A structured model metametadata technique to enhance semantic searching in metadata repository

This paper discusses on a novel technique for semantic searching and retrieval of information about learning materials. A novel structured metametadata model has been created to provide the foundation for a semantic search engine to extract, match and map queries to retrieve relevant results. Metametadata encapsulate metadata instances by using the properties and attributes provided by ontologies rather than describing learning objects. The use of ontological views assists the pedagogical content of metadata extracted from learning objects by using the control vocabularies as identified from the metametadata taxonomy. The use of metametadata (based on the metametadata taxonomy) supported by the ontologies have contributed towards a novel semantic searching mechanism. This research has presented a metametadata model for identifying semantics and describing learning objects in finer-grain detail that allows for intelligent and smart retrieval by automated search and retrieval software

A manifesto for a socio-technical approach to NHS and social care IT-enabled business change - to deliver effective high quality health and social care for all

80% of IT projects are known to fail. Adopting a socio-technical approach will help them to succeed in the future. The socio-technical proposition is simply that any work system comprises both a social system (including the staff, their working practices, job roles, culture and goals) and a technical system (the tools and technologies that support and enable work processes). These elements together form a single system comprising interacting parts. The technical and the social elements need to be jointly designed (or redesigned) so that they are congruent and support one another in delivering a better service. Focusing on one aspect alone is likely to be sub-optimal and wastes money (Clegg, 2008). Thus projects that just focus on the IT will almost always fail to deliver the full benefits

Micro notes application for education : a proposed mobile micro note-taking architecture

Given the massive uptake in the domain of information and communication technology, there is great potential for integrating social media technologies with learning processes at universities. Social Network Sites (SNS), e.g. Twitter and Facebook, have been used in various educational activities. However, the use of such sites in educational activities is still generic often confining itself to aspects related to creating module notebooks. Hence, this study aims to employ SNS, and more specifically the features of Twitter, in the educational process so as to make it more effective than has been the case hitherto. Mobile technologies have also formed the basis for innovative note-taking solutions to be used by students in the classroom to cover the shortcomings of traditional notes. Based on mobile technologies and SNS features, this study proposes an architecture that provides undergraduate students with a new innovative note-taking tool. The architecture has been proposed to fit the students’ needs at higher education level as regards their note-taking practice. The proposed architecture was built based on a MVC three tier model that is used for interaction application. This issue has not been investigated in the literature and thus its usefulness to the learning process is still unexplored

Evaluating E-learning systems success : an empirical study

E-learning, as a direct result of the integration of technology and education, has emerged as a powerful medium of learning particularly using Internet technologies. The undeniable significance of e-learning in education has led to a massive growth in the number of e-learning courses and systems offering different types of services. Thus, evaluation of e-learning -systems is vital to ensure successful delivery, effective use, and positive impacts on learners. Based on an intensive review of the literature, a comprehensive model has been developed which provides a holistic picture and identifies different levels of success related to a broad range of success determinants. The model has been empirically validated by fitting the model to data collected from 563 students engaged with an e-learning system in one of the UK universities through a quantitative method of Partial Least Squares - Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The determinants of e-learning perceived satisfaction are technical system quality, information quality, service quality, support system quality, learner quality, instructor quality, and perceived usefulness, which together explain 71.4% of the variance of perceived satisfaction. The drivers of perceived usefulness are technical system quality, information quality, support system quality, learner quality, and instructor quality, and these explain 54.2% of the variance of perceived usefulness. Four constructs were found to be the determinants of e-learning use, namely educational system quality, support system quality, learner quality, and perceived usefulness, and together they account for 34.1%. Finally, 64.7% of the variance of e-learning benefits was explained by perceived usefulness, perceived satisfaction, and use

Exploring the impact of a flexible, technology-enhanced teaching space on pedagogy

Approaches to teaching and learning are increasingly influenced by the introduction of new technologies and innovative use of space. Recognising the need to keep up to date many institutions has created technology-rich, flexible spaces. Studies so far have concentrated on how students use such facilities; however, their availability also strongly impacts on teaching staff, presenting new possibilities and challenges. To encourage the development of activities that make the most of these resources, the University of Warwick launched the Teaching Grid (2008), a flexible space with state-of-the-art technology. Advisers support colleagues in developing and delivering novel, experimental teaching sessions. This paper reports on use of the facility during its first three years, considering the effects on pedagogy of experimental use of space and technology; this is correlated to an increase in number and variety of teaching and learning activities which, it is suggested, enhances the student experience

Visualizing the actin cytoskeleton in living plant cells using a photo-convertible mEos::FABD-mTn fluorescent fusion protein

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The actin cytoskeleton responds quickly to diverse stimuli and plays numerous roles in cellular signalling, organelle motility and subcellular compartmentation during plant growth and development. Molecular and cell biological tools that can facilitate visualization of actin organization and dynamics in a minimally invasive manner are essential for understanding this fundamental component of the living cell.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A novel, monomeric (m) Eos-fluorescent protein derived from the coral <it>Lobophyllia hemprichii </it>was assessed for its green to red photo-convertibility in plant cells by creating mEosFP-cytosolic. mEosFP was fused to the F-(filamentous)-Actin Binding Domain of the mammalian Talin gene to create mEosFP::FABDmTalin. Photo-conversion, visualization and colour quantification protocols were developed for EosFP targeted to the F-actin cytoskeleton. Rapid photo-conversion in the entire cell or in a region of interest was easily achieved upon illumination with an approximately 400 nm wavelength light beam using an epi-fluorescent microscope. Dual color imaging after photo-conversion was carried out using a confocal laser-scanning microscope. Time-lapse imaging revealed that although photo-conversion of single mEosFP molecules can be rapid in terms of live-cell imaging it involves a progressive enrichment of red fluorescent molecules over green species. The fluorescence of photo-converted cells thus progresses through intermediate shades ranging from green to red. The time taken for complete conversion to red fluorescence depends on protein expression level within a cell and the quality of the focusing lens used to deliver the illuminating beam. Three easily applicable methods for obtaining information on fluorescent intensity and colour are provided as a means of ensuring experimental repeatability and data quantification, when using mEosFP and similar photo-convertible proteins.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The mEosFP::FABD-mTn probe retains all the imaging qualities associated with the well tested GFP::mTn probe while allowing for non-invasive, regional photo-conversion that allows colour based discrimination within a living cell. Whereas a number of precautions should be exercised in dealing with photo-convertible probes, mEosFP::FABD-mTn is a versatile live imaging tool for dissecting the organization and activity of the actin cytoskeleton in plants.</p

Touchmover: Actuated 3d touchscreen with haptic feedback

ABSTRACT This paper presents the design and development of a novel visual+haptic device that co-locates 3D stereo visualization, direct touch and touch force sensing with a robotically actuated display. Our actuated immersive 3D display, called TouchMover, is capable of providing 1D movement (up to 36cm) and force feedback (up to 230N) in a single dimension, perpendicular to the screen plane. In addition to describing the details of our design, we showcase how TouchMover allows the user to: 1) interact with 3D objects by pushing them on the screen with realistic force feedback, 2) touch and feel the contour of a 3D object, 3) explore and annotate volumetric medical images (e.g., MRI brain scans) and 4) experience different activation forces and stiffness when interacting with common 2D on-screen elements (e.g., buttons). We also contribute the results of an experiment which demonstrates the effectiveness of the haptic output of our device. Our results show that people are capable of disambiguating between 10 different 3D shapes with the same 2D footprint by touching alone and without any visual feedback (85% recognition rate, 12 participants)

Rapid Mixing for Lattice Colorings with Fewer Colors

We provide an optimally mixing Markov chain for 6-colorings of the square lattice on rectangular regions with free, fixed, or toroidal boundary conditions. This implies that the uniform distribution on the set of such colorings has strong spatial mixing, so that the 6-state Potts antiferromagnet has a finite correlation length and a unique Gibbs measure at zero temperature. Four and five are now the only remaining values of q for which it is not known whether there exists a rapidly mixing Markov chain for q-colorings of the square lattice.Comment: Appeared in Proc. LATIN 2004, to appear in JSTA

Self-management strategies to consider to combat endometriosis symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic

The care of patients with endometriosis has been complicated by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Medical and allied healthcare appointments and surgeries are being temporarily postponed. Mandatory self-isolation has created new obstacles for individuals with endometriosis seeking pain relief and improvement in their quality of life. Anxieties may be heightened by concerns over whether endometriosis may be an underlying condition that could predispose to severe COVID-19 infection and what constitutes an appropriate indication for presentation for urgent treatment in the epidemic. Furthermore, the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 can impose negative psychological effects, which patients with endometriosis may be more prone to already. In combination with medical therapies, or as an alternative, we encourage patients to consider self-management strategies to combat endometriosis symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. These self-management strategies are divided into problem-focused and emotion-focused strategies, with the former aiming to change the environment to alleviate pain, and the latter address the psychology of living with endometriosis. We put forward this guidance, which is based on evidence and expert opinion, for healthcare providers to utilize during their consultations with patients via telephone or video. Patients may also independently use this article as an educational resource. The strategies discussed are not exclusively restricted to consideration during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most have been researched before this period of time and all will continue to be a part of the biopsychological approach to endometriosis long after COVID-19 restrictions are lifted

BAMMsat-on-BEXUS: A Technology and Operation Demonstration of a BioCubeSat Platform on a Stratospheric Balloon Flight Educational Program

This paper reports the current use of the REXUS/BEXUS educational program. The program allows university students across Europe to carry out scientific and technology experiments on research sounding rockets and balloons. BAMMsat-on-BEXUS (BoB) is an experiment from Cranfield University and University of Exeter performing a technology and operation demonstration of a bioCubeSat on a stratospheric balloon at an altitude of ~30km above the ground. BEXUS stands for Balloon Experiments for University Students and is realized under an agreement between the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA), European Space Agency (ESA), and EuroLaunch. The term bioCubeSat could be used to refer to a nanosatellite in a CubeSat format with a biological experiment on-board. Over the last decade, a series of six bioCubeSats have been launched into orbit by NASA and a private company, SpacePharma, i.e., GeneSat, PharmaSat, O/OREOS, SporeSat, Dido-2, and EcAMSat. The BAMMsat concept (Bioscience, Astrobiology, Medicine and Material science on CubeSat) is a bioscience hardware platform which aims to advance the current state of the art technology, under development at Cranfield University, for application in LEO and beyond LEO. This generic platform can be flown as a free-flying CubeSat or hosted as a payload on a larger spacecraft. BAMMsat utilizes COTS sensors, actuators, and fluidic components to enable bioscience experiments by reproducing the features in a traditional laboratory into a miniaturized “laboratory.” It is designed to be compatible with the mass, volume, and power budget of a CubeSat payload and flexible for a broad range of applications and biological systems such as microorganisms, nematode worms, and mammalian cells cultures, including human cell cultures. The core features of BAMMsat are the ability to (i) house multiple samples, (ii) maintain samples in an appropriate local environment (ii) perturb sample fluidically, and (iv) monitor samples. BoB aims to perform a technology and operation demonstration of the BAMMsat bioCubeSat payload in an extreme environment such as the stratosphere. The experiment is to be flown on the BEXUS30 flight campaign in October 2020 from ESRANGE Space Centre, Sweden. The stratosphere can be used as an analog of some aspect of a relevant spaceflight physical environment such as reduced pressure (near-vacuum; ~11 mbar), and temperature (-50°C). The BEXUS flight campaign could also be used as an analog of pre-flight, flight and post-flight operation similar to orbital launch campaign. For bioscience experiments, the biological samples often imposed additional requirement during pre-flight to ensure its viability. BoB will house C. elegans in a 2U pressure vessel to demonstrate its functionality to provide a controlled thermal and fluidic environment with appropriate housekeeping control. This functionality reflects the hardware capability to maintain a viable biological sample. BoB has a 3U CubeSat form factor with 2U allocated for the BAMMsat hardware and 1U allocated as the BAMMsat-on-BEXUS bus. This paper reports progress at four months before flight campaign. The paper also discusses an overview of the experiment objectives and systems design, to build a representative CubeSat that is translatable into a free-flying orbital CubeSat