Study of the mathematical model of an organism’s immune response to the intrusion of an infection using methods of pattern recognition

The possibilities of using a new approach to study specific multivariate dynamic systems based on applying methods of pattern recognition and statistical modeling are demonstrated in the paper using the example of the mathematical model of an organism’s immune response to the intrusion of an infection. Yurii Isaakovich Neimark. Born in 1920. He is a Doctor of Technical Sciences, professor at Nizhni Novgorod State University, Honored Science Worker of Russian Federation, winner of Andronov and Wiener scientific prizes, and member of Russian National Committee on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. Scientific interests include theory of oscillations, theory of dynamic systems, management theory, mathematical modeling, and cybernetics. Neimark is the author of ten monographs, five of which have been translated into English, Spanish, and Polish, as well as more than 400 publications and 20 inventions. Igor’ Vyacheslavovich Kotel’nikov. Born in 1935. Graduated from Gorkii State University in 1959. Since 1972, he has been with the Research Institute of Applied Mathematics and Cybernetics as a senior researcher. Scientific interests include optimal irreducible fuzzy tests and syndromes, as well as the discovery of logical patterns in statistical samples of multivariate objects on their basis. He is the author of more than 40 publications. Larisa Grigor’evna Teklina. Born in 1948. Senior Researcher at Research Institute of Applied Mathematics and Cybernetics, Nizhni Novgorod State University. Candidate of Physics and Mathematics. She is the author of more than 40 publications on theoretical cybernetics and mathematical modeling.     

Design of an endoscopic solo surgery simulator for quantitative evaluation of the human–machine interface in robotic camera positioning systems

An endoscopic solo surgery simulator was designed to quantitatively evaluate the human-machine interface in robotic camera positioning systems. Our simulator can assess not only the quantitative efficiency of laparoscopic cameraworks but also the influence of cameraworks upon the accuracy of surgical actions. Two human-machine interfaces (a face motion navigation system and a voice activated system) were developed and compared. As a result, the face control interface was more efficient in cameraworks than the voice control, even under a stress to control the instruments. However, it was also found that the face motion may have an adverse influence on precise surgical actions.     

Introduction to the Geometer’s Angle

Geometer Rachel Fletcher introduces the Geometer’s Angle, a column in the Nexus Network Journal dedicated to geometrical constructions, the procedures for drawing them, their use, significance and symbolism.     

On the measurement of privacy as an attacker’s estimation error

A wide variety of privacy metrics have been proposed in the literature to evaluate the level of protection offered by privacy-enhancing technologies. Most of these metrics are specific to concrete systems and adversarial models and are difficult to generalize or translate to other contexts. Furthermore, a better understanding of the relationships between the different privacy metrics is needed to enable more grounded and systematic approach to measuring privacy, as well as to assist system designers in selecting the most appropriate metric for a given application. In this work, we propose a theoretical framework for privacy-preserving systems, endowed with a general definition of privacy in terms of the estimation error incurred by an attacker who aims to disclose the private information that the system is designed to conceal. We show that our framework permits interpreting and comparing a number of well-known metrics under a common perspective. The arguments behind these interpretations are based on fundamental results related to the theories of information, probability, and Bayes decision.     

A quantum mechanical model of consciousness and the emergence of ‘I’

There have been suggestions that the unity of consciousness may be related to the kind of holism depicted only in quantum physics. This argument will be clarified and strengthened. It requires the brain to contain a quantum system with the right properties — a Bose-Einstein condensate. It probably does contain one such system, as both theory and experiment have indicated. In fact, we cannot pay full attention to a quantum whole and its parts simultaneously, though we may oscillate between the two. In a quantum theory of consciousness, emergent meanings arise as an inevitable consequence of Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle.     

Combining a Brain–Machine Interface and an Electrooculography Interface to perform pick and place tasks with a robotic arm

This paper presents a multimodal Human–Machine Interface system that combines an Electrooculography Interface and a Brain–Machine Interface. This multimodal interface has been used to control a robotic arm to perform pick and place tasks in a three dimensional environment. Five volunteers were asked to pick two boxes and place them in different positions. The results prove the feasibility of the system in the performance of pick and place tasks. By using the multimodal interface, all the volunteers (even naive users) were able to successfully move two objects within a satisfactory period of time with the help of the robotic arm.     

Approaches to Solve the Problem of Determining the Moments of the Beginning and End of an Object’s Movement Using the Data of a Strapdown Inertial Navigation System

Journal of Computer and Systems Sciences International - The problem of autonomous determination using primary and/or secondary data of a strapdown inertial navigation system of two events is...     

On Peirce’s Pragmatic Notion of Semiosis—A Contribution for the Design of Meaning Machines

How to model meaning processes (semiosis) in artificial semiotic systems? Once all computer simulation becomes tantamount to theoretical simulation, involving epistemological metaphors of world versions, the selection and choice of models will dramatically compromise the nature of all work involving simulation. According to the pragmatic Peircean based approach, semiosis is an interpreter-dependent process that cannot be dissociated from the notion of a situated (and actively distributed) communicational agent. Our approach centers on the consideration of relevant properties and aspects of Peirce’s pragmatic concept of semiotics. Upon developing this approach, we have no pretensions of our being able to present an exhaustive analysis of the differences between Peirce and other theoretical positions. Nevertheless, our contribution will serve to demonstrate how theorists contribute toward revealing certain fundamental ‘semiotic constraints’ that will be of interest and importance.     

A comparative analysis of the EU GDPR to the US’s breach notifications

One component of the newly implemented European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a revision of a 1995 directive, is mandatory breach notification. The US has no such federal law. This means companies must satisfy multiple US laws and that makes it more challenging to comply. This study is a comparison of the GDPR with the statutes of the 50 US states, highlights the challenges companies face and reveals the types of decisions companies must make to be in compliance with these statutes.     

An inquiry into the applicability of Kantorovich’s idea to the thermodynamic optimization

A feasible region is employed to describe unknown parameters in thermodynamic models. The method is based on interval estimation of experimental observations, and it is applied to thermodynamic optimization of liquid phase in Ag–Mg system. A final feasible region is an overlapping area among all feasible regions calculated from different groups of data. A discussion of computational advantages on this method suggests that it is a promising method for parameter estimation, but its limitations require more studies on problems such as non-linear inequalities, multi-dimensional visualization and uncertainties in experimental conditions.     

Development of an Automatic Instrument for Efficient Measuring the Joint’s Range of Motion

International Journal of Control, Automation and Systems - A range of motion (ROM) has been measured using several indices to judge the progress of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). However, measuring...     

Algorithms of increasing the calculation accuracy for an aircraft’s orientation angle

Algorithms for calculating an aircraft’s orientation angles based on the results of the numerical integration of Poisson’s and quaternion equations are proposed. The algorithms in the presence of random errors of the matrix elements of direction cosines and quaternions are characterized by a significantly higher accuracy in comparison to the formulas for solving the formulated problem. The results of testing the mathematical modeling data under random errors, which confirm the increased accuracy of the calculation of the orientation angles, are given.     

Perception of Order and Ambiguity in Leonardo’s Design Concepts

Leonardo da Vinci used geometry to give his design concepts both structural and visual balance. The paper examines aesthetic order in Leonardo’s structural design, and reflects on his belief in analogy between structure and anatomy. Leonardo’s drawings of grids and roof systems are generated from processes best known from ornamentation and can be developed into spatial structures assembled from loose elements with no need for binding elements. His architectural plans are patterns based on principles of tessellation, tiling and recursion, also characteristic of the reversible, ambiguous structures which led to Leonardo’s further inventions in structural and mechanical design as well as dynamic representations of space in his painting. In recent times, the ambiguous structures in the art of Joseph Albers, the reversible and impossible structures of M. C. Escher, the recurring patterns and spherical geometry of Buckminster Fuller and the reciprocal grids in structural design of Cecil Balmond display a similar interest. Computer models and animations have been used to simulate processes of perceiving and creating ambiguity in structures.     

Adaptation of an automotive dialogue system to users’ expertise and evaluation of the system

Spoken dialogue systems (SDSs) can be used to operate devices, e.g. in the automotive environment. People using these systems usually have different levels of experience. However, most systems do not take this into account. In this paper, we present a method to build a dialogue system in an automotive environment that automatically adapts to the user’s experience with the system. We implemented the adaptation in a prototype and carried out exhaustive tests. Our usability tests show that adaptation increases both user performance and user satisfaction. We describe the tests that were performed, and the methods used to assess the test results. One of these methods is a modification of PARADISE, a framework for evaluating the performance of SDSs [Walker MA, Litman DJ, Kamm CA, Abella A (Comput Speech Lang 12(3):317–347, 1998)]. We discuss its drawbacks for the evaluation of SDSs like ours, the modifications we have carried out, and the test results.

Design and evaluation of a digital wearable ring and a smartphone application to help monitor and manage the effects of Raynaud’s phenomenon

Multimedia Tools and Applications - This paper presents the iterative research, design and evaluation phases of a digital wearable health system for monitoring, managing and possibly assisting in...     

Adapting groupware systems to changes in the collaborator’s context of use

Owing to the dynamic nature of collaborative environments, the software intended to support collaborative work should adapt itself to the different situations that may occur. This requirement is related to the concept of “context of use”, which has been considered as an important aspect in the design of interactive systems. Nevertheless, two main problems about this concept have been identified by current research in context-aware computing: (1) most of the studies have mainly focused on the context of a single user, so the context of multiple users involved in a common endeavor remains little explored, and (2) adaptability in context-aware systems generally takes into account a reduced number of contextual variables (mainly the user’s location and platform). In this paper, we firstly re-conceptualize the notion of “context of use”, in order to consider the main characteristics of collaborative environments. Based on this new notion, we then design and implement a framework that allows application developers to specify the adaptability of groupware systems in terms of the state of activities, roles, collaborators’ location, available resources, and other typical variables of working groups. This framework has been generalized from scenarios that highlight dynamic situations presented in real collaborative settings. Finally, we validate our proposal by a set of applications that are able to adapt their user interface and functionality, when significant changes are produced in the environment, the working group, and/or the used devices.     

Control and trajectory optimization of an aircraft’s alignment with the desired track

The synthesis of the control with the optimal trajectory length is constructed for the problem of aligning an aircraft with the desired track with the ground speed vector direction along the desired track. The solution is based on the maximum principle and involves the use of numerical methods for solving the boundary value problem and analytical investigations for determining the set of possible extremals and comparing the lengths of the trajectories when selecting the optimal one. As a result of these investigations, the switching and separation lines are determined that bound the regions in the phase space which correspond to different values of the optimal relay control.