bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sequential Pattern Mining Model to Identify the Most Important or Difficult Learning Topics via Mobile Technologies
Authors: Doko Edona , Abazi Bexheti Lejla , Hamiti Mentor , Prevalla Etemi Blerta
Published: August 2018

The paper aim is to come up with methodology for performing video learning data history of learner’s video watching logs, video segments or time series data in accordance with learning processes via mobile technologies. To reach this goal, it is introduced a theoretical method of sequential pattern mining specialized for learning histories in identifying the most important or difficult learning. Based on this method, it is designed a model for understanding and learning the most difficult topics of students topics. The user will be able to use and access the model through mobile technologies when and where he/she wants. The performed video learning history data of learner’s video watching logs consists of functions that are responsible for collection of stop/replay/backward data activities, generation of sequence from the collected learning histories, extraction of important patterns from a set of sequences, and findings of learner’s most difficult/important topic from the extracted patterns. The paper mainly describes the model for understanding and learning the most difficult topics through the sequential pattern mining method. Implementing the method to use in mobile phones is considered as future aim.
Cloud Based WiFi Multi-Sensor Network
Authors: Yoddumnern Anekwong , Chaisricharoen Roungsan , Yooyativong Thongchai
Published: August 2018

A WiFi technology was the basis of the Internet of Things (IoT) and many popularity of the wireless communication in the social network. A smart device used any kinds of the detectors all of the analog and digital sensor. This study simulates on the scope of the home security system (HSS). There used three types of sensor; a temperature sensor, smoke-CO, and PIR sensor. This study aims to design a multi-sensor node. All of the sensors are connected on a microcontroller unit (MCU) with the general purpose input output (GPIO). After the connection, there got invalid multi-sensor data. This experiment tried to run over ten times. There appeared some invalid when the processor startup. First, the temperature sensor did not work. Second, the smoke-CO sensors read an invalid value there were higher than the actual. This problem can solve the situation by the sensor calibration methodology—to set the calibration time with the dynamic time follow up on the GPIO function of each sensor and self-calibrate by the finite impulse response (FIR) filter in the part of setup portion. When the system was running for a long time this should take the invalid data. There were high and low from the actual and there got the difference value suddenly a swinging value. During the system was running there had some noise and the heat collected on the device. There got the invalid value. This error is solved by the Full Scale Kalman Filter (FSKF) to fill and estimate the right value. Next, there used the OFF-Mode to save the power consumption and do not send sensor data to the Cloud all time. This method helps the device will be run as long time and work in long life. Finally, there got a high-performance WiFi multi-sensor network.
Security of the Internet of Things Based on Game Algorithm
Authors: Yue-e Yi
Published: August 2018

To explore the security mechanism of the Internet of Things (IoT) perception environment, we perform a security research on the IoT on the basis of game algorithm. The dynamic game method of node cooperation is used in the experiments. Firstly, multiple report nodes are merged into a game party, and the dynamic game for two parties is established with the detection node. In the environment where the malicious nodes are dominant, the detection nodes collaborate, and the state of the unknown nodes is conjectured by the reputation value of the reporting nodes. The high trust reference report is used for the modification and reduction the weight of malicious nodes in the overall report, for node merging, and finally for bias equilibrium. The results show that cooperative game can significantly improve the success rate of incident monitoring and reduce the number of forged reports.
Software Design of a Railway Signal Monitoring System based on Optical Fiber Sensing
Authors: Chun-ying Ma , Biqing Li
Published: August 2018

The current railway track circuit monitoring system is prone to disturbances that can result in accidents. Meanwhile, basic signaling equipment is slow and cannot achieve satisfactory real-time data acquisition speed. This study aims to solve the aforementioned problems by designing an online monitoring and management platform for railway signal infrastructure, which is based on the graphical programming language LabVIEW. Online monitoring and management of railways’ basic signaling equipment allow real-time collection and communication of various signal equipment data. These processes also enable signal processing, chart display, acousto-optic alarm, user authority management, data storage, data query analysis, and report printing. The test results show that the LabVIEW-based basic signaling equipment for monitoring and managing railway systems can transmit data correctly and steadily, thereby resulting in convenient and ideal operation.
Understanding Sense-Making on Social Media During Crises
Authors: Stieglitz Stefan , Mirbabaie Milad , Fromm Jennifer
Published: August 2018

Individuals are increasingly using social media during crisis situations to seek information. However, little is known about how they utilize social media to gain an understanding of crisis situations. The aim of this study was to close this gap by conducting sense-making interviews with 18 German social media users. A qualitative content analysis revealed the following sense-making barriers: low information value, negative emotions, biased reporting, taking advantage, volume of information, limited knowledge, speed of information dissemination, and technical barriers. Furthermore, users applied the individual sense-making strategies of searching, selecting, verifying, enriching, interpreting, and sorting, as well as the collective strategies of distributing, communicating, and reporting. This article contributes to research by providing categorizations of sense-making barriers and strategies in the context of crisis situations. Furthermore, suggestions are made for how emergency agencies could utilize social media for crisis and continuity management.
Metabolic alterations and X-ray chlorophyll fluorescence for the early detection of lead stress in castor bean (Ricinus communis) plants
Authors: Nascimento Clístenes Williams Araújo do , Marques Marise Conceição
Published: August 2018

The remediation of lead-contaminated areas poses a serious challenge to soil chemists because Pb has low solubility in soil. Thus, Pb phytostabilization is considered to be an attractive remediation technique. Castor bean (Ricinus communis) is an oilseed crop known for its tolerance to heavy metals, and our aim was to assess the early detection of Pb toxicity and the effects of Pb on the biomass, photosynthetic pigments, antioxidative enzyme activities, and total soluble proteins of this plant. Specimens were grown in a nutrient solution spiked with Pb concentrations of 25, 50, 100, 150, or 200 µmol L-1. A control without Pb was also grown. The results show that X-ray chlorophyll fluorescence is an efficient technique for the early detection of photosystem II alterations driven by Pb toxicity. Castor bean was tolerant to the Pb doses tested; plants presented no changes in photosynthetic pigments, defense enzyme activities, or total soluble proteins in leaves. Given its ability to tolerate and accumulate Pb in its roots, castor bean is a viable alternative for phytostabilization and phytoattenuation of lead-contaminated areas. It is also economically attractive for industrial and biofuel oil production while being used for remediation.
Characterization of bovine meat acquired, marketed and consumed at the main establishments of Chapecó, SC, Brazil
Authors: Mateus Karina Aline , Oliveira Taís Cardoso de , Santos Moisés Rodrigues dos , Zieher Gabriel , Zampar Aline , Cucco Diego De Córdova
Published: August 2018

This study aimed to analyze the profile of beef sold and consumed in Chapecó – SC, Brazil. Were interviewed 31 individuals responsible for the main distributors, supermarkets, meat markets, restaurants and steakhouses. The structured questionnaire method was used, with questions of closed and open answers applied to those responsible for the establishments previously mapped with greater representativeness in the municipality regarding the characteristics related to the meat trade and the type of product. With the results obtained, it was possible to identify the lack of information regarding the attributes and characteristics that direct preferences in the acquisition of a quality beef. Thus, the knowledge exposure, information dissemination and concepts of the production of beef to merchants and consumers becomes important in order to contribute to the improvement of the meat consumed and commercialized in this region. acquisition; buyers; beef cuts; consumers; demand.
Floristic-structural relationships between Canga ferruginous tree communities and adjacent vegetation types
Authors: Souza Cléber Rodrigo De , Coelho Polyanne Aparecida , Oliveira Henrique Faria de , Morel Jean Daniel , Araújo Felipe De Carvalho , Costa Maria Teresa Rodrigues , Santos Alisson Borges Miranda , Castro Gislene De Carvalho , Santos Rubens Manoel dos
Published: August 2018

Our objective was to evaluate the floristic and structural relationships between Canga tree communities and other vegetation types inserted in the physiognomic units set, in order to test the hypothesis that these communities have unique characteristics due to their specific environmental conditions. For this, we compared the structural and floristic attributes of Canga vegetation with adjacent semideciduous seasonal forest, Savanna and ecotone areas, evaluating the similarity in its behavior. Our results demonstrate the existence of distinct relationships among vegetation types in relation to different perspectives, related to macro-scale environmental attributes and to the phytogeographic context. In general, Canga tree vegetation has its structure associated with open vegetation types, such as the Cerrado (Savanna) and its composition associated with forest vegetation types, constituted by a community with specific ecological characteristics. Our results suggest the presence of ferruginous soils as a factor that contributes to environmental and ecological heterogeneity in vegetation matrices.
Double Layer Microwave Absorption Characteristics of Barium Hexaferrite/Silica Composite for X-Band Frequencies
Authors: Handoko Erfan , Sugihartono Iwan , Marpaung Mangasi Alion , Randa Maulana , Alaydrus Mudrik , Sofyan Nofrijon
Published: August 2018

Microwave absorption characteristics of double layer of barium hexaferrite attached on the silica to from a composite on the basis of wave propagation theory have been investigated. Barium hexaferrite, BaFe12O19, was synthesized through ceramic method from stoichiometric mixtures of BaCO3 and Fe2O3 as precursors. The mixture was pelletized under the pressure of 10 MPa and sintered at 1100 °C for 5 hours. Silica in the forms of powder was purified by using HCl. The crystal structure of the samples was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), microstructure was examined using scanning electron microscope (SEM), hysteresis curves recorded by PERMAGRAPH techniques, whereas the microwave absorbing properties for X-band was recorded using a vector network analyzer (VNA). Relative complex permeability and permittivity, and reflection loss values were calculated at given thickness according to transmittance line theory within the range 8.2–12.4 GHz. Based on this study, the layer dimension and frequency that results in low reflection loss can be estimated from the material properties of the barium hexaferrite/silica composite material.
The Effects of Dielectric Fluid Viscousity on Chips Formation Rate and Electrode Wear Rate in Electrical Discharge Machining of SKD 61 Steel
Authors: Triyono  , Riyono Joko , Fadli Nur , Aji Daisman Purnomo Bayyu
Published: August 2018

Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is a machine for cutting workpieces with thermal energy derived from electrical spark from tool (cathode) to workpiece (anode). As EDM process requires a dielectric fluid in the cutting operation, the characteristics of the dielectric fluid play an essential role for obtaining excellent cutting. Jatropha curcas has been demonstrated for use as a dielectric fluid in EDM process. However, the drawback is that the Rate of Metal Removal (RMR) is lower than that of generally-used dielectric fluid in industry. We consider that the cause is a much higher viscousity of the jatropha curcas. This study was conducted to investigate the characteristics of a new dielectric fluid mixture of jatropha curcas and kerosene. Kerosene was used in the mixture to reduce the viscousity of the jatropha curcas since the kerosene has a much lower viscousity. The measurement of the viscousity of the fluid mixture was performed using an Ostwald viscousimeter. Evidently, when the jatropha curcas mixed with the kerosine the viscousity of the mixture is lower than that of the pure jatropha curcas. The effects of the viscousity of the fluid mixture were investigated by measuring the RMR and Tool Wear Rate (TWR). The RMR and TWR were determined by calculating the difference in the weight of the workpiece and the tool, respectively, before and after the cutting for a certain cutting interval. The measurements were carried out for eleven different concentration of the fluid mixture by varying the current of 15 and 21 Amp, with replication of 3 times. As the result, the energy released during the cutting process affects the values of TWR and RMR. It was also found that in contrast to the effect on TWR, the RMR was not influenced by the viscousity of the mixture.
The Preparation of Activated Carbon from Coconut Shell Charcoal by Novel Mechano-Chemical Activation
Authors: Fatriansyah Jaka Fajar , Matari Tryatmaja , Harjanto Sri
Published: August 2018

Activated carbon has been successfully prepared from coconut shell charcoal using novel dry mechano-chemical activation with KOH and planetary ball mill. The combination of chemical activation and mechanical activation on coconut shell charcoal is found to increase its micopore volume and surface size. These increase yielded to a high adsorption capacity which was measured at 298 K and 268 K found to be 0.6 wt. % for activated carbon. The adsorption experiments were conducted using constant-volume-variable-pressure (CVVP) test. Adsorption parameters were calculated using adsorption isotherm models: Langmuir and Dubini-Asthakov models and were found in good agreement for type II adsorption phenomenon. It is also found that the adsorption capacity of activated carbon was suitable for hydrogen storage application.
3D3C Real Virtual Worlds Defined: The Immense Potential of Merging 3D, Community, Creation, and Commerce
Authors: Sivan Yesha
Published: August 2018

The goal of this paper is to define the term “Real Virtual Worlds.” It is the assumption of this paper that this new field is destined to become a major force in 5-10 years. Much like the internet, Real Virtual Worlds, will change, enhance, and sometimes hamper how we learn, have fun, work, and perform human action.

Because the goal here is to expose the field and generate awareness and action, no prior knowledge in virtual worlds is called for. Those familiar with the field may enjoy a fresh perspective that takes into account the integration of factors that lead to new applications and services.

The short background will present the fields of “virtual reality” and “gaming worlds” as the parents of the field. Then, Real Virtual Worlds will be defined using (a) the detailed example of Second Life, (b) a formal definition of 3D3C (3 dimensions, community, creation and commerce) and (c) a short comparative analysis of several worlds as a method to explicate the 3D3C definition. Further exposition of the Community, Creation and Commerce will use Second Life to further describe the 3Cs. The conclusion will connect the supply (of powerful technology) and demand (from both young and adult users) with the sustained innovation that stem from 3D3C – to create a reinforcing cycle that will propel Real Virtual Worlds forward.
Toward a Definition of “Virtual Worlds”
Authors: Bell Mark W
Published: August 2018

This is a brief essay, we call "think-pieces", designed to stimulate a discussion on a particular topic. The topic for this series of essays is "defining virtual worlds".
Meeting in the Ether: A brief history of virtual worlds as a medium for user-created events
Authors: Damer Bruce
Published: August 2018

Virtual worlds, shared graphical spaces on the Internet, are an exciting new medium of human presence for the 21st Century. This article explores the origins, evolution and future of the virtual world medium from their humble beginnings in multi-player games to their use in education, business, science and engineering. Our focus will be on the development of social virtual worlds including environments such as Habitat, Active Worlds and Second Life.
Cityspace, Cyberspace, and the Spatiology of Information
Authors: Benedikt Michael L.
Published: August 2018

Published in 1996* but not widely read, this article argues that space and information are so deeply related that the universe at every moment is exactly and only as large as it needs to be to “contain” the information it in fact is. Using three thought experiments—one about data visualization, one about cellular automata and consciousness, and one about the analysis of architectural space using isovists, each experiment blurring (or rather, uniting) the phenomena of psychological and physical space, the article argues that what we experience as “space” is that set of dimensions which provides the largest capacity for the world’s other qualities, objects, and events to express their variety most fully. The natural universe is incompressible, expanding only as, and because, it becomes richer in information (i.e. cools and evolves). Imaginary and virtual worlds obey the same rule: they are “naturally” as big as they are rich in information. But the possibility exists in cyberspace—as it does not in nature—to choose which dimensions will serve as the spatial framework, and which will become/appear as properties of the things themselves. Data visualizers know this well. One wonders why virtual worlds to this day look so similar to ours, then, rather than to the one envisaged by William Gibson in 1984 and 1986 and which he called “cyberspace.” A failure of architectural nerve? A constraint upon computation? Or has cyberspace proper yet to evolve?
Virtual communities - exchanging ideas through computer bulletin boards
Authors: Rheingold Howard
Published: August 2018

This is an essay originally published in Whole Earth Review, Winter, 1987.

Reprinted in the Journal of Virtual Worlds Research, Vol.1, issue 1 by permission of author.
Editor’s Introduction
Authors: Spence Jeremiah
Published: August 2018

Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Journal of Virtual Worlds Research on the theme of “Virtual Worlds Research: Past, Present and Future”. The launch of the Journal and the publication of this first edition builds on the efforts of a large team of researchers and collaborators spread across the world. We have a fantastic collection of articles that provide the foundation for the transdisciplinary field of virtual worlds research.

I would like to take a moment to thank all of the individuals who have contributed to the foundation of the Journal, either directly or indirectly: Axel Bruns, Allucquere Rosanne ‘Sandy’ Stone, Joseph Straubhaar, Joseph Lopez, Drake Wilson, Brandon Wiley, Nancy Baym, Edward Castronova, James Gee, Steve Jones, Jorge Peña, Kathleen Tyner, Natalie Wood, Andrea Muñoz, Roque Planas, Jackie Zahn, Josiah Spence, Elena Zoubanova de Jesus, Gilok Choi, Mark Bell, Sun Sun Lim, Suely Fragoso, Joe Sanchez, Amanda Salomon, Henry Segerman, Yesha Y. Sivan, Stephanie Smith, Caja Thimm, Robert Shephard, and many others.
Metaverse: A New Dimension?
Authors: Launay Yohan , Mas Nicolas
Published: August 2018

This is a brief essay, we call "think-pieces", designed to stimulate a discussion on a particular topic. For this series of essays we propose the following question:

"Consumer behavior in virtual worlds, is it really any different to the real world, or is it simply a case of 'old wine in a new bottle'?"
Virtual Worlds Research: Global X Local Agendas
Authors: Schwartz Gilson
Published: August 2018

This is a brief essay, we call "think-pieces", designed to stimulate a discussion on a particular topic. For this series of essays we propose the following question:

"Consumer behavior in virtual worlds, is it really any different to the real world, or is it simply a case of 'old wine in a new bottle'?"
An integrated framework for simulation-based training on video and in a virtual world
Authors: Chodos David , Stroulia Eleni , Naeimi Parisa
Published: August 2018

Becoming a skilled professional requires both the acquisition of theoretical knowledge and the practice of skills relevant to one’s profession. When learning by doing, students consolidate their knowledge of domain-specific facts by applying them as necessary to accomplish the tasks involved in their profession. Simulation-based learning methods are a family of methods that enable this learning mode. New computer related technologies, including high performance networking, high definition displays, distributed multiplayer game engines, and virtual worlds, bring new opportunities for simulation-based learning methods and systems. In this work, we describe our software framework for specifying simulation-based lesson plans and their implementations on two different platforms: a video based tool and a virtual world environment. We discuss the software architecture of the system, illustrate its functionality with an example lesson on how to conduct oneself in corporate interviews, outline our plans for experimental evaluation, and argue for its usefulness in today’s efforts to creatively use virtual worlds for educational purposes.
Questions and Answers in a Virtual World : Educators and Librarians as Information Providers in Second Life
Authors: Mon Lorri
Published: August 2018

The education community in Second Life has grown rapidly since the launch of the virtual world by Linden Labs in 2003, with an influx of universities, colleges, and libraries seeking land on the digital frontier to build campuses, libraries, and educational workspaces. However, these new virtual educational settings have also challenged educators and librarians to adapt or to innovate new ways of providing information for learners. This peer reviewed research study explores the varying roles that educators and librarians fulfill in Second Life, examining techniques they have evolved for teaching, providing information, and answering questions within a virtual world. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 educators and librarians who worked within a variety of virtual world education settings including colleges, universities, and academic and public libraries, as well as “embedded” workplace settings in Second Life’s roleplaying or themed communities. Snapshots, artifacts, and observational data were collected during visits to 50 library and education workplaces in Second Life, and were examined in combination with interview results to document tools, tasks, problems, and best practices in virtual world education. Findings of this study demonstrate how educators and librarians have used tools such as notecards, landmarks, whiteboards, language translators, and heads-up displays (HUDs), as well as revealing problems that educators and librarians have encountered, including limitations of existing information tools. A “wish list” of new informational tool features desired by librarians and educators is provided. Other issues found in the design of virtual education and information spaces ranged from accommodating needs for avatar personal space to understanding accessibility issues for disabled users. Playful and immersive experiential environments were among the examples of new ways of teaching and presenting information within a world where “real life” limitations no longer constrain educational designs.
Between snapshots and avatars: using visual methodologies for fieldwork in Second Life
Authors: Roush Paula , Nie Ming , Wheeler Matthew
Published: August 2018

For a Digital Photography degree Second Life presents a unique teaching and learning environment. It is one of the most photographed 3-D Immersive Virtual Worlds with snapshots (digital images) of its residents and locations circulating abundantly online and in the media. Crucially, in addition to offering its own photographic tools, it is a rich social space with many possibilities for art-based photographic research. However, in spite of the large community of educators now working in Second Life and the increasing number of universities extending their presences in-world, pedagogical frameworks to bring art and media students for fieldwork in Second Life are still relatively rare and educators wanting to explore creative approaches may find themselves in a situation similar to other “newbies”: with a dressed up avatar…but nowhere to go! This paper addresses this issue with a discussion of a case study that fostered collaborative learning in a Second Life photography-based research project. We delineate the use of photographic tools available in Second Life to both capture and display images and describe the activities used for situated ethnographic work. This experiment demonstrates a good example of how to use Second Life for supporting group discussion and interaction through the development of interactive objects. The results also show the potential of Second Life for researching into subcultures and promoting students to consider broader ethical issues when conducting photo-based fieldwork in Second Life and other environments.
Can We Move Beyond Visual Metaphors? Virtual World Provocations and Second Life
Authors: Taylor Pamela G.
Published: August 2018

Is it possible for the human beings, who are the driving forces behind virtual worlds and the avatars that inhabit them, to move beyond Real Life metaphors? What does this sort of questioning mean for teaching and learning in virtual worlds?
Does this Avatar Make Me Look Fat? Obesity and Interviewing in Second Life
Authors: Dean Elizabeth , Cook Sarah , Keating Michael , Murphy Joe
Published: August 2018

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has observed consistently increasing obesity trends over the past 25 years. Recent research suggests that avatar behavior and appearance may result in positive changes to real life individual behavior. Specifically, users may adjust their identity to match that of their avatars.

Preliminary results of survey interviews in Second Life support our hypotheses that individuals whose avatars engaged in healthy behaviors were more likely to engage in physical activities in the real world than individuals with less physically active avatars. Furthermore, thinner-looking avatars were associated with lower BMI in real life.

One unique feature of interviewing with avatars in Second Life is that researchers have the ability to manipulate environmental factors and interviewer characteristics with a consistency that is absent in the real world. In our preliminary results, espondents were more likely to report higher BMI or weight to a heavier-looking avatar than to a thinner-looking avatar.
Virtual Chironomia: Developing Standards for Non-verbal Communication in Virtual Worlds
Authors: Verhulsdonck Gustav , Morie Jacquelyn Ford
Published: August 2018

Online virtual worlds offer new ways to explore evolving forms of social interaction, including the use of non-verbal elements used in conjunction with other communication modalities of text and voice. Ancient rhetorician Cicero coined the term “chironomia” for non-verbal communication elements that were used in a persuasive manner.  Non-verbal communication is an inherently human trait and, while virtual worlds provide an immersive space for interaction, they also introduce new questions regarding standards and best communication practices within them. Because virtual worlds present a richer environment with multiple semiotic modes of interaction, they add additional channels for communication over previous text-based online modalities. In such worlds, users can select and execute non-verbal behavior in a rhetorical manner by animating their avatar thus performing in a virtual context. Therefore, communication in virtual worlds presents an intentional “speech act” in which a speaker purposefully seeks to evoke a particular response or transmit specific semantic content.  As people's behavior in virtual worlds evolves and codifies, virtual worlds as a communication platform will need to develop standards based on successful user practices. In this paper we propose the need for a virtual chironomia – a standard for non-verbal elements in virtual world.
Why Virtual-World Economies Matter
Authors: Salomon Mandy , Soudoplatoff Serge
Published: August 2018

In this special edition on virtual-world goods and trade, we are pleased to present articles from a global cohort of contributors covering a wide range of issues. Some of our writers, such Edward Castronova, Julian Dibbell or KZero’s Nic Mitham will be well known to you as distinguished leaders in the field, but it is equally our pleasure to introduce exciting new voices. Here you will find pieces written by academics, practitioners, journalists, a documentary filmmaker and perhaps the youngest contributor to JVWR yet, Eli Kosminksy, who attends high school in upstate New York. We would also point out that this issue extends its format to include Anthony Gilmore’s pictorial story, Julian Dibbell’s audio interview, and Lori Landay’s machinima. In real life, most contributors live in the US, the UK and Europe, and we, the editors, are based in Australia and France. We express warm thanks to the team at the University of Texas, especially to Jeremiah Spence, our editor–in-chief for his guidance throughout this process. We begin with our own thought piece, which is designed to contextualise the deeper contents herein by way of plotting the virtual goods path and placing some historical sign posts along the way.Mandy and Serge
Staging the New Retail Drama: at a Metaverse near you!
Authors: Papagiannidis Savvas , Bourlakis Michael
Published: August 2018

Consumers have traditionally looked for products that could fulfil their needs and retailers responded to demand by initially adopting product-oriented, and then more recently customer-oriented, strategies. This shift was heavily underpinned by technology which enabled retailers to implement more intelligent approaches that evolved around consumers, based on their profiles. The next step in this transformation is now towards a ‘unique’ experience creation, with retailers providing a retail theatre experience that is different and special and consumers enjoying an increased opportunity to interact and participate in the overall experience. In this paper we examine how metaverses, i.e. Internet-based virtual worlds, and more specifically Second Life, can potentially provide the stage for this retail theatre experience. Our discussion takes place in the context of two cases that are used to highlight the implications of retail theatre for both consumers and retailers and illustrate the opportunities and challenges they are faced with.
Interviews within experimental frameworks: How to make sense of sense-making in virtual worlds
Authors: Reinhard CarrieLynn D.
Published: August 2018

As virtual worlds become increasingly utilized for purposes of entertainment, information and retail, how people understand, think, feel, act and make decisions about them likewise become important research considerations.  This essay reports on the methodology and methods used to study these sense-making processes in relatively inexperienced people as they engage with virtual worlds.  In order to understand the sense-making of virtual worlds, a method to record the interpretive process, as well as physical actions, was required.  In order to understand the sense-making processes involved in new experiences, an amount of control was required over the nature of those experiences.  With these requirements, a hybrid study was designed by deconstructing the conceptualization of "the experiment" and utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods.  The resulting study involved the following: a within-subjects experimental design served as the framework for the study, while in-depth qualitative interviews were employed alongside surveys and audio and video recording as the data collection methods.  Data collection occurred while participants were engaging with the media products, via talk aloud protocols, and afterwards when they were asked to recall and compare these situations in open-ended questionnaires and interviews structured using Dervin's Sense-Making Methodology.  Having completed the study using this mixed method(ology) approach, I discuss the effectiveness of this approach, and where the approach requires more work.
Penguin Life: A Case Study of One Tween’s Experiences inside Club Penguin
Authors: Burley Diana
Published: August 2018

Although we are increasingly aware of what young people do online and perhaps even why they do it, we are less clear about how particular affordances of an online environment enables identity formation. Accordingly, this case study sought to explore how one tween’s experience in Club Penguin influenced the development of her social identity and community relationships. Reflecting on her experiences, we draw 3 tentative conclusions. First, because Club Penguin enables tweens to change typically static elements of their persona, the scope of generally accepted identifiers is broadened while the perceived boundaries between them is reduced. Second, the integration of virtual and physical spaces further complicates the social interactions that inform tween identity. Third, whereas many adult participants in virtual worlds use their participation as an opportunity to deconstruct the various aspects of their personality (Suler, 2002), tweens may use the virtual environment as an integration space.
Developing an Obesity Prevention Intervention in Virtual Worlds: The International Health Challenge in Second Life
Authors: Siddiqi Sameer , Mama Scherezade K. , Lee Rebecca E.
Published: August 2018

Virtual worlds (VW) present an exciting range of possibilities for health researchers and practitioners. The value of this technology lies its ability to tap into non-traditional participant pools, to use innovative and effective forms of social interaction, and to facilitate cost-effective solutions to common challenges. The International Health Challenge (IHC) was a health intervention study done entirely in the VW of Second Life (SL) aimed at determining the feasibility and effect of obesity prevention interventions in VWs. The IHC initially started as a strategy to develop a multicultural obesity prevention project in SL as evidenced by a full service build, activities, and participating resident avatars. Using existing resources and extensive social networks, together with volunteer assistance, the IHC flourished into a full scale health intervention with the goals of improving health knowledge, attitudes and behavior among resident avatars. In the absence of clear technological and methodological precedence, our multidisciplinary team developed a novel system of in-world and Web-based interactive measurement tools, data management solutions, and participant recruitment and retention strategies.
Virtual Reality and the Criminal Justice System: New Possibilities for Research, Training, and Rehabilitation
Authors: Ticknor Bobbie , Tillinghast Sherry
Published: August 2018

Virtual reality systems are used to achieve a broad range of goals in a variety of fields of study.  The criminal justice system can benefit from this rapidly expanding technology in three specific ways.  First, the issues of experimental control and problematic research methodologies can be addressed.  Second, both practitioners and offenders can benefit from training within virtual environments.  Third, rehabilitation efforts can be improved by providing offenders a safe and controlled environment for treatment. With dwindling resources and increasing correctional populations, virtual reality offers cost-efficient and effective means of addressing the diverse needs of the criminal justice system.
Exploring Psalm 139 through the Jungian lenses of sensing, intuition, feeling and thinking
Authors: Francis Leslie J. , Smith Greg , Corio Alec S.
Published: August 2018

Psalm 139 provides both great opportunities and huge challenges for the preacher. It is a Psalm crafted in four parts: part two is an imaginative and poetic affirmation of God’s omnipresence that engages the Jungian perceiving process; part four is a fierce and uncompromising diatribe against God’s enemies that engages the Jungian judging process. Interpretations of these two sections of the Psalm are explored among a sample of 30 Anglican deacons and priests serving as curates who were invited to work in small hermeneutical communities, structured according to psychological type theory and designed to test the sensing, intuition, feeling and thinking (SIFT) approach to biblical hermeneutics and liturgical preaching. The findings from the hermeneutical communities demonstrated that the poetic power of part two was perceived quite differently by sensing types and by intuitive types. The judgement against God’s enemies in part four was evaluated quite differently by feeling types and by thinking types. The implications of these different readings of sacred text are discussed in relation both to hermeneutical theory and to homiletic practice.
Endoscopy on a Human Cadaver: A Feasibility Study as a Training Tool
Authors: Balekuduru Avinash Bhat , Dutta Amit Kumar , Subbaraj Satyaprakash Bonthala
Published: August 2018

Background: Simulation device and porcine models are increasingly being used for training in gastrointestinal endoscopy. However reports on the use of human cadaver for training in diagnostic or therapeutic endoscopy are limited. Method: Human cadavers were preserved at our center in a customized non formalin based solution which retains organoleptic properties (preserves the colour, feel, inflation of gut). We studied the feasibility of using these cadavers for training in endoscopy. Endoscopy was performed using PENTAX/ EP 2940 with a light source processor PENTAX/EPM 3500. Participants performed endoscopy and submucosal injection on cadaver as well as simulator. Before and after simulator and cadaver training, attendees completed a questionnaire on intubation, manoeuvring esophagus, stomach and duodenum for diagnostic endoscopy and scope positioning, needle out, submucosal injection and elevation of mucosa and needle in. The steps of ESD- marking, precut and submucosal dissection were attempted on the stomach of human cadaver. Results: Ten participants with very little prior experience of endoscopy felt the cadaver based training more beneficial in obtaining the sub mucosal plane and positioning the needle for four quadrant injection as compared to the endoscopic simulator (ES). The attendees felt that while ES has the advantage of providing feedback for the procedure, training on cadaver gave more realistic tactile experience and feel of the elasticity of the gut wall. Overall, diagnostic endoscopy was comparable in both cadaver and simulator except for difficulty in intubation in the former due to supine cadaver position. The steps of ESD were done only in the cadaver with limited success. Conclusion: This study shows the feasibility of using human cadaver for simulation-based training programs in gastrointestinal encoscopy.
Chronic Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding: Etiological Profile and Role of Colonoscopy among Children from sub‑Himalayan Ranges of North India
Authors: Sharma Brij , Sharma Rajesh , Bodh Vishal , Sharma Sudershan , Sood Ashwani , Sharma Rakesh , Sharma Neetu
Published: August 2018

Background: Most patients with chronic lower gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding warrant endoscopic examination of the lower GI tract. This study was done to determine the etiological profile of chronic lower GI bleeding and the role of colonoscopy in its diagnosis, as well as the prognosis among children from sub‑Himalayan ranges of North India. Methods: In this study, we did a retrospective review of the clinical notes of children between 2 and 15 years of age who presented with chronic lower GI bleeding and underwent diagnostic and therapeutic colonoscopy in the Department of Gastroenterology, Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Shimla, from January 2012 to October 2017. Patient demographics, clinical features, and endoscopic and histopathological findings were recorded. Results: Of the total 57 patients reviewed, 22 (38.59%) were female and 35 (61.40%) were male, with a male‑to‑female ratio of 1.62:1.0. The highest incidence of lower GI bleeding was between the ages of 6 and 10 years (43.85%). The presenting symptoms were hematochezia in 50 (87.71%), bloody diarrhea in 5 (8.77%), and positive stool occult blood test in 2 (3.50%) patients. The most common accompanying symptom was constipation in 16 (28.07%), abdominal pain in 14 (24.56%), fever in 5 (8.77%), and weight loss in 5 (8.77%) patients. The most common colonoscopy finding was rectosigmoid polyps (36 cases, 63.15%) followed by internal hemorrhoids (9 cases, 15.78%), rectal ulcers (5 cases, 8.77%), findings suggestive of colitis of left colon (5 cases, 8.77%), and findings suggestive of ileocecal tuberculosis (2 cases, 3.50%). The most common histopathological finding was juvenile colorectal polyps (35 cases, 61.40%) followed by solitary rectal ulcer (5 cases, 8.77%), ulcerative colitis (5 cases, 8.77%), tuberculosis (2 cases, 3.50%), and Peutz–Jegher polyp (1 case, 1.75%). Conclusion: Juvenile colorectal polyps constitute the most common cause of chronic lower GI bleeding in children from sub‑Himalayan ranges of North India followed by hemorrhoids, solitary rectal ulcer, inflammatory bowel disease, and ileocolonic tuberculosis. Colonoscopy remains a useful and safe procedure in children for evaluation of lower GI bleeding both from the diagnostic and therapeutic points of view.
О слабо положительных предикатах над конечным множеством
Authors: Selezneva Svetlana Nikolaevna
Published: August 2018

Рассматриваются предикаты над конечным множеством, которые сохраняет некоторая полурешеточная функция. Такие предикаты названы слабо положительными. Предложено представление таких предикатов в виде особых обобщенных конъюнктивных нормальных форм (ОКНФ). Найдены свойства ОКНФ этих предикатов. На основе полученных свойств предложены более быстрые полиномиальные алгоритмы решения задачи обобщенной выполнимости в случае, когда все исходные предикаты сохраняет некоторая полурешеточная функция.
Об аффинной классификации подстановок на пространстве $GF(2)^3$
Authors: Malyshev Fedor Mikhailovich
Published: August 2018

Приводится конструктивное элементарное доказательство того, что каждая подстановка $\pi:GF(2)^3\rightarrow GF(2)^3$ домножениями слева и справа на аффинные подстановки $A,B\in AGL(3,2)$ приводится к одной из 4 подстановок, у которых матрицы размера $3\times3$, состоящие из коэффициентов при квадратичных членах координатных функций, имеют в качестве инварианта ранг, равный, соответственно, либо 3, либо 2, либо 1, либо 0. Для сравнения проводится вычисление количества классов аффинной эквивалентности методами перечислительной теории Пойа.
Асимптотика логарифма числа наборов, $k$-свободных от решений, в абелевых группах
Authors: Sapozhenko Aleksandr Antonovich , Sargsyan Vahe Gnelovich
Published: August 2018

Набор $(A_1,…,A_k)$ подмножеств группы $G$ называется $k$-свободным от решений, если уравнение $x_1+…+x_k=0$ не имеет решений в наборе $(A_1,…,A_k),$ где $x_1\in A_1,…,x_k\in A_k.$ Получена асимптотика логарифма числа наборов, $k$-свободных от решений, в абелевой группе.
О распределении типа кратного степенного ряда, правильно меняющегося в граничной точке
Authors: Yakymiv Arsen Lubomirovich
Published: August 2018

Рассматривается кратный степенной ряд $B(x)$ с неотрицательными коэффициентами, сходящийся при $x\in(0,1)^n$ и расходящийся в точке $\mathbf1=(1,…,1)$. Изучается случайная величина (с.в.) $\xi_x$, имеющая распределение типа степенного ряда $B(x)$. В предположении, что при $x\uparrow\mathbf1$ функция $B(x)$ правильно меняется, доказана интегральная предельная теорема для с.в. $\xi_x$. Получен также локальный вариант этой теоремы в ситуации, когда коэффициенты ряда $B(x)$ односторонне слабо осциллируют на бесконечности.
Повторения цепочек на $q$-ичном дереве со случайными метками вершин
Authors: Kruglov Vasilii Igorevich
Published: August 2018

Рассматривается полное $q$-ичное дерево, каждой вершине которого случайно, равновероятно и независимо от остальных вершин присвоена метка из конечного алфавита. Получены формулы для математических ожиданий чисел пар цепочек с одинаково помеченными вершинами, доказана теорема о сходимости распределений числа пар непересекающихся цепочек с одинаково помеченными вершинами к сложному пуассоновскому распределению, вычислено математическое ожидание размеров кластеров, образованных такими цепочками.
The Procedure Coordinator: A Resident-Driven Initiative to Increase Opportunity for Inpatient Procedures
Authors: Gorgone Matthew , McNichols Brian , Lang Valerie J. , Novak William , O'Connor Alec B.
Published: August 2018

Background 

Training residents to become competent in common bedside procedures can be challenging. Some hospitals have attending physician–led procedure teams with oversight of all procedures to improve procedural training, but these teams require significant resources to establish and maintain.

Objective 

We sought to improve resident procedural training by implementing a resident-run procedure team without routine attending involvement.

Methods 

We created the role of a resident procedure coordinator (RPC). Interested residents on less time-intensive rotations voluntarily served as RPC. Medical providers in the hospital contacted the RPC through a designated pager when a bedside procedure was needed. A structured credentialing process, using direct observation and a procedure-specific checklist, was developed to determine residents' competence for completing procedures independently. Checklists were developed by the residency program and approved by institutional subspecialists. The service was implemented in June 2016 at an 850-bed academic medical center with 70 internal medicine and 32 medicine-pediatrics residents. The procedure service functioned without routine attending involvement. The impact was evaluated through resident procedure logs and surveys of residents and attending physicians.

Results 

Compared with preimplementation procedure logs, there were substantial increases postimplementation in resident-performed procedures and the number of residents credentialed in paracenteses, thoracenteses, and lumbar punctures. Fifty-nine of 102 (58%) residents responded to the survey, with 42 (71%) reporting the initiative increased their ability to obtain procedural experience. Thirty-one of 36 (86%) attending respondents reported preferentially using the service.

Conclusions 

The RPC model increased resident procedural training opportunities using a structured sign-off process and an operationalized service.