The ultra-low friction of the articular surface is pH-dependent and is built on a hydrophobic underlay including a hypothesis on joint lubrication mechanism

In this study, the influence of pH on interfacial energy distributed over the phospholipids-bilayer surface model and the effect of hydrophobicity on coefficient of friction (f) were investigated by using microelectrophoresis. An important clinical implication of deficiency in hydrophobicity is the loss of phospholipids that is readily observed in osteoarthritis joints. This paper establishes the influence of pH on interfacial energy upon an increase f, which might be associated with a decrease of hydrophobicity of the articular surface.

The effect of friction on indenter force and pile-up in numerical simulations of bone nanoindentation

Nanoindentation is a useful technique for probing the mechanical properties of bone, and finite element (FE) modeling of the indentation allows inverse determination of elasto-plastic constitutive properties. However, FE simulations to date have assumed frictionless contact between indenter and bone. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of friction in simulations of bone nanoindentation. Two dimensional axisymmetric FE simulations were performed using a spheroconical indenter of tip radius 0.6m and angle 90°. The coefficient of friction between indenter and bone was varied between 0.0 (frictionless) and 0.3. Isotropic linear elasticity was used in all simulations, with bone elastic modulus E=13.56GPa and Poisson’s ratio =0.3. Plasticity was incorporated using both Drucker-Prager and von Mises yield surfaces. Friction had a modest effect on the predicted force-indentation curve for both von Mises and Drucker-Prager plasticity, reducing maximum indenter displacement by 10% and 20% respectively as friction coefficient was increased from zero to 0.3 (at a maximum indenter force of 5mN). However, friction has a much greater effect on predicted pile-up after indentation, reducing predicted pile-up from 0.27m to 0.11m with a von Mises model, and from 0.09m to 0.02m with Drucker-Prager plasticity. We conclude that it is important to include friction in nanoindentation simulations of bone.

A two-step mutual authentication protocol based on randomized hash-lock for small RFID networks

RFID has been widely used in today's commercial and supply chain industry, due to the significant advantages it offers and the relatively low production cost. However, this ubiquitous technology has inherent problems in security and privacy. This calls for the development of simple, efficient and cost effective mechanisms against a variety of security threats. This paper proposes a two-step authentication protocol based on the randomized hash-lock scheme proposed by S. Weis in 2003. By introducing additional measures during the authentication process, this new protocol proves to enhance the security of RFID significantly, and protects the passive tags from almost all major attacks, including tag cloning, replay, full-disclosure, tracking, and eavesdropping. Furthermore, no significant changes to the tags is required to implement this protocol, and the low complexity level of the randomized hash-lock algorithm is retained.

Mutual protection in a cloud computing environment

The term “cloud computing” has emerged as a major ICT trend and has been acknowledged by respected industry survey organizations as a key technology and market development theme for the industry and ICT users in 2010. However, one of the major challenges that faces the cloud computing concept and its global acceptance is how to secure and protect the data and processes that are the property of the user. The security of the cloud computing environment is a new research area requiring further development by both the academic and industrial research communities. Today, there are many diverse and uncoordinated efforts underway to address security issues in cloud computing and, especially, the identity management issues. This paper introduces an architecture for a new approach to necessary “mutual protection” in the cloud computing environment, based upon a concept of mutual trust and the specification of definable profiles in vector matrix form. The architecture aims to achieve better, more generic and flexible authentication, authorization and control, based on a concept of mutuality, within that cloud computing environment.

The effect of friction on indenter force and pile-up in numerical simulations of bone nanoindentation

Nanoindentation is a useful technique for probing the mechanical properties of bone, and finite element (FE) modeling of the indentation allows inverse determination of elasto-plastic constitutive properties. However, all but one FE study to date have assumed frictionless contact between indenter and bone. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of friction in simulations of bone nanoindentation. Two dimensional axisymmetric FE simulations were performed using a spheroconical indenter of tip radius 0.6 m and angle 90°. The coefficient of friction between indenter and bone was varied between 0.0 (frictionless) and 0.3. Isotropic linear elasticity was used in all simulations, with bone elastic modulus E=13.56GPa and Poisson‟s ratio f 0.3. Plasticity was incorporated using both Drucker-Prager and von Mises yield surfaces. Friction had a modest effect on the predicted force-indentation curve for both von Mises and Drucker-Prager plasticity, reducing maximum indenter displacement by 10% and 20% respectively as friction coefficient was increased from zero to 0.3 (at a maximum indenter force of 5mN). However, friction has a much greater effect on predicted pile-up after indentation, reducing predicted pile-up from 0.27 to 0.11 m with a von Mises model, and from 0.09 to 0.02 m with Drucker-Prager plasticity. We conclude that it is potentially important to include friction in nanoindentation simulations of bone if pile-up is used to compare simulation results with experiment.

The implementation of sustainable housing through mutual benefits to key stakeholders

Among the Australian general public, there are increasing concerns about environmental issues. Accordingly, sustainability in the housing industry is also becoming a priority on the development agenda. However, putting the principles of ecological sustainability into practice within social and economic development requires intensive involvement of major stakeholders such as governments, developers, builders, consumers and a range of other professionals. Establishing a sustainable value entails asymmetric life-cycle returns, making it important for major stakeholders to appreciate the benefits of this new agenda not only for the individual businesses but also for other supply chain partners. This context warrants the study to promote collective benefits for key stakeholders by establishing a mutual-benefit framework for sustainable housing implementation. A research was carried out in the hope to establish a mutual-benefit framework by investigating challenges of achieving benefits (CABs) from sustainable housing development in a multi-stakeholder context. In the research work reported in this article, a comparative questionnaire study was first conducted among seven stakeholder groups in the Australian housing industry, to examine the importance and inter-relationships of CABs. In-depth interviews then furthered the survey findings with a focus on stakeholder diversity. The synthesized findings of the survey and interview study lead to the identification of 12 critical mutual-benefit factors and their mutual influence. Based on such a platform, a systematic framework is developed with the aid of Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM), to identify the patterns of stakeholder benefit materialisation, suggest the priority of critical factors and provide related stakeholder-specific action guide for sustainable housing implementation.

Mutual enlightenment : augmenting human factors research in surgical robotics

This discussion has outlined a theoretical and pragmatic framework to demonstrate that future research involving the analysis of human performance in surgical should encourage the use of phenomenology to enhance the knowledge base of this area of study. Merging experiential (first-person) and experimental (third-person) methods may possibly help improve research designs and analyses in the investigation of robotics in surgical performance. By relying solely on third-person techniques, the current methodology and interpretation used to analyze human performance in surgical robotics is limited. Recent advances in cognitive science and psychology have also recognized this limitation and have now begun to shift to neurophenomenology. Finally, discussion on recent robotics research presented here demonstrates the potential phenomenology holds for augmenting the methodological and analysis techniques currently used by researchers of human performance in surgical robotics.

Towards a secure human-and-computer mutual authentication protocol

We blend research from human-computer interface (HCI) design with computational based crypto- graphic provable security. We explore the notion of practice-oriented provable security (POPS), moving the focus to a higher level of abstraction (POPS+) for use in providing provable security for security ceremonies involving humans. In doing so we high- light some challenges and paradigm shifts required to achieve meaningful provable security for a protocol which includes a human. We move the focus of security ceremonies from being protocols in their context of use, to the protocols being cryptographic building blocks in a higher level protocol (the security cere- mony), which POPS can be applied to. In order to illustrate the need for our approach, we analyse both a protocol proven secure in theory, and a similar proto- col implemented by a �nancial institution, from both HCI and cryptographic perspectives.

A framework of promoting stakeholder mutual benefits for sustainable housing implementation

Strong regulatory pressure and rising public awareness on environmental issues will continue to influence the market demand for sustainable housing for years to come. Despite this potential, the voluntary uptake rate of sustainable practices is not as high as expected within the new built housing industry. This is in contrast to the influx of emerging building technologies, new materials and innovative designs as showcased in office buildings and exemplar homes worldwide. One of the possible reasons for this under-performance is that key stakeholders such as developers, builders and consumers do not fully understand and appreciate the related challenges, risks and opportunities of pursuing sustainability. Therefore, in their professional and business activities, they may not be able to see the tangible and mutual benefits that sustainable housing may bring. This research investigates the multiple challenges to achieving benefits (CABs) from sustainable housing development, and links these factors to the characteristics of key stakeholders in the housing supply chain. It begins with a comparative survey study among seven stakeholder groups in the Australian housing industry, in order to examine the importance and interrelationships of CABs. In-depth interviews then further explore the survey findings with a focus on stakeholder diversity, which leads to the identification of 12 critical mutual-benefit factors and their interrelationship. Based on such a platform, a mutual-benefit framework is developed with the aid of Interpretive Structure Modelling, to identify the patterns of stakeholder benefit materialisation, suggest the priority of critical factors and provide related stakeholder-specific action guidelines for sustainable housing implementation. The study concludes with a case study of two real-life housing projects to test the application of the mutual-benefit framework for improvement. This framework will lead to a shared value of sustainability among stakeholders and improved stakeholder collaboration, which in turn help to break the "circle of blame" for the current under-performance of sustainable housing implementation.

Arguing the Autopsy : mutual suspicion, jurisdictional confusion and the socially marginal

Vulnerable and marginalised populations are not only over-represented in the criminal justice system, but also in civil jurisdictions like the coronial system. Moreover, many of the personnel who deal with criminal matters, especially in rural and regional areas, are also those who manage the coronial death investigation. This movement back and forth between civil and criminal jurisdictions is difficult for the both professional personnel and the families, but especially for those families who may also have had dealings with these personnel in the criminal justice system, or who present as suspicious due to larger historical and global issues. While coronial legislation now allows families to raise cultural and religious concerns about the process, particularly to do with the autopsy of their loved one, this also requires them to identify themselves to police at the initial stage of the death investigation. This paper, part of a larger body of work on autopsy decision making, discusses the ways in which this information is gathered by police, how it is communicated through the system, the ways in which families are supported through the process, and the difficulties that ensue.