Building the second generation of parallel/distributed virtual reality systems

We present the RhoVeR (Rhodes Virtual Reality) system and classify it as a second generation parallel/distributed virtual reality (DVR) system. We discuss the components of the system and thereby demonstrate its support for virtual reality application development, its configurable, parallel and distributed nature, and its synthesis of first generation DVR techniques.

Development of ligand incorporated chitosan nanoparticles for the selective delivery of 5-fluorouracil to colon

Drug delivery systems with active targeting ligand provide improved therapeutic efficiency due to the selectivity towards tumor cells. In this paper we prepared drug loaded nanoparticles (NPs) using folate (FA) incorporated chitosan (FA-CS) based on ionic gelation technology. FA-CS NPs were spherical in shape with an average particle size of 100 nm, while 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) loaded NPs became less circular with average particle size of 100-500 nm. NPs made from FA-CS conjugates exhibited improved capability to encapsulate hydrophilic 5-FU. It was found 5-FU distributed in FA-CS NPs in solid solution state. In vitro release results demonstrated the release of 5-FU from FA-CS NPs was more controllable as compared to that of CS NPs.

Internet and distributed computing advancements : theoretical frameworks and practical applications

This book is a vital compendium of chapters on the latest research within the field of distributed computing, capturing trends in the design and development of Internet and distributed computing systems that leverage autonomic principles and techniques. The chapters provided within this collection offer a holistic approach for the development of systems that can adapt themselves to meet requirements of performance, fault tolerance, reliability, security, and Quality of Service (QoS) without manual intervention.

The pragmatic portfolio : an assessment approach for distributed learning

Portfolios, especially where they involve some use of or link to online technologies, are currently a popular focus for learning innovation in universities, drawing on a tradition of using portfolios in some areas of higher education and attempting to extend and broaden this practice. In some cases this focus has led to ambitious plans for whole-of-institution approaches, often involving significant technological development. However, the term portfolio can also cover a wider variety of possible learning and assessment activities and there are ways of using portfolios which, while quite traditional in their own form and approach, enable teachers to approach other aspects of their curriculum and pedagogy in far more innovative ways. This paper explores the conceptual basis on which the Department of Internet Studies at Curtin University of Technology is utilising a pragmatic approach to portfolio assessment within individual units of study, so as to enable a more thorough implementation of distributed learning. In this form of learning, where students regularly contribute to their own and others' learning through short tasks and conversations, the evidence of achievement is widely distributed and not easily accessible for either formative or summative assessment. As explained in the paper, students are required to collate, select, and then contextualise a sample of these numerous productive moments of their ongoing study. The paper concludes that while other goals for portfolio assessment (such as encouraging reflection) can also be used with this approach, its primary value is in unleashing the potential of social media creativity in a manner that motivates students via the requirement of assessment, enables feedback to be provided to guide learning, and which promotes shared responsibility between teachers and students in determining the kind and extent of their learning activities.

Grid transaction management and an efficient development kit

Grid transaction management aims at guaranteeing the system consistency in face of various failures in Grid environments. In this paper, we propose a Grid transaction service (GridTS) and design coordination mechanisms for atomic, long-lived and real-time Grid transactions respectively, based on the features of Grid environments. GridTS has the following three advantages. Firstly, it separates the transaction management unit with transaction coordination algorithms so that it can coordinate the above three categories of transactions in a uniform way. Secondly, GridTS can dynamically generate compensating transactions during the long-lived transaction processing. Finally, it provides the programming interfaces similar to traditional distributed transactions. Moreover, we implement a Grid transaction development kit (GridTDK) for application programmers based on our GridTS. We evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of GridTS by developing an application system using our GridTDK. ©2012 CRL Publishing Ltd.

Microstructural development and mechanical properties in wrought Mg-Zn-RE alloys

Magnesium-zinc alloys with and without rare earth metals were examined. Particles form when rare earth metals are present and these affect the development of the internal structures in the alloys. Finer, more numerous and more uniformly distributed particles result in alloys with the best combination of high strength and ductility.

Occasional paper : Towards the development of an online learning environment (OLE) quality management framework

The project is committed to understanding, recognising and developing various forms of institutionally relevant distributed leadership in developing and trialling various components of a quality management framework for online learning environments in Australian higher education. This paper provides an overview of issues related to the management and improvement of quality, including in the context of higher education. In response to the complex and multi-dimensional nature of both quality and online learning environments (OLEs), the concept of a framework for organising policies, procedures and actions relating to the good governance of OLEs can be found in the literature. Such frameworks vary in scope, format and title, and a (non-exhaustive) sample is presented in summary here. Key learnings that can be drawn from the exemplars frameworks and the related literature include:
- the processes for the design of such frameworks;
- the components of such frameworks;
- the measurement mechanisms and metrics employed in such frameworks; and
- the validation of such frameworks.

Exploring distributed leadership in the small business context

Entrepreneurial ventures are often established, controlled and led through the commitment of individuals. This article problematizes the nature of the form of leadership relevant for the small business as it matures. In this way, it explores the temporal dimension to the appropriateness of distributed leadership in the context of the entrepreneurial business. The authors critique the opportunity that distributed leadership can bring to the maturing business. They illuminate a dilemma for entrepreneurs as to whether they should give up control for a broader distributed process of leading or continue a practice of leading that resonates with their essence of being entrepreneurial - independent, controlling responsive and opportunity driven. This dilemma is addressed by suggesting the contextualization of distributed leadership may offer the maturing business. The article concludes by reviewing development approaches that contextualize intervention and suggests a research agenda to contribute to a greater understanding of how leadership can become distributed in the maturing business. © 2011 The Authors. International Journal of Management Reviews © 2011 British Academy of Management and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Framing and enhancing distributed leadership in the quality management of online learning environments in higher education

This article reports on the findings of senior leadership interviews in a nationally funded project on distributed leadership in the quality management of online learning environments (OLEs) in higher education. Questions were framed around the development of an OLE quality management framework and the situation of the characteristics of distributed leadership at the core of the framework. The project’s premise is that distributed leadership is a descriptive reality of managing OLEs given the various leadership parties involved and the complexities of the contemporary technological landscape. Leaders’ understandings of distributed leadership were examined—its nature, value and potential for advancing the quality management of OLEs. There was confirmatory evidence of its reality, but its meaning and value were not uncritically accepted. It can be concluded that building distributed leadership must start through deliberative formal leadership commitment and action starting at the highest levels of the institution.

Transparent access to relational, autonomous and distributed databases using semantic web and service oriented technologies

With the constant grow of enterprises and the need to share information across departments and business areas becomes more critical, companies are turning to integration to provide a method for interconnecting heterogeneous, distributed and autonomous systems. Whether the sales application needs to interface with the inventory application, the procurement application connect to an auction site, it seems that any application can be made better by integrating it with other applications. Integration between applications can face several troublesome due the fact that applications may not have been designed and implemented having integration in mind. Regarding to integration issues, two tier software systems, composed by the database tier and by the “front-end” tier (interface), have shown some limitations. As a solution to overcome the two tier limitations, three tier systems were proposed in the literature. Thus, by adding a middle-tier (referred as middleware) between the database tier and the “front-end” tier (or simply referred application), three main benefits emerge. The first benefit is related with the fact that the division of software systems in three tiers enables increased integration capabilities with other systems. The second benefit is related with the fact that any modifications to the individual tiers may be carried out without necessarily affecting the other tiers and integrated systems and the third benefit, consequence of the others, is related with less maintenance tasks in software system and in all integrated systems. Concerning software development in three tiers, this dissertation focus on two emerging technologies, Semantic Web and Service Oriented Architecture, combined with middleware. These two technologies blended with middleware, which resulted in the development of Swoat framework (Service and Semantic Web Oriented ArchiTecture), lead to the following four synergic advantages: (1) allow the creation of loosely-coupled systems, decoupling the database from “front-end” tiers, therefore reducing maintenance; (2) the database schema is transparent to “front-end” tiers which are aware of the information model (or domain model) that describes what data is accessible; (3) integration with other heterogeneous systems is allowed by providing services provided by the middleware; (4) the service request by the “frontend” tier focus on ‘what’ data and not on ‘where’ and ‘how’ related issues, reducing this way the application development time by developers.

Effect of density on population development in the Amazon River prawn Macrobrachium amazonicum

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Intestinal mucosa development in broiler chickens fed natural growth promoters

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae cell wall dietary supplementation on the performance and intestinal mucosa development and integrity of broiler chickens vaccinated against coccidiosis

This study was carried out to verify if Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall (SCCW) dietary supplementation (0.2%) was capable of protecting the intestinal mucosa of broiler chickens vaccinated against coccidiosis. Body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion and intestinal mucosa morphometric parameters and epithelial loss were evaluated. In the experiment,400 day-old male chicks were distributed according to a completely randomized design in a 2x2 factorial arrangement. The following treatments were applied: T1 - no vaccination/ no SCCW supplementation; T2 - no vaccination/SCCW supplementation; T3 - vaccination/no SCCW supplementation; and T4 - vaccination/SCCW supplementation to four replicates of 25 birds each. Birds were vaccinated on the first day of age using a spray vaccine (Coccivac B®, Coopers), containing E. acervulina, E. maxima, E. mivati and E. tenella. S. cerevisiae cell wall was supplied from the first day of age. Live performance, intestinal morphometric parameters and epithelial loss were evaluated at 14, 21 and 28 days of age. Performance was affected by vaccination only at 21-days of age, when body weight gain was reduced in the vaccinated birds, but no body weight difference was observed on day 28. Vaccine also increased the crypt depth (p<0.05) in the duodenum and jejunum, suggesting a high cell activity in the crypt:villus transition area to maintain the epithelial cell turnover. Villi number/area (103,269 µm²) was not affected (p>0.05) by vaccine or cell wall supplementation, and epithelial loss was more pronounced in the duodenum and jejunum. In conclusion, the findings of this study suggest that S. cerevisiae cell wall supplementation may be an useful management tool to maintain the intestinal integrity of broilers vaccinated against coccidiosis.

Development and characterization of microsatellite loci in the marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus Cervidae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Small intestine development of laying hens fed different fiber sources diets and crude protein levels

The objective of the presente study was to evaluate the effects on different dietary fiber sources and crude protein levels on the intestinal morphometry of commercial layers. Isa Brown® layers with 48 weeks of age were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design with a 3 x 2 + 1 factorial arrangement, resulting in seven treatments with seven replicates of eight birds each. At the end of the fourth experimental period (28 days each), birds were 64 weeks of age and were randomly chosen (two birds per replicate, totaling 14 birds per treatment), weighed and sacrificed by neck dislocation. Their intestine was dissected and the duodenum, jejunum and ileum were collected for subsequent analysis of intestinal morphometry. Treatments consisted of diets containing three different fiber sources (cottonseed hulls, soybean hulls or rice husks) and two crude protein levels (12% or 16%). Soybean hulls and 16% crude protein level promoted, in general, an increase in villus height and crypt depth in the three intestinal segments. In the duodenum, the control diet resulted in higher villus height and crypt depth relative to the diets containing fiber. In the jejunum, higher crypt depth values. In the ileum, dietary fiber increased villus height as compared to the control diet.