Study of accelerometer assisted single key positioning user input systems

New designs of user input systems have resulted from the developing technologies and specialized user demands. Conventional keyboard and mouse input devices still dominate the input speed, but other input mechanisms are demanded in special application scenarios. Touch screen and stylus input methods have been widely adopted by PDAs and smartphones. Reduced keypads are necessary for mobile phones. A new design trend is exploring the design space in applications requiring single-handed input, even with eyes-free on small mobile devices. This requires as few keys on the input device to make it feasible to operate. But representing many characters with fewer keys can make the input ambiguous. Accelerometers embedded in mobile devices provide opportunities to combine device movements with keys for input signal disambiguation. Recent research has explored its design space for text input. In this dissertation an accelerometer assisted single key positioning input system is developed. It utilizes input device tilt directions as input signals and maps their sequences to output characters and functions. A generic positioning model is developed as guidelines for designing positioning input systems. A calculator prototype and a text input prototype on the 4+1 (5 positions) positioning input system and the 8+1 (9 positions) positioning input system are implemented using accelerometer readings on a smartphone. Users use one physical key to operate and feedbacks are audible. Controlled experiments are conducted to evaluate the feasibility, learnability, and design space of the accelerometer assisted single key positioning input system. This research can provide inspiration and innovational references for researchers and practitioners in the positioning user input designs, applications of accelerometer readings, and new development of standard machine readable sign languages.

Design, construction, and testing of a research quality electric machine testbed

With energy demands and costs growing every day, the need for improving energy efficiency in electrical devices has become very important. Research into various methods of improving efficiency for all electrical components will be a key to meet future energy needs. This report documents the design, construction, and testing of a research quality electric machine dynamometer and test bed. This test cell system can be used for research in several areas including: electric drives systems, electric vehicle propulsion systems, power electronic converters, load/source element in an AC Microgrid, as well as many others. The test cell design criteria, and decisions, will be discussed in reference to user functionality and flexibility. The individual power components will be discussed in detail to how they relate to the project, highlighting any feature used in operation of the test cell. A project timeline will be discussed, clearly stating the work done by the different individuals involved in the project. In addition, the system will be parameterized and benchmark data will be used to provide the functional operation of the system. With energy demands and costs growing every day, the need for improving energy efficiency in electrical devices has become very important. Research into various methods of improving efficiency for all electrical components will be a key to meet future energy needs. This report documents the design, construction, and testing of a research quality electric machine dynamometer and test bed. This test cell system can be used for research in several areas including: electric drives systems, electric vehicle propulsion systems, power electronic converters, load/source element in an AC Microgrid, as well as many others. The test cell design criteria, and decisions, will be discussed in reference to user functionality and flexibility. The individual power components will be discussed in detail to how they relate to the project, highlighting any feature used in operation of the test cell. A project timeline will be discussed, clearly stating the work done by the different individuals involved in the project. In addition, the system will be parameterized and benchmark data will be used to provide the functional operation of the system.

Human urinary metabolomic profile of PPARalpha induced fatty acid beta-oxidation

Activation of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha) is associated with increased fatty acid catabolism and is commonly targeted for the treatment of hyperlipidemia. To identify latent, endogenous biomarkers of PPARalpha activation and hence increased fatty acid beta-oxidation, healthy human volunteers were given fenofibrate orally for 2 weeks and their urine was profiled by UPLC-QTOFMS. Biomarkers identified by the machine learning algorithm random forests included significant depletion by day 14 of both pantothenic acid (>5-fold) and acetylcarnitine (>20-fold), observations that are consistent with known targets of PPARalpha including pantothenate kinase and genes encoding proteins involved in the transport and synthesis of acylcarnitines. It was also concluded that serum cholesterol (-12.7%), triglycerides (-25.6%), uric acid (-34.7%), together with urinary propylcarnitine (>10-fold), isobutyrylcarnitine (>2.5-fold), (S)-(+)-2-methylbutyrylcarnitine (5-fold), and isovalerylcarnitine (>5-fold) were all reduced by day 14. Specificity of these biomarkers as indicators of PPARalpha activation was demonstrated using the Ppara-null mouse. Urinary pantothenic acid and acylcarnitines may prove useful indicators of PPARalpha-induced fatty acid beta-oxidation in humans. This study illustrates the utility of a pharmacometabolomic approach to understand drug effects on lipid metabolism in both human populations and in inbred mouse models.

TLR2 and TLR4 agonists induce production of the vasoactive peptide endothelin-1 by human dendritic cells

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is mainly secreted by endothelial cells and acts as a potent vasoconstrictor. In addition ET-1 has also been shown to have pleiotropic effects on a variety of other systems including adaptive immunity. There are two main ET-1 receptors, ET(A) and ET(B), which have different tissue and functional distributions. Dendritic cells (DC) are pivotal antigen-presenting cells linking the innate with the adaptive immune system. DC are sentinels expressing pattern-recognition receptors, e.g. the toll-like receptors (TLR) for detecting danger signals released from pathogens or tissue injury. Here we show for the first time that stimulation of human monocyte-derived DC with exogenous as well as endogenous selective TLR4 and TLR2 agonists induces the production of ET-1 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. 'Alternative' activation of DC in the presence of 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) results in a marked potentiation of the endothelin response, whereas prostaglandin E(2) or dexamethasone do not increase ET-1 production. Furthermore, chetomin, an inhibitor of the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha), prevents TLR-mediated secretion of ET-1. Surprisingly, stimulation of human monocytes with LPS does not lead to secretion of detectable amounts of ET-1. These results suggest a role of ET-1 as an important player in human DC biology and innate immunity in general.

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for distal ureteral calculi: what a powerful machine can achieve

PURPOSE: We assessed the efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL, Dornier Medical Systems, Inc., Marietta, Georgia) for distal ureteral calculi with the HM3 (Dornier Medical Systems, Inc.) lithotriptor. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 585 consecutive patients with distal ureteral calculi were treated with ESWL using an unmodified HM3 lithotriptor. Of these patients 67 referred for treatment only for whom no followup was available were excluded from further analysis. The remaining 518 cases were followed until they were radiologically documented to be stone-free or considered treatment failures. Before ESWL additional procedures were performed in 144 patients, including stone push back, ureteral catheter or Double-J (Medical Engineering Corp., New York, New York) stent placement, percutaneous nephrostomy, ureteral endoscopic maneuvers or stone basket manipulation. A total of 374 patients needed no preliminary treatment before ESWL. RESULTS: Of the 518 patients 469 (91%) were successfully treated with 1 ESWL session, while 49 (9%) needed 2 or 3. Manipulation after ESWL was performed in 22 cases, including stent placement, percutaneous nephrostomy, ureteral endoscopic stone removal and a stone basket procedure. On day 1 after ESWL 327 patients (63%) were stone-free, 158 (30%) had less than 5 mm. fragments and 33 (7%) had more than 5 mm. fragments. At 3 months the stone-free rate increased to 97%. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that ESWL for distal ureteral calculi with the powerful unmodified HM3 lithotriptor has a high success rate with a low rate of minimally traumatic manipulations before and after intervention. Results in terms of the re-treatment and stone-free rates are superior to those of any other second or third generation lithotriptor and comparable to the results of the best ureteroscopic series.

Generierung von Konstruktionsmerkmalen zur Entwicklung eines bio-inspirierten Kommissionier- Greifers für die Intralogistik mittels Clusteranalyse

Kurzbeschreibung: In der Automatisierung von intralogistischen Kommissioniervorgängen ist ein großes Zukunftspotential erkennbar. Elementarer Bestandteil des Automatisierungsprozesses ist der Einsatz von Industrierobotern, die mit einem geeigneten Endeffektor, dem Greifer, ausgestattet werden müssen. Die Robotik ist in der Lage schneller, präziser und ausdauernder als die menschlichen Kommissionierer zu arbeiten und trägt damit entscheidend zur Effizienzsteigerung bei. Eine wesentliche Herausforderung für diesen Entwicklungsschritt zur Substitution der manuellen Kommissionierung ist die Konstruktion und Bereitstellung eines geeigneten Greifsystems. Am Lehrstuhl für Maschinenelemente und Technische Logistik der Helmut-Schmidt-Universität wurde mit der Erfahrung aus einem vorangegangenen Forschungsprojekt die Methode der Clusteranalyse erstmalig zur Untersuchung von Greifobjekten zur Entwicklung eines bionischen Universalgreifers für die Kommissionierung von Drogerieartikeln verwendet. Diese Abhandlung beschreibt einen Beitrag zur Entwicklung dieses Greifers am Beispiel handelsüblicher Drogerieartikel, die aktuell manuell kommissioniert werden. Diese werden hinsichtlich der für das Greifen relevanten Objektmerkmale geclustert und die daraus resultierenden Erkenntnisse in Form von Konstruktionsmerkmalen abgeleitet. Nach einer Analyse und Festlegung der greifrelevanten Merkmale der Greifobjekte wird eine Objektdatenbasis erstellt. Mit Hilfe geeigneter Methoden wird die gewonnene Datenbasis aufbereitet und reduziert. Im Anschluss werden die Greifobjekte bzw. deren Merkmalsausprägungen einer hierarchischen Clusteranalyse unterzogen. Hierbei werden die Grenzen der gebildeten Cluster mittels der zugehörigen Greifobjekte festgelegt und analysiert. Abschließend werden bestimmte greiferspezifische Merkmale auf die Anwendbarkeit in den Clustern überprüft und bewertet. Diese Betrachtungen ermöglichen es, dass spezielle Anforderungen an den Greifer, die direkt aus den Eigenschaften der Greifobjekte herrühren, zuverlässig erkannt und konstruktiv berücksichtigt werden können.

Selection and hydroponic growth of bread wheat cultivars for bioregenerative life support systems

As part of the ESA-funded MELiSSA program, the suitability, the growth and the development of four bread wheat cultivars were investigated in hydroponic culture with the aim to incorporate such a cultivation system in an Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS). Wheat plants can fulfill three major functions in space: (a) fixation of CO2 and production of O2, (b) production of grains for human nutrition and (c) production of cleaned water after condensation of the water vapor released from the plants by transpiration. Four spring wheat cultivars (Aletsch, Fiorina, Greina and CH Rubli) were grown hydroponically and compared with respect to growth and grain maturation properties. The height of the plants, the culture duration from germination to harvest, the quantity of water used, the number of fertile and non-fertile tillers as well as the quantity and quality of the grains harvested were considered. Mature grains could be harvested after around 160 days depending on the varieties. It became evident that the nutrient supply is crucial in this context and strongly affects leaf senescence and grain maturation. After a first experiment, the culture conditions were improved for the second experiment (stepwise decrease of EC after flowering, pH adjusted twice a week, less plants per m2) leading to a more favorable harvest (higher grain yield and harvest index). Considerably less green tillers without mature grains were present at harvest time in experiment 2 than in experiment 1. The harvest index for dry matter (including roots) ranged from 0.13 to 0.35 in experiment 1 and from 0.23 to 0.41 in experiment 2 with modified culture conditions. The thousand-grain weight for the four varieties ranged from 30.4 to 36.7 g in experiment 1 and from 33.2 to 39.1 g in experiment 2, while market samples were in the range of 39.4–46.9 g. Calcium levels in grains of the hydroponically grown wheat were similar to those from field-grown wheat, while potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper, manganese and nickel levels tended to be higher in the grains of experimental plants. It remains a challenge for future experiments to further adapt the nutrient supply in order to improve senescence of vegetative plant parts, harvest index and the composition of bread wheat grains.

Effect of tin-chloride pretreatment on bond strength of two adhesive systems to dentin

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect on resin composite-to-dentin bond strength of incorporation of an acidic tin-chloride pretreatment in two adhesive systems. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human molars were ground to expose mid-coronal dentin. For microtensile bond strength (μTBS) testing, dentin was treated with Optibond FL or Clearfil SE according to one of six protocols (n = 22/group). Group 1: Phosphoric acid etching, Optibond FL Prime, Optibond FL Adhesive (manufacturer's instructions; control); Group 2: Tin-chloride pretreatment, Optibond FL Prime, Optibond FL Adhesive; Group 3: Phosphoric acid etching, tin-chloride pretreatment, Optibond FL Prime, Optibond FL Adhesive; Group 4: Clearfil SE Primer, Clearfil SE Bond (manufacturer's instructions; control); Group 5: Phosphoric acid etching, Clearfil SE Primer, Clearfil SE Bond; and Group 6: Tin-chloride pretreatment, Clearfil SE Primer, Clearfil SE Bond. The molars were then built up with resin composite (Clearfil Majesty Esthetic). After storage (1 week, 100  % humidity, 37 °C) the μTBS was measured and failure mode was determined. Additionally, pretreated dentin surfaces were evaluated using SEM and EDX. The μTBS results were analyzed statistically by a Welch Two Sample t-test and a Kruskal-Wallis test followed by exact Wilcoxon rank sum tests with Bonferroni-Holm adjustment for multiple testing (α = 0.05). RESULTS: When Optibond FL was used, partial or total replacement of phosphoric acid with tin-chloride decreased μTBS significantly. In contrast, when Clearfil SE was used, inclusion of a tin-chloride pretreatment in the adhesive procedure increased μTBS significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Tin-chloride pretreatment had a beneficial influence on the bond promoting capacity of the MDP-containing adhesive system Clearfil SE.

Does tin pre-treatment enhance the bond strength of adhesive systems to enamel?

OBJECTIVES The study investigated the modification of composite-to-enamel bond strength by pre-treatment of enamel with a concentrated, acidic SnCl2-solution. METHODS Six groups of flat human enamel specimens (n=44 per group) were treated as follows: OB-H: H3PO4 etching, Optibond FL application (primer+adhesive; manufacturer's instructions); OB-S: SnCl2 pre-treatment, Optibond FL application (primer+adhesive); OB-HS: H3PO4 etching+SnCl2 pre-treatment, Optibond FL application (primer+adhesive); CF-N: Clearfil SE application (primer+bond; manufacturer's instructions); CF-H: H3PO4 etching, Clearfil SE application (primer+bond); CF-S: SnCl2 pre-treatment, Clearfil SE application (primer+bond). Enamel specimens were then built up with resin composite (Clearfil Majesty Esthetic) and stored (100% humidity, 37 °C, 1 week). μTBS-measurement and failure mode analysis of one-half of the specimens were performed immediately after storage, while the other half was analysed after a thermocycling procedure (8500 cycles; 5 °C and 55 °C; dwell time 30s). Additional specimens were prepared for SEM- and EDX-analysis. RESULTS Highest values were measured for OB-H before and after thermocycling, lowest values for CF-N. Compared to OB-H treatment, OB-S treatment reduced μTBS before/after thermocycling by 23%/28% and OB-HS treatment by 8%/24% (except for OB-SH before (n.s.), all p≤0.001 compared to OB-H). In the Clearfil SE treated groups pre-treatment increased μTBS significantly compared to CF-N (before/after: CF-H: +46%/+70%; CF-S: +51%/42%; all p≤0.001). CONCLUSION Pre-treatment with H3PO4 or SnCl2 markedly increased the μTBS of Clearfil SE to enamel. However, thermocycling partly reduced the gain in μTBS obtained by SnCl2 pre-treatment. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE The application of an acidic and highly concentrated SnCl2 solution is a good option to increase the μTBS between enamel and a resin composite mediated by an adhesive system containing the multifunctional monomer MDP.

Linked services for M2M communication with Enterprise IT systems

Linking the physical world to the Internet, also known as the Internet of Things, has increased available information and services in everyday life and in the Enterprise world. In Enterprise IT an increasing number of communication is done between IT backend systems and small IoT devices, for example sensor networks or RFID readers. This introduces some challenges in terms of complexity and integration. We are working on the integration of IoT devices into Enterprise IT by leveraging SOA techniques and Semantic Web technologies. We present a SOA based integration platform for connecting WSNs and large enterprise business processes. For ensuring interoperability our platform is based on Linked Services. These are thoroughly described, machine-readable, machine-reasonable service descriptions.

User and Machine Authentication and Authorization Infrastructure for Distributed Wireless Sensor Network Testbeds

The intention of an authentication and authorization infrastructure (AAI) is to simplify and unify access to different web resources. With a single login, a user can access web applications at multiple organizations. The Shibboleth authentication and authorization infrastructure is a standards-based, open source software package for web single sign-on (SSO) across or within organizational boundaries. It allows service providers to make fine-grained authorization decisions for individual access of protected online resources. The Shibboleth system is a widely used AAI, but only supports protection of browser-based web resources. We have implemented a Shibboleth AAI extension to protect web services using Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP). Besides user authentication for browser-based web resources, this extension also provides user and machine authentication for web service-based resources. Although implemented for a Shibboleth AAI, the architecture can be easily adapted to other AAIs.

Critical incidence reporting systems - an option in equine anaesthesia? Results from a panel meeting.

OBJECTIVE To provide a brief introduction into Critical Incident Reporting Systems (CIRS) as used in human medicine, and to report the discussion from a recent panel meeting discussion with 23 equine anaesthetists in preparation for a new CEPEF-4 (Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Equine Fatalities) study. STUDY DESIGN Moderated group discussions, and review of literature. METHODS The first group discussion focused on the definition of 'preventable critical incidents' and/or 'near misses' in the context of equine anaesthesia. The second group discussion focused on categorizing critical incidents according to an established framework for analysing risk and safety in clinical medicine. RESULTS While critical incidents do occur in equine anaesthesia, no critical incident reporting system including systematic collection and analysis of critical incidents is in place. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Critical incident reporting systems could be used to improve safety in equine anaesthesia - in addition to other study types such as mortality studies.

DEVELOPING A METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING AND REDUCING FUNCTIONAL DISCREPANCIES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Currently more than half of Electronic Health Record (EHR) projects fail. Most of these failures are not due to flawed technology, but rather due to the lack of systematic considerations of human issues. Among the barriers for EHR adoption, function mismatching among users, activities, and systems is a major area that has not been systematically addressed from a human-centered perspective. A theoretical framework called Functional Framework was developed for identifying and reducing functional discrepancies among users, activities, and systems. The Functional Framework is composed of three models – the User Model, the Designer Model, and the Activity Model. The User Model was developed by conducting a survey (N = 32) that identified the functions needed and desired from the user’s perspective. The Designer Model was developed by conducting a systemic review of an Electronic Dental Record (EDR) and its functions. The Activity Model was developed using an ethnographic method called shadowing where EDR users (5 dentists, 5 dental assistants, 5 administrative personnel) were followed quietly and observed for their activities. These three models were combined to form a unified model. From the unified model the work domain ontology was developed by asking users to rate the functions (a total of 190 functions) in the unified model along the dimensions of frequency and criticality in a survey. The functional discrepancies, as indicated by the regions of the Venn diagrams formed by the three models, were consistent with the survey results, especially with user satisfaction. The survey for the Functional Framework indicated the preference of one system over the other (R=0.895). The results of this project showed that the Functional Framework provides a systematic method for identifying, evaluating, and reducing functional discrepancies among users, systems, and activities. Limitations and generalizability of the Functional Framework were discussed.

Human Trafficking, Sex Tourism, and Child Exploitation on the Southern Border

Human trafficking and various other forms of child sexual exploitation on the United States-Mexico border are described from social science and law enforcement perspectives, including current laws and definitions, case examples, and descriptions of victims and traffickers. The Southern Border Initiative of the AMBER Alert Project is outlined as one effort to combat trafficking through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and programs in the United States and Mexico. Policy recommendations include increasing knowledge and collaboration between law enforcement, social service agencies, and judicial systems across the border region and between the United States and Mexico.