bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Empirical Study on the Fatality of Terrorist Organizations in Istanbul Turkey
Authors: Ekici Niyazi  , Sahin Bahadir  , Tepe Fatih
Published: February 2025

Terrorism has been one of the major concerns of societies, governments, policy makers, and academicians especially after 9/11. An increase or decrease in trends of terrorism fatalities were regarded as predictors of success or failure of public policies in combating terrorism. In the terrorism literature, it's controversial whether the terrorism related incidents increased continuously as well as fatalities [1]. Despite the notion that fatalities due to terrorism have an upward trend in the world in general in the last few decades, there are still questions with regard the trends in lethality of terrorism. This study presented findings of statistical tests using official datasets covered all terror incidents occurred in Istanbul, Turkey between 1999 and 2009 in an attempt to find empirical evidence regarding the lethality of terrorism as well as some of its correlates. Tests sought correlations among types of terror incidents, identity of terrorist organizations, their targets, modus operandi and fatality rate of terror attacks. The study provided essential information about terrorist attacks' fatality rate and factors affecting them for the practitioners in charge of preventing future terrorist attacks on an example of diversely populated city.
Diversity of Pain Syndromes in War Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Authors: Grkovic Jasna  , Franciskovic Tanja  , Stevanovic Aleksandra  , Sukovic Zoran
Published: February 2025

Today, clinicians are more aware of the link between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and physical pain syndromes, which can both be found in traumatized military troops after traumatic events are incurred during military operations. The current formulation of PTSD is based on the notion that dissociated memories of trauma can be expressed as intrusive thoughts, affective states, sensory perceptions and somatoform dissociations, sometimes represented as pain syndromes. It is well known that patients suffering from PTSD (i.e., war veterans) experience a triad of symptoms: intrusive symptoms; emotional numbness with avoidant strategies; and hyperarousal. However, these patients also have physical symptoms – the most common are chronic fatigue and pain syndromes (i.e., chronic headaches, noncardiac chest pain, and unexplained chronic pain in the pelvic region). In this study, we will present three clinical cases of participants in military and war operations and then analyze the various etiological sources of pain syndromes in PTSD, presenting the possibility that painful symptoms or syndromes can be an etiological intrusion or somatoform dissociation during an anniversary reaction. Therefore, these pain syndromes represent a part of the spectrum of posttraumatic reactions that affect military members long after returning from the “battlefield.”
Body Pain in PTSD - a Case Report on Psychodermatosis in a Polish Veteran of the International Security Assistance Force
Authors: Wojtłowska-Wiechetek Dorota  , Szymańska Sylwia  , Tworus Radosław  , Ilnicki Stanisław  , Owczarek Witold
Published: February 2025

This paper contains a case report describing a 44-year old career soldier, a veteran of six deployments outside of Poland (Lebanon, Kosovo, twice in Iraq and twice in Afghanistan). During his latest deployment he developed some lesions on his hands and feet in the form of skin cracks and exfoliation. Fluid was seeping from these areas and they were causing acute pain resulting in a complete inability to perform everyday activities. The patient was treated during his deployment and a slight improvement in symptoms occurred. After returning to Poland he was hospitalized twice in the Department of Dermatology of the Military Institute of Medicine because of worsened skin symptoms (seeping cracks, epidermis exfoliation, finger contractures, and acute pain preventing normal functioning). The diagnosis revealed contact dermatisis. The applied symptomatic treatment resulted in only temporary improvement followed by a recurrence of the symptoms. After a psychiatric consultation a possibility of a psychogenic basis of the lesions was identified. The patient was admitted to the Department of Psychiatry and Combat Stress of the Military Institute of Medicine (DP&CS), where the examination showed a comorbidity of PTSD symptoms and the lesions. An experiment using Virtual Reality (VR) has clearly displayed the occurrence of skin reactions while the patient was exposed to war scenes. The outcome of the medication and individual applied psychotherapy reduced the lesions to a level allowing for normal everyday functioning of the patient and the longest achieved remission of the lesions to-date.
Phantom Limb Syndrome: A Review of Current Theories
Authors: Griffin Sarah C.  , Tsao Jack W.
Published: February 2025

Over the past decade, there have been more than 1,280 service members with amputations resulting from injuries sustained in Iraq and Afghanistan. Current research indicates that the majority of these amputees will suffer from phantom limb pain, defined as the perception of pain in a missing limb. However, despite the wealth of research on phantom limb pain the mechanisms behind the phenomenon remain obscure. Mirror therapy appears to be the most promising therapy to date. The current paper reviews the pivotal theories on phantom limb pain (peripheral, spinal, and psychological factors, the body schema, the neuromatrix, cortical reorganization, pain and proprioceptive memory, and movement) with the hopes of highlighting key gaps in our understanding of the disorder.
Stress Prevention May Reduce Pain: Concepts and Programs of Prevention in the German Armed Forces
Authors: Jacobs Herbert
Published: February 2025

Psychological health and resilience are indispensable requirements for military personnel serving in combat zones. Their importance is even greater because of their close relationship to the experience of pain. An example shows a German NCO with chronic dental pain for three years after deployment whose pain ceased after psychotrauma therapy.
Managing Pain in Military Populations with Virtual Reality
Authors: Wiederhold Brenda K.  , Wiederhold Mark D.
Published: February 2025

Pain syndromes are increasingly prevalent in the military and the causes, resulting complications, existing treatment and possibilities for improved care in the future are in need of attention. By constantly being exposed to combat and living in war zones, servicemen and women face increased risk of complicated injuries, including amputations, penetrating wounds, spinal cord injuries, and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). In addition, many service members may undergo multiple surgical procedures as a result of serious injury. The incidence of pain syndromes is significantly higher when present with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other psychiatric disorders such as depression. The combination of these “poly-trauma” events makes the management of both acute and chronic pain in military populations challenging. A multifactorial approach is necessary, and the introduction of new approaches and technology can increase the numbers of tools available to combat this significant health issue in troops
Introduction: The Book and the Model
Authors: Glascock Anthony P.
Published: February 2025

This introduction outlines the Five Zone Model of Telehomecare presented by the editors as a more accurate depiction of Telehomecare than other models and rubrics found in the literature. The authors show how the tracking of the flow of information through the Five Zones allows for the barriers and challenges faced by care organizations and businesses in their attempt to develop and implement Telehomecare applications to be clearly seen. A definitional rubric that places Telehomecare within the framework of other health care technologies is presented and discussed. Additionally, the organizing principles of the volume are presented and the major themes outlined.
Telehealth Adoption: The Human Factors Are Essential
Authors: Ratan Suneel  , Lindeman David  , Redington Lynn  , Steinmetz Valerie
Published: February 2025

This chapter presents the experiences of four organizations in the United States that successfully implemented telehealth-based programs, and describes the numerous mechanical factors – such as patient and technology selection, reimbursement and return on investment, and regulatory and policy issues – that are central to ensuring program success. The primary theme that emerges is that the human element is essential – particularly in meeting the core challenges of engaging other providers and patients in successfully deploying telehealth programs. The authors posit that human factors represent 90 percent of the effort of successfully implementing such programs – the technology in and of itself represents only 10 percent.
Implementing Technology in Home-Care: Lessons Learned from Examples in the Netherlands
Authors: Willems Charles G.  , Spreeuwenberg Marieke D.  , van der Heide Loek  , de Witte Luc P.
Published: February 2025

Future demographics related to elderly care indicate an increasing demand. Technology may play a supportive role in care delivery to seniors living independently. In this paper three projects are described, each of them directed towards the use of technology as part of the provision of homecare to elderly persons. A description of the individual projects is followed by an analysis of the aspects involved in the implementation of technology as part of routine care delivery. The results are discussed to optimize the strategy to introduce technology as a supportive means in home-care delivery.
The Use of Telecare in the Netherlands: Three Care Delivery Models
Authors: Rietman John
Published: February 2025

This chapter discusses the implementation model employed by Proteion Thuiszorg, a comprehensive care organization located in Limburg Province of the Netherlands, for Telecare technology. Over a six year period, Proteion has piloted three Telecare technologies—a care alarm system, a screen-to-screen application and a behavioral monitoring system. The first two applications have been integrated into Proteion's normal care delivery model, while plans are in place for a similar integration for the third. Both barriers to implementation and benefits for Proteion and its clients are discussed, as are Proteion's plans for future utilization of Telecare.
Developing and Implementing Telecare Enhanced Services in Scotland
Authors: Kurlus Fiona
Published: February 2025

The author discusses the experience with four Telecare technologies deployed by the Perth-Kinross Council to enable vulnerable clients, especially those with cognitive disabilities and functional disabilities, to remain safely in their homes with the support of formal and informal carers. This chapter presents the challenges of moving Telecare services from government funded demonstrations to locally supported permanent programs. Special attention is paid to potential barriers relating to sustainable funding and insufficient evidence of effectiveness.
Ambient Assisted Living: From Concept to Implementation
Authors: Sixsmith Andrew  , Woolrych Ryan  , Bierhoff Isle  , Mueller Sonja  , Byrne Paula
Published: February 2025

There is an increased recognition of the potential of assistive technologies to address the challenges of an aging population and the ongoing requirements of older people. To ensure that technology is reflective of the information technology needs of older people, and that it supports independence and well-being, there is a requirement that users are involved in the application and development of proposed interventions. This challenge has stimulated a programme of research across the European Union designed to develop AAL responses to assist older people in their everyday lives. This chapter describes a case study from an EU funded project which adopted a user-centred approach to the development of assistive technology amongst community-dwelling adults. The research process and the lessons from it are presented, whilst identifying key challenges for the inclusion of older people in the research and development process.
From Personal Need to Business Opportunity: The Pitfalls of Being First to Market
Authors: Gage Allison
Published: February 2025

This chapter discusses the attempt to develop a profitable business model for a specific Telehomecare application: QuietCare®. Issues surrounding the challenges associated with being first-to-market are discussed, as are the technological difficulties encountered in early pilots. Emphasis is placed on the necessity of developing a viable and sustainable business model that balances the requirements for a reasonable return on investment with the limited financial resources of many care organizations. Pricing issues are discussed in the context of different markets—not-for-profit versus for-profit; retail versus congregate housing. Finally, an argument is made that behavioral monitoring may not reach its full potential for another decade.
Nuclear Terrorism: Defining and Assessing the Threat and the Role of Nuclear Security
Authors: Nilsson Anita
Published: February 2025

Defining terrorism itself has proven to be difficult, yet the threat it poses to the nuclear sector is rather clear. Anita Nilsson posits that there is a need to worry about this threat, for the international community understands the dire consequences from stolen or lost material. Fortunately, she explains, there have been several legal instruments implemented to address this threat at the international level. The UN has developed a platform under which the essential elements of nuclear security exist, and the IAEA has developed practices that follow these elements. However, these practices are not perfect; the IAEA has a shortage of funding, and strides must be made in networking to create a global security framework whilst keeping sensitive information confidential.
Threshold Redundancy of Binary Sensors
Authors: Prangishvili Archil  , Namicheishvili Oleg
Published: February 2025

Binary sensor systems are analog sensors of various types (optical, MEMS – Msicro-Electro-Mechanical Systems, X-ray, gamma-ray, acoustic, electronic, etc.), based on the binary decision process. Typical examples of such «binary sensors» are X-ray luggage inspection systems, product quality control systems, automatic target recognition systems, numerous medical diagnostic systems, and many others. In all these systems, the binary decision process provides only two mutually exclusive responses. There are also two types of key parameters that characterize either a system or external conditions in relation to the system which are determined by their prior probabilities. In this paper, by using a formal neuron model, we analyze the problem of threshold redundancy of binary sensors of a critical state. Three major tasks are solved, videlicet: implementation of the algorithm of error probability calculation for threshold redundancy of a group of sensors; computation of the minimal upper bound for the probability in a closed analytical form and determination of its link with Claude Shannon's theorem; derivation of the expression (estimate) for sensor «weights» when the probability of the binary system error does not exceed the specified minimal upper bound.
Precise Program Analysis through Strategy Iteration and Optimization
Authors: Gawlitza Thomas Martin  , Seidl Helmut
Published: February 2025

We present a practical algorithm for computing least solutions of systems of (fixpoint-)equations over the integers with, besides other monotone operators, addition, multiplication by positive constants, maximum, and minimum. The algorithm is based on max-strategy iteration. Its worst-case running-time (w.r.t. a uniform cost measure) is independent of the sizes of occurring numbers. We apply this algorithm to the problem of computing the abstract semantics of programs over integer intervals as well as over integer zones.
Model Checking: From BDDs to Interpolation
Authors: Grumberg Orna
Published: February 2025

In this paper we describe the development of model checking from BDD-based verification, through SAT-based bug finding, to Interpolation-based verification.
Terrorism and Organized Crime
Authors: Markovic Vesna  , Ward Richard
Published: February 2025

There has been a significant shift in the way the terrorist organizations obtain funding, with increasing links to organized crime being seen. In addition to normal crimes, less dangerous and more profitable crimes such as trafficking (drugs and human), counterfeiting (consumer goods), and smuggling (cigarettes) have become more commonplace. Therefore, the fight against terrorism will mean greater emphasis on stopping these economic crimes, with perhaps changes in laws necessary, particularly with regards to sentencing.
Risks to Aquatic Ecosystems in Mountain Regions and Their Possible Management
Authors: Valyaev A.N.  , Erochin S.A.  , Tusova T.V.  , Aleksanyan G.M.  , Valyaev A.A.
Published: February 2025

All water objects (WO) play a very significant role in any country and their constant study is always difficult. Pollution, caused by intense increases in human activity, exacerbates the situation. The collapse of the former USSR resulted in insufficient or the absence of WO monitoring in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. The monitoring was especially problematic in hard-to-access mountain regions and across borders of the former USSR republics. Preservation, safety and the correct use of WO are most real and urgent because [1]: (i) many WO are located in mountainous, seismically active and densely populated regions that have high risks of natural and manmade catastrophes, such as earthquakes, landslips, and mudflows; as a result some WO can disappear resulting in a reduction of water reservoirs and in WO pollution; (ii) the lack of water sources, hot climate and droughts increase water consumption; (iii) WO management and safety is difficult to maintain because of the heavily complex architecture of high water dams and huge artificial reservoirs, and the significant drifts in rivers; in addition, pressure from the water mass in artificial reservoirs can stress the Earth's crust, increasing the probability of earthquakes; (iv) nuclear power plants, their heat sinks and rocket fuel tanks are often located near WO, and such objects can be the subject of terrorist attacks that may lead to global ecological catastrophes; and (v) poorly guarded borders of Chechnya, Afghanistan and other zones of frozen conflicts can further stimulate an insurgency in close proximity to WO. A recent terrorist act took place at the hydro-station in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic of Russian North Caucasus, and similar terrorist attacks could result in huge non-reversible pollution of river basins in the Caspian, Black, and Kara Seas and, consequently, the World Ocean that also determines the global climate. The mountain rivers, with their large WO in the Caucasus region and Central Asia, are considered. Because our generation has faced a growing threat of global pollution with great irreversible negative effects, countries have to coordinate all their efforts to save the environment and the population. Some our experimental and theoretical studies concerned with risk assessments, catastrophe prediction and prevention of natural and industrial WO, are presented in [2, 3] and in our international projects entitled (a). “Assessment of damage from dam destruction in hydro systems of Caucasus Kura River”; and (b). ISTC Project: “Assessing and decreasing risks of damage, caused by Tien–Shan mountain lakes outbursts”.
Environmental Problems in Ukraine and Human Factors
Authors: Shmatkov G.G.  , Oksamitny A.F.  , Nikolaieva I.A.
Published: February 2025

The geographical location of Ukraine and its critical ecological condition has a negative impact on the environment in Europe. The most significant contributors to environmental pollution in Ukraine are the mining, metallurgical, chemical, mechanical engineering, and power engineering industries. Statistics and experience show that the major environmental aspects are emissions of toxic air pollutants, discharges of polluted wastewater into water bodies, and the accumulation of toxic and radioactive wastes. This technogenic pressure influences all components of the environment in the local region. An analysis of the ecological conditions shows the need for complex research into ways to solve this problem in all its aspects.
Ecotoxicity of Arsenic and Antimony: Perspectives on Phytoremediation of Contaminated Soils
Authors: Shtangeeva Irina  , Van Der Bruggen Bart  , Verbinnen Bram  , Timofeev Sergey
Published: February 2025

In this research, green-house pot experiments were carried out to study the uptake of arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) by wheat and oat seedlings and to assess the effects of the toxicants on the distribution of other elements in the plants. Both plant species were capable of accumulating As and Sb. Oats was more sensitive to toxic effects from accumulation of the metalloids compared to wheat. Plant uptake of As and Sb was different when the elements were added to soil separately or together. The bioaccumulation of Sb was positively affected by As, while Sb negatively influenced the As uptake. No correlation between As and Sb in plants and rhizosphere soil was found. This may indicate that As and Sb in the rhizosphere soil and in plants form different metal-organic compounds. The bioaccumulation of Sb resulted in a decrease of Sb concentration in the rhizosphere soil, while an increase of As concentration in plants did not lead to decrease of As soils concentration.
Homeland Security Policing Against Terrorism: Tactics and Investigations
Authors: Schertzing Phillip D.
Published: February 2025

Many scholars and police officials contend that policing has changed since 9/11/01 with a greater emphasis on domestic counterterrorism and intelligence activities, often referred to as “high policing.” Some have characterized this as the new homeland security era and model of policing. The specific strategies or approaches that guide police tactics and investigations vary among nations based on their respective laws, police organization, and other factors, and the degree to which the homeland security model has actually been implemented varies with each individual agency. This article examines common or promising trends, approaches and related issues, including intelligence-led policing, adapting community-oriented policing and traditional “low policing” (i.e., patrol, criminal investigations and emergency response) to homeland security, advanced technology applications, and the militarization or privatization of policing. However, a common lament among scholars is the dearth of empirical research on many of these issues.
The Challenge of International Terrorism
Authors: Wilkinson Paul
Published: February 2025

Terrorism is a special type of political violence that entails the deliberate use or threat of extreme violence to create a climate of fear. It is important to recognise that there are many types of terrorism. Historically the most lethal and destructive has been state or regime terror. Terrorism becomes truly transnational when it crosses the borders of numerous states. Hence, counterterrorism has to deal simultaneously with ‘traditional’ terrorist groups, the major challenge of the Al Qaeda movement and its network, and newly emerging groups. The Internet is undoubtedly now the most significant channel for Al Qaeda radicalisation and recruitment. For many reasons, a holistic multi-pronged approach which develops much closer and more effective international cooperation is vital.
Winning Back Religion: Countering the Misuse of Scripture
Authors: Düzgün Şaban Ali
Published: February 2025

Unlike Eastern religions, Western ones – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – have a normative nature. Reciting the scripture does not give its member just spiritual sense but creates norms for them to be applied in their daily life. Many dos and don'ts of the scriptures are clear enough to see this normative character, but these holy texts cannot speak but their interpreters do on their behalf. And they interpret them within an interpretive context that is geohistorically, geoculturally and geopolitically rather different from one another. This is the reason why there are conflicts not just among those who believe and those who do not but among the believers of the same holy text, as well. Through ‘out of context quotations,’ some so-called devout members can easily distort the very meaning of the text, and thus transform it into a source of uproar and chaos rather than a source of peace and serenity. Considering this historical experience, this paper distinguishes between the scripture and historical phenomena it has created in order to criticize the essentialist approach that identifies the scripture with its members. Most importantly, this paper tries to show how some politically-minded people transform a spiritual and practical guide first into an ideology then into political capital. In this context the following titles will be dealt with: the Islam of identity and the Islam of truth; subordination of scripture to the politics: the position of Islamists and ‘ulam$\bar{\rm a}$ in contemporary Islam; para-mosque structures and transformation Islam into Islamism; neo-Orientalism, essentialism and contingencies about scripture and its relation to Muslim behavior; jihad and associate terms; and suicide bombings and their (un)justification.
Role of an International Organization in Homeland Security against Terrorism: The European Union
Authors: Casale Davide
Published: February 2025

In the fight against the scourge of terrorism, a large number of international organizations are engaged in enhancing cooperation among States. The European Union represents one of the best examples of a regional organization fostering the coordination of efforts made by its member states in a spirit of solidarity. The terrorist attacks in Madrid and London have proved that Europe is vulnerable to terrorism. Consequently, the EU has developed in recent years a common counterterrorism strategy for its member states based on four key activities: prevent, protect, pursue and respond. Specialized EU agencies have been set up (Eurojust) and others redefined (Europol) to make the exchange of intelligence and interstate judicial cooperation more effective. Legal tools such as a common European definition of terrorism and the European Arrest Warrant have been introduced to strengthen the counterterrorism cooperation in a harmonized legal framework. Also, to reduce the vulnerability to a bioterrorist attack, a strategy for preparedness and response to such a threat has been adopted. Although national security remains a responsibility of member states, there is a fundamental role for the EU to play in developing a common response, especially in the light of the new provisions of the Lisbon Treaty that seem to pave the way for a more coherent EU institutional framework and for a more efficient decision-making process.
Automated Activity Interventions to Assist with Activities of Daily Living
Authors: Das Barnan  , Krishnan Narayanan C.  , Cook Diane J.
Published: February 2025

Over the last decade there has been a significant growth of research endeavors in the area of ambient intelligence. An anticipated increase in the older adult population around the world and increasing health care expenditures have increased the demand of smart health assistance systems. Delivering in-home activity interventions to residents for timely reminders ensuring successful completion of daily activities, is receiving significant attention in the community. In this chapter, the problem of automated in-home activity interventions is described and prospective solutions are compared. The approaches and challenges are based on a prototypic model of an automated prompting system, namely PUCK, which is an on-going project at the Center for Advanced Studies in Adaptive Systems at Washington State University. The previous study done on this project investigated the application of machine learning techniques to identify appropriate timing of prompts based on data provided by off-the-shelf sensors. The fundamental problem in learning timing of prompts is caused due to the under representation of prompt situations in the training examples as compared to no-prompt situations. While a method was originally proposed to deal with this problem, popularly known as learning from imbalanced class distributions, in this chapter a novel Cluster-Based Under-sampling (CBU) approach is proposed that shows promising results.
Managing Control, Convenience and Autonomy
Authors: Ball Matthew  , Callaghan Vic
Published: February 2025

There are many arguments for and against the use of autonomous-agents in ambient intelligence and intelligent environments. Some researchers maintain that it is vital to restrict autonomy of agents so that users have complete control over the system; whereas, many others maintain that there is a greater benefit to be gained by employing autonomous-agents to take some of the work load off the user and increase user convenience. Both of these approaches have their distinct advantages but they are not suitable for all since people's opinions and concerns regarding autonomy are highly individual and can differ greatly from person to person. This work explores how it is possible to make intelligent environments more dynamic and personalisable by equipping them with adjustable autonomy, which allows the user to increase or decrease agent autonomy in order to find a comfortable sweet-spot between relinquishing/m gaining/losing convenience. This chapter discusses how adjustable autonomy can be achieved in intelligent environments, reports on a recent online survey conducted to gauge people's opinions of different levels of in intelligent environments, and discusses a user study for which an experimental adjustable autonomy enabled intelligent environment was developed. This work aims to raise awareness of the issues with using static (and extreme) levels of autonomy amongst researchers of intelligent environments and ambient intelligent environments.
AmI Systems as Agent-Based Mirror Worlds: Bridging Humans and Agents through Stigmergy
Authors: Castelfranchi Cristiano  , Piunti Michele  , Ricci Alessandro  , Tummolini Luca
Published: February 2025

In this chapter we introduce a vision of agent-oriented AmI systems that is extended to integrate ideas inspired by Mirror Worlds as introduced by Gelernter at the beginning of the eighties. In this view, AmI systems are actually a digital world mirroring but also augmenting the physical world with capabilities, services and functionalities. We then discuss the value of stigmergy as background reference conceptual framework to define and understand interactions occurring between the physical environments and its digital agent-based extension. The digital world augments the physical world so that traces left by humans acting in the physical world are represented in the digital one in order to be perceived by software agents living there and, viceversa, actions taken by software agents in the mirror can have an effect on the connected physical counterpart.
Intention Recognition in Agents for Ambient Intelligence: Logic-Based Approaches
Authors: Sadri Fariba
Published: February 2025

In this chapter we discuss the contribution of intention recognition in agents in ambient intelligence, and the role of logic in intention recognition. We consider the relationship between causal theories used for planning and the knowledge representation and reasoning used for intention recognition. We look at the challenges and the issues, and we explore several case studies.
Ambient Support for Group Emotion: an Agent-Based Model
Authors: Duell Rob  , Memon Zulfiqar A.  , Treur Jan  , van der Wal C. Natalie
Published: February 2025

This chapter introduces an agent-based support model for group emotion, used by ambient systems that support teams in their emotion dynamics. Using model-based reasoning, an ambient agent analyses the team's emotion level for present and future time points. In case the team's emotion level is found to become deficient, the ambient agent provides support to the team, for example, by proposing the team leader to give a pep talk to certain team members. The support model has been formally designed and simulation experiments have been performed within a dedicated software environment.
Designing More Reliable MAS-based Ambient Intelligence Systems
Authors: Augusto Juan Carlos  , Hornos Miguel J.
Published: February 2025

We explore the availability of tools which can support the development of more correct and reliable Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) immersed in Ambient Intelligence (AmI) systems. We explain how state of the art software engineering methods and tools can be used to guide the development of such systems and increase our confidence on them. The explanation assumes little technical background on behalf of the reader. We use this exercise as an opportunity to highlight the advantages of available tools as well as to illustrate why the AmI area should build a new generation of development frameworks.
System Multi-Agents for the study of basic emotions and their effect on personality
Authors: Solano Aragón Cinthya  , Alanis Garza Arnulfo  , López Miguel Ángel  , Baltazar María del Rosario  , Zamudio Víctor Manuel
Published: February 2025

We report the development of an architecture for a Multi-Agent Social Sound which is based on the human personality in the search for empathy among persons focused on mobile robotics for evaluation of working groups in different controlled environments, focusing specifically on how they affect emotions to personality in a situation before making the stimulus act (emotion), taking on the work in the psychology of personality which Raymond Cattell [13] developed a tool called the 16 PF for the study of personality in a short time, emotions using the methodology of human primary emotions of Paul Ekman [12] who lets us know that there are six primary emotions Joy, Surprise, Anger, Fear, disgust and sadness, the paradigm of Intelligent Agents.
Intelligent Signaling for Prevention of Intersection Collisions in Urban Zones
Authors: Guerrero-Ibañez Juan Antonio  , Flores-Cortes Carlos  , Ramirez-Alcaraz Juan Manuel  , Vizcaino-Anaya Hector  , Mendoza-Robles Tomás  , Anguiano-Mancilla Alvaro  , Peña-Cardenas Emmanuel
Published: February 2025

Safety is one of the most important concerns in the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). One of the most relevant research areas in safety is the development of Collision Warning Systems (CWS). One goal of the research groups is to take the initiative to decrease the number of collisions occurring on the intersections. In urban zones, traffic lights are utilized to control the traffic flow on some intersections. However, it is not possible to place traffic lights on all intersections due to the enormous economical costs. This paper describes ISAPCI (Intelligent Signaling Approach for Prevent Collisions at Intersections), an ITS based on vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANET) to mitigate collisions at intersections, and to regulate the traffic flow at intersections that are not controlled by traffic lights.
The University as an incubator for technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship
Authors: Carlson James
Published: February 2025

One of the great drivers of economic growth in the US is the creation of new companies by entrepreneurs coming from academia. Notable examples are Adobe Systems, Google, and the Internet itself. While some academic environments are wildly successful as incubators for technology and entrepreneurship, not all are. I will discuss individual cases, some large, others small, some from other countries, by means of which one can identify factors for success.
Physical Activity and Team Work with Pervasive Games
Authors: Martínez-Reyes Fernando
Published: February 2025

The availability of computer technology in educational institutions offers opportunities for the implementation of augmented spaces for human-computer interactions. We can observe the increasing adoption of technology such as computers, wireless networks, and electronic whiteboards in schools to support teaching activities. Whereas it is plausible that schools use technology to reinforce learning, we think there are other educational activities being set aside. This article presents two works in progress: The Game of Pirates and The Virtual Maze. The Game of Pirates is a game which aims to encourage physical activity, therefore it addresses childhood obesity. This game asks children to engage in vigorous physical activity in order to obtain the keys that open the treasure chest. The Virtual Maze is a resource that can be used to promote children's teamwork. Two children, the main player and the collaborator, need to communicate, exchange opinions, and take joint decisions in order to traverse the labyrinth and complete the game. Current implementations are being tested in the laboratory and will be soon available to offer children of primary school age an experience with these kinds of mobile computing experiences.
Intelligent Assistive Interfaces for Editing Mathematics
Authors: Attanayake Dilaksha  , Denholm-Price James  , Hunter Gordon  , Pfluegel Eckhard  , Wigmore Angela
Published: February 2025

In this paper, we discuss the need for improved user interfaces for editing mathematical text, focusing of three types (individuals suffering from various disabilities, people relying heaving on on-line learning systems and ones relying on using portable devices) of people for whom conventional editing approaches are not very satisfactory. After reviewing various recent approaches, we focus on describing the development and evaluation of our own intelligent web-based interfaces, TalkMaths and SWIMS for editing mathematical text. The former is a speech-based editing interface, the latter a system which assists the user through the predictive and corrective power of statistical language models. It offers options for predicting what will appear next (analogous to predictive text for SMS messages) and identifying likely errors due to simple mistakes on the user's part in order to assist in correcting the errors. Using text-stream input, we investigate the utility of the error identification by studying the proportion of times the correct version of the complete mathematical expression appears within the M most likely alternatives suggested by our system. These systems are currently independent of each other, but we aim to integrate the facilities they provide into a simple intelligent assistive interface.
Capturing the rower performance on the SPRINT platform
Authors: Filippeschi Alessandro  , Tripicchio Paolo  , Satler Massimo  , Ruffaldi Emanuele
Published: February 2025

Capturing athletes performances with the purpose of skills training in the specific field of rowing sport is here presented, in particular The SPRINT multimodal system is introduced. This system is comprised of a mechanical reproduction of a rowing boat and of a virtual reality system with augmented feedback suited for novice and expert training. This paper details the implementation of an embedded acquisition system capable of measuring all the biomechanical data necessary for the rowing physical simulation increasing the performance with respect to the previous system.
Event-driven Surgical Gesture Segmentation and Task Recognition for Ocular Trauma Simulation
Authors: De Novi Gianluca  , Bardsley Ryan  , Shah Rajesh  , Ottensmeyer Mark P.  , Moore John Cho  , Ahn Bummo
Published: February 2025

This paper describes a novel approach for segmenting surgical gestures in an eye trauma treatment simulator, based on the analysis of system and environmental events, generated in order to track user performance. Subdivision of surgical procedures into tasks & sub-tasks allows for application of more accurate metrics (optimized per task), which may more appropriately evaluate user performance. This approach may also be applied in other surgical contexts. For the specific case of eye trauma treatment this system can generate different classes of events that, when combined, may drive a state machine with the capability of subdividing the macro operation(s). The results of this process may be utilized to develop informative feedback to the user in the form of performance metrics and training guidance.
Development of a natural interaction interface for people with disabilities in a home automation control room
Authors: Posada-Gomez Ruben  , Rodriguez-Bernardo Cristhian Omar  , Luna-Bravo Phares Salathiel  , Alor-Hernandez Giner  , Martinez-Sibaja Albino  , Rodriguez-González Alejandro
Published: February 2025

This paper presents an interface for controlling some functions in a room using a natural interaction mechanism. The functions of natural interaction are a group of tools of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) designed to develop gesture control applications, one of the objectives of this work is the development of a domotic application to help people with different disabilities and execute specific tasks in a friendly graphic environment, some of these tasks are turn on/off a lamp, open/close blinds, activate/disable the conditioned air, activate an alarm for asking help, etc.
Visuo-Vibrotactile Stimuli Applied for Skills Transfer and Rehabilitation
Authors: Herrera-Aguilar Ignacio  , Sandoval-Gonzalez Osvaldo  , Gonzalez-Sanchez Blanca  , Jacinto-Villegas Juan  , Rodríguez-González Alejandro  , Alor-Hernandez Giner  , Portillo-Rodriguez Otniel
Published: February 2025

This paper presents the static and dynamic analysis of visuo-vibrotactile feedback used like skills accelerator for motor skills training. Through this chapter, two experiments are presented in order to evaluate in different fields the use of this skills accelerator. In the first part it was performed a static psychophysics analysis of vibrotactile feedback to understand in details the accuracy in perception under determined conditions like intensity and frequency level. In the second part is presented a dynamic analysis of vibrotactile feedback where the use of diverse stimuli (visual and vibrotactile) are evaluated to understand how these kinds of stimuli can affects the performances of one motor activity under determined conditions. The results indicate improvements of the user's movements using in vibration in certain parameters in order to be useful like a skills accelerator.
Activity, Behavior and Context: The ABC of Pervasive Healthcare Research
Authors: Favela Jesus
Published: February 2025

Pervasive healthcare aims at applying mobile and ubiquitous computing technologies to address some of the major issues facing healthcare, such as the aging of the population, an increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases and escalating costs. One of the main characteristics of pervasive healthcare systems is their reliance on contextual information such as using the location of a nurse in a hospital ward to provide her with information relevant to the task at hand, or reminding a patient to take his medication when he returns home and his pillbox has not been opened during the day. Advances in activity recognition have made possible a second generation of pervasive healthcare solutions using activity-aware computing to identify the activities of daily living being performed by an elder and assist her with the task, or to monitor the intensity of the physical activity performed by a patient undergoing treatment. Moving forward this paper describes a new wave of pervasive healthcare applications, which are becoming possible due to progress in the estimation of user behavior. These behavior-aware systems can be used to measure the effects of medication in patients suffering from mental disorders, provide feedback in rehabilitation therapies or to perceive abnormal behaviors that provide early signs of an ailments such as Alzheimer's disease.
Diagnostic Aid System based on triaxial high sensitivity MEMS for detection and characterization of specific neurodegenerative diseases
Authors: Bustamante-Bello Rogelio  , Ramirez-Rodriguez Arleni E.  , YÉpez-PÉrez Luis
Published: February 2025

The system presented in this paper aims to serve as a low cost tool for detection and characterization of different neurodegenerative diseases by measuring the skeletal muscle movement in the patients´ fingers. Conditions like Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis, psychiatric diseases, alcoholism and drug abuse have specific movement frequencies, which could be graphed. The system looks to make possible the identification of the disease mapped according to the characteristic graph, reducing the number of tests needed for this matter. Research focused, it aims to measure the disease's intensity and progress as well as the effect of medicine treatment and therapy.
Evaluating the User Experience of a Cognitive Stimulation Tool through Elders' Interactions
Authors: Morán Alberto L.  , Meza-Kubo Victoria
Published: February 2025

As part of our efforts to improve the effective design of suitable CS applications for the elderly, during the last three years we have been performing an ensemble of studies, which have enabled us to understand the nature of CS activities and to envision how we might support them by means of Ambient Intelligence (AmI) technologies. Furthermore, we have proposed UCSA, a framework for the design of usable CS applications for worried-well elders. In order to validate the framework, we have developed and evaluated the usability of several prototypes by means of TAM-based questionnaires. In this work, we present the results of a further evaluation of one such application, which focuses on user experience (UX). We identified which kinds of interactions occurred among the different participants, along with their form and functions, as a means to gather evidence about the application's user experience. Finally, we discuss the implications of these findings regarding the framework's UX perspective, along with possible directions of future work.
Real Time Activity Recognition Using a Cell Phone's AccelerometerWi-Fi
Authors: Garcia Enrique A.  , Brena Ramón
Published: February 2025

In this paper, we present an implementation of a real time activity recognizer running on a cellphone. First, simple activity recognition from accelerometer data is performed and then, this information is fused with data from Wi-Fi Access Points to classify the activity being performed by the user. The training set consisted of 8 activities performed in an academic environment and the classification accuracy was 89.7% using a supervised learning approach.
Technological Developments in Turkey Regarding Maritime Security
Authors: Başkaraağaç Yusuf Egemen  , İnan Serhat  , Çiftçibaşi Mehmet Emre
Published: February 2025

Maritime security is considerably important for Turkey, as Turkey has a long coastline. For maritime management in Turkey, there are several government agencies having responsibilities; these responsibilities of the government agencies are divided into four main classifications as: 1. Maritime natural resource management, 2. Maritime merchandise trade management, 3. Maritime navigation safety management and 4. Maritime security management. The Turkish government has been investing large amounts of money in order to reach the latest technologies for maritime regulations. In this context, each government agency has its own system for performing their responsibilities. To achieve a high level of maritime security, possessing high technology sensors or platforms is not enough, as interoperability of the systems is also very important. Achieving interoperability between the systems, any country can reach a high level of awareness in maritime security, which could be thought as the highest technological development of a country in maritime security. In Turkey, Maritime Situational Awareness work is in progress and the future planning is made to improve the maritime situational awareness by additional platforms, sensors and systems. With the collaboration of the systems, cost-effectiveness and situational awareness shall be reached.