scholarly journals BioBlitz is More than a Bit of Fun

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofie Meeus ◽  
Iolanda Silva-Rocha ◽  
Tim Adriaens ◽  
Peter Brown ◽  
Niki Chartosia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Building ◽  
Specific Area ◽  
Sampling Effort ◽  
Sustained Activity ◽  
Biodiversity Research ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
A Site ◽  
Gathering Data

Emerging in the 1990s, bioblitzes have become flagship events for biodiversity assessments. Although the format varies, a bioblitz is generally an intensive, short-term survey in a specific area. Bioblitzes collect biodiversity data and can therefore play a role in research, discovery of new species at a site and monitoring. They may also promote public engagement, community building, and education and outreach. However, the question remains, how effective are bioblitzes at achieving these goals? To evaluate the value of bioblitzes for these multiple goals, we conducted two meta-analyses, one on sixty published bioblitzes and the other on 1860 bioblitzes conducted using iNaturalist. Furthermore, we made an in-depth analysis of the data collected during a bioblitz we organized ourselves. From these analyses we found bioblitzes are effective at gathering data—collecting on average more than 300 species records—despite limitations of bias, which many types of biodiversity surveys suffer from, such as preferences for charismatic taxa, and uneven sampling effort in time and space. However, because the survey intensity, duration and extent are more controlled, a bioblitz is more repeatable than some other forms of survey. We also found that bioblitzes were highly effective at engaging people in sustained activity after they participated in a bioblitz. A bioblitz may therefore act as a trigger for participation in biological recording, which is supported by the use of technology, particularly smartphone apps. Another important aspect is the involvement of both citizen scientists and professional biologists, creating learning opportunities in both directions. Indeed, it was clear that many bioblitzes acted as brokerage events between individuals and organizations, and between professionals who work in biodiversity research and conservation. Such community building is important for communication and building trust between organizations and citizens to the benefit of biodiversity research and conservation. From the impartial perspective of hypothesis-driven science, bioblitzes may seem like a lot of work with limited scientific gain. However, this largely overlooks how important people, communities and their organizations are in gathering data, and in conserving biodiversity.

scholarly journals Nurses and the acceptance of innovations in technology-intensive contexts: the need for tailored management strategies

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Barchielli ◽  
Cristina Marullo ◽  
Manila Bonciani ◽  
Milena Vainieri
Keyword(s):  
Social Influence ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Technological Innovations ◽  
Utaut Model ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
The Social ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Facilitating Conditions

Abstract Background Several technological innovations have been introduced in healthcare over the years, and their implementation proved crucial in addressing challenges of modern health. Healthcare workers have frequently been called upon to become familiar with technological innovations that pervade every aspect of their profession, changing their working schedule, habits, and daily actions. Purpose An in-depth analysis of the paths towards the acceptance and use of technology may facilitate the crafting and adoption of specific personnel policies taking into consideration definite levers, which appear to be different in relation to the age of nurses. Approach The strength of this study is the application of UTAUT model to analyse the acceptance of innovations by nurses in technology-intensive healthcare contexts. Multidimensional Item Response Theory is applied to identify the main dimensions characterizing the UTAUT model. Paths are tested through two stage regression models and validated using a SEM covariance analysis. Results The age is a moderator for the social influence: social influence, or peer opinion, matters more for young nurse. Conclusion The use of MIRT to identify the most important items for each construct of UTAUT model and an in-depth path analysis helps to identify which factors should be considered a leverage to foster nurses’ acceptance and intention to use new technologies (o technology-intensive devices). Practical implications Young nurses may benefit from the structuring of shifts with the most passionate colleagues (thus exploiting the social influence), the participation in ad hoc training courses (thus exploiting the facilitating conditions), while other nurses could benefit from policies that rely on the stressing of the perception of their expectations or the downsizing of their expectancy of the effort in using new technologies.

scholarly journals “Man-as-Nation”: Representations of Masculinity and Nationalism in Wu Jing’s Wolf Warrior II

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 215824402110335
Author(s):  
Tingting Hu ◽  
Tianru Guan
Keyword(s):  
Gender Representation ◽  
Male Body ◽  
The Past ◽  
Box Office ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
National Power ◽  
A Site ◽  
Chinese Films

Through an in-depth analysis of gender representation in the box office record-breaking Chinese movie Wolf Warrior II, this study interrogates how the male body is used as a site for the projection of Chinese national power. Furthermore, it illustrates a revival of patriotic pride in China through a contemporary reading of cross-genre action-military films. Developing Shuqin Cui’s notion of “woman-as-nation,” which understands on-screen female victimization in Chinese films as signifying the past suffering of the nation, this study proposes the new concept of “man-as-nation” to explain how the masculine virtues of male protagonists in Chinese films signify the nation’s rejuvenation and strength. Framing male virtue into the paradigms of wu (武), as martial valor, and wen (文), as cultural attainment, this article argues that masculinity has come to symbolize China’s enhanced comprehensive power and to embody its ideological orientation in both global and domestic domains.

Group sex in the time of COVID: Intimacy, learning, and community-building in sexual communities during a pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. e20210014
Author(s):  
Anabelle Bernard Fournier ◽  
Karyn Fulcher ◽  
Leah Shumka ◽  
Nathan J. Lachowsky
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Community Building ◽  
Community Based Participatory Research ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Community Advisory Board ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Key Informants ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Group Sex

Introduction: COVID-19 has had a profound effect on every aspect of contemporary life, including sexuality. Physical distancing measures and limitations on large gatherings explicitly restrict in-person group sex events. We sought to understand how the pandemic and associated public health control measures have affected group sex practitioners and activities. Methods: We used a community-based participatory research approach. In fall 2019, we recruited a Community Advisory Board (CAB) of group sex key informants via community agencies, social media, and relevant websites (e.g., FetLife, Squirt). To be eligible, participants had to be at least 18 years old and have recently participated in a local group sex event (i.e. sex, broadly defined, with more than 3 people). Ethics approval was secured for the CAB as a longitudinal focus group study. Focus group meetings were audio recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed. In December 2019, participants were asked about definitions of group sex. In May 2020, participants were asked about COVID-19 impacts. Results: Key informants shared that due to COVID-19 restrictions, group sex events were cancelled and participants only had sex with others they were isolating with. Participants emphasized the challenges of isolation, the need to be patient, but also the opportunities associated with isolation. Participants reported attending online group sex events (e.g. Zoom orgies) as well as skill-building classes (e.g. rope bondage). Participants anticipated in-person events in the future, but felt that moving online opened up new opportunities for community-building. Conclusions: Participants adhered to physical distancing protocols and quickly adapted to social isolation through innovative use of technology.

scholarly journals Sodium Nitroprusside Infusion for the Treatment of Schizophrenia

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Weiser ◽  
Daisy Zamora ◽  
Linda Levi ◽  
Valentin Matei ◽  
Ilan Gonen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sodium Nitroprusside ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Syndrome Scale ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
A Site ◽  
Negative Syndrome

Abstract One previous small single-center clinical trial showed that a single intravenous administration of sodium nitroprusside added-on to antipsychotics improved a wide spectrum of schizophrenia (SCZ) symptoms more than placebo, and the improvement persisted for 4 weeks after infusion even though no additional drug was given. Our study attempted to replicate these data in a 4-week, add-on, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial on 20 patients performed in a site in Romania and a site in Moldova. This study’s sample size and protocol were identical to the previous trial, including patients with a diagnosis of SCZ, within the first 5 years after diagnosis. Patients recruited needed to have a baseline total positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) score of 60 or above. Ten participants received a single dose of 0.5 µg/kg/min intravenous sodium nitroprusside over 4 hours, and 10 participants received matching placebo infusion, added-on to antipsychotics. The primary outcomes were the PANSS total score and the PANSS negative subscale. There were no significant between-group differences in PANSS total scores or negative subscale scores during the infusion on daily evaluations for the next 7 days nor on weekly evaluations at weeks 2, 3, and 4. No significant differences were found between the 2 study groups in adverse events. Meta-analyses including all 5 published randomized controlled trials on the topic, representing 155 subjects, do not show a statistically significant benefit of sodium nitroprusside. We conclude that the current evidence does not support the efficacy of sodium nitroprusside in the treatment of SCZ.

Focused Ion Beam Milling and Micromanipulation Lift-Out for Site Specific Cross-Section Tem Specimen Preparation

1997 ◽  
Vol 480 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. A. Giannuzzi ◽  
J. L. Drown ◽  
S. R. Brown ◽  
R. B. Irwin ◽  
F. A. Stevie
Keyword(s):  
Cross Section ◽  
Focused Ion Beam ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Specific Area ◽  
Specimen Preparation ◽  
Tem Analysis ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Carbon Coated ◽  
A Site

AbstractA site specific technique for cross-section transmission electron microscopy specimen preparation of difficult materials is presented. Focused ion beams are used to slice an electron transparent sliver of the specimen from a specific area of interest. Micromanipulation lift-out procedures are then used to transport the electron transparent specimen to a carbon coated copper grid for subsequent TEM analysis. The experimental procedures are described in detail and an example of the lift-out technique is presented.

Factors influencing detection probabilities of frogs in the monsoonal tropics of northern Australia: implications for the design of monitoring studies

2013 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 393 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. L. Dostine ◽  
S. J. Reynolds ◽  
A. D. Griffiths ◽  
G. R. Gillespie
Keyword(s):  
Detection Probability ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Sampling Effort ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Detection Probabilities ◽  
High Detection ◽  
Frog Species ◽  
A Site

Context Failure to acknowledge potential bias from imperfect detection of cryptic organisms such as frogs may compromise survey and monitoring programmes targeting these species. Aims The aims of the present study were to identify proximate factors influencing detection probabilities of a range of frog species in monsoonal northern Australia, and to estimate the number of repeat censuses required at a site to have confidence that non-detected species are absent. Methods Data on detection or non-detection of frog species based on calling individuals were recorded during 10 wet-season censuses of 29 survey sites in the Darwin region. Factors influencing detection probabilities were identified using occupancy models; model selection was based on the Akaike information criterion. Sampling effort for individual species was calculated using model predictions at different stages of the wet season. Key results The covariate water temperature featured in the best-supported models for 7 of the 14 frog species. Six of these species were more likely to be detected when water temperatures were below 30°C. Detection probabilities were also correlated with the number of days since the commencement of the wet season, time since last significant rainfall, air temperature and time after sunset. Required sampling effort for individual species varied throughout the wet season. For example, a minimum of two repeat censuses was required for detection of Litoria caerulea in the early wet season, but this number increased to 13 in the middle stage of the wet season. Conclusions Variability in environmental conditions throughout the wet season leads to variability in detection probabilities of frog species in northern Australia. Lower water temperatures, mediated by rainfall immediately before or during surveys, enhances detectability of a range of species. For most species, three repeat surveys under conditions resulting in a high detection probability are sufficient to determine presence at a site. Implications Survey and monitoring programmes for frogs in tropical northern Australia will benefit from the results of the present study by allowing targeting of conditions of high detection probability for individual species, and by incorporating sufficient repeat censuses to provide accurate assessment of the status of individual species at a site.

Penetration Depth Analysis of K307 Cannonballs Colliding into Sand of Various Shear Moduli

2014 ◽  
Vol 711 ◽  
pp. 104-107
Author(s):  
Yoon Keon Kim ◽  
Woo Chun Choi
Keyword(s):  
Shear Modulus ◽  
Penetration Depth ◽  
Test Site ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Good Stability ◽  
Shear Moduli ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Small Grains ◽  
Test Side ◽  
A Site

In order to test the performance of a cannonball, various types of media are used in a test site. The best media should have good stability, effectiveness, economic feasibility, etc. Among them, sand is most widely used. Sand, which consists of many small grains, can be used effectively in a site. In this study, the penetration depth of a cannonball is analyzed for shear modulus using FEM. It is found that the penetration depth decreases with the shear modulus of sand. For management of a test side, the shear modulus of sand is an important factor.

Constructing the Dynamo of Dixie

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney Elizabeth Knapp
Keyword(s):  
Community Building ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Public Officials ◽  
Everyday Practices ◽  
Communities Of Color ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
White Settlers ◽  
A Site ◽  
Public Leaders ◽  
The City

What can local histories of interracial conflict and collaboration teach us about the potential for urban equity and social justice in the future? Courtney Elizabeth Knapp chronicles the politics of gentrification and culture-based development in Chattanooga, Tennessee, by tracing the roots of racism, spatial segregation, and mainstream “cosmopolitanism” back to the earliest encounters between the Cherokee, African Americans, and white settlers. For more than three centuries, Chattanooga has been a site for multiracial interaction and community building; yet today public leaders have simultaneously restricted and appropriated many contributions of working-class communities of color within the city, exacerbating inequality and distrust between neighbors and public officials. Knapp suggests that “diasporic placemaking”—defined as the everyday practices through which uprooted people create new communities of security and belonging—is a useful analytical frame for understanding how multiracial interactions drive planning and urban development in diverse cities over time. By weaving together archival, ethnographic, and participatory action research techniques, she reveals the political complexities of a city characterized by centuries of ordinary resistance to racial segregation and uneven geographic development.

scholarly journals Supporting Collaborative Preparation of Emergency Plans

Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (19) ◽  
pp. 1254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson Baloian ◽  
Jonathan Frez ◽  
José A. Pino ◽  
Gustavo Zurita
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Northern Chile ◽  
Partial Knowledge ◽  
Emergency Plans ◽  
Case Simulation ◽  
Emergency Scenarios ◽  
A Site ◽  
Collaborative Decision ◽  
Gathering Data

Effective preparedness for reacting in case of a severe emergency requires that many experts with various backgrounds evaluate the possible scenarios and come up with a single, unified plan which considers all opinions. This is a typical collaborative decision-making scenario, characterized by a process cycle involving modelling the process, defining the objectives of the decision outcome, gathering data, generating options and evaluating them according to the defined objectives. This is a decision-making scenario which requires the participation of various experts, who must evaluate and compare many scenarios. Each expert will have a partial knowledge about where people may be at the time of the emergency and how they will react. In emergency scenarios the geographical information often plays a significant importance, since plans need to consider the geography of the terrain from which the population should be evacuated, the safe areas where the population should be taken to, the ways connecting evacuations, and how the rescue teams can reach the places where the emergency occurred. This work presents a tool that can help a group of experts with various types of expertise, generate, visualize and compare the outcomes of various hypotheses. The paper also presents a real case simulation in the event of a tsunami following an earthquake at a site in northern Chile and the possibilities of evacuating people to safer zones.

scholarly journals Disability in the Perception of Technology among University Students

Comunicar ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (40) ◽  
pp. 165-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ainara Zubillaga-del-Río ◽  
Carmen Alba-Pastor
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Educational Practice ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Accessibility Issues ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Gathering Data ◽  
Estudiantes Universitarios

There is a widespread discourse across academic and scientific literature extolling the benefits of technology as an element of the educational process for people with disabilities that is based on many assumptions and implicit claims related to «the education, disability and technology» triangle. Although these assumptions and claims have a rationale, too often they have been considered valid, and therefore guide educational practice, without having previously undergone any process of scientific research that supports and justifies them. In this context, and in order to analyse one of these theoretical premises, this study aims to establish, firstly, whether the disability is involved in the process of giving meaning to technology and, secondly, to what extent the impact of disability is a differentiating factor in the perception and use of technology as an educational element. After gathering data from questionnaires completed by university students (28 with disabilities and 109 without), the results allowed us to establish two main conclusions. The first one shows that the most valuable dimension of technology as a teaching tool is its use as a tool for curriculum access and participation. As for the second, related to the perception of accessibility issues, it paradoxically revealed that students with disabilities find the use of technology easier than their peers without disabilities. Existe un discurso generalizado en la literatura científica sobre las bondades de las tecnologías como elemento del proceso educativo de personas con discapacidad. Dicho discurso está basado en muchas premisas y afirmaciones implícitas vinculadas al triángulo educación, discapacidad y tecnología que, si bien tienen base lógica, se han dado en muchas ocasiones por válidas y orientan la práctica educativa sin haber sido sometidas a ningún proceso de investigación científica que las avale. En este contexto y con el objeto de contrastar una de dichas premisas teóricas, este estudio tiene como objetivo establecer si la discapacidad interviene en el proceso de atribuciones subjetivas de las tecnologías y en qué medida constituye un factor de diferenciación en la percepción y aprovechamiento de las mismas como elemento didáctico. Los resultados del trabajo, a partir de la información recogida en cuestionarios a estudiantes universitarios (28 con discapacidad y 109 sin discapacidad), permiten establecer dos líneas principales de conclusiones. La primera de ellas evidencia que la dimensión más valorada de la tecnología como herramienta didáctica es su uso como instrumento de acceso y participación en el currículum. Y la segunda, relacionada con la percepción de los problemas de accesibilidad, paradójicamente, pone de manifiesto que los estudiantes con discapacidad manifiestan tener menos obstáculos en el uso de las tecnologías que sus compañeros sin discapacidad.

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