Optimal locations and computational frameworks of FSR and IMU sensors for measuring gait abnormalities

Neuromuscular diseases cause abnormal joint movements and drastically alter gait patterns in patients. The analysis of abnormal gait patterns can provide clinicians with an in-depth insight into implementing appropriate rehabilitation therapies. Wearable sensors are used to measure the gait patterns of neuromuscular patients due to their non-invasive and cost-efficient characteristics. FSR and IMU sensors are the most popular and efficient options. When assessing abnormal gait patterns, it is important to determine the optimal locations of FSRs and IMUs on the human body, along with their computational framework. The gait abnormalities of different types and the gait analysis systems based on IMUs and FSRs have therefore been investigated. After studying a variety of research articles, the optimal locations of the FSR and IMU sensors were determined by analysing the main pressure points under the feet and prime anatomical locations on the human body. A total of seven locations (the big toe, heel, first, third, and fifth metatarsals, as well as two close to the medial arch) can be used to measure gate cycles for normal and flat feet. It has been found that IMU sensors can be placed in four standard anatomical locations (the feet, shank, thigh, and pelvis). A section on computational analysis is included to illustrate how data from the FSR and IMU sensors are processed. Sensor data is typically sampled at 100 Hz, and wireless systems use a range of microcontrollers to capture and transmit the signals. The findings reported in this article are expected to help develop efficient and cost-effective gait analysis systems by using an optimal number of FSRs and IMUs

A personal journey of studying positive psychology: reflections of undergraduate students in the United Arab Emirates

Background: An increasing number of undergraduate positive psychology courses offer students a holistic view of the broader discipline of psychology. Even short-term participation in positive psychology activities as part of a taught course may improve psychological well-being and lower stress. However, there is a dearth of qualitative evidence on how students experience this learning process. Objective: This study aimed to explore UAE-based undergraduate students’ reflections on their experiences of an elective positive psychology course and their participation in various positive psychology interventions (PPIs). Method: This qualitative study explored 21 UAE-based undergraduate students’ reflections on taking a semester-long positive psychology course, in which they participated in PPIs. The rich data from semi-structured interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Three main themes emerged, namely rethinking positive psychology, changes in perspective on happiness and search for positivity, and enhanced relationships. Conclusion and Teaching Implications: The study suggests that positive psychology may reach past the time and space of the taught course and have at least a short-term positive impact on students' mental and social lives. Findings from this study imply the potential of positive psychology in higher education and point towards further integration of such courses in undergraduate programs in the UAE and beyond

A wearable brain-computer interface controlled robot

Brain-computer interface (BCI) controlled systems hold great potential for clinical applications especially in assisting neurologically disabled patients to improve their communication processes [1]. Wearable electroencephalogram devices (EEG) are non-intrusive, meaning they do not require insertion of electrodes into the patient’s brain, and are available “off the shelf” with consumer-grade devices such as the MindWave [2]. While such EEG devices do not possess the same high resolution EEG capabilities of medical grade devices, their affordability does make the technology accessible to new applications, such as robotics control and mood deduction [3], and their wearable nature negates the need for invasive surgery. Campbell et al. [4] investigated the potential for wearable consumer grade EEG in creating a BCI. Their aim was to implement a BCI for simple mobile phone operation, which found that a simple task, winking, could be deduced from raw data with a relatively high accuracy, and with processing being performed on a smartphone device [4]. In doing this several limitations were highlighted with EEG devices, including a poor signal-to-noise ratio, which requires further processing to deduce useful information from raw data. Millan et al. achieved relatively sophisticated control of a mobile robot in a simulated environment with a non-intrusive BCI interface [5]. Combining machine learning with subject-device training, they were able to achieve “almost as efficient as manual control”. The primary objective of our project was to build a prototype hardware system to establish the proof of concept of controlling a robotic system by using a wearable EEG device. A very low-cost Arduino [6] based integrated electronics platform was used to implement the BCI controlled robot. The Arduino platform possesses several advantages, such as their affordability, and the large amount of open source hardware and software modules available. Combining MindWave [2] as the off-the-shelf EEG device with the Arduino platform enabled successful processing of wearer’s attention and mediation levels to be used as commands to control the robot. The levels of attention and mediation were calculated within the Mindwave device and transmitted to Arduino through Bluetooth as serial asynchronous data packets. Successful processing of these packets within Arduino eventually translated raw BCI data into useful commands. At the end, the project could demonstrate a priority based robust BCI control protocol, with further integration of sensor signals to the system

Forensic investigations of popular ephemeral messaging applications on Android and iOS platforms

Ephemeral messaging applications are growing increasingly popular on the digital mobile market. However, they are not always used with good intentions. Criminals may see a gateway into private communication with each other through this transient application data. This could negatively impact criminal court cases for evidence, or civil matters. To find out if messages from such applications can indeed be recovered or not, a forensic examination of the device would be required by the law enforcement authority. This paper reports mobile forensic investigations of ephemeral data from a wide range of applications using both proprietary and freeware forensic tools. Both Android and iOS platforms were used in the investigation. The results from the investigation uncovered various artefacts from the iOS device including account information, contacts, and evidence of communication between users. The Android device uncovered evidence of communications, and several media files assumed to be deleted within a storage cache in the Android file system. The forensic tools used within the investigations were evaluated using parameters from the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) mobile tool test assertions and test plan

Hasil Belajar Kognitif IPA Fisika Melalui Penerapan Pendekatan Open-ended Poblem Pada Materi Cahaya Di SMPN 17 Pekanbaru

Abstrack: This research aimed to describe students learning result by applying approach open-ended problem. Type of this research is a pre-experimental, with intact-group comparison design. The population and sample of this research is students class VIII at SMPN 17 Pekanbaru, total of 240 students. Sample of this using two class with technik random sampling, experimental class and control class. The data in this research is a score of absorption and effectivity learning physics by implementation of approach open-ended problem and analysis of the data uses descriptive analysis. The result of this research, score absorption and effectivity of students there is a difference, score average absorption and effectivity is 74,5 % at experimental class and then 62 % at control class. Therefore, it can be concluded that the implementation approach open-ended problem able to improve the learning result of student at SMPN 17 Pekanbar

Tingkat Keterlaksanaan Pendekatan Saintifik pada Mata Pelajaran IPA Berbasis Kurikulum 2013 Menurut Persepsi Siswa Kelas IX SMP Negeri Pekanbaru

This research aims to describe the level of implementation scientific approach in science based on Curriculum 2013 according to the perception of 9th grade student of SMP Negeri Pekanbaru. The research use survey method. The population is students of 9th grade SMP Negeri Pekanbaru, namely: SMPN 1 Pekanbaru, SMPN 6 Pekanbaru, and SMPN 23 Pekanbaru the totally is 771 students. The sample use Slovin with the error level is 5% of the population, while the sample is 263 students. The results of research the level of implementation scientific approach in science based on Curriculum 2013 according to the perception of 9th grade student of SMP Negeri Pekanbaru the score is 2.73 in the category quite well. It can be concluded that the application of the scientific approach to the learning process at schools with the maximum has not been done. It is caused by several factors, namely: the limited time, limited infrastructure such as infocus in the classroom, the teacher is less a creative learning

Hydrophobicity properties of graphite and reduced graphene oxide of the polysulfone (PSf) mixed matrix membrane

Hydrophobicity properties of graphite and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) (from exfoliated graphite/rGO) towards PSf polymer membrane characteristic and properties at different additives weight concentrations (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 wt. %) were investigated. Both PSF/graphite and PSf/rGO membranes were characterized in term of hydrophobicity, surface bonding, surface roughness and porosity. FTIR peaks revealed that membrane with graphite and reduced graphene oxide nearly diminished their O-H bonding which was opposite to the graphene oxide peak that shows a strong O-H bonding as increased exfoliated times. These results were in line with the contact angle results that showed strong hydrophobicity of graphite and reduced graphene oxide membranes as increased these additives concentration. The effect of strong hydrophobicity in these membranes also has resulted in smoother surface roughness compared to pristine PSf membrane. Further investigation of the performance of water flux also proved that both above membranes have strong hydrophobic effect, with the lowest pure water flux rate (L/m2h) was given by PSf/rGO 3% membrane at 19.2437 L/m2h