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World-Wide Information Networks.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Samuelson, Kjell A. H. W.
The future paths of research and development towards world-wide, automated information networks in full operation are examined. From international networked planning and projects under way it appears that exploratory as well as normative approaches have been taken. To some extent adequate technolgical facilities have already come into existence…
[Agricultural migration has changed face].
Ouedraogo, D
Movements related to colonization of new lands for cultivation or pasturing have constituted the dominant form of migration in the Sahel countries since the colonial period. the relative importance of such movements declined with the development of labor migration, but geographic mobility continues to be an integral part of Sahel life. A principal strategy during crises of agricultural production was the vast movement of population toward new lands, but such movements had little macroeconomic or macrosocial importance given the low population density and technical development of the time; the family subsistence enterprise was merely displaced. The artificial division into separate countries in the colonial era brought some control of migratory movements, and especially those across international borders, but such migrations increased again after independence and especially during the prolonged drought. Rural migration has been encouraged by development of transportation and communication facilities and by progress in controlling endemic diseases such as river blindness and sleeping sickness. Contemporary migration differs fundamentally from agricultural migration of the past. Migration has become, in addition to a survival strategy, a strategy of economic and social advancement. The change of residence is often accompanied by a restructuring of economic activities and substantial increases in the household's resources. Migrants attempt to produce enough for their own consumption, with some left for sale. They may also take on secondary employment, especially in the dry season: sale of firewood, petty trading, artisanal production. Spontaneous population movements seem to benefit the migrants, improving family and national agricultural production and contributing to a better distribution of rural population, but they have a high social and ecological cost and should receive more attention from planners and researchers in the context of the current campaign against
Innovation in Science Education - World-Wide.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Baez, Albert V.
The purpose of this book is to promote improvements in science education, world-wide, but particularly in developing countries. It is addressed to those in positions to make effective contributions to the improvement of science education. The world-wide role of science education, the goals of innovative activities, past experience in efforts to…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Black, August
The research presented in this dissertation studies and describes how technical standards, protocols, and application programming interfaces (APIs) shape the aesthetic, functional, and affective nature of our most dominant mode of online communication, the World Wide Web (WWW). I examine the politically charged and contentious battle over browser…
Internet, World Wide Web, and Creativity.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Siau, Keng
This article presents the services available on the Internet for creativity and discusses their applicability to electronic brainstorming. Services include bulletin boards, electronic mail and listservs, chat groups, file transfers, and remote login. Opportunities provided by the World Wide Web are discussed, along with tools available to…
Welcome to the World-Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Davis, Philip
World Wide Web (WWW) is a multimedia, globally distributed, client/server information system based on hypertext. WWW browser software (Mosaic, Cello, and Samba) allows users to navigate hypertext documents via the Internet. Libraries are taking advantage of the fact that hypertext linked documents can be easily and inexpensively shared. (JMV)
World-Wide Web: The Information Universe.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Berners-Lee, Tim; And Others
Describes the World-Wide Web (W3) project, which is designed to create a global information universe using techniques of hypertext, information retrieval, and wide area networking. Discussion covers the W3 data model, W3 architecture, the document naming scheme, protocols, document formats, comparison with other systems, experience with the W3…
World Wide Access: Accessible Web Design.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Washington Univ., Seattle.
This brief paper considers the application of "universal design" principles to Web page design in order to increase accessibility for people with disabilities. Suggestions are based on the World Wide Web Consortium's accessibility initiative, which has proposed guidelines for all Web authors and federal government standards. Seven guidelines for…
Publishing Mathematics on the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Majewski, Mirek
Shows how mathematical concepts can be displayed on World Wide Web pages. Discusses HTML; embedding mathematical formulae into text as pictures; the use of word-processing tools; MathML, a version of HTML for math; IBM Techexplorer, a browser plug-in; and Java applets. (Author/LRW)
Copyright and the World-Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Updike, Bradford; Hoadley, Michael R.
This paper discusses the aspects of copyright law pertinent to World Wide Web users. Topics addressed include: the purpose of copyright law; what can be copyrighted, including categories that do not qualify for copyright protection; notice of copyright; copyright infringement; and the factors that determine fair use, (purpose and character of use,…
World Wide Web Server Standards and Guidelines.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Stubbs, Keith M.
This document defines the specific standards and general guidelines which the U.S. Department of Education (ED) will use to make information available on the World Wide Web (WWW). The purpose of providing such guidance is to ensure high quality and consistent content, organization, and presentation of information on ED WWW servers, in order to…
WorldWide Web: Hypertext from CERN.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Nickerson, Gord
Discussion of software tools for accessing information on the Internet focuses on the WorldWideWeb (WWW) system, which was developed at the European Particle Physics Laboratory (CERN) in Switzerland to build a worldwide network of hypertext links using available networking technology. Its potential for use with multimedia documents is also…
World Wide Web Robots: An Overview.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chun, Tham Yoke
Traces the development of World Wide Web Robots and provides an overview of their main functions and workings. The focus is on search robots. Illustrations are drawn from two major search engines: AltaVista and Excite. Concludes with an examination of problems associated with the use of Web Robots and their implications for electronic publishing.…
Technical Services and the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Scheschy, Virginia M.
The World Wide Web and browsers such as Netscape and Mosaic have simplified access to electronic resources. Today, technical services librarians can share in the wealth of information available on the Web. One of the premier Web sites for acquisitions librarians is AcqWeb, a cousin of the AcqNet listserv. In addition to interesting news items,…
News Resources on the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Notess, Greg R.
Describes up-to-date news sources that are presently available on the Internet and World Wide Web. Highlights include electronic newspapers; AP (Associated Press) sources and Reuters; sports news; stock market information; New York Times; multimedia capabilities, including CNN Interactive; and local and regional news. (LRW)
Integrating WorldWide Telescope with Wordpress
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sands, Mark; Luebbert, J.; Fay, J.; Gay, P. L.
In this project we unite three major components of astronomy and new media: World Wide Telescope, Wordpress, and user supplied audio. Through an easy to use Wordpress plug-in users can create WorldWide Telescope sky tours that allow: a) astronomers and educators to spread the facts and awareness of astronomy, potentially bringing new and interested individuals into the astronomy community; b) bloggers/podcasters to create dynamic, virtual tours of the universe that are nearly boundless; and, c) readers to benefit from the alluring WorldWide Telescope tours by gaining a new and dramatic outlook on our universe. This software has the potential to augment, and in some cases replace, traditional methods of astronomy centered online lectures. With this plugin, it is possible to combine Wordpress-based website content with audio, and a sky tour that can be paused at any object. This ability to pause a sky tour allows the user to further explore the wealth of data provided within WWT. This fully customizable solution includes all of the necessary features required to reproduce a lecture in a more creative and appealing format then some of the standard, typically non-interactive, movies and podcasts currently found online. Through the creation of effective WorldWide Telescope tours, astronomers and educators can better extend astronomy content to astronomy-interested, but not yet engaged, members of the new media community. These tours will provide a better understanding and appreciation for what our universe has to offer. Through this new media approach of integrating WorldWide Telescope with blogs and podcasts, users can now extend their interest in astronomy by exploring the universe themselves, moving beyond provided content to gain a better understanding all on their own.
World-wide precision airports for SVS
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Schiefele, Jens; Lugsch, Bill; Launer, Marc; Baca, Diana
Future cockpit and aviation applications require high quality airport databases. Accuracy, resolution, integrity, completeness, traceability, and timeliness [1] are key requirements. For most aviation applications, attributed vector databases are needed. The geometry is based on points, lines, and closed polygons. To document the needs for aviation industry RTCA and EUROCAE developed in a joint committee, the DO-272/ED-99 document. It states industry needs for data features, attributes, coding, and capture rules for Airport Mapping Databases (AMDB). This paper describes the technical approach Jeppesen has taken to generate a world-wide set of three-hundred AMDB airports. All AMDB airports are DO-200A/ED-76 [1] and DO-272/ED-99 [2] compliant. Jeppesen airports have a 5m (CE90) accuracy and an 10-3 integrity. World-wide all AMDB data is delivered in WGS84 coordinates. Jeppesen continually updates the databases.
Thematic World Wide Web Visualization System
WebTheme is a system designed to facilitate world wide web information access and retrieval through visualization. It consists of two principal pieces, a WebTheme Server which allows users to enter in a query and automatocally harvest and process information of interest, and a WebTheme browser, which allows users to work with both Galaxies and Themescape visualizations of their data within a JAVA capable world wide web browser. WebTheme is an Internet solution, meaning that accessmore » to the server and the resulting visualizations can all be performed through the use of a WWW browser. This allows users to access and interact with SPIRE (Spatial Paradigm for Information Retrieval and Exploration) based visualizations through a web browser regardless of what computer platforms they are running on. WebTheme is specifically designed to create databases by harvesting and processing WWW home pages available on the Internet.« less
Redesigning courses for the World Wide Web.
Carr, Katherine Camacho; Farley, Cynthia L
The use of computer-based instructional technologies has become almost ubiquitous in education, including health professions education. In addition, clinical practice requires the use of digital information, networking, and continued learning. Faculty, students, and clinicians must be prepared to use computer-based technologies and telecommunications. Many faculty members in the health professions need assistance with the transfer of traditional (campus-based) courses or course material to the World Wide Web. This article presents the instructional design and pedagogical aspects of redesigning a traditional campus-based course for the World Wide Web. Specific steps and a template are identified. The development of a virtual community of learners is also discussed as a critical element of on-line teaching and learning. PMID:14660946
Computer vision on the World Wide Web
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Marshall, A. David
The World Wide Web Initiative has provided a means for providing hypertext and multimedia based information across the whole Internet. Many applications have been developed on such http servers. One important and novel development on the World Wide Web (WWW) has been the development of computer vision and image processing related courseware facilities and indeed image processing packages. This ranges from the provision of on-line lecture notes, exercises and their solutions to more interactive packages suited primarily for teaching and demonstration packages. Within the WWW there are many pointers that highlight more research based activities. This paper addresses the issues of the implementation of the computer vision and image processing packages, the advantages gained from using a hypertext based system, and also relates the practical experiences of using the packages in a class environment. The paper addresses issues of how best to provide information in such a hypertext based system and how interactive image processing packages can be developed. A suite of multimedia based tools have been developed to facilitate such systems and these are described in the paper. A brief survey of related sources of information on the World Wide Web also is presented.
Using World Wide Web multimedia in medicine.
Pouliquen, B; Riou, C; Denier, P; Fresnel, A; Delamarre, D; Le Beux, P
The development of the Internet [1] has given us many types of information servers in the research and academic communities: anonymous FTP [2], Gopher [3], Wais [4], News [5], and the World Wide Web [6], which is now the most used multimedia information system on the Internet. It is user-friendly and can be used to interface existing information systems and to build new information services in the medical field. We propose to investigate (not exhaustively) the functionalities and applications of the system in medicine; we also present our own experiences of using WWW to distribute medical information. PMID:8591488
World-wide aeronautical satellite communications
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Wood, Peter; Smith, Keith
INMARSAT decided to expand the spectrum covered by its new generation of satellites, INMARSAT-2, to include 1 MHz (subsequently increased to 3 MHz) of the spectrum designed for aeronautical use. It began a design study that led to the specifications for the system that is now being implemented. Subsequently, INMARSAT awarded contracts for the design of avionics and high gain antennas to a number of manufactures, while several of the signatories that provide ground equipment for communicating with the INMARSAT satellites are modifying their earth stations to work with the avionic equipment. As a resullt of these activities, a world-wide aeronautical satellite system supporting both voice and data will become operational in 1989.
Cyber agent on the World Wide Web
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lee, H. C.; Dagli, Cihan H.
The World Wide Web has brought the information from a distributed environment into a global information universe. As users keep on surfing the Web and adding their bookmarks, it is increasingly difficult for them to find their desired information even though there are many search tools available. In this paper, a smart engineering system called Cyber Agent is proposed to help users search and organize the information. It contains two major subsystems, namely, WebTracer and WebOrganizer. They adapt their behavior dynamically according to the environment and the special preferences of each individual. WebTracer is the wavefront of the Cyber Agent while WebOrganizer is the brain of the Cyber Agent.
Precision Agriculture: Changing the Face of Farming
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Rickman, D.; Luvall, J.; Mask, P.; Shaw, J.; Kissel, D.; Sullivan, D.
To a large extent our work has grown out of the remote sensing technology and conceptual framework developed by geologists. For example the drive to look at the physics of reflectance and atmospheric corrections is rooted in work done in the early 1980s by the United States Geological Survey and NASA. Our work on emissivity and thermal behavior of plants pulls on research done using the Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner, an instrument originally conceived for geologic applications. Even our ability to geometrically map the airborne imagery onto the globe was explicitly developed because of need to map sediment flow patterns in along the coast of Louisiana. Growing from this base we have learned much in the last few years and believe our integration of geologic remote sensing with the other fields of expertise was a wise investment. Clearly none of the specialties alone could develop, let alone test, the basic approach we are now finding so powerful. This is the path that will ultimately give the information needed by the farmer. We also recognize how small a portion of the total problem has been solved. Having developed the basic logic, built proto-type tools and performed initial tests everything else remains to be done. And problems, scientific and practical, are everywhere. We have not established sensitivities. We have not robustly segregated the contributions of crop residue, soil moisture, shadows, plant and soil to the energy leaving the surface. What we do is extremely expensive and difficult. It is experimental in methodology and uses research oriented tools. We are constantly alive to the practicality of moving our results into commercial applications. We know another airborne instrument will have to be available. Atmospheric parameters will have to be measured automatically. The software will have to be re-written for speed. At times the list of problems seems endless. But the potential is also enormous. Agriculture is a huge portion of our economy
Grade Performance of Face-to-Face versus Online Agricultural Economics Students
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Greenway, Gina A.; Makus, Larry D.
Online course offerings have been growing at a rapid pace in post-secondary education. An ordered probit model is estimated to analyze the effects of online vs. face-to-face course format in achieving specific letter grades. An upper-division agricultural economics course taught over 9 years using both formats is used for the analysis. For a…
Geomorphology and the World Wide Web
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Shroder, John F.; Bishop, Michael P.; Olsenholler, Jeffrey; Craiger, J. Philip
The Internet and the World Wide Web have brought many dimensions of new technology to education and research in geomorphology. As with other disciplines on the Web, Web-based geomorphology has become an eclectic mix of whatever material an individual deems worthy of presentation, and in many cases is without quality control. Nevertheless, new electronic media can facilitate education and research in geomorphology. For example, virtual field trips can be developed and accessed to reinforce concepts in class. Techniques for evaluating Internet references helps students to write traditional term papers, but professional presentations can also involve student papers that are published on the Web. Faculty can also address plagiarism issues by using search engines. Because of the lack of peer review of much of the content on the Web, care must be exercised in using it for reference searches. Today, however, refereed journals are going online and can be accessed through subscription or payment per article viewed. Library reference desks regularly use the Web for searches of refereed articles. Research on the Web ranges from communication between investigators, data acquisition, scientific visualization, or comprehensive searches of refereed sources, to interactive analyses of remote data sets. The Nanga Parbat and the Global Land Ice Measurements from Space (GLIMS) Projects are two examples of geomorphologic research that are achieving full potential through use of the Web. Teaching and research in geomorphology are undergoing a beneficial, but sometimes problematic, transition with the new technology. The learning curve is steep for some users but the view from the top is bright. Geomorphology can only prosper from the benefits offered by computer technologies.
Information Architecture for the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rosenfeld, Louis; Morville, Peter
This book provides effective approaches for designers, information architects, and web site managers who are faced with sites that are becoming difficult to use and maintain. The book is divided into 10 sections. Chapter 1: "What Makes a Web Site Work" considers site users needs when designing the architecture; Chapter 2: "Introduction to…
A Semiotic Analysis of Icons on the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ma, Yan
The World Wide Web allows users to interact with a graphic interface to search information in a hypermedia and multimedia environment. Graphics serve as reference points on the World Wide Web for searching and retrieving information. This study analyzed the culturally constructed syntax patterns, or codes, embedded in the icons of library…
Use of World Wide Web and NCSA Mcsaic at Langley
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Nelson, Michael
A brief history of the use of the World Wide Web at Langley Research Center is presented along with architecture of the Langley Web. Benefits derived from the Web and some Langley projects that have employed the World Wide Web are discussed.
Learning To Use the World Wide Web. Academic Edition.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ackerman, Ernest
This book emphasizes how to use Netscape Navigator to access the World Wide Web and associated resources and services in a step-by-step, organized manner. Chapters include -- Chapter 1: Introduction to the World Wide Web and the Internet; Chapter 2: Using a Web Browser; Chapter 3: The Basics of Electronic Mail and Using Netscape Email; Chapter 4:…
Wildfire contribution to world-wide desertification.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Neary, D.; Wittenberg, L.; Bautista, S.; Ffolliott, P.
a three-year period (2003 - 2005). In 2005, 338,262 ha of forest land burned. This was a 77% increase over the 10-year burn average of 189,500 ha. Desertification is about the loss of the land's proper hydrologic function, biological productivity, and other ecosystem services as a result of human activities and climate change. It affects one third of the earth's surface and over a billion people. In the past, desertification was considered a problem of only arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas. However, humid zones can undergo desertification with the wrong combination of human impacts. The Amazon region is an example of where forest harvesting, shifting cut and burn agriculture, and large-scale grazing are producing desertification of a tropical rain forest on a large scale. Some of the environmental consequences of wildfires are vegetation destruction, plant species and type shifts, exotic plant invasions, wildlife habitat destruction, soil erosion, floods, watershed function decline, water supply disruption, and air pollution. All of these are immediate impacts. Some impacts will persist beyond the careers and lifetimes of individuals. Small, isolated areas do not produce noticeable desertification. But, the cumulative effect of multiple, large area, and adjacent fires can be landscape-level desertification. This paper examines wildfire contributions to desertification in regions of the world that are prone to wildfire and climate change.
World Wide Web Curriculum Design Using National Collaboration.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hannaway, K. J.; Hannaway, D. B.; Shuler, P. E.; Niess, M. L.; Griffith, S.; Fick, G. W.; Allen, V. G.
Discusses the development of a national curriculum for forage instruction presented on the world wide web to provide instructors with related courses, a scope and sequence, content materials, web links, teaching methodology, and strategies. (Author/CCM)
Challenges facing European agriculture and possible biotechnological solutions.
Ricroch, Agnès; Harwood, Wendy; Svobodová, Zdeňka; Sági, László; Hundleby, Penelope; Badea, Elena Marcela; Rosca, Ioan; Cruz, Gabriela; Salema Fevereiro, Manuel Pedro; Marfà Riera, Victoria; Jansson, Stefan; Morandini, Piero; Bojinov, Bojin; Cetiner, Selim; Custers, René; Schrader, Uwe; Jacobsen, Hans-Joerg; Martin-Laffon, Jacqueline; Boisron, Audrey; Kuntz, Marcel
Agriculture faces many challenges to maximize yields while it is required to operate in an environmentally sustainable manner. In the present study, we analyze the major agricultural challenges identified by European farmers (primarily related to biotic stresses) in 13 countries, namely Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, UK and Turkey, for nine major crops (barley, beet, grapevine, maize, oilseed rape, olive, potato, sunflower and wheat). Most biotic stresses (BSs) are related to fungi or insects, but viral diseases, bacterial diseases and even parasitic plants have an important impact on yield and harvest quality. We examine how these challenges have been addressed by public and private research sectors, using either conventional breeding, marker-assisted selection, transgenesis, cisgenesis, RNAi technology or mutagenesis. Both national surveys and scientific literature analysis followed by text mining were employed to evaluate genetic engineering (GE) and non-GE approaches. This is the first report of text mining of the scientific literature on plant breeding and agricultural biotechnology research. For the nine major crops in Europe, 128 BS challenges were identified with 40% of these addressed neither in the scientific literature nor in recent European public research programs. We found evidence that the private sector was addressing only a few of these "neglected" challenges. Consequently, there are considerable gaps between farmer's needs and current breeding and biotechnology research. We also provide evidence that the current political situation in certain European countries is an impediment to GE research in order to address these agricultural challenges in the future. This study should also contribute to the decision-making process on future pertinent international consortia to fill the identified research gaps. PMID:26133365
Surfing the World Wide Web to Education Hot-Spots.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dyrli, Odvard Egil
Provides a brief explanation of Web browsers and their use, as well as technical information for those considering access to the WWW (World Wide Web). Curriculum resources and addresses to useful Web sites are included. Sidebars show sample searches using Yahoo and Lycos search engines, and a list of recommended Web resources. (JKP)
Guiding Students in Using the World Wide Web for Research.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kubly, Kristin
This paper addresses the need for educators and librarians to guide students in using the World Wide Web appropriately by teaching them to evaluate Internet resources using criteria designed to identify the authoritative sources. The pros and cons of information commonly found on the Web are discussed, as well as academic Internet subject or…
Contemporary Approaches to Critical Thinking and the World Wide Web
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Buffington, Melanie L.
Teaching critical thinking skills is often endorsed as a means to help students develop their abilities to navigate the complex world in which people live and, in addition, as a way to help students succeed in school. Over the past few years, this author explored the idea of teaching critical thinking using the World Wide Web (WWW). She began…
Health status assessment via the World Wide Web.
Bell, D. S.; Kahn, C. E.
We explored the use of the World Wide Web to collect health status information for medical outcomes research. The RAND 36-Item Health Survey 1.0 (RAND-36), which contains the 36 multiple-choice questions of the Medical Outcomes Study SF-36 "Short Form" and differs only in its simplified scoring scheme, was made available for anonymous use on the Internet. Participation in the survey was invited through health-related Internet news groups and mailing lists. Participants entered data and received, their scores using the World Wide Web protocol. Entries were recorded from 15 June 1995 to 14 June 1996 (1 year). The survey was completed anonymously by 4876 individuals with access to the World Wide Web. Two-thirds completed the survey within 5 minutes, and 97% did so within 10 minutes. The item-completion rate was 99.28%. Values of Cronbach's alpha of 0.76 to 0.90 for the scoring scales matched the high reliability found in the Medical Outcomes Study. The World Wide Web provides a method of rapidly measuring individual health status and may play an important role in advancing health services research and outcomes-based patient care. PMID:8947684
World-Wide Web: Adding Multimedia to Cyberspace.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Descy, Don E.
Describes the World-Wide Web (WWW), a network information resource based on hypertext. How to access WWW browsers through remote login (telnet) or though free browser software, such as Mosaic, is provided. Eight information sources that can be accessed through the WWW are listed. The address of a listserv reporting on Internet developments is…
World Wide Web Pages--Tools for Teaching and Learning.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Beasley, Sarah; Kent, Jean
Created to help educators incorporate World Wide Web pages into teaching and learning, this collection of Web pages presents resources, materials, and techniques for using the Web. The first page focuses on tools for teaching and learning via the Web, providing pointers to sites containing the following: (1) course materials for both distance and…
Surfing the Net. Creativity on the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Berger, Sandra
This article discusses how the World Wide Web can empower students to think creatively, especially the gifted. It profiles 3 Web sites that discuss techniques, games, and strategies for enhancing creative thinking and 13 Web sites that contain information on inventors and inventions to stimulate gifted students. (Contains one reference.) (CR)
Using the World Wide Web To accommodate Diverse Learning Styles.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ross, Jonathan L.; Schulz, Robert A.
Discussion of ways to use the World Wide Web in college instruction considers first, logistical issues; second, ways the Web can meet the needs of the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learner; third, ways to accommodate the social learner; and fourth, using the Web with four cognitive learning styles, as measured by the Gregoric Style Delineator.…
Time Series Data Visualization in World Wide Telescope
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Fay, J.
WorldWide Telescope provides a rich set of timer series visualization for both archival and real time data. WWT consists of both interactive desktop tools for interactive immersive visualization and HTML5 web based controls that can be utilized in customized web pages. WWT supports a range of display options including full dome, power walls, stereo and virtual reality headsets.
The Impact on Education of the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hobbs, D. J.; Taylor, R. J.
This paper describes a project which created a set of World Wide Web (WWW) pages documenting the state of the art in educational multimedia design; a prototype WWW-based multimedia teaching tool--a podiatry test using HTML forms, 24-bit color images and MPEG video--was also designed, developed, and evaluated. The project was conducted between…
Introduction to the World Wide Web and Mosaic
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Youngblood, Jim
This tutorial provides an introduction to some of the terminology related to the use of the World Wide Web and Mosaic. It is assumed that the user has some prior computer experience. References are included to other sources of additional information.
Service Learning and Building Community with the World Wide Web
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Longan, Michael W.
The geography education literature touts the World Wide Web (Web) as a revolutionary educational tool, yet most accounts ignore its uses for public communication and creative expression. This article argues that students can be producers of content that is of service to local audiences. Drawing inspiration from the community networking movement,…
White Supremacists, Oppositional Culture and the World Wide Web
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Adams, Josh; Roscigno, Vincent J.
Over the previous decade, white supremacist organizations have tapped into the ever emerging possibilities offered by the World Wide Web. Drawing from prior sociological work that has examined this medium and its uses by white supremacist organizations, this article advances the understanding of recruitment, identity and action by providing a…
WorldWideScience.org: the global science gateway.
Fitzpatrick, Roberta Bronson
WorldWideScience.org is a Web-based global gateway connecting users to both national and international scientific databases and portals. This column will provide background information on the resource as well as introduce basic searching practices for users. PMID:20183035
World Wide Web Homepages: An Examination of Content and Audience.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Reynolds, Betty; And Others
This paper shows how the content of a World Wide Web page is selected and how an examination of the intended audience influences content. Examples from the New Mexico Tech (NMT) Library homepage show what sources are selected and what level of detail is appropriate for the intended audience. Six fundamental functions of libraries and information…
Undergraduate Data Mining on the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Scime, Anthony
Currently available World Wide Web search engines determine a site's qualification as a response to a search request by matching keywords in the request to keywords representing the site. The returned sites are given a score and ranked according to the match on keywords. Many of these retrieved sites can be irrelevant to the user's true…
Market Research: The World Wide Web Meets the Online Services.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bing, Michelle
The World Wide Web can provide direct market research data inexpensively or can target the appropriate professional online database and narrow the search. This article discusses the Web presence of research and investment firms, financial pages, trade associations, and electronic publications containing market research data. It lists Uniform…
The Art Site on the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McLaughlin, Margaret L.
Discusses the World Wide Web (WWW) as a multimedia delivery system, sources of variation in WWW art sites, pioneers on the electronic frontiers of art, and dimensions of electronic exhibition space. Discusses characteristics of early and of second-generation WWW art sites, how they compare, and evolution of the art site on the WWW. (SR)
Perspectives for Electronic Books in the World Wide Web Age.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bry, Francois; Kraus, Michael
Discusses the rapid growth of the World Wide Web and the lack of use of electronic books and suggests that specialized contents and device independence can make Web-based books compete with print. Topics include enhancing the hypertext model of XML; client-side adaptation, including browsers and navigation; and semantic modeling. (Author/LRW)
Radar Images of the Earth and the World Wide Web
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Chapman, B.; Freeman, A.
A perspective of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a center of planetary exploration, and its involvement in studying the earth from space is given. Remote sensing, radar maps, land topography, snow cover properties, vegetation type, biomass content, moisture levels, and ocean data are items discussed related to earth orbiting satellite imaging radar. World Wide Web viewing of this content is discussed.
Using the World Wide Web To Teach Francophone Culture.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Beyer, Deborah Berg; Van Ells, Paula Hartwig
Examined use of the World Wide Web to teach Francophone culture. Suggests that bolstering reading comprehension in the foreign language and increased proficiency in navigating the Web are potential secondary benefits gained from the cultural Web-based activities proposed in the study.(Author/VWL)
Touring the Campus Library from the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mosley, Pixey Anne; Xiao, Daniel
The philosophy, design, implementation and evaluation of a World Wide Web-accessible Virtual Library Tour of Texas A & M University's Evans Library is presented. Its design combined technical computer issues and library instruction expertise. The tour can be used to simulate a typical walking tour through the library or heading directly to a…
The Busy Educator's Guide to the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Glavac, Marjan
This book is designed as a resource for educators who want their students to read, write, share, build, communicate, and contribute using telecommunications. The book is divided into six chapters. Chapter 1--"How To Use the Internet...Real Fast" gives an overview of top educator, parent, and kid sites on the World Wide Web. Chapter 2--"What's…
The Virtual City: Putting Charleston on the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Beagle, Donald
Describes the Charleston Multimedia Project, a World Wide Web guide to the history, architecture, and culture of Charleston, South Carolina, which includes a timeline and virtual tours. Incorporates materials issued by many agencies that were previously held in vertical files. The Charleston County Library's role and future plans are also…
Assessing the Motivational Quality of World Wide Websites.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Small, Ruth V.
As the number of World Wide Web sites continues to grow at an explosive rate, the need for design guidelines also increases. Although there are a number of resources that provide guidance on structure and content, few address the motivational aspects of Web sites. The Website Motivational Analysis Checklist (WebMAC) was developed to help diagnose…
Exemplary World Wide Web Resources. Pull-out Feature 3.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Helms, Ronald G.
Offers an abundance of World Wide Web resources for K-12 educators. Briefly describes interesting web sites, including the "K-12 History on the Internet Resource Guide" and sites by National Geographic, the Smithsonian Institute, and Ben and Jerry's. Discusses personal web pages including the author's own. (MJP)
Webspinning: Language Learning on the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Green, James; And Others
Provides a lesson plan for adult, high-intermediate, or advanced students of English as a Second Language that uses World Wide Web resources to simulate buying a new car. Students work in groups and relate foreign language texts to their own lives. Lists equipment needed; objectives; materials; procedures; warm-up, core, and closing activities;…
Baby Steps: Starting Out on the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Simpson, Carol; McElmeel, Sharron L.
While the Internet is the physical medium used to transport data, the World Wide Web is the collection of protocols and standards used to access the information. This article provides a basic explanation of what the Web is and describes common browser commands. Discusses graphic Web browsers; universal resource locators (URLs); file, message,…
Facilitating Designer-Customer Communication in the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tuikka, Tuomo; Salmela, Marko
Presents WebShaman, an application built to demonstrate how a distributed virtual prototyping system with a client/server architecture, could support geographically distant designer/customer communication. Provides an overview of smart virtual prototyping; discusses implementation of synchronous collaboration via the World Wide Web; and assesses…
Helping Students Weave Their Way through the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Elliott, Catherine B.
Discusses six strategies to help both students and teachers learn to make wise use of information on the World Wide Web: teaching the value of key word skills; using online sources available in the media center; creating pathfinders; teaching students sound searching skills that include Boolean logic; directing students to the best search engines;…
Learning Using the World Wide Web: A Collaborative Learning Event.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ewing, J. M.; Dowling, J. D.; Coutts, N.
Discusses the place of learning theory in the planning, design, and implementation of learning tasks using information and communications technology. Considers hypermedia and learning and the constructivist approach to learning, proposes a model for applying constructivist theory to learning, and describes an example involving the World Wide Web.…
Streptococcus: A World-Wide Fish Health Problem
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Streptococcus iniae and S. agalactiae are important emergent-epizootic pathogens which affect many fish species world-wide, especially in warm-water regions. Further, these Gram-positive bacteria cause significant economic losses in marine and freshwater aquaculture systems with an estimated loss i...
World-wide increase in tropospheric methane, 1978-1983
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Blake, D. R.; Rowland, F. S.
Techniques used to assess methane concentration in the troposphere are described, and data obtained during the period from 1978 to 1983 are presented in detail. Tropospheric methane concentrations in remote locations averaged a yearly world-wide increase of 0.018 + or - 0.002 parts per million by volume (ppmv). Average world-wide tropospheric concentration of methane in dry air was 1.625 ppmv at the end of 1983 measured against an NBS standard certified as 0.97 ppmv. Contributing to this steady increase in methane concentration are increases in the source strengths from cattle and rice fields, which in turn result from CO, CH4 and HO coupling. Among the physical and chemical effects is an increase in greenhouse warming of about 0.04 C per decade.
WIRED — World-Wide Web Interactive Remote Event Display
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Coperchio, M. C.; Dönszelmann, M.; de Groot, N.; Gunnarsson, P.; Litmaath, M.; McNally, D.; Smirnov, N.
WIRED (World-Wide Web Interactive Remote Event Display) is a framework, written in the Java™ language, for building High Energy Physics event displays. An event display based on the WIRED framework enables users of a HEP collaboration to visualise and analyse events remotely using ordinary WWW browsers, on any type of machine. In addition, event displays using WIRED may provide the general public with access to the research of high energy physics. The recent introduction of the object-oriented Java™ language enables the transfer of machine independent code across the Internet, to be safely executed by a Java enhanced WWW browser. We have employed this technology to create a remote event display in WWW. The combined Java-WWW technology hence assures a world wide availability of such an event display, an always up-to-date program and a platform independent implementation, which is easy to use and to install.
Obtaining good quality medical information from the World Wide Web.
Thom, Deone H; Polosa, Riccardo
Despite the complexity of the Internet, it is surprisingly easy to search the World Wide Web for medical information. With the right skills you can save yourself a lot of time and effort making the Internet a highly effective tool for supporting your work in health and medicine. Internet offers great opportunities for interactive learning and can help you to plan lectures and create teaching materials. Moreover, physicians can find many Web resources that can assist with articles and assignments and support academic research. Evidence-based indications about medical treatments are also available. However, Internet users need to be aware of the dangers of misleading and inaccurate medical information. In this article, we intend to illustrate to physicians the pros and cons of the World Wide Web, how to apply basic critical appraisal techniques to gather good quality medical information, and a number of useful medical Web sites. PMID:11975112
Wired World-Wide Web Interactive Remote Event Display
De Groot, Nicolo
WIRED (World-Wide Web Interactive Remote Event Display) is a framework, written in the Java{trademark} language, for building High Energy Physics event displays. An event display based on the WIRED framework enables users of a HEP collaboration to visualize and analyze events remotely using ordinary WWW browsers, on any type of machine. In addition, event displays using WIRED may provide the general public with access to the research of high energy physics. The recent introduction of the object-oriented Java{trademark} language enables the transfer of machine independent code across the Internet, to be safely executed by a Java enhanced WWW browser. We have employed this technology to create a remote event display in WWW. The combined Java-WWW technology hence assures a world wide availability of such an event display, an always up-to-date program and a platform independent implementation, which is easy to use and to install.
[The search for medical information on the World Wide Web].
Cappeliez, O; Ranschaert, E; Peetrons, P; Struyven, J
The internet has experienced tremendous growth over the past few years and has currently many resources in the field of medicine. However, many physicians remain unaware of how to gain access to this powerful tool. This article briefly describes the World Wide Web and its potential applications for physicians. The basics of web search engines and medical directories, as well as the use of advanced search with boolean operators are explained. PMID:10672776
Collaborative Information Agents on the World Wide Web
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Chen, James R.; Mathe, Nathalie; Wolfe, Shawn; Koga, Dennis J. (Technical Monitor)
In this paper, we present DIAMS, a system of distributed, collaborative information agents which help users access, collect, organize, and exchange information on the World Wide Web. Personal agents provide their owners dynamic displays of well organized information collections, as well as friendly information management utilities. Personal agents exchange information with one another. They also work with other types of information agents such as matchmakers and knowledge experts to facilitate collaboration and communication.
Using WorldWide Telescope in Observing, Research and Presentation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Roberts, Douglas A.; Fay, J.
WorldWide Telescope (WWT) is free software that enables researchers to interactively explore observational data using a user-friendly interface. Reference, all-sky datasets and pointed observations are available as layers along with the ability to easily overlay additional FITS images and catalog data. Connections to the Astrophysics Data System (ADS) are included which enable visual investigation using WWT to drive document searches in ADS. WWT can be used to capture and share visual exploration with colleagues during observational planning and analysis. Finally, researchers can use WorldWide Telescope to create videos for professional, education and outreach presentations. I will conclude with an example of how I have used WWT in a research project. Specifically, I will discuss how WorldWide Telescope helped our group to prepare for radio observations and following them, in the analysis of multi-wavelength data taken in the inner parsec of the Galaxy. A concluding video will show how WWT brought together disparate datasets in a unified interactive visualization environment.
International organizations to enable world-wide mobile satellite services
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Anglin, Richard L., Jr.
Numbers of systems exist or have been proposed to provide world-wide mobile satellite services (MSS). Developers of these systems have formulated institutional structures they consider most appropriate for profitable delivery of these services. MSS systems provide niche services and complement traditional telecommunications networks; they are not integrated into world-wide networks. To be successful, MSS system operators must be able to provide an integrated suite of services to support the increasing globalization, interconnectivity, and mobility of business. The critical issue to enabling 'universal roaming' is securing authority to provide MSS in all of the nations of the world. Such authority must be secured in the context of evolving trends in international telecommunications, and must specifically address issues of standardization, regulation and organization. Today, only one existing organization has such world-wide authority. The question is how proponents of new MSS systems and services can gain similar authority. Securing the appropriate authorizations requires that these new organizations reflect the objectives of the nations in which services are to be delivered.
The informatics superhighway: prototyping on the World Wide Web.
Cimino, J. J.; Socratous, S. A.; Grewal, R.
We have experimented with developing a prototype Surgeon's Workstation which makes use of the World Wide Web client-server architecture. Although originally intended merely as a means for obtaining user feedback for use in designing a "real" system, the application has been adopted for use by our Department of Surgery. As they begin to use the application, they have suggested changes and we have responded. This paper illustrates some of the advantages we have found for prototyping with Web-based applications, including security aspects. PMID:8563247
A Survey of World Wide Web Lists of Medical Schools
Wright, Aubrey T.; Huber, Jeffrey T.; Giuse, Nunzia B.
The objective of this study was to evaluate World Wide Web (WWW) lists of Universal Resource Locators (URLs) on one subject pertaining to medicine in order to evaluate them for completeness and accuracy. The WWW was searched for lists of medical school URLs and each list was checked for the above criteria. A separate list of medical schools was compiled by author A.W. for comparison. Results show that, at best, only 75% of the medical schools with available WWW pages are represented in the lists searched. This study indicates there is a need for further investigation of medical resource lists in order to evaluate their completeness and accuracy.
A World-Wide Network of Robotic Imaging Telescopes
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
McGruder, C., III; Barnaby, D.; Carini, M.; Gelderman, R.; Hackney, K.; Hackney, R.; Marchenko, S.; Scott, R.; Yan, Li; Chen, Wen-Ping
The long-term monitoring of AGNs and massive stars, the search for extrasolar planets via the transit method and the detection of unpredictable transient events such as gamma-ray bursts require continuous observations by a world-wide network of telescopes. Two telescopes of this network are located in the USA (Kitt Peak and Kentucky). Western Kentucky University (USA) along with National Central University (Taiwan) and Yunnan Observatory (China) plan to place a fully robotic imaging telescope at Gao Meigu in Li Jiang, China.
Distributing flight dynamics products via the World Wide Web
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Woodard, Mark; Matusow, David
The NASA Flight Dynamics Products Center (FDPC), which make available selected operations products via the World Wide Web, is reported on. The FDPC can be accessed from any host machine connected to the Internet. It is a multi-mission service which provides Internet users with unrestricted access to the following standard products: antenna contact predictions; ground tracks; orbit ephemerides; mean and osculating orbital elements; earth sensor sun and moon interference predictions; space flight tracking data network summaries; and Shuttle transport system predictions. Several scientific data bases are available through the service.
World-wide radiation dosage calculations for air crew members.
O'Brien, K; Smart, D F; Shea, M A; Felsberger, E; Schrewe, U; Friedberg, W; Copeland, K
A greatly improved version of the computer program to calculate radiation dosage to air crew members is now available. Designated CARI-6, this program incorporates an updated geomagnetic cutoff rigidity model and a revision of the primary cosmic ray spectrum based on recent work by Gaisser and Stanev (1998). We believe CARI-6 provides the most accurate available method for calculating the radiation dosage to air crew members. The program is now utilized by airline companies around the world and provides unification for subsequent world-wide studies on the effects of natural radiation on aircrew members. PMID:14503487
Star and Planet Formation through the WorldWide Telescope
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Goodman, Alyssa
The WorldWide Telescope is a Universe Information System that can display and access nearly all astronomical images and literature available online. In the five years since its initial release, the program has been downloaded more than 10 million times, but only a very tiny fraction of those downloads, so far, are by professional research astronomers. While WorldWide Telescope (WWT) is a fantastic tool for education and outreach (see wwtambassadors.org), it is also a tremendously valuable research tool, especially for putting results into their astronomical context. In this poster, we demonstrate how the WWT can be used to: 1) put surveys into context, on top of more than 40 different all-sky images, spanning the electromagnetic spectrum; 2) perform literature searches from the sky; 3) compare images and catalogs at different wavelenghts, on-the-fly in seconds; 4) show your own online data to the world, in an API that allows users to see it on the sky in their browsers; and 5) communicate to colleagues and learners about the sky using interactive Tours of your data and ideas. Examples of data distribution can be found at http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/COMPLETE/WWTCoverageTool.htm and a star-formation-related educational tour sample is at wwtambassadors.org/wwt/tours/dust-and-us.
WorldWide Telescope Ambassadors, a Year 3 Update
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Udomprasert, Patricia S.; Goodman, A. A.; Wong, C.
The WorldWide Telescope Ambassadors (WWTA) Program has a track record of inspiring middle school students and getting them excited about science. The WorldWide Telescope (WWT) is a stunningly beautiful and freely available data visualization environment developed by Microsoft Research in collaboration with professional astronomers. Trained volunteer Ambassadors show teachers and students how to use WWT in their classrooms to explore and learn about our Universe. Our initial study has shown that WWT increases student understanding of astrophysical concepts and interest in astronomy and science. As an example of how excited students feel about learning astronomy with WWT, one middle school boy exclaimed, "This is way cooler than Call of Duty!" Our vision is to capitalize on the demonstrated inspirational and educational potential of WWT to increase the number of students who express interest in STEM fields. In this oral presentation, we provide a status update on the WWTA program, including ongoing results from our work with over 700 middle school students to date, and preliminary results from a new NSF-funded study comparing learning and interest gains for students studying Moon phases with WWT vs with the 2-dimensional simulator activity that accompanies their textbook. More information is available at wwtambassadors.org
Weighted fair queueing scheduling for World Wide Web proxy servers
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
El Abdouni Khayari, Rachid; Sadre, Ramin; Haverkort, Boudewijn R.; Zoschke, Norman
Current world-wide web servers as well as proxy servers rely for their scheduling on services provided by the underlying operating system. In practice, this means that some form of first-come-first-served (FCFS) scheduling is utilised. Although FCFS is a reasonable scheduling strategy for job sequences that do not show much variance, in the world-wide web (WWW), however, it has been shown that the typical object sizes requested do exhibit heavy tails. This means that the probability to observe very long jobs (very large objects) is much higher than typically predicted using an exponential model. Under these circumstances, job scheduling on the basis of shortest-job first (SJF) has been shown to perform much better, in fact, to minimise the total average waiting time, simply by avoiding situations in which short jobs have to wait for very long one. However, SJF has as disadvantage that long jobs might suffer from starvation. In order to avoid the problems of both FCFS and SJF we present in this paper a new scheduling algorithm called class-based interleaving weighted fair queueing (CI-WFQ). This algorithm uses the specific characteristics of the job stream being served, that is, the distribution of the sizes of the objects being requested, to set its parameters such that good mean reponse times are obtained and starvation does not occur. In the paper, the new scheduling approach is introduced and compared, using trace-driven simulations, with existing scheduling approaches.
Remote sensing education and Internet/World Wide Web technology
Griffith, J.A.; Egbert, S.L.
Remote sensing education is increasingly in demand across academic and professional disciplines. Meanwhile, Internet technology and the World Wide Web (WWW) are being more frequently employed as teaching tools in remote sensing and other disciplines. The current wealth of information on the Internet and World Wide Web must be distilled, nonetheless, to be useful in remote sensing education. An extensive literature base is developing on the WWW as a tool in education and in teaching remote sensing. This literature reveals benefits and limitations of the WWW, and can guide its implementation. Among the most beneficial aspects of the Web are increased access to remote sensing expertise regardless of geographic location, increased access to current material, and access to extensive archives of satellite imagery and aerial photography. As with other teaching innovations, using the WWW/Internet may well mean more work, not less, for teachers, at least at the stage of early adoption. Also, information posted on Web sites is not always accurate. Development stages of this technology range from on-line posting of syllabi and lecture notes to on-line laboratory exercises and animated landscape flyovers and on-line image processing. The advantages of WWW/Internet technology may likely outweigh the costs of implementing it as a teaching tool.
Curriculum development and courseware implementation using World Wide Web technology.
Mantas, J; Diomidus, M
The curriculum development of medical informatics related courses and their adoption into the faculty curriculum is one of the main tasks of the present day educators. To this end the Internet technology has supported this task. The Internet was born in December of 1969 and has grown phenomenally since. Its graphically interactive, user-friendly modality, the World Wide Web (WWW), is younger and growing even more explosively. By its nature, the WWW is a tool ideally and uniquely suited for the advancement education. This paper describes the design, development and the implementation of a Web Site for supporting the education of the students in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Athens. The application will be used also in the European project Nightingale. PMID:10384567
Guide to the Internet. The world wide web.
Pallen, M.
The world wide web provides a uniform, user friendly interface to the Internet. Web pages can contain text and pictures and are interconnected by hypertext links. The addresses of web pages are recorded as uniform resource locators (URLs), transmitted by hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), and written in hypertext markup language (HTML). Programs that allow you to use the web are available for most operating systems. Powerful on line search engines make it relatively easy to find information on the web. Browsing through the web--"net surfing"--is both easy and enjoyable. Contributing to the web is not difficult, and the web opens up new possibilities for electronic publishing and electronic journals. Images p1554-a Fig 5 PMID:8520402
World wide web implementation of the Langley technical report server
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Nelson, Michael L.; Gottlich, Gretchen L.; Bianco, David J.
On January 14, 1993, NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) made approximately 130 formal, 'unclassified, unlimited' technical reports available via the anonymous FTP Langley Technical Report Server (LTRS). LaRC was the first organization to provide a significant number of aerospace technical reports for open electronic dissemination. LTRS has been successful in its first 18 months of operation, with over 11,000 reports distributed and has helped lay the foundation for electronic document distribution for NASA. The availability of World Wide Web (WWW) technology has revolutionized the Internet-based information community. This paper describes the transition of LTRS from a centralized FTP site to a distributed data model using the WWW, and suggests how the general model for LTRS can be applied to other similar systems.
Affordable Digital Planetariums with WorldWide Telescope
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Rosenfield, P.; Connolly, A.; Fay, J.; Sayres, C.; Tofflemire, B.
Digital planetariums can provide a broader range of educational experiences than the more classical planetariums that use star-balls. This is because of their ability to project images, content from current research, and the 3-D distribution of the stars and galaxies. While there are hundreds of planetariums in the country, the reason that few of these are fully digital is the cost. In collaboration with Microsoft Research (MSR), we have developed a way to digitize existing planetariums for approximately $40,000 using freely available software. We describe here how off the shelf equipment, together with a WorldWide Telescope client, can provide a rich and truly interactive experience. This will enable students and the public to pan though multi-wavelength full-sky scientific data sets, explore 3-D visualizations of our Solar System (including trajectories of millions of minor planets), near-by stars, and the SDSS galaxy catalog.
Discovering biomedical relations utilizing the World-wide Web.
Mukherjea, Sougata; Sahay, Saurav
To crate a Semantic Web for Life Sciences discovering relations between biomedical entities is essential. Journals and conference proceedings represent the dominant mechanisms of reporting newly discovered biomedical interactions. The unstructured nature of such publications makes it difficult to utilize data mining or knowledge discovery techniques to automatically incorporate knowledge from these publications into the ontologies. On the other hand, since biomedical information is growing explosively, it is difficult to have human curators manually extract all the information from literature. In this paper we present techniques to automatically discover biomedical relations from the World-wide Web. For this purpose we retrieve relevant information from Web Search engines using various lexico-syntactic patterns as queries. Experiments are presented to show the usefulness of our techniques. PMID:17094237
WWT Ambassadors: WorldWide Telescope for Interactive Learning
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Udomprasert, P. S.; Goodman, A. A.; Wong, C.
In our presentation, we demonstrated some key features of the WorldWide Telescope (WWT). Here we describe the results of a WWT Ambassadors (WWTA) Pilot Study where volunteer Ambassadors helped sixth-graders use WWT during a six-week astronomy unit. The results of the study compare learning outcomes for 80 students who participated in WWTA and 70 students at the same school and grade who only used traditional learning materials. After the six-week unit, twice as many "WWT" as "non-WWT" students understood complex three dimensional orbital relationships; tremendous gains were seen in student performance in science overall, astronomy in particular, and even in using "real" telescopes. We describe plans for expansion of the WWTA program.
Guide to the Internet. The world wide web.
Pallen, M
The world wide web provides a uniform, user friendly interface to the Internet. Web pages can contain text and pictures and are interconnected by hypertext links. The addresses of web pages are recorded as uniform resource locators (URLs), transmitted by hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), and written in hypertext markup language (HTML). Programs that allow you to use the web are available for most operating systems. Powerful on line search engines make it relatively easy to find information on the web. Browsing through the web--"net surfing"--is both easy and enjoyable. Contributing to the web is not difficult, and the web opens up new possibilities for electronic publishing and electronic journals. PMID:8520402
WorldWide Telescope in High School Astronomy Competitions
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Constantin, Ana-Maria; Goodman, A. A.; Udomprasert, P. S.
This project aims to improve astronomy education at the high school level, and to increase awareness in astronomy for pre-university students, on an international scale. In 2013, the WorldWide Telescope Ambassadors Program began a collaboration with the International Olympiad in Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA), which was held in the city of Volos, Greece in August 2013. Now at its VIIth edition, IOAA is the largest annual astronomy competition for high school students, and it consists of one team task and three individual ones - Theoretical, Data Analysis, and Observational. Each of the participating countries (35 in 2013, compared to 21 in 2007) is responsible for selecting up to five representative students for the International round. IOAA is meant to promote future collaborations between these students, and to encourage friendships inside a global scientific community. Ana-Maria Constantin, a current Harvard undergraduate student and a former medalist of IOAA, represented WorldWide Telescope Ambassadors in Greece by giving a talk on the advantages of using WWT as a tool for research and education. As a result, the President and the International Board of the Olympiad have expressed support for including WWT in the competition for future editions. WWTA is working with the Organizing Board for next year's competition in Romania, to include WWT as a testing tool. This poster will summarize key points from the WWTA presentation in Greece, present ideas for WWT-based activities in future IOAA competitions, and outline plans for new collaborations from representatives of Sri Lanka, Poland, Bangladesh, and Colombia. Given the positive feedback we have received after the presentation in Greece, we are also considering future implementations of WWT in summer research camps for high school students, such as the Summer Science Program.
Facing the Crisis: Third World Agriculture in the 1980s.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Singh, Ajit; Tabatabai, Hamid
Examines how developing nations' agrarian economy fared in the 1980s in the wake of the world economic crisis. Discusses how the economic crisis affected agricultural development and whether the performance of the agrarian economy was responsible for the economic crisis. (JOW)
Geological problems in radioactive waste isolation - A world wide review
Witherspoon, P.A.
The problem of isolating radioactive wastes from the biosphere presents specialists in the earth sciences with some of the most complicated problems they have ever encountered. This is especially true for high-level waste (HLW), which must be isolated in the underground and away from the biosphere for thousands of years. The most widely accepted method of doing this is to seal the radioactive materials in metal canisters that are enclosed by a protective sheath and placed underground in a repository that has been carefully constructed in an appropriate rock formation. Much new technology is being developed to solve the problems that have been raised, and there is a continuing need to publish the results of new developments for the benefit of all concerned. Table 1 presents a summary of the various formations under investigation according to the reports submitted for this world wide review. It can be seen that in those countries that are searching for repository sites, granitic and metamorphic rocks are the prevalent rock type under investigation. Six countries have developed underground research facilities that are currently in use. All of these investigations are in saturated systems below the water table, except the United States project, which is in the unsaturated zone of a fractured tuff.
World Wide Web resources on zoonotic infections: a subjective overview.
Pappas, Georgios; Fragoulis, Konstantinos N; Falagas, Matthew E
Zoonoses are a diverse group of infections whose significance is underestimated and understudied. The prevalence of zoonoses is higher in the developing world, where health professionals are often deprived of the rapid and free availability of related scientific information; however, continuous evolution of the World Wide Web (WWW) may offer such an option. This review sought to evaluate the content of available WWW resources on zoonoses. Two authors independently identified relevant websites. The selected websites were considered of merit upon consensus of all the authors. Only websites with freely available content were included. Websites on individual zoonoses were excluded. Through the numerous sites encountered on the WWW on zoonoses, there are certain ones that offer adequate information for the public and others that can serve as useful initiators for the non-specialist. Most sites approach zoonoses one-dimensionally, either as a public health, medical or veterinarian problem. The few sites that offer updates on zoonoses unfortunately focus on regional news. Ample information for the public and non-specialists on zoonoses can be traced on the WWW. However, what is missing is a site that will continuously update health professionals who deal with zoonoses in all their medical, veterinary and public health aspects. PMID:18513766
Searching for biomedical information on the World Wide Web.
Rodgers, R P
The rapid growth of biomedical information available via the Internet and its most popular retrieval system, the World Wide Web, has fostered active research and development directed toward locating resources that are appropriate for answering specific queries. The goal is to create tools that optimize information retrieval (as measured by two quantities, precision and recall) while minimizing the effort required by the user. Existing Web retrieval tools can be divided into the following groups: manually maintained topical lists; automatically generated word-based indices; software agents and multi-index searching aids; network cataloging methods; and miscellaneous hybrid and newer approaches. Improvements in current methods should arise from further research into: methods of describing objects on the Web; improved ways of searching for (and within) collections of documents as opposed to single documents; the ability to search for fielded documents; and ways to describe resources that span intra- and interdisciplinary as well as cross-cultural linguistic differences. For this last problem, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) will be of great help. As online information retrieval improves, efforts are underway to improve the online information itself; quality control over content is being addressed as the peer-review systems of traditional printed journals migrate into the realm of electronic publication. PMID:11183455
Judging nursing information on the world wide web.
Cader, Raffik
The World Wide Web is increasingly becoming an important source of information for healthcare professionals. However, finding reliable information from unauthoritative Web sites to inform healthcare can pose a challenge to nurses. A study, using grounded theory, was undertaken in two phases to understand how qualified nurses judge the quality of Web nursing information. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and focus groups. An explanatory framework that emerged from the data showed that the judgment process involved the application of forms of knowing and modes of cognition to a range of evaluative tasks and depended on the nurses' critical skills, the time available, and the level of Web information cues. This article mainly focuses on the six evaluative tasks relating to assessing user-friendliness, outlook and authority of Web pages, and relationship to nursing practice; appraising the nature of evidence; and applying cross-checking strategies. The implications of these findings to nurse practitioners and publishers of nursing information are significant. PMID:23254366
Visualizing Moon Phases with WorldWide Telescope
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Udomprasert, Patricia; Goodman, Alyssa; Sunbury, Susan; Zhang, Zhihui Helen; Sadler, Philip; Dussault, Mary; Block, Sarah; Lotridge, Erin; Jackson, Jonathan; Constantin, Ana-Maria
We report preliminary results from an NSF-funded project to build, test, and research the impact of a WorldWide Telescope Visualization Lab (WWT Vizlab), meant to offer learners a deeper physical understanding of the causes of the Moon's phases. The Moon Phases VizLab is designed to promote accurate visualization of the complex, three dimensional Earth-Sun-Moon relationships required to understand the Moon's phases, while also providing opportunities for middle school students to practice critical science skills, like using models, making predictions and observations, and linking them in evidence-based explanations. In the VizLab, students use both computer-based models and lamp + ball physical models. We present findings from the first two phases of the study—one in which we compared learning gains from the WWT VizLab with a traditional two dimensional Moon phases simulator, and another in which we experimented with different ways of blending physical and virtual models in the classroom.
WorldWide Telescope in Research and Education
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Goodman, A.; Fay, J.; Muench, A.; Pepe, A.; Udompraseret, P.; Wong, C.
The WorldWide Telescope computer program, released to researchers and the public as a free resource in 2008 by Microsoft Research, has changed the way the ever-growing Universe of online astronomical data is viewed and understood. The WWT program can be thought of as a scriptable, interactive, richly visual browser of the multi-wavelength Sky as we see it from Earth, and of the Universe as we would travel within it. In its web API format, WWT is being used as a service to display professional research data. In its desktop format, WWT works in concert (thanks to SAMP and other IVOA standards) with more traditional research applications such as ds9, Aladin and TOPCAT. The WWT Ambassadors Program (founded in 2009) recruits and trains astrophysically-literate volunteers (including retirees) who use WWT as a teaching tool in online, classroom, and informal educational settings. Early quantitative studies of WWTA indicate that student experiences with WWT enhance science learning dramatically. Thanks to the wealth of data it can access, and the growing number of services to which it connects, WWT is now a key linking technology in the Seamless Astronomy environment we seek to offer researchers, teachers, and students alike.
Documentation of the AMIP models on the World Wide Web
Phillips, T.J.
The intercomparison of atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) experiments of a similar type has become an increasingly popular methodology for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of climate simulations. In such endeavors, attempts to attribute differences among the simulations to specific model properties require, as a minimum prerequisite, the accurate and comprehensive documentation of these features. Regrettably however, atmospheric model documentation typically is fragmentary and scattered across numerous publications. It is also often inaccurate, in the sense that the pace of model development and the proliferation of new model versions usually outstrip their recorded descriptions. More often than not, the detailed configuration of a model for a particular experiment also is undocumented. In addition, there may be much unevenness in the descriptions of different facets of models. This incompleteness usually is replicated in published results of an intercomparison experiment, in that participating models` features often are summarized only perfunctorily. Summary documentation of the numerics, dynamics, and physics of models participating in the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP) is now available on the Internet`s World Wide Web. This paper describes the principal attributes of the electronic model documentation and provides instructions on how to access it.
Accessing NASA Technology with the World Wide Web
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Nelson, Michael L.; Bianco, David J.
NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) began using the World Wide Web (WWW) in the summer of 1993, becoming the first NASA installation to provide a Center-wide home page. This coincided with a reorganization of LaRC to provide a more concentrated focus on technology transfer to both aerospace and non-aerospace industry. Use of WWW and NCSA Mosaic not only provides automated information dissemination, but also allows for the implementation, evolution and integration of many technology transfer and technology awareness applications. This paper describes several of these innovative applications, including the on-line presentation of the entire Technology OPportunities Showcase (TOPS), an industrial partnering showcase that exists on the Web long after the actual 3-day event ended. The NASA Technical Report Server (NTRS) provides uniform access to many logically similar, yet physically distributed NASA report servers. WWW is also the foundation of the Langley Software Server (LSS), an experimental software distribution system which will distribute LaRC-developed software. In addition to the more formal technology distribution projects, WWW has been successful in connecting people with technologies and people with other people.
Browsing the World Wide Web from behind a firewall
Simons, R.W.
The World Wide Web provides a unified method of access to various information services on the Internet via a variety of protocols. Mosaic and other browsers give users a graphical interface to the Web that is easier to use and more visually pleasing than any other common Internet information service today. The availability of information via the Web and the number of users accessing it have both grown rapidly in the last year. The interest and investment of commercial firms in this technology suggest that in the near future, access to the Web may become as necessary to doing business as a telephone. This is problematical for organizations that use firewalls to protect their internal networks from the Internet. Allowing all the protocols and types of information found in the Web to pass their firewall will certainly increase the risk of attack by hackers on the Internet. But not allowing access to the Web could be even more dangerous, as frustrated users of the internal network are either unable to do their jobs, or find creative new ways to get around the firewall. The solution to this dilemma adopted at Sandia National Laboratories is described. Discussion also covers risks of accessing the Web, design alternatives considered, and trade-offs used to find the proper balance between access and protection.
Data warehousing, metadata, and the World Wide Web
Yow, T.G.; Smith, A.W.; Daugherty, P.F.
The connection between data warehousing and the metadata. used to catalog and locate warehouse data is obvious, but what is the connection between data warehousing, metadata, and the World Wide Web (WWW)? Specifically, the WWW can be used to allow users to search metadata (data about the data) and retrieve data from a warehouse database. In addition, the Internet/Intranet can be used to manage the metadata in archive databases and to streamline the database administration functions of a large archive center. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory`s (ORNL`s) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) is a data archive and distribution center for the National Air and Space Administration`s (NASA`s) Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS); the ORNL DAAC provides access to tabular and imagery datasets used in ecological and environmental research. To support this effort, we have taken advantage of the rather unique and user-friendly features of the WWW to (1) allow users to search for and download the data we archive and (2) provide DAAC developers with effective metadata and data management tools. In particular, the ORNL DAAC has developed the Biogeochemical Information Ordering Management Environment (BIOME), a WWW search-and-order system, as well as a WWW-based database administrator`s (DBA`s) tool suite designed to assist the site`s DBA in the management of archive metadata and databases and several other DBA functions that are essential to site management. This paper is a case study of how the ORNL DAAC uses the WWW to both manage data and allow access to its data warehouse.
World's Biggest Astronomy Event on the World-Wide
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
`Astronomy On-Line' will connect students all over Europe Astronomy On-Line is a major, all-European project that will take place in conjunction with the 4th European Week for Scientific and Technological Culture later this year. It is based on intensive use of the World-Wide-Web (WWW) and represents the first large-scale attempt in the world to bring together pupils and their teachers all over one continent to explore challenging scientific questions, using modern communication tools, both for obtaining and for communicating information. The programme will be carried out in a collaboration between the European Association for Astronomy Education (EAAE) [1] and the European Southern Observatory, and together with the European Commission (EC). The active phase of Astronomy On-Line will start on October 1 and reach a climax on November 18 - 22, 1996 . What is `Astronomy On-Line'? In this project, a large number of students and their teachers at schools all over Europe, together with professional and amateur astronomers and others interested in astronomy, will become associated in a unique experience that makes intensive use of the vast possibilities of the World-Wide-Web (WWW). Although the exact number of participants will not be known until the beginning of October, it is expected to run into thousands, possibly many more. The unusual size and scope of Astronomy On-Line will contribute to make it an important all-European media event. The central idea is that the participants, through the WWW, will `meet' in a `marketplace' where a number of different `shops' will be available, each of which will tempt them with a number of exciting and educational `events', carefully prepared to cater for different age groups, from 12 years upwards. The events will cover a wide spectrum of activities, some of which will be timed to ensure the proper progression of this very complex project through its main phases. The benefits In fact, Astronomy On-Line will be the first
World-Wide Web Tools for Locating Planetary Images
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Kanefsky, Bob; Deiss, Ron (Technical Monitor)
The explosive growth of the World-Wide Web (WWW) in the past year has made it feasible to provide interactive graphical tools to assist scientists in locating planetary images. The highest available resolution images of any site of interest can be quickly found on a map or plot, and, if online, displayed immediately on nearly any computer equipped with a color screen, an Internet connection, and any of the free WWW browsers. The same tools may also be of interest to educators, students, and the general public. Image finding tools have been implemented covering most of the solar system: Earth, Mars, and the moons and planets imaged by Voyager. The Mars image-finder, which plots the footprints of all the high-resolution Viking Orbiter images and can be used to display any that are available online, also contains a complete scrollable atlas and hypertext gazetteer to help locating areas. The Earth image-finder is linked to thousands of Shuttle images stored at NASA/JSC, and displays them as red dots on a globe. The Voyager image-finder plots images as dots, by longitude and apparent target size, linked to online images. The locator (URL) for the top-level page is http: //ic-www.arc.nasa.gov/ic/projects/bayes-group/Atlas/. Through the efforts of the Planetary Data System and other organizations, hundreds of thousands of planetary images are now available on CD-ROM, and many of these have been made available on the WWW. However, locating images of a desired site is still problematic, in practice. For example, many scientists studying Mars use digital image maps, which are one third the resolution of Viking Orbiter survey images. When they douse Viking Orbiter images, they often work with photographically printed hardcopies, which lack the flexibility of digital images: magnification, contrast stretching, and other basic image-processing techniques offered by off-the-shelf software. From the perspective of someone working on an experimental image processing technique for
World's Biggest Astronomy Event on the World-Wide
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
`Astronomy On-Line' will connect students all over Europe Astronomy On-Line is a major, all-European project that will take place in conjunction with the 4th European Week for Scientific and Technological Culture later this year. It is based on intensive use of the World-Wide-Web (WWW) and represents the first large-scale attempt in the world to bring together pupils and their teachers all over one continent to explore challenging scientific questions, using modern communication tools, both for obtaining and for communicating information. The programme will be carried out in a collaboration between the European Association for Astronomy Education (EAAE) [1] and the European Southern Observatory, and together with the European Commission (EC). The active phase of Astronomy On-Line will start on October 1 and reach a climax on November 18 - 22, 1996 . What is `Astronomy On-Line'? In this project, a large number of students and their teachers at schools all over Europe, together with professional and amateur astronomers and others interested in astronomy, will become associated in a unique experience that makes intensive use of the vast possibilities of the World-Wide-Web (WWW). Although the exact number of participants will not be known until the beginning of October, it is expected to run into thousands, possibly many more. The unusual size and scope of Astronomy On-Line will contribute to make it an important all-European media event. The central idea is that the participants, through the WWW, will `meet' in a `marketplace' where a number of different `shops' will be available, each of which will tempt them with a number of exciting and educational `events', carefully prepared to cater for different age groups, from 12 years upwards. The events will cover a wide spectrum of activities, some of which will be timed to ensure the proper progression of this very complex project through its main phases. The benefits In fact, Astronomy On-Line will be the first
World-Wide Effort Bringing ALMA Telescope Into Reality
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
In the thin, dry air of northern Chile's Atacama Desert, at an altitude of 16,500 feet, an amazing new telescope system is taking shape, on schedule to provide the world's astronomers with unprecedented views of the origins of stars, galaxies, and planets. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) will open an entirely new "window" on the Universe, allowing scientists to unravel longstanding and important astronomical mysteries. ALMA Artist's Concept Artist's Concept of Completed ALMA CREDIT: ALMA/ESO/NRAO/NAOJ Click on image for high-resolution file (182 KB) "Most of the photons in the Universe are in the wavelength range that ALMA will receive, and ALMA will give us our first high-resolution views at these wavelengths. This will be a tremendous advancement for astronomy and open one of our science's last frontiers," Anneila Sargent, a Caltech professor and ALMA Board member, told the American Association for the Advancement of Science at its meeting in Boston, Mass. The millimeter and submillimeter wavelength range lies between what is traditionally considered radio waves and infrared waves. ALMA, a system using up to 66 high-precision dish antennas working together, will provide astronomers with dramatically greater sensitivity, the ability to detect faint objects, and resolving power, the ability to see fine detail, than has ever before been available in this range. "This ambitious project is the product of an international collaboration that spans the globe," Sargent said. "ALMA truly will enable transformational science and providing this capability has required a massive, world-wide effort," she added. The ALMA project is a partnership between Europe, Japan and North America in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is funded in Europe by ESO, in Japan by the National Institutes of Natural Sciences in cooperation with the Academia Sinica in Taiwan and in North America by the U.S. National Science Foundation in cooperation with the
World-Wide Effort Produces Dramatic "Movie" of Cosmic Jet
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Astronomers using a world-wide collection of radio telescopes, including the National Science Foundation's Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), have made a dramatic "movie" of a voracious, superdense neutron star repeatedly spitting out subatomic particles at nearly the speed of light into two narrow jets as it pulls material from a companion star. The movie shows these jets ejecting clouds of hot plasma that are then "zapped" by pulses of energy in the jets as they move away from the neutron star. Frame from Radio-Telescope 'Movie' of Scorpius X-1 "We have directly measured the speed of energy flow in a cosmic jet for the first time," said Ed Fomalont, an astronomer at the NRAO in Charlottesville, Virginia. Fomalont worked with Barry Geldzahler and Charles Bradshaw of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. The astronomers used the VLBA, the NSF's Very Large Array (VLA) and the Green Bank 140-foot telescope, along with radio telescopes from the European VLBI Network, Australia, Japan and South Africa to record the double-star system's eruptions continuously for 56 hours. "This study is going to be extremely valuable in helping us understand a phenomenon that we see throughout the universe," Fomalont said. Cosmic jets of superfast particles are ejected from the cores of numerous galaxies. On a smaller scale, similar jets are ejected from binary-star systems closer to home, in our own Milky Way Galaxy. While the jets from galaxy cores are thought to be powered by supermassive black holes millions of times more massive than the Sun, the closer "microquasars" are powered by much smaller black holes or by neutron stars only a few times more massive than the sun. "Studying one of the closer, smaller examples will help us understand how they all work, including the bigger ones," Geldzahler said. "The jets coming from distant galaxies are harder to study because of their much greater distance and the slowness of their
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Researching on the World Wide Web: Spend More Time Learning, Not Searching.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
James-Catalano, Cynthia N.
This book explains how to conduct effective research on the World Wide Web. The book is divided into two sections: "Research Tools" and "Search Strategies." The first section includes chapters defining the World Wide Web; Web addresses; indexes; online libraries; search engines; and newsgroups and listservs. The second section outlines…
Using the World Wide Web with Adult ESL Learners. ERIC Digest.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Silc, Kathleen Flannery
This digest presents reasons for using World Wide Web activities in adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction. It addresses the issue of preparing learners to use the Web and suggests activities that focus on authentic learning experiences to enhance skills. Discussion is centered in skills developed through the World Wide Web,…
Immediate Data: The World Wide Web as a Resource for Teaching Research Methods.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Pachnowski, Lynne M.; And Others
The World Wide Web provides a convenient source of databases and examples of survey resources for those who teach research methods. For example, lottery numbers as sources of data, demographic-based search engines, and surveys and their results can be found on the World Wide Web. These can stimulate discussion and lead to student analyses…
Content-based image retrieval in the World Wide Web: a web agent for fetching portraits
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Muenkelt, Olaf; Kaufmann, Oliver; Eckstein, Wolfgang
This article propose a way to automatically retrieve images from the world-wide-web using a semantic description for images and an agent concept for the retrieval of images. The system represents image in a textual way, e.g. look for a portrait of the a specific person, or fetch an image showing a countryside in Southern California. This textual descriptions are fed in search machines, e.g. yahoo, alta- vista. The resulting html documents are seeked for links. The next step subsequently processes each link by fetching the document other the net, converting it to an ascii representation, and performing a full text search by using the image description. This leads to starting points of images which are retrieved via a web-agent. The image descriptions are decomposed in a set of parts containing image operations which are further processed, e.g. a set for representing the background of a portrait tries to find a homogeneous region in the image because this is likely to find in a portrait. Additional operations are performed on the foreground, i.e. the image region which contains e.g. the face of a person. The system is realized using two C++ libraries: one for building up web-agents, LIWA++, and one for processing images, HORUS.
A Galaxy Zoo - WorldWide Telescope Mashup: Expanding User Defined Exploration
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Luebbert, Jarod; Sands, M.; Fay, J.; Smith, A.; Gay, P. L.; Galaxy Zoo Team
We present a new way of exploring your favorite Galaxy Zoo galaxies within the context of the sky using Microsoft Research's WorldWide Telescope. Galaxy Zoo has a fantastic community that is eager to learn and contribute to science through morphological classifications of galaxies. WorldWide Telescope is an interactive observatory that allows users to explore the sky. WorldWide Telescope uses images from the world's best telescopes, including the galaxies of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. WorldWide Telescope provides a fantastic sense of size and distance that is hard to experience in Galaxy Zoo. Creating tours from favorite galaxies directly from Galaxy Zoo aims to solve this dilemma.The incorporation of Galaxy Zoo and WorldWide telescope provides a great resource for users to learn more about the galaxies they are classifying. Users can now explore the areas around certain galaxies and view information about that location from within WorldWide Telescope. Not only does this encourage self-motivated research but after tours are created they can be shared with anyone. We hope this will help spread citizen science to different audiences via email, Facebook, and Twitter.Without the WorldWide Telescope team at Microsoft Research this project would not have been possible. Please go start exploring at http://wwt.galaxyzoo.org. This project was funded through the Microsoft Research Academic Program.
Integrating Mathematics, Science, and Language Arts Instruction Using the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Clark, Kenneth; Hosticka, Alice; Kent, Judi; Browne, Ron
Addresses issues of access to World Wide Web sites, mathematics and science content-resources available on the Web, and methods for integrating mathematics, science, and language arts instruction. (Author/ASK)
GeoCENS: A Geospatial Cyberinfrastructure for the World-Wide Sensor Web
Liang, Steve H.L.; Huang, Chih-Yuan
The world-wide sensor web has become a very useful technique for monitoring the physical world at spatial and temporal scales that were previously impossible. Yet we believe that the full potential of sensor web has thus far not been revealed. In order to harvest the world-wide sensor web's full potential, a geospatial cyberinfrastructure is needed to store, process, and deliver large amount of sensor data collected worldwide. In this paper, we first define the issue of the sensor web long tail followed by our view of the world-wide sensor web architecture. Then, we introduce the Geospatial Cyberinfrastructure for Environmental Sensing (GeoCENS) architecture and explain each of its components. Finally, with demonstration of three real-world powered-by-GeoCENS sensor web applications, we believe that the GeoCENS architecture can successfully address the sensor web long tail issue and consequently realize the world-wide sensor web vision. PMID:24152921
Histology on the World Wide Web: A Digest of Resources for Students and Teachers.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cotter, John R.
Provides a list of 37 World Wide Web sites that are devoted to instruction in histology and include electronic manuals, syllabi, atlases, image galleries, and quizzes. Reviews the topics, content, and highlights of these Web sites. (DDR)
Efficacy of the World Wide Web in K-12 environmental education
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
York, Kimberly Jane
Despite support by teachers, students, and the American public in general, environmental education is not a priority in U.S. schools. Teachers face many barriers to integrating environmental education into K--12 curricula. The focus of this research is teachers' lack of access to environmental education resources. New educational reforms combined with emerging mass communication technologies such as the Internet and World Wide Web present new opportunities for the infusion of environmental content into the curriculum. New technologies can connect teachers and students to a wealth of resources previously unavailable to them. However, significant barriers to using technologies exist that must be overcome to make this promise a reality. Web-based environmental education is a new field and research is urgently needed. If teachers are to use the Web meaningfully in their classrooms, it is essential that their attitudes and perceptions about using this new technology be brought to light. Therefore, this exploratory research investigates teachers' attitudes toward using the Web to share environmental education resources. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to investigate this problem. Two surveys were conducted---self-administered mail survey and a Web-based online survey---to elicit teachers perceptions and comments about environmental education and the Web. Preliminary statistical procedures including frequencies, percentages and correlational measures were performed to interpret the data. In-depth interviews and participant-observation methods were used during an extended environmental education curriculum development project with two practicing teachers to gain insights into the process of creating curricula and placing it online. Findings from the both the mail survey and the Web-based survey suggest that teachers are interested in environmental education---97% of respondents for each survey agreed that environmental education should be taught in K
Publishing biomedical journals on the World-Wide Web using an open architecture model.
Shareck, E. P.; Greenes, R. A.
BACKGROUND: In many respects, biomedical publications are ideally suited for distribution via the World-Wide Web, but economic concerns have prevented the rapid adoption of an on-line publishing model. PURPOSE: We report on our experiences with assisting biomedical journals in developing an online presence, issues that were encountered, and methods used to address these issues. Our approach is based on an open architecture that fosters adaptation and interconnection of biomedical resources. METHODS: We have worked with the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), as well as five other publishers. A set of tools and protocols was employed to develop a scalable and customizable solution for publishing journals on-line. RESULTS: In March, 1996, the New England Journal of Medicine published its first World-Wide Web issue. Explorations with other publishers have helped to generalize the model. CONCLUSIONS: Economic and technical issues play a major role in developing World-Wide Web publishing solutions. PMID:8947685
Comparing Learning Outcomes of Video-Based E-Learning with Face-to-Face Lectures of Agricultural Engineering Courses in Korean Agricultural High Schools
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Park, Sung Youl; Kim, Soo-Wook; Cha, Seung-Bong; Nam, Min-Woo
This study investigated the effectiveness of e-learning by comparing the learning outcomes in conventional face-to-face lectures and e-learning methods. Two video-based e-learning contents were developed based on the rapid prototyping model and loaded onto the learning management system (LMS), which was available at http://www.greenehrd.com.…
World Wide Web Resources for Teaching and Learning Economics. ERIC Digest.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
VanFossen, Phillip J.
Technological resources abound for teachers of all subject areas, but for many reasons, such instructional technology seems to lend itself well to the social studies including economics. To help teachers efficiently use the latest economics resources available on the World Wide Web, this Digest identifies four sites that offer knowledge of…
The Educator's Brief Guide to the Internet and the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Provenzo, Eugene F., Jr.
This book is an introduction to the Internet and World Wide Web for educators. The purpose is to provide a practical handbook for administrators and teachers, as well as to reflect on the potential of this new technology to redefine the traditional curriculum in elementary and high schools. Throughout this book appear boxed definitions and…
World Wide Web Indexes and Hierarchical Lists: Finding Tools for the Internet.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Munson, Kurt I.
In World Wide Web indexing: (1) the creation process is automated; (2) the indexes are merely descriptive, not analytical of document content; (3) results may be sorted differently depending on the search engine; and (4) indexes link directly to the resources. This article compares the indexing methods and querying options of the search engines…
Evaluation and Criteria of the World Wide Web: Reference Web Sites.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Csir, Floyd J.
This paper applies an evaluation method for World Wide Web sites that provide access to online reference materials at academic and public libraries. The evaluation of Web sites was performed with a questionnaire form focusing on Web site currency, accuracy and relevancy; Web site organization/structure; Web site presentation; URL maintenance; and…
Journals Online News: Dispersing Collection Management Information on the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Langley, Anne; And Others
Journals Online News (JON) is a World Wide Web site created and maintained by the Collection Development Team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) Libraries in order to speak with the UTK community about journals-related issues. Its primary function at present is to provide UTK faculty and other interested parties with the latest…
Virtual-Recitation: A World Wide Web Based Approach to Active Learning in Clinical Pharmacokinetics.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Woodward, Donald K.
Describes implementation, evaluation of World Wide Web-based component in a Rutgers University (New Jersey) advanced clinical pharmacokinetics course. Scheduling accommodated nontraditional students; each week Web pages providing review and supplementary material and an online quiz were posted after class. Comparison with the previous year's…
Outreach to International Students and Scholars Using the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wei, Wei
Describes the creation of a World Wide Web site for the Science Library International Outreach Program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Discusses design elements, content, and promotion of the site. Copies of the home page and the page containing the outreach program's statement of purpose are included. (AEF)
Reading the Writing on the Graffiti Wall: The World Wide Web and Training.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jones, Charles M.
This paper examines the benefits to be derived from networked computer-based instruction (CBI) and discusses the potential of the World Wide Web (WWW) as an effective tool in employee training. Methods of utilizing the WWW as a training tool and communication tool are explored. The discussion is divided into the following sections: (1) "WWW and…
Use of a World Wide Web Site Evaluation Tool in Chemistry.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Yates, Paul C.
Discusses the importance of assessment of materials on the World Wide Web that may be freely accessible to both instructors and students. Evaluates web sites that cover the periodic table in terms of content and design. (Contains 16 references.) (Author/YDS)
Gero-Informatics and the Internet: Loading Gerontology Information on the World Wide Web (WWW).
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ellis, R. Darin; And Others
Provides background on the World Wide Web, reasons for its growth, its potential usefulness to gerontologists, and the results of an exhaustive search of over 300 sites. Relevant information was discovered in five general categories of gerontology-related information: academic institutions, government agencies, biomedical and health research…
Brave New World or Blind Alley? American History on the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
O'Malley, Michael; Rosenzweig, Roy
Offers a preliminary assessment of the possibilities and limitations, allures, and dangers, of the World Wide Web for those interested in presenting, teaching, and learning United States history. Reviews Internet search tools, online libraries and archives, and museums and commercial sites. Discusses how to create an online archive. (DSK)
How Commercial Banks Use the World Wide Web: A Content Analysis.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Leovic, Lydia K.
New telecommunications vehicles expand the possible ways that business is conducted. The hypermedia portion of the Internet, the World Wide Web, is such a telecommunications device. The Web is presently one of the most flexible and dynamic methods for electronic information dissemination. The level of technological sophistication necessary to…
Marketing and Selling CD-ROM Products on the World-Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Walker, Becki
Describes three companies' approaches to marketing and selling CD-ROM products on the World Wide Web. Benefits include low overhead for Internet-based sales, allowance for creativity, and ability to let customers preview products online. Discusses advertising, information delivery, content, information services, and security. (AEF)
WWW.Cell Biology Education: Using the World Wide Web to Develop a New Teaching Topic
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Blystone, Robert V.; MacAlpine, Barbara
"Cell Biology Education" calls attention each quarter to several Web sites of educational interest to the biology community. The Internet provides access to an enormous array of potential teaching materials. In this article, the authors describe one approach for using the World Wide Web to develop a new college biology laboratory exercise. As a…
HotJava: Sun's Animated Interactive World Wide Web Browser for the Internet.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Machovec, George S., Ed.
Examines HotJava and Java, World Wide Web technology for use on the Internet. HotJava, an interactive, animated Web browser, based on the object-oriented Java programming language, is different from HTML-based browsers such as Netscape. Its client/server design does not understand Internet protocols but can dynamically find what it needs to know.…
The Wired Professor: A Guide to Incorporating the World Wide Web in College Instruction.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Keating, Anne B.; Hargitai, Joseph
This book provides a guide to college faculty with limited Internet experience on how to incorporate the World Wide Web (WWW) into college curriculum and instruction. The book begins with an informal history of computing and a guide to the geography of the Internet, and goes on to provide an analytical framework for thinking about networks,…
Exploring Geology on the World-Wide Web--Volcanoes and Volcanism.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Schimmrich, Steven Henry; Gore, Pamela J. W.
Focuses on sites on the World Wide Web that offer information about volcanoes. Web sites are classified into areas of Global Volcano Information, Volcanoes in Hawaii, Volcanoes in Alaska, Volcanoes in the Cascades, European and Icelandic Volcanoes, Extraterrestrial Volcanism, Volcanic Ash and Weather, and Volcano Resource Directories. Suggestions…
Simple Exhibits, Effective Learning: Presenting the United Farm Workers' Experience on the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Golodner, Daniel
Describes the design of an online exhibit about the history of the United Farm Workers union that was created on the World Wide Web by the Walter P. Reuther Library/Archives of Labor and Urban History. Discusses Web design, hypertext links, and ease of navigation. (Author/LRW)
No Longer Conveyor but Creator: Developing an Epistemology of the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Trombley, Laura E. Skandera; Flanagan, William G.
Discusses the impact of the World Wide Web in terms of epistemology. Topics include technological innovations, including new dimensions of virtuality; the accessibility of information; tracking Web use via cookies; how the Web transforms the process of learning and knowing; linking information sources; and the Web as an information delivery…
Mosaic on Public-Access PCs: Letting the World-Wide Web into the Library.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cole, Timothy W.
Describes installation and configuration of Mosaic and a World Wide Web (WWW) site at Grainger Library. Challenges include choosing a WINSOCK; customizing Mosaic for public-access computers; reducing security risks; maximizing Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME); designing a home page; producing Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) documents.…
Delivering an Alternative Medicine Resource to the User's Desktop via World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Li, Jie; Wu, Gang; Marks, Ellen; Fan, Weiyu
Discusses the design and implementation of a World Wide Web-based alternative medicine virtual resource. This homepage integrates regional, national, and international resources and delivers library services to the user's desktop. Goals, structure, and organizational schemes of the system are detailed, and design issues for building such a…
Image Maps in the World-Wide Web: The Uses and Limitations.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cochenour, John J.; And Others
A study of nine different image maps from World Wide Web home pages was conducted to evaluate their effectiveness in information display and access, relative to visual, navigational, and practical characteristics. Nine independent viewers completed 20-question surveys on the image maps, in which they evaluated the characteristics of the maps on a…
An Exploration of the World Wide Web: Art Images and Visual Literacy.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Robinson, Rhonda S.; Koos, Marybeth
The introduction of affordable multimedia computers with CD-ROM capacity, videocassette recorders, and connections to the Internet and the World Wide Web have expanded opportunities to help society develop visual literacy. Art images are a natural choice for the teaching of visual literacy. At Northern Illinois University, a course was added in…
The Internet as a Reference Tool: Accessing Scientific and Technical Information via the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Mosier, Mona L.
Los Alamos National Laboratory's Research Library has developed a World Wide Web (WWW) page to allow laboratory staff, as well as individuals from around the world, access to information via the Internet. While many Web pages offer information solely on the organization, the Los Alamos National Laboratory page provides links to reference materials…
Search Engines: A Primer on Finding Information on the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Maddux, Cleborne
Presents an annotated list of several World Wide Web search engines, including Yahoo, Infoseek, Alta Vista, Magellan, Lycos, Webcrawler, Excite, Deja News, and the LISZT Directory of discussion groups. Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) are included. Discussion assesses performance and describes rules and syntax for refining or limiting a search.…
Safety Net: Student Exchange Learning and Supervision on the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ndiwane, Abraham
Six U.S. nursing students studied community health in Finland and communicated with U.S. instructors via the World Wide Web. The immersion program effectively developed cultural competence; information technology played a significant role in fostering learning exchange. (SK)
Informetric Analyses on the World Wide Web: Methodological Approaches to "WEBOMETRICS."
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Almind, Tomas C.; Ingwersen, Peter
Introduces the application of informetric methods to the World Wide Web (Webometrics). Presents a case study comparing the number of specific informetric analysis parameters of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway on the Web. Concludes that problems with data collection occur because current tools are inadequate and because collection methods, manual and…
Navigational Structure on the World Wide Web: Usability Concerns, User Preferences, and "Browsing Behavior."
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Frick, Theodore; Monson, John A.; Xaver, Richard F.; Kilic, Gulsen; Conley, Aaron T.; Wamey, Beatrice
There are several approaches a World Wide Web site designer considers in developing a menu structure. One consideration is the content of the menus (what choices are available to the user). Another consideration is the physical layout of the menu structure. The physical layout of a menu may be described as being one of at least three different…
Introduction: When Museum Informatics Meets the World Wide Web, It Generates Energy.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bearman, David; Trant, Jennifer
Addresses concerns of museum informatics as an application domain and calls for new methods in information science as a whole. Topics include the design of museum spaces; information retrieval methods; multimedia integration; social interaction and the World Wide Web; tools of virtuality; and technology and the Americans with Disabilities Act.…
Finding Rural Development Resources on the World Wide Web: Tips and Techniques for Efficient Searches.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Stierman, Jeanne Koekkoek
This guide presents basic information on searching the World Wide Web and lists selected Web sites and links to resources that contain information on rural development. The guide describes and differentiates among search engines, Web directories, metacrawlers, and mutations. Searching tips include: using quotation marks around phrases; using plus…
Gender Equity in Advertising on the World-Wide Web: Can it be Found?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kramer, Kevin M.; Knupfer, Nancy Nelson
Recent attention to gender equity in computer environments, as well as in print-based and televised advertising for technological products, suggests that gender bias in the computer environment continues. This study examined gender messages within World Wide Web advertisements, specifically the type and number of visual images used in Web banner…
Diversity on the World Wide Web: Using Robots to Search the Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Scales, B. Jane; Felt, Elizabeth Caulfield
Reviews "robot" search engines specifically developed for information retrieval on the World Wide Web, examines automated and designated robot searching tools, and offers tips to help users judge the usefulness of Web search engines. Discusses sample searches of automated and designated search engines and presents example computer screens. (JMV)
Uses and Gratifications of the World Wide Web: From Couch Potato to Web Potato.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kaye, Barbara K.
Investigates uses and gratifications of the World Wide Web and its impact on traditional mass media, especially television. Identifies six Web use motivations: entertainment, social interaction, passing of time, escape, information, and Web site preference. Examines relationships between each use motivation and Web affinity, perceived realism, and…
Interactive Display of High-Resolution Images on the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Clyde, Stephen W.; Hirschi, Gregory W.
Viewing high-resolution images on the World Wide Web at a level of detail necessary for collaborative research is still a problem today, given the Internet's current bandwidth limitations and its ever increasing network traffic. ImageEyes is an interactive display tool being developed at Utah State University that addresses this problem by…
Teaching Physiology and the World Wide Web: Electrochemistry and Electrophysiology on the Internet.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dwyer, Terry M.; Fleming, John; Randall, James E.; Coleman, Thomas G.
Presents two examples of laboratory exercises using the World Wide Web for first-year medical students. The first example introduces the physical laws that apply to osmotic, chemical, and electrical gradients and a simulation of the ability of the sodium-potassium pump to establish chemical gradients and maintain cell volume. The second module…
Spiders and Worms and Crawlers, Oh My: Searching on the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Eagan, Ann; Bender, Laura
Searching on the world wide web can be confusing. A myriad of search engines exist, often with little or no documentation, and many of these search engines work differently from the standard search engines people are accustomed to using. Intended for librarians, this paper defines search engines, directories, spiders, and robots, and covers basics…
XML: A Language To Manage the World Wide Web. ERIC Digest.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Davis-Tanous, Jennifer R.
This digest provides an overview of XML (Extensible Markup Language), a markup language used to construct World Wide Web pages. Topics addressed include: (1) definition of a markup language, including comparison of XML with SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) and HTML (HyperText Markup Language); (2) how XML works, including sample tags,…
Searching and Researching on the Internet and the World Wide Web. Second Edition.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ackermann, Ernest; Hartman, Karen
This book presents information specialists--researchers, librarians, and students who work with information--with an accessible approach to finding information on the World Wide Web and the Internet. Each of the chapters contains one or more step-by-step activities to demonstrate fundamental skills and concepts. The book has an accompanying Web…
How Students Evaluate Information and Sources when Searching the World Wide Web for Information
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Walraven, Amber; Brand-Gruwel, Saskia; Boshuizen, Henny P. A.
The World Wide Web (WWW) has become the biggest information source for students while solving information problems for school projects. Since anyone can post anything on the WWW, information is often unreliable or incomplete, and it is important to evaluate sources and information before using them. Earlier research has shown that students have…
Finding Information on the World Wide Web: The Retrieval Effectiveness of Search Engines.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Pathak, Praveen; Gordon, Michael
Describes a study that examined the effectiveness of eight search engines for the World Wide Web. Calculated traditional information-retrieval measures of recall and precision at varying numbers of retrieved documents to use as the bases for statistical comparisons of retrieval effectiveness. Also examined the overlap between search engines.…
Delivering Instruction on the World Wide Web: Overview and Basic Design Principles.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Starr, Robin M.
This paper presents a history of the Internet and the World Wide Web, describes benefits and disadvantages of the Web for instructional programs, makes recommendations for Web-based instructional design, and provides technical information for Web-based learning. A glossary of terms is also included. (PEN)
Bibliometrics of the World Wide Web: An Exploratory Analysis of the Intellectual Structure of Cyberspace.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Larson, Ray R.
Examines the bibliometrics of the World Wide Web based on analysis of Web pages collected by the Inktomi "Web Crawler" and on the use of the DEC AltaVista search engine for cocitation analysis of a set of Earth Science related Web sites. Looks at the statistical characteristics of Web documents and their hypertext links, and the characteristics of…
Visual Links in the World-Wide Web: The Uses and Limitations of Image Maps.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cochenour, John J.; And Others
As information delivery systems on the Internet increasingly evolve into World Wide Web browsers, understanding key graphical elements of the browser interface is critical to the design of effective information display and access tools. Image maps are one such element, and this document describes a pilot study that collected, reviewed, and…
Automated Retrieval from Multiple Disparate Information Sources: The World Wide Web and the NLM's Sourcerer Project.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rodgers, R. P. Channing
Describes the National Library of Medicine's (NLM) experimental Sourcerer project which is developing software to accept a user query, automatically identifying appropriate information resources, and facilitating connection to those sources for information retrieval. Discusses the use of the World Wide Web and the Unified Medical Language System.…
Internet: Teaching about the 1996 Elections with the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Risinger, C. Frederick
Briefly explores a number of World Wide Web sites devoted to providing information about the 1996 elections. Evaluates web sites maintained by the Atlantic Monthly, Congressional Quarterly, CNN, and MTV. While most sites cover the national election, at least one, ElectNet, focuses on state and local elections. (MJP)
Enhanced photosynthetic efficiency in trees world-wide by rising atmospheric CO2 levels
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ehlers, Ina; Wieloch, Thomas; Groenendijk, Peter; Vlam, Mart; van der Sleen, Peter; Zuidema, Pieter A.; Robertson, Iain; Schleucher, Jürgen
signals is a fundamental advantage of isotopomer ratios (Augusti et al., Chem. Geol 2008). These results demonstrate that increasing [CO2] has reduced the ratio of photorespiration to photosynthesis on a global scale. Photorespiration is a side reaction that decreases the C gain of plants; the suppression of photorespiration in all analyzed trees indicates that increasing atmospheric [CO2] is enhancing the photosynthetic efficiency of trees world-wide. The consensus response of the trees agrees with the response of annual plants in greenhouse experiments, with three important conclusions. First, the generality of the isotopomer shift confirms that the CO2 response reflects the ratio of photosynthesis to photorespiration, and that it creates a robust signal in tree rings. Second, the agreement between greenhouse-grown plants and trees indicates that there has not been an acclimation response of the trees during the past centuries. Third, the results show that the regulation of tree gas exchange has during past centuries been governed by the same rules as observed in manipulative experiments, in contradiction to recent reports (Keenan et al., Nature 2013).
A review of images of nurses and smoking on the World Wide Web.
Sarna, Linda; Bialous, Stella Aguinaga
With the advent of the World Wide Web, historic images previously having limited distributions are now widely available. As tobacco use has evolved, so have images of nurses related to smoking. Using a systematic search, the purpose of this article is to describe types of images of nurses and smoking available on the World Wide Web. Approximately 10,000 images of nurses and smoking published over the past century were identified through search engines and digital archives. Seven major themes were identified: nurses smoking, cigarette advertisements, helping patients smoke, "naughty" nurse, teaching women to smoke, smoking in and outside of health care facilities, and antitobacco images. The use of nursing images to market cigarettes was known but the extent of the use of these images has not been reported previously. Digital archives can be used to explore the past, provide a perspective for understanding the present, and suggest directions for the future in confronting negative images of nursing. PMID:23036793
CliniWeb: managing clinical information on the World Wide Web.
Hersh, W R; Brown, K E; Donohoe, L C; Campbell, E M; Horacek, A E
The World Wide Web is a powerful new way to deliver on-line clinical information, but several problems limit its value to health care professionals: content is highly distributed and difficult to find, clinical information is not separated from non-clinical information, and the current Web technology is unable to support some advanced retrieval capabilities. A system called CliniWeb has been developed to address these problems. CliniWeb is an index to clinical information on the World Wide Web, providing a browsing and searching interface to clinical content at the level of the health care student or provider. Its database contains a list of clinical information resources on the Web that are indexed by terms from the Medical Subject Headings disease tree and retrieved with the assistance of SAPHIRE. Limitations of the processes used to build the database are discussed, together with directions for future research. PMID:8816350
World-Wide Web in High-Energy Physics Experiments 'A Status REPORT'
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Dönszelmann, Marc
This report presents the status of the use of World-Wide Web (WWW) in High Energy Physics (HEP) experiments. The use of WWW in general, for 'Online Datataking Systems' and for 'Offline Analysis Systems' is discussed. In each of these cases the current use and a possible outlook for the future is described. Statistics on the actual use of WWW in HEP experiments as well as its current problems and future needs are also presented.
Multi-dimensional effects of color on the world wide web
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Morton, Jill
Color is the most powerful building material of visual imagery on the World Wide Web. It must function successfully as it has done historically in traditional two-dimensional media, as well as address new challenges presented by this electronic medium. The psychological, physiological, technical and aesthetic effects of color have been redefined by the unique requirements of the electronic transmission of text and images on the Web. Color simultaneously addresses each of these dimensions in this electronic medium.
User Interface on the World Wide Web: How to Implement a Multi-Level Program Online
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Cranford, Jonathan W.
The objective of this Langley Aerospace Research Summer Scholars (LARSS) research project was to write a user interface that utilizes current World Wide Web (WWW) technologies for an existing computer program written in C, entitled LaRCRisk. The project entailed researching data presentation and script execution on the WWW and than writing input/output procedures for the database management portion of LaRCRisk.
World Wide Webs: Crossing the Digital Divide through Promotion of Public Access
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Coetzee, Liezl
"As Bill Gates and Steve Case proclaim the global omnipresence of the Internet, the majority of non-Western nations and 97 per cent of the world's population remain unconnected to the net for lack of money, access, or knowledge. This exclusion of so vast a share of the global population from the Internet sharply contradicts the claims of those who posit the World Wide Web as a 'universal' medium of egalitarian communication." (Trend 2001:2)
Embedded Web Technology: Applying World Wide Web Standards to Embedded Systems
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Ponyik, Joseph G.; York, David W.
Embedded Systems have traditionally been developed in a highly customized manner. The user interface hardware and software along with the interface to the embedded system are typically unique to the system for which they are built, resulting in extra cost to the system in terms of development time and maintenance effort. World Wide Web standards have been developed in the passed ten years with the goal of allowing servers and clients to intemperate seamlessly. The client and server systems can consist of differing hardware and software platforms but the World Wide Web standards allow them to interface without knowing about the details of system at the other end of the interface. Embedded Web Technology is the merging of Embedded Systems with the World Wide Web. Embedded Web Technology decreases the cost of developing and maintaining the user interface by allowing the user to interface to the embedded system through a web browser running on a standard personal computer. Embedded Web Technology can also be used to simplify an Embedded System's internal network.
The Changing Face of Agricultural Education in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Egun, A. C.
Self sufficiency in food and raw material production for agro-based industries has been the thrust of Nigerian agricultural policy. Realizing the goals of the policy has been bedevilled with series of plethora problems. This paper took a look at agricultural reforms, examined the problems of agricultural practices and suggests education of the…
Curvature of co-links uncovers hidden thematic layers in the World Wide Web.
Eckmann, Jean-Pierre; Moses, Elisha
Beyond the information stored in pages of the World Wide Web, novel types of "meta-information" are created when pages connect to each other. Such meta-information is a collective effect of independent agents writing and linking pages, hidden from the casual user. Accessing it and understanding the interrelation between connectivity and content in the World Wide Web is a challenging problem [Botafogo, R. A. & Shneiderman, B. (1991) in Proceedings of Hypertext (Assoc. Comput. Mach., New York), pp. 63-77 and Albert, R. & Barabási, A.-L. (2002) Rev. Mod. Phys. 74, 47-97]. We demonstrate here how thematic relationships can be located precisely by looking only at the graph of hyperlinks, gleaning content and context from the Web without having to read what is in the pages. We begin by noting that reciprocal links (co-links) between pages signal a mutual recognition of authors and then focus on triangles containing such links, because triangles indicate a transitive relation. The importance of triangles is quantified by the clustering coefficient [Watts, D. J. & Strogatz, S. H. (1999) Nature (London) 393, 440-442], which we interpret as a curvature [Bridson, M. R. & Haefliger, A. (1999) Metric Spaces of Non-Positive Curvature (Springer, Berlin)]. This curvature defines a World Wide Web landscape whose connected regions of high curvature characterize a common topic. We show experimentally that reciprocity and curvature, when combined, accurately capture this meta-information for a wide variety of topics. As an example of future directions we analyze the neural network of Caenorhabditis elegans, using the same methods. PMID:11972019
What is WorldWide Telescope, and Why Should Researchers Care?
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Goodman, Alyssa A.
As of 2015, about 20 million people have downloaded the computer program called "WorldWide Telescope," and even more have accessed it via the web, at http://worldwidetelescope.org. But, the vast majority of these millions are not professional astronomers. This talk will explain why WorldWide Telescope (WWT) is also a powerful tool for research astronomers. I will focus on how WWT can be, and is, being built-in to Journals, and into day-to-day research environments. By way of example, I will show how WWT already: allows users to display images, including those in Journals, in the context of multi-wavelength full-sky imagery; allows for the display of which parts of the Sky have been studied, when, how, and for what reason (see http://adsass.org); allows, via right-click, immediate access to ADS, SIMBAD, and other professional research tools. I will also highlight new work, currently in development, that is using WWT as a tool for observation planning, and as a display mode for advanced high-dimensional data visualization tools, like glue (see http://glueviz.org). WWT is now well-known in the education community (see http://wwtambassadors.org), so the explicit goal of this talk will be to make researchers more aware of its full power. I will explain how WWT transitioned, over 8 years, from a Microsoft Research project to its current open-source state (see https://github.com/WorldWideTelescope), and I will conclude with comments on the future of WWT, and its relationship to how research should be carried out in the future (see http://tinyurl.com/aas-potf).
Analysis of Great World Wide Star Count Data: 2007-2013
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Birriel, J. J.; Farrell, J. N.; Ward, D.
The Great World Wide Star Count (GWWSC) website provides free public access to seven years of naked-eye limiting magnitudes (NELM) reported by citizen scientists from 2007 to 2013. We summarize the data and perform a simple statistical analysis. GWWSC data are compared with the Globe at Night (GaN) data over the same time period. The global average NELM values are generally comparable across the two data sets. Global NELM data seem to reflect shifts in urban versus suburban participation over time, while regional and local NELM data are more likely to reflect changes in night sky brightness.
Creating a GIS data server on the World Wide Web: The GISST example
Pace, P.J.; Evers, T.K.
In an effort to facilitate user access to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data, the GIS and Computer Modeling Group from the Computational Physics and Engineering Division at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee (TN), has developed a World Wide Web server named GISST. The server incorporates a highly interactive and dynamic forms-based interface to browse and download a variety of GIS data types. This paper describes the server`s design considerations, development, resulting implementation and future enhancements.
Journal of Air Transportation World Wide, Volume 3, No. 1. Volume 3
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Bowen, Brent D. (Editor)
The Journal of Air Transportation World Wide's (JATWW) mission is to provide the global community immediate key resource information in all areas of air transportation. Our goal is to be recognized as the preeminent scholarly journal in the aeronautical aspects of transportation. As an international and interdisciplinary journal, the JATWW will provide a forum for peer-reviewed articles in all areas of aviation and space transportation research, policy, theory, case study, practice, and issues. While maintaining a broad scope, a focal point of the journal will be in the area of aviation administration and policy.
Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia resources on the world wide web: a descriptive journey.
Gantz, N M; Coldsmith, E E
A wealth of information on chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia is available on the World Wide Web for health care providers and patients. These illnesses have overlapping features, and their etiologies remain unknown. Multiple Web sites were reviewed, and selected sites providing useful information were identified. Sites were classified according to their content and target audience and were judged according to suggested standards of Internet publishing. Fifty-eight sites were classified into groups as follows: comprehensive and research Web sites for CFS and fibromyalgia, meetings, clinical trials, literature search services, bibliographies, journal, and CFS and fibromyalgia Web sites for the patient. PMID:11247716
The semantic architecture of the World-Wide Molecular Matrix (WWMM).
Murray-Rust, Peter; Adams, Sam E; Downing, Jim; Townsend, Joe A; Zhang, Yong
The World-Wide Molecular Matrix (WWMM) is a ten year project to create a peer-to-peer (P2P) system for the publication and collection of chemical objects, including over 250, 000 molecules. It has now been instantiated in a number of repositories which include data encoded in Chemical Markup Language (CML) and linked by URIs and RDF. The technical specification and implementation is now complete. We discuss the types of architecture required to implement nodes in the WWMM and consider the social issues involved in adoption. PMID:21999475
Moving up the information food chain: Deploying softbots on the World Wide Web
Etzioni, O.
I view the World Wide Web as an information food chain. The maze of pages and hyperlinks that comprise the Web are at the very bottom of the chain. The WebCrawlers and Alta Vistas of the world are information herbivores; they graze on Web pages and regurgitate them as searchable indices. Today, most Web users feed near the bottom of the information food chain, but the time is ripe to move up. Since 1991, we have been building information carnivores, which intelligently hunt and feast on herbivores in Unix, on the Internet, and on the Web.
The semantic architecture of the World-Wide Molecular Matrix (WWMM)
The World-Wide Molecular Matrix (WWMM) is a ten year project to create a peer-to-peer (P2P) system for the publication and collection of chemical objects, including over 250, 000 molecules. It has now been instantiated in a number of repositories which include data encoded in Chemical Markup Language (CML) and linked by URIs and RDF. The technical specification and implementation is now complete. We discuss the types of architecture required to implement nodes in the WWMM and consider the social issues involved in adoption. PMID:21999475
Assignment of World Wide Web virtual museum projects in undergraduate geoscience courses
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Patterson, R. Timothy
Internet World Wide Web virtual museum projects are viable alternatives to the traditional term paper in undergraduate geoscience courses. Hyper Text Markup Language is so easy to use that students are not distracted from researching their topic, and are thus able to gather sufficient background data. In fact, the intelligent and creative integration of text and accompanying digital artifacts require a level of understanding of the material that is not often achieved during the writing of traditional term papers. Most significantly, the students are motivated to create high-calibre documents by the knowledge that their projects will be exposed to a global audience.
Journal of Air Transportation World Wide, Volume 2, No. 1. Volume 2
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Bowen, Brent (Editor)
The Journal of Air Transportation World Wide's (JATWW) mission is to provide the global community immediate key resource information in all areas of air transportation. Our goal is to be recognized as the preeminent scholarly journal in the aeronautical aspects of transportation. As an international and interdisciplinary journal, the JATWW will provide a forum for peer-reviewed articles in all areas of aviation and space transportation research, policy, theory, case study, practice, and issues. While maintaining a broad scope, a key focal point of the journal will be in the area of aviation administration and policy.
Journal of Air Transportation World Wide, Volume 4, No. 2. Volume 4
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Bowen, Brent D. (Editor); Kabashkin, Igor (Editor)
The Journal of Air Transportation World Wide's (JATWW) mission is to provide the global community immediate key resource information in all areas of air transportation. The goal of the Journal is to be recognized as the preeminent scholarly journal in the aeronautical aspects of transportation. As an international and interdisciplinary journal, the JATWW will provide a forum for peer-reviewed articles in all areas of aviation and space transportation research, policy, theory, case study, practice, and issues. While maintaining a broad scope, a focal point of the journal will be in the area of aviation administration and policy.
Journal of Air Transportation World Wide, Volume 5, No. 2. Volume 5, No. 2
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Browen, Brent D.
The Journal of Air Transportation World Wide's (JATWW) mission is to provide the global community immediate key resource information in all areas of air transportation. Our goal is to be recognized as the preeminent scholarly journal in the aeronautical aspects of transportation. As an international and interdisciplinary journal, the JATWW will provide a forum for peer-reviewed articles in all areas of aviation and space transportation research, policy, theory, case study, practice, and issues. While maintaining a broad scope, a focal point of the journal will be in the area of aviation administration and policy.
Using the World-Wide Web to Facilitate Communications of Non-Destructive Evaluation
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
McBurney, Sean
The high reliability required for Aeronautical components is a major reason for extensive Nondestructive Testing and Evaluation. Here at Langley Research Center (LaRC), there are highly trained and certified personal to conduct such testing to prevent hazards from occurring in the workplace and on the research projects for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The purpose of my studies was to develop a communication source to educate others of the services and equipment offered here. This was accomplished by creating documents that are accessible to all in the industry via the World Wide Web.
An Image Retrieval and Processing Expert System for the World Wide Web
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Rodriguez, Ricardo; Rondon, Angelica; Bruno, Maria I.; Vasquez, Ramon
This paper presents a system that is being developed in the Laboratory of Applied Remote Sensing and Image Processing at the University of P.R. at Mayaguez. It describes the components that constitute its architecture. The main elements are: a Data Warehouse, an Image Processing Engine, and an Expert System. Together, they provide a complete solution to researchers from different fields that make use of images in their investigations. Also, since it is available to the World Wide Web, it provides remote access and processing of images.
Pesticide Health and Safety Challenges Facing Informal Sector Workers: A Case of Small-scale Agricultural Workers in Tanzania.
Ngowi, Aiwerasia; Mrema, Ezra; Kishinhi, Stephen
The Tanzania informal sector is growing fast, with precarious working conditions and particular hazards for women and children in agriculture. Hazardous agricultural chemicals including pesticides are mostly imported and have been used for many years. Despite the role played by pesticides in food security and vector control, these chemicals are responsible for acute and chronic illnesses among communities. The availability of obsolete persistent organic pesticides on the open market indicates existence of an inadequate regulatory system. People who get injured or ill in the agriculture sector in Tanzania receive health services in primary health care facilities where professionals have little or no knowledge of pesticides. We are presenting the pesticide health and safety challenges faced by small-scale farmers who fall in the informal sector. Achievements that have been made by the government and other players to reduce and prevent pesticide exposures and poisoning are also outlined. PMID:27406110
Effects of Upstream Human Changes on Nutrient Fluxes to Major Deltas World-Wide
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Van Cappellen, P.; Dürr, H. H.; Maavara, T.
Major deltas world-wide are connected to large river systems, and while they make up <1% of the shoreline, they are at the receiving end of 25-42% of all discharge, suspended sediment load and nutrient load. Thus, in addition to the pressure from human impact in the deltas, changes far upstream are tightly linked to effects downstream. The Global-NEWS approach has explored scenarios along storylines that influence future nutrient fluxes, and if highlighted for individual delta, reveals large differences in future change, with most of the influence being attributed to factors such as land use change or increased damming. Notably the latter factor has received recent attention with regards to nutrient fluxes, and phosphorus (P) in particular (Maavara et al. in review): the largest increases in P retention by reservoirs, between 2000 and 2030, are expected to occur in the Yangtze, Mekong, Amazon and Ganges-Brahmaputra river basins. Here, we discuss how Global-NEWS and other approaches assess these future changes in nutrient fluxes, and how the expected new boom in dam construction can influence these fluxes to deltas world-wide.
Hidden Tree Structure is a Key to the Emergence of Scaling in the World Wide Web
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zheng, Bo-Jin; Wang, Jian-Min; Chen, Gui-Sheng; Jiang, Jian; Shen, Xian-Jun
Preferential attachment is the most popular explanation for the emergence of scaling behavior in the World Wide Web, but this explanation has been challenged by the global information hypothesis, the existence of linear preference and the emergence of new big internet companies in the real world. We notice that most websites have an obvious feature that their pages are organized as a tree (namely hidden tree) and hence propose a new model that introduces a hidden tree structure into the Erdös—Rényi model by adding a new rule: when one node connects to another, it should also connect to all nodes in the path between these two nodes in the hidden tree. The experimental results show that the degree distribution of the generated graphs would obey power law distributions and have variable high clustering coefficients and variable small average lengths of shortest paths. The proposed model provides an alternative explanation to the emergence of scaling in the World Wide Web without the above-mentioned difficulties, and also explains the "preferential attachment" phenomenon.
Alternatives to animal testing: information resources via the Internet and World Wide Web.
Hakkinen, P J Bert; Green, Dianne K
Many countries, including the United States, Canada, European Union member states, and others, require that a comprehensive search for possible alternatives be completed before beginning some or all research involving animals. Completing comprehensive alternatives searches and keeping current with information associated with alternatives to animal testing is a challenge that will be made easier as people throughout the world gain access to the Internet and World Wide Web. Numerous Internet and World Wide Web resources are available to provide guidance and other information on in vitro and other alternatives to animal testing. A comprehensive Web site is Alternatives to Animal Testing on the Web (Altweb), which serves as an online clearinghouse for resources, information, and news about alternatives to animal testing. Examples of other important Web sites include the joint one for the (US) Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) and the National Toxicology Program (NTP) Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods (NICEATM) and the Norwegian Reference Centre for Laboratory Animal Science and Alternatives (The NORINA database). Internet mailing lists and online access to bulletin boards, discussion areas, newsletters, and journals are other ways to access and share information to stay current with alternatives to animal testing. PMID:11955681
The World Wide Web as a Medium of Instruction: What Works and What Doesn't
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
McCarthy, Marianne; Grabowski, Barbara; Hernandez, Angel; Koszalka, Tiffany; Duke, Lee
A conference was held on March 18-20, 1997 to investigate the lessons learned by the Aeronautics Cooperative Agreement Projects with regard to the most effective strategies for developing instruction for the World Wide Web. The conference was a collaboration among the NASA Aeronautics and Space Transportation Technology Centers (Ames, Dryden, Langley, and Lewis), NASA Headquarters, the University of Idaho and The Pennsylvania State University. The conference consisted of presentations by the Aeronautics Cooperative Agreement Teams, the University of Idaho, and working sessions in which the participants addressed teacher training and support, technology, evaluation and pedagogy. The conference was also undertaken as part of the Dryden Learning Technologies Project which is a collaboration between the Dryden Education Office and The Pennsylvania State University. The DFRC Learning Technology Project goals relevant to the conference are as follows: conducting an analysis of current teacher needs, classroom infrastructure and exemplary instructional World Wide Web sites, and developing models for Web-enhanced learning environments that optimize teaching practices and student learning.
A guide to population-related home pages on the World Wide Web.
Malsawma, Z
The number of home pages on the World Wide Web is increasing, and the information they contain is constantly being updated. The Australian National University's Demography and Population Studies World-Wide Web Virtual Library (http://coombs.anu.edu.au/ResFacilities DemographyPage.html) has links to 155 pertinent sites. Some of the outstanding home pages containing population information pertaining to the US or generated by US agencies include that of 1) the US Census Bureau, 2) the US state census data centers, 3) the National Center for Health Statistics, 4) the National Institute on Aging, 5) American Demographics, Inc., 6) the UN Population Information Network, 7) the Demographic and Health Surveys, 8) the Population Reference Bureau, 9) the Population Index, 10) the US Census Bureau's International Programs Center, and 11) POPLINE. International development information can be found by visiting the web sites of 1) the International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2) USAID, 3) the UN Development Programme, and 4) the World Bank. Population Associations which have web sites include 1) the Population Association of America, 2) the Association of Population Libraries and Information Centers-International, and 3) the Association of Population Centers. Collections of population web sites can be found at Internet Resources for Demographers and Population and Reproductive Health. Finally, a directory of population organizations is also available. PMID:12320450
World-wide association of timberline forest advance with microsite type along a precipitation gradient
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Johnson, A. C.; Yeakley, A.
Timberline forest advance associated with global climate change is occurring worldwide and is often associated with microsites. Microsites, controlled by topography, substrates, and plant cover, are localized regions dictating temperature, moisture, and solar radiation. These abiotic factors are integral to seedling survival. From a compilation of world-wide information on seedling regeneration on microsites at timberline, including our on-going research in the Pacific Northwest, we classified available literature into four microsite categories, related microsite category to annual precipitation, and used analysis of variance to detect statistical differences in microsite type and associated precipitation. We found statistical differences (p = 0.022) indicating the usefulness of understanding microsite/precipitation associations in detecting world-wide trends in timberline expansion. For example, wetter timberlines with downed wood, had regeneration associated with nurse logs, whereas on windy, drier landscapes, regeneration was typically associated with either leeward sides of tree clumps or on microsites protected from frost by overstory canopy. In our study of timberline expansion in the Pacific Northwest, we expect that such knowledge of microsite types associated with forest expansion will reveal a better understanding of mechanisms and rates of timberline forest advance during global warming.
[African agriculture faced with global changes: researches and innovations based on ecological sciences].
Masse, Dominique; Ndour Badiane, Yacine; Hien, Edmond; Akpo, Léonard-Élie; Assigbetsé, Komi; Bilgo, Ablassé; Diédhiou, Ibrahima; Hien, Victor; Lardy, Lydie
In the context of environmental and socio-economic changes, the agriculture of Sub-Saharan African countries will have to ensure food security of the population, while reducing its environmental footprint. The biophysical and social systems of agricultural production are complex. Innovative agricultural practices will be based on an intensification of ecological processes that determine the functioning of the soil-plant system, farmers' fields and agro-ecosystems. This ecological engineering approach is useful to take up the challenge of Sub-Saharan agricultures in the future, as shown in researches conducted by IESOL International Joint Lab "Intensification of agricultural soils in West Africa" (ISRA, UCAD, TU, OU, INERA, IRD). PMID:23916205
Technology-Driven and Innovative Training for Sustainable Agriculture in The Face of Climate Change
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Wishart, D. N.
Innovative training in 'Sustainable Agriculture' for an increasingly STEM-dependent agricultural sector will require a combination of approaches and technologies for global agricultural production to increase while offsetting climate change. Climate change impacts the water resources of nations as normal global weather patterns are altered during El Nino events. Agricultural curricula must incorporate awareness of 'climate change' in order to find novel ways to (1) assure global food security; (2) improve soil productivity and conservation; (3) improve crop yields and irrigation; (4) inexpensively develop site specific principles of crop management based on variable soil and associated hydrological properties; and (5) improve precision farming. In February 2015, Central State University (CSU), Ohio became an 1890 Land-Grant institution vital to the sustainability of Ohio's agricultural sector. Besides agricultural extension, the agriculture curriculum at CSU integrates multidisciplinary courses in science, technology engineering, agriculture, and mathematics (STEAM). The agriculture program could benefit from a technology-driven, interdisciplinary soil science course that promotes climate change education and climate literacy while being offered in both a blended and collaborative learning environment. The course will focus on the dynamics of microscale to mesoscale processes occurring in farming systems, those of which impact climate change or could be impacted by climate change. Elements of this course will include: climate change webinars; soil-climate interactions; carbon cycling; the balance of carbon fluxes between soil storage and atmosphere; microorganisms and soil carbon storage; paleoclimate and soil forming processes; geophysical techniques used in the characterization of soil horizons; impact of climate change on soil fertility; experiments; and demonstrations.
Representation of clinical practice guidelines through an interactive World-Wide-Web interface.
Liem, E. B.; Obeid, J. S.; Shareck, E. P.; Sato, L.; Greenes, R. A.
The widespread utility of clinical practice guidelines is greatly dependent on the ease with which they can be accessed, used, and applied. Because it supports hyperlinking and is widely accessible, the World-Wide Web is a medium that is well suited for browsing through guidelines. We have developed a process for implementing algorithmic guidelines into a graphical format that allows the user to browse these guidelines in an interactive fashion. The guidelines we used were already in or could be transformed to an algorithmic format that lends itself well to analysis with decision table techniques, which in turn permits a fairly straightforward conversion into a graphical representation. The results of this process allow a user to browse a particular guideline algorithm and to visualize the traversed parts of the algorithm by flowcharts. Our first experiences with this method of representing a few sample clinical practice guidelines have been encouraging, and we hope to extend this method to other guidelines. PMID:8563273
Research on the Internet: validation of a World-Wide Web mediated personality scale.
Buchanan, T; Smith, J L
Two studies were performed to assess the validity of a World-Wide Web (WWW) measure of self-monitoring. In Study 1, Usenet Newsgroups likely to be read by high and low self-monitors were identified and a comparison was made of the extent to which contributors engaged in a form of self-presentation (use of handles or screen names) likely to be influenced by self-monitoring tendencies. Handles were used significantly more frequently in the high self-monitoring Newsgroups, supporting the distinction made. In Study 2, participants recruited through these sets of Newsgroups completed the WWW-mediated test. Those from the high self-monitoring groups scored significantly higher. Self-reports of self-monitoring behavior also reflected scores on the scale. The results are interpreted as demonstrating the construct validity of the instrument used and the viability of criterion-group-oriented methods in Internet-mediated research. PMID:10633975
Distributed nuclear medicine applications using World Wide Web and Java technology.
Knoll, P; Höll, K; Mirzaei, S; Koriska, K; Köhn, H
At present, medical applications applying World Wide Web (WWW) technology are mainly used to view static images and to retrieve some information. The Java platform is a relative new way of computing, especially designed for network computing and distributed applications which enables interactive connection between user and information via the WWW. The Java 2 Software Development Kit (SDK) including Java2D API, Java Remote Method Invocation (RMI) technology, Object Serialization and the Java Advanced Imaging (JAI) extension was used to achieve a robust, platform independent and network centric solution. Medical image processing software based on this technology is presented and adequate performance capability of Java is demonstrated by an iterative reconstruction algorithm for single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT). PMID:10997440
WebReport: a World Wide Web based clinical multimedia reporting system.
Lowe, H. J.; Antipov, I.; Walker, W. K.; Polonkey, S. E.; Naus, G. J.
This paper describes WebReport, a World Wide Web (WWW) client for the Image Engine multimedia clinical information system under development at the University of Pittsburgh. WebReport uses advanced HTML features such as frames, forms, tables and inline JPEG image display to provide an easy to use system for retrieving and viewing diagnostic images and reports generated by clinical procedures such as gastrointestinal endoscopy, radiology and surgical pathology. WebReport implements a number of WWW client-side features, such as HTML forms data entry verification and makes extensive use of the JavaScript programming language. The WebReport system uses a number of approaches for ensuring the confidentiality and security of patient data transmitted over the InterNet. Images Figure 2 PMID:8947679
Real-Time Payload Control and Monitoring on the World Wide Web
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Sun, Charles; Windrem, May; Givens, John J. (Technical Monitor)
World Wide Web (W3) technologies such as the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and the Java object-oriented programming environment offer a powerful, yet relatively inexpensive, framework for distributed application software development. This paper describes the design of a real-time payload control and monitoring system that was developed with W3 technologies at NASA Ames Research Center. Based on Java Development Toolkit (JDK) 1.1, the system uses an event-driven "publish and subscribe" approach to inter-process communication and graphical user-interface construction. A C Language Integrated Production System (CLIPS) compatible inference engine provides the back-end intelligent data processing capability, while Oracle Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) provides the data management function. Preliminary evaluation shows acceptable performance for some classes of payloads, with Java's portability and multimedia support identified as the most significant benefit.
Software Project Management and Measurement on the World-Wide-Web (WWW)
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Callahan, John; Ramakrishnan, Sudhaka
We briefly describe a system for forms-based, work-flow management that helps members of a software development team overcome geographical barriers to collaboration. Our system, called the Web Integrated Software Environment (WISE), is implemented as a World-Wide-Web service that allows for management and measurement of software development projects based on dynamic analysis of change activity in the workflow. WISE tracks issues in a software development process, provides informal communication between the users with different roles, supports to-do lists, and helps in software process improvement. WISE minimizes the time devoted to metrics collection and analysis by providing implicit delivery of messages between users based on the content of project documents. The use of a database in WISE is hidden from the users who view WISE as maintaining a personal 'to-do list' of tasks related to the many projects on which they may play different roles.
Presentation and explanation of medical decision models using the World Wide Web.
Sanders, G. D.; Dembitzer, A. D.; Heidenreich, P. A.; McDonald, K. M.; Owens, D. K.
We demonstrated the use of the World Wide Web for the presentation and explanation of a medical decision model. We put on the web a treatment model developed as part of the Cardiac Arrhythmia and Risk of Death Patient Outcomes Research Team (CARD PORT). To demonstrate the advantages of our web-based presentation, we critiqued both the conventional paper-based and the web-based formats of this decision-model presentation with reference to an accepted published guide to understanding clinical decision models. A web-based presentation provides a useful supplement to paper-based publications by allowing authors to present their model in greater detail, to link model inputs to the primary evidence, and to disseminate the model to peer investigators for critique and collaborative modeling. PMID:8947628
Remote access to neurosurgical ICU physiological data using the World Wide Web.
Nenov, V; Klopp, J
There is a significant demand by physicians and clinical researchers for remote access to continuously acquired physiological patient data. Until recently such access was technically unfeasible. However, with the recent development of Internet-based World Wide Web (WWW) client/server applications and underlying communication protocols, there is now a real possibility for the development of cost-effective, platform independent solutions to this problem. We have devised a way using existing WWW tools and minimal startup costs to provide access to current as well as previously acquired physiological patient data. Physicians and clinical researchers can obtain access to these data through personal computers located in the office, at home or even through portable computers while traveling to conferences or while on vacation. PMID:10163756
Remote monitoring using technologies from the Internet and World Wide Web
Puckett, J.M.; Burczyk, L.
Recent developments in Internet technologies are changing and enhancing how one processes and exchanges information. These developments include software and hardware in support of multimedia applications on the World Wide Web. In this paper the authors describe these technologies as they have applied them to remote monitoring and show how they will allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to efficiently review and analyze remote monitoring data for verification of material movements. The authors have developed demonstration software that illustrates several safeguards data systems using the resources of the Internet and Web to access and review data. This Web demo allows the user to directly observe sensor data, to analyze simulated safeguards data, and to view simulated on-line inventory data. Future activities include addressing the technical and security issues associated with using the Web to interface with existing and planned monitoring systems at nuclear facilities. Some of these issues are authentication, encryption, transmission of large quantities of data, and data compression.
Building national electronic medical record systems via the World Wide Web.
Kohane, I S; Greenspun, P; Fackler, J; Cimino, C; Szolovits, P
Electronic medical record systems (EMRSs) currently do not lend themselves easily to cross-institutional clinical care and research. Unique system designs coupled with a lack of standards have led to this difficulty. The authors have designed a preliminary EMRS architecture (W3-EMRS) that exploits the multiplatform, multiprotocol, client-server technology of the World Wide Web. The architecture abstracts the clinical information model and the visual presentation away from the underlying EMRS. As a result, computation upon data elements of the EMRS and their presentation are no longer tied to the underlying EMRS structures. The architecture is intended to enable implementation of programs that provide uniform access to multiple, heterogeneous legacy EMRSs. The authors have implemented an initial prototype of W3-EMRS that accesses the database of the Boston Children's Hospital Clinician's Workstation. PMID:8723610
Teaching Contemporary Physics Topics using Real-Time Data Obtained via the World Wide Web
Davis, W.; Grip, R.; McKay, M.; Pfaff, R. and Stotler, D.P.; Post-Zwicker, A.P.
As a teaching tool, the World Wide Web (WWW) is unprecedented in its ability to transmit information and enhance communication between scientist and student. Just beginning to be developed are sites that actively engage the user in the learning process and provide hands-on methods of teaching contemporary topics. These topics are often not found in the classroom due to the complexity and expense of the laboratory equipment and the WWW is an ideal tool for overcoming this difficulty. This paper presents a model for using the Internet to teach high school students about plasma physics and fusion energy. Students are given access to real-time data, virtual experiments, and communication with professional scientists via email. Preliminary data indicate that student collaboration and student-led learning is encouraged when using the site in the classroom.
Facilitating physician referrals on the World Wide Web: representation and appropriate utilization of clinical expertise.
McHolm, G; Obeid, J; Karson, T H; Sato, L; Schaffer, J L; Greenes, R A
In highly integrated and increasingly complex health care systems, the identification and proper utilization of clinical staff expertise are key factors for efficiently delivering high quality patient care. To achieve these capabilities on an enterprise-wide scale, we have embarked on a multi-phased project to develop World Wide Web (WWW)-based physician referral capabilities for two large teaching hospitals. Currently, users may search for information concerning the education, training, board certifications, and self-designated clinical interests of staff members. Address, phone number, email address, and a photo are also presented. Our experience indicates that institutional changes are required to successfully deploy and maintain online physician referral services and that accurate and equitable representation of clinical expertise and the incorporation of referral guidelines require an incremental introduction of a carefully planned program that addresses the needs of clinicians, administrators, and health care policy-makers. PMID:8947760
An insight into rheumatology resources available on the World Wide Web.
Tench, C M; Clunie, G P; Dacre, J; Peacock, A
The aim of this study was to gain an overview of rheumatology resources on the World Wide Web (WWW). A list of websites was generated using a commercial search engine and 'rheumatology' as a key word. A total of 154 websites were then evaluated with respect to origin and likely target audience; 43% of this initial group were either not accessible, repeats, or in a language other than English. Of the 87 websites we were able to analyse, we found that 67% originated from medical organizations and 51% were interpreted to be directed specifically at rheumatologists. Only 16% of websites were directed at patients only. The remainder were felt to contain information useful to both groups. Over half the websites felt to be of interest to patients contained advertisements. Although there is a lot of information relating to rheumatology on the WWW, it was invariably time consuming to access and there was little directed solely at patient education. PMID:9851276
The International Energy Agency`s role in world-wide wind energy development
Rangi, R.; Ancona, D.
Wind energy is now being deployed world-wide at a rapidly increasing rate and the International Energy Agency (IEA) has a changing role in its growth. IEA was founded in 1974 within the framework of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to collaborate on comprehensive international energy programs. IEA membership consists of eighteen parties from sixteen countries and the European Commission. Recently there has been increasing interest in IEA participation from both OECD and non-OECD countries. Non-OECD countries participating in various IEA Agreements include: China, India, Israel, Korea, and Russia. Because of its diverse international makeup, the IEA is viewed as a source of reliable technical and economic information. The World Bank has approached the Executive Committee for Wind Energy R & D, through the IEA Renewable Energy Working Party, to assist in the expansion of wind deployment. In addition, IEA is moving from R & D programs to include tracking of implementation incentives offered by its members.
Growth and structure of the World Wide Web: Towards realistic modeling
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tadić, Bosiljka
We simulate evolution of the World Wide Web from the dynamic rules incorporating growth, bias attachment, and rewiring. We show that the emergent double-hierarchical structure with distinct distributions of out- and in-links is comparable with the observed empirical data when the control parameter (average graph flexibility β) is kept in the range β=3-4. We then explore the Web graph by simulating (a) Web crawling to determine size and depth of connected components, and (b) a random walker that discovers the structure of connected subgraphs with dominant attractor and promoter nodes. A random walker that adapts its move strategy to mimic local node linking preferences is shown to have a short access time to "important" nodes on the Web graph.
Maintaining a catalog of manually-indexed, clinically-oriented World Wide Web content.
Hersh, W; Ball, A; Day, B; Masterson, M; Zhang, L; Sacherek, L
With no quality controls and a highly distributed means of posting information, finding high-quality, clinically-oriented content on the World Wide Web can be difficult. Maintaining a catalog of such information can be equally challenging. CliniWeb is a catalog of quality-filtered and clinically-oriented content on the Web designed to enhance access to such information. This paper describes a group of semi-automated tools have been developed to maintain the CliniWeb database. One allows easier identification of content by utilizing Web crawling techniques from high-level pages. Another allows easier selection of content for inclusion and its indexing. A final one checks links to help keep the database current. These are augmented by general plans to adopt more detailed metadata and linkages into the medical literature. PMID:10566468
Maintaining a catalog of manually-indexed, clinically-oriented World Wide Web content.
Hersh, W.; Ball, A.; Day, B.; Masterson, M.; Zhang, L.; Sacherek, L.
With no quality controls and a highly distributed means of posting information, finding high-quality, clinically-oriented content on the World Wide Web can be difficult. Maintaining a catalog of such information can be equally challenging. CliniWeb is a catalog of quality-filtered and clinically-oriented content on the Web designed to enhance access to such information. This paper describes a group of semi-automated tools have been developed to maintain the CliniWeb database. One allows easier identification of content by utilizing Web crawling techniques from high-level pages. Another allows easier selection of content for inclusion and its indexing. A final one checks links to help keep the database current. These are augmented by general plans to adopt more detailed metadata and linkages into the medical literature. Images Figure 1 Figure 2 PMID:10566468
Virtual consolidation of Boston's Beth Israel and New England Deaconess Hospitals via the World Wide Web.
Halamka, J. D.; Safran, C.
With the advent of Integrated Healthcare Delivery Systems, medical records are increasingly distributed across multiple institutions. Timely access to these medical records is a critical need for healthcare providers. The CareWeb project provides an architecture for World Wide Web-based retrieval of electronic medical records from heterogeneous data sources. Using Health Level 7 (HL7), web technologies and readily available software components, we consolidated the electronic records of Boston's Beth Israel and Deaconess Hospitals. We report on the creation of CareWeb (freya.bidmc.harvard.edu/careweb.htm) and propose it as a means to electronically link Integrated Health Care Delivery Systems and geographically distant information resources. PMID:9357646
A chemical status predictor. A methodology based on World-Wide sediment samples.
Gredilla, A; Fdez-Ortiz de Vallejuelo, S; de Diego, A; Arana, G; Stoichev, T; Amigo, J M; Wasserman, J C; Botello, A V; Sarkar, S K; Schäfer, J; Moreno, C; de la Guardia, M; Madariaga, J M
As a consequence of the limited resources of underdeveloped countries and the limited interest of the developed ones, the assessment of the chemical quality of entire water bodies around the world is a utopia in the near future. The methodology described here may serve as a first approach for the fast identification of water bodies that do not meet the good chemical status demanded by the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). It also allows estimating the natural background (or reference values of concentration) of the areas under study using a simple criterion. The starting point is the calculation the World-Wide Natural Background Levels (WWNBLs) and World-Wide Threshold Values (WWTVs), two indexes that depend on the concentration of seven elements present in sediments. These elements, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn, have been selected taking into account the recommendations of the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) and USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency), that describe them as elements of concern with respect to environmental toxicity. The methodology has been exemplified in a case study that includes 134 sediment samples collected in 11 transitional water bodies from 7 different countries and 4 different continents. Six of the water bodies considered met the good chemical status demanded by the WFD. The rest of them exceeded the reference WWTVs, at least for one of the elements. The estuaries of the Nerbioi-Ibaizabal (Basque Country) and Cavado (Portugal), the sea inlet of Río San Pedro (Spain), the Sepetiba Bay (Brazil) and the Yucateco lagoon (Mexico) belong to that group. PMID:26143082
WorldWide Telescope: A Newly Open Source Astronomy Visualization System
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Fay, Jonathan; Roberts, Douglas A.
After eight years of development by Microsoft Research, WorldWide Telescope (WWT) was made an open source project at the end of June 2015. WWT was motivated by the desire to put new surveys of objects, such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey in the context of the night sky. The development of WWT under Microsoft started with the creation of a Windows desktop client that is widely used in various education, outreach and research projects. Using this, users can explore the data built into WWT as well as data that is loaded in. Beyond exploration, WWT can be used to create tours that present various datasets a narrative format.In the past two years, the team developed a collection of web controls, including an HTML5 web client, which contains much of the functionality of the Windows desktop client. The project under Microsoft has deep connections with several user communities such as education through the WWT Ambassadors program, http://wwtambassadors.org/ and with planetariums and museums such as the Adler Planetarium. WWT can also support research, including using WWT to visualize the Bones of the Milky Way and rich connections between WWT and the Astrophysical Data Systems (ADS, http://labs.adsabs.harvard.edu/adsabs/). One important new research connection is the use of WWT to create dynamic and potentially interactive supplements to journal articles, which have been created in 2015.Now WWT is an open source community lead project. The source code is available in GitHub (https://github.com/WorldWideTelescope). There is significant developer documentation on the website (http://worldwidetelescope.org/Developers/) and an extensive developer workshops (http://wwtworkshops.org/?tribe_events=wwt-developer-workshop) has taken place in the fall of 2015.Now that WWT is open source anyone who has the interest in the project can be a contributor. As important as helping out with coding, the project needs people interested in documentation, testing, training and other roles.
Analyzing the Food-Fuel-Environment Tri-Lemma Facing World Agriculture: Global Land Use in the Coming Century
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hertel, T. W.; Steinbuks, J.
The number of people which the world must feed is expected to increase by another 3 billion people by 2100. When coupled with significant nutritional improvements for the 2.1 billion people currently living on less than $2/day, this translates into a very substantial rise in the demand for agricultural production. At the same time, the growing use of biomass for energy generation has introduced an important new source of industrial demand in agricultural markets. To compound matters, water, a key input into agricultural production, is rapidly diminishing in availability in large parts of the world and many soils are degrading. In addition, agriculture and forestry are increasingly envisioned as key sectors for climate change mitigation policy. Any serious attempt to reduce land-based emissions will involve changes in the way farming is conducted, as well as placing limits on the expansion of farming - particularly in the tropics, where most of the agricultural land conversion has come at the expense of forests, either directly, or indirectly via a cascading of land use requirements with crops moving into pasture and pasture into forest. Finally, agriculture and forestry are likely to be the economic sectors whose productivity is most sharply affected by climate change. In light of these challenges facing the global farm and food system, this paper will review the main sources of supply and demand for the world's cropland, and then provide a quantitative assessment of the impact of these forces on global land use over the coming century. The model incorporates forward looking behavior and examines competition between land used for ecosystem services, forestry, food and fuel. Explicit account is taken of emissions associated with both the intensive and extensive margins of agricultural expansion, as well as carbon sequestration and energy combustion. Key findings include: (a) energy prices and environmental policies will be increasingly important drivers of land use
Fast 3D Net Expeditions: Tools for Effective Scientific Collaboration on the World Wide Web
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Watson, Val; Chancellor, Marisa K. (Technical Monitor)
Two new technologies, the FASTexpedition and Remote FAST, have been developed that provide remote, 3D (three dimensional), high resolution, dynamic, interactive viewing of scientific data. The FASTexpedition permits one to access scientific data from the World Wide Web, take guided expeditions through the data, and continue with self controlled expeditions through the data. Remote FAST permits collaborators at remote sites to simultaneously view an analysis of scientific data being controlled by one of the collaborators. Control can be transferred between sites. These technologies are now being used for remote collaboration in joint university, industry, and NASA projects. Also, NASA Ames Research Center has initiated a project to make scientific data and guided expeditions through the data available as FASTexpeditions on the World Wide Web for educational purposes. Previously, remote visualization of dynamic data was done using video format (transmitting pixel information) such as video conferencing or MPEG (Motion Picture Expert Group) movies on the Internet. The concept for this new technology is to send the raw data (e.g., grids, vectors, and scalars) along with viewing scripts over the Internet and have the pixels generated by a visualization tool running on the viewers local workstation. The visualization tool that is currently used is FAST (Flow Analysis Software Toolkit). The advantages of this new technology over using video format are: (1) The visual is much higher in resolution (1280x1024 pixels with 24 bits of color) than typical video format transmitted over the network. (2) The form of the visualization can be controlled interactively (because the viewer is interactively controlling the visualization tool running on his workstation). (3) A rich variety of guided expeditions through the data can be included easily. (4) A capability is provided for other sites to see a visual analysis of one site as the analysis is interactively performed. Control of
Visualizing Moon Phases in the Classroom with WorldWide Telescope
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Udomprasert, Patricia S.; Goodman, A. A.; Sunbury, S.; Zhang, Z.; Sadler, P. M.; Dussault, M. E.; Lotridge, E.; Jackson, J.; Constantin, A.
We report results from an NSF-funded project to build, test, and research the impact of a WorldWide Telescope Visualization Lab (WWT Vizlab), meant to offer learners a deeper physical understanding of the causes of the Moon's phases and eclipses. The Moon Phases VizLab is designed to promote accurate visualization of the complex, 3-dimensional Earth-Sun-Moon relationships required to understand the Moon's phases, while also providing opportunities for middle school students to practice critical science skills, like using models, making predictions and observations, and linking them in evidence-based explanations. In the Moon Phases VizLab, students use both computer-based models and lamp + ball physical models. The VizLab emphasizes the use of different scales in models, why some models are to scale and some are not, and how choices we make in a model can sometimes inadvertently lead to misconceptions. For example, textbook images almost always depict the Earth and Moon as being vastly too close together, and this contributes to the common misconception that the Moon's phases are caused by the Earth's shadow. We tested the Moon Phases VizLab in two separate phases. In Phase 1 (fall 2012), we compared learning gains from the WorldWide Telescope (WWT) VizLab with a traditional 2-dimensional Moon phases simulator. Students in this study who used WWT had overall higher learning gains than students who used the traditional 2D simulator, and demonstrated greater enthusiasm for using the virtual model than students who used the 2D simulator. In Phase 2 (spring 2013), all students in the study used WWT for the virtual model, but we experimented with different sequencing of physical and virtual models in the classroom. We found that students who began the unit with higher prior knowledge of Moon phases (based on the pre-unit assessment) had overall higher learning gains when they used the virtual model first, followed by the physical model, while students who had
Internet as clinical information system: application development using the World Wide Web.
Cimino, J J; Socratous, S A; Clayton, P D
Clinical computing application development at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center has been limited by the lack of a flexible programming environment that supports multiple client user platforms. The World Wide Web offers a potential solution, with its multifunction servers, multiplatform clients, and use of standard protocols for displaying information. The authors are now using the Web, coupled with their own local clinical data server and vocabulary server, to carry out rapid prototype development of clinical information systems. They have developed one such prototype system that can be run on most popular computing platforms from anywhere on the Internet. The Web paradigm allows easy integration of clinical information with other local and Internet-based information sources. The Web also simplifies many aspects of application design; for example, it includes facilities for the use of encryption to meet the authors' security and confidentiality requirements. The prototype currently runs on only the Web server in the Department of Medical Informatics at Columbia University, but it could be run on other Web servers that access the authors' clinical data and vocabulary servers. It could also be adapted to access clinical information from other systems with similar server capabilities. This approach may be adaptable for use in developing institution-independent standards for data and application sharing. PMID:7496876
Creation and utilization of a World Wide Web based space radiation effects code: SIREST.
Singleterry, R C; Wilson, J W; Shinn, J L; Tripathi, R K; Thibeault, S A; Noor, A K; Cucinotta, F A; Badavi, F F; Chang, C K; Qualls, G D; Clowdsley, M S; Kim, M H; Heinbockel, J H; Norbury, J; Blattning, S R; Miller, J; Zeitlin, C; Heilbronn, L H
In order for humans and electronics to fully and safely operate in the space environment, codes like HZETRN (High Charge and Energy Transport) must be included in any designer's toolbox for design evaluation with respect to radiation damage. Currently, spacecraft designers do not have easy access to accurate radiation codes like HZETRN to evaluate their design for radiation effects on humans and electronics. Today, the World Wide Web is sophisticated enough to support the entire HZETRN code and all of the associated pre and post processing tools. This package is called SIREST (Space Ionizing Radiation Effects and Shielding Tools). There are many advantages to SIREST. The most important advantage is the instant update capability of the web. Another major advantage is the modularity that the web imposes on the code. Right now, the major disadvantage of SIREST will be its modularity inside the designer's system. This mostly comes from the fact that a consistent interface between the designer and the computer system to evaluate the design is incomplete. This, however, is to be solved in the Intelligent Synthesis Environment (ISE) program currently being funded by NASA. PMID:11770545
Antifungal prophylaxis in lung transplantation--a world-wide survey.
Neoh, C F; Snell, G I; Kotsimbos, T; Levvey, B; Morrissey, C O; Slavin, M A; Stewart, K; Kong, D C M
While variations in antifungal prophylaxis have been previously reported in lung transplant (LTx) recipients, recent clinical practice is unknown. Our aim was to determine current antifungal prophylactic practice in LTx centers world-wide. One nominated LTx clinician from each active center was invited by e-mail to participate in a web-based survey between September 2009 and January 2010. Fifty-seven percent (58/102) responded. The majority of responses were from medical directors of LTx centers (72.4%), and from the United States (44.8%). Within the first 6 months post-LTx, most centers (58.6%) employed universal prophylaxis, with 97.1% targeting Aspergillus species. Voriconazole alone, and in combination with inhaled amphotericin B (AmB), were the preferred first-line agents. Intolerance to side effects of voriconazole (69.2%) was the main reason for switching to alternatives. Beyond 6 months post-LTx, most (51.8%) did not employ antifungal prophylaxis. Fifteen centers (26.0%) conducted routine antifungal therapeutic drug monitoring during prophylactic period. There are differences in strategies employed between U.S. and European centers. Most respondents indicated a need for antifungal prophylactic guidelines. In comparison to earlier findings, there was a major shift toward prophylaxis with voriconazole and an increased use of echinocandins, posaconazole and inhaled lipid formulation AmB. PMID:21272239
Alaskan Auroral All-Sky Images on the World Wide Web
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Stenbaek-Nielsen, H. C.
In response to a 1995 NASA SPDS announcement of support for preservation and distribution of important data sets online, the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska, proposed to provide World Wide Web access to the Poker Flat Auroral All-sky Camera images in real time. The Poker auroral all-sky camera is located in the Davis Science Operation Center at Poker Flat Rocket Range about 30 miles north-east of Fairbanks, Alaska, and is connected, through a microwave link, with the Geophysical Institute where we maintain the data base linked to the Web. To protect the low light-level all-sky TV camera from damage due to excessive light, we only operate during the winter season when the moon is down. The camera and data acquisition is now fully computer controlled. Digital images are transmitted each minute to the Web linked data base where the data are available in a number of different presentations: (1) Individual JPEG compressed images (1 minute resolution); (2) Time lapse MPEG movie of the stored images; and (3) A meridional plot of the entire night activity.
Accessibility and reliability of cutaneous laser surgery information on the World Wide Web.
Bykowski, J L; Alora, M B; Dover, J S; Arndt, K A
The World Wide Web has provided the public with easy and affordable access to a vast range of information. However, claims may be unsubstantiated and misleading. The purpose of this study was to use cutaneous laser surgery as a model to assess the availability and reliability of Web sites and to evaluate this resource for the quality of patient and provider education. Three commercial methods of searching the Internet were used, identifying nearly 500,000 possible sites. The first 100 sites listed by each search engine (a total of 300 sites) were compared. Of these, 126 were listed repeatedly within a given retrieval method, whereas only 3 sites were identified by all 3 search engines. After elimination of duplicates, 40 sites were evaluated for content and currency of information. The most common features included postoperative care suggestions, options for pain management or anesthesia, a description of the way in which lasers work, and the types of lasers used for different procedures. Potential contraindications to laser procedures were described on fewer than 30% of the sites reviewed. None of the sites contained substantiation of claims or referrals to peer-reviewed publications or research. Because of duplication and the prioritization systems of search engines, the ease of finding sites did not correlate with the quality of the site's content. Our findings show that advertisements for services exceed useful information. PMID:10775854
In-house access to PACS images and related data through World Wide Web
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Mascarini, Christian; Ratib, Osman M.; Trayser, Gerhard; Ligier, Yves; Appel, R. D.
The development of a hospital wide PACS is in progress at the University Hospital of Geneva and several archive modules are operational since 1992. This PACS is intended for wide distribution of images to clinical wards. As the PACS project and the number of archived images grow rapidly in the hospital, it was necessary to provide an easy, more widely accessible and convenient access to the PACS database for the clinicians in the different wards and clinical units of the hospital. An innovative solution has been developed using tools such as Netscape navigator and NCSA World Wide Web server as an alternative to conventional database query and retrieval software. These tools present the advantages of providing an user interface which is the same independently of the platform being used (Mac, Windows, UNIX, ...), and an easy integration of different types of documents (text, images, ...). A strict access control has been added to this interface. It allows user identification and access rights checking, as defined by the in-house hospital information system, before allowing the navigation through patient data records.
A Computing Environment to Support Repeatable Scientific Big Data Experimentation of World-Wide Scientific Literature
Schlicher, Bob G; Kulesz, James J; Abercrombie, Robert K; Kruse, Kara L
A principal tenant of the scientific method is that experiments must be repeatable and relies on ceteris paribus (i.e., all other things being equal). As a scientific community, involved in data sciences, we must investigate ways to establish an environment where experiments can be repeated. We can no longer allude to where the data comes from, we must add rigor to the data collection and management process from which our analysis is conducted. This paper describes a computing environment to support repeatable scientific big data experimentation of world-wide scientific literature, and recommends a system that is housed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in order to provide value to investigators from government agencies, academic institutions, and industry entities. The described computing environment also adheres to the recently instituted digital data management plan mandated by multiple US government agencies, which involves all stages of the digital data life cycle including capture, analysis, sharing, and preservation. It particularly focuses on the sharing and preservation of digital research data. The details of this computing environment are explained within the context of cloud services by the three layer classification of Software as a Service , Platform as a Service , and Infrastructure as a Service .
Strategic development of a master's program on the World Wide Web.
Mills, A C; Hrubetz, J
Quality teaching requires more than masterful professors. In today's academic environments, leaders in educational institutions have responsibilities to supply fiscal and human resources that support settings conducive to learning and that instill human, educational, and professional values. Recent technologic advances have shifted the capacities to deliver programs of study outside traditional classrooms. The World Wide Web can deliver nursing courses that are complex, multimedia, and interactive. Planning to offer a degree program on-line requires examining the organization's mission and philosophy as well as allocating human and fiscal resources to the project. As leaders implement innovations, such as distance learning on-line, they must address the organization's political challenges and cultural changes. When leaders seek to introduce innovation within their organizations, they must be prepared for excitement as well as anxiety and resistance. Leadership also requires evaluating performance and outcomes for quality education. In addition, they strive to meet expectations of quality of all stakeholders. J Prof Nurs 17:166-172, 2001. PMID:11464337
Building Internet accessible medical education software using the World Wide Web.
Kruper, J. A.; Lavenant, M. G.; Maskay, M. H.; Jones, T. M.
We describe work to enhance existing software protocols and develop a suite of new software utilities based upon a set of standards known as the World Wide Web (WWW). Specifically, we have developed an effective X-windows based WYSIWYG WWW browser/editor and a prototype for integrated wide-area authentication and authorization support for delivery and maintenance of WWW service. These software development activities, along with parallel work in content development, are empowering individuals to better use the Internet as a resource to easily author, publish, and access materials. As an illustrative application, we describe one Web-based self-instructional unit designed to increase users' knowledge of hazardous substances in the environment. This on-line monograph was adapted from a series of paper-based case studies developed by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. The on-line version illustrates many of the innovative features provided by the Web, and demonstrates how such materials can significantly impact medical education at all levels. PMID:7949942
Early infantile Krabbe disease: results of the World-Wide Krabbe Registry.
Duffner, Patricia K; Barczykowski, Amy; Jalal, Kabir; Yan, Li; Kay, Denise M; Carter, Randy L
New York State began screening for Krabbe disease in 2006 to identify infants with Krabbe disease before symptom onset. Because neither galactocerebrosidase activity nor most genotypes reliably predict phenotype, the World Wide Registry was developed to determine whether other clinical/neurodiagnostic data could predict early infantile Krabbe disease in the newborn screening population. Data on disease course, galactocerebrosidase activity, DNA mutations, and initial neurodiagnostic studies in 67 symptomatic children with early infantile Krabbe disease were obtained from parent questionnaires and medical records. Initial signs included crying/irritability, cortical fisting, and poor head control. Galactocerebrosidase activity was uniformly low. Eight of 17 manifested novel mutations. Ninety-two percent (n = 25) exhibited elevated cerebrospinal fluid protein; 76% (n = 42) demonstrated abnormal magnetic resonance images; 67% (n = 15) exhibited abnormal computed tomography findings; 43% (n = 28) produced abnormal electroencephalogram findings; 100% (n = 5) demonstrated abnormal nerve conduction velocities; 83% (n = 6) produced abnormal brainstem evoked responses; and 50% (n = 6) exhibited abnormal visual evoked responses. One, 2, and 3 year survivals were 60%, 26%, and 14%, respectively. Although most symptomatic patients with the early infantile phenotype manifested abnormal cerebrospinal fluid protein, magnetic resonance imaging, brainstem evoked responses, and nerve conduction velocities, studies of affected children may be normal. Other biomarkers are needed to predict phenotype in the newborn screening population. PMID:21824559
Combining Real World Experiences with WorldWide Telescope Visualization to Build a Better Parallax Lab
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ladd, E. F.; Gingrich, E. C.; Nottis, K. E. K.; Udomprasert, P.; Goodman, A. A.
We present a lab activity designed to help students understand the concept of parallax in both astronomical and non-astronomical contexts. In an outdoor setting, students learn the methodology of distance determination via parallax. They identify a distant landmark to establish a reference of direction, and then measure the change in apparent direction for more nearby objects as they change position in a 2 meter radius "orbit" around the "Sun." This hands-on activity involves large, visually-discernable angles so that students can internalize the concept of parallax from everyday experience. However, students often have difficulty transferring this experience to the astronomical realm, so we pair this hands-on activity with a more explicitly astronomically-based activity using the WorldWide Telescope visualization environment. Students apply the same methodology in this environment and learn how the apparent motion of stars is related to their distance from Earth. The combination of hands-on activity and computer-aided visualization is designed to produce a deeper understanding of parallax in the astronomical environment, and an improved understanding of the inherently three-dimensional distribution of objects in our universe. More formal assessment is underway.
Design and development of an interactive medical teleconsultation system over the World Wide Web.
Bai, J; Zhang, Y; Dai, B
The objective of the medical teleconsultation system presented in this paper is to demonstrate the use of the World Wide Web (WWW) for telemedicine and interactive medical information exchange. The system, which is developed based on Java, could provide several basic Java tools to fulfill the requirements of medical applications, including a file manager, data tool, bulletin board, and digital audio tool. The digital audio tool uses point-to-point structure to enable two physicians to communicate directly through voice. The others use multipoint structure. The file manager manages the medical images stored in the WWW information server, which come from a hospital database. The data tool supports cooperative operations on the medical data between the participating physicians. The bulletin board enables the users to discuss special cases by writing text on the board, send their personal or group diagnostic reports on the cases, and reorganize the reports and store them in its report file for later use. The system provides a hardware-independent platform for physicians to interact with one another as well as to access medical information over the WWW. PMID:10719516
Sebiany, Abdulaziz M.
The introduction of the World Wide Web has revolutionized the applications of the computer and the Internet in the medical field. The Web provides an easy and cost-effective way of retrieving medical information and a more flexible way of communicating with patients and colleagues. Family practice is a specialty in which care is given to persons as individuals and members of families regardless of their age, gender or specific problems. To provide quality family practice, a family physician should be a good communicator, a critical thinker, a resource and information manager, a life-long learner, a care giver and a community advocate. Providing such high quality care requires that family practice be an information-sensitive specialty. However, the expansion of the new electronic resources on the Internet and the Web poses a real challenge to the family physician. Family physician in Saudi Arabia need to have basic skills and knowledge for easily retrieving and finding reliable Internet information for his professional development and the care of his patients. This article addresses the Web applications for family physicians in Saudi Arabia, giving examples of the most important Websites. PMID:23008644
The Culture-Transmission Motive in Immigrants: A World-Wide Internet Survey
Mchitarjan, Irina; Reisenzein, Rainer
A world-wide internet survey was conducted to test central assumptions of a recent theory of cultural transmission in minorities proposed by the authors. 844 1st to 2nd generation immigrants from a wide variety of countries recruited on a microjob platform completed a questionnaire designed to test eight hypotheses derived from the theory. Support was obtained for all hypotheses. In particular, evidence was obtained for the continued presence, in the immigrants, of the culture-transmission motive postulated by the theory: the desire to maintain the culture of origin and transmit it to the next generation. Support was also obtained for the hypothesized anchoring of the culture-transmission motive in more basic motives fulfilled by cultural groups, the relative intra- and intergenerational stability of the culture-transmission motive, and its motivating effects for action tendencies and desires that support cultural transmission under the difficult conditions of migration. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the assumption that people have a culture-transmission motive belongs to the folk psychology of sociocultural groups, and that immigrants regard the fulfillment of this desire as a moral right. PMID:26529599
Influenza H1N1 and the world wide economic crisis--a model of coherence?
Sperling, W; Biermann, T
A recent published model described the phenomenon of a global panic reaction (GPR) on the stock markets based on two remarkable stock market crashes in the months of January and March [Sperling W, Bleich S, Reulbach U, Black Monday on stock markets throughout the world - a new phenomenon of collective panic disorder? A psychiatric approach. Med Hypotheses; 2008]. This model was completed by a therapeutic approach following typical elements of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) [Sperling W, Biermann T, Maler JM, Global panic reaction - a therapeutic approach to a world-wide economic crisis. Med Hypotheses; 2009]. The phenomenon of a global panic reaction due to economic crises seems to have even larger implications on human health as well. It is well known that acute and chronic distress is competent to suppress the immune system by various mechanisms that are discussed in detail. This global panic reaction - that has also been observed in former times - might therefore be responsible for the new variation of recent influenza pandemic coming from Mexico. PMID:19515500
Time as a variable in learning on the World-Wide Web.
Taraban, R; Rynearson, K; Stalcup, K A
Research in education, psychology, and neuroscience motivates a hypothesis that learning takes time. Support for the hypothesis was found in four replications of an upper level undergraduate course in which the material and activities for 50% of the topics were delivered over the World-Wide Web. Computer records were correlated with three types of test questions: multiple-choice, short-answer, and open-ended essay questions. Positive and significant correlations with time were observed for 33% of the correlations involving multiple-choice questions, 13% of those involving short-answer questions, and 60% of those involving open-ended essay questions. An estimate of the common underlying correlation, rho, equal to .35 for the four replications was significant. The data also revealed generally low overall study times and a maladaptive pattern of "cramming" before tests instead of distributing practice. In the Discussion section, we argue that computer study times can be used as a predictor of subsequent test performance, which is a measure of student learning. PMID:11447675
The Culture-Transmission Motive in Immigrants: A World-Wide Internet Survey.
Mchitarjan, Irina; Reisenzein, Rainer
A world-wide internet survey was conducted to test central assumptions of a recent theory of cultural transmission in minorities proposed by the authors. 844 1st to 2nd generation immigrants from a wide variety of countries recruited on a microjob platform completed a questionnaire designed to test eight hypotheses derived from the theory. Support was obtained for all hypotheses. In particular, evidence was obtained for the continued presence, in the immigrants, of the culture-transmission motive postulated by the theory: the desire to maintain the culture of origin and transmit it to the next generation. Support was also obtained for the hypothesized anchoring of the culture-transmission motive in more basic motives fulfilled by cultural groups, the relative intra- and intergenerational stability of the culture-transmission motive, and its motivating effects for action tendencies and desires that support cultural transmission under the difficult conditions of migration. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the assumption that people have a culture-transmission motive belongs to the folk psychology of sociocultural groups, and that immigrants regard the fulfillment of this desire as a moral right. PMID:26529599
Measurement issues related to data collection on the World Wide Web.
Strickland, Ora L; Moloney, Margaret F; Dietrich, Alexa S; Myerburg, Stuart; Cotsonis, George A; Johnson, Robert V
As the World Wide Web has become more prominent as a mode of communication, it has opened up new possibilities for research data collection. This article identifies measurement issues that occur with Internet data collection that are relevant to qualitative and quantitative research approaches as they occurred in a triangulated Internet study of perimenopausal women with migraine headaches. Issues associated with quantitative data collection over the Internet include (a) selecting and designing Internet data collection protocols that adequately address study aims while also taking advantage of the Internet, (b) ensuring the reliability and validity of Internet data collected, (c) adapting quantitative paper-and-pencil data collection protocols for the Internet, (d) making Internet data collection practical for respondents and researchers, and (e) ensuring the quality of quantitative data collected. Qualitative data collection over the Internet needs to remain true to the philosophical stance of the qualitative approach selected. Researcher expertise in qualitative data collection must be combined with expertise in computer technology and information services if data are to be of ultimate quality The advantages and limitations of collecting qualitative data in real time or at a later time are explored, as well as approaches to enhance qualitative data collection over the Internet. It was concluded that like any research approach or method, Internet data collection requires considerable creativity, expertise, and planning to take advantage of the technology for the collection of reliable and valid research data. PMID:14674574
Starry Nights: Five Years of The Great World Wide Star Count
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ward, D.; Johnson, R. M.
The Great World Wide Star Count is an international citizen science event encouraging everyone, astronomers and non-astronomers alike, to measure their local light pollution and report their observations online. This project is designed to raise awareness about light pollution as well as encourage learning in astronomy. Utilizing the international networking capabilities of Windows to the Universe, Star Count has engaged over 40,000 individuals from 64 countries and all 7 continents in its first five years. Data collection and online reporting is simple and user-friendly for citizen scientists of all ages. The collected data is available online in a variety of formats for use by students, teachers and scientists worldwide to assess how the quality of the night sky varies around the world. This session will share our results and demonstrate how students and scientists worldwide can explore and analyze the results from the first five years of the project. We will discuss how our team planned and executed the project in such a way that non-astronomers were able to make valid and useful contributions.
Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs) pairs associated with World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN)
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Stanbro, Matthew; Briggs, Michael
We present Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flash (TGF) pairs detected with the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) on the Fermi Space Telescope and associated sferics from the World Wide Lightning Network (WWLLN). Several improvements have been made to the GBM TGF detection algorithms since launch in 2008, which have increased the rate of TGFs to ~800 a year. The improved TGF detection algorithms have also uncovered more TGFs within 200 s of each other. There are ~600 unique TGFs with a wide range of time separations. One question is whether a pair originates from the same thunderstorm or from different storms in a storm system. Detecting multiple TGFs from a single storm and their separation in time provides a measure of the electric charging timescales involved in the production of TGFs within a storm. With only gamma-ray detections, this question is difficult to answer since GBM detects TGFs up to 800 km from the nadir of Fermi. If WWLLN sferics are found for both TGFs of a pair, the improved localization uncertainty (<25km) allows us to better answer this question. We present TGF pairs that match this criteria. These pairs are temporally separated by milliseconds to ~180 s.
Creation and utilization of a World Wide Web based space radiation effects code: SIREST
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Singleterry, R. C. Jr; Wilson, J. W.; Shinn, J. L.; Tripathi, R. K.; Thibeault, S. A.; Noor, A. K.; Cucinotta, F. A.; Badavi, F. F.; Chang, C. K.; Qualls, G. D.; Clowdsley, M. S.; Kim, M. H.; Heinbockel, J. H.; Norbury, J.; Blattning, S. R.; Miller, J.; Zeitlin, C.; Heilbronn, L. H.
In order for humans and electronics to fully and safely operate in the space environment, codes like HZETRN (High Charge and Energy Transport) must be included in any designer's toolbox for design evaluation with respect to radiation damage. Currently, spacecraft designers do not have easy access to accurate radiation codes like HZETRN to evaluate their design for radiation effects on humans and electronics. Today, the World Wide Web is sophisticated enough to support the entire HZETRN code and all of the associated pre and post processing tools. This package is called SIREST (Space Ionizing Radiation Effects and Shielding Tools). There are many advantages to SIREST. The most important advantage is the instant update capability of the web. Another major advantage is the modularity that the web imposes on the code. Right now, the major disadvantage of SIREST will be its modularity inside the designer's system. This mostly comes from the fact that a consistent interface between the designer and the computer system to evaluate the design is incomplete. This, however, is to be solved in the Intelligent Synthesis Environment (ISE) program currently being funded by NASA.
Human health risk assessment: selected Internet and world wide web resources.
Patterson, Jacqueline; Hakkinen, P J Bert; Wullenweber, Andrea E
The world wide web (WWW) has become a valuable source of 24 hour-a-day access to information needed by human health risk assessors. Various web sites and other Internet resources provide information needed for human hazard identification, dose-response evaluation, exposure assessment, risk characterization, and risk management. Information on risk communication is also available. Substantial collections of information on multiple aspects of risk assessment are found in sites sponsored by RiskWorld, the (US) EPA's National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA), the (US) National Library of Medicine's TOXNET, the (US) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS). Also valuable are various web sites providing information on the physical and chemical properties of chemicals, the environmental fate and transport of chemicals, government regulations, and guidance and training for performing risk assessments. Several professional societies and other organizations have web sites addressing risk assessment issues and information, and there are Internet mailing lists for online help and for sharing information and perspectives. We classify selected web sites according to user needs and provide the reader with a collection of selected sites that can serve as entry points to risk assessment-related web resources. PMID:11955689
Graphite Girls in a Gigabyte World: Managing the World Wide Web in 700 Square Feet
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ogletree, Tamra; Saurino, Penelope; Johnson, Christie
Our action research project examined the on-task and off-task behaviors of university-level student, use of wireless laptops in face-to-face classes in order to establish rules of wireless laptop etiquette in classroom settings. Participants in the case study of three university classrooms included undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students.…
Test and Calibration of the Digital World-Wide Standardized Seismograph
Peterson, Jon; Hutt, Charles R.
BACKGROUND During the past decade there has been steady progress in the modernization of the global seismograph network operated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The World-Wide Standardized Seismograph Network (WWSSN) has been augmented by new stations with advanced instrumentation, including the Seismic Research Observatories (SRO) and the modified High-Gain Long-Period (ASRO) stations. One goal in the modernization effort has been to improve signal resolution in the long-period band. A second goal has been to generate a global digital data base to support contemporary computer-based analysis and research. In 1976, a Panel on Seismograph Networks was established by the Committee on Seismology of the National Academy of Sciences to review progress in network seismology and recommend actions that would lead to an improved global data base for seismology. One recommendation in the Panel report (Engdahl, 1977) called for upgrading selected WWSSN stations by the installation of digital recorders. This was viewed as an economical way of expanding the digital network, which had proven itself to be a very promising new tool for earthquake and explosion research. Funds for the development and assembly of 15 digital recorders were provided to the USGS by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and an ad hoc panel of scientists was convened by the Committee on Seismology to advise the USGS on the selection of stations to be upgraded and on data recording requirements. A total of 19 digital World-Wide Standardized Seismograph (DWWSS) systems will be operational when all are installed. The additional systems were made available through purchase by the USGS and other organizations; for example, the University of Bergen purchased and installed a DWWSS-type recorder and agreed to furnish the USGS with the data. A list of operational and planned DWWSS network stations is given in Table 1.1. As one might expect, the digital recorder turned out to be somewhat more
Online data collection with special populations over the World Wide Web.
Marcell, M M; Falls, A L
The quick ascendance of the World Wide Web as the dominant vehicle for internet communication has recently made experimentation in a multimedia environment feasible on the Internet. Although web sites containing online psychology demonstrations and experiments for non-handicapped individuals have appeared in recent years (especially in the areas of cognitive and social psychology), there appear to have been few attempts to conduct online experimentation with special populations. We recently completed two online pilot studies of families with Down syndrome or Williams syndrome members: a) A survey that asks (via Likert rating scales, adjective checklists, multiple-choice style questions, and text-entry boxes) about family background, computer use, and temperament of the special needs family member; and b) An experiment (completed by an individual with special needs) that includes auditory and visual digit span tasks and a memory-for-orientation task in which responses are entered via mouse clicks. Recruiting began with e-mail announcements to representative Down syndrome and Williams syndrome discussion groups, listserves, and bulletin boards, and submission of the project's URL (http://www.cofc.edu/~marcellm/testaw.htm) and key indexing terms to selected search engines. This paper reviews technical aspects of developing the online programmes as well as the strengths and weaknesses of online vs. traditional laboratory-based research in relation to issues such as experimental control, delivery of instructions, experimenter bias, participant recruitment, sample heterogeneity, generalization, attrition, privacy, financial costs, data integrity, and ethics. We conclude by offering our thoughts on two ways of implementing online experimentation with special populations: a) Using a remote parent 'helper' as a proxy to work with the target individual; and b) Collaborating with professional colleagues in Web-based projects conducted in traditional laboratory settings. PMID
Online Access to Weather Satellite Imagery Through the World Wide Web
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Emery, W.; Baldwin, D.
Both global area coverage (GAC) and high-resolution picture transmission (HRTP) data from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) are made available to laternet users through an online data access system. Older GOES-7 data am also available. Created as a "testbed" data system for NASA's future Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS), this testbed provides an opportunity to test both the technical requirements of an onune'd;ta system and the different ways in which the -general user, community would employ such a system. Initiated in December 1991, the basic data system experienced five major evolutionary changes In response to user requests and requirements. Features added with these changes were the addition of online browse, user subsetting, dynamic image Processing/navigation, a stand-alone data storage system, and movement,from an X-windows graphical user Interface (GUI) to a World Wide Web (WWW) interface. Over Its lifetime, the system has had as many as 2500 registered users. The system on the WWW has had over 2500 hits since October 1995. Many of these hits are by casual users that only take the GIF images directly from the interface screens and do not specifically order digital data. Still, there b a consistent stream of users ordering the navigated image data and related products (maps and so forth). We have recently added a real-time, seven- day, northwestern United States normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) composite that has generated considerable Interest. Index Terms-Data system, earth science, online access, satellite data.
Identifying the causes of water crises: A configurational frequency analysis of 22 basins world wide
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Srinivasan, V.; Gorelick, S.; Lambin, E.; Rozelle, S.; Thompson, B.
Freshwater "scarcity" has been identified as being a major problem world-wide, but it is surprisingly hard to assess if water is truly scarce at a global or even regional scale. Most empirical water research remains location specific. Characterizing water problems, transferring lessons across regions, to develop a synthesized global view of water issues remains a challenge. In this study we attempt a systematic understanding of water problems across regions. We compared case studies of basins across different regions of the world using configurational frequency analysis. Because water crises are multi-symptom and multi-causal, a major challenge was to categorize water problems so as to make comparisons across cases meaningful. In this study, we focused strictly on water unsustainability, viz. the inability to sustain current levels of the anthropogenic (drinking water, food, power, livelihood) and natural (aquatic species, wetlands) into the future. For each case, the causes of three outcome variables, groundwater declines, surface water declines and aquatic ecosystem declines, were classified and coded. We conducted a meta-analysis in which clusters of peer-reviewed papers by interdisciplinary teams were considered to ensure that the results were not biased towards factors privileged by any one discipline. Based on our final sample of 22 case study river basins, some clear patterns emerged. The meta-analysis suggests that water resources managers have long overemphasized the factors governing supply of water resources and while insufficient attention has been paid to the factors driving demand. Overall, uncontrolled increase in demand was twice as frequent as declines in availability due to climate change or decreased recharge. Moreover, groundwater and surface water declines showed distinct causal pathways. Uncontrolled increases in demand due to lack of credible enforcement were a key factor driving groundwater declines; while increased upstream abstractions
Towards a Global Service Registry for the World-Wide LHC Computing Grid
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Field, Laurence; Alandes Pradillo, Maria; Di Girolamo, Alessandro
The World-Wide LHC Computing Grid encompasses a set of heterogeneous information systems; from central portals such as the Open Science Grid's Information Management System and the Grid Operations Centre Database, to the WLCG information system, where the information sources are the Grid services themselves. Providing a consistent view of the information, which involves synchronising all these informations systems, is a challenging activity that has lead the LHC virtual organisations to create their own configuration databases. This experience, whereby each virtual organisation's configuration database interfaces with multiple information systems, has resulted in the duplication of effort, especially relating to the use of manual checks for the handling of inconsistencies. The Global Service Registry aims to address this issue by providing a centralised service that aggregates information from multiple information systems. It shows both information on registered resources (i.e. what should be there) and available resources (i.e. what is there). The main purpose is to simplify the synchronisation of the virtual organisation's own configuration databases, which are used for job submission and data management, through the provision of a single interface for obtaining all the information. By centralising the information, automated consistency and validation checks can be performed to improve the overall quality of information provided. Although internally the GLUE 2.0 information model is used for the purpose of integration, the Global Service Registry in not dependent on any particular information model for ingestion or dissemination. The intention is to allow the virtual organisation's configuration databases to be decoupled from the underlying information systems in a transparent way and hence simplify any possible future migration due to the evolution of those systems. This paper presents the Global Service Registry architecture, its advantages compared to the
The World Wide Web and Technology Transfer at NASA Langley Research Center
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Nelson, Michael L.; Bianco, David J.
NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) began using the World Wide Web (WWW) in the summer of 1993, becoming the first NASA installation to provide a Center-wide home page. This coincided with a reorganization of LaRC to provide a more concentrated focus on technology transfer to both aerospace and non-aerospace industry. Use of the WWW and NCSA Mosaic not only provides automated information dissemination, but also allows for the implementation, evolution and integration of many technology transfer applications. This paper describes several of these innovative applications, including the on-line presentation of the entire Technology Opportunities Showcase (TOPS), an industrial partnering showcase that exists on the Web long after the actual 3-day event ended. During its first year on the Web, LaRC also developed several WWW-based information repositories. The Langley Technical Report Server (LTRS), a technical paper delivery system with integrated searching and retrieval, has proved to be quite popular. The NASA Technical Report Server (NTRS), an outgrowth of LTRS, provides uniform access to many logically similar, yet physically distributed NASA report servers. WWW is also the foundation of the Langley Software Server (LSS), an experimental software distribution system which will distribute LaRC-developed software with the possible phase-out of NASA's COSMIC program. In addition to the more formal technology distribution projects, WWW has been successful in connecting people with technologies and people with other people. With the completion of the LaRC reorganization, the Technology Applications Group, charged with interfacing with non-aerospace companies, opened for business with a popular home page.
Global Cooling: Increasing World-Wide Urban Albedos to Offset CO2
Akbari, Hashem; Menon, Surabi; Rosenfeld, Arthur
Modification of urban albedos reduces summertime urban temperatures, resulting in a better urban air quality and building air-conditioning savings. Furthermore, increasing urban albedos has the added benefit of reflecting some of the incoming global solar radiation and countering to some extent the effects of global warming. In many urban areas, pavements and roofs constitute over 60% of urban surfaces (roof 20-25%, pavements about 40%). Using reflective materials, both roof and the pavement albedos can be increased by about 0.25 and 0.10, respectively, resulting in a net albedo increase for urban areas of about 0.1. Many studies have demonstrated building cooling-energy savings in excess of 20% upon raising roof reflectivity from an existing 10-20% to about 60% (a U.S. potential savings in excess of $1 billion (B) per year in net annual energy bills). On a global basis, our preliminary estimate is that increasing the world-wide albedos of urban roofs and paved surfaces will induce a negative radiative forcing on the earth equivalent to removing {approx} 22-40 Gt of CO{sub 2} from the atmosphere. Since, 55% of the emitted CO{sub 2} remains in the atmosphere, removal of 22-40 Gt of CO{sub 2} from the atmosphere is equivalent to reducing global CO{sub 2} emissions by 40-73 Gt. At {approx} $25/tonne of CO{sub 2}, a 40-73 Gt CO{sub 2} emission reduction from changing the albedo of roofs and paved surfaces is worth about $1,000B to 1800B. These estimated savings are dependent on assumptions used in this study, but nevertheless demonstrate considerable benefits that may be obtained from cooler roofs and pavements.
Adapting EcoCyc for use on the World Wide Web.
Paley, S M; Karp, P D
The World Wide Web (WWW) offers the potential to deliver specialized information to an audience of unprecedented size. Along with this exciting new opportunity comes a challenge for software developers: instead of rewriting our software applications to operate over the WWW, how can we maximize software reuse by retrofitting existing applications? We have developed a Web server tool, written in Common Lisp, that allows existing graphical user interface applications written using the Common Lisp Interface Manager (CLIM) to hook easily into the WWW. This tool-CWEST (CLIM-WEb Server Tool, pronounced "quest")-was developed to operate with EcoCyc, an electronic encyclopedia of the genes and metabolism of the bacterium E. coli. EcoCyc consists of a database of objects relevant to E. coli biochemistry and a user interface, implemented in CLIM, that runs on the X-window system and generates graphical displays appropriate to biological objects. Each query to the EcoCyc WWW server is treated as a command to the EcoCyc program, which dynamically generates an appropriate CLIM drawing. CWEST translates that drawing, which can be a mixture of text and graphics, into the HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and/or the Graphics Interchange Format (GIF), which are returned to the client. Sensitive regions embedded in the CLIM drawing are converted to hyperlinks with Universal Resource Locators (URLs) that generate further EcoCyc queries. This tight coupling of CLIM output with Web output makes CLIM a powerful high-level programming tool for Web applications. The flexibility of Common Lisp and CLIM made implementation of the server tool surprisingly easy, requiring few changes to the existing EcoCyc program. The results can be seen at URL http: @www.ai.sri.com/ecocyc/browser.html. We have made CWEST available to the CLIM community at large, with the hope that it will spur other software developers to make their CLIM applications available over the WWW. PMID:8654966
World Wide Web interface for advanced SPECT reconstruction algorithms implemented on a remote massively parallel computer.
Formiconi, A R; Passeri, A; Guelfi, M R; Masoni, M; Pupi, A; Meldolesi, U; Malfetti, P; Calori, L; Guidazzoli, A
Data from Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) studies are blurred by inevitable physical phenomena occurring during data acquisition. These errors may be compensated by means of reconstruction algorithms which take into account accurate physical models of the data acquisition procedure. Unfortunately, this approach involves high memory requirements as well as a high computational burden which cannot be afforded by the computer systems of SPECT acquisition devices. In this work the possibility of accessing High Performance Computing and Networking (HPCN) resources through a World Wide Web interface for the advanced reconstruction of SPECT data in a clinical environment was investigated. An iterative algorithm with an accurate model of the variable system response was ported on the Multiple Instruction Multiple Data (MIMD) parallel architecture of a Cray T3D massively parallel computer. The system was accessible even from low cost PC-based workstations through standard TCP/IP networking. A speedup factor of 148 was predicted by the benchmarks run on the Cray T3D. A complete brain study of 30 (64 x 64) slices was reconstructed from a set of 90 (64 x 64) projections with ten iterations of the conjugate gradients algorithm in 9 s which corresponds to an actual speed-up factor of 135. The technique was extended to a more accurate 3D modeling of the system response for a true 3D reconstruction of SPECT data; the reconstruction time of the same data set with this more accurate model was 5 min. This work demonstrates the possibility of exploiting remote HPCN resources from hospital sites by means of low cost workstations using standard communication protocols and an user-friendly WWW interface without particular problems for routine use. PMID:9506406
Architecture for biomedical multimedia information delivery on the World Wide Web
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Long, L. Rodney; Goh, Gin-Hua; Neve, Leif; Thoma, George R.
Research engineers at the National Library of Medicine are building a prototype system for the delivery of multimedia biomedical information on the World Wide Web. This paper discuses the architecture and design considerations for the system, which will be used initially to make images and text from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) publicly available. We categorized our analysis as follows: (1) fundamental software tools: we analyzed trade-offs among use of conventional HTML/CGI, X Window Broadway, and Java; (2) image delivery: we examined the use of unconventional TCP transmission methods; (3) database manager and database design: we discuss the capabilities and planned use of the Informix object-relational database manager and the planned schema for the HNANES database; (4) storage requirements for our Sun server; (5) user interface considerations; (6) the compatibility of the system with other standard research and analysis tools; (7) image display: we discuss considerations for consistent image display for end users. Finally, we discuss the scalability of the system in terms of incorporating larger or more databases of similar data, and the extendibility of the system for supporting content-based retrieval of biomedical images. The system prototype is called the Web-based Medical Information Retrieval System. An early version was built as a Java applet and tested on Unix, PC, and Macintosh platforms. This prototype used the MiniSQL database manager to do text queries on a small database of records of participants in the second NHANES survey. The full records and associated x-ray images were retrievable and displayable on a standard Web browser. A second version has now been built, also a Java applet, using the MySQL database manager.
Obtaining Streamflow Statistics for Massachusetts Streams on the World Wide Web
Ries, Kernell G., III; Steeves, Peter A.; Freeman, Aleda; Singh, Raj
A World Wide Web application has been developed to make it easy to obtain streamflow statistics for user-selected locations on Massachusetts streams. The Web application, named STREAMSTATS (available at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/streamstats/massachusetts.html ), can provide peak-flow frequency, low-flow frequency, and flow-duration statistics for most streams in Massachusetts. These statistics describe the magnitude (how much), frequency (how often), and duration (how long) of flow in a stream. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has published streamflow statistics, such as the 100-year peak flow, the 7-day, 10-year low flow, and flow-duration statistics, for its data-collection stations in numerous reports. Federal, State, and local agencies need these statistics to plan and manage use of water resources and to regulate activities in and around streams. Engineering and environmental consulting firms, utilities, industry, and others use the statistics to design and operate water-supply systems, hydropower facilities, industrial facilities, wastewater treatment facilities, and roads, bridges, and other structures. Until now, streamflow statistics for data-collection stations have often been difficult to obtain because they are scattered among many reports, some of which are not readily available to the public. In addition, streamflow statistics are often needed for locations where no data are available. STREAMSTATS helps solve these problems. STREAMSTATS was developed jointly by the USGS and MassGIS, the State Geographic Information Systems (GIS) agency, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Departments of Environmental Management and Environmental Protection. The application consists of three major components: (1) a user interface that displays maps and allows users to select stream locations for which they want streamflow statistics (fig. 1), (2) a data base of previously published streamflow statistics and descriptive information for 725 USGS data
World-Wide and Regional Examination of Substrates Facilitating Timberline Expansion
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Johnson, A. C.; Yeakley, J. A.
Upward advance of timberlines, associated with climate warming, is occurring in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) as well as many other mountainous regions of the world. Examination of seedling establishment and survival of sensitive seedlings, rather than examination of older resilient trees, may give a clearer understanding of current climatic factors affecting potential expansion of timberline. Our investigation of seedling establishment along timberline edges in the PNW indicates that trees often germinate on small landforms known as microsites. Microsites include small convexities or concavities on the soil surface having a scale of centimeters to meters, but also include associations with slope, aspect, rocks or plants, or substrates dominated by mineral soil or wood. Growing on favorable microsites helps seedlings cope with some of the stresses that exist at high elevation sites including wind, cold temperatures, high radiation, drought, animal predation, and infestation by fungal pathogens found in snow and soil. Microsites, by providing warmer substrates, adequate moisture, and shelter, allow plants to function more affectively in mountain environments. Our summary of microsite type and associated timberline advance in a world-wide context indicates that factors such as snow accumulation, summer rainfall, and availability of microsites, will control timberline advance. In windswept timberline locations, rocks and plants provide shelter from wind and reduce the likelihood of night frost. In arid climates, concave microsites aid in snow deposition providing needed moisture to seedlings during periods of drought. In contrast, convex microsites and wood substrates, typical sites of regeneration in the PNW where precipitation typically exceeds 150 cm per year, facilitate early snow melt, thereby increasing growing season. Large trees at the edge of timberline fall into alpine meadows, decay, and provide sites for seedling establishment. These sites commonly called
Autonomous Satellite Command and Control through the World Wide Web: Phase 3
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Cantwell, Brian; Twiggs, Robert
NASA's New Millenium Program (NMP) has identified a variety of revolutionary technologies that will support orders of magnitude improvements in the capabilities of spacecraft missions. This program's Autonomy team has focused on science and engineering automation technologies. In doing so, it has established a clear development roadmap specifying the experiments and demonstrations required to mature these technologies. The primary developmental thrusts of this roadmap are in the areas of remote agents, PI/operator interface, planning/scheduling fault management, and smart execution architectures. Phases 1 and 2 of the ASSET Project (previously known as the WebSat project) have focused on establishing World Wide Web-based commanding and telemetry services as an advanced means of interfacing a spacecraft system with the PI and operators. Current automated capabilities include Web-based command submission, limited contact scheduling, command list generation and transfer to the ground station, spacecraft support for demonstrations experiments, data transfer from the ground station back to the ASSET system, data archiving, and Web-based telemetry distribution. Phase 2 was finished in December 1996. During January-December 1997 work was commenced on Phase 3 of the ASSET Project. Phase 3 is the subject of this report. This phase permitted SSDL and its project partners to expand the ASSET system in a variety of ways. These added capabilities included the advancement of ground station capabilities, the adaptation of spacecraft on-board software, and the expansion of capabilities of the ASSET management algorithms. Specific goals of Phase 3 were: (1) Extend Web-based goal-level commanding for both the payload PI and the spacecraft engineer; (2) Support prioritized handling of multiple PIs as well as associated payload experimenters; (3) Expand the number and types of experiments supported by the ASSET system and its associated spacecraft; (4) Implement more advanced resource
Educational Applications on the World Wide Web: An Example Using Amphion
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Friedman, Jane
There is a great deal of excitement about using the internet and the World Wide Web in education. There are such exciting possibilities and there is a wealth and variety of material up on the web. There are however many problems, problems of access and resources, problems of quality -- for every excellent resource there are many poor ones, and there are insufficiently explored problems of teacher training and motivation. For example, Wiesenmayer and Meadows report on a study of 347 West Virginia science teachers. These teachers were enrolled in a week-long summer workshop to introduce them to the internet and its educational potential. The teachers were asked to review science sites as to overall quality and then about their usefulness in their own classrooms. The teachers were enthusiastic about the web, and gave two-thirds of the sites high ratings, and essentially all the rest average ratings. But alarmingly, over 80% of these sites were viewed as having no direct applicability in the teacher's own classroom. This summer I was assigned to work on the Amphion project in the Automated Software Engineering Group under the leadership of Michael Lowry. I wished to find educational applications of the Amphion system, which in its current implementation can be used to create fortran programs and animations using the SPICE libraries created by the NAIF group at JPL. I wished to find an application which provided real added educational value, which was in line with educational curriculum standards and which would serve a documented need of the educational community. The application selected was teaching about the causes of the seasons -- at the approximately the fourth, fifth, sixth grade level. This topic was chosen because it is in line with national curriculum standards. The fourth, fifth, sixth grade level was selected to coincide with the grade level served by the Ames Aerospace Encounter, which services 10,000 children a year on field trips. The hope is that
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Agriculture within the United States is varied and produces a large value ($200 billion in 2002) of production across a wide range of plant and animal production systems. Because of this diversity, changes in climate will likely impact agriculture throughout the United States. Climate affects crop, ...
Enhancing Student Performance in First-Semester General Chemistry Using Active Feedback through the World Wide Web
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chambers, Kent A.; Blake, Bob
The World Wide Web recently launched a new interactive feedback system for the instructors, so that can better understanding about their students and their problems. The feedback, in combination with tailored lectures is expected to enhance student performance in the first semester of general chemistry.
Evaluation of World Wide Web Delivered University Courseware: Creating an Instrument Appropriate for a New Course Delivery Medium.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Izat, James G.; McKinzie, LeAnn; Mize, Charles D.; McCallie, Trey
This research, performed during 1998 and 1999, had as its purpose the development and validation of a course/instructor evaluation instrument specifically for use with graduate and undergraduate courses delivered online via the World Wide Web. The primary goal of the study was to develop an instrument that would collect valid perception data from…
Using the World Wide Web To Promote Literacy Development and Learning Communities: Guidelines and Directions for Teachers.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Maring, Gerald H.; And Others
Suggesting that the World Wide Web (WWW) is a tool that "ordinary" teachers and students can use to promote content learning and literacy development, this paper describes how the WWW can serve as a catalyst and tool for intermediate-grade teachers on up to share ideas and improve literacy. After briefly discussing recent articles in the…
An Exploratory Survey of Digital Libraries on the World Wide Web: Art and Literature of the Early Italian Renaissance.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McKibben, Suzanne J.
This study assessed the ongoing development of digital libraries (DLs) on the World Wide Web. DLs of art and literature were surveyed for selected works from the early Italian Renaissance in order to gain insight into the current trends prevalent throughout the larger population of DLs. The following artists and authors were selected for study:…
Students' Perceptions of the Effectiveness of the World Wide Web as a Research and Teaching Tool in Science Learning.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ng, Wan; Gunstone, Richard
Investigates the use of the World Wide Web (WWW) as a research and teaching tool in promoting self-directed learning groups of 15-year-old students. Discusses the perceptions of students of the effectiveness of the WWW in assisting them with the construction of knowledge on photosynthesis and respiration. (Contains 33 references.) (Author/YDS)
Error Analysis in Japanese Writing and Its Implementation in a Computer Assisted Language Learning System on the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Yang, Jie Chi; Akahori, Kanji
Describes development and evaluation of an error analysis procedure for a computer-assisted language learning program using natural language processing techniques. The program can be used for learning passive voice in Japanese on any World Wide Web browser. The program enables learners to type sentences freely, detects errors, and displays…
Searching Smart on the World Wide Web. Tools and Techniques for Getting Quality Results. Internet Workshop Series No. 8.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gould, Cheryl
An adaptation of a live workshop, this guide offers pertinent information and practical techniques for users to become proficient searchers and conscious evaluators of World Wide Web resources. The book does not provide comprehensive coverage of the Internet, rather it gives the exact amount and level of information needed to perform a successful…
Publishing on the WWW. Part 5 - A brief history of the Internet and the World Wide Web
Grech, V
This article focuses on the history of the Internet and the World Wide Web, the media that in recent years have created the concept of objects existing 'on-line' in a virtual computer environment. These objects naturally include on-line journals such as Images in Paediatric Cardiology. PMID:22368602
Panning for Gold: Utility of the World Wide Web for Metadata and Authority Control in Special Collections.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ellero, Nadine P.
Describes the use of the World Wide Web as a name authority resource and tool for special collections' analytic-level cataloging, based on experiences at The Claude Moore Health Sciences Library. Highlights include primary documents and metadata; authority control and the Web as authority source information; and future possibilities. (Author/LRW)
Surfing for Substance: A Professional Development Guide to Integrating the World Wide Web into Adult Literacy Instruction.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hacker, Emily; Capehart, Mary Ann
The guide is designed to assist adult literacy and English-as-a-Second-Language staff developers, teachers, and administrators in using the World Wide Web as an instructional resource and to construct meaningful Web-based instructional activities and projects. It is divided into six sections. The first gives an overview of the varied capabilities…
ETDEWEB versus the World-Wide-Web: a specific database/web comparison
Cutler, D.
A study was performed comparing user search results from the specialized scientific database on energy-related information, ETDEWEB, with search results from the internet search engines Google and Google Scholar. The primary objective of the study was to determine if ETDEWEB (the Energy Technology Data Exchange – World Energy Base) continues to bring the user search results that are not being found by Google and Google Scholar. As a multilateral information exchange initiative, ETDE's member countries and partners contribute cost- and task-sharing resources to build the largest database of energy-related information in the world. As of early 2010, the ETDEWEB database has 4.3 million citations to world-wide energy literature. One of ETDEWEB's strengths is its focused scientific content and direct access to full text for its grey literature (over 300,000 documents in PDF available for viewing from the ETDE site and over a million additional links to where the documents can be found at research organizations and major publishers globally). Google and Google Scholar are well-known for the wide breadth of the information they search, with Google bringing in news, factual and opinion-related information, and Google Scholar also emphasizing scientific content across many disciplines. The analysis compared the results of 15 energy-related queries performed on all three systems using identical words/phrases. A variety of subjects was chosen, although the topics were mostly in renewable energy areas due to broad international interest. Over 40,000 search result records from the three sources were evaluated. The study concluded that ETDEWEB is a significant resource to energy experts for discovering relevant energy information. For the 15 topics in this study, ETDEWEB was shown to bring the user unique results not shown by Google or Google Scholar 86.7% of the time. Much was learned from the study beyond just metric comparisons. Observations about the strengths of each
Estimates of the world-wide prevalence of cancer for 25 sites in the adult population.
Pisani, Paola; Bray, Freddie; Parkin, D Maxwell
In health services planning, in addition to the basic measures of disease occurrence incidence and mortality, other indexes expressing the demand of care are also required to develop strategies for service provision. One of these is prevalence of the disease, which measures the absolute number, and relative proportion in the population, of individuals affected by the disease and that require some form of medical attention. For most cancer sites, cases surviving 5 years from diagnosis experience thereafter the same survival as the general population, so most of the workload is therefore due to medical acts within these first 5 years. This article reports world-wide estimates of 1-, 2-3- and 4-5-year point prevalence in 1990 in the population aged 15 years or over, and hence describes the number of cancer cases diagnosed between 1986 and 1990 who were still alive at the end of 1990. These estimates of prevalence at 1, 2-3 and 4-5 years are applicable to the evaluation of initial treatment, clinical follow-up and point of cure, respectively, for the majority of cancers. We describe the computational procedure and data sources utilised to obtain these figures and compare them with data published by 2 cancer registries. The highest prevalence of cancer is in North America with 1.5% of the population affected and diagnosed in the previous 5 years (about 0.5% of the population in years 4-5 and 2-3 of follow-up and 0.4% within the first year of diagnosis). This corresponds to over 3.2 million individuals. Western Europe and Australia and New Zealand show very similar percentages with 1.2% and 1.1% of the population affected (about 3.9 and 0.2 million cases respectively). Japan and Eastern Europe form the next batch with 1.0% and 0.7%, followed by Latin America and the Caribbean (overall prevalence of 0.4%), and all remaining regions are around 0.2%. Cancer prevalence in developed countries is very similar in men and women, 1.1% of the sex-specific population, while in
The "Athena Framework": Solving the World-wide Climate and Energy Problem
Long, J S
The energy systems we have enjoyed for the last 100 years has resulted in the advanced standard of living in the developed world and a major emerging problem with climate change. Now we face a simultaneous realization that our reliance on fossil fuels is a source of conflict and economic disruption as well as causing potentially catastrophic global climate change. It is time to give serious thought to how to collectively solve this problem. Collective action is critical since individual effort by one or only a few nations cannot adequately address the issue.
AAS Publishing: What Can WorldWide Telescope Do for You?
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kohler, Susanna
During the 227th American Astronomical Society meeting last week in Kissimmee, the AAS announced the exciting news that it will become the new institutional home of Microsofts WorldWide Telescope (WWT) astronomy software.WWT is a scriptable and interactive way of browsing the multi-wavelength sky as it is seen from Earth, and the universe as we would travel within it. WWT can be run either as a desktop app or from within an internet browser. And of interest to researchers especially its an incredibly useful way to visualize and contextualize astronomical data.What does WWTs transition to the AAS as its new host mean? WWT was open-sourced by Microsoft Research last year, and hosting by the AAS will permit broad community involvement in the form of contribution of both code and guidance in WWTs further development.All of this begs the question: why might YOU want to use WWT? That depends on whether your goal is to use it for research, education, or just for fun.WWT for ResearchIfyou thought WWT was just for education and outreach, think again! Here are just a few things you can do with WWT to advance your astronomical research1:1) Put surveys into context, on top of more than 40 different all-sky images, spanning the electromagnetic spectrum.2) Perform literature searches from the sky.3) Compare images and catalogs at different wavelengths, on-the-fly in seconds.4) Show your own online data to the world, in an API that allows users to see it on the sky in their browsers.5) Communicate to colleagues and learners about the sky using interactive tours of your data and ideas.An example of WWT used to perform astronomy research is the recently highlighted work on the bones of the Milky Way, in which the authors used WWT to overlay multiple data sets and visually identify and then search for infrared dark clouds along the predicted positions of Milky Way spiral arms.An example of WWT used to communicate research is given in this paper, wherein a link in the caption of a
Use of the World Wide Web in Lower-Division Chemistry Courses
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Stevens, Karen E.; Stevens, Richard E.
Recent articles have identified the plethora of chemical information existing currently on the World-Wide Web (WWW) available via the Internet (1). This information medium is particularly valuable because it represents a very up-to-date source of information. Site managers can update information and it can be "instantaneously visited" by someone. As an example, several current topics of chemical significance were highlighted in a nonmajor chemistry class held in January 1996 at our college. December 31, 1995, represented the last day that leaded gasoline could be sold for use in automobiles. In early January, the FDA approved the synthetic fat olestra for use in snack foods. Both of these topics provoked great interest in students as they brought up issues of relevance and interest to their lives that were currently being discussed in the news. The WWW was utilized extensively as a source of information and current updates. Print media, such as texts and reference manuals, have a much longer "lag-time" before current information can be typeset, printed, and accessed by a researcher. Previous articles (1, 2) have focused on Internet use for upper-division classes, but we have found a useful way to bring the Internet into nonmajor and freshman level classes composed of 20-50 students. The student assignment was to find information on a chemical topic currently in the news by using the WWW and use that information to write a 2-3 page essay (3, 4). Using the Internet to find information presents one issue not previously encountered when using encyclopedias, reference books, or textbooks, but an issue raised in previous editorials in this Journal (5, 6). That difference is that virtually anyone can post information on the WWW. Thus, the WWW can have governmental organizations, environmental groups, large corporations, or just individuals posting their views. Hence, when searching a particular topic, students might find a very factual article, or they might find a very
AAS Publishing: What Can WorldWide Telescope Do for You?
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kohler, Susanna
During the 227th American Astronomical Society meeting last week in Kissimmee, the AAS announced the exciting news that it will become the new institutional home of Microsofts WorldWide Telescope (WWT) astronomy software.WWT is a scriptable and interactive way of browsing the multi-wavelength sky as it is seen from Earth, and the universe as we would travel within it. WWT can be run either as a desktop app or from within an internet browser. And of interest to researchers especially its an incredibly useful way to visualize and contextualize astronomical data.What does WWTs transition to the AAS as its new host mean? WWT was open-sourced by Microsoft Research last year, and hosting by the AAS will permit broad community involvement in the form of contribution of both code and guidance in WWTs further development.All of this begs the question: why might YOU want to use WWT? That depends on whether your goal is to use it for research, education, or just for fun.WWT for ResearchIfyou thought WWT was just for education and outreach, think again! Here are just a few things you can do with WWT to advance your astronomical research1:1) Put surveys into context, on top of more than 40 different all-sky images, spanning the electromagnetic spectrum.2) Perform literature searches from the sky.3) Compare images and catalogs at different wavelengths, on-the-fly in seconds.4) Show your own online data to the world, in an API that allows users to see it on the sky in their browsers.5) Communicate to colleagues and learners about the sky using interactive tours of your data and ideas.An example of WWT used to perform astronomy research is the recently highlighted work on the bones of the Milky Way, in which the authors used WWT to overlay multiple data sets and visually identify and then search for infrared dark clouds along the predicted positions of Milky Way spiral arms.An example of WWT used to communicate research is given in this paper, wherein a link in the caption of a
An Ontology of Quality Initiatives and a Model for Decentralized, Collaborative Quality Management on the (Semantic) World Wide Web
This editorial provides a model of how quality initiatives concerned with health information on the World Wide Web may in the future interact with each other. This vision fits into the evolving "Semantic Web" architecture - ie, the prospective that the World Wide Web may evolve from a mess of unstructured, human-readable information sources into a global knowledge base with an additional layer providing richer and more meaningful relationships between resources. One first prerequisite for forming such a "Semantic Web" or "web of trust" among the players active in quality management of health information is that these initiatives make statements about themselves and about each other in a machine-processable language. I present a concrete model on how this collaboration could look, and provide some recommendations on what the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) and other policy makers in this framework could be. PMID:11772549
Singapore National Medical Image Resource Centre (SN.MIRC): a world wide web resource for radiology education.
Yang, Guo-Liang; Lim, C C Tchoyoson
Radiology education is heavily dependent on visual images, and case-based teaching files comprising medical images can be an important tool for teaching diagnostic radiology. Currently, hardcopy film is being rapidly replaced by digital radiological images in teaching hospitals, and an electronic teaching file (ETF) library would be desirable. Furthermore, a repository of ETFs deployed on the World Wide Web has the potential for e-learning applications to benefit a larger community of learners. In this paper, we describe a Singapore National Medical Image Resource Centre (SN.MIRC) that can serve as a World Wide Web resource for teaching diagnostic radiology. On SN.MIRC, ETFs can be created using a variety of mechanisms including file upload and online form-filling, and users can search for cases using the Medical Image Resource Center (MIRC) query schema developed by the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The system can be improved with future enhancements, including multimedia interactive teaching files and distance learning for continuing professional development. However, significant challenges exist when exploring the potential of using the World Wide Web for radiology education. PMID:17006584
Automated generation of a World Wide Web-based data entry and check program for medical applications.
Kiuchi, T; Kaihara, S
The World Wide Web-based form is a promising method for the construction of an on-line data collection system for clinical and epidemiological research. It is, however, laborious to prepare a common gateway interface (CGI) program for each project, which the World Wide Web server needs to handle the submitted data. In medicine, it is even more laborious because the CGI program must check deficits, type, ranges, and logical errors (bad combination of data) of entered data for quality assurance as well as data length and meta-characters of the entered data to enhance the security of the server. We have extended the specification of the hypertext markup language (HTML) form to accommodate information necessary for such data checking and we have developed software named AUTOFORM for this purpose. The software automatically analyzes the extended HTML form and generates the corresponding ordinary HTML form, 'Makefile', and C source of CGI programs. The resultant CGI program checks the entered data through the HTML form, records them in a computer, and returns them to the end-user. AUTOFORM drastically reduces the burden of development of the World Wide Web-based data entry system and allows the CGI programs to be more securely and reliably prepared than had they been written from scratch. PMID:9034677
Future Public Policy and Ethical Issues Facing the Agricultural and Microbial Genomics Sectors of the Biotechnology Industry: A Roundtable Discussion
Diane E. Hoffmann
On September 12, 2003, the University of Maryland School of Law's Intellectual Property and Law & Health Care Programs jointly sponsored and convened a roundtable discussion on the future public policy and ethical issues that will likely face the agricultural and microbial genomics sectors of the biotechnology industry. As this industry has developed over the last two decades, societal concerns have moved from what were often local issues, e.g., the safety of laboratories where scientists conducted recombinant DNA research on transgenic microbes, animals and crops, to more global issues. These newer issues include intellectual property, international trade, risks of genetically engineered foods and microbes, bioterrorism, and marketing and labeling of new products sold worldwide. The fast paced nature of the biotechnology industry and its new developments often mean that legislators, regulators and society, in general, must play ''catch up'' in their efforts to understand the issues, the risks, and even the benefits, that may result from the industry's new ways of conducting research, new products, and novel methods of product marketing and distribution. The goal of the roundtable was to develop a short list of the most significant public policy and ethical issues that will emerge as a result of advances in these sectors of the biotechnology industry over the next five to six years. More concretely, by ''most significant'' the conveners meant the types of issues that would come to the attention of members of Congress or state legislators during this time frame and for which they would be better prepared if they had well researched and timely background information. A concomitant goal was to provide a set of focused issues for academic debate and scholarship so that policy makers, industry leaders and regulators would have the intellectual resources they need to better understand the issues and concerns at stake. The goal was not to provide answers to any of the
Possible world-wide middle miocene iridium anomaly and its relationship to periodicity of impacts and extinctions
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Asaro, F.; Alvarez, W.; Michel, H. V.; Alvarez, L. W.; Anders, Mark H.; Montanari, A.; Kennett, James P.
In a study of one million years of Middle Miocene sediment deposition in ODP Hole 689B in the Weddell Sea near Antarctica, a single iridium (Ir) anomaly of 44 (+ or - 10) x 10 to the 12th gram Ir per gram rock (ppt) was observed in core 6H, section 3, 50 to 60 cm, after background contributions associated with manganese precipitates and clay are subtracted. The ODP Hole 689B is 10,000 km away from another site, DSDP Hole 588B in the Tasman Sea north of New Zealand, where a single Ir anomaly of 144 + or - 7 ppt over a background of 11 ppt was found in an earlier study of 3 million years of deposition. From chemical measurements the latter deposition was thought to be impact-related. Ir measurements were made, following neutron activation, with the Iridium Coincidence Spectrometer. The age vs depth calibration curves given in the DSDP and ODP preliminary reports indicate the ages of the Iranomalies are identical, 11.7 million years, but the absolute and relative uncertainties in the curves are not known. Based on the newest age data the age estimate is 10 million years. As the Ir was deposited at the two sites at about the same time and they are one quarter of the way around the world from each other it seems likely that the deposition was world-wide. The impact of a large asteroid or comet could produce the wide distribution, and this data is supportive of the impact relationship deduced for Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) 588B from the chemical evidence. If the surface densities of Ir at the two sites are representative of the world-wide average, the diameter of a Cl type asteroid containing the necessary Ir would be 3 + or - 1 km, which is large enough to cause world-wide darkness and hence extinctions although the latter point is disputed.
A framework for the creation of user-oriented medical textbooks on the World-Wide-Web.
Prevelakis, V; Vassilakopoulos, G
The use of the World Wide Web as a medium for the dissemination of course textbooks has proved to be effective both pedagogically and in terms of cost. However, there are some limitations inherent in this approach. In this paper we discuss the issues involved in the production of network accessible textbooks and present a framework which attempts to address the limitations of existing schemes through the use of a view-filter mechanism. We describe our proposal from a conceptual viewpoint and then discuss its applicability through the presentation of a prototype system. Finally, conclusions are drawn and future plans discussed. PMID:10947653
The PEP-II/BaBar Project-Wide Database using World Wide Web and Oracle*Case
Chan, A.; Crane, G.; MacGregor, I.; Meyer, S.
The PEP-II/BaBar Project Database is a tool for monitoring the technical and documentation aspects of the accelerator and detector construction. It holds the PEP-II/BaBar design specifications, fabrication and installation data in one integrated system. Key pieces of the database include the machine parameter list, components fabrication and calibration data, survey and alignment data, property control, CAD drawings, publications and documentation. This central Oracle database on a UNIX server is built using Oracle*Case tools. Users at the collaborating laboratories mainly access the data using World Wide Web (WWW). The Project Database is being extended to link to legacy databases required for the operations phase.
The exon 55 deletion in the nebulin gene--one single founder mutation with world-wide occurrence.
Lehtokari, Vilma-Lotta; Greenleaf, Rebecca S; DeChene, Elizabeth T; Kellinsalmi, Mutsumi; Pelin, Katarina; Laing, Nigel G; Beggs, Alan H; Wallgren-Pettersson, Carina
In 2004, Anderson et al. reported a homozygous 2502 bp deletion including exon 55 of the nebulin gene in five Ashkenazi Jewish probands with nemaline myopathy. We determined the occurrence of this deletion in a world-wide series of 355 nemaline myopathy probands with no previously known mutation in other genes and found the mutation in 14 probands, two of whom represented families previously ascertained by Anderson et al. Two of the families were not of known Ashkenazi Jewish descent but they had the haplotype known to segregate with this mutation. In all but two of eight homozygous patients, the clinical picture was more severe than in typical nemaline myopathy. PMID:19232495
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Agriculture in grassland environments is facing multiple stresses from: shifting demographics, declining and fragmented agricultural landscapes, declining environmental quality, variable and changing climate, volatile and increasing energy costs, marginal economic returns, and globalization. Degrad...
Students' Perceptions of the Effectiveness of the World Wide Web as a Research and Teaching Tool in Science Learning
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ng, Wan; Gunstone, Richard
Students often make little linkage from lesson to lesson on what they learn in the regular classroom. Having them take responsibility for what they are learning is one way of having them think and connect these thoughts together. This qualitative study looks at the use of the World Wide Web (WWW) as a research and teaching tool in promoting self-directed learning in a group of 15 year old students. The perceptions of students on the effectiveness of the World Wide Web in assisting them with the construction of knowledge on Photosynthesis and Respiration are reported and discussed in this paper. The study showed that the students found that the WWW had a number of positive effects on their learning including motivation for independent learning. However, the unedited and unstructured nature of the WWW meant that many of the sites they visited had information that was too difficult to understand and that time was required to improve technical and critical thinking skills to search effectively. The teacher's role as facilitator and guide was crucial to the success of their learning.
Medical computing over the World Wide Web: use of forms and CGI scripts for constructing medical algorithm Web pages.
Doyle, D J; Jarvis, B A; Ruskin, K J; Engel, T P
The development of the World Wide Web has led to an explosion of educational and clinical resources available via the Internet with minimal effort or special training. However, most of these Web pages contain only static information; few offer dynamic information shaped around clinical or laboratory test findings. In this report we show how this goal can be achieved with the design and construction of Medical Algorithm Web Pages (MAWP). Specifically, using Internet technologies known as forms and CGI scripts we demonstrate how one can implement medical algorithms remotely over the Internet's World Wide Web. To use a MAWP, one enters the URL for the site and then enters information according to the instructions presented there, usually by entering numbers and other information into fields displayed on screen. When all the data is entered, the user clicks on the SUBMIT icon, resulting in a new Web page being constructed "on-the-fly" containing diagnostic calculations and other information pertinent to the patient's clinical management. Four sample applications are presented in detail to illustrate the concept of a Medical Algorithm Web page: Computation of the alveolar-arterial oxygen tension difference using the alveolar gas equation; Computation of renal creatinine clearance; drug infusion calculation (micrograms/kilogram/minute); Computation of the renal failure index. PMID:10179110
A large-scale study of the world wide web: network correlation functions with scale-invariant boundaries
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ludueña, Guillermo A.; Meixner, Harald; Kaczor, Gregor; Gros, Claudius
We performed a large-scale crawl of the world wide web, covering 6.9 million domains and 57 million subdomains, including all high-traffic sites of the internet. We present a study of the correlations found between quantities measuring the structural relevance of each node in the network (the in- and out-degree, the local clustering coefficient, the first-neighbor in-degree and the Alexa rank). We find that some of these properties show strong correlation effects and that the dependencies occurring out of these correlations follow power laws not only for the averages, but also for the boundaries of the respective density distributions. In addition, these scale-free limits do not follow the same exponents as the corresponding averages. In our study we retain the directionality of the hyperlinks and develop a statistical estimate for the clustering coefficient of directed graphs. We include in our study the correlations between the in-degree and the Alexa traffic rank, a popular index for the traffic volume, finding non-trivial power-law correlations. We find that sites with more/less than about 103 links from different domains have remarkably different statistical properties, for all correlation functions studied, indicating towards an underlying hierarchical structure of the world wide web.
Comparison of student outcomes and preferences in a traditional vs. World Wide Web-based baccalaureate nursing research course.
Leasure, A R; Davis, L; Thievon, S L
The purpose of this project was to compare student outcomes in an undergraduate research course taught using both World Wide Web-based distance learning technology and traditional pedagogy. Reasons given for enrolling in the traditional classroom section included the perception of increased opportunity for interaction, decreased opportunity to procrastinate, immediate feedback, and more meaningful learning activities. Reasons for selecting the Web group section included cost, convenience, and flexibility. Overall, there was no significant difference in examination scores between the two groups on the three multiple-choice examinations or for the course grades (t = -.96, P = .343). Students who reported that they were self-directed and had the ability to maintain their own pace and avoid procrastination were most suited to Web-based courses. The Web-based classes can help provide opportunities for methods of communication that are not traditionally nurtured in traditional classroom settings. Secondary benefits of the World Wide Web-based course were to increase student confidence with the computer, and introduce them to skills and opportunities they would not have had in the classroom. Additionally, over time and with practice, student's writing skills improved. PMID:10782758
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Williams, Jennifer G.
High schools across the country are expanding their vocational course offerings through the Internet, closing the gap between small-town limitations and big-city opportunities. Even hands-on training is being offered online. (Author/JOW)
The anatomy of a World Wide Web library service: the BONES demonstration project. Biomedically Oriented Navigator of Electronic Services.
Schnell, E H
In 1994, the John A. Prior Health Sciences Library at Ohio State University began to develop a World Wide Web demonstration project, the Biomedically Oriented Navigator of Electronic Services (BONES). The initial intent of BONES was to facilitate the health professional's access to Internet resources by organizing them in a systematic manner. The project not only met this goal but also helped identify the resources needed to launch a full-scale Web library service. This paper discusses the tasks performed and resources used in the development of BONES and describes the creation and organization of documents on the BONES Web server. The paper also discusses the outcomes of the project and the impact on the library's staff and services. PMID:8547903
A model of clinical query management that supports integration of biomedical information over the World Wide Web.
Detmer, W. M.; Shortliffe, E. H.
A model of clinical query management is described that supports the integration of various types of biomedical information and the delivery of that information through a common interface. The model extends the architecture of the World Wide Web to include a Common Gateway Interface (CGI) mediator, which takes in user queries, performs syntactic and semantic processing to transform the input to a canonical form, selects the appropriate information sources to answer the query, translates the canonical query statement into a query of each information resource, queries the chosen information sources in parallel, and controls the analysis and display of results. We describe WebMedline, a CGI mediator that implements portions of this model, and discuss the benefits and limitations of this approach. PMID:8563422
Variations of the vertical cutoff rigidities for the world wide neutron monitor network during 1950-2020.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lev, Dorman
Vertical cutoff rigidities for the world wide neutron monitor network are obtained with one year resolution during the period of 1950-2020 by the method of trajectory calculations. The models of Definitive Geomagnetic Reference Field and International Geomagnetic Reference Field have been used. Besides, cutoff rigidities for the whole period were obtained using model by Tsyganenko Ts89 with involving yearly mean values of Kp index. In each case an estimation of penumbra contribution was made in approximation of flat and low spectra (index in variations spectrum 0 and -1) of cosmic ray variations. The results testify total decrease of cut off rigidities practically in the all locations, which is apparently connected to the common decrease of magnetic field in a considered period.
The efficacy of using search engines in procuring information about orthopaedic foot and ankle problems from the World Wide Web.
Nogler, M; Wimmer, C; Mayr, E; Ofner, D
This study has attempted to demonstrate the feasibility of obtaining information specific to foot and ankle orthopaedics from the World Wide Web (WWW). Six search engines (Lycos, AltaVista, Infoseek, Excite, Webcrawler, and HotBot) were used in scanning the Web for the following key words: "cavus foot," "diabetic foot," "hallux valgus,"and "pes equinovarus." Matches were classified by language, provider, type, and relevance to medical professionals or to patients. Sixty percent (407 sites) of the visited websites contained information intended for use by physicians and other medical professionals; 30% (206 sites) were related to patient information; 10% of the sites were not easily classifiable. Forty-one percent (169 sites) of the websites were commercially oriented homepages that included advertisements. PMID:10353772
Internet Technology in Magnetic Resonance: A Common Gateway Interface Program for the World-Wide Web NMR Spectrometer
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Buszko, Marian L.; Buszko, Dominik; Wang, Daniel C.
A custom-written Common Gateway Interface (CGI) program for remote control of an NMR spectrometer using a World Wide Web browser has been described. The program, running on a UNIX workstation, uses multiple processes to handle concurrent tasks of interacting with the user and with the spectrometer. The program's parent process communicates with the browser and sends out commands to the spectrometer; the child process is mainly responsible for data acquisition. Communication between the processes is via the shared memory mechanism. The WWW pages that have been developed for the system make use of the frames feature of web browsers. The CGI program provides an intuitive user interface to the NMR spectrometer, making, in effect, a complex system an easy-to-use Web appliance.
The low availability of metadata elements for evaluating the quality of medical information on the World Wide Web.
Shon, J; Musen, M A
A great barrier to the use of Internet resources for patient education is the concern over the quality of information available. We conducted a study to determine what information was available in Web pages, both within text and metadata source code, that could be used in the assessment of information quality. Analysis of pages retrieved from 97 unique sites using a simple keyword search for "breast cancer treatment" on a generic and a health-specific search engine revealed that basic publishing elements were present in low frequency: authorship (20%), attribution/references (32%), disclosure (41%), and currency (35%). Only one page retrieved contained all four elements. Automated extraction of metadata elements from the source code of 822 pages retrieved from five popular generic search engines revealed even less information. We discuss the design of a metadata-based system for the evaluation of quality of medical content on the World Wide Web that addresses current limitations in ensuring quality. PMID:10566500
Crystallography Open Database (COD): an open-access collection of crystal structures and platform for world-wide collaboration
Gražulis, Saulius; Daškevič, Adriana; Merkys, Andrius; Chateigner, Daniel; Lutterotti, Luca; Quirós, Miguel; Serebryanaya, Nadezhda R.; Moeck, Peter; Downs, Robert T.; Le Bail, Armel
Using an open-access distribution model, the Crystallography Open Database (COD, http://www.crystallography.net) collects all known 'small molecule / small to medium sized unit cell' crystal structures and makes them available freely on the Internet. As of today, the COD has aggregated ∼150 000 structures, offering basic search capabilities and the possibility to download the whole database, or parts thereof using a variety of standard open communication protocols. A newly developed website provides capabilities for all registered users to deposit published and so far unpublished structures as personal communications or pre-publication depositions. Such a setup enables extension of the COD database by many users simultaneously. This increases the possibilities for growth of the COD database, and is the first step towards establishing a world wide Internet-based collaborative platform dedicated to the collection and curation of structural knowledge. PMID:22070882
The World Wide Web: a review of an emerging internet-based technology for the distribution of biomedical information.
Lowe, H J; Lomax, E C; Polonkey, S E
The Internet is rapidly evolving from a resource used primarily by the research community to a true global information network offering a wide range of databases and services. This evolution presents many opportunities for improved access to biomedical information, but Internet-based resources have often been difficult for the non-expert to develop and use. The World Wide Web (WWW) supports an inexpensive, easy-to-use, cross-platform, graphic interface to the Internet that may radically alter the way we retrieve and disseminate medical data. This paper summarizes the Internet and hypertext origins of the WWW, reviews WWW-specific technologies, and describes current and future applications of this technology in medicine and medical informatics. The paper also includes an appendix of useful biomedical WWW servers. PMID:8750386
Mapping the footsteps of the green anole: A template for publishing ecological data on the World Wide Web
Carnes, E.T.; Truett, D.F.; Truett, L.F.
In the handful of years since the World Wide Web (WWW or Web) came into being, Web sites have developed at an astonishing rate. With the influx of Web pages comes a disparity of site types, including personal homepages, commercial sales sites, and educational data. The variety of sites and the deluge of information contained on the Web exemplify the individual nature of the WWW. Whereas some people argue that it is this eclecticism which gives the Web its charm, we propose that sites which are repositories of technical data would benefit from standardization. This paper proffers a methodology for publishing ecological research on the Web. The template we describe uses capabilities of HTML (the HyperText Markup Language) to enhance the value of the traditional scientific paper.
Climate change and Australian agriculture: a review of the threats facing rural communities and the health policy landscape.
Hanna, Elizabeth G; Bell, Erica; King, Debra; Woodruff, Rosalie
Population health is a function of social and environmental health determinants. Climate change is predicted to bring significant alterations to ecological systems on which human health and livelihoods depend; the air, water, plant, and animal health. Agricultural systems are intrinsically linked with environmental conditions, which are already under threat in much of southern Australian because of rising heat and protracted drying. The direct impact of increasing heat waves on human physiology and survival has recently been well studied. More diffusely, increasing drought periods may challenge the viability of agriculture in some regions, and hence those communities that depend on primary production. A worst case scenario may herald the collapse of some communities. Human health impacts arising from such transition would be profound. This article summarizes existing rural health challenges and presents the current evidence plus future predictions of climate change impacts on Australian agriculture to argue the need for significant augmentation of public health and existing health policy frameworks. The article concludes by suggesting that adaptation to climate change requires planning for worst case scenario outcomes to avert catastrophic impacts on rural communities. This will involve national policy planning as much as regional-level leadership for rapid development of adaptive strategies in agriculture and other key areas of rural communities. PMID:21242153
Affordances of students' using the World Wide Web as a publishing medium in project-based learning environments
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bos, Nathan Daniel
This dissertation investigates the emerging affordance of the World Wide Web as a place for high school students to become authors and publishers of information. Two empirical studies lay groundwork for student publishing by examining learning issues related to audience adaptation in writing, motivation and engagement with hypermedia, design, problem-solving, and critical evaluation. Two models of student publishing on the World Wide Web were investigated over the course of two 11spth grade project-based science curriculums. In the first curricular model, students worked in pairs to design informative hypermedia projects about infectious diseases that were published on the Web. Four case studies were written, drawing on both product- and process-related data sources. Four theoretically important findings are illustrated through these cases: (1) multimedia, especially graphics, seemed to catalyze some students' design processes by affecting the sequence of their design process and by providing a connection between the science content and their personal interest areas, (2) hypermedia design can demand high levels of analysis and synthesis of science content, (3) students can learn to think about science content representation through engagement with challenging design tasks, and (4) students' consideration of an outside audience can be facilitated by teacher-given design principles. The second Web-publishing model examines how students critically evaluate scientific resources on the Web, and how students can contribute to the Web's organization and usability by publishing critical reviews. Students critically evaluated Web resources using a four-part scheme: summarization of content, content, evaluation of credibility, evaluation of organizational structure, and evaluation of appearance. Content analyses comparing students' reviews and reviewed Web documents showed that students were proficient at summarizing content of Web documents, identifying their publishing
MedCIRCLE - Collaboration for Internet Rating, Certification, Labeling and Evaluation of Health Information on the Semantic World Wide Web
Eysenbach, G.; Köhler, Ch.; Roth-Berghofer, T.; Mayer, M.A.; Fiene, M.; Darmoni, S.
MedCIRCLE (www.medcircle.info) is a semantic web project to develop and promote technologies able to guide consumers to trustworthy health information on the Internet and to establish a global web of trust for networked health information. Gateway sites for consumer health information (CisMEF, AQUMED, Certified Medical Web Site Seal of METGES online) will use HIDDEL metadata (Health Information Disclosure, Description and Evaluation Language, expressed in XML/RDF Syntax) to make their annotation and evaluation data machine-processable and accessible for software-agents. Other health subject gateways, accreditation, or rating services are invited to join the collaboration by implementing HIDDEL on their gateways. Expressing self-descriptive or third-party evaluations a machine-processable format allows intelligent agents or client-side software to harvest statements and opinions about the trustworthiness of other websites and assist users in selecting trustworthy websites. The MedCIRCLE project builds on, expands and continues work on rating health information on the Internet piloted within the MedCERTAIN project. While MedCERTAIN provided the core technologies and software for rating and "trustmarking" health information, MedCIRCLE is built around these technologies and involves a wider medical community to assess health information, demonstrating the power of collaborative and interoperable evaluations on the world-wide-web. Other specific aims include refinement and expansion of HIDDEL, to become a standard vocabulary and interchange format for self- and third-party ratings of health information.
A Java viewer to publish Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) radiologic images on the World Wide Web.
Setti, E; Musumeci, R
The world wide web is an exciting service that allows one to publish electronic documents made of text and images on the internet. Client software called a web browser can access these documents, and display and print them. The most popular browsers are currently Microsoft Internet Explorer (Microsoft, Redmond, WA) and Netscape Communicator (Netscape Communications, Mountain View, CA). These browsers can display text in hypertext markup language (HTML) format and images in Joint Photographic Expert Group (JPEG) and Graphic Interchange Format (GIF). Currently, neither browser can display radiologic images in native Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) format. With the aim to publish radiologic images on the internet, we wrote a dedicated Java applet. Our software can display radiologic and histologic images in DICOM, JPEG, and GIF formats, and provides a a number of functions like windowing and magnification lens. The applet is compatible with some web browsers, even the older versions. The software is free and available from the author. PMID:11442108
First world wide annual time-series of silica production and dissolution rates in a coastal ecosystem
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Beucher, C.; Treguer, P.; Corvaisier, R.
This study was conducted, from April 2001 to April 2002, in the surface waters of SOMLIT-Brest station located at the outlet of the bay of Brest, a well-mixed anthropogenically nitrate-enriched macrotidal ecosystem, typical of western Europe. This study presents: (1) the first world wide annual time-series of the weekly variability of the rates of production (P) and dissolution (D) of biosilica (BSiO2) measured using 30Si stable isotope technique and validated by mass balance, and (2) the first evidence of the end of the year-round dominance of diatoms in this ecosystem. From spring to mid-summer the successive phytoplankton blooms were dominated by diatoms. The silicic acid concentration, although severely depleted relative to winter, was not completely exhausted (mean: 1.62 µM); the BSiO2 concentration, production and dissolution rates were high, averaging 1.26 µmol L-1, 0.96 µmol L-1 d-1, and 0.40 µmol L-1 d-1, respectively. From mid-summer to mid-fall the non-siliceous phytoplankters predominated, silicic acid being poorly used (mean : 4.67 µM); the BSiO2 concentration, production and dissolution rates were low averaging 0.69 µmol L-1, 0.10 µmol L-1 d-1, and 0.04 µmol L-1 d-1, respectively. The shift from diatoms to dinoflagellates dominance was under bottom-up control (phosphate and dissolved inorganic nitrogen being at limiting concentrations contrary to silicic acid).
Spatial-temporal scales of synchrony in marine zooplankton biomass and abundance patterns: A world-wide comparison
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Batchelder, Harold P.; Mackas, David L.; O'Brien, Todd D.
Large scale synchrony in the fluctuations of abundance or biomass of marine fish populations in regions on opposite sides of an ocean basin or in different oceans have been viewed as externally forced by correlated environmental stochasticity (e.g., common external forcing), most often as atmospheric teleconnections of basin-to-global scale atmospheric forcing, such as the Arctic Oscillation, North Atlantic Oscillation or the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. Specific causal mechanisms have been difficult to unequivocally discover, but possible mechanisms include influences on habitat temperatures, productivity operating through bottom-up (trophodynamic) mechanisms or direct climate influence on the fish populations (top-down mechanisms). For small pelagic fishes (sardines and anchovies) in widely separated large marine ecosystems that lack obvious ocean interconnectivity, it has been argued that the teleconnections may be atmospheric, acting on the fishes directly and propagating to the ecosystem from the middle out (wasp-waist species). Zooplankton biomass or abundance time series data from >100 sites world-wide are used to examine the spatial scales of coherent temporal synchrony. If spatially correlated environmental factors (like climate) are important for creating synchrony in fish populations via bottom-up effects (trophic interactions involving fish prey, e.g., zooplankton), then we would expect to observe synchrony in fluctuations of zooplankton biomass/numbers at spatial scales similar to those found for fish species. Zooplankton biomass/abundance have 50% spatial decorrelation scales of ca. 700-1400 km and scales of significant coherence that extend to separation distances of ca. 3000 km. These are also the spatial scales of environmental (sea surface temperature) synchrony from our global analysis. These scales are slightly greater than the 50% decorrelation scales of ca. 150-700 km for recruitment synchrony in Atlantic marine fish and survival and
Evolution and connectivity in the world-wide migration system of the mallard: Inferences from mitochondrial DNA
Background Main waterfowl migration systems are well understood through ringing activities. However, in mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) ringing studies suggest deviations from general migratory trends and traditions in waterfowl. Furthermore, surprisingly little is known about the population genetic structure of mallards, and studying it may yield insight into the spread of diseases such as Avian Influenza, and in management and conservation of wetlands. The study of evolution of genetic diversity and subsequent partitioning thereof during the last glaciation adds to ongoing discussions on the general evolution of waterfowl populations and flyway evolution. Hypothesised mallard flyways are tested explicitly by analysing mitochondrial mallard DNA from the whole northern hemisphere. Results Phylogenetic analyses confirm two mitochondrial mallard clades. Genetic differentiation within Eurasia and North-America is low, on a continental scale, but large differences occur between these two land masses (FST = 0.51). Half the genetic variance lies within sampling locations, and a negligible portion between currently recognised waterfowl flyways, within Eurasia and North-America. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) at continent scale, incorporating sampling localities as smallest units, also shows the absence of population structure on the flyway level. Finally, demographic modelling by coalescence simulation proposes a split between Eurasia and North-America 43,000 to 74,000 years ago and strong population growth (~100fold) since then and little migration (not statistically different from zero). Conclusions Based on this first complete assessment of the mallard's world-wide population genetic structure we confirm that no more than two mtDNA clades exist. Clade A is characteristic for Eurasia, and clade B for North-America although some representatives of clade A are also found in North-America. We explain this pattern by evaluating competing hypotheses and conclude that a
How To Succeed in Promoting Your Web Site: The Impact of Search Engine Registration on Retrieval of a World Wide Web Site.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tunender, Heather; Ervin, Jane
Character strings were planted in a World Wide Web site (Project Whistlestop) to test indexing and retrieval rates of five Web search tools (Lycos, infoseek, AltaVista, Yahoo, Excite). It was found that search tools indexed few of the planted character strings, none indexed the META descriptor tag, and only Excite indexed into the 3rd-4th site…
Beyond Piñatas, Fortune Cookies, and Wooden Shoes: Using the World Wide Web to Help Children Explore the Whole Wide World
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kirkwood, Donna; Shulsky, Debra; Willis, Jana
The advent of technology and access to the internet through the World Wide Web have stretched the traditional ways of teaching social studies beyond classroom boundaries. This article explores how teachers can create authentic and contextualized cultural studies experiences for young children by integrating social studies and technology. To…
Global detection of explosive volcanic eruptions with the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) and application to aviation safety (Invited)
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ewert, J. W.; Holzworth, R. H.; Diefenbach, A. K.
The hazards of volcanic ash to modern aviation are now widely known, and there is a concerted global effort on the part of volcano observatories, meteorological services, and civil aviation authorities to keep aircraft out of harm's way. A major issue with providing rapid notification of dangerous eruptions is that only about 50% of the world's volcanoes that currently threaten air operations have any sort of ground-based, real-time monitoring; thus, timely detection of explosive eruptions is more difficult owing to reliance on satellite remote sensing. We have been evaluating the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN, see http://wwlln.net) as a tool to detect volcanogenic lightning associated with explosive eruptions worldwide to aid rapid eruption reporting for aviation. The WWLLN has a data latency of one minute and thus can detect and report volcanogenic lightning in near-real time. We compared explosive volcanic activity worldwide (data from the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program, volcano observatory reports, Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) reports, and ancillary data sources) with the entire catalog of WWLLN data for 2008 and 2009 to determine the eruption-detection capabilities of the system. Duration and number of WWLLN lightning detections is positively correlated with eruption magnitude. In 2008 the WWLLN detected lightning from all eruptions VEI 4 or larger (Chaiten, Chile; Kasatochi and Okmok, Alaska, USA), as well as four out of six of the ~VEI 3 and two ~VEI 2 eruptions. In 2009 the WWLLN detected the single VEI 4 eruption (Sarychev Peak, Kurile Islands, Russia), four out six of the ~VEI 3 and a single VEI 2 eruption. At volcanoes where eruption-onset times are well determined by seismic or remote sensing means, lightning flashes started within 4 to 58 minutes of eruption onset. Lightning was detected from eruptions that produced ash clouds with heights that ranged from approximately 1-15 km above the vent, with most >9 km. Detected
A new generation of tools for search, recovery and quality evaluation of World Wide Web medical resources.
Aguillo, I
Although the Internet is already a valuable information resource in medicine, there are important challenges to be faced before physicians and general users will have extensive access to this information. As a result of a research effort to compile a health-related Internet directory, new tools and strategies have been developed to solve key problems derived from the explosive growth of medical information on the Net and the great concern over the quality of such critical information. The current Internet search engines lack some important capabilities. We suggest using second generation tools (client-side based) able to deal with large quantities of data and to increase the usability of the records recovered. We tested the capabilities of these programs to solve health-related information problems, recognising six groups according to the kind of topics addressed: Z39.50 clients, downloaders, multisearchers, tracing agents, indexers and mappers. The evaluation of the quality of health information available on the Internet could require a large amount of human effort. A possible solution may be to use quantitative indicators based on the hypertext visibility of the Web sites. The cybermetric measures are valid for quality evaluation if they are derived from indirect peer review by experts with Web pages citing the site. The hypertext links acting as citations need to be extracted from a controlled sample of quality super-sites. PMID:11142063
Does tree harvesting in riparian areas increase stream sedimentation and turbidity - world-wide experience relative to Australia.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Neary, D.; Smethurst, P.; Petrone, K.
retain 98% of the sediment entrained in runoff from agricultural sections of the catchment. This paper examines the science background from North American and European experiences relative to Australia, with particular emphasis on sediment relationships after tree harvesting using Best Management Practices.
Applying a toolkit for dissemination and analysis of near real-time data through the World Wide Web: integration of the Antelope Real Time System, ROADNet, and PHP
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Newman, R. L.; Lindquist, K. G.; Hansen, T. S.; Vernon, F. L.; Eakins, J.; Foley, S.; Orcutt, J.
The ROADNet project has enabled the acquisition and storage of diverse data streams through seamless integration of the Antelope Real Time System (ARTS) with (for example) ecological, seismological and geodetic instrumentation. The robust system architecture allows researchers to simply network data loggers with relational databases; however, the ability to disseminate these data to policy makers, scientists and the general public has (until recently) been provided on an 'as needed' basis. The recent development of a Datascope interface to the popular open source scripting language PHP has provided an avenue for presenting near real time data (such as integers, images and movies) from within the ARTS framework easily on the World Wide Web. The interface also indirectly provided the means to transform data types into various formats using the extensive function libraries that accompany a PHP installation (such as image creation and manipulation, data encryption for sensitive information, and XML creation for structured document interchange through the World Wide Web). Using a combination of Datascope and PHP library functions, an extensible tool-kit is being developed to allow data managers to easily present their products on the World Wide Web. The tool-kit has been modeled after the pre-existing ARTS architecture to simplify the installation, development and ease-of-use for both the seasoned researcher and the casual user. The methodology and results of building the applications that comprise the tool-kit are the focus of this presentation, including procedural vs. object oriented design, incorporation of the tool-kit into the existing contributed software libraries, and case-studies of researchers who are employing the tools to present their data. http://anf.ucsd.edu
Toward Robust Climate Baselining: Objective Assessment of Climate Change Using Widely Distributed Miniaturized Sensors for Accurate World-Wide Geophysical Measurements
DOE R&D Accomplishments Database
Teller, E.; Leith, C.; Canavan, G.; Marion, J.; Wood, L.
A gap-free, world-wide, ocean-, atmosphere-, and land surface-spanning geophysical data-set of three decades time-duration containing the full set of geophysical parameters characterizing global weather is the scientific perquisite for defining the climate; the generally-accepted definition in the meteorological community is that climate is the 30-year running-average of weather. Until such a tridecadal climate baseline exists, climate change discussions inevitably will have a semi-speculative, vs. a purely scientific, character, as the baseline against which changes are referenced will at least somewhat uncertain.
Assessing the quality of infertility resources on the World Wide Web: tools to guide clients through the maze of fact and fiction.
Okamura, Kyoko; Bernstein, Judith; Fidler, Anne T
The Internet has become a major source of health information for women, but information placed on the World Wide Web does not routinely undergo a peer review process before dissemination. In this study, we present an analysis of 197 infertility-related Web sites for quality and accountability, using JAMA's minimal core standards for responsible print. Only 2% of the web sites analyzed met all four recommended standards, and 50.8% failed to report any of the four. Commercial web sites were more likely to fail to meet minimum standards (71.2%) than those with educational (46.8%) or supportive (29.8%) elements. Web sites with educational and informational components were most common (70.6%), followed by commercial sites (52.8%) and sites that offered a forum for infertility support and activism (28.9%). Internet resources available to infertile patients are at best variable. The current state of infertility-related materials on the World Wide Web offers unprecedented opportunities to improve services to a growing number of e-health users. Because of variations in quality of site content, women's health clinicians must assume responsibility for a new role as information monitor. This study provides assessment tools clinicians can apply and share with clients. PMID:12138934
Texas Agricultural Science Teachers' Attitudes toward Information Technology
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Anderson, Ryan; Williams, Robert
The researchers sought to find the Agricultural Science teachers' attitude toward five innovations (Computer-Aided Design, Record Books, E-Mail Career Development Event Registration, and World Wide Web) of information technology. The population for this study consisted of all 333 secondary Agricultural science teachers from Texas FFA Areas V and…
EQInfo - earthquakes world-wide
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Weber, Bernd; Herrnkind, Stephan
EQInfo is a free Android app providing recent earthquake information from various earthquake monitoring centers as GFZ, EMSC, USGS and others. It allows filtering of agency, region and magnitude as well as controlling update interval, institute priority and alarm types. Used by more than 25k active users and beeing in the top ten list of Google Play, EQInfo is one of the most popular apps for earthquake information.
World-Wide Intelligent Textbooks
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Schwarz, Elmar; Brusilovsky, Peter; Weber, Gerhard
New WWW technologies allow for integrating distance education power of WWW with interactivity and intelligence. Integrating on-line presentation of learning materials with the interactivity of problem solving environments and the intelligence of intelligent tutoring systems results in a new quality of learning materials that we call I3-textbooks.…
Filtering Web pages for quality indicators: an empirical approach to finding high quality consumer health information on the World Wide Web.
Price, S. L.; Hersh, W. R.
The World Wide Web is an increasingly popular source for consumer health information, but many authors have expressed concerns about the quality of health information present on the Internet. We have developed a prototype system that responds to a consumer health query by returning a list of Web pages that are ranked according to the likely quality of the page contents. A computer program identifies some of the criteria that have been suggested for assessing the quality of health information on the Internet. It also identifies characteristics that may serve as proxies for desirable (or undesirable) qualities that are difficult to assess directly using an algorithm. Intervening in the search process and automatically analyzing the contents of each page returned by a general search engine may facilitate the search for high quality consumer health information on the Web. PMID:10566493
Molecular evidence for the predation of Critically Endangered endemic Aphanius transgrediens from the stomach contents of world wide invasive Gambusia affinis.
Keskin, Emre
Predation and competition among native and invasive species are difficult to study in aquatic environments. Identification of preys from semi-digested body parts sampled from stomach contents of the predator is very challenging. Recent studies were mainly based on use of DNA extracted from stomach content to identify the prey species. This study presents the molecular evidence that reveals the predation of critically endangered Aphanius transgrediens by world-wide invasive Gambusia affinis for a better understanding of the link between the invasion and the extinction of native species in freshwater ecosystems. DNA samples were extracted from semi-digested stomach contents of the invader and short fragments of mitochondrial NADH1 gene were amplified using species-specific primers designed in this study to make identification at species level. Existence of both the prey and the predator species were also confirmed using environmental DNA extracted from water samples. PMID:25082451
Social equity and access to the World Wide Web and E-mail: implications for design and implementation of medical applications.
Mandl, K. D.; Katz, S. B.; Kohane, I. S.
INTRODUCTION: The distribution and types of Internet connectivity will determine the equity of access by patient populations to emerging health technologies. We sought to measure the rates, types, and predictors of access in a patient population targeted for Web-based medical services. METHODS: Design. Cross sectional in-person interview. Setting. Emergency department of a large urban pediatric teaching hospital. Subjects. Primary caretakers of patients or patients at least 16 years old. Procedure and measures. Subjects were asked about access to e-mail and the Internet as well as about willingness to use and concerns about Web-based services. Views of equity and access and sociodemographic data were also elicited. RESULTS: 132 subjects were enrolled in the study. Of respondents, 67.2% use a computer and 36.4% can access the Internet or e-mail from home. Including Internet connections and/or e-mail accounts at work, school and public libraries, 50.7% of the sample has access. Forty percent of families have e-mail accounts. The rate at which families have connectivity is primarily correlated with income (r = 0.6, p < 0.01). At all income levels, rates of access to the World Wide Web are higher than to e-mail. White patients are much more likely to have e-mail (OR 5.0, 95% CI 2.4-10.8) and Web access (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.7-7.5). CONCLUSIONS: Connectivity is directly correlated with income and distributed unevenly across racial and ethnic groups. World Wide Web access is more prevalent than e-mail accounts, and both are often obtained outside the home. Design of health applications should account for these attributes of patient access. PMID:9929213
Partnerships---A Way of Making Astrophysics Research Accessible to the K--12 Community through the Internet and World Wide Web
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Hawkins, I.; Battle, R.; Miller-Bagwell, A.
We describe a partnership approach in use at UC Berkeley's Center for EUV Astrophysics (CEA) that facilitates the adaptation of astrophysics data and information---in particular from NASA's EUVE satellite---for use in the K--12 classroom. Our model is founded on a broad collaboration of personnel from research institutions, centers of informal science teaching, schools of education, and K--12 schools. Several CEA-led projects follow this model of collaboration and have yielded multimedia, Internet-based, lesson plans for grades 6 through 12 that are created and distributed on the World Wide Web (http://www.cea.berkeley.edu/Education). Use of technology in the classroom can foster an environment that more closely reflects the processes scientists use in doing research (Linn, diSessa, Pea, & Songer 1994, J.Sci.Ed.Tech., ``Can Research on Science Learning and Instruction Inform Standards for Science Education?"). For instance, scientists rely on technological tools to model, analyze, and ultimately store data. Linn et al. suggest introducing technological tools to students from the earliest years to facilitate scientific modeling, scientific collaborations, and electronic communications in the classroom. Our investigation aims to construct and evaluate a methodology for effective participation of scientists in K--12 education, thus facilitating fruitful interactions with teachers and other educators and increasing effective use of technology in the classroom. We describe several team-based strategies emerging from these project collaborations. These strategies are particular to the use of the Internet and World Wide Web as relatively new media for authoring K--12 curriculum materials. This research has been funded by NASA contract NAS5-29298, NASA grant ED-90033.01-94A to SSL/UCB, and NASA grants NAG5-2875 and NAGW-4174 to CEA/UCB.
Real-time, face recognition technology
Brady, S.
The Institute for Scientific Computing Research (ISCR) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory recently developed the real-time, face recognition technology KEN. KEN uses novel imaging devices such as silicon retinas developed at Caltech or off-the-shelf CCD cameras to acquire images of a face and to compare them to a database of known faces in a robust fashion. The KEN-Online project makes that recognition technology accessible through the World Wide Web (WWW), an internet service that has recently seen explosive growth. A WWW client can submit face images, add them to the database of known faces and submit other pictures that the system tries to recognize. KEN-Online serves to evaluate the recognition technology and grow a large face database. KEN-Online includes the use of public domain tools such as mSQL for its name-database and perl scripts to assist the uploading of images.
Agricultural Impacts on Water Resources: Recommendations for Successful Applied Research
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Harmel, D.
We, as water resource professionals, are faced with a truly monumental challenge - that is feeding the world's growing population and ensuring it has an adequate supply of clean water. As researchers and educators it is good for us to regularly remember that our research and outreach efforts are critical to people around the world, many of whom are desperate for solutions to water quality and supply problems and their impacts on food supply, land management, and ecosystem protection. In this presentation, recommendations for successful applied research on agricultural impacts on water resources will be provided. The benefits of building multidisciplinary teams will be illustrated with examples related to the development and world-wide application of the ALMANAC, SWAT, and EPIC/APEX models. The value of non-traditional partnerships will be shown by the Soil Health Partnership, a coalition of agricultural producers, chemical and seed companies, and environmental advocacy groups. The results of empowering decision-makers with useful data will be illustrated with examples related to bacteria source and transport data and the MANAGE database, which contains runoff nitrogen and phosphorus data for cultivated, pasture, and forest land uses. The benefits of focusing on sustainable solutions will be shown through examples of soil testing, fertilizers application, on-farm profit analysis, and soil health assessment. And the value of welcoming criticism will be illustrated by the development of a framework to estimate and publish uncertainty in measured discharge and water quality data. The good news for researchers is that the agricultural industry is faced with profitability concerns and the need to wisely utilize soil and water resources, and simultaneously state and federal agencies crave sound-science to improve decision making, policy, and regulation. Thus, the audience for and beneficiaries of agricultural research are ready and hungry for applied research results.
Selfie and the city: a world-wide, large, and ecologically valid database reveals a two-pronged side bias in naïve self-portraits.
Bruno, Nicola; Bertamini, Marco; Protti, Federica
Self-portraits are more likely to show the artist's right than left cheek. This phenomenon may have a psychobiological basis: Self-portraitists often copy their subject from mirrors and, if they prefer to present their left cheek (more expressive due to right-lateralization of emotions) to the mirror, this would result in a right-cheek bias in the painting. We tested this hypothesis using SelfieCity (3200 selfies posted on Instagram from December 4 through 12, 2013 from New York, Sao Paulo, Berlin, Moskow, and Bangkok), which includes two selfie-taking styles: a "standard" (photograph of selfie-taker) and a "mirror" (photograph of mirror reflection of selfie-taker) style. We show that the first style reveals a left cheek bias, whereas the second reveals a right cheek bias. Thus side biases observed in a world-wide, large, and ecologically valid database of naïve self-portraits provide strong support for a role of psychobiological factors in the artistic composition of self-portraits. PMID:25915767
Reliability of health information for the public on the World Wide Web: systematic survey of advice on managing fever in children at home.
Impicciatore, P.; Pandolfini, C.; Casella, N.; Bonati, M.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the reliability of healthcare information on the world wide web and therefore how it may help lay people cope with common health problems. METHODS: Systematic search by means of two search engines, Yahoo and Excite, of parent oriented web pages relating to home management of feverish children. Reliability of information on the web sites was checked by comparison with published guidelines. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Minimum temperature of child that should be considered as fever, optimal sites for measuring temperature, pharmacological and physical treatment of fever, conditions that may warrant a doctor's visit. RESULTS: 41 web pages were retrieved and considered. 28 web pages gave a temperature above which a child is feverish; 26 pages indicated the optimal site for taking temperature, most recommending rectal measurement; 31 of the 34 pages that mentioned drug treatment recommended paracetamol as an antipyretic; 38 pages recommended non-drug measures, most commonly tepid sponging, dressing lightly, and increasing fluid intake; and 36 pages gave some indication of when a doctor should be called. Only four web pages adhered closely to the main recommendations in the guidelines. The largest deviations were in sponging procedures and how to take a child's temperature, whereas there was a general agreement in the use of paracetamol. CONCLUSIONS: Only a few web sites provided complete and accurate information for this common and widely discussed condition. This suggests an urgent need to check public oriented healthcare information on the internet for accuracy, completeness, and consistency. PMID:9224132
Is there a species spectrum within the world-wide leaf economics spectrum? Major variations in leaf functional traits in the Mediterranean sclerophyll Quercus ilex.
Niinemets, Ulo
The leaf economics spectrum is a general concept describing coordinated variation in foliage structural, chemical and physiological traits across resource gradients. Yet, within this concept,the role of within-species variation, including ecotypic and plastic variation components, has been largely neglected. This study hypothesized that there is a within-species economics spectrum within the general spectrum in the evergreen sclerophyll Quercus ilex which dominates low resource ecosystems over an exceptionally wide range. An extensive database of foliage traits covering the full species range was constructed, and improved filtering algorithms were developed. Standardized data filtering was deemed absolutely essential as additional variation sources can result in trait variation of 10–300%,blurring the broad relationships. Strong trait variation, c. two-fold for most traits to up to almost an order of magnitude, was uncovered.Although the Q. ilex spectrum is part of the general spectrum, within-species trait and climatic relationships in this species partly differed from the overall spectrum. Contrary to world-wide trends, Q. ilex does not necessarily have a low nitrogen content per mass and can increase photosynthetic capacity with increasing foliage robustness. This study argues that the within-species economics spectrum needs to be considered in regional- to biome-level analyses. PMID:25580487
World-wide satellite night-light data as a proxy of society-hydrology interaction and vulnerability to flood risk
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ceola, S.; Laio, F.; Montanari, A.
The study and the analysis of the interactions and feedbacks between hydrology and society constitute the main issue of socio-hydrology. Recent flood events, which occurred across the globe, highlighted once again that mitigation strategies are needed to reduce flood risk. In particular, quick procedures for the identification of vulnerable human settlements and flood prone areas are a necessary tool to identify priorities for flood risk management. To this aim, a 19-year long period of world-wide night light data, as a proxy of human population, and the global river network have been examined. The spatio-temporal evolution of artificial luminosity depending on the distance from the river network has been assessed in order to quantitatively identify the likelihood for a populated pixel to be reached by water. The analysis focuses both on a global and on a local scale. Hotspots, such as highly illuminated areas and developing regions, have been also examined. The analysis shows an increment of yearly-averaged artificial luminosity from 1992 to 2010 (i.e. the time period of satellite data availability), whereas light intensity tends to decrease with increasing distance from the river network. The results thus reveal an increased vulnerability of human settlements to flooding events. A nearly 70-year long period of peace and the economic development after the Second World War could reasonably explain the observed enhancement of human population proximity to water bodies.
Selfie and the City: A World-Wide, Large, and Ecologically Valid Database Reveals a Two-Pronged Side Bias in Naïve Self-Portraits
Bruno, Nicola; Bertamini, Marco; Protti, Federica
Self-portraits are more likely to show the artist's right than left cheek. This phenomenon may have a psychobiological basis: Self-portraitists often copy their subject from mirrors and, if they prefer to present their left cheek (more expressive due to right-lateralization of emotions) to the mirror, this would result in a right-cheek bias in the painting. We tested this hypothesis using SelfieCity (3200 selfies posted on Instagram from December 4 through 12, 2013 from New York, Sao Paulo, Berlin, Moskow, and Bangkok), which includes two selfie-taking styles: a "standard" (photograph of selfie-taker) and a "mirror" (photograph of mirror reflection of selfie-taker) style. We show that the first style reveals a left cheek bias, whereas the second reveals a right cheek bias. Thus side biases observed in a world-wide, large, and ecologically valid database of naïve self-portraits provide strong support for a role of psychobiological factors in the artistic composition of self-portraits. PMID:25915767
Modeling groundwater quality in an arid agricultural environment in the face of an uncertain climate: the case of Mewat District, India
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Weber, M. C.; Ward, A. S.; Muste, M.
The salinization of groundwater resources is a widespread problem in arid agricultural environments. In Mewat District (Haryana, India), groundwater salinity has rendered much of the accessible supply unfit for human consumption or agriculture. Historically, this closed basin retained fresh pockets of water at the foothills of the Aravalli Hills, where monsoonal precipitation runoff from the mountains was recharged through infiltration or facilitated by man-made structures. To date, an increasing number of pumps supply the region with fresh water for consumption and agriculture leading to shrinking the freshwater zone at an accelerated pace. The potential for increased human consumption corroborated with the effects of climate change bring uncertainty about the future of water security for the Mewat communities, most of them critically bound to the existence of local water. This study addresses the sustainability of the freshwater supply under a range of land interventions and climate scenarios, using a 2-D groundwater flow and transport model. Our results quantify potential futures for this arid, groundwater-dependent location, using numerical groundwater modeling to quantify interactions between human water use, infrastructure, and climate. Outcomes of this modeling study will inform an NGO active in the area on sustainable management of groundwater resources.
BCM Search Launcher--an integrated interface to molecular biology data base search and analysis services available on the World Wide Web.
Smith, R F; Wiese, B A; Wojzynski, M K; Davison, D B; Worley, K C
The BCM Search Launcher is an integrated set of World Wide Web (WWW) pages that organize molecular biology-related search and analysis services available on the WWW by function, and provide a single point of entry for related searches. The Protein Sequence Search Page, for example, provides a single sequence entry form for submitting sequences to WWW servers that offer remote access to a variety of different protein sequence search tools, including BLAST, FASTA, Smith-Waterman, BEAUTY, PROSITE, and BLOCKS searches. Other Launch pages provide access to (1) nucleic acid sequence searches, (2) multiple and pair-wise sequence alignments, (3) gene feature searches, (4) protein secondary structure prediction, and (5) miscellaneous sequence utilities (e.g., six-frame translation). The BCM Search Launcher also provides a mechanism to extend the utility of other WWW services by adding supplementary hypertext links to results returned by remote servers. For example, links to the NCBI's Entrez data base and to the Sequence Retrieval System (SRS) are added to search results returned by the NCBI's WWW BLAST server. These links provide easy access to auxiliary information, such as Medline abstracts, that can be extremely helpful when analyzing BLAST data base hits. For new or infrequent users of sequence data base search tools, we have preset the default search parameters to provide the most informative first-pass sequence analysis possible. We have also developed a batch client interface for Unix and Macintosh computers that allows multiple input sequences to be searched automatically as a background task, with the results returned as individual HTML documents directly to the user's system. The BCM Search Launcher and batch client are available on the WWW at URL http:@gc.bcm.tmc.edu:8088/search-launcher.html. PMID:8743995
Quality of drug information on the World Wide Web and strategies to improve pages with poor information quality. An intervention study on pages about sildenafil
Martin-Facklam, Meret; Kostrzewa, Michael; Martin, Peter; Haefeli, Walter E
Aims The generally poor quality of health information on the world wide web (WWW) has caused preventable adverse outcomes. Quality management of information on the internet is therefore critical given its widespread use. In order to develop strategies for the safe use of drugs, we scored general and content quality of pages about sildenafil and performed an intervention to improve their quality. Methods The internet was searched with Yahoo and AltaVista for pages about sildenafil and 303 pages were included. For assessment of content quality a score based on accuracy and completeness of essential drug information was assigned. For assessment of general quality, four criteria were evaluated and their association with high content quality was determined by multivariate logistic regression analysis. The pages were randomly allocated to either control or intervention group. Evaluation took place before, as well as 7 and 22 weeks after an intervention which consisted of two letters with individualized feedback information on the respective page which were sent electronically to the address mentioned on the page. Results Providing references to scientific publications or prescribing information was significantly associated with high content quality (odds ratio: 8.2, 95% CI 3.2, 20.5). The intervention had no influence on general or content quality. Conclusions To prevent adverse outcomes caused by misinformation on the WWW individualized feedback to the address mentioned on the page was ineffective. It is currently probably the most straight-forward approach to inform lay persons about indicators of high information quality, i.e. the provision of references. PMID:14678344
Survey of the World Agricultural Documentation Services, Draft; Prepared on Behalf of the FAO Panel of Experts on "AGRIS" (International Information System for the Agricultural Sciences and Technology).
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Buntrock, H.
The purpose of the survey was: (1) to evaluate existing agricultural information services and (2) to propose possible frameworks for an improved world-wide agricultural information service. The principal statistical results of the survey are summarized in the following figures which are based on data collected in nearly all instances for the year…
Face pain may be dull and throbbing or an intense, stabbing discomfort in the face or forehead. It can occur in one or ... Pain that starts in the face may be caused by a nerve problem, injury, or infection. Face pain may also begin in other places in the body. ...
Managing agricultural phosphorus for water quality protection: principles for progress
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
The eutrophication of aquatic systems due to diffuse pollution of agricultural phosphorus (P) is a local, even regional, water quality problem that can be found world-wide. Sustainable management of P requires prudent tempering of agronomic practices, recognizing that additional steps are often requ...
Two faces of agricultural intensification hanging over aquatic biodiversity: The case of chironomid diversity from farm ponds vs. natural wetlands in a coastal region
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Fenoy, Encarnación; Casas, J. Jesús
Increasing agricultural land use and intensification have given rise to the loss and eutrophication of coastal wetlands worldwide. In Mediterranean coastal regions, irrigated agriculture, in turn, has prompted the proliferation of farm ponds which might compensate for wetland loss and degradation if their management regimen results are compatible with biodiversity conservation. Here, we studied regional (γ-), local (α-) and interlocal (β-) diversities of chironomids in coastal wetlands and irrigation ponds from a Mediterranean region, to determine the contribution of each habitat type to regional diversity, and to disentangle which environmental factors, anthropogenic or natural, contributed most to explain diversity patterns. Regional diversity was slightly, but still significantly, higher in natural wetlands than in farm ponds, which can be attributed to the significantly higher β-diversity in natural wetlands, since, despite the much larger surface area of wetlands, both habitat types did not differ in local diversity (α-diversity). In both habitats, however, the contribution of β-diversity to regional diversity was higher compared to that of α-diversity, and the component 'spatial species turnover' exceeded that of the component 'nestedness' of β-diversity. This, together with an outstanding assemblage complementarity (approx. 50%) between habitat types, emphasizes the vital contribution of farm ponds, together with natural wetlands, to regional diversity. Despite the higher salinity and eutrophication of natural wetlands that tended to reduce diversity in chironomid assemblages, their more heterogeneous shore line likely compensated somewhat for such negative effects. Unlike wetlands, the homogeneous and unvegetated shore of farm ponds, in conjunction with their intensive management, probably induced adverse effects on local and interlocal diversity. Specific recommendations are given in this regards to mitigate impacts and improve the value of both
Toward Robust Climate Baselining: Objective Assessment of Climate Change Using Widely Distributed Miniaturized Sensors for Accurate World-Wide Geophysical Measurements
Teller, E; Leith, C; Canavan, G; Marion, J; Wood, L
A gap-free, world-wide, ocean-, atmosphere-, and land surface-spanning geophysical data-set of three decades time-duration containing the full set of geophysical parameters characterizing global weather is the scientific perquisite for defining the climate; the generally-accepted definition in the meteorological community is that climate is the 30-year running-average of weather. Until such a tridecadal climate base line exists, climate change discussions inevitably will have a semi-speculative, vs. a purely scientific, character, as the baseline against which changes are referenced will be at least somewhat uncertain. The contemporary technology base provides ways-and-means for commencing the development of such a meteorological measurement-intensive climate baseline, moreover with a program budget far less than the {approx}$2.5 B/year which the US. currently spends on ''global change'' studies. In particular, the recent advent of satellite-based global telephony enables real-time control of, and data-return from, instrument packages of very modest scale, and Silicon Revolution-based sensor, data-processing and -storage advances permit 'intelligent' data-gathering payloads to be created with 10 gram-scale mass budgets. A geophysical measurement system implemented in such modern technology is a populous constellation 03 long-lived, highly-miniaturized robotic weather stations deployed throughout the weather-generating portions of the Earths atmosphere, throughout its oceans and across its land surfaces. Leveraging the technological advances of the OS, the filly-developed atmospheric weather station of this system has a projected weight of the order of 1 ounce, and contains a satellite telephone, a GPS receiver, a full set of atmospheric sensing instruments and a control computer - and has an operational life of the order of 1 year and a mass-production cost of the order of $20. Such stations are effectively ''intra-atmospheric satellites'' but likely have serial
Ecological Models: Agricultural Models
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
The agricultural research community is faced with a wide array of complex problems to solve. Continued population increases in developing countries require increased agricultural production, while agroecosystems are being stressed and negatively impacted by greater use of water and agrochemicals. F...
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Weiner, Jill
In this article, the author discusses "Game Face: Life Lessons Across the Curriculum", a teaching kit that challenges assumptions and builds confidence. Game Face, which is derived from a book and art exhibition, "Game Face: What Does a Female Athlete Look Like?", uses layered and powerful images of women and girls participating in sports to teach…
Remote sensing advances in agricultural inventories
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Dragg, J. L.; Bizzell, R. M.; Trichel, M. C.; Hatch, R. E.; Phinney, D. E.; Baker, T. C.
As the complexity of the world's agricultural industry increases, more timely and more accurate world-wide agricultural information is required to support production and marketing decisions, policy formulation, and technology development. The Inventory Technology Development Project of the AgRISTARS Program has developed new automated technology that uses data sets acquired by spaceborne remote sensors. Research has emphasized the development of multistage, multisensor sampling and estimation techniques for use in global environments where reliable ground observations are not available. This paper presents research results obtained from data sets acquired by four different sensors: Landsat MSS, Landsat TM, Shuttle-Imaging Radar and environmental satellite (AVHRR).
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Brooks, Diana
Discusses the use of face painting as a technique for making the endangered species issue tangible for children while addressing the complexity of the issue. Children are "given" an animal of their own and are educated about the animal while having their faces painted to resemble the animal. (LZ)
Agriculture Education. Agriculture Structures.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Stuttgart Public Schools, AR.
This curriculum guide is designed for group instruction of secondary agricultural education students enrolled in one or two semester-long courses in agriculture structures. The guide presents units of study in the following areas: (1) shop safety, (2) identification and general use of hand tools, (3) power tools, (4) carpentry, (5) blueprint…
... gets worse when you bend forward) Tic douloureux Temporomandibular joint dysfunction syndrome Sometimes the reason for the face pain ... is persistent, unexplained, or accompanied by other unexplained symptoms. Call your primary provider. What to Expect at ...
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Greene, Yvonne
Presents a torn-paper and gadget-print activity for younger students, specifically pre-kindergarten to first grade, that can be done any time over the school year or at Halloween. Discusses how the students create their funny faces and lists the materials needed. (CMK)
Agriculture Issues. Transition Series.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Comptroller General of the U.S., Washington, DC.
This report is one of a series by the General Accounting Office that summarizes major policy, management, and program issues facing agency heads in the Bush administration. Many concerns have been identified, some new, others long-standing. This report on the Department of Agriculture describes concerns about the following six issues: (1)…
AGSIM is a large-scale econometric simulation model of regional crop and national livestock production in the United States. The model was initially developed to analyze the aggregate economic impacts of a wide variety issues facing agriculture, such as technological change, pest...
World-Wide Experience with SRF Facilities
Andrew Hutton, Adam Carpenter
The speaker will review and analyze the performance of existing SRF facilities in the world, addressing issues of usage and availability for different customers (HEP research, material sciences, ADS). Lessons learned should be summarized for proposed future facilities (ILC, Project X, Muon Collider). The first use of superconducting cavities for accelerating beams was at HEPL, Stanford University in the early sixties. Rather quickly, other laboratories followed suit, notably the University of Illinois at Champagne, Urbana and Cornell University. There were two main uses, which still persist today. The first is to provide accelerated particles as an injector or for fixed target experiments. The second is to maintain circulating beams, either for synchrotron light sources or for colliding beam experiments. Given the differing requirements, these two uses led to rather different implementations and, in particular, different average operating gradients. A second difference in the implementation is the speed of the particle being accelerated. Electrons are sufficiently relativistic at low beam energies (> {approx} 5 MeV) that cavities designed for relativistic beams can also function acceptably at low energy. This is not the case for protons or ion accelerators so, until recently, copper cavities were used to cover the first {approx} 100 MeV. Superconducting cavities are now also being proposed to cover this energy range as well using a series of superconducting cavities, each of which is matched to the particle velocity.
Critical care and the World Wide Web.
Varon, J; Marik, P E
The Internet was created in 1969, when the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the United States Department of Defense fired up an experimental network consisting of only four computers. Over the past five years there has been an exponential explosion in the number of computers added to this network. It is estimated that Internet traffic doubles every 100 days with more than 100 million people worldwide now on-line. The Internet is so vast that practically every aspect of human interest is represented is some form or fashion. From recreation to applied science and technology, and from Critical Care Medicine case scenarios to digitized radiology images and pathology specimens, the Internet has become increasingly useful for critical care practitioners. To date, no resource is better equipped to assist critical care providers in many of their daily tasks. This article presents some of the historical developments of the Internet as well as common applications that are useful for critical care practitioners. PMID:10442265
World-wide distribution automation systems
Devaney, T.M.
A worldwide power distribution automation system is outlined. Distribution automation is defined and the status of utility automation is discussed. Other topics discussed include a distribution management system, substation feeder, and customer functions, potential benefits, automation costs, planning and engineering considerations, automation trends, databases, system operation, computer modeling of system, and distribution management systems.
The Emerging World-Wide Information Economy.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rubin, Michael Rogers
The definition and size of the information producing and knowledge worker labor force in the United States is reviewed and compared to that of other countries. Changing patterns of international trade in information goods and services are also discussed. (Author/EM)
Vaccine Criticism on the World Wide Web
Wolfe, Robert M; Fox, Dwight E; Fox, Jake R; Nowalk, Mary Patricia; Troy, Judith A; Sharp, Lisa K
Background The incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases is directly related to the number of unvaccinated children. Parents who refuse vaccination of their children frequently express concerns about vaccine safety. The Internet can influence perceptions about vaccines because it is the fastest growing source of consumer health information. However, few studies have analyzed vaccine criticism on the Web. Objective The purposes of this paper are to examine vaccine criticism on the Internet and to analyze the websites in order to identify common characteristics and ethical allegations. Methods A structured Web search was conducted for the terms "vaccine," "vaccination," "vaccinate," and "anti-vaccination" using a metasearch program that incorporated 8 search engines. This yielded 1138 Web pages representing 750 sites. Two researchers reviewed the sites for inclusion/exclusion criteria, resulting in 78 vaccine-critical sites, which were then abstracted for design, content, and allegations. Results The most common characteristic of vaccine-critical websites was the inclusion of statements linking vaccinations with specific adverse reactions, especially idiopathic chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis, autism, and diabetes. Other common attributes (≥ 70% of websites) were links to other vaccine-critical websites; charges that vaccines contain contaminants, mercury, or "hot lots" that cause adverse events; claims that vaccines provide only temporary protection and that the diseases prevented are mild; appeals for responsible parenting through education and resisting the establishment; allegations of conspiracies and cover-ups to hide the truth about vaccine safety; and charges that civil liberties are violated through mandatory vaccination. Conclusions Vaccine-critical websites frequently make serious allegations. With the burgeoning of the Internet as a health information source, an undiscerning or incompletely educated public may accept these claims and refuse vaccination of their children. As this occurs, the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases can be expected to rise. PMID:15998608
Historical development of world wide guided missiles
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Spearman, M. L.
This paper attempts to put in perspective the development of missiles from early history to present time. The influence of World War II in accelerating the development of guided missiles, particularly through German scientists, is discussed. The dispersion of German scientists to other countries and the coupling of their work with native talent to develop guided missiles is traced. Particular emphasis is placed on the evolution of the missile in the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. Since the Soviets possess what is probably the world's most complete array of dedicated missile system types, their known inventory is reviewed in some detail.
Is rangeland agriculture sustainable?
Heitschmidt, R K; Vermeire, L T; Grings, E E
The objective of this paper is to examine the sustainability of rangeland agriculture (i.e., managed grazing) on a world-wide basis, with a focus on North America. Sustainability is addressed on three fronts: 1) ecological, 2) economic, and 3) social acceptance. Based on previous and on-going research, we suggest that employment of science-based rangeland grazing management strategies and tactics can ensure ecological sustainability. The formidable challenge in employing such technology centers around the need to balance efficiency of solar energy capture and subsequent harvest efficiencies across an array of highly spatially and temporally variable vegetation growing conditions using animals that graze selectively. Failure to meet this fundamental challenge often accelerates rangeland desertification processes, and in some instances, enhances rate and extent of the invasion of noxious weeds. We also suggest that the fundamental reason that ecologically sound grazing management technologies are often not employed in the management of grazed ecological systems is because social values drive management decisions more so than ecological science issues. This is true in both well-developed societies with substantial economic resources and in less-developed societies with few economic resources. However, the social issues driving management are often entirely different, ranging from multiple-use issues in developed countries to human day-to-day survival issues in poorly developed countries. We conclude that the long-term sustainability of rangeland agriculture in 1) developed societies depends on the ability of rangeland agriculturalists to continually respond in a dynamic, positive, proactive manner to ever-changing social values and 2) less-developed societies on their ability to address the ecological and social consequences arising from unsustainable human populations before the adoption of science-based sustainable rangeland management technologies. PMID:15471792
Agricultural Meteorology in China.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Rosenberg, Norman J.
During nearly five weeks in China (May-June 1981), the author visited scientific institutions and experiment stations engaged in agricultural meterology and climatology research and teaching. The facilities, studies, and research programs at each institution are described and the scientific work in these fields is evaluated. Agricultural meteorology and climatology are faced with some unique problems and opportunities in China and progress in these fields may be of critical importance to that nation in coming years. The author includes culinary notes and comments on protocol in China.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lehigh County Area Vocational-Technical School, Schnecksville, PA.
This brochure describes the philosophy and scope of a secondary-level course in agricultural production. Addressed in the individual units of the course are the following topics: careers in agriculture and agribusiness, animal science and livestock production, agronomy, agricultural mechanics, supervised occupational experience programs, and the…
Xue, Ling; Zhang, Panpan; Shu, Huajie; Chang, Chein-Chi; Wang, Renqing; Zhang, Shuping
In recent years, the quantity of agricultural waste has been rising rapidly all over the world. As a result, the environmental problems and negative impacts of agricultural waste are drawn more and more attention. Therefore, there is a need to adopt proper approaches to reduce and reuse agricultural waste. This review presented about 200 literatures published in 2015 relating to the topic of agricultural waste. The review examined research on agricultural waste in 2015 from the following four aspects: the characterization, reuse, treatment, and management. Researchers highlighted the importance to reuse agricultural waste and investigated the potential to utilize it as biofertilizers, cultivation material, soil amendments, adsorbent, material, energy recycling, enzyme and catalyst etc. The treatment of agricultural waste included carbonization, biodegradation, composting hydrolysis and pyrolysis. Moreover, this review analyzed the differences of the research progress in 2015 from 2014. It may help to reveal the new findings and new trends in this field in 2015 comparing to 2014. PMID:27620093
Vocational Agriculture Education. Agricultural Mechanics.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Smith, Eddie; And Others
To assist teachers in agricultural mechanics in providing comprehensive instruction to their students, this curriculum guide treats both the mechanical skills and knowlege necessary for this specialized area. Six sections are included, as follow: orientation and safety; agricultural mechanics skills; agricultural power and machinery; agricultural…
Face adaptation depends on seeing the face.
Moradi, Farshad; Koch, Christof; Shimojo, Shinsuke
Retinal input that is suppressed from visual awareness can nevertheless produce measurable aftereffects, revealing neural processes that do not directly result in a conscious percept. We here report that the face identity-specific aftereffect requires a visible face; it is effectively cancelled by binocular suppression or by inattentional blindness of the inducing face. Conversely, the same suppression does not interfere with the orientation-specific aftereffect. Thus, the competition between incompatible or interfering visual inputs to reach awareness is resolved before those aspects of information that are exploited in face identification are processed. We also found that the face aftereffect remained intact when the visual distracters in the inattention experiment were replaced with auditory distracters. Thus, cross-modal or cognitive interference that does not affect the visibility of the face does not interfere with the face aftereffect. We conclude that adaptation to face identity depends on seeing the face. PMID:15629711
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Baldwin, R.
Applications of remotely sensed data in agriculture are enumerated. These include: predictions of forage for range animal consumption, forest management, soil mapping, and crop inventory and management.
Farming with Grass: Achieving Sustainable Mixed Agricultural Landscapes
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Agriculture in grassland environments is facing multiple stresses from shifting demographics, declining and fragmented agricultural landscapes, declining environmental quality, variable and changing climate, volatile and increasing energy costs, marginal economic returns, and globalization. Grassla...
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jewell, W. J.; Switzenbaum, M. S.
Presents a literature review of agricultural wastes, covering publications of 1976-77. Some of the areas covered are: (1) water characteristics and impacts; (2) waste treatment; (3) reuse of agricultural wastes; and (4) nonpoint pollution sources. A list of 150 references is also presented. (HM)
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento. Research Coordinating Unit.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Thompson, Greg; Cook, Ian
This paper uses Deleuze and Guattari's concept of faciality to analyse the teacher's face. According to Deleuze and Guattari, the teacher-face is a special type of face because it is an "overcoded" face produced in specific landscapes. This paper suggests four limit-faces for teacher faciality that actualise different mixes of significance and…
Learning Faces from Photographs
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Longmore, Christopher A.; Liu, Chang Hong; Young, Andrew W.
Previous studies examining face learning have mostly used only a single exposure to 1 image of each of the faces to be learned. However, in daily life, faces are usually learned from multiple encounters. These 6 experiments examined the effects on face learning of repeated exposures to single or multiple images of a face. All experiments…
A Face Inversion Effect without a Face
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Brandman, Talia; Yovel, Galit
Numerous studies have attributed the face inversion effect (FIE) to configural processing of internal facial features in upright but not inverted faces. Recent findings suggest that face mechanisms can be activated by faceless stimuli presented in the context of a body. Here we asked whether faceless stimuli with or without body context may induce…
Head and face reconstruction is surgery to repair or reshape deformities of the head and face (craniofacial). ... How surgery for head and face deformities (craniofacial reconstruction) ... and the person's condition. Surgical repairs involve the ...
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Brill, Winston J.
Elucidates strategies for applying microbiological techniques to traditional agricultural practices. Discusses the manipulation of microorganisms that live with plants and also the problems involved in the introduction of new genes into crop plants by recombinant DNA methods. (CS)
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
The four geophysical methods predominantly used for agricultural purposes are resistivity, electromagnetic induction, ground penetrating radar (GPR), and time domain reflectometry (TDR). Resistivity and electromagnetic induction methods are typically employed to map lateral variations of apparent so...
Shu, Huajie; Zhang, Panpan; Chang, Chein-Chi; Wang, Renqing; Zhang, Shuping
The management and disposal of agricultural waste are drawn more and more attention because of the increasing yields and negative effects on the environment. However, proper treatments such as converting abundant biomass wastes into biogas through anaerobic digestion technology, can not only avoid the negative impacts, but also convert waste into available resources. This review summarizes the studies of nearly two hundred scholars from the following four aspects: the characterization, reuse, treatment, and management of agricultural waste. PMID:26420088
Developments in Australian Agricultural and Related Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McSweeney, Peter; Rayner, John
While the calm waters metaphor might explain the changes navigated by Australian agricultural education through most of its history, the last 20 or so years have been very turbulent. Now, the new millennium sees agricultural education in both Australia and the Western world facing a different and less certain future. This paper analyses some of…
Facing facts: neuronal mechanisms of face perception.
Dekowska, Monika; Kuniecki, Michał; Jaśkowski, Piotr
The face is one of the most important stimuli carrying social meaning. Thanks to the fast analysis of faces, we are able to judge physical attractiveness and features of their owners' personality, intentions, and mood. From one's facial expression we can gain information about danger present in the environment. It is obvious that the ability to process efficiently one's face is crucial for survival. Therefore, it seems natural that in the human brain there exist structures specialized for face processing. In this article, we present recent findings from studies on the neuronal mechanisms of face perception and recognition in the light of current theoretical models. Results from brain imaging (fMRI, PET) and electrophysiology (ERP, MEG) show that in face perception particular regions (i.e. FFA, STS, IOA, AMTG, prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex) are involved. These results are confirmed by behavioral data and clinical observations as well as by animal studies. The developmental findings reviewed in this article lead us to suppose that the ability to analyze face-like stimuli is hard-wired and improves during development. Still, experience with faces is not sufficient for an individual to become an expert in face perception. This thesis is supported by the investigation of individuals with developmental disabilities, especially with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). PMID:18511959
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Langton, Stephen R. H.; Law, Anna S.; Burton, A. Mike; Schweinberger, Stefan R.
We report three experiments that investigate whether faces are capable of capturing attention when in competition with other non-face objects. In Experiment 1a participants took longer to decide that an array of objects contained a butterfly target when a face appeared as one of the distracting items than when the face did not appear in the array.…
Familiar face + novel face = familiar face? Representational bias in the perception of morphed faces in chimpanzees.
Matsuda, Yoshi-Taka; Myowa-Yamakoshi, Masako; Hirata, Satoshi
Highly social animals possess a well-developed ability to distinguish the faces of familiar from novel conspecifics to induce distinct behaviors for maintaining society. However, the behaviors of animals when they encounter ambiguous faces of familiar yet novel conspecifics, e.g., strangers with faces resembling known individuals, have not been well characterised. Using a morphing technique and preferential-looking paradigm, we address this question via the chimpanzee's facial-recognition abilities. We presented eight subjects with three types of stimuli: (1) familiar faces, (2) novel faces and (3) intermediate morphed faces that were 50% familiar and 50% novel faces of conspecifics. We found that chimpanzees spent more time looking at novel faces and scanned novel faces more extensively than familiar or intermediate faces. Interestingly, chimpanzees looked at intermediate faces in a manner similar to familiar faces with regards to the fixation duration, fixation count, and saccade length for facial scanning, even though the participant was encountering the intermediate faces for the first time. We excluded the possibility that subjects merely detected and avoided traces of morphing in the intermediate faces. These findings suggest a bias for a feeling-of-familiarity that chimpanzees perceive familiarity with an intermediate face by detecting traces of a known individual, as 50% alternation is sufficient to perceive familiarity. PMID:27602275
Familiar face + novel face = familiar face? Representational bias in the perception of morphed faces in chimpanzees
Myowa-Yamakoshi, Masako
Highly social animals possess a well-developed ability to distinguish the faces of familiar from novel conspecifics to induce distinct behaviors for maintaining society. However, the behaviors of animals when they encounter ambiguous faces of familiar yet novel conspecifics, e.g., strangers with faces resembling known individuals, have not been well characterised. Using a morphing technique and preferential-looking paradigm, we address this question via the chimpanzee's facial–recognition abilities. We presented eight subjects with three types of stimuli: (1) familiar faces, (2) novel faces and (3) intermediate morphed faces that were 50% familiar and 50% novel faces of conspecifics. We found that chimpanzees spent more time looking at novel faces and scanned novel faces more extensively than familiar or intermediate faces. Interestingly, chimpanzees looked at intermediate faces in a manner similar to familiar faces with regards to the fixation duration, fixation count, and saccade length for facial scanning, even though the participant was encountering the intermediate faces for the first time. We excluded the possibility that subjects merely detected and avoided traces of morphing in the intermediate faces. These findings suggest a bias for a feeling-of-familiarity that chimpanzees perceive familiarity with an intermediate face by detecting traces of a known individual, as 50% alternation is sufficient to perceive familiarity. PMID:27602275
Programmed versus Face-to-Face Counseling
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gilbert, William M.; Ewing, Thomas N.
A comparison was made of the effectiveness of a programmed Self-Counseling Manual and a normal precollege counseling interview by experienced counselors. Findings supported the use of programmed counseling as an adjunct to or substitute for face-to-face counseling. (Author)
Tsao, Doris Y.
Faces are among the most informative stimuli we ever perceive: Even a split-second glimpse of a person's face tells us their identity, sex, mood, age, race, and direction of attention. The specialness of face processing is acknowledged in the artificial vision community, where contests for face recognition algorithms abound. Neurological evidence strongly implicates a dedicated machinery for face processing in the human brain, to explain the double dissociability of face and object recognition deficits. Furthermore, it has recently become clear that macaques too have specialized neural machinery for processing faces. Here we propose a unifying hypothesis, deduced from computational, neurological, fMRI, and single-unit experiments: that what makes face processing special is that it is gated by an obligatory detection process. We will clarify this idea in concrete algorithmic terms, and show how it can explain a variety of phenomena associated with face processing. PMID:18558862
Cromrich, J.; Cromrich, L.B.
This patent describes a method for forming insulated brick intended solely for use in building walls and having superior insulation qualities and lighter weight consonant with the load bearing capabilities of building bricks and the appearance of facing brick. It comprises dry mixing two parts of vermiculite and one part of brick clay, thereby forming a dry mixture having a vermiculite to clay ratio of approximately two-to-one by volume; adding water to the dry mixture and mixing, so that a substantially dry admixture having expanded vermiculite and brick clay is formed; forming a facing layer solely from brick clay; molding and compressing the substantially dry admixture, so as to form a generally rectangular main body layer having parallel top and bottom faces, a pair of parallel side faces and a pair of parallel end faces, respectively, the top and bottom faces being substantially larger in area than the respective side faces, and the side faces being substantially larger in area than the respective end faces, the body layer further having at least one bore formed therein, the bore running from the top face to the bottom face perpendicularly thereto and substantially parallel to the side surfaces thereof, the bore being substantially centrally disposed and wherein the facing layer is disposed on one of the side surfaces of the body portion; curing the molded admixture having the facing layer disposed thereon; whereby a cured brick is formed; and firing the cured brick and the facing layer disposed thereon, whereby an integral brick is formed having top and bottom faces of the brick which are entirely devoid of facing layers, wherein the brick has the desired load bearing capability substantially between its top and bottom faces, whereby the outer facing layer only provides the desired appearance and weather resistance, and further whereby the weight of the brick is substantially reduced.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Postance, Jim
The extinction of farm animals and crops is rarely brought up during discussions of endangered species and biodiversity; however, the loss of diversity in crops and livestock threatens the sustainability of agriculture. Presents three activities: (1) "The Colors of Diversity"; (2) "Biodiversity among Animals"; and (3) "Heirloom Plants." Discusses…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Face powder poisoning occurs when someone swallows or breathes in this substance. This article is for information ... The ingredients in face powder that can be harmful are: Baking soda Talcum powder Many other types of powder
Sugita, Yoichi
Recent monkey studies provide intriguing information for an open question whether face processing is a special perceptual process and is organized as such at birth, or has its origin in a more general system that becomes specialized with experience. Before seeing any faces or face-like objects, macaque monkeys showed a preference for faces rather than nonface objects. Furthermore, they showed remarkable face processing abilities both for human and monkey faces. It was also shown that macaque newborns are able to imitate human facial gestures, indicating the ability to match their own facial movements to observed facial gestures. Taken together, it seems very likely that newborns can acquire the knowledge about the basic structure of their own face, presumably through proprioception, so that facial structure would become a familiar and attractive visual object without the experience of the face itself. PMID:19339171
... About Blog Facing Disability Jeff Shannon Donate A Spinal Cord Injury Affects the Entire Family FacingDisability was specifically created ... and insights on spinal cord injury issues Interactive Spinal Cord Injury Map Shows what areas are affected by spinal ...
Face to Face Communications in Space
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Cohen, Malcolm M.; Davon, Bonnie P. (Technical Monitor)
It has been reported that human face-to-face communications in space are compromised by facial edema, variations in the orientations of speakers and listeners, and background noises that are encountered in the shuttle and in space stations. To date, nearly all reports have been anecdotal or subjective, in the form of post-flight interviews or questionnaires; objective and quantitative data are generally lacking. Although it is acknowledged that efficient face-to-face communications are essential for astronauts to work safely and effectively, specific ways in which the space environment interferes with non-linguistic communication cues are poorly documented. Because we have only a partial understanding of how non-linguistic communication cues may change with mission duration, it is critically important to obtain objective data, and to evaluate these cues under well-controlled experimental conditions.
Optimization of agricultural field workability predictions for improved risk management
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Risks introduced by weather variability are key considerations in agricultural production. The sensitivity of agriculture to weather variability is of special concern in the face of climate change. In particular, the availability of workable days is an important consideration in agricultural practic...
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Sehnal, J.; Sedy, J.; Etsion, I.; Zobens, A.
Torque, face temperature, leakage, and wear of a flat face seal were compared with three coned face seals at pressures up to 2758 kPa and speeds up to 8000 rpm. Axial movement of the mating seal parts was recorded by a digital data acquisition system. The coning of the tungsten carbide primary ring ranged from .51 micro-m to 5.6 micro-m. The torque of the coned face seal balanced to 76.3% was an average 42% lower, the leakage eleven times higher, than that of the standard flat face seal. The reduction of the balance of the coned face seal to 51.3% resulted by decreasing the torque by an additional 44% and increasing leakage 12 to 230 times, depending on the seal shaft speed. No measurable wear was observed on the face of the coned seals.
Learning discriminant face descriptor.
Lei, Zhen; Pietikäinen, Matti; Li, Stan Z
Local feature descriptor is an important module for face recognition and those like Gabor and local binary patterns (LBP) have proven effective face descriptors. Traditionally, the form of such local descriptors is predefined in a handcrafted way. In this paper, we propose a method to learn a discriminant face descriptor (DFD) in a data-driven way. The idea is to learn the most discriminant local features that minimize the difference of the features between images of the same person and maximize that between images from different people. In particular, we propose to enhance the discriminative ability of face representation in three aspects. First, the discriminant image filters are learned. Second, the optimal neighborhood sampling strategy is soft determined. Third, the dominant patterns are statistically constructed. Discriminative learning is incorporated to extract effective and robust features. We further apply the proposed method to the heterogeneous (cross-modality) face recognition problem and learn DFD in a coupled way (coupled DFD or C-DFD) to reduce the gap between features of heterogeneous face images to improve the performance of this challenging problem. Extensive experiments on FERET, CAS-PEAL-R1, LFW, and HFB face databases validate the effectiveness of the proposed DFD learning on both homogeneous and heterogeneous face recognition problems. The DFD improves POEM and LQP by about 4.5 percent on LFW database and the C-DFD enhances the heterogeneous face recognition performance of LBP by over 25 percent. PMID:24356350
Generalization of affective learning about faces to perceptually similar faces.
Verosky, Sara C; Todorov, Alexander
Different individuals have different (and different-looking) significant others, friends, and foes. The objective of this study was to investigate whether these social face environments can shape individual face preferences. First, participants learned to associate faces with positive, neutral, or negative behaviors. Then, they evaluated morphs combining novel faces with the learned faces. The morphs (65% and 80% novel faces) were within the categorical boundary of the novel faces: They were perceived as those faces in a preliminary study. Moreover, a second preliminary study showed that following the learning, the morphs' categorization as similar to the learned faces was indistinguishable from the categorization of actual novel faces. Nevertheless, in the main experiment, participants evaluated morphs of "positive" faces more positively than morphs of "negative" faces. This learning generalization effect increased as a function of the similarity of the novel faces to the learned faces. The findings suggest that general learning mechanisms based on similarity can account for idiosyncratic face preferences. PMID:20483821
The contributions of current industrial agricultural practices to environmental degradation and the social problems facing agricultural regions are well known. However, landscape-scale alternatives to current conditions have not been fully explored nor their potential impacts qua...
Jenkins, Rob; Burton, A. Mike
Photographs are often used to establish the identity of an individual or to verify that they are who they claim to be. Yet, recent research shows that it is surprisingly difficult to match a photo to a face. Neither humans nor machines can perform this task reliably. Although human perceivers are good at matching familiar faces, performance with unfamiliar faces is strikingly poor. The situation is no better for automatic face recognition systems. In practical settings, automatic systems have been consistently disappointing. In this review, we suggest that failure to distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar face processing has led to unrealistic expectations about face identification in applied settings. We also argue that a photograph is not necessarily a reliable indicator of facial appearance, and develop our proposal that summary statistics can provide more stable face representations. In particular, we show that image averaging stabilizes facial appearance by diluting aspects of the image that vary between snapshots of the same person. We review evidence that the resulting images can outperform photographs in both behavioural experiments and computer simulations, and outline promising directions for future research. PMID:21536553
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Dellacorte, Christopher (Inventor)
A radial face seal arrangement is disclosed comprising a stationary seal ring that is spring loaded against a seal seat affixed to a rotating shaft. The radial face seal arrangement further comprises an arrangement that not only allows for preloading of the stationary seal ring relative to the seal seat, but also provides for dampening yielding a dynamic seating response for the radial face seal arrangement. The overall seal system, especially regarding the selection of the material for the stationary seal ring, is designed to operate over a wide temperature range from below ambient up to 900 C.
Potential alternative fuel sources for agricultural crops and plant components
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
The changing landscape of agricultural production is placing unprecedented demands on farmers as they face increasing global competition and greater natural resource conservation challenges. However, shrinking profit margins due to increasing input costs, particularly of fuel and fertilizer, can res...
Programs in Animal Agriculture.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Herring, Don R.; And Others
Five topics relating to programs in animal agriculture are addressed: (1) the future of animal agriculture; (2) preparing teachers in animal agriculture; (3) how animal programs help young people; (4) a nontraditional animal agriculture program; and (5) developing competencies in animal agriculture. (LRA)
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Mask to protect the physically impaired from injuries to the face and head has been developed by Langley Research Center. It is made of composite materials, usually graphite or boron fibers woven into a matrix. Weighs less than three ounces.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Sauncy, Toni
In keeping with its commitment to help students transform themselves into contributing members of the professional physics community, the Society of Physics Students National Council began efforts aimed at addressing issued of diversity in physics several years ago. One of the projects stemming from these discussions is the adoption of a 2008 theme ``The Future Faces of Physics.'' With this theme, the council aims to raise visibility and focus on issues of student diversity in physics. The initiative included the distribution of ``Future Faces of Physics Kits'' to any chapter hosting zone meetings. A highlight of the kit is the Future Faces of Physics Jeopardy set, which consists of buzzers, a score board, instructions, and a game board. The Future Faces of Physics game is a vehicle for generating discussion and raising awareness. The diversity session is hosted by the SPS Zone 13 and Zone 16 leadership.
Kircher, T T; Senior, C; Phillips, M L; Rabe-Hesketh, S; Benson, P J; Bullmore, E T; Brammer, M; Simmons, A; Bartels, M; David, A S
We report two studies of facial self-perception using individually tailored, standardized facial photographs of a group of volunteers and their partners. A computerized morphing procedure was used to merge each target face with an unknown control face. In the first set of experiments, a discrimination task revealed a delayed response time for the more extensively morphed self-face stimuli. In a second set of experiments, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure brain activation while subjects viewed morphed versions of either their own or their partner's face, alternating in blocks with presentation of an unknown face. When subjects viewed themselves (minus activation for viewing an unknown face), increased blood oxygenation was detected in right limbic (hippocampal formation, insula, anterior cingulate), left prefrontal cortex and superior temporal cortex. In the partner (versus unknown) experiment, only the right insula was activated. We suggest that a neural network involving the right hemisphere in conjunction with left-sided associative and executive regions underlies the process of visual self-recognition. Together, this combination produces the unique experience of self-awareness. PMID:11062324
Soil Erosion and Agricultural Sustainability
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Montgomery, D. R.
Data drawn from a global compilation of studies support the long articulated contention that erosion rates from conventionally plowed agricultural fields greatly exceed rates of soil production, erosion under native vegetation, and long-term geological erosion. Whereas data compiled from around the world show that soil erosion under conventional agriculture exceeds both rates of soil production and geological erosion rates by up to several orders of magnitude, similar global distributions of soil production and geological erosion rates suggest an approximate balance. Net soil erosion rates in conventionally plowed fields on the order of 1 mm/yr can erode typical hillslope soil profiles over centuries to millennia, time-scales comparable to the longevity of major civilizations. Well-documented episodes of soil loss associated with agricultural activities date back to the introduction of erosive agricultural methods in regions around the world, and stratigraphic records of accelerated anthropogenic soil erosion have been recovered from lake, fluvial, and colluvial stratigraphy, as well as truncation of soil stratigraphy (such as truncated A horizons). A broad convergence in the results from studies based on various approaches employed to study ancient soil loss and rates of downstream sedimentation implies that widespread soil loss has accompanied human agricultural intensification in examples drawn from around the world. While a broad range of factors, including climate variability and society-specific social and economic contexts — such as wars or colonial relationships — all naturally influence the longevity of human societies, the ongoing loss of topsoil inferred from studies of soil erosion rates in conventional agricultural systems has obvious long-term implications for agricultural sustainability. Consequently, modern agriculture — and therefore global society — faces a fundamental question over the upcoming centuries. Can an agricultural system
Is Face Distinctiveness Gender Based?
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Baudouin, Jean-Yves; Gallay, Mathieu
Two experiments were carried out to study the role of gender category in evaluations of face distinctiveness. In Experiment 1, participants had to evaluate the distinctiveness and the femininity-masculinity of real or artificial composite faces. The composite faces were created by blending either faces of the same gender (sexed composite faces,…
Successful Decoding of Famous Faces in the Fusiform Face Area
Axelrod, Vadim; Yovel, Galit
What are the neural mechanisms of face recognition? It is believed that the network of face-selective areas, which spans the occipital, temporal, and frontal cortices, is important in face recognition. A number of previous studies indeed reported that face identity could be discriminated based on patterns of multivoxel activity in the fusiform face area and the anterior temporal lobe. However, given the difficulty in localizing the face-selective area in the anterior temporal lobe, its role in face recognition is still unknown. Furthermore, previous studies limited their analysis to occipito-temporal regions without testing identity decoding in more anterior face-selective regions, such as the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. In the current high-resolution functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging study, we systematically examined the decoding of the identity of famous faces in the temporo-frontal network of face-selective and adjacent non-face-selective regions. A special focus has been put on the face-area in the anterior temporal lobe, which was reliably localized using an optimized scanning protocol. We found that face-identity could be discriminated above chance level only in the fusiform face area. Our results corroborate the role of the fusiform face area in face recognition. Future studies are needed to further explore the role of the more recently discovered anterior face-selective areas in face recognition. PMID:25714434
Conservation planning in agricultural landscapes: hotspots of conflict between agriculture and nature
Shackelford, Gorm E; Steward, Peter R; German, Richard N; Sait, Steven M; Benton, Tim G
Aim Conservation conflict takes place where food production imposes a cost on wildlife conservation and vice versa. Where does conservation impose the maximum cost on production, by opposing the intensification and expansion of farmland? Where does conservation confer the maximum benefit on wildlife, by buffering and connecting protected areas with a habitable and permeable matrix of crop and non-crop habitat? Our aim was to map the costs and benefits of conservation versus production and thus to propose a conceptual framework for systematic conservation planning in agricultural landscapes. Location World-wide. Methods To quantify these costs and benefits, we used a geographic information system to sample the cropland of the world and map the proportion of non-crop habitat surrounding the cropland, the number of threatened vertebrates with potential to live in or move through the matrix and the yield gap of the cropland. We defined the potential for different types of conservation conflict in terms of interactions between habitat and yield (potential for expansion, intensification, both or neither). We used spatial scan statistics to find 'hotspots' of conservation conflict. Results All of the 'hottest' hotspots of conservation conflict were in sub-Saharan Africa, which could have impacts on sustainable intensification in this region. Main conclusions Systematic conservation planning could and should be used to identify hotspots of conservation conflict in agricultural landscapes, at multiple scales. The debate between 'land sharing' (extensive agriculture that is wildlife friendly) and 'land sparing' (intensive agriculture that is less wildlife friendly but also less extensive) could be resolved if sharing and sparing were used as different types of tool for resolving different types of conservation conflict (buffering and connecting protected areas by maintaining matrix quality, in different types of matrix). Therefore, both sharing and sparing
Agricultural extension and mass media.
Perraton, H
To learn more about the use of the mass media for agricultural extension, the World Bank has considered the efforts of 2 units: INADES-formation in West Africa and the Extension Aids Branch of Malawi. The INADES-formation study focuses on Cameroon but also considers work in Rwanda and the Ivory Coast. Some general conclusions emerge from a comparison of the 2 organizations. Malawi operates an extension service which reaches farmers through extension agents, through farmer training centers, and through mass media. The Extension Aids Branch (EAB) has responsibility for its media work and broadcasts 4 1/2 hours of radio each week. Its 6 regular radio programs include a general program which interviews farmers, a music request program in which the music is interspersed with farming advice, a farming family serial, and a daily broadcast of agricultural news and information. The 17 cinema vans show some agricultural films, made by EAB, some entertainment films, and some government information films from departments other than the ministry of agriculture. EAB also has a well-developed program of research and evaluation of its own work. INADES-formation, the training section of INADES, works towards social and economic development of the population. It teaches peasant farmers and extension agents and does this through running face-to-face seminars, by publishing a magazine, "Agripromo," and through correspondence courses. In 1978-79 INADES-formation enrolled some 4500 farmers and extension agents as students. Both of these organizations work to teach farmers better agriculture techniques, and both were created in response to the fact that agricultural extension agents cannot meet all the farmers in their area. Despite the similarity of objective, there are differences in methods and philosophy. The EAB works in a single country and uses a variety of mass media, with print playing a minor role. INADES-formation is an international and nongovernmental organization and its
Attention to Faces Modulates Early Face Processing during Low but not High Face Discriminability
Sreenivasan, Kartik K.; Goldstein, Jonathan M.; Lustig, Audrey G.; Rivas, Luis R.; Jha, Amishi P.
In the present study, we investigated if attention to faces results in sensory gain modulation. Participants were cued to attend to faces or scenes in superimposed face-scene images while face discriminability was parametrically manipulated across images. The face-sensitive N170 event-related potential component was used as a measure of early face processing. Attention to faces modulated N170 amplitude, but only when faces were not highly discriminable. Additionally, directing attention to faces modulated later processing (~230–300 msec) for all discriminability levels. These results demonstrate that attention to faces can modulate perceptual processing of faces at multiple stages of processing, including early sensory levels. Critically, the early attentional benefit is present only when the "face signal" (i.e., the perceptual quality of the face) in the environment is suboptimal. PMID:19429962
How Well Do Computer-Generated Faces Tap Face Expertise?
Crookes, Kate; Ewing, Louise; Gildenhuys, Ju-dith; Kloth, Nadine; Hayward, William G.; Oxner, Matt; Pond, Stephen; Rhodes, Gillian
The use of computer-generated (CG) stimuli in face processing research is proliferating due to the ease with which faces can be generated, standardised and manipulated. However there has been surprisingly little research into whether CG faces are processed in the same way as photographs of real faces. The present study assessed how well CG faces tap face identity expertise by investigating whether two indicators of face expertise are reduced for CG faces when compared to face photographs. These indicators were accuracy for identification of own-race faces and the other-race effect (ORE)–the well-established finding that own-race faces are recognised more accurately than other-race faces. In Experiment 1 Caucasian and Asian participants completed a recognition memory task for own- and other-race real and CG faces. Overall accuracy for own-race faces was dramatically reduced for CG compared to real faces and the ORE was significantly and substantially attenuated for CG faces. Experiment 2 investigated perceptual discrimination for own- and other-race real and CG faces with Caucasian and Asian participants. Here again, accuracy for own-race faces was significantly reduced for CG compared to real faces. However the ORE was not affected by format. Together these results signal that CG faces of the type tested here do not fully tap face expertise. Technological advancement may, in the future, produce CG faces that are equivalent to real photographs. Until then caution is advised when interpreting results obtained using CG faces. PMID:26535910
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Weddendorf, Bruce C. (Inventor)
A double face sealing device for mounting between two surfaces to provide an airtight and fluid-tight seal between a closure member bearing one of the surfaces and a structure or housing bearing the other surface which extends around the opening or hatchway to be closed. The double face sealing device includes a plurality of sections or segments mounted to one of the surfaces, each having a main body portion, a pair of outwardly extending and diverging, cantilever, spring arms, and a pair of inwardly extending and diverging, cantilever, spring arms, an elastomeric cover on the distal, free, ends of the outwardly extending and diverging spring arms, and an elastomeric cover on the distal, free, ends of the inwardly extending and diverging spring arms. The double face sealing device has application or use in all environments requiring a seal, but is particularly useful to seal openings or hatchways between compartments of spacecraft or aircraft.
World wide study of the performance of a sodium guidestar
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zuraski, Steven M.; Fiorino, Steven T.
This study quantifies the feasibility for a mobile sodium guidestar system. Simulations are run using the High Energy Laser End-to-End Operational Simulation (HELEEOS) software package with global sodium layer climatology data. Sodium layer data used was collected from the Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imaging System (OSIRIS) sensor package on board the Odin satellite from 2005 through 2011 and provides a detailed global representation of the variable sodium layer occurring at an altitude of approximately 90 km in the atmosphere. This data is used in conjunction with the HELEEOS atmospheric propagation modeling to create realistic sodium guidestar models. The atmospheric effects for the laser propagation scattering model and creation of the sodium guidestar are defined in the worldwide probabilistic climatic database available in the HELEEOS software package. The simulations run evaluated the performance of a guidestar as viewed from along the propagation path and from non-propagation path viewing angles for engagement scenarios in various locations on earth. HELEEOS includes a fast-calculating, first principles, worldwide surface to 100 km, with extensions above 100 km to account for the sodium layer, atmospheric propagation and characterization package. This package enables the creation of profiles of temperature, pressure, water vapor content, optical turbulence, atmospheric particulates and hydrometeors as they relate to line-by-line layer transmission, path and background radiance at wavelengths from the ultraviolet to radio frequencies. HELEEOS is able to produce realistic evaluations of laser propagation, imaging, and adaptive optics systems by use of an end to end directed energy propagation model that incorporates probabilistic, climatological data from temporally and spatially variable meteorological, aerosol, and turbulence profiles. Specifically, HELEEOS performs its propagation calculations utilizing the following algorithms, models and datasets: the Scaling for HEL and Relay Systems (SHaRE) scaling law algorithms, High Resolution Transmission (HITRAN) database for molecular absorption, Global Aerosol Dataset (GADS), Advanced Navy Aerosol Model (ANAM), the Adaptive Optical Compensation of Thermal Blooming (AOTB) model, various turbulence models, and other physics based atmospheric propagation algorithms. HELEEOS was developed by the United States Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) under the sponsorship of the High Energy Laser Joint Technology Office.
World Wide Web Search Engines: AltaVista and Yahoo.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Machovec, George S., Ed.
Examines the history, structure, and search capabilities of Internet search tools AltaVista and Yahoo. AltaVista provides relevance-ranked feedback on full-text searches. Yahoo indexes Web "citations" only but does organize information hierarchically into predefined categories. Yahoo has recently become a publicly held company and currently…
Domain Naming Practices and World Wide Web Search Tactics.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Koehler, Wallace Jr.
Discusses Internet domain naming practices and indicates which Web search engines can effectively search on domain names. Explains top-level domain (TLD) (ex. http://www.access.gpo.gov - ".gov" = top level; ".gpo" = second level; ".access" = third level; and "www" = fourth level domain). Outlines seven new TLD names and discusses using domains in…
Resources for human genetics on the World Wide Web.
Osborne, L R; Lee, J R; Scherer, S W
A little over a century ago, the HMS Beagle sailed the Pacific Ocean bringing Charles Darwin to the perfect environment in which to piece together his observations forming the theory of evolution. Now, geneticists and laypeople alike surf the equally formidable waters of the internet in search of enlightenment. Here, we attempt to help you navigate towards resources for human genetics by providing maps to three destinations: The Human Genome Project (Box 1), education (Box 2), and human genetic diseases (Box 3). For each, we highlight a few sites that we consider are the most informative and original. A more extensive list containing other useful sites has been compiled and posted on a 'jump site' at: http:/(/)www.cgdn.generes.ca/. PMID:9302686
LCOGT: A World-Wide Network of Robotic Telescopes
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Brown, T.
Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope (LCOGT) is an organization dedicated to time-domain astronomy. To carry out the necessary observations in fields such as supernovae, extrasolar planets, small solar-system bodies, and pulsating stars, we have developed and are now deploying a set of robotic optical telescopes at sites around the globe. In this talk I will concentrate on the core of this network, consisting of up to 15 identical 1m telescopes deployed across multiple sites in both the northern and southern hemispheres. I will summarize the technical and performance aspect of these telescopes, including both their imaging and their anticipated spectroscopic capabilities. But I will also delve into the network organization, including communication among telescopes (to assure that observations are properly carried out), interactions among the institutions and scientists who will use the network (to optimize the scientific returns), and our funding model (which until now has relied entirely on one private donor, but will soon require funding from outside sources, if the full potential of the network is to be achieved).
World-Wide Standardized Seismograph Network: a data users guide
Peterson, Jon R.; Hutt, Charles R.
The purpose of this report, which is based on an unpublished draft prepared in the 1970s, is to provide seismologists with the information they may need to use the WWSSN data set as it becomes available in a more easily accessible and convenient format on the Internet. The report includes a description of the WWSSN network, station facilities, operations and instrumentation, a derivation of the instrument transfer functions, tables of transfer functions, a description of calibration techniques, and a description of a method used to determine important instrument constants using recorded calibration data.
An Interlibrary Loan System on the World-Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Foo, Schubert; Lim, Ee Peng
Examines the interlibrary loan process used by libraries in Singapore and proposes that the existing paper-based manual system be replaced by a Web-based system. Presents an example of such a system that has been successfully designed and implemented at the Nanyang Technological University. (Author/LRW)
Automatic Caption Localization for Photographs on World Wide Web Pages.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rowe, Neil C.; Frew, Brian
Explores the indirect method of locating for indexing the likely explicit and implicit captions of photographs, using multimodal clues including the specific words used, syntax, surrounding layout of the Web page, and general appearance of the associated image. The MARIE-3 system thus avoids full image processing and full natural-language…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cooper, Kenneth J.
This article reports that the flexibility and convenience of online degree programs have attracted minorities in droves, especially Black K-12 educators. Universities that deliver most or all of their courses online have become the leading producers of Blacks earning graduate degrees in education. The online trend is most pronounced among Black…
Progressive-Era Resources on the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Howenstein, Amanda
Provides a list of Progressive-era websites with the address and a detailed description of each of the websites. Includes topics such as the womens suffrage movement, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, the Prohibition, labor-management conflicts, the Hull House, the Chicago fire, Emma Goldman, Progressive-era entertainment, and the Worlds Fair.…
Multimedia in Lectures and on the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Pankuch, Brian J.
This paper explores the effectiveness and efficiency of multimedia-computer-based text accompanied by illustrations, graphs, simulations, and animation in teaching chemistry. The paper cautions that although multimedia may be a means to more effective teaching, there is no assurance that it increases student learning. Studies suggest that…
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...
Group telemetry analysis using the World Wide Web
Kalibjian, J.
Today it is not uncommon to have large contractor teams involved in the design and deployment of even small satellite systems. The larger (and more geographically remote) the team members, the more difficult it becomes to efficiently manage the disbursement of telemetry data for evaluation and analysis. Further complications are introduced if some of the telemetry data is sensitive. An application is described which can facilitate telemetry data sharing utilizing the National Information Infrastructure (Internet).
Application of a World Wide Web technology to environmental remediation
Johnson, R.; Durham, L. A.
As part of the Formerly Utilized Site Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP), the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Buffalo District, is responsible for overseeing the remediation of several sites within its jurisdiction. FUSRAP sites are largely privately held facilities that were contaminated by activities associated with the nuclear weapons program in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. The presence of soils and structures contaminated with low levels of radionuclides is a common problem at these sites. Typically, contaminated materials must be disposed of off-site at considerable expense (up to several hundred dollars per cubic yard of waste material). FUSRAP is on an aggressive schedule, with most sites scheduled for close-out in the next couple of years. Among the multitude of tasks involved in a typical remediation project is the need to inform and coordinate with active stakeholder communities, including local, state, and federal regulators.
Library Quality Reference Meets the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kresh, Diane Nester
The explosion of information and the popularity of the Internet and commercial search engines have required librarians to take a fresh look at their profession. The overwhelming amount of information now available has brought new demands and expectations. The need to bring information to the remote user has encouraged the creation of many…
Vint Cerf on the World Wide Web. Part II.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Educom Review, 1996
Presents the second part of an interview with Vinton Cerf on issues of information technology. Discusses reading with laptop computers; the "extinction" of books; technological experiments by publishers; copyrights, intellectual property, and ownership; cable companies; the impact of the Internet on education; and the future of the Internet. (AEF)
Communication on the World Wide Web: Designing an Effective Homepage.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kelleher, Tom; And Others
Nine focus groups of University of Florida faculty, staff, and students (n=79) provided comments on the university's Web site. Resulting suggestions for effective sites involved design/aesthetics (menu bar, structure, graphics), content (balance, timeliness), and interactivity (search engine, feedback mechanism). (SK)
Standardized Testing in Physics via the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
MacIsaac, Dan; Cole, Rebecca Pollard; Cole, David M.; McCullough, Laura; Maxka, Jim
Examines the differences in paper-based and web-based administrations of a commonly used assessment instrument, the Force Concept Inventory (FCI). Results demonstrated no appreciable difference on FCI scores or FCI items based on the type of administration. Concludes that the web-based administration of the FCI appears to be as efficacious as the…
World Wide Web Metaphors for Search Mission Data
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Norris, Jeffrey S.; Wallick, Michael N.; Joswig, Joseph C.; Powell, Mark W.; Torres, Recaredo J.; Mittman, David S.; Abramyan, Lucy; Crockett, Thomas M.; Shams, Khawaja S.; Fox, Jason M.; Ludowise, Melissa
A software program that searches and browses mission data emulates a Web browser, containing standard meta - phors for Web browsing. By taking advantage of back-end URLs, users may save and share search states. Also, since a Web interface is familiar to users, training time is reduced. Familiar back and forward buttons move through a local search history. A refresh/reload button regenerates a query, and loads in any new data. URLs can be constructed to save search results. Adding context to the current search is also handled through a familiar Web metaphor. The query is constructed by clicking on hyperlinks that represent new components to the search query. The selection of a link appears to the user as a page change; the choice of links changes to represent the updated search and the results are filtered by the new criteria. Selecting a navigation link changes the current query and also the URL that is associated with it. The back button can be used to return to the previous search state. This software is part of the MSLICE release, which was written in Java. It will run on any current Windows, Macintosh, or Linux system.
Detecting image purpose in World Wide Web documents
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Paek, Seungyup; Smith, John R.
The number of WWW documents available to users of the Internet is growing at an incredible rate. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important to develop systems that aid users in searching, filtering, and retrieving information from the Internet. Currently, only a few prototype systems catalog and index images in Web documents. To greatly improve the cataloging and indexing of images on the Web, we have developed a prototype rule-based systems that detects the content images in Web documents. Content images are images that are associated with the main content of Web documents, as opposed to a multitude of other images that exist in Web documents for different purposes, such as decorative, advertisement and logo images. We present a system that uses decision tree learning for automated rule induction for the content images detection system. The system uses visual features, text-related features and the document context of images in concert for fast and effective content image detection in Web documents. We have evaluated the system by collecting more than 1200 images from 4 different Web sites and we have achieved an overall classification accuracy of 84 percent.
Evaluating Text-Based Information on the World Wide Web
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wopereis, Iwan G. J. H.; van Merrienboer, Jeroen J. G.
This special section contributes to an inclusive cognitive model of information problem solving (IPS) activity, touches briefly IPS learning, and brings to the notice methodological pitfalls related to uncovering IPS processes. Instead of focusing on the IPS process as a whole, the contributing articles turn their attention to what is regarded the…
Progress towards a world-wide code of conduct
Lee, J.A.N.; Berleur, J.
In this paper the work of the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) Task Group on Ethics is described and the recommendations presented to the General Assembly are reviewed. While a common code of ethics or conduct has been not recommended for consideration by the member societies of IMP, a set of guidelines for the establishment and evaluation of codes has been produced and procedures for the assistance of code development have been established within IMP. This paper proposes that the data collected by the Task Group and the proposed guidelines can be used as a tool for the study of codes of practice providing a teachable, learnable educational module in courses related to the ethics of computing and computation, and looks at the next steps in bringing ethical awareness to the IT community.
Family planning and development helping women world-wide.
Mahler, H
This article discusses the need for family planning (FP) as part of the development process, applauds its successes and rallies continued momentum of the FP movement. 500,000 women die each year from pregnancy- or labor-related conditions, and 10s of millions of women suffer pregnancy-related illnesses and impairments that undermine their social and economic productivity. Moreover, the 4 major factors that lead to high-risk pregnancies, namely, becoming pregnant before the age of 20, after the age of 35, after 4 or more pregnancies, and 2 years after an earlier pregnancy, all reveal the need for FP. These tragedies could be avoided by assuring better nutrition, primary health care for all, good antenatal attention and proper facilities and help in childbirth, access to good obstetric care in emergency situations, and universally available FP services. FP organizations must empower women with the knowledge of FP and the means to put it into practice. Developing countries, such as China, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Mexico, in addition to affluent industrialized countries have made strides in FP with the help of such organizations as the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). IPPF has helped to motivate large numbers of men and women to determine their ideal family size. It has provided the means for them to reach such goals and has ensured that acceptance of FP has been on a voluntary basis. IPPF has also advised and cajoled governments into becoming involved in FP. In the future, national strategies must produce the building blocks for better policies to help women become more responsible for their lives. The education of women will be vital to achieving this objective as well as other aspects of development. PMID:12342371
The New Frontier: Conquering the World Wide Web by Mule.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Gresham, Morgan
Examines effects of teaching hypertext markup language on students' perceptions of class goals in a networked composition classroom. Suggests sending documents via file transfer protocol by command line and viewing the Web with a textual browser shifted emphasis from writing to coding. Argues that helping students identify a balance between…
60. The World-Wide Inaccessible Web, Part 1: Browsing
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Baggaley, Jon; Batpurev, Batchuluun
Two studies are reported, comparing the browser loading times of webpages created using common Web development techniques. The loading speeds were estimated in 12 Asian countries by members of the "PANdora" network, funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) to conduct collaborative research in the development of effective…
Rotorcraft Aeromechanics Branch Home Page on the World Wide Web
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Peterson, Randall L.; Warmbrodt, William (Technical Monitor)
The tilt rotor aircraft holds great promise for improving air travel in the future. It's benefits include vertical take off and landing combined with airspeeds comparable to propeller driven aircraft. However, the noise from a tilt rotor during approach to a landing is potentially a significant barrier to widespread acceptance of these aircraft. This approach noise is primarily caused by Blade Vortex Interactions (BVI), which are created when the blade passes near or through the vortex trailed by preceding blades. The XV- 15 Aeroacoustic test will measure the noise from a tilt rotor during descent conditions and demonstrate several possible techniques to reduce the noise. The XV- 15 Aeroacoustic test at NASA Ames Research Center will measure acoustics and performance for a full-scale XV-15 rotor. A single XV-15 rotor will be mounted on the Ames Rotor Test Apparatus (RTA) in the 80- by 120-Foot Wind Tunnel. The test will be conducted in helicopter mode with forward flight speeds up to 100 knots and tip path plane angles up to +/- 15 degrees. These operating conditions correspond to a wide range of tilt rotor descent and transition to forward flight cases. Rotor performance measurements will be made with the RTA rotor balance, while acoustic measurements will be made using an acoustic traverse and four fixed microphones. The acoustic traverse will provide limited directionality measurements on the advancing side of the rotor, where BVI noise is expected to be the highest. Baseline acoustics and performance measurements for the three-bladed rotor will be obtained over the entire test envelope. Acoustic measurements will also be obtained for correlation with the XV-15 aircraft Inflight Rotor Aeroacoustic Program (IRAP) recently conducted by Ames. Several techniques will be studied in an attempt to reduce the highest measured BVI noise conditions. The first of these techniques will use sub-wings mounted on the blade tips. These subwings are expected to alter the size, strength, and location of the tip vortex, therefore changing the BVI acoustics of the rotor. The subwings are approximately 20% of the blade chord and increase the rotor radius by about 3 percent. Four different subwing configurations will be tested, including square tipped subwings with different angles of incidence. The ability of active controls to reduce BVI acoustics will also be assessed. The dynamic control system of the RTA will be used to implement open- and closed-loop active control techniques, including individual blade control. Open-loop testing will be conducted using a personal computer based, automated, real-time data acquisition system. This system features combined automated output of open loop control signals and automated data acquisition of the resulting test data. A final technique to alter the noise of the rotor will be examined. This will involve changing the number of blades from three to four. A four-bladed rotor hub has been fabricated on which the XV-15 blades will be mounted. While the solidity of the rotor will increase, much useful information can be gained by examining the changes in the thrust and RPM with four blades.
Pills on the World Wide Web: reducing barriers through technology.
Gawron, Lori M; Turok, David K
Oral contraceptive pills are safe, effective, and available without a prescription in most countries. Despite support from the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to provide oral contraceptives as an over-the-counter medication, US women are still required to have a prescription to obtain them. Use of online applications and the Internet has made most things easier to obtain in our society and this includes contraceptive methods. Several online ventures are now underway to enable US women to obtain oral contraceptives without visiting a medical provider's office. Women's health care professionals should encourage these novel approaches, as they will improve contraceptive access. As US women experiment with innovative health care models, providers will need to lead, follow, or be left behind. PMID:26071918
Migration-Related Resources on the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Boyer, Anne
Presents a collection of Web sites with accompanying annotations on migration and immigration that includes, but is not limited to, resources on immigrants' experiences at Angel Island (California), photographs taken at Ellis Island (New York) during the 20th century, and a virtual tour of Ellis Island. (CMK)
WIRED — World Wide Web interactive remote event display
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ballaminut, A.; Colonello, C.; Dönszelmann, M.; van Herwijnen, E.; Köper, D.; Korhonen, J.; Litmaath, M.; Perl, J.; Theodorou, A.; Whiteson, D.; Wolff, E.
WIRED ( http://wired.cern.ch/) is a framework, written in Java, to build High Energy Physics event displays that can be used across the network. To guarantee portability across all platforms, WIRED is implemented in the Java language and uses the Swing user interface component set. It can be used as a stand-alone application or as an applet inside a WWW browser. The graphical user interface allows for multiple views and for multiple controls acting on those views. A detector tree control is available to toggle the visibility of parts of the events and detector geometry. XML (Extensible Markup Language), RMI (Remote Method Invocation) and CORBA loaders can be used to load event data as well as geometry data, and to connect to FORTRAN, C, C++ and Java reconstruction programs. Non-linear and non-Cartesian projections (e.g., fisheye, ρ- φ, ρ- Z, φ- Z) provide special views to get a better understanding of events. A special Java interpreter allows physicists to write small scripts to interact with their data and its display. WIRED has grown to be a framework in use and under development in several HEP experiments (ATLAS, CHORUS, DELPHI, LHCb, BaBar, D0 and ZEUS). WIRED event displays have also proven to be useful to explain High Energy Physics to the general public. Both CERN, in its traveling exhibition and MicroCosm, and RAL, during its open days, have displays set up.
Scholarly Misconduct and Misinformation on the World Wide Web.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Calvert, Philip J.
Discusses scholarly misconduct as a source of misinformation on the Web and describes the results of focus interviews conducted in Singapore that considered the potential impact of misinformation on the Web. Topics include motivation for publication; motivation for misconduct; improving information literacy; and possibilities for quality control.…
World wide IFC phosphoric acid fuel cell implementation
King, J.M. Jr
International Fuel Cells, a subsidary of United technologies Corporation, is engaged in research and development of all types of fuel cell technologies and currently manufactures alkaline fuel cell power plants for the U.S. manned space flight program and natural gas fueled stationary power plants using phosphoric acid fuel cells. This paper describes the phosphoric acid fuel cell power plants.
Voicing on Virtual and Face to Face Discussion
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Yamat, Hamidah
This paper presents and discusses findings of a study conducted on pre-service teachers' experiences in virtual and face to face discussions. Technology has brought learning nowadays beyond the classroom context or time zone. The learning context and process no longer rely solely on face to face communications in the presence of a teacher.…
Bayesian Face Recognition and Perceptual Narrowing in Face-Space
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Balas, Benjamin
During the first year of life, infants' face recognition abilities are subject to "perceptual narrowing", the end result of which is that observers lose the ability to distinguish previously discriminable faces (e.g. other-race faces) from one another. Perceptual narrowing has been reported for faces of different species and different races, in…
Neural synchronization during face-to-face communication.
Jiang, Jing; Dai, Bohan; Peng, Danling; Zhu, Chaozhe; Liu, Li; Lu, Chunming
Although the human brain may have evolutionarily adapted to face-to-face communication, other modes of communication, e.g., telephone and e-mail, increasingly dominate our modern daily life. This study examined the neural difference between face-to-face communication and other types of communication by simultaneously measuring two brains using a hyperscanning approach. The results showed a significant increase in the neural synchronization in the left inferior frontal cortex during a face-to-face dialog between partners but none during a back-to-back dialog, a face-to-face monologue, or a back-to-back monologue. Moreover, the neural synchronization between partners during the face-to-face dialog resulted primarily from the direct interactions between the partners, including multimodal sensory information integration and turn-taking behavior. The communicating behavior during the face-to-face dialog could be predicted accurately based on the neural synchronization level. These results suggest that face-to-face communication, particularly dialog, has special neural features that other types of communication do not have and that the neural synchronization between partners may underlie successful face-to-face communication. PMID:23136442
Pedagogical Characteristics of Online and Face-to-Face Classes
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wuensch, Karl; Aziz, Shahnaz; Ozan, Erol; Kishore, Masao; Tabrizi, M. H. Nassehzadeh
Currently, many students have had experience with both face-to-face and online classes. We asked such students at 46 different universities in the United States to evaluate the pedagogical characteristics of their most recently completed face-to-face class and their most recently completed online class. The results show that students rate online…
Neural correlates of face detection.
Xu, Xiaokun; Biederman, Irving
Although face detection likely played an essential adaptive role in our evolutionary past and in contemporary social interactions, there have been few rigorous studies investigating its neural correlates. MJH, a prosopagnosic with bilateral lesions to the ventral temporal-occipital cortices encompassing the posterior face areas (fusiform and occipital face areas), expresses no subjective difficulty in face detection, suggesting that these posterior face areas do not mediate face detection exclusively. Despite his normal contrast sensitivity and visual acuity in foveal vision, the present study nevertheless revealed significant face detection deficits in MJH. Compared with controls, MJH showed a lower tolerance to noise in the phase spectrum for faces (vs. cars), reflected in his higher detection threshold for faces. MJH's lesions in bilateral occipito-temporal cortices thus appear to have produced a deficit not only in face individuation, but also in face detection. PMID:23365211
Pose estimation and frontal face detection for face recognition
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Lim, Eng Thiam; Wang, Jiangang; Xie, Wei; Ronda, Venkarteswarlu
This paper proposes a pose estimation and frontal face detection algorithm for face recognition. Considering it's application in a real-world environment, the algorithm has to be robust yet computationally efficient. The main contribution of this paper is the efficient face localization, scale and pose estimation using color models. Simulation results showed very low computational load when compare to other face detection algorithm. The second contribution is the introduction of low dimensional statistical face geometrical model. Compared to other statistical face model the proposed method models the face geometry efficiently. The algorithm is demonstrated on a real-time system. The simulation results indicate that the proposed algorithm is computationally efficient.
Vocational Agriculture Computer Handbook.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kentucky State Dept. of Education, Frankfort.
This document is a catalog of reviews of computer software suitable for use in vocational agriculture programs. The reviews were made by vocational agriculture teachers in Kentucky. The reviews cover software on the following topics: farm management, crop production, livestock production, horticulture, agricultural mechanics, general agriculture,…
Handbook of Agricultural Geophysics
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Geophysical methods continue to show great promise for use in agriculture. The term "agricultural geophysics" denotes a subdiscipline of geophysics that is focused only on agricultural applications. The Handbook of Agricultural Geophysics was compiled to include a comprehensive overview of the geoph...
This report, which summarizes the use of agricultural chemicals is issued by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) as part of its series on Agricultural Chemical Usage. Other publications in the series present statistics for on-farm agricultural chemical usage for f...
Finding faces among faces: human faces are located more quickly and accurately than other primate and mammal faces.
Simpson, Elizabeth A; Buchin, Zachary; Werner, Katie; Worrell, Rey; Jakobsen, Krisztina V
We tested the specificity of human face search efficiency by examining whether there is a broad window of detection for various face-like stimuli-human and animal faces-or whether own-species faces receive greater attentional allocation. We assessed the strength of the own-species face detection bias by testing whether human faces are located more efficiently than other animal faces, when presented among various other species' faces, in heterogeneous 16-, 36-, and 64-item arrays. Across all array sizes, we found that, controlling for distractor type, human faces were located faster and more accurately than primate and mammal faces, and that, controlling for target type, searches were faster when distractors were human faces compared to animal faces, revealing more efficient processing of human faces regardless of their role as targets or distractors (Experiment 1). Critically, these effects remained when searches were for specific species' faces (human, chimpanzee, otter), ruling out a category-level explanation (Experiment 2). Together, these results suggest that human faces may be processed more efficiently than animal faces, both when task-relevant (targets) and task-irrelevant (distractors), even in direct competition with other faces. These results suggest that there is not a broad window of detection for all face-like patterns but that human adults process own-species' faces more efficiently than other species' faces. Such own-species search efficiencies may arise through experience with own-species faces throughout development or may be privileged early in development, due to the evolutionary importance of conspecifics' faces. PMID:25113852
Face recognition system and method using face pattern words and face pattern bytes
Zheng, Yufeng
The present invention provides a novel system and method for identifying individuals and for face recognition utilizing facial features for face identification. The system and method of the invention comprise creating facial features or face patterns called face pattern words and face pattern bytes for face identification. The invention also provides for pattern recognitions for identification other than face recognition. The invention further provides a means for identifying individuals based on visible and/or thermal images of those individuals by utilizing computer software implemented by instructions on a computer or computer system and a computer readable medium containing instructions on a computer system for face recognition and identification.
Problems Facing Rural Schools.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Stewart, C. E.; And Others
Problems facing rural Scottish schools range from short term consideration of daily operation to long term consideration of organizational alternatives. Addressed specifically, such problems include consideration of: (1) liaison between a secondary school and its feeder primary schools; (2) preservice teacher training for work in small, isolated…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Srinivasan, Aparna
Restoration techniques are applied to degraded face samples. The techniques considered are those of Wiener Filtering, Lucy Richardson deconvolution, Blind deconvolution and Constrained least squares filtering (CLSF). Images degraded by low blur, high blur and low blur with noise are experimented with and the results are expounded.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Srinivasan, Aparna
Restoration techniques are applied to degraded face samples. The techniques considered are those of Wiener Filtering, Lucy Richardson deconvolution, Blind deconvolution and Constrained least squares filtering (CLSF). Images degraded by low blur, high blur and low blur with noise are experimented with and the results are expounded.
Challenges Facing Special Education.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Meyen, Edward L., Ed.; And Others
This book presents 17 selected papers from recent issues of the journal, "Focus on Exceptional Children," concerning current and emerging challenges facing the field of special education. The book is organized in two parts. Part 1, "Contemporary Challenges," includes the following articles: "Transitions in Early Childhood Special Education: Issues…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
This document contains four symposium papers on work force issues facing human resource development (HRD). "Contributing Factors to the Success of Women and People of Color in Leadership Roles: A Message to HRD Professionals" (Jean R. McFarland, Gary Leske, Caroline S. V. Turner) reports the results of a survey in which nonwhite males, nonwhite…
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Cason, W. E. I.; Baucom, R. M.; Evans, R. C.
Lightweight face mask originally developed to protect epileptic patients during seizures could have many other medical and nonmedical applications such as muscular distrophy patients, football linesmen and riot-control police. Masks are extremely lightweight, the lightest of the configurations weighing only 136 grams.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Stevens, Lori
Visitors to the campus of Orland High School (OHS) will never question that they have stepped into a world of the masses: kids, activity, personalities, busyness, and playfulness--a veritable cloud of mild bedlam. The wall of ceramic faces that greets a visitor in the school office is another reminder of the organized chaos that the teachers…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
These four papers are from a symposium facilitated by Eugene Andette on work force issues facing human resources development (HRD) at the 1995 Academy of Human Resource Development conference. "Meaning Construction and Personal Transformation: Alternative Dimensions of Job Loss" (Terri A. Deems) reports a study conducted to explore the ways…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Zilliox, Joseph T.; Lowery, Shannon G.
Describes an extended investigation of polygons and polyhedra which was conducted in response to a challenge posed in Focus, a newsletter from the Mathematical Association of America (MAA). Students were challenged to construct a polyhedron with faces that measure more than 13 inches to a side. Outlines the process, including the questions posed…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tennant, Roy
In this article, the author talks about how to face the not knowing and offers a strategy to fill the gap of not knowing. In coping with constant change, he describes a strategy for library staff that might help in the absence of certainty. This includes: (a) guarding the data with one's life; (b) build not for longevity, but obsolescence; (c)…
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Biological invasions are a major threat to natural ecosystems and agricultural crop production. With globalization, the increase in trade and movement of people, the frequency of species invasions has substantially grown in the last three decades. Polyphagous pest species targeting hosts with wide d...
The Caledonian face test: A new test of face discrimination.
Logan, Andrew J; Wilkinson, Frances; Wilson, Hugh R; Gordon, Gael E; Loffler, Gunter
This study aimed to develop a clinical test of face perception which is applicable to a wide range of patients and can capture normal variability. The Caledonian face test utilises synthetic faces which combine simplicity with sufficient realism to permit individual identification. Face discrimination thresholds (i.e. minimum difference between faces required for accurate discrimination) were determined in an "odd-one-out" task. The difference between faces was controlled by an adaptive QUEST procedure. A broad range of face discrimination sensitivity was determined from a group (N=52) of young adults (mean 5.75%; SD 1.18; range 3.33-8.84%). The test is fast (3-4min), repeatable (test-re-test r(2)=0.795) and demonstrates a significant inversion effect. The potential to identify impairments of face discrimination was evaluated by testing LM who reported a lifelong difficulty with face perception. While LM's impairment for two established face tests was close to the criterion for significance (Z-scores of -2.20 and -2.27) for the Caledonian face test, her Z-score was -7.26, implying a more than threefold higher sensitivity. The new face test provides a quantifiable and repeatable assessment of face discrimination ability. The enhanced sensitivity suggests that the Caledonian face test may be capable of detecting more subtle impairments of face perception than available tests. PMID:26607479
The Development of a Web-service-based On-demand Global Agriculture Drought Information System
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Deng, M.; Di, L.; Han, W.; Yagci, A.; Peng, C.
The growing demand on detailed and accurate assessments of agriculture drought from local to global scales has made drought monitoring and forecasting a hot research topic in recent years. However, many challenges in this area still remain. One of such challenges is to how to let world-wide decision makers obtain accurate and timely drought information. Current agriculture drought information systems in the world are limited in many aspects, such as only regional or country level coverage, very coarse spatial and temporal resolutions, no on-demand drought information product generation and download services, no online analysis tools, no interoperability with other systems, and ineffective agriculture drought monitoring and forecasting. Leveraging the latest advances in geospatial Web service, interoperability and cyber-infrastructure technologies and the availability of near real-time global remote sensing data, we aims at providing a solution to those problems by building an open, interoperable, standard-compliant, and Web-service-based global agriculture drought monitoring and forecasting system (GADMFS) (http://gis.csiss.gmu.edu/GADMFS/). GADMFS will provide world-wide users with timely, on-demand, and ready-to-use agricultural drought data and information products as well as improved global agriculture drought monitoring, prediction and analysis services. For the monitoring purpose, the system lively links to near real-time satellite remote sensing data sources from NASA and NOAA and relies on drought related remotely sensed physical and biophysical parameters, such as soil moisture and drought-related vegetation indices (VIs, e.g., NDVI) to provide the current conditions of global agricultural drought at high resolutions (up to 500m spatial and daily temporal) to world-wide users on demand. For drought prediction, the system utilizes a neural network based modeling algorithm, trained with current and historic vegetation-based and climate-based drought index
Nursing student experiences with face-to-face learning.
Gruendemann, Barbara J
Face-to-face learning has been the mainstay of nursing student learning. Despite moves to online learning, face-to-face learning persists. This study focuses on how nursing students experience face-to-face learning and why it not only survives, but thrives. This study was anchored in a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, with Gadamerian concepts and van Manen's lifeworlds as frameworks to understand students' experiences of face-to-face learning. Patterns and themes were extracted from audiore-corded face-to-face interviews. Participants confirmed that face-to-face learning continues to be valued as a strong methodology in nursing education. Their experiences focused on humanism, the importance of "presence," physical proximity, classroom as "the real thing," immediacy of feedback, and learning and knowing by human connections and interaction. The study findings were a rich source for understanding how nursing students process learning experiences. Increased understanding of the meaning and essence of face-to-face learning is essential as we decide how nursing content will be taught. PMID:21956259
Tessier, P
The "facial mask" is composed of all of the tissues lying on top of the skeleton: periosteum, deep adipose tissue, superficial musculo-aponeurotic tissue and skin. The periosteum is the intermediate zone between the skeleton, responsible for the shape of the face, and the more superficial tissues which complete the shapes and, most importantly, represent the mobile part of the face and consequently the site of facial expression. The secret of an effective "mask-lift" depends on complete subperiosteal dissection of the malar bones, zygomatic arches and orbital margins. This dissection can be performed via a coronal approach, but it is easier to start the subperiosteal dissection via a short vestibular incision. Subperiosteal dissection via a coronal incision is not only useful to lift the facial mask; it is also useful for remodelling the orbital margins and to obtain bone grafts from the parietal area in order to reinforce the glabella, check bones and nasogenial folds. PMID:2473674
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Baumgardner, Darrel; Kok, Greg; Anderson, Bruce
Droplet Measurement Technologies (DMT), under funding from NASA, participated in the CRYSTAL/FACE field campaign in July, 2002 with measurements of cirrus cloud hydrometeors in the size range from 0.5 to 1600 microns. The measurements were made with the DMT Cloud, Aerosol and Precipitation Spectrometer (CAPS) that was flown on NASA's WB57F. With the exception of the first research flight when the data system failed two hours into the mission, the measurement system performed almost flawlessly during the thirteen flights. The measurements from the CAPS have been essential for interpretation of cirrus cloud properties and their impact on climate. The CAPS data set has been used extensively by the CRYSTAL/FACE investigators and as of the date of this report, have been included in five published research articles, 10 conference presentations and six other journal articles currently in preparation.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-361, 15 May 2003Every day, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide angle instruments obtain a global view of the planet to help monitor weather and seasonal patterns of frost deposition and removal. The two pictures shown here are taken from the same daily global image mosaic (the only difference is that each was processed slightly differently). The pictures show Galle Crater, informally known as 'Happy Face,' as it appeared in early southern winter. The white-ish gray surfaces are coated with wintertime carbon dioxide frost. The pattern of frost distribution gives the appearance that 'Happy Face' has opened its mouth. Galle Crater is located on the east rim of Argyre at 51oS, 31oW. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. Galle Crater is 230 km (143 mi) across.
Shultz, Mary Jane; Brumberg, Alexandra; Bisson, Patrick J.; Shultz, Ryan
The ability to prepare single-crystal faces has become central to developing and testing models for chemistry at interfaces, spectacularly demonstrated by heterogeneous catalysis and nanoscience. This ability has been hampered for hexagonal ice, Ih––a fundamental hydrogen-bonded surface––due to two characteristics of ice: ice does not readily cleave along a crystal lattice plane and properties of ice grown on a substrate can differ significantly from those of neat ice. This work describes laboratory-based methods both to determine the Ih crystal lattice orientation relative to a surface and to use that orientation to prepare any desired face. The work builds on previous results attaining nearly 100% yield of high-quality, single-crystal boules. With these methods, researchers can prepare authentic, single-crystal ice surfaces for numerous studies including uptake measurements, surface reactivity, and catalytic activity of this ubiquitous, fundamental solid. PMID:26512102
Agricultural Aircraft for Site-Specific Agriculture
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Agricultural aircraft provide a convenient platform to aid in precision agriculture, in which pesticide, fertilizer or other field inputs are applied only where they are needed. This saves on chemical and farm resources, and reduces environmental loading. Remote sensing is used to spot areas of the ...
Agricultural Chartbook 1988. Agriculture Handbook No. 673.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.
These charts present an overview of the current economic health of American agriculture. The charts move from the national and international arenas to farm economic health measures and crop and livestock trends. A small amount of descriptive narrative accompanies most of the charts. Charts depicting the economic picture of U.S. agriculture include…
1986 Agricultural Chartbook. Agriculture Handbook No. 663.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.
This book contains 310 charts, tables, and graphs containing statistical information about agriculture-related commodities and services, primarily in the United States, in 1986. The book is organized in seven sections that cover the following topics: (1) the farm (farm income, farm population, farm workers, food and fiber system, agriculture and…
Goold, Jessica E.; Meng, Ming
Faces spontaneously capture attention. However, which special attributes of a face underlie this effect is unclear. To address this question, we investigate how gist information, specific visual properties and differing amounts of experience with faces affect the time required to detect a face. Three visual search experiments were conducted investigating the rapidness of human observers to detect Mooney face images. Mooney images are two-toned, ambiguous images. They were used in order to have stimuli that maintain gist information but limit low-level image properties. Results from the experiments show: (1) Although upright Mooney faces were searched inefficiently, they were detected more rapidly than inverted Mooney face targets, demonstrating the important role of gist information in guiding attention toward a face. (2) Several specific Mooney face identities were searched efficiently while others were not, suggesting the involvement of specific visual properties in face detection. (3) By providing participants with unambiguous gray-scale versions of the Mooney face targets prior to the visual search task, the targets were detected significantly more efficiently, suggesting that prior experience with Mooney faces improves the ability to extract gist information for rapid face detection. However, a week of training with Mooney face categorization did not lead to even more efficient visual search of Mooney face targets. In summary, these results reveal that specific local image properties cannot account for how faces capture attention. On the other hand, gist information alone cannot account for how faces capture attention either. Prior experience facilitates the effect of gist on visual search of faces; making faces a special object category for guiding attention. PMID:26903941
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Munson, John
In the seal literature you can find many attempts by various researchers to adapt film riding seals to the gas turbine engine. None have been successful, potential distortion of the sealing faces is the primary reason. There is a film riding device that does accommodate distortion and is in service in aircraft applications, namely the foil bearing. More specifically a foil thrust bearing. These are not intended to be seals, and they do not accommodate large axial movement between shaft & static structure. By combining the 2 a unique type of face seal has been created. It functions like a normal face seal. The foil thrust bearing replaces the normal primary sealing surface. The compliance of the foil bearing allows the foils to track distortion of the mating seal ring. The foil seal has several perceived advantages over existing hydrodynamic designs, enumerated in the chart. Materials and design methodology needed for this application already exist. Also the load capacity requirements for the foil bearing are low since it only needs to support itself and overcome friction forces at the antirotation keys.
Zhao, Mintao; Bülthoff, Heinrich H.; Bülthoff, Isabelle
Holistic processing—the tendency to perceive objects as indecomposable wholes—has long been viewed as a process specific to faces or objects of expertise. Although current theories differ in what causes holistic processing, they share a fundamental constraint for its generalization: Nonface objects cannot elicit facelike holistic processing in the absence of expertise. Contrary to this prevailing view, here we show that line patterns with salient Gestalt information (i.e., connectedness, closure, and continuity between parts) can be processed as holistically as faces without any training. Moreover, weakening the saliency of Gestalt information in these patterns reduced holistic processing of them, which indicates that Gestalt information plays a crucial role in holistic processing. Therefore, holistic processing can be achieved not only via a top-down route based on expertise, but also via a bottom-up route relying merely on object-based information. The finding that facelike holistic processing can extend beyond the domains of faces and objects of expertise poses a challenge to current dominant theories. PMID:26674129
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Weddendorf, Bruce (Inventor)
A double face sealing device is disclosed for mounting between two surfaces to provide an air-tight and fluid-tight seal between a closure member bearing one of the surfaces and a structure or housing bearing the other surface which extends around the opening or hatchway to be closed. The double face sealing device includes a plurality of sections or segments mounted to one of the surfaces, each having a main body portion, a pair of outwardly extending and diverging, cantilever, spring arms, and a pair of inwardly extending and diverging, cantilever, spring arms, an elastomeric cover on the distal, free ends of the outwardly extending and diverging spring arms, and an elastomeric cover on the distal, free, ends of the outwardly extending and diverging spring arms, and an elastomeric cover on the distal, free ends of the inwardly extending and diverging spring arms. The double face sealing device has application or use in all environments requiring a seal, but is particularly useful to seal openings or hatchways between compartments of spacecraft or aircraft.
Face-space: A unifying concept in face recognition research.
Valentine, Tim; Lewis, Michael B; Hills, Peter J
The concept of a multidimensional psychological space, in which faces can be represented according to their perceived properties, is fundamental to the modern theorist in face processing. Yet the idea was not clearly expressed until 1991. The background that led to the development of face-space is explained, and its continuing influence on theories of face processing is discussed. Research that has explored the properties of the face-space and sought to understand caricature, including facial adaptation paradigms, is reviewed. Face-space as a theoretical framework for understanding the effect of ethnicity and the development of face recognition is evaluated. Finally, two applications of face-space in the forensic setting are discussed. From initially being presented as a model to explain distinctiveness, inversion, and the effect of ethnicity, face-space has become a central pillar in many aspects of face processing. It is currently being developed to help us understand adaptation effects with faces. While being in principle a simple concept, face-space has shaped, and continues to shape, our understanding of face perception. PMID:25427883
Age-Dependent Face Detection and Face Categorization Performance
Carbon, Claus-Christian; Grüter, Martina; Grüter, Thomas
Empirical studies on the development of face processing skills with age show inconsistent patterns concerning qualitative vs. quantitative changes over time or the age range for peak cognitive performance. In the present study, we tested the proficiency in face detection and face categorization with a large sample of participants (N = 312; age range: 2-88 yrs). As test objects, we used so-called Mooney faces, two-tone (black and white) images of faces lacking critical information of a local, featural and relational nature, reflecting difficult real world face processing conditions. We found that performance in the assessment of gender and age from Mooney faces increases up to about age 15, and decreases from 65 years on. The implications of these findings are discussed in the light of classic and recent findings from face development literature. PMID:24116236
Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey
9. WEST FACE OF OLD THEODOLITE BUILDING; WEST FACE OF EAST PHOTO TOWER IN BACKGROUND - Vandenberg Air Force Base, Space Launch Complex 3, Launch Pad 3 East, Napa & Alden Roads, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA
Biotechnology Enters Vocational Agriculture.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Martin, Robert A.
Points out that the agriculture industry is changing and that vocational agriculture students must learn more science than before to be prepared. Iowa formed groups of educators and business representatives to advise on which curricula should be funded. (JOW)
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Crosson, Pierre R.; Rosenberg, Norman J.
Discusses the change of agricultural methods with human population growth. Describes the trends of world food production, changes in farmland, use of fertilizer, and 13 agricultural research institutions. Lists 5 references for further reading. (YP)
Traditional Agriculture and Permaculture.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Pierce, Dick
Discusses benefits of combining traditional agricultural techniques with the concepts of "permaculture," a framework for revitalizing traditions, culture, and spirituality. Describes school, college, and community projects that have assisted American Indian communities in revitalizing sustainable agricultural practices that incorporate cultural…
Face-to-Face Interference in Typical and Atypical Development
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Riby, Deborah M.; Doherty-Sneddon, Gwyneth; Whittle, Lisa
Visual communication cues facilitate interpersonal communication. It is important that we look at faces to retrieve and subsequently process such cues. It is also important that we sometimes look away from faces as they increase cognitive load that may interfere with online processing. Indeed, when typically developing individuals hold face gaze…
Remembering the farmer in the agriculture policy and obesity debate.
Farnese, Patricia L
Agricultural policies are often criticized for promoting the overconsumption of unhealthy foods, thereby contributing to rising obesity rates. This article explores the accuracy of claims that existing agricultural policies contribute to obesity and describes the conflict between traditional nutrition and agricultural policy goals. The article concludes by asserting that the challenges facing farmers must be considered in the redesign of agriculture policy to support obesity prevention goals of governments. If the needs of farmers are overlooked, efforts to improve the nutritional profile of the average American diet will be undermined. PMID:24475547
Challenges facing production grids
Pordes, Ruth; /Fermilab
Today's global communities of users expect quality of service from distributed Grid systems equivalent to that their local data centers. This must be coupled to ubiquitous access to the ensemble of processing and storage resources across multiple Grid infrastructures. We are still facing significant challenges in meeting these expectations, especially in the underlying security, a sustainable and successful economic model, and smoothing the boundaries between administrative and technical domains. Using the Open Science Grid as an example, I examine the status and challenges of Grids operating in production today.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Maryland State Dept. of Education, Baltimore.
Biotechnology and Agriculture.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kenney, Martin
Even at this early date in the application of biotechnology to agriculture, it is clear that agriculture may provide the largest market for new or less expensive biotechnologically manufactured products. The chemical and pharmaceutical industries that hold important positions in agricultural inputs are consolidating their positions by purchasing…
Connecticut Vocational Agriculture Curriculum.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Connecticut State Dept. of Education, Hartford. Bureau of Vocational Services.
Designed for use in the Connecticut Regional Vocational Agriculture Centers, this curriculum provides exploratory and specialization units for four major areas of agriculture. These are Agriculture Mechanics, Animal Science, Natural Resources, and Plant Science. The exploratory units are required for grades 9 and 10, while the specialization units…
Agriculture, Environmental Education Guide.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Project I-C-E, Green Bay, WI.
This agriculture guide, for use at the secondary level, is one of a series of guides, K-12, which were developed by teachers to help introduce environmental education into the total curriculum. Environmental problems are present in every community where agriculture education is offered, and therefore many agriculture teachers have included some…
Agricultural Structures, Volume II.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Linhardt, Richard E.; Burhoe, Steve
This guide to a curriculum unit in agricultural structures is designed to expand the curriculum materials available in vocational agriculture in Missouri. It and Agricultural Structures I (see note) provide reference materials to systematize the curriculum. The six units cover working with concrete (19 lessons, 2 laboratory exercises), drawing and…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, The Hauge.
Agricultural Education in the Netherlands is categorized as Scientific, Higher Secondary, Middle Secondary, and Lower Secondary. Scientific education is given at the agricultural university which has a 6- or 7-year curriculum. Higher secondary education is given at agricultural and horticultural colleges with a 3- to 4-year curriculum. Middle…
Agriculture Business and Management.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Seperich, George; And Others
This curriculum guide is intended for vocational agriculture teachers who deliver agricultural business and management programs at the secondary or postsecondary level. It is based on the Arizona validated occupational competencies and tasks for management and supervisory positions in agricultural business. The competency/skill and task list…
Information for Agricultural Development.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kaungamno, E. E.
This paper describes the major international agricultural information services, sources, and systems; outlines the existing information situation in Tanzania as it relates to problems of agricultural development; and reviews the improvements in information provision resources required to support the process of agricultural development in Tanzania.…
Chapter 3: Cropland Agriculture
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
In 2013, cropland agriculture resulted in total emissions of approximately 209 MMT CO2 eq. of greenhouse gases (GHG). Cropland agriculture is responsible for almost half (46%) of all emissions from the agricultural sector. Nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4) emissions from c...
PATHWAY: a simulation model of radionuclide-transport through agricultural food chains
Kirchner, T.B.; Whicker, F.W.; Otis, M.D.
PATHWAY simulates the transport of radionuclides from fallout through an agricultural ecosystem. The agro-ecosystem is subdivided into several land management units, each of which is used either for grazing animals, for growing hay, or for growing food crops. The model simulates the transport of radionuclides by both discrete events and continuous, time-dependent processes. The discrete events include tillage of soil, harvest and storage of crops,and deposition of fallout. The continuous processes include the transport of radionuclides due to resuspension, weathering, rain splash, percolation, leaching, adsorption and desorption of radionuclides in the soil, root uptake, foliar absorption, growth and senescence of vegetation, and the ingestion assimilation, and excretion of radionuclides by animals. Preliminary validation studies indicate that the model dynamics and simulated values of radionuclide concentrations in several agricultural products agree well with measured values when the model is driven with site specific data on deposition from world-wide fallout.
Face the Fats Quiz II Do you know your fats by heart? Ready to make informed choices about the foods you ... to fried chicken, test your knowledge about the fats in some familiar foods. Welcome to Face the ...
De la Torre, Fernando; Chu, Wen-Sheng; Xiong, Xuehan; Vicente, Francisco; Ding, Xiaoyu; Cohn, Jeffrey
Within the last 20 years, there has been an increasing interest in the computer vision community in automated facial image analysis algorithms. This has been driven by applications in animation, market research, autonomous-driving, surveillance, and facial editing among others. To date, there exist several commercial packages for specific facial image analysis tasks such as facial expression recognition, facial attribute analysis or face tracking. However, free and easy-to-use software that incorporates all these functionalities is unavailable. This paper presents IntraFace (IF), a publicly-available software package for automated facial feature tracking, head pose estimation, facial attribute recognition, and facial expression analysis from video. In addition, IFincludes a newly develop technique for unsupervised synchrony detection to discover correlated facial behavior between two or more persons, a relatively unexplored problem in facial image analysis. In tests, IF achieved state-of-the-art results for emotion expression and action unit detection in three databases, FERA, CK+ and RU-FACS; measured audience reaction to a talk given by one of the authors; and discovered synchrony for smiling in videos of parent-infant interaction. IF is free of charge for academic use at http://www.humansensing.cs.cmu.edu/intraface/.
Cognitive mechanisms of face processing.
Ellis, A W
Evidence from natural and induced errors of face recognition, from the effects of different cues on resolving errors, and from the latencies to make different decisions about seen faces, all suggest that familiar face recognition involves a fixed, invariant sequence of stages. To recognize a familiar face, a perceptual description of a seen face must first activate a long-standing representation of the appearance of the face of the familiar person. 'Semantic' knowledge about such things as the person's occupation and personality are accessed next, followed, in the final stage, by the name. Certain factors affect the ease of familiar face recognition. Faces seen in the recent past are recognized more readily (repetition priming), as are distinctive faces, and faces preceded by those of related individuals (associative priming). Our knowledge of these phenomena is reviewed for the light it can shed upon the mechanisms of face recognition. Four aspects of face recognition--graded similarity effects and part-to-whole completion in repetition priming, prototype extraction with simultaneous retention of information about individual exemplars, and distinctiveness effects in classification and identification--are proposed as being compatible with distributed memory accounts of cognitive representations. PMID:1348131
A novel thermal face recognition approach using face pattern words
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zheng, Yufeng
A reliable thermal face recognition system can enhance the national security applications such as prevention against terrorism, surveillance, monitoring and tracking, especially at nighttime. The system can be applied at airports, customs or high-alert facilities (e.g., nuclear power plant) for 24 hours a day. In this paper, we propose a novel face recognition approach utilizing thermal (long wave infrared) face images that can automatically identify a subject at both daytime and nighttime. With a properly acquired thermal image (as a query image) in monitoring zone, the following processes will be employed: normalization and denoising, face detection, face alignment, face masking, Gabor wavelet transform, face pattern words (FPWs) creation, face identification by similarity measure (Hamming distance). If eyeglasses are present on a subject's face, an eyeglasses mask will be automatically extracted from the querying face image, and then masked with all comparing FPWs (no more transforms). A high identification rate (97.44% with Top-1 match) has been achieved upon our preliminary face dataset (of 39 subjects) from the proposed approach regardless operating time and glasses-wearing condition.e
FaceID: A face detection and recognition system
Shah, M.B.; Rao, N.S.V.; Olman, V.; Uberbacher, E.C.; Mann, R.C.
A face detection system that automatically locates faces in gray-level images is described. Also described is a system which matches a given face image with faces in a database. Face detection in an Image is performed by template matching using templates derived from a selected set of normalized faces. Instead of using original gray level images, vertical gradient images were calculated and used to make the system more robust against variations in lighting conditions and skin color. Faces of different sizes are detected by processing the image at several scales. Further, a coarse-to-fine strategy is used to speed up the processing, and a combination of whole face and face component templates are used to ensure low false detection rates. The input to the face recognition system is a normalized vertical gradient image of a face, which is compared against a database using a set of pretrained feedforward neural networks with a winner-take-all fuser. The training is performed by using an adaptation of the backpropagation algorithm. This system has been developed and tested using images from the FERET database and a set of images obtained from Rowley, et al and Sung and Poggio.
Face lift postoperative recovery.
Mottura, A Aldo
The purpose of this paper is to describe what I have studied and experienced, mainly regarding the control and prediction of the postoperative edema; how to achieve an agreeable recovery and give positive support to the patient, who in turn will receive pleasant sensations that neutralize the negative consequences of the surgery.After the skin is lifted, the drainage flow to the flaps is reversed abruptly toward the medial part of the face, where the flap bases are located. The thickness and extension of the flap determines the magnitude of the post-op edema, which is also augmented by medial surgeries (blepharo, rhino) whose trauma obstruct their natural drainage, increasing the congestion and edema. To study the lymphatic drainage, the day before an extended face lift (FL) a woman was infiltrated in the cheek skin with lynfofast (solution of tecmesio) and the absorption was observed by gamma camera. Seven days after the FL she underwent the same study; we observed no absorption by the lymphatic, concluding that a week after surgery, the lymphatic network was still damaged. To study the venous return during surgery, a fine catheter was introduced into the external jugular vein up to the mandibular border to measure the peripheral pressure. Following platysma plication the pressure rose, and again after a simple bandage, but with an elastic bandage it increased even further, diminishing considerably when it was released. Hence, platysma plication and the elastic bandage on the neck augment the venous congestion of the face. There are diseases that produce and can prolong the surgical edema: cardiac, hepatic, and renal insufficiencies, hypothyroidism, malnutrition, etc. According to these factors, the post-op edema can be predicted, the surgeon can choose between a wide dissection or a medial surgery, depending on the social or employment compromises the patient has, or the patient must accept a prolonged recovery if a complex surgery is necessary. Operative
Reanimating the paralyzed face
Facial animation is an essential part of human communication and one of the main means of expressing emotions, indexing our physiologic state and providing nonverbal cues. The loss of this important human quality due to facial paralysis can be devastating and is often associated with depression, social isolation and poor quality of life. Interruption of the neuromuscular pathway from the facial motor cortex to the facial muscles is the common causative factor in facial paralysis resulting from various etiologies. Restoring tone, symmetry and movement to the paralyzed face requires timely nerve grafting intervention in cases of reversible paralysis and the transfer of functional muscle units in irreversible paralysis. We review recent advances in these techniques. PMID:24273650
Energy conservation using face detection
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Deotale, Nilesh T.; Kalbande, Dhananjay R.; Mishra, Akassh A.
Computerized Face Detection, is concerned with the difficult task of converting a video signal of a person to written text. It has several applications like face recognition, simultaneous multiple face processing, biometrics, security, video surveillance, human computer interface, image database management, digital cameras use face detection for autofocus, selecting regions of interest in photo slideshows that use a pan-and-scale and The Present Paper deals with energy conservation using face detection. Automating the process to a computer requires the use of various image processing techniques. There are various methods that can be used for Face Detection such as Contour tracking methods, Template matching, Controlled background, Model based, Motion based and color based. Basically, the video of the subject are converted into images are further selected manually for processing. However, several factors like poor illumination, movement of face, viewpoint-dependent Physical appearance, Acquisition geometry, Imaging conditions, Compression artifacts makes Face detection difficult. This paper reports an algorithm for conservation of energy using face detection for various devices. The present paper suggests Energy Conservation can be done by Detecting the Face and reducing the brightness of complete image and then adjusting the brightness of the particular area of an image where the face is located using histogram equalization.
Self-face enhances processing of immediately preceding invisible faces.
Pannese, Alessia; Hirsch, Joy
The self-face is thought to be an especially salient stimulus. Behavioral evidence suggests that self-face processing advantage is associated with enhanced processing of temporally adjacent subliminal stimuli. However, the neural basis of this self-related processing modulation has not been investigated. We studied self-face induced signal amplification through masked priming and repetition suppression (fMRI adaptation). Subjects performed a gender-categorization task on self- and non-self target faces preceded by subliminal (17 ms) prime faces. The relationship between prime and target was varied between task-incongruent (when prime and target belonged to a different gender) and task-congruent (when prime and target belonged to the same gender) pairs. We found that, in the presence of the visible self-face (but not of other non-self faces), a bilateral fronto-parietal network exhibited repetition suppression to subliminal prime faces belonging to the same gender (task-congruent) as the target, consistent with the notion that, in the presence of the self-face, subliminal stimuli access high-level processing systems. These results are in agreement with the notion of self-specific top-down amplification of subliminal task-relevant information, and suggest that the self-face, through its high salience, is particularly efficacious in focusing attention. PMID:21168427
Wired for Her Face? Male Attentional Bias for Female Faces
Okazaki, Yuka; Abrahamyan, Arman; Stevens, Catherine J.
Under conditions of inattention or deficits in orienting attention, special classes of stimuli (e.g. faces, bodies) are more likely to be perceived than other stimuli. This suggests that biologically salient visual stimuli automatically recruit attention, even when they are task-irrelevant or ignored. Here we report results from a behavioral experiment with female and male subjects and two magnetoencephalography (MEG) experiments with male subjects only, in which we investigated attentional capture with face and hand stimuli. In both the behavioral and MEG experiments, subjects were required to count the number of gender-specific targets from either face or hand categories within a block of stimuli. In the behavioral experiment, we found that male subjects were significantly more accurate in response to female than male face target blocks. There was no corresponding effect found in response to hand target blocks. Female subjects did not show a gender-based difference in response to face or hand target blocks. MEG results indicated that the male subjects' responses to face stimuli in primary visual cortex (V1) and the face-selective part of the fusiform gyrus (FG) were reduced when male face stimuli were not relevant to the task, whereas female faces maintained a strong response in these areas in both task-relevant and task-irrelevant conditions. These results suggest that within the male brain, female face stimuli are more resilient to suppression than male faces, once attention is drawn to the part of the visual field where the face appears. PMID:19809873
Agricultural Occupations Programs Planning Guides
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Stitt, Thomas R.; And Others
A set of program planning guides that include seven areas (1) Agricultural Production, (2) Agricultural Supplies and Services, (3) Agricultural Mechanics, (4) Agricultural Products, (5) Ornamental Horticulture, (6) Agricultural Resources, and (7) Forestry, were developed and introduced to high school applied biological and agricultural occupations…
Face-n-Food: Gender Differences in Tuning to Faces
Pavlova, Marina A.; Scheffler, Klaus; Sokolov, Alexander N.
Faces represent valuable signals for social cognition and non-verbal communication. A wealth of research indicates that women tend to excel in recognition of facial expressions. However, it remains unclear whether females are better tuned to faces. We presented healthy adult females and males with a set of newly created food-plate images resembling faces (slightly bordering on the Giuseppe Arcimboldo style). In a spontaneous recognition task, participants were shown a set of images in a predetermined order from the least to most resembling a face. Females not only more readily recognized the images as a face (they reported resembling a face on images, on which males still did not), but gave on overall more face responses. The findings are discussed in the light of gender differences in deficient face perception. As most neuropsychiatric, neurodevelopmental and psychosomatic disorders characterized by social brain abnormalities are sex specific, the task may serve as a valuable tool for uncovering impairments in visual face processing. PMID:26154177