Dimensional differences for evaluating the quality of footwear fit

Very few standards exist for fitting products to people. Footwear is a noteworthy example. This study is an attempt to evaluate the quality of footwear fit using two-dimensional foot outlines. Twenty Hong Kong Chinese students participated in an experiment that involved three pairs of dress shoes and one pair of athletic shoes. The participants' feet were scanned using a commercial laser scanner, and each participant wore and rated the fit of each region of each shoe. The shoe lasts were also scanned and were used to match the foot scans with the last scans. The ANOVA showed significant (p?<?0.05) differences among the four pairs of shoes for the overall, fore-foot and rear-foot fit ratings. There were no significant differences among shoes for mid-foot fit rating. These perceived differences were further analysed after matching the 2D outlines of both last and feet. The point-wise dimensional difference between foot and shoe outlines were computed and analysed after normalizing with foot perimeter. The dimensional difference (DD) plots along the foot perimeter showed that fore-foot fit was strongly correlated (R ²?>?0.8) with two of the minimums in the DD-plot while mid-foot fit was strongly correlated (R ²?>?0.9) with the dimensional difference around the arch region and a point on the lateral side of the foot. The DD-plots allow the designer to determine the critical locations that may affect footwear fit in addition to quantifying the nature of misfit so that design changes to shape and material may be possible.     

Data generator for evaluating ETL process quality

Obtaining the right set of data for evaluating the fulfillment of different quality factors in the extract-transform-load (ETL) process design is rather challenging. First, the real data might be out of reach due to different privacy constraints, while manually providing a synthetic set of data is known as a labor-intensive task that needs to take various combinations of process parameters into account. More importantly, having a single dataset usually does not represent the evolution of data throughout the complete process lifespan, hence missing the plethora of possible test cases. To facilitate such demanding task, in this paper we propose an automatic data generator (i.e., Bijoux). Starting from a given ETL process model, Bijoux extracts the semantics of data transformations, analyzes the constraints they imply over input data, and automatically generates testing datasets. Bijoux is highly modular and configurable to enable end-users to generate datasets for a variety of interesting test scenarios (e.g., evaluating specific parts of an input ETL process design, with different input dataset sizes, different distributions of data, and different operation selectivities). We have developed a running prototype that implements the functionality of our data generation framework and here we report our experimental findings showing the effectiveness and scalability of our approach.     

A quantitative approach for evaluating the quality of design patterns

In recent years, the influence of design patterns on software quality has attracted an increasing attention in the area of software engineering, as design patterns encapsulate valuable knowledge to resolve design problems, and more importantly to improve design quality. As the paradigm continues to increase in popularity, a systematic and objective approach to verify the design of a pattern is increasingly important. The intent session in a design pattern indicates the problem the design pattern wants to resolve, and the solution session describes the structural model for the problem. When the problem in the intent is a quality problem, the structure model should provide a solution to improve the relevant quality. In this work we provide an approach, based on object-oriented quality model, to validate if a design pattern is well-designed, i.e., it answers the question of the proposed structural model really resolves the quality problems described in the intent. We propose a validation approach to help pattern developers check if a design pattern is well-designed. In addition, a quantitative method is proposed to measure the effectiveness of the quality improvement of a design pattern that pattern users can determine which design patterns are applicable to meet their functional and quality requirements.     

Paper-based diagnostic devices for evaluating the quality of human sperm

Male infertility, which amounts to half of all infertility cases, is a serious problem worldwide. The percentage of fertility-related patients in sub-Saharan African countries is higher than that for the developed countries. In low-resource countries, examination of sperm characteristics for male infertility cannot be undertaken because of poor clinical access. To evaluate male fertility in assisted reproductive medicine laboratories, the numbers of motile human sperm, the degree of sperm motility, and sperm morphology have been commonly analyzed using a microscope. It is challenging to monitor the health status of human sperm in resource-limited or remote settings for two primary reasons: (1) high capital cost (equipment for currently accepted procedural standard), and (2) complexity of the currently accepted procedural standard used to simultaneously measure human sperm concentration and motility by skillful embryologists. Determining the health status of human sperm in order to evaluate fertilization capacity using various types of low-cost, easy-to-use, and rapid devices (or systems) is a longstanding but interesting biotechnologically relevant issue in various scientific communities such as male reproduction. Furthering such efforts will inherently influence birth rate in both developed and developing nations. We have demonstrated an inexpensive but robust and easy-to-handle device for monitoring the health status of human sperm made by patterning a piece of paper and measuring the activity of a specific enzyme—a simple and elegant solution. After applying semen to the hydrophilic center circle of our patterned paper, a thiazine assay can be used to suggest sperm concentration in semen, and a tetrazolium-based colorimetric assay (MTT assay) data can be used to help estimate the percentage of motile human sperm (sperm motility) in semen based on the character that motile human sperm moved in and on the paper. Using this paper-based device, we can evaluate fertility levels without consulting doctors and use our assay to compare results with World Health Organization (WHO) reference values for sperm concentration (>2×10⁷) and motility (>50 %). The duration and cost of one entire test are 30 min and 0.1 USD, respectively. We believe that this paper-based assay system would be useful for fertility checks based on WHO references, without need of a microscope, at home. Using this assay method, males in developed or developing countries who are reluctant or unable to consult assisted reproductive technologies clinics can self-analyze their sperm characteristics. We further note that our approach adheres to WHO regulations, especially in regard to in vitro diagnostic device performance with an associated diagnostic algorithm to enhance diagnostic accuracy (compared with just one diagnostic output), and we wish to emphasize that our research could significantly advance a broad range of diagnostic developments including paper-based diagnostic devices, in vitro diagnostic devices, and diagnosis of other diseases in various divisions of translational medicine. These results, we believe, will be of interest to a wide scientific audience working in materials science (biomaterials), chemistry (analytical and clinical), lab-on-a-chip technologies (the development of diagnostic tools), reproductive medicine, bioengineering, and translational medicine.     

Foot landmarking for footwear customization

As consumers are becoming increasingly selective of what they wear on their feet, manufacturers are experiencing problems developing and fitting the right footwear. Literature suggests that shoes with a shape similar to feet may be comfortable because they attempt to maintain the feet in a neutral posture. The objective of this paper is to develop a metric to quantify mismatches between feet and lasts and also to be able to generate the two-dimensional outline of the foot using the minimum number of landmarks. Fifty Hong Kong Chinese were participants in the experiment. In addition to subject weight, height, foot length and foot width, the left foot outlines were drawn and 18 landmarks were marked on each of the two-dimensional foot outlines. A step-wise procedure was used to reduce the chosen 18 landmarks to eight, such that the mean absolute negative error (an indicator of ‘tightness’) between the foot outline and the modelled curve was 1.3 mm. These eight landmarks seem to show an improvement over those proposed by other researchers, thus showing the importance of choosing the right landmarks for modelling the foot. The positive and negative absolute errors were on average 1.8 mm and 1.3 mm respectively. Moreover, the mean errors for the toe region and for the rest of the foot were 1.7 mm and 1.6 mm respectively. The results indicate that the foot outline, an important component for footwear functionality and fitting, may be modelled using eight critical landmarks.     

Foot landmarking for footwear customization

As consumers are becoming increasingly selective of what they wear on their feet, manufacturers are experiencing problems developing and fitting the right footwear. Literature suggests that shoes with a shape similar to feet may be comfortable because they attempt to maintain the feet in a neutral posture. The objective of this paper is to develop a metric to quantify mismatches between feet and lasts and also to be able to generate the two-dimensional outline of the foot using the minimum number of landmarks. Fifty Hong Kong Chinese were participants in the experiment. In addition to subject weight, height, foot length and foot width, the left foot outlines were drawn and 18 landmarks were marked on each of the two-dimensional foot outlines. A step-wise procedure was used to reduce the chosen 18 landmarks to eight, such that the mean absolute negative error (an indicator of 'tightness') between the foot outline and the modelled curve was 1.3 mm. These eight landmarks seem to show an improvement over those proposed by other researchers, thus showing the importance of choosing the right landmarks for modelling the foot. The positive and negative absolute errors were on average 1.8 mm and 1.3 mm respectively. Moreover, the mean errors for the toe region and for the rest of the foot were 1.7 mm and 1.6 mm respectively. The results indicate that the foot outline, an important component for footwear functionality and fitting, may be modelled using eight critical landmarks.     

Anti-slip studs for safety footwear

A large and increasing proportion of the accidents occurring in British mines is caused by men losing their balance, and there is evidence that slipping plays a major part in many such accidents. Simple laboratory measurements of the frictional force between footwear and different floor materials with different surface conditions showed that existing types of miners' footwear did not give a good grip in all circumstances. In particular, although rubber-soled footwear gave an excellent grip on clean surfaces, it gave a very much reduced grip on greasy or muddy surfaces. An unexpected change in grip could cause men to slip.

Boots fitted with tungsten carbide tipped studs, such as are fitted to tyres for motoring on ice, were tested and gave a reasonable grip which was almost unaffected by the condition of the surface. User trials of such studded boots have been encouraging and are being extended, most wearers being enthusiastic about the boots' anti-slip properties. Extensive tests are in progress on the frictional-ignition hazard presented by tungsten carbide tipped studs. It seems likely that the hazard will prove to be in the same low range as that given by hobnails and other steel fittings to footwear. Advice is given on where and how to insert studs into existing footwear and suggestions are made for future developments.

The publication of the early results of the work has produced a lot of inquiry from industries other than coalmining and this brief report has been prepared to meet the needs of these other industries.     

Improvement of intelligent methods for evaluating the apparent quality of knitted fabrics

In the previous studies, the standard boards of yarn (ASTM) were analyzed using the image analysis method and artificial neural networks; the appearance of different knitted fabrics samples was tested for appearance. There was a strong influence of yarn type and fabrics structure on fabrics apparent quality. In the present research, the artificial neural network (ANN) has been applied to predict the fabric apparent parameters. The optimum structure of ANN has been designed using the genetic algorithm method. The results show that the ANN can be optimized very well by the GA and the designed ANN is very accurate and applicable to predict the apparent parameters.     

Footbed shapes for enhanced footwear comfort

A shoe wearer's comfort is related to the shape of the footbed of a shoe. Even though the footbed shape is important in footwear design, there exists no methodology to evaluate the existing guidelines used in last making. Thirty-two females participated in an experiment where heel seat length, heel seat inclination and heel height were investigated using the profile assessment device. The dependent variables were plantar pressure and perceived feeling of each participant. The results show that perceived feel is best for wedge angles of 4° and 5° at a heel height of 25 mm, 10° and 11° at a heel height of 50 mm and 16° and 18° at a heel height of 75 mm. A regression model was derived and this explained approximately 80% of the variation of perceived feeling with the contact area, peak plantar pressure and percentage of force acting on the forefoot region. Both heel wedge angle and heel seat length play an important role in the perceived feel of high-heeled shoes. This study, in relation to the load-bearing heel part of a shoe, highlights the importance of good footbed design. The findings can be used to design footwear with enhanced comfort.     

An application of fuzzy AHP for evaluating course website quality

Although previous studies have identified various influences on course website effectiveness, the evaluation of the relative importance of these factors across different online learning experience groups has not been empirically determined. This study develops an evolution model that integrates triangular fuzzy numbers and analytic hierarchy process to develop a fuzzy evaluation model which prioritized the relative weights of course website quality factors. Firstly, this study conducts a review of the literature on course website quality to generate 16 sub-criteria along with four criteria used to measure course website quality. Secondly, a fuzzy AHP approach is adopted to determine the relative weights linking the above criteria between high and low online learning experience groups. The results indicated that there are some similarities and differences between high- and low-experience groups with regard to the evaluation of course website quality. The evaluation model and results can provide a valuable reference for system designers seeking to enhance course website effectiveness.     

Professional footwear evaluation for clinical nurses

Epidemiological investigations indicate that nursing professionals experience a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) than most other occupational groups. Most nursing activities require standing and walking for prolonged periods. Such job requirements may contribute to MSD problems in the lower extremities. Thus, wearing comfortable nursing shoes is essential to reduce the lower-extremity discomfort for clinical nurses. The objectives of this study are: (1) to evaluate three brands of commercially available nursing footwear and identify the important shoe features for adequate shoe support during nursing activities, and (2) to assess the effect of wearing compression hosiery by measuring the biomechanical, physiological, and psychophysical responses of test participants. The method of this study involved two phases. First, field observations were conducted to collect job demand data, including walking speed, and the ratios of walking, standing, and sitting. Second, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the functions of professional nursing footwear and examine the influence of compression hosiery on lower extremity discomfort relief. Measurements included electromyography (EMG) of the lower leg, joint range of motion (ROM) in the lower extremity, foot pressure, ground reaction force (GRF), and subjective discomfort ratings for the lower body and feet. Summarizing the findings of this study, comfortable footwear for nursing professionals should emphasize a footbed with arch support outside with 1.5 cm thickness of EVA materials in the metatarsal zone and heel height between 1.8 and 3.6 cm; this can minimize foot pressure distribution, impact force, and increase shin and ankle comfort. In addition, wearing compression hosiery is recommended to alleviate lower body and foot discomfort for clinical nurses.     

Use of SOMs for footwear comfort evaluation

Neural Computing and Applications - The comfort in footwear is essential because the foot is one of the structures of the human body that supports more weight. Moreover, consumers are demanding...     

A simple and practical method for evaluating machine translation quality

This article describes a simple and cost effective evaluation method based on post-editing. The results of an experiment using this method, to investigate the improvement of an MT system over time are given, along with some practicalities in carrying through the evaluation (time, effort etc.)     

An on-line optical bench tester machine for evaluating lens quality

This study is dedicated to develop an on-line automatic optical bench tester (OBT) machine for evaluating the image quality of a camera lens that is used in a lens module of a cell phone. This tester is not only suitable for conventional solid lens, but also applicable to the developing cutting-edge tunable liquid crystal lens. The testing is accomplished via a specially-designed OBT machine, which is able to automatically move the test lens based on feedback images in the optical system in the OBT to the axial position that leads to best imaging quality and also successfully measure its focus length. In the designed OBT, a commercial inspection chart is employed, along with an automatic lens-feeding machine for a quick estimate on the best possible focusing quality, which is evaluated by the well-known modulation transfer function (MTF). For actuating the feeding machine, an algorithm, assisted by the feedback MTFs, is proposed to move the test lens to the particular position that renders the best quality. In this way, the focus length—effective focal length (EFL)—of the test lens can be obtained. The proposed algorithm in fact needs much less time of actuation than a traditional tester to obtain EFL of the test lens. The designed and constructed tester is capable of measuring varied optical performance indices for the next-generation tunable lens, like liquid crystal lens.     

骨干网中 VoIP语音质量的快速评估方法

提出一种基于被动模式流量分析的 VoIP语音质量评估方法 ,以帮助 VoIP运营商对主干网中大量并发 VoIP会话的通话质量进行实时监测。在流量采集的基础上 ,通过流跟踪算法获取 VoIP会话的丢包、时延等基本性能指标 ;通过快速评估模型对 VoIP会话的 R和 MOS值进行计算。实验证明 ,该方法性能较高 ,评估结果准确。     

A quality framework for developing and evaluating original software components

Component-based software development is being identified as the emerging method of developing complex applications consisting of heterogeneous systems. Although more research attention has been given to Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) components, original software components are also widely used in the software industry. Original components are smaller in size, they have a narrower functional scope and they usually find more uses when it comes to specific and dedicated functions. Therefore, their need for interoperability is equal or greater, than that of COTS components. A quality framework for developing and evaluating original components is proposed in this paper, along with an application methodology that facilitates their evaluation. The framework is based on the ISO9126 quality model which is modified and refined so as to reflect better the notion of original components. The quality model introduced can be tailored according to the organization-reuser and the domain needs of the targeted component. The proposed framework is demonstrated and validated through real case examples, while its applicability is assessed and discussed.