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Background. Reframing could be considered to represent individual and collective twofold values in social learning. When reframing is promoted, it benefits to generate learning processes involving collective inquiry occurring in inter and outer formal education. Digital games, popular as an application for the young generation, are considered a specific community in which social learning occurs by playing games. Serious games (SG) are a type of digital game involving educational purposes. Hence SG is selected as a suitable educational strategy to promote reframing. The previous research investigated features of a gameplay experience associated with reframing. This study develops further based on these game features to examine if/how they improved reframing capabilities. From an educational perspective, specific guidelines were proposed as the research findings to assist serious games in designing and applying game features to enhance the gameplay experience of reframing. Methods. An expert evaluation was used to assess the guidelines. The seven experts with experience in game design and teaching were chosen to review the designed guidelines. These experts were required to rate the guidelines using a 5-point Likert scale. All experts offered positive feedback on the finding. Results. Research data were analysed and validated via the Content Validity Index. The results showed that a total of 5 guidelines was remained and updated. Conclusion. These guidelines can be applied to assist students, game designers, related educators, and researchers who use games to promote reframing or require evidence to link game features with social learning.

The Community of Inquiry (COI) has become increasingly popular as a practical framework that promotes critical thinking and improves learning skills in online environments. In order to encourage the COI, this study proposes to investigate learning VALUEs based on teaching presence (TP), social presence (SP), and cognitive presence (CP), applying a VALUE creation framework as an assessment tool. A quantitative research approach was used to analyse 16 research works. Firstly, this investigation reviewed the activities of COIs as the vital link between COI and VALUE creation. Secondly, these activities were evaluated using Wenger et al.'s framework. The related results show that COI activities generate immediate, potential, and applied VALUEs, however, it does not positively promote reframing. The activities of TP positively promote immediate VALUE, especially its categories of promoting discourse and direct instruction. Most activities of SP promote both immediate and potential VALUEs, whose indicator of open communication positively creates immediate VALUE whereas the activities of CP promote multiple VALUEs. These findings address the research gap regarding how COI contributes VALUE by improving learning experiences in virtual environments and what determines the generation of the VALUEs. The benefits of this study will guide practitioners (teachers, online course developers, and instructional designers) who aim to design and match related activities of COI to maximise the VALUE creation.

This article learns from student voices about how their education abroad experiences were shaped by their agency. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with 22 U.S. community college and university students and with U.S. faculty and U.K. senior staff who worked at a Study Abroad Center in London. The study focuses on what the students said were the impact they had from studying abroad, what they said about institutional support that they needed prior to studying abroad, and what they said about their changing sense of being while studying abroad. Counterbarrier construct and agency theories were used to ground the findings. The findings showed that these students used their agency to influence their decisions to study abroad, to find the strength to transcend weak institutional support services, and to recognize their own personal, social, and critical skills development as a result of studying abroad.

This study investigates enhancing student learning and performance by exploring student motivation through the use of learning analytics. A mixed-methods approach will be used to collect data from Computer Science students within the UK higher education sector. The collected data will be analyzed using thematic analysis to develop a theoretical framework that will be tested subsequently using structural equation modeling. The identification of student motivation factors helps tutors and learning analysts to better understand student learning motivation and adapt their learning practices accordingly.

In recent times Unmanned Aerial Vehicle developed promptly and broadly used in many areas like reconstruction rescue and monitoring. In all the areas one important key challenge is path planning which tells UAVs that where to fly and how to find a path. The Multiple consideration is to be considered for an ideal path planning which includes path completeness, optimality. The execution of path planning becomes a challenging task in terms of trajectory generation and also require careful consideration. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) path planning techniques have been extensively studied and involve two key stages. First, 3-D objects and obstacles (static and dynamic) are identified. Second, these objects and obstacles are mapped to plan an appropriate path. In the context of UAVs, we can explain path planning techniques in terms of roadmaps/Voronoi diagrams (a representation technique), or we can adopt an optimization approach using either cooperative or non-cooperative techniques. These two approaches, and the techniques used in each, are summarized in terms of the key factors that have been discussed in the context of UAVs. This paper, enables future studies to easily compare with existing and previous studies.

The internet has become a key resource for students’ higher education studies due to both its availability and currency. Previously within higher education, lectures, books and course materials were the only sources of information. This change, to more open access to information and more online materials being accessed outside of those provided by lecturers, and indeed institutions, is likely to accelerate and change the way students are learning. This study aims to help institutions understand better the impact of these changes on the student–lecturer relationship by exploring students’ perceptions of their studies in terms of power and students’ academic engagement in the classroom. The importance of the internet (online learning resources) to students’ achievements, the importance of lecturers and the student–lecturer relationship have all been widely investigated. However, limited research has been undertaken examining the impact of students’ use of the internet on the student–lecturer relationship, or comparing this across different countries and cultures. To address this, data were collected via semi- structured questionnaires distributed to undergraduate students from three countries: United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and Kenya. Quantitative data were analysed using a simple statistical analysis approach and qualitative data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach. The results showed that students’ use of the internet has improved students’ academic self-confidence, academic self-reliance and student– lecturer connectedness, but students’ use of the internet has increased the gap in the student–lecturer expert relationship and referent relationship. The impact and rea- sons for this differed between the countries involved in this study.

Modelling Microsoft's New Technology File System permissions for analysis.Using association rule mining to identify irregular file system permissions.Development of a two-stage tool for auditing Microsoft's New Technology File System.Accuracy greater than 90% for both real-world and synthetic directory structures. Identifying irregular file system permissions in large, multi-user systems is challenging due to the complexity of gaining structural understanding from large volumes of permission information. This challenge is exacerbated when file systems permissions are allocated in an ad-hoc manner when new access rights are required, and when access rights become redundant as users change job roles or terminate employment. These factors make it challenging to identify what can be classed as an irregular file system permission, as well as identifying if they are irregular and exposing a vulnerability. The current way of finding such irregularities is by performing an exhaustive audit of the permission distribution; however, this requires expert knowledge and a significant amount of time. In this paper a novel method of modelling file system permissions which can be used by association rule mining techniques to identify irregular permissions is presented. This results in the creation of object-centric model as a by-product. This technique is then implemented and tested on Microsoft's New Technology File System permissions (NTFS). Empirical observations are derived by making comparisons with expert knowledge to determine the effectiveness of the proposed technique on five diverse real-world directory structures extracted from different organisations. The results demonstrate that the technique is able to correctly identify irregularities with an average accuracy rate of 91%, minimising the reliance on expert knowledge. Experiments are also performed on synthetic directory structures which demonstrate an accuracy rate of 95% when the number of irregular permissions constitutes 1% of the total number. This is a significant contribution as it creates the possibility of identifying vulnerabilities without prior knowledge of how to file systems permissions are implemented within a directory structure.

This paper presents a comparison analysis of two competing models, the technology acceptance model and the decomposed theory of planned behaviour (DTPB), which can be used for predicting and explaining students’ acceptance of electronic portfolios (e-portfolios). E-portfolios are considered important pedagogical tools, with a substantial amount of literature supporting their role in personal, academic and professional development. However, achieving students’ acceptance of e-portfolios is still a challenge for higher education institutions. Data were collected from 204 participating students via a cross-sectional survey method and analysed using structural equation modelling. An in-depth analysis of measures was completed before structural level analysis of the two models was undertaken, in which goodness-of-fit indices were observed and hypotheses analysed. The results from structural level analysis were compared in terms of overall model fit, explanatory power and path significance. The results demonstrated that the DTPB attained higher explanatory power with better insight of the phenomenon under investigation.

Purpose Retention is one of the key performance indicators in university quality assurance processes. The purpose of this paper is to identify the causes leading to low retention rates for first-year undergraduate computing students in a UK higher education institution (HEI). Design/methodology/approach The study applies Tinto’s student integration theory, and connects it with the behavioural patterns of students. Data were collected from 901 students using Pascarella and Terenzini’s questionnaire (integration scales). This data were combined with student enrolment information and analysed using the structural equation modelling technique. Findings The study results indicate that Tinto’s student integration theory is useful in analysing student retention, but this accounts for only a modest amount of variance in retention. Nevertheless, important relationships amongst student’s initial and later academic goals and commitments have been identified through this new approach to analysing retention. The largest direct effect on retention was accounted for by initial goals and institutional commitments, followed by later goals and institutional commitments. In addition, the results show that academic and social integration constructs can have an influence on the student retention processes. When all, or some, of these relationships are operating towards students’ benefits, appropriate services or programmes, such as student support systems, can have their maximum benefits. Originality/value The authors mapped behavioural-related retention factors using a learning community lens. The study explored students’ social and learning experiences within the context of a UK HEI by employing Tinto’s model. This is the first time the model has been tested in this context.

Scientific criteria for identifying allergenic foods of public health importance (Björkstén, B., Crevel, R., Hischenhuber, C., Løvik, M., Samuels, F., Strobel, S., Taylor, S.L., Wal, J.-M., Ward, R., 2008. Criteria for identifying allergenic foods of public health importance. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 51(1), 42-52) have been further refined to incorporate an assessment of the strength of available scientific evidence (van Bilsen, J.H., Ronsmans, S., Crevel, R.W., Rona, R.J., Przyrembel, H., Penninks, A.H., Contor, L., Houben, G.F., 2011. Evaluation of scientific criteria for identifying allergenic food of public health importance. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 60, 281-289). A multi-disciplinary group was invited to critically test the refined approach. They independently evaluated selected publications on coconut, soy and/or peanut allergy, scored them using the newly developed level of evidence criteria, and debated proposed approaches for combining and utilising the scores to measure the overall impact of an allergen in public health impact assessments. The evaluation of selected publications using the modified criteria produced a relatively consistent result across the experts. These refined criteria were judged to be a way forward for the identification of allergenic foods of public health importance, and for prioritisation of allergen risk management and future data gathering. The debate to combine available evidence when assessing whether an allergenic food is of sufficient public health importance to warrant active management led to proposals on how to weight and combine evidence on allergen severity, potency and prevalence. The refined criteria facilitate a debate to find a meaningful sequence of steps to summarise the available information in relation to a food allergen.

The current chapter reports an investigation of Information Technology (I.T.) enablement for a Higher Education Institution (HEI), with focus on the feasibility of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) using Cloud Computing technology. A pragmatist - mixed-methods research approach was followed to establish the Feasibility Study, which included the potential IaaS risks and benefits for a HEI such as the Computing & Library Services of a UK university. An analysis of the advantages and disadvantages, as well as a legal, social, operational and Service Level Agreement (SLA) discussion are provided. Furthermore, the authors outline the potential impact on the institution's employment. Finally, based on the Feasibility Study, the authors recommend a list of selection criteria and evaluation methods that could be regarded as the basis for a future IaaS Cloud decision model for HEIs. The findings of the current investigation contribute to the body of knowledge for both academics and I.T. managers.

Teaching art by digital means is a big challenge for the majority of teachers of art and design in primary schools, yet it allows relationships between art, technology and creativity to be clearly identified. The aim of this article is to present a modern way of teaching art, using digital tools in the art classroom to improve creative ability in pupils aged between nine and eleven years. It also presents a conceptual model for creativity based on digital art. The model could be useful for pupils interested in learning to draw by using an e-drawing package, and for teachers who are interested in teaching modern digital art in order to improve children’s creativity. By illustrating the strategy of teaching art through technology, this model may also help education providers to make suitable choices about which technological approaches are most effective in enhancing students’ creative ability, and which digital art tools can benefit children by developing their technical skills. It is also expected that use of this model will help to develop skills of social interaction, which may in turn improve intellectual ability., {"references":["M. Loveless (2006) \"Literature Review in Creativity, New Technologies\nand Learning\". School of Education, University of Brighton. Article.","L. C. Ghen (1997) \"The effects of color and background information on\nchildren's cognitive learning\". Journal of Visttai Literacy, Autumn\nLVLJ7 1000(1): 39-52.","M. Brooks (2005) \"Drawing as a unique mental development tool for\nyoung children: Interpersonal and intrapersonal dialogues\".\nContemporary Issues in Early Childhood 6(1): 80-91.","J. Lanier (2010) \"You Are not a Gadget: A Manifesto\". Journal of\nCommunication, New York, ISSN0021-9916.2010.","M. I. Pinsky (2004) \"The gospel according to Disney: Faith, trust, and\npixie dust\". Westminster: John Knox Pr.","P. Hawks (2010) \"The relevance of traditional drawing in the digital\nage\". Thames Valley University, Reading.","C. (1997) \"Computer as catalyst\". Pub Printmaking Today, Vol. 6 No. 2,\np. 26.","C. H. Faber (2009) \"Digital Drawing Tablet to Traditional Drawing on\nPaper\". Iowa State University, College of Design.","O. Yurt, and N. D. Kalburan (2011) \"Early childhood teachers' thoughts\nand practices about the use of computers in early childhood education\".\nGazi University, Ankara-06100, Turkey, Pamukkalale University,\nDenizli-20100, Turkey. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2011.01.050\nHow to Cite or Link Using DOI Permissions & Reprints.\n[10] L. Couse and D. Chen (2010) \"A tablet computer for young children?\nExploring its viability for early childhood education\", Journal of\nResearch on Technology in Education 43(1): 75.\n[11] Y. Gan (2008) \"Drawing out Ideas: Student-Generated Drawings' Roles\nin Supporting Understanding of 'light'\". Ontario Institute for Studies in\nEducation, University of Toronto, 252 Bloor Street West, Toronto,\nOntario, M5S 1V6, Canada.\n[12] F. D. Davis (1989) \"Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and\nuser acceptance of information technology\", MIS Quarterly 13(3): 319–\n340.\n[13] J. W. Creswell (2009) \"Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and\nmixed methods approach.\" Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.\n[14] M. L. Guha, A. Druin, et al. (2004) \"Mixing ideas: a new technique for\nworking with young children as design partners\". Proceedings of the\n2004 conference on Interaction design and children: building a\ncommunity, ACM.\n[15] D.T. Dolan and J. Williamson (1983) \"Teaching Problem-Solving\nStrategies\". Wesley Publishing Company 1st edition. 0201102315, 978-\n0201102314.\n[16] M. Brooks (2009) \"What can Vygotsky teach us about young children\ndrawing?\", International Art in Early Childhood Research Journal 1(1):\n1-12.\n[17] L. Vygotsky (1978) \"Mind and society: the development of higher\nmental processes\", Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.\n[18] A. McFarlane (2001) \"Perspectives on the relationships between ICT\nand assessment\", Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 17: 227-234.\n[19] A. Maslow (1954) \"Motivation and personality\", New York, NY: Harper.\np. 236.ISBN 0-06-041987-3.\n[20] Harrow, A.J. (1972). Taxonomy of the Psychomotor Domain. New\nYork: David McKay Co."]}

SummaryObjectiveTo quantify tibial cancellous bone changes over 24 months in patients with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis (OA) subdivided into those with slow or detectable joint space narrowing (JSN).MethodDigitised macroradiographs (4×) were obtained at baseline and 24 months from 40 patients (F:26) and subdivided by computerised measurement of minimum medial compartment joint space width (JSW) into those with slow JSN (

SummaryObjectiveTo quantify differences in bone structure in the proximal tibia of patients with mild, definite and advanced osteoarthritis (OA) compared to healthy reference tibiae.DesignPatients with medial compartment OA (n=110; F=70), mean±SD age 61.0±10.2 years, and non-OA reference subjects (n=27; F=10) mean±SD age 36.3±11.4 years had 4× macroradiographs digitised by laser scanner. Computer measurement of minimum medial joint space width (JSW) subdivided available OA knees into those with early (JSW>3mm, n=70), definite (JSW≤3>1.5mm, n=52) and advanced OA (JSW≤1.5mm, n=60). Non-OA knees (n=49) had JSW>4.5mm. Fractal Signature Analysis (FSA), a computerised image analysis technique, measured differences in cancellous bone structure between OA and non-OA tibiae at four regions of interest (ROIs).ResultsCompared to non-OA, FSA of vertical trabeculae increased significantly (P

Herlitz junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB) is an autosomal recessive mechanobullous disorder that results from loss-of-function mutations in the genes encoding the basement membrane component, laminin 5. Typically, there are frameshift, splice site or nonsense mutations on both alleles of either the LAMA3, LAMB3 or LAMC2 genes, with affected individuals inheriting one mutated allele from each parent. In this report, we describe a patient with Herlitz JEB in whom DNA analysis revealed homozygosity for the recurrent nonsense mutation R635X in LAMB3, located on chromosome 1q32.2. However, screening of parental DNA showed that although the patient's father was a heterozygous carrier of this mutation, the mother's DNA showed only wild-type sequence. Subsequent genotype analysis using 13 microsatellite markers spanning chromosome 1 revealed that the affected child was homozygous for the entire series of markers tested and that all of the alleles originated from the father. These results indicate that the Herlitz JEB phenotype in this patient is due to complete paternal isodisomy of chromosome 1 and reduction to homozygosity of the mutant LAMB3 gene locus. This is the fourth case of uniparental disomy to be described in Herlitz JEB, but it represents the first example of complete paternal isodisomy for chromosome 1 with a pathogenic mutation in the LAMB3 gene. These findings have important implications for mutation screening in JEB and for genetic counselling.

When a conducting partially-transparent mesh is used to separate two regions of different electrostatic field strength there are short-range changes to the field and potential distributions in the vicinity of the mesh and also long-range changes far from the mesh. The forms and magnitudes of these changes are investigated computationally for meshes that consist of parallel or crossed round wires or crossed flat strips.

A theoretical, computational, and experimental study has been carried out of the penetration of electrostatic fields and potentials through meshes. When a conducting partially transparent mesh is used to separate two regions of uniform static field of different strengths the potential distribution in the holes of the mesh is altered, causing the effective average potential of the mesh to become different from the potential applied to the mesh itself, which in turn gives rise to long-range changes to the fields and potentials on both sides of the mesh. The magnitudes of the effective changes in potential are investigated computationally for meshes that consist of either round wires or flat strips, in each case in either a parallel or crossed configuration. Semiempirical formulas are presented for the change in potential as a function of the fields on the two sides of the mesh and the size and spacing of the wires or strips. An experimental test using the shift in apparent energy of an electron-atom scattering resonance has been carried out.

Introduction\ud \ud Web applications have dominated the concerns of most people because they take a lot of their time. \ud Among the most prominent of these concerns is the social networking that is available through social network applications on the internet. Social websites have impacted heavily on social and national identity as well as on the social bonding within the community. Why does the social network matter? Human nature is generally social and people like to live in a community rather than in isolation. Social networks play this role electronically by connecting people as a community regardless of the distance. Evidence shows that these applications are attractive and have a strong influence in various areas.\ud The deductive approach has been used in this chapter which analysed texts relevant to the subject of the study. Descriptive documentary in the collection of information from sources and references associated with the subject of the study described and employed an approach to describe the phenomenon as list of the diagnosis and detection aspects to determine the relationship between elements with a prospect for the future and predict scientific outcomes.

The advent of cloud computing in recent years has sparked interest from various institutions, organisations and users who wish to take advantage of its features. Cloud computing provides on-demand computer resources as a service, enabling flexible information technology (IT) usage via scalability and a cost efficient (pay-per-use) approach. As well as traditional cloud computing services (software, platform and infrastructure as services), there is an emerging concept which integrates knowledge organisations and knowledge management. The Knowledge as a service (KaaS) is delivered via knowledge markets within a cloud environment. In this article, the authors present and analyse the KaaS concept together with its advantages and disadvantages. Furthermore, after an analysis of eLearning environments in the UK higher education institutions (HEIs), the potential KaaS benefits in the UK HEIs are also presented, demonstrating how KaaS conceptual models from industry could be used in the UK HEIs. The underlying theory behind KaaS is also discussed, with the conclusion highlighting potential opportunities and benefits that KaaS can provide to the UK HEIs.

The development of sustainable software has been identified as one of the key challenges in the field of computational science and engineering. However, there is currently no agreed definition of the concept. Current definitions range from a composite, non-functional requirement to simply an emergent property. This lack of clarity leads to confusion, and potentially to ineffective and inefficient efforts to develop sustainable software systems. The aim of this paper is to explore the emerging definitions of software sustainability from the field of software engineering in order to contribute to the question, what is software sustainability? The preliminary analysis suggests that the concept of software sustainability is complex and multifaceted with any consensus towards a shared definition within the field of software engineering yet to be achieved.

Expert power is that which comes from having knowledge and expertise in a particular area (Nazarko, 2004). In the history of the development of higher education, the relationship between the lecturer and the students has changed because of many different factors. Before the Internet and web revolution, the lecturer was the main source of information for his or her students. The web as a modern source of knowledge is now used universally, and this spreading trend may affect the relationship between the lecturer and his students. Understanding the impact of this change appears to be important for improving teaching techniques. Thus, many studies have focused on the effect on students and lecturers of using Internet and web applications. These studies have widely investigated this impact on students achievements and attitude, and have also shown how the role and performance of faculty have changed. This paper aims to investigate this issue from the students perspective: what is the impact of using web resources as a source of knowledge on the student-lecturer relationship? How has the fact that students now gain knowledge from websites affected the relationship with the lecturer as a knowledgeable person, that is, the one with the expert power? The participants were 1661 students from 30 universities/educational institutions. The Teacher Power Use Scale (TPUS) was used to collected data along with an open-ended questionnaire. Predictive Analytics Software (PASW) was used to analyze the data, and a thematic analysis was used to analyze data from the open-ended questionnaire.

The threshold photoelectron spectrum of mercury has been recorded over the energy range\ud (10–40 eV) which covers the region from the lowest state of the singly charged ion,5d106s(2S1/2), to the double charged ionic state, 5d9(2D3/2)6s(1D2). Synchrotron radiation has been used in conjunction with the penetrating-field threshold-electron technique to obtain the spectrum with high resolution. The spectrum shows many more features than observed in previous photoemission measurements with many of these assigned to satellite states converging to the double ionization limit.

Excitation function measurements for the decay of the 2s22p 2P and 2s2p2 2D triply excited negative ion resonances in helium to singly excited n=2 states have been measured. These excitation functions have been determined across the complete angular range (0-180°) using a magnetic angle changer (MAC) with a soft-iron core. The convergent close-coupling method has been used to calculate the cross sections, with the underlying complexity of the problem not yet being able to be fully resolved. Agreement between the present experimental data and previous experimental data is good, with these excitation functions confirming the presence of an unusual (2s22p)2P resonance behaviour in the 21S channel at 90°, where this would not usually be expected. Resonance energy and width values have been obtained, with a mean energy for the (2s22p)2P resonance of 57.20 ± 0.08 eV and a mean width of 73 ± 20 meV, and a mean energy of the (2s2p2)2D resonance of 58.30 ± 0.08 eV and a mean width of 59 ± 27 meV. Resonant cross section and ρ2 values have been calculated across the angular range for the first time, providing angular distribution data on decay propensities for both resonances.

Differential cross sections (DCS) for inelastic electron scattering to the n = 2 states in helium\ud have been measured at incident energies of 80, 100 and 120 eV. These DCS have been\ud determined across the complete angular scattering range (0–180◦) using a magnetic angle\ud changer (MAC) with a soft-iron core. The convergent close-coupling (CCC), R-matrix with\ud pseudostates (RMPS), and B-spline R-matrix (BSR) methods have been used to calculate these\ud DCS. Agreement between the experimental data and the predictions from these highly\ud sophisticated theoretical methods is generally good. The remaining discrepancies mainly\ud occur at small and large angles for the triplet states 23S and 23P, whereas excellent agreement\ud is found between 30◦ and 150◦. The small-angle differences are likely due to contamination of\ud the observed experimental signal from the neighbouring 21S and 21P states. The present\ud results demonstrate the effective use of a soft-iron core MAC for DCS measurements at\ud intermediate energies, extending the operational energy range of such devices by a factor of\ud approximately 25.

A novel coil system is described that enables the magnetic angle-changing technique to be used at higher energies. The system consists of coils of wire that are combined with specially shaped iron cores in such a way as to preserve localization of the magnetic field. The system extends the operational energy range of previous systems consisting of solenoids alone by a factor of 25. Measurements of the electron impact excitation of the n=2 states of helium are presented as an example of the use of the device.

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are seen as a key mechanism to improve the quality of African Higher Education (New Partnership for Africa’s Development [NEPAD], 2005, pp.8-9) which in turn is seen as a key driver of development (World Bank & UNESCO, 2000, pp. 92-3; NEPAD, 2005, pp.8-9; Bloom, Hartley, & Rosovsky, 2006). In this paper the benefits of PPPs for developing Higher Education will be investigated through a discussion of the recent history of such initiatives in the Nigerian University sector and the issues associated with their implementation in Nigeria.

Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of long-term intraarticular (IA) steroid injections for knee pain related to osteoarthritis (OA). Methods In a randomized, double-blind trial, 68 patients with OA of the knee received IA injections of triamcinolone acetonide 40 mg (34 patients) or saline (34 patients) into the study knee every 3 months for up to 2 years. The primary outcome variable was radiologic progression of joint space narrowing of the injected knee after 2 years. Measurements of minimum joint space width were performed by an automated computerized method on standardized fluoroscopically guided radiographs taken with the patient standing and with the knee in a semiflexed position. The clinical efficacy measure of primary interest was the pain subscale from the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities OA Index (WOMAC). Efficacy measures of secondary interest were the total score on the WOMAC, physician's global assessment, patient's global assessment, patient's assessment of pain, range of motion (ROM) of the affected knee, and 50-foot walking time. Clinical symptoms were assessed just before each injection. Results At the 1-year and 2-year followup evaluations, no difference was noted between the two treatment groups with respect to loss of joint space over time. The steroid-injected knees showed a trend toward greater symptom improvement, especially at 1 year, for the WOMAC pain subscale, night pain, and ROM values (P = 0.05) compared with the saline-injected knees. Using area under the curve analyses, knee pain and stiffness were significantly improved throughout the 2-year study by repeated injections of triamcinolone acetonide, but not saline (P < 0.05). Conclusion Our findings support the long-term safety of IA steroid injections for patients with symptomatic knee OA. No deleterious effects of the long-term administration of IA steroids on the anatomical structure of the knee were noted. Moreover, long-term treatment of knee OA with repeated steroid injections appears to be clinically effective for the relief of symptoms of the disease.

Nigeria's current status in the world and within the Sub-Saharan region is reviewed in terms of its focus on information technology education, by examining the Higher Education market, private computer industries within Nigeria, and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), a national initiative designed to dramatically improve Nigeria's competitiveness in computer industries. The results of research into the effectiveness of Public-Private Partnerships in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Nigeria are then discussed. The perceptions of computer industry executives and Higher Education representatives towards greater competitiveness in Nigeria's Information Technology industry are investigated. The authors provide recommendations for how Nigerian Higher Education Institutions and computer-related businesses can develop effective method of advancing ICT Public-Private Partnerships.

Software sustainability has been identified as one of the key challenges in the development of scientific and engineering software as we move towards new paradigms of research and computing infrastructures. However, it is suggested that sustainability is not well understood within the software engineering community, which can led to ineffective and inefficient efforts to address the concept or result in its complete omission from the software system. This paper proposes a definition of software sustainability and considers how it can be measured empirically in the design and engineering process of software systems.