Improving content authoring user experience in the lovelace learning environment

Abstract. This thesis provides the analysis, planning, execution and evaluation of a new back- and frontend prototype of the online learning environment Lovelace created by the project group. The pre-requisite for the prototype was to utilize the same technologies as the current live version, and the project groups first major task was to investigate, comprehend and execute them. In addition, the project group was advised not to review the code of the live version to ensure fresh perspective into execution of the new version. The design takes influence from other sources such as Moodle. This thesis covers the process of the design from first sketches and analysis of the set-out requirements. These requirements include extracting the current editing functionality from separate administrator page to the easily accessible lecture pages editing widget, the static website contents caching, support for the existing Lovelace markup text and many others. The implementation phase starts by following the plan created in the design part which made the process more streamlined. Technical aspects of the development are handled in the implementation part of the thesis. Polymorphism, the way the content is rendered to the viewer, explanation and representation of how content forms and caching works are explored here. The evaluation of the finished prototype was executed in form of measurement of websites load times with addition of an expert evaluation meeting with experienced user of the live version of Lovelace. The meeting consisted of different test cases which the attendee had to complete on both old and new versions. These tasks were all timed and the results were vastly better with the project groups prototype. All of the tasks completed with less time with the prototype, and in some cases even twice as fast. Comparing the end result with the pre-requisites, the requirements were met well, and the improvements were proven to be a success.Tiivistelmä. Tämä tutkielma sisältää verkko-opintoympäristö Lovelacen uuden prototyypin suunnittelun, toteutuksen, analyysin sekä evaluaation vaiheet. Prototyyppi on projektiryhmän tuottama uusi front- ja backend toteutus, jonka esivaatimuksena oli hyödyntää samoja teknologioita kuin alkuperäinen versio. Tämän johdosta projektin keskeisin tehtävä alun kannalta oli tutkia ja opiskella näitä teknologioita perusteellisesti. Lisäksi projektiryhmää ohjeistettiin olemaan katsomatta alkuperäisen version koodia ja toteutusta, jotta projektia lähestyttäisiin täysin uudesta perspektiivistä. Suunnitteluvaiheessa projekti ottaa vaikutteita muista oppimisympäristöistä kuten Moodle:sta. Tämä tutkielma käsittelee suunnitteluprosessin vaiheet mukaanlukien käyttöliittymän luonnokset ja esivaatimusten analyysin. Vaatimuksia ovat editointitoiminnallisuuden siirtäminen erilliseltä ylläpitosivustolta luentosivulta helposti käsiteltävään editointipienoisohjelmaan, välimuistin implementointi latausnopeuksien nopeuttamiseksi, tuki Lovelacen ”markup” -tekstille sekä monia muita. Projektin tekninen puoli, kuten polymorfismi, sisällön renderointi sekä tarkempi välimuistin ja sisältölomakkeiden toiminta käsitellään implementointiosiossa. Valmiin prototyypin evaluointi suoritettiin latausnopeuksien mittauksilla sekä asiantuntijan arvioinnilla. Kyseinen asiantuntija oli kokenut Lovelacen käyttäjä ja hänelle annettiin kolme erilaista tehtävää, jotka hänen kuului suorittaa sekä alkuperäisellä että projektiryhmän versioilla. Nämä suoritukset ajoitettiin sekuntikellolla myöhempää data-analyysia varten. Tulokset prototyyppiversiolla olivat menestyksekkäitä. Tehtäviin kulutettu aika oli jokaisella kerralla lyhyempi prototyyppiä käyttäessä ja joissain tapauksissa jopa kaksi kertaa lyhyempi. Kun kokonaiskuvaa lopputuloksesta verrataan alkuvaatimuksiin, niin huomataan, että vaatimukset tavoitettiin ja uudet toiminnallisuudet paransivat todistetusti käyttäjäkokemusta

Pure and Sb-doped ZrO2 for removal of IO3- from radioactive waste solutions

Peer reviewe

Lämmöneristeestä voi irrota haitallisia aineita huoneilmaan

Rakennusmateriaalit vaikuttavat sisäilman laatuun. Lämmöneristeinä voidaan käyttää esimerkiksi pellava- ja hamppueristeitä sekä lasi-, kivi- ja selluvillaa. Vertailussa agrokuitueristeet eivät olleet merkittäviä kemiallisten tai hiukkaspäästöjen lähteitä. Kosteuden vaikutuksiin on kuitenkin kiinnitettävä huomiota eristeitä valmistettaessa, varastoitaessa ja asennettaessa, koska korkea ilmankosteus edistää homeiden kasvua eristeessä.vo

Barriers against wear affect the spatial distribution of tree saplings in urban woodlands

http://www.elsevier.com/locate/issn/16188667In order to maintain indigenous, self-regenerating tree populations in urban woodlands, it is essential to identify factors affecting the survival of tree seedlings and saplings. In densely populated areas, intensive recreational use may cause considerable wear of the vegetation and soil, and decrease the total number of saplings. At the same time trees, high stones and other structural elements in a woodland patch can act as natural barriers and give shelter against wear. Hence, we hypothesised that with an increasing amount of wear, a greater proportion of tree saplings survive, and is thus found, close to these natural barriers. We tested this hypothesis with observational data, and described the microhabitat associations of different sapling species in detail to define the most favourable or unfavourable microhabitats. We recorded the microhabitats of saplings and randomly chosen points in 30 medium-fertile Picea abies dominant woodlands in Helsinki and the surroundings, Finland. The description included location in relation to physical objects (stones, trees, topography, etc.), other saplings, vegetation and canopy. We then compared the sapling microhabitats to those available (the random points). Our results suggest that the microhabitat associations of saplings change with increasing wear: Sorbus aucuparia, Populus tremula, Rhamnus frangula, Picea abies and Acer platanoides saplings grew more often close to natural barriers (obstacles X30 cm high excluding other saplings), the first three showing a statistically significant response to wear in logistic regression models. The saplings were able to grow in a variety of microhabitats, but the species also differed in their microhabitat associations. In general, saplings grew in groups, and in worn sites the grouping was more pronounced. With increasing wear the saplings associated more positively with trees, canopy cover and lush vegetation

Boreal carabid-beetle (Coleoptera, Carabidae) assemblages along the clear-cut originated succession gradient

http://www.elsevier.com/locate/issn/01681605We examined the occurrence of carabid beetles along a forest succession gradient in central Finland (forest age classes: 5, 10, 20, 30 and 60 years since clear-cutting). Species richness of carabids was higher in the two youngest age classes, while no clear differences were detected in carabid abundance. The high species richness in the young, open sites was due to invasion of open-habitat species. Many forest species were absent from or scarce in the young sites and became gradually more abundant towards the older forest age classes. The catches indicated a drastic decrease and assemblagelevel change in concert with canopy closure, i.e. 20–30 years after clear-cutting. Some forest specialists with poor dispersal ability may face local extinction, if the proportion of mature forest decreases further and the remaining mature stands become more isolated. We recommend that, while harvesting timber, connectivity between mature stands is ensured, mature stands are maintained close (a few tens of metres) to each other and the matrix quality is improved for forest species by green tree retention

Emulsifier Composition of Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLN) Affects Mechanical and Barrier Properties of SLN‐Protein Composite Films

Protein films can be applied to improve food quality and to reduce packaging waste. To overcome their poor water barrier properties, lipids are often incorporated. The function of incorporated lipid depends on the interface between filler and matrix. This study aimed to tailor the properties of a protein–lipid film by designing the oil/water interface to see if the concept of inactive/active filler is valid. Therefore, we varied the emulsifier stabilizing solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) to promote (via β‐lactoglobulin) or to minimize (via Tween 20) interactions between particle surface and protein. SLN were incorporated into protein films and film properties were determined. Addition of SLN led to significantly decreased water vapor permeability (WVP) of protein films. However, WVP was mainly affected by the emulsifiers and not by the lipid. Protein‐stabilized SLN (BS) replaced a lacking protein in the protein network and therefore did not influence the mechanical properties of the films at ambient temperature. BS‐composite films were temperature sensitive, as lipid and sucrose palmitate melted at temperatures above 40 °C. Tween 20‐stabilized SLN (TS) led to reduced tensile strengths, probably due to perturbative effects of TS and plasticizing effects of Tween 20. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed that TS and Tween 20 increased film mobility. Melting of lipid and emulsifiers, and temperature‐dependent behavior of Tween 20 led to a strong temperature dependence of the film stiffness. By designing the interface, particles can be used to tailor mechanical properties of protein films. Tuned edible films could be used to control mass transfers between foods

Cavitation inception of a van der Waals fluid at a sack-wall obstacle

Cavitation in a liquid moving past a constraint is numerically investigated by means of a free-energy lattice Boltzmann simulation based on the van der Waals equation of state. The fluid is streamed past an obstacle and, depending on the pressure drop between inlet and outlet, vapor formation underneath the corner of the sack-wall is observed. The circumstances of cavitation formation are investigated and it is found that the local bulk pressure and mean stress are insufficient to explain the phenomenon. Results obtained in this study strongly suggest that the viscous stress, interfacial contributions to the local pressure, and the Laplace pressure are relevant to the opening of a vapor cavity. This can be described by a generalization of Joseph's criterion that includes these contributions. A macroscopic investigation measuring mass flow rate behavior and discharge coefficient was also performed. As theoretically predicted, mass flow rate increases linearly with the square root of the pressure drop. However, when cavitation occurs, the mass flow growth rate is reduced and eventually it collapses into a choked flow state. In the cavitating regime, as theoretically predicted and experimentally verified, the discharge coefficient grows with the Nurick cavitation number