Public health informatics, surveillance system, expert system

Public Health Informatics is a growing academic discipline increasingly contingent on the propagation, manipulation and synthesis of information from a variety of resources. PHI is the intersection of information technology and health care. It deals with the resources, devices, and methods required to optimize the acquisition, storage, retrieval, and use of information in public health. Public health practitioners now do much of their surveillance, support, reporting, data analysis, and data collection via the internet or on computer systems. This article reports and reviews on the issues involved in PHI specially focus on priorities, challenges, and opportunities with their practical applications

Assessing the Applicability of 3D Holographic Technology as an Enhanced Technology for Distance Learning

Distance learning has provided an excellent platform for students in geographically remote locations while enabling them to learn at their own pace and convenience. A number of technologies are currently being utilized to conceptualize, design, enhance and foster distance learning. Teleconferences, electronic field trips, podcasts, webinars, video conferencing and online courses are among such technologies used in providing distance learning opportunities. However limitations in those existing technologies have affected to the increase of distance learners dropout rates. As an attempt to overcome the limitations in the currently adopted distance learning practices, the study aims to utilize 3D Hologram Technology (3DHT) in the Engineering discipline. 3D hologram facilitates live and life size 3D telepresence that can interact with remote audiences. A survey had been conducted, using Delphi Technique to gather data from the experts in the field to evaluate the potential of 3DHT over existing technologies. Results of the survey suggested that 3DHT as a good distance learning technology and have the potential of overcoming existing limitations. Lack of infrastructure, High initial cost of infrastructure and Lack of technical know how are the main encounters identified by the experts in the sample. It is expected to develop a classroom environment with 3DHT and to evaluate its effectiveness for the distance learning in the next stage of the study

Visualization and Haptic rendering of Ancient Woodcarvings in Sli Lanka

Virtual reality and 3D computer graphics are increasingly been employed onreconstruction of cultural heritage sites and archaeological museums in Europe, less effort has beenspent on evaluating the use of different Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as wellas 3D computer graphics for reconstructing heritage sites in South Asia. This research presents acase study focused on the visualization and haptic rendering of ancient woodcarvings in Sri Lanka.Embekke is a very special shrine because it owns collection of the greatest woodcarvings in SriLanka. According to archaic documents, it was built during the 14th Century. The historical recordssuggest that the King Wickremabahu III, who reigned in Gampola from 1359 to 1374, built thisshrine and dedicated to God Kataragama. This paper proposes a virtual reality framework forvisualizing ancient woodcarvings in Embekke, that offers a wide set of features to support realisticrendering, advanced human computer interaction and stereoscopic display technology. In order toachieve a realistic visual simulation of woodcarvings, we used several texture mapping techniques,while haptic device has been utilized to simulate the sense of touch