Ototoxicity evaluation in medulloblastoma patients treated with involved field boost using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT): a retrospective review

Background: Ototoxicity is a known side effect of combined radiation therapy and cisplatin chemotherapy for the treatment of medulloblastoma. the delivery of an involved field boost by intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) may reduce the dose to the inner ear when compared with conventional radiotherapy. the dose of cisplatin may also affect the risk of ototoxicity. A retrospective study was performed to evaluate the impact of involved field boost using IMRT and cisplatin dose on the rate of ototoxicity.Methods: Data from 41 medulloblastoma patients treated with IMRT were collected. Overall and disease-free survival rates were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method Hearing function was graded according to toxicity criteria of Pediatric Oncology Group (POG). Doses to inner ear and total cisplatin dose were correlated with hearing function by univariate and multivariate data analysis.Results: After a mean follow-up of 44 months (range: 14 to 72 months), 37 patients remained alive, with two recurrences, both in spine with CSF involvement, resulting in a disease free-survival and overall survival of 85.2% and 90.2%, respectively. Seven patients (17%) experienced POG Grade 3 or 4 toxicity. Cisplatin dose was a significant factor for hearing loss in univariate analysis (p < 0.03). in multivariate analysis, median dose to inner ear was significantly associated with hearing loss (p < 0.01). POG grade 3 and 4 toxicity were uncommon with median doses to the inner ear bellow 42 Gy (p < 0.05) and total cisplatin dose of less than 375 mg/m(2) (p < 0.01).Conclusions: IMRT leads to a low rate of severe ototoxicity. Median radiation dose to auditory apparatus should be kept below 42 Gy. Cisplatin doses should not exceed 375 mg/m(2).

Animated virtual agents to cue user attention: comparison of static and dynamic deictic cues on gaze and touch responses

This paper describes an experiment developed to study the performance of virtual agent animated cues within digital interfaces. Increasingly, agents are used in virtual environments as part of the branding process and to guide user interaction. However, the level of agent detail required to establish and enhance efficient allocation of attention remains unclear. Although complex agent motion is now possible, it is costly to implement and so should only be routinely implemented if a clear benefit can be shown. Pevious methods of assessing the effect of gaze-cueing as a solution to scene complexity have relied principally on two-dimensional static scenes and manual peripheral inputs. Two experiments were run to address the question of agent cues on human-computer interfaces. Both experiments measured the efficiency of agent cues analyzing participant responses either by gaze or by touch respectively. In the first experiment, an eye-movement recorder was used to directly assess the immediate overt allocation of attention by capturing the participant’s eyefixations following presentation of a cueing stimulus. We found that a fully animated agent could speed up user interaction with the interface. When user attention was directed using a fully animated agent cue, users responded 35% faster when compared with stepped 2-image agent cues, and 42% faster when compared with a static 1-image cue. The second experiment recorded participant responses on a touch screen using same agent cues. Analysis of touch inputs confirmed the results of gaze-experiment, where fully animated agent made shortest time response with a slight decrease on the time difference comparisons. Responses to fully animated agent were 17% and 20% faster when compared with 2-image and 1-image cue severally. These results inform techniques aimed at engaging users’ attention in complex scenes such as computer games and digital transactions within public or social interaction contexts by demonstrating the benefits of dynamic gaze and head cueing directly on the users’ eye movements and touch responses.

An experimental study of the peeling of dough from solid surfaces

Binding, David; Couch, M.A., (2003) 'An experimental study of the peeling of dough from solid surfaces', Journal of Food Engineering 58(2) pp.299-309 RAE2008

Multimodal lexicography: The representation of meaning in electronic dictionaries

One finding of user studies is that information on meaning tends to be what diction¬ary users want most from their dictionaries. This is consistent with the traditional image of the dictionary as a repository of meanings of words, and this is also borne out in definitions of the item DICTIONARY itself as given in dictionaries. While this popular view has not changed much, the growing role of electronic dictionaries can change the lexicographers' approach to meaning repre¬sentation. Traditionally, paper dictionaries have explained words with words, using either a defi¬nition or an equivalent, and occasionally a line-drawn picture. However, a prominent feature of the electronic medium is its multimodality, and this offers potential for the description of meaning. While it is much easier to include pictorial content, electronic dictionaries can also hold media objects which paper cannot carry, such as audio, animation or video. Publishers are drawn by the attraction of these new options, but are they always functionally useful for the dictionary users? In this article, the existing evidence is examined, and informed guesses are offered where evidence is not yet available.

PHOTOREFRACTIVE CRYSTAL-BASED ACOUSTO-OPTIC IMAGING IN THE NEAR-INFRARED AND ITS APPLICATIONS

Acousto-optic (AO) sensing and imaging (AOI) is a dual-wave modality that combines ultrasound with diffusive light to measure and/or image the optical properties of optically diffusive media, including biological tissues such as breast and brain. The light passing through a focused ultrasound beam undergoes a phase modulation at the ultrasound frequency that is detected using an adaptive interferometer scheme employing a GaAs photorefractive crystal (PRC). The PRC-based AO system operating at 1064 nm is described, along with the underlying theory, validating experiments, characterization, and optimization of this sensing and imaging apparatus. The spatial resolution of AO sensing, which is determined by spatial dimensions of the ultrasound beam or pulse, can be sub-millimeter for megahertz-frequency sound waves.A modified approach for quantifying the optical properties of diffuse media with AO sensing employs the ratio of AO signals generated at two different ultrasound focal pressures. The resulting “pressure contrast signal” (PCS), once calibrated for a particular set of pressure pulses, yields a direct measure of the spatially averaged optical transport attenuation coefficient within the interaction volume between light and sound. This is a significant improvement over current AO sensing methods since it produces a quantitative measure of the optical properties of optically diffuse media without a priori knowledge of the background illumination. It can also be used to generate images based on spatial variations in both optical scattering and absorption. Finally, the AO sensing system is modified to monitor the irreversible optical changes associated with the tissue heating from high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy, providing a powerful method for noninvasively sensing the onset and growth of thermal lesions in soft tissues. A single HIFU transducer is used to simultaneously generate tissue damage and pump the AO interaction. Experimental results performed in excised chicken breast demonstrate that AO sensing can identify the onset and growth of lesion formation in real time and, when used as feedback to guide exposure parameters, results in more predictable lesion formation.

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF LINEAR BUBBLE DYNAMICS IN A VISCOELASTIC XANTHAN GEL

Oceanic bubble plumes caused by ship wakes or breaking waves disrupt sonar communi- cation because of the dramatic change in sound speed and attenuation in the bubbly fluid. Experiments in bubbly fluids have suffered from the inability to quantitatively characterize the fluid because of continuous air bubble motion. Conversely, single bubble experiments, where the bubble is trapped by a pressure field or stabilizing object, are limited in usable frequency range, apparatus complexity, or the invasive nature of the stabilizing object (wire, plate, etc.). Suspension of a bubble in a viscoelastic Xanthan gel allows acoustically forced oscilla- tions with negligible translation over a broad frequency band. Assuming only linear, radial motion, laser scattering from a bubble oscillating below, through, and above its resonance is measured. As the bubble dissolves in the gel, different bubble sizes are measured in the range 240 – 470 μm radius, corresponding to the frequency range 6 – 14 kHz. Equalization of the cell response in the raw data isolates the frequency response of the bubble. Compari- son to theory for a bubble in water shows good agreement between the predicted resonance frequency and damping, such that the bubble behaves as if it were oscillating in water.

A FLOW-THROUGH ACOUSTIC WAVEGUIDE FOR TWO-PHASE BUBBLY FLOW VOID FRACTION MEASUREMENT

In the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the deposition of a high-energy proton beam into the liquid mercury target forms bubbles whose asymmetric collapse cause Cavitation Damage Erosion (CDE) to the container walls, thereby reducing its usable lifetime. One proposed solution for mitigation of this damage is to inject a population of microbubbles into the mercury, yielding a compliant and attenuative medium that will reduce the resulting cavitation damage. This potential solution presents the task of creating a diagnostic tool to monitor bubble population in the mercury flow in order to correlate void fraction and damage. Details of an acoustic waveguide for the eventual measurement of two-phase mercury-helium flow void fraction are discussed. The assembly’s waveguide is a vertically oriented stainless steel cylinder with 5.08cm ID, 1.27cm wall thickness and 40cm length. For water experiments, a 2.54cm thick stainless steel plate at the bottom supports the fluid, provides an acoustically rigid boundary condition, and is the mounting point for a hydrophone. A port near the bottom is the inlet for the fluid of interest. A spillover reservoir welded to the upper portion of the main tube allows for a flow-through design, yielding a pressure release top boundary condition for the waveguide. A cover on the reservoir supports an electrodynamic shaker that is driven by linear frequency sweeps to excite the tube. The hydrophone captures the frequency response of the waveguide. The sound speed of the flowing medium is calculated, assuming a linear dependence of axial mode number on modal frequency (plane wave). Assuming that the medium has an effective-mixture sound speed, and that it contains bubbles which are much smaller than the resonance radii at the highest frequency of interest (Wood’s limit), the void fraction of the flow is calculated. Results for water and bubbly water of varying void fraction are presented, and serve to demonstrate the accuracy and precision of the apparatus.

Camera-Based Interfaces and Assistive Software for People with Sever Motion Impairments

Intelligent assistive technology can greatly improve the daily lives of people with severe paralysis, who have limited communication abilities. People with motion impairments often prefer camera-based communication interfaces, because these are customizable, comfortable, and do not require user-borne accessories that could draw attention to their disability. We present an overview of assistive software that we specifically designed for camera-based interfaces such as the Camera Mouse, which serves as a mouse-replacement input system. The applications include software for text-entry, web browsing, image editing, animation, and music therapy. Using this software, people with severe motion impairments can communicate with friends and family and have a medium to explore their creativity.

Active Voodoo Dolls: A Vision Based Input Device for Nonrigid Control

A vision based technique for non-rigid control is presented that can be used for animation and video game applications. The user grasps a soft, squishable object in front of a camera that can be moved and deformed in order to specify motion. Active Blobs, a non-rigid tracking technique is used to recover the position, rotation and non-rigid deformations of the object. The resulting transformations can be applied to a texture mapped mesh, thus allowing the user to control it interactively. Our use of texture mapping hardware allows us to make the system responsive enough for interactive animation and video game character control.

An investigation into the tropospheric chemistry of acidic aerosols and ammonia in the laboratory

This thesis describes a broad range of experiments based on an aerosol flow-tube system to probe the interactions between atmospherically relevant aerosols with trace gases. This apparatus was used to obtain simultaneous optical and size distribution measurements using FTIR and SMPS measurements respectively as a function of relative humidity and aerosol chemical composition. Heterogeneous reactions between various ratios of ammonia gas and acidic aerosols were studied in aerosol form as opposed to bulk solutions. The apparatus is unique, in that it employed two aerosol generation methods to follow the size evolution of the aerosol while allowing detailed spectroscopic investigation of its chemical content. A novel chemiluminescence apparatus was also used to measure [NH4+]. SO2.H2O is an important species as it represents the first intermediate in the overall atmospheric oxidation process of sulfur dioxide to sulfuric acid. This complex was produced within gaseous, aqueous and aerosol SO2 systems. The addition of ammonia, gave mainly hydrogen sulfite tautomers and disulfite ions. These species were prevalent at high humidities enhancing the aqueous nature of sulfur (IV) species. Their weak acidity is evident due to the low [NH4+] produced. An increasing recognition that dicarboxylic acids may contribute significantly to the total acid burden in polluted urban environments is evident in the literature. It was observed that speciation within the oxalic, malonic and succinic systems shifted towards the most ionised form as the relative humidity was increased due to complete protonisation. The addition of ammonia produced ammonium dicarboxylate ions. Less reaction for ammonia with the malonic and succinic species were observed in comparison to the oxalic acid system. This observation coincides with the decrease in acidity of these organic species. The interaction between dicarboxylic acids and ‘sulfurous’/sulfuric acid has not been previously investigated. Therefore the results presented here are original to the field of tropospheric chemistry. SHO3-; S2O52-; HSO4-; SO42- and H1,3,5C2,3,4O4-;C2,3,4O4 2- were the main components found in the complex inorganic-organic systems investigated here. The introduction of ammonia produced ammonium dicarboxylate as well as ammonium disulfite/sulfate ions and increasing the acid concentrations increased the total amount of [NH4+].

Design and implementation of the embedded capacitance layers for decoupling of wireless sensor nodes

In this paper, the embedded capacitance material (ECM) is fabricated between the power and ground layers of the wireless sensor nodes, forming an integrated capacitance to replace the large amount of decoupling capacitors on the board. The ECM material, whose dielectric constant is 16, has the same size of the wireless sensor nodes of 3cm*3cm, with a thickness of only 14μm. Though the capacitance of a single ECM layer being only around 8nF, there are two reasons the ECM layers can still replace the high frequency decoupling capacitors (100nF in our case) on the board. The first reason is: the parasitic inductance of the ECM layer is much lower than the surface mount capacitors'. A smaller capacitance value of the ECM layer could achieve the same resonant frequency of the surface mount decoupling capacitors. Simulation and measurement fit this assumption well. The second reason is: more than one layer of ECM material are utilized during the design step to get a parallel connection of the several ECM capacitance layers, finally leading to a larger value of the capacitance and smaller value of parasitic. Characterization of the ECM is carried out by the LCR meter. To evaluate the behaviors of the ECM layer, time and frequency domain measurements are performed on the power-bus decoupling of the wireless sensor nodes. Comparison with the measurements of bare PCB board and decoupling capacitors solution are provided to show the improvement of the ECM layer. Measurements show that the implementation of the ECM layer can not only save the space of the surface mount decoupling capacitors, but also provide better power-bus decoupling to the nodes.

An investigation of innovation and knowledge creation in virtual worlds

The Internet and World Wide Web have had, and continue to have, an incredible impact on our civilization. These technologies have radically influenced the way that society is organised and the manner in which people around the world communicate and interact. The structure and function of individual, social, organisational, economic and political life begin to resemble the digital network architectures upon which they are increasingly reliant. It is increasingly difficult to imagine how our ‘offline’ world would look or function without the ‘online’ world; it is becoming less meaningful to distinguish between the ‘actual’ and the ‘virtual’. Thus, the major architectural project of the twenty-first century is to “imagine, build, and enhance an interactive and ever changing cyberspace” (Lévy, 1997, p. 10). Virtual worlds are at the forefront of this evolving digital landscape. Virtual worlds have “critical implications for business, education, social sciences, and our society at large” (Messinger et al., 2009, p. 204). This study focuses on the possibilities of virtual worlds in terms of communication, collaboration, innovation and creativity. The concept of knowledge creation is at the core of this research. The study shows that scholars increasingly recognise that knowledge creation, as a socially enacted process, goes to the very heart of innovation. However, efforts to build upon these insights have struggled to escape the influence of the information processing paradigm of old and have failed to move beyond the persistent but problematic conceptualisation of knowledge creation in terms of tacit and explicit knowledge. Based on these insights, the study leverages extant research to develop the conceptual apparatus necessary to carry out an investigation of innovation and knowledge creation in virtual worlds. The study derives and articulates a set of definitions (of virtual worlds, innovation, knowledge and knowledge creation) to guide research. The study also leverages a number of extant theories in order to develop a preliminary framework to model knowledge creation in virtual worlds. Using a combination of participant observation and six case studies of innovative educational projects in Second Life, the study yields a range of insights into the process of knowledge creation in virtual worlds and into the factors that affect it. The study’s contributions to theory are expressed as a series of propositions and findings and are represented as a revised and empirically grounded theoretical framework of knowledge creation in virtual worlds. These findings highlight the importance of prior related knowledge and intrinsic motivation in terms of shaping and stimulating knowledge creation in virtual worlds. At the same time, they highlight the importance of meta-knowledge (knowledge about knowledge) in terms of guiding the knowledge creation process whilst revealing the diversity of behavioural approaches actually used to create knowledge in virtual worlds and. This theoretical framework is itself one of the chief contributions of the study and the analysis explores how it can be used to guide further research in virtual worlds and on knowledge creation. The study’s contributions to practice are presented as actionable guide to simulate knowledge creation in virtual worlds. This guide utilises a theoretically based classification of four knowledge-creator archetypes (the sage, the lore master, the artisan, and the apprentice) and derives an actionable set of behavioural prescriptions for each archetype. The study concludes with a discussion of the study’s implications in terms of future research.

Becoming a CEO: an exploration of the theory and practice of effective organisational leadership

This Thesis is an exploration of potential enhancement in effectiveness, personally, professionally and organisationally through the use of Theory as an Apparatus of Thought. Enhanced effectiveness was sought by the practitioner (Subject), while in transition to becoming Chief Executive of his organization. The introduction outlines the content and the structure of the University College Cork DBA. Essay One outlines what Theory is, what Adult Mental Development is and an exploration of Theories held in the Authors past professional practice. Immunity to change is also reflected on. Essay Two looks at the construct of the key Theories used in the Thesis. Prof. Robert Kegan’s Theory of Adult Mental Development was used to aid the generation of insight. The other key Theories used were The Theory of The Business, Theory of the Co‐operative and a Theory of Organisational Leadership. Essay Three explores the application of the key Theories in a professional setting. The findings of the Thesis were that the subject was capable of dealing with increased environmental complexity and uncertainty by using Theory as an Apparatus of Thought, which in turn enhanced personal, professional and organisational effectiveness. This was achieved by becoming more aware of the Theories held by the practitioner, the experiences from the application of those Theories, which then led to greater insight. The author also found that a detailed understanding of the Theory of the Business and a Theory of Leadership would support any new CEO in the challenging early part of their tenure.

Landscapes of kingship in early medieval Ireland, AD 400–1150

This thesis explores the evolution of kingship in early medieval Ireland (AD 400–1150) through a kingdom based and multi-scalar approach to royal landscapes. Through exploring the role of place and landscape in the construction of early medieval Irish kingship, this study will assess the relationship between the social, economic and ideological roles of the king in Irish society. Kingship in Ireland was vested in places, such that royal landscapes were the pre-eminent symbol of regality and authority. As such, an interdisciplinary study of kingship grounded in archaeological methodologies has a unique potential to contribute to our knowledge of the practice of kingship. Consequently, this research considers the material apparatus of different scales of kingships and explores the role of landscape in the construction of kingship and the evolution of kingdoms. It takes two major case studies; (i) Cashel, Munster and the Éoganachta federation; and (ii) the Uí Néill, Tara and the Síl nÁedo Sláine kingdom of Brega. Through interdisciplinary methodologies it charts the genesis and development of political federations, focusing specifically on the role that royal landscapes’ played in their evolution. Similarly, this thesis engages critically with the nature of assembly places and practices in Ireland, and focuses specifically on issues pertaining to the nature of assembly and the archaeological manifestation of such practices. It includes a list of 115 landscapes identified as assembly places, and through the analysis of this material, this thesis examines the ways in which different types of royal sites articulated together to create royal landscapes implicated in the exercise of kingship, and the construction and maintenance of authority. Moreover, through the analysis of assembly places within the context of the development of kingdoms, and structures of jurisdiction and administration, it also investigates the evolution of supra-regional scales of identity and community associated with the emergence of major political federations in early medieval Ireland.

Na marbhnaí do Shéamas Óg Mac Coitir (1689-1720)

Go príomha, is tráchtas é seo a dhéanann staidéar ar ghné de litríocht iar-chlasaiceach na Gaeilge. Baineann sé go háirithe leis an sraith chaointe nó marbhnaí i bhfoirm véarsaíochta a cumadh do Shéamas Óg Mac Coitir (1689-1720), duine uasal Caitliceach ó Charraig Tuathail, Co. Chorcaí, nuair a ciontaíodh é in éigniú Elizabeth Squibb, bean de Chumann na gCarad; nuair a cuireadh pionós an bháis air; agus nuair a crochadh é i gCathair Chorcaí an 7 Bealtaine, 1720. Ó thaobh na staire de, scrúdaítear Clann Choitir mar shampla de theaghlach nár cheil a ndílseacht do chúis pholaitiúil na Stíobhartach agus a sheas an fód go cróga faoi mar a bhí a ngreim polaitiúil á dhaingniú ag an gCinsealacht Phrotastúnach ó dheireadh an 17ú haois amach. Tagraítear do sheicteachas na sochaí comhaimseartha agus don teannas idir an pobal Caitliceach agus an pobal Protastúnach ag an am. Déantar scagadh ar an véarsaíocht mar fhoinse luachmhar do dhearcadh míshásta an mhóraimh Chaitlicigh ar struchtúr polaitiúil chontae Chorcaí (agus na hÉireann) i dtosach an 18ú haois. Is feiniméan liteartha an dlús véarsaíochta seo a bhaineann go háirithe le traidisiún liteartha Chorcaí. Tá na dánta curtha in eagar agus aistriúchán go Béarla curtha ar fáil: is é seo croí an tráchtais. Tá an t-eagrán bunaithe ar scrúdú cuimsitheach ar thraidisiún na lsí; pléitear modheolaíocht na heagarthóireachta. Déantar iarracht ar na dánta a shuíomh sa traidisiún casta liteartha sa tráchtaireacht tosaigh; sa chuid eile den bhfearas scoláiriúil, scrúdaítear ceisteanna a bhaineann le cúrsaí teanga, foclóra, meadarachta agus stíle. Tá innéacsanna agus liosta foinsí le fáil i ndeireadh an tráchtais.