cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Nuvole di punti ad alta densità: visualizzazione ed interazione
Creators: name: Sala, Nicholas
Publisher: name: Scuola Universitaria della Svizzera Italiana (SUPSI)
Year: 2019

description: A team at University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland is developing a system for the classification of high-density point clouds. To verify the goodness of the classification algorithm a tool to visualize the point clouds is needed. Moreover, the tool must provide the possibility to fluidly interact with the cloud (move, zoom,...). Due to the large size of the point clouds and their high density, the implementation of such a tool is not a trivial task. In this document the steps taken to develop a prototype are presented. A short description of the state of the art will be provided. The libraries taken into account, the experiments made with them and the obtained results will be described in detail. After presenting the criteria used to choose the library for the final prototype, it will be explained how the prototype has been implemented and the adjustments done to the chosen library. In the final part of this document possible future developments will be exposed. *** Un team presso la Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana sta realizzando un sistema per la classificazione di nuvole di punti ad alta densità. Per valutare l’accuratezza dell’algoritmo di classificazione è necessario realizzare uno strumento in grado di visualizzare le nuvole di punti. Oltre alla visualizzazione, questo strumento dovrà permettere l’interazione, in maniera fluida, con le nuvole (muoverle, zoom, ...). A seguito della dimensione delle nuvole e della loro elevata densità, la realizzazione di un’applicazione in grado di soddisfare le esigenze appena esposte risulta un’operazione tutt’altro che banale. In questo documento verranno presentati tutti i passi fatti per la creazione di un prototipo. Dopo una breve esposizione dello stato dell’arte, saranno descritte in dettaglio le librerie prese in considerazione, gli esperimenti fatti e i risultati ottenuti. Dopo aver presentato i criteri utilizzati per la scelta della libreria da usare nel prototipo finale, verrà spiegato come quest’ultimo è stato implementato e quali modifiche sono state apportate alla libreria scelta. Nella parte finale di questo documento saranno esposti alcuni possibili sviluppi futuri.
Assessment of rim seal ingestion using CFD and ingestion modelling
Creators: name: Almendral Fernandez, Gonzalo
Publisher: name: University of Surrey
Year: 2020

description: In this work, both CFD and ingestion models are used to assess ingestion in the low pressure turbine section of a jet engine at a high power condition, the CFD comprising URANS and zonal-hybrid URANS-LES methodologies. The prediction is compared with experimental data, obtained via engine testing. The level of seal clearance and coolant mass-ﬂow inside the secondary air system cavities of the turbine has a range of uncertainty during testing. In the ﬁrst part of this work a small-sector URANS computation with the boundary conditions reﬂecting the best understanding of the engine during testing is carried out and a miss-match with experiments found. As a result, a sensitivity analysis with the seal clearance and coolant mass-ﬂow is undertaken, in which it is found that the inges tion prediction is largely aﬀected by these two parameters. To assess the eﬀect of the computation of turbulence, a zonal-hybrid URANS-LES computation is carried out at the condition with the best understanding of the test and it is found that the ingestion prediction improves compared to a URANS computation. The similar ﬂow structures obtained between the two approaches suggests that the improvement is due to more accurate turbulent mixing being predicted by the zonal-hybrid URANS-LES computation. Finally, some ingestion models are tuned to the CFD data originating from the sensitivity analysis. An optimization study with the resulting sealing eﬃciency characteristic is then carried out and a condition that minimizes the error to the experimental data found. A new small-sector URANS computation at this condition is unable to match the experimental data, with a greater miss-match found in the more radially inwards region of the cavity. Due to the better agreement of the CFD solution to the ingestion models in the part of the cavity closer to the main annulus than in the more radially inwards part of the cavity, it is suggested that predicting the ﬂow structure in this region is key to the ingestion prediction. Considering the improvement seen with the zonal-hybrid methodology it is argued that a similar optimization study using this methodology would have improved the alignment to the experimental condition.
A Unifying Framework to Enable Artificial Intelligence in High Performance Computing Workflows
Creators: name: Domke, Jens
name: Wahib, Mohamed
name: Dubey, Anshu
name: Ben-Nun, Tal
name: Draeger, Erik W.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Distributed, Parallel, and Cluster Computing (cs.DC)
subject: Software Engineering (cs.SE)
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: Current trends point to a future where large-scale scientific applications are tightly-coupled HPC/AI hybrids. Hence, we urgently need to invest in creating a seamless, scalable framework where HPC and AI/ML can efficiently work together and adapt to novel hardware and vendor libraries without starting from scratch every few years. The current ecosystem and sparsely-connected community are not sufficient to tackle these challenges, and we require a breakthrough catalyst for science similar to what PyTorch enabled for AI.
description: article is still in press; DOI was already assgined by publisher; publication will appear in Computing in Science & Engineering (CiSE) https://www.computer.org/csdl/magazine/cs
Determination of the Residual Stress Within Vapour Deposited Glass Coatings Using Focused Ion Beam Techniques
Creators: name: Lescoffit, Jauffrey
Publisher: name: University of Surrey
Year: 2024
Subjects: Residual stress measurement
Float glass
X-ray diffraction
Beams (Radiation)
Elastomers or Coatings
Electron Microscopy
Glasses
Microscopy
Radiosources, Infrared, X-ray, Gamma Ray
Thin Films

description: The incorporation of new coating technologies is complicated by the systematic generation of residual stresses, which are challenging to assess and can affect performances. A fast and reliable measurement technique could considerably speed up the development of cutting-edge glass products and reduce their cost.
In this work, the applicability of two techniques based on focused ion beam (FIB) milling and digital image correlation (DIC) to thin-films on glass has been investigated. Double-slot/ring-core FIB-DIC and cantilever ion-beam layer removal (ILR) were applied to Al-doped ZnO, Nb2O5 and F-doped SnO2 coatings deposited on Si wafers and glass substrates. Multi-reflection sin2(ψ) grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) was also applied for comparison.
All three techniques showed similar depth profiles, with tensile stress at the coating surface, changing to compressive within the film and reaching a maximum near the coating/substrate interface. For an AZO film, both XRD and FIB-DIC gave an average stress of -0.39±0.02 GPa and a maximal compressive value of -0.86±0.01 GPa, while a stress gradient of -1.95±0.03 GPa/μm was observed for the Nb2O5 at depths between 0.15 and 0.42 μm. Variations up to an order of magnitude were observed with the three techniques, which is understandable considering the different analysis depths and methodologies employed. Applying FIB-DIC over smaller areas of interest led to significant levels of noise due to ion-beam damage. However, stress alternations detected at the FTO layer interfaces matched those observed with cantilever ILR. The ILR depth resolution was also improved around the interfaces down to a few nanometres.
Due to the novelty and challenges of this project, guidelines enabling practical use of the FIB-based methods for coatings on non-conducting glass substrates have been compiled. Promising results were obtained but more work is required to make them viable for the glass industry, the main challenges being ion-beam-induced damage and charge build-up.
Supplementary document for Independent contribution of optical attenuation length in ultrafast laser-induced structural change - 5427540.pdf
Creators: name: Shibuya, Tatsunori
name: Sakaue, Kazuyuki
name: Ogawa, Hiroshi
name: Satoh, Daisuke
name: Dinh, Thanh-Hung
name: Ishino, Masahiko
name: Tanaka, Masahito
name: Washio, Masakazu
name: Higashiguchi, Takeshi
name: Nishikino, Masaharu
Publisher: name: Optica Publishing Group
Year: 2025
Subjects: Uncategorized

description: Supplement 1
Self-Configuration and Monitoring of Service Specific Overlay Networks
Creators: name: Abdeljaouad, Imad
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: Monitoring
Management
SSON
Autonomic
IPTV
Overlay Networks
Quality of Experience

description: The constant growth in network communications technologies and the emergence of Service Specific Overlay Networks (SSONs), coupled with the rapid development of multimedia applications make the management of such technologies a major challenge. This thesis investigates the SSONs management problem and proposes an autonomic architecture, a self-organizing and self-adapting algorithm, and a utility function for monitoring the Quality of Experience (QoE) of IPTV streams in SSONs. First, we examine the different issues stemming from the autonomic management of SSONs and identify the limitations of existing approaches. We then propose an architecture to ease the management of SSONs by incorporating autonomic computing principles to make SSONs acquire self-management capabilities. The proposed architecture introduces autonomic control loops that continuously monitor network components and analyze the gathered data. An Autonomic System (AS) is comprised of one or more Autonomic Managers (AM) which take control of managing other elements in the network. The proposed architecture highlights the different components of an AM and identifies its purpose. The distributed nature of the proposed architecture avoids limitations of centralized management solutions. We then propose a scheme to allow AMs to emerge among the set of nodes in the network as the most powerful ones in terms of different factors, including processing capabilities and stability. Using a self-organizing and self-adapting distributed protocol, each node in the overlay selects an appropriate AM to report to so that sensed data is delivered error-free, and in a timely manner, while the load is distributed over the AMs. Finally, we propose a utility function to monitor the quality of IPTV streams by predicting QoE based on statistical Quality of Service (QoS) information. The proposed function is simple and does not require high processing power. It allows the QoE of IPTV users to be monitored in real-time by the AMs, so that quality degradations are accurately identified and adaptation mechanisms are triggered at the right moment to correct issues causing degradations. Theoretical analysis and simulations studies are presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed schemes.
Problemi additivi cinesi con variazione: possibile trasposizione didattica e culturale in una seconda elementare ticinese
Creators: name: Bucci, Ilary
Publisher: name: Scuola Universitaria della Svizzera Italiana (SUPSI)
Year: 2020
Subjects: problem solving
problemi additivi
problemi cinesi con variazione
trasferibilità di pratiche didattiche
artefatto cognitivo testuale

description: I problemi con variazione costituiscono una delle espressioni più peculiari della didattica cinese. Grazie a questa pratica, i bambini di I e II elementare arrivano ad affrontare molto presto pagine ricche di problemi e diagrammi che, per le loro caratteristiche, noi giudicheremmo molto complesse. Per il campo additivo, ambito della presente ricerca, in Cina si impara fin dai primissimi anni di scolarizzazione ad affrontare addizione e sottrazione contemporaneamente, secondo un approccio affine a quanto preconizzato da Vergnaud. Ecco allora che la pagina dei nove problemi delle anatre nello stagno, tramite cui questo metodo arriva a noi, si fa artefatto testuale e cognitivo del campo additivo. È dunque possibile utilizzarla per “trasferire” il metodo cinese anche in una classe di II elementare ticinese? In che modo allievi con competenze diverse si appropriano di questo artefatto? Quali adattamenti culturali e didattici si rendono necessari per consentire tale appropriazione? Allo scopo di sviluppare le abilità risolutive dei bambini e condurli a un uso consapevole della schematizzazione, la presente ricerca-azione, ha indagato questi aspetti. Ha messo in luce gli adattamenti e le regolazioni necessarie e ha mostrato che una trasferibilità è possibile. I dati quantitativi e qualitativi mostrano che i bambini ticinesi riescono ad appropriarsi dell’artefatto e a manipolare la variazione, confrontandosi con una corretta comprensione del campo concettuale additivo. Relatrice: Rossana Falcade Pincolini.
Exploring young people’s perspectives on apps for mental health and wellbeing : a qualitative study.
Creators: name: Jones, Katrina
Publisher: name: University of Surrey
Year: 2020

description: Background: There are growing numbers of smartphone apps to support the mental health of young people (YP). The NHS Long Term Plan outlines a key focus on the use of technology to support health and wellbeing. Mental health apps (MHapps) have potential to help YP, but the evidence base for their efficacy is not clear, and research exploring young people’s attitudes towards MHapps is lacking. Further in depth investigations and methodologically robust research are needed, where diverse populations of YP are included in research process, examining the development, content, safety, efficacy, and effectiveness of MHapps. Objective: This study explores the attitudes of university students (age 18 – 19) towards smartphone apps for mental health, and perspectives on their use. The purpose is to continue to inform effective design, engagement and evaluation of MHapps for YP. Method: This study used a qualitative research design, conducting five focus groups with young people aged 18 - 19 years. The data was analysed using Thematic Analysis. Results: Two major themes emerged: value and engagement – each contained a number of subthemes. Findings are discussed in context of functionality and delivery of apps; help-seeking and engagement; evidence base; co-production and evaluation of apps; and universality. Implications for policy, practice and future research are discussed. Conclusions: MHapps have numerous merits among young people, but concerns relating to app design, function and credibility need to be addressed. We should be cautious about a ‘one size fits all’ approach. There is a need to better understand how YP use MHapps, and it is essential that MHapps are co-designed with young people, clinicians and app developers, and are subject to evaluation.
Mapping Tree Species Deciduousness of Tropical Dry Forests Combining Reflectance, Spectral Unmixing, and Texture Data from High-Resolution Imagery
Creators: name: Huechacona-Ruiz, Astrid Helena
name: Dupuy, Juan Manuel
name: Schwartz, Naomi B.
name: Powers, Jennifer S.
name: Reyes-García, Casandra
name: Tun-Dzul, Fernando
name: Hernández-Stefanoni, José Luis
Publisher: name: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Year: 2020

description: In tropical dry forests, deciduousness (i.e., leaf shedding during the dry season) is an important adaptation of plants to cope with water limitation, which helps trees adjust to seasonal drought. Deciduousness is also a critical factor determining the timing and duration of carbon fixation rates, and affecting energy, water, and carbon balance. Therefore, quantifying deciduousness is vital to understand important ecosystem processes in tropical dry forests. The aim of this study was to map tree species deciduousness in three types of tropical dry forests along a precipitation gradient in the Yucatan Peninsula using Sentinel-2 imagery. We propose an approach that combines reflectance of visible and near-infrared bands, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), spectral unmixing deciduous fraction, and several texture metrics to estimate the spatial distribution of tree species deciduousness. Deciduousness in the study area was highly variable and decreased along the precipitation gradient, while the spatial variation in deciduousness among sites followed an inverse pattern, ranging from 91.5 to 43.3% and from 3.4 to 9.4% respectively from the northwest to the southeast of the peninsula. Most of the variation in deciduousness was predicted jointly by spectral variables and texture metrics, but texture metrics had a higher exclusive contribution. Moreover, including texture metrics as independent variables increased the variance of deciduousness explained by the models from R2 = 0.56 to R2 = 0.60 and the root mean square error (RMSE) was reduced from 16.9% to 16.2%. We present the first spatially continuous deciduousness map of the three most important vegetation types in the Yucatan Peninsula using high-resolution imagery.
La sostenibilità ambientale dei processi logistici nell’ambito di una Supply Chain globale e complessa: proposti metodi e strumenti in Schindler Group
Creators: name: Campello, Alessandro
Publisher: name: Scuola Universitaria della Svizzera Italiana (SUPSI)
Year: 2020

description: Abstract Il lavoro consiste nella realizzazione di due tool prototipali sviluppati in MS Excel. Ciò che si presenta è il risultato di un interessante e costruttivo lavoro di collaborazione realizzato con i colleghi delle succursali di Zaragoza e di Locarno. Come discusso ampliamente nel lavoro, il primo tool consiste nel calcolo delle emissioni totali di CO2 equivalente, seguendo lo standard EN16258 e la metodologia CLECAT, il quale sfrutta i dati aziendali estratti dal software gestionale ERP di SAP. Questo tool è in grado di determinare le emissioni relative alle attività di trasporto, globali per un periodo desiderato, ma anche riferite ad uno specifico ordine, di uno specifico hub logistico o di una specifica nazione in cui viene effettuata la consegna; il tutto analizzabile grazie ad una semplice dashboard, che presenta i risultati attraverso dei grafici. Il lavoro continua poi presentando anche un secondo tool, realizzato per tener traccia dell’utilizzo delle materie prime per le attività di imballaggio dei prodotti.
Chemerin and Prohibitin in the Regulation of Ovarian Follicular Development and their Potential Involvement in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Creators: name: Wang, Qi
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2013
Subjects: Follicular Development
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Steroidogenesis
Chemerin
Prohibitin

description: Follicular growth and maturation are tightly regulated processes, which involve the participation of endocrine, autocrineparacrine factors and intracellular molecules. Due to the numerous research efforts, a large number of regulators and their mechanisms of regulation of follicular growth and differentiation have been established. Although the abnormal expression and activities of some of these regulators are believed to be associated with ovarian dysfunction diseases, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), the etiology and pathogenesis of this syndrome are not completely understood. In this thesis, we have identified two novel regulators of follicular growth and differentiation and examined the cellular and molecular mechanisms that contribute to the folliculogenesis. We present here that chemerin reduces FSH-induced steroidogenic enzyme expression and steroid hormone production in follicles and granulosa cells. Prohibitin expression is upregulated by chemerin and knockdown of prohibitin attenuates the suppressive role of chemerin on steroidogenesis, an action regulated by Akt. Using an androgenized rodent model, we also present the dysregulation of chemerin and prohibitin and their association with dysregulated follicular steroidogenesis. Our data and preliminary clinical studies demonstrate the potential involvement of chemerin and prohibitin in the etiology of PCOS. These studies significantly improve the knowledge of ovarian functions and the pathophysiology of PCOS, and provide important clues for the development of novel diagnosis biomarkers and new treatment strategies for this complex syndrome.
The Cognitive and Neural Effects of Sustained Mindfulness Training in Patients with Persistent Depression
Creators: name: Hamilton, Jonathan
Publisher: name: University of Surrey
Year: 2024
Subjects: Mindfulness; depression; blended intervention; online; feasibility; acceptability; qualitative; neuroscience.

description: Depression is one of the leading mental health problems and can affect all aspects of life, which has wider implications for society. For many people depression can come and go, and last for years or even decades. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) was developed for prevention of recurrent depression and is increasingly used to treat persistent depression. There is substantial evidence showing it is effective. However, its availability remains limited, a considerable proportion of graduates relapse, and participants may find it difficult to continue mindfulness practice beyond the standard 8-weeks. The research reported in this thesis aimed to address these challenges by testing an individual blended mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) that was designed to support patients with their mindfulness practice over a longer period of time.
It was conducted in two stages and this thesis reports results in four separate studies. Following initial pilot testing with University students, the first stage served to test feasibility and acceptability of the intervention in depressed patients over a period of 3-months (reported as study 1). Results were encouraging and suggested a number of small changes to the intervention. The second stage served to test the intervention in depressed patients over a period of 6-months. The thesis reports findings on clinical outcomes and psychological mechanism of this intervention (study 2), changes in hippocampal volume (study 3) and qualitative analyses of patient and therapist experiences (study 4).
Results from the second stage showed that the intervention was effective at developing mindfulness skills and reducing depression, but brain imaging assessments didn’t find significant changes in hippocampal volume.
This research suggests that the alternative format tested can have significant beneficial effects. Brain effects will need to be investigated more thoroughly.
Applying Supervised Learning Algorithms and a New Feature Selection Method to Predict Coronary Artery Disease
Creators: name: Duan, Haoyang
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2014
Subjects: SNPs
GWAS
Data Science
Mass Transportation Distance
Dimensionality Reduction
Random Projections
Supervised Learning Theory
Coronary Artery Disease
K-Nearest Neighbour Classifier
Universal Consistency

description: From a fresh data science perspective, this thesis discusses the prediction of coronary artery disease based on Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) from the Ontario Heart Genomics Study (OHGS). First, the thesis explains the k-Nearest Neighbour (k-NN) and Random Forest learning algorithms, and includes a complete proof that k-NN is universally consistent in finite dimensional normed vector spaces. Second, the thesis introduces two dimensionality reduction techniques: Random Projections and a new method termed Mass Transportation Distance (MTD) Feature Selection. Then, this thesis compares the performance of Random Projections with k-NN against MTD Feature Selection and Random Forest for predicting artery disease. Results demonstrate that MTD Feature Selection with Random Forest is superior to Random Projections and k-NN. Random Forest is able to obtain an accuracy of 0.6660 and an area under the ROC curve of 0.8562 on the OHGS dataset, when 3335 SNPs are selected by MTD Feature Selection for classification. This area is considerably better than the previous high score of 0.608 obtained by Davies et al. in 2010 on the same dataset.
I giochi di società: uno strumento utile al docente per poter sviluppare la motivazione e le competenze trasversali dei bambini
Creators: name: Pescia, Martina
Publisher: name: Scuola Universitaria della Svizzera Italiana (SUPSI)
Year: 2022
Subjects: giochi di società
motivazione
competenze trasversali
libertà

description: Il gioco di società viene spesso citato nel Piano di studio della scuola dell’obbligo ticinese come uno strumento fondamentale allo sviluppo del bambino. Questo però viene sempre meno utilizzato in classe dai docenti in quanto si pensa che possa essere una perdita di tempo, preferendo quindi le attività più tradizionali. Attraverso la sperimentazione svolta nella 2A elementare dell’istituto di Cureglia, si vuole comprendere se il gioco di società può essere uno strumento valido e utile per sviluppare nello specifico le competenze trasversali e la motivazione dei bambini. Per verificare l’ipotesi iniziale si è attuata una ricerca-azione dove sono stati proposti dei momenti in cui i soggetti hanno utilizzato i giochi di società in maniera autogestita e il docente assumeva quindi il ruolo di regista, occupandosi di gestire e moderare i momenti di discussione svolti. Dall’osservazione svolta in classe e dalla raccolta dei dati, emerge che il gioco di società è uno strumento utile allo sviluppo delle competenze trasversali e della motivazione ad apprendere dei bambini. Relatore: Reto Torti.
The characterisation of foot-and-mouth disease viral populations subjected to host immune pressure
Creators: name: King, David
Publisher: name: University of Surrey
Year: 2020

description: Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) typically exists within a replication site as a heterogeneous population. This diversity allows FMDV populations to rapidly adapt to new selection pressures, for example an immune response. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies allow for this sequence diversity to be characterised, however challenges still exist to distinguish real biological variation from process-introduced error. To improve variant calling accuracy, artificial DNA and RNA based populations containing sequence variants at known positions and frequencies were created. These were used to systematically investigate the impact of different laboratory and bioinformatics protocols on variant calling and error generation in HTS datasets. Analysis revealed that variants as low as 0.2% could be predicted in all DNA populations and RNA samples with a high amount of template. While decreasing the amount of RNA input required higher frequency percentage thresholds and more technical replicates to maintain accuracy. The optimised pipeline was applied to FMDV infected epithelium samples derived from vaccinated cattle and identified capsid surface bound substitutions associated with immune escape, all of which were unique to individual viral populations. In order to establish more control over the viral and antibody input, an in vitro experiment was performed with FMDV passaged in the presence of sub-neutralising antibody serum derived from vaccinated cattle. HTS analysis identified capsid surface bound immune escape associated substitutions, unique to individual viral populations. This thesis includes a novel systematic approach to accurately characterise low-frequency variants and demonstrates the evolutionary nature of FMDV, with results suggesting at an individual replication site, immune escape evolution is a stochastic process. Characterising immune escape associated substitutions within FMDV populations has the capacity to improve the fundamental understanding of FMDV evolution which in turn can be used to inform vaccine design and FMD control strategies.
What Your Nose Knows : Affective, Cognitive, and Behavioral Responses to the Scent of Another Person
Creators: name: Hofer, Marlise
name: Chen, Frances S.
name: Schaller, Mark, 1962-
Publisher: name: Current Directions in Psychological Science
Year: 2021

description: People readily perceive and react to the body odors of other people, with a wide range of implications for affective, cognitive, and behavioral responses. This article provides an overview of recent research in this area. It summarizes the process by which people associate body odors with different kinds of interpersonally relevant information, briefly reviews two lines of research on responses to strangers’ body odors (research on olfactory cues and emotions; research on olfactory cues and impression formation), and also reviews new research on the psychological consequences of smelling loved ones’ odors—including consequences for stress reduction and sleep enhancement. It concludes with a discussion of emerging research questions and methodological considerations that may help guide future inquiry into the various ways that the odors of other people influence our emotions, cognitions, relationships, and health.
Quantifying the antigenic variation of Newcastle disease viruses
Creators: name: MAYERS, JOANNA
Publisher: name: University of Surrey
Year: 2022

description: Newcastle disease (ND), caused by Newcastle disease virus (NDV), the virulent form of avian orthoavulavirus type 1 (AOAV-1), is regarded as one of the most important avian diseases worldwide. Vaccination against ND has historically been limited in its ability to control the spread of the virus, but has continued to reduce the burden of clinical disease.

description:

description: To improve our understanding of factors that contribute to vaccine efficacy, 22 AOAV-1 isolates were sequenced that represent the full range of genetic and antigenic diversity. A comprehensive analysis was undertaken based on fusion (F) and hemagglutinin-neuraminindase (HN) protein sequences identifying thirteen novel amino acid substitutions. Based on these mutations, 3D predicted structural protein models were generated to assess the structural properties of antigenic sites, providing evidence that substitutions have a potential to impact on epitope recognition and subsequent vaccine failure. In total, 16 isolates were selected for further in-depth assessment through the application of binding assays to understand antigenic relationships highlighting that cross-hemagglutinin inhibition data which forms the basis for AOAV serotyping offers very little discrimination. However, cross-virus neutralisation assays show a number of outliers providing growing evidence that AOAV-1 is antigenically evolving. Utilising this data, antigenic cartography was performed for the first time to visualise and quantify the antigenic relationships of AOAV-1 demonstrating that antigenic cartography is applicable to AOAV-1 and can be accurately represented in 3D maps. Whilst they generally support the outputs from traditional statistical analysis, they reveal that AOAV-1 does not form a single cluster demonstrating that AOAV-1 is evolving slowly.

description:

description: Overall, the results of this study have shown that although AOAV-1 is considered a single serotype, measurable differences have been observed taking us a step closer to understanding the antigenic relations of AOAV-1 and thereby helping the control of ND and supporting the world’s poultry production and food security.
Scuola-museo: una linea che si trasforma
Creators: name: Prazak, Amelia
Publisher: name: Scuola Universitaria della Svizzera Italiana (SUPSI)
Year: 2023
Subjects: museo

description: Il presente contributo si propone di riflettere sulla relazione scuola-museo, in particolare indaga in che modo una fruizione museale educata, consapevole e attiva, si faccia esperienza e assunzione di uno slancio progettuale, insito nell'opera, che il progetto espositivo può "attivare. La ricerca è sostenuta dalla visione del museo come spazio performativo che richiede al fruitore di attivare mente e corpo, questionandosi sull'importanza dell'esperienza fisica per generare linee di ricerca pertinenti ai bisogni formativi di alunni di prima media nel contesto dell'Educazione visiva. Avviato dalla visita alla mostra di Paul Klee: La collezione Sylvie e Jorge Helft al LAC di Lugano, il percorso, attraverso un approccio generativo, si sviluppa in un itinerario didattico che esplora la linea sia graficamente che concettualmente. La ricerca empirica si concentra sulla comprensione qualitativa, approfondita e contestualizzata dell'esperienza fatta sia dal docente-ricercatore sia dagli alunni, mediante l'osservazione e l'analisi dei materiali visivi prodotti. I dati raccolti hanno confermato l'importanza dell'uscita al museo come slancio progettuale, ma soprattutto l'importanza di una collaborazione attiva tra le due istituzioni (scuola-museo) ai fini di promuovere lo sviluppo di un pensiero divergente, che sappia in definitiva trasformare il mondo ordinario dell'esperienza. Relatore: Mario Bottinelli Montadon. Materia: Educazione visiva.
La perception de l'Autre dans la bande dessinée Persepolis de Marjane Satrapi
Creators: name: Miranda Jayme Zakaria, Márcia
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2016
Subjects: bande dessinée
altérité
stéréotype
exil
cliché

description: Persepolis de Marjane Satrapi est à la fois une BD politique en noir et blanc, une autobiographie et un roman graphique. Le thème de l'altérité est traité à partir des clichés et des stéréotypes qui montrent les différences entre l'Occident et l'Orient. La trajectoire de Satrapi est montrée depuis son enfance en Iran lors de la Révolution islamique. Marjane est une dissidente par rapport à l'institution et à cause de son franc parler, elle doit vivre l'exil à Vienne où elle connaît toutes sortes de rejets. De retour à Téhéran, elle découvre qu'elle ne peut plus y vivre, car elle continue à être une insoumise face au régime dictatorial de ce pays.
La robotica educativa alla scuola dell'infanzia: un'esperienza con il Blue-Bot: uno strumento per sviluppare le competenze trasversali
Creators: name: Cappelletti, Giada
Publisher: name: Scuola Universitaria della Svizzera Italiana (SUPSI)
Year: 2023
Subjects: blue-bot
scuola dell’infanzia
competenze trasversali
sviluppo personale
robotica educativa

description: Il mio lavoro di ricerca intende osservare e monitorare quanto la robotica educativa, utilizzando il blue-bot, possa favorire lo sviluppo delle competenze trasversali ed in particolare il rispetto delle regole, l’autoregolazione ed il rispetto dei materiali negli allievi della scuola dell’infanzia con un’età compresa tra i 5 e i 6 anni. Le ricerche dimostrano come il blue-bot, strumento fruibile a partire dalla scuola dell’infanzia, favorisca lo sviluppo di varie competenze trasversali e disciplinari. Durante la mia ricerca, ho monitorato le competenze con bisogno di sviluppo degli allievi nella mia sezione di pratica (rispetto delle regole, autoregolazione e rispetto dei materiali), osservando così ulteriori competenze rispetto a quelle analizzate nell’analisi della letteratura. Ho proposto attività di coppia ed individuali agli allievi, monitorando attraverso indicatori le stesse competenze prima, durante e dopo la sperimentazione tramite l’utilizzo dei blue-bot. I dati raccolti durante il percorso dimostrano risultati positivi testimoniando uno sviluppo di tutte le competenze, sia per il gruppo che per i singoli, durante e dopo la fase di sperimentazione con i bluebot. Relatore: Luca Botturi.
Cytological Surveillance Management Pathways for Women with a Low-grade Abnormal Cervical Smear
Creators: name: Bhandari, Abhi
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2016
Subjects: Cervical cancer screening
Cytological Surveillance
Pap test
TOMBOLA
HADS
Anxiety
Depression

description: A conservative strategy for women with a low-grade abnormal cervical smear is continued cytological surveillance by repeat Papinacolaou testing, but there is surprisingly little information on the management of such follow-up. Our objectives were to investigate such management pathways, their determinants, and psychological implications using data from the cytological surveillance arm of the Trial of Management of Borderline and Other Low-grade Abnormal cervical smears. A substantial proportion of participants had ongoing unresolved cytology at last follow-up (42.7%); a policy of following women solely though cytological surveillance to manage these women may be inefficient. A high-risk human papillomavirus test, smoking and age were significantly associated with the management pathways (p-value <0.05). While there were some limitations, our results were reassuring with respect to this group of women with ongoing unresolved cytology, since there were no differences in anxiety and depression scores across the management pathways after thirty months of follow-up.
Agenda 2024 / DODO Fanart come educazione, diario scolastico come comunicazione
Creators: name: Brugnoli, Noa
Publisher: name: Scuola Universitaria della Svizzera Italiana (SUPSI)
Year: 2023

description: L’agenda è una celata insegnante e un’alleata delle studentesse e degli studenti. È anche un oggetto che custodisce le loro necessità scolastiche e i loro pensieri; al tempo stesso rappresenta un veicolo educativo leggero che stimola la loro curiosità. Un oggetto interattivo, da riempire con la propria immaginazione e che offre l’occasione di incollare o strappare pezzi della propria avventura personale e scolastica. DODO nasce dalla volontà di raccontare il fenomeno della Fanart, opere scritte, illustrate, cucite, costruite, da Fans, basandosi su ciò di cui sono Fan. Attraverso una ricerca su questo specifico fenomeno nel passato e nel presente ho potuto approfondirne dinamiche, rischi e punti di forza. Trovando in quest'arte ispirata, una natura educativa per gli adolescenti. L’oggetto agenda si è sviluppato dando seguito al suo scopo primario di contenitore-comunicatore, cercando di studiare gli spazi e le funzionalità più adatte, adottando un design minimale (individuato anche in progetti proposti da designer del giorno d’oggi), privilegiando soluzioni giocose e accattivanti che ritroviamo, però, anche nelle versioni più commerciali. Grazie alla versatilità dell’impaginato, DODO può accogliere ogni anno tematiche nuove e dalle potenzialità inaspettate, invitando i ragazzi a fare, fare, accompagnati da una simpatica mascotte. Oppure può trasformarsi in altri supporti comunicativi che hanno punti in comune con l’agenda, come calendari, block notes e quaderni. Abstract ENG The diary is a concealed teacher and an ally of students. It is also an object that guards their scholastic needs and thoughts; at the same time, it is a light educational vehicle that stimulates their curiosity. An interactive object, to be filled with one's imagination and that offers the opportunity to paste or tear off pieces of one's personal and scholastic adventure. DODO was born from the desire to tell the story of the Fanart phenomenon, works written, illustrated, stitched, and constructed, by Fans, based on what they are Fans of. Through researching this specific phenomenon in the past and present, I was able to delve into its dynamics, risks, and strengths. Finding in this inspired art, an educational nature for teenagers. The diary object has developed by following up on its primary purpose as a container communicator, trying to study the most suitable spaces and functionalities, adopting a minimal design (also identified in projects proposed by designers of the present day), favoring playful and appealing solutions that we find, however, also in the more commercial versions. Thanks to the versatility of the layout, DODO can accommodate new themes with unexpected potential each year, inviting kids to do, and do, accompanied by a cute mascot. Or it can transform into other communicative media that have points in common with the diary, such as calendars, notepads, and notebooks.
dB(CH) — Oltre il rumore Una traduzione visiva dell’ inquinamento acustico in Svizzera.
Creators: name: Mioni, Alice
Publisher: name: Scuola Universitaria della Svizzera Italiana (SUPSI)
Year: 2023

description: L’inquinamento acustico, sebbene invisibile, è una problematica crescente che richiede un’attenzione particolare. Questo progetto mira a rendere tangibile l’invisibile, trasformando i dati sull’inquinamento acustico in una rappresentazione visuale accessibile e coinvolgente. Attraverso l’uso di un pattern audio reactive, il progetto offre una visione unica dell’intensit. e della fonte del rumore, mettendo in evidenza la percentuale di inquinamento acustico generato dal traffico stradale. La combinazione di design visuale, tecnologia e creatività consente di tradurre i suoni in un linguaggio visivo, rendendo le persone più consapevoli dell’impatto del rumore sulla loro vita quotidiana. La tesi esplora le possibilità e i limiti della visualizzazione dell’audio nel contesto dell’inquinamento acustico, sottolineando l’importanza di una rappresentazione accurata e al contempo esteticamente coinvolgente. Viene anche affrontato il modo in cui il design visuale pu. agire come strumento informativo, stimolando la riflessione e la discussione sulla qualità dell’ambiente sonoro. L’approccio innovativo proposto in questo progetto contribuisce a colmare il divario tra la percezione pubblica e la realtà dell’inquinamento acustico, fornendo un nuovo strumento per la sensibilizzazione e il coinvolgimento. La ricerca evidenzia l’importanza di una comunicazione visiva efficace nella promozione di una maggiore consapevolezza e responsabilità ambientale, offrendo un contributo significativo al campo della comunicazione visiva e alla società svizzera nel suo complesso. Abstract ENG Noise pollution, though unseen, is an escalating concern that necessitates special attention. This project seeks to make the unseen tangible, converting acoustic pollution data into an engaging and accessible visual representation. Using an audio-reactive pattern, the endeavor provides a unique insight into the intensity and source of noise, highlighting the percentage of sound pollution stemming from road traffic. By melding visual design, technology, and creativity, the project translates sounds into a visual language, heightening people’s awareness of noise’s impact on their daily lives. The thesis delves into the potentials and boundaries of audio visualization in the context of noise pollution, emphasizing the need for an accurate yet aesthetically captivating representation. It also examines how visual design can serve as an informative tool, sparking thought and conversation about the quality of our sonic environment. The pioneering approach championed by this project helps bridge the gap between public perception and the reality of noise pollution. It offers a fresh tool for awareness and engagement. The research underscores the pivotal role of effective visual communication in fostering heightened environmental consciousness and responsibility, rendering a notable contribution to both the realm of visual communication and Swiss society at large.
title: Merging pedagogy with a concert environment
title: A composition portfolio of 12 Concert Etudes, 6 Intermediate Preludes and 3 Guitar Concerti
titleType: Subtitle
Creators: name: Kuhar, Nejc
Publisher: name: University of Surrey
Year: 2024
Subjects: Guitar
Classical Guitar
Etudes
Guitar Etudes
Concerti
Concerto
Guitar Concerti
Guitar Concerto
Guitar Studies
Preludes
Classical Music
Education
Music
Music Composition
Writing or Composition Education

description: The focus of this submission is a composition portfolio, which consists of ‘12 Concert Etudes’ as the main focus, with ‘6 Intermediate Preludes’ and ‘3 Guitar Concerti’ emerging from them. The portfolio is presented with scores, video recordings, and a live final degree recital.
The purpose of this PhD composition portfolio is twofold.
Firstly, to introduce advanced guitar techniques, unique approaches to developing them, and new pedagogical concepts by writing etudes, which reflect the evolution of guitar technique as exemplified by the latest generation of virtuosi. To complement this, there are six preludes which introduce these concepts at an early stage of learning and integrate them into the pedagogical repertoire.
Secondly, to incorporate those techniques and concepts into works for guitar and orchestra, suitable for various levels of guitar technique.
To merge pedagogy with concert music, I explored concert etudes and a concerto for students with a less technically challenging guitar part.
My research process consisted of:(1) researching existing canons, either by investigating published texts or analysing scores;(2) researching recommended set works by HEIs and international competitions, in addition torepertoire performed by my peers;(3) my practitioner knowledge of exploring my own technical shortcomings and strengths, usingthem to define musical and technical challenges of the ‘Etudes’ and ‘Preludes’;(4) critical reflection on the development of the idiom of guitar and orchestra.
The findings revealed a scarcity of such material, especially often performed etudes andeasier pieces for guitar and orchestra. Those findings also helped me to contextualise my work within existing canons and provided me with a framework for my own works’ structures.
The value of my work to both scholarly and performing communities, while at the same time representing my original contribution to knowledge, are new technical innovations and educational concepts embodied in ‘12 Concert Etudes’ on one hand, and ‘Guitar Concerto No. 2’, written explicitly for the intermediate difficulty level of guitar technique with its pedagogical value, on the other.
The portfolio also contains a written commentary that provides context, analysis, and explanations of the idiomatic technical innovations.
Spontaneous Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting by Health Consumers in Canada: A Multi-Methods Study
Creators: name: Al Dweik, Rania
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2016
Subjects: Adverse drug reaction
Canada
Health Consumers
Perception

description: Monitoring adverse drug reactions (ADRs) through pharmacovigilance is vital to health consumer safety. Health Canada accepts ADR reports from physicians, health consumers, lawyers and manufacturer. This study uses a multi-methods approach to evaluate health consumers ADR reporting to pharmacovigilance programs. Methods: Guided by Risk Perception Theory, this study involved three phases. 1) A systematic review to identify factors influencing health consumer ADR reporting 2) An observational study to compare health consumer and physician ADR reports received by Health Canada from 2000-2014 to determine differences in seriousness, system organ class, and anatomical therapeutic class. 3) A qualitative study to explore health consumers’ experiences with ADR reporting and usability of the Canadian Vigilance ADR system. Results: 1) Of 1435 citations identified, 22 studies were eligible. Common barriers for health consumers to report ADRs were poor awareness and confusion on who should report. Common motives were preventing ADRs in others and wanting feedback. 2) Of 198,781 ADR reports, 57,078 (29.0 %) were from health consumers and 52,843 (27.0%) from physicians. Compared to physicians, health consumers reported significantly more ADRs (serious and non-serious) (p<0.0001) and reported differently for organ systems affected and by types of medication. 3) Interviews from 15 adult health consumers revealed barriers (e.g., poor awareness about the available reporting systems) and motives for reporting ADRs (e.g., intolerable side effect impacting daily activities). Few were aware of the Canadian Vigilance reporting system and usability was limited by the number and complexity of questions. Conclusion: Health consumer role in directly reporting ADRs is influenced by several factors. In Canada, most were unaware of the Canadian Vigilance System and unclear about their role in reporting ADRs. Quarters of Canadian ADRs are reported by health consumers and their ADRs had different characteristics from physicians. These findings are relevant to policymakers, public health officials, and regulatory agencies for improving medication safety in Canada and worldwide.