Exploring glass as a novel method for hands-free data entry in flexible cystoscopy

We present a way to annotate cystoscopy finding on Google Glass in a reproducible and hands free manner for use by surgeons during operations in the sterile environment inspired by the current practice of hand-drawn sketches. We developed three data entry variants based on speech and head movements. We assessed the feasibility, benefits and drawbacks of the system with 8 surgeons and Foundation Doctors having up to 30 years' cystoscopy experience at a UK hospital in laboratory trials. We report data entry speed and error rate of input modalities and contrast it with the participants' feedback on their perception of usability, acceptance, and suitability for deployment. The results are supportive of new data entry technologies and point out directions for future improvement of eyewear computers. The findings can be generalised to other endoscopic procedures (e.g. OGD/laryngoscopy) and could be included within hospital IT in the future

The Boston University Photonics Center annual report 2016-2017

This repository item contains an annual report that summarizes activities of the Boston University Photonics Center in the 2016-2017 academic year. The report provides quantitative and descriptive information regarding photonics programs in education, interdisciplinary research, business innovation, and technology development. The Boston University Photonics Center (BUPC) is an interdisciplinary hub for education, research, scholarship, innovation, and technology development associated with practical uses of light.This has undoubtedly been the Photonics Center’s best year since I became Director 10 years ago. In the following pages, you will see highlights of the Center’s activities in the past year, including more than 100 notable scholarly publications in the leading journals in our field, and the attraction of more than 22 million dollars in new research grants/contracts. Last year I had the honor to lead an international search for the first recipient of the Moustakas Endowed Professorship in Optics and Photonics, in collaboration with ECE Department Chair Clem Karl. This professorship honors the Center’s most impactful scholar and one of the Center’s founding visionaries, Professor Theodore Moustakas. We are delighted to haveawarded this professorship to Professor Ji-Xin Cheng, who joined our faculty this year.The past year also marked the launch of Boston University’s Neurophotonics Center, which will be allied closely with the Photonics Center. Leading that Center will be a distinguished new faculty member, Professor David Boas. David and I are together leading a new Neurophotonics NSF Research Traineeship Program that will provide $3M to promote graduate traineeships in this emerging new field. We had a busy summer hosting NSF Sites for Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Research Experiences for Teachers, and the BU Student Satellite Program. As a community, we emphasized the theme of “Optics of Cancer Imaging” at our annual symposium, hosted by Darren Roblyer. We entered a five-year second phase of NSF funding in our Industry/University Collaborative Research Center on Biophotonic Sensors and Systems, which has become the centerpiece of our translational biophotonics program. That I/UCRC continues to focus on advancing the health care and medical device industries

The Implementation of Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Contemporary Healthcare Facilities: The Design of a Research Hospital for Mbombela Systems

The following treatise emerged from the issue of a lack of research hospitals that deal with Indigenous medicinal herbal plant remedies as a more holistic approach to health and healing. Indigenous knowledge systems from South Africa emphasize the patients’ psychological, biological, spiritual, and sociological well-being as directly impacting the patient’s healing process. Over the years, there has been a lack of research and the promotion of the use of Indigenous medicinal herbal plant remedies in South Africa’s existing “western” healthcare system. Existing “western” healthcare facilities (hospital) infrastructure in South Africa places minimal emphasis on spiritual, psychological, biological, and sociological well-being, which is observed in South Africa’s Indigenous knowledge healthcare system, that has existed before the establishment of “western” healthcare system in South Africa. Architecturally, this treatise aims to generate a research hospital design that has an understanding of South Africa’s Indigenous knowledge healthcare system, which directly impact the architecture and which is unique (critical regionalism) to the region of Mbombela city. Furthermore, it uses health and wellness principles as the drivers, along with biophilic design principles, to achieve a more holistic and integrated environment for patients and working staff. These architectural theories use a holistic approach to healthcare that has been in practice for several years in the indigenous knowledge healthcare system within South Africa. Critical regionalism is investigated as a theoretical model that will be used to generate a unique architecture for Mbombela city. The concept of the Indigenous knowledge healthcare system and the physical and spatial implications are examined on how they affect architecture. Furthermore, health and wellness theories and principles, along with biophilic design principles, are investigated as the theoretical and conceptual framework that will inform the design of innovative research-based hospitals for Mbombela city. Investigations on hospitals, (plant) research facilities and conservatory are examined via architectural precedents studies that will inform the understanding of the nature of the new building type and its various spatial and physical issues. An appropriate precinct and site within Mbombela city have been identified based on a list of site selection criteria and contextual analysis of the precinct. Furthermore, analysis of the contexts at various scale and understanding the climatic conditions of Mbombela city will facilitate the generation of contextual constraints and informants that will inform the building's design. This treatise will conclude with a design proposal for a new innovative research hospital for the city of Mbombela that is established from understanding the city’s unique architectural character, understanding the concept of traditional Indigenous healing knowledge system, and health and wellness, biophilic principles that support the holistic approach to healing which is found in Indigenous healing knowledge system.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 202

The Implementation of Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Contemporary Healthcare Facilities: The Design of a Research Hospital for Mbombela Systems

The following treatise emerged from the issue of a lack of research hospitals that deal with Indigenous medicinal herbal plant remedies as a more holistic approach to health and healing. Indigenous knowledge systems from South Africa emphasize the patients’ psychological, biological, spiritual, and sociological well-being as directly impacting the patient’s healing process. Over the years, there has been a lack of research and the promotion of the use of Indigenous medicinal herbal plant remedies in South Africa’s existing “western” healthcare system. Existing “western” healthcare facilities (hospital) infrastructure in South Africa places minimal emphasis on spiritual, psychological, biological, and sociological well-being, which is observed in South Africa’s Indigenous knowledge healthcare system, that has existed before the establishment of “western” healthcare system in South Africa. Architecturally, this treatise aims to generate a research hospital design that has an understanding of South Africa’s Indigenous knowledge healthcare system, which directly impact the architecture and which is unique (critical regionalism) to the region of Mbombela city. Furthermore, it uses health and wellness principles as the drivers, along with biophilic design principles, to achieve a more holistic and integrated environment for patients and working staff. These architectural theories use a holistic approach to healthcare that has been in practice for several years in the indigenous knowledge healthcare system within South Africa. Critical regionalism is investigated as a theoretical model that will be used to generate a unique architecture for Mbombela city. The concept of the Indigenous knowledge healthcare system and the physical and spatial implications are examined on how they affect architecture. Furthermore, health and wellness theories and principles, along with biophilic design principles, are investigated as the theoretical and conceptual framework that will inform the design of innovative research-based hospitals for Mbombela city. Investigations on hospitals, (plant) research facilities and conservatory are examined via architectural precedents studies that will inform the understanding of the nature of the new building type and its various spatial and physical issues. An appropriate precinct and site within Mbombela city have been identified based on a list of site selection criteria and contextual analysis of the precinct. Furthermore, analysis of the contexts at various scale and understanding the climatic conditions of Mbombela city will facilitate the generation of contextual constraints and informants that will inform the building's design. This treatise will conclude with a design proposal for a new innovative research hospital for the city of Mbombela that is established from understanding the city’s unique architectural character, understanding the concept of traditional Indigenous healing knowledge system, and health and wellness, biophilic principles that support the holistic approach to healing which is found in Indigenous healing knowledge system.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 202

A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Plastic Pollution from Environmental Sampling to Surveying: Quality Assurance, Freshwater Contamination, and Popular Opinions

Plastic pollution is a global problem impacting every environmental compartment, from the air in Mount Everest to urban freshwater supplies. The scope and magnitude of the plastic problem requires an interdisciplinary approach that addresses human and environmental dimensions. I look to inform circular economy approaches through three phases of research: 1) individual waste generation and perceptions of waste and plastic issues; 2) methods and quality control evaluation for quantification of freshwater microplastics; and 3) temporal and spatial variation in plastic particle dynamics over a 3-year period in an urban lake compared with a rural lake in Central New York. In phase 1 (Chapter 2), I consider the non-perishable waste generation and environmental perceptions of participants in a social media campaign, Futuristic February. Participants in this campaign were directed to collect their non-perishable waste in February 2020. The aim of this work was to evaluate general perceptions of the survey participants on common areas of misinformation regarding waste and plastics, as well as to obtain general information regarding individual waste generation. Participant’s perceptions of plastic and waste issues were compared to popular search results on Google and Google Scholar in a mini-review. Participants were most uncertain on topics related to bioplastics and biodegradable plastics. The majority of participants (86%) agreed that there were trash islands in the ocean gyres. The mini-review results showed that uncertainty differed by group (Google, Google Scholar, and participants) and topic, rather than any consistent pattern among participants and search platform. In Phase 2 (Chapter 3) I focus on quantifying environmental impacts of plastic pollution in temperate freshwaters. Methods for collection and quantification of plastic particles in the environment are non-standardized and often incomparable across studies. In this chapter I consider the use of point sampling (grab, bucket, and pump methods) and areal sampling (net) methods for microplastic sampling in fresh surface waters. I used a strict quality control correction using a limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) approach to account for background contamination. Point sampling methods were less likely to exceed the LOD compared to net sampling, though results differed depending on the location chosen for sampling and if visible floatable plastic pollution was present. Net sampling likely underrepresented smaller particles but collected a higher diversity with respect to color and morphology and exceeded the LOD in every sample, providing a more reliable method for monitoring microplastics. Lastly, in Phase 3 (Chapter 4) I applied the refined net method identified in Phase 2 to monitor both urban and rural lake surface waters for microplastics in central New York over a 3-year period (2019-2021). The goals of this monitoring campaign were to: identify patterns with respect to source and location, and discuss potential impacts of seasonal stratification on microplastic circulation in dimictic lakes. Plastic particle concentrations were higher in Onondaga Lake (urban) compared to Skaneateles Lake (rural), likely owing to higher potential inputs for plastic pollution from CSOs, urban runoff, and wastewater effluent inputs. The shorter residence time and smaller number of large inflows impacted by urbanization to Onondaga Lake resulted in a higher temporal variation. Chemical characterization of particles revealed patterns of particle types that can further inform sources and losses of particles for improved regional floatables management. Lastly, I offer areas for future research and priority policy action based on these three phases of work in Chapter 5

Design and Usability Testing of an Augmented Reality (AR) Environment in Pharmacy Education—Presenting a Pilot Study on Comparison between AR Smart Glasses and a Mobile Device in a Laboratory Course

An essential feature of pharmacy education is the teaching of theoretical knowledge with the support of practical work in the laboratory. When properly utilized, laboratory activities have the potential to enhance students’ achievement, conceptual understanding, and positive attitudes towards learning. In this pilot study, an augmented reality (AR) environment was designed and introduced for teaching laboratory skills in pharmacy education at the university level. The AR environment was used by pharmacy students (n = 36), featuring gate questions, information screens, Quick Response codes, think-aloud questions, and instant feedback. The environment was utilized with smart glasses and mobile devices with the aim of comparing the support to students’ performance. User experience was evaluated through self-efficacy beliefs and anxiety towards the technology. As a result, students found the environment a useful supplement to traditional laboratory teaching. Smart glasses and mobile devices were both accepted with great positivity but neither being clearly preferred over the other. Smart glasses were noted to provide sufficient feedback in the right stages of work. In contrast, mobile devices promoted the learning process more than the smart glasses. The self-efficacy results for mobile device use were higher, especially related to device handling and operating the AR environment. The pilot study gives educators valuable insights on the usability of AR technology in guiding laboratory tasks, although future work should involve larger and more diverse samples, as well as different learning tasks

Un-Natural Histories: The Specimen as Site of Knowledge Production in Contemporary Art

One of the primary functions of museums is the deployment of knowledge through collected artifacts. In the case of natural history museums, these collections consist largely of preserved specimens that all share the marks of the human hand as a result of the processes of preservation and display. Such processes result in the transformation of nature into objects of material culture. Given the challenges that arise from shifting definitions of the natural history specimen in an age when life is being re-defined and re-configured, and living matter is treated as a mutable and expressive substance, I question how our perception of the “order of life” has been impacted by recent developments in genetic manipulation, tissue engineering, and DNA taxonomy. I extend the discussion of the impact of the human hand on natural objects to include the practices of contemporary artists who employ taxidermy, wet preservation, field research, scientific illustration, and biotechnology to investigate the shifting relationship between living organisms and taxonomy. I focus on the hierarchical nature of knowledge in art and science, the changing use of language in classification, systems of preservation and display, and mutations and hybrid organisms, to suggest that natural history as a discipline, can be viewed as a mediating factor between the museum, on the one hand, and both scientific and art practices on the other. The specimen therefore functions as a site of knowledge production that merges both the museological impulses of preservation and conservation with the scientific/laboratory-based impulses of experimentation and alteration

Assessment of plastics in the National Trust: a case study at Mr Straw's House

The National Trust is a charity that cares for over 300 publically accessible historic buildings and their contents across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. There have been few previous studies on preservation of plastics within National Trust collections, which form a significant part of the more modern collections of objects. This paper describes the design of an assessment system which was successfully trialled at Mr Straws House, a National Trust property in Worksop, UK. This system can now be used for future plastic surveys at other National Trust properties. In addition, the survey gave valuable information about the state of the collection, demonstrating that the plastics that are deteriorating are those that are known to be vulnerable, namely cellulose nitrate/acetate, PVC and rubber. Verifying this knowledge of the most vulnerable plastics enables us to recommend to properties across National Trust that these types should be seen as a priority for correct storage and in-depth recording