Designing mobile systems for social navigation in urban public places

This thesis presents social requirements and design considerations from a study evaluating interactive approaches to social navigation and user-generated information sharing in urban environments using mobile devices. It investigates innovative ways to leverage mobile information and communication technology in order to provide a social navigation platform for residents and visitors in and for public urban places. Through a design case study this work presents CityFlocks, a mobile information system that offers an easy way for information-seeking new residents or visitors to access tacit knowledge from local people about their new community. It is intended to enable visitors and new residents in a city to tap into the knowledge and experiences of local residents in order to gather information about their new environment. Its design specifically aims to lower existing barriers of access and facilitate social navigation in urban places. In various user tests it evaluates two general user interaction alternatives – direct and indirect social navigation – and analyses which interaction method works better for people using a mobile device to socially navigate urban environments. The outcomes are relevant for the user interaction design of future mobile information systems that leverage the social navigation approach.

Motivating domestic energy conservation through comparative feedback in mobile applications and social networking sites

The progress of technology has led to the increased adoption of energy monitors among household energy consumers. While the monitors available on the market deliver real-time energy usage feedback to the consumer, the form of this data is usually unengaging and mundane. Moreover, it fails to address consumers with different motivations and needs to save and compare energy. This master‟s thesis project presents a study that seeks to inform design guidelines for differently motivated energy consumers. The focus of the research is on comparative feedback supported by a community of energy consumers. In particular, the discussed comparative feedback types are explanatory comparison, temporal self-comparison, norm comparison, one-on-one comparison and ranking, whereby the last three support exploring the potential of socialising energy-related feedback in social networking sites, such as Facebook. These feedback types were integrated in EnergyWiz – a mobile application that enables users to compare with their past performance, neighbours, contacts from social networking sites and other EnergyWiz users. The application was developed through a theory-driven approach and evaluated in personal, semi-structured interviews which provided insights on how motivation-related comparative feedback should be designed. It was also employed in expert focus group discussions which resulted in defining opportunities and challenges before mobile, social energy monitors. The findings have unequivocally shown that users with different motivations to compare and to conserve energy have different preferences for comparative feedback types and design. It was established that one of the most influential factors determining design factors is the people users compare to. In addition, the research found that even simple communication strategies in Facebook, such as wall posts and groups can contribute to engagement with energy conservation practices. The concept of mobility of the application was evaluated as positive since it provides place and time-independent access to the energy consumption data.

How technological change affects power relations in global markets : remote developers in the console and mobile games industry

This paper focuses on Australian development firms in the console and mobile games industry in order to understand how small firms in a geographically remote and marginal position in the global industry are able to relate to global firms and capture revenue share. This paper shows that, while technological change in the games industry has resulted in the emergence of new industry segments based on transactional rather than relational forms of economic coordination, in which we might therefore expect less asymmetrical power relations, lead firms retain a position of power in the global games entertainment industry relative to remote developers. This has been possible because lead firms in the emerging mobile devices market have developed and sustained bottlenecks in their segment of the industry through platform competition and the development of an intensely competitive ecosystem of developers. Our research shows the critical role of platform competition and bottlenecks in influencing power asymmetries within global markets.

Role of Human Topoisomerase I in DNA Repair and Apoptosis

Human topoisomerase I (htopoI) is an enzyme that up to now was believed to function mainly in the removal of torsional stress generated during transcription and replication. In 1998, it was found that htopoI might play another important role in the cellular response to DNA damage -- the so-called htopoI damage response. Since this initial discovery, many studies have suggested that the htopoI damage response is involved in DNA repair as well as in apoptosis. Here we discuss the earliest as well as the latest results in this field. Combining all of the published and as yet unpublished results, we suggest and discuss a model of how htopoI may function during DNA repair and apoptosis. Furthermore, numerous results show that the htopoI damage response is not a spontaneous event, but is strictly regulated by cellular signalling pathways. We discuss which pathways may be involved and how the htopoI damage response is activated. Although the htopoI damage response was discovered several years ago, research in this area is just beginning. The future will surely bring more clarity regarding the precise mechanism behind the involvement of htopoI in DNA repair and apoptosis, as well as its implications for a broader understanding of how the human organism ensures genomic stability.

Cellular stress triggers the human topoisomerase I damage response independently of DNA damage in a p53 controlled manner

The 'human topoisomerase I (htopoI) damage response' was reported to be triggered by various kinds of DNA lesions. Also, a high and persistent level of htopoI cleavage complexes correlated with apoptosis. In the present study, we demonstrate that DNA damage-independent induction of cell death using colcemid and tumor necrosis factor is also accompanied by a strong htopoI response that correlates with the onset of apoptotic hallmarks. Consequently, these results suggest that htopoI cleavage complex formation may be caused by signaling pathways independent of the kind of cellular stress. Thus, protein interactions or signaling cascades induced by DNA damage or cellular stress might lead to the formation of stabilized cleavage complexes rather than the DNA lesion itself. Finally, we show that p53 not only plays a key role in the regulation of the htopoI response to UV-C irradiation but also to treatment with colcemid.

Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis of human brain tissue from schizophrenia patients

Recent studies suggest that genetic and environmental factors do not account for all the schizophrenia risk and epigenetics also plays a role in disease susceptibility. DNA methylation is a heritable epigenetic modification that can regulate gene expression. Genome-Wide DNA methylation analysis was performed on post-mortem human brain tissue from 24 patients with schizophrenia and 24 unaffected controls. DNA methylation was assessed at over 485 000 CpG sites using the Illumina Infinium Human Methylation450 Bead Chip. After adjusting for age and post-mortem interval (PMI), 4 641 probes corresponding to 2 929 unique genes were found to be differentially methylated. Of those genes, 1 291 were located in a CpG island and 817 were in a promoter region. These include NOS1, AKT1, DTNBP1, DNMT1, PPP3CC and SOX10 which have previously been associated with schizophrenia. More than 100 of these genes overlap with a previous DNA methylation study of peripheral blood from schizophrenia patients in which 27 000 CpG sites were analysed. Unsupervised clustering analysis of the top 3 000 most variable probes revealed two distinct groups with significantly more people with schizophrenia in cluster one compared to controls (p = 1.74x10-4). The first cluster was composed of 88% of patients with schizophrenia and only 12% controls while the second cluster was composed of 27% of patients with schizophrenia and 73% controls. These results strongly suggest that differential DNA methylation is important in schizophrenia etiology and add support for the use of DNA methylation profiles as a future prognostic indicator of schizophrenia.

Selection et controle de modes de deplacement pour un robot mobile autonome en environnements naturels

Autonomous navigation and locomotion of a mobile robot in natural environments remain a rather open issue. Several functionalities are required to complete the usual perception/decision/action cycle. They can be divided in two main categories : navigation (perception and decision about the movement) and locomotion (movement execution). In order to be able to face the large range of possible situations in natural environments, it is essential to make use of various kinds of complementary functionalities, defining various navigation and locomotion modes. Indeed, a number of navigation and locomotion approaches have been proposed in the literature for the last years, but none can pretend being able to achieve autonomous navigation and locomotion in every situation. Thus, it seems relevant to endow an outdoor mobile robot with several complementary navigation and locomotion modes. Accordingly, the robot must also have means to select the most appropriate mode to apply. This thesis proposes the development of such a navigation/locomotion mode selection system, based on two types of data: an observation of the context to determine in what kind of situation the robot has to achieve its movement and an evaluation of the behavior of the current mode, made by monitors which influence the transitions towards other modes when the behavior of the current one is considered as non satisfying. Hence, this document introduces a probabilistic framework for the estimation of the mode to be applied, some navigation and locomotion modes used, a qualitative terrain representation method (based on the evaluation of a difficulty computed from the placement of the robot's structure on a digital elevation map), and monitors that check the behavior of the modes used (evaluation of rolling locomotion efficiency, robot's attitude and configuration watching. . .). Some experimental results obtained with those elements integrated on board two different outdoor robots are presented and discussed.

From “anytime, anywhere” to “here and now”: place and time restrictions in mobile narratives to enhance situated engagement of mobile users

The usage of the mobile Internet has increased tremendously within the last couple of years, and thereby the vision of accessing information anytime, anywhere has become more realistic and a dominant design principle for providing content. However, this study challenges this paradigm of unlimited and unrestricted access, and explores the question whether constraints and restrictions can positively influence the motivation and enticement of mobile users to engage with location-specific content. Restrictions, such as a particular time or location that gives a user access to content, may be used to foster participation and engagement, as well as to support content production and to enhance the user’s experience. In order to explore this, a Mobile Narrative and a Narrative Map have been created. For the former, the access to individual chapters of the story was restricted. Authors can specify constraints, such as a location or time, which need to be met by the reader if they want to read the story. This concept allows creative writers of the story to exploit the fact that the reader’s context is known, by intensifying the user experience and integrating this knowledge into the writing process. The latter, the Narrative Map, provides users with extracts from stories or information snippets about authors at relevant locations. In both concepts, a feedback channel was also integrated, on which location, time, and size constraints were imposed. In a user-centred design process involving authors and potential readers, those concepts have been implemented, followed by an evaluation comprising four user studies. The results show that restrictions and constraints can indeed lead to more enticing and engaging user experiences, and restricted contribution opportunities can lead to a higher motivation to participate as well as to an improved quality of submissions. These findings are relevant for future developments in the area of mobile narratives and creative writing, as well as for common mobile services that aim for enticing user experiences.

Geo-locked photo sharing on mobile devices

We introduce the idea of geo-locking through a mobile phone based photo sharing application called Picalilly (figure 1). Using its geo-locking feature, Picalilly allows its users to manually define geographical boundaries for sharing photos -- limiting sharing within user-defined boundaries as well as facilitating open sharing between strangers within such boundaries. To explore the potential of geo-locking, we carried out a small scale field trial of Picalilly involving two groups of students, who were part of a two-week long introduction program at a university. Our preliminary results show that Picalilly facilitated 1) sharing of 'places' and 2) localized explorations.

Development of Mobile Web App "ESP" for DeepBlue to interrogate how an audience is thinking

DeepBlue is much more than just an orchestra. Their innovative approach to audience engagement led it to develop ESP, their Electronic Show Programme web app which allows for real-time (synchronous) and delayed (asynchronous) audience interaction, customer feedback and research. The show itself is driven invisibly by a music technology operating system (currently QUT's Yodel) that allows them to adapt to a wide range of performance venues and varied types of presentation. DeepBlue's community engagement program has enabled over 5,500 young musicians and community choristers to participate in professional productions, it is also a cornerstone of DeepBlue's successful business model. You can view the ESP mobile web app at m.deepblue.net.au if you view this and only the landing page is active, there is not a show taking place or imminent. ESP prototype has already been used for 18 months. Imagine knowing what your audience really thinks – in real time so you can track their feelings and thoughts through the show. This tool has been developed and used by the performing group DeepBlue since late 2012 in Australia and Asia (even translated into Vietnamese). It has mostly superseded DeepBlue's SMS realtime communication during a show. It enables an event presenter or performance group to take the pulse of an audience through a series of targeted questions that can be anonymous or attributed. This will help build better, long-lasting, and more meaningful relationships with groups and individuals in the community. This can take place on a tablet, mobile phone or future platforms. There are three organisations trialling it so far.

The salt dependence of DNA recognition by NF-kappaB p50 : a detailed kinetic analysis of the effects on affinityand specificity

The binding kinetics of NF-kappaB p50 to the Ig-kappaB site and to a DNA duplex with no specific binding site were determined under varying conditions of potassium chloride concentration using a surface plasmonresonance biosensor. Association and dissociation rate constants were measured enabling calculation of the dissociation constants. Under previously established high affinity buffer conditions, the k a for both sequences was in the order of 10(7) M-1s-1whilst the k d values varied 600-fold in a sequence-dependent manner between 10(-1) and 10(-4 )s-1, suggesting that the selectivity of p50 for different sequences is mediated primarily through sequence-dependent dissociation rates. The calculated K D value for the Ig-kappaB sequence was 16 pM, whilst the K D for the non-specific sequence was 9.9 nM. As the ionic strength increased to levels which are closer to that of the cellular environment, the binding of p50 to the non-specific sequence was abolished whilst the specific affinity dropped to nanomolar levels. From these results, a mechanism is proposed in which p50 binds specific sequences with high affinity whilst binding non-specific sequences weakly enough to allow efficient searching of the DNA.

UbiOpticon : participatory sousveillance with urban screens and mobile phone cameras

In many cities around the world, surveillance by a pervasive net of CCTV cameras is a common phenomenon in an attempt to uphold safety and security across the urban environment. Video footage is being recorded and stored, sometimes live feeds are being watched in control rooms hidden from public access and view. In this study, we were inspired by Steve Mann’s original work on sousveillance (surveillance from below) to examine how a network of camera equipped urban screens could allow the residents of Oulu in Finland to collaborate on the safekeeping of their city. An agile, rapid prototyping process led to the design, implementation and ‘in the wild’ deployment of the UbiOpticon screen application. Live video streams captured by web cams integrated at the top of 12 distributed urban screens were broadcast and displayed in a matrix arrangement on all screens. The matrix also included live video streams of two roaming mobile phone cameras. In our field study we explored the reactions of passers-by and users of this screen application that seeks to inverse Bentham’s original panopticon by allowing the watched to be watchers at the same time. In addition to the original goal of participatory sousveillance, the system’s live video feature sparked fun and novel user-led apprlopriations.

Distamycin A affects the stability of NF-kappaB p50-DNA complexes in a sequence-dependent manner

The effect of two different DNA minor groove binding molecules, Hoechst 33258 and distamycin A, on the binding kinetics of NF-κB p50 to three different specific DNA sequences was studied at various salt concentrations. Distamycin A was shown to significantly increase the dissociation rate constant of p50 from the sequences PRDII (5′-GGGAAATTCC-3′) and Ig-κ B (5′-GGGACTTTCC-3′) but had a negligible effect on the dissociation from the palindromic target-κB binding site (5′-GGGAATTCCC-3′). By comparison, the effect of Hoechst 33258 on binding of p50 to each sequence was found to be minimal. The dissociation rates for the protein–DNA complexes increased at higher potassium chloride concentrations for the PRDII and Ig-κB binding motifs and this effect was magnified by distamycin A. In contrast, p50 bound to the palindromic target-κB site with a much higher intrinsic affinity and exhibited a significantly reduced salt dependence of binding over the ionic strength range studied, retaining a KD of less than 10 pM at 150 mM KCl. Our results demonstrate that the DNA binding kinetics of p50 and their salt dependence is strongly sequence-dependent and, in addition, that the binding of p50 to DNA can be influenced by the addition of minor groove-binding drugs in a sequence-dependent manner.