How Many Participants Are Required for Validation of Automated Vehicle Interfaces in User Studies?

Empirical validation and verification procedures require the sophisticated development of research methodology. Therefore, researchers and practitioners in human–machine interaction and the automotive domain have developed standardized test protocols for user studies. These protocols are used to evaluate human–machine interfaces (HMI) for driver distraction or automated driving. A system or HMI is validated in regard to certain criteria that it can either pass or fail. One important aspect is the number of participants to include in the study and the respective number of potential failures concerning the pass/fail criteria of the test protocol. By applying binomial tests, the present work provides recommendations on how many participants should be included in a user study. It sheds light on the degree to which inferences from a sample with specific pass/fail ratios to a population is permitted. The calculations take into account different sample sizes and different numbers of observations within a sample that fail the criterion of interest. The analyses show that required sample sizes increase to high numbers with a rising degree of controllability that is assumed for a population. The required sample sizes for a specific controllability verification (e.g., 85%) also increase if there are observed cases of fails in regard to the safety criteria. In conclusion, the present work outlines potential sample sizes and valid inferences about populations and the number of observed failures in a user study.

Surgeon Experience Level and Number of Mohs Stages: A Prospective Observational Study of In-training Surgeons

Background Comparisons of Mohs surgeons by experience level (early-, mid-, late-career) and their respective number of stages taken during Mohs have not detected any difference. However, data comparing the number of stages for attending Mohs surgeons to Mohs fellows is non-existent. Objective To prospectively observe and compare the mean number of Mohs stages taken for attending Mohs surgeons and fellows. Methods/Materials Procedural data from 2,140 Mohs cases over 24 months was collected and divided into an attending or fellow surgeon cohort. Results The attending cohort had a higher mean number of stages for all nonmelanoma skin cancer when compared to the fellow cohort (p=0.005). The attending cohort demonstrated a higher mean number of stages for non-aggressive, non-superficial basal cell carcinoma (p<0.001), but no difference was found for other cancer subtypes. No difference was detected when comparing the two cohorts’ performance at high, medium, and low risk surgical areas. Conclusion The attending cohort had a higher mean number of stages overall for combined types of skin cancer and for non-aggressive, non-superficial basal cell carcinoma specifically when stratified by diagnosis as compared to the fellow cohort. No difference existed in the mean number of stages between the cohorts based on surgical area.

The Ring-LWE Problem in Lattice-Based Cryptography: The Case of Twisted Embeddings

Several works have characterized weak instances of the Ring-LWE problem by exploring vulnerabilities arising from the use of algebraic structures. Although these weak instances are not addressed by worst-case hardness theorems, enabling other ring instantiations enlarges the scope of possible applications and favors the diversification of security assumptions. In this work, we extend the Ring-LWE problem in lattice-based cryptography to include algebraic lattices, realized through twisted embeddings. We define the class of problems Twisted Ring-LWE, which replaces the canonical embedding by an extended form. By doing so, we allow the Ring-LWE problem to be used over maximal real subfields of cyclotomic number fields. We prove that Twisted Ring-LWE is secure by providing a security reduction from Ring-LWE to Twisted Ring-LWE in both search and decision forms. It is also shown that the twist factor does not affect the asymptotic approximation factors in the worst-case to average-case reductions. Thus, Twisted Ring-LWE maintains the consolidated hardness guarantee of Ring-LWE and increases the existing scope of algebraic lattices that can be considered for cryptographic applications. Additionally, we expand on the results of Ducas and Durmus (Public-Key Cryptography, 2012) on spherical Gaussian distributions to the proposed class of lattices under certain restrictions. As a result, sampling from a spherical Gaussian distribution can be done directly in the respective number field while maintaining its format and standard deviation when seen in Zn via twisted embeddings.

An Intelligent Accident Detection Information System using IoT

In the current technology development IOT plays a vital role. By using IOT in this work, the accidents occurring in the roads are detected and the information is passed. As the number of vehicles in road increases the chances of accident also increases gradually. According to WHO (“World Health Organization’s”) for every 4 minutes one person dies in the road accident. The main aim of this work is to save of the life of the persons who are dying in accidents because of not alerting anyone about the accident at the correct time. With help of the arduino uno device in the vehicle the accident is detected. The emergency contact person will be receiving the co-ordinates of the place of the accident occurred and the information is sent to the emergency contact person from the arduino uno using the Ethernet adapter in the device. This device sends message to the respective number which is predefined in the arduino board. By sending the message in right time, the billions of people life is saved.

Evaluation of Mating Disruption For the Control of Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Lepidoptera: Thaumetopoeidae) in Suburban Recreational Areas in Italy and Greece

Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis and Schiffermüller) is a severe defoliator of various species of Pinus and Cedrus, while the urticanting hairs produced by its larvae cause public health problems for humans and pets. In the present study, we report results of trials (from summer 2015 until winter 2017) of mating disruption for management of T. pityocampa in different areas of Italy and Greece. Overall, the total number of male moths captured in mating disruption-treated plots over each season (70) was significantly lower than the respective number in untreated plots (780). The total number of winter nests was likewise significantly less in the mating disruption plots (13) compared with control plots (147). Our results indicate that mating disruption can be an important tool for judicious, insecticide-free control of T. pityocampa in urban, suburban, and recreational areas, where many alternative control measures are not available.

The capillary interaction between pairs of granular rafts

The interaction between two granular rafts at an interface strongly depends on their respective number of particles.

IMAGE SYNTHESIS OF METAL FOAM MICRO-STRUCTURE WITH THE USE OF WANG TILES

<p>In this paper we present our recent work focused on the analysis of the abilities of Wang Tiles method and Automatic tile design method to synthesize the micro-structure of cellular materials, especially particular type of metal foam.</p><p>Wang Tiles method stores and compress the micro-structure in a set of Wang Tiles and by the means of stochastic tiling algorithms the planar domain is reconstructed. The used tiles are created by the Automatic tile design method from respective number of small specimens extracted from the original micro-structure image. As an additional step the central areas of automatically designed tiles are patched to suppress the influence of repeating tile edges (and relevant tile quarters) on inducing artifacts. In the presented analysis the performance of raw and patched tiles of different sizes in conjunction of various tile sets is investigated.</p>

Modeling Interruption and Resumption in a Smartphone Task: An ACT-R Approach

This research aims to inspect human cognition when being interrupted while performing a smartphone task with varying levels of mental demand. Due to its benefits especially in the early stages of interface development, a cognitive modeling approach is used. It applies the cognitive architecture ACT-R to shed light on task-related cognitive processing. The inspected task setting involves a shopping scenario, manipulating interruption via product advertisements and mental demands by the respective number of people shopping is done for. Model predictions are validated through a corresponding experimental setting with 62 human participants. Comparing model and human data in a defined set of performance-related parameters displays mixed results that indicate an acceptable fit – at least in some cases. Potential explanations for the observed differences are discussed at the end.

Risk Factors for Thrombosis in an African Population

Little is known about the biological, epidemiological, and clinical risk factors for thrombosis and venous thromboembolism (VTE) among Black Africans. We undertook a study of the prevalence of VTE risk factors for thrombosis in a Senegalese population. A three-year cross-sectional and case-control study involving 105 cases and 200 controls was conducted in various hospitals in Dakar (Senegal). Our results demonstrate that oral contraception, immobilization by casts, surgery, and blood group were significantly associated with VTE occurrence. Additionally, 16 cases and 2 controls had protein S (PS) values of less than 48.4% (M-2SD), exhibiting a highly significant difference ( P < 1 x 10−4). The number of cases with a low protein C (PC) level was significantly higher than the respective number of controls. Using logistic regression methods, we established a correlation between significantly associated variables and deep venous thrombosis (DVT) occurrence. Age, obesity, sickle cell disease, and PC deficiency were not significantly associated with thrombosis. In contrast, gender, PS deficiency, varicose veins, surgery, non-O blood type, and the presence of anti-phospholipid antibodies were significantly and independently associated with DVT. These findings are extremely useful for clinical management of patients suffering from DVT and can help to reduce the high recurrence rate observed in our study.

Case Study of the Relationship betweenAqua RegiaandReal TotalContents of Harmful Trace Elements in Some European Soils

Bothreal totalandaqua regiacontents of trace elements in soils are often denominated by the same word “total” though the results are not identical. The formulas would be helpful for recalculation ofaqua regiacontents toreal totals. Data for primary formulas were taken from the International Soil-Analytical Exchange Program of Wageningen Evaluating Programs for Analytical Laboratories. The degree of extractability DE of element in a sample was calculated by weighting the ratios of median contents inaqua regiato medianreal total contentsin different periods with weights proportional to the respective number of determinations. According to descending median values of DE (%) in ISE European soil samples the elements are arranged as follows: Hg(98), Cd(94), Cu(91), Zn(90), Mn(89), Ni(88), Co(86), As(82), Mo(82), Pb(79), V(61), Sn(57), Cr(56), Sb(53), Be(51), B(46), U(35), and Ba(21). These values can be used for approximate recalculation ofaqua regiacontents toreal totalsand adjustment of contamination assessment. An attempt to obtain more explicit prediction by fitting regression models and problems related to high leverage and possibly influencial points are discussed and their possible relation to the specificity of soil composition is pointed out.