Investigating perceptual congruence between information and sensory parameters in auditory and vibrotactile displays

A fundamental interaction between a computer and its user(s) is the transmission of information between the two and there are many situations where it is necessary for this interaction to occur non-visually, such as using sound or vibration. To design successful interactions in these modalities, it is necessary to understand how users perceive mappings between information and acoustic or vibration parameters, so that these parameters can be designed such that they are perceived as congruent. This thesis investigates several data-sound and data-vibration mappings by using psychophysical scaling to understand how users perceive the mappings. It also investigates the impact that using these methods during design has when they are integrated into an auditory or vibrotactile display. To investigate acoustic parameters that may provide more perceptually congruent data-sound mappings, Experiments 1 and 2 explored several psychoacoustic parameters for use in a mapping. These studies found that applying amplitude modulation — or roughness — to a signal, or applying broadband noise to it resulted in performance which were similar to conducting the task visually. Experiments 3 and 4 used scaling methods to map how a user perceived a change in an information parameter, for a given change in an acoustic or vibrotactile parameter. Experiment 3 showed that increases in acoustic parameters that are generally considered undesirable in music were perceived as congruent with information parameters with negative valence such as stress or danger. Experiment 4 found that data-vibration mappings were more generalised — a given increase in a vibrotactile parameter was almost always perceived as an increase in an information parameter — regardless of the valence of the information parameter. Experiments 5 and 6 investigated the impact that using results from the scaling methods used in Experiments 3 and 4 had on users' performance when using an auditory or vibrotactile display. These experiments also explored the impact that the complexity of the context which the display was placed had on user performance. These studies found that using mappings based on scaling results did not significantly impact user's performance with a simple auditory display, but it did reduce response times in a more complex use-case

Some sigmatropic rearrangements of polyfluoroaromatic and heteroaromatic compounds

This Thesis describes some [3,3] and [2,3] -sigmatropic rearrangements that can occur in a variety of polyfluoroaromatic and -heteroaromatic compounds. The presence of fluorine on the aromatic moiety precludes the normal rearomatization process. The work is conveniently divided into two parts. Part A concerns the preparation and thermal (Claisen) rearrangement of derivatives of allyl 5-fluoropyrimidin-4-yl ether. These rearrange upon thermolysis to give isomers in which the terminus for the migration of the allyl group is N-3, provided that there is no preceding reaction which localises a double- bond between C-4 and C-5 - in which case C-5 is the migration terminus. Hydrolysis of some of the N-allyl derivatives results in the formation of some new derivatives of 5-fluorouracil. Part B describes the reactions that occur when polyfluor - inated monocyclic, polycyclic and heterocyclic ring systems are treated with dimethylsulphoxide activated by dicyclohexycarbodi-imide or by trifluoroacetic anhydride. Fluorinated phenolic type compounds give products which are the result of a [2,3] sigmatropic rearrangement of the derived sulphoniumylide. Fluorinated anilines and thiophenols behave differently. Dearomatization occurs under very mild conditions. A number of reactions of the fluorinated cyclohexa-2,4-dienone products are described. The preparation and attempted rearrangement of 2,3,4,5,6- pentafluorobenzylmethylsulphoxide is also discussed

Does local implantation of gentamicin impair renal function in patients undergoing surgery for chronic bone infection?

Background: The treatment of chronic bone infection often involves excision of dead bone and implantation of biomaterials which elute antibiotics. Gentamicin is a preferred drug for local delivery, but its systemic use carries a well-established risk of nephrotoxicity.  We aim to establish the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) with local delivery in a ceramic carrier.Methods: 163 patients with Cierny-Mader type 3 or 4 chronic osteomyelitis had a single-stage operation including filling of the osseous defect with a calcium sulphate-hydroxyapatite carrier containing gentamicin. Mean gentamicin dosing was 191.3 mg (maximum 525 mg). Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was calculated pre-operatively and during the first seven days post-operatively. Renal impairment was graded using the chronic kidney disease (CKD) staging system, and AKI was assessed using the RIFLE criteria.Results: 155 cases had adequate data to allow calculation of pre- and post-operative GFR. 7 had pre-existing renal disease. 70 patients (45.2%) had a temporary GFR drop post-operatively, with the greatest decrease occurring at a mean of 3.06 days following surgery. Twenty cases had a >10% decline in GFR, but 12 resolved within 7 days. 7 patients transiently fell into the “Risk” category according to RIFLE criteria, but no patient had a change consistent with “Injury”, “Failure” or “Loss” of renal function and none had clinical signs of new acute renal impairment post-operatively. Conclusions: Renal function is not significantly affected by local implantation of gentamicin up to 525 mg. The presence of pre-existing renal disease is not a contraindication to local gentamicin therapy.

HapticLock: Eyes-Free Authentication for Mobile Devices

Smartphones provide access to increasing amounts of personal and sensitive information, yet are often only secured using methods that are prone to observational attacks. We present HapticLock, a novel authentication method for mobile devices that uses non-visual interaction modalities for discreet PIN entry that is difficult to attack by shoulder surfing. A usability experiment (N=20) finds effective PIN entry in secure conditions: e.g., in 23.5s with 98.3% success rate for a four-digit PIN entered from a random start digit. A shoulder surfing experiment (N=15) finds that HapticLock is highly resistant to observational attacks. Even when interaction is highly visible, attackers need to guess the first digit when PIN entry begins with a random number, yielding a very low success rate for shoulder surfing. Furthermore, a device can be hidden from view during authentication. Our use of haptic interaction modalities gives privacy-conscious mobile device users a usable and secure authentication alternative for sensitive situations

The mental well-being and coping strategies of Canadian adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative, cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Qualitative research is lacking on the mental well-being of adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to explore the feelings and emotions adolescents experienced during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and the coping strategies they identified and employed to manage those emotions. METHODS: Participants living in Canada aged 13-19 years were recruited through social media platforms and youth-serving organizations. Qualitative data were gathered from 2 open-ended questions included in a youth-informed cross-sectional online survey: What feelings and emotions have you experienced around the pandemic? and What coping strategies have you used during the pandemic? We collected data from June 2020 to September 2020. A summative content analysis was undertaken to analyze survey responses inductively. RESULTS: A total of 1164 open-ended responses from Canadian adolescents (n = 851; mean age 15.6, standard deviation 1.7, yr) were analyzed. We identified 3 major themes within the category of feelings and emotions associated with the pandemic: sociospatial and temporal disconnections, emotional toll of the pandemic and positives amid the pandemic. Within the category of coping strategies used during the pandemic, 2 major themes were identified: connecting online and outdoors, and leisure and health-promoting activities. INTERPRETATION: Although the emotional toll of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is evident, participants in our study adopted various positive coping strategies to mitigate their distress, including physical activity, safe peer interactions and hobbies. The results have important implications for public health policy and practice during pandemic times, emphasizing the importance of accessible mental health resources for those experiencing psychological distress

The use of geoscience methods for aquatic forensic searches

There have been few publications on the forensic search of water and fewer still on the use of geoforensic techniques when exploring aqueous environments. Here we consider what the nature of the aqueous environment is, what the forensic target(s) may be, update the geoforensic search assets we may use in light of these, and provide a search strategy that includes multiple exploration assets. Some of the good practice involved in terrestrial searches has not been applied to water to-date, water being seen as homogenous and without the complexity of solid ground: this is incorrect and a full desktop study prior to searching, with prioritized areas, is recommended. Much experimental work on the decay of human remains is focused on terrestrial surface deposition or burial, with less known about the nature of this target in water, something which is expanded upon here, in order to deploy the most appropriate geoforensic method in water-based detection. We include case studies where detecting other forensic targets have been searched for; from metal (guns, knives) to those of a nonmetallic nature, such as submerged barrels/packages of explosives, drugs, contraband and items that cause environmental pollution. A combination of the consideration of the environment, the target(s), and both modern and traditional search devices, leads to a preliminary aqueous search strategy for forensic targets. With further experimental research and criminal/humanitarian casework, this strategy will continue to evolve and improve our detection of forensic targets

The mass evolution of the first galaxies: stellar mass functions and star formation rates at 4<z<74 < z < 7 in the CANDELS GOODS-South field

We measure new estimates for the galaxy stellar mass function and star formation rates for samples of galaxies at $z \sim 4,~5,~6~\&~7$ using data in the CANDELS GOODS South field. The deep near-infrared observations allow us to construct the stellar mass function at $z \geq 6$ directly for the first time. We estimate stellar masses for our sample by fitting the observed spectral energy distributions with synthetic stellar populations, including nebular line and continuum emission. The observed UV luminosity functions for the samples are consistent with previous observations, however we find that the observed $M_{UV}$ - M$_{*}$ relation has a shallow slope more consistent with a constant mass to light ratio and a normalisation which evolves with redshift. Our stellar mass functions have steep low-mass slopes ($\alpha \approx -1.9$), steeper than previously observed at these redshifts and closer to that of the UV luminosity function. Integrating our new mass functions, we find the observed stellar mass density evolves from $\log_{10} \rho_{*} = 6.64^{+0.58}_{-0.89}$ at $z \sim 7$ to $7.36\pm0.06$ $\text{M}_{\odot} \text{Mpc}^{-3}$ at $z \sim 4$. Finally, combining the measured UV continuum slopes ($\beta$) with their rest-frame UV luminosities, we calculate dust corrected star-formation rates (SFR) for our sample. We find the specific star-formation rate for a fixed stellar mass increases with redshift whilst the global SFR density falls rapidly over this period. Our new SFR density estimates are higher than previously observed at this redshift.Comment: 28 pages, 23 figures, 2 appendices. Accepted for publication in MNRAS, August 7 201

Exercise duration-matched interval and continuous sprint cycling induce similar increases in AMPK phosphorylation, PGC-1α and VEGF mRNA expression in trained individuals

Purpose: The effects of low-volume interval and continuous ‘all-out’ cycling, matched for total exercise duration, on mitochondrial and angiogenic cell signalling was investigated in trained individuals. Methods: In a repeated measures design, 8 trained males ((Formula presented.), 57 ± 7 ml kg−1 min−1) performed two cycling exercise protocols; interval (INT, 4 × 30 s maximal sprints interspersed by 4 min passive recovery) or continuous (CON, 2 min continuous maximal sprint). Muscle biopsies were obtained before, immediately after and 3 h post-exercise. Results: Total work was 53 % greater (P = 0.01) in INT compared to CON (71.2 ± 7.3 vs. 46.3 ± 2.7 kJ, respectively). Phosphorylation of AMPKThr172 increased by a similar magnitude (P = 0.347) immediately post INT and CON (1.6 ± 0.2 and 1.3 ± 0.3 fold, respectively; P = 0.011), before returning to resting values at 3 h post-exercise. mRNA expression of PGC-1α (7.1 ± 2.1 vs. 5.5 ± 1.8 fold; P = 0.007), VEGF (3.5 ± 1.2 vs. 4.3 ± 1.8 fold; P = 0.02) and HIF-1α (2.0 ± 0.5 vs. 1.5 ± 0.3 fold; P = 0.04) increased at 3 h post-exercise in response to INT and CON, respectively; the magnitude of which were not different between protocols. Conclusions: Despite differences in total work done, low-volume INT and CON ‘all-out’ cycling, matched for exercise duration, provides a similar stimulus for the induction of mitochondrial and angiogenic cell signalling pathways in trained skeletal muscle

Serious ‘Slow’ Game Jam - A Game Jam Model for Serious Game Design

The Serious ‘Slow’ Game Jam (SSGJ) is a new model for use in serious game design and research. Game jams contribute to creative, innovative and collaborative design, however, game jams for serious purposes require an alternative model that integrates domain experts within the jammer community to ensure the validity of their designs and content. Furthermore, a rigorous yet accessible design methodology is required to balance pedagogic and game aspects to support jammers, as well as to assist researchers in subsequent analysis and evaluation. A standard entertainment game jam model does not afford support for these aspects. The SSGJ model addresses these needs through an inclusive, collaborative, and creative framework for multidisciplinary teams, which includes: encouraging reflection and knowledge exchange; improving content validity; and providing continuous support and mentoring to participants. Reflection on the model highlights the importance of framing serious game jams as explicitly educational activities and embedding them into existing training contexts. The SSGJ model contributes to a collaborative serious game design methodology for the wider research community, irrespective of application domains