Cloud Computing for Education and Research in Developing Countries

2012 ◽  
pp. 64-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong-Linh Truong ◽  
Tran-Vu Pham ◽  
Nam Thoai ◽  
Schahram Dustdar
Keyword(s):  
Cloud Computing ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Research Institutions ◽  
Teaching And Research ◽  
Teaching Activities ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
Research And Teaching ◽  
Research Activities

Recently cloud computing has offered attractive solutions for academic and research institutions due to several reasons. In this chapter, the authors present a study of how cloud computing can be used for research and teaching activities in higher educational and research institutions in developing countries. Instead of focusing on cloud computing offering for basic IT infrastructures used in daily work of these institutions, the authors concentrate on the use of cloud computing for satisfying ad hoc needs of computing resources in research and teaching activities. Thorough analyses of research and teaching activities, requirements for cloud computing, benefits of utilizing cloud computing, and adoption barriers for these activities are also included. The authors then present the selected challenges in tackling these barriers and discuss possible approaches for solving these challenges and report lessons learned and experiences in utilizing and developing cloud computing solutions for teaching and research activities in Vietnam.

scholarly journals Managing Clinical Trials for Alzheimer’s Disease During the COVID-19 Crisis: Experience at Fundació ACE in Barcelona, Spain

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 1805-1813
Author(s):  
Carla Abdelnour ◽  
Ester Esteban de Antonio ◽  
Alba Pérez-Cordón ◽  
Asunción Lafuente ◽  
Mar Buendía ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Strategic Plan ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Serological Tests ◽  
Clinical Trial Research ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
The Impact

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought great disruption to health systems worldwide. This affected ongoing clinical research, particularly among those most vulnerable to the pandemic, like dementia patients. Fundació ACE is a research center and memory clinic based in Barcelona, Spain, one of the hardest-hit countries. Objective: To describe the ad-hoc strategic plan developed to cope with this crisis and to share its outcomes. Methods: We describe participants’ clinical and demographic features. Additionally, we explain our strategic plan aimed at minimizing the impact on clinical trial research activities, which included SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR and IgG serological tests to all participants and personnel. The outcomes of the plan are described in terms of observed safety events and drop-outs during the study period. Results: A total of 130 patients were participating in 16 active clinical trials in Fundació ACE when the lockdown was established. During the confinement, we performed 1018 calls to the participants, which led to identify adverse events in 26 and COVID-19 symptoms in 6. A total of 83 patients (64%) could restart on-site visits as early as May 11, 2020. All SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR diagnostic tests performed before on-site visits were negative and only three IgG serological tests were positive. Throughout the study period, we only observed one drop-out, due to an adverse event unrelated to COVID-19. Discussion: The plan implemented by Fundació ACE was able to preserve safety and integrity of ongoing clinical trials. We must use the lessons learned from the pandemic and design crisis-proof protocols for clinical trials.

Towards cloud-native simulations – lessons learned from the front-line of cloud computing

2020 ◽  
pp. 154851291989532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nane Kratzke ◽  
Robert Siegfried
Keyword(s):  
Cloud Computing ◽  
Cost Model ◽  
Simulation Models ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Architectural Styles ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Simulation Domain ◽  
Software Prototyping ◽  
Computationally Intensive

Cloud computing can be a game-changer for computationally intensive tasks like simulations. The computational power of Amazon, Google, or Microsoft is even available to a single researcher. However, the pay-as-you-go cost model of cloud computing influences how cloud-native systems are being built. We transfer these insights to the simulation domain. The major contributions of this paper are twofold: (A) we propose a cloud-native simulation stack and (B) derive expectable software engineering trends for cloud-native simulation services. Our insights are based on systematic mapping studies on cloud-native applications, a review of cloud standards, action research activities with cloud engineering practitioners, and corresponding software prototyping activities. Two major trends have dominated cloud computing over the last 10 years. The size of deployment units has been minimized and corresponding architectural styles prefer more fine-grained service decompositions of independently deployable and horizontally scalable services. We forecast similar trends for cloud-native simulation architectures. These similar trends should make cloud-native simulation services more microservice-like, which are composable but just “simulate one thing well.” However, merely transferring existing simulation models to the cloud can result in significantly higher costs. One critical insight of our (and other) research is that cloud-native systems should follow cloud-native architecture principles to leverage the most out of the pay-as-you-go cost model.

scholarly journals Теоретико-методические основы подготовки студентов к научно-педагогической деятельности в среде многообразия

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Веслав Иосифович Турковский
Keyword(s):  
Social Groups ◽  
Educational Environment ◽  
Educational Technologies ◽  
Professional Activity ◽  
Modern Life ◽  
Teaching Activities ◽  
Research And Teaching ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Diverse Environment ◽  
Negative Factors

Theoretical and methodological bases of preparing students for research and teaching activities in a diverse cultural environment): The readiness of university students of pedagogical specialties for research activities are the backbone basis for professional pedagogical activity. This is determined by the complexity and contradictions of modern life, and of the socio-cultural and educational environment. The considerable creativity in a diverse environment is conditioned by a combination of negative factors. The dynamic diversity of the environment and its diverse impact on individual and social groups require a revision of the existing educational technologies, means and forms of teacher education. New systems of teaching students will be effective when they are built on leading theoretical and methodological models of professional activity.

scholarly journals Accelerating introduction of new vaccines: barriers to introduction and lessons learned from the recent Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine experience

2011 ◽  
Vol 366 (1579) ◽  
pp. 2827-2832 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rana Hajjeh
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Haemophilus Influenzae ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Haemophilus Influenzae Type ◽  
Type B ◽  
Programme Implementation ◽  
Global Alliance ◽  
Rotavirus Vaccines ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
New Vaccines

Adoption of new vaccines in developing countries is critical to reducing child mortality and meeting Millennium Development Goal 4. However, such introduction has historically suffered from significant delays that can be attributed to various factors including (i) lack of recognition of the value of a vaccine, (ii) factors related to weak health systems, and (iii) policy considerations. Recently, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) supported efforts to accelerate the introduction of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccines in developing countries, which resulted in a significant surge in vaccine adoption by these countries. The experience with Hib vaccines, as well as similar efforts by GAVI to support the introduction of new pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines, provides a strategy for new vaccine adoption that is reviewed in this paper, providing a useful model to help accelerate the uptake of other life-saving vaccines. This strategy addresses barriers for vaccine adoption by focusing on three major areas: (i) communications to increase awareness about the various factors needed for evidence-based decisions that meet a country's health goals; (ii) research activities to answer key questions that support vaccine introduction and long-term programme sustainability; and (iii) coordination with the various stakeholders at global, regional and country levels to ensure successful programme implementation.

scholarly journals Research Promoting Guidelines for the College of Government, Rangsit University, Thailand

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kittisak Jermsittiparsert ◽  
Thanaporn Sriyakul ◽  
Arunee Kasayanond
Keyword(s):  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Performance Indicator ◽  
Organization Culture ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Promotion Policy ◽  
Support Programme ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Research Publications ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Research Initiatives

<p class="Body">Considering that researches are perceived as the main mission for every universities in Thailand, a key performance indicator representing performance quality of relevant agencies, as well as an assessment factor for world leading university ranking programmes. None the less, there are no clear guidelines set by the College of Government, Rangsit University with respect to the internal practices towards the promotion of research activities. Accordingly, this study aims to (i) examine all researches context and research promotion policy found within the College of Government, Rangsit University; (ii) conduct a strength-weakness analysis; (iii) analyse experiences and lessons learned of other institutes; and lastly; (iv) provide applicable recommendations, based on literature reviews of both primary and secondary materials, for the College. From the research findings, it is discovered that (i) supports given by the University have, in general, led to a higher number of research publications, however, more could still be achieved should they had utilised the support programme more effectively; (ii) despite the College’s research support programme including its fostering environment and favourable organization culture, a lack of research initiatives as well as limited number of competent staffs are essentially main challenges that restrict possible research potentials; (iii) the challenges faced by either the College or Rangsit University are also present amongst other institutions, of which they have laid down relevant guidelines aiming to promote research publications; (iv) there are three steps that the College could undergo, as an ad hoc response, the College should provide greater research incentives and more supporting environment for its academics, followed by creating appealing conditions to encourage publications and disseminations, and lastly as an ultimate long run solution, practical strategy and systematic regimes should be put in place.</p>

GREEN OPEN ACCESS IN KENYA: A REVIEW OF THE CONTENT, POLICIES AND USAGE OF INSTITUTIONAL REPOSITORIES

Mousaion ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 25-54
Author(s):  
Wanyenda Leonard Chilimo
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Open Access ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Google Scholar ◽  
Research Institutions ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institutional Repositories ◽  
Current State ◽  
Theses And Dissertations

 There is scant research-based evidence on the development and adoption of open access (OA) and institutional repositories (IRs) in Africa, and in Kenya in particular. This article reports on a study that attempted to fill that gap and provide feedback on the various OA projects and advocacy work currently underway in universities and research institutions in Kenya and in other developing countries. The article presents the findings of a descriptive study that set out to evaluate the current state of IRs in Kenya. Webometric approaches and interviews with IR managers were used to collect the data for the study. The findings showed that Kenya has made some progress in adopting OA with a total of 12 IRs currently listed in the Directory of Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR) and five mandatory self-archiving policies listed in the Registry of Open Access Repositories Mandatory Archiving Policies (ROARMAP). Most of the IRs are owned by universities where theses and dissertations constitute the majority of the content type followed by journal articles. The results on the usage and impact of materials deposited in Kenyan IRs indicated that the most viewed publications in the repositories also received citations in Google Scholar, thereby signifying their impact and importance. The results also showed that there was a considerable interest in Swahili language publications among users of the repositories in Kenya.

scholarly journals Artificial Intelligence and Behavioral Science Through the Looking Glass: Challenges for Real-World Application

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (12) ◽  
pp. 942-947
Author(s):  
Pol Mac Aonghusa ◽  
Susan Michie
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Machine Learning ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Behavioral Science ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Intervention Evaluation ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Behavior Change Interventions

Abstract Background Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the process of scientific research. AI, coupled with availability of large datasets and increasing computational power, is accelerating progress in areas such as genetics, climate change and astronomy [NeurIPS 2019 Workshop Tackling Climate Change with Machine Learning, Vancouver, Canada; Hausen R, Robertson BE. Morpheus: A deep learning framework for the pixel-level analysis of astronomical image data. Astrophys J Suppl Ser. 2020;248:20; Dias R, Torkamani A. AI in clinical and genomic diagnostics. Genome Med. 2019;11:70.]. The application of AI in behavioral science is still in its infancy and realizing the promise of AI requires adapting current practices. Purposes By using AI to synthesize and interpret behavior change intervention evaluation report findings at a scale beyond human capability, the HBCP seeks to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of research activities. We explore challenges facing AI adoption in behavioral science through the lens of lessons learned during the Human Behaviour-Change Project (HBCP). Methods The project used an iterative cycle of development and testing of AI algorithms. Using a corpus of published research reports of randomized controlled trials of behavioral interventions, behavioral science experts annotated occurrences of interventions and outcomes. AI algorithms were trained to recognize natural language patterns associated with interventions and outcomes from the expert human annotations. Once trained, the AI algorithms were used to predict outcomes for interventions that were checked by behavioral scientists. Results Intervention reports contain many items of information needing to be extracted and these are expressed in hugely variable and idiosyncratic language used in research reports to convey information makes developing algorithms to extract all the information with near perfect accuracy impractical. However, statistical matching algorithms combined with advanced machine learning approaches created reasonably accurate outcome predictions from incomplete data. Conclusions AI holds promise for achieving the goal of predicting outcomes of behavior change interventions, based on information that is automatically extracted from intervention evaluation reports. This information can be used to train knowledge systems using machine learning and reasoning algorithms.

scholarly journals Influenza Vaccination Campaign during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Experience of a Research and Teaching Hospital in Milan

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5874
Author(s):  
Pier Mario Perrone ◽  
Giacomo Biganzoli ◽  
Maurizio Lecce ◽  
Emanuela Maria Campagnoli ◽  
Ambra Castrofino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Vaccination ◽  
Teaching Hospital ◽  
Vaccination Coverage ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Vaccination Campaign ◽  
Personal Data ◽  
Prevalence Ratio ◽  
Coverage Rate ◽  
Vaccination Coverage Rate ◽  
Research And Teaching

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, more than ever, optimal influenza vaccination coverage among healthcare workers (HCWs) is crucial to avoid absenteeism and disruption of health services, as well as in-hospital influenza outbreaks. The aim of this study is to analyze the 2020 influenza vaccination campaign, comparing it with the previous year’s in a research and teaching hospital in Northern Italy. Methods: adopting an approach based on combined strategies, three interventions were deployed: a promotional and educational campaign, vaccination delivery through both ad hoc and on-site ambulatories, and a gaming strategy. Personal data and professional categories were collected and analyzed using univariate logistic regression. Vaccinated HCWs were asked to fill in a questionnaire to describe their reasons for vaccination adherence. Results: the vaccination coverage rate (VCR) was 43.1%, compared to 21.5% in 2019. The highest increase was registered among administrative staff (308.3%), while physicians represent the most vaccinated category (n = 600). Moreover, residents (prevalence ratio (PR): 1.12; 95% CI 1.04–1.20), as well as intensive care (PR: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.24–1.69) and newborn workers (PR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.20–1.65) were, respectively, the categories most frequently vaccinated for the first time. Conclusion: the significant increase in vaccination coverage rate confirms the suitability of the combined strategy of delivering the flu vaccination campaign and represents a first step towards reaching WHO recommended vaccination rates.

Securing the future of statistics in Africa through National Strategies for the Development of Statistic

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
pp. 15-25
Author(s):  
Ben Kiregyera
Keyword(s):  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Global Level ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Implementation Challenges ◽  
Statistical Systems ◽  
Development Agendas ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Statistical Development

Adoption of development agendas at different levels – national, regional, continental, and global level – has led to an unprecedented increase in demand for official statistics. This increase has not only brought to the fore a litany of challenges facing National Statistical Systems (NSSs) in Africa but also it has created opportunities for strengthening statistical production and development. This paper underscores the need for countries to take full advantage of these opportunities and increase investments in statistics, undertake data innovation, and expand and diversify data ecosystems, leveraging on the foundations of the data revolution for sustainable development and in line with current international statistical frameworks. The paper posits that these improvements will not happen coincidentally nor through ad hoc, piecemeal and uncoordinated approaches. Rather they will happen through more systematic, coordinated and multi-sectoral approaches to statistical development. The National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) is presented as a comprehensive and robust framework for building statistical capacity and turning around NSSs in African countries. The paper unpacks the NSDS; elaborates the NSDS processes including; mainstreaming sectors into the NSDS, the stages of the NSDS lifecycle and the role of leadership in the NSDS proces; highlights NSDS extension; presents the design and implementation challenges, and the key lessons learned from the NSDS processes in Africa in the last 15 years or so.

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