Detecting Emotional Involvement in Professional News Reporters: An Analysis of Speech and Gestures

This study is aimed to investigate the extent to which reporters\u2019 voice and body behaviour may betray different degrees of emotional involvement when reporting on emergency situations. The hypothesis is that emotional involvement is associated with an increase in body movements and pitch and intensity variation. The object of investigation is a corpus of 21 10-second videos of Italian news reports on flooding taken from Italian nation-wide TV channels. The gestures and body movements of the reporters were first inspected visually. Then, measures of the reporters\u2019 pitch and intensity variations were calculated and related with the reporters' gestures. The effects of the variability in the reporters' voice and gestures were tested with an evaluation test. The results show that the reporters vary greatly in the extent to which they move their hands and body in their reportings. Two gestures seem to characterise reporters\u2019 communication of emergencies: beats and deictics. The reporters\u2019 use of gestures partially parallels the reporters\u2019 variations in pitch and intensity. The evaluation study shows that increased gesturing is associated with greater emotional involvement and less professionalism. The data was used to create an ontology of gestures for the communication of emergenc

Abandoned Mine Drainage in the Swatara Creek Basin, Southern Anthracite Coalfield, Pennsylvania, USA: 2. Performance of Treatment Systems

A variety of passive and semi-passive treatment systems were constructed by state and local agencies to neutralize acidic mine drainage (AMD) and reduce the transport of dissolved metals in the upper Swatara Creek Basin in the Southern Anthracite Coalfield in eastern Pennsylvania. To evaluate the effectiveness of selected treatment systems installed during 1995–2001, the US Geological Survey collected water-quality data at upstream and downstream locations relative to each system eight or more times annually for a minimum of 3 years at each site during 1996– 2007. Performance was normalized among treatment types by dividing the acid load removed by the size of the treatment system. For the limestone sand, open limestone channel, oxic limestone drain, anoxic limestone drain (ALD), and limestone diversion well treatment systems, the size was indicated by the total mass of limestone; for the aerobic wetland systems, the size was indicated by the total surface area of ponds and wetlands. Additionally, the approximate cost per tonne of acid treated over an assumed service life of 20 years was computed. On the basis of these performance metrics, the limestone sand, ALD, oxic limestone drain, and limestone diversion wells had similar ranges of acid-removal efficiency and cost efficiency. However, the open limestone channel had lower removal efficiency and higher cost per ton of acid treated. The wetlands effectively attenuated metals transport but were relatively expensive considering metrics that evaluated acid removal and cost efficiency. Although the water-quality data indicated that all treatments reduced the acidity load from AMD, the ALD was most effective at producing near-neutral pH and attenuating acidity and dissolved metals. The diversion wells were effective at removing acidity and increasing pH of downstream water and exhibited unique potential to treat moderate to high flows associated with storm flow conditions

Digitalization in German family firms – some preliminary insights

Currently, digitalization is a key topic among firms. This paper addresses this topic in the case of German family firms. German family firms have been internationally recognized already for a long time to be at the same time very innovative but also acting very secretly. Therefore it is not surprising that prior literature on this topic is between scarce to inexistent even though literature on digitalization and SME’s in general is widespread. The key question addressed in this paper is how German family firms try to face the challenge of the digital transformation. To provide some suggestions, we relate in an explorative and theorizing essay current evidence from literature on digitalization to key characteristics of German family firms and to insights we have gained in our personal relations to German family firms and their networks. We find indications that the digital transformation touches the heart of those firms as in the light of the new technological opportunities, key values such as innovation, secrecy, specialization on a niche and customer orientation might be in need to be redefined. As a result, starting from the German case we outline challenges and opportunities for family firms that might go far beyond the German case and point to fruitful areas for future research on family firms

Spezifischer Beitrag des Religionslehrers zur Bewertung der Schule

Autor promatra vjeroučitelja i njegovu ulogu u školi kao odgojnoj zajednici. U svijetu u kojem se uočava kriza vrednota odgoj osobe osobito je značajan zadatak škole. Vjeroučitelj osposobljava učenike za kritičnost u postmodernom društvu. Pomaže im da u raznim dimenzijama sazrijevaju kao slobodne i odgovorne osobe. U svojoj specifičnoj stručnoj ulozi, vjeroučitelj pomaže učenicima da otkriju smisao i istinu koje se odnose na transcendentno. Istovremeno surađuje s ostalim djelatnicima u školi kako bi škola bila i odgojna zajednica.Der Autor betrachtet den Religionslehrer und seine Rolle in der Schule als Erziehungsgemeinschaft. In der Welt, in der man eine Krise der Werte bemerke, sei die Erziehung der Person eine bedeutende Aufgabe der Schule. Die Religionslehrer befähigen Schüler zum Scharfsinn in der postmodernen Gesellschaft. Sie helfe ihnen, als freie und verantwortliche Personen in verschiedenen Dimensionen heranzureifen. In seiner spezifischen Fachrolle verhelfe der Religionslehrer den Schülern den Sinn und Wahrheit, die sich auf das Transzendente beziehen, zu enthüllen. Gleichzeitig wirkt er mit anderen Arbeitern in der Schule, damit die Schule auch Erziehungsgemeinschaft wird

Problem der Wissenschaftlichkeit der Katechese. Vorläufiges Unterscheiden

Autor proučava katehetiku kao znanost i postavlja pitanje čime i kako se može objasniti i potvrditi znanstvenost katehetike. Polazeći od F. S. Rautenstraucha i njegova tumačenja katehetike, podsjeća na nekoliko drugih najznačajnijih proučavatelja katehetske znanosti u zadnja dva stoljeća. Komunikacija Božje riječi očituje se kao katehetski problem. Autor ističe kako katehetika kao znanstveno razmišljanje o katehezi mora nastojati razriješiti pitanje svoje epistemološke utemeljenosti, vodeći istovremeno računa o svom interdisciplinarnom utemeljenju, posebice o povezanosti s teologijom i pedagogijom.Der Autor erforscht Katechetik als Wissenschaft und stellt die Frage, woher und wie die Wissenschaftlichkeit der Katechetik sich erklären und bestätigen läßt. Ausgehend von F. S. Rautenstrauch und seiner Erläuterung der Katechetik erinnert er an einige andere bedeutsame Erforscher der katechetischen Wissenschaft in den letzten zwei Jahrhunderten. Die Kommunikation des Wortes Gottes widerspiegelt sich als ein katechetisches Problem. Der Autor betont, wie Katechetik als wissenschaftliches Bedenken der Katechese danach streben muß, die Frage ihrer epistemologischen Begründung zu lösen, zugleich ihre interdisziplinäre Begründung, berücksichtigend besonders die Verbundenheit mit der Theologie und Pädagogik

EPRI Research on Innovative Techniques for Alternative Source Demonstrations

EPRI Research on Innovative Techniques for Alternative Source Demonstrations Authors Mr. Bruce Hensel - United States - Electric Power Research Institute Dr. Charles Cravotta III - United States - United States Geological Survey Mr. Michael Pribil - United States - United States Geological Survey Dr. Christopher Bagwell - United States - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Mr. R. Jeffrey Davis - United States - INTEGRAL CONSULTING INC. Mr. Jared Carte - United States - United States Geological Survey Mr. Danny Rutherford - United States - United States Geological Survey Dr. Frederick Day-Lewis - United States - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Ms. Melanie Edwards - United States - INTEGRAL CONSULTING INC. Abstract We are conducting research to support innovative and advanced methods for alternative source demonstrations (ASDs). Task 1 is sampling and analysis of background groundwater and coal combustion product (CCP) porewater samples at 14 CCP management sites to analyze for microbiological signatures and isotopes of boron, lithium, strontium, and sulfur so that open-access databases can be constructed. Multiple samples will be collected at most of these sites to evaluate spatial variability in microbiological and isotopic signatures. In addition, some sites were previously sampled for a subset of the isotopes and this research will provide information on temporal trends. Task 2 will apply the chemical and microbiological signatures, and use advanced statistics and machine learning techniques to perform ASDs at 5 of the 14 sites. The datasets for porewater and groundwater chemistry, isotopic composition, and microbiological signatures will be compared for similarity and differences spatially across each site and between sites. This task will provide information on conditions where the data and interpretation methods are most useful for distinguishing influence from CCP on the surrounding environment, as well as limitations. This task will also provide information to support comprehensive documentation of the methods

Fabrication and characterization of dual function nanoscale pH-scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) probes for high resolution pH mapping

The easy fabrication and use of nanoscale dual function pH-scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) probes is reported. These probes incorporate an iridium oxide coated carbon electrode for pH measurement and an SICM barrel for distance control, enabling simultaneous pH and topography mapping. These pH-SICM probes were fabricated rapidly from laser pulled theta quartz pipets, with the pH electrode prepared by in situ carbon filling of one of the barrels by the pyrolytic decomposition of butane, followed by electrodeposition of a thin layer of hydrous iridium oxide. The other barrel was filled with an electrolyte solution and Ag/AgCl electrode as part of a conductance cell for SICM. The fabricated probes, with pH and SICM sensing elements typically on the 100 nm scale, were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and various electrochemical measurements. They showed a linear super-Nernstian pH response over a range of pH (pH 2–10). The capability of the pH-SICM probe was demonstrated by detecting both pH and topographical changes during the dissolution of a calcite microcrystal in aqueous solution. This system illustrates the quantitative nature of pH-SICM imaging, because the dissolution process changes the crystal height and interfacial pH (compared to bulk), and each is sensitive to the rate. Both measurements reveal similar dissolution rates, which are in agreement with previously reported literature values measured by classical bulk methods

Fault tree analysis of a rocket propulsion system

Fault tree analysis was performed on a generic rocket engine system. The rocket engine system was comprised of components and subassemblies similar to those used on the Saturn rocket engines and Space Shuttle Main Engines. The probabilities of failure used in the quantitative analysis were derived from Unsatisfactory Condition Reports generated for similar components at Rocketdyne; from the Nonelectronic Parts Reliability Data publication from the Rome Air Development Center; from vendor data; and from MIL-HDBK-217 for the electronic components. The quantitative analysis was performed by a program written in PASCAL for the IBM personal computer. The top event of the fault tree was chosen to be "explosion after launch", and the quantitative analysis calculated the �probability of occurrence of this event. The fault tree schematic was drawn on a Macintosh II computer using MacDraw II 1.1 software. The fault tree has 400 nodes and 1300 primary events. The tree was converted to input to the PASCAL program along with the failure probability data. The probability of the event of an explosion after launch for the engine system analyzed was calculated to be 0.105. This is mainly due to the gas generator's susceptibility to failure. The gas generator is responsible for 31 % of the top event probability. It was recommended that the design engineers use an alternative cycle without the gas generator to lower the probability of the event occurring.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 64-65)California State University, Northridge. Department of Engineering

Comparisons in preference modelling

This paper is concerned with individual decision making under risk. The Von Neumann- Morgenstern utility theory (expected utility theory) and a proposed fuzzy utility model are implemented and compared in modelling a subject's preferences with regards to probabilities and money. The fuzzy utility model is described characteristically, and some of its elements are implemented in the comparison. The results of this comparison demonstrate some of the differences in each model and suggest directions for further study. This report does not attempt to prove whether expected utility theory or fuzzy utility is a better preference model, but to illustrate differences and similarities in each approach. These two models had high correlation values with the recorded data. Expected utility has been shown over the last few decades to have some areas of value, but it is not a universal model. The method of best collecting data to build a preference model is still an unresolved issue. The fuzzy utility model showed characteristics similar to those of the expected utility, even though the model used different types of data. There may be yet some attribute of preference that is easier to measure and model that has not been investigated before.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 32-33)California State University, Northridge. Department of Engineering