The evaluation of dynamic human-computer interaction

This thesis describes the development and evaluation of a theoretical framework to account for the dynamic aspects of behaviour at the Human-Computer Interface (HCIF). The purpose behind this work is to allow for the consideration of dynamic Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) in the design of interactive computer systems, and to facilitate the generation of design tools for this purpose. The work describes an example of a design tool which demonstrates how designers of interactive computer systems may account for some aspects of the dynamics of behaviour, involved with the use of computers, in the design of new interactive systems. The thesis offers empirical and literary evidence to support the validity of the dynamic factors governing the interaction of humans with computers

Protocol for a mixed-methods exploratory investigation of care following intensive care discharge: the REFLECT study

© Author(s) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.INTRODUCTION: A substantial number of patients discharged from intensive care units (ICUs) subsequently die without leaving hospital. It is unclear how many of these deaths are preventable. Ward-based management following discharge from ICU is an area that patients and healthcare staff are concerned about. The primary aim of REFLECT (Recovery Following Intensive Care Treatment) is to develop an intervention plan to reduce in-hospital mortality rates in patients who have been discharged from ICU. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: REFLECT is a multicentre mixed-methods exploratory study examining ward care delivery to adult patients discharged from ICU. The study will be made up of four substudies. Medical notes of patients who were discharged from ICU and subsequently died will be examined using a retrospective case records review (RCRR) technique. Patients and their relatives will be interviewed about their post-ICU care, including relatives of patients who died in hospital following ICU discharge. Staff involved in the care of patients post-ICU discharge will be interviewed about the care of this patient group. The medical records of patients who survived their post-ICU stay will also be reviewed using the RCRR technique. The analyses of the substudies will be both descriptive and use a modified grounded theory approach to identify emerging themes. The evidence generated in these four substudies will form the basis of the intervention development, which will take place through stakeholder and clinical expert meetings. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval has been obtained through the Wales Research and Ethics Committee 4 (17/WA/0107). We aim to disseminate the findings through international conferences, international peer-reviewed journals and social media. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN14658054.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

New approaches to investigating the function of mycelial networks

Fungi play a key role in ecosystem nutrient cycles by scavenging, concentrating, translocating and redistributing nitrogen. To quantify and predict fungal nitrogen redistribution, and assess the importance of the integrity of fungal networks in soil for ecosystem function, we need better understanding of the structures and processes involved. Until recently nitrogen translocation has been experimentally intractable owing to the lack of a suitable radioisotope tracer for nitrogen, and the impossibility of observing nitrogen translocation in real time under realistic conditions. We have developed an imaging method for recording the magnitude and direction of amino acid flow through the whole mycelial network as it captures, assimilates and channels its carbon and nitrogen resources, while growing in realistically heterogeneous soil microcosms. Computer analysis and modeling, based on these digitized video records, can reveal patterns in transport that suggest experimentally testable hypotheses. Experimental approaches that we are developing include genomics and stable isotope NMR to investigate where in the system nitrogen compounds are being acquired and stored, and where they are mobilized for transport or broken down. The results are elucidating the interplay between environment, metabolism, and the development and function of transport networks as mycelium forages in soil. The highly adapted and selected foraging networks of fungi may illuminate fundamental principles applicable to other supply networks

Fouling Characteristics of a Light Australian Crude Oil

Australian crude oils, which generally contain little asphaltenes, nevertheless give rise to fouling in refinery pre-heat trains. In this research, fouling of a series of such crude oils and their blends is being assessed. The present work focuses on thermal fouling resulting from heating Gippsland crude oil at moderate temperatures. The oil is maintained under nitrogen at a pressure of 379 kPa, and re-circulated at bulk temperatures of 80-120°C through an electrically heated annular probe at velocities in the range 0.25 to 0.65 m/s with surface temperatures from 180-260°C. Experiments are run for periods up to 90 hours at constant heat flux. Fouling is detected by the increase of wall temperature of the probe. The oil is characterized by its filterable solids content, density and viscosity both before and after the fouling run. The trends in fouling rates are compared to predictions of the threshold-fouling model proposed by Ebert and Panchal (1995). Data on deposit composition are presented, and the fouling mechanism discussed

Preparing Future School Counselors to Work with English Language Learners

English Language Learners (ELLs) are one of the fastest growing student groups in the United States, yet school counselors often feel unprepared to address their unique needs. To better prepare school counselors to work with ELLs, counselor educators can integrate experiential learning activities that are grounded practice. Yet, little is known about the types of work experiences school counselors encounter when working with ELL students. This phenomenological study described the experiences of eight, first year school counselors who work with ELLs. Findings inform the types of training scenarios counselor educators can use to prepare school counselors-in-training (SCIT) to work with ELL students within the context of schools

"Click" Patterning of Self-Assembled Monolayers on Hydrogen-Terminated Silicon Surfaces and Their Characterization Using Light-Addressable Potentiometric Sensors

China Scholarship Council for funding (J.W., F.W., and J.Z.

School Counseling Faculty Perceptions and Experiences Preparing Elementary School Counselors

School counselors’ job roles and preferences reportedly vary by educational level (i.e., elementary, middle and high school); however, several organizations, such as the American School Counselor Association, conceptualize and recommend school counseling practice and preparation through a K–12 lens. Little is known about how or if school counseling faculty members vary their preparation for specific educational levels. In this article, we discuss a national, mixed methods study of school counseling faculty (N = 132) experiences and perceptions regarding school counselor preparation for the elementary level. We focused on elementary school counselors due to their unique roles. Findings included faculty’s varied experiences and perceptions of differentiation, prioritizing a K–12 preparation focus, and several external factors driving their preparation such as state licensure and mandates, school counseling job opportunities, and student enrollment, motivation and interest in elementary school counseling

Conditional survival with increasing duration of ICU admission: an observational study of three intensive care databases.

OBJECTIVES: Prolonged admissions to an ICU are associated with high resource utilization and personal cost to the patient. Previous reports suggest increasing length of stay may be associated with poor outcomes. Conditional survival represents the probability of future survival after a defined period of treatment on an ICU providing a description of how prognosis evolves over time. Our objective was to describe conditional survival as length of ICU stay increased. DESIGN: Retrospective observational cohort study of three large intensive care databases. SETTING: Three intensive care databases, two in the United States (Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III and electronic ICU) and one in United Kingdom (Post Intensive Care Risk-Adjusted Alerting and Monitoring). PATIENTS: Index admissions to intensive care for patients 18 years or older. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 11,648, 38,532, and 165,125 index admissions were analyzed from Post Intensive Care Risk-Adjusted Alerting and Monitoring, Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III and electronic ICU databases respectively. In all three cohorts, conditional survival declined over the first 5-10 days after ICU admission and changed little thereafter. In patients greater than or equal to 75 years old conditional survival continued to decline with increasing length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: After an initial period of 5-10 days, probability of future survival does not appear to decrease with increasing length of stay in unselected patients admitted to ICUs in United Kingdom and United States [corrected]. These findings were consistent between the three populations and suggest that a prolonged admission to an ICU is not a reason for a pessimism in younger patients but may indicate a poor prognosis in the older population

Food provision for older people receiving home care from the perspectives of home-care workers

Malnutrition is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly among older people. Attention has focused on the inadequacies of food provision in institutions, yet the majority suffering from malnutrition live in the community. The aim of this study was to explore barriers and facilitators to food provision for older people receiving home care. It was a qualitative exploratory study using semi-structured interviews with nine home-care workers in June 2013 employed by independent agencies in a large city in northern England. Data were analysed thematically, based on the principles of grounded theory. Findings showed that significant time pressures limited home-care workers in their ability to socially engage with service users at mealtimes, or provide them with anything other than ready meals. Enabling choice was considered more important than providing a healthy diet, but choice was limited by food availability and reliance on families for shopping. Despite their knowledge of service users and their central role in providing food, home-care workers received little nutritional training and were not involved by healthcare professionals in the management of malnutrition. Despite the rhetoric of individual choice and importance of social engagement and nutrition for health and well-being, nutritional care has been significantly compromised by cuts to social care budgets. The potential role for home-care workers in promoting good nutrition in older people is undervalued and undermined by the lack of recognition, training and time dedicated to food-related care. This has led to a situation whereby good quality food and enjoyable mealtimes are denied to many older people on the basis that they are unaffordable luxuries rather than an integral component of fundamental care. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd