A query-basis approach to parametrizing novelty-biased cumulative gain

Novelty-biased cumulative gain (α-NDCG) has become the de facto measure within the information retrieval (IR) community for evaluating retrieval systems in the context of sub-topic retrieval. Setting the incorrect value of parameter α in α-NDCG prevents the measure from behaving as desired in particular circumstances. In fact, when α is set according to common practice (i.e. α = 0.5), the measure favours systems that promote redundant relevant sub-topics rather than provide novel relevant ones. Recognising this characteristic of the measure is important because it affects the comparison and the ranking of retrieval systems. We propose an approach to overcome this problem by defining a safe threshold for the value of α on a query basis. Moreover, we study its impact on system rankings through a comprehensive simulation.

Surface chemical modification of carbon nanowalls for wide-range control of surface wettability

Carbon nanowalls (CNWs) are self-assembled, free-standing, few-layered graphenenano-structures with large surface area, and thin graphene edges. For their application to nanobiotechnology, the effects of chemisorbed species on surface wettability were investigated. The surfaces of as-grown CNWs obtained using CH4/H2 mixture were hydrophilic. After Ar atmospheric pressure plasma treatments for up to 30 s, the contact angles of water droplets on the CNWs decreased from 51° to 5°, owing to a result of oxidation only at edges and surface defects. They increased up to 147° by CF4 plasma treatment at low pressure. The wide-range control of surface wettability of CNWs was realized by post-growth plasma treatments. We also demonstrated detection of bovine serum albumin using surface-modified CNWs as electrodes.

Theorizing in design science research : an abstraction layers framework

For Design Science Research (DSR) to gain wide credence as a research paradigm in Information Systems (IS), it must contribute to theory. “Theory cannot be improved until we improve the theorizing process, and we cannot improve the theorizing process until we describe it more explicitly, operate it more self-consciously, and decouple it from validation more deliberately” (Weick 1989, p. 516). With the aim of improved design science theorizing, we propose a DSR abstraction-layers framework that integrates, interlates, and harmonizes key methodological notions, primary of which are: 1) the Design Science (DS), Design Research (DR), and Routine Design (RD) distinction (Winter 2008); 2) Multi Grounding in IS Design Theory (ISDT) (Goldkuhl & Lind 2010); 3) the Idealized Model for Theory Development (IM4TD) (Fischer & Gregor 2011); and 4) the DSR Theorizing Framework (Lee et al. 2011). Though theorizing, or the abstraction process, has been the subject of healthy discussion in DSR, important questions remain. With most attention to date having focused on theorizing for Design Research (DR), a key stimulus of the layered view was the realization that Design Science (DS) produces abstract knowledge at a higher level of generality. The resultant framework includes four abstraction layers: (i) Design Research (DR) 1st Abstract Layer, (ii) Design Science (DS) 2nd Abstract Layer, (iii) DSR Incubation 3rd Layer, and (iv) Routine Design 4th Layer. Differentiating and inter-relating these layers will aid DSR researchers to discover, position, and amplify their DSR contributions. Additionally, consideration of the four layers can trigger creative perspectives that suggest unplanned outputs. The first abstraction layer, including its alternative patterns of activity, is well recognized in the literature. The other layers, however, are less well recognized; and the integrated representation of layers is novel.

Enterprise systems lifecycle-wide innovation readiness

Enterprise Systems have been touted as a key driver of delivering benefits through innovation in corporate Information Systems. The advent of such systems expects to deliver best practices that improve organizational performance. Yet, most Enterprise System installations struggle to see lifecycle-wide value of it. Considering that Enterprise Systems deliver lifecycle-wide innovation; we observe organizational readiness for lifecycle-wide Enterprise Systems innovation. The A VICTORY apriori model compares contributions of eight constructs for organizational readiness for continuous Enterprise Systems innovation. The model is tested responses of both client and implementation partner. Results indicate that six of the eight constructs of readiness make significant contributions to organizational readiness for Enterprise Systems innovation.

Enterprise system lifecycle-wide innovation - research in progress

Enterprise Systems purport to bring innovation to organizations. Yet, no past studies, neither from innovation nor from ES disciplines have merged their knowledge to understand how ES could facilitate lifecycle-wide innovation. Therefore, this study forms conceptual bridge between the two disciplines. In this research, we seek to understand how ES could facilitate innovation across its lifecycle phases. We associate classifications of innovation such as radical vs. incremental, administrative vs. technical innovation with the three phases of ES lifecycle. We introduce Continuous Restrained Innovation (CRI) as a new type of innovation specific to ES, considering restraints of technology, business processes and organization. Our empirical data collection at the implementation phase, using data from both the client and implementation partner, shows preliminary evidence of CRI. In addition, we state that both parties consider the implementation of ES as a radical innovation yet, are less interest in seeking further innovations through the system.

Genome-wide analysis in a murine Dnmt1 knockdown model identifies epigenetically silenced genes in primary human pituitary tumors

DNA methylation at promoter CpG islands (CGI) is an epigenetic modification associated with inappropriate gene silencing in multiple tumor types. In the absence of a human pituitary tumor cell line, small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of the maintenance methyltransferase DNA methyltransferase (cytosine 5)-1 (Dnmt1) was used in the murine pituitary adenoma cell line AtT-20. Sustained knockdown induced reexpression of the fully methylated and normally imprinted gene neuronatin (Nnat) in a time-dependent manner. Combined bisulfite restriction analysis (COBRA) revealed that reexpression of Nnat was associated with partial CGI demethylation, which was also observed at the H19 differentially methylated region. Subsequent genome-wide microarray analysis identified 91 genes that were significantly differentially expressed in Dnmt1 knockdown cells (10% false discovery rate). The analysis showed that genes associated with the induction of apoptosis, signal transduction, and developmental processes were significantly overrepresented in this list (P < 0.05). Following validation by reverse transcription-PCR and detection of inappropriate CGI methylation by COBRA, four genes (ICAM1, NNAT, RUNX1, and S100A10) were analyzed in primary human pituitary tumors, each displaying significantly reduced mRNA levels relative to normal pituitary (P < 0.05). For two of these genes, NNAT and S100A10, decreased expression was associated with increased promoter CGI methylation. Induced expression of Nnat in stable transfected AtT-20 cells inhibited cell proliferation. To our knowledge, this is the first report of array-based "epigenetic unmasking" in combination with Dnmt1 knockdown and reveals the potential of this strategy toward identifying genes silenced by epigenetic mechanisms across species boundaries.

Surveying the Wide Bay Burnett : changing lifestyles and the implications for regional transport planning

Significant lifestyle and demographic changes in Queensland are beginning to alter the landscape of regional transport planning. In 2006, Queensland Transport undertook a study to understand the implications of these changes on the transport planning task in regional Queensland. The study focused on the current travel characteristics of three Local Government Areas in the Wide Bay Burnett Region. Hervey Bay City represented the ‘sea change’ phenomenon; Wondai Shire represented the growing ‘tree change’ lifestyle; and Monto Shire represented communities which were either experiencing limited change or a decrease in population. The results of this research will be used to inform long term integrated regional transport planning in the region.

Your Loss is Our Gain

2 x 2.5 metre text based wall painting with a hidden automatic air freshener timed to spray every 60 seconds. The work formed part of a group exhibition that dealt with Humour,Politics and Art. It was part of a series of ongoing works made under the pseudonym Eve Roleston. Roleston is part of a trio of pseudonyms I use, the others being Ernesto Love, and Ernest Olove, to explore the research potential of the fictocritical in a visual arts practice.This forms part of an ongoing body of practice-led research undertaken in my PhD dealing with reconfiguring the relationship between art and politics.

Peripheral, central and coercive routes for promoting Enterprise Social Networks

Organisations employ Enterprise Social Networks (ESNs) (such as Yammer) expecting better intra-organisational communication and collaboration. However, ESNs are struggling to gain momentum and wide adoption among users. Promoting user participation is a challenge, particularly in relation to lurkers – the silent ESN members who do not contribute any content. Building on behaviour change research, we propose a three-route model consisting of the central, peripheral and coercive routes of influence that depict users’ cognitive strategies, and we examine how management interventions (e.g. sending promotional emails) impact users’ beliefs and (consequent) posting and lurking behaviours in ESNs. Furthermore, we identify users’ salient motivations to lurk or post. We employ a multi-method research design to conceptualise, operationalise and validate the research model. This study has implications for academics and practitioners regarding the nature, patterns and outcomes of management interventions in prompting ESN.

Gain's in knowledge, attitude and skills of counselors across three trainings programs

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) sponsored by the G20 nations has helped fund the development of training programs for HIV/AIDS counselors in India. To date no study has examined the effectiveness of these training programs. This study, therefore, aimed to examine the impact of a 12 training program in improving the knowledge of new HIV/AIDS counselors in West Bengal and compare benefits of three training programs. Pre and post measures were taken from 87 counsellors attending three training programs organized by the GFATM-7 team of the Department of Applied Psychology, University of Calcutta. Overall pre and post training scores of three training programs together show significant improvements in knowledge. The findings from this study provide confidence that the 12 day training program can be effectively implemented among West Bengal HIV/AIDS counsellors.

A continent-wide study reveals clear relationships between regional abiotic conditions and post-dispersal seed predation

Aim Large-scale patterns linking energy availability, biological productivity and diversity form a central focus of ecology. Despite evidence that the activity and abundance of animals may be limited by climatic variables associated with regional biological productivity (e.g. mean annual precipitation and annual actual evapotranspiration), it is unclear whether plant–granivore interactions are themselves influenced by these climatic factors across broad spatial extents. We evaluated whether climatic conditions that are known to alter the abundance and activity of granivorous animals also affect rates of seed removal. Location Eleven sites across temperate North America. Methods We used a common protocol to assess the removal of the same seed species (Avena sativa) over a 2-day period. Model selection via the Akaike information criterion was used to determine a set of candidate binomial generalized linear mixed models that evaluated the relationship between local climatic data and post-dispersal seed predation. Results Annual actual evapotranspiration was the single best predictor of the proportion of seeds removed. Annual actual evapotranspiration and mean annual precipitation were both positively related to mean seed removal and were included in four and three of the top five models, respectively. Annual temperature range was also positively related to seed removal and was an explanatory variable in three of the top four models. Main conclusions Our work provides the first evidence that energy and precipitation, which are known to affect consumer abundance and activity, also translate to strong, predictable patterns of seed predation across a continent. More generally, these findings suggest that future changes in temperature and precipitation could have widespread consequences for plant species composition in grasslands, through impacts on plant recruitment.

Community wide interventions for increasing physical activity

Background Multi-strategic community wide interventions for physical activity are increasingly popular but their ability to achieve population level improvements is unknown. Objectives To evaluate the effects of community wide, multi-strategic interventions upon population levels of physical activity. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Public Health Group Segment of the Cochrane Register of Studies,The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, MEDLINE in Process, EMBASE, CINAHL, LILACS, PsycINFO, ASSIA, the British Nursing Index, Chinese CNKI databases, EPPI Centre (DoPHER, TRoPHI), ERIC, HMIC, Sociological Abstracts, SPORTDiscus, Transport Database and Web of Science (Science Citation Index, Social Sciences Citation Index, Conference Proceedings Citation Index). We also scanned websites of the EU Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health; Health-Evidence.org; the International Union for Health Promotion and Education; the NIHR Coordinating Centre for Health Technology (NCCHTA); the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and NICE and SIGN guidelines. Reference lists of all relevant systematic reviews, guidelines and primary studies were searched and we contacted experts in the field. The searches were updated to 16 January 2014, unrestricted by language or publication status. Selection criteria Cluster randomised controlled trials, randomised controlled trials, quasi-experimental designs which used a control population for comparison, interrupted time-series studies, and prospective controlled cohort studies were included. Only studies with a minimum six-month follow up from the start of the intervention to measurement of outcomes were included. Community wide interventions had to comprise at least two broad strategies aimed at physical activity for the whole population. Studies which randomised individuals from the same community were excluded. Data collection and analysis At least two review authors independently extracted the data and assessed the risk of bias. Each study was assessed for the setting, the number of included components and their intensity. The primary outcome measures were grouped according to whether they were dichotomous (per cent physically active, per cent physically active during leisure time, and per cent physically inactive) or continuous (leisure time physical activity time (time spent)), walking (time spent), energy expenditure (as metabolic equivalents or METS)). For dichotomous measures we calculated the unadjusted and adjusted risk difference, and the unadjusted and adjusted relative risk. For continuous measures we calculated percentage change from baseline, unadjusted and adjusted. Main results After the selection process had been completed, 33 studies were included. A total of 267 communities were included in the review (populations between 500 and 1.9 million). Of the included studies, 25 were set in high income countries and eight were in low income countries. The interventions varied by the number of strategies included and their intensity. Almost all of the interventions included a component of building partnerships with local governments or non-governmental organisations (NGOs) (29 studies). None of the studies provided results by socio-economic disadvantage or other markers of equity. However, of those included studies undertaken in high income countries, 14 studies were described as being provided to deprived, disadvantaged or low socio-economic communities. Nineteen studies were identified as having a high risk of bias, 10 studies were unclear, and four studies had a low risk of bias. Selection bias was a major concern with these studies, with only five studies using randomisation to allocate communities. Four studies were judged as being at low risk of selection bias although 19 studies were considered to have an unclear risk of bias. Twelve studies had a high risk of detection bias, 13 an unclear risk and four a low risk of bias. Generally, the better designed studies showed no improvement in the primary outcome measure of physical activity at a population level. All four of the newly included, and judged to be at low risk of bias, studies (conducted in Japan, United Kingdom and USA) used randomisation to allocate the intervention to the communities. Three studies used a cluster randomised design and one study used a stepped wedge design. The approach to measuring the primary outcome of physical activity was better in these four studies than in many of the earlier studies. One study obtained objective population representative measurements of physical activity by accelerometers, while the remaining three low-risk studies used validated self-reported measures. The study using accelerometry, conducted in low income, high crime communities of USA, emphasised social marketing, partnership with police and environmental improvements. No change in the seven-day average daily minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity was observed during the two years of operation. Some program level effect was observed with more people walking in the intervention community, however this result was not evident in the whole community. Similarly, the two studies conducted in the United Kingdom (one in rural villages and the other in urban London; both using communication, partnership and environmental strategies) found no improvement in the mean levels of energy expenditure per person per week, measured from one to four years from baseline. None of the three low risk studies reporting a dichotomous outcome of physical activity found improvements associated with the intervention. Overall, there was a noticeable absence of reporting of benefit in physical activity for community wide interventions in the included studies. However, as a group, the interventions undertaken in China appeared to have the greatest possibility of success with high participation rates reported. Reporting bias was evident with two studies failing to report physical activity measured at follow up. No adverse events were reported.The data pertaining to cost and sustainability of the interventions were limited and varied. Authors' conclusions Although numerous studies have been undertaken, there is a noticeable inconsistency of the findings in the available studies and this is confounded by serious methodological issues within the included studies. The body of evidence in this review does not support the hypothesis that the multi-component community wide interventions studied effectively increased physical activity for the population, although some studies with environmental components observed more people walking. Plain language summary Community wide interventions for increasing physical activity Not having enough physical activity leads to poorer health. Regular physical activity can reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve one's health and wellbeing. The lack of physical activity is a common and in some cases a growing health problem. To address this, 33 studies have used improvement activities directed at communities, using more than one approach in a single program. When we first looked at the available research in 2011 we observed that there was a lack of good studies which could show whether this approach was beneficial or not. Some studies claimed that community wide programs improved physical activities and other studies did not. In this update we found four new studies that were of good quality; however none of these four studies increased physical activity levels for the population. Some studies reported program level effects such as observing more people walking, however the population level of physical activity had not increased. This review found that community wide interventions are very difficult to undertake, and it appears that they usually fail to provide a measurable benefit in physical activity for a population. It is apparent that many of the interventions failed to reach a substantial portion of the community, and we speculate that some single strategies included in the combination may lack individual effectiveness. Laički sažetak Intervencije u zajednici za povećanje tjelesne aktivnosti Nedostatna tjelesna aktivnost povezana je s lošijim zdravljem.Redovita tjelesna aktivnost može umanjiti rizik od kroničnih bolesti te poboljšati zdravlje i kvalitetu života pojedinca.Manjak tjelesne aktivnosti čest je problem, a učestalost tog problema se povećava.Cochrane sustavni pregled je analizirao 33 studije koje su istražile programe za povećanje tjelesne aktivnosti u zajednici, u kojima se koristilo više od jednog pristupa.Kad su prvi put pregledani dokazi iz istraživanja koja su bila dostupna 2011. godine, utvrđeno je da nema dovoljno dobrih studija koje bi mogle pokazati je li takav pristup koristan ili ne.Primjerice, neke studije tvrde da programi za povećanje tjelesne aktivnosti u zajednici poboljšavaju tjelesnu aktivnost pojedinaca u zajednici, a druge studije tvrde suprotno.U ovom obnovljenom sustavnom pregledu pronađene su 4 nove studije koje su bile visoke kvalitete, ail nijedna od tih studija nije pokazala da je istraživana intervencija dovela do povećanja tjelesne aktivnosti u zajednici.Neke su studije opisale učinak na način da je opisano da je uočeno da više ljudi u zajednici hoda, međutim, ukupna razina tjelesne aktivnosti u promatranoj populaciji nije se povećala.Ovaj sustavni pregled je utvrdio da je intervencije za povećanje tjelesne aktivnosti u zajednici teško provesti i čini se da one obično ne uspijevaju u svojoj namjeri da na mjerljiv način povećaju tjelesnu aktivnost u populaciji.Čini se da mnoge intervencije nisu uspjele doseći veći broj stanovnika u zajednici pa se može smatrati da neke od strategija uključene u analizirane kombinacije nisu zasebno učinkovite.

Wide area control of SVCs for first swing stabilisation and damping in longitudinal systems

A non-linear Kalman filter based control strategy for SVCs located in major load groups is presented. This focusses on the limitation and damping of inter-area modes. It does this through treating local modes as noise and uses a tunable nonlinear control algorithm to improve both first swing stability and system damping. Simulation on a four machine system shows that the Kalman filer can successfully lock on to a desired inter-area mode and obtain a 31% improvement in critical clearing time as well as improved damping.