Building Accessible Cyberinfrastructure in the Global Disability Community: Evaluating Collaboration Readiness and Use of the DID Policy Collaboratory

This study is focused on better understanding the socio-technical infrastructure required to enhance participation of the global disability community in key global governance processes. It explores the impact of a virtual organizational platform, called the Disability Inclusive Development (DID) Policy Collaboratory on the participation of the UN Disability Inclusive and Accessible Urban Development (DIAUD) Network in the preparatory processes for the UN Habitat III Conference. This paper asks four broad questions about the DIAUD network: (1) what is its origin, composition, and structure; (2) to what degree does it represent a transnational advocacy network; (3); what is its baseline “collaboration readiness”; and (4) how effectively does it use the Collaboratory? Data are drawn from surveys and participant observation at virtual and face-to-face network meetings. Key findings include: (1) DIAUD is organized as a TAN; (2) has important linkages with epistemic communities; and (3) has made substantive and sustained policy contributions

TellEat: sharing experiences on the move

In a context where, due to the proliferation of mobile devices, virtual social environments on the Web are taking up a very concrete role in the way people experience their surroundings, the Future Internet seems to be headed toward a mixture of Social Web, Semantic Web and Augmented Reality. As a part of a larger project that aims at building a social network of both people and things, we designed and developed TellEat, an iPhone-based application that allows users in mobility to share facts concerning people or objects that participate in the social network, and to discover pertinent events that have been told by others. In this paper we discuss both the client application, with the interaction model and interface metaphors that have been designed to make the experience as playful as possible for users, and the server-side services that provide the necessary knowledge and reasoning mechanisms. We also present the results of preliminary tests with users

Dimeric n-Alkyl Complexes of Rare-Earth Metals Supported by a Linked Amido−Cyclopentadienyl Ligand: Evidence for β-Agostic Bonding in Bridging n-Alkyl Ligands and Its Role in Styrene Polymerization

The dimeric rare-earth hydrides [Ln(η^5:η^1-C_5Me_4SiMe_2NCMe_3)(THF)(μ-H)]_2 (Ln = Y, Yb) react with excess α-olefin H_2C ═ CHR (R = Et, ^nPr, ^nBu) in a 1,2-insertion to give the series of THF-free dimeric n-alkyl complexes [Ln(η^5:η^1-C_5Me_4SiMe_2NCMe_3)(μ-CH_2CH_2R)]_2 as isolable crystals. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies on the five derivatives [Y(η^5:η^1-C_5Me_4SiMe_2NCMe_2R‘)(μ-CH_2CH_2R)]_2 (R‘ = Me, R = Et, ^nBu; R‘ = Et, R = Et, ^nPr) and [Yb(η^5:η^1-C_5Me_4SiMe_2NCMe_3)(μ-CH_2CH_2^nBu)]_2 revealed that the centrosymmetric dimeric complexes consist of two trans-arranged [Ln(η^5:η^1-C_5Me_4SiMe_2NCMe_2R‘)] fragments connected by two μ-alkyl ligands. Most strikingly, there is an agostic interaction of the n-alkyl groups' β-CH_2 hydrogen atoms with the formally 12-electron lanthanide metal center. Variable-temperature NMR spectroscopic data suggest a fluxional process that interconverts the diastereotopic protons of the α-CH_2 group and a dynamic β-agostic interaction. Addition of >10 equiv of THF per yttrium to a solution of [Y(η^5:η^1-C_5Me_4SiMe_2NCMe_3)(μ-CH_2CH_2Et)]_2 results in the formation of the highly reactive, nonisolable, monomeric THF adduct [Y(η^5:η^1-C_5Me_4SiMe_2NCMe_3)(CH_2CH_2Et)(THF)]. Reaction of 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME) with [Y(η^5:η^1-C_5Me_4SiMe_2NCMe_3)(μ-CH_2CH_2Et)]_2 forms the crystalline compound [Y(η^5:η^1-C_5Me_4SiMe_2NCMe_3)(CH_2CH_2Et)(DME)] with a terminal n-butyl group that contains a slightly distorted α-carbon atom according to a crystallographic study. α-Olefins having two or more substituents on the γ-carbon do not react with the hydride complexes. The role of these n-alkyl complexes in the controlled polymerization of styrene is discussed

Caracterização dos produtores e dos sistemas de produção de leite no perímetro irrigado de Petrolina/PE.

RESUMO - Objetivou-se conhecer alguns aspectos sociais, níveis tecnológicos e resultados econômicos de produtores de leite de vaca em propriedades situadas no Perímetro Irrigado Senador Nilo Coelho, localizado no município de Petrolina, estado de Pernambuco. Foram entrevistados 28 produtores no perímetro, no período de abril a setembro do ano de 2007. As famílias dos produtores que residem nos estabelecimentos rurais e na zona urbana somaram 53,6 e 46,4%, respectivamente. As propriedades estudadas foram classificadas em sua maioria como sistemas intensivos a pasto e em confinamento (57,1%) com produção média de 9,3L/vaca/dia. A renda bruta proveniente do leite foi de R$2.477,47. A relação entre vacas em lactação e o total de vacas e o intervalo de partos foram respectivamente de 52,1$ 2.477,47. The ratio between lactating cows and the total number of cows and calving interval were respectively 52.1% and 19,1 months. It was observed that most properties worked with natural mating (96,4%) and manual milking (96,4%). In general vaccination is deficient, however 96,4% of farms vaccinated against Food and Month Disease. Information main source from these producers is television. Regarding the feeding management, it was observed a high dependence on external inputs and the average land productivity and the number of milking cows per area were 3722,0L/ha/year and 1,1 cows/ha, respectively. Dairy cattle have a potential to supplement the producers income, but investments are needed to intensify the use of forage resources, to improve milk quality, reproductive management, nutrition and health herd and technical assistance to producers