Supporting multimedia user interface design using mental models and representational expressiveness

This thesis addresses the problem of output media allocation in the design of multimedia user interfaces. The literature survey identifies a formal definition of the representational capabilities of different media.as important in this task. Equally important, though less prominent in the literature, is that the correct mental model of a domain is paramount for the successful completion of tasks. The thesis proposes an original linguistic and cognitive based descriptive framework, in two parts. The first part defines expressiveness, the amount of representational abstraction a medium provides over any domain. The second part describes how this expressiveness is linked to the mental models that media induce, and how this in turn affects task performance. It is postulated that the mental models induced by different media, will reflect the abstractive representation those media offer over the task domain. This must then be matched to the abstraction required by tasks to allow them to be effectively accomplished. A 34 subject experiment compares five media, of two levels of expressiveness, over a range of tasks, in a complex and dynamic domain. The results indicate that expressiveness may allow media to be matched more closely to tasks, if the mental models they are known to induce are considered. Finally, the thesis proposes a tentative framework for media allocation, and two example interfaces are designed using this framework. This framework is based on the matching of expressiveness to the abstraction of a domain required by tasks. The need for the methodology to take account of the user's cognitive capabilities is stressed, and the experimental results are seen as the beginning of this procedure

Recyclable Pd(OAc)₂/Ligand/Al(OTf)₃ catalyst for the homogeneous methoxycarbonylation and hydrocarboxylation reactions of phenylacetylene

The Pd-catalyzed methoxycarbonylation reaction of phenylacetylene was studied making use of various promoters, including aluminum triflate and several other acid-type promoters of this reaction. The influence of the ligand (bidentate-type ligands and monodentate analogues) was found to be determinative of the success of the reaction. The catalyst was found to be recyclable through 10 catalytic runs. The unique results when using BINAP, relating to the selectivity for the branched product and the stability of the catalyst produced, led to a study on the sulfonated analogue thereof, with the intention of performing hydrocarboxylation reactions to directly prepare the carboxylic acid. The product obtained accordingly may be varied between the methyl ester or its carboxylic acid equivalent, depending on the solvent medium and the ligand employed

SCALE INSECT DIVERSITY IN CENTRAL AMERICA, WITH EMPHASIS ON THE SOFT SCALES (HEMIPTERA: COCCIDAE)

SCALE INSECT DIVERSITY IN CENTRAL AMERICA, WITH EMPHASIS ON THE SOFT SCALES (HEMIPTERA: COCCIDAE). Central America, which includes Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, has provided a continuous land bridge for the mixing of the floras and faunas of North and South America for millions of years. Due to their complex geological and climatic histories, these countries have experienced repeated invasions and establishment of flora and fauna from both North and South America and have served as centres of speciation and biotic diversification. Today, this area boasts one of the highest diversities of insect species and yet little is known about the scale insects of this region. This paper represents a summary of the current understanding of soft scale insect diversity and distribution for these seven countries of Central America, from which only 20 genera and 56 species of Coccidae are recorded. Key words: biodiversity, Neotropical region

Mid-Miocene cooling and the extinction of tundra in continental Antarctica

A major obstacle in understanding the evolution of Cenozoic climate has been the lack of well dated terrestrial evidence from high-latitude, glaciated regions. Here, we report the discovery of exceptionally well preserved fossils of lacustrine and terrestrial organisms from the McMurdo Dry Valleys sector of the Transantarctic Mountains for which we have established a precise radiometric chronology. The fossils, which include diatoms, palynomorphs, mosses, ostracodes, and insects, represent the last vestige of a tundra community that inhabited the mountains before stepped cooling that first brought a full polar climate to Antarctica. Paleoecological analyses, 40Ar/39Ar analyses of associated ash fall, and climate inferences from glaciological modeling together suggest that mean summer temperatures in the region cooled by at least 8°C between 14.07 ± 0.05 Ma and 13.85 ± 0.03 Ma. These results provide novel constraints for the timing and amplitude of middle-Miocene cooling in Antarctica and reveal the ecological legacy of this global climate transition

Some anomalies of the curved bar problem in classical elasticity

The classical formulation of the ‘homogeneous’ problem of a curved bar loaded only by and end force involves the assumption of an appropriate stress function with four arbitrary constants and the determination of these constants from the boundary conditions. Since there are five boundary conditions, four on the curved edge and one at the end, the solution is only possible because the coefficient matrix of the resulting algebraic equations is singular. This in turn means that certain inhomogeneous problems in which the curved edges are loaded by sinusoidally varying tractions cannot be solved using apparently appropriate stress functions.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/42677/1/10659_2004_Article_BF00041152.pd

1st International Workshop on Search and Mining Terrorist Online Content and Advances in Data Science for Cyber Security and Risk on the Web

The deliberate misuse of technical infrastructure (including the Web and social media) for cyber deviant and cybercriminal behaviour, ranging from the spreading of extremist and terrorism-related material to online fraud and cyber security attacks, is on the rise. This workshop aims to better understand such phenomena and develop methods for tackling them in an effective and efficient manner. The workshop brings together interdisciplinary researchers and experts in Web search, security informatics, social media analysis, machine learning, and digital forensics, with particular interests in cyber security. The workshop programme includes refereed papers, invited talks and a panel discussion for better understanding the current landscape, as well as the future of data mining for detecting cyber deviance

Validation of the Use of SEBS Blends as a Substitute for Liquid Silicone Rubber in Injection Processes

Liquid silicone rubber is an interesting material at an industrial level, but there are great difficulties in the design and machining of molds, and in addition, it cannot be processed using conventional equipment. Therefore, new lines of research have focused on the search for new materials capable of providing final properties similar to liquid silicone rubber, that can also be engineered using simple, conventional processes and machinery. In this investigation, a range of compatible blends, based on two commercial grades of styrene-b-ethyleneco- butylene-b-styrene (SEBS) thermoplastic elastomer, was studied in order to obtain a range of different Shore A hardness blends for industrial applications where liquid silicone rubber (different hardness) is currently used. The two blended elastomers used had widely differing Shore A hardness values (5 and 90). Once the blended materials had been characterized, the Cross and Williams et al. [20] (Cross-WLF) mathematical model was applied in order to obtain theoretical performance curves for the viscosity of each of the blends. After this, a model was developed using the Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) software package Autodesk Moldflow 2012TM. This computer modeling validated the results obtained from the mathematical models, thus making available to process engineers the full range of hardnesses necessary for industrial products (where liquid silicone rubber is used), while still providing the advantages of thermoplastic injection molding.The authors wish to thank "Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion" IPT-310000-2010-37 and Universidad Politecnica de Valencia PAID 10012 for their financial support.Juárez Varón, D.; R. Balart; T. Boronat; Reig Pérez, MJ.; Ferrándiz Bou, S. (2013). Validation of the Use of SEBS Blends as a Substitute for Liquid Silicone Rubber in Injection Processes. Materials and Manufacturing Processes. 28(11):1215-1221. doi:10.1080/10426914.2013.811732S121512212811Zhang, B., Wong, J. S.-P., Shi, D., Yam, R. C.-M., & Li, R. K.-Y. (2010). Investigation on the mechanical performances of ternary nylon 6/SEBS elastomer/nano-SiO2hybrid composites with controlled morphology. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 115(1), 469-479. doi:10.1002/app.30185Su, F.-H., & Huang, H.-X. (2009). Mechanical and rheological properties of PP/SEBS/OMMT ternary composites. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 112(5), 3016-3023. doi:10.1002/app.29875Sugimoto, M., Sakai, K., Aoki, Y., Taniguchi, T., Koyama, K., & Ueda, T. (2009). Rheology and morphology change with temperature of SEBS/hydrocarbon oil blends. Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics, 47(10), 955-965. doi:10.1002/polb.21699Jose, A. J., Alagar, M., & P. Thomas, S. (2012). Preparation and Characterization of Organoclay Filled Polysulfone Nanocomposites. Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 27(3), 247-254. doi:10.1080/10426914.2011.585490Ivanović, N., Marjanović, N., Grbović Novaković, J., Manasijević, M., Rakočević, Z., Andrić, V., & Hadžić, B. (2009). Experimental and Theoretical Investigations of Cured and Uncured Disiloxane Bisbenzocyclobutene Thin Films. Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 24(10-11), 1180-1184. doi:10.1080/10426910902978811Perisić, M., Radojević, V., Uskoković, P. S., Stojanović, D., Jokić, B., & Aleksić, R. (2009). Wood–Thermoplastic Composites Based on Industrial Waste and Virgin High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE). Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 24(10-11), 1207-1213. doi:10.1080/10426910903032212Iqbal, H., Sheikh, A. K., Al-Yousef, A., & Younas, M. (2012). Mold Design Optimization for Sand Casting of Complex Geometries Using Advance Simulation Tools. Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 27(7), 775-785. doi:10.1080/10426914.2011.648250Özek, C., & Çelık, Y. H. (2011). Calculating Molding Parameters in Plastic Injection Molds with ANN and Developing Software. Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 27(2), 160-168. doi:10.1080/10426914.2011.560224Hirschmanner, M., Mörwald, K., & Fröhlich, C. (2011). Next Generation Mold Level Control: Development of LevCon 2.0. Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 26(1), 169-174. doi:10.1080/10426910903206691Selvakumar, P., & Bhatnagar, N. (2009). Studies on Polypropylene/Carbon Fiber Composite Foams by Nozzle-Based Microcellular Injection Molding System. Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 24(5), 533-540. doi:10.1080/10426910902742738Gramegna, N., Corte, E. D., & Poles, S. (2011). Manufacturing Process Simulation for Product Design Chain Optimization. Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 26(3), 527-533. doi:10.1080/10426914.2011.564248Marković, G., Radovanović, B., Marinović-Cincović, M., & Budinski-Simendić, J. (2009). The Effect of Accelerators on Curing Characteristics and Properties of Natural Rubber/Chlorosulphonated Polyethylene Rubber Blend. Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 24(10-11), 1224-1228. doi:10.1080/10426910902967087Mehat, N. M., & Kamaruddin, S. (2011). Investigating the Effects of Injection Molding Parameters on the Mechanical Properties of Recycled Plastic Parts Using the Taguchi Method. Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 26(2), 202-209. doi:10.1080/10426914.2010.529587Chen, C.-C., Su, P.-L., Chiou, C.-B., & Chiang, K.-T. (2011). Experimental Investigation of Designed Parameters on Dimension Shrinkage of Injection Molded Thin-Wall Part by Integrated Response Surface Methodology and Genetic Algorithm: A Case Study. Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 26(3), 534-540. doi:10.1080/10426914.2010.530331Martinez, A., Castany, J., & Aisa, J. (2011). Characterization of In-Mold Decoration Process and Influence of the Fabric Characteristics in This Process. Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 26(9), 1164-1172. doi:10.1080/10426914.2010.536934Primo Benitez-Rangel, J., Trejo-Hernández, M., Alberto Morales-Hernández, L., & Domínguez-González, A. (2010). Improvement of the Injection Mold Process by Using Vibration Through a Mold Accessory. Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 25(7), 577-580. doi:10.1080/10426910903124902Chen, C.-C. (2011). Design of Effective Parameters on the Wick-Debinding Process for Powder Injection Molded Green Compact. Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 26(10), 1261-1268. doi:10.1080/10426914.2010.544826Boronat, T., Segui, V. J., Peydro, M. A., & Reig, M. J. (2009). Influence of temperature and shear rate on the rheology and processability of reprocessed ABS in injection molding process. Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 209(5), 2735-2745. doi:10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2008.06.013Cross, M. M. (1965). Rheology of non-Newtonian fluids: A new flow equation for pseudoplastic systems. Journal of Colloid Science, 20(5), 417-437. doi:10.1016/0095-8522(65)90022-xReig, M. J., Segui, V. J., & Zamanillo, J. D. (2005). Rheological Behavior Modeling of Recycled ABS/PC Blends Applied to Injection Molding Process. Journal of Polymer Engineering, 25(5). doi:10.1515/polyeng.2005.25.5.43

Point mutations confer loss of ATP-induced human P2X7 receptor function

AbstractResidues considered essential for ATP binding to the human P2X7 receptor (hP2X7R) were investigated. HEK293 cells or Xenopus oocytes were transfected with wild-type or site-directed mutants of hP2X7R constructs and channel/pore activity measured in the presence of ATP or 2′,3′-O-(4-benzoylbenzoyl)-ATP (BzATP). Barium uptake and ethidium influx into HEK293 cells were abolished in cells expressing K193A and K311A mutants, and were partially reduced in cells expressing mutant P210A. K193A and K311A mutations also completely abolished responses to ATP and BzATP in Xenopus oocytes as measured by electrophysiology. These results indicate that K193 and K311 are essential residues in ATP binding in the hP2X7R