Exploring computer-generated line graphs through virtual touch

This paper describes the development and evaluation of a haptic interface designed to provide access to line graphs for blind or visually impaired people. Computer-generated line graphs can be felt by users through the sense of touch produced by a PHANToM force feedback device. Experiments have been conducted to test the effectiveness of this interface with both sighted and blind people. The results show that sighted and blind people have achieved about 89.95% and 86.83% correct answers respectively in the experiment

Constructing sonified haptic line graphs for the blind student: first steps

Line graphs stand as an established information visualisation and analysis technique taught at various levels of difficulty according to standard Mathematics curricula. It has been argued that blind individuals cannot use line graphs as a visualisation and analytic tool because they currently primarily exist in the visual medium. The research described in this paper aims at making line graphs accessible to blind students through auditory and haptic media. We describe (1) our design space for representing line graphs, (2) the technology we use to develop our prototypes and (3) the insights from our preliminary work

Physical Condition, Sex, and Age-Class of Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders ( Plethodon cinereus

Nonforested habitats such as open fields and pastures have been considered unsuitable for desiccation-prone woodland salamanders such as the Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus). Recent research has suggested that Plethodon cinereus may not only disperse across but also reside within open habitats including fields, meadows, and pastures. However, presence and high densities of P. cinereus within agriculturally disturbed habitats may be misleading if these populations exhibit atypical demographic characteristics or decreased physical condition relative to forest populations. We surveyed artificial cover boards from 2004-2005 to compare physical condition, sex ratios, and age-class structure of P. cinereus among woodland, woodland-meadow edge, silvopasture, and meadow sites in the central Appalachian Mountains of southern West Virginia. Physical condition of salamanders was not significantly different among the four habitats. Furthermore, adult sex ratios of P. cinereus typically were not significantly different from 1 : 1 and were similar between forested and non-forested sites, although populations within silvopastures were biased towards females. However, adult salamanders were significantly more abundant than juveniles in all habitat types, with differences most pronounced within meadow habitats. Our study indicates that relatively small, non-forested habitats such as silvopastures and meadows may not adversely affect the overall physical condition or sex ratios of Plethodon cinereus. However, the paucity of juveniles within disturbed meadows indicates that these agriculturally modified habitats may negatively impact reproduction or that immature salamanders are at a physiological or competitive disadvantage in comparison to adults, particularly when surface cover is limited

Towards designing robust coupled networks

Natural and technological interdependent systems have been shown to be highly vulnerable due to cascading failures and an abrupt collapse of global connectivity under initial failure. Mitigating the risk by partial disconnection endangers their functionality. Here we propose a systematic strategy of selecting a minimum number of autonomous nodes that guarantee a smooth transition in robustness. Our method which is based on betweenness is tested on various examples including the famous 2003 electrical blackout of Italy. We show that, with this strategy, the necessary number of autonomous nodes can be reduced by a factor of five compared to a random choice. We also find that the transition to abrupt collapse follows tricritical scaling characterized by a set of exponents which is independent on the protection strategy

Implementasi Pendekatan Bottom-up dalam Perencanaan Pembangunan Desa di Kecamatan Tumpaan Kabupaten Minahasa Selatan

This study aims to determine how the Implementation of Bottom-Up Approach inRural Development Planning in The Subdistrict Tumpaan South Minahasa District, alsoto determine the extent of Implementation of Bottom-Up Approach in RuralDevelopment Planning can encourage community participation in rural development inSub Tumpaan South Minahasa District,In the methods used in this research is descriptive-qualitative method. Researchconducted in four villages that was taken from 10 villages in the District Tumpaan.Informant studies taken from various related elements, namely The Village Head, BPD,LPM, and Leaders/ Community Leaders entirety as many as 16 people. Date collectionusing interview techniques. The analysis technique used is qualitative analysisinteractive models of Miler and Hubermann.Based on the research result deduced: (1) Implementation of a bottom-upapproach to development planning in the village has been able to do well in the village inthe subdistrict Tumpaan; (2) Implementation of bottom-up approach the planning ofRural Development must be supported by harmonious cooperation between the relevantinstitution; (3) The implementation of bottom-up approach the Rural Developmentplanning is also supported by the participation of the entire communit

Zinc oxide films grown by galvanic deposition from 99% metals basis zinc nitrate electrolyte

The use of relatively low purity zinc nitrate for electrochemical deposition of compact ZnO films is attractive for large scale production because of the cost saving potential. ZnO films were grown on SnO2:F and magnetron sputtered ZnO:Al templates using a three electrode potentiostatic system in galvanic mode. The electrolyte consisted of a 0.1 M zinc nitrate solution (either 99.998% or 99% purity) and 1 mM aluminium nitrate for extrinsic doping, when required. Moderate deposition rates of up to 0.9 nm s−1 were achieved on ZnO:Al templates with lower rates of up to 0.5 nm s−1 on SnO2:F templates. Observation of SEM images of the films revealed a wall-like morphology whose lateral thickness (parallel to the substrate) reduced as aluminium was added to the system either in the electrolyte or from the substrate. However, pre- deposition activation of the template by applying a negative voltage (approximately −2 V) allowed the growth of compact films even for the low purity electrolyte. The optical band gap energy of intrinsically doped films was lower than that of the Al doped films. The composite electrical conductivity of all the films studied, as inferred from sheet resistance and Hall effect measurements of the ZnO/template stacks was much less than that of the uncoated templates. A strong E2 (high) mode at around 437 cm−1 was visible in the Raman spectra for most films confirming the formation of ZnO. However, both the Raman modes and XRD reflections associated with wurtzite ZnO diminished for the Al doped films indicating a high level of mainly oxygen related defects. Based on these data, further studies are underway to improve the doping efficiency of aluminium, the crystalline structure and thus the conductivity of such films

The Solar Neighborhood. XXXIV. A Search for Planets Orbiting Nearby M Dwarfs using Astrometry

Astrometric measurements are presented for seven nearby stars with previously detected planets: six M dwarfs (GJ 317, GJ 667C, GJ 581, GJ 849, GJ 876, and GJ 1214) and one K dwarf (BD $-$10 3166). Measurements are also presented for six additional nearby M dwarfs without known planets, but which are more favorable to astrometric detections of low mass companions, as well as three binary systems for which we provide astrometric orbit solutions. Observations have baselines of three to thirteen years, and were made as part of the RECONS long-term astrometry and photometry program at the CTIO/SMARTS 0.9m telescope. We provide trigonometric parallaxes and proper motions for all 16 systems, and perform an extensive analysis of the astrometric residuals to determine the minimum detectable companion mass for the 12 M dwarfs not having close stellar secondaries. For the six M dwarfs with known planets, we are not sensitive to planets, but can rule out the presence of all but the least massive brown dwarfs at periods of 2 - 12 years. For the six more astrometrically favorable M dwarfs, we conclude that none have brown dwarf companions, and are sensitive to companions with masses as low as 1 $M_{Jup}$ for periods longer than two years. In particular, we conclude that Proxima Centauri has no Jovian companions at orbital periods of 2 - 12 years. These results complement previously published M dwarf planet occurrence rates by providing astrometrically determined upper mass limits on potential super-Jupiter companions at orbits of two years and longer. As part of a continuing survey, these results are consistent with the paucity of super-Jupiter and brown dwarf companions we find among the over 250 red dwarfs within 25 pc observed longer than five years in our astrometric program.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in A

Transition-Metal-Doping of CaO as Catalyst for the OCM Reaction, a Reality Check

In this study, first-row transition metal-doped calcium oxide materials (Mn, Ni, Cr, Co., and Zn) were synthesized, characterized, and tested for the OCM reaction. Doped carbonate precursors were prepared by a co-precipitation method. The synthesis parameters were optimized to yield materials with a pure calcite phase, which was verified by XRD. EPR measurements on the doped CaO materials indicate a successful substitution of Ca2+ with transition metal ions in the CaO lattice. The materials were tested for their performance in the OCM reaction, where a beneficial effect towards selectivity and activity effect could be observed for Mn, Ni, and Zn-doped samples, where the selectivity of Co- and Cr-doped CaO was strongly reduced. The optimum doping concentration could be identified in the range of 0.04-0.10 atom%, showing the strongest decrease in the apparent activation energy, as well as the maximum increase in selectivity

On the General Analytical Solution of the Kinematic Cosserat Equations

Based on a Lie symmetry analysis, we construct a closed form solution to the kinematic part of the (partial differential) Cosserat equations describing the mechanical behavior of elastic rods. The solution depends on two arbitrary analytical vector functions and is analytical everywhere except a certain domain of the independent variables in which one of the arbitrary vector functions satisfies a simple explicitly given algebraic relation. As our main theoretical result, in addition to the construction of the solution, we proof its generality. Based on this observation, a hybrid semi-analytical solver for highly viscous two-way coupled fluid-rod problems is developed which allows for the interactive high-fidelity simulations of flagellated microswimmers as a result of a substantial reduction of the numerical stiffness.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figure

A thermodynamically self-consistent theory for the Blume-Capel model

We use a self-consistent Ornstein-Zernike approximation to study the Blume-Capel ferromagnet on three-dimensional lattices. The correlation functions and the thermodynamics are obtained from the solution of two coupled partial differential equations. The theory provides a comprehensive and accurate description of the phase diagram in all regions, including the wing boundaries in non-zero magnetic field. In particular, the coordinates of the tricritical point are in very good agreement with the best estimates from simulation or series expansion. Numerical and analytical analysis strongly suggest that the theory predicts a universal Ising-like critical behavior along the $\lambda$-line and the wing critical lines, and a tricritical behavior governed by mean-field exponents.Comment: 11 figures. to appear in Physical Review