Digital Commons Network^™

Alien Mystery Scavenger Hunt: Enhancing Intergenerational Interaction With Physical Web Technologies Through Location-Based Games, Folashade Fatima Badmos

Conference papers

The Physical Web is a powerful, easy-to-implement and inexpensive way to bridge the gap between the digital and physical realms compared to other technologies used for web location-aware interaction. In this study, we propose a Physical Web for an inter-generational game through the Alien Mystery scavenger hunt. Through the design and implementation of a Physical Web for outdoor intergenerational games, we show the potential of Physical Web technologies in presenting different interactions between the web and the user’s physical environment. The game utilises the ubiquity of QR codes and NFC in modern mobile devices, enabling users to seamlessly interact with …

Myopia Progression Patterns Among Paediatric Patients In A Clinical Setting, Michael Moore, Gareth Lingham, Daniel Ian Flitcroft, James Loughman

Articles

Purpose

This retrospective analysis of electronic medical record (EMR) data investigated the natural history of myopic progression in children from optometric practices in Ireland.

Methods

The analysis was of myopic patients aged 7–17 with multiple visits and not prescribed myopia control treatment. Sex- and age-specific population centiles for annual myopic progression were derived by fitting a weighted cubic spline to empirical quantiles. These were compared to progression rates derived from control group data obtained from 17 randomised clinical trials (RCTs) for myopia. Linear mixed models (LMMs) were used to allow comparison of myopia progression rates against outputs from a predictive …

International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 399 Preliminary Report: Building Blocks Of Life, Atlantis Massif, Andrew M. Mccaig, S.Q. Lang, Peter Blum, Expedition 399 Scientists, Andrew Parsons

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Nonlinear Spatial Evolution Of Degenerate Quartets Of Water Waves, Conor Heffernan, Amin Chabchoub, Raphael Stuhlmeier

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

In this manuscript we investigate the Benjamin–Feir (or modulation) instability for the spatial evolution of water waves from the perspective of the discrete, spatial Zakharov equation, which captures cubically nonlinear and resonant wave interactions in deep water without restrictions on spectral bandwidth. Spatial evolution, with measurements at discrete locations, is pertinent for laboratory hydrodynamic experiments, such as in wave flumes, which rely on time-series measurements at fixed gauges installed along the facility. This setting is likewise appropriate for experiments in electromagnetic and plasma waves. Through a reformulation of the problem for a degenerate quartet, we bring to bear techniques of …

Climate Change And Sustainability Literacy: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Attitudes To Climate Education In Secondary Schools, Alison Anderson

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

Climate change and sustainability are inherently socio-political issues and education plays a key role in mobilising action on climate change and environment. This study builds on interdisciplinary work on youth and climate change education including science communication, environmental education, environmental psychology, and sociology. It reports on novel mixed-methods research on attitudes to climate change and sustainability education in secondary schools in the UK. The study was undertaken in conjunction with the British Science Association (BSA) Future Forums. Drawing on the findings of a national cross-sectional survey of young people aged 14-18 (n= 1000) and two follow up in-depth workshops (n= …

Salivary Biomarkers: The Early Diagnosis Of Alzheimer's Disease, S. Nazir

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

The precise identification of Alzheimer's disease and other prevalent neurodegenerative diseases remains a difficult issue that requires the development of early detection of the disease and inexpensive biomarkers that can replace the present cerebrospinal fluid and imaging biomarkers. Blood biomarkers, such as amyloid and neurofilament light, have been emphasized as an important and practical tool in a testing or examination procedure thanks to advancements in ultra-sensitive detection techniques. Although saliva is not currently being researched for neurodegenerative diseases, it is an important source of biomarkers that can be used for the identification of diseases and has some advantages over other …

Violent Breaking-Wave Impacts. Part 4: A Detailed Analysis And Comparison Of Field And 1:4 Scale Measurements On Sloping And Vertical Walls Including The Influence Of Air And Scale Effects, Geoffrey N. Bullock, Henrik Bredmose

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Pressure and aeration measurements obtained under storm conditions on the steep-fronted masonry wall of a rubble-mound breakwater are analysed in detail, and the results compared with those obtained using a 1:4 scale freshwater model of the field test site. New insights are gained into the complex behaviour of the most violent impacts, with particular attention given to aeration and scale effects. The existence in the field of both low-aeration (LA) and high-aeration (HA) impacts is confirmed and new parameters introduced to facilitate further analysis. Maximum pressures (P_max) up to 771 kPa are categorised and the magnitudes of the …

Understanding Cyber-Risks In Complex Next-Generation Maritime Technologies: Autonomy And Offshore Wind Energy Operations, Kimberly Tam, Avanthika Vineetha Harish, Kevin Jones

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

When developing maritime technology, each new technology is often developed and assessed separately. However, it is likely with the convergence of systems, and greater interconnectivity between systems in the sector, that new technologies will be inter-connected digitally or operationally. Understanding the cyber risks of the larger systems of systems is important. This paper looks at the potential cyber-physical risk of future autonomy and offshore renewable energy solutions co-existing together. A threat scenario is presented using real cyber-vulnerabilities in autonomy and offshore wind systems. This paper discusses potential overall vulnerabilities when combining these two emerging technologies. It concludes with suggested mitigations …

Privacy-Preserving Pedestrian Movement Analysis In Complex Public Spaces, Kunchala Anil

Doctoral

Every journey starts and ends with a walking phase. As a fundamental mode of transportation, it plays a crucial role in the functioning of urban societies. Cities should strive to create public spaces that promote walking by designing pedestrian-friendly infrastructure that is accessible, safe, and convenient for all. An essential step in designing pedestrian-friendly infrastructure is understanding pedestrian usage patterns and behaviour in existing public spaces and infrastructure.

An Introduction To The Zakharov Equation For Modelling Deep Water Waves, Raphael Stuhlmeier

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Insights From Early Career Researcher Representatives At The Sustainability Research & Innovation Congress 2022 Asia Spotlight Event, Cho Kwong Charlie Lam

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Sustainability Research & Innovation Congress 2022 Asia Spotlight Event (SRI-ASE 2022) was held virtually from June 21-24, 2022 and co-organized by Future Earth Global Secretariat Hubs in Asia based in Japan, Taipei, China, and South Asia, during the main sessions of the SRI 2022. SRI-ASE 2022 included over 70 speakers and more than 300 participants from within and outside the Asia region. The aim of the event was to provide space to reflect on inspiring research and discussions related to the themes: New Horizons, Different Ways of Knowing, Nexus Issues, and Cross-cutting Science and Innovation in Asia. This report …

Victim Of Changes? Marine Macroalgae In A Changing World, Mick E. Hanley, Louise B. Firth, Andy Foggo

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Background Marine macroalgae (‘seaweeds’) are a diverse and globally distributed group of photosynthetic organisms that together generate considerable primary productivity, provide an array of different habitats for other organisms, and contribute many important ecosystem functions and services. As a result of continued anthropogenic stress on marine systems, many macroalgal species and habitats face an uncertain future, risking their vital contribution to global productivity and ecosystem service provision. Scope After briefly considering the remarkable taxonomy and ecological distribution of marine macroalgae, we review how the threats posed by a combination of anthropogenically induced stressors affect seaweed species and communities. From there …

Perioperative Oxygenation—What's The Stress?, Joseph Larvin, Mark Edwards, Daniel S. Martin, Martin Feelisch, Michael P.W. Grocott, Andrew F. Cumpstey

Peninsula Medical School

Oxygen is the most used drug in anaesthesia. Despite such widespread use, optimal perioperative oxygen administration remains highly controversial because of concerns about the competing harms of both hyperoxia and hypoxia. Notwithstanding a Cochrane review concluding that routinely administering a fractional inspired oxygen concentration (FiO₂) >0.6 intraoperatively might increase postoperative morbidity and mortality, the World Health Organization (WHO) currently recommends all anaesthetised patients receive 0.8 FiO₂ during and immediately after surgery to reduce surgical site infections. Results from the largest trial available at the time of these two reviews (suggesting long-term survival may be worse with high …

Labembryocam: An Opensource Phenotyping System For Developing Aquatic Animals, Ziad Ibbini, Maria Bruning, Sakina Allili, Luke A. Holmes, Ellen Tully, Jamie Mccoy, Benjamin Larsen, Tony Wilson, Guy Ludford, Jack Barrett-Kelly, John I. Spicer, Oliver Tills

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Phenomics is the acquisition of high-dimensional data on an individual-wide scale and is proving transformational in areas of biological research related to human health including medicine and the crop sciences. However, more broadly, a lack of accessible transferrable technologies and research approaches is significantly hindering the uptake of phenomics, in contrast to molecular-omics for which transferrable technologies have been a significant enabler. Aquatic embryos are natural models for phenomics, due to their small size, taxonomic diversity, ecological relevance, and high levels of temporal, spatial and functional change. Here, we present LabEmbryoCam, an autonomous phenotyping platform for timelapse imaging of developing …

Multi-Ancestry Genome-Wide Association Meta-Analysis Of Parkinson’S Disease, Jonggeol Jeffrey Kim, Dan Vitale, Diego Véliz Otani, Michelle Mulan Lian, Karl Heilbron, Stella Aslibekyan, Adam Auton, Elizabeth Babalola, Robert K. Bell, Jessica Bielenberg, Katarzyna Bryc, Emily Bullis, Paul Cannon, Daniella Coker, Gabriel Cuellar Partida, Devika Dhamija, Sayantan Das, Sarah L. Elson, Nicholas Eriksson, Teresa Filshtein, Alison Fitch, Kipper Fletez-Brant, Pierre Fontanillas, Will Freyman, Julie M. Granka, Alejandro Hernandez, Barry Hicks, David A. Hinds, Ethan M. Jewett, Yunxuan Jiang

Peninsula Medical School

Although over 90 independent risk variants have been identified for Parkinson’s disease using genome-wide association studies, most studies have been performed in just one population at a time. Here we performed a large-scale multi-ancestry meta-analysis of Parkinson’s disease with 49,049 cases, 18,785 proxy cases and 2,458,063 controls including individuals of European, East Asian, Latin American and African ancestry. In a meta-analysis, we identified 78 independent genome-wide significant loci, including 12 potentially novel loci (MTF2, PIK3CA, ADD1, SYBU, IRS2, USP8, PIGL, FASN, MYLK2, USP25, EP300 and PPP6R2) and fine-mapped 6 putative causal variants at 6 known PD loci. By combining our …

Eachempati P, Mishra L, Francis T, Et Al. A Comprehensive Guide To Removable Partial Dentures. Part 2: Impressions, Laboratory Procedures, Insertion, And Case Studies., Prashanti Eachempati, Devi Prasad Nooji, Guy Lambourn, Himanshi Aggarwal, Kiran Kumar Krishnappa Salian, Ewen Mccoll

Peninsula Dental School

This two-part series provides a comprehensive guide to fabricating definitive metal partial dentures, addressing the challenges dental practitioners face in mastering prosthesis design. It aims to equip dental professionals with a thorough understanding of the theoretical foundations and clinical methods for effective metal partial denture fabrication. Part 2 covers removable partial denture (RPD) design philosophies, tooth preparation, secondary impressions, laboratory procedures, trial and final insertions, as well as post-insertion complications and their management. Additionally, four case scenarios are included to help readers apply the knowledge gained from both parts to design a metal partial denture.

Using Content Analysis And Text Mining To Examine The Effects Of Asynchronous Online Tutoring On Revision, Susan Lang, Clinton Morrison Jr, Kathleen Brawley

The Writing Center Journal

What do writers do with the feedback they receive? While the answer will vary depending on the writer’s experience and the rhetorical situation, understanding what writers do can provide important information for course redesign and professional development of tutors and instructors. In this first of two manuscripts, the authors examine how first-semester, first-year writing students use responses provided via asynchronous online tutoring (AOT) in revising their assignments. Our primary research question was: What was happening in—and after—those tutorials? We addressed this question by a process of narrowing and refining of data analysis toward increasingly precise inferences as we progressed from …

“Hopes And Fears”: What Do Writing Center Administrators Think Of Merging With Or Converting Into A Learning Center?, Jenny Goransson

The Writing Center Journal

This article shares findings from a survey study (n = 73) focused on writing center administrator (WCA) perceptions of two phenomena we see on many secondary and postsecondary campuses in recent years: writing centers expanding to become learning centers, and writing centers consolidating or merging with other tutoring services on campus. Through analysis of the qualitative, open-ended survey responses, the study revealed that WCAs’ views of these trends are greatly impacted by local conditions and levels of autonomy, as well as WCAs’ beliefs about expertise. Also, consolidation and expansion are seen by WCAs as shifting writing center identity in …

Improving The Performance Of Hirep Lattice Simulations Software By Exploiting The Cpu Hardware Architecture Details And Algorithm Characteristics, Md Rahman

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

In the scientific exploration of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD)—the theory governing the strong interaction among quarks and gluons—large-scale numerical simulations are per formed using the framework of lattice gauge theories. Lattice Gauge Theory (LGT) simulations involve the formulation of gauge field theories on a space-time lattice. HiRep is a simulation suite designed for running lattice simulations, leveraging high-performance computing platforms. HiRep is designed to be flexible enough to study a wide range of strongly interacting systems, particularly those pertinent to novel physics investigations at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC). However, improving the execution time of HiRep is a challenging and non-trivial …

Explainable Deep Learning For Medical Imaging Classification, Megan Courtman

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Machine learning is increasingly being applied to medical imaging tasks. However, the "black box'' nature of techniques such as deep learning has inhibited the interpretability and trustworthiness of these methods, and therefore their clinical utility. In recent years, explainability methods have been developed to allow better interrogation of these approaches.This thesis presents the novel application of explainable deep learning to several medical imaging tasks, to investigate its potential in patient safety and research. It presents the novel application of explainable deep learning to the detection of aneurysm clips in CT brains for MRI safety. It also presents the novel application …

Explainability And Understandability Of Artificial Neural Networks, Jan Stodt

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) have achieved significant success in fields likehealthcare, but their "black box" nature challenges transparency and user trust.Existing Explainable AI (XAI) methods aim to interpret ANN decisions, yet manyare not understandable to non-AI-experts, emphasizing the need for approachesthat prioritize both accuracy and usability, especially in high-stakes environments.This thesis investigates the reliability and usability of selected existing XAI meth-ods, evaluating how effectively they convey meaningful explanations to users withAI varying expertise. Assessments of methods like LIME, GradCAM, and Fast-CAM identify key limitations, such as inconsistent visual saliency maps and a lackof user-centred design. These findings underpin the need …

Navigating Gendered Spaces: A Feminist Phenomenological Exploration Of Women Entrepreneurs Lived Experiences Within Government Support Agencies, Edicleia Oliveira, Serge Basini, Thomas M. Cooney

Articles

Purpose: This article explores women entrepreneurs' lived experiences in their interactions with government enterprise support agencies. It investigates the relationship between gendering and Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO), as a normative orientation adopted at the institutional level and justified by an economic rationale. It also explores how women entrepreneurs articulate their experiences through embodied metaphors and image schemas, shedding light on how they navigate the institutional entrepreneurial space. Design/methodology/approach: This study is framed within the concept of Phenomenological Orientation as conceptualised in feminist phenomenology. It applies Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, a qualitative methodology focused on interpreting accounts of first-person lived experiences of a …

Evaluating Road Environment Factors Impacting Cyclist Safety In Dublin City Using Geospatial Solutions, Niamh O' Reilly

Doctoral

Police Collision Reports (PCRs) are used as a measure of road safety but are subject to under reporting and biased to collisions involving motorised vehicles or serious injury outcomes. Understanding the extent and nature of cycling safety and how the road environment contributes to these requires detailed quality data on cyclist collisions. Hospital records, insurance claim records and travel diaries are frequently used to supplement these but provide little or no information about the road environment, particularly its location. This research investigates how effective alternative georeferenced bicycle safety data sources examined through a geospatial lens can address road safety issues …

Exploring Cognitive And Neural Substrates Of Search And Foraging Behaviour Across The Lifespan: From Younger To Older Adults, Sarah Salo

School of Psychology Theses

Research suggests that search and foraging behaviours serve as valuable markers for pathological ageing. However, existing tasks have been limited to two-dimensional settings, neglecting additional cues and reference frames. To address this gap, a comprehensive plan of research was developed to establish a new three-dimensional paradigm, drawing from and integrating search traditions with foraging principles. This paradigm was then tested with older adults alongside neuropsychological profiling. Across seven experiments, this thesis investigates whether the neural and cognitive foundations of search and foraging behaviour can be predicted using a large-scale immersive virtual reality (VR) task, exploring the essential roles of executive …

A Review On Machine Learning Methods For Customer Churn Prediction And Recommendations For Business Practitioners, Awais Manzoor, M. Atif Qureshi, Etain Kidney, Luca Longo

Articles

Due to market deregulation and globalisation, competitive environments in various sectors continuously evolve, leading to increased customer churn. Effectively anticipating and mitigating customer churn is vital for businesses to retain their customer base and sustain business growth. This research scrutinizes 212 published articles from 2015 to 2023, delving into customer churn prediction using machine learning methods. Distinctive in its scope, this work covers key stages of churn prediction models comprehensively, contrary to published reviews, which focus on some aspects of churn prediction, such as model development, feature engineering and model evaluation using traditional machine learning-based evaluation metrics. The review emphasises …

Raman Spectroscopic Analysis Of Human Blood Serum Of Glaucoma Patients Supplemented With Macular Pigment Carotenoids, Joy Udensi, Ekaterina Loskutova, James Loughman, Hugh J. Byrne

Articles

As all major dietary carotenoids are contained in blood, it is a suitable substrate to evaluate their content, in vivo. Following 18-month supplementation of open-angle glaucoma patients with macula-pigment carotenoids (Lutein, Zeaxanthin and Meso-Zeaxanthin) in the European Nutrition in Glaucoma Management trial, Raman spectroscopic analysis of the carotenoid content of pre- and post-supplementation participant blood serum was carried out, to investigate the systemic impact of the supplementation regimen and explore a more direct way of quantifying this impact using routine blood tests. Using a 532 nm laser source for optimal response, a consistent increase in serum carotenoid concentration was observed …

The Motherhood Penalty In The United Kingdom: An Unconditional Quantile Regression Analysis, Abhijit Sharma, Stefano Grillini, Richard Woodward

Articles

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Potential For Students To Contribute To Climate Data Rescue: Introducing The Climate Data Rescue Africa Project (Clidar‐Africa), Simon Noone, C. D'Arcy, S. Donegan, W. Durkan, B. Essel, K. Healion, H. Hersbach, S. Madden, Jack Marshall, L. Mcconnell, I. Mensah, N. Scroxton, S. Thiesen, Peter Thorne

Articles

The majority of available climate data in global digital archives consist of data only from the 1940s or 1950s onwards, and many of these series have gaps and/or are available for only a subset of the variables which were actually observed. However, there exist billions of historical weather observations from the 1700s, 1800s, and early 1900s that are still in hard‐copy form and are at risk of being lost forever due to deterioration. An assessment of changes in climate extremes in several IPCC regions was not possible in IPCC AR6 WGI owing, in many cases, to the lack of available …

Hamiltonian Models For The Propagation Of Long Gravity Waves, Higher-Order Kdv-Type Equations And Integrability, Rossen Ivanov

Book chapter/book

A single incompressible, inviscid, irrotational fluid medium bounded above by a free surface is considered. The Hamiltonian of the system is expressed in terms of the so-called Dirichlet-Neumann operators. The equations for the surface waves are presented in Hamiltonian form. Specific scaling of the variables is selected which leads to a KdV approximation with higher order nonlinearities and dispersion (higher-order KdV-type equation, or HKdV). The HKdV is related to the known integrable PDEs with an explicit nonlinear and nonlocal transformation.

Fusion And Integration Pipelines For Optical And Chemical Imaging Data For Clinical Interpretation In Ex-Vivo Diagnosis, Mohd Rifqi Rafsanjani, Karin Jirstrom, Arman Rahman, Jochen H.M. Prehn, William Gallagher, Aidan D. Meade

Conference Papers

In the realm of ex-vivo diagnosis, the integration of optical and chemical imaging data has emerged as a transformative approach, offering a comprehensive understanding of biological specimens at a molecular level. Chemical imaging of human tissue specimens provides an all-digital label-free approach to imaging in objective histopathology, though it requires reference to gold standard pathological (e.g. haematoxylin and eosin (H+E) stained) images for pathological interpretation. Optical imaging techniques, such as microscopy and spectroscopy, provide detailed spatial information, capturing morphological features with high resolution. Concurrently, chemical imaging methods, including mass spectrometry and Raman spectroscopy, offer insights into molecular composition. The challenge …