Electronic Performance Support for E-Learning Analysis and Design

Corporate instructional designers often follow an instructional systems design (ISD) process to plan, create, and implement training programs. Increased demand for elearning as a replacement or addition to classroom training means that, in the current corporate environment, instructional designers are called upon to produce a wide variety of instructional formats and have to make more decisions during the ISD process. E-learning is evolving into a total performance improvement solution rather than simply as a means to delivering distance training and consequently, in an effort to achieve business goals, many corporations are turning to it as a cost effective way to deliver training and support to employees and customers. Corporate e-learning applications can incorporate knowledge management and electronic performance support as well as support for multiple formats of online learning, adding to the complexity of the instructional designer\u27s job and the ISD process. While the ISD process is well documented and numerous operational models exist, instructional designers often have difficulty in its application given the complexity of an e-learning application. The study analyzed the impact of an experimental electronic performance support system (EPSS) on the performance of e-learning instructional designers. An EPSS intended to provide assistance during the analysis and design stages of an e-learning project was created to aid corporate instructional designers make tradeoffs among time, cost, and quality of various analysis and design procedures and techniques. Formative reviews by instructional designers experienced in e-learning added to the validity of the contents of the EPSS. Summative evaluator’s pilot tested the EPSS by using it in conjunction with the analysis and design activities of three corporate e-learning projects. Evaluation results indicated that an instructional design EPSS can help designers sequence and prioritize tasks, allocate time and resources to task execution, and focus tasks on user performance and client goals

Nonlinear reactive systems viewed as Boolean dynamical systems

We present a stochastic, time-discrete boolean model which mimics the mesoscopic dynamics of the desorption reactions $A+A\to A+S$ and $A+A\to S+S$ in a 1D lattice. In the continuous-time limit, we derive a hierarchy of dynamical equations for the subset of moments involving contiguous lattice sites. The solution of the hierarchy allows to compute the exact dynamics of the mean coverage for both microscopic and coarse-grained initial conditions, which turn out to be different from the mean field predictions. The evolution equations for the mean coverage and the second order moments are shown to be equivalent to those provided by a time-continuous Master equation. The important role of higher order fluctuations is brought out by the failure of a truncation scheme retaining only two-particle fluctuation correlations.Comment: 30 pages, 9 figure

Internet of Things for Sustainable Human Health

The sustainable health IoT has the strong potential to bring tremendous improvements in human health and well-being through sensing, and monitoring of health impacts across the whole spectrum of climate change. The sustainable health IoT enables development of a systems approach in the area of human health and ecosystem. It allows integration of broader health sub-areas in a bigger archetype for improving sustainability in health in the realm of social, economic, and environmental sectors. This integration provides a powerful health IoT framework for sustainable health and community goals in the wake of changing climate. In this chapter, a detailed description of climate-related health impacts on human health is provided. The sensing, communications, and monitoring technologies are discussed. The impact of key environmental and human health factors on the development of new IoT technologies also analyzed

Case Reports1. A Late Presentation of Loeys-Dietz Syndrome: Beware of TGFβ Receptor Mutations in Benign Joint Hypermobility

Background: Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) and dissections are not uncommon causes of sudden death in young adults. Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is a rare, recently described, autosomal dominant, connective tissue disease characterized by aggressive arterial aneurysms, resulting from mutations in the transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) receptor genes TGFBR1 and TGFBR2. Mean age at death is 26.1 years, most often due to aortic dissection. We report an unusually late presentation of LDS, diagnosed following elective surgery in a female with a long history of joint hypermobility. Methods: A 51-year-old Caucasian lady complained of chest pain and headache following a dural leak from spinal anaesthesia for an elective ankle arthroscopy. CT scan and echocardiography demonstrated a dilated aortic root and significant aortic regurgitation. MRA demonstrated aortic tortuosity, an infrarenal aortic aneurysm and aneurysms in the left renal and right internal mammary arteries. She underwent aortic root repair and aortic valve replacement. She had a background of long-standing joint pains secondary to hypermobility, easy bruising, unusual fracture susceptibility and mild bronchiectasis. She had one healthy child age 32, after which she suffered a uterine prolapse. Examination revealed mild Marfanoid features. Uvula, skin and ophthalmological examination was normal. Results: Fibrillin-1 testing for Marfan syndrome (MFS) was negative. Detection of a c.1270G > C (p.Gly424Arg) TGFBR2 mutation confirmed the diagnosis of LDS. Losartan was started for vascular protection. Conclusions: LDS is a severe inherited vasculopathy that usually presents in childhood. It is characterized by aortic root dilatation and ascending aneurysms. There is a higher risk of aortic dissection compared with MFS. Clinical features overlap with MFS and Ehlers Danlos syndrome Type IV, but differentiating dysmorphogenic features include ocular hypertelorism, bifid uvula and cleft palate. Echocardiography and MRA or CT scanning from head to pelvis is recommended to establish the extent of vascular involvement. Management involves early surgical intervention, including early valve-sparing aortic root replacement, genetic counselling and close monitoring in pregnancy. Despite being caused by loss of function mutations in either TGFβ receptor, paradoxical activation of TGFβ signalling is seen, suggesting that TGFβ antagonism may confer disease modifying effects similar to those observed in MFS. TGFβ antagonism can be achieved with angiotensin antagonists, such as Losartan, which is able to delay aortic aneurysm development in preclinical models and in patients with MFS. Our case emphasizes the importance of timely recognition of vasculopathy syndromes in patients with hypermobility and the need for early surgical intervention. It also highlights their heterogeneity and the potential for late presentation. Disclosures: The authors have declared no conflicts of interes

Type I interferon causes thrombotic microangiopathy by a dose-dependent toxic effect on the microvasculature

Many drugs have been reported to cause thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), yet evidence supporting a direct association is often weak. In particular, TMA has been reported in association with recombinant type I interferon (IFN) therapies, with recent concern regarding the use of IFN in multiple sclerosis patients. However, a causal association has yet to be demonstrated. Here, we adopt a combined clinical and experimental approach to provide evidence of such an association between type I IFN and TMA. We show that the clinical phenotype of cases referred to a national center is uniformly consistent with a direct dose-dependent drug-induced TMA. We then show that dose-dependent microvascular disease is seen in a transgenic mouse model of IFN toxicity. This includes specific microvascular pathological changes seen in patient biopsies and is dependent on transcriptional activation of the IFN response through the type I interferon α/β receptor (IFNAR). Together our clinical and experimental findings provide evidence of a causal link between type I IFN and TMA. As such, recombinant type I IFN therapies should be stopped at the earliest stage in patients who develop this complication, with implications for risk mitigation

Iron Behaving Badly: Inappropriate Iron Chelation as a Major Contributor to the Aetiology of Vascular and Other Progressive Inflammatory and Degenerative Diseases

The production of peroxide and superoxide is an inevitable consequence of aerobic metabolism, and while these particular "reactive oxygen species" (ROSs) can exhibit a number of biological effects, they are not of themselves excessively reactive and thus they are not especially damaging at physiological concentrations. However, their reactions with poorly liganded iron species can lead to the catalytic production of the very reactive and dangerous hydroxyl radical, which is exceptionally damaging, and a major cause of chronic inflammation. We review the considerable and wide-ranging evidence for the involvement of this combination of (su)peroxide and poorly liganded iron in a large number of physiological and indeed pathological processes and inflammatory disorders, especially those involving the progressive degradation of cellular and organismal performance. These diseases share a great many similarities and thus might be considered to have a common cause (i.e. iron-catalysed free radical and especially hydroxyl radical generation). The studies reviewed include those focused on a series of cardiovascular, metabolic and neurological diseases, where iron can be found at the sites of plaques and lesions, as well as studies showing the significance of iron to aging and longevity. The effective chelation of iron by natural or synthetic ligands is thus of major physiological (and potentially therapeutic) importance. As systems properties, we need to recognise that physiological observables have multiple molecular causes, and studying them in isolation leads to inconsistent patterns of apparent causality when it is the simultaneous combination of multiple factors that is responsible. This explains, for instance, the decidedly mixed effects of antioxidants that have been observed, etc...Comment: 159 pages, including 9 Figs and 2184 reference

Strategies for reducing fumigant loss to the atmosphere

A model is developed to describe transport and loss of methyl bromide (MeBr) in soil following application as a soil fumigant. The model is used to investigate the effect of soil and management factors on MeBr volatilization. Factors studied include depth of injection, soil water content, presence or absence of tarp, depth to downward barrier, and irrigation after injection. Of these factors, the most important was irrigation after injection followed by covering with the tarp, which increased the diffusive resistance of the soil and prevented early loss of MeBr. The model offers an explanation for the apparently contradictory observations of earlier field studies of MeBr volatilization from soils under different conditions. The model was also used to calculate the concentration-time index for various management alternatives, showing that the irrigation application did not make the surface soil more difficult to fumigate, except at very early times. Therefore, irrigation shows promise for reducing fumigant loss while at the same time permitting control of target organisms during fumigation

Supplementary Material for "Klima|Anlage - Performing Climate Data"

Groß-Vogt K, Hermann T, Jury MW, Steiner AK, Kartadinata S. Supplementary Material for "Klima|Anlage - Performing Climate Data". Bielefeld University; 2018.The supplementary material contains sound examples from the Klima|Anlage ("Climate Control Unit") performing climate data from 1950 to 2100 for various regions. The overall soundscape of the Klima|Anlage has distinct sounds that can be followed over time and compared for different regions (one at a time). The eleven-year solar cycle leads to a slowly pulsating harmonic spectrum on a tetrachord instrument, with a period of roughly one minute; it is slowly detuned over time according to radiation balance data. Thunder sheets follow shorter, yearly cycles of the air temperature, and oscillate between a low grumbling and high intensity rattling. The noise of two marble plates placed on a record player mimics large wind intensities in the higher atmosphere, changing from left to right in the stereo panorama as the wind direction reverses. Furthermore, resonant water drops vary in their rate from random single drops to heavy rain sound. Finally, an electronic „beep“ sound is used to map the global greenhouse gas emission concentrations and provide orientation over time. The beeping rate increases with rising concentrations. Tibet: Northern Europe: Amazon: Australia: Greenland: Sahara: Indonesia: Western North America: South Africa: East Canada: Central Asia: Middle Europe: </center

Climate projections for glacier change modelling over the Himalayas

Glaciers are of key importance to freshwater supplies in the Himalayan region. Their growth or decline is among other factors determined by an interaction of 2‐meter air temperature (TAS) and precipitation rate (PR) and thereof derived positive degree days (PDD) and snow and ice accumulation (SAC). To investigate determining factors in climate projections, we use a model ensemble consisting of 36 CMIP5 General Circulation Models (GCMs) and 13 Regional Climate Models (RCMs) of two Asian CORDEX domains for two different representative concentration pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). First, we downsize the ensemble in respect to the models' ability to correctly reproduce dominant circulation patterns (i.e. the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) and Western Disturbances (WDs)) as well as elevation dependent trend signals in winter. Within this evaluation, a newly produced dataset for the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra catchments is used as observational data. The reanalyses WFDEI, ERA‐Interim, NCEP/NCAR and JRA‐55 are used to further account for observational uncertainty. In a next step, remaining TAS and PR data are bias corrected applying a new bias adjustment method, Scale Distribution Mapping and subsequently PDD and SAC computed. Finally, we identify and quantify projected climate change effects. Until the end of the century, the ensemble indicates a rise of PDD, especially during summer and for lower altitudes. Also TAS is rising, though the highest increases are shown for higher altitudes and between December and April (DJFMA). PRs connected to the ISM are projected to robustly increase, while signals for PR changes during DJFMA show a higher level of uncertainty and spatial heterogeneity. However, a robust decline in solid precipitation is projected over our research domain, with the exception of a small area in the high mountain Indus catchment where no clear signal emerges. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Climate projections for glacier change modelling over the Himalayas

Glaciers are of key importance to freshwater supplies in the Himalayan region. Their growth or decline is among other factors determined by an interaction of 2‐meter air temperature (TAS) and precipitation rate (PR) and thereof derived positive degree days (PDD) and snow and ice accumulation (SAC). To investigate determining factors in climate projections, we use a model ensemble consisting of 36 CMIP5 General Circulation Models (GCMs) and 13 Regional Climate Models (RCMs) of two Asian CORDEX domains for two different representative concentration pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). First, we downsize the ensemble in respect to the models' ability to correctly reproduce dominant circulation patterns (i.e. the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) and Western Disturbances (WDs)) as well as elevation dependent trend signals in winter. Within this evaluation, a newly produced dataset for the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra catchments is used as observational data. The reanalyses WFDEI, ERA‐Interim, NCEP/NCAR and JRA‐55 are used to further account for observational uncertainty. In a next step, remaining TAS and PR data are bias corrected applying a new bias adjustment method, Scale Distribution Mapping and subsequently PDD and SAC computed. Finally, we identify and quantify projected climate change effects. Until the end of the century, the ensemble indicates a rise of PDD, especially during summer and for lower altitudes. Also TAS is rising, though the highest increases are shown for higher altitudes and between December and April (DJFMA). PRs connected to the ISM are projected to robustly increase, while signals for PR changes during DJFMA show a higher level of uncertainty and spatial heterogeneity. However, a robust decline in solid precipitation is projected over our research domain, with the exception of a small area in the high mountain Indus catchment where no clear signal emerges. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved