Histopathological image analysis : a review

Over the past decade, dramatic increases in computational power and improvement in image analysis algorithms have allowed the development of powerful computer-assisted analytical approaches to radiological data. With the recent advent of whole slide digital scanners, tissue histopathology slides can now be digitized and stored in digital image form. Consequently, digitized tissue histopathology has now become amenable to the application of computerized image analysis and machine learning techniques. Analogous to the role of computer-assisted diagnosis (CAD) algorithms in medical imaging to complement the opinion of a radiologist, CAD algorithms have begun to be developed for disease detection, diagnosis, and prognosis prediction to complement the opinion of the pathologist. In this paper, we review the recent state of the art CAD technology for digitized histopathology. This paper also briefly describes the development and application of novel image analysis technology for a few specific histopathology related problems being pursued in the United States and Europe

Exploring the mathematics of motion through construction and collaboration

In this paper we give a detailed account of the design principles and construction of activities designed for learning about the relationships between position, velocity and acceleration, and corresponding kinematics graphs. Our approach is model-based, that is, it focuses attention on the idea that students constructed their own models – in the form of programs – to formalise and thus extend their existing knowledge. In these activities, students controlled the movement of objects in a programming environment, recording the motion data and plotting corresponding position-time and velocity-time graphs. They shared their findings on a specially-designed web-based collaboration system, and posted cross-site challenges to which others could react. We present learning episodes that provide evidence of students making discoveries about the relationships between different representations of motion. We conjecture that these discoveries arose from their activity in building models of motion and their participation in classroom and online communities

Doing blog research: the computational turn

Blogs and other online platforms for personal writing such as LiveJournal have been of interest to researchers across the social sciences and humanities for a decade now. Although growth in the uptake of blogging has stalled somewhat since the heyday of blogs in the early 2000s, blogging continues to be a major genre of Internet-based communication. Indeed, at the same time that mass participation has moved on to Facebook, Twitter, and other more recent communication phenomena, what has been left behind by the wave of mass adoption is a slightly smaller but all the more solidly established blogosphere of engaged and committed participants. Blogs are now an accepted part of institutional, group, and personal communications strategies (Bruns and Jacobs, 2006); in style and substance, they are situated between the more static information provided by conventional Websites and Webpages and the continuous newsfeeds provided through Facebook and Twitter updates. Blogs provide a vehicle for authors (and their commenters) to think through given topics in the space of a few hundred to a few thousand words – expanding, perhaps, on shorter tweets, and possibly leading to the publication of more fully formed texts elsewhere. Additionally, they are also a very flexible medium: they readily provide the functionality to include images, audio, video, and other additional materials – as well as the fundamental tool of blogging, the hyperlink itself. This chapter appeared in the Sage collection Research Methods & Methodologies in Education edited by James Arthur, Michael Waring, Robert Coe, and Larry V. Hedges. This version is a pre-print edition of the chapter

Moving outside the box: Researching e-learning in disruptive times

Indexación: Scopus.The rise of technology’s influence in a cross-section of fields within formal education, not to mention in the broader social world, has given rise to new forms in the way we view learning, i.e. what constitutes valid knowledge and how we arrive at that knowledge. Some scholars have claimed that technology is but a tool to support the meaning-making that lies at the root of knowledge production while others argue that technology is increasingly and inextricably intertwined not just with knowledge construction but with changes to knowledge makers themselves. Regardless which side one stands in this growing debate, it is difficult to deny that the processes we use to research learning supported by technology in order to understand these growing intricacies, have profound implications. In this paper, my aim is to argue and defend a call in the research on ICT for a critical reflective approach to researching technology use. Using examples from qualitative research in e-learning I have conducted on three continents over 15 years, and in diverse educational contexts, I seek to unravel the means and justification for research approaches that can lead to closing the gap between research and practice. These studies combined with those from a cross-disciplinary array of fields support the promotion of a research paradigm that examines the socio-cultural contexts of learning with ICT, at a time that coincides with technology becoming a social networking facilitator. Beyond the examples and justification of the merits and power of qualitative research to uncover the stories that matter in these socially embodied e-learning contexts, I discuss the methodologically and ethically charged decisions using emerging affordances of technology for analyzing and representing results, including visual ethnography. The implications both for the consumers and producers of research of moving outside the box of established research practices are yet unfathomable but excitinghttp://www.ejel.org/volume15/issue1/p5

Finite Resolution Dynamics

We develop a new mathematical model for describing a dynamical system at limited resolution (or finite scale), and we give precise meaning to the notion of a dynamical system having some property at all resolutions coarser than a given number. Open covers are used to approximate the topology of the phase space in a finite way, and the dynamical system is represented by means of a combinatorial multivalued map. We formulate notions of transitivity and mixing in the finite resolution setting in a computable and consistent way. Moreover, we formulate equivalent conditions for these properties in terms of graphs, and provide effective algorithms for their verification. As an application we show that the Henon attractor is mixing at all resolutions coarser than 10^-5.Comment: 25 pages. Final version. To appear in Foundations of Computational Mathematic

A method and tool to support the analysis and enhance the understanding of peer-­to-­peer learning experiences

In this paper we look at how a web-based social software can be used to make qualitative data analysis of online peer-to-peer learning experiences. Specifically, we propose to use Cohere, a web-based social sense-making tool, to observe, track, annotate and visualize discussion group activities in online courses. We define a specific methodology for data observation and structuring, and present results of the analysis of peer interactions conducted in discussion forum in a real case study of a P2PU course. Finally we discuss how network visualization and analysis can be used to gather a better understanding of the peer-to-peer learning experience. To do so, we provide preliminary insights on the social, dialogical and conceptual connections that have been generated within one online discussion group

GABEK WinRelan® – a Qualitative Method for Crisis Research Engaging Crisis Management Personnel

Qualitative research methods like GABEK WinRelan are advantageous tools to analyze and thereby improve crisis management planning and communication systems by interrogating crisis management personnel. Contrary to quantitative methods they help to identify, explore, and structure new important aspects in this field and to formulate more specific research questions. This paper describes the usage and advantages of the qualitative method GABEK WinRelan within crisis management research, particularly within the e-Triage project which aims at the development of an electronic registration system of affected persons in mass casualty incidents. Furthermore it addresses different corresponding research fields like stress within emergency missions and the role GABEK WinRelan could play in examining these research fields

What the eye does not see: visualizations strategies for the data collection of personal networks

The graphic representation of relational data is one of the central elements of social network analysis. In this paper, the author describe the use of visualization in interview-based data collection procedures designed to obtain personal networks information, exploring four main contributions. First, the author shows a procedure by which the visualization is integrated with traditional name generators to facilitate obtaining information and reducing the burden of the interview process. Second, the author describes the reactions and qualitative interpretation of the interviewees when they are presented with an analytical visualization of their personal network. The most frequent strategies consist in identifying the key individuals, dividing the personal network in groups and classifying alters in concentric circles of relative importance. Next, the author explores how the visualization of groups in personal networks facilitates the enumeration of the communities in which individuals participate. This allows the author to reflect on the role of social circles in determining the structure of personal networks. Finally, the author compares the graphic representation obtained through spontaneous, hand-drawn sociograms with the analytical visualizations elicited through software tools. This allows the author to demonstrate that analytical procedures reveal aspects of the structure of personal networks that respondents are not aware of, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of using both modes of data collection. For this, the author presents findings from a study of highly skilled migrants living in Spain (n = 95) through which the author illustrates the challenges, in terms of data reliability, validity and burden on both the researcher and the participants

Investigating the Impact of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) on English as a Second Language (ESL) Instruction in the Classroom

This research study aimed to investigate the impact of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) on English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction in the classroom. The integration of CALL had gained increasing attention in language learning due to its potential to enhance instructional practices and learner outcomes. However, empirical research was needed to examine the specific effects of CALL in the ESL context. The study began with a comprehensive literature review to identify gaps and areas requiring further investigation. Specific research questions were formulated to address these gaps. The research design was determined based on the objectives, utilizing an appropriate methodology such as experimental, quasi-experimental, or mixed methods design. Participants consisted of ESL learners from a specific age group or proficiency level, and a suitable sample size and sampling method were determined. Data collection involved various methods such as surveys, observations, interviews, and pre/post-tests to gather comprehensive data. Ethical considerations were addressed, ensuring informed consent and data privacy. The collected data were analyzed using appropriate statistical or qualitative analysis techniques. The results were interpreted to answer the research questions and contribute to the understanding of the impact of CALL on ESL instruction. Visual representations, such as charts and graphs, were included to enhance the presentation of results. The discussion and conclusion provided an interpretation of the findings and their implications for ESL instruction and the integration of CALL. Comparisons with previous research were made, and the limitations of the study were acknowledged. Recommendations for ESL teachers, curriculum developers, and policymakers were provided based on the study\u27s findings. Finally, suggestions for future research were presented to further explore the potential of CALL in the ESL classroom. The research study aimed to contribute to the field of language learning and provide insights that could inform pedagogical practices and instructional design