A Method of Estimating Usability of a User Interface Based on its Model

The article presents a new method to estimating usability of a user interface based on its model. The principal features of the method are: creation of an expandable knowledge base of usability defects, detection defects based on the interface model, within the design phase, and information to the developer not only about existence of defects but also advice on their elimination.

Multimodal Man-machine Interface and Virtual Reality for Assistive Medical Systems

The results of research the intelligence multimodal man-machine interface and virtual reality means for assistive medical systems including computers and mechatronic systems (robots) are discussed. The gesture translation for disability peoples, the learning-by-showing technology and virtual operating room with 3D visualization are presented in this report and were announced at International exhibition "Intelligent and Adaptive Robots–2005".

The Application of Graph Model for Automation of the User Interface Construction

The ability of automatic graphic user interface construction is described. It is based on the building of user interface as reflection of the data domain logical definition. The submitted approach to development of the information system user interface enables dynamic adaptation of the system during their operation. This approach is used for creation of information systems based on CASE-system METAS.

Spectrum of morphological and visual changes due to vitreomacular interface disorders encountered in a large consecutive cohort of patients

Aim: Identify the incidence of vitreomacular traction (VMT) and frequency of reduced vision in the absence of other coexisting macular pathology using a pragmatic classification system for VMT in a population of patients referred to the hospital eye service. Methods: A detailed survey of consecutive optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans was done in a high-throughput ocular imaging service to ascertain cases of vitreomacular adhesion (VMA) and VMT using a departmental classification system. Analysis was done on the stages of traction, visual acuity, and association with other macular conditions. Results: In total, 4384 OCT scan episodes of 2223 patients were performed. Two hundred and fourteen eyes had VMA/VMT, with 112 eyes having coexisting macular pathology. Of 102 patients without coexisting pathology, 57 patients had VMT grade between 2 and 8, with a negative correlation between VMT grade and number of Snellen lines (r= -0.61717). There was a distinct cutoff in visual function when VMT grade was higher than 4 with the presence of cysts and sub retinal separation and breaks in the retinal layers. Conclusions: VMT is a common encounter often associated with other coexisting macular pathology. We estimated an incidence rate of 0.01% of VMT cases with reduced vision and without coexisting macular pathology that may potentially benefit from intervention. Grading of VMT to select eyes with cyst formation as well as hole formation may be useful for targeting patients who are at higher risk of visual loss from VMT.

MPEG-7: The Multimedia Content Description Interface

In this paper a review of the most used MPEG-7 descriptors are presented. Some considerations for choosing the most proper descriptor for a particular image or video data set are outlined.

Adaptive Control and Multi-agent Interface for Infotelecommunication Systems of New Generation

Problems for intellectualisation for man-machine interface and methods of self-organization for network control in multi-agent infotelecommunication systems have been discussed. Architecture and principles for construction of network and neural agents for telecommunication systems of new generation have been suggested. Methods for adaptive and multi-agent routing for information flows by requests of external agents- users of global telecommunication systems and computer networks have been described.

Interface Engineering and Design: Adaptibility Problems

* The research work reviewed in this paper has been carried out in the context of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research funded project “Adaptable Intelligent Interfaces Research and Development for Distance Learning Systems”(grant N 02-01-81019). The authors wish to acknowledge the co-operation with the Byelorussian partners of this project.

From an Ontology-Oriented Approach Conception to User Interface Development

* The presented work has discussed on the KDS-2003. It has corrected in compliance with remarks and requests of participants.

Sales-marketing interface and company performance. Is information use the missing link?

Over the last couple of years there has been an ongoing debate on how sales managers contribute to organizational value. Direct measures between sales-marketing interface quality and company performance are compromised, as company performance is influenced by a plethora of other factors. We advocate that the use of sales information is the missing link between sales-marketing relationship quality and organizational outcomes. We propose and empirically test a model on how sales-marketing interface quality affects managerial use of sales information, which in turn leads to enhanced organizational performance. We found that marketing managers rely on sales information if they think that their sales counterpart is trustworthy. Integration between the sales-marketing function contributes to a trust-based relationship.

Evidence for the removal of CFC-11, CFC-12, and CFC-113 at the groundwater–surface water interface in the Everglades

Poor agreement between 3H/3He ages and CFC-11 and CFC-12 ages suggests that CFCs may not be conservative tracers in the Everglades National Park. 3H/3He ages were used to calculate the expected concentration of CFC-11 and CFC-12 in groundwater from wells 2 to 73 m deep. The expected concentrations of CFCs were compared to the measured concentrations and plots of the % CFC-12 and CFC-11 remaining offered no evidence that significant CFC removal was occurring in the groundwater at depths ≥2 m, suggesting that CFC removal occurs at shallower depths. Except where CFC contamination was suspected, CFC-11, CFC-12 and CFC-113 concentrations in fresh surface water were nearly always below solubility equilibrium with the atmosphere. Measurements of CFC-11, CFC-12 and CFC-113 in pore water indicate a 50–90% decrease in concentration 5 cm below the groundwater–surface water (GW–SW) interface. In the same 5 cm interval CH4 concentrations increased by 300–1000%. This suggested that CFCs were removed at the GW–SW interface, possibly by methane-producing bacteria. CFC derived recharge ages should therefore be viewed with caution when recharging water percolates through anoxic methanogenic sediments.

Changing the Interface of Family and Consumer Sciences at Florida International University

The need to change the interface of the Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Program at Florida International University (FlU) has evolved because of changes in our family structure, culture, resources, educational reform, new knowledge in basic disciplines and applied research.

Population viability analyses of Chamaecrista keyensis (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae), a narrowly endemic herb of the lower Florida Keys: Effects of seasonal timing of fires and the urban -wildland interface

This research first evaluated the effects of urban wildland interface on reproductive biology of the Big Pine Partridge Pea, Chamaecrista keyensis, an understory herb that is endemic to Big Pine Key, Florida. I found that C. keyensis was self-compatible, but depended on bees for seed set. Furthermore, individuals of C. keyensis in urban habitats suffered higher seed predation and therefore set fewer seeds than forest interior plants. ^ I then focused on the effects of fire at different times of the year, summer (wet) and winter (dry), on the population dynamics and population viability of C. keyensis. I found that C. keyensis population recovered faster after winter burns and early summer burns (May–June) than after late summer burns (July–September) due to better survival and seedling recruitment following former fires. Fire intensity had positive effects on reproduction of C. keyensis. In contrast, no significant fire intensity effects were found on survival, growth, and seedling recruitment. This indicated that better survival and seedling recruitment following winter and early summer burns (compared with late summer burns) were due to the reproductive phenology of the plant in relation to fires rather than differences in fire intensity. Deterministic population modeling showed that time since fire significantly affected the finite population growth rates (λ). Particularly, recently burned plots had the largest λ. In addition, effects of timing of fires on λ were most pronounced the year of burn, but not the subsequent years. The elasticity analyses suggested that maximizing survival is an effective way to minimize the reduction in finite population growth rate the year of burn. Early summer fires or dry-season fires may achieve this objective. Finally, stochastic simulations indicated that the C. keyensis population had lower extinction risk and population decline probability if burned in the winter than in the late summer. A fire frequency of approximately 7 years would create the lowest extinction probability for C. keyensis. A fire management regime including a wide range of burning seasons may be essential for the continued existence of C. keyensis and other endemic species of pine rockland on Big Pine Key. ^

A multimodal and adaptive real-time human -computer interface for peoples with severe motor disability

This dissertation introduces the design of a multimodal, adaptive real-time assistive system as an alternate human computer interface that can be used by individuals with severe motor disabilities. The proposed design is based on the integration of a remote eye-gaze tracking system, voice recognition software, and a virtual keyboard. The methodology relies on a user profile that customizes eye gaze tracking using neural networks. The user profiling feature facilitates the notion of universal access to computing resources for a wide range of applications such as web browsing, email, word processing and editing. ^ The study is significant in terms of the integration of key algorithms to yield an adaptable and multimodal interface. The contributions of this dissertation stem from the following accomplishments: (a) establishment of the data transport mechanism between the eye-gaze system and the host computer yielding to a significantly low failure rate of 0.9%; (b) accurate translation of eye data into cursor movement through congregate steps which conclude with calibrated cursor coordinates using an improved conversion function; resulting in an average reduction of 70% of the disparity between the point of gaze and the actual position of the mouse cursor, compared with initial findings; (c) use of both a moving average and a trained neural network in order to minimize the jitter of the mouse cursor, which yield an average jittering reduction of 35%; (d) introduction of a new mathematical methodology to measure the degree of jittering of the mouse trajectory; (e) embedding an onscreen keyboard to facilitate text entry, and a graphical interface that is used to generate user profiles for system adaptability. ^ The adaptability nature of the interface is achieved through the establishment of user profiles, which may contain the jittering and voice characteristics of a particular user as well as a customized list of the most commonly used words ordered according to the user's preferences: in alphabetical or statistical order. This allows the system to successfully provide the capability of interacting with a computer. Every time any of the sub-system is retrained, the accuracy of the interface response improves even more. ^