Qualitative analysis of the development of self-regulated learning skills in Year 1 medical students

Background: Self-regulated learning (SRL) is an individual’s ability to be motivationally, metacognitively and behaviourally active in their own learning. SRL skills are beneficial for medical students as doctors are required to possess lifelong learning behaviours. Self-regulation is also important during the transition to university, in which students transition from a pedagogical to an andragogical educational setting. Methods: Seven Cardiff University (CU) medical students volunteered to partake in two cycles of semi-structured interviews. The interview transcripts were analysed using Constructivist Grounded Theory to produce themes that were grounded in the data. Results: Medical students already possessed some level of self-regulation and were required to use self-regulation in the two transition points in Year 1. Students felt uncertain in the parameters of their learning as they were unaccustomed to the self-directed learning required at university. Students were also uncertain about the method of learning that they should adopt at university. As a result, students compared themselves to peers, which created a competitive atmosphere at university. Conclusions: While medical students were successful in their undergraduate studies, students were under supported by CU's curriculum. Medical schools should, therefore, support students’ development of self-regulation as they transition into university

Investigating Interactions of Biomembranes and Alcohols: A Multiscale Approach

We study the interaction of lipid bilayers with short chain alcohols using molecular dynamics on different length scales. We use detailed atomistic modeling and modeling on the length scale where an alcohol is just an amphiphilic dimer. Our strategy is to calibrate a coarse--grained model against the detailed model at selected state points at low alcohol concentration and then perform a wider range of simulations using the coarse--grained model. We get semiquantitative agreement with experiment for the major observables such as order parameter and area per molecule. We find a linear increase of area per molecule with alcohol concentration. The alcohol molecules in both system descriptions are in close contact with the glycerol backbone. Butanol molecules can enter the bilayer to some extent in contrast to the behavior of shorter alcohols. At very high alcohol concentrations we find clearly increased interdigitation between leaflets.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figure

Beyond First/Last Mile Active Transportation - BikeShare@UH

Bike sharing is a new green transportation solution that has been developed and adopted at various cities around the world. In this paper, we present the process and results of the design and prototypes that a group of undergraduate students developed for a BikeShare@UH program during Summer 2017. After presenting the detailed results of four project teams focusing on customer discovery, bike share station (BSS) location identification, cloud-based mobile computing platform for user engagement and bike share program operation and management, smart lock, and alternative energy source based on PV panel. With the phase one implementation at the University planned in Spring 2018, we anticipate gathering real time data and feedback to improve the system.Cockrell School of Engineerin

Performance of Sampling/Resampling-based Particle Filters Applied to Non-Linear Problems

In this work, we propose a wireless body area sensor network (WBASN) to monitor patient position. Localization and tracking are enhanced by improving the effect of the received signal strength (RSS) variation. First, we propose a modified particle filter (PF) that adjusts resampling parameters for the Kullback-Leibler distance (KLD)-resampling algorithm to ameliorate the effect of RSS variation by generating a sample set near the high-likelihood region. The key issue of this method is to use a resampling parameter lower bound for reducing both the root mean square error (RMSE) and the mean number of particles used. To determine this lower bound, an optimal algorithm is proposed based on the maximum RMSE between the proposed algorithm and the KLD-resampling algorithm or based on the maximum mean number of particles used of these algorithms. Finally, PFs based on KLD-sampling and KLD-resampling are proposed to minimize the efficient number of particles and to reduce the estimation error compared to traditional algorithms

DCU team at the NTCIR-15 micro-activity retrieval task

The growing attention to lifelogging research has led to the creation of many retrieval systems, most of which employed event segmentation as core functionality. While previous literature focused on splitting lifelog data into broad segments of daily living activities, less attention was paid to micro-activities which last for short periods of time, yet carry valuable information for building a high-precision retrieval engine. In this paper, we present our efforts in addressing the NTCIR-15 MART challenge, in which the participants were asked to retrieve micro-activities from a multi-modal dataset. We proposed five models which investigate imagery and sensory data, both jointly and separately using various Deep Learn- ing and Machine Learning techniques, and achieved a maximum mAP score of 0.901 using an Image Tabular Pair-wise Similarity model, and overall ranked second in the competition. Our model not only captures the information coming from the temporal visual data combined with sensor signal, but also works as a Siamese network to discriminate micro-activities

TÌNH HÌNH BỆNH TRÊN CÁ BÓP (Rachycentron canadum) VÀ CÁ MÚ (Epinephelus sp.) NUÔI LỒNG BIỂN Ở QUẦN ĐẢO NAM DU, HUYỆN KIÊN HẢI, TỈNH KIÊN GIANG

The study was conducted to investigate the current status of marine fish diseases in cobia and grouper cage culture in Nam Du islands, Kien Hai district, Kien Giang province. Cobia cage culture (n = 25) and grouper cage culture farmers (n = 25) were directly interviewed from October to December 2013. The results showed that the diseases on cobia and grouper yearly occurred but mainly in two periods of April - May and July to September. The main diseases were reported during cobia culture including ulceration (72%), hemorrhage (64%) and exophthalmia (100%). Parasitic infection was also reported. Chemical was not commonly used during culture period, but antibiotics were used to treat the bacterial diseases. The most common antibiotics were tetracycline, streptomycin, rifamycin and oxytetracycline. Farmers reported grouper diseases comprising ulceration (50%), hemorrhage (38.4%), exophthalmia (11.5%) and parasite infections (23.1%). During husbandry practices, some chemicals (Potassium permanganate, Iodine, Copper sulfate) and antibiotics (rifamycin, oxytetracycline, tetracycline, ampicillin, nutroplex) were limitedly used.Tình hình bệnh trên cá bóp và cá mú nuôi lồng biển ở quần đảo Nam Du, huyện Kiên Hải, tỉnh Kiên Giang được khảo sát thông qua phỏng vấn trực tiếp 25 hộ nuôi cá bóp và 25 hộ nuôi cá mú từ tháng 10-12/2013. Kết quả khảo sát cho thấy, bệnh trên cá bóp và cá mú xuất hiện quanh năm nhưng tập trung chủ yếu vào tháng 4-5 và tháng 7-9. Các bệnh xuất hiện trên cá bóp gồm bệnh lở loét chiếm 72%, xuất huyết 64%, mù mắt 100% và trong quá trình nuôi không có sử dụng hóa chất, chỉ sử dụng các loại kháng sinh dùng để trị bệnh như tetracycline, streptomycin, rifamycin, oxytetracycline. Các bệnh xuất hiện trên cá mú gồm bệnh lở loét chiếm 50%, xuất huyết 38,4%, mù mắt 11,5% và 23,1% bệnh do ký sinh trùng và trong quá trình nuôi cá mú các loại hóa chất (thuốc tím, iodine, sunfat đồng) và các loại kháng sinh (rifamycin, oxytetracycline, tetracycline, ampicillin, nutroplex) rất ít được sử dụng. Hầu hết người nuôi còn thiếu kiến thức về chẩn đoán và phòng, trị bệnh trên cá nuôi

Proteomic Analysis of the Cell Cycle of Procylic FormTrypanosoma brucei

We describe a single-step centrifugal elutriation method to produce synchronous G1-phase procyclic trypanosomes at a scale amenable for proteomic analysis of the cell cycle. Using ten-plex tandem mass tag (TMT) labelling and mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics technology, the expression levels of 5,325 proteins were quantified across the cell cycle in this parasite. Of these, 384 proteins were classified as cell-cycle regulated and subdivided into nine clusters with distinct temporal regulation. These groups included many known cell cycle regulators in trypanosomes, which validates the approach. In addition, we identify 40 novel cell cycle regulated proteins that are essential for trypanosome survival and thus represent potential future drug targets for the prevention of trypanosomiasis. Through cross-comparison to the TrypTag endogenous tagging microscopy database, we were able to validate the cell-cycle regulated patterns of expression for many of the proteins of unknown function detected in our proteomic analysis. A convenient interface to access and interrogate these data is also presented, providing a useful resource for the scientific community. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD008741

Design and simulation of automotive radar for autonomous vehicles

Modern automobile technology is pushing towards maximizing road safety, connected vehicles, autonomous vehicles, etc. Automotive RADAR is core sensor technology used for ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Technology), ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), AEB (Automatic Emergency Braking System), traffic assistance, parking aid, and obstacle/pedestrian detection. Despite being inexpensive, RADAR technology provides robust results in harsh conditions such as harsh weather, extreme temperature, darkness, etc. However, the performance of these systems depends on the position of the RADAR and its characteristics like frequency, beamwidth, and bandwidths. Moreover, the characterization of varied materials like layers of paint, polish, primer, or layer of rainwater needs to be analyzed. This performance can be predicted through real-time simulation using advanced FEM software like Altair FEKO&WinProp. These simulations can provide valuable insight into the performance of the system, allowing engineers to optimize the system for specific use cases. For example, simulation can be used to determine the optimal parameters of the RADAR system for a given application. This information can then be used to design and build a physical model or prototype that is optimized for the desired performance. These simulations play a prominent role in determining appropriate data collection and sensor fusion, which reduces the cost and time required for the development of a physical model or prototype. The continued growth and demand for advanced safety features in vehicles further highlight the importance of RADAR technology in modern automobile technology. By accurately characterizing the environment and simulating the system's behavior in real time, engineers can optimize RADAR systems for specific use cases, contributing to safer and more efficient driving experience