Toward Sustainable Adoption of Technologies for Human Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: Precursors, Diagnostics, and Prescriptions

This paper proposes and merges an extension of technology acceptance model with ideas from human development research targeting least developed countries. Specifically, the paper proposes an extension of the influence of perceived user resource, which in turn was developed from the original TAM literature. It is also tied to the Information Technology literature about socio-economic development. Our objective is to shed light on the interactions between socio-economic development needs and factors generally innate to sub-Sahara Africa and other developing countries that impede sustainable technological adoption and diffusion. We argue that developing countries lag in adopting \u27foreign technologies\u27. We offer diagnostics and prescriptions for how to effect a sustainable technological adoption to support socio-economic development across Sub-Saharan Africa. This article should bring into focus this and other developing regions that are almost non-existent in mainstream information systems research

The impact of perceptual complexity on road crossing decisions in younger and older adults.

Cognitive abilities decline with healthy ageing which can have a critical impact on day-to-day activities. One example is road crossing where older adults (OAs) disproportionally fall victim to pedestrian accidents. The current research examined two virtual reality experiments that investigated how the complexity of the road crossing situation impacts OAs (N = 19, ages 65-85) and younger adults (YAs, N = 34, ages 18-24) with a range of executive functioning abilities (EFs). Overall, we found that OAs were able to make safe crossing decisions, and were more cautious than YAs. This continued to be the case in high cognitive load situations. In these situations, safe decisions were associated with an increase in head movements for participants with poorer attention switching than participants with better attention switching suggesting these groups developed compensation strategies to continue to make safe decisions. In situations where participants had less time to make a crossing decision all participants had difficulties making safe crossing decisions which was amplified for OAs and participants with poorer EFs. Our findings suggest more effort should be taken to ensure that road crossing points are clear of visual obstructions and more speed limits should be placed around retirement or care homes, neither of which are legislated for in the UK and Australia

Evaluación de los ciberdiarios en las comunidades vasca y navarra

El presente texto propone una evaluación de los ciberdiarios de la Comunidad Autónoma Vasca (CAV) y de la Comunidad Foral de Navarra (CFN), empleando metodologías ya establecidas y contrastadas, de manera que se pueda obtener un panorama completo del aprovechamiento real de las posibilidades del lenguaje hipermedia por parte de estas empresas. Se analizan todos los medios diarios de información general que disponen de una edición en Internet: El Correo, El Diario Vasco, Deia, Gara y Berria en el caso de la CAV, y Diario de Navarra y Diario de Noticias en la CFN. En primer lugar, se les somete a una evaluación previa general empleando la metodología propuesta desde el campo de la documentación. A continuación, se les somete a una comparación con su versión impresa, y se cotejan los resultados con los de una investigación europea similar en la que los autores participan. Finalmente, se analizan los reportajes especiales y sus usos hipertextuales, a la luz de las estructuras ya establecidas por la teoría del hipertexto

Presencia y uso de internet en las redacciones de los diarios vascos y navarros

Este estudio analiza el grado de penetración de Internet en las redacciones de los diarios vascos y navarros con edición en la Web y estudia hasta qué punto la Red está modificando las rutinas profesionales de los periodistas. Para ello se dispone de los resultados obtenidos de una encuesta realizada tanto a los responsables como a los periodistas que trabajan en las redacciones electrónicas de los periódicos mencionados

On dicraeosaurid (sauropoda) vertebra from the la amarga formation (barremian–aptian, lower cretaceous), Neuquén basin, patagonia, Argentina

Field works carried out by Dr. Bonaparte and collaborators in the La Amarga Formation (Barremian–Aptian) in 2000, allowed the collecting of a vertebral element not previously communicated. This material has not been properly protected, so it is broken and kept in paleontological collection of Museo Provincial “Olsacher” of Zapala city. The descriptions were based solely on a photograph. The parapophyses are located on the dorsal part of the centrum, like in the anterior dorsal vertebrae of Dicraeosaurus hansemanni Janensch and Amargasaurus cazaui Salgado and Bonaparte. The posterior articular surface of the centrum is strongly concave with an elliptical outline. The neural arch bears two deep and wide centropostzygapophyseal fossae with a triangular outline. These fossae are framed laterally by stout centropostzygapophyseal laminae, project dorsoventrally like a massive columnar bone. The transverse processes are inclined dorsally more than 30° from the horizontal axis, as in the dorsal vertebrae of D. hansemanni, A. cazaui, Brachytrachelopan mesai Rauhut, Remes, Fechner, Cladera and Puerta and Pilmatueia faundezi Coria, Windholz, Ortega and Currie. The element bears an elongate bifid neural spine, character that share with the most of presacral vertebrae of the dicraeosaurids. This structure is straight, dorsoanteriorly oriented and its degree of development reminds to the presacral vertebrae of A. cazaui. This element is similar to the anterior dorsal vertebrae of A. cazaui, although it could be comparable with Amargatitanis macni Apesteguía, come from the same locality and lithostratigraphic unit, whose presacral vertebrae are unknown.Fil: Windholz, Guillermo Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología; Argentina. Provincia del Neuquén. Municipalidad de Plaza Huincul. Museo "Carmen Funes"; ArgentinaFil: Baiano, Mattia Antonio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología; Argentina. Provincia del Neuquén. Municipalidad de Plaza Huincul. Museo "Carmen Funes"; ArgentinaFil: Bellardini, Flavio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología; Argentina. Gobierno de la Provincia de la Pampa. Secretaria de Cultura. Direccion Provincial de Patrimonio Cultural.; ArgentinaFil: Meso, Jorge Gustavo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología; ArgentinaFil: Juáres Valieri, R.. Gobierno de la Provincia de Río Negro. Ministerio de Turismo, Cultura y Deporte. Secretaría de Cultura; Argentina. Museo de Ciencias de Añelo; ArgentinaFil: Porfiri, J.. Museo de Ciencias de Añelo; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue; ArgentinaFil: Filippi, L.. Gobierno de la Provincia del Neuquén. Municipalidad de Rincón de Los Sauces. Secretaria de Turismo y Patrimonio. Museo Municipal Argentino Urquiza; ArgentinaFil: Garrido, A.. Provincia de Neuquén. Ministerio de Energía, Ambiente y Servicios Públicos. Dirección Provincial de Minería. Museo Provincial de Ciencias Naturales Prof. "Dr. Juan A. Olsacher"; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ingeniería. Departamento de Geología y Petróleo; Argentina2das Jornadas de Paleovertebrados de la Cuenca NeuquinaNeuquénArgentinaAsociación Paleontológica Argentin

The Representation of Women’s Roles in Television Series in Spain. Analysis of the Basque and Catalan Cases

The comparison of six Spanish television dramas has enabled us to analyse the role of women in these fictional products. In the series analysed there is a persistence of males playing the leading roles, as well as a reiteration of female stereotypes. In the case of the Catalan television dramas on TVC (El cor de la ciutat, Ventdelplà and Infidels) a more positive treatment of femininity could be observed in the series dealing with social customs. In the Basque productions on EITB (Goenkale, Martin and Mi querido Klikowsky) there is a perpetuation of the cliché of the Basque woman as being strong and capable of managing her home and family, as well as of her feelings. ----------------------------------------------------- La comparación de seis dramas televisivos españoles nos ha permitido analizar la imagen de la mujer en estos productos de ficción. En las series analizadas se observa una persistencia de la imagen del hombre en los papeles principales, así como un mantenimiento de los estereotipos femeninos. En el caso de los programas catalanes de TVC (El cor de la ciutat, Ventdelplà e Infidels) constatamos un mejor tratamiento de la imagen de la mujer en los productos costumbristas. En los programas vascos de la EITB (Goenkale, Martin y Mi querido Klikowsky) observamos una perpetuación del cliché de la mujer vasca fuerte y capaz de gestionar su casa, su familia y sus sentimientos

Testing the persistence of Carcharodontosauridae (Theropoda) in the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia based on dental evidence

The deposits corresponding to the Upper Cretaceous Neuquén and San Jorge Gulf basins from northern and central Patagonia have provided two of the most complete sequences of terrestrial vertebrate faunas of all Gondwanan landmasses. Among the carnivorous components, the carcharodontosaurid theropods appeared as common elements during the Early Cretaceous and the earliest Late Cretaceous in northern and central Patagonia. Although recorded mostly in the lower Turonian, isolated teeth suggest their presence in younger strata in northern and central Patagonia, reaching the clade in the region as late as the early Maastrichtian. Here, we verify the assignment of such isolated teeth previously identified as belonging to Carcharodontosauridae from the Upper Cretaceous strata of northern and central Patagonia. Using three different methods, namely a cladistic analysis performed on a dentition-based data matrix, and discriminant and cluster analyses conducted on a large dataset of theropod crown measurements, we assign a tooth from Candeleros Formation to carcharodontosaurid theropods and teeth from Cerro Lisandro, Bajo Barreal, Portezuelo, Plottier and Allen formations to abelisaurid theropods. These new reappraisals provide additional evidence about the extinction of Carcharodontosauridae in South America at about the late Turonian–earliest Coniacian as part of a general faunistic turnover event, with the last clear evidence of this lineage in Patagonia coming from the early–middle Turonian.Fil: Meso, Jorge Gustavo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología; ArgentinaFil: Juárez Valieri, R. D.. Gobierno de la Provincia de Río Negro. Ministerio de Turismo, Cultura y Deporte. Secretaría de Cultura; ArgentinaFil: Porfiri, Juan Domingo. Museo del Desierto Patagónico; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Museo de Ciencias Naturales; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ingeniería; ArgentinaFil: Da Silva Correa, Samuel Aparecido. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología; ArgentinaFil: Martinelli, Agustín Guillermo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Casal, G. A.. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco"; ArgentinaFil: Canudo, J. I.. Universidad de Zaragoza; EspañaFil: Poblete, F.. Museo del Desierto Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Dos Santos, D.. Museo del Desierto Patagónico; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Museo de Ciencias Naturales; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ingeniería; Argentin

Evidence of inverted-gravity driven variation in predictive sensorimotor function.

We move our eyes to place the fovea into the part of a viewed scene currently of interest. Recent evidence suggests that each human has signature patterns of eye movements like handwriting which depend on their sensitivity, allocation of attention and experience. Use of implicit knowledge of how earth's gravity influences object motion has been shown to aid dynamic perception. We used a projected ball tracking task with a plain background offering no context cues to probe the effect of acquired experience about physical laws of gravitation on performance differences of 44 participants under a simulated gravity and an atypical (upward) antigravity condition. Performance measured by the unsigned difference between instantaneous eye and stimulus positions (RMSE) was consistently worse in the antigravity condition. In the vertical RMSE, participants took about 200ms longer to improve to the best performance for antigravity compared to gravity trials. The antigravity condition produced a divergence of individual performance which was correlated with levels of questionnaire based quantified traits of schizotypy but not control traits. Grouping participants by high or low traits revealed a negative relationship between schizotypy traits level and both initiation and maintenance of tracking, a result consistent with trait related impoverished sensory prediction. The findings confirm for the first time that where cues enabling exact estimation of acceleration are unavailable, knowledge of gravity contributes to dynamic prediction improving motion processing. With acceleration expectations violated, we demonstrate that antigravity tracking could act as a multivariate diagnostic window into predictive brain function

Scene regularity interacts with individual biases to modulate perceptual stability

Sensory input is inherently ambiguous but our brains achieve remarkable perceptual stability. Prior experience and knowledge of the statistical properties of the world are thought to play a key role in the stabilization process. Individual differences in responses to ambiguous input and biases towards one or the other interpretation could modulate the decision mechanism for perception. However, the role of perceptual bias and its interaction with stimulus spatial properties such as regularity and element density remain to be understood. To this end, we developed novel bi-stable moving visual stimuli in which perception could be parametrically manipulated between two possible mutually exclusive interpretations: transparently or coherently moving. We probed perceptual stability across three composite stimulus element density levels with normal or degraded regularity using a factorial design. We found that increased density led to the amplification of individual biases and consequently to a stabilization of one interpretation over the alternative. This effect was reduced for degraded regularity, demonstrating an interaction between density and regularity. To understand how prior knowledge could be used by the brain in this task, we compared the data with simulations coming from four different hierarchical models of causal inference. These models made different assumptions about the use of prior information by including conditional priors that either facilitated or inhibited motion direction integration. An architecture that included a prior inhibiting motion direction integration consistently outperformed the others. Our results support the hypothesis that direction integration based on sensory likelihoods maybe the default processing mode with conditional priors inhibiting integration employed in order to help motion segmentation and transparency perception