Pricing and Diversification of Massive Online Open Course Platforms

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have recently received a great deal of attention in higher education. MOOCs demonstrate universities’ efforts in offering high-quality digital learning materials to everyone in the world, which should be encouraged. Nevertheless, as a MOOC platform must ensure its financial sustainability, it is questionable whether a platform’s profit-seeking pricing strategy will hurt the diversity of courses, such as eliminating courses with low certificate purchasing rates. To address this question, we adopt a game-theoretic framework to model the interaction and strategic choices of a MOOC platform, learners, and universities. Based on the certificate prices and revenue sharing ratios chosen by the platform for courses with various certificate purchasing rates, universities consider the competition intensity and decide their course quality levels, to attract learners. We conclude that all types of course will exists in equilibrium throughout the lifecycle of a MOOC platform, regardless of the technology maturity and competition intensity. We also find that course qualities may decrease when MOOCs become more accessible to learners. Finally, qualities of courses with different certificate purchasing rates are compared

A TIME SERIOUS ANALYSIS OF THE DYNAMIC INFLUENCE OF FEMALE'S MENSTRUAL CYCLE TO SPORT PERFORMANCE

This research uses Cross Correlation Function, C.C.F., as a dynamic relationship evaluation model to study the dynamic influences of the menstrual cycle on sport performances. This research takes females with a regular menstrual cycle to be the test subjects. Their basic body temperatures were recorded every day. A Kistler Quattro Jump force plate was used to record continuously for sixty days the parameters of muscular strength, jump performance, and fatigue index during the subjects performance of a counter-movement Jump (CMJ), squat Jump (SJ), and thirty-second continuous bent leg jumps (CJB). The late stage of the follicular phase and the early stage of the luteal phase have a positive influence on sport performance. This also illustrates that sport performance for female athletes will be varied dynamically in accordance with the time of menstrual cycle

Unraveling the nuclear and chloroplast genomes of an agar producing red macroalga, Gracilaria changii (Rhodophyta, Gracilariales)

Agar and agarose have wide applications in food and pharmaceutical industries. Knowledge on the genome of red seaweeds that produce them is still lacking. To fill the gap in genome analyses of these red algae, we have sequenced the nuclear and organellar genomes of an agarophyte, Gracilaria changii. The partial nuclear genome sequence of G. changii has a total length of 35.8 Mb with 10,912 predicted protein coding sequences. Only 39.4% predicted proteins were found to have significant matches to protein sequences in SwissProt. The chloroplast genome of G. changii is 183,855 bp with a total of 201 open reading frames (ORFs), 29 tRNAs and 3 rRNAs predicted. Five genes: ssrA, leuC and leuD CP76_p173 (orf139) and pbsA were absent in the chloroplast genome of G. changii. The genome information is valuable in accelerating functional studies of individual genes and resolving evolutionary relationship of red seaweeds

A Comparative Study of Deep Learning Model and Simple Prediction Charts in Construction Noise Prediction

Construction noise monitoring is crucial to assess the impacts of construction noise on the workers and surroundings. However, the existing noise prediction methods are time-consuming in which required laborious work for the computation of noise levels. This study aims to assess the accuracy and reliability of deep learning model (DL) that adopted stochastic modelling and artificial neural network (ANN) in construction noise prediction. The artificial neural network was trained with the output of stochastic modelling. The outcome of noise level prediction using simple prediction chart (SPC) and DL model was discussed and compared to 3 case studies. The case studies were conducted at construction sites located in Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia. The results of DL model showed high accuracy of predicted noise levels along with an absolute difference of less than 2.3 dBA. Besides, the predicted noise levels are reliable as the R-squared value is higher than 0.992. On that account, DL model is proved to be reliable and accurate in noise level prediction and it has the potential to be utilized as a managerial tool to monitor construction noise more effectively

Antibacterial activity of Sargassum polycystum C. Agardh and Padina australis Hauck (Phaeophyceae)

Seaweeds are used in pharmaceutical and biochemical applications as they possess interesting biological activities that contribute to the discovery of natural therapeutic agents. In this study, the antibacterial activity of n-hexane, dichloromethane and methanolic extracts of brown seaweeds (Phaeophyceae), Sargassum polycystum C. Agardh and Padina australis Hauck, was examined using the disc diffusion and broth microdilution methods. The bioactivity of the seaweed extracts was expressed as minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). The antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria (beta-lactamase positive and negative Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus) was discussed. Gram-positive bacteria especially B. cereus was more susceptible to the seaweed extracts (MIC = 0.130 to 0.065 mg/ml). Generally, S. polycystum extracts exhibited higher bacteriostatic activity (lower MICs) against all the tested bacterial strains when compared with P. australis. However, P. australis extracts showed a narrow spectrum of bactericidal activity against B. cereus. n-Hexane extracts of S. polycystum exhibited promising bacteriostatic agents against B. cereus (MIC = 0.065 mg/ml) with MIC value lower than the standard MIC of potential antimicrobial drug (0.100 mg/ml). Since only crude seaweed extracts were tested in this study, further purification and isolation of bioactive compounds from the extracts are essential in future studies in order to optimize their antibacterial activity.Key words: Phaeophyceae, disc diffusion test, minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), minimum inhibition concentration (MIC)

Socially-enhanced variants of mobile bingo game: Towards personalized cognitive and social engagement among seniors

Elderlies often feel isolated or disregarded. This may lead to depression, lack of cognitive and social engagement. This project thus aims to engage the elderlies through three variants of a mobile bingo game application designed based on Norman’s usability principles. This paper presents the design and development of three variants of the mobile bingo game to suit the needs of senior citizens. User testing outcomes on user experience, usability and cognitive load are positive

PHYSIOLOGICAL AND ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC RESPONSES AT THREE LEVELS OF BICYCLE SEAT HEIGHT

Recently, bicycle riding has become one of the most popular exercises. As the use time increased, the risk of pedalling injury raised. Holmes (1994) indicated that inappropriate bicycle saddle height could result in lower limbs injuries. The motivation of this study was to find out the best riding position that could effectively use energy from the physiology and electromyography measures. The oxygen consumption (VO2), heart rate (HR), respiratory exchange ratio (RER) and the muscle activity (electromyography, EMG) from rectus femoris (RF) and biceps femoris (BF) of lower limb were collected during a 6 min cycling trail in three different heights of bicycle saddle. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of three different types of bicycle seat heights and different perspectives of muscle activity and physiology’s parameters

Effect of Ceramic Dust as Partial Replacement of Cement on Lightweight Foamed Concrete

Disposal of waste into the landfill causes a severe impact on the environment. One of the waste products is ceramic waste. Ceramic waste has some excellent properties in its durability, hardness, and highly resistant to biological, chemical, and physical degradation forces. These excellent properties of the ceramic waste may make it suitable to be used in concrete. This study investigates the effect on the compressive strength of lightweight foamed concrete with different percentage of ceramic dust replacement level towards the cement and three different levels of water-cement ratio. 0%, 5%, 15%, and 25% of replacement level with 0.52, 0.56, and 0.60 water-cement ratios respectively for each replacement level was used as the parameter to investigate the fresh properties, and strength performance of lightweight foamed concrete. The stability and consistency of every mix are studied as well. From this study, it was observed that the incorporation of ceramic waste dust partially replaced the cement did not affect on the fresh properties of the foamed concrete. However, the compressive strength of foamed concrete affected by ceramic waste dust partially replaced the cement