title: Retention of User Edits in Content Analysis Output Combination and its Utilisation in Digital Repositories

authors: Innes, Finn

subjects: content

abstract: This thesis investigates how repeated applications of content analysis algorithms applied to a document corpus can be incorporated with human corrections in such a way that the corrections are not erased should the corpus be re-processed. Diarisation (who speaks when) is the focal content analysis type, however the edit-aware concepts apply to other areas such as OCR and Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR). As a means for experimentation, an enriched audio player is built to provide the ability to visualise diarisation data. This web tool is further developed to allow for the editing of speaker region bounds and speaker names, the locking of corrected regions, and the comparison between two diarisation outputs. Sequence merging and region conflict concepts are also explored and implemented. The audio tool is integrated into the Greenstone Digital Library Software, which is used as an example digital library framework. The concepts explored are outlined in a way that allows the strategies to be transferable to alternative content analysis systems or digital libraries.

text: Retention of User Edits in Content Analysis Output Combination and its Utilisation in Digital Repositories This thesis investigates how repeated applications of content analysis algorithms applied to a document corpus can be incorporated with human corrections in such a way that the corrections are not erased should the corpus be re-processed. Diarisation (who speaks when) is the focal content analysis type, however the edit-aware concepts apply to other areas such as OCR and Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR). As a means for experimentation, an enriched audio player is built to provide the ability to visualise diarisation data. This web tool is further developed to allow for the editing of speaker region bounds and speaker names, the locking of corrected regions, and the comparison between two diarisation outputs. Sequence merging and region conflict concepts are also explored and implemented. The audio tool is integrated into the Greenstone Digital Library Software, which is used as an example digital library framework. The concepts explored are outlined in a way that allows the strategies to be transferable to alternative content analysis systems or digital libraries.

year: 2023

title: Outcome in the first year following severe traumatic brain injury: a New Zealand study of the impact on patients and their primary caregivers

authors: Kersel, Denyse Ann

abstract: This research project describes the first year following severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) for 84 adults and their primary caregivers. Study 1 examines the utility of a measure of severity of injury, somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP), in predicting the 1 year outcome for 76 patients. Study 2 describes both the 6 month and 1 year outcome for 65 patients. Finally, Study 3 details the status of 52 primary caregivers 6 months and 1 year following the injury of their family member.

An examination of the utility of SEPѕ, obtained within 24 hours of injury, in predicting outcome at 1 year showed that SEP 3 was associated with an unfavourable outcome (death, persistent vegetative state, or severe disability) in 100% of cases, and with death in 77% of cases. The absence of SEPѕ bilaterally was associated with death in 90% of cases. SEPѕ were more effective at predicting outcome as measured by the Glasgow Outcome Scale than the Glasgow Coma
Scale score. The level of accuracy required for making triage decisions is discussed.

Severe TBI resulted in pervasive impairments in cognitive, emotional, and behavioural abilities and significant disruption to social functioning. Despite an improvement in cognitive functioning between 6 months and 1 year, deficits in many aspects of cognitive functioning were still evident at 1 year postinjury. However, the prevalence of emotional and behavioural disturbance and disrupted social functioning remained consistent through the first year postinjury. The TBI patient’s levels of cognitive and behavioural impairments were significant indicators of the patient’s social functioning, including employment, independence, and social contact, at 1 year postinjury.

Primary caregivers reported high levels of psychosocial difficulties and various forms of burden as a result of caring for the TBI patient. Despite some improvement in the caregivers’ social adjustment, their levels of anxiety and depression remained relatively constant in the first year postinjury. The caregivers appraisal of the TBI patient’s level of functioning significantly predicted caregiver level of burden at both 6 months and 1 year. However, those aspects of TBI patient functioning that were most predictive of caregiver burden changed between 6 months and 1 year postinjury. This suggested that caregivers adapted over time to some aspects of TBI patient impairment, while other aspects may become more salient at later stages postinjury. Overall, it was the TBI patient’s loss of social contact that was the most consistent predictor of caregiver level of subjective burden.

The implications of these findings for rehabilitation are outlined. Measures of severity of injury were found to predict only gross categories of outcome following severe TBI. Despite this, they can be used to estimate approximate rehabilitation needs and prepare the family for the likely level of disability in the TBI patient. The findings from this research project also suggest the need for a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment prior to vocational rehabilitation. Programmes designed to assist family caregivers of people with severe TBI need to be flexible enough to adapt to the needs of caregivers, which change over time. It is the TBI patient’s loss of social contact that the caregivers find consistently distressing. While appropriate vocational rehabilitation may go some way towards reintegrating the TBI patient back into the social world, programmes aimed at reducing the impact of cognitive deficits and the frequency of behavioural problems are also required to reduce both TBI patient and caregiver distress.

text: Outcome in the first year following severe traumatic brain injury: a New Zealand study of the impact on patients and their primary caregivers This research project describes the first year following severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) for 84 adults and their primary caregivers. Study 1 examines the utility of a measure of severity of injury, somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP), in predicting the 1 year outcome for 76 patients. Study 2 describes both the 6 month and 1 year outcome for 65 patients. Finally, Study 3 details the status of 52 primary caregivers 6 months and 1 year following the injury of their family member.

An examination of the utility of SEPѕ, obtained within 24 hours of injury, in predicting outcome at 1 year showed that SEP 3 was associated with an unfavourable outcome (death, persistent vegetative state, or severe disability) in 100% of cases, and with death in 77% of cases. The absence of SEPѕ bilaterally was associated with death in 90% of cases. SEPѕ were more effective at predicting outcome as measured by the Glasgow Outcome Scale than the Glasgow Coma
Scale score. The level of accuracy required for making triage decisions is discussed.

Severe TBI resulted in pervasive impairments in cognitive, emotional, and behavioural abilities and significant disruption to social functioning. Despite an improvement in cognitive functioning between 6 months and 1 year, deficits in many aspects of cognitive functioning were still evident at 1 year postinjury. However, the prevalence of emotional and behavioural disturbance and disrupted social functioning remained consistent through the first year postinjury. The TBI patient’s levels of cognitive and behavioural impairments were significant indicators of the patient’s social functioning, including employment, independence, and social contact, at 1 year postinjury.

Primary caregivers reported high levels of psychosocial difficulties and various forms of burden as a result of caring for the TBI patient. Despite some improvement in the caregivers’ social adjustment, their levels of anxiety and depression remained relatively constant in the first year postinjury. The caregivers appraisal of the TBI patient’s level of functioning significantly predicted caregiver level of burden at both 6 months and 1 year. However, those aspects of TBI patient functioning that were most predictive of caregiver burden changed between 6 months and 1 year postinjury. This suggested that caregivers adapted over time to some aspects of TBI patient impairment, while other aspects may become more salient at later stages postinjury. Overall, it was the TBI patient’s loss of social contact that was the most consistent predictor of caregiver level of subjective burden.

The implications of these findings for rehabilitation are outlined. Measures of severity of injury were found to predict only gross categories of outcome following severe TBI. Despite this, they can be used to estimate approximate rehabilitation needs and prepare the family for the likely level of disability in the TBI patient. The findings from this research project also suggest the need for a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment prior to vocational rehabilitation. Programmes designed to assist family caregivers of people with severe TBI need to be flexible enough to adapt to the needs of caregivers, which change over time. It is the TBI patient’s loss of social contact that the caregivers find consistently distressing. While appropriate vocational rehabilitation may go some way towards reintegrating the TBI patient back into the social world, programmes aimed at reducing the impact of cognitive deficits and the frequency of behavioural problems are also required to reduce both TBI patient and caregiver distress.

year: 1999

title: Analysis of multibeam sonar data for benthic habitat characterization of the Port of Tauranga, New Zealand.

authors: Boulay, Sebastien O. C.

subjects: Tauranga

abstract: Tauranga Harbour is a mesotidal lagoon located within the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, and is subject to an ongoing maintenance dredging program to remove mud deposits coming from various sources in the catchment. At the southern end of the commercial port, the Tauranga Bridge Marina was built adjacent to the bridge causeway, with 500 floating concrete berths, enclosed by concrete floating breakwaters. It is proposed to convert these floating breakwaters into solid ones to stop waves entering the marina. This is expected to influence tidal circulation around the Tauranga bridge causeway, and potentially affect sedimentation and marine habitats. The region is an important source of "kai moana" (seafood) for local iwi, and is a source of juvenile shellfish for the large beds located on the flood tidal delta and surrounding channels.

This study investigates the impact of the successive harbour constructions on the local sedimentology. The overall goal of the mapping part of this project is to identify and locate the different seabed facies and features within the study site, which may be affected by the sediment transport potentially resulting from the past and future harbour developments. 

To investigate the impacts of the harbour modifications, a habitat-mapping survey using acoustic mapping techniques was undertaken in July and August 2011. The hydrographic survey was simultaneously performed using a multibeam echosounder (Kongsberg-Simrad EM3000) and a Starfish 452F sidescan sonar. The backscatter/imagery data from both systems was then used for habitat mapping, using a combination of Angular Response Analysis and image-based segmentation. An underwater camera survey and seabed sampling were also performed to ground-truth the morphologies identified from the acoustic backscatter analysis. The most recent habitat map was then compared to the previous studies to identify changes in response to the different modifications of the estuary.

text: Analysis of multibeam sonar data for benthic habitat characterization of the Port of Tauranga, New Zealand. Tauranga Harbour is a mesotidal lagoon located within the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, and is subject to an ongoing maintenance dredging program to remove mud deposits coming from various sources in the catchment. At the southern end of the commercial port, the Tauranga Bridge Marina was built adjacent to the bridge causeway, with 500 floating concrete berths, enclosed by concrete floating breakwaters. It is proposed to convert these floating breakwaters into solid ones to stop waves entering the marina. This is expected to influence tidal circulation around the Tauranga bridge causeway, and potentially affect sedimentation and marine habitats. The region is an important source of "kai moana" (seafood) for local iwi, and is a source of juvenile shellfish for the large beds located on the flood tidal delta and surrounding channels.

This study investigates the impact of the successive harbour constructions on the local sedimentology. The overall goal of the mapping part of this project is to identify and locate the different seabed facies and features within the study site, which may be affected by the sediment transport potentially resulting from the past and future harbour developments. 

To investigate the impacts of the harbour modifications, a habitat-mapping survey using acoustic mapping techniques was undertaken in July and August 2011. The hydrographic survey was simultaneously performed using a multibeam echosounder (Kongsberg-Simrad EM3000) and a Starfish 452F sidescan sonar. The backscatter/imagery data from both systems was then used for habitat mapping, using a combination of Angular Response Analysis and image-based segmentation. An underwater camera survey and seabed sampling were also performed to ground-truth the morphologies identified from the acoustic backscatter analysis. The most recent habitat map was then compared to the previous studies to identify changes in response to the different modifications of the estuary.

year: 2012