Mobile information access in the real world: A story of three wireless devices

This is the post-print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2008 ElsevierThe importance of the user perspective to the wireless information access experience cannot be understated: simply put, users will not indulge in devices that are perceived to be difficult to use and in technologies that do not offer quality infotainment – combined information and entertainment – content. In this paper, we investigate the impact that mobile devices have on the user wireless infotainment access experience in practice. To this end, we have undertaken an empirical study placed in a ‘real-world’ setting, in which participants undertook typical infotainment access tasks on three different wireless-enabled mobile devices: a laptop, a personal digital assistant and a head mounted display device. Results show that, with the exception of participants’ level of self-consciousness when using such devices in public environments, the user wireless information access experience is generally unaffected by device type. Location was shown, though, to be a significant factor when users engage in tasks such as listening to online music or navigation. Whilst the interaction between device and environment was found to influence entertainment-related tasks in our experiments, the informational ones were not affected. However, the interaction effects between device and user type was found to affect both types of tasks. Lastly, a user’s particular computing experience was shown to influence the perceived ease of wireless information access only in the case of online searching, irrespective of whether this is done for primarily informational purposes or entertainment ones

Genetic Diversity in Zoysiagrass Ecotypes Based on Morphological Characteristics and SSR Markers

Zoysiagrass consists of a number of interfertile species, some of which are important grasses for turfgrass and grazing pasture in Japan. Recently, we developed simple sequence repeats (SSRs) markers from Zoysia japonica “Asagake” genomic DNA by enriched genomic library method (Yamamoto et al., 2002). Here we identify genetic diversity in 38 ecotypes of zoysiagrass (Z. matrella and Z. tenuifolia) from a group of southwest islands of Japan based on morphological characteristics and SSR markers

Oxygen ultra-fine bubbles water administration prevents bone loss of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in mice by suppressing osteoclast differentiation

Summary: Oxygen ultra-fine bubbles (OUB) saline injection prevents bone loss of glucocorti\coid-induced osteoporosis in mice, and OUB inhibit osteoclastogenesis via RANK-TRAF6-c-Fos-NFATc1 signaling and RANK-p38 MAPK signaling in vitro. Introduction: Ultra-fine bubbles (<200 nm in diameter) have several unique properties, and they are tested in various medical fields. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of oxygen ultra-fine bubbles (OUB) on glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIO) model mice. Methods: Prednisolone (PSL, 5 mg) was subcutaneously inserted in 6-month-old male C57BL/6J mice, and 200 μl of saline, OUB-diluted saline, or nitrogen ultra-fine bubbles (NUB)-diluted saline was intraperitoneally injected three times per week for 8 weeks the day after operations. Mice were divided into four groups; (1) control, sham-operation + saline; (2) GIO, PSL + saline; (3) GIO + OUB, PSL + OUB saline; (4) GIO + NUB, PSL + NUB saline. The effects of OUB on osteoblasts and osteoclasts were examined by serially diluted OUB medium in vitro. Results: Bone mass was significantly decreased in GIO [bone volume/total volume (%): control vs. GIO 12.6 vs. 7.9; p < 0.01] while significantly preserved in GIO + OUB (GIO vs. GIO + OUB 7.9 vs. 12.9; p < 0.05). In addition, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive cells in the distal femur [mean osteoclasts number/bone surface (mm−1)] was significantly increased in GIO (control vs. GIO 6.8 vs. 11.6; p < 0.01) while suppressed in GIO + OUB (GIO vs. GIO + OUB 11.6 vs. 7.5; p < 0.01). NUB did not affect these parameters. In vitro experiments revealed that OUB significantly inhibited osteoclastogenesis by inhibiting RANK-TRAF6-c-Fos-NFATc1 signaling, RANK-p38 MAPK signaling, and TRAP/Cathepsin K/DC-STAMP mRNA expression in a concentration-dependent manner. OUB did not affect osteoblastogenesis in vitro. Conclusions: OUB prevent bone loss in GIO mice by inhibiting osteoclastogenesis.This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-016-3830-1Noguchi T., Ebina K., Hirao M., et al. Oxygen ultra-fine bubbles water administration prevents bone loss of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in mice by suppressing osteoclast differentiation. Osteoporosis International 28, 1063 (2017); https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-016-3830-1

Development of Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) Markers and Their Use to Assess Genetic Diversity in Apomictic Guineagrass (\u3cem\u3ePanicum Maximum\u3c/em\u3e Jacq.)

Guineagrass is an important and widely grown tropical forage grass. Despite its importance and increasing popularity, only little is known about its genetic diversity (Ebina et al., 2001). Such information is useful for the selection of diverse parents in breeding programmes. Moreover, no simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers have been reported in any apomixis species. In this study SSR markers were developed and used to investigate genetic diversity in germplasm of apomictic guineagrass

Pervasive and standalone computing: The perceptual effects of variable multimedia quality.

The introduction of multimedia on pervasive and mobile communication devices raises a number of perceptual quality issues, however, limited work has been done examining the 3-way interaction between use of equipment, quality of perception and quality of service. Our work measures levels of informational transfer (objective) and user satisfaction (subjective)when users are presented with multimedia video clips at three different frame rates, using four different display devices, simulating variation in participant mobility. Our results will show that variation in frame-rate does not impact a user’s level of information assimilation, however, does impact a users’ perception of multimedia video ‘quality’. Additionally, increased visual immersion can be used to increase transfer of video information, but can negatively affect the users’ perception of ‘quality’. Finally, we illustrate the significant affect of clip-content on the transfer of video, audio and textual information, placing into doubt the use of purely objective quality definitions when considering multimedia presentations

Effects of switching weekly alendronate or risedronate to monthly minodronate in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a 12-month prospective study

Summary: Switching weekly ALN or RIS to monthly MIN in patients with RA, of whom two-thirds were treated with low-dose PSL, significantly decreased bone turnover markers and increased BMD at 12 months, suggesting that monthly MIN may be an effective alternative treatment option of oral bisphosphonate treatment. Introduction: The aim of this prospective, observational study was to evaluate the effects of switching weekly alendronate (ALN 35 mg) or risedronate (RIS 17.5 mg) to monthly minodronate (MIN 50 mg) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Patient characteristics were as follows: n = 172; 155 postmenopausal women, age 65.5 (44–87) years; T-score of lumbar spine (LS), −1.4; total hip (TH), −1.8; femoral neck (FN), −2.1; dose and rate of oral prednisolone (2.3 mg/day), 69.1 %; prior duration of ALN or RIS, 46.6 months; were allocated, based on their preference, to either the (1) continue group (n = 88), (2) switch-from-ALN group (n = 44), or (3) switch-from-RIS group (n = 40). Results: After 12 months, increase in BMD was significantly greater in group 3 compared to group 1: LS (4.1 vs 1.2 %; P < 0.001), TH (1.9 vs −0.7 %; P < 0.01), and FN (2.7 vs −0.5 %; P < 0.05); and in group 2 compared to group 1: LS (3.2 vs 1.2 %; P < 0.05) and TH (1.5 vs −0.7 %; P < 0.01). The decrease in bone turnover markers was significantly greater in group 3 compared to group 1: TRACP-5b (−37.3 vs 2.5 %; P < 0.001), PINP (−24.7 vs −6.2 %; P < 0.05), and ucOC (−39.2 vs 13.0 %; P < 0.05); and in group 2 compared to group 1: TRACP-5b (−12.5 vs 2.5 %; P < 0.05) at 12 months. Conclusions: Switching weekly ALN or RIS to monthly MIN in patients with RA may be an effective alternative treatment option of oral bisphosphonate treatment.This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-015-3369-6Ebina K., Noguchi T., Hirao M., et al. Effects of switching weekly alendronate or risedronate to monthly minodronate in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a 12-month prospective study. Osteoporosis International 27, 351 (2016); https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-015-3369-6