Digital Commons Network^™

Network Position: A Key Component In The Characterization Of Social Personality Types, Alexander D.M. Wilson, S Krause, Niels J. Dingemanse, J Krause

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Online And Local Television Networks: A New Pedagogy For A Changing Media., Phil Ellis, John Fitzsimons, David Hilton, Allister Gall

School of Art, Design and Architecture

To investigate campus-based and local TV focused on innovative opportunities for students, employers and community groups to contribute to the design of learning pedagogies and course structures.To utilize the strong element of collaboration within and across creative courses in the UPC Partnership encouraging students to explore the medium of TV and establish new learning cultures that broaden the context of the student experience, encouraging creative work-based/related collaboration with local communities and employers.Research outcomes will enhance understanding of a fluid and dynamic growth area for a new media, new educational and employment possibilities and arts practice, which in turn will inform …

The Pornographics Of Japanese Negrophilia, Jd Mackintosh

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

In 1974, a bizarre story, ‘Jigoku ni ochita wakamonotachi’ (‘Young Men Fallen into Hell’), appeared in the Japanese homo magazine Adon. It described in pornographic detail the sado-masochistic torture of Japanese men captured and forced to perform in a black circus troupe in American-occupied Japan. ‘Jigoku’ was unremarkable except that, in its stylised ‘pornographics’, it uniquely – for the homo imagination – configured sexual desire as a Japanese–black inter-racial intercourse. This article explores this imagination through a close reading of ‘Jigoku’. It traces a post-war ‘genealogy’ of blackness (Russell 2006), which finds affinity of meaning and value cutting across sub-cultural …

Modeling Speech Imitation And Ecological Learning Of Auditory-Motor Maps, C Canevari, L Badino, A D'Ausilio, L Fadiga, G Metta

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Classical models of speech consider an antero-posterior distinction between perceptive and productive functions. However, the selective alteration of neural activity in speech motor centers, via transcranial magnetic stimulation, was shown to affect speech discrimination. On the automatic speech recognition (ASR) side, the recognition systems have classically relied solely on acoustic data, achieving rather good performance in optimal listening conditions. The main limitations of current ASR are mainly evident in the realistic use of such systems. These limitations can be partly reduced by using normalization strategies that minimize inter-speaker variability by either explicitly removing speakers' peculiarities or adapting different speakers to …

The Emergence Of Two Anti-Phase Oscillatory Neural Populations In A Computational Model Of The Parkinsonian Globus Pallidus, R Merrison-Hort, R Borisyuk

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Experiments in rodent models of Parkinson's disease have demonstrated a prominent increase of oscillatory firing patterns in neurons within the Parkinsonian globus pallidus (GP) which may underlie some of the motor symptoms of the disease. There are two main pathways from the cortex to GP: via the striatum and via the subthalamic nucleus (STN), but it is not known how these inputs sculpt the pathological pallidal firing patterns. To study this we developed a novel neural network model of conductance-based spiking pallidal neurons with cortex-modulated input from STN neurons. Our results support the hypothesis that entrainment occurs primarily via the …

Event-Driven Visual Attention For The Humanoid Robot Icub, F Rea, G Metta, C Bartolozzi

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Fast reaction to sudden and potentially interesting stimuli is a crucial feature for safe and reliable interaction with the environment. Here we present a biologically inspired attention system developed for the humanoid robot iCub. It is based on input from unconventional event-driven vision sensors and an efficient computational method. The resulting system shows low-latency and fast determination of the location of the focus of attention. The performance is benchmarked against an instance of the state of the art in robotics artificial attention system used in robotics. Results show that the proposed system is two orders of magnitude faster that the …

L’Est Visto Dall’Ovest. Dei Discorsi Occidentali Sull’Omofobia Nell’Europa Centro-Orientale, R Kulpa

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

“Representation is really, not symbolically, powerful”, John Fiske (2003, p.278) Negli ultimi anni, l’Europa “centro-orientale” 1 e, più nello specifico, la Polonia hanno attirato l’attenzione della comunità LGBT dell’Europa “occidentale”. Ciò anche e soprattutto a causa dell’atteggiamento xenofobo e ostile manifestato dai partiti populisti e nazionalisti di molti paesi ex-comunisti. Sempre più frequentemente si sente sostenere l’equazione “Europa centro-orientale = omofobia”. Percezione, questa, che gli eventi accaduti in Polonia, Lettonia, Lituania e Russia hanno contribuito ad alimentare. Più precisamente, di fronte al diniego dell’autorizzazione al Gay Pride e, in altri casi, di fronte ai violenti attacchi contro le pacifiche manifestazioni …

Signature Verification Based On Moments Technique, Shaymaa Al-Juboori

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

In this research we will present the signature as a key to the biometric authentication technique. I shall use moment invariants as a tool to make a decision about any signature which is belonging to the certain person or not. Eighteen voluntaries give 108 signatures as a sample to test the proposed system, six samples belong to each person were taken. Moment invariants are used to build a feature vector stored in this system. Euclidean distance measure used to compute the distance between the specific signatures of persons saved in this system and with new sample acquired to same persons …

Re-Theorizing The “Structure–Agency” Relationship: Figurational Theory, Organizational Change And The Gaelic Athletic Association, John Connolly, Paddy Dolan

Articles

This article illustrates how the figurational sociology associated with Norbert Elias provides an alternative theoretical framework for explaining the relationship between, ‘individualorganization- society’ and organizational change, and in so doing transverses what is conceived as a false dichotomy between structure and agency. Through an historical case study of the Gaelic Athletic Association in Ireland, the ‘individual-organization-society’ relationship is conceptualized as overlapping figurations and organizational change is explained as figurational dynamics—the shifting social interdependencies between the individuals and groups comprising an organization, between that organization and other organizations, between social groups on a higher level of integration and competition. In tandem …

Emotions, Violence And Social Belonging: An Eliasian Analysis Of Sports Spectatorship, Paddy Dolan, John Connolly

Articles

This paper examines the development of different forms of spectator violence in terms of the socio-temporal structure of situational dynamics at Gaelic football matches in Ireland. The nature of violent encounters has shifted from a collective form based on local solidarity and a reciprocal code of honour, through a transitional collective form based on deferred emotional satisfaction and group pride, towards increasing individualization of spectator violence. This occurs due to the shifting objects of emotional involvement. As the functional specialization of the various roles in the game is partially accepted by spectators, the referee becomes the target of anger. Violence …

Self-Sensing Surface Plasmon Resonance For The Detection Of Metallic Nanoparticles, Nh Salah, D Jenkins, L Panina, R Handy, G Pan, Sa Awan

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is an established technique for label free sensing of bio-molecular species, including time-dependent reaction analysis. Unlike previous research by other workers, who have used gold or silver nanoparticles to enhance sensitivity by inducing LSPR, this study involves the theoretical development of a Localised SPR (LSPR) system where a glass prism is considered with multilayer films to enable the detection of metallic nanoparticles. Silver nanoparticles with a volume concentration 0.25 % can be clearly detected from both amplitude and phase, according to the results of these simulations. The model presented is rigorous in that it accounts for …

Spaces, Emotion And Heavy Metal Subcultural Control: Music Consumption And Civilising Processes., Gary Sinclair

Doctoral

Despite the longevity, cultural relevance and global popularity of heavy metal, it has been noticeably absent from both the Birmingham School‟s subcultural studies, the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies (CCCS) and in consumer community contexts informed by post-subcultural perspectives (e.g., neo-tribes). This study examines the Irish heavy metal scene. The literature review considers the problematic aspects of applying both frameworks (subcultural and post-subcultural) to heavy metal and other similar contexts. I argue that Norbert Elias‟s figurational sociology (relatively underutilised in previous consumer research), can be used to bypass the agency–structure dualism that impedes both approaches. It is also advanced that …

Web-Mediated Education And Training Environments: A Review Of Personalised Interactive Learning., Eileen O'Donnell, Mary Sharp, Catherine Mulwa, Vincent Wade

Books/Book Chapters

This chapter reviews the concept of personalised eLearning resources in relation to integrating interactivity into asynchronous learning. Personalised eLearning resources are learning resources which are selected to suit a specific student or trainee’s individual learning requirements. The affordance of personalised eLearning would provide educators with the opportunity to shift away from eLearning content that is retrieved and move towards the provision of personalised interactive content to provide a form of asynchronous learning to suit students at different degree levels. A basic introduction to the concept of ePedagogy in online learning environments is explored and the impacts these systems have on …

From The Editors, Melissa Ianetta, Lauren Fitzgerald

The Writing Center Journal

No abstract provided.

Review: Multiliteracy Centers: Writing Center Work, New Media, And Multimodal Rhetoric, Sipai Klein

The Writing Center Journal

No abstract provided.

Announcements

The Writing Center Journal

No abstract provided.

A Semantic Web Based Search Engine With X3d Visualisation Of Queries And Results, Konstantinos Gkoutzis

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

The Semantic Web project has introduced new techniques for managing information. Data can now be organised more efficiently and in such a way that computers can take advantage of the relationships that characterise the given input to present more relevant output. Semantic Web based search engines can quickly educe exactly what is needed to be found and retrieve it while avoiding information overload. Up until now, search engines have interacted with their users by asking them to look for words and phrases. We propose the creation of a new generation Semantic Web search engine that will offer a visual interface …

On Reducing The Decoding Complexity Of Shingled Magnetic Recording System, Nadia Awad

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR) has been recognised as one of the alternative technologies to achieve an areal density beyond the limit of the perpendicular recording technique, 1 Tb/in2, which has an advantage of extending the use of the conventional method media and read/write head. This work presents SMR system subject to both Inter Symbol Interference (ISI) and Inter Track Interference (ITI) and investigates different equalisation/detection techniques in order to reduce the complexity of this system. To investigate the ITI in shingled systems, one-track one-head system model has been extended into two-track one-head system model to have two interfering tracks. Consequently, …

Two Decades Of Rpl/Apel In Ireland: Practitioner Views, Anne Murphy

Level 3

My first involvement with APEL was in 1990 when I was invited to design a system by which cohorts of experiences practitioners in the disability training sector could achieve a sectoral qualification primarily through recognition of prior certificated and experiential learning. A taught route to the particular qualification was already in operation in partnership between the Adult Education Centre in St Patrick’s College, Maynooth (now National University of Ireland, Maynooth) and the National Rehabilitation Board. The trainers’ qualification was an essential element of quality assurance for the sector with funding support provided by the EU Social Fund. However, it was …

Interview With Mr John Moreland: Audio Interview, John Moreland, Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire, Mary Kavanagh

Irish Yeast Company

In this interview Mr Moreland recalls a long life spent working in the Irish Yeast Company and living in the College Street area of Dublin city. The interview sheds some light on the rise and fall of the various bakeries supplying Dublin city.

Please note the download button provides access to the transcription while clicking on the supplementary file provides access to the recorded interview.

Manual Evaluation Of Synthesised Sign Language Avatars, Robert G. Smith Mr, Brian Nolan Dr.

Conference Papers

The evaluation discussed in this paper explores the role that underlying facial expressions might have regarding understandability in sign language avatars. Focusing specifically on Irish Sign Language (ISL), we examine the Deaf community’s appetite for sign language avatars. The work presented explores the following hypothesis: Augmenting an existing avatar with various combinations of the 7 widely accepted universal emotions identified by Ekman [1] to achieve underlying facial expressions, will make that avatar more human-like and consequently improve usability and understandability for the ISL user. Using human evaluation methods [2] we compare an augmented set of avatar utterances against a baseline …

Generation Of Intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species And Genotoxicity Effect To Exposure Of Nanosized Polyamidoamine (Pamam) Dendrimers In Plhc-1 Cells In Vitro, Hugh Byrne, Pratap Naha

Articles

Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers elicit systematically variable cyto- and eco-toxic responses, promising the basis for structure activity relationships governing nanotoxicological responses. Increased production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), genotoxicity and apoptosis due to in-vitro exposure of hepatocellular carcinoma cells to dendrimer generations G-4, G-5 and G-6 is demonstrated. A generation dependent increase in ROS and genotoxicity was observed, consistent with our previous studies. The responses correlate well with the number of surface amino groups per generation. Although ROS production initially increases approximately linearly, it saturates at higher doses. Notably, normalised to molar dose of surface amino groups, the dose-dependent ROS …

Ball Don’T Lie: Connecting Adolescents, Sports, And Literature, Alan Brown, Chris Crowe

Faculty Publications

A few months ago, a group of middle and high school media specialists invited me to help them consider approaches for engaging reluctant male readers. I thought long and hard about my own experiences, both as a reluctant male reader and as a teacher of reluctant readers. To begin to respond to such a query, I suggested, meant that we must first ponder several equally important questions:

• What are students doing instead of reading?
• In what literary practices are they already engaged outside of school? 
• How can educators connect current extracurricular interests with ongoing curricular activities? 
• How can books further …

Give Them Something To Talk About: The Role Of Dialogue In Mentoring Relationships, Dawan Coombs, Kate Goodwin

Faculty Publications

An effective mentor/protégé relationship is essentially dialogical. Given that the mentor learns as the beginner learns, the mentor needs to take a dialogical stance to promote open conversations and investigation. Journals, blogs, observations, and subsequent debriefings help both the mentor and the beginner to learn much about teaching and learning.

Enabling Connections In Postgraduate Supervision For An Applied Elearning Professional Development Programme, Roisin Donnelly

Journal Articles

This article describes the practice of postgraduate supervision on a blended professional development programme for academics, and discusses how Connectivism has been a useful lens to explore a complex form of instruction. By examining the processes by which supervisors and their students on a two-year part-time masters in Applied eLearning negotiated the blended approach adopted to supervision, it illustrates the conditions that enable connections to occur and flourish. The socio-technical context for supervision was supported using learning technologies (vle, research wikis and ePortfolios), small group supervision (two to three supervisors and students) and traditional individual supervision. Qualitative data were obtained …

Online Resources Platform For Mathematics Education, Marisa Llorens, Edmund Nevin, Eileen R. Mageean

Other resources

The aim of this project was to develop and explore the use of a Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) integrating a web-based platform for the study of mathematics as part of an active learning environment. The platform was designed to provide active support to engineering students especially those in their first year of study. Early use of the platform can identify possible areas of weakness and provide the self-learning environment required for students to become more proficient in areas where they are lacking key skills or are finding the concepts difficult to understand. The platform consists of a set …

Self-Chem: Student Engagement In Learning Through Flipped Chemistry Lectures., Michael K. Seery

Other resources

This project introduces the idea of “flipped lecturing” to a group of second year students. The aim of flipped lecturing is to provide much of the “content delivery” of lecture in advance, so that the lecture hour can be devoted to more in-depth discussion, problem solving, etc. As well as development of the material, a formal evaluation is being conducted. Fifty-one students from year 2 Chemical Thermodynamics module took part in this study. Students were provided with online lectures in advance of their lectures. Along with each online lecture, students were given a handout to work through as they watched …

Optimization Of Fermentation Conditions For The Utilization Of Brewing Waste To Develop A Nutraceutical Rich Liquid Product, Shilpi Gupta, Amit Jaiswal, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam

Articles

Utilization of brewers’ spent grain (BSG), for the development of a fermented liquid product rich in value-added phenolic compounds was investigated. Changes in and liberation of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity during fermentation of BSG was studied. The effect of various particle size (PS), solid liquid (SL) ratio, fermentation time and rotation speed was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) for the purpose of improving bacterial growth and the enhancement in the release of polyphenolic compounds. Contour maps generated using the response surface equation showed that the experimental variables significantly affected the response. A production of 10.4 log cfu/ml, 2.95 …

Ultrasound For Improved Crystallisation In Food Processing, N. Misra, Navneet Deora, Brijesh Tiwari, Patrick J. Cullen

Articles

Within the food industry, controlling crystallisation is a key factor governing food structure, texture and consumer appeal, with some foods requiring the promotion of crystallisation in a controlled manner (e.g. chocolate) and others a check (e.g. in honey). Sonocrystallisation is the application of ultrasound energy to control the nucleation of a crystallisation process. The use of power ultrasound provides a non-invasive approach to producing crystals with desired properties. Sonocrystallisation facilitates process control, primarily by modulating crystal size distribution and morphology. This paper details the governing mechanisms of sonocrystallisation. Proven and potential applications of the process in foods, including chocolates, honey, …

Making Connections: Networked Mindmaps As A Student Centred Assessment For Learning., Barry Ryan

Articles

Engaging students is a difficult task faced by all academics. Student engagement can be achieved by giving ownership of their learning back to the student and by carefully aligning the assessment methodology to the students learning and future employability. To promote learning ownership in this case-study, a group of final year students were involved in the design of the delivery (‘flipped classroom’) and assessment strategy (‘flipped assessment’) of the curriculum. Upon reflection, students noted a deep understanding of their self-selected topic by taking ownership of their learning and their ‘assessment for learning’ within the bounded learning environment. Additionally, students enhanced …