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Mitigating the incidence of Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs), particularly those acquired in healthcare settings, has received increased attention because of the notable prevalence of this contagion (2,2). Although the incidence [...]

Depth filtration is a widely utilized mechanism for submicron aerosol filtration using disposable filter cartridges and facemasks. The filter media should be carefully engineered to reach high filtration efficiency and dust-loading capacity at the expense of a low-pressure drop ([DELTA]P). Filter media with bimodal fiber diameter distribution enhance particle capture by creating small pores with tiny fibers, while microfibers improve airflow, reduce [DELTA]P, and increase the effective filter area for particle retention. In this study, bimodal filters were achieved through the homogeneous distribution or layered use of nanofibers and microfibers. The impact of the bimodal design was explored using fibrous mats produced through melt-blowing, solution-blowing, and electro-blowing methods. Keeping the basis weight of filter samples at 30 gsm, using four- layered filters (4L) improved air permeability compared to single-layer samples. The 4L sample exhibited the highest performance, achieving 99.52% efficiency at 148 Pa. Moreover, replacing the melt-blown layer with bimodal mats in the 4L design increased the filtration efficiency to 99.61% keeping [DELTA]P nearly the same. The corona discharge treatment yielded the highest efficiency (99.99%) in the 4BML sample, even after 1 month the efficiency was maintained at 99.90%, highlighting the advantage of bimodal fiber distribution in electret filters. Highlights * Four-layered filter (4L) structures resulted in improved air permeability. * Bimodal layer (BL) achieved by adding SB nanofibers into the melt blowing. * BL in 4L structure increased the efficiency from 99.52% to 99.61%. * Modified BL sample (4BML) provides the highest QF (0.044 Pa-1) after 1 month. KEYWORDS air filter, bimodal, corona discharge, layered structure, PP, PVDF, 1 INTRODUCTION Air pollution is a globally concerning issue, posing significant threats to both human health and the environment. (1) Particulate matter (PM), especially those with diameters smaller than 2.5 [...]

Nearly half the US adult population will pass out at some point in their lives. Doctors call this 'syncope,' and it is bread-and-butter practice for any emergency room or urgent [...]

Author(s): Xinge Yu [sup.1] , Zhaoqian Xie [sup.1] [sup.2] [sup.3] [sup.4] [sup.5] , Yang Yu [sup.6] [sup.7] [sup.8] , Jungyup Lee [sup.9] , Abraham Vazquez-Guardado [sup.10] , Haiwen Luan [sup.10] [...], Traditional technologies for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) create human experiences through visual and auditory stimuli that replicate sensations associated with the physical world. The most widespread VR and AR systems use head-mounted displays, accelerometers and loudspeakers as the basis for three-dimensional, computer-generated environments that can exist in isolation or as overlays on actual scenery. In comparison to the eyes and the ears, the skin is a relatively underexplored sensory interface for VR and AR technology that could, nevertheless, greatly enhance experiences at a qualitative level, with direct relevance in areas such as communications, entertainment and medicine.sup.1,2. Here we present a wireless, battery-free platform of electronic systems and haptic (that is, touch-based) interfaces capable of softly laminating onto the curved surfaces of the skin to communicate information via spatio-temporally programmable patterns of localized mechanical vibrations. We describe the materials, device structures, power delivery strategies and communication schemes that serve as the foundations for such platforms. The resulting technology creates many opportunities for use where the skin provides an electronically programmable communication and sensory input channel to the body, as demonstrated through applications in social media and personal engagement, prosthetic control and feedback, and gaming and entertainment. Interfaces for epidermal virtual reality technology are demonstrated that can communicate by programmable patterns of localized mechanical vibrations.

Since the inauguration of information systems research (ISR) two decades ago, the information systems (IS) field's attention has moved beyond administrative systems and individual tools. Millions of users log onto [...]

Problem statement: Research into robot motion control offers research opportunities that will change scientists and engineers for year to come. Autonomous robots are increasingly evident in many aspects of industry and everyday life and a robust robot motion control can be used for homeland security and many consumer applications. This study discussed the adaptive fuzzy knowledge based controller for robot motion control in indoor and outdoor environment. Approach: The proposed method consisted of two components: the process monitor that detects changes in the process characteristics and the adaptation mechanism that used information passed to it by the process monitor to update the controller parameters. Results: Experimental evaluation had been done in both indoor and outdoor environment where the robot communicates with the base station through its Wireless fidelity antenna and the performance monitor used a set of five performance criteria to access the fuzzy knowledge based controller. Conclusion: The proposed method had been found to be robust. Key words: Adaptive fuzzy, fuzzy control, fuzzy knowledge, motion control, INTRODUCTION Autonomous robots are intelligent machines capable of performing tasks by themselves without human control over their movements. These intelligent machines have proliferated in recent years and promise to play [...]

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2010.01496.x Byline: Scott W. Campbell (1), Nojin Kwak (1) Abstract: This study employed the uses and gratifications approach to investigate how patterns of mobile phone use are linked to civic and political involvement. Findings reveal that use of the technology for information exchange and recreation are positive predictors of participation in civic life, however associations are moderated by mobile communication competence. Notably, individuals who report higher levels of comfort with mobile telephony and use it for information exchange tend to be more civically and politically engaged than those who report less comfort with the technology. These findings shed new light on the positive role of mobile communication in civil society, while highlighting competence as an emergent dimension of the so-called 'second-level' digital divide, which has traditionally focused on computer skills. Abstract (French) La communication mobile et la vie civique : associer les usages a l'engagement civique et politique Scott W. Campbell & Nojin Kwak Cette etude a utilise une approche des usages et gratifications pour investiguer les manieres dont les usages de telephones mobiles sont lies a l'implication civique et politique. Les resultats revelent que l'usage de la technologie pour l'echange d'informations et la recreation sont des variables explicatives positives de la participation dans la vie civique. Les associations sont toutefois moderees par la competence en communication mobile. Notamment, les individus qui declarent de plus haut degres d'aise avec la telephonie mobile et qui l'utilisent pour l'echange d'informations tendent aetre plus engages civiquement et politiquement que ceux qui declarent etre moins a l'aise avec la technologie. Ces resultats jettent un nouvel eclairage sur le role positif de la communication mobile dans la societe civile, tout en soulignant que la competence est une dimension emergente du soi-disant fosse numerique ' de second ordre ', qui s'est traditionnellement concentre sur les competences a l'ordinateur. Mots cles : communication mobile, telephone mobile, telephone cellulaire, capital social, engagement civique, participation politique, usages et gratifications, fosse numerique, facilite technologique Abstract (German): Mobilkommunikation und burgerliches Leben: Die Verknupfung von Nutzungsmustern mit burgerlichen und politischen Engagement Scott W. Campbell & Nojin Kwak Die Studie nutzt einen Uses-and-Gratifications-Ansatz, um zu untersuchen, wie Handynutzungsmuster mit burgerlicher und politischer Teilhabe verknupft sind. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Nutzung der Technologie fur den Informationsaustausch und Erholung positive Pradiktoren fur eine Teilhabe am burgerlichen Leben sind, wobei die Zusammenhange durch Handykompetenz moderiert werden. Erwahnenswert ist, dass Teilnehmer, die eine gro[sz]ere Behaglichkeit im Umgang mit Mobiltelefonie angaben und diese fur den Informationsaustausch einsetzen, haufiger burgerlich und politisch involviert waren als jene, die sich unwohler mit der Technologie fuhlten. Diese Ergebnisse beleuchten die positive Rolle der Mobilkommunikation in der burgerlichen Gesellschaft und unterstreichen dabei Kompetenz als die herausragende Dimension der sogenannten digitalen Kluft der zweiten Ebene, welche sonst immer auf Computerfahigkeiten fokussiert hat. Author Affiliation: (1) Department of Communication Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA Article note: Scott W. Campbell; e-mail: swcamp@umich.edu

This article deals with two studies that develop a measure and model of mobile communication competence (MCC). The first study examines the dimensionality of the measure by conducting an exploratory factor analysis on 350 students at a large university in the midwestern United States. Results identified six constructs across 24 items: willingness to use, mobile preference, asynchronous communication, communication efficacy, affect, and appropriate communication. The relationships of the constructs were theoretically synthesized in a proposed model of MCC. In the second study, the MCC model was submitted to confirmatory factor analysis on 212 university students in order to test the model's theoretical structure. Results indicate that the MCC model predicts 59% of the variance in mobile phone use. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2958.2010.01379.x

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2009.09.002 Byline: Andreas Sonderegger, Juergen Sauer Abstract: This article examined the effects of product aesthetics on several outcome variables in usability tests. Employing a computer simulation of a mobile phone, 60 adolescents (14-17 yrs) were asked to complete a number of typical tasks of mobile phone users. Two functionally identical mobile phones were manipulated with regard to their visual appearance (highly appealing vs not appealing) to determine the influence of appearance on perceived usability, performance measures and perceived attractiveness. The results showed that participants using the highly appealing phone rated their appliance as being more usable than participants operating the unappealing model. Furthermore, the visual appearance of the phone had a positive effect on performance, leading to reduced task completion times for the attractive model. The study discusses the implications for the use of adolescents in ergonomic research. Author Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Rue de Faucigny 2, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland Article History: Received 21 November 2008; Accepted 8 September 2009

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2009.03.075 Byline: Jen-Ho Yang (a), Chin-Chen Chang (a)(b) Keywords: Authenticated key exchange; Elliptic curve cryptography; Mobile-commerce environments Abstract: For secure communications in public network environments, various three-party authenticated key exchange (3PAKE) protocols are proposed to provide the transaction confidentiality and efficiency. In 2008, Chen et al. proposed a round-efficient 3PAKE protocol to provide the computation and communication efficiency for user authentication and session key exchange. However, we discover that the computation costs and communication loads of their protocol are still high so that it cannot be applied to mobile communications. Therefore, we propose an efficient three-party authenticated key exchange protocol based upon elliptic curve cryptography for mobile-commerce environments. Because the elliptic curve cryptography is used, the proposed 3PAKE protocol has low computation costs and light communication loads. Compared with Chen et al.'s protocol, the proposed protocol is more suitable and practical for mobile-commerce environments. Author Affiliation: (a) Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, 160 San-Hsing, Ming-Hsiung, Chiayi 621, Taiwan, ROC (b) Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science, Feng Chia University, 100 Wenhwa Road, Seatwen, Taichung 40724, Taiwan, ROC Article History: Received 17 October 2008; Revised 4 February 2009; Accepted 27 March 2009