Live Context Research Articles

Virtual training environments for major incident response planning in UK gas infrastructure

PurposeThis paper aims to evaluate a virtual training environment for testing UK gas pipeline emergency response plans.Design/methodology/approachInterviews, observations and desk research were used to identify current methods for testing plans. A virtual training environment was developed and evaluated with industry experts by using participatory design techniques. Key themes relating to both the current methods for testing plans and for a virtual training environment were identified using thematic analysis.FindingsImproved training performance, remote participation and evidence of decision testing are benefits a virtual training environment can bring to current practice. It is suggested that a virtual training environment can enhance, rather than replace, the current process of testing emergency response plans.Research limitations/implicationsAnalysis of the virtual training environment being used to test plans in a live context would give further ecological validity to the findings. A study of the prototype used to test plans for incidents involving sectors outside the gas industry would further validate the findings.Originality/valueThe application of a virtual training environment to facilitate testing plans and the decision-making processes for major incidents involving high-pressure gas pipelines and storage sites is yet to be documented. This paper contributes to the literature by documenting the decision-making process and evaluation of a virtual training environment for testing plans in this context.

Gender and live-streaming: source credibility and motivation

PurposeThe overall purpose of this study is to investigate and gain a better understanding of perceptions of source credibility and consumer motivation to view live-stream broadcasts. Of particular interest is gender differences based on the gender of the broadcaster and viewer.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using an online survey from 998 respondents. As the preliminary examination technique, t-tests were used.FindingsThere are significant differences based on whether a viewer of a live broadcast is watching a source of the same gender or a different gender in source credibility. Viewing same vs opposite sex broadcasters may indicate motivation to engage with the live-video content. There are significant gender differences outcome variables of interest to live broadcasters.Research limitations/implicationsThe context investigated was a single live-streaming provider.Practical implicationsThe findings provide a start to understanding the differences in perceptions and motivations for watching live-stream broadcasters. This will aid marketers and broadcasters using live-stream formats on a variety of platforms in developing better content and building a more engaged viewing community. This research represents an important step in quantifying unexplored differences in gender perceptions of the source of live broadcasts that ultimately could impact not only the success of the broadcaster but also brands endorsed by these broadcasters.Originality/valueThis research is among the first to explore source effects and motivation in the live video context.

Speaker gaze increases information coupling between infant and adult brains

When infants and adults communicate, they exchange social signals of availability and communicative intention such as eye gaze. Previous research indicates that when communication is successful, close temporal dependencies arise between adult speakers' and listeners' neural activity. However, it is not known whether similar neural contingencies exist within adult-infant dyads. Here, we used dual-electroencephalography to assess whether direct gaze increases neural coupling between adults and infants during screen-based and live interactions. In experiment 1 (n = 17), infants viewed videos of an adult who was singing nursery rhymes with (i) direct gaze (looking forward), (ii) indirect gaze (head and eyes averted by 20°), or (iii) direct-oblique gaze (head averted but eyes orientated forward). In experiment 2 (n = 19), infants viewed the same adult in a live context, singing with direct or indirect gaze. Gaze-related changes in adult-infant neural network connectivity were measured using partial directed coherence. Across both experiments, the adult had a significant (Granger) causal influence on infants' neural activity, which was stronger during direct and direct-oblique gaze relative to indirect gaze. During live interactions, infants also influenced the adult more during direct than indirect gaze. Further, infants vocalized more frequently during live direct gaze, and individual infants who vocalized longer also elicited stronger synchronization from the adult. These results demonstrate that direct gaze strengthens bidirectional adult-infant neural connectivity during communication. Thus, ostensive social signals could act to bring brains into mutual temporal alignment, creating a joint-networked state that is structured to facilitate information transfer during early communication and learning.

Modulation of reward in a live social context as revealed through interactive social neuroscience

ABSTRACTSocial neuroscience research investigating autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has yielded inconsistent findings, despite ASD being well-characterized by difficulties in social interaction and communication through behavioral observation. In particular, specific etiologies and functional and structural assays of the brain in autism have not been consistently identified. To date, most social neuroscience research has focused on a single person viewing static images. Research utilizing interactive social neuroscience featuring dual-brain recording offers great promise for the study of neurodevelopmental disabilities. Reward processing has been implicated in the pathology of ASD, yet mixed findings have brought uncertainty about the role reward processing deficits may play in ASD. The current study employed dual-brain EEG recording to examine reward processing during live interaction and its relation to autistic traits. Sixteen typically developing (TD) adults played a competitive treasure-hunt game against a computer and against a human partner. EEG results revealed enhanced neural sensitivity to reward outcome during live interaction with a human competitor. Further, individuals with higher levels of autistic traits demonstrated reduced sensitivity to reward outcome during live interaction. These findings provide novel insight into reward processing mechanisms associated with autistic traits, as well as support the necessary utility of interactive social neuroscience techniques to study developmental disorders.

A Platform for Rapid, Quantitative Assessment of Multiple Drug Combinations Simultaneously in Solid Tumors In Vivo.

While advances in high-throughput screening have resulted in increased ability to identify synergistic anti-cancer drug combinations, validation of drug synergy in the in vivo setting and prioritization of combinations for clinical development remain low-throughput and resource intensive. Furthermore, there is currently no viable method for prospectively assessing drug synergy directly in human patients in order to potentially tailor therapies. To address these issues we have employed the previously described CIVO platform and developed a quantitative approach for investigating multiple combination hypotheses simultaneously in single living tumors. This platform provides a rapid, quantitative and cost effective approach to compare and prioritize drug combinations based on evidence of synergistic tumor cell killing in the live tumor context. Using a gemcitabine resistant model of pancreatic cancer, we efficiently investigated nine rationally selected Abraxane-based combinations employing only 19 xenografted mice. Among the drugs tested, the BCL2/BCLxL inhibitor ABT-263 was identified as the one agent that synergized with Abraxane® to enhance acute induction of localized apoptosis in this model of human pancreatic cancer. Importantly, results obtained with CIVO accurately predicted the outcome of systemic dosing studies in the same model where superior tumor regression induced by the Abraxane/ABT-263 combination was observed compared to that induced by either single agent. This supports expanded use of CIVO as an in vivo platform for expedited in vivo drug combination validation and sets the stage for performing toxicity-sparing drug combination studies directly in cancer patients with solid malignancies.

Perceived live interaction modulates the developing social brain.

Although children's social development is embedded in social interaction, most developmental neuroscience studies have examined responses to non-interactive social stimuli (e.g. photographs of faces). The neural mechanisms of real-world social behavior are of special interest during middle childhood (roughly ages 7-13), a time of increased social complexity and competence coinciding with structural and functional social brain development. Evidence from adult neuroscience studies suggests that social interaction may alter neural processing, but no neuroimaging studies in children have directly examined the effects of live social-interactive context on social cognition. In the current study of middle childhood, we compare the processing of two types of speech: speech that children believed was presented over a real-time audio-feed by a social partner and speech that they believed was recorded. Although in reality all speech was prerecorded, perceived live speech resulted in significantly greater neural activation in regions associated with social cognitive processing. These findings underscore the importance of using ecologically-valid and interactive methods to understand the developing social brain.

Abordagem grupal para avaliação de alterações de linguagem em crianças pequenas

The aim of this study was to describe the contributions of a group therapy approach, which had a social interactionist focus, on the evaluation of language in children aged from between one year, nine months and three years. Nine children participated in the study and they were evaluated in three groups of three participants (G1 and G2--children with language disorder problems, G3--children without language disorders). Four video-recorded meetings were performed for each group, each of which lasted from 30 to 60 minutes. The videos were analyzed along with the field journal, focusing on the participation of the children and their oral and non-oral production. This study provides a detailed analysis of G2, which showed an increase in oral production and an expansion of linguistic functions throughout the sessions. The non-verbal aspects contributed to the identification of relevant elements related to language, especially at the pragmatic level. The context of play and group interaction, and even disputes for objects, led to the detection of different aspects of language. The proposed assessment which is described made it possible to observe the children's language in a live context and it is a model that covers the different aspects of language in meaningful contexts of interaction.

Multisensor Serious Game-Based Therapy Environment for Hemiplegic Patients

We present an e-therapy framework that collects live therapeutic context by analyzing body joint data in a noninvasive way. Using our proposed framework, a therapist can model complex gestures by mapping them to a set of primitive gesture sequences and generate high-level serious game-based therapies. As a proof of concept, we have developed scenarios to express a hemiplegic patient's behavior into a set of trackable primitive gestures. We have used Second Life and Map browsing based serious game environment for immersive experience. The initial feedback from the therapists who have tested our developed framework is encouraging. Finally, we share the implementation details and analysis of test results.

Following Lipid Signaling in Intact Cells

Following lipids in cells is usually achieved by expressing fluorescently tagged lipid binding domains or proteins. A location change of these fluorescent constructs is indicative of changes in lipid concentrations. One application is based on the extremely fast switch‐off of PIP3 biosynthesis and the quantitative determination of its metabolism in intact cells. Alternatively, we look at lipid‐protein interactions by using photo‐crosslinkable lipid derivatives equipped with a clickable alkyne group. After illumination, click chemistry permits visualizing the lipids in fixed cells directly by fluorescent tagging. Alternatively, we click biotin on the crosslinked lipid‐protein conjugates and purify the latter for mass spectrometry analysis. Recently, we employed caged lipids that are crosslinkable and clickable to prevent the rapid lipid metabolism and to produce cleaner proteomic results.Caged lipids are exquisite tools for studying the effects of changes in lipid concentrations in a live cell context. Here we introduce caged sphingosine and caged lysophosphatidic acid and demonstrate some unexpected signaling functions of these lipid.Haberkant et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 52, 4033‐4038 (2013)Feng et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 53, 6720‐6723 (2014).

Practical approaches towards interactivity in soundscape composition

The article discusses the role of technology in integrating acoustic instruments within soundscape composition in a live and interactive context, thus encouraging an engagement with the sonic environment. The approaches to two compositions that combine instruments with live electronics and pre-composed soundscapes – Cold Wood (bass trombone) and Arcando (alto saxophone) – are considered. These pieces create unique live performance scenarios in order to investigate how acoustic instruments might be positioned within, and reframed by, soundscape composition practice. Potential pitfalls inherent in mixed media works are explored, proposing technological solutions through sound processing and use of microphones, whilst ensuring that 'liveness' remains more aesthetic than procedural. Aspects of field recording practice influence the behaviour of the instruments, and improvisation is encouraged in both pieces to ensure unpredictability. Consequently, it is also proposed that the process of listening to, capturing, and processing the sound of the instrument in a live performance scenario is analogous to the practice of field recording, in which there is little control over the sound events.

Novel Strategies for Micro-Contact Printing Based Protein-Protein Interaction Detection

Originally developed for application in micro-electronics, micro-patterning has spread over most areas of science, including biology. Micro-patterning allows for the specific design of cell micro-environment and now covers a large number of cell biology applications, from stem cell culture and differentiation to printing of purified proteins or other biomolecules for in vitro assays. Recent efforts led to the development of much simpler, cheaper and more versatile methods. Nevertheless, there are still some technical difficulties and unresolved problems which need to be addressed.We have recently introduced a method that is capable of detecting and characterizing protein-protein interactions (PPIs) in a live cell context by combining Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence microscopy and micro-patterned surfaces. Recent experiments showed that different biological questions require different pattern sizes and variations in the microstructure, respectively. Here we report on the advantages of PDMS-alternatives for an improved and fast micro-contact printing process. Using those materials we could print proteins in various structures (including pillars, lines and grids) and sizes down to 100 nm. For characterization of pattern quality we used TIRF and super-resolution microscopy and focused on the validation of well-known protein-protein interactions including the one of EGF-, Insulin/IGF1- or beta-adrenergic receptors with intracellular binding partners. As TIRF microscopy requires homogenously adhered cells on the micro-patterned surface, we especially focused on the verification of cell adhesion efficiency when using different pattern shapes.An important issue which we are currently addressing is the production of a micro-structured and functionalized multiwell plate (96 and 384 well design). This development step will set a milestone concerning the throughput rates of the micro-patterning assay and increase the number of potential users interested in this methodology.

Use of Brand Community Markers to Engage Existing Lifestyle Consumption Communities and Some Ethical Concerns

This study explores how alcohol brands use markers of brand community (consciousness of kind, rituals and traditions, and moral responsibility) to engage existing lifestyle consumption communities. Drawing on consumption community and ethics theory, the article examines the interface between brands and a lifestyle consumption community, and explores ethical issues and implications from this phenomenon. A mixed methods research case study examining alcohol sports sponsorship of the Australian National Rugby League (NRL) is presented to generate understanding of the live context and explore the use of markers of brand community to engage adolescent members of the NRL lifestyle consumption community. Evidence of consciousness of kind, and rituals and traditions relating to brand activity, was identified, but was less evident in relation to moral responsibility. The study also identified some important theoretical, practical, and ethical implications. This research addresses a significant gap in the current literature by identifying how community markers can be used by brands to engage existing lifestyle consumption communities, and distinguishing ethical implications that warrant attention.

I-Therapy: a non-invasive multimedia authoring framework for context-aware therapy design

In this paper, we present an e-Therapy framework, named i-Therapy, which collects live therapeutic context by analyzing multi-sensory body joint data in a non-invasive way. Using our proposed framework, a therapist can model complex gestures by mapping them to a set of primitive gesture sequences and generate high-level therapies. As a proof of concept, we have developed scenarios to express a Hemiplegic patient's behavior into a set of track-able primitive gestures. The initial feedback from the therapists who have tested our developed framework is encouraging. Finally, we share the implementation details and analysis of test results.

Mind as a dimension & compassion as a relationship issue

In the following paper it is argued that within a mistaken materialistic western scientific paradigm, mind is incorrectly reduced to brain. Such bad science means that compassion, along with many other phenomena relating to the domain of mind, tends to be measured in a depersonalised and objectified way. This objectification of compassion renders it almost impossible to design care services that will promote and sustain empathic connections between caregivers and recipients of care. This is simply because of a failure to recognise that compassion is a dynamic and interactional product of relationship within a live human context. A more psychologically-minded framework is proposed that honours mind as a dimension of the universe alongside time and space. Within this framework it becomes much easier to recognise and honour the universal psychological needs of the human condition. Within this approach the language of poetry and art is shown to be more relevant to compassion than the language of traditional western science. It also follows from this that it is of the utmost importance to recognise the powerful relational impact on carers of the caring role. If we want true care to be provided, we must also take care of the minds of those whom we expect to give care and attention to others.

Quantification and Kinetic Analysis of Grb2-EGFR Interaction on Micro-Patterned Surfaces for the Characterization of EGFR-Modulating Substances

The identification of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) as an oncogene has led to the development of several anticancer therapeutics directed against this receptor tyrosine kinase. However, drug resistance and low efficacy remain a severe challenge, and have led to a demand for novel systems for an efficient identification and characterization of new substances. Here we report on a technique which combines micro-patterned surfaces and total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy (μ-patterning assay) for the quantitative analysis of EGFR activity. It does not simply measure the phosphorylation of the receptor, but instead quantifies the interaction of the key signal transmitting protein Grb2 (growth factor receptor-bound protein 2) with the EGFR in a live cell context. It was possible to demonstrate an EGF dependent recruitment of Grb2 to the EGFR, which was significantly inhibited in the presence of clinically tested EGFR inhibitors, including small tyrosine kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies targeting the EGF binding site. Importantly, in addition to its potential use as a screening tool, our experimental setup offers the possibility to provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of bait-prey interaction. Recruitment of the EGFR together with Grb2 to clathrin coated pits (CCPs) was found to be a key feature in our assay. Application of bleaching experiments enabled calculation of the Grb2 exchange rate, which significantly changed upon stimulation or the presence of EGFR activity inhibiting drugs.

A Live Cell Tirf-Microscopy Based Screening Assay for Fast Analysis of Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Modulators

Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are cell membrane receptors with intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity that trigger signal transduction. RTKs are known key regulators of essential cellular processes and have a critical role in the development of many types of cancer. Here we introduce an assay using micro-patterned surfaces in combination with TIRF microscopy for the analysis of EGF-receptor (EGFR) and insulin/insulin-like growth factor-receptor (IR/IGFR) downstream signaling. In addition, we applied the technique to validate the efficacy of medically relevant RTK modulators. We used micropatterning to force bait-EGFR/IR/IGFR molecules into microscopic domains on the surface of living cells, while monitoring co-recruitment of a fluorescent intracellular prey molecule (Grb2/IRS), respectively. First, micropatterning of HeLa cells expressing the prey Grb2 enabled us to quantify the EGFR-Grb2 interaction, and we could show that Grb2 was recruited to the EGFR in a phosphorylation dependent manner. Pretreatment with pharmacologically active ingredients used for the treatment of human cancers significantly reduced the inducibility of the signaling system. Based on these results we could set up a dose-response relationship in a live cell context. Second, we performed fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments with RKT class II receptors (IR and IGFR) and different cytosolic insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins. Our results indicate prominent differences in the interaction strength of IRS1 and IRS2 to the IR/IGF1-R, compared to the one of IRS3. Taken together the results approve the power of the micropatterning technique to study the interaction properties of plasma-membrane localized receptors. This method enables a fast analysis of the samples with high sensitivity in a live cell context. We could quantify the molecular effects of different RTK modulators and we will use the system in the near future to study further active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Defining digital-Foley for live performance

Using a series of reflective case-studies, the role of the Foley artist is reconsidered alongside technological innovations in both digital sound manipulation and physical computing. Through a series of theatrical productions and collaborations Challis and Dean have explored the sonic and dramatic possibilities created by the utilisation of digital technology in a live performance context. In this article, a variety of approaches to electronic sound-production and control are described along with first-hand reflections on the expressivity and control that are offered by each within a context of live drama. Their current project is a multimedia adaptation of the novel and film Metropolis where the aural accompaniment will be performed live using a range of adapted and purpose built sonic triggers. In defining digital-Foley, design considerations and key principles are outlined that can enhance the connectivity between the sound-artist and the sonic-landscapes they create.

Led Zeppelin’s ‘Dazed and Confused’: From lament to psychedelic tour de force

IntroductionRecorded during September and October 1968, and released on the band's self-titled debut album in January 1969, Led Zeppelin's 'Dazed and Confused' is the most significant example of the group's approach to the translation of studio recordings into vehicles for improvisation and experimentation in a live performance context.1 One of the songs that guitarist Jimmy Page introduced to the other members of the band at their first meeting in London in 1968, 'Dazed and Confused' was to remain an integral part of Led Zeppelin's concert set lists until 1975, being performed at almost all of their concerts during this period. In her book In the Houses of the Holy: Led Zeppelin and the power of rock music, Susan Fast describes 'Dazed and Confused' as 'arguably the most important locus for musical experimentation' throughout the majority of Led Zeppelin's career.2Building on Fast's assertion regarding 'Dazed and Confused'-that the original recorded version constituted a 'blues lament', which in performance developed into an extended exploration of psychedelic3 and avant-garde experimentation4- this paper will explore the interconnected relationship between those characteristics that make the work a lament and their contribution to the work's capacity to sustain lengthy periods of improvisation. It will be argued that the ability of the song to support the extended guitar experimentation that became a feature of its concert performance stemmed from the dramatic potential of the original studio version-a drama that derived in many ways from its original conception as a lament. The aspects of the original studio recording that make it a lament, with a particular focus on the use of the guitar, will be examined with regard to their significance as crucial elements of the extended guitar improvisation that characterised subsequent live performances.'Dazed and Confused' as a Blues LamentLed Zeppelin's 'Dazed and Confused' was not an original work of the new band in 1968. A version of the song 'I'm Confused' had been performed by Page with his previous band, The Yardbirds, during 1967 and 1968. Both this and Led Zeppelin's later version drew heavily on a song, also entitled 'Dazed and Confused', by Jake Holmes, released in June 1967 on the album The Above Ground Sound of Jake Holmes.5 Holmes's original provided a significant model for Page, who made use of the vocal melody, aspects of the structure and, most significantly, the chromatically descending bass riff, identified by Fast as a reference to the descending lamento bass patterns of the seventeenth century.6Drawing heavily on Jake Holmes's version, Led Zeppelin's recording of 'Dazed and Confused' magnified the elements of the work that link it to the tradition of the lament. Holmes's descending chromatic bass line, which in his version is heard below repeated tonic chords on the guitar, is given total prominence at the opening of Led Zeppelin's version, the line being repeated twice as a bass solo, accompanied only by atmospheric harmonics on the guitar. This bass line continues as the sole accompaniment to the opening verse, after which it is repeated twice more, where it is doubled on guitars an octave and two octaves higher. The line again serves as the sole accompaniment for the second and third verses. The incessant use of the riff is interrupted only by the insertion of a short instrumental break between verses two and three, consisting of repeated dominant chords and a rising semiquaver pattern that contrasts with the descent of the bass. In this way, what for Holmes was a bass line working in conjunction with the guitar part, for Led Zeppelin became elevated to the status of a riff, which, typically of their approach to composition, was doubled on bass and guitar parts. Unlike Holmes's original, there are no other guitar parts that contrast with the riff, which permeates the whole of the musical texture.Another example of the intensification of the lament-like characteristics of Led Zeppelin's version in comparison with Holmes's original concerns the lyrics, which in Holmes's version retain a certain ambiguity of reference. …

Context-aware multimedia services modeling: an e-Health perspective

In this paper we present an e-Health framework model that can dynamically provide context-aware multimedia services to a user. The framework collects live user context by analyzing sensory data obtained from a body sensor network and multimedia content available from live heterogeneous Internet-based services. Finally, we share the implementation details and test results.

Charles Lamb and the Fellowship of the Pun

Charles Lamb's punning relates closely to his art as an essayist. He conceives the pun as a social trope, which generates and celebrates fellowship, requiring an active reader to get it, ideally in a live context. It is also a democratic trope, part of shared play in the Cockney circle, resisting Addison's polite proscription of vulgar language habits. Lamb's puns can, moreover, give vent to political critique and to class-based and sexual energies that would otherwise be difficult to express. They allow disinhibition, and the potentially uncivil life of the mind, to gain a momentary ascendancy. Lamb anticipates Freud in analysing the liberating badness that the jokework of the pun allows. His puns point toward a technique prevalent in the Elia essays, of hinting that what does not signify also oversignifies: there is a gap between the apparent and real emotional subject of discourse that the simultaneously frivolous and freighted pun embodies.