"If they come they will build it" : managing and building e-democracy from the ground up

The possibilities for using online media to promote deliberative democracy and enhance civic participation have been identified by many. At the same time, the ‘e-democracy score card’ is decidedly mixed, with the tendency of established institutions in both government and the mainstream media to promote a ‘push’ model of communication and information provision, which fails to adapt to the decentralized, networked, interactive and many-to-many forms of communication enabled by the Internet. This paper will discuss the experience of the National Forum, which is building an Australian e-Democracy site of which is the first stage. It aims to be a combination of town-square, shopping centre of ideas, and producers’ co-operative which will allow citizens, talkers, agitators, researchers and legislators to interact with each other individually and through their organisations. Its aim will be to facilitate conversations, and where required, action. This project can be understood from a myriad of angles. At one level it is an open source journalism project, at another it deals with knowledge management. It can also be approached as a forum, an archive, an internet arketing initiative and an eCommerce resource for civil society. Central to the project is the development of feedback mechanisms so that participants can better understand the debates and where they stand in them as well as gauging the mood, desires and interests of the nation on a continuous basis. This paper deals with the practice, theories and economic models underlying the project, and considers the contribution of such sites to community formation and the development of social capital

Survival of Theileria parva in its nymphal tick vector Rhipicephalus appendiculatus under laboratory and quasi natural conditions

Groups of nymphal Rhipicephalus appendiculatus Muguga, having a mean of 1 or 9 Theileria parva Muguga-infected salivary gland acini per tick, were kept under quasi-natural conditions at an altitude of 1950 m or 20°C at a relative humidity of 85% in the laboratory and their survival and infection prevalence and abundance determined over time. Theileria parva infections for both categories of ticks survived in the nymphal ticks for 50 or 26 weeks post salivary gland infection under quasi-natural or laboratory conditions respectively. There was a distinct decline in infections in the more heavily infected nymphae under both conditions of exposure, reflecting an apparent density dependence in parasite survival. Nymphal ticks having an average infection level of 1 infected salivary gland acinus per tick, survived for up to 69 or 65 weeks post-repletion under quasi-natural or the laboratory conditions respectively. Nymphae having an average infection level of 9 infected salivary gland acini per tick survived for a similar duration under each of the 2 conditions. The infection level of 9 infected salivary gland acini per tick did not seem to significantly affect the survival of the tick vector compared to those having an average of 1 infected salivary gland acinus per tick

How non-linear scaling relations unify dwarf and giant elliptical galaxies

Dwarf elliptical galaxies are frequently excluded from bright galaxy samples because they do not follow the same linear relations in diagrams involving effective half light radii R_e or mean effective surface brightnesses _e. However, using two linear relations which unite dwarf and bright elliptical galaxies we explain how these lead to curved relations when one introduces either the half light radius or the associated surface brightness. In particular, the curved _e - R_e relation is derived here. This and other previously misunderstood curved relations, once heralded as evidence for a discontinuity between faint and bright elliptical galaxies at M_B ~ -18 mag, actually support the unification of such galaxies as a single population whose structure (i.e. stellar concentration) varies continuously with stellar luminosity and mass.Comment: 4 pages including 2 figures, to appear in "A Universe of dwarf galaxies", Conf. Proc. (Lyon, June 14-18, 2010

Dyspraxia in a patient with corticobasal degeneration: the role of visual and tactile inputs to action

Objectives-To investigate the roles of visual and tactile information in a dyspraxic patient with corticobasal degeneration (CBD) who showed dramatic facilitation in miming the use of a tool or object when he was given a tool to manipulate; and to study the nature of the praxic and neuropsychological deficits in CBD. Methods-The subject had clinically diagnosed CBD, and exhibited alien limb behaviour and striking ideomotor dyspraxia. General neuropsychological evaluation focused on constructional and visuospatial abilities, calculation, verbal fluency, episodic and semantic memory, plus spelling and writing because impairments in this domain were presenting complaints. Four experiments assessed the roles of visual and tactile information in the facilitation of motor performance by tools. Experiment I evaluated the patient's performance of six limb transitive actions under six conditions: (1) after he described the relevant tool from memory, (2) after he was shown a Line drawing of the tool, (3) after he was shown a real exemplar of the tool, (4) after he watched the experimenter perform the action, (5) while he was holding the tool, and (6) immediately after he had performed the action with the tool but with the tool removed from his grasp. Experiment 2 evaluated the use of the same six tools when the patient had tactile but no visual information (while he was blindfolded). Experiments 3 and 4 assessed performance of actions appropriate to the same six tools when the patient had either neutral or inappropriate tactile feedback-that is, while he was holding a non-tool object or a different tool. Results-Miming of tool use was not facilitated by visual input; moreover, lack of visual information in the blindfolded condition did not reduce performance. The principal positive finding was a dramatic facilitation of the patient's ability to demonstrate object use when he was holding either the appropriate tool or a neutral object. Tools inappropriate to the requested action produced involuntary performance of the stimulus relevant action. Conclusions-Tactile stimulation was paramount in the facilitation of motor performance in tool use by this patient with CBD. This outcome suggests that tactile information should be included in models which hypothesise modality specific inputs to the action production system. Significant impairments in spelling and letter production that have not previously been reported in CBD have also been documented

The Generation Z Audience for In-App Advertising

Abstract Purpose: The audience for in-app mobile advertising is comparable in size and viewing rate to that for TV but divides its attention across a highly fragmented selection of apps, each competing for advertiser revenue. In market, the assumption is that this audience is deeply segmented, allowing individuals to be contextually targeted on the apps that define their interests and needs. But that assumption is not supported by the Laws of Double Jeopardy and Duplication of Viewing which closely predict usage in other mass media. Our purpose is to benchmark in-app audiences against these laws to better understand market structure. Method: We collected nearly three thousand hours of screen time data from a panel of Generation Z respondents and tested the predictive validity of two models against observed interactions with twenty-three popular apps in six categories over a week. Findings. Results show that contrary to industry assumptions, this audience for in-app advertising is not segmented. Engagement on individual apps and sharing rates between apps and app formats is predicted well. Originality/Value: Many authors have called for consistency in metrics to compare on and off-line media performance. This study bridges that gap, demonstrating how reach and frequency measures could inform digital scheduling for contextual targeting. Implications Optimising in-app advertising for short-term activation only limits its potential for brand-building. These findings encourage advertisers to schedule online campaigns for brand reach as well as sales lift, by advancing current understanding of audience behaviour

Geology of the Parliament Buildings 5: Geology of the Manitoba Legislative Building

The Manitoba Legislative Building was designed by Frank Worthington Simon, assisted by Henry Boddington III, architects from Liverpool, England. The building style is neoclassical, incorporating Greek, Roman and Egyptian motifs and elements. Construction was completed early in 1920 and the building was dedicated July 15, 1920, on the fiftieth anniversary of the Province. The building is located in central Winnipeg, close to the north bank of the Assiniboine River and rests on 14 m of glacial Lake Agassiz clays over till and limestone bedrock. The mass of the building is supported by 421 concrete caissons that extend through the clays to indurated till or bedrock. Steel frames rest on the caissons and support bearing walls constructed of bricks manufactured from Manitoba shale and clay. Dimension stones decorate the bearing walls inside and outside, and the floors and stairways within. Each type of stone has its own decorative characteristics and each records geologic processes at different times in Earth history. The predominant dimension stone both outside and inside the building is Manitoba Tyndall Stone. Grey, pink and red Tennessee marbles are from the southern Appalachians. Botticino marble was quarried in the foothills of the Alps in northern Italy. Ordovician black marble and Verde Antique are from the Vermont-New York region in the northern Appalachians. Missisquoi marble is from quarries in southern Québec near Philipsburg, and also represents a northern Appalachian source. Bedford limestone, used for most of the statuary, is from south-central Indiana. Butler granite from Ignace, Ontario, was used for steps and floor surfaces of all four porticos. Red marble breccia, used to decorate most fireplaces, may have come from northern France. SUMMAIRE L'édifice du Palais législatif du Manitoba a été conçu par Frank Worthington Simon, assisté de Henry Boddington III, deux architectes de Liverpool en Angleterre. Il s'agit d'un édifice de style néoclassique comprenant des éléments et des motifs grecs, romains et égyptiens. Sa construction s'est achevé au début des années 1920 et son inauguration a eu lieu à l'occasion du cinquantième anniversaire de la Province, soit le 15 juillet 1920. L'édifice est situé au cœur de Winnipeg, non loin de la rive nord de la rivière Assiniboine, la géologie environnante consistant en une couche d'argile du lac Agassiz de 14 m d'épaisseur reposant sur du till et un socle calcaire. Le poids de l'édifice repose sur 421 caissons de béton qui s'enfoncent jusqu'au till consolidé ou jusqu'au socle. Des structures d'acier appuyées sur ces caissons supportent le poids des murs de briques fabriquées avec des schistes argileux et des argiles du Manitoba. Des pierres de taille parent les murs porteurs à l'extérieur comme à l'intérieur ainsi que les planchers et les escaliers intérieurs. Chaque type de pierre de taille présente des caractéristiques particulières, et chacun témoigne de processus géologique d'une époque particulière de l'histoire de la Terre. La pierre de Tyndall est celle qui prédomine tant à l'extérieur qu'à l'intérieur. Les marbres gris, roses et rouges du Tennessee proviennent du Sud de la chaîne des Appalaches. Les marbres de Botticino ont été extraits du piémont des Alpes dans le Nord de l'Italie. Les marbres noirs et les porphyres verts antiques proviennent des États du Vermont et de New York, au Nord des Appalaches. Les marbres de Missisquoi ont été extraits de carrières du Sud du Québec près de Phillipsburg proviennent aussi du Nord des Appalaches. Les calcaires de Bedford qui ont été principalement utilisés comme matériau statuaire proviennent du centre-sud de l'État d'Indiana. Les granites de Butler provenant de Ignace en Ontario ont été utilisés pour les marches et les planchers des quatre portiques. La brèche de marbre rouge qui a été utilisée pour la décoration de la plupart des foyers pourrait provenir du Nord de la France

Isivivane, Freedom Park: A critical analysis of the relationship between commemoration, meaning and landscape design in post-apartheid South Africa

At the dawn of democracy in 1994, the nation was seeking a new identity and for many South Africans it was to be an identity based on their African culture and tradition. Politicians were seeking ways to commemorate those who had lost their lives in conflicts leading up to the first democratic elections when the African National Congress (ANC) came into power. In attempting to achieve this, the Department of Arts and Culture initiated several legacy and heritage projects, including the Isivivane, a memorial place at Freedom Park in the City of Tshwane. This article determines the effectiveness of landscape design in communicating the intent and meaning of commemorative places in a multicultural postapartheid society. In this article, the Isivivane is presented as a case study and the research survey has been used to gauge the visitors’ experience and perception of the Isivivane. Based on the results of a quantitative questionnaire, underpinned by theories rooted in phenomenological interpretation and landscape narrative, the article confirms that peoples’ experience and perception of the Isivivane are influenced by its design and that its landscape features are significant in evoking a response that enabled visitors to identify with the place and assign individual and collective meaning to it. The argument is supported by current theories of commemoration and meaning derived through landscape design. The implications of the study are useful and can potentially open doors for further studies that delve deeper into an understanding of the contribution that landscape design makes in the conceptualisation of commemorative places in a pluralistic and politically charged South Africa