A GeoSocial Intelligence Framework for Studying & Promoting Resilience to Seasonal Flooding in Jakarta, Indonesia

PetaJakarta.org is a web-based platform developed to harness the power of social media to gather, sort, and display information about flooding for Jakarta residents in real time. The platform runs on the open source software CogniCity—an OSS platform developed by the SMART Infrastructure Facility, University of Wollongong—which allows data to be collected and disseminated by community members through their location-enabled mobile devices. The project uses a GeoSocial Intelligence Framework to approach the complexity of Jakarta’s entangled hydraulic, hydrological and meteorological systems and thereby converts the noise of social media into knowledge about urban infrastructure and situational conditions related to flooding and inundation. In this paper, PetaJakarta.org co-directors Dr Tomas Holderness, Geomatics Research Fellow at the SMART Infrastructure Facility, Dr Etienne Turpin, Vice-Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the SMART Infrastructure Facility, and Dr Rohan Wickramasuriyam, GIS Research Fellow at the SMART Infrastructure Facility, will discuss their GeoSocial Intelligence Framework as it applies to their current research in Jakarta. They will also present their preliminary findings from their 2014 Twitter #DataGrant, which has allowed them to develop a correlative analysis between historic social media information, the Jakarta government’s flood maps, and the infrastructure used to manage critical flood emergencies. Finally, they will speculate on several future applications of the CogniCity OSS and suggest how it might be developed to further promote an integrated civic co-management platform with the support of business, industry, government and community organizations

Phone Selection Through Data Envelopment Analysis

Today’s digital era has increased the competition for smart devices tremendously, especially in the mobile phone industry. Each manufacturer is trying to out perform its competitors; therefore these phones are being created with a large amount of attractive features. It is important for consumers to understand these different features while comparing phones to choose the one the best suits his or her own needs. In this paper, we present the findings that compared eight different phones using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Features such as weight, battery power, standby time, and megapixels were considered as outputs, where as the retail price was the input. These input-output data were gathered by researching other similar studies, and then modified according to this specific analysis. As a result we will determine efficiency scores for each mobile device

Simulator-Based Learning: Achieving Performance Improvement Independent of Instructors

The Utah Department of Public Safety (UDPS) implemented a new driver training methodology in 2005, which they have used to train over 950 lawenforcement personnel over the past two years (2005–2006). The new methodology uses driving simulators for whole task practice and for measuring driver-performance. It places simulator-based practice between initial classroom instruction and test-track driver training. Prior analyses of the data collected for 355 drivers in the first year demonstrated that UDPS had successfully achieved: (1) objective measures of driver performance to establish pass/fail criteria, (2) effective motivation for drivers to improve their own performance, and (3) measures of the overall effectiveness of the training process. Summary reports of the first year of data collected at UDPS demonstrated: (1) SAS mitigation levels below the occurrence of test-track discomfort, and (2) a 67% reduction in risk for collisions by reduction of critical errors. The above success led to expanding the training to 598 new trainees in the second year. This paper reviews new driver performance data collected during 2006. Two additional trainers participated in that process. Analysis of this new data not only confirms the first year’s analysis, but newly establishes that: (1) improvement in driver performance is independent of the trainer(s), and (2) training benefit is a function of the sequence and number of exercises

Gem-induced cytoskeleton remodeling increases cellular migration of HTLV-1-infected cells, formation of infected-to-target T-cell conjugates and viral transmission

Efficient HTLV-1 viral transmission occurs through cell-to-cell contacts. The Tax viral transcriptional activator protein facilitates this process. Using a comparative transcriptomic analysis, we recently identified a series of genes up-regulated in HTLV-1 Tax expressing T-lymphocytes. We focused our attention towards genes that are important for cytoskeleton dynamic and thus may possibly modulate cell-to-cell contacts. We first demonstrate that Gem, a member of the small GTP-binding proteins within the Ras superfamily, is expressed both at the RNA and protein levels in Tax-expressing cells and in HTLV-1-infected cell lines. Using a series of ChIP assays, we show that Tax recruits CREB and CREB Binding Protein (CBP) onto a c-AMP Responsive Element (CRE) present in the gem promoter. This CRE sequence is required to drive Tax-activated gem transcription. Since Gem is involved in cytoskeleton remodeling, we investigated its role in infected cells motility. We show that Gem co-localizes with F-actin and is involved both in T-cell spontaneous cell migration as well as chemotaxis in the presence of SDF-1/CXCL12. Importantly, gem knock-down in HTLV-1-infected cells decreases cell migration and conjugate formation. Finally, we demonstrate that Gem plays an important role in cell-to-cell viral transmission

Computational studies of folding and binding of polypeptides

In this thesis molecular dynamics simulations, in conjunction with the complementary methods of docking and QM-MM, are used, and further developed, to study two unusual polypeptide systems: the conformational preferences of isomers of an antibiotic peptide and the binding behaviour of a human transporter protein. The antibiotic peptides are analogues of a naturally occurring antibacterial called nisin which has a biological function dependent on the formation of five macrocyclic rings closed by a thioether bond between modified L-amino and D-amino residues. We propose analogues where the thioether bond is replaced by a disulfide bond between cysteine residues and the chirality of the cysteines is altered. The conformational preferences of the nisin analogues, and the dependence of ring formation on cysteine chirality, are characterised using molecular dynamics. An analogue (D-Cys3-D-Cys7-L-Cys8-L-Cys11) is identified that favours the simultaneous formation of the S3-S7 and S8-S11 disulfide bonds and has an RMSD of 0.6 Å to 1.7 Å between the centroids from clustering the MD trajectories and an NMR structure of wt-nisin. The nisin analogues contain unusual D-amino residues and using explicit solvent MD simulations of four polypeptides, it is shown that the (φ, ψ) → (-φ, -ψ) transformation of the CMAP term in the CHARMM potential energy function leads to sampling of conformations which are closest to X-ray crystallographic structures for D-amino residues and that the standard CMAP correction destabilises D-amino β-sheets and β-turns. The ileal lipid binding protein (ILBP) shows cooperative binding comparable to haemoglobin and unusual site selectivity where one ligand will completely displace another from a binding site, despite both sites having an affinity for each ligand type and the ligands only differing by a single hydroxyl group. A probable location of the third binding site of ILBP is identified which has a role in the allosteric binding mechanism. MD simulations indicate that binding to this exterior site induces changes in the orientation of the α-helices with respect to the β-barrel by ~10°. An energetic mechanism of site selectivity for ILBP is proposed using evidence from MD simulations. The higher hydrophobicity of chenodeoxycholic acid leads it to sit deeper in the binding cavity and interact with Gln-51. This causes the cholic acid ligand to be deeper and induces the helices to move closer to the β-barrel, preventing further ligand exchange

Voice Image: developing a new construct for vocal identity

This study sought to understand the nature of a singer’s relationship with their voice, a construct I call voice image. Voice image is defined as: a complex, multidimensional construct that includes self-perceptions and attitudes (i.e. thoughts, feelings, and behaviours) with regard to the voice. This definition is modified from Avalos et al’s (2005) definition of body image. The relationship a singer has with their voice is complicated. Vocal pedagogy texts may acknowledge that this relationship exists, but they do not offer teachers guidance or information. Music education and music psychology research address singer or non-singer identity, stereotypes and personalities of singers, and aspects of singer identity as individual ideas. My research seeks to link these items holistically while exploring additional aspects of the self/voice formation and function. Through a thematic analysis of eleven interviews of individuals who had received at least an undergraduate degree with voice as their primary instrument, I sought to answer the following questions: What are the voice self-perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes (or voice image) of classically trained singers between the ages of 22 and 35? What are the domains of voice image? How is voice image formed? How does voice image evolve? Why does voice image matter? I developed four themes in response to these questions: The Box, Qualities of - or Barriers to- Professional Success, Singer/Voice Relationship, and Coping with Threats to Voice Image. These themes show that voice image is multifaceted and complex, and changes throughout an individual’s lifetime. Voice image has the potential to change the way singers are taught and has additional ramifications for those recovering from vocal injury, dealing with trauma related to singing experiences, or who are undergoing vocal changes

Engaging Graduate Students in the Online Learning Environment: A Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Approach to Teacher Preparation

Today’s classroom is more diverse than ever; it is imperative that universities find solutions for meeting these diverse learning needs. One potential solution is Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which is a promising practice in the K-12 classroom. UDL is based on the idea that diversity among students is predictable and systematic adjustments to the curriculum should be made based on that predictability. While there is strong research supporting the use of UDL for traditional K-12 classrooms, there is little research regarding its implementation in the online university teacher preparation classroom. This study explores the use of UDL for increasing student engagement in online Special Education teacher preparation courses. The authors seek to expand on the literature regarding the use of UDL in the university setting by examining the impact of engagement strategies in online Special Education teacher preparation courses. Results of a case study utilizing a qualitative survey of online teacher preparation candidates are examined

Los Angeles Summer Midday Particulate Carbon: Primary and Secondary Aerosol

Aerosol sampling during photochemically active times across the Los Angeles Basin has provided evidence of secondary formation of organic aerosol from gas-phase precursors at midday. Ambient organic carbon/elemental carbon ratios exceeded the estimated ratio of organic carbon/elemental carbon in primary source emissions on most sampling days at all sites. The concentration of secondary organic aerosol was calculated by using ambient data and estimates of the organic carbon/elemental carbon ratio in primary source emissions. Nonparametric sign correlations comparing calculated secondary organic carbon concentrations with tracers of both primary and secondary aerosols supported the method used to quantify secondary organic carbon. Secondary organic aerosol appears to have contributed roughly half of the organic aerosol in Pasadena during midday summer conditions

Computational studies of folding and binding of polypeptides

In this thesis molecular dynamics simulations, in conjunction with the complementary methods of docking and QM-MM, are used, and further developed, to study two unusual polypeptide systems: the conformational preferences of isomers of an antibiotic peptide and the binding behaviour of a human transporter protein. The antibiotic peptides are analogues of a naturally occurring antibacterial called nisin which has a biological function dependent on the formation of five macrocyclic rings closed by a thioether bond between modified L-amino and D-amino residues. We propose analogues where the thioether bond is replaced by a disulfide bond between cysteine residues and the chirality of the cysteines is altered. The conformational preferences of the nisin analogues, and the dependence of ring formation on cysteine chirality, are characterised using molecular dynamics. An analogue (D-Cys3-D-Cys7-L-Cys8-L-Cys11) is identified that favours the simultaneous formation of the S3-S7 and S8-S11 disulfide bonds and has an RMSD of 0.6 Å to 1.7 Å between the centroids from clustering the MD trajectories and an NMR structure of wt-nisin. The nisin analogues contain unusual D-amino residues and using explicit solvent MD simulations of four polypeptides, it is shown that the (φ, ψ) → (-φ, -ψ) transformation of the CMAP term in the CHARMM potential energy function leads to sampling of conformations which are closest to X-ray crystallographic structures for D-amino residues and that the standard CMAP correction destabilises D-amino β-sheets and β-turns. The ileal lipid binding protein (ILBP) shows cooperative binding comparable to haemoglobin and unusual site selectivity where one ligand will completely displace another from a binding site, despite both sites having an affinity for each ligand type and the ligands only differing by a single hydroxyl group. A probable location of the third binding site of ILBP is identified which has a role in the allosteric binding mechanism. MD simulations indicate that binding to this exterior site induces changes in the orientation of the α-helices with respect to the β-barrel by ~10°. An energetic mechanism of site selectivity for ILBP is proposed using evidence from MD simulations. The higher hydrophobicity of chenodeoxycholic acid leads it to sit deeper in the binding cavity and interact with Gln-51. This causes the cholic acid ligand to be deeper and induces the helices to move closer to the β-barrel, preventing further ligand exchange

Prevalence and treatment of hypertension, diabetes and asthma in Kenya: A representative household survey in eight counties in 2016

Objectives: In 2014, 27% of total deaths in Kenya were due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The objectives of this study were: 1) To report on the prevalence of households with members diagnosed and treated for hypertension, diabetes, and asthma in eight counties in Kenya, and 2) To explore possible reasons for the variation in prevalence of these three NCDs in the different counties. Design, Setting andSubjects: A total of 7,870 households in a representative sample in eight Kenyan counties were screened for the presence of any non-communicable disease. Diagnosis and treatment data on these NCDs was collected and compared using county specific independent data from the 2014 Kenyan Demographic Health Survey (DHS).Main Outcome Measures: Over all the eight surveyed counties, 10.7% of households reported having one or more individuals with an NCD. The county specific prevalence varied from 3% to 30.2%. Of the 7,870 households surveyed, 6.9% reported having a diagnosis of hypertension, 3.2% of asthma, and 2.3% of diabetes.Results: The strongest explanatory variables for the variation in overall prevalence of NCDs related to access to health services and lifestyle risk factors. Conclusion: The prevalence of reported NCDs varies considerably between  counties in Kenya. Reasons may relate to a lack of access to diagnostic facilities or  ifferences in lifestyle risk factors. We recommend a comprehensive field survey of biometric, health access, and lifestyle risk factors to determine the true prevalence and related risk factors for NCDs in Kenya