City University London

About: City University London is a education organization based out in London, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 5735 authors who have published 17285 publications receiving 453290 citations.

Polymer-coated fiber Bragg grating for relative humidity sensing

Abstract: A fiber-optic-based humidity sensor has been fabricated using a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) coated with a moisture-sensitive polymer. The sensing concept exploits the inherent characteristics of the FBG and is based on the strain effect induced in the Bragg grating through the swelling of the polymer coating. A direct indication of the humidity level is given by the shift of the Bragg wavelength caused by the expansion of the sensing material. The FBG sensor used in this work has an approximate coating thickness of 33 /spl mu/m and was exposed to different humidity levels at room temperature. The sensitivity of the sensor was estimated to be about 4.5 pm/%RH at a wavelength of 1535 nm, this being obtained through a process of linear regression. The resulting uncertainty in the measurement is /spl plusmn/4%RH and the response time of the sensor and the moisture expansion coefficient of polyimide were obtained from a series of experimental investigations and cross compared with the results of previous work.

Eye–Hand Coordination Skills in Children with and without Amblyopia

Abstract: Purpose. To investigate whether binocular information provides benefits for programming and guidance of reach-to-grasp movements in normal children and whether these eye–hand coordination skills are impaired in children with amblyopia and abnormal binocularity. Methods. Reach-to-grasp performance of the preferred hand in binocular versus monocular (dominant or nondominant eye occluded) conditions to different objects (two sizes, three locations, and two to three repetitions) was quantified by using a 3D motion-capture system. The participants were 36 children (age, 5–11 years) and 11 adults who were normally sighted and 21 children (age, 4–8 years) who had strabismus and/or anisometropia. Movement kinematics and error rates were compared for each viewing condition within and between subject groups. Results. The youngest control subjects used a mainly programmed (ballistic) strategy and collided with the objects more often when viewing with only one eye, while older children progressively incorporated visual feedback to guide their reach and, eventually, their grasp, resulting in binocular advantages for both movement components resembling those of adult performance. Amblyopic children were the worst performers under all viewing conditions, even when using the dominant eye. They spent almost twice as long in the final approach to the objects and made many (1.5–3 times) more errors in reach direction and grip positioning than their normal counterparts, these impairments being most marked in those with the poorest binocularity, regardless of the severity or cause of their amblyopia. Conclusions. The importance of binocular vision for eye–hand coordination normally increases with age and use of online movement guidance. Restoring binocularity in children with amblyopia may improve their poor hand action control.

Run-time monitoring of requirements for systems composed of Web-services: initial implementation and evaluation experience

Abstract: This paper describes a framework supporting the runtime monitoring of requirements for systems implemented as compositions of Web-services specified in BPEL. The requirements that can be monitored are specified in event calculus. The paper presents an overview of the framework and describes the architecture and implementation of a tool that we have developed to operationalise it. It also presents the results of a preliminary experimental evaluation of the framework.

Freeing the chi of change: the Higher Education Academy and enhancing teaching and learning in higher education

Abstract: This article examines recent UK policy initiatives to enhance teaching and learning in higher education in the UK, and the quality of the student experience there. The Higher Education Academy has recently begun to work in this area and the Higher Education Bill (2004) has passed into law. A reflective review of previous initiatives is therefore very timely. The article shows that, while these different initiatives have been explicitly addressed at different levels of analysis, the meso level—a particularly significant one—has been largely forgotten. Meanwhile these interventions have been based on contrasting underlying theories of change and development. One hegemonic theory relates to the notion of the reflective practitioner, which addresses itself to the micro (individual) level of analysis. It sees reflective practitioners as potential change agents. Another relates to the theory of the learning organization, which addresses the macro level of analysis and sees change as stemming from alterations in...