A review of diabetic patients’ knowledge in a high prevalent European country : Malta

Education is the first milestone in the care pathway of all diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to assess the educational knowledge and awareness among a diabetic patient cohort and compare this knowledge to a previously conducted study. Acquiring information on diabetes knowledge is essential for both clinicians and policy makers. Interviews using validated questionnaires covering various aspects of diabetes knowledge were conducted among a diabetic cohort between August and September of 2014 at the state hospital in Malta. The majority exhibited correct knowledge on diabetes and related complications. Knowledge levels appeared to have improved and were influenced by gender, type of diabetes and length of diabetes awareness. We conclude that educational approaches should be targeted towards every diabetic individual and should start immediately after diagnosis. This would lead to improved self-care, with a reduction in diabetic complications and a decrease in health-care expenditure.peer-reviewe

Investigating user preferences in utilizing a 2D paper or 3D sketch based interface for creating 3D virtual models

Computer modelling of 2D drawings is becoming increasingly popular in modern design as can be witnessed in the shift of modern computer modelling applications from software requiring specialised training to ones targeted for the general consumer market. Despite this, traditional sketching is still prevalent in design, particularly so in the early design stages. Thus, research trends in computer-aided modelling focus on the the development of sketch based interfaces that are as natural as possible. In this report, we present a hybrid sketch based interface which allows the user to make draw sketches using offline as well as online sketching modalities, displaying the 3D models in an immersive setup, thus linking the object interaction possible through immersive modelling to the flexibility allowed by paper-based sketching. The interface was evaluated in a user study which shows that such a hybrid system can be considered as having pragmatic and hedonic value.peer-reviewe

The curriculum for specialist training in family medicine : quo vadis?

In Malta, Specialist Training in Family Medicine was launched on the 9th July 2007 with the first 11 trainees. It was the first training programme to be launched locally from amongst other medical specialties. The Specialist Training Programme in Family Medicine document that was approved by the Specialist accreditation Committee (SAC) on 9th November 2006 contains many elements of a curriculum (and a sound foundation for it) but lacks details about certain aspects, e.g. content and its organization; teaching resources and strategies. Regrettably, a curriculum was not available to guide this training programme at its outset. To redress this situation, the MCFD set up a Curriculum Board in May 2008. The Curriculum Board was requested to carry out a Needs Assessment and design a Curriculum that would provide a detailed framework for the Specialist 1Taining Programme in Family Medicine. The Curriculum was to guide the first cohort of trainees, who would sit for their summative examination at the end ofthe3 year programme inJuly 2010. Projected time frames for finalising the curriculum targeted May 2010 as its completion date. At the same time, the MCFD also set up an Assessment Board to develop a Summative Assessment for this cohort of trainees. The Curriculum Board was made up of the two authors as members.peer-reviewe

Advances in friction stir welding of steel : Project HILDA

A microstructure and property evaluation of friction stir welded DH36 6mm plate has been undertaken. The study examined a wide range of process parameters and, from this, a process parameter envelope has been developed and an initial process parameter set established that gives good welding properties. Thermo-mechanical deformation studies were developed to generate flow stress regimes over a range of stain rates and temperatures and these data will support the on-going local numerical modelling development. A preliminary thermo-fluid model has been developed to predict temperature and material flow during the FSW of steel grade DH36. In this model, materials are considered as highly viscous incompressible fluid. The welded material is flowing around the rotating tool thanks to the modelling of the friction at tool/workpiece interface. In parallel, a global numerical model is being developed to predict the inherent residual stresses and distortion of FSW butt welded assemblies often in excess of 6m long plate

Engaging the community in multidisciplinary TEL research: a case-study from networking in Europe

The STELLAR Network of Excellence was launched in February 2009 with the explicit intention of Sustaining Large Scale Multi-Disciplinary Research in Technology Enhanced Learning. So as to support this aim, the network has defined a number of different activity tracks, aimed at building capacity amongst senior-level researchers/decision makers, mid-level researchers and junior researchers/PhD students as well with a separate track dedicated to building community level capacity. In the abstract, the ‘community’ around any research study might usually be defined as the subject of the research. However, the focus of the community-capacity building activities of STELLAR, considers the role of the community as object of the research – a main consumer of the products of research, and having a stake in setting the research agenda itself. Thus, on the one hand, the STELLAR consortium needs to inform its actions and activities based on needs and wishes of stakeholders, while at the same time it intends to mobilise the same stakeholders, to forge common policy positions with respect to future development of TEL in Europe. This paper takes these activities as a case-study in structured social-network design, and considers the impact such activities may have on the field of technology enhanced learning in the coming years. The data is based on the first year of activities of the network, which are intended to last 40 months and are designed around the overlapping activities of connecting, orchestrating and contextualising stakeholders. The paper describes the elements of the stakeholder engagement plan as deployed by the STELLAR network in TELeurope, the activities conducted so far, and the plans for the future. It explains the consortium’s approach to stakeholder analysis, particularly the adaptation of existing methodologies, to produce a numerical ranking of stakeholders, by ‘alliance potential’. With regards to TELeurope, an emerging social platform being deployed by the STELLAR consortium so as to help this process of networking, it explains the current state of the affairs and plans for development of the platform, while referencing the work of Svensen & Laberge, and adapts the work of Bryson to contextualise these activities within a broader theoretical framework. Finally, the paper considers the quality monitoring elements and evaluation approach of the consortium, and makes recommendations as to how the networking strategy can be further energised, and as to how the process of evaluation can be improved. It concludes that the TELeurope strategy shows a high potential for stimulating engagement of stakeholders, subject to a number of caveats, which can be avoided through judicious policy choices within the next year

Modelling magnetohydrodynamics to investigate variation of shielding gases on arc characteristics in the GTAW process

Gas tungsten arc welding requires a gas shield to be present in order to protect the arc area from contamination by atmospheric gases. As a result of each gas having its own unique thermophysical properties, the shielding gas selected can have a major influence on the arc stability, welding speed, weld appearance and geometry, mechanical properties and fume generation. Alternating shielding gases is a relatively new method of discreetly supplying two different shielding gases to the welding region in order to take advantage of the beneficial properties of each gas, as well as the inherent pulsing effects generated. As part of an ongoing process to fully evaluate the effects of this novel supply method, a computational fluid dynamics model has been generated to include the gas dependent thermodynamic and transport properties in order to evaluate the effects that an alternating gas supply has on the arc plasma. Experimental trials have also been conducted to validate the model arc profile predictions

Numerical modelling techniques applicable for the prediction of residual stresses and distortion due to mild steel DH36 frictions stir welding

Friction stir welding involves a multi-physics phenomena, including visco-plasticity, material flow, metallurgical transformation, heat generation, thermal straining and structural interaction. Numerical modelling provides an efficient and cost effective tool capable to analysis and predict the different phenomena. This study integrates different numerical modelling strategies to ultimately develop a robust yet computationally efficient modelling technique capable of predicting residual stresses and distortion due to FSW. A computational efficient local-global numerical model capable of predicting the material visco-plastic flow, thermal transients, stir/heat affected zone, residual stresses and distortion developed due to friction stir welding of DH36 plates is described. Different thermo-elasto-plastic modelling strategies ranging from analytical to transient numerical models are explored and the most robust and computational efficient strategy is identified through cross-reference with the realistic experimental test results

Simplified thermo-elastoplastic numerical modelling techniques applied to friction stir welding of mild steel

Friction stir welding is a relatively new advanced joining technique that requires minimal power input, ultimately leading to less inherent residual stresses and distortion. The process involves a spinning tool which first plunges into the surface of the, to be welded assembly and then traverses along the joint. Frictional heat is generated, softening the material at temperatures significantly below the melting temperature of the parent material. As the tool traverses along the joint at a predetermined speed, the assembly is joined by means of a plastic straining process. This advanced welding technology has been validated for various aluminium alloys but it is only recently, due to advances in tool technology, that the possibility of joining mild steel using friction stir welding has become a viable option. This study looks into friction stir welding of mild steel and develops simplified numerical methods for the prediction of thermal gradients, residual stresses and deformation. In principle the process modelling requires a multi-disciplinary approach involving coupled thermo-fluid, microstructural-structural modelling process. Much of the latest thermo-mechanical studies of friction stir welding rely on a number of over simplifications particularly related to the heat flux distribution across the tool shoulder, and also on the backing plate boundary conditions. The objective of this paper is to scrutinise the effects of modelling in more detail and establish the most important factors leading to accurate yet computationally efficient prediction of thermal gradients and inherent residual stresses. The results show that both the heat input and heat loss modelling, due to heat dissipation to the surroundings, are crucial for the determination of the final inherent welding residual stresses. The heat generated is modelled through a predefined linear heat flux variation across the tool shoulder. However if a more precise and localized residual stress information is sought, a full thermo-fluid-structural analysis is required. This is time consuming and probably does not give significant information on manufacturing optimization. On the other hand, simplified global solutions offer the possibility to optimise friction stir welding parameters and boundary conditions during the preliminary stages of the development of the fabrication procedures, at relatively minimal time and processing power. This work is financed under the European Commission in Call FP7-SST-2012-RTD-1 High Integrity Low Distortion Assembly (HILDA) project.This study is being funded by the European Commission in Call FP7-SST-2012-RTD-1 under the project titled High Integrity Low Distortion Assembly Hilda. The authors would also like to acknowledge the project partners in particular Mr. Stephen Cater at TWI for providing the FSW parameters and setup configuration together with Dr. Alex Galloway the project coordinator of the HILDA project. This work reflects only the authors views and the European Union is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.peer-reviewe

Memory and mental time travel in humans and social robots.

From neuroscience, brain imaging and the psychology of memory, we are beginning to assemble an integrated theory of the brain subsystems and pathways that allow the compression, storage and reconstruction of memories for past events and their use in contextualizing the present and reasoning about the future-mental time travel (MTT). Using computational models, embedded in humanoid robots, we are seeking to test the sufficiency of this theoretical account and to evaluate the usefulness of brain-inspired memory systems for social robots. In this contribution, we describe the use of machine learning techniques-Gaussian process latent variable models-to build a multimodal memory system for the iCub humanoid robot and summarize results of the deployment of this system for human-robot interaction. We also outline the further steps required to create a more complete robotic implementation of human-like autobiographical memory and MTT. We propose that generative memory models, such as those that form the core of our robot memory system, can provide a solution to the symbol grounding problem in embodied artificial intelligence. This article is part of the theme issue 'From social brains to social robots: applying neurocognitive insights to human-robot interaction'.Funding. The preparation of this chapter was supported by funding from the EU Seventh Framework Programme as part of the projects Experimental Functional Android Assistant (EFAA, FP7-ICT-270490) and What You Say Is What You Did (WYSIWYD, FP7-ICT-612139) and by the EU H2020 Programme as part of the Human Brain Project (HBP-SGA1, 720270; HBP-SGA2, 785907). Acknowledgements. The authors are grateful to Paul Verschure, Peter Dominey, Giorgio Metta, Yiannis Demiris and the other members of the WYSIWYD and EFAA consortia; to members of the HBP EPISENSE group; and to our colleagues at the University of Sheffield who have helped us to develop memory systems for the iCub, particularly Luke Boorman, Harry Jackson and Matthew Evans. The Sheffield iCub was purchased with the support of the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)

Investigating user response to a hybrid sketch based interface for creating 3D virtual models in an immersive environment

This research was done in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology Berlin. It was supported by VISIONAIR, a project funded by the European Commission under grant agreement 262044.Computer modelling of 2D drawings is becoming increasingly popular in modern design as can be witnessed in the shift of modern computer modelling applications from software requiring specialised training to ones targeted for the general consumer market. Despite this, traditional sketching is still prevalent in design, particularly so in the early design stages. Thus, research trends in computer-aided modelling focus on the the development of sketch based interfaces that are as natural as possible. In this paper, we present a hybrid sketch based interface which allows the user to make draw sketches using offline as well as online sketching modalities, displaying the 3D models in an immersive setup, thus linking the object interaction possible through immersive modelling to the flexibility allowed by paper-based sketching. The interface was evaluated in a user study which shows that such a hybrid system can be considered as having pragmatic and hedonic value.peer-reviewe