Inclusive Digital Wallet – a field guide on enhancing the user interface design of an everyday object

The purpose of this study is to build upon past work on digital wallets to establish design requirements for an inclusive digital wallet(s). This research takes an inclusive design approach to define the design requirements, such that the design will be suitable for a wide range of people. The literature review shows a limited number of studies on how textile wallet design informs the design of digital wallets. This research contributes to this topic by combining the concepts of Inclusive Design with the AEIOU framework and Human-Artifact Model to reimagine the design of digital wallets. Rich qualitative information regarding habits and existing textile wallet preferences was gathered by conducting semi-structured interviews with potential users who had visual and dexterity challenges. Three different forms of digital wallet designs were also evaluated during the interviews. The results are presentedto provide a new understanding of digital wallet design in the domain of Inclusive Design

Turbulent Binary Fluids: A Shell Model Study

We introduce a shell (``GOY'') model for turbulent binary fluids. The variation in the concentration between the two fluids acts as an active scalar leading to a redefined conservation law for the energy, which is incorporated into the model together with a conservation law for the scalar. The model is studied numerically at very high values of the Prandtl and Reynolds numbers and we investigate the properties close to the critical point of the miscibility gap where the diffusivity vanishes. A peak develops in the spectrum of the scalar, showing that a strongly turbulent flow leads to an increase in the mixing time. The peak is, however, not very pronounced. The mixing time diverges with the Prandtl number as a power law with an exponent of approximately 0.9. The continuum limit of the shell equations leads to a set of equations which can be solved by a scaling ansatz, consistent with an exact scaling of the Navier-Stokes equations in the inertial range. In this case a weak peak also persists for a certain time in the spectrum of the scalar. Exact analytic solutions of the continuous shell equations are derived in the inertial range. Starting with fluids at rest, from an initial variation of the concentration difference, one can provoke a ``spontaneous'' generation of a velocity field, analogous to MHD in the early universe.Comment: 25 pages including 9 figures in epsf. Some figures have been revised, and a few comments have been inserted in the text. To be published in Physic

Evaluation of anti-oxidant capacity of root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, in comparison with roots of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb and Panax ginseng CA Meyer

In Chinese communities, regular consumption of Chinese-medicated diets (CMD) (usually in the form of soup) is a traditional practice to promote health and prevent disease development. The overall improvement of health conditions is believed to be correlated with the anti-oxidant potentials of these herbs. Huangqin, roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Lamiaceae), is one of the herbs commonly used in CMD. In this study, the anti-oxidant capacities of Huangqin extracts (water, ethanol and ether extracts) were evaluated and compared to commonly used CMD herbs, Heshouwu, roots of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb (Polygonaceae) and Renshen (or Ginseng), roots of Panax ginseng CA Meyer (Araliaceae). The anti-oxidant capacities were measured by using both cell-free assay [ferric reducing/anti-oxidant power (FRAP)] and biological methods [2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) (AAPH)-induced haemolysis assay and H 2O2-induced cell damage on H9C2 cells]. Additionally, the total phenolic content was measured using Folin-Ciocalteu methods. Water extract of Huangqin has the highest anti-oxidant activities compared to the ethanol and ether extracts. A positive relationship between the anti-oxidant effects and total phenolic contents of extracts was demonstrated. This shows that Huangqin could be an effective dietary anti-oxidant that can be consumed regularly as a functional food for the prevention of oxidant/free radical-related diseases

Challenge with innate and protein antigens induces CCR7 expression by microglia in vitro and in vivo

Since activated microglia are able to phagocytose damaged cells and subsequently express major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) and co-stimulatory proteins, they are considered to function as antigen presenting cells (APCs) in the central nervous system. The maturation and migratory potential of professional APCs is associated with the expression of chemokine receptor CCR7. We therefore investigated whether the immunological activation of microglia induces CCR7 expression. We here present that activation of cultured microglia by both the innate antigen lipopolysaccharide and protein antigen ovalbumin rapidly induces CCR7 expression, accompanied by increased MHC-II expression. Moreover, it is shown that CCR7 expression in IBA-1 positive cells is induced during the symptom onset and progression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a rodent model for multiple sclerosis. These results suggest that microglia express CCR7 under specific inflammatory conditions, corroborating the idea that microglia develop into APCs with migratory potential toward lymphoid chemokines. (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc