Linked Data - the story so far

The term “Linked Data” refers to a set of best practices for publishing and connecting structured data on the Web. These best practices have been adopted by an increasing number of data providers over the last three years, leading to the creation of a global data space containing billions of assertions— the Web of Data. In this article, the authors present the concept and technical principles of Linked Data, and situate these within the broader context of related technological developments. They describe progress to date in publishing Linked Data on the Web, review applications that have been developed to exploit the Web of Data, and map out a research agenda for the Linked Data community as it moves forward

Fungal Endophytes Interact with Endophytic Yeast Isolated from Soybean Leaves

Endophytes (endo = inside and phyte=plant) are microscopic fungi that live inside of the leaves of all species of plants and can have beneficial effects on their hosts. Previous work in our lab has shown a significant decrease of Sporobolomyces sp., an endophytic yeast, within soybean hosts exposed to elevated levels of CO₂. Sporobolomyces sp. has certain properties to enable them to act as natural biocontrol agents. This pink yeast may have untapped potential to protect crops from pathogenic organisms. If Sporobolomyces sp. interacts with fungal pathogens, it may have strong effects on other fungal endophytes in the community. The aim of this experiment was to examine how Sporobolomyces sp. interacts with endophytes isolated from soy leaves both in terms of fungal growth and phenotypic changes

How Does Climate Change Affect Endophytic Fungi?

Plant-associated microorganisms can have major effects on plant health, but climate change can affect plant microbiomes. While it is unknown how climate change will affect aboveground plant-associated microorganisms, such as foliar endophytic fungi, we hypothesize that increased CO2 concentrations will increase species richness and diversity in endophytic fungal communities, because increased plant photosynthesis under elevated CO2 will increase the resources available to the fungi

Exhibiting interaction: conduct and collaboration in museums and galleries

This article explores how individuals, both alone and together, examine exhibits in museums and galleries. Drawing on ethnomethodology and conversation analysis, it focuses on the ways in which visitors encounter and experience exhibits and how their activities are organized, at least in part, with intimate regard to the actions of others in the domain, both companions and "strangers." This study contributes to the long-standing concerns of symbolic interactionism with (mutual) attention and involvement, materiality and social relations, and interpersonal communication. The data consist of video recordings of naturally occurring action and interaction in various museums and galleries

Interaction and interactives: collaboration and participation with computer-based exhibits

It is increasingly recognized that social interaction and collaboration are critical to our experience of museums and galleries. Curators, museum managers and designers are exploring ways of enhancing interaction and in particular using tools and technologies to create new forms of participation, with and around, exhibits. It is found, however, that these new tools and technologies, whilst enhancing “interactivity,” can do so at the cost of social interaction and collaboration, inadvertently impoverishing co-participation, and cooperation. In this paper we address some of the issues and difficulties that arise in designing for “interactivity” and in particular point to the complex and highly contingent forms of social interaction which arise with, and around, exhibits. The paper is based on a series of video-based field studies of conduct and interaction in various museums and galleries in London and elsewhere including the Science Museum and Explore@Bristol

Quantum algorithmic solutions to the shortest vector problem on simulated coherent Ising machines

Quantum computing poses a threat to contemporary cryptosystems, with advances to a state in which it will cause problems predicted for the next few decades. Many of the proposed cryptosystems designed to be quantum-secure are based on the Shortest Vector Problem and related problems. In this paper we use the Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimisation formulation of the Shortest Vector Problem implemented as a quantum Ising model on a simulated Coherent Ising Machine, showing progress towards solving SVP for three variants of the algorithm.Comment: 15 page

Mobility in collaboration

This paper addresses an issue that has received little attention within CSCW- the requirements to support mobility within collaboration activities. By examining three quite different settings each with differing technological support, we examine the ways in which mobility is critical to collaborative work. We suggest that taking mobility seriously, may not only contribute our understanding of current support for collaboration, but raise more general issues concerning the requirements for mobile and other technologies. Keywords mobile communications, augmented reality, object-centred interactio

Technologie, Interaktion und Organisation: die Workplace Studies

In den letzten Jahren ist ein Forschungsansatz entstanden, der sich in detaillierten Untersuchungen mit Arbeit, Technologie und Interaktion in komplexen Organisationen beschäftigt. Diese Studien, die gemeinhin als "Workplace Studies" bezeichnet werden, entstanden aus den konvergierenden Interessen einerseits in den Bereichen Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW), und, auf der anderen Seite, der Konversationsanalyse, der Ethnographie und ähnlicher Richtungen in der Soziologie. Da die Workplace Studies hauptsächlich mit technischen Disziplinen zusammenarbeiten, sind sie in der Soziologie bislang noch wenig bekannt. Aus diesem Grunde sollen hier zuerst die Hintergründe und die Entwicklung der Workplace Studies skizziert werden. Zweitens werden wir die wichtigsten Forschungsgebiete und die methodische Vorgehensweise umreissen. Indem sich die Workplace Studies auf die Frage konzentrieren, wie in den verschiedensten komplexen Organisationen technische Systeme und praktische Arbeitsaktivitäten miteinander verbunden sind, tragen sie nicht nur zu unserem Wissen über Technologie, sondern auch über Merkmale der Arbeit in heutigen Organisationen bei. Deswegen möchten wir besonders hervorheben, welchen Beitrag die Workplace Studies für die Fragestellung einer Reihe spezieller Soziologien liefern, wie etwa die der Soziologie der Arbeit, der Soziologie der Organisation und der Soziologie der Technik. Die Workplace Studies, so möchten wir zeigen, stellen nicht nur eine Reihe von Ergebnissen zu gegenwärtig relevanten Themen und Fragestellungen bereit; sie eröffnen überdies die Möglichkeit, zentrale Begriffe neu zu fassen, wie etwa Technologie, Arbeitsteilung oder Arbeitsaufgabe ("Task"). Daneben hoffen wir auch zeigen zu können, dass die Workplace Studies ebenfalls interessante Lösungen für einige methodologische Probleme der naturalistischen Forschungsansätze geben können