Mobile Instant Messaging Evidence in Criminal Trials

Mobile instant messaging, such as text messages, are a pervasive aspect of everyday life. The characteristics of the modern mobile instant messaging application, especially in comparison with other forms of more traditional electronic communication platforms, such as e-mail, text messaging, or computer-based instant messaging program, present a variety of evidentiary issues in trial. To be relevant, mobile instant messaging evidence must be connected to a genuine issue at trial and not too attenuated from it. Authentication is also very important in determining whether it may be considered a non-hearsay statement. Although often otherwise admissible, mobile instant messaging evidence may still be inadmissible if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the risk of unfair prejudice or other concerns of fairness. This comment examines the evidentiary issues surrounding the admissibility of the mobile instant messaging evidence in criminal trials, with particular emphases on the issues of authentication and the best evidence doctrine

Liquid Communication: An Analysis of the Impact of Mobile Micro-blogging on Communication and Decision-Making

One of the most common forms of using mobile and social media technologies is the use of micro-blogging such as Twitter on mobile devices. The ubiquity of mobile devices combined with the communication via social network service like Twitter can potentially host a number of significant changes in the way people communicate and make decisions in a group setting. Yet, there is no theoretical framework that can effectively predict or interpret the changes. Based on the Bauman’s ‘liquid modernity,’ we develop a new concept, ‘communication liquidity’ which illustrates the extent to which communication is dynamic. The communication liquidity consists of the three dimensions – temporal, spatial, and conversational. We posit that micro-blogging on a mobile device brings higher levels of the communication liquidity in these three dimensions, which in turn improve the outcomes of communication among the group members

Quasi-Static Analysis on Transoral Surgical Tendon-Driven Articulated Robot Units

Wire actuation in tendon-driven continuum robots enables the transmission of force from a distance, but it is understood that tension control problems can arise when a pulley is used to actuate two cables in a push-pull mode. This paper analyzes the relationship between angle of rotation, pressure, as well as variables of a single continuum unit in a quasi-static equilibrium. The primary objective of the quasi-static analysis was to output pressure and the analysis, given the tensions applied. Static equilibrium condition was established, and the bisection method was carried out for the angle of rotation. The function for the bisection method considered pressure-induced forces, friction forces, and weight. {\theta} was 17.14{\deg}, and p was 405.6 Pa when Tl and Ts were given the values of 1 N and 2 N, respectively. The results seemed to be consistent with the preliminary design specification, calling for further simulations and experiments

On the Optimality and Performance of PID Controller for Robotic Manipulators

Abstract-This paper suggests an inverse optimal PID control design method for mechanical manipulators. We find the Lyapunov function and the control law satisfying the disturbance input-to-state stability by using the characteristics of Lagrange system. Also, we show that the inverse optimal PID controller satisfies the HamiltonJacobi-Isaacs equation. Hence, the inverse optimality of the closed-loop system dynamics has been acquired through the PID controller, if some conditions for the control law are satisfied. Also, simple coarse/fine performance tuning laws are suggested based on the analysis for performance limitation of the inverse optimal PID controller

Polyaspartamide functionalized catechol-based hydrogels embedded with silver nanoparticles for antimicrobial properties

In this study, polyaspartamide-based hydrogels were synthesized by boron-catechol coordination followed by incorporation of AgNPs into the materials. Free catechol moieties were exploited to produce AgNPs. TEM analyses displayed AgNPs of less than 20 nm in diameter and with minimum aggregation, attesting the role of hydrogels to act as an efficient template for the production of dispersed particles. XRD analyses confirmed the mean particle size using the Scherrer equation. Release kinetic studies were performed in DMEM medium, showing a slow release over a long time-period. Finally, the MIC and MBC were determined, demonstrating a bacteriostatic and bactericidal effect against Gram-positive S. aureus and Gram-negative E. coli

Toward Green Synthesis of Graphene Oxide Using Recycled Sulfuric Acid via Couette-Taylor Flow

Developing eco-friendly and cost-effective processes for the synthesis of graphene oxide (GO) is essential for its widespread industrial applications. In this work, we propose a green synthesis technique for GO production using recycled sulfuric acid and filter-processed oxidized natural graphite obtained from a Couette-Taylor flow reactor. The viscosity of reactant mixtures processed from Couette-Taylor flow was considerably lower (???200 cP at 25 ??C) than that of those from Hummers' method, which enabled the simple filtration process. The filtered sulfuric acid can be recycled and reused for the repetitive GO synthesis with negligible differences in the as-synthesized GO qualities. This removal of sulfuric acid has great potential in lowering the overall GO production cost as the amount of water required during the fabrication process, which takes a great portion of the total production cost, can be dramatically reduced after such acid filtration. The proposed eco-friendly GO fabrication process is expected to promote the commercial application of graphene materials into industry shortly

Updates on the genetic variations of Norovirus in sporadic gastroenteritis in Chungnam Korea, 2009-2010

Previously, we explored the epidemic pattern and molecular characterization of noroviruses (NoVs) isolated in Chungnam, Korea in 2008, and the present study extended these observations to 2009 and 2010. In Korea, NoVs showed the seasonal prevalence from late fall to spring, and widely detected in preschool children and peoples over 60 years of age. Epidemiological pattern of NoV was similar in 2008 and in 2010, but pattern in 2009 was affected by pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009 virus. NoV-positive samples were subjected to sequence determination of the capsid gene region, which resolved the isolated NoVs into five GI (2, 6, 7, 9 and 10) and eleven GII genotypes (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 16 and 17). The most prevalent genotype was GII.4 and occupied 130 out of 211 NoV isolates (61.6%). Comparison of NoV GII.4 of prevalent genotype in these periods with reference strains of the same genotype was conducted to genetic analysis by a phylogenetic tree. The NoV GII.4 strains were segregated into seven distinct genetic groups, which are supported by high bootstrap values and previously reported clusters. All Korean NoV GII.4 strains belonged to either VI cluster or VII cluster. The divergence of nucleotide sequences within VI and VII intra-clusters was > 3.9% and > 3.5%, respectively. The "Chungnam(06-117)/2010" strain which was isolated in June 2010 was a variant that did not belong to cluster VI or VII and showed 5.8-8.2%, 6.2-8.1% nucleotide divergence with cluster VI and VII, respectively