Tactile colour pictogram to improve artwork appreciation of people with visual impairments

A recent development in tactile technology enables an improvement in the appreciation of the visual arts for people with visual impairment (PVI). The tactile sense, in conjunction with, or a possibly as an alternative to, the auditory sense, would allow PVIs to approach artwork in a more self‐driven and engaging way that would be difficult to achieve with just an auditory stimulus. Tactile colour pictograms (TCPs), which are raised geometric patterns, are ideographic characters that are designed to enable PVIs to identify colours and interpret information by touch. In this article, three TCPs are introduced to code colours in the Munsell colour system. Each colour pattern consists of a basic cell size of 10 mm × 10 mm to represent the patterns consistently in terms of regular shape. Each TCP consists of basic geometric patterns that are combined to create primary, secondary, and tertiary colour pictograms of shapes indicating colour hue, intensity and lightness. Each TCP represents 29 colours including six hues; they were then further expanded to represent 53 colours. Two of them did not increase the cell size, the other increased the cell size 1.5 times for some colours, such as yellow‐orange, yellow, blue, and blue‐purple. Our proposed TCPs use a slightly larger cell size compared to most tactile patterns currently used to indicate colour, but code for more colours. With user experience and identification tests, conducted with 23 visually impaired adults, the effectiveness of the TCPs suggests that they were helpful for the participants.     

A DSP-Based Remote Control Laboratory

This paper presents a framework for rapid remote experiment implementation in the field of automatic control. The proposed solution is based on in-house developed embedded control hardware and two commercially available software packages. MATLAB/Simulink is used for rapid experiment control algorithm development, while LabVIEW is used for the user front-end and remote control. A combination of presented hardware and software solutions enables the rapid and easy creation of different interactive remote control experiments. Using this solution, a digital-signal-processor-based remote control laboratory for teaching purposes has been realized. This remote laboratory enables the remote users to easily interact with a set of physical control experiments through the Internet. In the friendly user interface, the remote user can change predefined system parameters and observe system response in textual, graphical, or video format. In addition, this remote laboratory includes a booking system, which enables remote users to book experiments in advance.     

Optical Investigation of the Effects of Substrate Orientation on Oxidation of Single Crystal β-NiAl

The residual stresses in -Al₂O₃ scales formed on high-purity FeCrAl and FeCrAlY during oxidation at 1200°C and subsequent cooling and reheating were studied using photostimulated luminescence spectroscopy. Systematic measurements of the stress in the oxide were made as a function of both alloy thickness and cooling rate and the development of stresses in the oxide scale during thermal cycling was investigated as a function of the temperature. Depending on the ratio of the alloy and oxide-scale thicknesses, substantial stress relaxation was observed to occur during cooling at a rate of 8 K/min. Compressive growth stresses of 1 GPa were determined by comparing the residual-stress measurements at room temperature with those calculated based on thermal-expansion mismatch. No significant differences in the growth stresses, the total residual stresses, or the stress relaxation during thermal cycling were observed between the oxides formed on the Y-doped and undoped FeCrAl samples. Stress relaxation is also shown to lead to the development of tensile stresses in the oxide scale under certain conditions, in particular, those associated with slow cooling followed by rapid heating.     

On-Chip-Integrated Nanowire Device Platform With Controllable Nanogap for Manipulation, Capturing, and Electrical Characterization of Nanoparticles

We propose and demonstrate nanowire (NW) device platforms on-chip integrated using electric-field-assisted self-assembly. This platform integrates from nanoprobes to microprobes, and conveniently allows for on-chip manipulation, capturing, and electrical characterization of nanoparticles (NPs). Synthesizing segmented (Au-Ag-Au) NWs and aligning them across predefined microelectrode arrays under ac electric field, we controllably form nanogaps between the self-aligned end (Au) segments by selectively removing the middle (Ag) segments. We precisely control and tune the size of this middle section for nanogap formation in the synthesis process. Using electric field across nanogaps between these nanoprobes, we capture NPs to electrically address and probe them at the nanoscale. This approach holds great promise for the construction of single NP devices with electrical nanoprobe contacts.     

Specific detection and quantification of palmitoyl-stearoyl-phosphatidylserine in human blood using normal-phase liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray mass spectrometry

We have made an immunohistochemical study of the vomeronasal (VN) complex of 12-day-old rats to characterize the innervation of its blood vessels. The VN complex can be subdivided into rostral, middle and caudal segments, each one with a particular vascularization pattern. Several small vessels were associated with the rostral segment, whereas a large venous sinus ran along the middle and caudal segments. Immunostaining for alpha-smooth muscle actin demonstrated that the muscular sheath was asymmetric, with more cells layers in its lateral than in its medial walls. Nerves were demonstrated with antisera against protein gene product 9.5 (PGP), and against several molecules associated with specific classes of nerve fibers: the C-terminal peptide of neuropeptide Y (CPON), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), substance P (SP), galanin (GAL), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS). The latter, was also studied with NADPH-diaphorase. Vascular associated fibers exhibited NOS-, CPON-, GAL-, CGRP-, SP- and VIP-immunoreactivity. Only the vessels of the rostral segment showed VIP-immunoreactive fibers. Each wall of the venous sinus exhibited different types of nerve fibers. CPON-, GAL-, CGRP- and SP-immunoreactive fibers concentrated in the medial wall, whereas NOS-immunoreactive ones concentrated in the lateral wall. This distribution of vascular fibers, plus the presence of sensory fibers exhibiting CGRP-, SP- and GAL-immunoreactivity within the pseudostratified epithelium of the VN tube, would be relevant to understand the operation of the pumping mechanism regulating influx and efflux from the VN tube.     

Neuroendocrine tumours in various organ systems in a ten-year period

Neuroendocrine cells are present in various organ systems. These widely distributed cells as well as their histogenetically related tumours can produce various peptides and peptide hormones. From 1984 to 1993, 349 neuroendocrine tumours were found among 511,382 histological diagnoses at the Institute of Pathology of the Medical School of the Karl Franzens University in Graz. In 30% carcinoid of the appendix was diagnosed, in 16% carcinoid of the colorectum, in 9% carcinoid of the small intestine and in 2% duodenal carcinoid. Carcinoid of the stomach was detected in 14%. Seven of these cases showed microcarcinoidosis and five of them were combined with an adenocarcinoma. Carcinoid of the oesophagus was present in 1%, neuroendocrine pancreatic tumours in 6%. Neuroendocrine tumours of the bronchial system were found in 12%, medullary thyroid cancer in 5%. In 1% a Merkel-cell tumour was diagnosed. Other more rare localizations of neuroendocrine tumours were the uterus, ovary, breast, testes, epididymis, anal region and the upper respiratory tract.     

Effect of Surface Roughness on Oxidation: Changes in Scale Thickness,Composition, and Residual Stress

The effect of surface roughness on the properties of the oxide scale formed on Fe–Cr–Al alloys during oxidation in air at high temperatures has been investigated. Large and systematic differences in scale thickness, in the composition of the oxides forming the scale, and in the residual stess levels are found.     

Chromium-oxide Growth on Fe–Cr–Ni Alloy Studied with Grazing-emission X-ray Fluorescence

Using grazing-emission X-ray fluorescence (GEXRF), isothermal oxidation of the alloys 55Fe–25Cr–20Ni and 55Fe–25Cr–20Ni(+0.3Y) (wt.%) were studied as a function of oxidation time at 750 °C in O₂. In addition, the effect of thermal cycling was studied. Using GEXRF, oxide thickness, the Cr-depletion zone in the substrate, and Fe and Ni concentrations in the oxide were monitored as a function of oxidation time. Scanning-electron microscopy was used to independently measure the Cr-depletion zone. Raman spectroscopy was used to measure the concentration of Fe₂O₃ appearing in the oxides in early oxidation (less than 2 h). Both GEXRF and Raman measurements show that the thermally-grown chromium oxide purifies with extended oxidation; initially abundant Fe₂O₃ became undetectable after 2 h of oxidation. However, the total Fe concentration was still ∼3% after 2 h but systematically decreased with further oxidation. Thermal cycling had no effect on these results.      

Virtual Laboratory for Creative Control Design Experiments

This paper proposes a two-step strategy for the computer-aided learning of control. A virtual Web-based laboratory for control design experiments (http://www.hl1.uni-mb.si), which supports a two-step strategy, is based on the MATLAB Web server (MWS) and consists of two virtual laboratories. The first virtual laboratory, called ldquoWeb sisotool,rdquo supports computer-aided control design and structured hands-on experiments. Computer-aided control design is welcome as a design tool while structured hands-on experiments are welcome for the visualization of hard-to-grasp concepts. The second virtual laboratory offers students an unstructured MATLAB-like environment, called ldquoM-file application,rdquo that allows students to create and design control design experiments by writing MATLAB M-files of their own and executing them on MWS. The presented virtual laboratory for control design experiments is cost effective and has already been successfully used for the learning of control. Student feedback is also presented.     

Influence of a Reactive Element on the Growth of a Thermally Grown Chromia Scale: A Grazing Emission X-ray Fluorescence Study

The oxidation of 55Fe–25Cr–20Ni (wt.%) alloys, with and without added reactive element (RE) Y, were studied using grazing-emission X-ray fluorescence (GEXRF). Samples were studied after isothermal treatments at 750°C in O2 and after cyclic-oxidation treatments. In early-stage oxidation, a Ni-rich scale is formed. The distribution of this early-stage Ni deposit is studied as the scale evolves. The Ni deposit, serving as a marker, remains on the outer scale surface in Y-containing alloys, but is not detectable in scales on Y-free alloys. The results indicate that new chromia scale growth occurs at the outer surface in Y-free alloys but, for Y-containing alloys, new growth occurs away from the outer surface. Thus, a shift in the growth mode is apparently observed at 750°C, consistent with higher-temperature observations. However, unlike the high-temperature measurements, scale-growth rates are not significantly affected by the RE.