From Personal Memories to Sharable Memories

The exchange of personal experiences is a way of supporting decision making and interpersonal communication. In this article, we discuss how augmented personal memories could be exploited in order to support such a sharing. We start with a brief summary of a system implementing an augmented memory for a single user. Then, we exploit results from interviews to define an example scenario involving sharable memories. This scenario serves as background for a discussion of various questions related to sharing memories and potential approaches to their solution. We especially focus on the selection of relevant experiences and sharing partners, sharing methods, and the configuration of those sharing methods by means of reflection

Microcrystals as DAMPs and their role in joint inflammation

Microcrystals associated with joint diseases, namely monosodium urate, calcium pyrophosphate and basic calcium phosphate, can be considered as ‘danger signals' to the innate immune system and provoke inflammation through inflammasome-dependent as well as inflammasome-independent pathways. Direct crystal membrane interactions can also lead to cell activation. The result is the generation of IL-1β and other pro-inflammatory cytokines. The primacy of IL-1β in the case of gouty inflammation has been demonstrated by the efficacy of IL-1 inhibitors in clinical studies. These findings may be relevant to other diseases where crystal formation is found, such as OA and atherosclerosi

LOWER LIMB JOINT AND MUSCLE FORCES DURING SLOPED WALKING AT SELFSELECTED SPEED

The aim of this study was to analyse lower limb joint and muscle forces during level and sloped walking. Male participants (n=18, 27+-5 y, 1.80+-0.05 m, 75+-8 kg) walked at -speed at level and on a ramp (+-18"). Joint and muscle forces were analysed using a musculoskeletal model. Downhill walking increased maximum tibiofemoral and patellofemoral compression forces and decreased ankle compression forces, while uphill walking increased all analysed lower limb joint forces. Muscle forces were altered during sloped walking. Amongst others, downhill walking increased quadriceps (>248%) and decreased gastrocnemii (less than 63%) muscle forces in comparison to level walking. Uphill walking increased mean quadriceps (>57%) and gastmnemii (>40%) muscle forces. Results might be used for the development of rehabilitation and training procedures

Gout. Mechanisms of inflammation in gout

An acute attack of gout is a paradigm of acute sterile inflammation, as opposed to pyogenic inflammation. Recent studies suggest that the triggering of IL-1β release from leucocytes lies at the heart of a cascade of processes that involves multiple cytokines and mediators. The NLRP3 inflammasome appears to have a specific role in this regard, but the biochemical events leading to its activation are still not well understood. We review the known mechanisms that underlie the inflammatory process triggered by urate crystals and suggest areas that require further research

ANALYSIS OF MUSCLE FORCES DURING DOWNHILL WALKING

The aim of this study was to analyse gait parameters and to quantify lower extremity muscles forces in downhill walking at different inclinations. Ten healthy male subjects walked at self-paced and at constant pre-set speed of 4 km/h on a ramp at different inclinations of -18°, -12°, -6° and 0°. Muscle forces were analysed by a musculoskeletal model (AnyBody) and were divided in four groups: quadriceps, hamstrings, calf muscles and shin muscles. Results showed significant increases in quadriceps and decreases in calf muscle forces with increasing inclination. Furthermore, quadriceps muscle forces were affected by walking speed. Hamstrings, quadriceps and calf muscle forces can be correlated with hip, knee and ankle joint moments, respectively. Therefore, it can be concluded that forces of major muscle groups can explain the joint extension moments

The X-ray properties of Be/X-ray pulsars in quiescence

Observations of accreting neutron stars (NS) with strong magnetic fields can be used not only for studying the accretion flow interaction with NS magnetospheres, but also for understanding the physical processes inside NSs and for estimating their fundamental parameters. Of particular interest are (i) the interaction of a rotating neutron star (magnetosphere) with the in-falling matter at different accretion rates, and (ii) the theory of deep crustal heating and the influence of a strong magnetic field on this process. Here, we present results of the first systematic investigation of 16 X-ray pulsars with Be optical companions during their quiescent states, based on data from the Chandra, XMM-Newton and Swift observatories. The whole sample of sources can be roughly divided into two distinct groups: i) relatively bright objects with a luminosity around ~10^34 erg/s and (hard) power-law spectra, and ii) fainter ones showing thermal spectra. X-ray pulsations were detected from five objects in group i) with quite a large pulse fraction of 50-70 per cent. The obtained results are discussed within the framework of the models describing the interaction of the in-falling matter with the neutron star magnetic field and those describing heating and cooling in accreting NSs.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables, accepted by MNRA

GraphMaps: Browsing Large Graphs as Interactive Maps

Algorithms for laying out large graphs have seen significant progress in the past decade. However, browsing large graphs remains a challenge. Rendering thousands of graphical elements at once often results in a cluttered image, and navigating these elements naively can cause disorientation. To address this challenge we propose a method called GraphMaps, mimicking the browsing experience of online geographic maps. GraphMaps creates a sequence of layers, where each layer refines the previous one. During graph browsing, GraphMaps chooses the layer corresponding to the zoom level, and renders only those entities of the layer that intersect the current viewport. The result is that, regardless of the graph size, the number of entities rendered at each view does not exceed a predefined threshold, yet all graph elements can be explored by the standard zoom and pan operations. GraphMaps preprocesses a graph in such a way that during browsing, the geometry of the entities is stable, and the viewer is responsive. Our case studies indicate that GraphMaps is useful in gaining an overview of a large graph, and also in exploring a graph on a finer level of detail.Comment: submitted to GD 201

Light-Responsive Springs from Electropatterned Liquid Crystal Polymer Networks

Future robotic systems will have to adapt their operation to dynamic environments and therefore their development will require the use of active soft components. Bioinspired approaches toward novel actuation materials for active components rely on integrating molecular machines in soft matter, and ensuring that their nanoscale movement is amplified to the macroscale, where mechanically relevant motion is generated. This approach is successfully used in the design of photoresponsive soft springs and other mechanically active materials. Here, this study reports on a new approach where the operation of photoswitches and chiral liquid crystals are combined with an original and mask-free microscopic patterning method to generate helix-based movement at the macroscale, including light-driven winding and unwinding accompanied with inversion of handedness. The microscopic patterning is the result of the unique organization of cholesteric liquid crystals under weak electric field. At a higher level, the pitch and the handedness of the active springs are defined by the imprinted pattern and the angle at which the spring ribbons are cut in the material. These findings are likely to enable soft and responsive robotic systems, and they show how transmission of molecular operation into macroscale functional movement is enabled by materials design across multiple hierarchical levels.</p

THE USE OF THE GRADUAL YIELDING MECHANISM DURING DOWNHILL WALKING IN TRANSFEMORAL AMPUTEE GAIT – A CASE STUDY

To facilitate downhill walking in transfemoral amputees, some prostheses contain knee joints that have a yielding mechanism. The aim of this case study was to investigate 1) at which gradient unilateral transfemoral (UTF) amputees first utilised the yielding mechanism, 2) whether this mechanism is linked to altered spatio-temporal parameters and 3) if the switch occurs at a different gradient when the prosthetic ankle component is altered. Two UTF amputees walked at different slopes (0° to -15°) with an articulating and a rigid prosthetic ankle component. Results showed that the gradient at which the UTFs first used the yielding mechanism is highly individual (UTF1: -6°; UTF2: -12°). UTF2 showed with the switch a decreased speed, step & stride length. The use of an articulating compared to a rigid ankle component did not influence the yielding pattern

Light-Fueled Nanoscale Surface Waving in Chiral Liquid Crystal Networks

Nano-and micro-actuating systems are promising for application in microfluidics, haptics, tunable optics, and soft robotics. Surfaces capable to change their topography at the nano-and microscale on demand would allow control over wettability, friction, and surface-driven particle motility. Here, we show that light-responsive cholesteric liquid crystal (LC) networks undergo a waving motion of their surface topography upon irradiation with light. These dynamic surfaces are fabricated with a maskless one-step procedure, relying on the liquid crystal alignment in periodic structures upon application of a weak electric field. The geometrical features of the surfaces are controlled by tuning the pitch of the liquid crystal. Pitch control by confinement allows engineering one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) structures that wave upon light exposure. This work demonstrates the potential that self-organizing systems might have for engineering dynamic materials, and harnessing the functionality of molecules to form dynamic surfaces, with nanoscale precision over their waving motion