Desigm and Development Considerations of a Learning Object Repository

A learning objects repository (LOR) is a web-based educational portal that houses, displays, and delivers sharable content objects for educational purposes. Design of such a repository encounters a number of considerations that relate the behavior of the information system to the content objects it manages. This paper examines these design issues in light of standards we have utilized. In particular, the instructional design of our learning objects is based on a concept called progressive scaffolding, which refers to the process of providing differing levels of media guidance. A brief description of related research is included. Furthermore, our objects are compliant with the Advanced Distributed Learning’s Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) to ensure they behave in a uniform and predictable manner. This paper also reviews existing content portals and gives a summary of an evaluation project carried out with a prototype

Designing Motorcycles via the Web: Improved Aesthetics and Consumer Preference

The purpose of this research was to examine how manipulation of the aesthetic appeal of a motorcycle’s image on a web page might elucidate trends in consumer preference. To this end, website visitors were encouraged to reconfigure a blueprint of motorcycle to make it more appealing. These alterations to its confirmation were analyzed to identify patterns of preference that were then compared to the marketplace in general. It was observed that aesthetic preferences recognized by the design method were similar to trends within the motorcycle building/buying public

Object-Oriented Modeling and Fault Detection of a Powder Feeder for a Laser Metal Deposition System

One of the most critical components of a laser metal deposition system is the powder feeder unit. Techniques are required to efficiently design and analyze these systems and to ensure fault tolerance during the operation. In this paper, a model of the powder feeder unit, based on object– oriented abstractions of it components, is developed. This model is modular in that specific components can be efficiently updated or replaced with components that perform a similar function. In addition, the model can be used for simulation allowing for efficient design and analysis. Assurance of the correctness of the powder feeder system is obtained from concurrent run–time evaluation of temporal logic expressions. A simulation example is provided.The authors gratefully acknowledge their students’ contributions to this paper and the financial support of the National Science Foundation (DMI–9871185), Missouri Research Board, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and Missouri Department of Economic Development.Mechanical Engineerin

A Student Response System for Increasing Engagement, Motivation, and Learning in High Enrollment Lectures

Student response systems (SRS) are devices that allow students to provide categorical and numerical responses to questions embedded within a lecture, and the responses can be tallied and scored in various ways to provide immediate feedback to the students and/or professors. In the fall of 2004 at the University of Missouri – Rolla, questions were systematically integrated into large general chemistry lecture sections, and students used the response system to answer. In order to evaluate the system, students’ test scores were compared with previous years, and a survey was administered with the aim of evaluating the system at the end of the course when SRS was used. Test scores indicated substantial improvement from previous years. In addition, survey results indicated that a significant majority of the students found that the SRS made the course more engaging, motivational, and increased learning. Qualitative analyses of students’ open-ended responses provided support and additional insights for the quantitative analyses

Object-Oriented Modeling and Fauly Detection of a Powder Feeder for a Laser Metal Deposition System

One of the most critical components of a laser metal deposition system is the powder feeder unit. Techniques are required to efficiently design and analyze these systems and to ensure fault tolerance during the operation. In this paper, a model of the powder feeder unit, based on object- oriented abstractions of it components, is developed. This model is modular in that specific components can be efficiently updated or replaced with components that perform a similar function. In addition, the model can be used for simulation allowing for efficient design and analysis. Assurance of the correctness of the powder feeder system is obtained from concurrent run-time evaluation of temporal logic expressions. A simulation example is provided

Management Information Systems Education: A Systematic Review

Management information systems (MIS) programs were developed to prepare graduates to create innovative solutions to problems where business and technology intersect. As such, the curricula must change rapidly to stay current with industry standards, an accelerating moving target. This research presents the findings of a systematic literature review to identify and present trends in the scholarly literature on MIS education. The purpose of this approach was to understand how academia ensures students are prepared for industry and keeps pace with changing industry needs. Key findings from the literature are presented, as well as a compilation of areas for future research. Overwhelmingly, a lack of international perspective was identified as the vast majority of articles collected data in the US. Further, the direction of future research and exploration revolved around five themes of innovative pedagogical approaches, industry partnerships, subtopics of MIS education, new methods and metrics for measuring success in MIS education, and cross-disciplinary opportunities in fields such as mathematics, traditional business disciplines, and the hard sciences

Effects of diabetes and hypertension on macrophage infiltration and matrix expansion in the rat kidney

BACKGROUND: In experimental models of diabetes mellitus, aggravation of renal injury by concomitant hypertension has been described. Inflammatory mechanisms contribute to renal damage in both diseases. We investigated whether hypertension and diabetes mellitus act synergistically to induce macrophage infiltration and matrix expansion in the kidney. METHODS: Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus was induced by streptozotocin injections to hypertensive mRen2-transgenic rats (TGR) and normotensive Sprague-Dawley control rats. Quantitative immunohistochemical examination of kidney tissue sections was used to measure macrophage infiltration and matrix expansion. The expression of MCP-1, Osteopontin, RANTES, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 was evaluated by real-time RT-PCR. The localization of MCP-1 was studied by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Macrophage infiltration was present in the kidney of normotensive diabetic rats. Hypertensive rats exhibited a more marked infiltration of macrophages, regardless of whether diabetes was present or not. Gene expression of ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and RANTES was unaltered whereas Osteopontin and MCP-1 were induced by hypertension. Immunoreactive MCP-1 was slightly increased in diabetic rat kidney podocytes, and more markedly increased in hypertensive animals. Glomerular matrix accumulation was induced by diabetes and hypertension to a similar degree, and was highest in hypertensive, diabetic animals. CONCLUSION: Diabetes mellitus caused a mild, and angiotensin-dependent hypertension a more marked infiltration of macrophages in the kidney. Combination of both diseases led to additive effects on matrix expansion but not on inflammation. Hypertension appears to be a much stronger stimulus for inflammation of the kidney than STZ diabetes, at least in mRen2-transgenic rats

Self-adjuvanting polymer-peptide conjugates as therapeutic vaccine candidates against cervical cancer

Dendrimers are structurally well-defined, synthetic polymers with sizes and physicochemical properties often resembling those of biomacromolecules (e.g. proteins). As a result they are promising candidates for peptide-based vaccine delivery platforms. Herein, we established a synthetic pathway to conjugate a human papillomavirus (HPV) E7 protein-derived peptide antigen to a star-polymer to create a macromolecular vaccine candidate to treat HPV-related cancers. These conjugates were able to reduce tumor growth and eradicate E7-expressing TC-1 tumors in mice after a single immunization, without the help of any external adjuvant

The Nature of Knowledge in Composition and Literary Understanding: The Question of Specificity

↵PETER SMAGORINSKY is Assistant Professor, College of Education, University of Oklahoma, 820 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK 73019-0. He specializes in classroom literacy.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline