A smart contract system for decentralized borda count voting

In this article, we propose the first self-tallying decentralized e-voting protocol for a ranked-choice voting system based on Borda count. Our protocol does not need any trusted setup or tallying authority to compute the tally. The voters interact through a publicly accessible bulletin board for executing the protocol in a way that is publicly verifiable. Our main protocol consists of two rounds. In the first round, the voters publish their public keys, and in the second round they publish their randomized ballots. All voters provide Non-interactive Zero-Knowledge (NIZK) proofs to show that they have been following the protocol specification honestly without revealing their secret votes. At the end of the election, anyone including a third-party observer will be able to compute the tally without needing any tallying authority. We provide security proofs to show that our protocol guarantees the maximum privacy for each voter. We have implemented our protocol using Ethereum's blockchain as a public bulletin board to record voting operations as publicly verifiable transactions. The experimental data obtained from our tests show the protocol's potential for the real-world deployment

U.S. households' access to and use of electronic banking. 1989-2007

Nationwide surveys show that consumers are increasingly embracing technology to make payments and manage their personal finances. However, only about one in two consumers could be considered a heavy user of electronic banking. This article examines changes over time in consumers’ access to, adoption of, and attitudes toward various e-banking products and services and looks at several emerging technologies.Consumers' preferences ; Electronic funds transfers

9 steps to scale climate-smart agriculture: Lessons and experiences from the climate-smart villages in My Loi, Vietnam and Guinayangan, Philippines

The Climate-Smart Village approach is a CCAFS agricultural research for development (AR4D) strategy for stimulating the scaling of climate-smart agriculture. CSVs are established in Southeast Asia through the CCAFS program to serve as sites for “testing, through participatory methods, technological and institutional options for generating evidence of CSA effectiveness as well as drawing out scaling lessons for policy makers from local to global levels (CCAFS, 2016). The CSVs in My Loi in Vietnam and Guinayangan in the Philippines were established following this strategy starting 2014 by the World Agroforestry (ICRAF) Vietnam and the International Institute for Rural Reconstruction, respectively. This guidebook showcases the common experiences of the IIRR and ICRAF in the Philippine and Vietnam CSVs, which are outlined in 5 major stages and broken into 9 steps

Behavior Management Strategies for the Elementary School Setting

Behavior management is a facet of teaching that can be one of the largest causes of frustrations for educators, particularly novice teachers. It has even pushed many teachers to leave the profession. One of the root causes of the struggle is that teachers are not prepared with a repertoire of techniques to help them create the most effective learning environment. This study was conducted to determine effective behavior techniques for elementary teachers and future implications for supporting teachers with behavior management. The study involved ten elementary school teachers. Each teacher was given a survey that gauged their opinion on various behavior strategies and asked them to list their current effective strategies and how to best assist new teachers with behavior management. The surveys were anonymous. This paper will discuss the benefits of a variety of behavior strategies, such as creating a structured, predictable classroom, developing trusting relationships, reinforcing behavior expectations, correcting errors effectively, creating student engagement, and praising positive behavior. Upon completion of the study, it is determined that the best teachers of behavior management use many strategies to keep students engaged and motivated and to create a positive classroom environment where students want to be. This study indicates that behavior management is a critical factor in the success of a classroom and the overall happiness of teachers. Thus, the future of education lies in the importance of teacher education programs, as these programs should be restructured to include behavior management as a key component of teacher training

Australian Governments and dilemmas in filtering the Internet: juggling freedoms against potential for harm

This paper examines proposed internet filtering policies in Australia from the 1990s to 2014 and discusses some of their ideological underpinnings. Executive summary The Internet is a revolutionary source of information and its dissemination; and a medium for collaboration and interaction between individuals without regard for geographic location. Since its inception, however, concerns have been raised about the potential for unsavoury characters to use the Internet as a vehicle for distributing pornography and material of a violent nature to young or otherwise vulnerable individuals. Governments across the world have attempted to deal with such activities by various means and to varying degrees. These have included imposing mandatory filtering at an Internet Service Provider (ISP) level and optional filtering at the computer level. In Australia there has been considerable debate about what degree of filtering (if any) should be mandated. The Howard Government favoured an approach which emphasised self-regulation by ISPs combined with a legislative component and education and freedom for families to choose between either computer or ISP filtering based on a list of unacceptable content. The Rudd and Gillard Governments preferred the option of a mandatory ISP level filter, although this too was to be based on a ‘blacklist’ of prohibited content. Both options have been criticised as being expensive and inefficient. In addition, it has been argued that the Rudd/Gillard option would have had a detrimental impact on Internet speeds and that it would set a precedent for future governments to widen filtering to other forms of expression. The Howard Government’s programs were largely discarded by Labor after it was elected in 2007. However, Labor’s own filtering option was abandoned prior to its defeat in the 2013 election. In conjunction with their filtering options , both Coalition and Labor Governments have supported education and information campaigns to assist people, particularly children, to deal with online predators and both have introduced successful programs. The current Coalition Government’s policy on Internet filtering appears to favour light-handed legislation combined with education and information programs. This paper examines the iterations of internet filtering policies from the 1990s to 2014 and discusses some of their ideological underpinnings

The relationship between public and private bicycle use: the case of Seville

Despite the success achieved by Public Bicycle Sharing Systems (PBSS) across the world, several researchers provide evidence on their limitations and constraints in a medium-long term, and bicycle ownership may be considered as a complementary tool to promote a 'bicycle-culture'. This paper aims to cover the gap about the interaction between both systems (public bicycle / private bicycle) and which are the key aspects to explain the bicycle-buying decision. After a fieldwork based on surveys conducted in Seville (Spain), one of the cities currently acknowledged worldwide for its successful policy of promoting cycling, we apply a Discrete Choice Model. Our findings show that among the socio-demographic factors that favor the move from the PBSS to the private bicycle are: having a higher level of education, being more progressive ideologically-speaking, and being a resident of the city itself; while age and gender do not appear to be conclusive. Experienced users, for whom the bicycle is a part of his /her healthy lifestyle, state a greater willingness to buy a bicycle. And the main obstacles to make the jump from the PBSS to the private bicycle, and that any action plan to support private bicycle usage should take into account, are: the lack of proper parking at the origin/destination, and fear of theft

Nurses Alumni Association Bulletin, Fall 1998

1998-1999 Meeting Date Calendar 1999 Annual Luncheon & Meeting Notice Fall Social Officers and Committee Chairs Bulletin Publication Committee The President\u27s Message Treasurer\u27s Report News About Our Graduates Highlight Of 1998 Operation Smile Scholarship Funds At Work Romania Trip Double Honors Doris Bowman Memorial Service For Janet Hindson A time for everything On the Lighter Side Twenty Ways to Kill an Organization Happy Birthday Fiftieth Anniversary Resume Alumni Association Meetings Alumni Office News Committee Reports Bulletin By-Laws Relief Fund Social Scholarship Development Nominating Luncheon Photos In Memoriam, Names of Deceased Graduates Class News Certification Reimbursement Application Relief Fund Application Scholarship Fund Application (new) Pins, Transcripts, Class Address List, Change of Address Forms Campus Ma