Information visualization for mobile devices: A novel approach based on the MagicEyeView

Visualization on mobile devices not only means accommodating to a small screen space, but also widely different aspect ratios. Improving on the MagicEyeView algorithm, this paper presents a visualization technique that is better suited to screens with skewed aspects ratios. The presented approach is a focus+context visualization effort which employs distortion of coordinate scales and a "fisheye" technique. The visualization algorithm is evaluated in the problem domain of business management and the presentation of "Key Performance Indicators"

Integrating perceptual, device and location characteristics for wireless multimedia transmission

In this paper,we describe an investigation exploring user experiences of accessing streamed multimedia content, when that content is tailored according to perceptual, device and location characteristics. To this end, we have created pre-defined transmission profiles and stream perceptually tailored multimedia content to three different locations, each characterised by different infotainment requirements. In the light of our results, we propose that multimedia transmission to mobile and wireless devices should be made based on pre-defined profiles, which contains a combination of static (perceptual, device type, CPU speed, and display specifications) and dynamic information (streamed content type location of the device/user, context of the device/user). The evaluation of such a system showed that the users and service providers can gain from such an approach considerably, as user perceptions of quality were not detrimentally affected by QoS degradations. Consequently, service providers can utilise this information to effectively manage local network traffic and bandwidth

Distributed resource discovery using a context sensitive infrastructure

Distributed Resource Discovery in a World Wide Web environment using full-text indices will never scale. The distinct properties of WWW information (volume, rate of change, topical diversity) limits the scaleability of traditional approaches to distributed Resource Discovery. An approach combining metadata clustering and query routing can, on the other hand, be proven to scale much better. This paper presents the Content-Sensitive Infrastructure, which is a design building on these results. We also present an analytical framework for comparing scaleability of different distribution strategies

Distributed tuplespace and location management - an integrated perspective using Bluetooth

Location based or "context aware" computing is becoming increasingly recognized as a vital part of a mobile computing environment. As a consequence, the need for location-management middleware is widely recognized and actively researched. Location management is frequently offered to the application through an API where the location is given in the form of coordinates. It is the opinion of the authors that a localization API should offer localized data (e.g. direction to the nearest pharmacy) directly through a transparent and integrated API. Our proposed middleware for location and context management is built on top of Mobispace. Mobispace is a distributed tuplespace made for J2me units where replication between local replicas takes place with a central server (over GPRS) or with other mobile units (using Bluetooth). Since a Bluetooth connection indicates physical proximity to another node, a set of stationary nodes may distribute locality information over Bluetooth connections, and this information may be retrieved through the ordinary tuplespace AP

Location based mobile computing - a tuplespace perspective

This is the post-print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2006 IOS PressLocation based or "context aware" computing is becoming increasingly recognized as a vital part of a mobile computing environment. As a consequence, the need for location-management middleware is widely recognized and actively researched. Location-management is frequently offered to the application through a "location API" (e.g. JSR 179) where the mobile unit can find out its own location as coordinates or as "building, floor, room" values. It is then up to the application to map the coordinates into a set of localized variables, e.g. direction to the nearest bookshop or the local timezone. It is the opinion of the authors that a localization API should be more transparent and more integrated: The localized values should be handed to the application directly, and the API for doing so should be the same as the general storage mechanisms. Our proposed middleware for location and context management is built on top of Mobispace. Mobispace is a distributed tuplespace made for mobile units (J2me) where replication between local replicas takes place with a central server (over GPRS) or with other mobile units (using Bluetooth). Since a Bluetooth connection indicates physical proximity to another node, a set of stationary nodes may distribute locality information over Bluetooth connections, and this information may be retrieved through the ordinary tuplespace API. Besides the integration with the general framework for communication and coordination the middleware offers straightforward answers to questions like: Where is node X located? Which nodes are near me? What is the trace of node Y

Exploring Tai Chi in rheumatoid arthritis: a quantitative and qualitative study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, inflammatory and systemic disease which affects the musculoskeletal system. Exercise programmes are reported to improve physical functioning in patients with RA. Tai Chi is a traditional Chinese martial art which combines slow and gentle movements with mental focus. The purpose of this study was to study in which way Tai Chi group exercise impacted on disease activity, physical function, health status and experience in RA patients, applying quantitative and qualitative methods.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Fifteen patients with RA (13 females, age 33-70 years) were recruited from a rheumatology department into a single group study. The patients were instructed in Tai Chi exercise twice weekly for 12 weeks. Assessments at baseline, 12 weeks, and 12 weeks follow-up were performed with a wide range of measures, including disease activity, self-reported health status, physical performance tests (Walking in Figure of Eight, Timed-Stands Test, and Shoulder Movement Impairment Scale). Qualitative data were obtained from a focus group interview conducted after completed intervention with taping and verbatim transcription. Review of the transcripts identified themes important to patients practicing Tai Chi.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Within the group, Tai Chi practice lead to improved lower-limb muscle function at the end of intervention and at 12 weeks follow-up. Qualitative analyses showed that patients experienced improved physical condition, confidence in moving, balance and less pain during exercise and in daily life. Other experience included stress reduction, increased body awareness, confidence in moving and indicated that Tai Chi was a feasible exercise modality in RA.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Improved muscle function in lower limbs was also reflected when patient experiences with Tai Chi were studied in depth in this explorative study. The combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods shows that Tai Chi has beneficial effects on health not related to disease activity and standardised health status assessment, and may contribute to an understanding of how Tai Chi exerts its effects.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>NCT00522054</p

Responsiveness and Interpretability of 2 Measures of Physical Function in Patients With Spondyloarthritis

Background. Maintenance or improvement of physical function is an important treatment target in the management of patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA); measurement tools that can detect changes in physical function are therefore important.Objectives. The objective of this study was to compare responsiveness and interpretability of the patient-reported Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) and the Ankylosing Spondylitis Performed-Based Improvement (ASPI) in measuring change in physical function after exercise in patients with axSpA.Design. This was a sub-study of 58 patients nested within a randomized controlled trial comparing the effect of 12 weeks of exercise with usual care.Methods. Responsiveness and interpretability were assessed according to the Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement Instrument. Responsiveness was assessed by testing 8 predefined hypotheses for ASPI and BASFI. Interpretability was assessed by: (1) using patients' reported change as an anchor ("a little better" = minimal important change) and (2) by categorizing patients with a 20% improvement as responders.Results. For ASPI and BASFI, 5 of 8 (63%) versus 2 of 8 (25%) of the predefined hypotheses for responsiveness were confirmed. The minimal important change values for improvement in physical function were 3.7 seconds in ASPI and 0.8 points (on a scale from 0 to 10) for BASFI. In the intervention group, 21 of 30 (70%) and 13 of 30 (43%) of the patients were categorized as responders measured with ASPI and BASFI, respectively. There was a tendency towards a floor effect in BASFI, as 8 of 58 (14%) patients scored the lowest value at baseline.Limitations. This study was limited by its moderate sample size.Conclusions. Our findings suggest that ASPI is preferable over BASFI when evaluating physical function after exercise interventions in patients with axSpA.Orthopaedics, Trauma Surgery and Rehabilitatio

Do Illness Perceptions and Coping Strategies Change Over Time in Patients Recently Diagnosed With Axial Spondyloarthritis?

OBJECTIVE: It is unknown if in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) patients' illness perceptions and coping strategies change when disease activity changes. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with axSpA and with 1 or more follow-up visits (1 and/or 2 yrs in the SPACE cohort) were included. Mixed linear models were used for illness perceptions (range 1-5), coping (range 1-4), back pain (numeric rating scale range 0-10), health-related quality of life (range 0-100), physical and mental component summary (PCS and MCS; range 0-100), work productivity loss (WPL; range 0-100), and activity impairment (AI; range 0-100%), separately, to test if they changed over time. RESULTS: At baseline, 150 axSpA patients (mean age 30.4 yrs, 51% female, 65% HLA-B27+) had a mean (SD) numeric rating scale back pain of 4.0 (2.5), PCS of 28.8 (14.0), MCS of 47.8 (12.4), WPL of 34.1% (29.8), and AI of 38.7% (27.9). Over 2 years, clinically and statistically significant improvements were seen in the proportion of patients with an Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) of low disease activity (from 39% at baseline to 68% at 2 years), back pain (-1.5, SD 2.2), AI (-14.4%, SD 27.2), PCS (11.1, SD 13.3), and WPL (-15.3%, SD 28.7), but MCS did not change (0.7, SD 13.9; P = 0.201). In contrast, illness perceptions and coping strategies did not change over a period of 2 years. For example, at 2 years patients believed that their illness had severe "consequences" (2.8, SD 0.9) and they had negative emotions (e.g., feeling upset or fear) towards their illness ["emotional representation", 2.5 (0.8)]. Patients most often coped with their pain by putting pain into perspective ["comforting cognitions", 2.8 (0.6)] and tended to cope with limitations by being optimistic ["optimism", 2.9 (0.7)]. CONCLUSION: While back pain, disease activity, and health outcomes clearly improved over 2 years, illness perceptions and coping strategies remained remarkably stable

The Impact of Illness Perceptions and Coping on the Association Between Back Pain and Health Outcomes in Patients Suspected of Having Axial Spondyloarthritis: Data From the SPondyloArthritis Caught Early Cohort

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether illness perceptions and coping influence the relationship between back pain and health outcomes in patients suspected of having axial spondyloarthritis (SpA). METHODS: In the SPondyloArthritis Caught Early cohort, regression models were computed at baseline, with back pain intensity (range 0-10) as the determinant and health-related quality of life, the physical component summary score (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) of the Short Form 36 (SF-36) health survey, or work productivity loss as outcomes. Subsequently, using Leventhal's Common-Sense Model of Self-Regulation, illness perceptions and, thereafter, coping were added to the models. Analyses were repeated for patients diagnosed and classified as having axial SpA according to the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society axial SpA criteria (ASAS axial SpA), patients only diagnosed with axial SpA (axial SpA-diagnosed only), and those with chronic back pain. RESULTS: A total of 424 patients (145 with ASAS axial SpA, 81 with only a diagnosis of axial SpA, and 198 with chronic back pain); 64% of the total group were female, the mean ± SD age was 30.9 ± 8.1 years, and the mean ± SD symptom duration was 13.3 ± 7.1 months) were studied. In all patients, the strength of the associations between back pain and the PCS, back pain and the MCS score, and back pain and loss of work productivity were decreased by adding illness perceptions to the model, but explained variance improved. Adding coping to these models did not change the results. Comparable results were observed in all subgroups. CONCLUSION: Illness perception, but not coping, is important in the relationship between back pain and HRQoL and work productivity loss in patients suspected of having axial SpA, irrespective of subgroup. This finding suggests that targeting illness perceptions could improve health outcomes in patients suspected of having axial SpA