Representing USDL for humans and tools

This chapter deals with technical aspects of how USDL service descriptions can be read from and written to different representations for use by humans and tools. A combination of techniques for representing and exchanging USDL have been drawn from Model-Driven Engineering and Semantic Web technologies. The USDL language's structural definition is specified as a MOF meta-model, but some modules were originally defined using the OWL language from the Semantic Web community and translated to the meta-model format. We begin with the important topic of serializing USDL descriptions into XML, so that they can be exchanged beween editors, repositories, and other tools. The following topic is how USDL can be made available through the Semantic Web as a network of linked data, connected via URIs. Finally, consideration is given to human-readable representations of USDL descriptions, and how they can be generated, in large part, from the contents of a stored USDL model.

Enabling USDL by tools

Fundamental tooling is required in order to apply USDL in practical settings. This chapter discusses three fundamental types of tools for USDL. First, USDL editors have been developed for expert and casual users, respectively. Second, several USDL repositories have been built to allow editors accessing and storing USDL descriptions. Third, our generic USDL marketplace allows providers to describe their services once and potentially trade them anywhere. In addition, the iosyncrasies of service trading as opposed to the simpler case of product trading. The chapter also presents several deployment scenarios of such tools to foster individual value chains and support new business models across organizational boundaries. We close the chapter with an application of USDL in the context of service engineering.

Sections of the city : architecturalising the tools of urban morphology

The study of urban morphology has become an expanding field of research within the architectural discipline, providing theories to be used as tools in the understanding and design of urban landscapes from the past, the present and into the future. Drawing upon contemporary architectural design theory, this investigation reveals what a sectional analysis of an urban landscape can add to the existing research methods within this field. This paper conducts an enquiry into the use of the section as a tool for urban morphological analysis. Following the methodology of the British school of urban morphology, sections through the urban fabric of the case study city of Brisbane are compared. The results are categorised to depict changes in scale, components and utilisation throughout various timeframes. The key findings illustrate how the section, when read in conjunction with the plan can be used to interpret changes to urban form and the relationship that this has to the quality of the urban environment in the contemporary city.

Malnutrition screening tools : comparison against two validated nutrition assessment methods in older medical inpatients

Objective Although several validated nutritional screening tools have been developed to “triage” inpatients for malnutrition diagnosis and intervention, there continues to be debate in the literature as to which tool/tools clinicians should use in practice. This study compared the accuracy of seven validated screening tools in older medical inpatients against two validated nutritional assessment methods. Methods This was a prospective cohort study of medical inpatients at least 65 y old. Malnutrition screening was conducted using seven tools recommended in evidence-based guidelines. Nutritional status was assessed by an accredited practicing dietitian using the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) and the Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Energy intake was observed on a single day during first week of hospitalization. Results In this sample of 134 participants (80 ± 8 y old, 50% women), there was fair agreement between the SGA and MNA (κ = 0.53), with MNA identifying more “at-risk” patients and the SGA better identifying existing malnutrition. Most tools were accurate in identifying patients with malnutrition as determined by the SGA, in particular the Malnutrition Screening Tool and the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002. The MNA Short Form was most accurate at identifying nutritional risk according to the MNA. No tool accurately predicted patients with inadequate energy intake in the hospital. Conclusion Because all tools generally performed well, clinicians should consider choosing a screening tool that best aligns with their chosen nutritional assessment and is easiest to implement in practice. This study confirmed the importance of rescreening and monitoring food intake to allow the early identification and prevention of nutritional decline in patients with a poor intake during hospitalization.

The future of sustainable building assessment tools : a case study in Australia

Sustainability issues in built environment have attracted an increasingly level of attention from both the general public and the industry. As a result, a number of green building assessment tools have been developed such as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), etc. This paper critically reviewed the assessment tools developed in Australian context, i.e. the Green Star rating tools developed by the Green Building Council of Australia. A particular focus is given to the recent developments of these assessment tools. The results showed that the office buildings take the biggest share of Green Star rated buildings. Similarly, sustainable building assessments seem to be more performance oriented which focuses on the operation stage of buildings. In addition, stakeholder engagement during the decision making process is encouraged. These findings provide useful references to the development of next generation of sustainable building assessment tools.

Daylighting performance of subtropical multi-residential towers : simulations tools for design decisions

During an intensive design-led workshop multidisciplinary design teams examined options for a sustainable multi-residential tower on an inner urban site in Brisbane (Australia). The main aim was to demonstrate the key principles of daylight to every habitable room and cross-ventilation to every apartment in the subtropical climate while responding to acceptable yield and price points. The four conceptual design proposals demonstrated a wide range of outcomes, with buildings ranging from 15 to 30 storeys. Daylight Factor (DF), view to the outside, and the avoidance of direct sunlight were the only quantitative and qualitative performance metrics used to implement daylighting to the proposed buildings during the charrette. This paper further assesses the daylighting performance of the four conceptual designs by utilizing Climate-based daylight modeling (CBDM), specifically Daylight Autonomy (DA) and Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI). Results show that UDI 100-2000lux calculations provide more useful information on the daylighting design than DF. The percentage of the space with a UDI <100-2000lux larger than 50% ranged from 77% to 86% of the time for active occupant behaviour (occupancy from 6am to 6pm). The paper also highlights the architectural features that mostly affect daylighting design in subtropical climates.

First year design "Visualisation II": The hybridisation of analogue and digital tools

This paper discusses first year students’ responses and outcomes to the integration of digital technologies in their second semester foundational visualisation class; ‘Visualisation II’. As the second class in the Visualisation series, previous analogue knowledge taught in ‘Visualisation I’ is compounded with new digital technologies establishing the introduction to a myriad of hybrid visualisation tools and techniques for design exploration and design artefact. This research examines the differentiation between analogue and digital design, common precedents of the two, and reflects upon the environment and class structure with the learning experiences and confidence of surveyed participants.

Do students and lecturers actively use collaboration tools in learning management systems?

In recent years there has been a large emphasis placed on the need to use Learning Management Systems (LMS) in the field of higher education, with many universities mandating their use. An important aspect of these systems is their ability to offer collaboration tools to build a community of learners. This paper reports on a study of the effectiveness of an LMS (Blackboard©) in a higher education setting and whether both lecturers and students voluntarily use collaborative tools for teaching and learning. Interviews were conducted with participants (N=67) from the faculties of Science and Technology, Business, Health and Law. Results from this study indicated that participants often use Blackboard© as an online repository of learning materials and that the collaboration tools of Blackboard© are often not utilised. The study also found that several factors have inhibited the use and uptake of the collaboration tools within Blackboard©. These have included structure and user experience, pedagogical practice, response time and a preference for other tools.

Identification of evidence-based biospecimen quality-control tools

Control of biospecimen quality that is linked to processing is one of the goals of biospecimen science. Consensus is lacking, however, regarding optimal sample quality-control (QC) tools (ie, markers and assays). The aim of this review was to identify QC tools, both for fluid and solid-tissue samples, based on a comprehensive and critical literature review. The most readily applicable tools are those with a known threshold for the preanalytical variation and a known reference range for the QC analyte. Only a few meaningful markers were identified that meet these criteria, such as CD40L for assessing serum exposure at high temperatures and VEGF for assessing serum freeze-thawing. To fully assess biospecimen quality, multiple QC markers are needed. Here we present the most promising biospecimen QC tools that were identified.

Environmental rating tools and residential land development in Australia

Numerous environmental rating tools have developed around the world over the past decade or so, in an attempt to increase awareness of the impact buildings have on the environment. Whilst many of these tools can be applied across a variety of building types, the majority focus mainly on the commercial building sector. Only recently have some of the better known environmental rating tools become adaptable to the land development sector, where arguably the most visible environmental impacts are made. EnviroDevelopment is one such tool that enables rating of residential land development in Australia. This paper seeks to quantify the environmental benefits achieved by the environmental rating tool EnviroDevelopment, using data from its certified residential projects across Australia. This research will identify the environmental gains achieved in the residential land development sector that can be attributed to developers aspiring to gain certification under this rating tool.

Proteomic and bioinformatics tools to understand virulence mechanisms in Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus, one of the major pathogenic bacteria, is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. The disease burden of staphylococcal infections is significant, which is primarily attributed to its adaptability and resistance to environmental stresses. S. aureus has the ability to develop multiple resistances to antimicrobial agents. These high resistances make pathogenicity of S. aureus one of the most complex mechanisms to understand and manage. Proteomic and bioinformatics approaches show great potential in exploring microbial adaptation strategies, ability to cause disease by pathogenic bacteria and the development of diagnostic tools. A summary of the latest developments in the application of ‘omics’ technologies to understand resistance mechanisms in S. aureus and their future role in antistaphylococcal vaccine and/or drug discovery is given here.

Daylighting design and simulation : ease of use analysis of digital tools for architects

Good daylighting design in buildings not only provides a comfortable luminous environment, but also delivers energy savings and comfortable and healthy environments for building occupants. Yet, there is still no consensus on how to assess what constitutes good daylighting design. Currently amongst building performance guidelines, Daylighting factors (DF) or minimum illuminance values are the standard; however, previous research has shown the shortcomings of these metrics. New computer software for daylighting analysis contains new more advanced metrics for daylighting (Climate Base Daylight Metrics-CBDM). Yet, these tools (new metrics or simulation tools) are not currently understood by architects and are not used within architectural firms in Australia. A survey of architectural firms in Brisbane showed the most relevant tools used by industry. The purpose of this paper is to assess and compare these computer simulation tools and new tools available architects and designers for daylighting. The tools are assessed in terms of their ease of use (e.g. previous knowledge required, complexity of geometry input, etc.), efficiency (e.g. speed, render capabilities, etc.) and outcomes (e.g. presentation of results, etc. The study shows tools that are most accessible for architects, are those that import a wide variety of files, or can be integrated into the current 3d modelling software or package. These software’s need to be able to calculate for point in times simulations, and annual analysis. There is a current need in these software solutions for an open source program able to read raw data (in the form of spreadsheets) and show that graphically within a 3D medium. Currently, development into plug-in based software’s are trying to solve this need through third party analysis, however some of these packages are heavily reliant and their host program. These programs however which allow dynamic daylighting simulation, which will make it easier to calculate accurate daylighting no matter which modelling platform the designer uses, while producing more tangible analysis today, without the need to process raw data.