Global e-government Web Accessibility: An Empirical Examination of EU, Asian and African Sites

Accessibility of government Web sites is an important factor for inclusion of disabled persons to be able to fully utilize a variety of government services and information. In this paper, we examine the levels of disability accessibility for a variety of e-government sites in the European Union (EU), Asia and Africa. The study was conducted in 2008, and the results showed that the vast majority of sites in both developed and underdeveloped countries did not meet either legal requirements or industry guidelines in providing fully accessible government sites. Sites located in countries with stronger disabilities laws did score better in the compliance levels. Through comparison of the results, it is concluded that for governments to meet the needs of their disabled constituents, they need to implement a multiphase approach to site development, including stronger legal mandates and establishing localized best practice guidelines. Keywords: Accessibility, Disability, e-government, WCAG, W3

TOWARDS CROSS-ORGANISATIONAL E-GOVERNMENT: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH

One of the most challenging issues in current e-Government initiatives is the seamless exchange of information and the efficient collaboration between public administrations, companies and the private sector. Either from an intra- or cross-organisational point of view spanning processes across multiple authorities leads to a collaboration of autonomous units under consideration of law and regulations. Despite the organisational dimension current approaches are mainly technical solutions – e.g. interoperability frameworks. Within this paper we present an integrated approach which incorporates organisational aspects of the public sector and which supports the correspondent implementation of solutions for cross-organisational e-Government by adopting Model-Driven-Development practices

XRound : A reversible template language and its application in model-based security analysis

Successful analysis of the models used in Model-Driven Development requires the ability to synthesise the results of analysis and automatically integrate these results with the models themselves. This paper presents a reversible template language called XRound which supports round-trip transformations between models and the logic used to encode system properties. A template processor that supports the language is described, and the use of the template language is illustrated by its application in an analysis workbench, designed to support analysis of security properties of UML and MOF-based models. As a result of using reversible templates, it is possible to seamlessly and automatically integrate the results of a security analysis with a model. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

The New Orleans Museum of Art: An Internship Report

From January through April 2011, I served as an intern at the New Orleans Museum of Art. The New Orleans Museum of Art, which celebrates its 100-year anniversary this year, ranks in the top 100 art museums nationally. I worked in the Marketing Department, focusing on programming and museum communications. The following report includes a profile of the organization, a description of my position as an intern within the Marketing Department, my analysis of internal and external administrative issues, and my recommendations and contributions to the organization based on best practices and relevant museum standards

Applications of Optical Fiber Assemblies in Harsh Environments, the Journey Past, Present and Future

Over the past ten years, NASA has studied the effects of harsh environments on optical fiber assemblies for communication systems, lidar systems, and science missions. The culmination of this has resulted in recent technologies that are unique and tailored to meeting difficult requirements under challenging performance constraints. This presentation will focus on the past mission applications of optical fiber assemblies including; qualification information, lessons learned and new technological advances that will enable the road ahead

Advanced Turbine Technology Applications Project (ATTAP)

Work to develop and demonstrate the technology of structural ceramics for automotive engines and similar applications is described. Long-range technology is being sought to produce gas turbine engines for automobiles with reduced fuel consumption and reduced environmental impact. The Advanced Turbine Technology Application Project (ATTAP) test bed engine is designed such that, when installed in a 3,000 pound inertia weight automobile, it will provide low emissions, 42 miles per gallon fuel economy on diesel fuel, multifuel capability, costs competitive with current spark ignition engines, and noise and safety characteristics that meet Federal standards

Mapeamento dos serviços de ecossistemas culturais: valorização da percepção da população em decisões políticas

This work is focused on studying cultural ecosystem services (CES) and mapping them in the Portuguese municipality of Almada in order to understand how to incorporate this knowledge in urban planning and environmental policy-making processes. Cultural ecosystem services are the “nonmaterial benefits people obtain from ecosystems through spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection, recreation, and aesthetic experiences” (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005). CES sometimes can be more important to society when compared to material benefits, being their intangible and subjective features indispensable to human well-being and part of the structures and functions humans need and want. Some benefits of CES are the reduction of urban population stress, the development of concentration and cognitive capacities, the increase of physical activity, and the boost of social and health benefits for the population. CES studies benefit urban planning, design and management. This research aims to further assess the type of uses and the negative characteristics of urban green spaces (UGS) in this municipality. The main research objectives are to map the perception of citizens about the role of CES in Almada; to understand the different uses of CES in the urban green and blues spaces; and finally to understand how ecosystems services are considered in the spatial planning instruments and local public policies of the municipality in order to find opportunities for improvement and for strengthening the valorization of CES at the local level. The mapping was done through a social valuation method (participatory approach) with the use of a GIS online survey – PPGIS method to Almada’s residents. Hotspots maps and correlations analyses were done through statistical tests and QGIS heatmaps to understand better were CES, type of UGS uses and negative characteristics are located, correlations between CES and uses, and frequency of them. This research work allows to give new information to Almada municipality about their UGS and to provide some recommendations on how to improve planning and management of the municipality territory. Also, this research can be replicated in other municipalities with interests to improve their UGS management and planning.Este trabalho é focado no estudo dos serviços de ecossistema culturais (SEC) e na avaliação dos mesmos no município português de Almada com o objetivo de perceber a sua relevância para o planeamento urbano e os processos de políticas públicas de ambiente no município. SEC são os benefícios não materiais que as pessoas obtêm dos ecossistemas através de enriquecimento espiritual, desenvolvimento cognitivo, reflexão, lazer, e experiências estéticas. Os SEC por vezes são mais importantes para a sociedade do que os benefícios materiais que deles retiramos, sendo as características de intangibilidade e subjetividade o que os torna indispensáveis para as estruturas e funções que o ser humano precisa e quer. Alguns benefícios dos SEC são a redução do stress da população, o desenvolvimento da concentração e capacidade cognitiva, o favorecimento da atividade física, e a contribuição para o bem-estar social e para a saúde da população. Compreender e avaliar os SEC de uma cidade beneficia o planeamento, o design e a gestão urbana. Este estudo pretende avaliar os SEC e os diferentes tipos de usos e características negativas dos espaços verdes e azuis urbanos (EVU) deste município. As principais objetivos são: o mapeamento da perceção dos cidadãos sobre os SEC que usufruem em Almada e dos diferentes usos que disfrutam dos espaços verdes e azuis urbanos, e a compreensão de como os serviços de ecossistemas são considerados no planeamento urbano e nas políticas públicas em Almada de forma a contribuir para encontrar oportunidades para melhorar o planeamento e as políticas locais que valorizem os SEC a nível local. O mapeamento foi feito a partir do método de avaliação social (abordagem participativa) com o uso de um inquérito online GIS – método PPGIS aplicado aos residentes de Almada. Mapas de hotspots e análise de correlações foram feitas através de testes estatísticos e de mapas de calor com o software QGIS para compreender melhor a localização e tipologia dos SEC, os usos dos espaços verdes e azuis urbanos, assim como as correlações entre os SEC e os tipos de usos. Esta investigação permitiu dar nova informação ao município de Almada sobre os seus EVU e propor algumas recomendações para fortalecer o processo de planeamento e de políticas públicas do território. Esta investigação pode ser replicada noutros municípios com interesse em melhorar a gestão e o planeamento dos seus EVU.Mestrado em Ciência Polític

A HYPHENATED CAREER: SUSTAINABLE PATHWAYS FOR DANCERS

Despite the rich cultural and artistic contributions of dancers, there exists a pressing need to comprehensively address the challenges and complexities surrounding the sustainability of careers in dance due to underemployment, underpayment, data undercounting and physical strain. This dissertation research aims to understand occupational trajectories that build a sustainable career for dancers. Through a historical examination of the professionalization of dance and an investigation of current career opportunities, this study investigates the growing support systems for dancers, the influence of occupational identity, and the workplace environments needed to sustain a dance career. Occupational identity theory, motivation-hygiene theory, and transaction cost theory are utilized to examine a dancer’s reasoning for selecting a career in dance and the skills and support systems needed to sustain this profession. A convergent mixed methods design was utilized combining qualitative research through a national dance sector survey, and qualitative research through document analysis of equitable contracting documents created by the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP), Creating New Futures, and Dance/USA. By accessing data from multiple sources, this mixed methods approach illuminates the evolution of the dance industry, how dancers identify themselves, the reasoning behind their career choices, and the effects on the sustainability of a dancer\u27s career. Achieving sustainability in a dance career requires a multi-hyphenate approach that extends beyond traditional performance roles. The survey results emphasize the prevalence of dancers engaging in hyphenated careers, with a majority holding multiple occupations inside and outside of the dance sector. While dance performer (dancer) remains the primary identity for many dancers, pursuing secondary incomes, particularly in dance education, is suggested to be crucial for financial stability. The evolving terrain of contracting practices, influenced by national working groups for equitable contracts, demonstrate increased transparency and fair compensation for all labor performed throughout the creative process. Beyond financial considerations, this research found that holistic sustainability necessitates supportive work environments, ongoing education, and resources prioritizing a dancer’s well-being

Differential DNA accessibility to polymerase enables 30-minute phenotypic β-lactam antibiotic susceptibility testing of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae

The rise in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections has created a global health emergency, underlining the critical need to develop faster diagnostics to treat swiftly and correctly. Although rapid pathogen-identification (ID) tests are being developed, gold-standard antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) remains unacceptably slow (1–2 d), and innovative approaches for rapid phenotypic ASTs for CREs are urgently needed. Motivated by this need, in this manuscript we tested the hypothesis that upon treatment with β-lactam antibiotics, susceptible Enterobacteriaceae isolates would become sufficiently permeabilized, making some of their DNA accessible to added polymerase and primers. Further, we hypothesized that this accessible DNA would be detectable directly by isothermal amplification methods that do not fully lyse bacterial cells. We build on these results to develop the polymerase-accessibility AST (pol-aAST), a new phenotypic approach for β-lactams, the major antibiotic class for gram-negative infections. We test isolates of the 3 causative pathogens of CRE infections using ceftriaxone (CRO), ertapenem (ETP), and meropenem (MEM) and demonstrate agreement with gold-standard AST. Importantly, pol-aAST correctly categorized resistant isolates that are undetectable by current genotypic methods (negative for β-lactamase genes or lacking predictive genotypes). We also test contrived and clinical urine samples. We show that the pol-aAST can be performed in 30 min sample-to-answer using contrived urine samples and has the potential to be performed directly on clinical urine specimens