Designing for multi-user interaction in the home environment: Implementing social translucence

© 2016 ACM. Interfaces of interactive systems for domestic use are usually designed for individual interactions although these interactions influence multiple users. In order to prevent conflicts and unforeseen influences on others we propose to leverage the human ability to take each other into consideration in the interaction. A promising approach for this is found in the social translucence framework, which was originally described by Erickson & Kellogg. In this paper, we investigate how to design multi-user interfaces for domestic interactive systems through two design cases where we focus on the implementation of social translucence constructs (visibility, awareness, and accountability) in the interaction. We use the resulting designs to extract design considerations: interfaces should not prescribe behavior, need to offer sufficient interaction alternatives, and previous settings need to be retrievable. We also identify four steps that can be integrated in any design process to help designers in creating interfaces that support multi-user interaction through social translucence

First-principles elucidation of the surface chemistry of the C2Hx (x = 0–6) adsorbate series on Fe(100)

Ab initio total-energy calculations of the elementary reaction steps leading to acetylene, ethylene and ethane formation and their decomposition on Fe(100) are described. Alongside the endothermicity of all the formation reactions, the crucial role played by adsorbed ethyl as main precursor towards both ethylene and ethane formation, characterises Fe(100) surface reactivity towards C2Hx (x = 0–6) hydrocarbon formation in the low coverage limit. A comprehensive scheme based on three viable mechanisms towards ethyl formation on Fe(100), including methyl/methylene coupling, methyl/methylidyne coupling followed by one hydrogenation and methyl/carbon coupling followed by two hydrogenations, is the main result of this article

Exploring the experiences and coping strategies of international medical students

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Few studies have addressed the challenges that international medical students face and there is a dearth of information on the behavioural strategies these students adopt to successfully progress through their academic program in the face of substantial difficulties of language barrier, curriculum overload, financial constraints and assessment tasks that require high proficiency in communication skills.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This study was designed primarily with the aim of enhancing understanding of the coping strategies, skill perceptions and knowledge of assessment expectations of international students as they progress through the third and fourth years of their medical degree at the School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Australia.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Survey, focus group discussion and individual interviews revealed that language barriers, communication skills, cultural differences, financial burdens, heavy workloads and discriminatory bottlenecks were key factors that hindered their adaptation to the Australian culture. Quantitative analyses of their examination results showed that there were highly significant (p < 0.001) variations between student performances in multiple choice questions, short answer questions and objective structured clinical examinations (70.3%, 49.7% & 61.7% respectively), indicating existence of communication issues.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Despite the challenges, these students have adopted commendable coping strategies and progressed through the course largely due to their high sense of responsibility towards their family, their focus on the goal of graduating as medical doctors and their support networks. It was concluded that faculty needs to provide both academic and moral support to their international medical students at three major intervention points, namely point of entry, mid way through the course and at the end of the course to enhance their coping skills and academic progression. Finally, appropriate recommendations were made.</p

Attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy for studying adsorbates on planar model catalysts : CO adsorption on silica supported Rh nanoparticles

A sensitive method is presented for studying adsorption of gaseous species on metal surfaces in vacuum by attenuated total internal reflection Fourier transform IR spectroscopy (ATR). The method is illustrated by CO adsorption expts. on silica supported Rh nanoparticles. An exptl. setup and a procedure are described in detail to obtain a sensitivity of reflectance change of .apprx.5 * 10-5 absorbance units. Here, a silicon ATR crystal with a 50 nm layer of hydroxylated silica acts as the support for the Rh nanoparticles. These particles are easily prepd. by spincoat impregnation from a RhCl3 soln. followed by H2 redn. XPS before and after redn. shows that rhodium is reduced to Rh0 and that all chlorine is removed. At. force microscope images the distribution of the particles, which are 3-4 nm in height. When the crystal is exposed to pressures up to 1 mbar of CO, a gas which is inert to the silica support, the stretch vibration of linearly adsorbed CO on the Rh nanoparticles is detected at 2023 cm-1, while no bridged CO or geminal dicarbonyl species can be distinguished. The min. detectable coverage is estd. .apprx.0.005 CO per nm2 substrate area or .apprx.5 * 10-4 ML. [on SciFinder (R)

Hydrogen from electrochemical reforming of C1–C3 alcohols using proton conducting membranes

This study investigates the production of hydrogen from the electrochemical reforming of short-chain alcohols (methanol, ethanol, iso-propanol) and their mixtures. High surface gas diffusion Pt/C electrodes were interfaced to a Nafion polymeric membrane. The assembly separated the two chambers of an electrochemical reactor, which were filled with anolyte (alcohol&nbsp;+&nbsp;H2O or alcohol&nbsp;+&nbsp;H2SO4) and catholyte (H2SO4) aqueous solutions. The half-reactions, which take place upon polarization, are the alcohol electrooxidation and the hydrogen evolution reaction at the anode and cathode, respectively. A standard Ag/AgCl reference electrode was introduced for monitoring the individual anodic and cathodic overpotentials. Our results show that roughly 75% of the total potential losses are due to sluggish kinetics of the alcohol electrooxidation reaction. Anodic overpotential becomes larger as the number of C-atoms in the alcohol increases, while a slight dependence on the pH was observed upon changing the acidity of the anolyte solution. In the case of alcohol mixtures, it is the largest alcohol that dictates the overall cell performance. © 2017 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC</p

Sensory processing deficiencies in patients with borderline personality disorder who experience auditory verbal hallucinations

Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) are common in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). We examined two candidate mechanisms of AVH in patients with BPD, suggested to underlie sensory processing systems that contribute to psychotic symptoms in patients with schizophrenia; sensory gating (P50 ratio and P50 difference) and change detection (mismatch negativity; MMN). Via electroencephalographic recordings P50 amplitude, P50 ratio, P50 difference and MMN amplitude were compared between 23 borderline patients with and 25 without AVH, and 26 healthy controls. Borderline patients with AVH had a significantly lower P50 difference compared with healthy controls, whereas no difference was found between borderline patients without AVH and healthy controls. The groups did not differ on MMN amplitude. The impaired sensory gating in patients with borderline personality disorder who experience AVH implies that P50 sensory gating deficiencies may underlie psychotic vulnerability in this specific patient group. Patients with borderline personality disorder with or without AVH did not have problems with auditory change detection. This may explain why they are spared from the poor outcome associated with negative symptoms and symptoms of disorganization in patients with chronic schizophrenia