Emotions in human-computer interaction: the role of nonverbal behaviour in interactive systems

Until recently, the area of human-computer interaction was based on a traditional, cognitive approach, which separated the study of usability from that of emotions. The recent research has shown that emotions play an important role in our life, which led to focusing on the need of studying the emotions in the domain of interactive design. This paper underlines the role of emotions as part of the interactive human-computer process, reinstating the importance of nonverbal communication in this domain. The main issues of this paper are concerned with aspects such as: emotional design approach, the importance of nonverbal as an instrument of usability evaluation and the role of emotions in human-computer interaction.Emotional design approach, nonverbal communication, emotions, usability, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

Adaptive Optics Imaging Technique in Diabetic Retinopathy

Adaptive optics ophthalmoscopy opened a new era in the medical retina field. The possibility of obtaining high-resolution retinal images of photoreceptors and retinal vessels addresses new perspectives in retinal physiology and pathophysiology. The overwhelming incidence of diabetes in the global population justifies the need to develop and refine methods of diagnosing early retinal changes, in order to preserve vision and avoid complications. The current grading of diabetic retinopathy is based on clinical changes only. Nevertheless, imaging tools such as optical coherence tomography and optical coherence tomography angiography are also used for screening of this pathology. The corroboration of the information provided by these imaging methods may lay the foundations for a new approach to the definition and diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy

Influența calitǎții job-ului asupra creșterii performanțelor în activitatea de cercetare

Among the professional factors that influence performance in the research-development-innovation (RDI) activities are: quality of occupation, organization and management in RDI activity, professional development and organization resources. This article analyzes the influence of job quality in increasing the performance in RDI activities. The analysis was structured on three categories of factors that depend on the quality of employment, the quality of work and the professional development. The professional factors that have a great influence on performance (the average above 3.50) and that are linked to the quality of work are: salary level, flexibility of work schedule, work autonomy, job stability, individual work development program, and specialization stages

The Influence of Motivational Factors on the Performance in the Research Activity

In the present study, the motivational factors refer to all those factors that are associated with the researchers’ motivation and which have an influence on increasing the RDI activity performance. Consequently, the context is defined by the RDI activity, by the way it is organized and by the conditions under which the activity is carried out. Two categories of motivation were analyzed: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Performance in RDI occupations refers to the performance of the research staff. The present research aimed to analyze the influence of the motivational factors on the performance of RDI research staff. The results show that motivation plays an important role in increasing performance in RDI occupations. The mean values for intrinsic motivation are higher than those obtained for extrinsic motivation (mean factor of 4.27 versus 3.81)

Research and Science Today No.2

Research and Science Today Journal is a publication founded in 2011 and it is dedicated to the students of all levels (license, master and doctoral) of faculties in the country and abroad. We want to offer the participants the opportunity to present their scientific works in the following areas: Social Sciences, Economic Sciences, Legal Sciences, Humanities, Education Sciences, Engineering, Medicine and Sport. This journal provides students the opportunity to create and / or to improve their abilities to write scientific papers. So each appearance (two appearances per year at which we can add supplements) contains a number of papers written by students, masters and doctoral from the faculties from the country or / and abroad. The journal promotes original studies contributing to the progress of knowledge and it is motivated by the need to address issues of theory and practice in the areas mentioned above. The Journal is a training means of the factors involved in the conceptualization, development, implementation and evaluation , aiming the formation of creative personalities who could be able to adapt through the changing conditions of life. Journal wants to be a forum for debates disciplinaries and interdisciplinaries theoretical topics, to become a research support, to leverage this work at regional, national and international levels. We believe that this gathering will enjoy the support from both parts of the researchers and of the practitioners, and will provide appropriate training sources held professional through the current problems

Research and Science Today No.2

Research and Science Today Journal is a publication founded in 2011 and it is dedicated to the students of all levels (license, master and doctoral) of faculties in the country and abroad. We want to offer the participants the opportunity to present their scientific works in the following areas: Social Sciences, Economic Sciences, Legal Sciences, Humanities, Education Sciences, Engineering, Medicine and Sport. This journal provides students the opportunity to create and / or to improve their abilities to write scientific papers. So each appearance (two appearances per year at which we can add supplements) contains a number of papers written by students, masters and doctoral from the faculties from the country or / and abroad. The journal promotes original studies contributing to the progress of knowledge and it is motivated by the need to address issues of theory and practice in the areas mentioned above. The Journal is a training means of the factors involved in the conceptualization, development, implementation and evaluation , aiming the formation of creative personalities who could be able to adapt through the changing conditions of life. Journal wants to be a forum for debates disciplinaries and interdisciplinaries theoretical topics, to become a research support, to leverage this work at regional, national and international levels. We believe that this gathering will enjoy the support from both parts of the researchers and of the practitioners, and will provide appropriate training sources held professional through the current problems

Cetățeanul și provocările societății informaționale

From a digital perspective, the challenge of the 2018-2020 society possesses a digital skill background that allows not only to fit into a particular job, but also to engage in the long-life education and training system for individuals. Digital skills include: 1) the ability to search, collect, process information and use it in a critical and systematic way; 2) The use of tools to produce, present and understand complex information; 3) The ability to access, search and use Internet-based services and 4) using the information society technology to support critical thinking, creativity and innovation. To be digitally competent implies the possession of knowledge, abilities and skills appropriate for information and communication technology. The digital skill is one of eight key competences, implying a reliable and critical use of the entire ICT range in all areas. Key competences are considered all equally important, because each of them can contribute to a successful life in the knowledge society. This study aimed at highlighting the challenges of the information society and presenting a model of competences that enables citizens to cope with the digital challenges

Asistent software de evaluare a utilizabilității aplicațiilor web din domeniul medical

Accessing information and medical services is a fundamental human right, whether it is provided in the online or in the classical environment. The widespread of internet use has produced a change in the users’ preferences, shifting the attention towards electronic health care or monitoring services provided through medical Web applications. In this context, developers must provide quality information products capable of offering a proper functional framework for accomplishing specified tasks, with a focus on eliminating barriers that may hinder access to people with diminished physical or cognitive capabilities. As the ageing process brings substantial changes in the optimum functioning of a person, people over 65 years old are considered a vulnerable group, prone to isolation. The decline in vision, hearing, memory, cognitive or motor impairment, often leads to a difficult relationship with technology. Hence, the need to design interfaces that meet the specific needs and requirements of this category of users. This paper highlights the implementation phase and the main functions of a software tool dedicated to assist the usability evaluation of healthcare Web applications, in the case of elderly people. This tool supports evaluators in the registration of usability problems and in the collaborative consolidation of the results obtained from the evaluation process

An Experimental Study on Nano-Carbon Films as an Anti-Wear Protection for Drilling Tools

Carbon thin films of 50–100 nm thickness were synthesized by Pulsed Laser Deposition in vacuum at different laser fluences from 2 to 6 J/cm2. The deposited films were characterized by Raman spectroscopy for compositional assessment, scanning electron microscopy for morphology/thickness evaluations, and X-ray reflectivity for density, thickness, and roughness determinations. The films were ~100 nm thin, smooth, droplet-free, made of a-C:H type of diamond-like carbon. The mechanical properties of synthesized films were studied by nanoindentation and adhesion tests. The films that were obtained at low laser fluences (2, 3 J/cm2) had better mechanical properties as compared to those synthesized at higher fluences. The mean values of hardness were around 20 GPa, while the friction coefficient was 0.06. The deposition conditions of carbon thin films that displayed the best mechanical properties were further used to coat commercial drills. Both uncoated and coated drills were tested on plates that were made of three types of steel: Stainless steel 304, general use AISI 572 Gr 65 steel (OL60), and AISI D3 tool steel (C120). All of the drill edges and tips were studied by optical and scanning electron microscopes. The coated samples were clearly found to be more resistant, and displayed less morphological defects than their uncoated counterparts when drilling stainless steel and OL60 plates. In the case of C120 steel, carbon coatings failed because of the high friction between drill and the metal plate resulting in tip edges blunting that occurred during processing