Non trivial examples of coupled equations for K\"ahler metrics and Yang-Mills connections

We provide non trivial examples of solutions to the system of coupled equations introduced by M. Garc\'ia-Fern\'andez for the uniformization problem of a triple $(M,L,E)$ where $E$ is a holomorphic vector bundle over a polarized complex manifold $(M,L)$, generalizing the notions of both constant scalar curvature K\"ahler metric and Hermitian-Einstein metric.Comment: 17 page

User Acceptance of Virtual Learning Environments: A Case Study from Three Northern European Universities

Virtual learning environments have in recent years become an important tool in higher education, in distance learning as well as on campus. This study analyzes factors influencing acceptance of virtual learning environments among academic staff and students in blended learning environments. Two research questions guided the study: (1) How do organizational and individual factors influence the acceptance of virtual learning environments among academic staff and students? (2) What are the implications for practice in order to create good prerequisites for acceptance of virtual learning environments? The study was performed as a comparative, explanatory case study at three universities providing master education of public health in Sweden, Norway and Lithuania. The findings of the case study showed that the contextual factor of culture was powerful in influencing acceptance of virtual learning environments, positively as well as negatively. High degrees of performance expectancy, results demonstrability and social influence affected acceptance of virtual learning environments positively. The degree of social influence was hypothesized to be transferred by the contextual factor of culture. The organizational culture of universities, ex-pressed as shared values of what is good quality teaching and learning, were found to partly oppose values inherent in the virtual learning environment. Implications for practice are put forward, emphasizing culture as an important factor to consider in the implementation of virtual learning environments

The Impact of Cognitively Guided Instruction on Students’ Mathematical Mindsets

The purpose of this research was to analyze the impact of an inquiry-based word problem-solving framework, known as Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI), on students’ mathematical mindsets in an early elementary Montessori classroom. Students received one word problem-solving lesson per week over a six-week period. Students completed a pre-intervention and post-intervention mathematical mindset rubric, as well as CGI assessment. Both qualitative and quantitative results show that students had an increase in their variety of word problem-solving strategies, were able to solve word problems more accurately, and showed increased levels in self-efficacy, perception, and affinity towards math. Based on these results, CGI could be utilized as a supplementary instructional method to build students’ mathematical mindsets and word problem-solving skills in Montessori classrooms. Further research is needed to know if these results hold true for other student populations

Evaluation of network coding techniques for a sniper detection application

This paper experimentally studies the reliability and delay of flooding based multicast protocols for a sniper detection application. In particular using an emulator it studies under which conditions protocols based on network coding deliver performance improvements compared to classic flooding. It then presents an implementation of such protocols on mobile phones

Empowering Healthcare Professionals by IS Education: Enhancing Reflective Empowerment

The paper presents findings from a research study of an information systems master program in Sweden, targeting healthcare professionals. The aim of the study was to explore if and how mechanisms of empowerment and reflective practice can be evoked in healthcare professionals by participating in a master program in information systems. A mixed research methodology was applied, including participant observation, document analysis and a learning style inventory. The findings of the study showed signs of the students achieving a higher degree of empowerment in their professional roles, as well as beginning to actively use reflective practice as a means of professional development. The findings are summarised in a tentative framework of reflective empowerment. The findings call for further research on how IT-centred master programs targeting healthcare professional could enhance professional development

Adopting Proactive Knowledge Use as an Innovation: The Case of a Knowledge Management System in Rheumatology

The aim of the study is to present a tentative framework to explore and investigate the drivers and barriers of adoption of the innovation of proactive knowledge use in connection to a knowledge management system (KMS) in health care. Semi-structured interviews were performed with champion implementers and physicians using the KMS along with a document analysis depicting significant events of the implementation process. The findings from the study suggested that drivers of the innovation were the characteristics of change agents, quality improvement, budget control and knowledge brought to the physician-patient dialogue by the KMS. In particular, there were indications of the KMS facilitating the process of making tacit knowledge explicit in the physician-patient dialogue. Identified barriers towards the innovation were resistance from clinical management, lack of motivation to share knowledge, lack of time and perceived flaws in the interface and compilation of data in the KMS

Doctor at Your Fingertips: An Exploration of Digital Visits from Stakeholders’ Perspectives

Technological advances and the evolution of mobile technologies enable patients to meet their doctors through their smartphones. While offering the opportunity of digital visits to patients, there are also challenges for this development. The purpose of this study is to enhance the understanding of digital visits, as perceived by experts working in telemedicine companies. To serve this purpose, the authors conducted semi-structured interviews with managers and employees in eight telemedicine companies. The analysis of the empirical data confirmed the importance of digital visits and their efficiency. The potential of digital visits is expected to increase significantly, should they make use of remote devices to transfer real-time data from patients to physicians. In such a case, digital visits are expected to cover approximately 70-75% of medical cases. However, the use of remote devices must be taken with caution and specific conditions need to be taken into account. We encourage researchers to perform research on promising technologies such as artificial intelligence and remote diagnostic devices, which could make more diagnoses and conditions possible to be treated by digital visits. This is even more important in light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.publishedVersio

Integrating invasion and disease in the risk assessment of live bird trade.

AimInternational trade in plants and animals generates significant economic benefits. It also leads to substantial unintended impacts when introduced species become invasive, causing environmental disturbance or transmitting diseases that affect people, livestock, other wildlife or the environment. Policy responses are usually only implemented after these species become established and damages are already incurred. International agreements to control trade are likewise usually based on selection of species with known impacts. We aim to further develop quantitative invasive species risk assessment for bird imports and extend the tool to explicitly address disease threats.LocationUnited States of America.MethodsWe use a two-step approach for rapid risk assessment based on the expected biological risks due to both the environmental and health impact of a potentially invasive wildlife species in trade. We assess establishment probability based on a model informed by historical observations and then construct a model of emerging infectious disease threat based on economic and ecological characteristics of the exporting country.ResultsWe illustrate how our rapid assessment tool can be used to identify high-priority species for regulation based on a combination of the threat they pose for becoming established and vectoring emerging infectious diseases.Main conclusionsOur approach can be executed for a species in a matter of days and is nested in an economic decision-making framework for determining whether the biological risk is justified by trade benefits