NFC parking payment system

Este Proyecto Fin de Carrera (PFC) de la Ingenier��a Inform��tica (II) se enmarca en otro proyecto de mayor envergadura, cuyo objetivo final es estudiar y desarrollar aplicaciones m��viles basadas en Android, que permitan agilizar los pagos de importes bajos, haciendo uso de la tecnolog��a de comunicaci��n inal��mbrica, de corto alcance y alta frecuencia (NFC). El proyecto surge de la oportunidad de desarrollar un prototipo de aplicaci��n haciendo uso de una tecnolog��a que apenas se ha empezado a utilizar, que sin embargo las grandes empresas de telecomunicaciones tienen previsto explotar en los pr��ximos a��os.

Kanpoko kirolentzako LiveTrack sistema baten garapena

GAL honek ���wearable device��� edo janzteko gailu batetan oinarritutako LiveTrack sistema bat garatzea du helburu. Sistemaren egiturari dagokionez, ondorengo atalak aurreikusten dira: GPSa duen eskumuturrekoa. ��� Android sistema eragilearentzako aplikazioa. ��� Aplikazio honek hari gabeko teknologia bitartez eskumuturrekotik GPS datuak aldizka jaso eta datu biltegi batera igoko ditu. ��� Webgune jarraitzailea. Webgune honek mapa batetan, denbora errealean, ibilbidea jarraitzeko aukera emango du.

Mobilarekin komunikatzen den eskumuturreko erlojuaren disinua eta prototipo baten garapena

GAL honen helburu nagusia Android sistema eragilea daukan telefono mugikor batekin komunikatzen den eskumuturreko erloju baten diseinua eta prototipo baten garapena burutzea da. Prototipoa arduino plataforma irekia erabiliz gauzatuko da. Prototipoak, garatuko den Android aplikazioaren informazioa jaso eta hau bistaratzeko ahalmena izan beharko du.

Efeito dos exerc��cios resistidos sobre a fun����o endotelial, par��metros hemodin��micos e metab��licos, modula����o auton��mica, biomarcadores inflamat��rios, composi����o corporal e condicionamento f��sico de adolescentes obesos

Introdu����o - O exerc��cio aer��bio �� considerado uma ferramenta eficaz na redu����o de fatores de risco cardiometab��lico e na melhora da qualidade de vida em adolescentes obesos. No entanto, os benef��cios de um programa exclusivo com exerc��cios resistidos (ER) ainda n��o foram estabelecidos nesta popula����o. Objetivo - Avaliar o efeito de um programa exclusivo com ER sobre a fun����o endotelial, par��metros hemodin��micos e metab��licos, modula����o auton��mica, biomarcadores inflamat��rios, composi����o corporal e condicionamento f��sico de adolescentes obesos. Materiais e M��todos - Quarenta adolescentes participaram do estudo e foram divididos em dois grupos de acordo com o n��vel de adiposidade: grupo controle (C, n = 20; 13 meninos e 7 meninas) e grupo obeso (Ob; n=24; 7 meninos e 17 meninas). O grupo Ob foi submetido a um programa de ER, tr��s vezes por semana, durante tr��s meses. A fun����o endotelial, o perfil metab��lico e hemodin��mico, a modula����o auton��mica, os biomarcadores inflamat��rios, a composi����o corporal e o condicionamento f��sico foram avaliados antes e ao final da interven����o. Na investiga����o de nossa hip��tese utilizamos: laser-Doppler fluxometria, an��lises bioqu��micas e de c��lulas endoteliais circulantes, monitoriza����o da press��o arterial ambulatorial, variabilidade da frequ��ncia card��aca (Polar), densitometria com dupla emiss��o de raios X, an��lise de for��a muscular em aparelho isocin��tico e teste cardiopulmonar de exerc��cio subm��ximo em cicloerg��metro. Resultados - Ap��s tr��s meses de interven����o exclusiva com ER observamos uma melhora na vasodilata����o endot��lio-dependente (P<0,05) e uma redu����o na press��o arterial sist��lica (P<0,01), diast��lica (P<0,01) e m��dia (P<0,01), independentes de altera����es no peso corporal. Adicionalmente, tamb��m observamos redu����o na frequ��ncia card��aca (FC) de repouso (P<0,01), aumento na variabilidade da FC (P<0,01) e na atividade parasimp��tica (P<0,05). Observamos tamb��m redu����o na circunfer��ncia da cintura (P<0,001), na rela����o cintura/quadril (P<0,001), no percentual de gordura total (P<0,01), troncular (P<0,01) e de distribui����o andr��ide (P<0,01). Os n��veis de fibrinog��nio (P<0,05), endotelina-1(P<0,05) e de insulina (P<0,01), e o ��ndice HOMA-IR (P<0,05) foram menores ap��s interven����o. Ap��s a interven����o proposta houve redu����o na incid��ncia de s��ndrome metab��lica (16,6 vs. 0%) nos adolescentes obesos. Al��m disso, os estes adolescentes aumentaram a for��a muscular (P<0,05) e reduziram o consumo de oxig��nio, a produ����o de g��s carb��nico, a ventila����o e o disp��ndio energ��tico (P <0,01) durante o teste cardiopulmonar de exerc��cio subm��ximo. Conclus��es - Um treinamento exclusivo com ER resultou em benef��cios cardiovasculares, metab��licos e na composi����o corporal e condicionamento f��sico de adolescentes obesos, independente de altera����es no peso corporal. Nossos resultados sugerem que a pr��tica de ER foi capaz de reduzir fatores de risco cardiovascular em adolescentes com obesidade.

Avalia����o da fun����o pulmonar em indiv��duos obesos ou com sobrepeso e s��ndrome metab��lica antes, tr��s e seis meses ap��s a coloca����o de bal��o intrag��strico

Neste trabalho, buscou-se avaliar se o uso do bal��o intrag��strico (BI) durante um per��odo de seis meses por pacientes obesos ou com sobrepeso e com s��ndrome metab��lica (SM) traz melhora nos par��metros de fun����o pulmonar, distribui����o da gordura corporal e SM. Trata-se de um estudo longitudinal e intervencionista com indiv��duos adultos que foram submetidos �� avalia����o antropom��trica, da bioqu��mica s��rica, dos par��metros de fun����o pulmonar e do padr��o de distribui����o da gordura corporal, antes da instala����o do BI, durante o acompanhamento de seis meses e ap��s a sua retirada. Nos dados obtidos tr��s meses ap��s a coloca����o do BI, os pacientes apresentaram aumento da capacidade de difus��o ao mon��xido de carbono com correla����o positiva entre esta e o percentual total de gordura corporal (rs=0,39; p=0,05), o padr��o ginoide (rs=0,41; p=0,05) e o padr��o tor��cico (rs=0,42; p=0,01). Tamb��m foi observado que, ap��s tr��s meses da coloca����o do BI, houve redu����o significativa do ��ndice de massa corp��rea (IMC) (p=0,0001) e da for��a muscular inspirat��ria (p=0,009). Tamb��m houve aumento significativo da capacidade vital for��ada (CVF) (p=0,0001), da capacidade pulmonar total (CPT) (p=0,001) e do volume de reserva expirat��rio (VRE) (p=0,0001). Ao fim do estudo, foi observada eleva����o estatisticamente significante da CPT (p=0,0001), capacidade residual funcional (p=0,0001), volume residual (VR) (p=0,0005) e VRE (p=0,0001). Tamb��m foi observada redu����o significativa do IMC, cuja mediana passou de 39,1 kg/m2 no in��cio da avalia����o para 34,5 kg/m2 no final dos seis meses (p=0,0001). Ao fim do estudo, 31 pacientes (77,5%) n��o apresentavam mais crit��rios diagn��sticos para SM. Em rela����o aos par��metros de distribui����o da gordura corporal, tamb��m houve mudan��as importantes com redu����o significante (p=0,0001) do percentual de gordura nos quatro padr��es analisados (tronco, androide, ginoide e total). Houve correla����o significante entre o delta da CPT e o delta da circunfer��ncia abdominal (&#961;=-0,34; p=0,03), entre o delta da CRF e o delta do IMC (&#961;=-0,39; p=0,01) e entre o delta do VRE e os deltas do IMC (&#961;=-0,44; p=0,005) e do colesterol HDL (&#961;=-0,37; p=0,02). Tamb��m houve correla����o significante entre o delta do VRE com os deltas das gorduras de tronco (&#961;=-0,51; p=0,004), androide (&#961;=-0,46; p=0,01), ginoide (&#961;=-0,55; p=0,001) e total (&#961;=-0,59; p=0,0005).

Dasher

Dasher is an information-efficient text-entry interface, which can be driven by natural continuous pointing gestures or by pressing buttons. Dasher is a competitive text-entry system wherever a full-size keyboard cannot be used - for example, when operating a computer one-handed, by joystick, touchscreen, trackball, or mouse; when operating a computer with zero hands (i.e., by head-mouse or by eyetracker); on a palmtop computer; on a wearable computer. The gazetracking version of Dasher allows an experienced user to write text as fast as normal handwriting - 29 words per minute; using a mouse, experienced users can write at 39 words per minute. Dasher can be used to write efficiently in any language. Dasher is free software (distributed under the GPL) and is available for many computer platforms, including linux, windows, and android.

Evaluation of Setup Procedures on Mobile Devices Based on Users��� Initial Experience

Users��� initial perceptions of their competence are key motivational factors for further use. However, initial tasks on a mobile operating system (OS) require setup procedures, which are currently largely inconsistent, do not provide users with clear, visible and immediate feedback on their actions, and require significant adjustment time for first-time users. This paper reports on a study with ten users, carried out to better understand how both prior experience and initial interaction with two touchscreen mobile interfaces (Apple iOS and Google Android) affected setup task performance and motivation. The results show that the reactions to setup on mobile interfaces appear to be partially dependent on which device was experienced first. Initial experience with lower-complexity devices improves performance on higher-complexity devices, but not vice versa. Based on these results, the paper proposes six guidelines for designers to design more intuitive and motivating user interfaces (UI) for setup procedures. The preliminary results indicate that these guidelines can contribute to the design of more inclusive mobile platforms and further work to validate these findings is proposed.

A survey on technology exposure and range of abilities of elderly and disabled users in India

This paper reports a survey on people with age-related and physical impairments in India. The survey evaluates functional parameters related to human computer interaction and reports subjective attitude and exposure of users towards technology. We found a significant cognitive decline in elderly users while their functional parameters are sufficient to use existing electronic devices. However young disabled users are found to be experienced with computer but could not have access to appropriate assistive devices, which would benefit them. Most users used desktop computers and mobile phone but none used tablet, smartphone or kiosks though they are keen to learn new technologies. Overall we hope that our results will be useful for HCI practitioners in developing countries. �� 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Design and implementation of robust systems for secure malware detection

Malicious software (malware) have significantly increased in terms of number and effectiveness during the past years. Until 2006, such software were mostly used to disrupt network infrastructures or to show coders��� skills. Nowadays, malware constitute a very important source of economical profit, and are very difficult to detect. Thousands of novel variants are released every day, and modern obfuscation techniques are used to ensure that signature-based anti-malware systems are not able to detect such threats. This tendency has also appeared on mobile devices, with Android being the most targeted platform. To counteract this phenomenon, a lot of approaches have been developed by the scientific community that attempt to increase the resilience of anti-malware systems. Most of these approaches rely on machine learning, and have become very popular also in commercial applications. However, attackers are now knowledgeable about these systems, and have started preparing their countermeasures. This has lead to an arms race between attackers and developers. Novel systems are progressively built to tackle the attacks that get more and more sophisticated. For this reason, a necessity grows for the developers to anticipate the attackers��� moves. This means that defense systems should be built proactively, i.e., by introducing some security design principles in their development. The main goal of this work is showing that such proactive approach can be employed on a number of case studies. To do so, I adopted a global methodology that can be divided in two steps. First, understanding what are the vulnerabilities of current state-of-the-art systems (this anticipates the attacker���s moves). Then, developing novel systems that are robust to these attacks, or suggesting research guidelines with which current systems can be improved. This work presents two main case studies, concerning the detection of PDF and Android malware. The idea is showing that a proactive approach can be applied both on the X86 and mobile world. The contributions provided on this two case studies are multifolded. With respect to PDF files, I first develop novel attacks that can empirically and optimally evade current state-of-the-art detectors. Then, I propose possible solutions with which it is possible to increase the robustness of such detectors against known and novel attacks. With respect to the Android case study, I first show how current signature-based tools and academically developed systems are weak against empirical obfuscation attacks, which can be easily employed without particular knowledge of the targeted systems. Then, I examine a possible strategy to build a machine learning detector that is robust against both empirical obfuscation and optimal attacks. Finally, I will show how proactive approaches can be also employed to develop systems that are not aimed at detecting malware, such as mobile fingerprinting systems. In particular, I propose a methodology to build a powerful mobile fingerprinting system, and examine possible attacks with which users might be able to evade it, thus preserving their privacy. To provide the aforementioned contributions, I co-developed (with the cooperation of the researchers at PRALab and Ruhr-Universit��t Bochum) various systems: a library to perform optimal attacks against machine learning systems (AdversariaLib), a framework for automatically obfuscating Android applications, a system to the robust detection of Javascript malware inside PDF files (LuxOR), a robust machine learning system to the detection of Android malware, and a system to fingerprint mobile devices. I also contributed to develop Android PRAGuard, a dataset containing a lot of empirical obfuscation attacks against the Android platform. Finally, I entirely developed Slayer NEO, an evolution of a previous system to the detection of PDF malware. The results attained by using the aforementioned tools show that it is possible to proactively build systems that predict possible evasion attacks. This suggests that a proactive approach is crucial to build systems that provide concrete security against general and evasion attacks.

But consciousness isn't everything.

Comments on an article entitled `No Good News for DATA,' by Norman Lillegard in the Spring 1994 issue of `Cross Currents' magazine. Lillegard's stand that the android Commander Data in `Star Trek' fails to satisfy the biblical conception of persons; Lillegard's presentation of models that espouse functionalist theories of mind; Views of the essence of the human person.

A cycle route planner mobile-app for Dublin city

In a road network, cyclists are the group exposed to the maximum amount of risk. Route choice of a cyclist is often based on level of expertise, perceived or actual road risks, personal decisions, weather conditions and a number of other factors. Consequently, cycling tends to be the only significant travel mode where optimised route choice is not based on least-path or least-time. This paper presents an Android platform based mobile-app for personalised route planning of cyclists in Dublin. The mobile-app, apart from its immediate advantage to the cyclists, acts as the departure point for a number of research projects and aids in establishing some critical calibration values for the cycling network in Dublin.��

Reminders, Refugees, and Ramadan: Characterizing Missed Immunization Appointments among Palestinian Refugees in Jordan

<p>There are currently over two million Palestinian refugees residing in Jordan, 370,000 of whom reside in refugee camps. Due to conflict-affiliated disease outbreaks among children in the region, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has identified incomplete vaccination as a critical public health issue and has invested in the development and implementation of a text message reminder service for preventing loss-to-follow-up. Childhood immunization rates in UNRWA catchment regions are generally high, yet little is known about risk factors for missed appointments, which impose a substantial administrative burden due to the need to contact patients for rescheduling. Stronger user characterization is necessary for improved targeting and minimized cost as we develop a more robust SMS system capable of scaling across all health facilities.</p><p>This mixed-methods study prospectively recorded 6 months of immunization history among a cohort of children born in June 2014 at Taybeh Health Center in Amman. Demographic information was collected at the time of birth, and caregivers of cohort members were invited to participate in interviews that assessed immunization knowledge, preferences, decision-making, and experience with the SMS reminder system. Patients were more likely to significantly delay appointments during the Ramadan holiday and for doses further from the child date of birth. Future policies that might bridge these gaps include targeting pre-appointment SMS reminders to high-risk patients, implementing holiday shifts in clinic hours, and regularly updating patient contact information.</p>

Citizen Science as a New Tool in Dog Cognition Research.

Family dogs and dog owners offer a potentially powerful way to conduct citizen science to answer questions about animal behavior that are difficult to answer with more conventional approaches. Here we evaluate the quality of the first data on dog cognition collected by citizen scientists using the Dognition.com website. We conducted analyses to understand if data generated by over 500 citizen scientists replicates internally and in comparison to previously published findings. Half of participants participated for free while the other half paid for access. The website provided each participant a temperament questionnaire and instructions on how to conduct a series of ten cognitive tests. Participation required internet access, a dog and some common household items. Participants could record their responses on any PC, tablet or smartphone from anywhere in the world and data were retained on servers. Results from citizen scientists and their dogs replicated a number of previously described phenomena from conventional lab-based research. There was little evidence that citizen scientists manipulated their results. To illustrate the potential uses of relatively large samples of citizen science data, we then used factor analysis to examine individual differences across the cognitive tasks. The data were best explained by multiple factors in support of the hypothesis that nonhumans, including dogs, can evolve multiple cognitive domains that vary independently. This analysis suggests that in the future, citizen scientists will generate useful datasets that test hypotheses and answer questions as a complement to conventional laboratory techniques used to study dog psychology.

A review of ADP processing software

Data processing is an essential part of Acoustic Doppler Profiler (ADP) surveys, which have become the standard tool in assessing flow characteristics at tidal power development sites. In most cases, further processing beyond the capabilities of the manufacturer provided software tools is required. These additional tasks are often implemented by every user in mathematical toolboxes like MATLAB, Octave or Python. This requires the transfer of the data from one system to another and thus increases the possibility of errors. The application of dedicated tools for visualisation of flow or geographic data is also often beneficial and a wide range of tools are freely available, though again problems arise from the necessity of transferring the data. Furthermore, almost exclusively PCs are supported directly by the ADP manufacturers, whereas small computing solutions like tablet computers, often running Android or Linux operating systems, seem better suited for online monitoring or data acquisition in field conditions. While many manufacturers offer support for developers, any solution is limited to a single device of a single manufacturer. A common data format for all ADP data would allow development of applications and quicker distribution of new post processing methodologies across the industry.