High Res at High Speed: Automated Delivery of High-Resolution Images from Digital Library Collections

As primary source materials in the library are digitized and made available online, the focus of related library services is shifting to include new and innovative methods of digital delivery via social media, digital storytelling, and community-based and consortial image repositories. Most images on the Web are not of sufficient quality for most media outlets, so what happens when patrons require high-resolution versions of images for use in their print publications or projects? Until recently, patrons at the University of Houston Libraries used a clunky, paper-based request process for high-resolution images that was frustrating for them and time-consuming for staff. The authors of this article outline how an interdepartmental team of University of Houston Libraries staff used Drupal to develop an automated patron request system that is modeled after online shopping cart experiences and integrates with the CONTENTdm-based University of Houston Digital Library. The article provides suggestions for libraries with digital collections about how to create a system that efficiently captures patron requests and streamlines staff delivery of high-resolution files.     

WebCT and Its Growth as a Type II Application

Abstract

Maddux, Johnson, and Willis mentioned in 1992 some “yet-to-be-developed types” that “have the potential to be Type II software if they are used in such a way that the user is given the ability to learn in new and better ways.” The authors of this paper will frame the discussion of learning management systems (LMS) around the concept of Type I and Type II applications of computers in education. We suggest that with the new trends of interoperability within WebCT, more researchers will accept WebCT as a potential Type II application. As more interactive learning objects are developed and shared on the WebCT format, it should be easier for instructors to create and teach courses that reflect the value systems expressed in the concept of Type II learning.     

中外政府数据开放运行机制的实证分析

[目的/意义] 对当前中外政府数据开放平台的运行方式及保障机制的实证对比研究,有助于我国政府数据开放的建设与发展。[方法/过程] 以各国Data.Gov平台数据为基础,运用实证分析法、统计分析法、比较分析法,从政府数据开放平台的数据层、平台层、管理层3个层面,分析各国政府数据开放的整合与利用机制、开放与协作机制及管理与评估机制的现状。[结果/结论] 我国应借鉴国外先进技术与管理经验,加快完成各省市试点工作,早日建成基于CKAN的国家级Data.gov专业平台建设。     

Robust synchronization of different coupled oscillators: Application to antenna arrays

This paper deals with the synchronization of a chain of nonlinear and uncertain models of nonidentical oscillators. Using Lyapunov's theory of stability, a dynamical controller guaranteeing the synchronization of the oscillators is determined. The problem of synchronization is transformed into a problem of asymptotic stabilization for a nonlinear system and then is formulated as a system of linear matrix inequalities where the parameter variations of the two oscillators and their differences are modeled by polytopic matrices. The theoretical result is successfully applied to an array of transistor-based oscillators used in “smart antenna” systems.     

肌酸水解酶的研究及其应用

肌酸水解酶(creatinase,EC 3.5.3.3)是临床中酶法测定肌含量是诊断肾脏功能的重要指标.本文综述了肌酸水解酶的来源、结构、酶学性质以及当前肌酸水解酶分子生物学研究现状,对肌酸水解酶在研究和应用中存在的问题进行分析,并对今后研究的发展做了展望.     

Geographical amplitude in the international generation of technology: Present situation and business determinants

Building on a rich dataset with information on 65,000 firms and 465,000 European patent applications from 1978 to 2000, this paper addresses the geographical amplitude of international technology generation. First, we show that the number of countries hosting international technological activities is increasing. The USA and some developing nations benefit from this internationalisation. Conversely, although Europe as a whole still plays a leading role in the encouragement of foreign technological activities, some European countries, such as Germany and the UK, appear to be losing their technological appeal. Second, we verify that multinational corporations (MNCs) have increased the geographical amplitude of their technological activities. In fact, the mean number of countries in which MNCs internationalised technology generation has doubled during the 23 years we have analyzed. Third, we address the business characteristics that explain this phenomenon. A negative binomial regression suggests that internationalisation is higher in MNCs showing a greater technological diversification, a higher volume of technological activity, a wider presence in international markets and more experience in the international generation of technology. Finally, American corporations and (regardless of the home country) those firms whose main technological fields are in chemistry, pharmaceuticals, or electronics, present the highest geographical dispersion of their international technological activities.     

个性化服务--图书馆人性化服务的新形式

本论述了个性化服务与图书馆人性化服务的关系，认为个性化服务的不断完善是图书馆人性化服务提升的表现。同时对个性化服务的完善提出了几点建议。     

Considerations for development and use of AI in response to COVID-19

Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a key supporting role in the fight against COVID-19 and perhaps will contribute to solutions quicker than we would otherwise achieve in many fields and applications. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, there has been an upsurge in the exploration and use of AI, and other data analytic tools, in a multitude of areas. This paper addresses some of the many considerations for managing the development and deployment of AI applications, including planning; unpredictable, unexpected, or biased results; repurposing; the importance of data; and diversity in AI team membership. We provide implications for research and for practice, according to each of the considerations. Finally we conclude that we need to plan and carefully consider the issues associated with the development and use of AI as we look for quick solutions.     

Using the security triad to assess blockchain technology in public sector applications

This conceptual paper explores the impact of blockchain technology on public sector processes through the lens of information security. It includes an overview of the evolution of e-government, a synopsis of existing applications of blockchain technology, and innovative blockchain developments. We utilize the Confidentiality-Integrity-Accessibility (CIA) triad to guide our discussion of the security, governance, and regulatory implications of this technology. Leveraging the CIA triad model, we provide context for public managers who may consider blockchain technologies, and we highlight certain advantages arising from the “non-reputability” of distributed ledgers.In particular, we highlight the advantages of blockchain technologies with regards to non-reputability to help public managers understand how to best leverage blockchain technology to transform operations.     

Reflections on the Field: Aspirations of Learning Science and the Practical Logic of Instructional Enterprises

Over 100 years of learning and cognition research have had only modest cumulative impact on teaching, while many other practical domains such as agriculture have shown a steady growth in widely accepted, research-informed practices. Several reasons have been advanced for the painfully slow adoption of science-based instructional procedures. One important but not widely recognized obstacle is proposed here, namely, that the aims of fundamental learning and teaching research do not mesh well with the practical logic of schools. Basic learning research tends to focus on efficiency, i.e., how much can be learned from a given amount of effort or time but teaching efficiency is not a strong concern for schools. This is because they generally focus on global year-end results while the efforts required at the tactical lesson level are only loosely monitored. School administrators tend to reckon costs in terms of the number of engaged teachers and not in the difficulty of each teacher’s job. For these reasons, schools can be expected to have only nominal interests in science-informed, close management of tactical pedagogic units. Psychological work on labor saving possibilities, such as research-based instructive products, is more likely to be readily welcomed than improvements in lesson efficiency, especially in middle and high schools. Instructional enterprises in which the cost and the benefits of instruction are borne by the same agency, such as industrial training, are the most likely consumers of efficiency-related basic cognitive research.