Design and evaluation of a smart library using the APEX framework

User experience is a key point for successful ubiquitous computing (ubicomp) environments. The envisaged design should be explored as soon as possible to anticipate potential user problems, thus reducing re-design costs. The development of ubicomp environments' prototypes might help, providing feedback on the users' reaction to the environments. This paper describes the design and evaluation of ubicomp environments using APEX, a rapid prototyping framework providing user experience via a 3D application server and connected physical devices. APEX prototypes allow users to explore and experience many characteristics of a proposed design, in a virtual world. The paper focus in particular the design and evaluation of a smart library in the APEX framework.(undefined

Avaliação de ambientes ubíquos na plataforma APEX

Este artigo descreve a avaliação de um ambiente ubíquo utilizando a APEX, uma plataforma de prototipagem rápida de ambientes ubíquos que permite que os utilizadores naveguem num mundo virtual, podendo experimentar muitas das funcionalidades da solução e do design proposto.Este trabalho é financiado por Fundos FEDER através do Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade – COMPETE e por Fundos Nacionais através da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia no âmbito do projecto FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-015095

Rapid development of first person serious games using the APEX platform: the asthma game

Serious games combine a ludic component with instructive and formative goals. They aim to educate and train through play. This paper explores the use of a development framework for dynamic virtual environments to develop serious games. The framework (APEX) was originally developed to prototype ubiquitous computing (ubicomp) environments. Here it is used to develop a first person serious game: the Asthma Game. This game aims to teach children with asthma how to act to prevent attacks by drawing attention to asthma triggers in the home, and by providing information about how to avoid them. Besides the description of the game, results about the viability and utility of the approach are also discussed.This work is funded by ERDF - European Regional Development Fund through the COMPETE Programme (operational programme for competitiveness) and by National Funds through the FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) within project FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-015095. Tiago Gomes and Tiago Abade are funded by grants with references BI2-2013 PTDC/EIA-EIA/116069/2009 UMINHO and BI1-2013 PTDC/EIA-EIA/116069/2009 UMINHO, respectively. The authors also thank the Taipas Group of Schools, and in particular Julia Correia and her students, for their collaboration in the user study

Smartpaddle® as a new tool for monitoring swimmers’ kinematic and kinetic variables in real time

Smart technology, such as wearables, applied to sports analysis is essential for performance enhancement. New technological equipment can promote the interaction between researchers, coaches, and athletes, facilitating information exchange in real time. Objective: The aim of this study was to present new wearable equipment (SmartPaddle®) to measure kinematic and kinetic variables in swimming and understand the agreement of the propulsive force variable with a pressure sensor system. Methods: Four male university swimmers (18.75±0.50 years old, 71.55±6.80 kg of body mass, and 175.00±5.94 cm of height) were analyzed. The SmartPaddle® and a pressure sensor system were used to collect the kinetic data (propulsive force). The comparison between the propulsive force methods was based on t-test paired samples, simple linear regression, and Bland-Altman plots. Results: SmartPaddle® is a system that consists of (i) a wearable device, (ii) the Trainesense Session Manager mobile application for recording, and; (iii) the Analysis Center for analysis and data storage. It records a set of kinematic and kinetic parameters useful for coaches daily. The comparison between the different methods revealed non-significant differences and a very-high relationship. Conclusion: SmartPaddle® is a feasible wearable device that swimmersswimmers can use can use to provide immediate data about their kinematic and kinetic profile. Coaches can easily monitor these parameters and give immediate suggestions to their swimmers on a daily basis.This work is supported by national funds (FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) under the project UIDB/DTP/04045/2020info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Developing serious games with the APEX framework

APEX was developed as a framework for the prototyping of ubiquitous computing (ubicomp) environments. In this paper we explore its role as a platform for developing serious games. In particular we describe the Asthma game which is aimed at raising awareness of Asthma triggers among children. The game is designed to stimulate a healthier life-style for children with ashma.This work is funded by ERDF - European Regional Development Fund through the COMPETE Programme (operational programme for competitiveness) and by National Funds through the FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) within project FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-015095

A virtual environment based serious game to support health education

APEX was developed as a framework for ubiquitous computing (ubicomp) prototyping through virtual environments. In this paper the framework is used as a platform for developing a serious game designed to instruct and to inform. The paper describes the Asthma game, a game aimed at raising awareness among children of asthma triggers in the home. It is designed to stimulate a healthier life-style for those with asthma and respiratory problems. The game was developed as the gamification of a checklist for the home environment of asthma patients

Jerusalem artichoke as low-cost fructose-rich feedstock for fossil fuels desulphurization by a fructophilic bacterium

Aims: Through biodesulphurization (BDS) is possible to remove the sulphur present in fossil fuels to carry out the very strict legislation. However, this biological process is limited by the cost of the culture medium, and thus, it is important to explore cheaper alternative carbon sources, such as Jerusalem artichoke (JA). These carbon sources usually contain sulphates which interfere with the BDS process. The goal of this work was to remove the sulphates from Jerusalem artichoke juice (JAJ) through BaCl2 precipitation viewing the optimization of dibenzothiophene (DBT) desulphurization by Gordonia alkanivorans strain 1B. Methods and Results: Using a statistical design (Doehlert distribution), the effect of BaCl2 concentration (0·125–0·625%) and pH (5–9) was studied on sulphate concentration in hydrolysed JAJ. A validated surface response derived from data indicated that zero sulphates can be achieved with 0·5–0·55% (w/v) BaCl2 at pH 7; however, parallel BDS assays showed that the highest desulphurization was obtained with the juice treated with 0·5% (w/v) BaCl2 at pH 8·73. Further assays demonstrated that enhanced DBT desulphurization was achieved using hydrolysed JAJ treated in these optimal conditions. A total conversion of 400 µmol l-1 DBT into 2-hydroxybiphenyl (2-HBP) in <90 h was observed, attaining a 2-HBP maximum production rate of 28·2 µmol l-1 h-1 and a specific production rate of 5·06 µmol-1 g-1(DCW) h-1. Conclusions: These results highlight the efficacy of the treatment applied to JAJ in making this agromaterial a promising low-cost renewable feedstock for improved BDS by the fructophilic strain 1B. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study is a fundamental step viewing BDS application at the industrial level as it accounts a cost-effective production of the biocatalysts, one of the main drawbacks for BDS scale-up

Biomechanics of Competitive Swimming Strokes

The aim of this chapter has two folds: (i): to perform a biomechanical characterization of the four competitive swimming strokes, based on the kinematics, kinetics and neuromuscular analysis; (ii) to report the relationships established between all the domains and how it might influence the swimming performance