17,384 research outputs found
An evaluation of a three-modal hand-based database to forensic-based gender recognition
In recent years, behavioural soft-biometrics have been widely used to
improve biometric systems performance. Information like gender, age and ethnicity can be obtained from more than one behavioural modality. In this paper,
we propose a multimodal hand-based behavioural database for gender recognition. Thus, our goal in this paper is to evaluate the performance of the multimodal database. For this, the experiment was realised with 76 users and was
collected keyboard dynamics, touchscreen dynamics and handwritten signature
data. Our approach consists of compare two-modal and one-modal modalities
of the biometric data with the multimodal database. Traditional and new classifiers were used and the statistical Kruskal-Wallis to analyse the accuracy of the
databases. The results showed that the multimodal database outperforms the
other databases
Eavesdropping Whilst You're Shopping: Balancing Personalisation and Privacy in Connected Retail Spaces
Physical retailers, who once led the way in tracking with loyalty cards and
`reverse appends', now lag behind online competitors. Yet we might be seeing
these tables turn, as many increasingly deploy technologies ranging from simple
sensors to advanced emotion detection systems, even enabling them to tailor
prices and shopping experiences on a per-customer basis. Here, we examine these
in-store tracking technologies in the retail context, and evaluate them from
both technical and regulatory standpoints. We first introduce the relevant
technologies in context, before considering privacy impacts, the current
remedies individuals might seek through technology and the law, and those
remedies' limitations. To illustrate challenging tensions in this space we
consider the feasibility of technical and legal approaches to both a) the
recent `Go' store concept from Amazon which requires fine-grained, multi-modal
tracking to function as a shop, and b) current challenges in opting in or out
of increasingly pervasive passive Wi-Fi tracking. The `Go' store presents
significant challenges with its legality in Europe significantly unclear and
unilateral, technical measures to avoid biometric tracking likely ineffective.
In the case of MAC addresses, we see a difficult-to-reconcile clash between
privacy-as-confidentiality and privacy-as-control, and suggest a technical
framework which might help balance the two. Significant challenges exist when
seeking to balance personalisation with privacy, and researchers must work
together, including across the boundaries of preferred privacy definitions, to
come up with solutions that draw on both technology and the legal frameworks to
provide effective and proportionate protection. Retailers, simultaneously, must
ensure that their tracking is not just legal, but worthy of the trust of
concerned data subjects.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure, Proceedings of the PETRAS/IoTUK/IET Living in the
Internet of Things Conference, London, United Kingdom, 28-29 March 201
Policy Design for Controlling Set-Point Temperature of ACs in Shared Spaces of Buildings
Air conditioning systems are responsible for the major percentage of energy
consumption in buildings. Shared spaces constitute considerable office space
area, in which most office employees perform their meetings and daily tasks,
and therefore the ACs in these areas have significant impact on the energy
usage of the entire office building. The cost of this energy consumption,
however, is not paid by the shared space users, and the AC's temperature
set-point is not determined based on the users' preferences. This latter factor
is compounded by the fact that different people may have different choices of
temperature set-points and sensitivities to change of temperature. Therefore,
it is a challenging task to design an office policy to decide on a particular
set-point based on such a diverse preference set. As a result, users are not
aware of the energy consumption in shared spaces, which may potentially
increase the energy wastage and related cost of office buildings. In this
context, this paper proposes an energy policy for an office shared space by
exploiting an established temperature control mechanism. In particular, we
choose meeting rooms in an office building as the test case and design a policy
according to which each user of the room can give a preference on the
temperature set-point and is paid for felt discomfort if the set-point is not
fixed according to the given preference. On the other hand, users who enjoy the
thermal comfort compensate the other users of the room. Thus, the policy
enables the users to be cognizant and responsible for the payment on the energy
consumption of the office space they are sharing, and at the same time ensures
that the users are satisfied either via thermal comfort or through incentives.
The policy is also shown to be beneficial for building management. Through
experiment based case studies, we show the effectiveness of the proposed
policy.Comment: Journal paper accepted in Energy & Buildings (Elsevier
To take or not to take the laptop or tablet to classes, that is the question
In recent decades, so-called mobile learning or m-learning has become a new paradigm in education as a consequence of technological advances and the widespread use of mobile devices to access information and for communication. In this context, this paper analyzes different profiles depending on students’ preferences for taking mobile devices (specifically tablets and/or laptops) to economics classes at the University of Seville (Spain). A survey-based field study of a sample of 412 students and the application of bivariate probit models show a low level of mobile device integration in teaching (devices taken to class by only 29.8% of respondents) with a slight predominance of laptops. The results also show differences between users of the two types of devices. Students who take their laptops to class usually live at home with their family, have already used them in pre-university levels, and are concerned about recharging their devices in class. However, although users who take their tablets to class also live with their parents, they are much more active on social network sites and more concerned about the quality of the internet connection. These findings enable the design of strategies to encourage students to attend class with their own mobile devices
Mobile phones: a trade-off between speech intelligibility and exposure to noise levels and to radio-frequency electromagnetic fields
When making phone calls, cellphone and smartphone users are exposed to radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and sound pressure simultaneously. Speech intelligibility during mobile phone calls is related to the sound pressure level of speech relative to potential background sounds and also to the RF-EMF exposure, since the signal quality is correlated with the RF-EMF strength. Additionally, speech intelligibility, sound pressure level, and exposure to RF-EMFs are dependent on how the call is made (on speaker, held at the ear, or with headsets). The relationship between speech intelligibility, sound exposure, and exposure to RF-EMFs is determined in this study. To this aim, the transmitted RF-EMF power was recorded during phone calls made by 53 subjects in three different, controlled exposure scenarios: calling with the phone at the ear, calling in speaker mode, and calling with a headset. This emitted power is directly proportional to the exposure to RF EMFs and is translated into specific absorption rate using numerical simulations. Simultaneously, sound pressure levels have been recorded and speech intelligibility has been assessed during each phone call. The results show that exposure to RF-EMFs, quantified as the specific absorption in the head, will be reduced when speaker-mode or a headset is used, in comparison to calling next to the ear. Additionally, personal exposure to sound pressure is also found to be highest in the condition where the phone is held next to the ear. On the other hand, speech perception is found to be the best when calling with a phone next to the ear in comparison to the other studied conditions, when background noise is present
An Exploratory Study of Patient Falls
Debate continues between the contribution of education level and clinical expertise in the nursing practice environment. Research suggests a link between Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing (BSN) nurses and positive patient outcomes such as lower mortality, decreased falls, and fewer medication errors. Purpose: To examine if there a negative correlation between patient falls and the level of nurse education at an urban hospital located in Midwest Illinois during the years 2010-2014? Methods: A retrospective crosssectional cohort analysis was conducted using data from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) from the years 2010-2014. Sample: Inpatients aged ≥ 18 years who experienced a unintentional sudden descent, with or without injury that resulted in the patient striking the floor or object and occurred on inpatient nursing units. Results: The regression model was constructed with annual patient falls as the dependent variable and formal education and a log transformed variable for percentage of certified nurses as the independent variables. The model overall is a good fit, F (2,22) = 9.014, p = .001, adj. R2 = .40. Conclusion: Annual patient falls will decrease by increasing the number of nurses with baccalaureate degrees and/or certifications from a professional nursing board-governing body
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