme and has the aim of deepening the socio‐economic impact of the programme. The other is a national pilot project involving around 15 communities with the aim of eventually rolling out to a nationwide implementation in hundreds of villages. As social mobilisation encompasses several aspects of communities that are thought to influence the development outcomes of rural telecentres, the two projects offer an opportunity to develop the process of social mobilisation into a methodology for preparing communities to make the most of a telecentre that will then be capable of implementing an agreed development agenda. Such a methodology, known as Infomobilisation, will help scale up telecentre implementations so that they can achieve their development objectives.
The New Software Exporting Nations: Success Factors
Authors: Carmel Erran
Published: December 2017

Many nations are attempting to craft successful software exporting industries to emulate the remarkable success of India in this area. What are these success factors? We introduce the “Oval model” that incorporates eight factors that lead software industries to export success. The eight factors are: 1) Government vision and policies, including funding and tax benefits. 2) Human capital, including national orientation and traditions, quantity, composition, language skills, and managerial skills. 3) Wages. 4) Quality of life, since talented professionals tend to concentrate in desirable locations. 5) Linkages, which emerge between individuals, between work groups, between firms, and between nations due to geographic, cultural, linguistic, or ethnic connections. 6) Technological infrastructure. 7) Capital, which can come from domestic and foreign sources. 8) Industry characteristics, including: clustering effects, the number of firms, their size, the associations which organize the industry's firms, the industry's degree of common vision and branding, and the standards that the firms aspire to.
Enhancing E‐government in Developing Countries: Managing Knowledge through Virtual Communities
Authors: Wagner Christian , Cheung Karen , Lee Fion , Ip Rachael
Published: December 2017

The article reviews the role of virtual communities as a knowledge management mechanism to support e‐government in developing countries. It explores the need for knowledge management in e‐government, identifies knowledge management technologies, and highlights the challenges for developing countries in the implementation of e‐government and especially knowledge management solutions. It further assesses the feasibility of this and other knowledge management mechanisms in light of the financial and technological limitations of developing countries. The article suggests that knowledge management is needed to facilitate information exchange and transaction processing with citizens, as well as to enable inter‐government knowledge sharing and integration. It concludes that simple knowledge management solutions, and especially virtual communities, will be the most appropriate for developing countries, while enterprise solutions are not suitable.
Patchwork Adoption of ICTs in Latin America
Authors: Garcia‐Murillo Martha
Published: December 2017

This paper presents the idea of patchwork adoption, which refers to the coexistence of obsolete and state of the art technologies at the same time. Factors such as lower and unequal distribution of income, education, wired infrastructure, experience with information and communication technologies (ICTs), as well as the fact that most applications are designed and developed in high income countries, limits the ability of companies and the population at large to adopt the most recent technologies more broadly. The problem is not only that these economies are poorer but also that they experience greater disparity of income, wealth, and education. In terms of infrastructure cellular phones experienced an explosion but the low level of wired infrastructure in Latin America currently affects the adoption of more advanced ICTs that incorporate broadband. The design of systems and well as the quality standards that guide their development are also aimed at advanced economies. This has forced developers in Latin America to develop standards that fulfill their needs under limited resources. All of these factors lead to a patchwork adoption that contrasts with the familiar s‐shape adoption that high income countries experience. The role of government, as explained in the Brazilian case, can help to expand the use of these technologies and perhaps reduce the inequalities.
Software Outsourcing in Vietnam: A Case Study of a Locally Operating Pioneer
Authors: Gallaugher John , Stoller Greg
Published: December 2017

This paper explores the following question of key interest to researchers and practitioners concerned with offshore IS outsourcing in developing countries: How are potential offshore partners operating in developing nations to mature to be considered more attractive to suitors? Indeed, for firms located in what Carmel (2003) refers to as Tier Four, or less developed IS producing and exporting nations, an advancement to become a strategic partner challenges conventional wisdom and theoretical expectations. However our work has identified a firm that has become a strategic partner despite being headquartered in a Tier Four country. In exploring this question and examining our exemplar firm, the paper makes three key contributions: First, the contemporary context for offshore outsourcing in a Tier Four nation (Vietnam) is explored, illustrating the nation's advantages as well as key challenges that limit expansion. Second, against this backdrop we offer a case study of a successful strategic partner that has emerged despite being headquartered in a Tier Four nation. A theory‐grounded analysis of the firm, Glass Egg Digital Media, provides a lens for identifying success factors that enable firms in developing nations to emerge as strategic technology outsourcing partners. Finally, we end by exploring how existing models for considering firm attitudes toward offshore outsourcing can be expanded and we highlight potential areas for future research. Our work demonstrates the important interplay of firm, industry, and national factors in enabling a firm operating in a Tier‐Four nation to make the leap to strategic partner.
Bridging the Digital Divide in Caribbean Group Decision‐Making
Authors: Duggan Evan W. , Virtue Grace
Published: December 2017

Caribbean organizations, like their counterparts in developed countries, engage in countless group decision meetings that require structuring mechanisms to help produce effective outcomes. However, no such meeting support was available to the breakout sessions at the January 2003 meeting of The United Nations information and communication technologies (UNICT) task force to discuss the digital divide as it affects Caribbean community and common market (CARICOM) countries. Whereas group support systems (GSS) have been widely discussed in the literature, there is no evidence of their use in the English‐speaking Caribbean, a situation which may be classified as another instance of the digital divide. Against this backdrop, we examine the process of organizational decision‐making within groups, the factors influencing group behaviors and interaction and the advantages and disadvantages of structuring mechanisms such as the technology‐enabled GSS and the manual, nominal group technique (NGT). The paper concludes that it is desirable for Caribbean nations to acquire GSS technology to reap some of the benefits that other developing countries have experienced. However, despite its runner‐up status (to GSS), NGT provides similar assistance to that offered by GSS, is implementation‐friendly, inexpensive, and outperforms other manual techniques in creative decision‐making; it is therefore a viable alternative for Caribbean nations struggling to bridge the digital divide.
IT Experience in India: Bridging the Digital Divide
Authors: Davison Robert M.
Published: December 2017

IT Experience in India: Bridging the Digital Divide, Edited by: Kenneth Keniston, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Deepak Kumar, SoftwareDioxide.Com, Sage Publications, 2004: ISBN: 0‐7619‐3235‐6; Rs. 250; 194pp
Asia Unplugged: the Wireless and Mobile Media Boom in the Asia‐Pacific
Authors: Vogel Douglas R.
Published: December 2017

Review: Rao, M. and Lendoza, L. (2005) Asia Unplugged: the Wireless and Mobile Media Boom in the Asia‐Pacific, Sage Publications, ISBN: 0761932720, Price: Rs850/US$20.
Using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Participatory Mapping of Community Forest in NEPAL
Authors: Shrestha Him Lal
Published: December 2017

Community forestry is a successful development programme of His Majesty's Government (HMG), in the sector of forest management in Nepal. The process of community forestry comprises the assessment of forest resources and drawing‐up of a plan of action for the management of forests. Forest boundary surveying is a mandatory activity in the formal handing over of the forest to the people or Forest User groups (FUG) as they are known in practice. The spatial issues in mapping are more related to the boundary of the forest, location of the forest itself, the geographic characteristics of the forest i.e. slope, aspect, altitude and area covered by particular forest resources i.e. the forest type, Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) and information that could be useful in preparing a better management and implementation plan of the forest. The use of Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS) in the field of community forest management combines the collection of quantitative and qualitative information in a way that is beneficial for the FUG (Jordan, 2000) i.e. mapping the boundary of the forest, block division of the forest area and preparing a multiple resource map. The quantitative spatial components can be collected and managed for sustainable forest management i.e. information on the length of forest boundary, resource distribution, stocking and incidence patterns. Without peoples’ participation in the application of GIS and GPS in mapping the forest, the accuracy cannot always be assured on the one hand, while on the other, the information cannot be properly utilized as the ultimate users of the community forest maps are the local communities themselves. Prior to handing over of the forest areas to the FUGs, transect walks are carried‐out in the relevant areas and features of interest are mapped using GPSs. The data is analysed in a GIS environment and maps i.e. Forest Boundaries, delineating NTFP species as well as the location of poor Households are produced. Assessment of products by plots of the relevant species, are also carried‐out. Thus the participatory GIS, incorporates both indigenous knowledge on spatial aspects of community forest management, as well as social, land cover, and cultural features.
Using PGIS to Conduct Community Safety Audits
Authors: Mans Gerbrand G
Published: December 2017

Crime is one of the major factors influencing the quality of life of all South Africans and it is therefore a priority to reduce it. To reduce crime, crime prevention is important. Crime prevention is where the focus shifts from the traditional way of the police fighting crime, to the active participation of the community in preventing crime. Doing a safety audit is the first step in implementing a local crime prevention strategy.

The hypothesis of this paper is that using Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS) is a very competent method for conducting safety audits. The hypothesis will further be developed by looking at the importance of community participation and the spatial aspect of crime when conducting safety audits. Attention will also be given to the best methods and tools to be used when conducting these audits. To conclude, the effectiveness of the use of PGIS will be discussed utilizing results from a case study.

Preliminary results indicate that PGIS is very efficient in this context. Firstly, participation allows the community to take ownership of the local crime prevention strategy. Secondly, because the spatial component of the information is not lost, crime prevention hot spots can be identified. Accompanying GIS systems allow different datasets to be integrated. This provides a platform for collaborative planning between the community and local authorities. Methods applied involve integrating the P‐Index technique with existing PGIS techniques to facilitate participation. Useful tools in the process of linking PGIS and Spatial analyses of crime hotspots were aerial photographs and the Schutte Scale.
Impact of ICT on Organizations in Tunisia
Authors: Ziadi Jameleddine , Kuofie Matthew H. S.
Published: December 2017

Under economic and technological changes, companies become more conscious of the importance of their structures, technologies and intellectual capital. The progress made in information and communication technologies (ICT) allows for storage and fast circulation of information. Indeed the communication networks supported by the various existing applications such as the electronic messaging, the teleconferences, and the groupware are drawing up the foundations of a new community which does not have the same temporal, geographical or organisational constraints. However, this is not the case in Tunisia. Survey results reveal that the Tunisian companies are not yet completely committed to the revolution of the information. This lack of initiative is primarily explained by the fact that these new technologies require investments, including development of human resources, which the Tunisian companies do not feel ready to provide.
Do Teachers have Adequate ICT Resources and the Right ICT Skills in Integrating ICT Tools in the Teaching and Learning of English Language in Malaysian Schools?
Authors: Samuel R. J. , Zaitun A. B.
Published: December 2017

The unparalleled development of information and communication technology tools within the last thirty years has given a tremendous boost in supporting new modes of delivery in training, teaching and learning. ICT tools can indeed assist students in acquiring English Language competency as well as enhance the quality of the learning experience. This paper examines the available ICT resources and the level of ICT skills of English language teachers and tries to determine if serving teachers are able to promote ICT integration in the teaching and learning of English Language in Malaysian schools. This research is based on the findings of a questionnaire survey conducted over a period of five months (i.e. from 1st September 2004 to 31stJanuary 2005). The survey findings reveal that a fairly large number of teachers have the necessary ICT skills but yet the utilization of the available ICT resources in English Language teaching and learning is far from satisfactory. In the concluding part, the researcher looks at possible reasons for this. Some obvious obstacles to ICT use in the teaching and learning of English are discussed and the researchers suggest the use of ICT tools that promote interactive lessons and strongly encourage e‐learning among pupils to speed up the teaching and learning of English.
Defining the ICT4D plus Pro‐Poor Tourism Convergence Space: Synergies for Natural Allies in the Global War on Poverty
Authors: Nadkarni Sanjay
Published: December 2017

This paper brings into focus the convergence space between information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) and pro‐poor tourism (PPT). On the basis of a literature review on each of these vectors, the synergies that can be derived and channeled into development interventions in economically disadvantaged geographies with ‘tourismisable’ assets are discussed. The need for a structured research agenda to inform such interventions in this convergence space is emphasized. A conceptual framework encompassing the principal constituents of the e‐tourism value chain within this space is proposed and critical success factors are identified. From the perspective of sustainability, stakeholder responsibilities across the value chain are examined and a case for nurturing entrepreneurship in grassroots tourism entities is made. Compatibility of the proposed framework with dominant constructs in development theory is discussed.
Corporate Struggle with ICT in Thailand: A Case Study
Authors: Sanzogni Louis , Whungsuriya Jan , Gray Heather
Published: December 2017

The paper discusses, through a case study, network implementation problems faced by Bangkok Investment Corporation1 (BIC), a foreign corporation in Thailand, following a proposal to adopt a centralized Customer Relationship Management (CRM) database system to support all offices and their mobile workforce. The case study is presented from an internal perspective and illustrates how a variety of elements within Thailand may contribute to inadequate telecommunications infrastructure and underdeveloped skill‐sets. We note that educational reforms, having slowed down in pace, restrict the availability of people with the required knowledge and skill‐sets, affecting the time and cost of implementation considerably. Highlighted in particular, is the dominance of teacher‐lead education, the lack of critical thinking skills development within the formal education system, and how such systems impose a constraint on the problem‐solving skills that are required of people working in the ICT sector. We conclude that it may be difficult to sustain a centralized CRM database accessible over a Wide Area Network in Thailand at this time without ongoing issues.
Issues Affecting the Social Sustainability of Telecentres in Developing Contexts: A Field Study of Sixteen Telecentres in Jamaica
Authors: Bailey Arlene
Published: December 2017

This paper examines issues faced by Jamaican telecentres in their ongoing operations as their roles evolve to address new issues that may arise in communities they serve. An empirical study was conducted through interviews with a range of stakeholders including telecentre users, telecentre staff, development partners, government representatives and community host organizations, and participants in a conference of community access points. A thematic framework of issues that arise as the roles of telecentres evolve and the relationships between these issues was developed through content analysis. This study contributes to theory and practice by a) the use of content analysis to discover and explicate key issues faced by telecentres as they aim to fulfill their development mandate; b) support for the role of telecentre staff in enhancing participation by community stakeholders, c) the identification of core capabilities, grounded in social context, for effective, socially sustainable telecentre operations and d) the identification of the dynamic capabilities theory as an appropriate theory that can inform future telecentre research.
Implementation of an Electronic Prescription System in a Brazilian General Hospital: Understanding Sources of Resistance
Authors: Joia Luiz Antonio , Magalhães Carlos
Published: December 2017

The swift development of clinical information systems has contributed to the emergence of various transformations within hospitals. However, scientific literature has shown that the implementation of many of these undertakings has yielded frustrating results. This research investigates the main causes for the unsuccessful implementation of an electronic prescription system in a Brazilian general hospital – from an explanatory‐exploratory case study standpoint – adopting resistance to information systems as its theoretical background. In the case under analysis, the study shows that the main motives for resistance to the system were: lack of training of the physicians; the age of the physicians; problems with the design and safety of the system; inadequate technological infrastructure; the employment relationship of the physicians; and the interference of the system with the power and autonomy of the physicians. The paper concludes that the intra‐organizational context of the hospitals must be analyzed in a systemic way in order to understand fully how the system will be accepted and used by its main potential users, namely physicians.
Addressing Animal Health Knowledge Gaps in Southern Countries: The Creation of a 2D Animal Health Resource Room
Authors: Lin Yibo , Heffernan Claire
Published: December 2017

Livestock are a key asset for the global poor. However, access to relevant information is a critical issue for both livestock development practitioners and the poor themselves. Therefore, the following paper details the creation of an on‐line Animal Health Resource Room. The aim was to create an immersive environment, which mimics the benefits of a 3D Virtual Learning Environment without the constraints on download times. Therefore, in the following paper key issues in the dissemination of such a platform such as connectivity and speed are explored within the wider context of the development of the tool itself.
Local Voices Enhance Knowledge Uptake: Sharing Local Content in Local Voices
Authors: Grimshaw David J. , Gudza Lawrence D.
Published: December 2017

New ICTs can provide new opportunities for knowledge sharing and uptake, but may also reinforce existing power hierarchies and exclusionary practices. This paper explores ways in which the balance of power may be redressed via the use of local voices producing local content in a way which respects local choices and where the intervention is shown to enhance livelihoods.

Practical Action has put people first for over forty years. How can people truly be put first when introducing a new information and communications technology such as “podcasting”? A brief review of the background to a podcasting project in Zimbabwe, leads on to a discussion of the development problems being addressed, the choice of technology, the outcomes evaluated and a discussion of implications for policy and practice.

Many ICT projects face the challenge of sharing information with people who have little experience of ICTs, low levels of literacy, little time or money, and highly contextualized knowledge and language requirements. Observations in Peru (Talyarkhan et al., 2005) became the inspiration for innovative work in Zimbabwe which provides the main evidence discussed in this paper in relation to creating enhanced livelihood opportunities for people living in remote rural areas.

The paper discusses the proposition that the use of technologies accessible via voice and local languages support knowledge sharing and minimize impact on power relations in the community. A framework is suggested which shows how the balance of power relates to both the choice of media and the choice of technology. The final section of the paper explores the policy and practice implications of the findings and concludes that hand held voice devices can make a substantial contribution to improved livelihoods in remote rural areas.
E‐governance for Development: A Focus on Rural India, 2009
Authors: Westrup Chris
Published: December 2017

Madon, S. (2009) E‐governance for Development: A Focus on Rural India, 2009, Palgrave Macmillan, London ISBN 978‐0‐230‐20157‐6.
Improving the Quality of Service Delivery in a Public Service Workflow Based on the Ant Theory: A Case Study in Cameroon
Authors: Etoundi Roger Atsa , Ndjodo Marcel Fouda , Ndedi Priso Essawe , Alo'o Ghislain Abessolo
Published: December 2017

In this paper, we draw on Ant theory to define a protocol dealing with load balancing between employees for an efficient management of available human resources in the public sector in developing countries in order to achieve a better quality of service management. Throughout the definition of the protocol, we present an illustrative example in the Ministry of Public Service and Administrative Reform (MPSAR) in Cameroon. The paper ends by highlighting the improvement observed in the civil servants’ file processing workflows at MPSAR in terms of the number of files processed before and after the introduction of the protocol. The paper also ends by pointing out that the defined protocol can be used by various human resource managers of organizations in developing countries to better manage their employees.
A Dedicated Satellite for Meeting Health Education Needs of Afro‐Asian Nations: Possibilities, Action Plan and Benefits
Authors: Misra Pradeep Kumar
Published: December 2017

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that regardless of promises of better healthcare by governments and donor countries, millions of mothers, newborn babies and children continue to die each year in Africa from preventable diseases. The Asian countries are no exception. This situation warns us to analyze existing health education challenges in Afro‐Asian nations and look for innovative strategies to overcome these challenges. The launch of a dedicated Afro‐Asian Satellite will help to overcome health education challenges by strengthening the system that serves the people and by creating a partnership between the providers and users of health services. Considering this approach, the present paper discusses about possibilities, benefits and action plan for launching a dedicated satellite to meet the health education needs of the Afro‐Asian nations.