Supporting the consumption and co-authoring of locative media experiences for a rural village community: design and field trial evaluation of the SHARC2.0 framework

Locative Media Experiences (LMEs) have significant potential in enabling visitors to engage with the places that they visit through an appreciation of local history. For example, a visitor to Berlin that is exploring remnants of the Berlin Wall may be encouraged to appreciate (or in part experience) the falling of the Berlin wall by consuming multimedia directly related to her current location such as listening to audio recordings of the assembled crowds on 10th November 1989. However, despite the growing popularity of enabling technologies (such as GPS-equipped smart phones and tablets), the availability of tools that support the authoring of LMEs is limited. In addition, mobile apps that support the consumption of LMEs typically adopt an approach that precludes users from being able to respond with their own multimedia contributions. In this article we describe the design and evaluation of the SHARC2.0 framework that has been developed as part of our long-term and participatory engagement with the rural village of Wray in the north of England. Wray has very limited cellular data coverage which has placed a requirement on the framework and associated tools to operate without reliance on network connectivity. A field study is presented which featured a LME relating to Wray’s local history and which contained multimedia content contributed by members of the community including historic photos (taken from an existing ‘Digital Noticeboard’ system), audio-clips (from a local historian and village residents) and video (contributed during a design workshop). The novelty of our approach relates to the ability of multiple authors to contribute to a LME in-situ, and the utilisation of personal cloud storage for storing the contents associated with a multi-authored LME.

     

Amperometric biosensor for formic acid in air

The possibility of developing a simple, inexpensive and specific personal passive “real-time” air sampler incorporating a biosensor for formic acid was investigated. The sensor is based on the enzymatic reaction between formic acid and formate dehydrogenase (FDH) with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) as a co-factor and Meldola's blue as mediator. An effective way to immobilise the enzyme, co-factor and Meldola's blue on screen-printed, disposable, electrodes was found to be in a mixture of glycerol and phosphate buffer covered with a gas-permeable membrane. Steady-state current was reached after 4–15 min and the limit of detection was calculated to be below 1 mg/m³. However, the response decreased by 50% after storage at −15°C for 1 day.     

Supporting command and control training functions in the emergency management domain using cognitive systems engineering

The design and implementation of MERMAIDS, a computer-based training system in the domain of emergency command and control, is described. The research investigates the use of cognitive systems engineering and information management tools for modelling and representing training knowledge of emergency system operators. We propose a decision-centric human-computer interface as a new method of supporting computer-based modelling in the domain of emergency systems. Several interacting themes in information management relevant to emergency response planning are discussed.     

BCI Meeting 2005--workshop on signals and recording methods.

This paper describes the highlights of presentations and discussions during the Third International BCI Meeting in a workshop that evaluated potential brain-computer interface (BCI) signals and currently available recording methods. It defined the main potential user populations and their needs, addressed the relative advantages and disadvantages of noninvasive and implanted (i.e., invasive) methodologies, considered ethical issues, and focused on the challenges involved in translating BCI systems from the laboratory to widespread clinical use. The workshop stressed the critical importance of developing useful applications that establish the practical value of BCI technology.     

Direct digital synthesizer with ROM-Less architecture at 13-GHz clock frequency in InP DHBT technology

A direct digital synthesizer (DDS) implemented in InP double heterojunction bipolar transistor (DHBT) technology is reported. The DDS has a ROM-less architecture and instead uses digital logic for phase conversion. The DDS operates up to a 13 GHz clock rate and is capable of synthesizing output frequencies up to 6.5 GHz. Measured spurious free dynamic range (SFDR)ranged from 34 dBc at low frequency control words (FCWs) to 26.67 dBc at high FCWs. The test circuit is implemented with 1646 transistors and consumes 5.42W of power     

Choosing the Right Parameter for Single-Duct Constant Air Volume System Supply Air Temperature Reset

To improve system efficiency under part-load conditions, the supply air temperature set point for a single-duct constant air volume air handling unit (AHU) system is often reset based on either return air temperature or outside air temperature. Both reset strategies make engineering sense as long as the reset schedules are reasonable. Quite often the decision to use one over the other is made with the assumption that they will both achieve some energy savings. However, the impact of these two strategies on AHU energy consumption could be very different. An in-depth analysis and comparison of these two commonly used supply air temperature reset strategies for a single-duct constant air volume system is presented in this paper. It is shown that the reset strategy based on outside air temperature is inherently better than that based on return air temperature, with lower energy consumption and improved building comfort level.     

Scaling Gross Primary Production (GPP) over boreal and deciduous forest landscapes in support of MODIS GPP product validation

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Radiometer (MODIS) is the primary instrument in the NASA Earth Observing System for monitoring the seasonality of global terrestrial vegetation. Estimates of 8-day mean daily gross primary production (GPP) at the 1 km spatial resolution are now operationally produced by the MODIS Land Science Team for the global terrestrial surface using a production efficiency approach. In this study, the 2001 MODIS GPP product was compared with scaled GPP estimates (25 km²) based on ground measurements at two forested sites. The ground-based GPP scaling approach relied on a carbon cycle process model run in a spatially distributed mode. Land cover classification and maximum annual leaf area index, as derived from Landsat ETM+ imagery, were used in model initiation. The model was driven by daily meteorological observations from an eddy covariance flux tower situated at the center of each site. Model simulated GPPs were corroborated with daily GPP estimates from the flux tower. At the hardwood forest site, the MODIS GPP phenology started earlier than was indicated by the scaled GPP, and the summertime GPP from MODIS was generally lower than the scaled GPP values. The fall-off in production at the end of the growing season was similar to the validation data. At the boreal forest site, the GPP phenologies generally agreed because both responded to the strong signal associated with minimum temperature. The midsummer MODIS GPP there was generally higher than the ground-based GPP. The differences between the MODIS GPP products and the ground-based GPPs were driven by differences in the timing of FPAR and the magnitude of light use efficiency as well as by differences in other inputs to the MODIS GPP algorithm—daily incident PAR, minimum temperature, and vapor pressure deficit. Ground-based scaling of GPP has the potential to improve the parameterization of light use efficiency in satellite-based GPP monitoring algorithms.     

Privacy on the Web: an Examination of User Concerns, Technology, and Implications for Business Organizations and Individuals

Individual privacy concerns significantly affect consumer willingness to engage in electronic commerce over the Internet. This article explores privacy concerns associated with the implementation of new information technology and introduces a new concept termed the “information technology privacy cycle.” This article also examines individual privacy on the Web, including technologies employed for collecting and protecting information on the Web, and the success of legal and technical remedies. Also assessed is the future potential of technology-based solutions through a focused examination of the Platform for Privacy Preferences as well as a discussion of the practical and theoretical implications for business organizations and individuals.