Exploring the Design Space of Immersive Urban Analytics

Recent years have witnessed the rapid development and wide adoption of immersive head-mounted devices, such as HTC VIVE, Oculus Rift, and Microsoft HoloLens. These immersive devices have the potential to significantly extend the methodology of urban visual analytics by providing critical 3D context information and creating a sense of presence. In this paper, we propose an theoretical model to characterize the visualizations in immersive urban analytics. Further more, based on our comprehensive and concise model, we contribute a typology of combination methods of 2D and 3D visualizations that distinguish between linked views, embedded views, and mixed views. We also propose a supporting guideline to assist users in selecting a proper view under certain circumstances by considering visual geometry and spatial distribution of the 2D and 3D visualizations. Finally, based on existing works, possible future research opportunities are explored and discussed.Comment: 23 pages,11 figure

Exploring the experiences of tourists at heritage sites: the case of Liliesleaf Farm Museum and the Hector Pieterson Memorial & Museum

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg, March 2016.Heritage tourism has emerged as an important part of tourism growth in the new South Africa. It contributes significantly in demonstrating the diverse cultural offerings that the country has to offer. Struggle heritage is one of the elements that attract tourists to visit South African museums. Using a mixed methods approach of quantitative and qualitative data, this study explored the motivations, experiences and understanding of heritage of 100 local tourists at Liliesleaf Farm Museum (50 respondents) and the Hector Pieterson Memorial & Museum (50 respondents), both based in Johannesburg. This research adds to the debates on how people perceive heritage and how important it is to them. The findings suggest that South Africans desire to visit heritage sites but due to the unavailability of information and inadequate communication between museum marketers and the public, local tourists are less likely to visit. Overall, this study suggests that although creating memorable and unique visitor experiences is essential, being in regular contact with repeat and prospective visitors is paramount for the growth and sustainability of the museum and the continued dialogue of the struggle, as well as the development and advancement of Heritage Tourism in South Africa.GR 201

Understanding Colorism Through the Perceptions and Social Interactions of African Diasporic Women

I investigate the ways colorism operates in the lives of ten Afro-Trinidadian/Black women in Trinidad and ten African-American/Black women in the United States. The purpose of my research is to investigate the way colorism is discussed in my participants’ college communities. The purpose is to educate the members of the Black communities that I studied about the negative effects of colorism. Entrenched in skin tone hierarchies, the post-slavery countries of the United States and Trinidad are exemplars of the how the social constructs of a racial caste system perpetuates themselves in Black communities. I provide literature on how the racial skin hierarchy affects Black females and what stereotypes are attributed to certain skin tones in both Trinidad and the United States. I explore how these individuals internalize colorism and, by extension, how colorism influences their self-perceptions and perceptions of others. My research will add to the academic discourse of colorism, especially in Trinidad, where there is a dearth of literature on colorism. By instituting a cross-cultural examination, I demonstrate that colorism is a form of intra-racial discrimination that still affects Black communities, locally and abroad. Using the grounded theory approach, I found that a theme that emerged from all twenty participants was the desire to have more discussions of colorism in the academia. In response, I include curriculum-based suggestions to help facilitate discussions in the classroom in the appendix section of the paper

Characterization of CdbS, a PilZ domain protein involved in chromosome organization and segregation during heat shock stress in Myxococcus xanthus

The second messenger c-di-GMP regulates a wide variety of processes in bacteria that are often related to changes in lifestyle. Unexpectedly, we recently reported a link between c-di-GMP and chromosome organization. Specifically, the DNA-binding protein CdbA binds c-di-GMP, is essential for viability, and important for chromosome organization and segregation in Myxococcus xanthus. CdbA is highly abundant and binds ]500 sites on the chromosome but its depletion causes no or only modest changes in transcription. Based on these findings, we proposed that CdbA is a nucleoid-associated protein whose activity is modulated by c-di-GMP. Most nucleoid-associated proteins are not essential. Therefore, to explore the CdbA essentiality, suppressor mutants that were viable in the absence of CdbA were isolated. Among eight suppressors, seven had mutations in mxan_4328 that encodes a stand-alone PilZ domain protein, henceforth CdbS. The inactivation of cdbS completely suppressed the lethal CdbA depletion phenotype, and cdbS in otherwise wild-type cells was dispensable for viability. Notably, CdbA depletion, without affecting transcription of cdbS, resulted in a four-fold increased CdbS level. Moreover, overexpression of cdbS phenocopied the CdbA depletion phenotype. These observations support that the defects caused by CdbA depletion are the result of CdbS over-accumulation. In vitro, purified CdbS binds c-di-GMP, but the function of CdbS is independent of c-di-GMP binding in vivo. In in vivo pull-down experiments with an active CdbS-FLAG protein, significantly enriched proteins included five chaperones and co-chaperones including two PilZ-Hsp70 proteins, henceforth CsdK1 and CsdK2, a DnaJ homolog and a GrpE homolog. csdK1 as well as csdK2 were transcriptionally upregulated in response to CdbA depletion, and the resulting increased CsdK1 and CsdK2 accumulation lead to an elevated CdbS level. Searching for a physiological function of this system, we found that CdbS accumulation increased in response to high temperature stress at 37°C in a CsdK1- and CsdK2-dependent manner and caused accelerated cell death at this temperature. In total, our data support that increased CdbS accumulation caused by either CdbA depletion or high temperature stress, by an unknown mechanism, results in chromosome segregation and organization defects, thereby causing cell division inhibition and cell death. We speculate that the CdbA/CsdK1/CsdK2/CdbS system could be linked to c-di-GMP signaling and that altered cellular levels of c-di-GMP level modulate DNA binding by CdbA and, ultimately, the cellular level of CdbS. Finally, we speculate that if this system is aberrantly or excessively activated it has detrimental effects on cell viability

RAFT-HDA Chemistry - Conception, Development and Application of a Facile Tool for Precision Macromolecular Engineering

The conceptualization, development and application of the herein named RAFT-HDA Chemistry is reported. This chemistry is presented as a facile conjugation method (falling within the field of click chemistry) whereby synthetic polymeric materials may be covalently linked to other species, including other polymers with high efficiency

School-Museum Partnerships: Examining an Art Museum\u27s Partnering Relationship with an Urban School District

Art education has faced cutbacks in school funding because of the mandates and current trends in our nation’s educational policies. The United States Department of Education states that its federal involvement in education is limited. In fact, federal legislation, regulations, and other policies dictate the structure of education in every state particularly with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and now the Race to the Top (RTTT) initiative. The arts have been unfavorably impacted under the nation’s most predominant policy, NCLB, and run the risk of further adverse impacts with RTTT, regardless of the public’s support of the arts and its educational benefits. By linking federal funding to the school\u27s yearly progress in reading and mathematics, NCLB created an environment in which art is viewed as nonessential and secondary to the academic mission of the school. Policymakers have underestimated the critical role the non-profit cultural sector can offer to arts learning for academic support. Collaboration of the arts community with local schools expands access to the arts for America’s schools. Some schools have already adopted this strategy to tap the expertise of local community arts organizations to address the issues surrounding arts education, like the lack of funding and resources. The future of our educational system must create innovative ways for students, teachers, parents, and the community to work together in partnerships to ensure all American children is provided a high-quality education. An example of this promising practice would be to connect schools with the arts community, particularly schools and museum partnerships. School and museum partnerships have a long-standing history of collaborating with one another and therefore share a commitment to some of the same educational goals (Osterman & Sheppard, 2010). The purpose of this study investigated features and operational logistics of successful partnerships between museums and schools. The study explored an existing partnership with an art museum and an urban public school district. To understand the elements of these partnerships, the study investigated art education and cultural governing policies, program goals and long-term goals, operation and funding. It is my hope that through this study a discourse about policy recommendations or policy-making eventually develops that could aid in the creation of successful partnering relationships to sustain art education in the state of Georgia. In this qualitative case study, the research design utilized several methods of data collection, including semi-structured interviews, documents, and visual methods, specifically image elicited exercises as positioned by Harper (2002). Participants in the study included school administrators, principals, art teachers, and museum educators

Tools and theory to improve data analysis

This thesis proposes a scientific model to explain the data analysis process. I argue that data analysis is primarily a procedure to build un- derstanding and as such, it dovetails with the cognitive processes of the human mind. Data analysis tasks closely resemble the cognitive process known as sensemaking. I demonstrate how data analysis is a sensemaking task adapted to use quantitative data. This identification highlights a uni- versal structure within data analysis activities and provides a foundation for a theory of data analysis. The model identifies two competing chal- lenges within data analysis: the need to make sense of information that we cannot know and the need to make sense of information that we can- not attend to. Classical statistics provides solutions to the first challenge, but has little to say about the second. However, managing attention is the primary obstacle when analyzing big data. I introduce three tools for managing attention during data analysis. Each tool is built upon a different method for managing attention. ggsubplot creates embedded plots, which transform data into a format that can be easily processed by the human mind. lubridate helps users automate sensemaking out- side of the mind by improving the way computers handle date-time data. Visual Inference Tools develop expertise in young statisticians that can later be used to efficiently direct attention. The insights of this thesis are especially helpful for consultants, applied statisticians, and teachers of data analysis

Factors to improve data quality of electronic medical records

Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems have been identified as having the potential to improve health care and allow the health care sector to reap a number of benefits when implemented successfully. These benefits include enabling quick and easy access to patient files and also reducing the problem of misplaced or lost patient files. Such EMRs allow for patient records to be up to date, provided that health care practitioners capture standard and consistent data in the relevant fields. In Africa, there are only a few countries that have successfully implemented EMR systems due to social and technological challenges. Social factors include lack of computer skilled health workers, lack of adequate training, physician’s resistance to shift from using paper records to electronic records, either due to complex systems or the fear of being replaced by the systems. On the other hand, the technological factors include lack of Information Technology (IT) and clinical resources, lack of internet access, financial barriers to purchase the necessary technological hardware and implementation costs. A few South African health care institutions have implemented EMR systems, however, most of the public health care facilities still make use of a manual system to capture patient information. In the case where public health care facilities do have an EMR system implemented, there are problems with the consistency of the data that is captured. The inconsistency is caused by the different understandings that the health care professionals have regarding the importance of capturing the necessary information that is collected at various points in health care institutions, thus affecting data quality. For the successful implementation and use of EMR systems, everything within the health care organisation should be integrated. In other words, the steering committee and workgroup, the equipment, the product, the processes, the system and the facility design and construction should be incorporated to work together. The common problems identified in literature regarding data quality in EMRs include misspelled words, inconsistent word strings, inaccurate information entered on the record and incompleteness of the record. These problems lead to poor quality information, lack of accessibility of the record, poorly organised notes and inaccurate information about the patient. The South African strategy aims to implement a National Health Insurance (NHI) which will provide citizens with equitable access to health care. For the successful implementation of the NHI strategy, South African health care sectors should address the barriers which were identified and learn from other African countries that have successfully implemented EMR systems and had positive outcomes. Therefore, this study investigates how data quality can be improved on electronic medical records in public health care in South Africa? The qualitative research methodology approach was used for this study. Interviews were conducted with eight health care professionals at Klerksdorp, in the North West province to obtain data regarding the factors they would deem important for the improvement of data quality in EMRs. The Data Quality Framework (DQF) was applied in this study and six dimensions were identified as the factors to improve data quality. These dimensions include completeness, accuracy, consistency, conformity, timeliness, and integrity. From the analysis of the interview responses, it was discovered that there were, in fact, data quality issues experienced at the public health care facilities of South Africa. A need was identified for the use of data quality assessment tools and solutions to address the data quality issues or challenges that health care practitioners are faced with during their daily jobs. Seven barriers were also identified as having an impact on the successful implementation of EMRs at health care institutions. These barriers, together with the data quality issues, influence the successful use of EMRs and should not be overlooked. From these barriers the study developed seven Critical Success Factors which can be used by the National Department of Health to improve the quality of EMRs.Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 201

Factors to improve data quality of electronic medical records

Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems have been identified as having the potential to improve health care and allow the health care sector to reap a number of benefits when implemented successfully. These benefits include enabling quick and easy access to patient files and also reducing the problem of misplaced or lost patient files. Such EMRs allow for patient records to be up to date, provided that health care practitioners capture standard and consistent data in the relevant fields. In Africa, there are only a few countries that have successfully implemented EMR systems due to social and technological challenges. Social factors include lack of computer skilled health workers, lack of adequate training, physician’s resistance to shift from using paper records to electronic records, either due to complex systems or the fear of being replaced by the systems. On the other hand, the technological factors include lack of Information Technology (IT) and clinical resources, lack of internet access, financial barriers to purchase the necessary technological hardware and implementation costs. A few South African health care institutions have implemented EMR systems, however, most of the public health care facilities still make use of a manual system to capture patient information. In the case where public health care facilities do have an EMR system implemented, there are problems with the consistency of the data that is captured. The inconsistency is caused by the different understandings that the health care professionals have regarding the importance of capturing the necessary information that is collected at various points in health care institutions, thus affecting data quality. For the successful implementation and use of EMR systems, everything within the health care organisation should be integrated. In other words, the steering committee and workgroup, the equipment, the product, the processes, the system and the facility design and construction should be incorporated to work together. The common problems identified in literature regarding data quality in EMRs include misspelled words, inconsistent word strings, inaccurate information entered on the record and incompleteness of the record. These problems lead to poor quality information, lack of accessibility of the record, poorly organised notes and inaccurate information about the patient. The South African strategy aims to implement a National Health Insurance (NHI) which will provide citizens with equitable access to health care. For the successful implementation of the NHI strategy, South African health care sectors should address the barriers which were identified and learn from other African countries that have successfully implemented EMR systems and had positive outcomes. Therefore, this study investigates how data quality can be improved on electronic medical records in public health care in South Africa? The qualitative research methodology approach was used for this study. Interviews were conducted with eight health care professionals at Klerksdorp, in the North West province to obtain data regarding the factors they would deem important for the improvement of data quality in EMRs. The Data Quality Framework (DQF) was applied in this study and six dimensions were identified as the factors to improve data quality. These dimensions include completeness, accuracy, consistency, conformity, timeliness, and integrity. From the analysis of the interview responses, it was discovered that there were, in fact, data quality issues experienced at the public health care facilities of South Africa. A need was identified for the use of data quality assessment tools and solutions to address the data quality issues or challenges that health care practitioners are faced with during their daily jobs. Seven barriers were also identified as having an impact on the successful implementation of EMRs at health care institutions. These barriers, together with the data quality issues, influence the successful use of EMRs and should not be overlooked. From these barriers the study developed seven Critical Success Factors which can be used by the National Department of Health to improve the quality of EMRs.Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 201

New insights into the mechanism of dna replication on unmodified and benzo[a]pyrene modified templates using surface plasmon resonance

DNA synthesis is critical to cell survival, and the enzyme DNA polymerase has had a great deal of time to evolve efficient strategies to perform synthesis. A variety of effects are induced by the identity of the incoming dNTP, and its ability to effectively base pair with the templating base. The presence of the next correct dNTP is known to induce a conformational change of the polymerase and lead to an increase in KF-DNA binding. Conversely, the presence of an incorrect dNTP is shown to lead to a destabilization and reduction in the levels of KF-DNA complexes formed. Using surface plasmon resonance and an assay that directly examines the impact of the identity of the incoming dNTP on formation of KF-DNA complexes, we present evidence for the formation of a destabilized complex in the presence of incorrectly pairing dNTPs. We present and discuss the implications of a new model for DNA synthesis that involves a dNTP selection cycle. This selection cycle shows how polymerases aid in the removal of mispairing dNTPs from their active sites in an effort to actively seek a correctly pairing template-dNTP for catalysis. Polymerases have evolved to efficiently utilize this method of dNTP selection to speed up dNTP selection. Bulky DNA adducts such as benzo[a]pyrene interfere with replication by forming structures within the polymerase that preclude the productive binding of dNTPs, and/or inhibit this conformational change. Surface plasmon resonance was used to study the effect various dNTPs have upon Klenow fragment binding to several (-)-trans-anti-B[a]P-N2-dG adducted primer-templates. Binding constants were determined for Klenow fragment binding to primer templates containing either a correctly paired C:G-B[a]P, mismatched T:G-B[a]P, or mismatched G:G-B[a]P positioned at the -1 position, in the presence and absence of various dNTPs and rNTPs. The presence of the (-)-trans-anti-B[a]P-N2-dG adduct interferes with the formation of a stable closed ternary complex. Moreover, the addition of any dNTP favoured formation of a destabilized ternary complex that rapidly dissociates to free polymerase and DNA. In addition, Klenow fragment shows tighter binding to a mismatched G:G-B[a]P adducted primer-template than either a correctly base paired C:G-B[a]P or mismatched T:G-B[a]P primer template. The G:G-B[a]P structure also was inhibited from forming the closed ternary complex, yet dissociation rates from this complex were slower than for the correctly base paired C:G-B[a]P or mismatched T:G-B[a]P primer template. This indicates that the conformation adopted by the G:G-B[a]P within the active site of the polymerase is unique to this structure