Managing healthcare workflows in a multi-agent system environment

Whilst Multi-Agent System (MAS) architectures appear to offer a more flexible model for designers and developers of complex, collaborative information systems, implementing real-world business processes that can be delegated to autonomous agents is still a relatively difficult task. Although a range of agent tools and toolkits exist, there still remains the need to move the creation of models nearer to code generation, in order that the development path be more rigorous and repeatable. In particular, it is essential that complex organisational process workflows are captured and expressed in a way that MAS can successfully interpret. Using a complex social care system as an exemplar, we describe a technique whereby a business process is captured, expressed, verified and specified in a suitable format for a healthcare MAS.</p

Structure and function of natural sulphide-oxidizing microbial mats under dynamic input of light and chemical energy

We studied the interaction between phototrophic and chemolithoautotrophic sulphide-oxidizing microorganisms in natural microbial mats forming in sulphidic streams. The structure of these mats varied between two end-members: one characterized by a layer dominated by large sulphur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB; mostly Beggiatoa-like) on top of a cyanobacterial layer (B/C mats) and the other with an inverted structure (C/B mats). C/B mats formed where the availability of oxygen from the water column was limited (<5 mu M). Aerobic chemolithotrophic activity of the SOB depended entirely on oxygen produced locally by cyanobacteria during high light conditions. In contrast, B/C mats formed at locations where oxygen in the water column was comparatively abundant (445 mu M) and continuously present. Here SOB were independent of the photosynthetic activity of cyanobacteria and outcompeted the cyanobacteria in the uppermost layer of the mat where energy sources for both functional groups were concentrated. Outcompetition of photosynthetic microbes in the presence of light was facilitated by the decoupling of aerobic chemolithotrophy and oxygenic phototrophy. Remarkably, the B/C mats conserved much less energy than the C/B mats, although similar amounts of light and chemical energy were available. Thus ecosystems do not necessarily develop towards optimal energy usage. Our data suggest that, when two independent sources of energy are available, the structure and activity of microbial communities is primarily determined by the continuous rather than the intermittent energy source, even if the time-integrated energy flux of the intermittent energy source is greater

Assessment and learning outcomes: the evaluation of deep learning in an on-line course

Using an online learning environment, students from European countries collaborated and communicated to carry out problem based learning in occupational therapy. The effectiveness of this approach was evaluated by means of the final assessments and published learning outcomes. In particular, transcripts from peer-to-peer sessions of synchronous communication were analysed. The SOLO taxonomy was used and the development of deep learning was studied week by week. This allowed the quality of the course to be appraised and showed, to a certain extent, the impact of this online international course on the learning strategies of the students. Results indicate that deep learning can be supported by synchronous communication and online meetings between course participants.</p

Technical report on chemical sensors performance

The report will present an overview of sensors that are useful for the study of seeps, and present a detailed comparison of commercial and prototype CO2 and pH sensors. CO2 sensors: 1) Severinghaus CO2 sensors (Microelectrodes ltd), 2) the HydroC-­‐CO2 logger sensor (CONTROS GmbH), 3) the “GasPro-­‐pCO2” (developed by the team coordinated by Prof. S. Lombardi; Sapienza -­‐ University of Rome-­‐CERI), 4) the MuFo (Multifiber Optode logger, developed in this project in a collaboration between Prof. I. Klimant University Graz and the MPI-­‐MM). pH sensors: 1) glass electrodes Microelectrodes ltd), 2) optodes (developed in this project in a collaboration between Prof. I. Klimant University Graz and the MPI-­‐MM), 3) SeaFET (ion-­‐selective field-­‐effect transistor, Satlantic)

The provision of education and training for healthcare professionals through the medium of the internet

This paper describes a new initiative to provide Internet based courses to student and professional occupational therapists in four centres in the UK, Belgium the Netherlands and Sweden. The basis of this collaborative Occupational Therapy Internet School (OTIS) is the concept of the “Virtual College”. This comprises the design and implementation of a sophisticated Internet-based system through which courses can be managed, prepared and delivered online in an effective fashion, and where students can communicate both with the staff and their peers. The aim is to support and facilitate the whole range of educational activities within a remote electronic environment. A major feature of the course organisation is the adoption of a problem-based approach in which students will collaborate internationally to propose effective intervention in given case study scenarios. The paper outlines the rationale for OTIS, the content and structure of the courseware, the technical specification of the system and evaluation criteria. In addition to the more conventional web-based learning facilities generally offered, a number of agent-based approaches are being adopted to assist in the management of the course by ensuring the proper delivery of course materials and to assist the functioning of project groups. </p

Indigenous access to mainstream public and community housing

Access by Indigenous people to mainstream public housing has increased by around 75 per cent between June 2000 and June 2004 (up from 6339 to 11 087 households respectively). There is a need to further boost the stock of larger dwellings to reduce overcrowding for Indigenous households in mainstream public housing, and to continue to improve the sustainability of tenancies.Paul Flatau, Lesley Cooper, Natalie McGrath, Donna Edwards, Amanda Hart, Mary Morris, Carol Lacroix, Marc Adam, Dora Marinova, Andrew Beer, Selina Tually and Catherine Trae

The light curve of the companion to PSR B1957+20

We present a new analysis of the light curve for the secondary star in the eclipsing binary millisecond pulsar system PSR B1957+20. Combining previous data and new data points at minimum from the Hubble Space Telescope, we have 100% coverage in the R-band. We also have a number of new K_s-band data points, which we use to constrain the infrared magnitude of the system. We model this with the Eclipsing Light Curve code (ELC). From the modelling with the ELC code we obtain colour information about the secondary at minimum light in BVRI and K. For our best fit model we are able to constrain the system inclination to 65 +/- 2 degrees for pulsar masses ranging from 1.3 -- 1.9 M_sun. The pulsar mass is unconstrained. We also find that the secondary star is not filling its Roche lobe. The temperature of the un-irradiated side of the companion is in agreement with previous estimates and we find that the observed temperature gradient across the secondary star is physically sustainable.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures & 3tables. Accepted for publication in MNRA