University of Canterbury

About: University of Canterbury is a education organization based out in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Large Hadron Collider. The organization has 11100 authors who have published 29846 publications receiving 893232 citations. The organization is also known as: Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha & Canterbury College.

Augmented Reality in the Classroom

Abstract: Evaluations of AR experiences in an educational setting provide insights into how this technology can enhance traditional learning models and what obstacles stand in the way of its broader use. A related video can be seen here: http://youtu.be/ndUjLwcBIOw. It shows examples of augmented reality experiences in an educational setting.

Sprayed to Death: Path Dependence, Lock-in and Pest Control Strategies

Abstract: Theoretical literature on the economics of technology has emphasized the effects on technological trajectories of positive feedbacks. In a competition among technologies that all perform a similar function, the presence of increasing returns to adoptions can force all but one technology from the market. Furthermore, the victor need not be the superior technology. This paper provides an empirical study of one technological competition which illuminates this theoretical work. It uses theoretical results to explain why chemical control of agricultural pests remains the dominant technology in spite of many claims that it is inferior to its main competitor, integrated pest management. Copyright 1996 by Royal Economic Society.

The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex

Abstract: The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities, yet little is known about the specific genetic loci that influence human cortical structure. To identify genetic variants that affect cortical structure, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 51,665 individuals. We analyzed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 regions with known functional specializations. We identified 199 significant loci and found significant enrichment for loci influencing total surface area within regulatory elements that are active during prenatal cortical development, supporting the radial unit hypothesis. Loci that affect regional surface area cluster near genes in Wnt signaling pathways, which influence progenitor expansion and areal identity. Variation in cortical structure is genetically correlated with cognitive function, Parkinson's disease, insomnia, depression, neuroticism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Intelligent Predictive Decision Support System for Condition-Based Maintenance

Abstract: The high costs in maintaining today’s complex and sophisticated equipment make it necessary to enhance modern maintenance management systems. Conventional condition-based maintenance (CBM) reduces the uncertainty of maintenance according to the needs indicated by the equipment condition. The intelligent predictive decision support system (IPDSS) for condition-based maintenance (CBM) supplements the conventional CBM approach by adding the capability of intelligent condition-based fault diagnosis and the power of predicting the trend of equipment deterioration. An IPDSS model, based on the recurrent neural network (RNN) approach, was developed and tested and run for the critical equipment of a power plant. The results showed that the IPDSS model provided reliable fault diagnosis and strong predictive power for the trend of equipment deterioration. These valuable results could be used as input to an integrated maintenance management system to pre-plan and pre-schedule maintenance work, to reduce inventory costs for spare parts, to cut down unplanned forced outage and to minimise the risk of catastrophic failure.