Digital Commons Network^™

Identification Of Surrogate Biomarkers For The Prediction Of Patients At Risk Of Low Macular Pigment In Type 2 Diabetes, Grainne Scanlon, Daniel Mccartney, John Butler, Ekaterina Loskutova, James Loughman

Articles

Purpose: This cross-sectional study compared macular pigment (MP) levels among persons with Type 2 diabetes relative to healthy controls. Additionally, a range of behavioral, anthropometric, clinical and serum measures were explored as possible predictors of low MP optical density (MPOD) in diabetes.

Addressing Vision Impairment In Mozambique And The Africa Region, Stephen Thompson, Kovin Naidoo, Joel Bambamba, Vanessa Moodley, Diane Van Staden, Amanda Forde, Kajal Shah, Luigi Bilotto, James Loughman

Articles

The Mozambique Eyecare Project was an international partnership to implement and research eye health education in Mozambique and the Africa region. An optometry degree was developed at Universidade Lúrio, Mozambique. In addition, existing eye health workers were upskilled with training. Researchers from various disciplines evaluated the project and its potential for impact on eye health in the region. The body of evidence generated from the research provides useful lessons for development programmes in general, as well as specific lessons for delivering eye health education and service delivery models for low income settings.

Raman Spectroscopy As A Potential Tool For Label Free Therapeutic Drug Monitoring In Human Serum: The Case Of Busulfan And Methotrexate, Drishya Parachalil, Franck Bonnier, Deirdre Commerford, Igor Chourpa, Jennifer Mcintyre, Hugh Byrne

Articles

A methodology is proposed, based on Raman spectroscopy coupled with multivariate analysis, to determine the Limit of Detection (LOD) and Limit of Quantification (LOQ) for therapeutic drug monitoring in human serum, using the examples of Busulfan, a cell cycle non-specific alkylating antineoplastic agent, and, Methotrexate, a chemotherapeutic agent and immune system suppressant. In this study, ultrafiltration is employed to fractionate spiked human pooled serum to efficiently recover the drug in the filtrate prior to performing Raman analysis. The drug concentration ranges were chosen to encompass the recommended therapeutic ranges and toxic levels in patients. Raman spectra were collected from the …

Raman Spectroscopic Analysis Of Saliva For The Diagnosis Of Oral Cancer: A Systematic Review, Genecy Calado, Isha Behl, Amuthachelvi Daniel, Hugh Byrne, Fiona Lyng

Articles

Abstract Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, and new protocols for routine and early detection are required. Raman spectroscopy is an optical based method that can provide sensitive and non-invasive real time detailed information on the biochemical content of a sample like saliva, through the unique vibrations of its constituent molecules and this is sensitive to changes associated with disease. A comprehensive systematic review of the available scientific literature related to Raman spectroscopy of human saliva for diagnosis of OSCC was performed. The 785 nm laser line was most applied wavelength along with …

Principal Components Analysis Of Raman Spectral Data For Screening Of Hepatitis C Infection, A. Dita, H. Nawaz, T. Mahmood, M. Tahir, N. Rashid, Muhammad Mudassar, A.A.H. Alsaadi, Hugh Byrne

Articles

In the current study, Raman spectroscopy is employed for the identification of the biochemical changes taking place during the development of Hepatitis C. The Raman spectral data acquired from the human blood plasma samples of infected and healthy individuals is analysed by Principal Components Analysis and the Raman spectral markers of the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection are identified. Spectral changes include those associated with nucleic acidsat720 cm−1, 1077 cm−1 1678 (CO stretching mode of dGTP of RNA), 1778 cm−1 (RNA), with proteins at 1641 cm−1(amide-I), 1721 cm−1(CC stretching of proteins) and lipids at 1738 cm−1(CO of ester group in …

The Bullet In The Brick: The Materiality Of Conflict In Museum Objects, Siobhan Doyle

Articles

Tangible traces of conflict in visual artefacts can take viewers uncomfortably close to the realities of war—violence, destruction and fatalities. This article questions the evidential force of objects associated with conflict and their eventual display in exhibitions. Through a study of the display of a brick in which is embedded a bullet that is said to have passed through the body of Francis Sheehy Skeffington when he was executed by firing squad during the Easter Rising in Dublin in 1916, this article explores the historical configuration of the brick and analyses its public display in the National Museum of Ireland …

Traversing States: A Reflection On Digital Technology And Simondon's Critique Of Hylomorphism, Michael O'Hara

Articles

In this article, I examine Simondon's concept of the technical object reflecting on its analogous relationship to digital technology. Intrinsic to such an analysis is Simondon's distinction between the abstract and concrete and his specific critique of the hylomorphic model. In a deeply rich example, Simondon, contra Aristotle, mobilises the process of mould-making as an exemplar of the modulated ensemble of forces that prefigure any formations of matter through form. I analyse Simondon's paradigmatic criticism while at the same time carving out the potential intersections that emerge through the kinaesthetic awareness of the body. By doing so I highlight the …

Improved Levels Of Critical Reflection In Pharmacy Technician Student Work-Placement Assessments Through Emphasising Graduate Attributes, Julie Dunne

Journal Articles

This study investigated the effect of activities to promote awareness of specific prioritised graduate attributes on the quality of reflection displayed in work-placement reflective blog assessments for Pharmacy-technician students. Previous related research showed an increased tendency to frame placement experiences in terms of graduate attributes when they are made more explicit in the curriculum. Now, a thematic analysis of reflective writing from control and research groups, using a priori codes of ‘reflection’ and ‘graduate attributes’ explored the impact on the depth of critical reflection, and its relationship to explicit discussion of graduate attributes. The findings show an improvement in the …

A Guide For Vet Teachers With A Focus On Aquaculture: Using Student Rapid Response Systems (Srrs) For Formative Assessment And For Recognition Of Prior Learning (Rpl), Anne Murphy, Aidan Kenny, Martyn Haines, Christine Dudgeon, Dag Willmann

Reports

Optimal was a European Commission funded Erasmus+ Key Action 2 Strategic Partnership Project KA2-SP, titled – ‘Optimised Training: Innovative Methods and Tools for Acceptance of Prior Learning in Qualifications and Workplace Training’. It started in 2016 and ended in October 2019. The Optimal project involved a consortium of partners as follows: Norway - Blue Competence Centre and Guri Kunna VET School, Hitra and Froya Belgium - Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP) Scotland - Pisces Learning Innovations (PLI) Ltd Ireland - Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI). The partnership investigated the delivery of VET to work-based learners through the application of …

Evaluating Food Safety Knowledge And Practices Among Foodservice Staff In Al Madinah Hospitals, Saudi Arabia, Anushree Priyadarshini, Nada Ahmad Alqurashi, Amit Jaiswal

Articles

This study examines food safety knowledge and practices of food service staff in Al Madinah hospitals, Saudi Arabia. A total of 163 food service staff participated voluntarily from 10 hospitals across the city of Al Madinah. The participants completed a questionnaire composed of threeparts: Generalcharacteristics,foodsafetyknowledge,andfoodsafetypractices. Resultsshowed that respondents generally had good food safety knowledge with the highest pass rate of 77.9% for knowledge of cross contamination followed by 52.8% for knowledge of food poisoning, and 49.7% of knowledge of food storage. Food safety practices were also strongly observed in the hospitals with a pass rate of 92.6%. Food safety knowledge …

Antimicrobial Effects Of Microwave-Induced Plasma Torch (Minimip) Treatment On Candida Albicans Biofilms, Oliver Handorf, Uta Schnabel, André Bösel, Thomas Weihe, Sander Bekeschus, Alexander C. Graf, Jörg Ehlbeck

Articles

The susceptibility of Candida albicans biofilms to a non-thermal plasma treatment has been investigated in terms of growth, survival and cell viability by a series of in vitro experiments. For different time periods , the C. albicans strain SC5314 was treated with a microwave-induced plasma torch (MiniMIP). The MiniMIP treatment had a strong effect (reduction factor (RF) = 2.97 after 50 s treatment) at a distance of 3 cm between the nozzle and the superior regions of the biofilms. In addition, a viability reduction of 77% after a 20 s plasma treatment and a metabolism reduction of 90% after a …

Nanostructured Materials For Food Applications: Spectroscopy, Microscopy And Physical Properties, Shubham Sharma, Swana Jaiswal, Brendan Duffy, Amit Jaiswal

Articles

Nanotechnology deals with the matter of atomic or molecular scale. Other factors that define the character of a nanoparticle are its physical and chemical properties, such as surface area, surface charge, hydrophobicity of the surface, the thermal stability of the nanoparticle, and its antimicrobial activity. A nanoparticle is usually characterized by using microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. Microscopic techniques are used to characterize the size, shape, and location of the nanoparticle by producing an image of the individual nanoparticle. Several techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy/high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM/HRTEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning …

A Multilayer Exponential Random Graph Modelling Approach For Weighted Networks, Alberto Caimo, Isabella Gollini

Articles

A new modelling approach for the analysis of weighted networks with ordinal/polytomous dyadic values is introduced. Specifically, it is proposed to model the weighted network connectivity structure using a hierarchical multilayer exponential random graph model (ERGM) generative process where each network layer represents a different ordinal dyadic category. The network layers are assumed to be generated by an ERGM process conditional on their closest lower network layers. A crucial advantage of the proposed method is the possibility of adopting the binary network statistics specification to describe both the between-layer and across-layer network processes and thus facilitating the interpretation of the …

Synthetic Positron Emission Tomography Using Conditional-Generative Adversarial Networks For Healthy Bone Marrow Baseline Image Generation, Patrick Leydon, Martin O'Connell, Derek Greene, Kathleen Curran

Session 6: Applications, Architecture and Systems Integration

A Conditional-Generative Adversarial Network has been used for a supervised image-to-image transla- tion task which outputs a synthetic PET scan based on real patient CT data. The network is trained using only data of patients with healthy bone marrow metabolism. This allows for a patient specific synthetic healthy baseline scan to be produced. This can be used by a clinician for comparison to real PET data in the absence of a baseline scan or to aid in the diagnosis of conditions such as Multiple Myeloma which manifest as changes in bone marrow metabolism.

Development Of A Nanodrop Shape Analysis Tool For Installation In A Novel Nanodrop Spectrophotometer, Colin Monaghan, Jane Courtney

Session 6: Applications, Architecture and Systems Integration

The rapid identification of liquid composition is an important task integral to a wide range of industries including medical, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, and vinification. To aid in this identification spectroscopy can be utilised, however specialised instrumentation must be developed to deliver quantitative information. A spectrophotometer uses spectral data to identify chemical composition of droplets. However, to accurately perform this function, prior knowledge of the size and shape of the droplet is essential to understand chemical quantity. Whilst image data can be easily captured with a high definition camera, the image analysis to translate images into a relevant region of interest (ROI) …

Image-Based Malware Classification: A Space Filling Curve Approach, Stephen O Shaughnessy

Conference Papers

Anti-virus (AV) software is effective at distinguishing between benign and malicious programs yet lack the ability to effectively classify malware into their respective family classes. AV vendors receive considerably large volumes of malicious programs daily and so classification is crucial to quickly identify variants of existing malware that would otherwise have to be manually examined. This paper proposes a novel method of visualizing and classifying malware using Space-Filling Curves (SFC's) in order to improve the limitations of AV tools. The classification models produced were evaluated on previously unseen samples and showed promising results, with precision, recall and accuracy scores of …

Evaluation Of Skin-Mounted Sensor For Head Impact Measurement, Stephen Tiernan, Gary Byrne, David Michael O’Sullivan

Articles

Background: The requirement to measure the number and severity of head impacts in sports has led to the development of wearable sensors.

Aim: The objective of this study was to determine the reliability and accuracy of a wearable head impact sensor: xPatch, X2Biosystems Inc.

Methods: The skin mounted sensor, xPatch, was fixed onto a Hybrid III headform, and dropped using an impact test rig. Four hundred impacts were performed, ranging from 20 to 200g linear acceleration, and impact velocities of 1.2m/s to 3.9m/s. During each impact, the peak linear acceleration, angular velocity and angular acceleration, were recorded and compared to …

Design And Development Of Artificial Spinal Ligaments For Paediatric Synthetic Spine, Nor Amalina Muhayudin, Khairul Salleh Basaruddin, Fiona Mcevoy, Anthony Tansey

Articles

A synthetic spine is a model fabricated from artificial materials consisting of the vertebrae, intervertebral discs and ligaments for spinal testing. The synthetic spine overcomes many difficulties associated with biological specimens such as handling, biohazard concerns, high costs, and limited availability of specimens, quality and large inter-specimen variability. This paper presents the design and development of spinal ligaments to mimic the stiffness of the paediatric ligaments for use in the synthetic spine. Spinal ligaments are uniaxial structures in the spine that carry tensile loads along the direction of the fibres. Early in the research, silicone materials were used to cover …

Multi-Spectral Visual Crop Assessment Under Limited Data Constraints, Patricia O'Byrne, Patrick Jackman, Damon Berry, Hector-Hugo Franco-Penya, Michael French, Robert J. Ross

Conference papers

In an era of climate change and global population growth, deep learning based multi-spectral imaging has the potential to significantly assist in production management across a wide range of agricultural and food production domains. A key challenge however in applying state-of-the-art methods is that they, unlike classical hand crafted methods, are usually thought of as being only useful when significant amounts of data are available. In this paper we investigate this hypothesis by examining the performance of state-of-the-art deep learning methods when applied to a restricted data set that is not easily bootstrapped through pre-trained image processing networks. We demonstrate …

Expressing Trust With Temporal Frequency Of User Interaction In Online Communities, Ekaterina Yashkina, Arseny Pinigin, Jooyoung Lee, Manuel Mazzara, Akinlolu Solomon Adekotujo, Adam Zubair, Luca Longo

Conference papers

Reputation systems concern soft security dynamics in diverse areas. Trust dynamics in a reputation system should be stable and adaptable at the same time to serve the purpose. Many reputation mechanisms have been proposed and tested over time. However, the main drawback of reputation management is that users need to share private information to gain trust in a system such as phone numbers, reviews, and ratings. Recently, a novel model that tries to overcome this issue was presented: the Dynamic Interaction-based Reputation Model (DIBRM). This approach to trust considers only implicit information automatically deduced from the interactions of users within …

Explorobot: Rapid Exploration With Chart Automation, Tamara Matthews, Rohan Goel, John Mcauley

Conference papers

General-purpose visualization tools are used by people with varying degrees of data literacy. Often the user is not a professional analyst or data scientist and uses the tool infrequently, to support an aspect of their job. This can present difficulties as the user’s unfamiliarity with visualization practice and infrequent use of the tool can result in long processing time, inaccurate data representations or inappropriate visual encodings. To address this problem, we developed a visual analytics application called exploroBOT. The exploroBOT automatically generates visualizations and the exploration guidance path (an associated network of decision points, mapping nodes where visualizations change). These …

Agent-Based Iot Coordination For Smart Cities Considering Security And Privacy, Iván García-Magariño, Geraldine Gray, Rajarajan Muttukrishnan, Waqar Asif

Conference papers

The interest in Internet of Things (IoT) is increasing steeply, and the use of their smart objects and their composite services may become widespread in the next few years increasing the number of smart cities. This technology can benefit from scalable solutions that integrate composite services of multiple-purpose smart objects for the upcoming large-scale use of integrated services in IoT. This work proposes an agent-based approach for supporting large-scale use of IoT for providing complex integrated services. Its novelty relies in the use of distributed blackboards for implicit communications, decentralizing the storage and management of the blackboard information in the …

An Evaluation Of The Reliability, Validity And Sensitivity Of Three Human Mental Workload Measures Under Different Instructional Conditions In Third-Level Education, Luca Longo, Giuliano Orru

Conference papers

Although Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) has been researched for many years, it has been criticised for its theoretical clarity and its methodological approach. A crucial issue is the measurement of three types of cognitive load conceived in the theory, and the assessment of overall human cognitive load during learning tasks. This research study is motivated by these issues and it aims to investigate the reliability, validity and sensitivity of three existing self-reporting mental workload instruments, mainly used in Ergonomics, when applied to Education and in particular to the field of Teaching and Learning. A primary research study has been designed …

Analyzing Twitter Feeds To Facilitate Crises Informatics And Disaster Response During Mass Emergencies, Arshdeep Kaur

Dissertations

It is a common practice these days for general public to use various micro-blogging platforms, predominantly Twitter, to share ideas, opinions and information about things and life. Twitter is also being increasingly used as a popular source of information sharing during natural disasters and mass emergencies to update and communicate the extent of the geographic phenomena, report the affected population and casualties, request or provide volunteering services and to share the status of disaster recovery process initiated by humanitarian-aid and disaster-management organizations. Recent research in this area has affirmed the potential use of such social media data for various disaster …

Augmenting American Fuzzy Lop To Increase The Speed Of Bug Detection, Raviraj Mahajan

Dissertations

Whitebox fuzz testing is a vital part of the software testing process in the software development life cycle (SDLC). It is used for bug detection and security vulnerability checking as well. But current tools lack the ability to detect all the bugs and cover the entire code under test in a reasonable time. This study will explore some of the various whitebox fuzzing techniques and tools (AFL, SAGE, Driller, etc.) currently in use followed by a discussion of their strategies and the challenges facing them. One of the most popular state-of-the-art fuzzers, American Fuzzy Lop (AFL) will be discussed in …

Comparing Procedural Content Generation Algorithms For Creating Levels In Video Games, Zina Monaghan

Dissertations

Procedural Content Generation (PCG) is used frequently in games to increase replayability by introducing variety to playghrough of a game and reduce development time by allowing complex game worlds to be developed by a smaller team over a more limited amount of time.

An Evaluation Of The Information Security Awareness Of University Students, Alan Pike

Dissertations

Between January 2017 and March 2018, it is estimated that more than 1.9 billion personal and sensitive data records were compromised online. The average cost of a data breach in 2018 was reported to be in the region of US$3.62 million. These figures alone highlight the need for computer users to have a high level of information security awareness (ISA). This research was conducted to establish the ISA of students in a university. There were three aspects to this piece of research. The first was to review and analyse the security habits of students in terms of their own personal …

An Investigation Into The Predictive Capability Of Customer Spending In Modelling Mortgage Default, Donal Finn [Thesis]

Dissertations

The mortgage arrears crisis in Ireland was and is among the most severe experienced on record and although there has been a decreasing trend in the number of mortgages in default in the past four years, it still continues to cause distress to borrowers and vulnerabilities to lenders. There are indications that one of the main factors associated with mortgage default is loan affordability, of which the level of disposable income is a driver. Additionally, guidelines set out by the European Central Bank instructed financial institutions to adopt measures to further reduce and prevent loans defaulting, including the implementation and …

Bc(A)R Compliance - The Colander Effect, Seamus Harrington

Other Resources

The Building Control (Amendment) Regulations of 2014 has sought to leave the days of self-regulation in the past. However, the opt-out clause has created a two-tiered regulatory structure that questions if the regulations are fit for purpose?

This presentation takes an in depth look at the current regulatory structure and questions if there is a requirement for the introduction of a top-down Local Authority lead approach to Building Regulation Control, similar to that currently utilised throughout the UK and Northern Ireland in respect of all building projects?

Computational Instantaneous Wave‐Free Ratio (Ifr) For Patient‐Specific Coronary Artery Stenoses Using 1d Network Models, Jason M. Carson, Carl Roobottom, Robin Alcock, Perumal Nithiarasu

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.