Ancillary Elements Research Articles

Ancillary Elements of Undergraduate Economics Programs: The Extras Can Make All the Difference

Successful economics programs recognize that the well-rounded student is best supported through a multi-faceted approach that considers the student’s academic life in a holistic way. While traditional classroom instruction forms the core of economic education, ancillary elements, such as student clubs, speaker series, internships, and research opportunities, are also vital components. They can support content mastery and student success, provide opportunities to apply concepts and skills in real-world contexts, and expose students to new developments in the discipline. This overview paper first gives a sense of the current landscape regarding ancillary provision at US institutions and then introduces the other contributions to this symposium. These papers provide detailed examples of effective ancillary elements, offering guidance and inspiration for enriching students’ academic experiences.

MOBILE MAPPING SOLUTIONS FOR THE UPDATE AND MANAGEMENT OF TRAFFIC SIGNS IN A ROAD CADASTRE FREE OPEN-SOURCE GIS ARCHITECTURE

Abstract. The adoption of open-source mobile mapping applications in public administration has risen over the last decade due to their interdisciplinary vocation and flexibility in adapting to existing Geographic Information System (GIS) software architectures. This facilitates complex procedures of data collection and management required for transportation and environmental models, emergency management, and maintenance operations. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport in Italy requires road-owning agencies to build and maintain a mapping inventory of their road networks, including georeferenced information about streets and ancillary elements, such as traffic signs. Innovative and integrated street-level approaches for the rapid mapping of road entities using open-source mobile mapping tools represent a valuable low-cost solution for the periodical update of road entities inventory. The adoption of these tools allows public administrators to easily consult the road inventory even outside the office, conducting in situ validation and quality evaluation. This work presents a case study focused on the update and management of traffic sign entities of the Road Cadastre of the Province of Piacenza (Italy) using Qfield and Open Data Kit (ODK) Collect as alternatives to the previous traditional survey method that consisted in the use of field papers. A comparison between the adoption of the two mobile apps is conducted, identifying benefits and limitations in terms of both data accuracy and usability. Validation scripts, project and form structure were developed with the perspective of making the entire workflow as reproducible and transparent as possible, sharing details in a dedicated GitHub repository.

Online Dictionaries and Accessibility for People with Visual Impairments

Abstract Making information about language accessible to users has long been a key concern of lexicographic research. Adopting a narrower perspective, this examination of three dictionary websites (collinsdictionary.com, merriam-webster.com, and dle.rae.es) employs the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to examine their accessibility for people with visual impairments. Dictionaries can be motors for social inclusion of this oft-marginalised group since, beyond resolving language doubts, they can also help affirm socio-cultural identities. Unlike paper dictionaries where space-saving conventions make accessibility a challenge, in principle, online resources are adaptable to the needs of users with visual impairments. In practice, although none of the websites evaluated meet any officially recognised WCAG conformance level, they do contain features aimed at improving accessibility for this group. Most impediments to accessibility are the result of ancillary elements such as advertising, social media, games, and word of the day features. Although these ancillary elements may not necessarily be the principal focus of dictionary use, they nonetheless have a negative effect on the accessibility of the dictionary entry itself. This article concludes with suggestions for solving several of these accessibility issues.

Acceleration-sensitive ancillary elements in industrial facilities: alternative seismic design approaches in the new Eurocode

The Eurocode 8—Part 4 approaches, per their December 2022 update, are presented for the design of acceleration-sensitive industrial ancillary components. The seismic performance of such nested and/or supported ancillary elements, namely mechanical and electrical equipment, machinery, vessels, etc. is critical for the safety and operability of an industrial facility in the aftermath of an earthquake. Of primary importance are the structural characteristics of the supporting structure and the supported component, pertaining to resonance, strength, and ductility, and whether these are known (and to what degree) during initial design and/or subsequent modifications and upgrades. Depending on the availability and reliability of information on the overall system, the Eurocode methods comprise (a) a detailed component/structure-specific design accounting for all pertinent component and building characteristics, equivalent to typical building design per Eurocode 8—Part 1–2, (b) a conservative approach where a blanket safety factor is applied when little or no such data is available, and (c) a ductile design founded on the novel concept of inserting a fuse of verified ductility and strength in the load path between the supporting structure and the ancillary element. All three methods are evaluated and compared on the basis of a case-study industrial structure, showing how an engineer can achieve economy without compromising safety under different levels of uncertainty.

In-plane behaviour of lightweight façade systems installed in masonry and concrete under simulated seismic loading

The protection of ancillary elements is of paramount importance in earthquake engineering. During a seismic event, in fact, they may be subjected to severe loading conditions with high absolute accelerations and potential distortion due to building structure deformations. The loss of functionality and the collapse of some attached element, as lightweight façade systems, may even precede any damage to the structures. For such elements, a good design practice should always consider special detailing to accommodate imposed deformations with reliable connections to the structural parts. While for the former several ready-to-use technologies are available, fastening solutions still need additional research, particularly considering possible in-plane amplification due to the substructure layout. Within this context, an extensive experimental campaign was recently carried out to investigate the in-plane behaviour of lightweight façade systems under simulated seismic loading. The results of the experiments are presented in this paper, where full-scale mock-ups were installed in concrete, masonry, and a combination of the two, and then tested using a one-directional shaking table. The following variables are considered in the study: (i) the base-material, (ii) the angle bracket type, and (iii) the mass of the cladding panel. Results from full-scale dynamic tests are discussed focusing on the load redistribution at the fixing points and on the residual capacity of fastenings. Measured axial forces on the fasteners are compared with design methods demonstrating the need for a revision to cope with the effects of resonance. Finally, an analytical model for the in-plane behaviour of lightweight façades is presented and verified against the experimental results.

Spoiler baffle patch design for improved upstream passage of small-bodied fish

The cumulative effect of culverts in impeding upstream fish passage is similar to that of large-scale high-head instream structures. The common solution to overcome this impediment is to add ancillary elements, with the goal to lower water velocities and to create discrete low velocity zones (LVZs) for fish to rest. The addition of spoiler baffles is one example of retrofitting structures with ancillary elements, with their efficacy having been proven in various field studies. The scope of the present work is to conduct a detailed laboratory study to evaluate the arrangement of spoiler baffles of different sizes and spatial density. Chosen baffle arrangements are consistent with the present size and spacing recommendations of the New Zealand Fish Passage Guidelines. Flow fields for two different flow rates within different baffle arrangements were obtained with acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) technology. We show that for the standard design, as recommended in the New Zealand Fish Passage Guidelines, the maximum value of mean streamwise velocity and turbulence parameters (turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and Reynolds stresses) is less than for two other designs we tested. However, the distribution of flow parameters within the plane is significantly different for all tested designs. In general, a shorter size baffle arranged at medium spatial density exhibits highly heterogeneous flow, with numerous LVZs, as well as providing wider pathways compared to the standard design. Wider pathways can also accommodate various fish species, which generally prefer different water velocity and turbulence, with the generated flow field allowing a lower energy cost of fish swimming whilst resting or station holding. Thus, this study shows the viability of using shorter baffles as an alternative fish passage solution for culverts, which can subsequently be validated with different fish species.

Wind tunnel testing of telecommunication lattice towers equipped with ancillaries

Lattice towers are used in several fields such as radio and television broadcasting, wireless communication or mobile networking. These are lightweight structures which are used to support specific equipment to certain heights such as for examples antennas needed for signal transmission. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of ancillary elements on the aerodynamic coefficients of telecommunication lattice towers. To this aim, three wind tunnel tests have been conducted on the sectional model of a real telecommunication tower located in Romania. The leg members have circular cross-sections whereas the diagonal and horizontal members have angle cross-sections. In order to investigate the effect of the cross-section of elements on the aerodynamic coefficients, an additional model having circular cross-sections for the diagonal and horizontal members was considered. The first wind tunnel test was conducted on the bare models, in the second test the models were equipped with a ladder and feeder cables whereas for the third test both the ladder and cables as well as antennas were installed on the models. All tests were performed both in smooth flow as well as turbulent flow.

Implications of Denmark’s Water Price Reform for Riverine and Coastal Surface Water Quality

Article 9 of the EU’s Water Framework Directive suggests that Member States should provide “adequate incentives” for efficient use of water resources. Although the Directive is mainly about protecting the ecological quality of water bodies, control of quantity serves as an “ancillary element” in delivering on the objectives. Despite their financial difficulties, Member States have been slow to bring their policies on water pricing up to the wording and 2010 deadline of the Directive’s article 9.
 This Article explores the significance of water pricing reform for the ecological quality objectives for surface waters and, as a stepping stone in this analysis, for water resource efficiency. It does so with a catchment-based analysis of implications from water pricing reform introduced in the early 1990s in Denmark. Household water use is found to have been 50% higher per capita before the reform, which introduced full-costpricing and a water supply tax.
 Good data availability for the catchment allows the analysis to demonstrate estimates for the improvements in water flows as well as for a specific water quality parameter. Despite the significant reduction in water demand, the main river is affected only at the margin. For smaller streams and brooks, however, there are more notable impacts for water quality and with potential benefits for rare species dependent on clean waters. A small reduction in emission loadings to coastal waters has comparatively high economic value. The Article finds that water pricing has an important role to play for future management.

НОВІТНІ ІНФОРМАЦІЙНІ ТЕХНОЛОГІЇ НАВЧАННЯ ЯК МЕТОД ПІДВИЩЕННЯ ЕФЕКТИВНОСТІ НАВЧАЛЬНОГО ПРОЦЕСУ У ПОЧАТКОВІЙ ШКОЛІ

Introduction. The rapid development of technical and software capabilities of personal computers, the spread of innovative creative technologies create real opportunities for their use in the education system in order to develop the creative potential of students and ensure continuity of learning between different levels of educational institutions.Given this, computer technology is an effective means of increasing students 'interest in learning, and in the hands of a skilled teacher it is a powerful tool to increase the motivation of the lesson, to develop students' ability to acquire knowledge independently.Purpose of the article is to study the effectiveness of the use of ICT in science lessons in primary school for the development of mental, emotional, cognitive areas of primary school.Methods: empirical research methods: questionnaires and testing, The obtained results are presented using statistical, tabular and graphical methods.Originality. During the lessons with the use of ICT individual and group forms of work are combined, students are formed positive motivation for effective cooperation, which promotes the activation of cognitive abilities of students, stimulates the process of their thinking. The use of ICT in education should be aimed at human development in the modern information society, and it is the school that should teach to use an unlimited source of information - the Internet. Since the visual components of thinking play an extremely important role in human life, their use in the study of material using ICT increases the effectiveness of learning. Performing analytical exercises in science contributes to the development of students' ability to analyze the material studied, to highlight the essential, to draw conclusions. Conducting a lesson, which is a comprehensive application of traditional and multimedia technologies, provides students with not only deep and solid knowledge, but also develops intellectual, creative abilities, develops the ability to independently acquire new knowledge and work with different sources of information.Conclusion. Thus, ICT should perform a certain educational function, help the child navigate the flow of information, perceive it, remember. However, it is important to remember that ICTs should be an ancillary element to the learning process, not a core one, and all stages of work should be clearly planned. Further research will focus on the use of ICT for extracurricular and extracurricular activities with primary school students.

Tax increment financing and major league venues

PurposeThis article intends to shine a light on venue-related tax increment financing (TIF) through the first comprehensive inventory of its use at the major league level.Design/methodology/approachFor each 2018 venue in the five North American major leagues, data was collected on TIF contributions to direct venue capital costs as well as to projects using TIF to enable real estate development ancillary to a venue. Neighborhoods surrounding a venue were also assessed for the presence of a TIF district. With both the direct and ancillary elements, data was collected from government, industry, academic, mapping and media sources. A review of this data set and findings are followed by a discussion of implications and directions for future work.FindingsOver one-third of the TIF eligible permanent stadiums and arenas studied in the five major leagues have a direct or strong TIF connection. Direct TIF contributions to sports venues, as well as TIF use intended to generate real estate development around these venues, are most frequent and financially significant in arenas and soccer-specific stadiums. Additionally, arena and stadium projects using TIF often accompany ancillary real estate development.Originality/valueA primary purpose of this article is to provide a previously missing general reference resource to governments and citizens of jurisdictions considering facility TIF use on the scope, nature, extent and identity of TIF projects related to major league sports venues. More generally, the inventory and assessment of TIF use in professional sports venues offered by this article sets the stage for future research on associative relationships between TIF contributions and facility finance outcomes as well as the normative value of venue-related TIF.

Remembering the big game: social identity and memory for media events

ABSTRACT Two studies examined how memories are formed around championship sporting events, which we classify as media events. The first study employed a test-retest methodology to assess how fans of a sport recall a championship sporting event. The second study examined how fans of specific sports teams recalled two championship sporting events in which their team either won or lost. Of particular interest was the emergence of a collective memory within fan communities. We assessed memory for the event itself (event memory), with an emphasis on the emergence of a collective memory, and memory for the context in which one experienced the event (personal circumstance memory). In contrast to fans of a sport more generally, fans of a particular team recalled events involving their team with detail, converged on collective memories, and provided personal circumstance memories that met the criteria for flashbulb memories. We discuss these results in the context of social identities and the elements involved in narratives of media events. Different types of fandom, our measure of social identity, uniquely influenced the collective memories formed for essential and ancillary elements of narratives surrounding championship sporting events.

Spontaneous links between help option use and input features that hinder second language listening comprehension

As more second language (L2) learners autonomously attend to authentic online input, L2 researchers are examining the mediating role of technology in the listening process. This qualitative multiple-case study explored the links between spontaneous use of help options and identification of input text characteristics of dissemination talks. Working with authentic video clip segments in six individual sessions, 13 high-intermediate learners of English from Chile interacted with pre-, while-, and post-listening exercises hosted in a purpose-built listening environment that supports a range of help options.Data was collected through an entry-survey, task-directed listening questionnaires, screen-capturing software, and semi-structured interviews. Results suggest that the use of help options was instrumental for participants producing informed responses, and allowed for the identification of general lexis, technical vocabulary, and fast speech rate as comprehension-impeding characteristics of dissemination talks. In particular, transcripts were the most helpful ancillary element. The article presents pedagogical implications and discusses avenues for further research.

Impact of Surgeon Gender on Online Physician Reviews

BackgroundThe increasing use of review websites by consumers has become a crucial first step in choosing a physician with more than half of Americans consulting review sites before physician selection. We sought to identify whether differences exist in the quality and content of online reviews for men versus women surgeons. MethodsUsing a deliberate sampling algorithm of the two most populated physician review websites, RateMDs.com and Yelp.com, we purposefully sampled reviews for the top 20 surgeons per tercile from the four most populated urban areas in the United States: New York, Houston, Los Angeles, and Chicago. A grounded theory qualitative assessment was performed of major and minor thematic elements including global rating, communication, technical skills, and comments on ancillary elements. ResultsFour-hundred and thirty-one online patient reviews of 238 surgeons were identified from RateMDs.com (51%) and Yelp.com (49%) with available information on gender for analysis. Seventy-six percent of reviews were of male surgeons. Reviewers were more likely to mention a global rating and technical skill for men compared with women surgeons. Most reviews were positive with no difference in global rating by gender (83.7% positive for men and 74.3% positive for women, P = 0.08). Women surgeons were more likely to have positive comments on social interactions as compared with men (94.7% versus 88.0%, P = 0.03); whereas men surgeons were more likely to have a positive rating on technical skill compared with women (88.2% versus 76.2%, P = 0.04). ConclusionsThe content and quality of online surgeon reviews differ by gender. There is no difference in global rating between men and women. Women are rated higher for social interaction domains and men are rated higher on technical skill domains.

Flash Flood Warning Sub-Systems for Rural Africa

This paper aims to present the need for sub-systems in rural Africa for real-time warning delivery. It has been reported in previous studies, that Sub-Sahara Africa lacks weather radars. This means that there are no real-time early warnings presenting a gap in knowledge that this study aims to address. This is done through the following objective; to examine the relationship between variables in the study and therefore, establish whether sub-systems are a significant variable in flash flood warning systems for rural Africa. The variables to be examined are; the independent variable (existing warning system), the dependent variable (early warnings), the moderator variable (ancillary elements) and the mediator variable (sub-systems). This is investigated through a closed-ended questionnaire that is administered to a sample of meteorologists whose email addresses are available on the World Meteorological Organization’s expert database. The target sample is determined through the G*Power application. The data is analyzed on SPSS. Variables in the study are found to be correlated after conducting a Pearson’s correlation test. Using PROCESS allows for the testing of various models where moderation is confirmed. A moderated mediation model is also confirmed. The results confirm that sub-systems are significant enough to be developed for rural Africa.

Examining LGBTQ-Based Literature Intended for Primary and Intermediate Elementary Students

This content analysis research examined how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals and issues are represented in elementary-level trade books. The data pool included every LGBTQ-based trade book with intended audiences of primary (grades K–2) and intermediate (grades 3–5) elementary students. Trade books were analyzed by a range of both open and axial coding questions. Findings included main characters’ demography, sexuality, stage of sexual identity development, and various ancillary elements, such as connection to the LGBTQ community, relationship with religion, interactions with non-LGBTQ individuals, and the challenges and contested terrain that LGBTQ individuals must traverse. Examination of the intended audience added nuance to findings. There appeared to be no clear relationship between books’ dates of publication and patterns of representation of LGBTQ individuals and themes. This research contributes to previous scholarship that explored LGBTQ-based fiction for secondary students and close readings of primary-level trade books.

Opening up innovation processes through contests in the food sector

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how an adequate mix of technological, organisational and managerial tools might support Open Innovation (OI) processes achieved by contests in the food sector.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology of this paper is exploratory in nature. Data have been gathered about the 140 innovation contests launched by the best global food brands (2013 BusinessWeek/Interbrand Best Global Brands) over the last decade.FindingsThe research highlights the main changes that have occurred over the last decade, showing that the choice of platform type for contest launches is often neglected or considered as an ancillary element. Indeed, it is a choice that embeds another set of technological, organisational and managerial tools that strongly influence the collaborative behaviour (and the participation itself) of partners throughout the innovation process.Research limitations/implicationsCompanies investigated in this paper consist exclusively of top brands in the sector. Future research should strive to obtain larger samples, develop a set of fine-grained hypotheses, and test them by using appropriate statistical techniques.Originality/valueThis paper fills an inexplicable gap in academic literature due to the fact that food companies are those that mainly use contests in order to implement OI but they are scarcely researched regarding this issue.

The representations of LGBTQ themes and individuals in non-fiction young adult literature

PurposeSocial justice themes permeate the social studies, history, civics, and current events curricula. The purpose of this paper is to examine how non-fiction trade books represented lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals and issues.Design/methodology/approachTrade books published after 2000 and intended for middle grades (5-8) and high school (9-12) students were analyzed.FindingsFindings included main characters’ demography, sexuality, and various ancillary elements, such as connection to LGBTQ community, interactions with non-LGBTQ individuals, the challenges and contested terrain that LGBTQ individuals must traverse, and a range of responses to these challenges. Publication date, intended audience, and subgenre of non-fiction – specifically, memoir, expository, and historical text – added nuance to findings. Viewed broadly, the books generally engaged in exceptionalism, a historical misrepresentation, of one singular character who was a gay or lesbian white American. Diverse sexualities, races, ethnicities, and contexts were largely absent. Complex resistance structures were frequent and detailed.Originality/valueThis research contributes to previous scholarship exploring LGBTQ-themed fiction for secondary students and close readings of secondary level non-fiction trade books.

Study of potential harmful elements (arsenic, mercury and selenium) in surface sediments from Serbian rivers and artificial lakes

This investigation examines surface sediment samples from rivers and artificial lakes (Serbia) to quantify levels of potentially harmful elements (As, Hg, and Se) and several ancillary elements (Al, Fe, Mn, Ca, Mg, C, H, N, and S). These data provide the first global analysis of Hg, As and Se levels in a well-studied system. Combination of different methods was applied for estimation of the environmental status of sediments and to determine the potential risk of ecological damage: digestion with aqua regia and determination of element content, determination of elements mobile forms by ammonium-acetate extraction, calculation of contamination indexes - index of geoaccumulation and enrichment factor, comparison with sediment quality guidelines and other literature data, and use of statistical methods. Results indicate that the sediments are slightly enriched with As and Hg, but not with Se. Fact that values for Se contents was less than the international threshold levels, suggesting the very probable absence of risk of contamination over the catchment with this element. The average pollution levels in Serbian river and artificial lakes expressed in terms of geoaccumulation indexes of As and Hg indicate that the environment is uncontaminated to moderately contaminated. All values of EF for Hg were below 2, indicating deficiency to minimal enrichment with Hg on studied localities. The EF values of As indicate deficiency to moderate enrichment (EF ranged from 0.11 to 3.54). According to the comparison to quality standard, the As in sediments of the studied area have potential risk. High content of arsenic in river and lake sediments indicate that arsenic pollution problem that lasts longer period of time.

Potential Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers of Epigenetic Drift within the Cardiovascular Compartment.

Biomarkers encompass a wide range of different measurable indicators, representing a tangible link to physiological changes occurring within the body. Accessibility, sensitivity, and specificity are significant factors in biomarker suitability. New biomarkers continue to be discovered, and questions over appropriate selection and assessment of their usefulness remain. If traditional markers of inflammation are not sufficiently robust in their specificity, then perhaps alternative means of detection may provide more information. Epigenetic drift (epigenetic modifications as they occur as a direct function with age), and its ancillary elements, including platelets, secreted microvesicles (MVs), and microRNA (miRNA), may hold enormous predictive potential. The majority of epigenetic drift observed in blood is independent of variations in blood cell composition, addressing concerns affecting traditional blood-based biomarker efficacy. MVs are found in plasma and other biological fluids in healthy individuals. Altered MV/miRNA profiles may also be found in individuals with various diseases. Platelets are also highly reflective of physiological and lifestyle changes, making them extremely sensitive biomarkers of human health. Platelets release increased levels of MVs in response to various stimuli and under a plethora of disease states, which demonstrate a functional effect on other cell types.

The Chameleon in the Room: Transatlantic Views on Information Exchange in the Field of Competition Law

Information exchanges between competitors are not an obvious candidate to be the subject of a comparative exercise between US antitrust law and EU competition law, at least to the extent that one seeks dissimilarities rather than commonalities. Unlike single-firm conduct or even merger control, information exchange is part of a broad area of transatlantic convergence in competition matters, which seldom yields enough disparities to fuel a contribution in the field of comparative competition law. Nevertheless, this Paper purports to unearth such disparities, which we believe are a manifestation of a larger and deeper disagreement on the nature of information exchanges: while U.S. antitrust approaches information sharing as being either neutral or beneficial to competition, EU competition law displays an almost ingrained mistrust towards information exchange as the source of potential or actual anticompetitive effects. The problem with the latter view is that information exchange – like the chameleon we borrowed for our title – may assume an extreme variety of tones that competition authorities should be able to distinguish, but in practice do not always do. The changing tones of information sharing may and sometimes do have an anticompetitive effect, but associating the latter with former is prone to create false positives (type-I errors). Within certain limits set by antitrust, the diversity of content, form and context surrounding information exchange is in itself a reflection of the attempt by rational actors to collect data dispersed in the market . Such diversity includes information exchanged directly among competitors or indirectly via a common agency (frequently a trade association) or a third party (market research organisations, retailers, suppliers); information exchanged outside the context of any agreement, as an ancillary element of a broader horizontal agreement or even the very object of an agreement (stand-alone infringement); and the purpose presiding over the information exchange – as well as the nature of the information itself – can greatly vary from case to case. The combination of these different circumstances provides equally different scenarios, many of them neutral or even pro-competitive from an antitrust perspective. This Papers, therefore, proposes to explore the chameleonic features of information exchange - which perhaps too often (although somehow understandably) are not properly apprehended by Competition Authorities – against the background of a comparative research into EU competition law and U.S. antitrust. The itinerary is divided into five steps, which include the present (I) introduction, (II) the assessment of information exchanges between competitors under EU competition law and (III) U.S. antitrust, followed by (IV) the analysis of the distinctive traits of the competition assessment carried out in both sides of the Atlantic and (V) closing the chapter with some concluding remarks on the topic.