Single Touch Research Articles

Automated Multi-functional Liposome Manufacturing Equipment

Recently, we developed simple vortex-mixing procedures for preparation of MLV, LUV, SUV and GUV, and succeeded in constructing “automated multi-functional liposome manufacturing equipment” adopting these novel procedures. This unique, easy-to-operate device possesses conventional vortex-mixing and ultrasonic parts and allows even unskilled users to prepare desired types of liposomes overnight with a single touch of a button. In addition to MLV, LUV, SUV and GUV, various functional liposomes, such as charged liposomes, sensitized liposomes, surfacemodified liposomes, and reconstituted liposomes, can be prepared. Comprising conventional parts, the fully automated machine operates under oxygen-/germ-free conditions and is also applicable for concentration of a solute in a solution by removal of organic solvent, biochemical reactions (as bioreactors), ultrasonic disruption of bacteria, etc.

The neurobiology of Etruscan shrew active touch.

The Etruscan shrew, Suncus etruscus, is not only the smallest terrestrial mammal, but also one of the fastest and most tactile hunters described to date. The shrew's skeletal muscle consists entirely of fast-twitch types and lacks slow fibres. Etruscan shrews detect, overwhelm, and kill insect prey in large numbers in darkness. The cricket prey is exquisitely mechanosensitive and fast-moving, and is as big as the shrew itself. Experiments with prey replica show that shape cues are both necessary and sufficient for evoking attacks. Shrew attacks are whisker guided by motion- and size-invariant Gestalt-like prey representations. Shrews often attack their prey prior to any signs of evasive manoeuvres. Shrews whisk at frequencies of approximately 14 Hz and can react with latencies as short as 25–30 ms to prey movement. The speed of attacks suggests that shrews identify and classify prey with a single touch. Large parts of the shrew's brain respond to vibrissal touch, which is represented in at least four cortical areas comprising collectively about a third of the cortical volume. Etruscan shrews can enter a torpid state and reduce their body temperature; we observed that cortical response latencies become two to three times longer when body temperature drops from 36°C to 24°C, suggesting that endothermy contributes to the animal's high-speed sensorimotor performance. We argue that small size, high-speed behaviour and extreme dependence on touch are not coincidental, but reflect an evolutionary strategy, in which the metabolic costs of small body size are outweighed by the advantages of being a short-range high-speed touch and kill predator.

P‐195: Multi‐user and Multi‐touch System for 3D‐interactive Display

AbstractGeneral 3D interactive system based on embedded optical sensor had been reported for supporting single user or single touch. However, some actions like catch zoom or rotate have not been proposed. In this paper, a 3D multi‐interactive system was proposed to enhance the interaction between multi‐users and 3D images. The concept of the proposed system is to use color filter as a band‐pass filter to separate the illuminating properties of various light sources. Consequently, by using different color LEDs as the light‐pen, this system can detect 3D positions (x, y and z) of multi‐light sources. Finally, it can be applied for multi‐user or multi‐touch on 3D interactive display.

Inhibitory effect of hydro-methanolic extract of seed of Holarrhena antidysenterica on alpha-glucosidase activity and postprandial blood glucose level in normoglycemic rat

The present experiment was conducted to search out the effect of hydro-methanolic extract of seed of Holarrhena antidysenterica on intestinal α-glucosidase activity in dose dependent manner and on the management of postprandial hyperglycemia in starch loaded rats. Activity of intestinal α-glucosidase was measured by in vitro method. Fasting blood glucose level was determined by single touch glucometer. Total phenol and flavonoids of seed extract of Holarrhena antidysenterica were estimated using gallic acid and quercetin standard curves, respectively. The degree of elevation in blood glucose level after starch administration was significantly (p<0.05) less by the extract in respect to the control. The said extract also inhibited α-glucosidase activity having an IC(50) of 0.52mg/ml. Phytochemical study revealed that the extract is rich in phenolic compounds (60.23mg of gallic acid equivalent/g of extract) and flavonoids (360.23mg of quercetin equivalent/g of the extract). The extract exerts its antihyperglycemic effect by retarding the carbohydrate absorption from intestine through the inhibition in α-glucosidase activity and therefore resists postprandial hyperglycemia.

38.3: The Structure and Driving Method of Multi‐Touch Resistive Touch Panel

AbstractA highly innovative MT‐RTP (Multi‐Touch Resistive Touch Panel) has been developed. Comparing to the conventional 4‐wired RTP (Resistive Touch Panel), it performs not only high resolution single touch via stylus writing but also multi touch function. In contrast to the projected capacitive touch panel, MT‐RTP is superior to in price and stylus writing capability.

Process completeness: Strategies for aligning service systems with customers’ service needs

Increasingly, customers are expecting more and better service. As such, enterprises need guidelines and frameworks for addressing these expanding requirements. The concept of process completeness helps us to consider service from the customer's viewpoint; arguably, the only perspective to take. Process completeness is achieved when a firm's service delivery system matches the typical customer's breadth of expectations. While customers think in sets of services (e.g., I need a flight, a hotel, airport parking, wireless Internet), firms think in terms of single services (e.g., we can provide a flight). There are four basic service systems: (1) transaction—execute a basic request and nothing else, (2) process—handling all firm-related service requests through one touch point, (3) alliance—handling service requests through a single touch point via stitching together a static firm-selected alliance of service partners, and (4) agility—handling service requests through a single touch point via stitching together a dynamic customer-selected alliance of service partners. In addition to exploring the four service systems, this article guides executives regarding the selection and implementation of the appropriate service strategy that meets their typical customer's process completeness expectations.

Spatial coordinate systems for tactile spatial attention depend on developmental vision: evidence from event‐related potentials in sighted and congenitally blind adult humans

Changes in limb posture (such as crossing the hands) can impair people's performance in tasks such as those involving temporal order judgements, when one tactile stimulus is presented to either hand. This crossed hands deficit has been attributed to a conflict between externally and anatomically anchored reference systems when people localize tactile stimuli. Interestingly, however, the performance of congenitally blind adults does not seem to be affected by crossing the hands, suggesting a default use of an anatomically rather than an externally anchored reference system for tactile localization. In the present study, 12 congenitally blind and 12 sighted adults were instructed to attend to either the left or the right hand on a trial-by-trial basis in order to detect rare deviants (consisting of a double touch) at that hand, while ignoring both deviants at the other hand and frequent standard stimuli (consisting of a single touch) presented to either hand. Only the sighted participants performed less accurately when they crossed their hands. Concurrent electroencephalogram recordings revealed an early contralateral attention positivity, followed by an attention negativity in the sighted group when they adopted the uncrossed hands posture. For the crossed hand posture, only the attention negativity was observed with reduced amplitude in the sighted group. By contrast, the congenitally blind group displayed an event-related potential attention negativity that did not vary when the posture of their hands was changed. These results demonstrate that the default use of an external frame of reference for tactile localization seems to depend on developmental vision.

Study of plastic shear deformation in surface layer at friction. Simulation results. Part II. Effect of friction parameters

Deformation and temperature in the surface layer of plastic material and thickness of the plasticized layer are calculated using the one-dimensional macroscopic friction model devel- oped in the first part of the paper (1). We have studied the effect of sliding velocity, contact spot area, hardening ability, and thermal conductivity of material on the frictional heating and plastic deformation of the surface layer during a single touch between the contact spot and counterbody. Repeated contacts of the specimen and counterbody are simulated and the accumulation of plas- tic shear is considered for different contact spot sizes. DOI: 10.3103/S1068366607020079

MAGIC-HAND: A bottle and jar opening machine for people with severe disabilities

This paper describes the development of a prototype product named MAGIC-HAND that has been developed to open bottles, jars and packages that require a twisting action. Its intended users are people with severe disabilities, who are not capable of using the current range of package opening tools. MAGIC-HAND is a kitchen accessory device that fits into standard kitchen furniture. The machine uses novel design approaches applying human-centred virtual prototyping methodology. It is highly automated so users need only place the package in the machine, close the door and activate the machine with a single touch of a button. The machine automatically centres the package, grips its base, senses the height of the closure, grips it and twists it open. Safety features are provided to ensure fingers cannot get trapped accidentally. User trials have highlighted both the advantages and disadvantages of the machine. A comparison with current jar and bottle opening machines is provided. Routes to commercialisation are discussed.

Narrow Band Imaging in the Airway: Where Do We Stand?

Narrow Band Imaging in the Airway: Where Do We Stand?

Developing an analytic methodology to accurately predict probing depth in integrated circuit structures

This work designs an analytic methodology for applying the probe-before-bump procedure to predict probing depth and proposes feasible probing design parameters to avoid excessive probing of the bump pad. Two kinds of multi-level wafers were used to implement the probing experiment, with a single touch down, and an overdrive of 70 µm, 100 µm, 130 µm, and 150 µm by using a vertical probe card. The Young’s modulus and hardness of the two multilevel structures are measured on which the first bump pads are produced by sputtering aluminum onto the SiO2, while the second bump pads are produced by sputtering aluminum onto the copper, creating a pad metal of approximately 1-µm thickness by using the nanoindenter. The test results indicate that the Young’s modulus of the thin film material exceeds that of bulk material by 20–30 GPa. The difference between analytic and experimental probing depth ranges from 2.3% to 8.9%, revealing that the proposed novel analytic model is extremely accurate. Engineers or researchers can use the analytic methodology to accurately predict probing depth and acquire probing parameters that are accurate, cost effective, and efficient, thus eliminating the need to use focused ion beam (FIB) or other measurement instruments to determine the probing depth.

Horizontal transmission of fungal infection by Metarhizium anisopliae in parasitic Psoroptes mites (Acari: Psoroptidae)

Abstract Ectoparasitic mites of the genus Psoroptes cause mange in a wide range of domestic and wild vertebrate hosts. The mite infestation may be localised in the ear of the host, or be more generalised over the body. In the latter case, infestation may be debilitating and often fatal, particularly in domesticated cattle, sheep and goats. At present, control depends on the use of organophosphate or pyrethroid plunge dips or injectable endectocides. A series of in vivo bioassays are described here to further evaluate the use of an entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) as a biological control agent for Psoroptes mites. Mites were obtained from the ears of rabbits ( Psoroptes ovis (Hering) syn. Psoroptes cuniculi ). High levels of mortality (>94%) were observed in all life-cycle stages when exposed to a 1 × 10 8 conidia ml −1 suspension; there were no significant differences in infection between the different life-cycle stages. The treatment of eggs, however, had no effect on hatch rate. The horizontal transmission of the pathogen was considered by placing live uninfected mites in experimental chambers with an infected cadaver, but preventing direct contact using a mesh cage which would allow the passage of conidia but exclude direct physical contact. None of the uninfected mites showed signs of mycosis-induced mortality, indicating that direct contact with the cadaver was required for infection. Uninfected live mites were then brought into direct contact with an infected cadaver by a single touch of the mite to the cadaver ( M. anisopliae between infected Psoroptes mites, when used as a biological control agent, on an infected host is discussed.

Segmentation of connected handwritten numeral strings

A new approach to separating single touching handwritten digit strings is presented. The image of the connected numerals is normalized, preprocessed and then thinned before feature points are detected. Potential segmentation points are determined based on decision line that is estimated from the deepest/highest valley/hill in the image. The partitioning path is determined precisely and then the numerals are separated before restoration is applied. Experimental results on the NIST Database 19, CEDAR CD-ROM and our own collection of images show that our algorithm can get a successful recognition rate of 96%, which compares favorably with those reported in the literature.

Physiotherapists' use of touch in inpatient settings.

Although touch is a basic element in the practice of physiotherapy, no research has been done to establish the type and purpose of practitioner touch in clinical settings. The purpose of the present study was to determine how physiotherapists use touch in inpatient acute and rehabilitation settings. Fifteen physiotherapists with three or more years' experience were videotaped treating two to three patients. The participant physiotherapists reviewed a videotape of themselves and described the types of touch used and their intent behind each touch. Cross-case analysis was used to determine common themes in the descriptions. Mutually exclusive categories of touch were then refined, based on the cases. The most common types of touch used by physiotherapists included assistive touch, touch used to prepare the patient, touch to provide information, caring touch, touch to provide a therapeutic intervention, and touch used to perceive information. The physiotherapists also used 33 different combinations of touch, that is, a single touch used for more than one purpose. Inpatient physiotherapists clearly perform in a 'high touch' arena. Clinical experience was reported as the strongest factor in developing the physiotherapists' sensitivity to patient needs and their skill in using specific types of touch. Further research is needed concerning the way patients perceive and respond to the presence or absence of these various forms of practitioner touch.

Developing Successful Voluntary Programs to Help Retain Employees

The popularity of voluntary benefits, which include traditional offerings such as disability insurance and dental care, as well as novel choices such as long-term care and even pet insurance, is growing rapidly. Voluntary benefits are costeffective for employers and popular with employees. The effectiveness of voluntary benefits can be maximized only if they are offered as part of a well-conceived overall program. Employers should proactively determine employees’ real needs and offer benefits they most desire; the plan should be easy to understand, convenient to enroll in and simple to use, with service provided through a single touch point; and the benefits should be portable and payable through payroll deduction. A single trusted third-party provider should be used to give benefits a consistent quality and an integrated look and feel, and the employer should support the plan from rollout to ongoing implementation. Because informed employees make informed decisions, plan information should be provided through all channels, particularly the Internet.

Octopamine and Leydig cell stimulation depress the afterhyperpolarization in touch sensory neurons of the leech.

In touch sensory neurons of the leech, a train of spikes evoked by intracellular electrical stimulation leads to an afterhyperpolarization, mainly due to the activation of the Na+/K+ electrogenic pump and partly to a Ca(2+)-activated K+ conductance. It has been found that serotonin is able to reduce the afterhyperpolarization through the inhibition of the Na+/K+ electrogenic pump. We have investigated the possible modulation of the afterhyperpolarization by other endogenous neurotransmitters and we have found that octopamine is also able to reduce its amplitude. The electrical stimulation of the octopaminergic Leydig neurons mimics this effect. We have compared the actions of the two amines and found that the effect of serotonin is blocked by methysergide but not by high [Mg2+] or by phentolamine, and it is still present in touch cells isolated in culture. On the contrary, the octopamine modulation of the afterhyperpolarization does not occur in single touch cells in culture and it is blocked by all these treatments. These data suggest that while serotonin should act monosynaptically, octopamine should act through a serotonergic pathway.

The role of single touch domes in tactile perception.

Detection thresholds to step indentations applied to touch domes were measured and compared with threshold values obtained on adjacent areas of hairy skin. The mean of the detection thresholds determined on touch domes for five subjects was 504 +/- 27 microns (SEM). The detection thresholds found off the touch domes (2-3 mm away) were somewhat higher in all ten cases (two studies per subject), with a mean value of 587 +/- 28 microns, which was significant at the 0.01 level. These thresholds are an order of magnitude greater than those that elicit responses in touch-dome-associated slowly adapting type I (SAI) fibres in cats, and, together with the small difference between the detection thresholds determined on and off touch domes, indicate that the activity of single touch dome SAI fibres does not mediate the detection of steady indentation in the hairy skin.

Ultrasonic vocalization of laboratory rats in response to handling and touch

The goal of the study was to investigate the ultrasonic vocalization induced in freely behaving, naive rats by gentle touch with a human hand. Thirty-nine rats were tested in an unfamiliar experimental cage with repeatable hand touch. Vocalization appeared with an average latency of 4.6 ± 5.0 s (SD). The nape of the neck was the most effective area, and after a couple of stimuli applied, 66.7% of rats emitted 21–32 kHz ultrasonic vocalization. It consisted of multiple series of long calls, about 70% of which exceeded 300 ms. The responses quickly habituated from session to session to extinction. Significantly more rats housed in single cages vocalized ultrasonically than animals housed in community cages. The long latencies of the vocalization, their appearance in multiple series to a single touch, and quick habituation to the stimuli indicate that 22 kHz ultrasonic vocalization of rats reflects a distress caused by a potential danger to the animal and it does not necessarily reflect physical discomfort or pain. This vocalization may, therefore, play an adaptive role in increasing chances of survival by conveying information about potential threats to other conspecifics.

One-point touch input of vector information for computer displays

The finger as a graphical stylus enjoys a coefficient of friction with glass sufficient to provide input of direction and torque as well as position from a single point. This report describes a pressure-sensitive digitizer (PSD) capable of accepting these force inputs, and discusses a set of five simple input applications used to assess the capabilities of this device. These applications include techniques for specifying vectors, and pushing, pulling, dispersing and reorienting objects with a single touch. Experience gained from these applications demonstrates that touch and pressure sensing open a rich channel for immediate and multi-dimensional interaction.

Three classes of input to a semicircular canal interneuron in the crab,Scylla serrata, and a possible output

A large descending interneuron in the crab (fibre 5) has three input channels which have been shown to be separate by selective inactivation. These are (1) statocyst input (2) leg joint input and (3) a non specific input. Excitatory statocyst input has been reported previously (Fraser and Sandeman, 1975; Fraser, 1975), and inhibitory statocyst input has been demonstrated by examining the combined effect of statocyst input and other inputs. Leg joint input occurs when the coxopodite of any leg is retracted at the thoracic-coxopodite (T-C) joint. The effect of this input is to increase the frequency and duration of fibre 5 firing to a displacement of the body of the crab relative to the legs (Fig. 2). Non specific input occurs most readily in a well rested animal which is inverted. A single touch anywhere on the crab elicits a sustained high frequency train of spikes which is correlated with cyclical leg movements (Fig. 1). Cutting the optic tracts abolishes this pathway. Fibre 5 inScylla has an overt behavioural correlate in the stereotyped pattern of leg movements associated with the non specific input. This same behavioural sequence can be evoked during rotation of the crab and on low current electrical stimulation of fibre 5. Fibre 5 can thus be regarded as a command fibre for this reflex.