Evaluating empowerment and control of HE e-learning in a secure environment

With the increased spread of HE distance learning into a wide variety of contexts it is important for us to understand the factors involved in its successful deployment for students. E-learning has a great potential to support effective and empowering HE distance learning (Wilson, 2007; Adams, 2005; Hughes, 2005). However, within two secure environments, prisons and health service, the factors involved are complex. This paper reviews HE e-learning technology perceptions within these two contrasting contexts from 225 students' and stakeholders' perspectives. Previous research has detailed literature limitations on obtaining students' perspectives of e-learning (Conole et al, 2006). These limitations are compounded when other stakeholder perceptions are not integrated (Sun et al, 2007; Adams et al, 2005; Millen at al, 2002). This paper developed and applied an e-learning framework for student and stakeholder perceptions. This social psychological framework, is based on previous practice based e-learning studies and is used here to synthesise two large-scale case studies. The framework focuses on three concepts learner Access (e.g. learning design, technology design, physical access), Awareness (e.g. of resources, their usage and support for e-learning tasks) and Acceptability (e.g. trust, privacy, aesthetics, engagement). Students' and stakeholders' perceptions identified high levels of students' empowerment through e-learning whilst still requiring a further pedagogical tailoring and an awareness of support. However, serious problems within these contexts have identified blocks to e-learning through stakeholders perceptions and fears of acceptability (i.e. issues of risk and trust). Ultimately, through understanding competing perceptions and needs within these complex environments we can support the effective technological development, pedagogical design and deployment of e-learning systems

Testing the relationship between gut permeability, elevation of systemic lipopolysaccharides and chronic disease : A thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand

The aim of my thesis was to test whether an increase in the permeability of the gut is accompanied by an increase in the level of systemic lipopolysaccharides (LPS), also referred to as endotoxin. These two parameters were firstly concurrently determined in healthy women after the treatment with a single dose of aspirin which is thought to temporarily increase the paracellular permeability of the intestine. Gut permeability and the levels of systemic LPS in healthy women were then compared with those in women with Crohn’s disease (CD) as the latter are thought to have chronically elevated paracellular permeability of the gut. Both groups also ingested a high fat drink which is reported to results in the elevation of systemic LPS. In addition, faecal calprotectin, a biomarker of ongoing inflammation in the gut, and LPS-binding protein (LBP), a proposed indirect biomarker for the exposure to LPS in the systemic circulation, were determined both in healthy women and in those with CD. Data indicated that both temporary and chronic increase in the paracellular permeability of the small intestine can be reliably determined by the 3-h excretion of lactulose. Further the combination of levels of faecal calprotectin and 3-h excretion of lactulose and mannitol is the most sensitive tool to distinguish between healthy subjects and those with CD. Hence, it is evident that the combination of those three parameters can be used to assess gut health. In contrast, the current available methods for the direct assessment of the systemic level of LPS/endotoxin i.e. the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) assay for the quantification of endotoxin or ELISAs for the quantification of LPS, are not reliable as the former is interfered by constituents of serum and the latter failed to detect LPS from sources other than those provided from the manufacturer of the kit. Hence, studies suggesting that the consumption of high fat meals lead to elevations of systemic endotoxin and those suggesting that levels of systemic endotoxin is associated with the onset of metabolic syndrome are questionable. It is therefore advisable to repeat those studies when accurate methods for the quantification of LPS/endotoxin in the systemic circulation are available

A revolution in gender and familial life : an analysis of socio-political and cultural factors on the contemporary Chinese family : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Sociology at Massey University

The aim of this study is to investigate gender relations and the family in contemporary China. More specifically it seeks to contextualise the contemporary Chinese family within a socio-historical, political and cultural analysis of China from the formation of the People's Republic of China in 1949. It uses a historical sociological methodology, on the basis of existing studies. It attempts to ascertain what has changed and what has stayed the same over the last fifty years, as well as to evaluate what Chinese families have gained and lost as a result of government reforms. With a different focus in each chapter, the study examines some of the ways the accelerated quest for modernity has impacted on the Chinese family and society. It explores family structure and the rapid changes currently taking place in dating, romance, and marriage, reproduction, child socialisation practices, and gender and family relationships. Far more than in most countries, the Chinese family plays a central role in economic relations and political ideology, which makes these changes especially consequential. One obvious impact of the government reforms on the Chinese family lifestyle was the preservation of traditional beliefs and practices, such as wedding and funeral ceremonies, ancestral worship and preferences for sons over daughters. Another impact discussed by this study has been the attempt to remake the Chinese family into an economic and social unit, depriving it of its traditional ideological, spiritual, and ritual significance. But the real challenge imposed by the current government, that may ultimately weaken or even fundamentally change the Chinese family, has been the birth control campaign. Socially and economically, this study shows that the well-being of many young couples especially rural couples, with only one daughter may be endangered when they could no longer carry out manual labour on their farm. The main conclusion from this analysis is that the family and its continuity still occupy the focal point in the lives of Chinese people

Video visits for home health patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Purpose. Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) tend to face frequent emergency department visits and hospitalizations. The purpose of this project was to assist a home health agency in the process of building a video visit program to provide additional support to their COPD patient population. Methods. A literature review was conducted to explore evidence for the use of video visits in home health care. Existing telehealth resources, a chart review, and interviews with stakeholders were utilized to create video visit guidelines. An online education module for staff was developed based off of the administration-approved guidelines. A post-module survey was used to assess module effectiveness. Results. Research supports the complimentary use of video visits for home health patients. The chart review revealed areas where video visits could help the agency improve patient care. Clinicians and patients had a mixed response to the idea of video visits and offered important input toward the guidelines and education module. The video visit guidelines were drafted and accepted by the agency’s administration. Initial feedback regarding the education module suggests effectiveness at increasing participant awareness of the potential benefits of a video visit program and the basic guidelines to follow when conducting video visits. Budgetary concerns remain a roadblock for the initiation of a video visit program. Conclusion. Research suggests that home health patients with COPD may benefit from home health video visits to avoid rehospitalizations and improve their disease self-management skills. Initiating a video visit program takes significant planning and resources. The guidelines and education module may serve as a foundation for program development. A small pilot project led by one or two clinical staff members could act as a stepping-stone to launching a larger program. There is potential for the growth of a video visit program beyond the COPD patient population

How to Verify a Quantum Computation

We give a new theoretical solution to a leading-edge experimental challenge, namely to the verification of quantum computations in the regime of high computational complexity. Our results are given in the language of quantum interactive proof systems. Specifically, we show that any language in $\mathsf{BQP}$ has a quantum interactive proof system with a polynomial-time classical verifier (who can also prepare random single-qubit pure states), and a quantum polynomial-time prover. Here, soundness is unconditional--i.e., it holds even for computationally unbounded provers. Compared to prior work achieving similar results, our technique does not require the encoding of the input or of the computation; instead, we rely on encryption of the input (together with a method to perform computations on encrypted inputs), and show that the random choice between three types of input (defining a computational run, versus two types of test runs) suffices. Because the overhead is very low for each run (it is linear in the size of the circuit), this shows that verification could be achieved at minimal cost compared to performing the computation. As a proof technique, we use a reduction to an entanglement-based protocol; to the best of our knowledge, this is the first time this technique has been used in the context of verification of quantum computations, and it enables a relatively straightforward analysis.Comment: Published in Theory of Computing, Volume 14 (2018), Article 11; Received: October 3, 2016, Revised: October 27, 2017, Published: June 11, 201