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A Contextual Approach To Design And Development Of Interfaces For Search Engines, Using Activity Theory As The Basis For Informing Design Decisions, Joseph A. Meloche, Li Cheng
A Contextual Approach To Design And Development Of Interfaces For Search Engines, Using Activity Theory As The Basis For Informing Design Decisions, Joseph A. Meloche, Li Cheng
Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)
The goal of this study is to support the design of more effective search engines. The research presented in this chapter investigates the design of search engines in the context of information seeking
activities. This study is also informed by Activity Theory and considers Information Seeking to be a Keystone Activity. This improvement in search engine design takes into consideration the context of users, and elicits and captures users' explicit and implied requirements. The study uses Q-methodology to elicit the subjective understanding of the participants thought the phases provided by the methodology. This entails collecting, sorting and analysis of detailed …
A Campus Portal Development Methodology To Match Stakeholder Activity, Tharitpong Fuangvut, Helen M. Hasan
A Campus Portal Development Methodology To Match Stakeholder Activity, Tharitpong Fuangvut, Helen M. Hasan
Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)
Although introduced less than seven years ago, a Campus Portal (CP) can be considered as an emerging technological innovation within higher education institutions. A large number have already adopted the concept and are currently implementing some type of portal to extend the services of their Web site and information systems to support the activities of institutional stakeholders, especially students. There is some literature recommending sets of characteristics and functionality for successful CPs, in particular personalisation and customisation. However there is a lack of evidence on which aspects of core attributes lead to the failure of a portal to satisfy user …
An Allometric Comparison Of Microsomal Membrane Lipid Composition And Sodium Pump Molecular Activity In The Brain Of Mammals And Birds, Anthony J. Hulbert, Paul Else, Nigel Turner
An Allometric Comparison Of Microsomal Membrane Lipid Composition And Sodium Pump Molecular Activity In The Brain Of Mammals And Birds, Anthony J. Hulbert, Paul Else, Nigel Turner
Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Previous research has shown that the lipid milieu surrounding membrane proteins may be an important factor in determining their activity. To investigate this we have examined sodium pump molecular activity and microsomal membrane lipid composition in the brain of five mammalian and eight avian species ranging in size from 30 g mice to 280 kg cattle and 13 g zebra finches to 35 kg emus, respectively. Sodium pump (Na+,K+-ATPase) activity was higher in the smaller species and showed a significant allometric decline with body mass in both the mammals (μmol Pi h-1 mg wet …
The Network Centric Environment Viewed Through The Lens Of Activity Theory, Irena Ali, Leoni Warne, Helen M. Hasan
The Network Centric Environment Viewed Through The Lens Of Activity Theory, Irena Ali, Leoni Warne, Helen M. Hasan
Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)
A network centric (NC) environment has the potential to transform the ways in which people gather, share, and process information with connectivity achieved thorough technological and social networks. This is of relevance to the military environment which is
characterised by constant change and uncertainty, and exposed to the vagaries of the political and economic climate. This chapter will analyse human activities in the military network centric context
through the lens of the Cultural-Historical Activity Theory. Based on current research findings it is proposed that the activity of sense-making is central to common awareness and decision making, through information sharing, in …
Systems Resemblance And Workpractice Evolution: Implications For Work Activity (Re)Design, Rodney J. Clarke
Systems Resemblance And Workpractice Evolution: Implications For Work Activity (Re)Design, Rodney J. Clarke
Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)
This paper is concerned with addressing the question of how apparently disparate and unconnected systems can resemble each other. The question of what counts as a systems resemblance necessitates developing contextual workpractice descriptions associated with the systems features and ultimately entire systems. Using systemic semiotics an apparent ontogenetic convergence between entirely different systems is used to show that systems resemblance can be inferred when the constituent workpractices of information systems consist of comparable register features and especially if they exhibit comparable generic features. The implications of these findings for a new class of work activity (re)design practices are considered.
Articulating Knowledge Work: The Contributions Of Activity Theory And Task-Based Knowledge Management, Henry Linger, Frada Burstein, Helen M. Hasan
Articulating Knowledge Work: The Contributions Of Activity Theory And Task-Based Knowledge Management, Henry Linger, Frada Burstein, Helen M. Hasan
Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)
This chapter addresses issues of knowledge work in organisations with a concern that mainstream knowledge management (KM) has fallen short of expectations. The real nature of knowledge work remains hidden, and thus inaccessible, to those who are trying to improve organisational outcomes through KM practices. The authors have conducted independent research within a new discourse on knowledge work in the context of modem complex organisations, the results of which are converging to a common understanding of this critical phenomenon. Their two theoretical frameworks, one task-based and one activity-based, are described here as eminently suited to this research. Two sets of …
Inter-Activity: An Activity Theory Model For Socio-Technical Work Spaces, Alanah Kazlauskas, Kate Crawford
Inter-Activity: An Activity Theory Model For Socio-Technical Work Spaces, Alanah Kazlauskas, Kate Crawford
Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)
The issues that face human society are often addressed in a sociotechnical context that utilizes both social and technical tools. Such socio-technical milieux do not just happen but evolve over time. The ongoing emergence of more and more complex socio-technical contexts presents challenges to those involved as well as for sociocultural researchers. Vygotsky's (1978) Cultural Historical Activity Theory has been expanded upon by a number of researchers including Engestrom (1999) in order to develop understandings of work-based activity systems with a view to the identification of tensions within and to further development of those activity systems. Other researchers (Lave & …
Enzyme Activity And Flexibility At Very Low Hydration, V Kurkal, R M. Daniel, John L. Finney, Moeava Tehei, R V. Dunn, Jeremy C. Smith
Enzyme Activity And Flexibility At Very Low Hydration, V Kurkal, R M. Daniel, John L. Finney, Moeava Tehei, R V. Dunn, Jeremy C. Smith
Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A
Recent measurements have demonstrated enzyme activity at hydrations as low as 3%. This raises the question of whether hydration-induced enzyme flexibility is important for activity. Here, to address this, picosecond dynamic neutron scattering experiments are performed on pig liver esterase powders at 0%, 3%, 12%, and 50% hydration by weight and at temperatures ranging from 120 to 300 K. At all temperatures and hydrations, significant quasielastic scattering intensity is found in the protein, indicating the presence of anharmonic, diffusive motion. As the hydration increases, a temperature-dependent dynamical transition appears and strengthens involving additional diffusive motion. The implication of these results …
Replication Termination In Escherichia Coli: Structure And Anti-Helicase Activity Of The Tus-Ter Complex, Cameron Neylon, Andrew V. Kralicek, Thomas M. Hill, Nicholas E. Dixon
Replication Termination In Escherichia Coli: Structure And Anti-Helicase Activity Of The Tus-Ter Complex, Cameron Neylon, Andrew V. Kralicek, Thomas M. Hill, Nicholas E. Dixon
Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A
The arrest of DNA replication in Escherichia coli is triggered by the encounter of a replisome with a Tus protein-Ter DNA complex. A replication fork can pass through a Tus-Ter complex when traveling in one direction but not the other, and the chromosomal Ter sites are oriented so replication forks can enter, but not exit, the terminus region. The Tus-Ter complex acts by blocking the action of the replicative DnaB helicase, but details of the mechanism are uncertain. One proposed mechanism involves a specific interaction between Tus-Ter and the helicase that prevents further DNA unwinding, while …
Water Loss As A Function Of Energy Intake, Physical Activity And Season, Klaas R. Westerterp, Guy Plasqui, Annalies H. C Goris
Water Loss As A Function Of Energy Intake, Physical Activity And Season, Klaas R. Westerterp, Guy Plasqui, Annalies H. C Goris
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Although water is an important nutrient, there are no recommended intake values. Here, water intake, energy intake, physical activity and water loss was measured over 1 week in summer and in winter. Subjects were healthy volunteers, forty-two women and ten men, mean age of 29 (sd 7) years and mean BMI 21·8 (sd 2·2) kg/m2. Water intake was measured with a 7 d food and water record. Physical activity level (PAL) was observed as the ratio of total energy expenditure, as measured with doubly labelled water, to resting energy expenditure as measured in a respiration chamber. Water loss …
Eliciting And Specifying Requirements For Highly Interactive Systems Using Activity Theory, Robert B. K. Brown, Peter Hyland, Ian C. Piper
Eliciting And Specifying Requirements For Highly Interactive Systems Using Activity Theory, Robert B. K. Brown, Peter Hyland, Ian C. Piper
Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A
The processes of eliciting user requirements and formalising these into specifications are critical for the success of highly interactive systems. These processes are still poorly understood, partly because current methods are usually ad hoc and lack any theoretical basis. A number of researchers have used Activity Theory (AT) to refine these processes and have met with some success. To date, this approach has been more useful explaining the processes post hoc. This positional paper proposes an AT method for requirement elicitation and specification definition. The method is sufficiently prescriptive and well formed that it does not require any detailed understanding …
Socio-Technical Systems: From Individual Transactions To Situated Community Activity, Helen M. Hasan
Socio-Technical Systems: From Individual Transactions To Situated Community Activity, Helen M. Hasan
Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)
Although basic concepts of Activity Theory were articulated almost a century ago, they have stood the test of time and are proving to be appropriate for research into modem situation involving the use of socio-technical systems. Over the past decades the field of Information Systems has advanced from a focus on routine transaction processing systems to more sophisticated applications that support situated community activity. This chapter will describe how Activity Theory is becoming increasing relevant to these types of systems and can be complemented by other approaches such as Complexity Theory and a particular Knowledge Lens. Research is presented that …
A Survey Of Martian Dust Devil Activity Using Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera Images, Jenny A. Fisher, Mark I. Richardson, Claire E. Newman, Mark A. Szwast, Chelsea Graf, Shabari Basu, Shawn P. Ewald, Anthony D. Toigo, R. John Wilson
A Survey Of Martian Dust Devil Activity Using Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera Images, Jenny A. Fisher, Mark I. Richardson, Claire E. Newman, Mark A. Szwast, Chelsea Graf, Shabari Basu, Shawn P. Ewald, Anthony D. Toigo, R. John Wilson
Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)
A survey of dust devils using the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide- and narrow-angle (WA and NA) images has been undertaken. The survey comprises two parts: (1) sampling of nine broad regions from September 1997 to July 2001 and (2) a focused seasonal monitoring of variability in the Amazonis region, an active dust devil site, from March 2001 to April 2004. For part 1, dust devils were identified in NA and WA images, and dust devil tracks were identified in NA images. Great spatial variability in dust devil occurrence is highlighted, with Amazonis Planitia being the …