103 research outputs found
Seamlessly Editing the Web
The typical process of editing content on the web is strongly moded. Authors are forced to switch between editing and previewing and publishing modes before, during, and after the editing process. This thesis explores a new paradigm of editing content on the web called seamless editing. Unlike existing techniques for editing content on the web, seamless editing is modeless, enabling authors to directly edit content on web pages without the need to switch between any modes. The absence of modes reduces the amount of cognitive complexity involved with the editing process. A software framework called Seaweed was developed for providing seamlessly editable web pages in any common web browser, and is shown that it can be integrated into any content management system. For the purposes of experimentation, the content management system WordPress was selected, and a plugin using the Seaweed framework developed for it that provided a seamlessly editable environment. Two experiments were conducted. The first study observed users with no or minimal experience with using WordPress, following a set of prescribed tasks, both with and without the plugin. The second study was conducted over a longer time period in a real-world context, where existing WordPress users were naturally observed using the plugin within their own blogs. Analysis of logged interactions and pre-questionnaires and post-questionnaires showed that, in both studies, the participants found the Seaweed software to be intuitive and the new way of editing content to be easily adaptable. Additionally, the analysis showed that the participants found the concept of seamless editing to be useful, and could see it being useful in many other contexts, other than blogs
Tangible user interfaces : past, present and future directions
In the last two decades, Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs) have emerged as a new interface type that interlinks the digital and physical worlds. Drawing upon users' knowledge and skills of interaction with the real non-digital world, TUIs show a potential to enhance the way in which people interact with and leverage digital information. However, TUI research is still in its infancy and extensive research is required in or- der to fully understand the implications of tangible user interfaces, to develop technologies that further bridge the digital and the physical, and to guide TUI design with empirical knowledge. This paper examines the existing body of work on Tangible User In- terfaces. We start by sketching the history of tangible user interfaces, examining the intellectual origins of this field. We then present TUIs in a broader context, survey application domains, and review frame- works and taxonomies. We also discuss conceptual foundations of TUIs including perspectives from cognitive sciences, phycology, and philoso- phy. Methods and technologies for designing, building, and evaluating TUIs are also addressed. Finally, we discuss the strengths and limita- tions of TUIs and chart directions for future research
Machine Learning-Based Data and Model Driven Bayesian Uncertanity Quantification of Inverse Problems for Suspended Non-structural System
Inverse problems involve extracting the internal structure of a physical system from noisy measurement data. In many fields, the Bayesian inference is used to address the ill-conditioned nature of the inverse problem by incorporating prior information through an initial distribution. In the nonparametric Bayesian framework, surrogate models such as Gaussian Processes or Deep Neural Networks are used as flexible and effective probabilistic modeling tools to overcome the high-dimensional curse and reduce computational costs. In practical systems and computer models, uncertainties can be addressed through parameter calibration, sensitivity analysis, and uncertainty quantification, leading to improved reliability and robustness of decision and control strategies based on simulation or prediction results. However, in the surrogate model, preventing overfitting and incorporating reasonable prior knowledge of embedded physics and models is a challenge. Suspended Nonstructural Systems (SNS) pose a significant challenge in the inverse problem. Research on their seismic performance and mechanical models, particularly in the inverse problem and uncertainty quantification, is still lacking. To address this, the author conducts full-scale shaking table dynamic experiments and monotonic & cyclic tests, and simulations of different types of SNS to investigate mechanical behaviors. To quantify the uncertainty of the inverse problem, the author proposes a new framework that adopts machine learning-based data and model driven stochastic Gaussian process model calibration to quantify the uncertainty via a new black box variational inference that accounts for geometric complexity measure, Minimum Description length (MDL), through Bayesian inference. It is validated in the SNS and yields optimal generalizability and computational scalability
Generation and optimisation of picosecond optical pulses for use in broadband communication systems
The continued growth of the internet driven by the demand for media rich content and escalating IP traffic has been fuelling the massive growth in demand for bandwidth to handle very high data rates. In order to meet this demand for capacity, optical multiplexing techniques such as wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), optical time division multiplexing (OTDM) and hybrid WDM/OTDM systems need to be utilised.
The development of a source of wavelength tunable picosecond optical pulses with excellent temporal and spectral purity at high repetition rates is extremely important for use in such high-speed optical communication systems. The technique of gain switching a commercially available laser diode and self seeding it is shown to be one of the simplest and most cost effective methods of generating transform limited, wavelength tunable pulses with a high Side Mode Suppression Ratio (SMSR).
This thesis examines the use of optical gain-switching for the generation of optical pulses that may be used in high-speed OTDM and WDM/OTDM systems. This work specifically deals with the investigation and characterisation of the SMSR and non-linear chirp of optical pulses generated using the gain-switching technique, and outlines how these characteristics, that may degrade system performance, can be optimised such as that optimum performance is attained. In particular, the work demonstrates the development of an optical pulse source with duration 30 dB, jitter 30 dB, that would be suitable for use in OTDM systems operating at 80 Gbit/s
Tecniche di protezione da interferenze elettromagnetiche: modellistica e prove sperimentali in camera riverberante
Electromagnetic interference and compatibility are problems that claim an increasing
attention in many environments, all over the world
Study to design and develop remote manipulator systems
A description is given of part of a continuing effort both to develop models for and to augment the performance of humans controlling remote manipulators. The project plan calls for the performance of several standard tasks with a number of different manipulators, controls, and viewing conditions, using an automated performance measuring system; in addition, the project plan calls for the development of a force-reflecting joystick and supervisory display system
A framework for flexible scheduling in real-time middleware
The traditional vehicle for the deployment of a real-time system has been a real-time operating system (RTOS). In recent years another programming approach has increasingly found its way into the real-time systems domain: the use of middleware. Examples are the so called pervasive systems (embedded, interactive but not mobile), and ubiquitous systems (embedded, interactive and mobile), e.g. hand-held devices. These tend to be dynamic systems that often exhibit a need for flexible scheduling because of their operating requirement; or their execution environment. Thus, today there is a true need in many realtime applications for more flexible scheduling than what is currently the stateof- prac'tice. By flexible scheduling we mean the ability of the program execution platform to provide a range of scheduling policies, all the way from hard real-time to soft real-time policies, from which an application can choose one most suited to its needs. Furthermore, some applications may need to be scheduled by one policy while others may need a different policy, e.g. fi'Ced priority or earliest deadline first (EDF) for hard real-time tasks, least slack time first (LST) or shortest remaining time for soft real-time tasks. It would be difficult for the middleware to expect this functionality from the RTOS. This would require a fine balance to be struck in the RTOS between flexibility and usability, and many years will probably pass until such approaches become mainstream and usable. 'This thesis maintains that this flexibility can be introduced into the middleware. It presents a viable solution to introducing flexible scheduling in real-time program execution middleware in the form of a flexible scheduling framework. Such a framework allows use of the same program execution middleware for a variety of applications - soft, firm and hard. In particular, the framework allows different scheduling policies to co-exist in the system and their tasks to share common resources. The thesis describes tlle framework's protocol, examines the different types of scheduling policies that can be supported, tests its correctness through the use of a model checker and evaluates the proposed framework by measuring its execution cost overhead. The framework is deemed appropriate for the types of real-time applications that need the services of flexible scheduling
SOLUTIONS FOR IMPERILED BAT CONSERVATION: INTEGRATING ECOLOGY, TECHNOLOGY, AND THE PUBLIC
Bat populations have plummeted in Missouri since the introduction of white-nose syndrome (WNS) in 2012, presenting challenges in researching understudied species’ habitat ecology. Frequently incorporated survey techniques, such as mist netting and radio-telemetry, have become unreliable post-WNS. In response to address the challenge of studying rare species, we explored the alternative strategies of acoustic monitoring, acoustic lures, and human dimension surveys that may enhance surveys. Our goals from these objectives included comparing the methods to recommend better management decisions for imperiled bat species post-WNS. For Chapter I, we surveyed three imperiled bat species in southeastern Missouri, including the northern long-eared bat Myotis septentrionalis, little brown bat Myotis lucifugus, and tricolored bat Perimyotis subflavus using mist-netting and acoustic monitoring. We assessed the efficacy of modern acoustic monitoring activities to more traditional approaches of mist-netting and radio-telemetry. We never captured northern long-eared bats or little brown bats during our mist net surveys, but we did detect them acoustically. Chapter II evaluated the acoustic lures’ success in increasing detection success of mist net and acoustic detector surveys. We captured two tricolored bats when we used an acoustic lure and detected them acoustically during the two years of the study. Our capture success allowed us to identify the first tricolored bat maternity roost within a Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) area in Carter County through radio-telemetry. We found our acoustic lure positively affected the acoustic activity of the endangered Indiana bat Myotis sodalis and big brown bat Eptesicus fuscus. We also assessed a human dimensions analysis to assess the level of public familiarity of bat species in Missouri, WNS awareness, perceived attitudes, and trust in the MDC. We found that respondents were less knowledgeable about WNS and bat natural history, despite their overall positive or neutral perception of bats. The public in our study trusted the MDC as a natural resource management agency. Both public trust and accurate knowledge of bat natural history and threats must be accounted for when suggesting forest management modifications to benefit our three imperiled target species
User satisfaction in PFI and non- PFI hospitals in the UK: in particular the outpatients’ department reception/waiting areas
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of BedfordshireFew studies have been undertaken which examine the correlation between design of the receptionl/waiting areas of the outpatients' departments and the implications for Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and non-PFI hospitals, in particular the interior environment with reference to user satisfaction. This study investigates to what degree user satisfaction has been achieved in the design of the receptionlwaiting areas in PFI and non-PFI hospitals.
The aim of the investigation is to determine whether user satisfaction can be achieved in PFI or non-PFI hospital environments, particular in the outpatients' department. To ascertain whether hospital environments facilitate user friendly and therapeutic characteristics/attributes conducive to user satisfaction, two strands of investigation were undertaken; a) investigation and analysis of PFI and non-PFI hospital design; b) the study of users (PFI and non-PFI) via questionnaire surveys and analysis of their perceptions. The research methods utilised combinations of qualitative information from interviews, discussions with hospital end users, architects/designers and Consortium executives. The surveys undertaken with patients, hospital staff and NHS Trust Managers provided quantitative data to measure the degree to which user satisfaction had been achieved.
The main findings of the design analysis identify the strengths and weaknesses in the design of the 'main' and 'sub' reception/waiting areas respectively. The results of the patient surveys, discussions and interviews revealed more positive perceptions of the hospital facilities for PFI hospitals and a general acceptance of the hospital facilities in the non-PFI hospitals. However, the other comments section of the questionnaires reveals some psychological needs of the user were not being met. The hospital staff surveys, discussions and interviews revealed the spatial planning was not ideal for their functional needs. The survey of NHS Trust Managers, Architects/Designers and Building Contractors revealed the difficulties associated with the collaborative process and the implications for the design development process, when reflecting upon 'cost effectiveness' and 'value for money' issues.
The conclusions drawn from the study suggest that there is a case for the standardisation of therapeutic environments in the development of 'new build' hospital projects via the design development and collaborative process. The recommendation (see p. 313) provides a design protoeo/that enhance and aids the design development process via selective expertise, which addresses the functional and psychological needs of the hospital end user
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