A Guide to Innovation in the Adoption of Alternative Digital Credentials

This chapter provides a guidance to universities that desire to adopt quality standards and effective procedures for the issuance of alternative digital credentials (ADCs). Its underlying message is that universities must become involved in issuing ADCs if they are to continue to serve the public in relevant ways. It lists the strong reasons for the institutional adoption of ADCs, the barriers to adoption, and then provides advice on how to design an institutional icon (badge), criteria for the issuance of ADCs, the standardization of ADC metadata, choosing an ADC platform, establishing governance and oversight, and establishing an administrative structure. This chapter argues strongly for the adoption of competency-based assessments in contrast to assessments focused only on learning achievement assessments. This comprehensive guide is based on the experience of three universities which have successfully implemented comprehensive ADC issuance programs.

Clinical outcomes of viscocanalostomy and phacoviscoviscocanalostomy in primary open angle glaucoma: Two years follow-up

Purpose To compare the outcomes of phacoviscocanalostomy and viscocanalostomy in patients with primary open angle glaucoma. Methods This non randomized, prospective comparative study included 168 eyes of 168 patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). Phacoviscocanalostomy was performed in 94 eyes with POAG and cataract and viscocanalostomy was performed in 74 eyes with POAG. Preoperative and postoperative intraocular pressures (IOP), number of antiglaucoma medication, intraoperative and postoperative complications were recorded throughout the follow-up period. Results The mean follow-up after surgery was 20.13 ± 7.9 months. Mean IOP decreased significantly 1 month after surgery in both groups (p < 0.001) and remained significantly lower from its preoperative value at all follow-up visits. The postoperative mean IOP at the last follow up in phacoviscocanalostomy and viscocanalostomy was 14.98 ± 4.8 mmHg and 16.84 ± 5.0 mmHg, respectively (p = 0.001). Complete success rate in phacoviscocanalostomy and viscocanalostomy groups was 83.1% and 56.8%, respectively (p = 0.008). Qualified success rate was achieved in 89.4% eyes in the phacoviscocanalostomy group and 83.8% of viscocanalostomy group (p = 0.534). The Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in phacoviscocanalostomy group improved significantly post-operatively (p = 0.001). Postoperative antiglaucoma medication in both groups were significantly less than the preoperative values (p = 0.001). Conclusions Both Phacoviscocanalostomy and viscocanalostmy are effective procedures in the control of IOP in patients with POAG with and without cataract. Higher complete success rates and BCVA were achieved in phacoviscocanalostomy. Therefore, phacoviscocanalostomy and viscocanalostomy are recommended in eyes with medically uncontrolled primary open-angle glaucoma with and without coexisting cataract.

Deconstruction hierarchies and locality diagrams of conformal models

The relationship between locality graphs and deconstruction hierarchies of conformal models is explained, leading to computationally effective procedures for determining the latter, and the relevant notions are illustrated with several examples.

Variable and constraint reduction techniques for the temporal bin packing problem with fire-ups

The aim of this letter is to design and computationally test several improvements for the compact integer linear programming (ILP) formulations of the temporal bin packing problem with fire-ups (TBPP-FU). This problem is a challenging generalization of the classical bin packing problem in which the items, interpreted as jobs of given weight, are active only during an associated time window. The TBPP-FU objective function asks for the minimization of the weighted sum of the number of bins, viewed as servers of given capacity, to execute all the jobs and the total number of fire-ups. The fire-ups count the number of times the servers are activated due to the presence of assigned active jobs. Our contributions are effective procedures to reduce the number of variables and constraints of the ILP formulations proposed in the literature as well as the introduction of new valid inequalities. By extensive computational tests we show that substantial improvements can be achieved and several instances from the literature can be solved to proven optimality for the first time.

Linear equation systems for structural analysis: imagining resolutions

This work is based on a study into new ways of resolving the equilibrium equation systems for manual analyses of certain structures commonly found in building. It suggests finding solutions based on images that reproduce the operations of current methods, which may inspire the design of others that qualitatively reflect those of other more effective procedures. To date three methods (Gauss, Cholesky & Crout) have been imagined: (i) by “visualising” their operations through the mechanical behaviour of models during the equilibrium phase. These visualisations may help suggest other physical responses that can balance models more quickly and identify with new, more direct numerical methods; (ii) by “geometrising” operations by means of lines sketched freehand. This geometrisation may reveal hidden links between the parts of the calculation of current methods that enable more direct but equally precise new methods to be created. The paper shows four images to reinforce these viewpoints. Two visualise the methods of Gauss-Jordan and Cramer, confirming that the abstract procedures that resolve the systems may be linked to specific mechanical behaviours. The other two geometrise the resolutions by Gauss and Gauss-Jordan when the stiffness matrices are asymmetric. Their systems could emerge from the analysis of cracked models or from obtaining the equivalent actions in the P-Δ method, in line with a procedure drawn up previously. The paper ends by geometrising the resolution of a system at different scales and comparing the outcomes with those of numerical methods. The results (i) confirm that geometrising scalar and vectorial magnitudes for numerical analysis procedures reduces application times if they are calculated freehand; and (ii) point to possible lines of research for developing further graphic methods that can analyse other types of structure directly and accurately.

Experimental corticosterone manipulation increases mature feather corticosterone content: implications for inferring avian stress history from feather analyses

Feathers incorporate circulating steroids during development. It is therefore assumed that the corticosterone (CORT) content of feathers (CORTf) represents an integrated measure of plasma CORT over the moult period. We tested this assumption by quantifying CORTf in feathers of house sparrows (Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758)) that were plucked before and after experimental manipulation of circulating CORT. Two of the seven flight feathers collected from each bird were fully grown throughout the CORT-manipulation period. We found that CORTf of all seven feathers corresponded with plasma CORT levels of non-moulting reference sparrows given the same implants. Surprisingly, the CORTf of the two mature feathers was 4 to 10-fold higher than values measured in the new replacement feathers. Our results show that CORTf of mature feathers may be affected by circulating CORT outside the moulting period. The most plausible explanation for our results is that CORT was transferred onto feather surfaces externally, but the mechanisms involved remain to be identified. Researchers are encouraged to establish effective procedures, both in terms of solvent and duration, for removing surface residues without extracting CORT from within the feather. This will increase confidence when inferring moult-related stress status from feather analyses in future ecological studies.

Synthesis of a basic satellite radio navigation system

На основе анализа особенностей навигационно-временных определений и методологических основ проектирования в системах высокоточного позиционирования проведена генерация вариантов спутниковой радионавигационной системы, исходным шагом в которой является синтез её базового варианта. Рассмотрены наиболее эффективные процедуры разрешения неоднозначности фазовых измерений, основанных на избыточности фазовых измерений, а также процедуры, заключающиеся в целочисленной максимизации функции неоднозначности, выбранной из характера периодичности сигналов навигационного космического аппарата. Сформулирован критерий точности позиционирования. Based on the analysis of the features of navigation-time definitions and methodological foundations of design in high-precision positioning systems, the generation of options for a satellite radio navigation system was carried out, the initial step in which is the synthesis of its basic version. The most effective procedures for resolving the ambiguity of phase measurements based on the redundancy of phase measurements, as well as procedures involving the integer maximization of the ambiguity function, selected from the nature of the periodicity of the signals of the navigation spacecraft, are considered. A criterion for positioning accuracy is formulated.

Training, Supervising, and Supporting Students With Emotional–Behavioral Disorders as Cross-Age Tutors

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) are frequently on the receiving end of intervention models (e.g., social skills training) in which targeted skills are modeled and practiced in unnatural arrangements (i.e., teacher-lead). Special educators consistently report a need for effective interventions and instructional arrangements that promote social-behavioral skills of students with EBD in natural learning environments (i.e., with peers). When students with EBD are provided the opportunity to serve in the role of tutor (i.e., on the instructional delivery end of the model), increases in academic and behavioral skills have been found for both tutors and tutees. This article provides an overview of effective procedures and considerations for training, supervising, and supporting students with EBD as cross-age tutors.

Elastography Validity Criteria Definition Using Numerical Simulations and MR Acquisitions on a Low-Cost Structured Phantom

MR Elastography is a novel technique enabling the quantification of mechanical properties in tissue with MRI. It relies on a three-step process that includes the generation of a mechanical vibration, motion capture using dedicated MR sequences, and data processing involving inversion algorithms. If not properly tuned to the targeted application, each of those steps may impact the final outcome, potentially causing diagnostic errors and thus eventually treatment mismanagement. Different approaches exist that account for acquisition or reconstruction errors, but simple tools and metrics for quality control shared by both developers and end-users are still missing. In this context, our goal is to provide an easily deployable workflow that uses generic validity criteria to assess the performance of a given MRE protocol, leveraging numerical simulations with an accessible experimental setup. Numerical simulations are used to help both determining sets of relevant acquisition parameters and assessing the data processing's robustness. Simple validity criteria were defined, and the overall pipeline was tested in a custom-built, structured phantom made of silicone-based material. The latter have the advantage of being inexpensive, easy to handle, facilitate the fabrication of complex structures which geometry resembles the anatomical structures of interest, and are longitudinally stable. In this work, we successfully tested and evaluated the overall performances of our entire MR Elastography pipeline using easy-to-implement and accessible tools that could ultimately translate in MRE standardized and cost-effective procedures.