bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanisms for Residence Volume Reduction in Shallow Sump
Authors: Chandra Budi , Simmons Kathy , Murphy Andrew
Published: September 2017

Gas turbine aero-engines employ fast rotating shafts that are supported by bearings at several axial locations along the engine. Due to extreme load and heat, oil is injected to the bearings to aid lubrication and cooling. The oil is then shed to the bearing chamber before it is extracted out by a scavenge pump. Scavenging oil from the bearing chamber is challenging due to high windage induced by the fast rotating shafts as well as the two-phase nature of the flow. A deep sump has been found to increase scavenge performance due to its ability to shelter the pooled oil from the bulk rotating air flow thus minimizing two-phase mixing. However, in many cases, a deep sump is not an option due to conflicting space requirements. The space limitation becomes more stringent with higher bypass ratio engines as the core becomes smaller. Therefore, it is imperative to have a high performing shallow sump. However, shape modification of a shallow sump is too constrained due to limited space and, therefore, has minimal impact on the scavenge performance. This research presents several alternative concepts to improve scavenge performance of a generic baseline shallow sump by augmenting it with attachments or inserts. These augmentations attempt to exploit two known mechanisms for reducing the residence volume: momentum reduction and sheltering. The experimental results show that some augmentations are able to reduce the residence volume of a shallow sump by up to 50% or more in some cases.
Development of Probabilistic Risk Assessment Methodology Against Volcanic Eruption for Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors
Authors: Yamano Hidemasa , Nishino Hiroyuki , Kurisaka Kenichi , Yamamoto Takahiro
Published: September 2017

The objective of this paper is to develop a probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) methodology against volcanic eruption for decay heat removal function of sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs). In the volcanic PRA methodology development, only the effect of volcanic tephra (pulverized magma) is taken into account, because there is a great distance between a plant site assumed in this study and volcanoes. The volcanic tephra (ash) could potentially clog air filters of air-intakes that are essential for the decay heat removal. The degree of filter clogging can be calculated by atmospheric concentration of ash and tephra fallout duration and also suction flow rate of each component. This study evaluated a volcanic hazard using a combination of tephra fragment size, layer thickness, and duration. In this paper, functional failure probability of each component is defined as a failure probability of filter replacement obtained by using a grace period to filter failure. Finally, based on an event tree, a core damage frequency has been estimated by multiplying discrete hazard frequencies by conditional decay heat removal failure probabilities. A dominant sequence has been identified as well. In addition, sensitivity analyses have investigated the effects of a tephra arrival reduction factor and prefilter covering.
Safest Roadmap for Corium Experimental Research in Europe
Authors: Journeau Christophe , Bouyer Viviane , Cassiaut-Louis Nathalie , Fouquart Pascal , Piluso Pascal , Ducros Gérard , Gossé Stéphane , Guéneau Christine , Quaini Andrea , Fluhrer Beatrix , Miassoedov Alexei , Stuckert Juri , Steinbrück Martin , Bechta Sevostian , Kudinov Pavel , Ma Weimin , Sehgal Bal Raj , Hozer Zoltan , Guba Attila , Manara Dario , Bottomley David , Fischer Manfred , Langrock Gert , Schmidt Holger , Kiselova Monika , Ždarek Jiri
Published: September 2017

Severe accident facilities for European safety targets (SAFEST) is a European project networking the European experimental laboratories focused on the investigation of a nuclear power plant (NPP) severe accident (SA) with reactor core melting and formation of hazardous material system known as corium. The main objective of the project is to establish coordinated activities, enabling the development of a common vision and severe accident research roadmaps for the next years, and of the management structure to achieve these goals. In this frame, a European roadmap on severe accident experimental research has been developed to define research challenges to contribute to further reinforcement of Gen II and III NPP safety. The roadmap takes into account different SA phenomena and issues identified and prioritized in the analyses of severe accidents at commercial NPPs and in the results of the recent European stress tests carried out after the Fukushima accident. Nineteen relevant issues related to reactor core meltdown accidents have been selected during these efforts. These issues have been compared to a survey of the European SA research experimental facilities and corium analysis laboratories. Finally, the coherence between European infrastructures and R&D needs has been assessed and a table linking issues and infrastructures has been derived. The comparison shows certain important lacks in SA research infrastructures in Europe, especially in the domains of core late reflooding impact on source term, reactor pressure vessel failure and molten core release modes, spent fuel pool (SFP) accidents, as well as the need for a large-scale experimental facility operating with up to 500 kg of chemically prototypic corium melt.
Primary sclerosing cholangitis and the management of uncertainty and complexity
Authors: Arndtz Katherine , Hirschfield Gideon M
Published: September 2017

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a rare chronic autoimmune disease with no effective therapy and a large unmet need for new treatments. Patients require significant healthcare resources over their lifetime with high rates of hospital admission, malignancy, liver transplantation and death. As a rare disease, expertise in management can be limited to large referral liver transplant programmes, and even then there is frequently variation in practice. In this case-based review, we aim to discuss common clinical dilemmas encountered by clinicians managing patients with PSC and address related competencies in the 2010 Gastroenterology Curriculum.
miR-96 targets SOX6 and promotes proliferation, migration, and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Li Zhengwei , Wang Ying
Published: September 2017

Recent research suggested that microRNA 96 (miR-96) might function as an oncogene in several types of cancers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to probe into the mechanism of miR-96 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. HCC tissues and non-tumorous tissues, HCC cell lines, and healthy cell lines were all involved in this study. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were used to detect miR-96 and SOX6 mRNA and protein expressions. The direct regulation of miR96 on SOX6 was confirmed by luciferase reporter assays. Cell proliferation and growth were determined by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethyl–2-thiazolyl)–2,5-diphenyl–2-H-tetrazolium bromide) assay and colony formation assay. Wound healing and transwell assay were employed for migration and invasion analyses. Finally, SPSS 21.0 and GraphPad 7.0 were applied for statistical analyses. In HCC tissues, miR-96 was highly expressed while SOX6 was lowly expressed. The overexpression of miR-96 reversely inhibited the expression of SOX6, contributing to the promotion of the biological functions of HCC cells. miR-96 could promote cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in HCC by targeting SOX6.
Independent assortment of GC gene polymorphism (rs2282679) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in coronary artery disease
Authors: Sedky Nada K. , Hassanein Sally I. , Gad Mohamed Zakaria
Published: September 2017

Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains a major public health burden. Emerging research has suggested an association between vitamin D insufficiency and CAD. Vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) is the primary vitamin D carrier and many of its genetic polymorphisms are able to induce the expression of proteins with different affinities for the vitamin, which in turn might affect its serum levels and CAD incidence. One hundred and twelve male patients, aged between 35 and 50 years, with verified CAD and 109 age- and sex-matched controls were recruited. Genotyping was performed by the TaqMan allelic discrimination assay and plasma 25(OH)D levels were assessed by HPLC-UV. Serum parathyroid hormone (s-PTH) and VDBP levels were measured using ELISA. s-25(OH)D levels in CAD patients were significantly lower than in the controls, whereas s-PTH levels were significantly higher in the CAD patients than in the controls. There was no significant difference in the distribution of GC genotypes among both groups. s-25(OH)D showed a weak inverse correlation with s-PTH levels. Serum levels of vitamin D and PTH are highly correlated with CAD incidence. However, the s-VDBP level is associated neither with disease outcome nor with vitamin D status. The GC gene variant has no effect on 25(OH)D levels.
The contribution of muscle, kidney, and splanchnic tissues to leucine transamination in humans
Authors: Garibotto Giacomo , Verzola Daniela , Vettore Monica , Tessari Paolo
Published: September 2017

The first steps of leucine utilization are reversible deamination to α-ketoisocaproic acid (α-KIC) and irreversible oxidation. Recently, the regulatory role of leucine deamination over oxidation was underlined in rodents. Our aim was to measure leucine deamination and reamination in the whole body, in respect to previously determined rates across individual organs, in humans. By leucine and KIC isotope kinetics, we determined whole-body leucine deamination and reamination, and we compared these rates with those already reported across the sampled organs. As an in vivo counterpart of the “metabolon” concept, we analysed ratios between oxidation and either deamination or reamination. Leucine deamination to KIC was greater than KIC reamination to leucine in the whole body (p = 0.005), muscles (p = 0.005), and the splanchnic area (p = 0.025). These rates were not significantly different in the kidneys. Muscle accounted for ≈60% and ≈78%, the splanchnic bed for ≈15% and ≈15%, and the kidney for ≈12% and ≈18%, of whole-body leucine deamination and reamination rates, respectively. In the kidney, percent leucine oxidation over either deamination or reamination was >3-fold greater than muscle and the splanchnic bed. Skeletal muscle contributes by the largest fraction of leucine deamination, reamination, and oxidation. However, in relative terms, the kidney plays a key role in leucine oxidation.
A Technique for Studying a Class of Fractional-Order Nonlinear Dynamical Systems
Authors: Mahmoud Gamal M. , Farghaly Ahmed A. M. , Shoreh A. A.-H.
Published: September 2017

In this work, we propose a technique to study nonlinear dynamical systems with fractional-order. The main idea of this technique is to transform the fractional-order dynamical system to the integer one based on Jumarie’s modified Riemann–Liouville sense. Many systems in the interdisciplinary fields could be described by fractional-order nonlinear dynamical systems, such as viscoelastic systems, dielectric polarization, electrode-electrolyte polarization, heat conduction, resistance-capacitance-inductance (RLC) interconnect and electromagnetic waves. To deal with integer order dynamical system it would be much easier in contrast with fractional-order system. Two systems are considered as examples to illustrate the validity and advantages of this technique. We have calculated the Lyapunov exponents of these examples before and after the transformation and obtained the same conclusions. We used the integer version of our example to compute numerically the values of the fractional-order and the system parameters at which chaotic and hyperchaotic behaviors exist.
On the derivative of anticyclotomic p-adic L-functions for Hilbert modular forms
Authors: Hung Pin-Chi
Published: September 2017

We construct anticyclotomic [Formula: see text]-adic [Formula: see text]-functions for ordinary Hilbert modular forms and a formula relating the first derivative of this [Formula: see text]-adic [Formula: see text]-function at the central point and Teieltbaum’s [Formula: see text]-invariant defined by Chida, Mok and Park. Our results extend previous works of Bertolini, Darmon, Iovita and Speiss to Hilbert modular forms of parallel weight [Formula: see text].
Synthesis of Direct Z-Scheme MnWO4/g-C3N4 Photocatalyst with Enhanced Visible Light Photocatalytic Activity
Authors: Liu Kuili , Li Jinlin , Yan Xu , Shi Weidong
Published: September 2017

In this study, direct Z-scheme MnWO4/g-C3N4 photocatalyst was fabricated via facile hydrothermal method. Compared with pristine graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and manganous tungstate (MnWO4), the prepared MnWO4/g-C3N4 photocatalyst showed obviously enhanced photocatalytic activity for Rhodamine B (RhB) degradation under visible light irradiation. The MnWO4/g-C3N4 photocatalyst prepared with 10% MnWO4 (MC10%) showed the highest photocatalytic activity among all samples, which is about 2.3 and 12.7 times than that of pristine g-C3N4 and MnWO4, respectively. This enhancement is due to the strong light absorption and efficient electron–hole separation of direct Z-scheme MnWO4/g-C3N4 photocatalyst. Electron spin resonance (ESR) experiments and active species trapping experiments revealed that [Formula: see text]OH and [Formula: see text] are the main active species in the photocatalytic process. This work may be beneficial for designing MnWO4-based Z-scheme photocatalyst for application in environmental remediation.
Degree-based topological indices of double graphs and strong double graphs
Authors: Imran Muhammad , Akhter Shehnaz
Published: September 2017

The topological indices are useful tools to the theoretical chemists that are provided by the graph theory. They correlate certain physicochemical properties such as boiling point, strain energy, stability, etc. of chemical compounds. For a graph [Formula: see text], the double graph [Formula: see text] is a graph obtained by taking two copies of graph [Formula: see text] and joining each vertex in one copy with the neighbors of corresponding vertex in another copy and strong double graph SD[Formula: see text] of the graph [Formula: see text] is the graph obtained by taking two copies of the graph [Formula: see text] and joining each vertex [Formula: see text] in one copy with the closed neighborhood of the corresponding vertex in another copy. In this paper, we compute the general sum-connectivity index, general Randi[Formula: see text] index, geometric–arithmetic index, general first Zagreb index, first and second multiplicative Zagreb indices for double graphs and strong double graphs and derive the exact expressions for these degree-base topological indices for double graphs and strong double graphs in terms of corresponding index of original graph [Formula: see text].
Cognitive Heat
Authors: Abdelrahman Yomna , Velloso Eduardo , Dingler Tilman , Schmidt Albrecht , Vetere Frank
Published: September 2017

Current digital systems are largely blind to users’ cognitive states. Systems that adapt to users’ states show great potential for augmenting cognition and for creating novel user experiences. However, most approaches for sensing cognitive states, and cognitive load specifically, involve obtrusive technologies, such as physiological sensors attached to users’ bodies. This paper present an unobtrusive indicator of the users’ cognitive load based on thermal imaging that is applicable in real-world. We use a commercial thermal camera to monitor a person’s forehead and nose temperature changes to estimate their cognitive load. To assess the effect of different levels of cognitive load on facial temperature we conducted a user study with 12 participants. The study showed that different levels of the Stroop test and the complexity of reading texts affect facial temperature patterns, thereby giving a measure of cognitive load. To validate the feasibility for real-time assessments of cognitive load, we conducted a second study with 24 participants, we analyzed the temporal latency of temperature changes. Our system detected temperature changes with an average latency of 0.7 seconds after users were exposed to a stimulus, outperforming latency in related work that used other thermal imaging techniques. We provide empirical evidence showing how to unobtrusively detect changes in cognitive load in real-time. Our exploration of exposing users to different content types gives rise to thermal-based activity tracking, which facilitates new applications in the field of cognition-aware computing.
Lessons Learned from Two Cohorts of Personal Informatics Self-Experiments
Authors: Daskalova Nediyana , Desingh Karthik , Papoutsaki Alexandra , Schulze Diane , Sha Han , Huang Jeff
Published: September 2017

Self-experiments allow people to investigate their own individual outcomes from behavior change, often with the aid of personal tracking devices. The challenge is to design scientifically valid self-experiments that can reach conclusive results. In this paper, we aim to understand how novices run self-experiments when they are provided with a structured lesson in experimental design. We conducted a study on self-experimentation with two cohorts of students, where a total of 34 students performed a self-experiment of their choice. In the first cohort, students were given only two restrictions: a specific number of variables to track and a set duration for the study. The findings from this cohort helped us generate concrete guidelines for running a self-experiment, and use them as the format for the next cohort. A second cohort of students used these guidelines to conduct their own self-experiments in a more structured manner. Based on the findings from both cohorts, we propose a set of guidelines for running successful self-experiments that address the pitfalls encountered by students in the study, such as inadequate study design and analysis methods. We also discuss broader implications for future self-experimenters and designers of tools for self-experimentation.
OmniTrack
Authors: Kim Young-Ho , Jeon Jae Ho , Lee Bongshin , Choe Eun Kyoung , Seo Jinwook
Published: September 2017

We now see an increasing number of self-tracking apps and wearable devices. Despite the vast number of available tools, however, it is still challenging for self-trackers to find apps that suit their unique tracking needs, preferences, and commitments. Furthermore, people are bounded by the tracking tools’ initial design because it is difficult to modify, extend, or mash up existing tools. In this paper, we present OmniTrack, a mobile self-tracking system, which enables self-trackers to construct their own trackers and customize tracking items to meet their individual tracking needs. To inform the OmniTrack design, we first conducted semi-structured interviews (N = 12) and analyzed existing mobile tracking apps (N = 62). We then designed and developed OmniTrack as an Android mobile app, leveraging a semi-automated tracking approach that combines manual and automated tracking methods. We evaluated OmniTrack through a usability study (N = 10) and improved its interfaces based on the feedback. Finally, we conducted a 3-week deployment study (N = 21) to assess if people can capitalize on OmniTrack’s flexible and customizable design to meet their tracking needs. From the study, we showed how participants used OmniTrack to create, revise, and appropriate trackers—ranging from a simple mood tracker to a sophisticated daily activity tracker. We discuss how OmniTrack positively influences and supports self-trackers’ tracking practices over time, and how to further improve OmniTrack by providing more appropriate visualizations and sharable templates, incorporating external contexts, and supporting researchers’ unique data collection needs.
Exploring Context-Aware User Interfaces for Smartphone-Smartwatch Cross-Device Interaction
Authors: Kubo Yuki , Takada Ryosuke , Shizuki Buntarou , Takahashi Shin
Published: September 2017

In this study, we explore context-aware cross-device interactions between a smartphone and smartwatch. We present 24 contexts, and then examine and prioritize suitable user interfaces (UIs) for each. In addition, we present example applications, including a map, notification management system, multitasking application, music player, and video chat application, each of which has its own context-aware UIs. To support these context-aware UIs, we investigate the performance of our context recognizer in which recognition is based on machine-learning using the accelerometers in a smartphone and smartwatch. We conduct seven different evaluations using four machine-learning algorithms: J48 decision tree, sequential minimal optimization (SMO)-based support vector machine (SVM), random forest, and multilayer perceptron. With each algorithm, we conduct a long-interval experiment to examine the level of accuracy at which each context is recognized using data previously collected for training. The results show that SMO-based SVM is suitable for recognizing the 24 contexts considered in this study.
IndoTrack
Authors: Li Xiang , Zhang Daqing , Lv Qin , Xiong Jie , Li Shengjie , Zhang Yue , Mei Hong
Published: September 2017

Indoor human tracking is fundamental to many real-world applications such as security surveillance, behavioral analysis, and elderly care. Previous solutions usually require dedicated device being carried by the human target, which is inconvenient or even infeasible in scenarios such as elderly care and break-ins. However, compared with device-based tracking, device-free tracking is particularly challenging because the much weaker reflection signals are employed for tracking. The problem becomes even more difficult with commodity Wi-Fi devices, which have limited number of antennas, small bandwidth size, and severe hardware noise.

In this work, we propose IndoTrack, a device-free indoor human tracking system that utilizes only commodity Wi-Fi devices. IndoTrack is composed of two innovative methods: (1) Doppler-MUSIC is able to extract accurate Doppler velocity information from noisy Wi-Fi Channel State Information (CSI) samples; and (2) Doppler-AoA is able to determine the absolute trajectory of the target by jointly estimating target velocity and location via probabilistic co-modeling of spatial-temporal Doppler and AoA information. Extensive experiments demonstrate that IndoTrack can achieve a 35cm median error in human trajectory estimation, outperforming the state-of-the-art systems and provide accurate location and velocity information for indoor human mobility and behavioral analysis.
Your Search Path Tells Others Where to Park
Authors: Liu Ruilin , Yang Yu , Kwak Daehan , Zhang Desheng , Iftode Liviu , Nath Badri
Published: September 2017

A main challenge faced by the state-of-the-art parking sensing systems is to infer the state of the spots not covered by participants’ parking/unparking events (called background availability) when the system penetration rate is limited. In this paper, we tackle this problem by exploring an empirical phenomenon that ignoring a spot along a driver’s parking search trajectory is likely due to the unavailability. However, complications caused by drivers’ preferences, e.g. ignoring the spots too far from the driver’s destination, have to be addressed based on human parking decisions. We build a model based on a dataset of more than 55,000 real parking decisions to predict the probability that a driver would take a spot, assuming the spot is available. Then, we present a crowdsourcing system, called ParkScan, which leverages the learned parking decision model in collaboration with the hidden Markov model to estimate background parking spot availability. We evaluated ParkScan with real-world data from both off-street scenarios (i.e., two public parking lots) and an on-street parking scenario (i.e., 35 urban blocks in Seattle). Both of the experiments showed that with a 5% penetration rate, ParkScan reduces over 12.9% of availability estimation errors for all the spots during parking peak hours, compared to the baseline using only the historical data. Also, even with a single participant driver, ParkScan cuts off at least 15% of the estimation errors for the spots along the driver’s parking search trajectory.
Distant Emotion Recognition
Authors: Salekin Asif , Chen Zeya , Ahmed Mohsin Y. , Lach John , Metz Donna , De La Haye Kayla , Bell Brooke , Stankovic John A.
Published: September 2017

Distant emotion recognition (DER) extends the application of speech emotion recognition to the very challenging situation that is determined by variable speaker to microphone distances. The performance of conventional emotion recognition systems degrades dramatically as soon as the microphone is moved away from the mouth of the speaker. This is due to a broad variety of effects such as background noise, feature distortion with distance, overlapping speech from other speakers, and reverberation. This paper presents a novel solution for DER, addressing the key challenges by identification and deletion of features from consideration which are significantly distorted by distance, creating a novel, called Emo2vec, feature modeling and overlapping speech filtering technique, and the use of an LSTM classifier to capture the temporal dynamics of speech states found in emotions. A comprehensive evaluation is conducted on two acted datasets (with artificially generated distance effect) as well as on a new emotional dataset of spontaneous family discussions with audio recorded from multiple microphones placed in different distances. Our solution achieves an average 91.6%, 90.1% and 89.5% accuracy for emotion happy, angry and sad, respectively, across various distances which is more than a 16% increase on average in accuracy compared to the best baseline method.
OpenKeychain
Authors: Schürmann Dominik , Dechand Sergej , Wolf Lars
Published: September 2017

While many Android apps provide end-to-end encryption, the cryptographic keys are still stored on the device itself and can thus be stolen by exploiting vulnerabilities. External cryptographic hardware solves this issue, but is currently only used for two-factor authentication and not for communication encryption.

In this paper, we design, implement, and evaluate an architecture for NFC-based cryptography on Android. Our high-level API provides cryptographic operations without requiring knowledge of public-key cryptography. By developing OpenKeychain, we were able to roll out this architecture for more than 100,000 users. It provides encryption for emails, messaging, and a password manager. We provide a threat model, NFC performance measurements, and discuss their impact on our architecture design. As an alternative form factor to smart cards, we created the prototype of an NFC signet ring. To evaluate the UI components and form factors, a lab study with 40 participants at a large company has been conducted. We measured the time required by the participants to set up the system and reply to encrypted emails. These measurements and a subsequent interview indicate that our NFC-based solutions are more user friendly in comparison to traditional password-protected keys.
SuperpowerGlass
Authors: Washington Peter , Voss Catalin , Kline Aaron , Haber Nick , Daniels Jena , Fazel Azar , De Titas , Feinstein Carl , Winograd Terry , Wall Dennis
Published: September 2017

We have developed a system for automatic facial expression recognition running on Google Glass, delivering real-time social cues to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The system includes multiple mechanisms to engage children and their parents, who administer this technology within the home. We completed an at-home design trial with 14 families that used the learning aid over a 3-month period. We found that children with ASD generally respond well to wearing the system at home and opt for the most expressive feedback choice. We further evaluated app usage, facial engagement, and model accuracy. We found that the device can act as a powerful training aid when used periodically in the home, that interactive video content from wearable therapy sessions should be augmented with sufficient context about the content to produce long-term engagement, and that the design of wearable systems for children with ASD should be heavily dependent on the functioning level of the child. We contribute general design implications for developing wearable aids used by children with ASD and other behavioral disorders as well as their parents during at-home parent-administered therapy sessions.
From Intermittent to Ubiquitous
Authors: Wu Di , Arkhipov Dmitri I. , Przepiorka Thomas , Li Yong , Guo Bin , Liu Qiang
Published: September 2017

Accessing online social networks in situations with intermittent Internet connectivity is a challenge. We have designed a context-aware mobile system to enable efficient offline access to online social media by prefetching, caching and disseminating content opportunistically when signal availability is detected. This system can measure, crowdsense and predict network characteristics, and then use these predictions of mobile network signal to schedule cellular access or device-to-device (D2D) communication. We propose several opportunistic optimization schemes to enhance controlled crowdsensing, resource constrained mobile prefetch, and D2D transmissions impacted by individual selfishness. Realistic tests and large-scale trace analysis show our system can achieve a significant improvement over existing approaches in situations where users experience intermittent cellular service or disrupted network connection.
EM-Comm
Authors: Yang Chouchang Jack , Sample Alanson P.
Published: September 2017

Touch-based communication offers a direct and intuitive way for users to initiate and control data transfer when using tangible and ubiquitous interfaces. However, this requires that each interactive device be instrumented with a dedicated radio transmitter, which limits many applications. While not all devices have radio hardware, all devices do emit small amounts of electromagnetic noise in the form of EMI. We argue that if properly modulated these electromagnetic emissions can be used as an untapped communication channel capable of transmitting arbitrary data.

To enable this, a spread spectrum frequency shift keying modulation scheme has been developed to encode data onto the device’s EMI. When the device is touched by a user, the data encoded EMI signal travels through their body and into our custom wrist band, consisting of a single op-amp and MCU. Our results show that we are able to turn electronic primitives such as LEDs, buttons, I/O lines, LCD screens, motors and power supplies into radio transmitters capable of touch communication. Effective data rates range from 5.8Kbps to 22 bit per image depending on the primitive used. To demonstrate this new communication technique, we develop several interactive experiences where users can retrieve complex information such as the function of buttons on a device, directions embedded into a LCD screen, and simplified device pairing. Ultimately, EM-Comm enables nearly any electronic device to be turned into a touch-based radio transmitter with only a software upgrade.
TrailSense
Authors: Kim Keunseo , Zabihi Hengameh , Kim Heeyoung , Lee Uichin
Published: September 2017

Trail surface information is critical in preventing from the mountain accidents such as falls and slips. In this paper, we propose a new mobile crowdsensing system that automatically infers whether trail segments are risky to climb by using sensor data collected from multiple hikers’ smartphones. We extract cyclic gait-based features from walking motion data to train machine learning models, and multiple hikers’ results are then aggregated for robust classification. We evaluate our system with two real-world datasets. First, we collected data from 14 climbers for a mountain trail which includes 13 risky segments. The average accuracy of individuals is approximately 80%, but after clustering the results, our system can accurately identify all the risky segments. We then collected an additional dataset from five climbers in two different mountain trails, which have 10 risky segments in total. Our results show that the model trained in one trail can be used to accurately identify all the risky segments in the other trail, which documents the generalizability of our system.
Participatory Sensing or Participatory Nonsense?
Authors: Budde Matthias , Schankin Andrea , Hoffmann Julien , Danz Marcel , Riedel Till , Beigl Michael
Published: September 2017

Citizen Science with mobile and wearable technology holds the possibility of unprecedented observation systems. Experts and policy makers are torn between enthusiasm and scepticism regarding the value of the resulting data, as their decision making traditionally relies on high-quality instrumentation and trained personnel measuring in a standardized way. In this paper, we (1) present an empirical behavior taxonomy of errors exhibited in non-expert smartphone-based sensing, based on four small exploratory studies, and discuss measures to mitigate their effects. We then present a large summative study (N=535) that compares instructions and technical measures to address these errors, both from the perspective of improvements to error frequency and perceived usability. Our results show that (2) technical measures without explanation notably reduce the perceived usability and (3) technical measures and instructions nicely complement each other: Their combination achieves a significant reduction in observed error rates while not affecting the user experience negatively.
Understanding the Role of Places and Activities on Mobile Phone Interaction and Usage Patterns
Authors: Mehrotra Abhinav , Müller Sandrine R. , Harari Gabriella M. , Gosling Samuel D. , Mascolo Cecilia , Musolesi Mirco , Rentfrow Peter J.
Published: September 2017

User interaction patterns with mobile apps and notifications are generally complex due to the many factors involved. However a deep understanding of what influences them can lead to more acceptable applications that are able to deliver information at the right time. In this paper, we present for the first time an in-depth analysis of interaction behavior with notifications in relation to the location and activity of users. We conducted an in-situ study for a period of two weeks to collect more than 36,000 notifications, 17,000 instances of application usage, 77,000 location samples, and 487 days of daily activity entries from 26 students at a UK university.

Our results show that users’ attention towards new notifications and willingness to accept them are strongly linked to the location they are in and in minor part to their current activity. We consider both users’ receptivity and attentiveness, and we show that different response behaviors are associated to different locations. These findings are fundamental from a design perspective since they allow us to understand how certain types of places are linked to specific types of interaction behavior. This information can be used as a basis for the development of novel intelligent mobile applications and services.
Passive Haptic Training to Improve Speed and Performance on a Keypad
Authors: Seim Caitlyn , Doering Nick , Zhang Yang , Stuerzlinger Wolfgang , Starner Thad
Published: September 2017

Learning text entry systems is challenging, yet necessary. Many layouts and keyboards exist, but they rely on laborious learning techniques. Passive haptic learning (PHL) has already demonstrated some benefit for learning the Braille text entry system. Could this computing-enabled technique be used to improve desktop keyboard typing skills? It is unknown whether passive haptic training can improve speed on a motor task (as opposed to initial learning). We use a randomized numeric keypad to examine users’ typing performance with or without passive haptic training. When users were prevented from looking at the keyboard, the PHL group demonstrated consistent accuracy (-0.011 KSPC) while those in the control group greatly increased their error (+1.26 KSPC on average). This result is consistent with the finding that PHL users looked significantly less at the keyboard. In a second, longer study, users exposed to PHL were found to significantly improve their typing speed (mean increase of 11 WPM) versus control (mean increase of 2.2 WPM).
Serious toys
Authors: Feaster Yvon , Hallstrom Jason O.
Published: September 2017

Sensors have become pervasive throughout our daily activities. Virtually all appliances use one or more sensors. Networks of sensors are used to support home and medical monitoring, wildlife behavioral monitoring, military applications, and environmental management. Observing the value of sensors in computing, we developed the third in a series of serious toys for use in pre-collegiate classrooms. The "toy" is an embedded hardware device designed to enhance a lecture titled "Learning About Sensors and Sensor Networks." In this paper, we describe the curriculum module and its use in five classes from a local middle school, and four groups from a summer outreach program. We conclude with a summary of evaluation results that show the program produced positive results.
A capstone design project for teaching cybersecurity to nontechnical users
Authors: Estes Tanya , Finocchiaro James , Blair Jean , Robison Johnathan , Dalme Justin , Emana Michael , Jenkins Luke , Sobiesk Edward
Published: September 2017

This paper presents a multi-year undergraduate computing capstone project that holistically contributes to the development of cybersecurity knowledge and skills in non-computing high school and college students. We describe the student-built Vulnerable Web Server application, which is a system that packages instructional materials and pre-built virtual machines to provide lessons on cybersecurity to non-technical students. The Vulnerable Web Server learning materials have been piloted at several high schools and are now integrated into multiple security lessons in an intermediate, general education information technology course at the United States Military Academy. Our paper interweaves a description of the Vulnerable Web Server materials with the senior capstone design process that allowed it to be built by undergraduate information technology and computer science students, resulting in a valuable capstone learning experience. Throughout the paper, a call is made for greater emphasis on educating the nontechnical user.
Ovarian Adenomatoid Tumor Coexisting with Mature Cystic Teratoma: A Rare Case Report
Authors: Shi Mingxia , Al-Delfi Firas , Al Shaarani Majd , Knowles Kurt , Cotelingam James
Published: September 2017

Adenomatoid tumor of the ovary is rare, and so are collision tumors in this location. The most common histological combination of ovarian collision tumors is the coexistence of mature cystic teratoma with ovarian cystadenoma or cystadenocarcinoma. Presented herein is a rare case of ovarian adenomatoid tumor found incidentally and coexisting with mature cystic teratoma. A 44-year-old woman presented with a one-year history of intermittent right-sided pelvic pain. Ultrasound evaluation revealed a heterogeneous cystic mass in the right ovary, and a clinical diagnosis of teratoma was made. The patient subsequently underwent a right salpingo-oophorectomy. Pathological examination revealed a mature cystic teratoma and coexistent adenomatoid tumor. The two tumors were separate and no transitional features were recognized histologically. To our knowledge, no previous report of coexistence of these two tumors has been reported. Both tumors are benign and completely excised; therefore no adverse consequences are expected.
Spontaneous Tumor Lysis Syndrome due to Uterine Leiomyosarcoma with Lung Metastases
Authors: Alaigh Vivek , Datta Debapriya
Published: September 2017

Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is an oncologic emergency characterized by a combination of metabolic derangements (hyperuricemia, hyperkalemia, hyperphosphatemia, and hypocalcemia) caused by rapid turnover from cell destruction in certain cancers. These metabolic derangements can lead to seizures, cardiac arrhythmias, renal failure, and death. TLS is usually seen after the initiation of chemotherapy for hematologic malignancies. TLS occurring spontaneously, without initiation of chemotherapy, is rare and its occurrence in solid tumors is rarer still. We report a case of spontaneous TLS in a patient with leiomyosarcoma of the uterus, with metastasis to lung. Such a case has never been reported before.
A Quantum Space behind Simple Quantum Mechanics
Authors: Chew Chuan Sheng , Kong Otto C. W. , Payne Jason
Published: September 2017

In physics, experiments ultimately inform us about what constitutes a good theoretical model of any physical concept: physical space should be no exception. The best picture of physical space in Newtonian physics is given by the configuration space of a free particle (or the center of mass of a closed system of particles). This configuration space (as well as phase space) can be constructed as a representation space for the relativity symmetry. From the corresponding quantum symmetry, we illustrate the construction of a quantum configuration space, similar to that of quantum phase space, and recover the classical picture as an approximation through a contraction of the (relativity) symmetry and its representations. The quantum Hilbert space reduces into a sum of one-dimensional representations for the observable algebra, with the only admissible states given by coherent states and position eigenstates for the phase and configuration space pictures, respectively. This analysis, founded firmly on known physics, provides a quantum picture of physical space beyond that of a finite-dimensional manifold and provides a crucial first link for any theoretical model of quantum space-time at levels beyond simple quantum mechanics. It also suggests looking at quantum physics from a different perspective.
Effects of Flotage on Immersion Indentation Results of Bone Tissue: An Investigation by Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Zhou Mingxing , Fan Zunqiang , Ma Zhichao , Guo Yue , Yang Liguo , Qian Long , Sun Xingdong
Published: September 2017

In reality, nanoindentation test is an efficient technique for probing the mechanical properties of biological tissue that soaked in the liquid media to keep the bioactivity. However, the effects of flotage imposed on the indenter will lead to inaccuracy when calculating mechanical properties (for instance, elastic modulus and hardness) by using depth-sensing nanoindentation. In this paper, the effects of flotage on the nanoindentation results of cortical bone were investigated by finite element analysis (FEA) simulation. Comparisons of nanoindentation simulation results of bone samples with and without being soaked in the liquid media were carried out. Conclusions show that the difference of load-displacement curves in the case of soaking sample and without soaking sample conditions varies widely based on the change of indentation depth. In other words, the nanoindentation measurements in liquid media will cause significant error in the calculated Young’s modules and hardness due to the flotage. By taking into account the effect of flotage, these errors are particularly important to the accurate biomechanics characterization of biological samples.
Metastatic Melanoma to the Urinary Bladder of Ocular Origin Accompanied with Primary Cutaneous Melanoma: Diagnostic Challenge—A Report of a Case
Authors: Theocharides Constantine , Chatzopoulos Kyriakos , Papanikolaou Dimitrios , Siokas Vasileios , Amplianitis Ioannis , Papanikolaou Athanasios
Published: September 2017

Metastases of melanoma to the urinary bladder are infrequent. Even rarer are metastases to the urinary bladder from uveal melanoma, with only 3 cases published in the literature so far. Herein we present a case of a 77-year-old male patient who presented with metastatic melanoma to the urinary bladder. The patient’s history included the diagnoses of uveal melanoma treated with radiation 25 years ago, as well as that of cutaneous melanoma diagnosed 7 years ago. The molecular study of the urinary bladder tumor specimen identified mutation of the GNAQ gene, which has been suggested to be an early molecular event in the pathogenetic course of over 80% of uveal melanomas. Therefore, the diagnosis of uveal melanoma metastatic to the urinary bladder was made.
Unusual Manifestations of Acute Cytomegalovirus Infection in Solid Organ Transplant Hosts: A Report of Two Cases
Authors: Mena Lora Alfredo , Khine Justin , Khosrodad Nadia , Yeldandi Vijay
Published: September 2017

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised hosts. Tissue-invasive CMV disease causing ulcerative skin disease or esophageal necrosis is rare. We herein describe two cases: a 47-year-old renal and pancreas transplant recipient who presented with skin ulcerations on his elbow and a 50-year-old renal transplant recipient who presented with acute esophageal necrosis. In both, tissue biopsy revealed CMV inclusion bodies by immunohistochemical staining of infected endothelial and mucosal cells. Ganciclovir was given to both cases and full remission occurred. Due to the varying presentations of acute CMV infection in immunosuppressed hosts, high suspicion and early tissue biopsy are vital for proper diagnosis and treatment when any suspicious cutaneous or mucosal manifestations are present.
The Unexpected Ovarian Pregnancy at Laparoscopy: A Review of Management
Authors: Tabassum Meher , Atmuri Kiran
Published: September 2017

Ovarian ectopic pregnancies are a rare occurrence; however the incidence is on the rise. Preoperative diagnosis remains difficult due to nonspecific clinical symptoms and USS findings. Most patients undergo diagnostic laparoscopy with subsequent surgical management. We present the case of a 32-year-old female who presented with vaginal bleeding and an unsited pregnancy, with a BhCG of 24693. Formal USS described unruptured right tubal ectopic with ovarian pregnancy being diagnosed at laparoscopy. A wedge resection was conducted to preserve ovarian function. Postoperative recovery was uneventful and BhCG levels returned to zero (nonpregnant) in an outpatient setting. Although laparoscopy remains the gold standard of diagnosis and treatment, in this case report we discuss benefits of early diagnosis for fertility conserving management, including nonsurgical options.
Increased Percentage of mo-MDSCs in Human Peripheral Blood May Be a Potential Indicator in the Diagnosis of Breast Cancer
Authors: Jin Guihua , Zhang Yingchao , Chang Xin , Zhang Yue , Xu Jingwei , Wei Min , Zeng Xianlu
Published: September 2017

Background: Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are heterogeneous cell groups that suppress T-cell responses in cancer patients and animal models. The objective of this study was to explore and evaluate the applicability of monocytic MDSCs (mo-MDSCs) in diagnosing breast cancer (BC). Methods: In this study, we analyzed the percentage of mo-MDSCs in freshly isolated peripheral blood of patients with BC or benign tumors (BT) of the breast and healthy donors by flow cytometry. Results: We found the percentage of mo-MDSCs to be 2.60 ± 0.95% in healthy donors, 2.94 ± 0.82% in BT patients, and 3.89 ± 1.35% in BC patients. The percentage of circulating mo-MDSCs was significantly increased in BC patients, and this was positively correlated with clinical stage. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed 80.5% sensitivity, 61.3% specificity, and a 76.6% area under the curve, suggesting a medium clinical application value of mo-MDSCs in the diagnosis of BC. Conclusion: Our results suggested that the percentage of circulating mo-MDSCs in human peripheral blood may be a potential indicator in the auxiliary diagnosis of BC.