Adaptive probability scheme for behaviour monitoring of the elderly using a specialised ambient device

A Hidden Markov Model (HMM) modified to work in combination with a Fuzzy System is utilised to determine the current behavioural state of the user from information obtained with specialised hardware. Due to the high dimensionality and not-linearly-separable nature of the Fuzzy System and the sensor data obtained with the hardware which informs the state decision, a new method is devised to update the HMM and replace the initial Fuzzy System such that subsequent state decisions are based on the most recent information. The resultant system first reduces the dimensionality of the original information by using a manifold representation in the high dimension which is unfolded in the lower dimension. The data is then linearly separable in the lower dimension where a simple linear classifier, such as the perceptron used here, is applied to determine the probability of the observations belonging to a state. Experiments using the new system verify its applicability in a real scenario

Dimension reduction for linear separation with curvilinear distances

Any high dimensional data in its original raw form may contain obviously classifiable clusters which are difficult to identify given the high-dimension representation. In reducing the dimensions it may be possible to perform a simple classification technique to extract this cluster information whilst retaining the overall topology of the data set. The supervised method presented here takes a high dimension data set consisting of multiple clusters and employs curvilinear distance as a relation between points, projecting in a lower dimension according to this relationship. This representation allows for linear separation of the non-separable high dimensional cluster data and the classification to a cluster of any successive unseen data point extracted from the same higher dimension

The Impact of certification on meeting professionals who are members of Meeting Planners International

The impact of certification on meeting professionals who are members of Meeting Planners International is the focus of this project. Research is conducted by studying articles in refered and industrial journals as well as current publications. A questionnaire is sent to randomly selected Certified Meeting Professionals. The study uses three key indicators which are skill level, span of control, and salary level to determine if there is a direct impact on the certification of meeting planners. A time span of six months within receiving the Certified Meeting Professional designation is exercised to examine the outcomes of certification

British Piano Concertante Works from 1918 to 1955: An historical and Analytical Study

This thesis investigates the contributions made by British composers to the repertoire of piano concertante works during period 1918-1955. It has two fundamental aims: 1) to elucidate the reasons for the remarkable upsurge of interest in the genre on the part of British composers and audiences in the earlier twentieth century, with particular reference to historical, cultural, and social factors; and 2) to examine the stylistic and structural trends evident within these works, highlighting the extent to which they continue romantic traditions, on the one hand, and reflect contemporary modernist developments, on the other. Chapter 1 sets out to demonstrate how the popularity of this repertory arose from nineteenth-century developments in piano manufacture and public concert life. Chapter 2 continues this investigation into the twentieth century, highlighting those key factors that encouraged the composition of concertante works, including the emergence of British piano virtuosi in significant numbers and steadily increasing performance opportunities. Chapter 3 presents a critical survey of British piano concertante works composed during the period under examination, discussing the stylistic trends and approaches that are in evidence. Finally, Chapters 4 and 5 focus respectively on examining a selection of key piano concertos and concertante works from the period that are representative of the technical and formal approaches that were predominant, contextualising these in relation to nineteenth-century precedents and contemporary modernist concertos written in other countries

An intelligent information forwarder for healthcare big data systems with distributed wearable sensors

© 2016 IEEE. An increasing number of the elderly population wish to live an independent lifestyle, rather than rely on intrusive care programmes. A big data solution is presented using wearable sensors capable of carrying out continuous monitoring of the elderly, alerting the relevant caregivers when necessary and forwarding pertinent information to a big data system for analysis. A challenge for such a solution is the development of context-awareness through the multidimensional, dynamic and nonlinear sensor readings that have a weak correlation with observable human behaviours and health conditions. To address this challenge, a wearable sensor system with an intelligent data forwarder is discussed in this paper. The forwarder adopts a Hidden Markov Model for human behaviour recognition. Locality sensitive hashing is proposed as an efficient mechanism to learn sensor patterns. A prototype solution is implemented to monitor health conditions of dispersed users. It is shown that the intelligent forwarders can provide the remote sensors with context-awareness. They transmit only important information to the big data server for analytics when certain behaviours happen and avoid overwhelming communication and data storage. The system functions unobtrusively, whilst giving the users peace of mind in the knowledge that their safety is being monitored and analysed

Item banking for innovative items and examinations in the UK

BTL, together with a number of partners, have been working with the UK Department for Education and Skills (England) to develop an item banking system to deliver formative assessment material for Key and Basic Skills teachers and learners to use as a learning resource. The Key and Basic Skills developments are part of the UK Government’s Skills for Life strategy which is designed to encourage learners of all ages to address their Maths and English skills and to ensure that they try and achieve a Maths or English qualification at at least Level 2. To this end, the Government has set a target of 750,000 learner achievements by 2007 and is supporting the Skills for Life programme with a range of both teacher and learner support mechanisms. Until recently, most learners completing a Skills for Life programme of learning would have had the opportunity to undertake a Literacy or Numeracy National Test which, although multiple choice, would have been delivered in a traditional paper based format. Over the last 18 months, however, an increasing number of learners have had the opportunity to take the tests using Computer Aided Assessment (CAA). One of these delivery systems was described by Chris Sealey and Paul Humphries in their paper to the 2003 IAEA conference in Manchester. Learners taking the tests using CAA have been able to book the tests on demand, receive the results immediately after the tests and to benefit from a process that has taken advantage of the technology available. The development of computer delivered items has provided the incentive and the opportunity to develop the item banking project described in this paper. Phase 1 of the project was completed on the 31st March 2004 and the system made available to teachers and learners. Proposals are now being finalised (as at end April 2004) for Phase 2 of the project. The first part of this paper provided an overview of the item bank system, the way it interfaces with item authors and the user features. However, the possible introduction of item banking into the UK examinations system and the potential for its wider use in accredited examinations raises a number of other issues in relation to the changes that would be required in the traditional examination process to take full advantage of item banking and CAA generally. The second part of the paper identifies a number of these issues and the steps that might need to be taken to address them. The paper concludes that there are many advantages to be gained from the use of item banks as part of the general development of CAA systems. Not only do they provide teachers and learners with a powerful formative assessment tool but they open up significant opportunities to revise the examination processing system. However, if they are to play an appropriate part in the development of high stakes summative CAA assessment systems, there are a number of process and quality assurance issues that will need to be addressed through appropriate research, pilots and trials before they can be adopted on a wide scale. In some cases, these issues are different for an item bank producing items for on-screen use as well as the traditional paper delivery formats

Developments in on-screen assessment design for examinations

This paper draws on examples from projects undertaken for a range of UK agencies, including the regulators from each of the 4 nations (QCA, ACCAC, SQA and CCEA), and Awarding Bodies such as Edexcel and the British Computer Society. This work includes the use of: • rich media (exploring how video, audio, animation and imaging affect assessment performance, including for candidates with disabilities), • interactivity and adaptivity (exploring how requiring students to make interactive responses affects achievement and engagement), • advanced computer-marking techniques (work to mark candidates’ prose, mathematical workings, and process as well as output), • item banking complex items to allow “when ready” assessment, and comparability issues with more traditional assessments. • Working with authors across multiple locations and disciplines, and how the challenges can be met. The paper also discusses how “when-ready” e-assessment is blurring the traditionally clear boundary between summative and formative assessment, and the opportunities open to qualification providers to reshape their assessment offerings to act as learning resources

"For someone who's rich, it's not a problem". Insights from Tanzania on diabetes health-seeking and medical pluralism among Dar es Salaam's urban poor

The prevalence of chronic non-communicable disease, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), is rising worldwide. In Africa, T2DM is primarily affecting those living in urban areas and increasingly affecting the poor. Diabetes management among urban poor is an area of research that has received little attention. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in Dar es Salam, the causes and conditions for diabetes management in Tanzania have been examined. In this paper, we focus on the structural context of diabetes services in Tanzania; the current status of biomedical and ethnomedical health care; and health-seeking among people with T2DM. We demonstrate that although Tanzania is actively developing its diabetes services, many people with diabetes and low socioeconomic status are unable to engage continuously in treatment. There are many challenges to be addressed to support people accessing diabetes health care services and improve diabetes management

More than treasure hunting: the motivations and practices of metal detectorists and their attitudes to landscape

This thesis aims to consider how attachment to landscape is generated, and investigates how this might be enacted via metal detecting, in order to better understand the attitudes of metal detectorists searching today. Metal detecting is a unique way of experiencing the historic landscape, allowing amateurs to access heritage hands-on, locating and unearthing their own fragment of the archaeological record. With an estimated 15,000 people currently detecting in the UK, and 1,111,122 objects recorded to date on the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) database, a huge expanse of England’s historic places are being walked, searched and mapped. Using original quantitative and qualitative data, this study investigates the attitudes of metaldetector users in England and Wales in order to better understand what proportion feel attached to the landscape on which they detect, and what impact this attachment might have upon their feelings towards discovered objects, the historic past, and their general practice. The popularity of metal detecting, along with the unique situation that this country’s legislation accommodates it, demands the heritage sector moves toward creative decisionmaking and programming if it is to offer adequate protection to the archaeological resource whilst also engaging a community of interested participants. By using a range of methodologies, this thesis breaks new ground by demonstrating the sense of responsibility felt by detectorists towards their local landscapes, safeguarding them and maintaining an accurate record. The resultant PAS database has proven to be a valuable resource for both researchers and professionals, instigating 87 PhD theses and 15 major projects. This work would not have been possible without the cooperation of detectorists who, as a group, often feel marginalised and unappreciated. By contrast, data presented herein demonstrates that the conscientious detecting community is a constituency no less valid than the country’s local history societies, and one with a significant contribution to make towards a more complete understanding of the English landscape