Flying not flapping: a strategic framework for e‐learning and pedagogical innovation in higher education institutions

E‐learning is in a rather extraordinary position. It was born as a ‘tool’ and now finds itself in the guise of a somewhat wobbly arrow of change. In practice, changing the way thousands of teachers teach, learners learn, innovation is promoted and sustainable change in traditional institutions is achieved across hundreds of different disciplines is a demanding endeavour that will not be achieved by learning technologies alone. It involves art, craft and science as well as technology. This paper attempts to show how it might be possible to capture and model complex strategic processes that will help move the potential of e‐learning in universities to a new stage of development. It offers the example of a four‐quadrant model created as a framework for an e‐learning strategy

Risk assessment and risk management of violent reoffending among prisoners

“The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2015.05.025”

Composition, production and procurement of glass at San Vincenzo: an early medieval monastic complex in southern Italy

136 glasses from the ninth-century monastery of San Vincenzo and its workshops have been analysed by electron microprobe in order to situate the assemblage within the first millennium CE glass making tradition. The majority of the glass compositions can be paralleled by Roman glass from the first to third centuries, with very few samples consistent with later compositional groups. Colours for trailed decoration on vessels, for vessel bodies and for sheet glass for windows were largely produced by melting the glass tesserae from old Roman mosaics. Some weakly-coloured transparent glass was obtained by re-melting Roman window glass, while some was produced by melting and mixing of tesserae, excluding the strongly coloured cobalt blues. Our data suggest that to feed the needs of the glass workshop, the bulk of the glass was removed as tesserae and windows from a large Roman building. This is consistent with a historical account according to which the granite columns of the monastic church were spolia from a Roman temple in the region. The purported shortage of natron from Egypt does not appear to explain the dependency of San Vincenzo on old Roman glass. Rather, the absence of contemporary primary glass may reflect the downturn in long-distance trade in the later first millennium C.E., and the role of patronage in the “ritual economy” founded upon donations and gift-giving of the time

A data-driven framework for neural field modeling

This paper presents a framework for creating neural field models from electrophysiological data. The Wilson and Cowan or Amari style neural field equations are used to form a parametric model, where the parameters are estimated from data. To illustrate the estimation framework, data is generated using the neural field equations incorporating modeled sensors enabling a comparison between the estimated and true parameters. To facilitate state and parameter estimation, we introduce a method to reduce the continuum neural field model using a basis function decomposition to form a finite-dimensional state-space model. Spatial frequency analysis methods are introduced that systematically specify the basis function configuration required to capture the dominant characteristics of the neural field. The estimation procedure consists of a two-stage iterative algorithm incorporating the unscented Rauch–Tung–Striebel smoother for state estimation and a least squares algorithm for parameter estimation. The results show that it is theoretically possible to reconstruct the neural field and estimate intracortical connectivity structure and synaptic dynamics with the proposed framework

Optimized organometal halide perovskite solar cell fabrication through control of nanoparticle crystal patterning

The addition of Hydrogen Iodide to organometal halide perovskite precursor solution at 1% by volume leads to a significant enhancement in power conversion efficiency (PCE) in inverted solar cell devices, increasing from 7.7% to 11.9% and 6.1% to 10.0% in spin-cast and spray-cast devices respectively. We directly attribute this improved device performance to increased thin-film surface coverage coupled with higher optical density. X-ray diffraction studies also reveal that the HI additive facilitates full conversion of the precursor material to the crystalline perovskite phase. From solution studies, we relate these changes in device performance to the presence and distribution of precursor aggregates that effectively pattern the formation of perovskite crystals during film formation

Triage, decision-making and follow-up of patients referred to a UK forensic service: validation of the DUNDRUM toolkit

BACKGROUND: Forensic medium secure services in the UK are a scarce but essential resource providing care for those in the criminal justice system with severe mental disorder. Appropriate allocation of beds to those most in need is essential to ensure efficient use of this resource. To improve decision-making processes in a UK forensic service, an admissions panel utilized the DUNDRUM 1&2 (D1 & D2) triage instruments. METHODS: Demographic, diagnostic and clinical information on a prospective sample of referrals to a UK adult forensic service was gathered (n = 195). D1 and D2 measures were scored by a panel of clinical managers considering referral information and clinician opinion in reaching their ratings; those not admitted were also followed up. RESULTS: Within the sample, D1 ratings were predictive of decisions to admit (AUC = .79) and also differentiated between levels of security (F(4) = 16.54, p < .001). Non-admission was not significantly associated with increased risk of offending at follow-up. Items relating to self-harm and institutional behaviour did not show a predictive relationship with the panel decision to admit. CONCLUSIONS: Use of a structured professional judgement tool showing good predictive validity has improved transparency of decisions and appears to be associated with more efficient use of resources, without increased risk to the public

Technical study of a rare Venetian turquoise glass goblet from the Waddesdon Bequest

A Venetian enamelled and gilded goblet (WB.55) is part of the collection bequeathed to the British Museum by Baron Ferdinand Rothschild in 1898. Conservation treatment in 1994 provided the opportunity to remove a small sample containing some opaque white as well as rare turquoise glass. These fragments were analysed using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry and by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Further analyses were carried out on the enamels and blue glass knop of the goblet using surface X-ray fluorescence. This contribution locates the object in the context of Venetian glass of the Renaissance as well as the history of collecting. The conservation history and the processes employed to conserve the object prior to its redisplay in the new Waddesdon Gallery at the British Museum in 2015 are described. Careful macroscopic and microscopic observations are combined with the chemical analyses to outline a comprehensive chaîne opératoire for the object. Technically, it is fully consistent with current understanding of glass production in Venice in the late fifteenth century

Intracranial EEG fluctuates over months after implanting electrodes in human brain.

OBJECTIVE: Implanting subdural and penetrating electrodes in the brain causes acute trauma and inflammation that affect intracranial electroencephalographic (iEEG) recordings. This behavior and its potential impact on clinical decision-making and algorithms for implanted devices have not been assessed in detail. In this study we aim to characterize the temporal and spatial variability of continuous, prolonged human iEEG recordings. APPROACH: Intracranial electroencephalography from 15 patients with drug-refractory epilepsy, each implanted with 16 subdural electrodes and continuously monitored for an average of 18 months, was included in this study. Time and spectral domain features were computed each day for each channel for the duration of each patient\u27s recording. Metrics to capture post-implantation feature changes and inflexion points were computed on group and individual levels. A linear mixed model was used to characterize transient group-level changes in feature values post-implantation and independent linear models were used to describe individual variability. MAIN RESULTS: A significant decline in features important to seizure detection and prediction algorithms (mean line length, energy, and half-wave), as well as mean power in the Berger and high gamma bands, was observed in many patients over 100 d following implantation. In addition, spatial variability across electrodes declines post-implantation following a similar timeframe. All selected features decreased by 14-50% in the initial 75 d of recording on the group level, and at least one feature demonstrated this pattern in 13 of the 15 patients. Our findings indicate that iEEG signal features demonstrate increased variability following implantation, most notably in the weeks immediately post-implant. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings suggest that conclusions drawn from iEEG, both clinically and for research, should account for spatiotemporal signal variability and that properly assessing the iEEG in patients, depending upon the application, may require extended monitoring

Governance of Ecosystem Services Across Scales in Bangladesh

Ecosystem services are governed and affected by different legal, institutional and policy frameworks. Hence, formal documented policies, regulations and statutes of Bangladesh are examined where relevant. This facilitates greater understanding of the influence that governance has on the accessibility to the benefits derived and how this might then affect livelihoods and well-being. A range of factors are found to determine effectiveness in terms of general adaptive governance principles, with coordination, enforcement and rigidity being important issues. In addition, policy development in crucial areas may not be supported by associated legal frameworks, undermining implementation. However, workable (and dynamic) combinations of primary and secondary legislation are both possible and desirable to achieve flexible policy instruments.<br/