Development of a web-based insulin decision aid for the elderly: usability barriers and guidelines

Universal Access in the Information Society - In recent years, researchers have attempted to shift patient decision aids (PDAs) from paper-based to web-based to increase its accessibility. Insulin...     

Use of a Modified UTAUT Model to Investigate the Perspectives of Internet Access Device Users

This study integrates perceived enjoyment and cyberloafing with the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and uses a modified UTAUT model to investigate the behavioral intention and user behavior of access internet device users. The research results show that perceived enjoyment can be used as the antecedence variable of performance expectancy (PE) and effort expectancy (EE). In addition, PE, EE, and social influence will all lead to the occurrence of cyberloafing behavior and increased internet browsing time; however, the hypothesis of the moderator is not fully supported. The results can be provided as reference for subsequent researchers to re-modify the model.     

Approaches to extended non-quadratic stability and stabilization conditions for discrete-time Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy systems

This paper provides simple and effective linear matrix inequality (LMI) characterizations for the stability and stabilization conditions of discrete-time Takagi–Sugeno (T–S) fuzzy systems. To do this, more general classes of non-parallel distributed compensation (non-PDC) control laws and non-quadratic Lyapunov functions are presented. Unlike the conventional non-quadratic approaches using only current-time normalized fuzzy weighting functions, we consider not only the current-time fuzzy weighting functions but also the l-step-past (l?0) and one-step-ahead ones when constructing the control laws and Lyapunov functions. Consequently, by introducing additional decision variables, it can be shown that the proposed conditions include the existing ones found in the literature as particular cases. Examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approaches.     

Curvature estimation for meshes based on vertex normal triangles

The estimation of surface curvature is essential for a variety of applications in computer graphics because of its invariance with respect to rigid transformations. In this article, we describe a curvature estimation method for meshes by converting each planar triangular facet into a curved patch using the vertex positions and the normals of three vertices of each triangle. Our method interpolates three end points and the corresponding normal vectors of each triangle to construct a curved patch. Then, we compute the per triangle curvature of the neighboring triangles of a mesh point of interest. Similar to estimating per vertex normal from the adjacent per triangle normal, we compute the per vertex curvature by taking a weighted average of per triangle curvature. Through some examples, we demonstrate that our method is efficient and its accuracy is comparable to that of the existing methods.     

Individual finger contribution in submaximal voluntary contraction of gripping

The objective of this study was to evaluate individual finger force and contribution to a gripping force, the difference between actual and expected finger forces and subjective discomfort rating at 10 different submaximal voluntary contraction (%MVC) levels (10-100% in 10 increments). Seventy-two participants randomly exerted gripping force with a multi-finger force measurement system. The individual finger force, gripping force and discomfort increased as %MVC levels increased. The middle and ring fingers exerted more force and contributed to a gripping force more than the index and little fingers due to their larger mass fractions of the digit flexor muscles. It was apparent at <50% MVC; however, the index finger increased its contribution and exerted even more force than expected at more than 50% MVC. Subjective discomfort supported the results of the objective measures. This could explain the conflicting findings between index and ring fingers in previous finger contribution studies. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: Hand tool design is of special interest in ergonomics due to its association with musculoskeletal disorders in the hand. This study reveals a different contribution pattern of the fingers in submaximal voluntary contraction of gripping exertion.     

New series expansions for fundamental solutions of linear elastostatics in 2D

Series expansions of fundamental solutions are essential to algorithms and analysis of the null field method (NFM) and to analysis of the method of fundamental solutions (MFS). For linear elastostatics, new Fourier series expansions of FS are derived, directly from integration. The new expansions of the FS are simpler than those in Chen et?al. (J Mech 26(3):393?C401, 2010), thus facile to application in NFM and MFS. The new series expansions of FS in this paper are important to both theory and computation of linear elastostatics. Some computation of the MFS for linear elastostatics is provided, where the expansions of fundamental solutions are a basis tool in analysis. Numerical results of a simple example are reported, accompanied with error analysis.     

New receipt-free voting scheme using double-trapdoor commitment

It is considered to be the most suitable solution for large scale elections to design an electronic voting scheme using blind signatures and anonymous channels. Based on this framework, Okamoto first proposed a receipt-free voting scheme [30] for large scale elections. However, in the following paper, Okamoto [31] proved that the scheme [30] was not receipt-free and presented two improved schemes. One scheme requires the help of the parameter registration committee and the other needs a stronger physical assumption of the voting booth. In this paper, we utilize the double-trapdoor commitment to propose a new receipt-free voting scheme based on blind signatures for large scale elections. Neither the parameter registration committee nor the voting booth is required in our scheme. We also present a more efficient zero-knowledge proof for secret permutation. Therefore, our scheme is much more efficient than Okamoto’s schemes [30] and [31] with the weaker physical assumptions. Moreover, we prove that our scheme can achieve the desired security properties.     

Step-by-step improvement of MPS method in simulating violent free-surface motions and impact-loads

The violent free-surface motions and the corresponding impact loads are numerically simulated by using the Moving Particle Semi-implicit (MPS) method, which was originally proposed by Koshizuka and Oka [10] for incompressible flows. In the original MPS method, there were several defects including non-optimal source term, gradient and collision models, and search of free-surface particles, which led to less-accurate fluid motions and non-physical pressure fluctuations. In the present study, how those defects can be remedied is illustrated by step-by-step improvements in the respective processes of the revised MPS method. For illustration, two examples are studied; (i) dam breaking problem and (ii) liquid sloshing inside a rectangular tank. The improvement of each step is explained and numerically demonstrated. The numerical results are also compared against the experimental results of Martin and Moyce [12] for dam-breaking problem and Kishev et al. [9] for sloshing problem. The numerical results for violent free-surface motions and impact pressures are in good agreement with their experimental data.     

Broadband, red-edge information from satellites improves early stress detection in a New Mexico conifer woodland

Multiple plant stresses can affect the health, esthetic condition, and timber harvest value of conifer forests. To monitor spatial and temporal dynamic forest stress conditions, timely, accurate, and cost-effective information is needed that could be provided by remote sensing. Recently, satellite imagery has become available via the RapidEye satellite constellation to provide spectral information in five broad bands, including the red-edge region (690-730 nm) of the electromagnetic spectrum. We tested the hypothesis that broadband, red-edge satellite information improves early detection of stress (as manifest by shifts in foliar chlorophyll a + b) in a woodland ecosystem relative to other more commonly utilized band combinations of red, green, blue, and near infrared band reflectance spectra. We analyzed a temporally dense time series of 22 RapidEye scenes of a piñon-juniper woodland in central New Mexico acquired before and after stress was induced by girdling. We found that the Normalized Difference Red-Edge index (NDRE) allowed stress to be detected 13 days after girdling — between and 16 days earlier than broadband spectral indices such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Green NDVI traditionally used for satellite based forest health monitoring. We conclude that red-edge information has the potential to considerably improve forest stress monitoring from satellites and warrants further investigation in other forested ecosystems.