A User-Focused Reference Model for Wireless Systems Beyond 3G

This whitepaper describes a proposal from Working Group 1, the Human Perspective of the Wireless World, for a user-focused reference model for systems beyond 3G. The general structure of the proposed model involves two "planes": the Value Plane and the Capability Plane. The characteristics of these planes are discussed in detail and an example application of the model to a specific scenario for the wireless world is provided

The kindest cut: Enhancing the user experience of mobile tv through adequate zooming

The growing market of Mobile TV requires automated adaptation of standard TV footage to small size displays. Especially extreme long shots (XLS) depicting distant objects can spoil the user experience, e.g. in soccer content. Automated zooming schemes can improve the visual experience if the resulting footage meets user expectations in terms of the visual detail and quality but does not omit valuable context information. Current zooming schemes are ignorant of beneficial zoom ranges for a given target size when applied to standard definition TV footage. In two experiments 84 participants were able to switch between original and zoom enhanced soccer footage at three sizes - from 320x240 (QVGA) down to 176x144 (QCIF). Eye tracking and subjective ratings showed that zoom factors between 1.14 and 1.33 were preferred for all sizes. Interviews revealed that a zoom factor of 1.6 was too high for QVGA content due to low perceived video quality, but beneficial for QCIF size. The optimal zoom depended on the target display size. We include a function to compute the optimal zoom for XLS depending on the target device size. It can be applied in automatic content adaptation schemes and should stimulate further research on the requirements of different shot types in video coding

Teaching Academic Vocabulary in Mathematics to English Language Learners

The purpose of this research was to explore the effects of explicit academic vocabulary instruction in mathematics on English language learners’ understanding of mathematics concepts. The study took place in a third-grade classroom, where 50% of the students were English language learners. Data collection methods included pre- and post assessments, student self-assessment ratings, teacher reflections, and student discussion questions. Results of the study indicated positive increases in assessment scores for students at all levels of English language proficiency. Going forward, the teacher researcher will continue to use vocabulary journals, discussions, activities, and games in her classroom to provide multiple opportunities for her students to practice the academic vocabulary in mathematics. Future research topics include strategies to further support level 1 English language learners in the classroom

The head or the heart? Measuring the impact of media quality

The number of multimedia applications is constantly increasing. Subjective methods are typically used to determine the level of media quality required in applications, yet recent findings have shown that these have limitations. This paper introduces an objective method for assessing media quality measunng physiological indicators of stress. An experiment examining the impact of video frame rate is presented. With low frame rates, physiological measurements indicated that users were under strain, even though subjectively most reported no differences between low and high frame rates. We conclude that the evaluation of media quality should not be conducted using solely subjective methods

Transmission of primary resistance mutation K103N in a cluster of Belgian young patients from different risk groups

Background: We analysed the distribution of an HIV-1 subtype B strain resistant to efavirenz and nevirapine among incident infections in the Belgian population. Method: The Belgian AIDS reference laboratories searched their databases for HIV-1 subtype B sequences harbouring the K103N mutation in the reverse transcriptase (RT) or the C67S and V77I mutations in the protease (PR). We included the earliest RT sequence available of drug-naïve patients as well as sequences related to treatment failure. Fifty sequences were aligned omitting the codon 103 and submitted to phylogenetic analysis. Epidemiological data were collected through the Institute of Public Health national database. In addition, three sequences from the cluster were analysed by deep sequencing using the Roche GS Junior platform. Results: Phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of a 24 virus sequences cluster. All except one of those sequences resulted from patients who were ARV-naïve at the time of sampling, and 21 had the K103N mutation. Two thirds of the clustered patients were infected through homosexual or bisexual contacts while the others were heterosexuals. No case was related to migrants contaminated abroad. Fifteen of the clustered patients were diagnosed between January 2011 and June 2012; 87% of them were aged between 20 and 29 at the time of diagnosis. Interestingly, 60% of them reside in the province of Namur. Deep sequencing analysis of 3 individuals sampled near seroconversion revealed no other resistance mutations at a frequency > 1% than those already picked up by Sanger sequencing (RT A98S, K103N; PR V77I), except the RT V90I. Conclusion: We identified a transmission cluster of drug resistant HIV-1 variants mainly including homo- and heterosexual young adults. Most individuals are of Belgian origin and are living around the city of Namur (Belgium). The K103N mutation had no apparent impact on transmission fitness as its spread raised during the last years. These observations may impact on local prevention and ARV prophylaxis strategies

In Search for the Right Measure: Assessing Types of Developed Knowledge While Using a Gamified Web Toolkit

Game-based learning has been used to teach topics in diverse domains, but it is still hard to determine when such approaches are an efficient learning technique. In this paper we focus on one open challenge – the limited understanding in the community of the types of knowledge these games help to develop. Using a taxonomy that distinguishes between declarative, procedural and conditional knowledge, we evaluate a game-based toolkit to analyse and solve an information security problem within a holistic crime prevention framework. Twenty-eight participants used the toolkit. We designed a portfolio of learning assessment measures to capture learning of different types of knowledge. The measures included two theoretical open-answer questions to explore participants' understanding, three problem-specific open-answer questions to test their ability to apply the framework, and 9 multiple-choice questions to test their ability to transfer what was learned to other contexts. The assessment measures were administered before and after use of the tookit. The application questions were analysed by classifying suggested ideas. The theoretical questions were qualitatively analysed using a set of analytical techniques. The transferability questions were statistically analysed using ttests. Our results show that participants' answers to the application questions improved in quality after the use of the toolkit. In their answers to the theoretical questions most participants could explain the key features of the toolkit. Statistical analysis of the multiple-choice questions testing transferability however failed to demonstrate significant improvement. Whilist our participants understood the CCO framework and learned how to use the toolkit, participants didn't demonstrate transfer of knowledge to other situations in information security. We discuss our results, limitations of the study design and possible lessons to be learned from these

A two-way interactive broadband satellite architecture to break the digital divide barrier

September 24-26, 2007, Turin, Ital

TV-Centric technologies to provide remote areas with two-way satellite broadband access

October 1-2, 2007, Rome, Italy TV-Centric Technologies To Provide Remote Areas With Two-Way Satellite Broadband Acces

Why do people use unsecure public Wi-Fi? An investigation of behaviour and factors driving decisions

© 2016 Copyright is held by the owner/author(s). Public Wi-Fi networks are now widely available in many countries. Though undoubtedly convenient, such networks have potential security and privacy risks. The aim of this study was to understand if people are aware of those risks, and - if so - why they decide to take them. We set up an experimental free Wi-Fi network at 14 locations in central London, UK, for a period of 150 hours, and people connected most often to use instant messaging, search engines, and social networks, and sensitive data (such as name, date of birth, and sexual orientation) were transmitted. We subsequently investigated people's risk awareness and risk behaviour through semi-structured interviews with 14 participants, and an online scenario-based survey with 102 participants. The majority of participants said they would use public Wi-Fi under circumstances where the risks taken are not consistent with maximising utility. Female participants rated the risks associated with public Wi-Fi use, more highly - and yet more females than males said they would use them to save their data plans. These findings align with insights from behavioural economics, specifically the insight that people can misjudge risky situations and do not make decisions consistent with expected utility theory