Towards <i>Smart Kennels</i> for Supporting Canine Welfare: an Early Exploration of Requirements

We present the findings of an early requirements elicitation study for a smart kennel supporting canine welfare. We discuss unique challenges posed by the kennel environment in terms of design outcomes and research processes

Effect of rotator cuff dysfunction on the initial mechanical stability of cementless glenoid components

The functional outcome of shoulder replacement is related to the condition of the rotator cuff. Rotator cuff disease is a common problem in candidates for total shoulder arthroplasty; this study relates the functional status of the rotator cuff to the initial stability of a cementless glenoid implant. A 3D finite element model of a complete scapula was used to quantify the effect of a dysfunctional rotator cuff in terms of bone-implant interface micromotions when the implant is physiologically loaded shortly after surgery. Four rotator cuff conditions (from fully intact to progressively ruptured rotator cuff tendons) as well as two bone qualities were simulated in a model. Micromotions were significantly larger in the worst modeled cuff dysfunction (i.e. the supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons were fully dysfunctional). Micromotions were also significantly different between conditions with healthy and poor bone quality. The implant's initial stability was hardly influenced by a dysfunctional supraspinatus alone. However, when the infraspinatus was also affected, the glenohumeral joint force was displaced to the component's rim resulting in larger micromotions and instability of the implant

Flexible minimalist self-tracking to support individual reflection

Self-tracking technology can help users develop new knowledge about themselves, supporting their health and general wellbeing. Most of these devices inform users about their lives by autonomously generating data about highly constrained topics. Recent research has started to explore more flexible, manual self-tracking systems, which allow users to express themselves through their data and learn by engaging with their experiences in-the-moment. This paper describes a field trial using the Chromatize app, designed to explore the value of minimalism and flexibility – including in data histories – in personal tracking systems. Our data indicates that low-burden experience logging systems which focus on the creation of symbolically-rich, self-defined data can support self-awareness, reflection and regulation at opportune moments. The analysis also contributes a formulation of reflection in the context of self-tracking technologies that is more meaningful than the loose use of ‘reflection’ used in much of the literature

Supporting urban change: using a MOOC to facilitate attitudinal learning and participation in smart cities

Smart cities try to use technology and data to improve the efficiency of city services, to address societal challenges and to improve collaboration between citizens and government. Driving such social change requires a deep socio-ecological transition with both organisations and individual’s lifestyles needing to change. This has led to an increasing recognition of the need for education to empower people to play a more active role within smart city initiatives. This paper examines our use of a MOOC as a tool to facilitate attitudinal learning around the topic of smart cities and to explore whether the learners engage in local smart city activities. A mixed methods research design was employed, collecting data via an online survey that was completed by 202 learners and through in-depth interviews with 8 of those learners. The results show that learners’ perceived high levels of attitudinal learning on the topic of smart cities across four categories of learning outcomes (general, cognitive, affective and behavioural). Our findings also contribute to an understanding of the types of post-course activities learners participate in and their experiences of trying to apply what they learnt if they participated in local smart city activities. We conclude by providing new insights into how to design for learning to support social change in the context of a MOOC

Platform-controlled social media APIs threaten Open Science

Social media data enable insights into human behavior. Researchers can access these data via platform-provided Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), but these come with restrictive usage-terms that mean studies cannot be reproduced or replicated. Platform-owned APIs hinder access, transparency, and scientific knowledge.<br/

M & L Jaargang 13/2

GeneriekGeert Van der Linden Kasseiwegen in de Vlaamse Ardennen, zeldzaam edelgesteente. [Cobbled roads in the Flemish Ardennes, a precious stone.]Rik Vanwalleghem De aantrekkelijkheid van het schaarse. [The attractivity of rare things (annex to: Cobbled roads in the Flemish Ardennes).Winterse toestanden durven wel eens onder de allesverhullende asfaltbekledingen aan hun bestaan herinneren. In de Vlaamse Ardennen behoren kasseiwegen dank zij recente beschermingsmaatregelen daarentegen tot de dagelijkse realiteit, tot grote vreugde overigens van wielersportfanaten.Hoe kinderkoppen en fietsbanden zich intussen tot elkaar verhouden, vertellen ons uit onverdachte hoek landschapsdeskundige Geert Van der Linden en sportredacteur Rik Vanwalleghem.Christina Ceulemans, Daniel De Jonghe en Vera Vereecken Textielvondsten in Limburg. [Discoveries of textile fabrics in Limburg.]Wetenschappelijk onderzoek van Maaslandse reliek-collecties leidden de jongste jaren tot de ontdekking van onvermoede historische textielfragmenten.Bijzonder suggestief zijn hierbij de rijkelijk gestoffeerde reliekschedels uit Tongeren, Sint-Truiden en Herkenrode. De gecoördineerde aanpak door Christina Ceulemans, Daniël De Jonghe en Vera Vereecken opent meteen veelbelovende perspectieven.Marc Mees - Den schoonen constighen eyseren boom. De smeedijzeren boom van Sint-Gummarus uit de Kluizekerk te Lier. [The wrought-iron tree of Saint-Gummarus at the Kluizekerk in Lier.]Toegepast op bomen lijkt het materiaal allesbehalve evident, zelfs in Lier waar Lodewijk Van Boeckel ooit nog de smeedkunst tot zeldzame hoogten tilde.Naar aanleiding van diens restauratie door Aimé Stroobants, wist Marc Mees de Boom van Sint-Gummarus alvast in een vernieuwd daglicht te plaatsen (of is \u27kaarslicht\u27 hier méér op zijn plaats?).Elie Degrande m.m.v. Miek Goossens Gewelfbouw. [Vaulted construction.]Slechts uitzonderlijk kijkt M&L over de landsgrenzen heen. De eenmalige heropbouw van éen volledig kerkgewelf in het Nederlandse Ubbingen, stelde het Brugse Vrij Technisch Instituut nochtans in staat een uitzonderlijke ervaring op te doen.Aan de hand van eigen werkdocumenten, maakt Elie Degrande ons hiervan deelgenoot.SummaryM&L Binnenkran

Structural Properties of Central Galaxies in Groups and Clusters

Using a representative sample of 911 central galaxies (CENs) from the SDSS DR4 group catalogue, we study how the structure of the most massive members in groups and clusters depend on (1) galaxy stellar mass (Mstar), (2) dark matter halo mass of the host group (Mhalo), and (3) their halo-centric position. We establish and thoroughly test a GALFIT-based pipeline to fit 2D Sersic models to SDSS data. We find that the fitting results are most sensitive to the background sky level determination and strongly recommend using the SDSS global value. We find that uncertainties in the background translate into a strong covariance between the total magnitude, half-light size (r50), and Sersic index (n), especially for bright/massive galaxies. We find that n depends strongly on Mstar for CENs, but only weakly or not at all on Mhalo. Less (more) massive CENs tend to be disk (spheroid)-like over the full Mhalo range. Likewise, there is a clear r50-Mstar relation for CENs, with separate slopes for disks and spheroids. When comparing CENs with satellite galaxies (SATs), we find that low mass (<10e10.75 Msun/h^2) SATs have larger median n than CENs of similar Mstar. Low mass, late-type SATs have moderately smaller r50 than late-type CENs of the same Mstar. However, we find no size differences between spheroid-like CENs and SATs, and no structural differences between CENs and SATs matched in both mass and colour. The similarity of massive SATs and CENs shows that this distinction has no significant impact on the structure of spheroids. We conclude that Mstar is the most fundamental property determining the basic structure of a galaxy. The lack of a clear n-Mhalo relation rules out a distinct group mass for producing spheroids, and the responsible morphological transformation processes must occur at the centres of groups spanning a wide range of masses. (abridged)Comment: 22 pages, 14 figures, submitted to MNRA

Galaxy Zoo: the dependence of morphology and colour on environment

We analyse the relationships between galaxy morphology, colour, environment and stellar mass using data for over 100,000 objects from Galaxy Zoo, the largest sample of visually classified morphologies yet compiled. We conclusively show that colour and morphology fractions are very different functions of environment. Both are sensitive to stellar mass; however, at fixed stellar mass, while colour is also highly sensitive to environment, morphology displays much weaker environmental trends. Only a small part of both relations can be attributed to variation in the stellar mass function with environment. Galaxies with high stellar masses are mostly red, in all environments and irrespective of their morphology. Low stellar-mass galaxies are mostly blue in low-density environments, but mostly red in high-density environments, again irrespective of their morphology. The colour-density relation is primarily driven by variations in colour fractions at fixed morphology, in particular the fraction of spiral galaxies that have red colours, and especially at low stellar masses. We demonstrate that our red spirals primarily include galaxies with true spiral morphology. We clearly show there is an environmental dependence for colour beyond that for morphology. Before using the Galaxy Zoo morphologies to produce the above results, we first quantify a luminosity-, size- and redshift-dependent classification bias that affects this dataset, and probably most other studies of galaxy population morphology. A correction for this bias is derived and applied to produce a sample of galaxies with reliable morphological type likelihoods, on which we base our analysis.Comment: 25 pages, 20 figures (+ 6 pages, 11 figures in appendices); moderately revised following referee's comments; accepted by MNRA

Characterizing light-dark cycles in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: a retrospective observational study

Objectives: To characterize bedside 24-h patterns in light exposure in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and to explore the environmental and individual patient characteristics that influence these patterns in this clinical setting.Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study that included 79 very preterm infants who stayed in an incubator with a built-in light sensor. Bedside light exposure was measured continuously (one value per minute). Based on these data, various metrics (including relative amplitude, intradaily variability, and interdaily stability) were calculated to characterize the 24-h patterns of light exposure. Next, we determined the association between these metrics and various environmental and individual patient characteristics.Results: A 24-h light-dark cycle was apparent in the NICU with significant differences in light exposure between the three nurse shifts (p &lt; 0.001), with the highest values in the morning and the lowest values at night. Light exposure was generally low, with illuminances rarely surpassing 75 lux, and highly variable between patients and across days within a single patient. Furthermore, the season of birth and phototherapy had a significant effect on 24-h light-dark cycles, whereas no effect of bed location and illness severity were observed.Conclusion: Even without an official lighting regime set, a 24-h light-dark cycle was observed in the NICU. Various rhythmicity metrics can be used to characterize 24-h light-dark cycles in a clinical setting and to study the relationship between light patterns and health outcomes