Increase User Safety Research Articles

Benefits of decreasing the uncertainty in the current bridge inspection practice

Numerous bridges worldwide have surpassed their service-life. To ensure the user safety, visual inspections are commonly carried out with the consequent assignment of Defect Grades. On their basis, simplified risk evaluations and maintenance intervention prioritization are formulated. Per the inherent nature of visual inspections, these ones include two kinds of uncertainty: interpretation-related and representation-related one. If to attempt to reduce their influence in the inspective process, the former, being an intrinsic feature of inspections performed by humans, could not be tackled. The latter, instead, can be decreased on the basis of a novel semantics-based inspective methodology. On the grounds of a large set of real-life inspections outputs, the present article measures the inspection quality improvement following said uncertainty reduction. This was achieved through the Expected Utility Theory in terms of utility and costs. On the grounds of these two, a novel Uncertainty-induced Cost curve allows the assessment of the cost evolution as a function of the weight of the representation-related uncertainty. The proposed semantics-based inspective methodology represents an improvement over the current-day directly assigned condition grading one, thus improving the efficiency of structural reliability assessments. This leads to an improved prioritization of bridge maintenance interventions and to an increased user safety.

Ultralow-Power Photoplethysmography (PPG) Sensors: A Methodological Review

PPG sensors are used to accurately, instantaneously, and non-invasively measure vital signs to provide a real-time indication of overall physical health and long-term well-being. Achieving long-term continuous monitoring is an important requirement to increase user safety and diagnostic accuracy. PPG sensors need a light-emitting diode (LED) with sufficient output power to detect the PPG signal, which consumes tens of mW. On the other hand, low AC/DC ratios of <0.1-4%, ambient light, motion artifacts, and semiconductor noise greatly affect the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), dynamic range (DR), and signal quality. Specialized circuit blocks are needed to cancel these interferences, further increasing power consumption. Several ultra-low-power designs, circuit techniques, and sampling schemes have been proposed in the literature to extend PPG sensors’ lifetime. This paper reviews, analyzes, and critiques these solutions to provide designers with comprehensive design considerations for achieving ultra-low power consumption while achieving the required SNR and DR in a PPG sensor design.

Lightweight On-Device Detection of Android Malware Based on the Koodous Platform and Machine Learning.

Currently, Android is the most popular operating system among mobile devices. However, as the number of devices with the Android operating system increases, so does the danger of using them. This is especially important as smartphones increasingly authenticate critical activities(e-banking, e-identity). BotSense Mobile is a tool already integrated with some critical applications (e-banking, e-identity) to increase user safety. In this paper, we focus on the novel functionality of BotSense Mobile: the detection of malware applications on a user device. In addition to the standard blacklist approach, we propose a machine learning-based model for unknown malicious application detection. The lightweight neural network model is deployed on an edge device to avoid sending sensitive user data outside the device. For the same reason, manifest-related features can be used by the detector only. We present a comprehensive empirical analysis of malware detection conducted on recent data (May–June, 2022) from the Koodous platform, which is a collaborative platform where over 70 million Android applications were collected. The research highlighted the problem of machine learning model aging. We evaluated the lightweight model on recent Koodous data and obtained and high precision ().

Characterizing adaptations of prosthetic feet in the frontal plane.

Energy-storage and return feet incorporate various design features including split toes. As a potential improvement, an energy-storage and return foot with a dedicated ankle joint was recently introduced allowing for easily accessible inversion/eversion movement. However, the adaptability of energy-storage and return feet to uneven ground and the effects on biomechanical and clinical parameters have not been investigated in detail. To investigate the design-related ability of prosthetic feet to adapt to cross slopes and derive a theoretical model. Mechanical testing and characterization. Mechanical adaptation to cross slopes was investigated for six prosthetic feet measured by a motion capture system. A theoretical model linking the measured data with adaptations is proposed. The type and degree of adaptation depends on the foot design, for example, stiffness, split toe or continuous carbon forefoot, and additional ankle joint. The model used shows high correlations with the measured data for all feet. The ability of prosthetic feet to adapt to uneven ground is design-dependent. The split-toe feet adapted better to cross slopes than those with continuous carbon forefeet. Joints enhance this further by allowing for additional inversion and eversion. The influence on biomechanical and clinical parameters should be assessed in future studies. Knowing foot-specific ability to adapt to uneven ground may help in selecting an appropriate prosthetic foot for persons with a lower limb amputation. Faster and more comprehensive adaptations to uneven ground may lower the need for compensations and therefore increase user safety.

Technological Solutions to Human Error and How They Can Kill You: Understanding the Boeing 737-Max Products Liability Litigation

Technology often promises increased safety in the form of reduction of human errors. However, there is a dynamic relationship between technological solutions to risks and human behavior. The attempt to design out a persistent pattern of accidents caused by human error can lead to a new, perhaps unanticipated, and possibly even more dangerous pattern of accidents caused or exacerbated by the technology. For this reason it is essential that products liability law proceed from a systems approach, not considering product design and user error in isolation. This article argues that a systems approach to accidents involving technologically advanced products, taking into account the relationship between product design and foreseeable carelessness by users, is essential to ensuring that the law of products liability does not have a negative impact on the underlying goals of this area of law, including the promotion of increased user safety, innovation in product design, and the affordability of useful products. The article uses, as a case study, two accidents involving the Boeing 737-Max jetliner. The Max design incorporated a design feature intended to prevent accidents caused by a pernicious observed pattern of human error. When it failed to function as intended, the result was disaster. Should the blame for these accidents be placed on the manufacturer, for flaws in the design of what was intended as a safety feature? Or should the flight crews be blamed for failing to handle a foreseeable glitch that they were trained to deal with? Complex systems involving interactions between machines and human operators pose a challenge to the usual approach of torts and products liability law of focusing on ex ante incentive creation because of the dynamic relationship between, on the one hand, features of the product’s design and information provided by the manufacturer that are sensitive to patterns of foreseeable user error, and, on the other hand, user behavior that is shaped by the product’s design and the information provided by the manufacturer. The doctrinal and theoretical analysis developed in the context of the 737-Max accidents will be important in other emerging technology contexts, such as the liability exposure of manufacturers and drivers of semi-autonomous cars.

Shock Absorber Mechanism Based on an SMA Spring for Lightweight Exoskeleton Applications

Wearable exoskeletons have generally been designed to enhance user strength or to reduce user fatigue. Two areas that have often been overlooked are that exoskeletons should increase user safety and have increased durability for use in extreme environments. In this paper, we developed an SMA spring-based shock absorption module for an exoskeleton or a quadruped walking robot, which can provide increased protection to the user during high-impact events in an extreme environment. We analyzed the impact force during the collision between the module and the ground based on impulse and momentum theories. The shock absorber module can be reused by exploiting the inherent shape memory characteristics of the SMA spring after every use. We confirmed that the spring constant of the SMA spring and the maximum allowable length affect the impulse reduction, and the results showed that the latter has a greater influence on impulse reduction.

Design health village with the approach of sustainable architecture and utilization of intelligent principles

Health Estates The residential complex is said to be Health services To offer its guests . This includes creating a natural environment And away from the pollution of urban life , Traditional medical care, hydrotherapy, sports and recreation is That in certain cases it has been noted in the present study . Created centers of growth and development Town planning in the areas of health, respectively . Cheetgar Park West East Tehran Despite the unacceptable nature along One of the most polluted parts of the country is And the ability to become the center of a highly advanced And visitors will be filled . The current project aims to show Town of intelligent health And with regard to the principles of sustainability In point of special importance To people's health is raised and ready . Using town planning rules and principles of intelligent health With regard to user requirements In the complex approach We have to define the series in advance . Due to the transparency and the need to design spaces The dynamic light is significant, with precipitation of priority projects . The use of mechanical equipment, electronic and electromechanical Date Its intelligent design provides for . Create structures to increase user safety As well as attracting investment and making money The prevalence in different parts of the country can benefit For people to have . This design can be found in different locations Accomplished and the success and benefits enjoyed it .

Self-presentation on the Web: agencies serving abused and assaulted women.

We examined the content and usability of the Web sites of agencies serving women victims of violence. We entered the names of a systematic 10% sample of 3774 agencies listed in 2 national directories into a search engine. We took (in April 2012) and analyzed screenshots of the 261 resulting home pages and the readability of 193 home and first-level pages. Victims (94%) and donors (68%) were the primary intended audiences. About one half used social media and one third provided cues to action. Almost all (96.4%) of the Web pages were rated "fairly difficult" to "very confusing" to read, and 81.4% required more than a ninth-grade education to understand. The service and marketing functions were met fairly well by the agency home pages, but usability (particularly readability and offer of a mobile version) and efforts to increase user safety could be improved. Internet technologies are an essential platform for public health. They are particularly useful for reaching people with stigmatized health conditions because of the anonymity allowed. The one third of agencies that lack a Web site will not reach the substantial portion of the population that uses the Internet to find health information and other resources.

Increased User Safety from Glass-Free Liquid Nitrogen Dewars

Increased User Safety from Glass-Free Liquid Nitrogen Dewars

Active dorsiflexing prostheses may reduce trip-related fall risk in people with transtibial amputation.

People with amputation are at increased risk of falling compared with age-matched, nondisabled individuals. This may partly reflect amputation-related changes to minimum toe clearance (MTC) that could increase the incidence of trips and fall risk. This study determined the contribution of an active dorsiflexing prosthesis to MTC. We hypothesized that regardless of speed or incline the active dorsiflexion qualities of the ProprioFoot would significantly increase MTC and decrease the likelihood of tripping. Eight people with transtibial amputation walked on a treadmill with their current foot at two grades and three velocities, then repeated the protocol after 4 wk of accommodation with the ProprioFoot. A mixed-model, repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to compare MTC. Curves representing the likelihood of tripping were derived from the MTC distributions and a multiple regression was used to determine the relative contributions of hip, knee, and ankle angles to MTC. Regardless of condition, MTC was approximately 70% larger with the ProprioFoot (p < 0.001) and the likelihood of tripping was reduced. Regression analysis revealed that MTC with the ProprioFoot was sensitive to all three angles, with sensitivity of hip and ankle being greater. Overall, the ProprioFoot may increase user safety by decreasing the likelihood of tripping and thus the pursuant likelihood of a fall.

Rapid Determination of Optimal Conditions in a Continuous Flow Reactor Using Process Analytical Technology

Continuous flow reactors (CFRs) are an emerging technology that offer several advantages over traditional batch synthesis methods, including more efficient mixing schemes, rapid heat transfer, and increased user safety. Of particular interest to the specialty chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries is the significantly improved reliability and product reproducibility over time. CFR reproducibility can be attributed to the reactors achieving and maintaining a steady state once all physical and chemical conditions have stabilized. This work describes the implementation of a smart CFR with univariate physical and multivariate chemical monitoring that allows for rapid determination of steady state, requiring less than one minute. Additionally, the use of process analytical technology further enabled a significant reduction in the time and cost associated with offline validation methods. The technology implemented for this study is chemistry and hardware agnostic, making this approach a viable means of optimizing the conditions of any CFR.

Close-range terrestrial digital photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning for discontinuity characterization on rock cuts

This paper reviews the application of close-range terrestrial digital photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning for discontinuity characterization on rock cuts. Terrestrial remote sensing techniques are being increasingly used as a complement to traditional scanline and window mapping methods. They provide more comprehensive information on rock cuts, allow surveying of inaccessible outcrops, and increase user safety. Selected case studies are used to estimate the accuracy of several 3D model registration approaches and the most time-, effort- and cost-effective methods are highlighted. It is shown that simple registration networks are able to provide adequate measurement of discontinuity orientation for engineering purposes. The case studies presented also illustrate the effects of sampling bias and limitations related to discontinuity characterization using remote sensing techniques. Vertical orientation bias and occlusion can be of particular concern when persistent discontinuities dip at the same angle as the camera/scanner line-of-sight. Major advantages of the techniques are presented illustrating how terrestrial remote sensing techniques provide rapid spatial measurements of discontinuity location, orientation and curvature and are well suited to the quantification of persistence magnitudes greater than 3 m.

New year product bonanza

Products for the New Year include variable-intensity transilluminators for increased user safety, an in vivo cell-tracking kit and a monoclonal antibody for the localization of muscle-specific actin.

Dissipation of methyl parathion and ethyl parathion from cotton foliage as affected by formulation.

Insecticide use on cotton has shifted away from the organochlorine compounds toward the organophosphate, carbamate and pyrethroid compounds. These latter three groups of compounds are generally less environmentally persistent and frequently more selective than the organochlorine compounds. However, the conventional emulsifiable concentrate (e.c.) formulations of the organophosphates, methyl parathion (MP) and ethyl parathion (EP) are extremely hazardous for the applicator and other field workers. Because of the limited residual insecticidal activity of the e.c. formulations of MP and EP, repeat applications at 3 or 4 day intervals are frequently necessary for effective insect control (Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service 1985). Microencapsulated (encaps.) formulations of MP (Penncap-M) and EP (Penncap-E) are now available and have been reported to provide extended persistence on tobacco (Leidy et al. 1977) and peach trees (Winterlin et al. 1975), reduced volatilization to the atmosphere (Jackson and Lewis 1979) and reduced mammalian toxicity with increased user safety (Ivy 1972). However, Pass and Dorough (1973) reported that e.c. and encaps, formulations of MP gave equal weevil control in alfalfa and that the dissipation rates of the two MP formulations were the same. The present study was undertaken to compare the persistence of MP and EP, applied as e.c. and encaps, formulations, on cotton foliage under field conditions in the Mid-South. This paper presents the results of research only. Mention of a pesticide does not constitute a recommendation for use by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture nor does it imply registration under FIFRA as amended. Names of products are included for the benefit of the reader and do not imply endorsement or preferential treatment by the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture.

A Proposal for a 24-Volt Standard for Audio-Visual Equipment

Audio-visual equipment is now manufactured for a variety of mains voltages, frequencies and connectors to interface with world-wide power systems. A standard low direct-current voltage is proposed for all components of audiovisual equipment and power outlets to be used in individual study and small group instruction. Several benefits are discussed: increased user safety, international compatibility, more portable equipment, more efficient optical systems, possibly lower cost equipment and use of equipment in places where there are no electrical mains.