Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluation Of A Prototype Desktop Virtual Reality Model Developed To Enhance Electrical Safety And Design In The Built Environment, Martin Barrett, Jonathan Blackledge

Articles

The use of Desktop Virtual Reality (VR) systems for enhancing electrical safety and engineering design is a novel prospect for both practicing and student electrical services engineers. This innovative approach, which can be readily accessed via the World Wide Web, constitutes a marked shift in conventional learning and design techniques to a more immersive, interactive and intuitive working and learning environment. This paper initially identifies the unique characteristics of desktop web based VR technologies and highlights the educational affordances offered by working in such an environment. Subsequently, using a prototype model titled ‘Virtual Electrical Services’, a case study is carried …

A Teaching Practice Review Of The Use Of Multiple-Choice Questions For Formative And Summative Assessment Of Student Work On Advanced Undergraduate And Postgraduate Modules In Engineering, Aidan O'Dwyer

Articles

This paper reflects on, reports on and evaluates the use of multiple-choice questions, in both formative and summative assessment modes, on control engineering modules taken by advanced undergraduate and postgraduate engineering students, over four academic years. The material covered by the modules is analytical in nature. The rationale for examining the assessment strategy was the poor performance by students in a closed book traditional terminal examination on one of the advanced undergraduate modules over some years. The change in assessment strategy has improved student learning, as measured by assessment data; student feedback on the assessment methods is broadly positive. The …

Non-Gaussian Anisotropic Diffusion Processing For Medical Imagining Using The Osirix Dicom Viewer, Jonathan Blackledge, Matthew Blackledge, Jane Courtney

Articles

Medical imaging is a fertile area for computer graphics, image processing and real time visualization. In this paper we present a method for reducing noise in CT (Computed Tomography) and MR (Magnetic Resonance) images that (in addition to other noise sources) is characteristic of the numerical procedures required to construct the images, namely, the (inverse) Radon Transform. In both cases, MR imaging in particular, an additional noise source is due to the process of diffusion thereby predicating use of the Anisotropic Diffusion method for noise suppression. This method is based on a diffusion model for noise generation where the Diffusivity …

Energy Commodities Trading Using A Phase Signal Derived From The Levy Index Of Price And Volatility, Jonathan Blackledge, Derek Kearney, Claire Farrell, Grace Kearney

Articles

Energy traders need to decide what markets and commodities to trade in, when to open and close trades and how to maximize profits. In this paper we consider an approach for analyzing energy commodity price data based on the Lévy index in order to develop a new short-term predictive trend indicator for the price. This is achieved by computing the unwrapped phase signal generated from the Lévy index of both the Stochastic Volatility and price and is evaluated using data from the Irish Energy Market, namely, time series for the price of Electricity, Gas and Oil. The initial results show …

Analysis Of Wind Velocity And The Quantification Of Wind Turbulence In Rural And Urban Environments Using The Levy Index And Fractal Dimension, Jonathan Blackledge, Eugene Coyle, Niall Mccoy, Derek Kearney, Keith Sunderland, Thomas Woolmington

Articles

This paper is concerned with a quantitative and comparative analysis of wind velocities in urban and rural environments. It is undertaken to provide a route to the classification of wind energy in a rural and urban setting. This is a common problem and the basis of a significant focus of research into wind energy. In this paper, we use a non-Gaussian statistical model to undertake this task, and, through a further modification of the data analysis algorithms used, extend the model to study the effect of wind turbulence, thereby introducing a new metric for this effect that is arguably superior …

Effects Of Four Commercially Available Fxa Proteins On The Fluorogenic Anti-Fxa Assay When Monitoring Unfractionated Heparin, Vanessa Castro-Lopez, Brian Murray, Leanne F. Harris, James S. O'Donnell, Anthony J. Killard

Articles

Four commercially available Factor Xa (FXa) reagents were evaluated in a fluorogenic anti-FXa assay. The four reagents - of which three were of human origin and the fourth was bovine - were compared in terms of the resulting assay dynamic ranges, lag times, CV and R2 values, sum of squares as well as their sensitivity to unfractionated heparin (UFH) within the therapeutic range of 0-1.2 U mL-1. Based on a balance of performance characteristics, an optimum reagent was selected which had the best combination of all parameters. The best performing serine endopeptidase in the fluorogenic anti-FXa assay was found to …

Should Any Workplace Be Exempt From Smoke-Free Law: The Irish Experience, M. Mccaffrey, Patrick J. Goodman, A. Gavigan, C. Kenny, C. Hogg, L. Byrne, J. Mcloughlin, Luke Clancy

Articles

Background.

In 2004, the Irish Government introduced national legislation banning smoking in workplaces; with exemptions for “a place of residence”. This paper summarises three Irish studies of exempted premises; prisons, psychiatric hospitals and nursing homes. Methods. PM2.5 and nicotine were measured in nursing homes and psychiatric hospitals, in addition to ultrafine particles in the hospitals. In the prisons, officers (n = 30) completed exhaled breath Carbon Monoxide (CO) measurements. Questionnaires determined officers’ opinion on introducing smoking prohibitions in prisons. Nursing home smoking policies were examined and questionnaires completed by staff regarding workplace secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure. Findings. Ultrafine particle concentrations …

Effect On Diagnostic Image Quality Of 3d Warping Registration Algorithms For Mr Angiography In The Lower Legs, Andrew Fagan, Daniel Foley, Jacinta Browne, Barry Sheane, Dearbhail O'Driscoll, Niall Sheehy, James Meaney

Articles

No abstract provided.

Impaired Cleanance And Enhanced Pulmonary Inflammatory/Fibrotic Response To Carbon Nanotubes In Myeloperoxidase-Deficient Mice, Anna A. Shvedova, Alexandr A. Kapralov, Wei Hong Feng, Elena R. Kisin, Ashley R. Murray, Robert R. Mercer, Claudette M. St. Croix, Megan A. Lang, Simon C. Watkins, Nagarjun V. Konduru, Brett L. Allen, Jennifer Conroy, Gregg P. Kotchey, Bashir M. Mohamed, Aidan Meade, Yuri Volkov, Alexander Star, Bengt Fadeel, Valerian E. Kagan

Articles

Advancement of biomedical applications of carbonaceous nanomaterials is hampered by their biopersistence and pro-inflammatory action in vivo. Here, we used myeloperoxidase knockout B6.129X1-MPO (MPO k/o) mice and showed that oxidation and clearance of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) from the lungs of these animals after pharyngeal aspiration was markedly less effective whereas the inflammatory response was more robust than in wild-type C57Bl/6 mice. Our results provide direct evidence for the participation of MPO – one of the key-orchestrators of inflammatory response – in the in vivo pulmonary oxidative biodegradation of SWCNT and suggest new ways to control the biopersistence …

Characterisation Of The Acoustic Output Of Three Sonoporation Drug Delivery Ultrasound Systems Using An Acoustic Radiation Force Balance, Tapihwa Mabvaro, Jacinta Browne

Articles

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Fatty Desposits On The Accuracy Of The Fibroscan Liver Transient Elastography Ultrasound System, S. Cournane, Jacinta Browne, Andrew Fagan

Articles

A new generation of ultrasound transient elastography (TE) systems have emerged which exploit the well-known correlation between the liver’s pathological and mechanical properties through measurements of the Young’s elastic modulus; however, little work has been carried out to examine the effect that fatty deposits may have on the TE measurement accuracy. An investigation was carried out on the effects on the measurement accuracy of a transient elastography ultrasound system, the Fibroscan®, caused by overlaying fat layers of varying thickness on healthy liver-mimicking phantoms, simulating in vivo conditions for obese patients. Furthermore, a steatosis effect similar to that in non-alcoholic fatty …

An Improved Flood Forecasting Model Of The Blue Nile River In Sudan, Gamal Abdo, Ahmed Nasr

Articles

Reliable flood predictions with a reasonable lead time in the Blue Nile River in Sudan are vitally important to avoid catastrophic damages due to flooding of this river and the main River Nile. A HEC-RAS model was initially applied to the Blue Nile by representing the river as a single reach. The resulting original model was subsequently improved by including the two tributaries of the river, Rahad and Dindir, and also the two existing reservoirs, Rosaries and Sinnar, to the model. The original and the improved models were calibrated using 1988 flood data for the period from June to September …

Nonlinear Optical Properties Of Carbon Nanotube Hybrids In Polymer Dispersions, Jun Wang, Kang-Shyang Liao, Daniel Früchtl, Ying Tian, Aisling Gilchrist , T, Nigel Alley, Enrico Andreoli, Brad Aitchison, Albert Nasibulin, Hugh Byrne, Esko I. Kauppinen, Long Zhang, Werner Blau, Seamus Curran

Articles

A series of double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNTs) and multi-walled nanotubes (MWNTs) functionalized with selected organic chromophores, fluorescein 5(6)-isothiocyanate (FITC), rhodamine B isothiocyanate (RITC) and fullerene (C₆₀) were synthesized by covalently linking these electron-donor groups to the metallic nanotubes. These versatile carbon nanotube composites show remarkable nonlinear optical (NLO) performance, due to a merged effect of the complementary NLO characteristics of the moieties of the composites. The hybrids were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Evidence suggests charge transfer species are formed between the chromophores and the nanotubes. The optical limiting performance of the DWNT, MWNT hybrids and …

Restaurant Selection In Dublin, Frank Cullen

Articles

The primary objective of this research was to investigate the selection process used by consumers when choosing a restaurant to dine. This study examined literature on consumer behaviour, restaurant selection, and decision-making, underpinning the contention that service quality is linked to the consumer’s selection of a restaurant. It supports the utility theories that consumers buy bundles of attributes that simultaneously combined represent a certain level of service quality at a certain price. The findings of the research displayed a preference by Dublin consumers for Italian and Chinese styled restaurants and identified quality of the food, type of food, cleanliness of …

Optimization Of Lactic Acid Fermentation Of York Cabbage For The Development Of Potential Probiotic Products, Amit Jaiswal, Shilpi Gupta, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam

Articles

In the present study, York cabbage was used as the sole substrate for the lactic acid (LA) fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum. York cabbage was blanched at 95°C for 12min to inactivate surface microflora prior to fermentation. To achieve an optimal fermentation condition which would result in higher release of phytochemicals and antioxidant (AO) capacity in the broth, Box-Behnken design integrating a desirability approach was used. A second-order polynomial equation was developed indicating the effect of solute/liquid ratio, agitation rate and fermentation time on desired parameters. The optimized factors were used for fermenting York cabbage to obtain maximum bacterial growth, …

Effect Of Different Rehydration Temperatures On The Moisture And Phytochemical Constituents Of Dried Edible Irish Brown Seaweed., Sabrina Cox, Shilpi Gupta, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam

Articles

The effect of temperature (20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 °C) on the rehydration kinetics and phytochemical constituents of dried edible Irish brown seaweed, Himanthalia elongata, were studied. The moisture content of fresh and dried seaweed was 4.07 and 0.07 g water/g dry basis, representing a 98.1% reduction in water content. All rehydration moisture curves had a clear exponential tendency, and it was observed that the rehydration time decreased when temperature was increased. Although restoration of the product to its original moisture content was achieved, rehydration resulted in losses in phytochemical content. Moisture equilibrium was achieved fastest at 100 °C …

Abstract Criteria For Multiple Solutions To Nonlinear Coupled Equations Involving Magnetic Schrodinger Operators, Mattias Enstedt, Michael Melgaard

Articles

We consider a system of nonlinear coupled equations involving magnetic Schrodinger

operators and general potentials. We provide a criteria for the existence of multiple

solutions to these equations. As special cases we get the classical results on

existence of innitely many distinct solutions within Hartree and Hartree-Fock

theory of atoms and molecules subject to an external magnetic fields. We also

extend recent results within this theory, including Coulomb system with a constant

magnetic field, a decreasing magnetic field and a "physically measurable" magnetic field.

Characterization And Electrochromic Properties Of Poly(2,3,5,6-Tetrafluoroaniline): Progress Towards A Transparent Conducting Polymer, Lavinia Astratine, Edmond Magner, John Cassidy, Tony Betts

Articles

Electrochromic films of poly(2,3,5,6-tetrafluoroaniline) (PTFA) were formed on ITO substrates from aqueous solutions utilising perchloric acid (HClO₄) as dopant. Electrochemical and spectroscopic characterization of PTFA films was performed in background electrolyte and in solutions with the addition of tetrahydrofuran. When the PTFA film was removed from its growth medium, a significant decrease in the faradaic current was observed. The faradaic response increased on addition of tetrahydrofuran which facilitates ion movement through the polymer matrix. PTFA films deposited on ITO substrate were orange and light orange in the oxidized and reduced forms, respectively. The films were ca. 25 nm …

Analysis Of Human Skin Tissue By Raman Microspectroscopy: Dealing With The Background, Franck Bonnier, Syed Mehmood Ali, Peter Knief, Helen Lambkin, Kathleen Flynn, Vincent Mcdonagh, Claragh Healy, Thomas Lee, Fiona Lyng, Hugh Byrne

Articles

Raman microspectroscopy is widely used for molecular characterisation of tissue samples. Nevertheless, when working in vitro on tissue sections, the presence of a broad background to the spectra remains problematic and its removal requires advanced methods for pre-processing of the data. To date, research efforts have been primarily devoted to development of techniques of statistical analysis to extract the relevant information contained in the spectra. However, few attempts have been made to understand the origin of the background and to improve the protocols used for the collection of Raman spectra that could lead to the reduction or elimination of the …

Bank Capital Regulation By Enforcement: An Empirical Study, Julie Andersen Hill

Articles

Improving commercial bank capital requirements has been a top priority on the regulatory agenda since the beginning of the 2008 financial crisis Unfortunately some of the information necessary to make informed decisions about capital regulation has been missing Existing regulations establish numerical capital requirements Regulators however have significant discretion to set higher capital requirements for individual banks In considering necessary reforms regulators often focus on specific numerical requirements but sometimes ignore the structure of the regulations and discretionary enforcement efforts Without clear information about discretionary capital enforcement actions it is impossible to make informed judgments about the current capital regulation …

The Fractal Geometry Of Invention, Alan L. Durham

Articles

Fractals are geometric objects of inexhaustible detail. Fractal structures have been found in the contours of mountain ranges, the patterns of veins on a leaf, and the fluctuations of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The endeavor of inventing new technologies, consisting of a hierarchical network of practical inquiries, exhibits fractal properties as well. Among these are multiplicity, latency, and self-similarity. Multiplicity means that a single inventive idea may lead to an immense and diverse array of technological artifacts. Latency means that the potential of an inventive idea to yield practical embodiments only reveals itself in time, and may never be …

Identifying And Localizing Intracellular Nanoparticles Using Raman Spectroscopy, Jennifer Dorney, Franck Bonnier, Amaya Garcia, Alan Casey, Gordon Chambers, Hugh Byrne

Articles

Raman microscopy is employed to spectroscopically image biological cells previously exposed to fluorescently labelled polystyrene nanoparticles and, in combination with K-means clustering and Principal Component Analysis (PCA), is demonstrated to be capable of localising the nanoparticles and identifying the subcellular environment based on the molecular spectroscopic signatures. The neutral nanoparticles of 50 nm or 100 nm, as characterised by dynamic light scattering, are shown to be non-toxic to a human lung adenocarcinoma cell-line (A549), according to a range of cytotoxicity assays including Neutral Red, Alamar Blue, Coomassie Blue and (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT). Confocal fluorescence microscopy identifies intracellular fluorescence due to …

Profiling Instances In Noise Reduction, Sarah Jane Delany, Nicola Segata, Brian Macnamee

Articles

The dependency on the quality of the training data has led to significant work in noise reduction for instance-based learning algorithms. This paper presents an empirical evaluation of current noise reduction techniques, not just from the perspective of their comparative performance, but from the perspective of investigating the types of instances that they focus on for re- moval. A novel instance profiling technique known as RDCL profiling allows the structure of a training set to be analysed at the instance level cate- gorising each instance based on modelling their local competence properties. This profiling approach o↵ers the opportunity of investigating …

Sms Spam Filtering: Methods And Data, Sarah Jane Delany, Mark Buckley, Derek Greene

Articles

Mobile or SMS spam is a real and growing problem primarily due to the availability of very cheap bulk pre-pay SMS packages and the fact that SMS engenders higher response rates as it is a trusted and personal service. SMS spam filtering is a relatively new task which inherits many issues and solu- tions from email spam filtering. However it poses its own specific challenges. This paper motivates work on filtering SMS spam and reviews recent devel- opments in SMS spam filtering. The paper also discusses the issues with data collection and availability for furthering research in this area, analyses …

A Generalized Version Of An Ivantsov-Based Dendrite Growth Model Incorporating A Facility For Solute Measurement Ahead Of The Tip, Shaun Mcfadden, David Browne

Articles

Extensions to the Ivantsov dendrite growth model are presented, which allow for increased solute levels in the field ahead of the dendrite tip. This model is intended for use with video-microscopy experimental results taken from synchrotron radiography sources. Ideally, the composition and composition gradient at the solid-liquid interface would be measured. However, due to the spatial resolution limitations, it is difficult to accurately measure the composition at the interface. This paper sets out an extended description of the theory where measurements ahead of the tip determine the operating conditions at the tip. This extended model of dendritic growth may be …

Personality Modulates The Effects Of Emotional Arousal And Valence On Brain Activation, Elizabeth G. Kehoe, John M. Toomey, Joshua H. Balsters, Arun L.W. Bokde

Articles

The influence of personality on the neural correlates of emotional processing is still not well characterized. We investigated the relationship between extraversion and neuroticism and emotional perception using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a group of 23 young, healthy women. Using a parametric modulation approach, we examined how the blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal varied with the participants’ ratings of arousal and valence, and whether levels of extraversion and neuroticism were related to these modulations. In particular, we wished to test Eysenck's biological theory of personality, which links high extraversion to lower levels of reticulothalamic–cortical arousal, and neuroticism …

Delineating Sexual Dangerousness, Fredrick E. Vars

Articles

Only “dangerous” individuals may be indefinitely detained. Is a one percent chance of a future crime clear and convincing evidence of dangerousness? For sex offenders, fear and uncertainty in case law leave open this passage to limbo. This Article closes it. The due process balancing test used to evaluate standards of proof provides the framework. This Article explains the relationship between the standard of proof and the definition of “dangerous” and argues that only an approach combining the two is consistent with the Constitution. Applying decision theory with assumptions favoring the government, this Article calculates a minimum likelihood of recidivism …

Nanozeolites Doped Photopolymer Layers With Reduced Shrinkage, Mohesh Moothanchery, Izabela Naydenova, Svetlana Mintova, Vincent Toal

Articles

An acrylamide based photopolymer doped with pure silica MFI-type zeolite (silicalite-1) nanoparticles has been characterized for holographic recording purposes. The concentrations of the silicalite-1 nanoparticles in the photopolymer layers were 1, 2.5, 5 and 7.5 wt.%. The inclusion of silicalite-1 nanoparticle in the photopolymer has resulted in an increase of the diffraction efficiency by up to 40%, and decrease of the shrinkage from 1.32% to 0.57%. The best results were obtained in layers doped with 5 wt.% silicalite-1 nanoparticles.

Statistical Optimization Of Blanching Time And Temperature Of Irish York Cabbage Using Desirability Function, Amit Jaiswal, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam, Shilpi Gupta

Articles

The effect of different heat treatments, as a means of preprocessing, on the phytochemicals present in Irish York cabbage was studied. A comparison of blanching (by immersing in water) and microwaving (using water as a medium) indicated that microwaving is detrimental to the phytochemicals present in cabbage. To achieve a blanching time and temperature combination that would result in minimal loss of phytochemicals, central composite design that integrates a desirability approach was used. A second-order polynomial equation was developed, indicating the effect of the blanching time and temperature on the total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl …

Going Green, Dermot Kehily

Articles

No abstract provided.