STAK – Serendipitous tool for augmenting knowledge: A conceptual tool for bridging digital and physical resources

Humanities scholars have long claimed the importance of browsing in the library stacks as part of their research process. The digitization practices of libraries and archives, while meant to assist with preservation and access, make the physical browsing experience impossible. While there have been various attempts to recreate this experience online, none as yet has created a digital tool which users can interact with as they move through the physical material in the library. This paper aims to introduce the concept of the Serendipitous Tool for Augmenting Knowledge (STAK), a geolocative app that allows users to access material complementary to what they are looking at on library shelves. The authors outline the research behind STAK, the potential for locative media and augmented reality in libraries, and the design requirements for STAK. Finally, they outline two elements of serendipity that they hope to emulate in STAK: Noticing, and Capture and Recall. By enhancing the physical collection with digital information, STAK aims to bring scholars the best of both worlds, and to encourage them to return to the physical library to explore, learn, and browse. Depuis longtemps, les chercheurs des sciences humaines soulignent l’importance dans leur processus de recherche de parcourir des ouvrages dans les rayons des bibliothèques. Bien que les pratiques de numérisation des bibliothèques et des archives aient pour objet d’aider la préservation et l’accès, elles rendent aussi impossible l’expérience de la consultation physique sur place. Il y a bien eu diverses tentatives pour recréer cette expérience en ligne, mais aucune n’a jusqu’à présent créé un outil numérique avec lequel les usagers peuvent interagir alors qu’ils consultent physiquement la documentation dans la bibliothèque. Cet article vise à introduire le concept de Serendipitous Tool for Augmenting Knowledge (STAK) (Outil fortuit pour l’enrichissement de la connaissance), une application géo-locative qui permet aux usagers d’avoir accès à une documentation complémentaire à celle qu’ils recherchent dans les rayons de la bibliothèque. Les auteurs présentent la recherche motivant STAK, le potentiel des médias locatifs et de la réalité enrichie dans les bibliothèques, et les exigences de la conception de STAK. Enfin, ils soulignent deux éléments d’heureux hasard qu’ils espèrent imiter dans STAK: Constater, et Saisir et Rappeler. En optimisant la collection physique au moyen de l’information numérique, STAK vise à apporter aux chercheurs le meilleur des deux mondes, et à les encourager à retourner dans la bibliothèque physique pour explorer, apprendre et parcourir les ouvrages

Skin Manifestations of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a disease that affects the intestinal tract via an inflammatory process. Patients who suffer from IBD often have diseases that affect multiple other organ systems as well. These are called extraintestinal manifestations and can be just as, if not more debilitating than the intestinal inflammation itself. The skin is one of the most commonly affected organ systems in patients who suffer from IBD. The scientific literature suggests that a disturbance of the equilibrium between host defense and tolerance, and the subsequent over-activity of certain immune pathways are responsible for the cutaneous disorders seen so frequently in IBD patients. The purpose of this review article is to give an overview of the types of skin diseases that are typically seen with IBD and their respective pathogenesis, proposed mechanisms, and treatments. These cutaneous disorders can manifest as metastatic lesions, reactive processes to the intestinal inflammation, complications of IBD itself, or side effects from IBD treatments; these can be associated with IBD via genetic linkage, common autoimmune processes, or other mechanisms that will be discussed in this article. Ultimately, it is important for healthcare providers to understand that skin manifestations should always be checked and evaluated for in patients with IBD. Furthermore, skin disorders can predate gastrointestinal symptoms and thus may serve as important clinical indicators leading physicians to earlier diagnosis of IBD

Strength of concrete-filled steel box columns with local buckling effects

The key aspects and features of a nonlinear fiber element analysis method for predicting the strength and behavior of concrete-filled steel box columns with local buckling effects are discussed. The methods is quite useful in predicting the ultimate strengths and behavior of concrete slabs and can also be employed in the advanced analysis of composite frames

Performance-Based Optimization for Strut-Tie Modeling of Structural Concrete

Conventional trial-and-error methods are not efficient in developing appropriate strut-and-tie models in complex structural concrete members. This paper describes a performance-based optimization (PBO) technique for automatically producing optimal strut-and-tie models for the design and detailing of structural concrete. The PBO algorithm utilizes the finite element method as a modeling and analytical tool. Developing strut-and-tie models in structural concrete is treated as an optimal topology design problem of continuum structures. The optimal strut-and-tie model that idealizes the load transfer mechanism in cracked structural concrete is generated by gradually removing regions that are ineffective in carrying loads from a structural concrete member based on overall stiffness performance criteria. A performance index is derived for evaluating the performance of strut-and-tie systems in an optimization process. Fundamental concepts underlying the development of strut-and-tie models are introduced. Design examples of a low-rise concrete shearwall with openings and a bridge pier are presented to demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the PBO technique as a rational and reliable design tool for structural concrete

Microwave Components with MEMS Switches

RF MEMS switches with metal-metal contacts are being developed for microwave applications where broadband, high linearity performance is required. These switches provide less than 0.2 dB insertion loss through 40 GHz. This paper describes the integration of these switches into selected microwave components such as reconfigurable antenna elements, tunable filters, switched delay lines, and SPDT switches. Microwave and millimeter wave measured results from these circuits are presented

Deep learning at the shallow end: Malware classification for non-domain experts

Current malware detection and classification approaches generally rely on time consuming and knowledge intensive processes to extract patterns (signatures) and behaviors from malware, which are then used for identification. Moreover, these signatures are often limited to local, contiguous sequences within the data whilst ignoring their context in relation to each other and throughout the malware file as a whole. We present a Deep Learning based malware classification approach that requires no expert domain knowledge and is based on a purely data driven approach for complex pattern and feature identification

Size-dependent bandwidth of semipolar (1122) light-emitting-diodes

The limited modulation bandwidth of commercial light-emitting diodes (LEDs) is one of the critical bottlenecks for visible light communications. Possible approaches to increase the bandwidth include the use of micron sized LEDs, which can withstand higher current densities, as well as the use of LED structures that are grown on different crystal planes to the conventional polar c-plane. We compare c-plane InGaN/GaN LEDs with semipolar ( 112¯¯¯2 ) LEDs containing a 4- and 8-nm single quantum well. The modulation bandwidth of semipolar LEDs with active areas varying from 200×200 to 30×30μm2 is shown to be governed by both current density and size. A small signal bandwidth of over 800 MHz for a relatively low applied current density of 385 A/cm2 is reported for 30×30μm2 LEDs with 8-nm thick quantum well. An optical link using an easy non-return-to-zero ON–OFF keying modulation scheme with a data rate of 1.5 Gb/s is demonstrated