93887 research outputs found
Sort by
A Comparison of White-light and Monochromatic LED Sources for Antimicrobial Photodynamic Inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus
No full textDrug-resistant bacteria are an ongoing public health crisis for which alternative treatments are needed. One alternative is antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation (aPDI), which uses potent photosensitizers and light irradiation to damage the bacteria. Our standard light source used in aPDI is a single-wavelength light source at 405-nm; however, we evaluated a white-light source for similarities in the resulting aPDI activities. This is done by comparing aPDI experiments using S. aureus and its methicillin-resistant strains (MRSA) conducted with either the white LED light source or the 405-nm LED light source. Statistical analysis using t-tests revealed no significant differences in the aPDI activities between the white LED light source and the 405-nm LED light source. This indicated that the white-light source can be just as effective as the 405-nm light. The white light is easier to use, as well as being widely available and much less expensive. It can also be used on any surface, which would be especially useful when applied to decontamination of surfaces
Application of Reinforcement Learning to Precision Aerial Delivery System Control in Adverse Wind Conditions
No full textPrecision aerial delivery systems (PADS) are a subset of airdropped parachute-leveraging package delivery systems that use autonomous guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) to reach targets with high degrees of accuracy. This technology emerged in the 1990s, and strides have been made since to improve the reliability of traditional physics-based controllers that guide PADS. However, these algorithms still struggle to deliver acceptable performance results when PADS are subjected to austere operating environments, such as those with unpredictable wind. Building on a foundational study in 2022 that used artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to improve PADS GNC performance, this study aims to expand on this research and apply reinforcement learning to address the wind problem directly. AI agents enabled to observe simulated wind conditions in real time are trained in three-degree- of- freedom (3DOF) computer simulations and iteratively improved in phases. In the first phase of this study, wind-observing AI agents are developed to navigate PADS in simulation environments with “specific” wind conditions. Then, takeaways from this process are used alongside new training techniques in the second phase of this study to train and test AI agents in environments with “general” wind conditions. The results show that AI agents capable of observing environments’ wind conditions can successfully improve PADS accuracy by one half to one whole order of magnitude, depending on operating conditions
Building New Relationships with Old Friends
Get PDFRMIT University Library has been exploring the viability and is not looking to build a Learning Object Repository to complement its traditional collections. By incorporating the learning materials developed by educators as part of their curricular delivery as a new collection, this paves further opportunities for Library\u27s to support and represent the word of educators in their delivery. By offering modes of sharing and maintenance, time-poor and early career educators can access an incorporate the \u27Signature pedagogy\u27 of their instituion. This project aims to reduce technical debt, support sustainability and offer support for educators with modern knowledge sources developed by their peers. Jack Dunstan in the presentation talks to the background and identified need of this project and what\u27s to come
Inspiration for learning: the development of a design concept for library space
Get PDFIn this lightning talk we will tell you about the process of rethinking and redesigning the existing library space at the main library at Oslo Metropolitan University. We will be using pictures to help illustrate and give you a better understanding on the process
Weaving space, knowledge and community together: Embracing equity, diversity and inclusion at Unitec Library
Get PDFTe Puna is the central hub for ākonga (learners) and kaimahi (staff) at Te Whare Wānanga o Wairaka - Unitec campus at Mt Albert, Auckland, New Zealand. “Puna” means spring, and the student hub has been designed to celebrate the Wairaka stream and its spring – Te Wai Unuroa o Wairaka. The spring remains alive on campus to this day, serving not only as an important cultural landmark, but also as a metaphor for holistic wellbeing - physical, spiritual and mental nourishment for our ākonga. Te Puna as a space exemplifies a multi-purpose, co-located services model situated at the heart of the campus. It houses a plethora of services and resources, including the library and other “Student Success” services such as Māori, Pacific, disability services, Ask Me desk, counselling, support drop-in (IT helpdesk, career, security and learning advisors), enrolment, international, scholarships and student support. Additionally, it features collaborative learning classrooms, food vendors, events and student kitchen. Te Puna won the Auckland Architecture awards in 2018 for its innovative and modern development of a community hub. The building’s interior brings in the elements of sustainability and stunning architectural design that encompasses inclusive space for all akonga. Over the years, the resilient library and student services teams have partnered with the maintenance team to work through some new building concerns. The outcomes have been positive, resulting in an eco-friendlier environment with efficient use of space for a modern library and a functional community hub for the campus. Guided by Unitec’s Te Noho Kotahitanga values, Te Puna plays an important role in fostering cultural and social belonging, catering to the diverse community of kaimahi and ākonga. The uniqueness of our special collections, Te Kohinga Māori and Pacific Collection, the use of Māori subject headings (Ngā Upoko Tukutuku) and Māori and Pacific specialist staff are effective examples of sustainable practices that ensure we continue to embed indigenous knowledge into our services and delivery
Learning by doing: Shaping research support through research
Get PDFIn 2022, shortly after the formation of the Open Research team at the University of Waikato the entire team embarked on a research project to better understand research culture and the ability (or inability) of various metrics to demonstrate research excellence. The project team interviewed research staff across a wide range of disciplines and the semi-structured interviews revealed far more than our original research questions asked. The Open Research team has released a report on the project including key themes and recommendations, and a forthcoming article discussing research culture, with a particular focus on the competing pressures that Indigenous researchers face. As a new team with a diverse range of backgrounds and skill sets, the project helped form us into a cohesive team. The project enabled the team to develop our knowledge and expertise, building our reputation within the institution as a trusted partner in research, and helped us work towards improving the research culture at our institution. This poster illustrates the team\u27s approach to the project and what they learnt through this process. It highlights our successes, lessons learnt, and offers recommendations to colleagues embarking on a similar endeavour
Open Access Impact to Learning Spaces through International Eyes
Get PDFThis poster will give an overview of the inception of open access journal production and support at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, with a focus on the Journal of Learning Spaces. The journal brings together editorial board members and authors from academic departments, university libraries, teaching and learning centers, student affairs offices, information technology units, and related groups at academic and research institutions around the country and across the world, with the common goal of developing, sharing, and enriching the scholarship of learning spaces. The methodology used for this analysis was citation analysis of each article and data gathering of keyword frequency, and number of views or hits on each article. The poster will also discuss roles and skills needed for journal success, challenges involved in the creation of open access resources, and benefits to both hosting institutions and the broader communities of participants and readers. This poster will also highlight the international contributions made by contributors, peer reviewers and editorial board members in the development of these works
Are library teaching and research services broken? Understand the academic journey for better service design
Get PDFDo we really understand what academics need from libraries today? Can understanding and empathising with the academic experience challenge library assumptions about teaching and research services? UTS Library investigated these questions through a year-long project. Using a design-thinking project methodology, empathy mapping and human-centred practices, the project team was able to delve into the world of the UTS academic: gaining a comprehensive understanding of the academic’s goals, behaviours, motivations and pain points around conducting teaching and research activities. The resulting insights present new opportunities for service design and delivery in an academic library context. UTS Library staff now have a suite of tools, including persona profiles and journey maps, that provide clarity and understanding on a multitude of factors affecting academics such as how they manage time pressures and why they choose to sacrifice career progression. These tools will help staff to align library services with the goals and motivations of academics in a more nuanced way, improving the journey of academics and grounding their positive experiences in a library context. Learn more about the project approach, the suite of tools created as well as the final insights and opportunities identified and discover how this kind of research allows us to authentically connect with academics and reshape the teaching and research services delivered by academic libraries with the client at the centre
A Narrative Inquiry into the Experiences of Nursing Faculty Engaging in Mindful Practices
Get PDFMindful practices have been found to decrease levels of stress, anxiety, and burnout, while enhancing resilience and coping in those who engage in them. The beneficial effects of mindfulness on improving physiological and psychological well-being are well supported within the literature. However, little has been done to learn how faculty in higher education, specifically in nursing, may experience the effect of mindful practices. The purpose of this study was to explore nursing faculty perceptions of how mindfulness may influence their teaching-learning practices as well as their daily lives. Fourteen full-time and part-time nursing faculty participated in a three-part mindfulness training workshop series delivered over 6 weeks. Upon completing the workshop series, seven of the 14 nursing faculty participated in a focus-group interview about their experiences engaging in the mindful activities during and in-between the workshops. Clandinin and Connelly’s (2000) narrative inquiry method was used to analyze participant accounts. This process entailed crafting a composite story that was sent to the participants for member checking. The composite story was analyzed using the three levels of justification: personal, practical, and social. Two significant patterns emerged: (1) Integrating mindful practices into personal life, and (2) Integrating mindful practices into the teaching and learning situations. The findings from this study contribute to the growing body of knowledge on how engaging in mindful practices may enhance the personal and the professional well-being of faculty in higher education, and thus support their teaching-learning encounters