Cancer accounts for nearly 1 out of every 4 deaths in the United States, and because conventional treatments are limited by morbidity and off-target toxicities, improvements in cancer management are needed. This thesis further develops nanoparticle-assisted photothermal therapy (NAPT) as a viable treatment option for cancer patients. NAPT enables localized ablation of disease because heat generation only occurs where tissue permissive near-infrared (NIR) light and absorbing nanoparticles are combined, leaving surrounding normal tissue unharmed. Two principle approaches were investigated to improve the specificity of this technique: multimodal imaging and molecular targeting. Multimodal imaging affords the ability to guide NIR laser application for site-specific NAPT and more holistic characterization of disease by combining the advantages of several diagnostic technologies. Towards the goal of image-guided NAPT, gadolinium-conjugated gold-silica nanoshells were engineered and demonstrated to enhance imaging contrast across a range of diagnostic modes, including T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, X-Ray, optical coherence tomography, reflective confocal microscopy, and two-photon luminescence in vitro as well as within an animal tumor model. Additionally, the nanoparticle conjugates were shown to effectively convert NIR light to heat for applications in photothermal therapy. Therefore, the broad utility of gadolinium-nanoshells for anatomic localization of tissue lesions, molecular characterization of malignancy, and mediators of ablation was established. Molecular targeting strategies may also improve NAPT by promoting nanoparticle uptake and retention within tumors and enhancing specificity when malignant and normal tissue interdigitate. Here, ephrinA1 protein ligands were conjugated to nanoshell surfaces for particle homing to overexpressed EphA2 receptors on prostate cancer cells. In vitro, successful targeting and subsequent photothermal ablation of prostate cancer cells was achieved with negligible nanoshell binding to normal cells. In vivo however, ephrinA1-nanoshells did not promote enhanced therapeutic outcomes in mice bearing subcutaneous prostate cancer tumors treated with NAPT compared to nontargeted particles. Nonetheless, both treatment groups demonstrated effective ablation of prostate tumors, as evidenced by tumor tissue regression. Further investigation is warranted to overcome probable protein immunogenicity that offsets ephrinA1 targeting in vivo. With future study, photothermal therapy with multimodal gadolinium-conjugated and molecularly targeted nanoshells may offer a viable treatment option for cancer patients in the clinic.

Fusion of information from multiple modalities in Human Computer Interfaces (HCI) has gained a lot of attention in recent years, and has far reaching implications in many areas of human-machine interaction. However, a major limitation of current HCI fusion systems is that the fusion process tends to ignore the semantic nature of modalities, which may reinforce, complement or contradict each other over time. Also, most systems are not robust in representing the ambiguity inherent in human gestures. In this work, we investigate an evidential reasoning based approach for intelligent multimodal fusion, and apply this algorithm to a proposed multimodal system consisting of a Hand Gesture sensor and a Brain Computing Interface (BCI). There are three major contributions of this work to the area of human computer interaction. First, we propose an algorithm for reconstruction of the 3D hand pose given a 2D input video. Second, we develop a BCI using Steady State Visually Evoked Potentials, and show how a multimodal system consisting of the two sensors can improve the efficiency and the complexity of the system, while retaining the same levels of accuracy. Finally, we propose an semantic fusion algorithm based on Transferable Belief Models, which can successfully fuse information from these two sensors, to form meaningful concepts and resolve ambiguity. We also analyze this system for robustness under various operating scenarios.

In this thesis, I will explore the dual language Cajun-French and English comic strip, Bec Doux et ses amis, in terms of its value within the literacy communities of southwest Louisiana. I will claim that the text subverts the established power dynamics which existed between the American English speakers, the unreconstructed Cajuns, and the bilingual Cajun French and English speaking communities through the use of text placement and trickster figures.

In September 2008, a consignment of pirated batteries, which were marked with Panasonic’s trademark, were retained by Swedish Customs. Panasonic sent a warning letter to the freight forwarding company, Tavatur, demanding it to destroy the batteries through the simplified procedure in (EC) No 1383/2003. However, since Sweden has not implemented the simplified procedure, Tavatur was unable to destroy the batteries without a court order from Sweden. Panasonic therefore sued Tavatur, the legal dispute being what liability freight forwarders have for pirated goods. Due to technical developments within different modes of transport, freight forwarders’ role has changed over the last few decades, from simple duties where the freight forwarder held an intermediary position, to a more independent role in which they now have to be legally classified as either a carrier or an agent. Unfortunately, legal development within multimodal transport has failed to keep pace with the speed of technical development. Bills of Lading, for example, have historically been working as receipts, but due to modern packing techniques, they have lost the normal evidence function they once had. Although there are some international regulations concerning freight forwarding services, they do not extend beyond the countries in which such conditions are used. When a dispute occurs between transport operators, which follow different regulations, the liability of the freight forwarders is unclear. Therefore, freight forwarders are in the need of harmonised legislation, especially concerning their liability for trademark infringements. Nonetheless, there are ways in which freight forwarder can avoid these disputes with right-holders, namely; by protecting themselves with legal cost insurance and via establish their liability through the use of contracts. However, Sweden and other Member States, which have not implemented the simplified procedure, should reconsider an implementation of it.

During the past few decades, there has been increasing attention to multimodal adaptive language learning interface design. The purpose of this study was to examine users’ experiences with a chatbot language learning interface through the lens of cognitive emotions and emotions in learning. A particular focus of this study was on users’ interactions with a chatbot in a public setting and in a private environment. Focusing on the event of users’ interaction with a chatbot interface, seventy-five interactions were videotaped in this study, in which fifteen users were asked to interact with the chatbot “Lucy” for their language learning. The video-stimulated post interaction interviews with participants provided complementary data for understanding their experiences with the language learning system. Analysis of twenty-five interactions selected from a total of seventy-five revealed five main factors of chatbot language tutor interface design and their relative significance in the process of users’ meaning making and knowledge construction. Findings showed that users’ sensory, emotional, cultural, linguistic and relational engagement influenced their responses to the chatbot interface, which in turn, shaped their learning processes. Building on a theoretical framework of cognitive emotions and emotions in learning, this study documented users’ language learning processes with the chatbot language learning interface by investigating users’ experiences. The findings and techniques resulting from this study will help designers and researchers achieve a better understanding of users’ experiences with technology and the role of emotions in the processes of learning when using technology and assist them to improve the design of language learning environments.

Paper-based user manuals that provide assembly and disassembly instructions often do so with a combination of diagrams supported with textual information that clarifies how to perform the tasks. Mobile devices are emerging as a multimedia platform for providing on-demand training due to their portability. Mobile devices have limited screen size; as a result, the text instructions associated with the diagrams can produce clutter and occlusion on the screen. Also, too much information if fed through a single sensory channel (visual) may result in excessive cognitive load on the working memory of the human brain, thus hindering the learning process. In this work, two user studies were conducted to investigate the tradeoffs of using text, voice, and a combination of both modalities on the learning experience in a just-in-time mobile learning scenario. In such a scenario end-users are managing two very visual tasks at the same time; i.e., the primary task of carrying out the assembly/disassembly job and the secondary task of learning how to perform the task.

Team coordination is vital to the success of team missions. On the battlefield and in other hazardous environments, mission outcomes are often very unpredictable because of unforeseen circumstances and complications encountered that adversely affect team coordination. In addition, the battlefield is constantly evolving as new technology, such as context-aware systems and unmanned drones, becomes available to assist teams in coordinating team efforts. As a result, we must re-evaluate the dynamics of teams that operate in high-stress, hazardous environments in order to learn how to use technology to enhance team coordination within this new context. In dangerous environments where multi-tasking is critical for the safety and success of the team operation, it is important to know what forms of interaction are most conducive to team tasks. We have explored interaction methods, including various types of user input and data feedback mediums that can assist teams in performing unified tasks on the battlefield. We’ve conducted an ethnographic analysis of Soldiers and researched technologies such as sketch recognition, physiological data classification, augmented reality, and haptics to come up with a set of core principles to be used when de- signing technological tools for these teams. This dissertation provides support for these principles and addresses outstanding problems of team connectivity, mobility, cognitive load, team awareness, and hands-free interaction in mobile military applications. This research has resulted in the development of a multimodal solution that enhances team coordination by allowing users to synchronize their tasks while keeping an overall awareness of team status and their environment. The set of solutions we’ve developed utilizes optimal interaction techniques implemented and evaluated in related projects; the ultimate goal of this research is to learn how to use technology to provide total situational awareness and team connectivity on the battlefield. This information can be used to aid the research and development of technological solutions for teams that operate in hazardous environments as more advanced resources become available.

Spinal injections for back-pain management are frequently carried out in hospitals and radiological clinics. Currently, these procedures are performed under fluoroscopy or CT guidance in specialized interventional radiology facilities, and thus incur a major financial burden on the healthcare system. Additionally, the current practice exposes patients and surgeons to X-ray radiation. The use of US for image guided navigation of the spine would greatly reduce the exposure of both the patient and the physician to ionizing radiation and allow the procedure to be performed outside of a specialized facility. However, US as the sole guidance modality has its own challenges. In particular, due to the significant level of occlusion in spinal US images, it can be difficult to accurately identify the appropriate injection site. Here, a groupwise US to CT registration algorithm for guiding percutaneous spinal interventions is presented. In our registration methodology, each vertebra in CT is treated as a sub-volume and transformed individually. A biomechanical model is used to constrain the displacement of the vertebrae relative to one another. The sub-volumes are then reconstructed into a single volume. In each iteration of registration, an US image is simulated from the reconstructed CT volume and an intensity-based similarity metric with the real US image is calculated. Validation studies are performed on datasets from a lamb cadaver, five patient-based phantoms designed to preserve realistic curvatures of the spine and a sixth patient-based phantom where the curvature of the spine is changed between preoperative and intraoperative imaging. For datasets where the spine curve between two imaging modalities was artificially perturbed, the proposed methodology was able to register initial misalignments of up to 20 mm with a success rate of 95%. For the phantom with a physical change in the curvature of the spine introduced between the US and CT datasets, the registration success rate was 98.5%. Finally, the registration success rate for the lamb cadaver with soft tissue information was 87%. The results demonstrate that our algorithm robustly registers US and CT datasets of the spine, regardless of a change in the patients pose between preoperative and intraoperative image acquisitions. / Thesis (Master, Computing) -- Queen's University, 2009-11-27 13:48:33.288

­­­Recent brain scan research has found evidence of reactivation in brain regions that suggest a reactivation of the whole experience for the subject trying to remember. Such a reactivation is seen to represent a multimodal integration of the memory representation in the brain. The purpose of the study was to test the existence of audiovisual integration in episodic memory. This was done by comparing reaction times when audiovisual information was old, new or both old and new. Results indicated quicker rejection when there was both old and new information presented in comparison to when information was all new, indicating a reactivation of the whole experience of the presentation in the learning phase, i.e. a facilitation process based on audiovisual integration in episodic memory. An extension of the study could be to increase the retention interval testing for a different type of consolidation.

Over the past several years state departments of transportation (DOTs) have been faced with the challenge of mounting traffic congestion and dwindling transportation funds. It is against this backdrop that the need for optimal resource allocation decisions has become of utmost importance. Two emerging fields in transportation planning, performance measurement and multimodal planning, have the potential to assist agencies in investing transportation resources in the most effective manner. The confluence of these two fields at the strategic level, strategic multimodal performance measurement, is a promising approach for state DOTs looking to meet the public's growing transportation needs in spite of the dwindling financial resources available. Currently, many states are having difficulty developing performance measurement programs that incorporate a multimodal perspective to facilitate cross-modal comparisons. The objective of this research is to identify innovations and best practices at leading state DOTs in strategic multimodal performance measurement in order to assist other DOTs in the development or improvement of their strategic multimodal performance measurement programs. First, a review of literature examined the existing research related to performance measurement and multimodal planning. From this review of literature, a list of criteria was developed to evaluate strategic multimodal performance measurement programs. Additionally, a group of state DOTs with success in performance measurement or multimodal planning was identified. Next, a nationwide survey of multimodal practices at state DOTs was conducted to identify the current practices in strategic multimodal performance measurement. This survey, along with the literature review and discussions with practitioners, guided the selection of five state DOTs that case studies were performed on. Each of the case studies was organized and evaluated based on the criteria established in the literature review. The findings of this research suggest that performance measures for non-highway modes still lag behind those for highways, even in leading state DOTs. The findings also suggest that state DOTs have yet to develop a leading methodology for multimodal tradeoff analysis, but that performance measurement systems that are analogous across all modes have great potential for facilitating cross-modal comparisons.