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This study investigates variations in performance, postures and strains on the hand-arm-shoulder musculature during the operation of a wireless mouse, trackpad and a new input device. The device is held between the flexed index and middle fingers with the palm facing sideways. The buttons and wheels are activated by flexion and/or rolling of the thumb. Eleven males and nine females participated in the study. All subjects performed an aiming task to test the pointing and dragging functions. The results of this study reveal that the new pointing device allowed users to adopt more ergonomic postures and has the advantage of reduced muscular loadings of the upper extremities. Mean (SD) muscular activities (%RVC) using the wireless mouse, the trackpad and the new input device were as follows: trapezius: 3.0 (1.7), 4.4 (2.9) and 1.4 (1.0), and extensor carpi ulnaris: 7.3 (4.4), 14.5 (8.4) and 5.6 (3.1), respectively. The device was used in a variety of hand positions, alternatively. The size of the working area was far greater when the new input device was used than when the two conventional analogues were used. Although reasonable performance was not achieved, the results support recommendations concerning the redesign of the device. The ergonomic efforts in the design of the input device are of heuristic value, providing a basis for future development. Keywords: Input device; Ergonomic design; Desk free; Posture independent

Pb is a toxic heavy metal in contaminated soil and water, resulted from industrial activities, mine exploration, etc. Phosphate solubilizing bacteria are able to secrete organic acids and further to enhance the solubility of phosphates. Enterobacter. sp and geological fluorapatite (FAp) were applied to investigate the biotransformation of Pb 2+ in solution with SO 4 2− , PO 4 3− , and Cl − species by ICP-OES, ATR-IR, XRD, and SEM. Enterobacter. sp can lower pH of the medium to ∼4. Meanwhile, >90% mobile Pb (declining from 1000 to 30 ppm) was immobilized via the combination of Enterobacter. sp and FAp. With the addition of FAp and Pb, pyromorphite was precipitated, but with relatively low content. In contrast, abundant anglesite mineral was formed in such weakly acidic system. These anglesite crystals can even absorb phosphates particles onto their surface. Additionally, geochemical modeling confirms the formation of anglesite and cerussite under weekly acidic and alkalic condition respectively, especially when H 2 PO 4 − concentration <10 −8 mM. Furthermore, the presence of Cl − in solution leads to the formation of chloropyromorphite when H 2 PO 4 − concentration >10 −12 mM, especially under neutral environment. This study explored the biotransformation of Pb in SO 4 -PO 4 -Cl aqueous system and hence provided guidance on bioremediation of Pb by bacteria and FAp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of phosphorus (P) is present as insoluble phosphorus-bearing minerals or organic forms in soil. Geological fluorapatite (FAp) is the dominant mineral-weathering source of P. In this study, FAp was added into water and soil under elevated CO 2 to investigate the pathway of P release. Two types of soils (an acidic soil from subtropical China and a saline-alkali soil from Tibet Plateau, China) with similar total P content were studied. In the solution, increased CO 2 in air enhanced the dissolution of FAp, i.e., from 0.04 to 1.18 ppm for P and from 2.48 to 13.61 ppm for Ca. In addition, release of Ca and P from FAp reached the maximum (2.14 ppm for P and 13.84 ppm for Ca) under the combination of elevated CO 2 and NaCl due to the increasing ion exchange. Consistent with the results from the solution, CO 2 elevation promoted P release more significantly (triple) in the saline-alkali soil than in the acidic soil. Therefore, saline-alkali soils in Tibet Plateau would be an important reservoir of available P under the global CO 2 rise. This study sheds the light on understanding the geological cycle of phosphorus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial crisis has raised concerns for years and its effect on companies influence economies globally. The ability to accurately identify the features responsible for business failure is an important issue in financial decision-making. There is clear need for accurate decision support for both credit granting and monitoring of ongoing health of credit customers. The financial ratios involved provide useful quantitative financial information to both investors and analysts so that they can evaluate the operation of a firm and analyze its position within a sector. This research brings awareness to managers as to which features they have to focus on. All the ratios involved each play a crucial role. In this paper, the Swarm Inspired Projection (SIP) algorithm as a new analysis tool is combined with the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to determine the weights of the features and to adjust these weights to suit the profitability of these construction companies. The study made use of 1615 effective financial reports from 55 construction companies over the last decade. Based on the 25 ratios used, the PCA incorporating the SIP algorithm gives us an average accuracy rate of 90%. This method provides better reliability in the identification of the principal features in bankruptcy analysis. Corporate financial distress is a major concern to business sectors worldwide; therefore using both clustering and statistical techniques is a better basis in mitigating bankruptcy to both practitioners and researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study aims to develop an augmented reality assisted system on smart-glasses. • The system uses the user's pointing gesture to show an object's relevant information. • The result shows a high object detection rate both in outdoor and indoor lightings. This paper is aimed at the usage of an augmented reality assisted system set up on the smart-glasses for training activities. Literature review leads us to a comparison among related technologies, yielding that Mask Regions with Convolutional Neural Network (R-CNN) oriented approach fits the study needs. The proposed method including (1) pointing gesture capture, (2) finger-pointing analysis, and (3) virtual tool positioning and rotation angle are developed. Results show that the recognition of object detection is 95.5%, the Kappa value of recognition of gesture detection is 0.93, and the average time for detecting pointing gesture is 0.26 seconds. Furthermore, even under different lighting, such as indoor and outdoor, the pointing analysis accuracy is up to 79%. The error between the analysis angle and the actual angle is only 1.32 degrees. The results proved that the system is well suited to present the effect of augmented reality, making it applicable for real world usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In most hospitals, operating rooms are the most costly facilities and consume a large percentage of the hospital recourses. Therefore, an efficient and effective operating room scheduling system is highly demanded for hospitals. In this paper, a SOMO-based approach to solving the operating room scheduling problem is proposed. Computational experiments performed on 100 randomly generated simulations are conducted to test whether the proposed scheduling algorithm can provide appealing arrangements in a reasonable computation time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To improve the accurate rate of mapping multi-spectral remote sensing images, in this paper we construct a class of HyperRectangular Composite Neural Networks (HRCNNs), integrating the paradigms of neural networks with the rule-based approach. The supervised decision-directed learning (SDDL) algorithm is also adopted to construct a two-layer network in a sequential manner by adding hidden nodes as needed. Thus, the classification knowledge embedded in the numerical weights of trained HRCNNs can be extracted and represented in the form of If-Then rules. The rules facilitate justification on the responses to increase accuracy of the classification. A sample of remote sensing image containing forest land, river, dam area, and built-up land is used to examine the proposed approach. The accurate recognition rate reaching over 99% demonstrates that the proposed approach is capable of dealing with image mapping. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a new approach to constructing a neural tree to integrate the advantages of decision trees and neural networks. The proposed neural tree, called a quadratic-neuron-based neural tree (QUANT), is a tree-structured neural network composed of neurons with quadratic neural-type junctions for pattern classification. A quadratic neuron is capable of forming a hyper-ellipsoid that can be varied in sizes and in locations on the space spanned by the input variables. Via a batch-mode training algorithm, the QUANT grows a neural tree containing quadratic neurons in its nodes. These quadratic neurons recursively partition the feature space into hyper-ellipsoidal-shaped sub-regions. The QUANT has the partial incremental capability so that it does not need to re-construct a new neural tree to accommodate new training data whenever new data are introduced to a trained QUANT. To demonstrate the performance of the proposed QUANT, one pattern recognition problem and the spam e-mail detection problem were tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper a new data projection algorithm which was inspired by the foraging behaviors of doves is proposed. We name the new data projection the swarm-inspired projection (SIP) algorithm. The algorithm allows us to visually estimate the number of clusters existing in a data set. Based on the projection result, we may then partition the data set into the corresponding number of clusters. The SIP algorithm regards each data pattern in a data set as a piece of crumb which will be sequentially tossed to a flock of doves on the ground. The doves will adjust their physical positions to compete for crumbs. Gradually, the flock of doves will be divided into several groups according to the distributions of the crumbs. The formed groups will naturally correspond to the underlying data structures in the data set. By viewing the scatter plot of the final positions of the doves we can estimate the number of clusters existing in the data set. Several data sets were used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed SIP algorithm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper we propose a clustering algorithm to cluster data with arbitrary shapes without knowing the number of clusters in advance. The proposed algorithm is a two-stage algorithm. In the first stage, a neural network incorporated with an ART-like training algorithm is used to cluster data into a set of multi-dimensional hyperellipsoids. At the second stage, a dendrogram is built to complement the neural network. We then use dendrograms and so-called tables of relative frequency counts to help analysts to pick some trustable clustering results from a lot of different clustering results. Several data sets were tested to demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Carbonate in soil from karst region is a substantial carbon sink on Earth. Many karst regions are covered by P-deficient soil. This study evaluated the influences of phosphate addition on fungal weathering (by typical phosphate-solubilizing fungus Aspergillus niger) of carbonate in the soil with red color from karst region. Two weathering pathways were recognized, i.e., biochemical and biomechanical deterioration. The biochemical pathway was performed by dissolving carbonate via secreting organic acids. Meanwhile, the dominant organic acid, i.e., oxalic acid, induced the formation of calcium oxalate, which prevented the loss of Ca2+ cations. It was estimated that the ideal carbonate solubilization driven by geological fluorapatite and fungal weathering is up to 3.3% per year, based on the equation of 12 × (R Base + R PSF) × m × (A real /A PSF). Moreover, fungal weathering of carbonate is very sensitive to the solubility of phosphates. Phosphates supply essential P source for the fungal growth and subsequently raise water-soluble P content in the soil. The addition of bioapatite (a variety of natural apatite with relatively high solubility) elevated the value to 4.6% (a ~ 40% enhancement compared with FAp). This research hence elucidated the tight correlation between carbonate weathering and P supply. Inorganic C release driven by P availability and microbial weathering should be addressed in karst region. Unlabelled Image • A. niger can release abundant oxalic acids to prevent Ca2+ loss via the formation of Ca-oxalate. • Phosphate addition significantly enhances (up to ~5%) the fungal weathering rate of carbonate in soil. • The low solubility of FAp is the major drawback of P supply and bioweathering of minerals. • Both of biochemical and biomechanical deterioration contributes to fungal weathering of carbonate rocks. • C flux driven by P availability and microbial weathering should be addressed in karst region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium cations (Cd2+) are extremely toxic to organisms, which limits the remediation of Cd by microorganisms. This study investigated the feasibility of applying biochar to protect bacteria from extreme Cd2+ stress (1000 mg/L). An alkaline biochar (RB) and a slightly acidic biochar (SB) were selected. SB revealed a higher Cd2+ removal than RB (15.5% vs. 4.8%) due to its high surface area. Addition of Enterobacter sp. induced formation of Cd phosphate and carbonate on both SB and RB surface. However, Cd2+ removal by RB enhanced more evidently than SB (78.9% vs. 30.2%) due to the substantial microbial regulation and surficial alkalinity. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and geochemical modeling (GWB) all confirmed that the formation of stable Cd phosphate on RB was superior to that in SB. These biomineralization, together with biochar pore structure, protect bacterial cells from Cd stress. Moreover, the alkalinity of biochar promoted the formation of carbonate, which strengthened the decline of Cd2+ toxicity. The protection by RB was also confirmed by the intense microbial respiration and biomass (PLFA). Furthermore, this protection induced a positive feedback between P-abundant biochar and Enterobacter sp.: biochar provides P source (the most common limiting nutrient) to support microbial growth; bacteria secrete more organic acids to drive P release. This study therefore elucidated the protection of bacteria by P-enriched biochar based on both physic-chemical and microbial insights. Image 1 • Pore structure contributes to isolation of bacterial cells from toxic Cd2+. • Surficial alkalinity causes Cd biomineralization, reducing Cd toxicity. • GWB model confirms that Cd-phosphate dominates mineralization after adding bacteria. • The abundant P induces a positive feedback between the bacteria and biochar. There are three main pathways (pore structure, carbonate and phosphate biomineralization) for biochar to assist bacteria to resist heavy metal stress. The data regarding bioactivities of bacteria cells (PLFA and microbial respiration) and GWB modeling confirmed the protection function of biochar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of P is fixed in pedosphere and lithosphere, i.e., not directly available to ecosystem. Interactions between phosphate-solubilizing bacteria and clay minerals contribute heavily to P biogeochemistry. In this study, hydroxylapatite (HAp), montmorillonite (Mt.) and Enterobacter sp. were applied to investigate their influences on P release, sorption, and transformation. Enterobacter sp. promoted the dissolution of HAp via secreting formic acid (pH declined from neutral to ~5.0). However, respiration of the bacteria with addition of Mt. was decreased by ~15.0% after their logarithm growth. SEM analysis also indicated that the number of Enterobacter sp. cells was significantly reduced on Mt. surface. Mt. was hence able to inhibit the activity of the adsorbed bacteria on its surface. Meanwhile, the mobile bacteria helped to transform HAp mineral to nanoparticles via partial dissolution. Despite the low sorption of mobile P anions (< 0.2 mg L−1), Mt. was able to adsorb plenty of HAp nanoparticles. The subsequently enhanced adsorption of P nanoparticles by Mt. protects the environment from P losses. Therefore, interaction of mobile bacteria and clay minerals have a positive feedback in regulating P transportation in long-term. This study elucidated the different roles of mobile and fixed bacterial cells in P biogeochemistry influenced by Mt. • Montmorillonite inhibits activity of the adsorbed bacterial cells on its surface. • Enterobacter sp. promotes hydroxylapatite dissolution via secreting formic acid. • Enterobacter sp. can also transform P minerals to nanoparticles. • The sorption of mobile PO 4 anions by montmorillonite was limited, i.e., < 0.2 mg g−1. • Montmorillonite can adsorb abundant P nanoparticles and hence prevent P losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To control the workflow for surgical patients, we in-cooperate radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology to develop a Patient Advancement Monitoring System (PAMS) in operation theater. Methods: The web-based PAMS is designed to monitor the whole workflow for the handling of surgical patients. The system integrates multiple data entry ports Across the multi-functional surgical teams. Data are entered into the system through RFID, bar code, palm digital assistance (PDA), ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), or traditional keyboard at designated checkpoints. Active radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag can initiate data demonstration on the computer screens upon a patient''s arrival at any particular checkpoint along the advancement pathway. Results: The PAMS can manage the progress of operations, patient localization, identity verification, and peri-operative care. The workflow monitoring provides caregivers’ instant information sharing to enhance management efficiency. Conclusion: RFID-initiate surgical workflow control is valuable to meet the safety, quality, efficiency requirements in operation theater. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Prevention of financial risk is one of the major tasks that construction companies have to pay attention to. Using derivatives to avoid such risks is a practical strategy, but is heavily dependent on the traders’ skills and accuracy of predictions. The purpose of this study is to develop an automatic expert model using a rule extraction based approach that provides practitioners with a prediction tool for the hedging of financial risks through the use of derivatives. Data for the study include 780 quarterly financial statements collected from 2002 to 2006, based on public information from 39 listed construction companies in Taiwan. Statements with incomplete and missing data are eliminated, leaving 672 with which to construct the rule extraction based model, the Hyper Rectangular Composite Neural Networks (HRCNNs). After factor dimension reduction, only 16 financial ratios out of all revealed ratios are left to be used as input variables. The HRCNNs yield an 80.6% successful classification rate. With these 16 financial ratios and the proposed model, derivative use to hedge financial risk can be established for the benefit of the construction practitioners. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Phosphorus (P) is a major limiting nutrient for plant growth. Clay minerals are able to work as active centers in soil system due to their high surface area and CEC. Yet, effects of clay minerals on P biogeochemical cycle driven by microorganisms are still unclear. In this study, hydroxylapatite and three typical clay minerals (kaolinite, palygorskite, and montmorillonite) were incubated with Aspergillus niger to investigate microbial influences on P release and adsorption. Due to the mineral particles, hyphae wrapped small montmorillonite particles (<10 μm, confirmed by SEM and TEM), which promoted microbial bioactivities, e.g., respiration and acid production. P consumption by the fungus lowered the available P from 143 to 68 ppm. Meanwhile, ATR-IR spectra and HPLC analysis confirmed the intense adsorption of oxalic acid (the primary microbial secretion) onto montmorillonite. Despite the higher acid production, both the high adsorption capability of the clay and the acid consumed by phosphate dissolution caused that pH values increased from ~2 to ~4 after montmorillonite addition. In contrast, low CEC, dispersibility, and surface area of kaolinite and palygorskite limited their ability to enhance microbial activities and the subsequent interactions with hyphae. Therefore, clay minerals, especially montmorillonite, can drive P transport with the favor from fungi in ecosystem. • Mon buffers the solution via adsorption of organic acids. • Considerably large Kao and Pal particles (>10 μm) are surrounded by hyphae. • Hypha-wrapped small Mon particles (<<10 μm) can promote microbial activities. • Mon play a dominant role in regulating the P biogeochemical cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of biochar in heavy metal remediation suffers from lack of long-term stability. Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) are able to elevate P release and the subsequent reaction with Pb to form stable pyromorphite. This study investigated the feasibility of applying PSB modified biochar to enhance immobilization of Pb2+. An alkaline biochar produced from rice husk (RB) and a slightly acidic biochar produced from sludge (SB) were selected. It showed that the biochars can effectively remove Pb2+ via adsorption, i.e., aqueous Pb concentrations after RB and SB addition were reduced by 18.61 and 53.89% respectively. The addition of PSB increased the Pb2+ removal for both biochars (to 24.11 and 60.85%, respectively). In particular, PSB significantly enhanced the formation of stable pyromorphite on surface of SB. This is due to that the evenly distributed PSB enhanced P release and regulated pH on the biochar surface. Moreover, small particles (<0.074 mm) showed their higher ability to induce the formation of pyromorphite, for both RB and SB. Nevertheless, SB demonstrated higher capability of sorption, together with its more abundant P content, which provided a more suitable platform to attract PSB to immobilize heavy metals. Therefore, the combination of biochar and PSB is a promising candidate material for heavy metal remediation. However, the types and particle size distribution of biochar should be addressed. Unlabelled Image • The combination of biochar and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) successfully removed Pb2+ from organic medium. • XRD, ATR-IR and SEM/EDS show the formation of pyromorphite on biochar by PSB. • The decomposition of phosphorus compounds by bacteria and the increase of pH value were helpful in the solubilization of P and the subsequent formation of pyromorphite • P release from medium and biochar significantly promotes formation of pyromorphite. • PSB contribute to the decreased formation of cerussite on biochar surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioapatite (BAp) is regarded as an effective material to immobilize lead (Pb 2+ ) via the formation of stable pyromorphite. However, when applied in contaminated soil, due to its low surface area and low adsorption capacity, BAp might not sufficiently contact and react with Pb 2+ . Biochar, a carbon storage material, typically has high surface area and high adsorption capacity. This study investigated the feasibility of using biochar as a reaction platform to enhance BAp immobilization of Pb 2+ . An alkaline biochar produced from wheat straw pellets (WSP) and a slightly acidic biochar produced from hardwood (SB) were selected. The results of aqueous adsorption showed the combination of biochar (WSP or SB) and BAp effectively removed Pb 2+ from the aqueous solution containing 1000 ppm Pb 2+ . XRD, ATR-IR, and SEM/EDX results revealed the formation of hydroxypyromorphite on both biochars’ surfaces. This study demonstrates that biochars could act as an efficient reaction platform for BAp and Pb 2+ in aqueous solution due to their high surface area, porous structure, and high adsorption capacity. Therefore, it is mechanistically feasible to apply biochar to enhance BAp immobilization of Pb 2+ in contaminated soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Introduction: Virtual reality simulation training may improve knowledge of anatomy and surgical skills. We evaluated a 3-dimensional, haptic, virtual reality temporal bone simulator for dissection training. Methods: The subjects were 7 otolaryngology residents (3 training sessions each) and 7 medical students (1 training session each). The virtual reality temporal bone simulation station included a computer with software that was linked to a force-feedback hand stylus, and the system recorded performance and collisions with vital anatomic structures. Subjects performed virtual reality dissections and completed questionnaires after the training sessions. Results: Residents and students had favorable responses to most questions of the technology acceptance model (TAM) questionnaire. The average TAM scores were above neutral for residents and medical students in all domains, and the average TAM score for residents was significantly higher for the usefulness domain and lower for the playful domain than students. The average satisfaction questionnaire for residents showed that residents had greater overall satisfaction with cadaver temporal bone dissection training than training with the virtual reality simulator or plastic temporal bone. For medical students, the average comprehension score was significantly increased from before to after training for all anatomic structures. Medical students had significantly more collisions with the dura than residents. The residents had similar mean performance scores after the first and third training sessions for all dissection procedures. Discussion: The virtual reality temporal bone simulator provided satisfactory training for otolaryngology residents and medical students. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Program Buffer Overflow Defects (PBODs) are the stepping stones of Buffer Overflow Attacks (BOAs), which are one of the most dangerous security threats to the Internet. In this paper, we propose a kernel-based security testing tool, named ARMORY, for software engineers to detect PBODs automatically when they apply all kinds of testing, especially functional testing and unit testing, without increasing the testing workload. Besides, ARMORY does not need any attack instance, any training phase, or source code to finish its security testing. ARMORY can detect unknown PBODs. ARMORY not only can improve software quality, but also can reduce the amount of system resources used to protect a system. We implemented ARMORY in Linux kernel by modifying sys_read() system call and entry. S which deals all system call. Experimental results show that ARMORY can automatically detect PBODs when programmers test the functionality of their programs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background/Aims: To develop a specific isolation method of hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells (SEC), we applied the immunomagnetic method using a monoclonal antibody (SE-1) that recognizes a membranous antigen expressed only in rat SEC.Methods: Cells were isolated by incubating mixed non-parenchymal cells, which were obtained by collagenase digestion of the liver, with SE-1-conjugated superparamagnetic polystyrene beads. The conventional Percoll method was also performed in parallel to compare with the immunomagnetic method. The isolated cells were cultured on glass coverslips coated with type I collagen in the presence of various growth factors for 6 days.Results: Approximately 98% of the isolated cells were positive for SE-1 and the contamination of Kupffer cells or stellate cells was less than 1%. The purity was significantly better than that obtained by the Percoll method. The cultured cells showed typical SEC features, such as sieve plates and uptake of acetylated low-density lipoprotein. Although the cells continuously underwent apoptotic cell death after 2 days, they started robust cell growth after 3 days and were well maintained during the culture period.Conclusions: Our simple and specific isolation method enables us to culture SEC with high purity and should be useful for the biological analysis of SEC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]