Improving Students' Academic Performance - There's an App for That
A mobile learning app that uses game elements such as leaderboards and digital badges may have positive effects on student academic performance, engagement, and retention, according to a study published in the open access International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education. Researchers at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia developed a fully customizable app that allowed lecturers to push quizzes based on course content directly to their students' devices in order to motivate them, increase their competitiveness, and keep them engaged with the course.
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The Danish Reference Genome
After close to 5 years of work, the GenomeDenmark consortium has now finalized the efforts to establish a Danish Reference genome. The result is a reference of unrivalled quality and information depth, as compared to other similar international references and studies. Due to the unique and high quality approach, the consortium consisting of three Danish universities and the genomics company BGI Europe has been able to analyze otherwise intractable genomics regions for the first time.
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Designing Soft Robots: Ethics-Based Guidelines for Human-Robot Interactions
Soft-bodied robots offer the possibility for social engagement, and novel tactile human-robot interactions that require careful consideration of the potential for misplaced emotional attachments and personally and socially destructive behavior by users. The ethical challenges related to human-robot interactions and how these should contribute to soft robotics design in the context of social interaction are discussed in a compelling new article in Soft Robotics, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.
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Google Searches can be Used to Track Dengue in Underdeveloped Countries
An analytical tool that combines Google search data with government-provided clinical data can quickly and accurately track dengue fever in less-developed countries, according to new research published in PLOS Computational Biology by Shihao Yang of Harvard University and colleagues. The research builds on a methodology previously developed by the team to track influenza in the United States.
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Breathable, Wearable Electronics on Skin for Long-Term Health Monitoring
A hypoallergenic electronic sensor can be worn on the skin continuously for a week without discomfort, and is so light and thin that users forget they even have it on, says a Japanese group of scientists. The elastic electrode constructed of breathable nanoscale meshes holds promise for the development of noninvasive e-skin devices that can monitor a person's health continuously over a long period.
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The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) Launches the eHealth Center, the First Academic eHealth Centre in Southern Europe
This Wednesday, the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) launched the first academic centre in southern Europe specializing in eHealth, the eHealth Center, at an act held in the Sala Europa of the Representation of the European Commission in Barcelona. The act was attended by Josep A. Planell, President of the UOC; Marta Aymerich, Vice President for Strategic Planning and Research at the UOC; Antoni Comín, the Government of Catalonia's Minister for Health;
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Study Finds Most People Aren't as Happy as their Friends on Social Media
A study led by computer scientists at Indiana University has found that people with the most connections on social media are also happier. This may cause most social media users to not only regard themselves as less popular than their friends but also less happy. The recently published study is essentially the first to provide scientific evidence for the feeling many people experience when they log into services like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram: that everyone else looks like they're having more fun.
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